Phew! It felt like being scooped up from underwater, Wang Shui gasped for air. The first time he entered the initial awakening task, he was receiving a dump truck delivery and didn't feel this intensely. The system's teleportation was… indescribable. His body felt like it plunged into deep water, with pressure and suffocation feeling eternal until he could breathe again, signifying the end of teleportation.
Wang Shui climbed out of the single bed and surveyed the room. It was a small standard apartment, about ten square meters in size, crammed with a single bed, a low table on the carpet, a small wardrobe, and a desk with a computer. These pieces of furniture filled the room. There was a tiny bathroom, and the balcony at the back had been converted into a simple kitchen without any signs of use for cooking. The floor was clean, covered by a thin carpet that took up a third of the floor space, and the walls were lined with neat light blue wallpaper.
Ah, is this the kind of apartment a single boy would have?! The horror of being an orphan!
【Dream System Connection in progress, all awakeners are in place.】
【Fantasy World Anomaly Copy loading complete, automatic world extrapolation in progress…】
【Language synchronization in progress, awakeners temporarily obtain local language capabilities, which will be lost after leaving the copy.】
【Main quest loaded…】
The system's prompt was a bit slower than Wang Shui waking up, but that wasn't the point. Wang Shui quickly checked the main quest.
【Main Quest: Seed of the World】
【Description: Obtain the Seed of the World.】
【Reward: Dynamic Weighting】
【Penalty: Erasure】
That's it?!
Although it had been half a year, Wang Shui still vividly remembered that his awakening world's main quest had several pages of text, clearly introducing the characteristics of the forces in the chaos. Now, just these six words, isn't it a bit too optimistic about me?!
And what the hell is erasure? Wasn't the punishment supposed to be lighter? You think you're the rotating XX garden?!
Wait a minute, the Seed of the World, it's not talking about the virtual world source code that Kayaba Akihiko gave to Kirito, is it?
Wang Shui wasn't an old otaku, and the plot of Sword Art Online was a memory from over a decade ago. He remembered that Kirito made the source code public, which then led to the creation of numerous virtual worlds.
According to the plot, that should be about three or four years later, right?
Cut it out, I thought it was something else. It turns out I just need to survive for three or four years. Where is this, Tokyo?
Heh, a young man with hands and feet but no parents, I can survive four years even by begging!
Thinking this way, Wang Shui relaxed a bit. The task, let's leave it to Lord Kirito, the protagonist is meant to be used like this!
Just as Wang Shui was relaxing, he suddenly thought of something and rushed to the bathroom.
Then:
"So this is the 2D world."
His body was still the one reshaped by the system, and his appearance was still the ordinary self he had seen for over twenty years. The facial features were fine, as always, just with softer lines, making Wang Shui feel like the system had played him.
It was the eyes, still those spiritless, fierce-looking dead fish eyes, not very friendly.
Now thinking about it, it had been over half a year since Wang Shui last wore plain glasses.
This 2D world wasn't in the style of anime; instead, it was almost identical to reality, just with a layer of soft filter added.
Compared to his expectations for the 2D world, Wang Shui was more nervous about starting the mission in this new world.
It turned out to be just like the saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for."
After a moment of silence, Wang Shui began searching the room again. Even if he had to survive for three or four years, he needed to have control over his resources.
After searching, the most noticeable item was a backpack containing materials for the second year of junior high. Inside the backpack was a name tag with the owner's name.
【Sato Itsuki】
What a terrible name, is this me?
Next, in the drawer, along with a passbook, were 【Real Estate Registration Rights Information】, 【Resident Basic Ledger】 card, 【Seal Registration Certificate】, and two seals.
Ah, are the procedures this complete?
Even the room was directly registered under his name; this orphan certificate is indeed a bit powerful.
The passbook contained one hundred thousand yen. So much?! Can't I just casually survive?
Wait, yen?
Wang Shui quickly turned on the nearby computer and googled:
【How long can one hundred thousand yen last in Tokyo?】
There were many answers, or rather, many people asked this question, but the more Wang Shui read, the colder he felt.
Some answers said twenty days, some fifteen days, and some seven or eight days, but none calculated by the month.
Sitting in front of the computer, Wang Shui painfully rubbed his face.
No way, I've awakened, I've transcended, and I have to work for survival in a native 2D world?
This is too embarrassing for the infinite zone!
Should I rob a bank? I can't fly or burrow; won't I get killed?
No, I can't be so pessimistic. I am an awakener of the Dream System, tasked with exploring unknown worlds!
The boss hasn't lived in luxury yet; how can the working man say it's impossible!
Once again, he googled:
【Can junior high students work?】
The results were complex, some saying not allowed under fifteen, some saying sixteen, listing a lot of troublesome approval processes.
Wang Shui checked his student ID, OK, 14 years old, perfect!
Amidst his dilemma, Wang Shui glanced at the bottom right corner of the screen: November 1, 2022, Tuesday, 8:00 AM, still early.
Wang Shui couldn't remember when SAO launched, but it must not have started yet, otherwise sending him here would be meaningless.
What to do…
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With no experience as an awakener, Wang Shui had prepared as much as possible for entering this world, only to be completely baffled by its peaceful rhythm.
How to start, my brothers, predecessors of the infinite worlds, can you share some of your execution power and ability to intervene in the plot with me?
If not, share some work experience!
Yes, even if you sent a few medium-sized mobile armors chasing after me, I would know to find a faction to join and survive.
After much deliberation without any ideas, Wang Shui simply took out his phone—to go to school.
It was only after descending the stairs that Wang Shui realized his small, rundown apartment was located in a corner of a shopping street, seemingly convenient for shopping.
The map on his phone showed the school wasn't far, just an ordinary public middle school.
It was a little past eight o'clock, and the streets were very crowded. Although he didn't know what time school started, it certainly wouldn't be later than work. Having already changed into his uniform and packed his backpack, Wang Shui hurried to school.
The unfamiliar school gate, the unfamiliar campus layout, the unfamiliar classroom, and even the characters and grammar he knew felt unfamiliar.
But it was the familiar feeling of middle school.
After starting work, Wang Shui had fantasized about somehow traveling back in time to college, then greedily wanting to return to high school, and finally, to the pure land of his relaxed middle school days in his memory.
Now, in an unfamiliar time and space, in an unfamiliar world, he had realized his dream.
"Hey, Sato-san, what are you dazing at the door for? Class is about to start!"
An unfamiliar boy greeted him, it seems the orphan certificate also gave him a friend, or rather, a passable classmate relationship.
Silly kid, am I dazing? I don't even know where to sit…
Fortunately, everyone arrived today, leaving only his seat empty.
The classroom had five rows of seats, seven people per row, and Wang Shui's seat was in the middle row, both fourth from the front and the back.
Good, the absolute center of the class, neither the back row by the window nor the front where the top students sat, nor the last row where teachers turned a blind eye.
Alright, alright, I've already confirmed I'm not the protagonist, no need to remind me over and over!
As Wang Shui hung his backpack and arranged his desk, the homeroom teacher came in, held a brief class meeting to notify the class officers to stay after school, encouraged everyone briefly, and left.
Class officially started at 8:45, such a strange time.
The math teacher was a chubby, kind middle-aged uncle with severe baldness and a soft, lengthy voice.
Wang Shui tried to contain his excitement about returning to middle school, listening carefully to the class while inwardly praising it.
Yes, yes! This is the feeling, ah, this familiar drowsiness, indeed unrelated to understanding.
The weather in November wasn't cold, but the classroom was exceptionally warm, causing the students with the weakest resistance to sleep to start nodding off.
Wang Shui was also sleepy but reluctant to miss it.
"So, we need to use the formula we just learned, does any student…"
The teacher originally wanted to ask if anyone volunteered to answer, but seeing most kids fighting sleepiness, their cute appearance made him both frustrated and amused.
This middle school seemed not very strict.
The girl sitting to Wang Shui's left had been listening attentively. Without turning her head, Wang Shui couldn't see her face or expression, but from her forearm and body movements, she seemed eager to answer.
The teacher caught the subtle movement, his gaze locked on, lips slightly moved, eyes narrowed, his face stiffened for a moment, then awkwardly shifted away.
He was afraid, afraid of a student?
Wang Shui keenly sensed something; the girl next to him also seemed to notice the teacher's momentary unease, immediately lowering her head, the atmosphere turned somber.
Could it be?
Wang Shui raised his hand, and the chubby teacher breathed a sigh of relief, inviting him to solve the problem.
【117117-119115】
An extremely simple square difference formula transformation, subtracting a squared from…
Although he hadn't used this formula for a long time, the corresponding solution still appeared in Wang Shui's twenty-something-year-old mind.
Speaking of which, his middle school math teacher seemed to be called Teacher Tian, dressed plainly and taught in an interesting way, a vibrant good teacher.
As Wang Shui got distracted, the 【Calculation Terminal】 in his biological brain plastered the answer's 4 on his face.
Really, the atmosphere was completely ruined.
Watching Wang Shui break down 119 and 115 into 117+2 and 117-2, the chubby teacher's face lit up with a smile.
Amidst the teacher's praise, Wang Shui returned to his seat, just in time to meet the girl next to him raising her head.
Dark brown short hair and eyes of the same color, a round but somewhat thin face, small and delicate mouth and nose.
Shino Asada.
The plastic feeling of the glasses couldn't hide her plain and sensitive, almost speaking eyes.
"You know me." Her eyes seemed to say that.
Isn't that obvious, we're supposed to be classmates for two years, and I sit right next to you.
Wang Shui responded with a gentle smile, at least he tried his best to do so.
The following classes didn't attract Wang Shui as much; his attention was entirely on Asada.
So, this is the entry point to the plot?
Do other awakeners also have the opportunity to approach plot characters?
Is anyone born next to Lord Kirito?
With many questions, Wang Shui still blended into the boys' circle in the class very naturally and smoothly.
Especially during lunchtime, most of the boys and a few girls gathered together, forming a high-intensity information exchange center.
Information about SAO's test, who's grades dropped due to game addiction, who likes whom, NERvGear is selling hot, and so on.
Until three thirty, after copying tomorrow's timetable and listening to the brief class meeting nagging, the second-year students, like birds out of a cage, scattered.
Only those participating in club activities slowly packed their bags.
Shino Asada next to him was also slowly arranging her things, but she definitely wasn't in any club.
Sigh, little Asada, Wang Shui sighed.
He vaguely remembered some plot points; Asada appeared around high school, with a very dull school life, counting the days.
Besides being bullied by a group of three girls, there was also a nearly psychotic friend who almost became her boyfriend.
In short, indescribable.
But now it seems, little Asada had already started this countdown life in middle school.
People with strong personalities and poor social skills are especially vulnerable to harm.
Wang Shui didn't take the opportunity to chat and befriend Asada, the result of a day's consideration.
First, Asada wasn't a character from the SAO arc; she wouldn't help much with the first volume's plot, and this person isn't so easy to approach.
Second, it's already November today, with SAO officially launching on the sixth. Wang Shui, who hasn't decided to enter the game, also wants to buy a NERvGear.
Today, he's racing against time.
Moreover, he realized his first thought about Asada was to scare her with a gun, then felt it was too despicable and gave up (temporarily).
Hmph, just a more fleshed-out side character, not that pretty anyway.
Quickly packing up, Wang Shui went to change his shoes and headed straight to the shopping street near the apartment, finding the game center in the middle as expected.
The good news was, although many people were buying, judging by the rows of boxes behind the counter, there were plenty of machines.
And the SAO game disc was also on sale, available for purchase with NERvGear.
The price was… 66,800?!?!?!
Wang Shui rubbed his eyes and looked again, damn, why so expensive!
Quickly opening his phone, Wang Shui searched for the price of desktop computers.
Oh, sorry, my mistake.
Seeing the mid-to-high-end machines priced at two to three hundred thousand yen, Wang Shui suddenly felt NERvGear was ridiculously cheap.
Ah! Wang Shui suddenly thought, if he entered SAO on the sixth, wouldn't he not need to spend money in reality?
Hospital maintenance of life should be paid by the game publisher, and after coming out of the game more than two years later, wouldn't there be some compensation?
In this way, one hundred thousand would be just enough…
Is this also within your plan, orphan certificate?
Wang Shui, feeling dominated by the orphan certificate yet with nowhere to vent, was somewhat dejected as he carried the device box home.
Yes, he still bought it, whether to play or not, he had to buy it.
The stairway entrance of the small apartment was only seven or eight steps away from his door, and in this short distance, Asada was frantically searching for her keys.
So, Neon is so small.
The semi-outdoor corridor was very narrow, the November evening wind a bit dry and cold, Wang Shui just watched with a smirk as Asada's pocket-searching speed increased, her face reddening.
The story ended with a dull door closing sound, ultimately no one spoke.
Wang Shui also returned to his room, it wasn't particularly cold outside, but it felt a bit chilly, naturally much better indoors.
Ha, little girl, all sorts of careful thoughts.
Wang Shui was still laughing; he could probably understand that sense of shame from causing trouble for others.
Little Asada didn't know, thanks to someone with a terrible personality considering SAO matters, she was spared.
It wasn't too late yet, Wang Shui had already started preparing, specifically organizing game strategies based on online beta information.
He also searched for Kayaba Akihiko's information, but surprisingly little.
This physicist and top game developer who created the full-dive technology had not only few interviews but also scant various information.
Wang Shui downloaded all of Kayaba's public papers, especially those related to full-dive.
Unexpectedly, unexpectedly simple.
Using microwaves as the interaction condition, NERvGear intercepts, processes, and feeds back signals emitted by the brain, simulating a highly sensitive virtual world.
To be honest, it's a bit far-fetched.
The human body is not simply the brain responsible for high-level reflexes and the spinal cord for low-level reflexes; they don't work independently.
Especially motor-related reflexes, without the spinal cord's emission and the brain's coordination, players in the game should be completely incapable of extremely fast motor responses.
Simple interception, the body completely not receiving signals, chaotic neural activity might lead to death.
There are also questions about NERvGear's design principles, battery structure, and information processing device technology level, all a bit dubious.
This… the author of Sword Art Online, fantasizing about the future within a limited time and space, now presented to Wang Shui, is a real world.
Even if it's a copy world, in Wang Shui's experience, it's entirely real; he can feel hunger, pain, and death.
Just reading papers definitely isn't enough; Wang Shui took out the NERvGear and the electronics disassembly kit he bought along the way.