Chapter 110: Entering the Game
"We're on our royal sister's side," Momo said firmly. "She might not care about such things, but as her sisters, we definitely do. So, Mr. Franklin — if you had to choose just one, who would it be?"
Her blunt question actually made Franklin feel relieved.
"To be honest, I'd choose Lala. But that doesn't mean I'd abandon Bulma. I'd choose Lala and clear all one hundred floors with her.
As for Bulma, even if she could only watch us being affectionate from the sidelines, she wouldn't mind. In fact, once this is all over, she'll probably get even closer to me behind Lala's back — and I don't think Lala would care even if she found out."
Momo said nothing, but Nana's expression turned dark.
"I knew it — you really are a beast! How dare you toy with my royal sister's feelings like that!"
She was just about to charge forward when Momo quickly grabbed her arm.
"Franklin is right. Our royal sister truly doesn't care about such things. Calling it 'playing with feelings' is a bit one-sided, Nana. Did you forget what the affection meter showed between them?"
Remembering the readings from that test, Nana cooled down a little. Seeing this, Momo continued,
"There's no point in us interfering anymore. Time and reality will prove everything.
I did prepare a third option, Mr. Franklin — if you tap both portraits at once, I believe our royal sister and Miss Bulma will both be selected."
Franklin nodded seriously, then did exactly as Momo instructed — touching both images at once.
In the next instant, both projections shimmered and dissolved into glowing particles. Two figures gradually took shape before him.
Bulma, who had been flustered just moments ago, instantly calmed when she saw Franklin's face.
Lala, though not exactly afraid, had been a little unsettled — but when she saw him too, she relaxed right away.
When their eyes met, both girls smiled softly.
"Are you both okay? Nothing bad happened just now, right?" Franklin asked.
Both Bulma and Lala shook their heads. "Where are we now?" Bulma asked — the same question Lala had on her mind. They both turned to Franklin.
"We're inside a virtual game," he explained patiently. "Momo and Nana came to Blue Star and wanted to test my feelings for you, Lala. And since Bulma and I are close, they turned it into this whole farce."
Hearing her sisters' names, Lala looked both pleased and helpless. Then she frowned.
"Lin, you're in the game too, aren't you? How do you even know all that?"
Franklin chuckled. "You think your two little sisters could really manipulate me so easily? I figured everything out before coming in. Whatever they're planning doesn't matter — we can't get hurt in a virtual game anyway."
Bulma sighed in relief, while Lala puffed up her cheeks, looking around at the blank white space in annoyance.
"Momo! Nana! You two went too far! Picking on me like this — I was so good to you when we were little!"
Franklin gently tugged her hand. "They mean well. Think of it as a chance to relax. Besides, consciousness here still has physical form."
Back in reality, Nana and Momo were glaring daggers at Franklin's motionless body. Meeting their death stares, Franklin could only give a sheepish smile.
"Hey, I was just being honest, wasn't I? No exaggerations. Anyway… maybe you can just start the game now?"
"Hmph!" Nana snorted, and in the next moment, a beam of light enveloped Franklin, Lala, and Bulma.
When their vision cleared, they found themselves standing on an enormous plaza.
The vast square was crowded with people whispering anxiously to one another. Everyone looked confused about the sudden teleportation — and when they noticed the missing "logout" button, fear spread through the crowd like wildfire.
The sky above split open. Streams of data flickered across the rift, and then — rivers of blood began pouring out. The crimson liquid gathered midair, slowly shaping itself into a towering, blood-red figure.
"Good afternoon, players," the voice boomed. "My name is Kayaba Akihiko. I am the only person in this world who has control over Sword Art Online.
The disappearance of the logout button is not a bug. It is how this world was always designed. You can no longer log out voluntarily.
If anyone outside tries to forcibly remove or disable your headgear, the helmet will emit microwaves that destroy your brain.
Some families have already attempted disconnection. As a result, 213 people are now dead.
From this moment on, all resurrection features in this game have been disabled. That means every player now has only one life. If your HP drops to zero, the helmet will again destroy your brain.
There's only one way to leave this world — clear all 100 floors of the castle. Those who survive to the end will be able to return safely to reality.
That is all. I hope you enjoy the game. Thank you for your support."
When the giant blood-red projection faded, a white flash swept across the plaza. Everyone's avatars shifted — their appearances now perfectly matched their real-world selves.
At that moment, Momo stared at Franklin in disbelief. Even though he had warned her about this beforehand, seeing it actually happen left her completely stunned.
"Mr. Franklin… you really do have so many secrets. The more I see, the more curious I become."
Franklin didn't reply — he only smiled faintly. Whatever Momo thought or suspected, he didn't care.
Inside the game, Franklin, Bulma, and Lala existed completely outside the system's control. Watching the crowd's panic and fear, Franklin's expression didn't change. Bulma's face looked conflicted, while Lala's showed pure concern.
"Lin," she asked softly, "did Momo or Nana tell you if this was just part of the game — or if it's really happening?"
Her worried expression made Franklin hesitate. Should he tell her the truth or spare her the anxiety? After a brief pause, he decided to be honest.
"This is something that really happened — in another parallel world's Blue Star. This game originated there. Momo and Nana only transferred our consciousness into it."
"Lin, you're so strong," Lala said earnestly. "Can't you help them somehow? They all look so hopeless."
Franklin sighed. "I could help — but it'll take time. My skills are still intact, but in this game, we all start at level one like ordinary players.
If I want to save them, the fastest way is to break into the game's system itself. I just hope Momo and Nana can manage to seize the logout authority."
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