Fallen Angel: "Fake games? Eyes lighting up.jpg"
Fallen Angel: "There's actually virtual games in here?!"
Fallen Angel: "Praise God for letting me join this chat group — so touched.jpg"
With that, Gabriel quit the chat and started browsing the group shop.
She found exactly what she wanted, her mouth curling into an incomparably excited smile.
But when she saw how many points were required, the smile instantly vanished.
Her current point balance was zero. Even with the daily attendance reward, she couldn't gather enough points to exchange for a virtual game in the short term.
So she'd have to sell some things.
Magic?
The magic she had mastered could exchange for a decent number of points, but she'd burn through that in no time.
After all, the games she wanted to buy weren't limited to just one.
After some thought, Gabriel's gaze fell on the Doomsday Horn she had somehow produced from god-knows-where.
Exchanging this probably wouldn't be a problem… right?
After hesitating for a long while, Gabriel finally stowed the Doomsday Horn away again.
If the Doomsday Horn was recalled and discovered, she'd definitely be dragged back to Heaven's realm.
Unless it was an absolute last resort, better not to trade it.
First things first — she'd just exchange for one virtual game to play for now.
Gabriel eagerly browsed through the virtual games and finally set her eyes on one that wasn't too expensive.
Sword Art Online!
That was the one!
Meanwhile, in the chat group.
Ordinary Group Leader: "And then there's the other new member… Shizukuri. Why does this name feel so familiar, but I just can't place it."
Su Yunqing stared at the Western-style name, her expression turning troubled.
She recognized it, but she just couldn't remember.
Ninth Prince of Qin: "Sword Art Online world — Kayaba Akihiko?"
Ordinary Group Leader: "Oh! That's right! It's Kayaba Akihiko!"
Ordinary Group Leader: "That's his name in the game!"
After seeing Ying Zi'nian's message, Su Yunqing's memories surged from the depths of her mind, and Kayaba Akihiko's information came flooding back.
The creator of the death game SAO.
The ruthless man who discarded his physical body and turned himself into data!
Of course, he was also an undisputed genius!
Shizukuri: "So it turns out I was a created being."
Shizukuri: "A chat group connecting all worlds across the multiverse."
Shizukuri: "What an unimaginable stroke of fortune."
In the Sword Art Online world.
Kayaba Akihiko absorbed the information flooding his mind, his facial expression almost entirely beyond his control.
Even he, at this moment, couldn't help but lose his composure.
Unbelievable!
Truly unbelievable!
That something like this could even happen!
Being a character created by an author, existing in a world of novels and anime.
This part didn't bother Kayaba Akihiko in the slightest — after all, his world had had people propose such theories before.
The most classic example being the brain in a vat.
Kayaba Akihiko wouldn't waste time dwelling on such meaningless matters for him.
What truly left him astounded and shaken was the cross-dimensional chat group and all those members from different worlds inside it!
Magic, spiritual energy, martial arts, Godslayers, deities, angels, demon lords, ninjas…
Magnificent!
Even if it wasn't the inter-world transmigration he'd dreamed of, this was far better than anything he'd ever imagined.
Kayaba Akihiko's unusual behavior drew the attention of the others in the laboratory.
"Mr. Kayaba, are you feeling alright?"
"Mr. Kayaba, there's no need to rush — you should rest occasionally."
"The main body is complete. Leave the rest to us to handle, Mr. Kayaba."
"That's right, please rest assured."
"."
Before Kayaba Akihiko's plan was fully exposed, he was still the most brilliant researcher — revered by all his colleagues.
Seeing his unusual behavior, they gathered around him with expressions of concern.
"Leave the rest to all of you to handle."
"What I need right now is indeed some rest."
Kayaba Akihiko didn't refuse. He managed a smile for them.
Turning away and walking to the rest room, Kayaba Akihiko murmured to himself:
"Though the odds are slim — let me distinguish truth from falsehood first."
"If this turns out to be some elaborate prank targeted at me, that would be truly disappointing."
Richest Man: "Games?"
Flying Squirrel: "Is the new member a player like me?"
Ninth Prince of Qin: "Player? That description does apply, in a sense."
Ninth Prince of Qin: "But that was merely his fun little quirk. He's the creator of this game — and the creator of this world."
Ying Zi'nian couldn't endorse Kayaba Akihiko's insane behavior.
But his talent was undeniable.
He had truly created an almost fully real world of his own.
Richest Man: "Virtual games, huh?"
Ninth Prince of Qin: "Virtual games where you die."
Ying Zi'nian added a prefix to Tony's message.
White Rabbit: "Why do I suddenly feel a chill? It can't actually kill you… can it?"
When White Rabbit had first seen it was a virtual game creator, her eyes had lit up — she was about to ask if, as fellow group members, she could get it for free. But after seeing Ying Zi'nian's prefix, a chill ran straight through her.
She couldn't help but clutch the hamster plushie beside her tighter.
Flying Squirrel: "How could a game possibly kill someone?"
Flying Squirrel: "Even a virtual game couldn't accomplish that."
Flying Squirrel: "Unless it directly targeted the brain — but that wouldn't be a legitimate game."
Flying Squirrel: "Could it be that…"
Ordinary Group Leader: "It's exactly what you're thinking. When you die in the game, your brain dies with it."
Ordinary Group Leader: "No logging out. No resurrection. Everyone was forced to live inside the game until it was cleared."
Ordinary Group Leader: "A death game. An almost fully real virtual game world."
Ordinary Group Leader: "As for whether it's legal or not? That's assuming he cared about such things."
Flying Squirrel: "."
Incomprehensible to a researcher — the extent of that kind of madness.
Shizukuri: "So it sounds like I ultimately succeeded in the end."
Ninth Prince of Qin: "For you, yes — the only regret might have been that your little secret was uncovered, causing the game to be unsealed before all the floors were cleared."
Shizukuri: "My hidden identity was exposed, was it…意料之中."
This didn't particularly surprise Kayaba Akihiko.
If it hadn't been discovered, he would have been pleased — but there would have been an undeniable undercurrent of disappointment in that joy.
He hadn't wanted the world he'd poured everything into creating to be played by nothing but idiots.
Having it discovered made things far more interesting.
"Ding — Group Leader uploaded a Memory Replica."
Ordinary Group Leader: "@Shizukuri, I uploaded the Memory Replica of your world."
———
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