Chapter 26

Once the chicken was fully thawed, Naoki poured a spoonful of oil into the pan. When the oil started to sizzle, he tossed in the ginger slices and chili peppers, and a sharp, pungent aroma filled the air.

He added the chicken next, turning the heat low to let it simmer slowly. Soon, a savory scent wafted through the kitchen.

He seasoned it with a bit of oyster sauce and soy sauce, then threw in a handful of celery.

The meat gradually tenderized, and Kazuto Kirigaya stood nearby, practically drooling.

Suguha Kirigaya struggled slightly as she plugged in the rice cooker.

Naoki glanced at Kazuto, who was just standing there. "You're not going to help your sister?"

Kazuto grinned sheepishly. "She insisted on doing it herself—said we should 'appreciate big bro.'" Before he could finish, Suguha marched over with a blank expression and stomped on his foot.

Kazuto yelped, clutching his foot in pain.

Naoki suddenly got it. No wonder Suguha had been acting so off today.

After the meal, everyone lounged in their chairs, thoroughly satisfied.

"Having big bro around is the best," Kazuto said.

"Having big bro around is the best," Suguha echoed.

The same sentiment came from two mouths at once. Kazuto and Suguha exchanged a glance, and Naoki chuckled, feigning embarrassment. "Aw, you're making me blush."

Kazuto bolted upright, locking eyes with Naoki. "So, we starting?"

"Starting!" Naoki replied with equal seriousness.

In perfect sync, they booted up the computer, leaving Suguha staring longingly.

"Suguha, it's not that I won't play with you—it's just that you're too bad at it," Kazuto teased with a laugh.

He'd have been fine staying quiet, but his words instantly maxed out Suguha's rage meter. She huffed coldly and stormed off.

"Fine, I won't play. Who cares?"

Her voice drifted back as she walked away.

Naoki and Kazuto shared a look and burst into laughter.

Naoki smirked. "You really need to stop teasing her like that. One day, I wouldn't be surprised if she barged into your room with a knife."

"Nah, it won't come to that," Kazuto said, waving it off.

Then they dove into gaming for the afternoon.

Time flowed like water, days passing in a blur when there was no chance to show off.

The blonde kid had grown from a little blonde into a full-fledged one.

As Naoki Kirigaya matured, his looks sharpened—defined features, a high nose bridge, and those vivid crimson-gold eyes growing ever brighter. With that face, he could stand on any street and draw a crowd of admirers. Years of exercise, plus a stint practicing swordsmanship for a year, had sculpted his body—lean and toned, the type that looked slim in clothes but revealed muscle underneath.

Today, he turned 15. And today was also the day Sword Art Online launched its closed beta.

Both had snagged beta access. Kazuto got his purely by luck, while Naoki had quietly hacked the official site's data to secure his spot.

Honestly, Naoki was impressed by Kazuto's luck. Only a thousand slots were available in all of Japan for a game as hyped as Sword Art Online—a probability so slim it might not even hit 0.01%. Yet Kazuto had somehow clinched it.

Today was the first day of the Sword Art Online closed beta experience, released in 2022. Human technology had finally birthed a fully immersive virtual reality.

The big-name electronics manufacturer "ARGUS" had developed the "NERvGear," a next-gen consumer device that made full-dive virtual reality accessible for mainstream gaming.

SAO—Sword Art Online—was the first major VRMMO to harness this cutting-edge tech.

Unlike old-school consoles that relied on flat screens and handheld controllers, the NERvGear's interface was a single, sleek helmet that covered the head and face.

Embedded with countless signal components, it generated complex electric fields to connect directly to the user's brain.

No need for real eyes or ears—the device fed visual and auditory data straight to the brain's cortex, creating the sensation of seeing and hearing.

Beyond sight and sound, it could even simulate touch, taste, and smell—all five senses, fully realized.

A full-dive game—an epoch-defining invention, courtesy of Akihiko Kayaba, a genius of his time.

Even Naoki had to admit the guy's brilliance. The game had shockingly few exploits—almost impossible to inject bugs into.

It felt less like a string of code and more like a second world.

Still, once inside, Naoki managed to tamper with some data.

He hacked into the dense code governing his HP.

Nothing too outrageous—no one-hit 999 damage or flying around invincible.

He just locked his health—not to some absurd max, but at the last drop.

As a "fool," not dying wasn't too much, right?

As a "fool," a slight attack speed boost wasn't over the top, was it?

As a "fool," a bit more attack power was fair, no?

As a "fool," knowing Starburst Stream wasn't unreasonable, right?

Okay, that last one was a joke.

If he dared pull that off, his real-world self would probably kill him.

So, he stuck to the health lock.

If he actually died in-game, his real self would lose it too.

He kept it subtle—too many blatant hacks, and the GMs would notice, purging anomalous accounts.

Cheating was fine as long as it wasn't obvious.

Was he cheating?

Kinda.

At the character creation screen, he shrugged. No point in tweaking much—his real face was perfect as is. Who'd seen a better-looking guy in the real world?

Not to brag, but he hadn't.

Blonde hair, golden eyes—a natural protagonist vibe.

After logging in with his account and password, he paused, then typed four letters for his nickname: "Roya." Then he initiated the neural link.

When he opened his eyes again, he was somewhere else.

A vast plaza stretched around him. In front of Naoki stood a potted plant, some nameless greenery sprouting from it.

He opened the main menu and checked his character stats.

[Character: Roya]

[Strength: 10 (10)]

[Agility: 10 (10)]

[Stamina: 10 (10)]

[Luck: 5 (10)]

Naoki raised an eyebrow. He scanned the area, then grabbed a guy named "Kirito."

"Hey, Kirito, what's with that look?" Naoki said with a playful smirk.