- "It's a game, but it's not a joke."

Holding the machine he received in his hand, Yuki's remaining memory came up with the most impressive sentence about this world, and it was also the "truth" that Akihiko Kayaba, the designer and developer of "Sword Art Online", told everyone at the beginning.

Soon after seeing the text message on the phone, the company in charge of the operation and the developer quickly delivered the equipment for the test to the address marked by Youji.

"NERvGear" is the name of the machine that can achieve "complete stealth".

Clenching the things in his hand slightly, Yuki's body trembled a little.

As for whether it is the fear of the unknown or the excitement caused by other reasons, I think there is no doubt that it must belong to the latter.

With everything ready, the girl lying on the bed put this gray streamlined helmet on her head.

(So let me take a look at this pre-"Game of Death" adventure world!) ）

When the pointer pointed to the set end point, which was also the official announcement of the start of the test, Yuki said the command to land.

「Link Start！」

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The stage of Ayn Grant is a floating castle made of rock and steel.

Completely abandon the essential elements of "magic", which is an adventure game, and can only fight through "sword skills".

It is this bold setting that has attracted countless avid gamers.

……

- On the first floor of Ayn Grant, in the plaza of the "Beginning Town".

White light flickered, and out of it appeared teenagers and girls dressed in rudimentary equipment.

Enter your account, set your own character, and see through the streamlined electronic light column, and the last thing you realize is the scene that the players are seeing now.

Away from the GM guidance of traditional games, everything needs to be explored and experienced by the players themselves, just like a real fantasy world, which is also one of the charms of this game.

However, before the adventure, many people have not recovered from this novel experience, and are still looking at themselves and the players around them excitedly.

Because the number of tests is limited to 1,000 people, the entire large square is actually not so crowded, giving them enough space to release their excitement.

……

"This is 'Equin Grant'...... Akihiko Kayaba's "world"......

In the crowd, unlike the other players who couldn't wait to talk to each other, a teenager standing on the edge of the pool looked at his current body through the clear water, showing a nostalgic look.

Compared with the characters who are all set up as 'handsome guys' and 'beautiful women' around him, this ordinary teenager looks a little special.

Raising his head, the boy looked at his hands and feet with a complicated expression.

It's just an imaginary space, but it's no different from a normal person, and even his heartbeat is perfectly reflected.

The only difference is the green health bar next to the field of vision and the interface with your character's name.

(I really didn't expect it...... After more than ten years, I can still see this face, and I almost forgot it...... ）

(It's only been a few months, but let me experience my time as a man again.) ）

Because it's a virtual world, there's no need to worry about some incongruities that may occur with the transformation of male and female bodies.

With such emotion, a boy with the character name "Yu" ran in the new world.

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On the plains road outside the "Beginning Town", a black-haired teenager is confronting a monster with a longsword he bought from a cheap weapon store with initial funds.

While most of the people were still running around the city, the black-haired boy, also known as Yuki "Yu", had already left there to start the first battle in the virtual world.

After so long of ordinary life, she almost forgot what it was like to fight.

And unlike the [Elf]'s wide-open and closed fighting style, every step here has to be carefully calculated, and the feeling of being tied up makes Yuki very unaccustomed.

When she held the weapon, she always felt that she could completely sweep away the monsters in this area with a single sword.

And the reason, she is estimated to be affected by the consciousness of a certain elf.

（…… Fortunately, it became a closed beta player who came in early to experience the combat method of this world, otherwise it would be really embarrassing at that time. ）

Guarding against the wild boar monster in front of him, the "Manic Boar" identified as Lv.1, the boy kept moving his body.

The reason why she is so careful about fighting a 'slime' level monster now is to make a rehearsal for the "Game of Death" in the future.

However, in the eyes of unknown others, Yuki, who is so serious about playing 'slime', is a little funny.

……

(Whew...... ）

Seeing that the monster in front of him turned into pieces and disappeared to the ground again, Yuki wiped his forehead that was not sweating with satisfaction.

She couldn't remember how many blue boars she had killed, from the beginning of the body was a little uncoordinated to now just need to turn slightly sideways to solve it, this number must be very 'considerable', right?

Anyway, the players who wander this area have changed batch after batch.

And she seems to be regarded by some people as a strange person who likes to kill wild boars......

Of course, there are also many players who understand her forgetfulness very well.

This feeling of adventure with a sword is just amazing! It's easy to get addicted to everything that's too real......

Of course, Yuki doesn't have any special grudges against the wild boar, but she is constantly grinding in her consciousness.

Her purpose in entering this floating city was not simply to play games.

Gather all the information you can to prepare for clearing this castle, and without knowing it, even if it's just a wild boar monster, you can bring a lot of information, right?

For example, the percentage of experience points gained, such as the dropped ingredients and Cole, and the title of "Manic Boar Raider" that has just appeared......

For some reason, she wanted to see with her own eyes the "world" that Kayaba had created.

(Isn't there only one form of life?) ）

(This "proposition" is really difficult...... ）

Pulling the corners of his mouth, Yuki, who remembered a certain [hint], looked at the scenery in the distance.

Tree-lined hillsides are close in front of you, floating blocks in the sky connecting to lakes abound, and "humans" who are constantly cheering to defeat monsters.

It's all about proving a point.

- It's a real world.

……

(So, you're pretty much done with the "basic battle", and there's still a lot of room to go before the scheduled logout time, so it's okay to be a little bold and expand the "map", right?) ）

(While the world is not going to 'eat' people...... ）

Looking at the area of the map shrouded in gray mist, the 'boy' stepped along.