Chapter 32

After an intense battle, the boss was, as expected, defeated by the four of them.

Time flowed like water, days and months passing in a blur.

The days of not being able to show off slipped by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two months had vanished.

In just three months, the group had thoroughly mastered the game's mechanics.

Some time ago, with the end of the closed beta, SAO's testing phase officially concluded.

SAO's replayability was exceptional—even Asuna Yuuki would sneak online whenever her mother wasn't around.

Thanks to their teamwork, they had climbed to an astonishingly high floor: Level 25.

Reaching this floor in just three months was no small feat. However, for some reason—perhaps because the main storyline hadn't yet begun—Naoki still hadn't obtained the Power of Time and Space. These three months had been spent honing his swordsmanship and mastering the skills needed to take down wild monsters.

Today was Friday, the day SAO officially debuted as a full-release game, capturing the attention of the masses.

Across streets and alleyways, SAO's merchandise sold out in a frenzy.

When Naoki Kirigaya logged into his account and initiated the mental link, a familiar sensation washed over him.

He found himself once again in the Town of Beginnings.

Feeling his limbs move freely and the incredibly lifelike sensations, Naoki rediscovered that familiar thrill.

Honestly, ever since he started playing SAO, other games just didn't compare.

But soon, something felt off.

He pulled his beginner's weapon from his inventory and swung it, testing the system's assist mechanism.

His brow furrowed almost immediately.

The assistance felt weaker—much weaker—than before. The system's default calibration had been toned down significantly. Still, it wasn't a big deal; he hadn't planned to rely on it anyway.

Instinctively, he glanced at his HP interface.

The code he'd spent three years preparing was about to come into play.

During the beta, he'd tested it himself and confirmed it worked. He'd even secretly installed it for Kazuto Kirigaya, Shino Usazawa, and Asuna Yuuki. After all, one was his little brother, one was his future sister-in-law, and one was his apprentice. If any of them died in the game, he'd never forgive himself.

When the bug was active, a faint mark would appear at the end of the health bar, overlapping with its outline—something so subtle it was nearly impossible to spot without close inspection.

He checked the HP bar. Good, it was still there.

But then, a series of system announcements popped up.

And this wasn't the system he was used to.

[Plot activation detected]

[Participants: Asuna Yuuki, Kazuto Kirigaya, Yuki, Shino Usazawa]

[Scanning this world]

[Scan successful]

[Commencing theft of the Power of Time and Space]

[Note: Significantly altering the world or advancing the plot will grant you a certain amount of the Power of Time and Space.]

[System suggestion: Clear higher floors]

Naoki's expression remained steady as he read through the messages.

But the further he went, the harder it became to stay calm.

[Synchronizing worlds]

[Virtual world has been converted]

[Warning: You are now in the real world!!!]

[Abnormal code detected. Code has been removed]

[System data loading]

[Loading successful]

Naoki's face froze. He couldn't believe it.

Staring at the prompts, he took a deep breath and glanced at his health bar again.

Sure enough, that faint, almost imperceptible line at the bottom had vanished.

Damn it, system, you bastard!

Naoki's composure shattered. He might not have needed it, but he'd earned that cheat fair and square—why the hell did the system wipe it out?

Three years of effort, gone in an instant.

Clutching his chest, he felt a pang of anguish.

But he hadn't yet grasped the full gravity of the situation.

Before Kayaba Akihiko could use his GM privileges to force players into a dungeon, Naoki decided to grind levels as fast as possible.

He wasn't worried about Kazuto or Asuna—they had their cheats, their health bars locked. What was there to fear?

He was the one who'd been stabbed in the back by the system.

For now, he wouldn't tell them. If the GM flagged them as anomalies and deleted them for some unrelated reason, it'd be a disaster.

Kayaba Akihiko was undeniably a genius. This kind of ability was meant for survival, not for causing chaos.

Sighing, Naoki scanned his surroundings. Kazuto was nowhere in sight—probably off wandering somewhere.

Earlier, Asuna had insisted on returning the gaming headset he'd given her, saying her brother already had the game and she didn't need it.

Naoki had looked at her with a complicated expression. Little did she know, her brother would end up taking the blame for this mess later.

With her mother's personality, if she found out her daughter was trapped in a death game because of Naoki, she'd come after him with everything she had.

He still wanted to be her future son-in-law, so for his own sake, he'd let her big brother shoulder the blame.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the surprised stares from the players in the plaza and bolted south.

While everyone else was still getting used to the skill mechanics, he had to grind levels fast.

His goal? Floor 100.

Defeat the Demon King and save everyone from this nightmare.

Naoki opened his panel again. The information had completely changed.

[Character: Naoki]

[Level: 1]

[Strength: F]

[Agility: F]

[Stamina: F]

[Intelligence: E- (Physical energy consumed to trigger sword skills, converted here to magic)]

[Luck: F-]

[Sword Skill: Basic Sword Skill - Diagonal Slash (Single Strike)]

"Turned into a system panel, huh?" Naoki mused thoughtfully.

Still, this was fine—it made things easier to understand.

He sprinted toward the distant grasslands, spotting a pack of Level 1 wolves.

Taking a slow breath, he gripped his beginner's iron sword, feeling its solid weight and his heart pounding fiercely.

The wolves hadn't noticed him yet—no aggro had been drawn.

Relying on instinct, he positioned the sword at his waist.

Stepping forward with his right foot, he bent slightly, his right arm tensing.

Exhaling sharply, he recalled the essence of the Sword God Style's drawing technique.

Speed was key. The strike had to be swift.

The dull blade began to glow with a faint blue light.

A sword skill.

His movements adjusted automatically, and a clarity he'd never felt before flooded his mind.

In an instant, the iron sword sliced through the air with a massive arc, the whistling wind accompanying its strike.

A flash of cold steel cut through the Level 1 wolf's neck, its body dissolving into blue light.

[System Notification]

[You have comprehended a new sword skill]

[???]

[Charge, Draw Strike]

[Effect: Damage increases with charge time, up to 500% of a basic sword attack]

[Cooldown: 10 seconds]

Naoki exhaled, naming the skill Sword God Style - Draw Strike, then frowned.

He felt a hint of fatigue.

This caught him off guard.

Then, as realization hit, his expression darkened.

He understood now what the system meant by "converting to reality."