"Meow~"
"Meow~"
Two cats, big eyes locked onto each other, meowed back and forth in an intense exchange. From a human perspective, their "conversation" all sounded like the same tone.
The bigger cat had mostly orange and white fur, mixed with a few other shades. Sato had named her Chocola.
The smaller one looked like it hadn't been born long. Its fur was pure white with no trace of any other color, and its bright sapphire-like eyes sparkled. It still stumbled a bit when walking. Sato had named it Vanilla.
"Chocola and Vanilla... where have I heard those names before?" Sato murmured, watching the two cats on his desk as he pondered.
Bzz—Bzz—
His phone vibrated on the desk. The two cats jumped in surprise. Chocola darted up onto Sato's shoulder, then climbed straight to the top of his head.
Vanilla, on the other hand, tumbled over clumsily and fell directly into Sato's lap.
"You silly little fluffball," Sato laughed, petting Vanilla gently before pulling Chocola down from his head.
"Meow~"
Chocola meowed grumpily and swatted at him.
"Hey! Don't push your luck. You're living under my roof and eating my food, and you dare to usurp your Master too now?!"
Sato playfully messed around with Chocola and set her back on the table.
He picked up his phone and glanced at the message.
...
Dear beta tester,
Sword Art Online will officially launch tonight at 8:30 PM (UTC+8). Please wear your login device and log in on time.
Note 1: Say "Link Start" to log in, and "Logout" to log out.
Note 2: This game uses cutting-edge virtual reality tech. Please do not panic once inside.
...
Huh?
Sato suddenly stood up, frowning at the message.
That weird game again?
He'd almost forgotten about it. And now it was actually launching today?
What kind of game stays this mysterious right up until release?
He turned and took out the strange, headband-like device from his nightstand, examining it closely.
It looked seamless, with no visible buttons or ports.
Sato paused, then opened his system interface to scan through his inventory, which contained an assortment of weird and random items the system had picked up.
But nothing that could identify or analyze this device.
He glanced at the clock, less than three minutes until launch.
Should I try it?
He narrowed his eyes. He had no idea if it was dangerous, but he couldn't deny he was curious.
…
8:30 PM.
Lying on his bed, Sato whispered,
"Link Start!"
Warning: Foreign energy detected. Expel?
He sighed in relief. Thankfully, his system hadn't failed him.
"No."
He answered calmly.
The moment he spoke, he felt his body sink, like he was falling. His vision turned pitch-black.
Then, one by one, his senses from touch, taste, hearing... Faded. Only to quickly return.
When he opened his eyes again, they grew wider and wider in disbelief.
He wasn't in his bedroom anymore.
He stood in the middle of a medieval-style city, surrounded by countless other confused and astonished people. Everything around him was hyper-realistic. The people, the buildings, the sky...
And then came the classic three-stage realization:
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing here?
Sato raised his hand, feeling the wind brush against his skin. His mouth twitched.
What the hell is this?
Some alien experiment?
How is it even possible for humans in this day and age to have virtual reality this advanced?!
But no matter how unreal it felt, the fact remained, he and everyone else were inside this so-called Sword Art Online.
"Logout!" he tried saying.
Instantly, the world around him warped like static on a screen. The vision darkened and just like that, he was back in the real world.
Sitting up in bed, Sato looked around his room, thoughtful.
If that game was really so advanced… then is this world even real?
"System, initiate mental self-check!"
Mental scan complete. No abnormalities detected. Mind is stable. No signs of external interference.
Sato remained silent. He didn't log back in immediately.
Instead, he picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
He dialed a certain number.
"Yo! Sato, what's up? Spit it out, I'm soaking in the tub!" came the voice of Hiratsuka Shizuka, clearly annoyed. He could even hear the splash of water in the background.
His expression twitched. "Sensei, have you heard of SAO?"
"Huh? SAO? You got invited too?"
Sato's interest piqued. "Wait, you know about it?"
"Of course I do. That game's something the Hero Association launched."
What?!
Sato froze. The Hero Association created Sword Art Online?!
He quickly asked, "What's the point of it?"
"The point? Well, for you, probably not much anymore."
She explained casually,
"The game was designed to test people who might have latent abilities. It's meant to stimulate and awaken hidden potential. If someone shows promise, the system logs them for monitoring."
"The central system automatically sends devices to candidates it flags. You probably got flagged even though you haven't displayed any powers until now."
You can detect me all the way out in the mountains? Must be some kind of satellite tech…
Now that he finally knew the game's origins, Sato felt relieved.
"Even though you've already awakened, you can still use it for fun. At its core, it's still just a game."
"Got it. Thanks."
(Author's note: Okay, maybe adding SAO was a bit impulsive. If you're into it, let me know in the comments and I'll sprinkle in a few chapters. If not, we can drop it.)
(P.S. I originally wanted to include this just to connect with a certain someone... ahem, Asuna.)