Journey to Planar World

A few minutes earlier, as everyone in the plaza was fixated on Kayaba’s earth-shattering announcement, Charlie walked calmly through the crowd, approaching Miguel.

”Miguel, who do you want to protect in this Quest?”

Patting Miguel’s shoulder, Charlie asked for his opinion. For him, he didn’t care much whether he had to protect the protagonist or the heroine. However, if he was free to choose, he leaned towards Kirito.

His reason? He wanted to avoid the possibility of Asuna falling in love with him. Not that Charlie was narcissistic; he just had to admit that his face—which was based on Karasuki Rio—was undeniably handsome beyond compare. Moreover, there had been previous cases, such as Nakano Nino, who had become emotionally attached to him.

Unaware of Charlie’s complex thoughts, Miguel asked in return.

”Have you found Kirito and Asuna’s locations?”

”Not yet. Currently, all players are still appearing with their customized avatars. It’s impossible to find them.” Charlie replied, shaking his head.

”Hm? As far as I remember, Asuna was a beginner in the game. She used her older brother’s Nerve Gear without permission due to psychological pressure from her mother constantly pushing her to study.”

”She didn’t even know how to customize avatars and immediately used her real appearance. Geez, Asuna didn’t even use a nickname and directly used her real name!”

Miguel voiced a vague memory, certain that Asuna’s avatar was her real-world appearance. Therefore, Charlie’s statement was invalid.

”Really? It seems I wasn’t thorough enough. Sword Art Online is an old anime; I’ve forgotten a lot of things.” Charlie felt a little embarrassed.

It was impossible for Miguel, in a situation where both their lives were at stake, to lie about such a crucial detail, so Charlie believed him.

’My line of sight is limited to seeing straight ahead in this crowd. If I want to observe everyone at once, being in the air is a must.’ He thought to himself.

Trying to scan once more with his Six Eyes, Charlie hoped to find Asuna based on the new information, but he still failed. The crowd in the plaza was too dense.

”I wonder, are we also bound by the rules of this game like other players? If so, that means we’re in the worst situation because we have to level up to get stronger, and can’t use our true innate powers. But if not, that’s good news; we don’t have to bother getting stronger by leveling up here.”

Listening to Charlie’s analysis, Miguel was also curious whether they were restricted or not.

”Why don’t you try it, Charlie? But remember, don’t cause a commotion that attracts Kayaba’s or other players’ attention.”

”I know.”

Agreeing with Miguel’s suggestion, Charlie nodded. Then, he gathered magical essence around him and used Spirit Arts to make himself invisible. The next second, his figure vanished from sight!

’Perfect. Thankfully, we Saviors aren’t bound by the SAO system. It feels like a max-level player suddenly transferred to another game server and is among beginner players. In short, this is a cheat.’

’Beta Tester? Beater? In the face of true cheaters like us Saviors, they are nothing.’

After verifying that he still retained all of his Level 5 First-Class Adventurer powers within this virtual world, Charlie floated slowly up to ten meters in the air. From his new, higher position, he scanned the dense crowd in the plaza for the third time with his Six Eyes.

”Found her!”

As Miguel said, Asuna indeed used her original, uncustomized appearance, so Charlie didn’t change after using the Hand Mirror in the future. Thanks to Miguel’s information, he managed to find the girl without having to wait for Kayaba to give the Hand Mirror to the players.

{I found Asuna. So, you’re going to protect her, Miguel?}

{...!?}

Miguel gasped in surprise, hearing Charlie’s voice in his head.

{Is this telepathy?}

{Yes.}

{Is there anything you can’t do, Charlie?}

{There are a few things. Anyway, I’m an all-rounder. Back to the main topic, you’re choosing Asuna as your protection subject, right?}

{No. Leave Kirito to me. Tell me his location after you find him?}

{Hm? Are you sure?}

Charlie thought he misheard. Wasn’t Miguel’s reason for insisting on taking Quest 5 because he wanted to flirt with Asuna, his dream waifu? Miguel’s decision to protect Kirito on his own initiative felt very strange. Could Miguel be gay? It wasn’t impossible.

{I feel like you’re thinking harshly of me.}

{That’s just your feeling.}

Charlie denied Miguel’s accusation, although he knew the accusation was spot-on.

{Alright, listen to me, Charlie. The reason I chose Kirito is not only to protect him from the Abyssal Devourer, but also to hinder his growth. I really hate him. I’m so annoyed that so many anime protagonists have the exact same face and hairstyle as him. During my otaku days, I was so fed up with all of it. Kirito is a representation of every boring, generic protagonist!}

{O-oh. Do as you like as long as you don’t cause Kirito’s death by making him weaker than his original timeline.}

Charlie didn’t try to stop Miguel. Quest failure was not an option, so he just reminded him not to overdo it.

{I know my limits. At most, I’ll just make Kirito not stand out as much as he did in the original story.}

Stopping for a moment, Miguel continued.

{That guy only has a pretty face with no real abilities. In the real world, he’s just a loner who’s not good at socializing. Even though he once practiced kendo, he was helpless when facing real threats like when he faced Sugou Nobuyuki, Shinkawa Kyouji, or Kanamoto Atsushi (Johnny Black). If it weren’t for his thick plot armor, Kirito would have died repeatedly!}

Miguel continued to vent all his grievances about Kirito to Charlie, releasing his pent-up frustration of many years.

Charlie: ”😐”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Back to the Present

After the players’ avatars were replaced with their real-world appearances, Charlie finally found Kirito amidst the chaotic crowd. With his Six Eyes, nothing could hide. Soon after, he guided Miguel to Kirito’s location via telepathy.

”...”

Meanwhile, an eerie silence enveloped the plaza. For a tense moment, no one spoke. No one moved. Every player stood frozen in place, trying to digest the horrific reality that had just befallen them.

The world’s first VR game they had eagerly awaited had turned into a real death game. If they died in the game, it meant they died in the real world.

There was no respawn and no second chances.

The only way out?

Clear all 100 floors of Aincrad!

Then, panic broke out.

”This is impossible! I don’t want to die! Get me out of here!”

”Mom! Dad! Help me! I don’t want to!”

”This is crazy! They’re lying, right?! This is just a nightmare!”

”The logout system is gone! What do we do?!”

”I can’t fight! I’m just a student! I’m going to die!”

”Kayaba! You monster! Let us go!”

”I can’t! I give up! There’s no way I can survive!”

”Someone, save us! Please!”

Hysterical screams and desperate cries filled the air, creating a horrifying symphony of chaos in the Town of Beginnings. The helpless players now realized that their nightmare had just begun.