Aincrad, First Floor, Town of Beginnings.
Noisy.
That was Ye You's first feeling after opening his eyes.
If you didn't look at the translucent UI interface in the corner of your vision, and didn't intentionally try to feel that slightly too-fresh air, this place was practically Shibuya Crossing moved to a medieval European plaza.
People were everywhere.
Men and women in coarse cloth beginner gear, their faces showing all sorts of expressions.
Some were touching the texture of the walls, muttering "this is way too real." Some were punching the air, trying to pull up that legendary menu. Others were harassing passing female NPCs, only to be sent flying by the system's harassment judgment.
"Is this FullDive? It feels just like being alive!"
"Hey, you over there, get out of the way! I'm going to level up!"
"Wanna party up? I'm a beta tester... just kidding, haha!"
Ye You stood at the edge of the fountain plaza, reaching out to catch a falling virtual petal.
The sensation from his fingertips was delicate and slightly cool; he could even feel the texture of the petal's veins.
"This modeling precision is definitely worth bragging about."
Ye You casually crushed the petal, watching it dissipate into blue data shards; his amber eyes didn't hold much of the excitement typical of a newbie, but rather showed a sense of calm.
He pulled up the main menu, his finger hovering over the spot where the Logout button should have been.
Sure enough, it was empty.
That gray area looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.
It was already 5:25 PM.
There were less than five minutes left before that mad scientist Akihiko Kayaba would begin his "Death Speech."
Most players hadn't realized the severity of the situation yet; they were still complaining it was just a damn bug, and some were even calling for GMs in the public chat, trying to threaten the operators with complaints.
Naive.
These days, if capitalists want to lock you up as a lab rat, do they even need your consent?
Ye You ignored the surrounding noise and just silently checked over his starter equipment.
A rusty iron sword, a cloth tunic without any attribute bonuses, and a few bottles of trace recovery potions gifted by the system.
It was appallingly shabby.
"Clang—"
Just then, a heavy and grand bell toll abruptly pierced through the hustle and bustle of the entire Town of Beginnings.
Right after came a second toll, and then a third.
The players who were still laughing and joking froze in their tracks, looking up one after another toward the massive Black Iron Palace in the center of town.
"What's the deal? Is the event starting?"
"Seems like a forced summons..."
Before the words were even finished, countless blue pillars of light shot up into the sky.
Space on the plaza began to warp, and players who were originally scattered in every corner of the town, even those who had already gone out to the fields to fight monsters, were all forcibly teleported to the central plaza by some force.
Ten thousand players, packed tightly together.
"What's going on? I was just about to kill that boar!"
"What kind of trash game is this, force-teleporting us without even a heads-up?"
Complaints rose from all sides, but the noise was quickly replaced by another kind of fear.
The sky changed.
The originally crystal blue sky,, turned dark red in an instant.
Bright red geometric patterns spread across the sky like a honeycomb, all of them system warning signs—[WARNING].
Then, the scene that makes your SAN level tank appeared.
The dark red sky split open, dripping down viscously, then condensing into a giant blood-red cloak in mid-air.
It's Akihiko Kayaba's GM avatar.
Dead silence fell over the crowd.
Even Ye You, who loved to roast things the most, had to admit at this moment that these entrance effects were really something, and the sense of pressure was totally maxed out.
"Players, welcome to my world."
The voice came from deep within the cloak, echoing in everyone's ears.
"I am Akihiko Kayaba."
The next few minutes were a brutal crash course on the fact that "you only have one life."
HP hitting zero equals brain death.
External forced removal of the helmet results in brain death.
Disconnecting the internet or power results in brain death.
Each of these rules was read out by that giant cloak in a tone that was almost indifferent.
The players, who originally had a "this is just a prank" mindset, began to turn pale.
Some tried to scream "Stop joking around," some slumped on the ground shivering, and others frantically pounded against invisible air walls.
"While this is a game, it's not something to be played with."
Akihiko Kayaba left behind this famous last word... or rather, a famous quote, and then casually gave all players on the server a greeting gift—a small item called "Hand Mirror."
A blue light flashed.
The virtual avatars that were originally customized to be flashy or strikingly handsome collapsed in an instant.
Turning into their real-life appearances.
Ye You looked at the small mirror in his hand.
The face in the mirror was still sharp-featured, with sword-like eyebrows and deep eyes, even looking a bit more heroic than the previous virtual avatar.
"Well, at least this face still holds up."
Ye You casually threw the mirror into his bag and glanced to the side.
A beautiful girl priest, who originally had an angelic face and a hot body, had now turned into a scruffy, crude man with a face full of stubble.
And the handsome swordsman who was just being all over her, seeing this scene, let out a scream: "Give me back my waifu, you bastard!"
The entire square exploded instantly.
Screams, cries, and curses intertwined; the chaos was comparable to a zombie movie filming set.
Despair spread just like that.
And at the moment when this extreme chaos and panic reached its peak—
[Ding!]
A crisp, pleasant notification sound rang in the depths of Ye You's mind.
The simple interface in front of him, which originally only had HP and MP, suddenly flickered, and a line of pale gold text forced its way into the center of his vision.
[Host detected in an environment of extreme panic, Desperate Rescue System officially activated.]
[Current environment despair index: Rank A.]
[System Description: This system is dedicated to cultivating the host into the most brilliant light of hope in this world of death. Every time the host successfully rescues a target in a desperate situation （including but not limited to monster sieges, traps, mental breakdowns, etc.）, high rewards will be granted based on the target's rarity, the danger level of the situation, and the other party's gratitude value.]
[Rewards include: Free attribute points, special skill books, rare equipment, and a significant boost to the target's favorability.]
[Newbie Gift Pack has been issued: Passive Skill · Crisis Sense （LV1）.]
Ye You raised an eyebrow.
Here it comes.
This is the correct way for a transmigrator to kick things off.
Leveling maniacs, beta test guides—those are all just grunt work.
A real cheater always relies on the system to get by.
He took a quick glance at the description of "Crisis Scent": Able to perceive fatal threats against oneself 3 seconds in advance and mark the optimal dodge route.
A god-tier skill.
In this world without revival coins, this thing is more useful than any god-tier artifact.
At this moment, Akihiko Kayaba's massive blood-red cloak had already begun to dissipate, leaving behind only the mocking remark, "Good luck, everyone."
The barrier on the plaza disappeared.
The crowd completely lost control.
Some people tried to rush out of the city gates, some broke down crying on the spot, and others were still calling out to the GM in vain.
Chaos is a ladder.
Ye You didn't waste time venting his emotions like the others.
Right now is the starting line for ten thousand people.
Resources are limited.
The monster spawn points on the First Floor are limited, the EXP is limited, and even that slightly better novice sword is limited.
If he doesn't seize the initiative while this bunch is still crying and wailing, by the time the main force reacts, even if he has a system, he'll be stuck in the awkward spot of having no monsters to fight.
"I'm off."