"Possible ghost sighting—Yui has appeared."
The day after Daniel Davis and Asuna were married in-game, rumors like this began to spread. The rumors mainly originated from the NPCs and players living in a small village near the forest cabin.
The 22nd floor, Gural, with its uniquely tranquil environment, had attracted many players to settle there. These players were mostly older individuals who no longer ventured out to hunt monsters or level up, instead choosing crafting or gathering professions. The NPCs in SAO were each unique. In fact, their lives could be traced meticulously, much like the NPCs in the world Alice later came from. This demonstrated just how brilliant Akihiko Kayaba was.
Though Akihiko Kayaba's peers in the research lab were all geniuses, his abilities stood above the rest. The NPCs interacted dynamically with players, far beyond a set of pre-programmed lines. In many ways, the NPC world functioned as an independent system. The goods produced or gathered by crafting players were primarily sold to these NPCs.
While players were powerful and some owned shops, such as Agil's item shop or Lisbeth's forge, most of the in-game businesses were still monopolized by NPCs—restaurants being a prime example.
Some players had indeed developed culinary skills, with Asuna even reaching the highest level in that area, but the idea of her running a restaurant was out of the question.
In SAO, players could even marry NPCs, though the conditions for such marriages were far stricter than those between players.
"Don't be scared. This is just a game—there are no such things as ghosts," Daniel said, surprised to see Asuna, typically so courageous, showing signs of fear. Her expression turned anxious upon hearing the ghost rumors.
Daniel and Asuna's marriage had not been made public. Likely, the only one aware of it was Heathcliff, as Asuna, being the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, had to request leave from him. With her popularity as a "shining star" in the game, news of her marriage could undoubtedly cause quite a stir, similar to real-world celebrities who kept their relationships secret.
"I'm not scared. I know there's no way ghosts exist here," Asuna replied, trying to sound calm. While she understood it was just a game, fear could sometimes be an instinctive reaction.
"Then let's uncover the truth behind this ghost rumor."
"Alright," Asuna agreed after hesitating briefly.
"What's that?"
The ghostly figure was said to only appear in the forest at night. So Daniel and Asuna ventured into the woods under the moonlight. Not long after entering, Asuna suddenly tensed, clutching Daniel's arm tightly.
"Over there?"
"Mm. Maybe we should head back," Asuna said, already considering retreat.
"Don't worry, there are no ghosts here." Daniel, determined to find Yui, wasn't about to give up so easily.
"Why is there a child here?"
As they pressed forward, they found a small girl lying unconscious on the forest floor. She appeared to be under ten years old. The sight prompted Asuna to rush forward, her fear of ghosts momentarily forgotten.
"She came to find Asuna, didn't she?" The two quickly brought the girl back to the forest cabin. Unable to determine the cause of her fainting, they laid her on the bed and waited by her side.
"Don't worry. She seems fine and will probably wake up soon. It's late. Get some rest—I'll stay and watch over her," Daniel said. Unlike him, Asuna, being an ordinary person, needed rest.
Initially, Asuna disagreed but eventually relented, insisting on staying near the girl. The two ended up sharing a bed.
"This must be Yui. The next step is to find Akihiko Kayaba. If he refuses to cooperate, I won't hesitate to pull the plug on him."
The death game had been running for quite some time, and Kayaba's hiding place had been discovered—a villa on the outskirts. However, even if the authorities located him, Kayaba had prepared for such contingencies. The 1,000 players trapped in SAO were essentially his hostages. Any attempt to forcibly shut down the game, such as cutting the connection, would jeopardize their lives. Not even the highest-ranking officials were willing to bear that risk.
Kayaba had managed to shift all responsibility for the deaths onto himself. If the authorities interfered, the blame would fall on them, leading to significant fallout among the upper echelons of leadership. Thus, the choice was obvious.
Kayaba wasn't alone at the villa. Rinko Koujiro was there, taking care of him. However, Rinko was unaware of his actions; otherwise, she would have undoubtedly stopped him. Among Kayaba's research team, Rinko was the only normal one—others had varying degrees of issues.
"My name is Yui. Mommy, Daddy."
The next day, the girl awoke. When Asuna asked her name, she replied, "Yui." However, aside from her name, she couldn't remember anything. She immediately began addressing Daniel and Asuna as "Daddy" and "Mommy," leaving Daniel with a blank expression and Asuna blushing furiously.
"Not Daddy and Mommy—Brother and Sister," Daniel corrected.
"Okay, Daddy," Yui said with a nod.
"Brother," Daniel enunciated carefully.
"Yes, Daddy," Yui replied without changing her tone.
Asuna burst into laughter at this exchange.
"Don't laugh! She called you Mommy too," Daniel said, frustrated. He left the matter for Asuna to resolve.
"Call me Sister," Asuna said softly, pointing to herself.
"Okay, Mommy."
Daniel couldn't help but laugh this time, leaving Asuna unable to escape the "Mommy" label either.
Yui's persistent choice of titles was no coincidence. Strictly speaking, her existence was intrinsically linked to Asuna, engraved into her core code as an intelligent being. Yui's memory loss marked the start of her becoming a fully independent AI.
Despite the mystery surrounding Yui's origins, Asuna suggested searching for her parents or guardians, believing she might be one of the children trapped in the game. However, Daniel pointed out that Yui's presence on this specific floor was peculiar, suggesting she might not be a player.
Ultimately, they decided to investigate the Town of Beginnings on the first floor. There, they met Sasha, who cared for the orphaned children. Sasha confirmed she had never seen Yui before, leaving Daniel and Asuna with no choice but to take Yui back to the 22nd floor.
Meanwhile, in the Knights of the Blood Oath's base on the 55th floor, Heathcliff observed the trio through a screen, silently contemplating. As the game's creator, he was aware of Yui's escape from the system's control. Though this disrupted the game's balance, Heathcliff chose to monitor her rather than delete her immediately.
Kayaba had plans for a grand finale—a climactic battle with the players in the Ruby Palace. His decision to spare Yui hinted at a deeper curiosity about how she had broken free from his restrictions.
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256) — $5
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336) — $5
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542) — $5
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924) — $5
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284) — $5
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289) — $5
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316) — $5
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402) — $5
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570) — $5
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660) — $5
Get access to all of them for just $15 on Patre@n!
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]