>>4555200

Femboi trap swordsman. Full sword and board, but focused on taking as much cock as possible.

>>4555200
Angry dwarf dps that is played by a cute idol who uses the game to vent her rage and stress from her lifestyle and work

The dwarf avatar is male and in the general style of western fantasy dwarves

>>4555200
Ranger/ hunter spear build, man of few words, tends to play solo but groups up when needed

Aaah, your guilty pleasure.

Experimenting with the settings, you make a pretty cute looking girl(male), and nod with content. The new season should come out soon, thinking about it.

The settings saved as preset, locally, of course, you explore some more. The cool, calm, and collect hunter, a true classic, proves to be easier to make. Not as much detail is required, after all.

But then you come to a stop. What is more fun than playing a character? Playing a player play as a character. The frustrated idol, finally having her day off, but in order to hide her true feelings, she plays a rough, angry, and gruff dwarf! Yes, the most patrician of characters...


It is 14:21, and the files are trickling in. You got a bit carried away with character creation, but there was no time wasted. Still indecisive about what to play, you take a look at the accessible files. What to look at first...

> Choose which file to access

> Mobs: Seems the folders for enemies are being updated rather frequently. Multiple instances at a time, at that. Access via legion, controlling one group of mobs.
> NPCs: Many files show frequent access to the 'cardinal system', whatever that is. An easier in onto the system as a whole.
> ???: Seems there is a folder with player data. It's not part of the player folder though. Maybe remnants of the Alpha tests? Always gotta keep a backup of everything?

------------
Note that this will not be a conventional 'Experience SAO' type of quest, but one more involved in the real world, and the meta of the game itself. You will still access the game, however not as a player directly.

>>4555223
> NPCs: Many files show frequent access to the 'cardinal system', whatever that is. An easier in onto the system as a whole.

Fuck it. I can never trust a QM with no name but this is interesting *enough.*

>>4555223
> ???: Seems there is a folder with player data. It's not part of the player folder though. Maybe remnants of the Alpha tests?
I'm a sucker for mystery boxes.

>>4555223
>???: Seems there is a folder with player data. It's not part of the player folder though. Maybe remnants of the Alpha tests? Always gotta keep a backup of everything?

>>4555305
>>4555307

Checking the folder reveals several names, different users it would seem. Around 200 or so different characters. Interesting.

Opening one up at random, you inspect the contents. Aside from character appearance, further details include the inventory, the user-credentials, such as their game ID, and...
An unknown data-type. That wouldn't be much out of the ordinary, but over 80TB large? And that's just this one.
Readjusting your glasses, you scoot yourself closer to the screen, checking the rest of the files. They are all several TB large, some even triple digits. That's not normal.

Though as you inspect the file, aside from all the gibberish, some words can be made out easily. One such keyword being...
"Monument of Life?"
Suddenly, your monitor flares up. Though less flare and more glitching out. When did it get so hot in here?

You only have a moment to think about that, as the Nerve Gear-Rig starts smoking, and subsequently starts catching fire.

"What the fu-?!"
Fuck! Your files! The PC! Where's the plug? Gotta pull the fucking plug!

...

Well... shit. Your PC is fried, the nerve gear is fucked, and the rig is done for. That novelty fire extinguisher helped you out in the end.
... Good thing you still have a warranty on those parts, though no idea if the shop is going to take those back like this.
It could be worse though. The backup is still fine... but the PC is fucked. You're gonna have to buy a new one.

But that's a little too much excitement for one day, you aren't used to this much adrenalin. Just gotta choose something soothing.

> Some TV might be good, if not, there's still the backlog.
> Time to browse your 6th favorite image board! Maybe someone is interested in your story.
> Maybe... go out? No, you wouldn't. Would you? Food's running low.

>>4555353
>> Time to browse your 6th favorite image board! Maybe someone is interested in your story.

> Time to browse your 6th favorite image board! Maybe someone is interested in your story.

Still got a phone right? Might as well order new shit while we are dicking around as well.

>>4555353
>Maybe... go out? No, you wouldn't. Would you? Food's running low.

>>4555362
+1

>>4555362
>>4555374

Well, the damage's done, so might as well make someone's day. Not every day that several thousand yen burn up to nothing. Ah, it's still painful!~

Phone already out, you check for spare parts on sale, for some second-hand monitors... Wouldn't it be great if your entire budget didn't just fry itself? You're still curious about the reason, but if the backup has anything to say about it, being protected in its own reflective sheath, then either solar flares just ruined half of Japan, or someone microwaved your rig.
Do they give warranty on that?

Well, more on the topic of entertainment, the angle is good, the lighting is fantastic... and there's still some smoke coming from under the Gear. Perfect cinematography! Maybe you should have made a video instead.

Though now comes the hard part...
Finding something witty to start the thread off.

> Write-in?

>>4555403
"Link Start!"

This is it. Sword Art Online. The newest game by Argus, making complete use of the Nerve Gear's capabilities.

Like many others, but unlike your usual self, you spend several days waiting in line to get the exclusive title. An MMORPG with full VR support, not only, but full sensory and complete interactivity via neural feedback? It's a gamer's dream, compared to all other games on the Nerve Gear, this game is far more extensive.

As the game initializes, you think about what to look into first. The large variety of NPCs? The mobs, their spawns, their behaviors? Or the world itself, the possibilities are endless.

With the loading complete you open your eyes...
And look at the files. You checked them over already, but haven't found anything useful. Makes sense, seeing as SAO is dependant on a central server. But with the Nerve Gear active, and an established connection ensured, it just takes some tech wizardry to access the server. Sure, it might be a tad illegal...

But Data mining is frowned upon by developers anyway, so fuck them. You don't plan on fucking with the files anyway.

Looking at the other monitor, the VR-view shows that your rig successfully calibrated itself, and you can resume character creation. Sure, maybe later, for now, there's some money to make back. The game alone was far too expensive, but to fool the Nerve Gear a human brain was more expensive than that. Still looks less horrible than the actual rig, downright ridiculous.

Sipping an energy drink, you crack your fingers and access the Server. Bingo. 20 minutes to go.

Might as well commence with character creation, seeing as you got nothing better to do. The process will take a while, and you did just buy the hot new commodity. You don't plan on playing, but you won't miss out on the character creator. Not when it can help you track the character asset folder down easier.

> Tell me what kind of character you want to create!

------------

First quest I'm doing, and just testing the waters. Not bothering with Twitter or Discord yet, but might in the future.

>>4555403
>My rig broke, what're you faggots up to?

>>4555414
Well shit, you got me there.

>>4555447
You're thinking about clever jokes about potato rigs, or anything like that, however you come to the realization once more that you are not that witty, or that graceful with your words.

A simple
> My rig broke, what's up fags?
does it for you, as you continue browsing.

Doesn't take that long to fill up, with the usual shit fueling further cynicism.

> What the fuck did you do anon?
> Is that a fucking Nerve Gear?
> Lucky bastard
Weird, there's a distinct lack of schadenfreude present. What's up with-

> how the fuck did you survive?
This sparks more controversy than expected. That is the least worrying part though, as you read further.

> Check the news, over 200 hot pockets
> This is their plan to kill off the NEETs
> Don't fucking use the Nerve Gear anon

Sofa. Now. Good.

Alright. Let's read this again.
Over 200 people died after having their Nerve Gear removed. So far so bad.
All of them connected to SAO. Alright.
Aaaand medical report shows their brain got cooked. Due to microwaves in the Headset.
... This is kind of fucked. And no statement from Argus so far.

So much for wasted materials, at least you're still uncooked! This isn't calming you down at all, though. Putting the phone aside, you lie down and take a few breaths.

Alright. Shit just got serious. What do you do?

> Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this.
> Hit up one of your pals/customers. You have those, yes, how else is someone like you able to afford sitting around at home all day.
> This is just getting too much. Don't overthink things, your mind's racing, get some sleep, maybe you're just hallucinating from breathing in plastic fumes.

>>4555492
> Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this.

>>4555492
>Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this.

>>4555492
>Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this.

>>4555492
>get a new rig
Maybe before we go inside we tinker with the programing to try and remove the brain fryer function so we can exit the game without worries?

Gonna call it here for now, but I'd say things are going pretty well.
Resuming tomorrow.

>>4555530
This shit is a really good fuckin take. Good idea mate.

>>4555492
>Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this

>>4555492
> Get a new rig, immediately. This shit is serious business. Perhaps you can finally find a higher purpose. Not to say your purpose so far was lesser so, but it only served to prepare you for this.
Finally, an excuse to sit on our ass all day without the feeling of decay!)

>>4555492

>>Put on your cutest panties and find a big cock to suck

>>4555492
A word of advice, do majority vote instead of first come first serve.

>>4555205
>>4556172
Because then you get faggots like these. This isn't Akun retard, go back where you fucking belong.

>>4555492
>Get a new rig, immediately.

Going to need to hit up a pal though. If any of them are in the game, we need to pinpoint their handle without doing a server wide player search

>>4556216
I get the feeling that we wont just pick one, and have all 3 characters available to do weird shit with. Dunno if that means extra lives or what though

>>4556213
Appreciated, but not to worry, I take majority vote, while it is the first quest I am writing, I've been on /qst/ for a while.
>>4556239
"Or what" is accurate.

Resuming in an hour.

>>4555497
>>4555504
>>4555511

This shit is real, no way about it. And shit GOT real, too! There is no way you can just sit around, you have to get a new rig! Monitors aren't the highest priority, you still got the older ones in the other room.

Grabbing a coat - and some gloves, can't forget about those - you look around for your wallet. Of course, the keys are missing too.

Between the copious amounts of anime merch, video games stacked neatly nearby the cupboard, filled with yet more anime merch, but only the high-quality stuff, you find the wallet stashed away near the exit of your den, next to the bookcase. Thank goodness you aren't one of those weirdos with posters all over, you are an enlightened Otaku if nothing else!

That's the wallet down, but the keys are still-
Ah, right, hanging on the fridge. Sometimes convenience is a bit too convenient. You tend to forget stuff.

Forget... shit, right, your destiny! Everything is in order, so you put on your shoes, and step outside.

Now... just have to get to a shop, and fast. It's nearly 4 PM. But not just any shop. The stuff you need can only be found at the best shop in Akihabara!

> So you better hurry, the next train is due shortly, and the trip from Kawagoe takes a while.
> So you might want to take a bus, the trip from Taito is longer than you can walk.
> So you better prepare yourself. it's just on the other side of the street. Too little time to steel yourself for what is to come.
------------

OP lied, whoda thunk.

>>4556412
> So you better prepare yourself. it's just on the other side of the street. Too little time to steel yourself for what is to come.

>>4556412
>So you better prepare yourself. it's just on the other side of the street. Too little time to steel yourself for what is to come.

>>4556412
>So you better prepare yourself. it's just on the other side of the street. Too little time to steel yourself for what is to come.

>>4556412
>> So you better prepare yourself. it's just on the other side of the street. Too little time to steel yourself for what is to come.

>>4556417
>>4556426
>>4556462

Embracing the harsh November cold, you count yourself blessed living in Akihabara. But after all, what kind of Otaku would you be if you wouldn't live here?
A normal one, maybe.

But better yet is the fact you only have to walk on the other side of the street to get the best components.
Though you do question if it is worth the price you have to pay...

SAIBAMEIDO Gijutsu!!

The cute catgirl robot maid on the neon sign does befit such a title, with the classic 80s anime style. But you know that no such cuties are to welcome you.
No, you are about to enter hell itself.
While other shops do offer all things PC, there is no mouse nor headphone to be found here. RAM, Motherboards, Graphics Cards, and cables.
Only components, nothing else. But there is no other shop quite as specialized near you, and even then, there is no chance of knowing if they have the components you need.

They do here, and twice over if need be.
The only downside to it-

"Whatcha doing here fatso, ready to pay me back? Cause I'm still waiting!"

The worst nightmare to all those working from home, seen as a failure to the general public, despite contributing to society, and making an honest living.
Family.
At least she's not living with you.

> "Not now, woman! I have to save all of Japan!"
> "Yeah, about that... I'm going to need more parts."
> "I nearly got my brain fried, be happy I can pay you back anything. Eventually."
> Write-in

>>4556504
> "Yeah, about that... I'm going to need more parts."
> Write-in
Make a note to get FIT AS FUCK so you can get ALL THE BITCHES

>>4556504
> "Yeah, about that... I'm going to need more parts."

>>4556504
>> "Yeah, about that... I'm going to need more parts."

> Write in: "Seen the news? Lucky I didn't put my fuckin head in there yet."

>>4556504
support >>4556567
and
>You might be able to advertise this. "High quality parts that saved the lives of fellow Japanese!"

File: Spoiler Image (190 KB, 738x1123)

190 KB JPG

>>4556512
>>4556515
>>4556567
>>4556590

You turn to face the spawn of hell, standing at the register, the disappointment visible in her face.

"Yeah, about that... I'm going to need more parts."
"What do you mean more parts? Didn't you just take a fuckton last week? You owe me, and want MORE? Screw you, Bro, come back to me when you got a proper job."
"Okay listen! You've seen the news, right? You're lucky I didn't put my fuckin' head in that thing!"
It's hard to argue with her, she's got a business to run, but she may see reason...
"... If you did I'd at least get insurance. No freebies though, you better pay me back some soon. Why do you need new parts anyway?"
See, she does care.

"The Nerve Gearfried my electronics, plastic caught fire, LCD got screwed... Backup is fine though, so you'll get your money soon enough. Besides, you could advertise it! 'High-quality parts might save your life!' "

Her eyes narrowing, she looks at you with a clear sign of disgust, as she facepalms. "200 people died from having their Nerve Gear removed, and you think it's a good idea to shill, just because my good for nothing brother used thousands of yen to save his hide? You're fucking hopeless."
Taking a deep breath, she glares at you.
"I'm going to trust you on this. But you bring me that money! 2 months!"

Good. Now that that's been taken care of, onto-
"No high-end shit. If you want to fry another PC, I'm not going to give you the good shit."
Naturally... Expecting that much is just testing her goodwill. Not something you are inclined to try.

Though the question now is which department to prioritize

> Go for a decent CPU, checking over the files fast is what you need to do.
> Better go with RAM, just in case you have to send in 'code_monkey.exe'
> Good cables are underrated, especially when transferring files.

>>4556622
we got MOOBS!

> Better go with RAM, just in case you have to send in 'code_monkey.exe'
> Also take her advice and look for a side gig
How does HACKERMAN jobs work in Nepon?

>>4556622
> Go for a decent CPU, checking over the files fast is what you need to do.
Congrats, you made me go on a sidequest to start looking up RAM vs CPU on computer specs.

>>4556661
That's your sister.
And her boobs.

>>4556665
This is just preparation for your main quest to build your own rig.


Gonna call it quits for today, I pretty much picked the worst time to start a quest, at least for me.
Next week should be better though.
Unsure if I can write tomorrow, though Friday should be fine.

>>4556674
Wait. Did we have any warrantees? Can we sell any of our figurines for more muny?

>>4556622
> Better go with RAM, just in case you have to send in 'code_monkey.exe'

>>4556622
>Good cables are underrated, especially when transferring files
If we're talking triple digit TB, we're going to want this.

Also the easiest to reuse when we upgrade after cashing out with the government

>>4556622
> Better go with RAM, just in case you have to send in 'code_monkey.exe'

This quest seems like fun. I haven’t seen SAO past a few episodes of the 2nd season (GGO, not Elfheim or whatever the fairy game was called). I remember having fun with the Aincrad arc so might watch the new anime when it comes out

>>4557128
Given the direction its currently taking, it might be better not to know anything at all.

While I can indeed not write an update due to circumstances of fu'kin work, I do emplore the citizens of this fine establishment to commence rolling...

1d101+-50

Something experimental I might use in future quests, once this is done, but I simply wish to test it out right now.

Now seems the best moment.
Roll for Karma (Possibly for the only time.)

Rolled 66 + 50 (1d101 + 50)

>>4557545
Are you ready, OP? For this NATTY 1???
Not sure what you meant by +-50.

>>4557550
enter "dice+1d101+-50" to get an acctual -50, as compared to a +50

------------
That aside apologies to all participants for my drunkenness, it's been a horrible day.
Thankfully I don't drink that often.

Rolled 56 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4557545
Yeah the minus mod is weird when it comes to rolling

Rolled 83 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4557545
Best of 3 system?

Rolled 67 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4557568

File: heavy bandit.jpg (137 KB, 1062x1080)

137 KB JPG

>>4555200
parrying swordsman/bowman and a boobytraper vietnam style
focus on gaining unfair adventage

Rolled 25 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4557545

Rolled 76 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4557545
I'm guessing no more voting, just rolling?

>>4557615
No time for RPGs anon, we're a real hackerman now

faggot

>>4558566
Thank you, hope you enjoy your stay.

Now!
It is time to not fall into the QM hole of being a lazy fuck, and as such, I shall commence with the writing post-haste!

Furthermore
>>4557588
Intended as a 'last roll sticks' mechanic to have only the last roll count, I do believe that enough people would participate in the roll of the dice in such a manner.
As such, if you roll relatively good, it is best to not roll, or perhaps risk it and gain the benefits.

I do have been collecting ideas on updates and some such for the last two days, but I do hope I can properly study the source material before delving into the virtual world.

Witing shall commence in 20, though I do not know how many updates I will manage.

>>4558536
>>4556661
>>4556894
>>4557128

As anyone with a little bit of technical know-how would know, processor power is just as good as you use it. And for that you need RAM. Naturally, you also need a motherboard, and pretty much everything else you need for a computer, however that is not a concern for you.
At least not the graphics card, the Nerve Gear is provided with its own chipset, which you have to work off of.
That said, you also need to recreate the faux-interface as best as you can. Not very, seeing as you are low on goodwill, but as you do not plan on actively playing the game, it will do. Sensory input is going to suck though.

As you make your way outside the store, once more being chewed out by your sister, you head back over to the apartment. Though you do notice something out of the ordinary.

While it is not unusual to see vehicles come and go, due to the nature of Akihabara as both a tourist attraction and community hotspot for Otakus, it is rather unusual to see a Microvan parked in front of an apartment complex such as yours. Furthermore, several men conversing with each other, before spreading out, heading down roads, entering other buildings.

You are fairly certain that this has to do with the incidents, and so you make haste to head back to your apartment.
Finally having reached it, someone is knocking on your door.
While they wear regular clothes, they are equipped with a walkie-talkie, as well as what appears to be a collection of papers stashed away in their pockets. One looks to be a map of Tokyo.
"Sir, if you can hear me, open up the door, or I'll have to assume you are not in the condition to do so. In that case, I will have to inform the authorities."
You are quick to head on over, not eager to have anyone enter your rooms.
"Ah, I'm here! I'm here! This is my apartment!"
The man turns around, and with his eyebrows raised, he looks you up and down.
"I see... so you must be Mister..."
Pulling out the papers, it appears to be a list of names, from what you can see.
He's going to ask for your ID next. You already know.
And your next line is...
"In that case, can I see yo-"
Hah, it's already prepared. Observe the mighty intellect of...!

> What is your name? Formatting, in conformity of Japanese writing, Family-Name, Given-Name

---------
Kinda late, but I feel that there are more people up now anyway.
Since this is kind of a big question and all.

>>4558744
Hazumoura Taito

>>4558744
Pola Taito
Italian mom and Japanese mom. This combo sounds close enough to potato, because that's what we are.

>>4558814
*italian Dad. FUCK!
Need coffee.

>>4558744
Yamada Kurogane

Yama or 山 means mountain, and Ta or 田 means ricefield. Pretty average surname.

Kurogane can be 鉄 which is normally read as Tetsu or Iron.

Figured that'd be fun cause computer nerd and all so steel and computers. Thematically appropriate, you know?

>>4558924
I mean, I read that and I think of the "welcome to the ricefields, bitch" meme.

Which is fine too.

>>4558924

I support rice paddies

>>4558924
>>4558991
>>4559106

He takes another look, then nods.
"Alright then, Mister Yamada. It's a good thing you didn't put that thing on. What was it called, Nerve Near? You probably heard the SAO Incident Victims Rescue Force, so that's one less explanation I need to give."
He hands you back the ID, which swiftly moves back into your wallet, as his walkie-talkie goes off.
"04-AK, one case, but they called feds already. How are things on your end, over?"
While he does look like he's in his 40s, his physical appearance is that of a well-trained laborer. In one swift motion, he brings up the device.
"03-AK, case cleared, Over."
He glanced over to your bag and notices the components inside.
"That's a lot of electronic stuff. You making computers or something? You know, I've been trying to find someone who could fix me a good one up, maybe if you're interested I co-"
"01-AK, got a problem here... Estate got light burning, but the gate seems to be malfunctioning. Does anyone know how to fix this thing? Over."
His eyes meet yours, and before you know it, he opens his mouth.
"Say, Mister Yamada..."
Of course... You can't really deny helping out there, can you? Not like you'd refuse to being with.
However...


> You could use this opportunity to get close to a connected Nerve Gear. Would be good for some cross-referencing later.
> You better be compensated. Since this is kind of illegal. But hey, it's an emergency, surely no one can hold that against you.
> You should just help these guys out, anything to prevent more brain-melting from happening.

>>4559442
>Straight up ask if you can watch the connected Nerve Gear. The stuff you have is for seeing if you can't fish something out from this crisis.
>Don't fucking touch it though. You're not mentally prepared to have a death on your hands.

>>4559442
>You could use this opportunity to get close to a connected Nerve Gear. Would be good for some cross-referencing later.

>>4559442
>>4559445
>Straight up ask if you can watch the connected Nerve Gear. The stuff you have is for seeing if you can't fish something out from this crisis.
>Don't fucking touch it though. You're not mentally prepared to have a death on your hands.

>>4559442
>>4559445
Supporting this

>>4559445
>>4559511
>>4559560

Before he can finish, you already raise a hand.
"I'll help, don't worry about it, Mister..."
"Just call me Takeda."
"Right. But I do have to ask something of you."
You might be overstepping your boundaries, but this is quite necessary. You might not be able to get access to that kind of data, otherwise.

"May I take a look at the PC? I'd like to check the files over. I'm a data analyst, so if there is anything out of the ordinary, I might find something that could help the victims. Believe me, I'm just as interested in helping those trapped in the game as you do. Perhaps finding a way out?"
You are not that confident that will work, you-
"Alright. I'll go have a chat with the head honcho. Come on, no point in waiting. Just bring whatever you need."
So much for that.

The estate in question is a ways off the metropolitan area and has a nice overview of the park next door. Added to that the fenced-off area, and the small garden in front, it's a pretty eccentric, yet humble piece of land, not commonly seen in the light-flooded area in the main streets.

"Leader is over there. Come on."
Surprisingly, it looks to be a police officer greeting the both of you there, and though he does give you 'that eye', Takeda explains the situation. While he doesn't seem to be eager to let you in, the cop does agree that if you can help, you might be able to help in the long run.

"Technically, I should just call this one in, seeing as no one is replying, but I'd rather go check it out myself."
He clearly doesn't look all too happy about the premiss and points to the lit-up room on the top floor.
"I've just got this nagging feeling like I'll regret it if I don't. Household of four, but..."
Well, might as well check on that problem of his. No time to be wasted here.

The fusebox is closeby and already opened up. Thankfully, it's nothing too hard to fix, you can make this due. After all, who needs a timer when you just want to open this thing up?
"Just that easy, is it? If I'd have known..."
That's how they all go. And that is why you don't work in the industry.

>>4559587

With the gate opened up, you accompany the policeman, as he checks the door.
"It's unlocked. Stick close to me."
He gently pushes the door open, and steps inside, you follow shortly after.
Both of you make your way further inside, as he calls out for the residents.
"Mister Fumooka? I'm with the SAO Incident Victims Rescue Force. Are you there? If you are, please-"
In the living room, you both come to a stop, as the officer looks over to the kitchen area. He looks disturbed, and heads on over.
"You stay here Yamada. Don't move!"

... This doesn't sound like an SAO victim case.
Neither does this note on the table.

'With this letter, in hopes of having Shizuka forgive me, I shall give my goodb-'
Whoever Shizuka is, they might not be faring too much better. But that is yet to be determined.
"Yamada... I think we've seen enough. I'll be calling in a case lost, and-"

You shake your head, as you nod over to the letter.
"Not done yet. We still have to find the one playing."
Taking a few breaths, he nods and heads deeper inside. You keep your head towards the corridor, unwilling to have an image burned into your memory.

Not that it helps you once you found the player. Their Nerve Gear is removed, they just lie there...

> A small girl. Who the fuck would allow them to play? Didn't they read the age rating of the game? Irresponsible.
> A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...
> The matriarch of the household, lying there as if she were sleeping. Sleeping eternally...

"... that's that. I'll go call it in then... sorry about the deal, but I don't think there's anything you can check on."

> Or is there? Just ask if you can take the NG with you. It's a matter of life or death.
> Ask to check the PC. There might be some files locally.
> Yeah... staying around just seems... disrespectful somehow.

>>4559590
> A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...

> Or is there? Just ask if you can take the NG with you. It's a matter of life or death.

>>4559590
>The matriarch of the household, lying there as if she were sleeping. Sleeping eternally...
It's removed and not a smoking wreck? If that's unusual we should take a look, if not go for the PC

>>4559596

Ours did become wrecked due to a lot of metals and plastics our NG-array.
You cannot be sure about the internals, though nothing you cannot handle, right?
Thankfully, microwaves don't cause the human body to burn. Just cook.
> "Is anyone else getting hungry?"

>>4559590
>A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...

>>4559590
> A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...

> Or is there? Just ask if you can take the NG with you. It's a matter of life or death.
> Ask to check the PC. There might be some files locally.
No reason why we cant do both.

As fucked up as all of this is? This could be a good opportunity to do some good and build up a sort of resume for an actual job.

>>4559590

> A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...

> Or is there? Just ask if you can take the NG with you. It's a matter of life or death.

We can probably convince him, even if not, the NG is going to be taken by the cops. He wants us to help, we need that NG.

>>4559590
>A highschooler. Just your average kid, wanting to enjoy their day off with some gaming. And now...
Or is there? Just ask if you can take the NG with you. It's a matter of life or death.

>>4559591
>>4559609
>>4559610
>>4559626
>>4559635

"Yeah, she's..."
Just lying there? Sleeping? Not going to wake up? What do you want to say?
"But I could use her NG."
"You want to take that thing with you? That's going too far, this is a crime sc-"
"I know, but how many of these do you want to see? How many have you seen? How many more will you see, if I don't look into this!"
Not sure if it's the adrenalin, all the anger from looking at this, or knowing that this is far from over. You turn around, determination in your eyes, as you push your glasses up.
"There are many more cases such as this, around 200 more, last I read up on it! This might be another case, or maybe something else! But I know this is a matter of life or death, not for her, nor for her father! But for everyone else stuck in the game, I need to do what I can!"
You are usually better at arguing, at least in terms of facts. You know that in a far less civilized place, arguments can be won using emotions, even if you are wrong. And even if you are wrong before the law...
"... Fine. You go take it. Just keep in contact, right? If not, I'll come to visit. Here's my card."
And so you take it, stash it away, and carefully take the NG.
"I'll get to the bottom of this... Lady Fumooka."

... You probably won't sleep sound tonight.
All the more reason to not sleep at all.


Finally, back home, you begin assembling the new rig. The frame is still fine, and the components easily replaced. The new NG-Array takes a bit longer, but since you were the first one to make it (to your knowledge), you know exactly how to make a new one.
Though the last part is the trickiest. With the Nerve Gear being as it is, you'd rather not have the same fallout as before. The smoldering remains of the game-bundled NG rest in the corner of your room, with some ramen cups and the rest of the trash, so you take it over to the table.

When you wake up the next morning, having fallen asleep while reassembling the intact one, you are certain that the Microwaves are sufficiently underclocked to not cause any harm to your electronics. Or your brain for that matter.
You didn't plan on it, but now rested up, you feel like you can act more reasonable at this time. You've got a plan, several in fact, but the only decision left is which one to go for first.

> You want to log into the game ASAP. Check with the players stuck inside, and get their perspective.
> There's still a lot of files that need to be checked over. If there is anything to give you an edge over the game, it's somewhere between the code.
> Before anything else, you might want to get some programs onto the server. You know a few ways to do it, without anyone noticing.

>>4559684
>Before anything else, you might want to get some programs onto the server. You know a few ways to do it, without anyone noticing.

>>4559684
> There's still a lot of files that need to be checked over. If there is anything to give you an edge over the game, it's somewhere between the code.
We have time

>>4559684
> There's still a lot of files that need to be checked over. If there is anything to give you an edge over the game, it's somewhere between the code.

>>4559684
> There's still a lot of files that need to be checked over. If there is anything to give you an edge over the game, it's somewhere between the code.
Let's not get locked out by sysadmin instantly trying to get our cheats into the game. Checking files probably won't be flagged, right?

>>4559711
>>4559755
>>4559885

Since your curiosity got the better of you last time, you start up the PC and plug the NG in. Since you got the IP last time, you find it easy to reconnect. From everything on your hard drive, you begin the search.

What are you looking for exactly? The general size of the game as a whole, and anything to work off of. And though it does take its fair while, and around 2 cups of ramen to sate the hunger, you finally found something worth looking at.

Since the 6 months of the Nerve Gear's release, there have mostly been 3 types of games:
Puzzle games, Educational games of a different variety, as well as Environmental games, mostly referred to as 'Walking Simulators' overseas.
Even if SAO is it's own product, it does appear that some of the frameworks find its roots in these prior games. And this does put a smile on your face. Every game has its flaws. But to some? Those are features.

> The Local RNG simulated by the Nerve Gear, as is accessed by PuraPura Kawara, is very easy to calculate and to keep track of. It seems SAO does utilize the NG RNG for most things the player does. (+15 on Luck based rolls)
> Nomi No Kotsu Anzen is a game to teach about the safety regulations in traffic. As such, the pathfinding is programmed to take EVERYTHING into consideration, as to not run into traffic. SAO's NPC entities utilize this Pathfinding, making it easy to exploit if you know what you are doing. (+15 when engaged in combat with more than 2 NPCs/Mobs)
> Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)

>>4559942
>sell toys for more yen

> Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)

PRAISE BE TODD HOWARD!!

This is the last update for today, things shall go big coming tomorrow.

And somewhere along the lines, I should REALLY get to go over the source material again. Memory of it is, for the most part, spotty.

However
>>4559948
>sell toys for more yen
Anon, they are not toys, they are COLLECTOR ITEMS. You would never in your life sell them, they are just as important, if not more, putting your life on the line to save thousands! You must understand this, right anon?

File: Spoiler Image (1.05 MB, 300x183)

1.05 MB GIF

>>4559942
> Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)

We speedrunner now- pic related

>>4559948
>>4559956

Do mind that it is not clipping through objects, merely having your visual point (and your character) disconnected from the hitbox placement, as it shifts into whichever direction it goes.

After all, it would be quite horrible if you DID fall through the floor.

>>4559942
>Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)
This is the most gamechanging, although not speccing into combat is probably going to screw this couch potato hard.

Can we leave messages for the rescue force?

>>4559959
Still amazing, especially considering SAO is a dungeon crawler.
It's very helpful to know whether a staircase leads to a chest or eight litches.
> Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)

>>4560041
If we can spot all the monster rooms in advance, that would already save a large portion of the frontliners.

But not really sure if we should keep our ambitions that low.

>>4560060
>>4559970
>frontliners
>rescue force
Wait, are we actually gonna go INTO the game, or are we just gonna do some sort of hacker shenannigans? Because it would be pretty useful to be able to enter and leave SAO whenever we pleased.

>>4560230
Who knows? Either way there's going to be a couple problems not getting found out by kayaba.

>>4559942
> Ienikaeru-dō is a beautiful game, In which you travel over the beautiful Japanese mountainside, and wander nature in this spiritual journey. That is unless you manage to get yourself stuck and cause your hitbox to shift. In which case many things happen. SAO has a noticeable amount of data in that regard, so if you can find the right angle, you could do a number of things. (+15 For Combat against other players, or the ability to look through obstacles/walls, after managing to glitch your hitbox (Takes a separate roll).)

>>4559948
>>4559956
>>4559970

'Dungeon Crawler my Ass', you think, as you realize how easy it is to exploit the game. Although you are unsure how the transition from Environment game to RPG transitions, you are certain that this will help to find all things not found between lines of code.

The connection already established you deem data transfer not worth the risk. The server is already accessing the NG, and who knows what else the server might do to it.

It doesn't stop you from comparing the files though, and you notice a certain similarity between the folder you opened up and the game files on the NG.
That to say that it contains over 200 TB of data.
200 TB... You got nothing to say which could adequately portray your dumbfoundedness.

Though you do not tamper with it, it might be somewhat essential for the game to work properly, so you ignore the tremendous file for now.

Other than that, only items and stat blocks differ from the files of your NG, seems that she made some decent progress.

No time to waste now, you really want to get started. Once again checking over the NG Array, you start up the program, and say the magic words.

"Link Start!"
The game is initializing, and you immediately notice the lack of audio-, visual feedback quality. You were scraping the bottom of the barrel, but you had to make do.
The next thing you notice is the login screen.

It's her. The girl, one to one in front of you. Sure, eyes might be mismatched, and the hair a bit different, but it's her.

Shaking yourself from the visual, you click on the avatar, and shortly thereafter loading in.

With the game loading, you have a moment to ponder about her screen name.

> Oracle. Like the Software? No, might be something different.
> Link. You do wonder when a title will be released on the Nerve Gear. If ever.
> Okami. Someone has a complex over here... or REALLY likes big dogs. Maybe both.
> Write-in.

>>4560795
>Oracle. Like the Software? No, might be something different.

>>4560795
> Write-in.
Pram

>>4560795
>Airy

>>4560795
> Oracle. Like the Software? No, might be something different.

>>4560819
>>4560842

As you search for the world online, you come to realize that it refers to a type of priestess. Neat.

Though enough of being sidetracked, you look back to the interface. The one downside with your current loadout is that you lack a high FOV, as one would normally have from having their senses tapped and manipulated.
Though it's not that concerning, you can still access the HUD with no problem. Even if the controls are rudimentary, they get the job done. You are not all too confident in fighting, however, since there are no RPGs on the NG.

... The game is taking a while to load now, a fair bit too long. You inspect the screen once more and notice a Mail-Icon in the middle of the screen.

A sense of dread overcomes you, as you click on the icon.
The contents are more discouraging.

'Welcome back to Aincrad, departed soul. Your return was unexpected, but not as surprising as you might believe.

We failed to ignore your actions, and your survival through your repeated violations, but non less commend your tenacity and ingenuity.

You are free to play the game to your heart's content, though we encourage you to not ruin the other player's experience.

You may not change the game's files, nor overstep their boundaries. If you can remember the rules, you may return to Aincrad.
If you agree to these terms, press the button below.'

Right. That means the Administrator noticed. Seems you either succeeded in stoping his killswitch, or he didn't bother trying it. Either way, he wants you to play by his rules. From as cryptic as his writing is, you can imagine he's referring to cheating and trying to track him down. You can agree to that, you're can do more than enough work with the data itself. You're not a Script Kiddie, you're a hacker. You'll never stoop that low.
But that part about the other players is beyond you. Their experience? Is he referring to the 'Isolated from the real world' experience or just the game experience? From your standpoint, you'd say he means the latter. So long as real-world information does not mess with their game experience, it should be fine.

Having made up your mind, you click the button, and...

>>4560976

> ORACLE AWAKENS

> You wake up... Vision blurry, your ears ringing, you can not move...
> Everything feels wrong. You just were with your friends, right? Then... then things went dark. Did you die?! Where are you?! Why can't you look around?

> "A-aah... Aaah! AAAH!"
> A scream off to your side. Your body turns. Some guy is staring at you. They look terrified. Not as terrified as you, but you cannot show the horror. Why?! Why can't you move?!

> He's are running away, there are more people looking at you! They are coming closer, weapons drawn! You can hardly understand them!

> "What is that?! Is it a player?" "Did they respawn?" "Their eyes look so empty." "Oracle?"

> You can feel your mouth open. You want to scream.
> A girl's voice comes out. It's not yours.

It's a really useless skill, but you'd make it great in the VA market. The only problem is that no one is willing to pay an overweight otaku to voice a cute anime girl.

> Go with the truth. "This isn't my account. I have a setup that allows me to enter and leave the game at will. I'm here to help you."
> Just go NPC: "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot. You may ask me anything to your heart's content."
> Go ham: "Fear not! I am the messenger of the gods, here to bring hope in these times! Listen to my call, and gather around, for I have to tell my tale!"

File: 1606435206238.jpg (86 KB, 960x960)

86 KB JPG

>>4560980
> Go ham: "Fear not! I am the messenger of the gods, here to bring hope in these times! Listen to my call, and gather around, for I have to tell my tale!"

>>4560980
>> Just go NPC: "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot. You may ask me anything to your heart's content."

>>4560980
>Go with the truth. "This isn't my account. I have a setup that allows me to enter and leave the game at will. I'm here to help you."

>>4560980
> Just go NPC: "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot. You may ask me anything to your heart's content."
Don't wanna go with truth right now because we'd get swarmed by panicked players probably.

>>4561009
>>Go with the truth. "This isn't my account. I have a setup that allows me to enter and leave the game at will. I'm here to help you."

>>4560980
> Just go NPC: "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot. You may ask me anything to your heart's content."

>>4560993
>>4561021
>>4561185

There is not much you cando wrong acting like an NPC, at least for now.
> "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot."
With a few default animations, the acting doesn't look too stiff. You even have an idle pose simulated, in maid style waiting.
> You body is moving, not even on its own, this is beyond you control. If only you could speak up. If only you could break out of this paralysis!
> "You may ask me anything to your heart's content!"
Seems the players are calming themselves, now that you have provided them with a plausible answer.
> "But what does that even mean? Help with what?"
And there they go asking questions. All at the same time, confused, and a total mess. You are glad you picked this answer. You can just ignore things until-
> "People, listen! It's an NPC, just ask them one at a time."
Good. The other good thing is that you don't HAVE to answer every question. Just the ones you want to answer.

After a while of arguing, and trying to calm everyone down, one of the player steps up, with a list of questions.
> "What do you mean by 'help?'"
Hm, how to answer that question... Let's go wi-
> "Why did you spawn at the... Monument of life?"
You better not answer that one, it m-
> "Is this part of a quest? Or an event?"
Alright, you're just going to wait things out till he's done.

> "Dude, that was to fast. Just ask one at a time, alright?"
Yeah, and you wrote the questions down, so you can acctually answer them fast enough.

> Write in: Answers to the important questions
> #1: What help do you provide? (Default: Amongst others, you can look up information on the game, based on 'progresss', as well as running a mail service to 'The world beyond Aincrad'.)
> #2: Are you some kind of vendor? (Default: You are an Information Broker of sorts.)
> #3: Why did you appear just now, and weren't there from the start? (Default: You Only offer your services at certain times.)

>>4561247
Alright, anyone got any ideas on stuff to add on?
What CAN we offer right now?
I'd be down for most of the default answers, except for noting that the mail service being not available right now. Still, providing hope that there's some people outside could be a a way to stop one or two people from committing suicide. Even just knowing that someone outside is trying to help and is contactable is something.

Maybe something about us being prone to wander about the world at different times? To excuse us not being there, and possible moving around on our own.

>>4561247
> #1: What help do you provide?
>(Default: Amongst others, you can look up information on the game, based on 'progresss', as well as running a mail service to 'The world beyond Aincrad'.)
Lets make things interesting and add something along the lines of, "I can do this for a small fee. Please include the address and name of the recipient of your messages."

> #2: Are you some kind of vendor?
If you consider the vending of information, then yes. If there is anything you wish to know about the world outside of the game, please write it down/send the message. I can only accept (I don't know a hundred) letters a day.

> #3: Why did you appear just now, and weren't there from the start?
>(Default: You Only offer your services at certain times.)
I am a new late minute addition to the game due to recent events.

>>4561314
>Maybe something about us being prone to wander about the world at different times? To excuse us not being there, and possible moving around on our own.
Agreed. Maybe say something like we're a new A.I. that will be tested and implemented in the game so we have an excuse to wander around? Perhaps we could even develop a cult following due to our importance, so PvP against us is highly unlikely.

>>4561247
>> #1: What help do you provide? (Default: Amongst others, you can look up information on the game, based on 'progresss', as well as running a mail service to 'The world beyond Aincrad'.)
Information, such as ingame map data. WARNING: this unit's combat performance is poor and requires protection. COMMENT: Guys, give this character some better lines, it sounds like a fucking robot

>> #2: Are you some kind of vendor? (Default: You are an Information Broker of sorts.)
works for me

>> #3: Why did you appear just now, and weren't there from the start? (Default: You Only offer your services at certain times.)
ERROR. This unit has been active for-*&^&^* hours. COMMENT: Scrap this feature, nobody likes escort missions anyway. Make sure it's gone before the Beta is released.

Not sure if everyone else wants to doubledown as being some sort of buggy alpha program, but I think it could be fun.

>>4561247
Poor Argo. We stole her job.

I gotta say we should probably fluff up something about how we're a repurposed GM account or something like that. It would explain why we have stats and stuff like a player.

Might I get some more Karma dice?

dice+101+-50

Different ID due to different location.
Should go with tripcode next time around.

Rolled 66 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4561919
oh, wonder what this stuff is doing

>>4561919
DICE DICE DICE

Rolled 56 - 50 (1d101 - 50)

>>4561919
That's a fail

>>4561919

>>4561919

>>4561972
>>4562022
Might wanna try this again.

>>4561959
>>4561357
>>4561314
>>4561512
The inquisitive spokesman nods, as he tries to calm himself. He begins mumbling to himself, though even with your bad reception, with how close he stands to you, you can hear his whispers.
> "Alright Thinker. Get yourself together. The town is a safe zone, so no matter what happens, you'll be fine!"
With his part said, he redirects his attention to you.
> "Alright then, Oracle, what kind of help can you offer us?"
You think for a moment. How to best phrase this...
"As one of the lore keepers..." Yeah, that sounds reasonable enough. "I can tell you anything you should know up until now. The further you progress, the more I can share."
Yes, better be cryptic about that.
Though the hard part comes now.
"Though beyond this, I can also send messages beyond the world of Aincrad."
The group's murmurs grow louder, tight as you said 'world'.
Maybe it's better to leave it at that.
> "Right... Right."
He keeps going with that natural expression of his. It might be interesting to see what the players are up to.
> "So you spawned in the Black Iron Fortress? Not respawned?"
Ah... Still with that dicey question? Not risking that.
> "Hey, you heard the question! Answer him!" One of the group shouts from behind. Seems like there is an honest struggle between keeping others outside and trying to leave this place.
> "Calm down, It's an NPC. Maybe it doesn't get that question." "Read the room you bastard! I just want out! You heard them say that earlier, right?!"
> "People, clam down! We'll get our answers, and then we'll see!" Seems this 'Thinker' is the leader of... Something. Doesn't seem very organized.
> "So we won't get an answer for that question. That's fine. Next question. Are you a tutorial NPC? Or do your... Do you want payment? I mean vendor. Are you a vendor?"
Poor guy is tripping up. Then again, you'd be doing a worse job than him, you are somewhat prepared for this.
"While I am a lore keeper, there are some things only an information broker knows. I am both."
Hm... Maybe a bit too cryptic.
"It all depends."
You didn't make it any more clear, but at least no one can nail you down for inconsistency.
> "So he doesn't just trap us in the game, but expects us to PAY to get forward?!"
> "Shut up already! You can go out and learn all you need to do on your own!"
> "And die?! What a fucking joke! Why don't you do it then, huh?!"
> "Gentlemen! This is getting us nowhere! You are not the only people here, and you still have your lives! I wouldn't disturb those grieving if it weren't for a good cause. The more we know about the game, the more likely we are to survive."

>>4562033
Ah... Now that you look, there are some pretty depressed looking people here. Maybe you could ask why.
> "... So why now? Why did you appear... spawn at this time? It's been almost 12 hours since his message."
.. you honestly don't know how to answer that. And you really don't want to answer either. But the group seems about ready to storm in here and try and hack you to pieces. Honestly not something you want to have happened to you. Or your character, really. Just to be safe.
So let's go with the most non-descript answer possible!
"Indeed! I can offer you my services at certain times only. Do mind that a lady must have some time to herself."
And cue the coy animation! There, saved it.
> "WHAT ARE YOU BEING SO SMUG ABOUT HERE, HUH?! I WILL TEAR YOU APART WITH MY OWN BARE HANDS!"
> This is absolute insanity! You will get murdered by these... Madmen! What happened to everyone?! What happened to you?! They're fighting! Why are they fighting?!
... well, all things considering, it could have gone worse. Apparently, as you overheard in the not-massacre, safe zones mean that no one can get injured. Or at least not lose any HP, following an attack. Quite enlightening, and you are rather glad no one is hurt. Because from the look of things, these people were the sane ones.
The group dispersed, only a few, more calm looking individuals remained, as well as those grieving. The troublemakers left after being forced out by the players currently gathering around the negotiator.
> "That's it with them. Fucking assholes."
> "You were hardly better than them. You just wanted to fight them, not us."
And cue the leader, 'Thinker'. Is that his handle or what?
"I get them. I still don't believe it myself, truth to be told. But being angry doesn't help anyone. The only thing we can do is play along, and help those who can't fend for themselves. We need to organize ourselves, ration our savings, and learn as much as we can."
His look over to you makes it quite clear what he is thinking.
> "We might even learn a thing or two from the NPCs. While this one doesn't seem as convincing as others, maybe it's just the way the programming is, if their claim is true, we could have... Well, I'd hazard to say they could be an ally!"
Wait, what did he say? Not as convincing? Shit, how do you convince him you're realistic? Gah! An idea!
Oracle's... Channel their God through themselves... That fight gave you more than enough time to read up on that.
So just pretend you were channeling! Alright!

> Inquisitive "Praytell, what do you mean by me being 'Not convincing'?"
> Curious "Umm, if you don't mind my inquiry but what might be amiss with those men just now?"
> Analytical "Ah? Ally? I'll consider it. Though explain to me why this place seems so downtrodden."
> Write-In

>>4562034
> Inquisitive "Praytell, what do you mean by me being 'Not convincing'?"

>>4562034
Still voting for robo-speak

>>4562034
> Inquisitive "Praytell, what do you mean by me being 'Not convincing'?"
Kinda just occurred to me that running a one-way mail service to the outside means there is no way of having the people in-game have any idea that we are actually mailing things out rather than just stealing their money. Think it's possible to bring some proof back?
Either way, just play the dumb NPC right now, gather information on what the situation in here is right now.

Friendly reminder that NPCs have a quirk where if you ask them something they don't understand they'll actually stop for a second to buffer what you. Said. Before giving a noncommittal answer.

>>4562086
>>4562034

> Write-In
>They didn't ask us anything so we don't have to do anything.

>>4562034
> Curious "Umm, if you don't mind my inquiry but what might be amiss with those men just now?"

>>4562068
>>4562084

Good, just go with the first question that comes to mind!
"Praytell, what do you mean by me being 'Not convincing'?"
> "Ah, just that your animations aren't really-"
Wait, shit! Did you fuck up just now? Maybe you shouldn't have asked that
> "I-I mean, that is some pretty big things you just said. If you can really reach beyond Aincrad, that would mean that... No, no, I'm rambling. Maybe this is just a trick by that Kayaba."
> "Yeah. Maybe it is. That means we'd be playing right into his hands, giving the-"
> "Thinker, Lutz, please, listen to yourself! Everyone is going through these times, and the only thing we can do is to encourage each other to keep our heads held high!"
> "You're right Yulier. Maybe I'm just imagining things."
Blaming it on mass hallucinations, are we? You can work with that. So you hotfoot outa here.

As you find yourself outside, you are thankful that you don't draw much attention.
It would seem that everyone else is much more focused on destructive anarchy or general denial, as Thinker had proclaimed earlier.
You make sure to stay clear of those people.

Sooner or later, the talk of the Oracle will make rounds. For now, then, it might be best to learn more about playing the game than it is to learn about it.

> Just wander around, and see if you can pick up a thing or two from spectating.
> Maybe some NPCs could help you out. Like these shops.
> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?

>>4562158
> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?
Consult the manual. Usually useless, but hey, who knows.

>>4562158
> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?

>>4562158
> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?

>>4562158
> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?

>>4562158
>> Hold the phone! Isn't there a manual with the game?

>>4562168
>>4562185
>>4562269

Right! A manual! Who'd think of that?

Getting up from your seat, you pick the box up. Sword Art Online. What a mess you have become. Players going at each other and the world. Wonder what exactly Kayaba did.

Well, amongst others writing a coherent manual. Then again, maybe it was someone else.
Though as you read, in other words, try to make sense of the pamphlet, you manage to learn a few things. Such as your portrayal as an NPC was not that convincing, and shouldn't have fooled anyone. NPC entities are labeled as such with the worlds, under their name and above their health bar. Well, it got you out of that Black Iron Keep thing, and that's about all you really cared about at that moment.
Apparently, you can't touch NPCs either, because you'd get shocked. Yeah, that makes sense.

Thankfully, the combat instructions are far better. Sword skills are what each weapon uses, and can be activated by holding your hand up in a certain way... until you can see the glow.
You can program a few different motions for sure, that way you can simply bind them to keys and you can pull out combos, one after another.

As for regular skills...
Yep! This is it! The truth is finally revealed!
This is a janky piece of shit. The most ambitious and gaudiest janky piece of shit, but it is non less a complete shitshow of an RPG.
You are unsure if the inclusion of pay to win would make it better, seeing as players who are already ahead will stay ahead if they keep on leveling.

The only thing you can say is that the premiss of special skills is unique. It would make sense as an RPG. But as an MMO it couldn't be worse. Especially since the competitive aspect is still a fucking Jankfe-

> "A-Are you alright? Oh god, please don't tell me you're disconnected... H-hello? Can you hear me?"
Who is... Ah! Shit. Someone's talking with you! What to do, what to do...

> "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot."
> "I'm here, I'm here! Don't worry. I was just spacing out."
> Don't reply. Maybe they will go away.

>>4562988
>"Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot."

>>4562988
> "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot."

Good thing no one reads the manual apparently. Either way, we are here to assist, even if we are RPing an NPC.

>>4562988
> "Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot.
Do a pose!

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>>4562990
>>4562994
>>4563106
What the hell, in for a penny, in for a pounding. There is no need to start becoming inconsistent. Someone is going to find out, but until then, you will have the best answer.
"Greetings. My name is Oracle. My purpose is to assist you in ways others cannot."
Turn around and... Pose!
"You may ask me anything to your heart's content!"

So you come eye to eye with a pretty... bland-looking girl, really.
> "O-oh. Alright. Nice to... meet you Oracle. I'm... Lisbeth."
She looks uneasy. Probably from all the noise down the street.
"You... probably don't know where there's something to eat? I'm... I..."
Ah. And she's shaking. That's a new one for you, you had yelling and shouting, anarchy... crying is a new one for you. What DID Kayaba do to these people?
Well, at least she managed to hold it in.
> "Sorry, it's just... I still can't believe this is our lives now...haven't had the chance to talk to anyone yet!"
She's smiling, but she might still break any moment now.

Worse yet, you do not have any clue about what kind of shops there are, or where to find them. You were actually looking around for those yourself.

> "You... you do know where we can get food, right? I haven't had anything since... since..."
Ah, shit! She's gonna blow! Right, what do you do, what do you do now? Act like an NPC, right?

> Just point in the direction of the shops. Maybe she didn't see them, and maybe some of them also sell food!
> Walk off. Maybe in direction of those shops. She might take a hint. Maybe the wrong one...
> You have a hugging animation somewhere around here... don't question why. Might blow your cover. Then again, no one is looking.
> You may write in anything you want to say.

>>4563203
> Walk off. Maybe in direction of those shops. She might take a hint. Maybe the wrong one...

Truth is at least we'll know what shop there are by doing this.

>>4563203
>Offer her generic bland tasteless NPC bread. Everyone has it.

>>4563203
> Just point in the direction of the shops. Maybe she didn't see them, and maybe some of them also sell food!
>I'm sure that the vendors around here would be willing to assist you.
>then walk off towards said shops, time to get our bearings.

Might be worth leaving the NPC routine to get proper information on what exactly set off all these people.

>>4563203
>Offer her generic bland tasteless NPC bread. Everyone has it.
>I'm sure that the vendors around here would be willing to assist you.
>then walk off towards said shops, time to get our bearings.

>>4563247
Do you think we should include a little bit of extra dialogue? like how we can send messages to "the other world?"

>>4563280
I want to do that, but I'm not sure how to pass that on without coming off as bad fake advertising, or clearly not an NPC.

>>4563316
This girl is probably too shell shocked as it is to pick on on the hints that we're not an NPC, and she doesn't even know how to feed herself. The possibility of her knowing we're not an NPC, while isn't 0%, it's still relatively low.

>>4563203
Gonna throw in another suggestion
>"As one of the lore keepers, I can tell you anything you should know up until now. The further you progress, the more I can share. Though beyond this, I can also send messages beyond the world of Aincrad."

>>4563234
>>4563247
>>4563270

Alright, okay, just have to shut her up before she can go.
Inventory management... Opening the menu... there it is!

You open up the menu and check your inventory. There, bread. Just pull it out, and hand it over.

Well, she's already crying, but at least not hysterically so. And when she sees the bread, she calms down a little as well, so you can work with that.

You are lacking the words to properly convey any kind of emotional support, so instead, you just point towards the shops you saw earlier and make your way over.
You're not really surprised that she follows you, but you'd have rather she didn't. It's hard to get into the game properly when people are nagging at you. The fact she up and ignored the menu is a blessing, but the more you think about it, the more you face the reality that these people have no clue about the game they are stuck in.

"As one of the lore keepers, I can tell you anything you should know up until now." You recite your earlier statement, as you inspect the different stores. Thankfully, you find what appears to be a general goods merchant, who offers his best stale water and more stale bread. Your hanger-on is too busy stuffing her face, though manages to nearly choke herself out as her sobbing subsides.
So, generous as you are, you turn around and point at the store.
"The further you progress, the more I can share."
Naturally, you feel inclined to finish your spiel, and in her case, she might really need that kind of help.
"Though beyond this, I can also send messages beyond the world of Aincrad."

And she left. Straight for the store. This works for you, at least you don't have to go answer more questions.
Instead, you find an in, which you use some of your funds to enter. According to the manual, no one can bother you here.
So, what to do now?

> Inspect Oracle. They must have played at least some, so you can judge the progress from here.
> Check the files again. Those 'Extra Skills' might be interesting.
> Once you're in the clear, you could go check the vendors. Window shopping doesn't cost even cost you a yen. Or whatever goes for money around here.

>>4564053
>Inspect Oracle. They must have played at least some, so you can judge the progress from here.
Test making messages or leaving physical objects on the floor, both for doing NPC shenanigans and probing for any potential buffer overflow angles.

>>4564053
> Inspect Oracle. They must have played at least some, so you can judge the progress from here.

>>4564053
> Inspect Oracle. They must have played at least some, so you can judge the progress from here.

>>4564068
>>4564073
>>4564083

With you finally having some privacy, you open the menu up once more.
It's kind of minimalistic, a bit too minimalistic for your tastes. Navigating this will take a lot of back and forth, it doesn't even have the option to switch between tabs.

Inspecting the character on itself, you notice the lack of proper armaments. The only thing she is wearing is essentially a long, dirt brown dress.
Checking the inventory, you see that it appears to be a <Modest Robe>, sewen by yours truly, Oracle. The rest of the armour is in here too but unequipped. At least you look different from the average player, one point up on NPC deception.
With attire thoroughly inspected, you move onto the items so far collected. With food being the first option, you are down your only bread, though there is some water left. The only other thing, aside from basic potions, seems to be some simple herbs. Right.

Checking her skills, there is little surprise. Herbalism being 3 out of 1000, she spent most of her day collecting random plants. Sewing level 2, which is respectable enough, and... not much else, really. You unlock more skills as you progress, says the manual, so whatever else she might have spent her time on didn't register.

All in all, she just started, the menu is horrible, and somehow she managed to stay clear of mobs. That or someone else helped her...

You check her friends list, and... there are a few names. Hopefully, they didn't notice yet. If they did...

> Delete the contacts. Too risky.
> Maybe you could look those names up in the files...
> Look up those skills of hers, see if they are any good.

>>4564128
> Look up those skills of hers, see if they are any good.
Contacts don't really matter, odds are if there are friends they're either not from in-game or really fleeting and ghostable.

>>4564128
> Look up those skills of hers, see if they are any good.

>>4564128
> Look up those skills of hers, see if they are any good.
Then
> Delete the contacts. Too risky.
Let's not have people finding us on their friends list and realizing that a walking corpse is around.

>>4564128
> Delete the contacts. Too risky.

So are there just name titles above characters, of can those be turned off?

>>4564132
>>4564133

You sigh, as you lean back into your seat.
Taking a moment to think about everything this game has shown you so far, you find yourself unable to think what to do next. Originally, you wanted to help those people out, seeing as they were stuck in the game, from the look of things. Though when you did go in and try and help, you were given a warning shot by the GM, and subsequently threatened that he would shoot the hostages. Not that the hostages being held are in any state to be saved, so far you've seen headless chickens and those who try and keep a calm demeanor in the face of madness.

Once more, your joints pop, as you make up your mind. If he wants you to play, then you might as well play. The low security and barely any inscriptions seemed suspicious at first, but maybe he's just humoring you. You won't look a gift horse in the mouth, so you go up and search for the skills in question. After some intensive searching, which takes a fair amount of time, you come to a conclusion.
The skill system is ridiculously elaborate.
Some skills combine into new skills, which have thousands of applications. Skills unlocked via mastery of another skill, which in turn can be mastered. Mods for said skills, to make them even more unique.
And, naturally, extra skills. Rare skills that require specific quests to unlock. You found a folder labeled as 'Unique Skills', though the encryption on those is higher than everything else. You imagine that more is hidden away, but even you know that it will take a good while to get into those files.
Looking at the matter at hand, however, you found some extra skills in correlation to the skills unlocked so far. These seem to unlock via the usage of the composite effect

Herbalism, together with the Mixing and First Aid skill, when high enough, will unlock a special quest that allows the use of the 'Coated Dagger' sword skill. The usage of different poisons when inflicting a wound on the target will cause several status effects, as well as DOTs. All around a pretty neat ability to have.

Though sewing seems to be more confusing. 'Puppetry', a sword skill with high requirements, is provided to those that have a high sewing skill... as well as fishing. More confusing than that, it seems fishing rods are considered weapons in the game. Though the most interesting aspect is that the extra skill itself is locked behind another extra skill, Martial Arts.

Perhaps you have some goals in mind now, aside from standing by and trying to convey some knowledge.
Unable to find a reason to not look back at the horrible graphics of the simulated brain, you remove one friend after another from the list. Now then, onto-

Someone is knocking at your door. You look down at the system clock, which reveals that it is 13:47. Not normally the time for anyone to knock on your door.

> Go and open up, better to not keep whoever waiting.
> Your priorities are set, continue playing, and prepare to set out

>>4564177
Dont open the door at first. Make sure your locks are secured and have a phone with Japan's equivalent of 912 on speed dial. Approach and see who's at the door. If we dont recognize them ask who they are. If we know them, go ahead and open the door.

>>4564177
Supporting
>>4564187
BUT IMMEDIATLY GET SCRAMBLING HIDING THE COMPUTERS and lock all electronics immediatly, Pull out the hardrive and hide it in the matress or some shit.

>>4564177
Supporting
>>4564187
No reason to not be paranoid. Not like SAO's got hit squads on the payroll IRL.

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>>4564187
>>4564194
>>4564207

Whoever this is, it's better to not take any chances. It has to do with the game, but you don't need to be paranoid about it, just go and check the door.
Just to be safe, you take the phone, ready to dial 011 and make your way over.

Locks in place, you look through the peephole, spotting a bespectacled businessman. Aside from occasionally checking the time (as far as you can tell), he seems to be content to just wait around.

> Maybe ask him some things?

------------
Jesus fuck, just have a graphic format someone can actually use why don't you?

>>4564231

>"I don't watch TV, so I don't need to pay the NHK fee."

>>4564231
>Can I help you? I don't think we've met before, so what brings you to my door?

>>4564231
Keep watching till he begins to leave.
Then come out the door.
Keep the upper hand.

>>4564231
>Can I help you? I don't think we've met before, so what brings you to my door?

>>4564235
>>4564238
>>4564249

You think it might just be the NHK, here to force you into a contract with them. The longer he stands outside, however, the more you are convinced that he's not actually a salesman. That suit doesn't match up with one of those guys.
Still, you wait for him to make his move, and after a few minutes of time... nothing happens. He's still waiting outside your doors, patiently.

You are forced to act when he knocks once more. He doesn't even bother with the bell.
"Can I help you, Sir? I don't think we've met before, so what brings you to my door?"

In turn, his smile lightens up.
"Good day Mister Yamada, I'm Kikuoka Seijirou, part of the SAO Incident Victims Rescue Force. Would you mind letting me in, I just have a few questions I'd like to ask."
Right... you're really not sure about letting him in. The circumstances are still pretty suspicious.
"If you don't want to open the door, that is fine too, all I need is for you to answer my questions. Is that fine?"

Well...

> Let him in?
> Just let him ask his questions.
> Something else?

>>4564275
> Just let him ask his questions.
I mean no point door slamming his ass now, we didn't say we'd answer but seeing where the questions are going and what they're hoping to find as answers is interesting still.

>>4564275
Do we have our buddy's number from the SAO Incident Victims Rescue Force so we can verify that Mr. Kikuoka Seijirou is legit? The SAO GM warning got me spooked.

>>4564275
>Just let him ask his questions.

>>4564275
>Just let him ask his questions.

>>4564275
> Just let him ask his questions.

>>4564279
>>4564286
>>4564291

"Sure works for me." You might wanna call back on your pal from last night. Well, pal is a bit of a big word here. But at least he could verify his authenticity. Looking around for his card, you can hear Kikuoka speak up.

"Splendid. Now, I know this might be a bit of a personal question but... did you happen to enter the home of the late Mister Fumooka? Perhaps..."
... This just went far worse.
"Don't take it the wrong way, but Mister Tajima will receive some disciplinary action for his actions. My question to you however is if you're willing to cooperate with us in a closer relationship. Take your time on the decision, I'd much rather be sitting down while we discuss the details anyway.
Onto the third question then... do you prefer tea or coffee?"

... Smells of blackmail, but so far he didn't mention blackmail. He did mention Tajima, the same name as the policeman, now that you look at his card.
Chances are he's pretty legit. You could check in with Tajima however. But the question is... if he is legit, then what?

>>4564324
>"Assuming that I did, what would the next course of action be? Assuming."

>>4564324
Tell him to wait for a bit, call our bud.

>>4564324
We don't need to answer shit right now. We're busy. Verify his identity, then figure out if he's trying to hold stuff over our head.

Anyone know stuff about Japanese legal system? Can their cops break down the doors without a warrant?

>>4564324
>What do you mean, Cooperate in a closer relationship?

>>4564324
>do you prefer tea or coffee?
"Neither, I will take my time to answer you as I am not aware of what you're talking about, may you hand me your coordinate so I may contact you at a later time? Business card? Email Adress? Which would you prefer."
Act paranoid as you speak this looking around for any distant onlookers, do not hide this behavior make sure he remain suspect as to who may be watching us at current.

>>4564329
Cringe answer, we don't need to tell him we know what he's talking about

>>4564342
Worse, they can hold you indefinitely until you confess pretty much.

>>4564398
bruh you're cringe

He clearly said entering someone's home.

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>>4564406
Don't entertain the hypothesis, he will move in to pressure about further action we may have done, at current we are still wrestling for information, proding him playfully by playing along his hypothesis will only result in us spilling the beans or him making false claims and feeding us false information, at current what we need is information he cannot lie about namely his identity so we can complete our own research.
Asking him what the course of action be assume him to be a trustworth party willing to cooperate, although he presented himself as such it may not be the case.
Admission of guilt even if tentative is a foot in the door he will use to pressure us further and or call the cops on us, at which point he could use his superior societal position and falsified evidence to just destroy us.
At current we need to maintain a neutral footing and minimize leakage of information on our end, whatever he's up to, we simply have to give nothing and he will come back and or we will be able to contact him, as if we do not give him what he want now he will be open later still.
You're clearly not thinking ahead, revealing our hand even if trying to pass it as a bluff is a huge mistake as it will reveal our character to much and give him leverage to keep us in the discussion, at current we have confirmed nothing nor do we have any reason to and can end this discussion when we want. Let us keep it that way.

>>4564422
k

We haven't admitted to anything, and even if we didn't it's not like the police can't just arrest us for a month anyway.

>>4564425
How long they'll keep us depend on the evidence they have honestly.
At current they may have more than one suspect and thoses may crack sooner than us us (Thank god for Japan's justice system).
If we DO give them a lead, as we do not know if we are recorded at current, even if not usable as evidence it will be used by him to get the cops indefinitely on our ass them asking police extensions to the interogation possibly, causing us to be eternally in jail till we confess.
HOWEVER if we do not produce any evidence or even suspicion or even entertain the thought they will inevitably give up or even refuse to arbitrarily hold us on mere suspicions.

In short if we admit or even cause suspicion by playfully going along with the spook we go to interogation forever.
If we don't admit they could probably get us interogated (which they likely won't if we're straight up unassuming and don't spill anything) and our place searched but that's it if we don't spill and nothing incriminating is found they won't hold us eternally.

>>4564430
bruh why you acting all sus

like, we did yoink the NG, but like fi that's what they want, we can just give it back, not like they don't have over 217 other corpses to pull from anyways.

you're being hella paranoid

besides there was an officer there, if there was going to be an issue it would be his fault not ours.

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>>4564439
Dude we're breaking into the server of a game literally killing people and got a novel way to do so.
Not only can the corporation charge the fuck out of us the State can probably charge us too with a collection of BS charges for not immediatly cooperating.
Furthermore if we're wrapped up in this they could unironically do worse by forcing us to work for them and report to them.
Even if the blame fell on that officer (which it likely wouldn't) we'd still get fucked 10 ways to sunday.
So in short:

1. I don't want to give back the NG
2. They likely yoinked the others
3. Paranoia is good in our case we're literally getting wrapped up in a conspiracy as a script kiddie tier hacker
4. If we remain under the radar we remain the masters of our fate and can choose what to do.

>>4564453
>breaking in
not even close

>corporation charge the fuck
bruh you think the corporation is going to last when the have a fucking death game?

>work for them
might suck but they might also give us government tools, also do more

And even if we don't admit to anything, artistically hiding everything is sus as hell as well, and is grounds for a supeona or a search warrant

amicably going along and providing the enough information is much safer for the long term.

>>4564338

Well, we'll see about that before anything else.

With Tajima, you both have a member of the SAOIVRF and a policeman on the phone, so if he says the guy is legit, then he is.
Well, probably ex-policeman, when you think about it.

"Hello, This is Tajima speaking." He sounds even more tired than yesterday. Could be because of the night-long rescue action. Could be...
"Mister Tajima, it's me, Yamada. There's some guy called Kikuo-"
The sigh from the other side tells you everything.
"Yes... Mister Kikuoka advised me to take some time off after... well after what I saw. Naturally, I'll probably be taking a long while off. I'm sorry, I should have told you to leave. I'll assume he wants to speak to you?"
Silence comes naturally to you, and thankfully he accepts it as an answer.
"He's... well, he's sort of the boss of the initiative. Talked about what happened and... well, can't really lie about it, can I? I think... he told me he is interested in helping out because he played the beta himself. So he was pretty interested in what you said you could do."
So he told him about it. That explains where he got the info from.
"I told him what you told me, you're doing this to save people. So did I tell him."
"Alright, thank you, Tajima."

So... Head of the SAO Rescue Force is knocking on your door. Very likely interested in what you've been up to with the Nerve Gear, and the game.

That helps somewhat.

> But what to do from here?

>>4564466
Invite him in for tea or instant coffee. Talk shop. Collaborate.
Tell him what we've been up to and what we've seen. What can we do?

>>4564466
>Me? Work for free? I think not.
>Ask him to go out for coffee, chat up about you wanting to join the Rescue Force on the way and how we're skilled, amazing, sociable and clearly not a NEET and such.
hahaha time to get forcibly hired under the threat of corporate lawsuit.
Alright, whip up the resume and ask for a position immediatly we don't really have a choice anymore our bro spilled the beans on us.
Don't collaborate till he open up to the idea of actually paying us.
We're not giving him shit for free, that's not how negociations work.

>>4564466

>Open the door at least. "Alright sure, what sort of questions do you have?"

You know, being compliant to a point. He doesn't need to know every detail of what we've been up to.

>>4564466
Supporting
>>4564472
He doesn't need to know every detail, but we've been working on trying to access the game.
What does he want to know, and are we going to get sued out of oblivion for endangerment of others though our tampering?

>>4564472
>>4564485

Slowly, you unlock the door. You're not a complete idiot, he is in charge of the initiative, the policeman said so. But you're not a moron either, you'll work with him as much as he does with you.
With the door open, you look come face to face with him.
"Alright. What sort of question do you have?"

Sitting together in the living room, your workspace closed off, you get a fair bit more information from him.
From what you gather, the government reached out to him after the incident occurred. As expected, and somewhat reassuring. Though that does raise the question of why a government agent negotiates with you instead of having the police take you in.
"And though efforts have been made, so far they weren't able to access the server. Seems someone is locking them out, even Argus can't do anything about it. And since disconnecting the server is not an option..."
Really now? Just generally unable to access the server?
"Compared to some of my associates, you look pretty awake. I assume you have either given up on the task or somehow managed to get in. In the case of the latter, that would mean you are the only lifeline we, and the players, have."
"Right. So that's why you want me to work with you."
"Correct."

So far so good. We have the Intention, but not the conditions. He might still want the Nerve Gear you took, and while you have another Nerve Gear in storage, back from the original release, you still have little of an idea on how to transfer data from one Nerve Gear to another.
"In any case, I fully trust your abilities. This wouldn't be the only NG game you've gotten your hands onto. You are seen as somewhat of an expert on that area, or so I'm told. Isn't that right, Mister... no, Doctor Yamada?"
"I'm going to stop you right there."
You'd say you have a pretty good picture of what kind of relationship he wants. He wants you to work with him, no matter what, though the terms might change later on. If you refuse, he might blackmail you, but so far it doesn't seem he wants to put that premise out there. Time for your offensive.
"You've asked your 'questions', so I'll be asking mine then."

> Tell him upfront that you are a freelancer. That means you expect payment.
> Ask for a sign of goodwill, in turn, you can show him some things you learned about.
> Any other questions you might want to ask?

>>4565168
>Tell him upfront that you are a freelancer. That means you expect payment.
>>There are a variety of services you are already confident about offering, but others need time, whether or not he is willing to sponsor the equipment.
>>Ask if he is willing to provide information from the beta. Even a player perspective will be of help.

>Set your borders on how far you are willing to directly handle someone's life in your hands.
>What resources can HE muster? Does he have access to staff of the game?

>>4565188
yep, pretty much this. +1

>>4565188
This

>>4565168
Help us help you. This is gonna take time and resources. The better tools we have to work with the better. We also need to pay for food and utility, as higher quality wares tend to require an exorbitant amount of energy.
Tell him outright we dont want beating around the bush and knows he'll resort to blackmail if we cont comply.

>>4565188
well written. supporting.

>>4565188
>>4565209
>>4565215

He leans back and nods.
"Very well, it's the least I can do."
"I'm not looking for any permanent employment, not with the government nor anyone else. I'm a freelancer, so I take my payment, that's that."
"Hmmm, I can imagine. Rents have to be paid regardless, and even I have my bills to pay. We can negotiate, but that all depends on what you can provide."
"Which brings me onto the services I can provide. I can get you almost anything from the game files, given enough time, but changing game files will be a hard no from me."
He nods, as you recall the warning.
"Let's just say that some services I am more confident about offering than others, and regardless of whatever help you are willing to offer, time is still the primary factor."
"That should be fine, so long as the players are calm and don't do anything rash."
"About that..." Shit, here you go running your mouth again. Come on, you can save this. "You've played in the beta, right? So you could tell me more about the game itself. It would help me if I could get the insight of someone who isn't... stuck."

He looks down at his cup of tea. Taking a sip, he thinks for a moment.
"I don't think I can offer you much of my time, though I can think of someone who might be willing to help you out on that front. You don't need to agree immediately, but if you're interested, we could talk about it once you're done with your round."
Doesn't sound too unreasonable, he is supposed to organize the whole thing, after all.

>>4565271
"Naturally, in regards to the players, I want to know what exactly happened. It's been around 200 people so far and for the remaining 9800? I refuse to play around when human lives are in danger. Mostly to me just becoming the scapegoat when things don't work your way."
"Yes, yes, I imagine you would say that. Though that is not what I intend to do, you bring up a valid point."
"You were the guy who opened up with blackmail. And we both know how that goes. Let's better not go there."
"I'll just say it, you were the one to bring it up." He raises his arms, though his expression shows that it would have been the last resort. Thank goodness it didn't come to that, huh?
"But your word is just as good as mine. What can you offer in terms of resources? If I can talk to some of the programmers, it might help clear up some questions I have." Specifically how they cannot access their own server anymore.
"Well, I could look into it, but I'm not confident in regards to the staff. The third branch has gone silent after the game came out, and the rest of the company is suffering from the backlash. No one is keen on talking to anyone. Let alone the complete absence of Kayaba for several days now. Though... I do believe I can offer you something..."

He leans forward, and with a slight smile readjust his glasses.
"While the Nerve Gear is the newest model on the market, and naturally the most developed FullDive, we can go back in development. Not a Full Dive, but... maybe half of one. Augmented Reality is an alternative branch in development. If you give us some time, and a Nerve Gear, we could make some modifications to it. You could put it on, and interact with the virtual world while doing so in the real one as well. Though it is experimental, I'm unsure if you'd be willing to risk that. Let alone my trustworthiness, after all, I didn't come here expecting you to cooperate. Did I?"

> Suppose we can entrust him with the Nerve Gear. (But which one?)
> No, you think you are content with how things are right now. If he has a clear idea of how it would work, he can send you the schematics.
> Do go on about that other player, are they trustworthy?

>>4565274
Why even bother with the AR shit? MC's no athlete, and there's no way a flesh and blood human was going to compete with the ingame movements of digital avatars.
>Not interested. The tech itself is fun, but we do computers, not sword swinging.
>Rather, don't YOU have access to Nerve Gears? Do you need to hire me to....extract them?

>>4565274
> Do go on about that other player, are they trustworthy?
> Suppose we can entrust him with the Nerve Gear. (But which one?)
The broken one with the fried microwave. It needs to be repaired.

>>4565287
Perhaps their definition of AR is different from just strapping an oculus rift to your head. If its gonna be like in SAO then physical fitness will matter little.

>>4565274
>Not interested in AR.
> Suppose we can entrust him with the Nerve Gear. (But which one?)
Fried one I guess? If they actually want said one. Task force probably already has an abundance of Microwave-fried Nerve Gears.

>>4565287
>>4565293
>>4565301

"Not really sure what I'd be doing with AR, I'm just dealing with the data after all." You really don't see the use, from what you know, AR is inferior to whatever FullDive can do.
"I see. Well, if you-" But no reason to deny either. May as well indulge them.
"You can have the one I bought though. Got fried a bit after it tried blowing my brain up. Thankfully, I don't have a brain." Heh. Yeah, you gotta have some humor sometimes. "At least not one I'd put into another one of those gears. At least now without proper modifications in place. Remove the battery, hardcode the failsafe, and ensure the security protocols don't fail... hard to do when it's already on your head, but you can do it with this one at least."

Taking a moment of your time, you go and bring him the partially dismantled Nerve Gear.
"There. Do whatever you want with this one. Better off than thrown into the trash."
Taking your seat again, you remind the official of his offer.
"So about that other player... I'll assume you know them personally."
"Yes, they are an associate of mine. Not from work, mind, but we have known each other for a while. Granted, we grew apart in time, but we explored the world together, or at least a fair bit of it. I'm sure they won't refuse, and they still owe me a favor."
Right. So a whole lot of nothing but 'I trust them'.

Then a phone rings.
"Ah, that must be... Well, I have to be off now. Thank you for the tea, Dr. Yamada, we'll be hearing from each other then."
Well, to be fair, you should go out and buy some food soon, you haven't had anything to eat in the last 24 hours, and aside from the tea, not much to drink either.

> Accompany him on his way down (And maybe get a last question in or two)
> Send him off on his own, plenty of things have been discussed already.

>>4565458
> Accompany him on his way down (And maybe get a last question in or two)
>I don't suppose you'd be willing to give me his name, or screen name?
Either way, then lock up and get some food. Restock IRL.

>>4565479
This

>>4565458
what do we look like op? do we look like a fat dude with moobs like our sister, or are we as obese as the average American?

>>4565479
This

>>4565458
Are we actually a doctor?

>>4565479
>>4565550

You go and grab your coat, keys and wallet still hidden away in its many pockets, you think about giving him enough time to leave. However, before you were so rudely interrupted by his alarm, you wanted to ask him more about this player of his.

So you race out of your home and down the stairs, just in time for him to open the door to the front.
"Wait! Just one last question! You could at least give me their name, right? Just in case someone else pretends."
"A fair bit paranoid, don't you think?" Not entirely untrue, but if nothing else, it's healthy.
"Well, if Nakama Akira is ringing at your door, that's your man."
"And a handle? Since they are a Beta tester."
"... Right, didn't think of that." It's your job to think, apparently. "Their handle is Hiro. That's H-I-R-O."
Damn, wish you didn't suck as much in English. There's probably a pun in there. But thankfully, it was the only bad grade you had.
Not sure how he found out you do have a doctorate, since you don't advertise it, but it makes sense. You yourself wouldn't trust some Hikki to tamper with evidence of a crime if you didn't know they were an expert in neuroscience. Though you enjoy Freelancing too much to be bothered with finding a job. Especially since data mining is your true passion.

As he enters a nearby car, which promptly drives off, you already think of dinner. Or technically linner. You might just wanna go for takeout, but...

> Wait for the bus to arrive while you think about what to eat.
> No, you go get that bike you didn't use for 4 years, and you'll work on yourself.
> No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.

>>4567386
> No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.
Tempted by the bike but then I realized we'd likely die of a heart attack on the way there.

>>4567386
> No, you go get that bike you didn't use for 4 years, and you'll work on yourself.
get fit
become chad doctor
don't get hit by truck-kun

>>4567386
>No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.
eat healthy THEN exercise.

Even if "healthy" here means a shitton of rice with a bit of egg and a ketchup heart.

>>4567386
> Wait for the bus to arrive while you think about what to eat.
Bus to somewhere.

>>4567386
>No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.

>>4567386
>> No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.

File: 7Zu3nlG.gif (645 KB, 500x281)

645 KB GIF

>>4567386
>> No need to go overboard, the next maid cafe is 1 block away.
Either that or the nearest convenience store.

Also if we are a NEET shut-in neuroscientist, are we A MAD SCIENTIST?

>>4567423
>>4567492
>>4567606
>>4568666
>>4568970
>>4569056

You decide to walk down the street instead. It's been a long while since you had any downtime, so if you want to go enjoy some good food, might as well have some nice company.
If there are two things Akihabara is famous for, it is otakus and degenerates. Foreigners, coming to visit the 'weird whacky japan', worse foreigners who assume japan is weird whacky and are disappointed that it is not 'like in their animes', and, of course, inferior otakus, who live their life assuming an eroge just around the corner.
As such, the localities are littered with maid cafes and more such places. You need only look over to the other side of the street, and you can see your sister's store marketing off of this trend.

Naturally, as a man of culture, you do not enter any such place with "Goshujinsama" on every word said, with low-quality food.
You took your time heading for the location you had in mind, and smile.
Good old 'Meidosanto shite hataraite imasuga, tomodachi to nomi ni ikitaidesu'.
While other maid cafes have progressed into more niche tastes, such as cosplay cafes, maids with unusual personalities, such as psycho killer, disgusted, unspeakable tales of NTR cafes...
This place? None of these things. Much like a genre deconstruction, this place is far more different. For starters, it is not even a cafe and could be better compared to a hostess club paired with an actual eatery, as well as a well-stocked bar.
This of course means that no minors may enter, or work in the establishment, for that matter, but another that you may pay more on average.
It occurs to you what troubles you might have with your finances, but aside from the newest hardware, some rare collector items, and several new releases in both games, shows, and books, this is but the smallest of treats you allow yourself.

After all, which another place allows you to reenact meeting with a good friend of yours, who just got done working in a maid cafe, didn't even have the chance to change out of uniform yet and just wants to hang out?

As you enter, you are greeted by the receptionist, who is also one of the two barkeeps.
"Mr. Yamada? Not the usual time I'd expect you. No, nevermind. Hina just arrived, seems a little cranky right now. Ah, but maybe you'd like to meet Maria, she seems to have a hard time with her job."

While Hina is your usual go-to, this Maria person sounds interesting enough.

> You need familiarity in your life. Hina is your go-to after all.
> Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Maria sounds exotic.
> Honestly, you just want to eat, you'll take anyone

------------
Dead quest.

Obligatory comment aside, the weekend was rather hectic, and I shall be removed from my work stay for the rest of the year, and then some.
Due to lockdown, chances of more updates are high, though not guaranteed (Due to uncertainty about Home Office. Thankfully I don't work white collar.)

>>4570617
> Honestly, you just want to eat, you'll take anyone
Anyone played the Nerve Gear games? It would be refreshing to talk with someone who knows a thing or two, even if its something we already know.
Hoping to dig for passive info we might have over looked.

>>4570617
> Honestly, you just want to eat, you'll take anyone
Hope you keep on this quest, I've been enjoying it.

>>4570617
>Honestly, you just want to eat, you'll take anyone

>>4570617
> Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Maria sounds exotic.
We're having a hard time with our job too honestly.
At least we'll share a meal with someone we can relate to.

>>4570617
>> Honestly, you just want to eat, you'll take anyone
This has been an interesting spin on the series, which was wasted on fluffing that original donut steel OP Stu-MC, when another (superior) author created an even better series in the same universe. Would like to see this develop further.

>>4570617
>ariety is the spice of life, as they say. Maria sounds exotic
Just ramble to her about food

File: Spoiler Image (159 KB, 600x909)

159 KB PNG

>>4570639
>>4570697
>>4570702
>>4570802
>>4571237
>>4571260


However, you remember that you only really came here to eat. After all, you have a game running, and things to do in it.
So instead you shake your head.
"Sorry, but I don't feel like talking much. Just send me whoever."
"Of course, I'll send Carrie."
With a nod from him, and you nodding back, you head on in.

Though it is called a maid cafe, there is a distinct lack of coffee and has more of a restaurant feel to it. Maybe more of a diner-type smell, now that you think about it. As you take a free seat near the bar counter, you see the assortment of maids. You can't call it a uniform, since it's a collection of different outfits more than anything else. It makes sense though, if everyone pretends to work at a different maid cafe, they wouldn't wear the same outfit.
For most, it's non-alcoholic beverages, until a customer comes along. They are pretty pricey after all and the main source of income for the place.
You remember when this place was just another maid place, though with only tomboys. Even though they changed the theme, the steak they serve is still as good as ever.

You can't afford an American style steak though, so you're going to go for a hamburger steak. Still pricy, but more in your price range.
Finally, your maid arrives, your entertainment for the evening, and-
Pretty much a walking culture shock. To be fair, you asked for anyone. That you got.
"'Sup? Mind if I sit here?" You raise your hand, giving him the non-verbal go ahead.
"Man, you look just as tired as me. Mind if I treat you to something?" "Was thinking Hamburger Steak." "Could go for one too... maybe later."
The scruffy guy checks his phone, that to say, putting in the order, as he looks over. Not really saying much. You don't really have much to talk about either. And so there is quiet.

This silence stretches on until you got your food. Frankly, you don't feel much like talking, but it just feels wrong to not say anything.

> "So, how's your day been?" Leave the talking to him.
> "Yeah, been a while since I had some good sleep." You could use someone to vent to. It's been kinda stressful lately.
> "..." No talking. Ever.

------------
Home Office was more of a bitch than anticipated. Despite not being able to update, I still used my time to read up some more about the source material.
In light of this drought of updates, however, I have decided to make that discord.
With holidays coming up, I hopefully will spend my time more on the quest.
https://discord.gg/f4VxEz332c

>>4578018
>> "So, how's your day been?" Leave the talking to him.
Sure. I have to respect this.

>>4578018
>discord
Where my programmer trap at

>>4578018
> "So, how's your day been?" Leave the talking to him.
> "Yeah, been a while since I had some good sleep." You could use someone to vent to. It's been kinda stressful lately.
Shoot the shit. Just another bro on the daily grind, maid outfit or not. We are brothers in spirit this much I can tell.

>>4578018
>"..." No talking. Ever

Foomd here. Foomd eamnt

>>4578018
> "So, how's your day been?" Leave the talking to him.

>>4578030
>>4578073
>>4578271

"So, how's your day been?"
No one is getting anything out of this silence, so you break it. "Anything particularly tiring?"
Looking up at you, he smiles with his empty eyes and nods.
"Yep, been a hassle with the kids, since they've been pestering 'bout that new game. You know the one."
Of course, you won't escape it here, looking around you can see that there are fewer maids than usual.
"And since the side job isn't really paying, well... lemme just say it's good I don't gotta pay anything for their stay."
Bless the healthcare system. Although no one has any idea how ends up actually paying.
"So yeah, all's well that ends well, and the missus and I are gonna have some quiet for a while."
You can follow his eyes to the bar, no idea if he had any yet, been drinking this whole time, or if he's considering it. You've seen your guy around a few times, but more behind the scenes than hanging out with people.

"So what's yours?"
Yours? As in poison? Your story?

> "You think the Hamburger is done soon?" No need to share, money, or possible state secrets.
> "Not really fan of the hard stuff, but some Midori might ease that suffering." The guy could use a round. Maybe two
> "Right, you wanna hear my story, huh?" You can tell him a little, right?
> Write-in

>>4579193
>"So my computer is molten slag, but I'm eating to celebrate not having my brain fried." Stick to the 4chan story
>"Not really fan of the hard stuff, but some Midori might ease that suffering." The guy could use a round. Maybe two

>>4579199
This

>>4579199
Ya, this

>>4579199
>>4579234
>>4579239

"Well, my computer got fragged, data is fragmented, I got several thousand yen in damages, but at least my brain isn't fried."
"Sounds rough." You are not sure if it's apathy or a general lack of subject knowledge that causes his response, so you decide to explain it somewhat.
"Now, since I work from home, that data was my job, so I'm set back by a fair bit now."
He raises his eyebrows, so he seems to get it.
"But it's alright, the backup was still alright, so I'm not completely screwed."
"Yeah, just several thousand yen poorer."
"Tell me about it, I had to replace it with second-grade goods. Because I need to work and work it fast!"
"Really? What's the hurry all about?"
Right, of course, he'd ask. So you call over the barwoman, in her Japanese maid outfit, some creative liberties taken.
"Some Midori, please. The bottle." So you can take it home with you afterward.
"Not really a fan of the hard stuff, but some Green can help with our sorrows."

Finally, your meal arrives, and the conversation comes to a halt.
"Yeah, I could use that. But still kind of curious what you need a replacement for so fast."

> "You know, not getting your brain fried is a great experience I want to share with others."
> "To fix what those spooks can't do themselves."
> "Well, just work stuff. Still have to send that report till midnight."

------------
No one going to tell me I'm missing that name?

>>4579261
board's not active enough to be concerned about imposters.

>"Deadlines. If I don't push this last one, I won't be just in the red."
>"And it keeps my mind off how close my mind was to being some roasted delicacy."

>>4579261
Hey, if someone posts an update, I'm not calling him on not having a name. Story update is story update.

> "Well, just work stuff. Still have to send that report till midnight."

>>4579261
>> "You know, not getting your brain fried is a great experience I want to share with others."

>>4579261
>"Deadlines. If I don't push this last one, I won't be just in the red."
>"And it keeps my mind off how close my mind was to being some roasted delicacy

I wonder if this guy has a twink body

>>4580719
He is what happens to a twink in the 40's
This is the truth

Just here to wish you a merry krimbus, and announce that I plan on more effective updates.

The course is set, and the destination is will be reached in due time.

>>4579265
>>4579267
>>4579462

After thinking about it, you realize that the guy has enough to worry about. So your answer is the whitest of lies you can come up with.
"Deadline's been biting me ever since last quarter, and if I don't push this one, I won't just be in the red." Thinking about it, you aren't sure anymore if you are even lying in the first place. Definitely keeping it vague though.
"And after that experience I had? Keeps my mind off how close my mind was to becoming some roasted delicacy." You don't mean that of course. Who would consider anything out of the microwave a delicacy?

"Think I know where you're coming from. You know, report says that they are just failing on their own now... that or something is triggering them, despite no one touching their heads."
You can't help but interrupt your meal. If this is true, then it's not just them being held captive.
You can't really find any news about it though... maybe-
"You know, I still have to check on something... hope you enjoyed the food, I'm going out."
And he grabbed the bottle. Well, you did pay it for him, so you can't really complain... but you'd still like to know his sources.

He hightailed it out fast, so you imagine he had his reasons. After a superb hamburger steak, you confront the owner, who just replied with 'Something important came up.'
You'd hazard it might be his kids, though if he did have some, he told you he had to check on something, which isn't something you'd say when referring to your kids. Though then again, if he checked his phone, that would explain it.


Finally, you can close the door behind you. It's pretty cold outside, even for a November night, and there is nothing better than a quick shower and heading for bed...
No, wait, there's still the game.

Finally, back on your rig, you don't notice any major changes, and the avatar is still in the inn room. However, you notice that the VR compatibility program shows you some parameters for unknown values. Presumably, these are signals the Nerve Gear would transmit to your brain, though you can't be sure. You can take a guess though since another player complained about hunger and no functional use for the inn beds. Simulating basic human needs was a thing you read about on a beta tester's blog, and aside from the lack of anatomical correctness, the need for hunger and sleep was implemented.
So. Your computer is telling you it wants to sleep and eat. You don't need to comply though, seeing as there are no debuffs on the avatar, so you keep it in the back of your mind as you inspect the rest of the handbook.

By the end of it, you have a good idea what your priorities are, as you open up your preferred 3D editing software, and set on programming the large variety of sword skill movements. A long-term project, for sure.

After you pulled in the model, you check the values again, seeing them having risen. A negative value, and yet it stands.

> Feed the avatar? Use the sleep function?

>>4583821
avoiding basic functions is going to be really obvious to the admin programs(Yui), but Kayaba already knows we're in.

>Eat, but don't sleep.
>Macro food consumption and something to practice while we sleep IRL.
There an exercise related passive skill? Doing a macro for Sewing sounds like an intensive activity.

>>4583821
>>4583842
this