Holding the NERvGear virtual helmet and ending the call, Seiya couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He was noncommittal about his friend Kirito's relentless promotion of SAO.
Things like the full-dive experience, how the sword skills feel just like in reality, and how facing powerful monsters and enemies will improve his real-life kendo skills—these were all the supposed "advantages" Kirito had been hyping up.
"That guy, Kirito, really hyped this game up to get me to play it. But while it's a good game, it's also truly dangerous. After all, this is a real-life death game!"
Seiya knows this because he isn't from this world; he's a transmigrator. He's well aware of what's about to happen.
On the day of the SAO public launch, a mad researcher obsessed with his dream will trap 9,500 players in the game, turning SAO into a genuine death game.
As a transmigrator who knows the plot, Seiya could have avoided this danger. After all, he didn't receive any reality-bending powers like other transmigrators. But in modern society, with his current achievements and resume, becoming a social elite is practically a done deal. Even if he didn't want to work, he could just inherit the family dojo and make a decent living.
In fact, Seiya originally planned to do just that. He was even going to stop his friend Kirito from going in. After all, knowing the risks and jumping into the pit anyway would be foolish.
But just as Seiya was about to change the plot, a familiar system suddenly appeared. At first, Seiya was overjoyed, thinking his already great life was about to get even better. However, he was quickly informed that the system was only half-activated. Its sudden appearance was a warning to Seiya not to mess things up.
The system's message was that Seiya could change the plot's direction, but it advised against altering the world's core foundation. To put it simply, the Sword Art Online world revolves around the initial SAO incident. If Kirito didn't enter SAO, the world's foundation would be shaken, potentially leading to its collapse.
It would be like the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! without cards or players; the very meaning of the world's existence would be undermined, leading to its collapse. If the world itself collapses, Seiya, as a transmigrator, would not be able to escape.
After hearing the system's warning, Seiya wisely chose to listen and abandoned his original plan. The logic was simple: letting Kirito enter the death game, while dangerous, at least offered a chance of survival. As the protagonist, Kirito had a high chance of making it. But if he prevented it all from happening, it would shake the world's foundation, and everyone would be doomed.
Of course, as long as Kirito entered the game, the world's foundation would be safe. Even if Seiya didn't go in, it shouldn't have been a problem. But the system gave him a second piece of information: to fully activate the system, he had to join Kirito in the death game and complete the system's prerequisite mission.
This system mission wasn't mandatory; Seiya had the right to refuse. The choice was his: accept the mission and unlock the system's full functions, or refuse and continue being a talented, normal person in this world.
Seiya hesitated for a long time before making his final decision. His hesitation was understandable. SAO is a real death game, and thousands of the original 10,000 players who entered never made it out. It's only natural for Seiya, who isn't the chosen protagonist like Kirito, to worry about his life.
But after a few days of deliberation, Seiya decided to take the gamble. He's a transmigrator, after all. If he acts like a dried-out salted fish, he'd be bringing down the average level of all transmigrators.
Besides, SAO is a full-dive game, and with his real-life kendo skills, he'd be a top player in the game. Coupled with his friendship with Kirito, even if he wasn't the protagonist, he'd at least be a main character, so he wouldn't die easily.
After carefully analyzing the situation, Seiya felt this was a worthwhile venture and decided to go for it. After all, even though he'd be a social elite after graduation, at the end of the day, he'd still just be a high-level corporate drone. With a chance to become unrivaled in this world and the risk being manageable, Seiya had no reason to refuse.
After buying the NERvGear terminal, Seiya took the train home. As he walked up to his dojo, he noticed a figure standing by the door.
It was a cute girl with shoulder-length black hair, dressed in a school sailor uniform. As she stood on her tiptoes trying to peek inside, Seiya, who was now standing next to her, coughed to get her attention.
"Ahem, ahem. I don't recall Suguha being a girl who would peek into other people's homes. You're giving me the impression of a perverted stalker I often see on TV... well, a perverted girl."
Suguha, not expecting Seiya to appear next to her and catch her in such an embarrassing act, was startled and almost fell over. Fortunately, Seiya was quick, catching her before she could tumble, saving her from an intimate meeting between her backside and the pavement.
"Seiya-nii, why are you suddenly back? What I was doing just now... no, let me explain, I'm not a pervert at all. I was calling out for a long time, but there was no response, and my calls kept going to a busy signal. Mom made some small cakes, so I wanted to bring some over for you to try, so I..."
Hearing Seiya call her a pervert, Suguha clearly panicked. She frantically waved her hands in front of her and nervously tried to explain.