We're Screwed, the Plot's Gone Wrong!

It was much easier to take apart than he had imagined.

Akihiko Kayaba hadn't tampered much with the NerveGear. The lethal combination of battery and microwave sensor had been part of the original design. Yes, an "I reckon this'll work" sort of design.

That very combination had killed quite a few low-tier Awakened predecessors-or perhaps successors.

From what Wang Shui knew, becoming supernatural didn't make an Awakened powerful in every respect, without a single weakness.

In fact, most Awakened had clear strengths and weaknesses. Especially when it came to defense, no one could cover everything, and they needed plenty of equipment to shore up their shortcomings.

The simplest, most effective way to resist energy damage like microwaves was to protect oneself with various kinds of energy, especially around the head.

Awakened generally chose miniature powered armor to provide all-around protection. Even particularly outdated models could utterly crush low-tier damage with their defenses.

But right now, Wang Shui had no powered armor. Even if he did, he couldn't fit the NerveGear over an equally large hunk of iron.

Besides, he had no ability to shield himself with energy. His only energy was the 50 points of tier-one, unattributed energy that had come with his awakening, and he had never used it.

But he hadn't intended to put the NerveGear on his head, either.

Although entering SAO was a very good way to save money, with far less pressure scraping by inside than living in a big city.

Wang Shui didn't consider himself a coward. He felt he was merely cautious.

Once he put on the helmet, there would be countless ways to die suddenly. Before he was discovered and moved, the power or internet might go out, and early in the game, monsters might kill him, among other things.

Any uncertainty would make Wang Shui back away.

Wang Shui had been close to a senior code monkey. Before they were all hit by a dump truck's quick-draw strike, that senior had once said of him:

"Shuizai is a very special kind of gambler. Unless he has a hundred percent chance of winning, he doesn't want to bet a single cent."

Wang Shui put the NerveGear back together and continued browsing information about the game. He didn't want to go in, but he still had to keep an eye on it.

Nihon's biggest game guide website already had plenty of compiled beta information. Over the two-month beta, the 1,000 beta testers had defeated the sixth floor's boss.

As Wang Shui remembered it, Lord Kirito had claimed to have soloed his way to the tenth floor. A truly hardcore grinder.

There were hundreds of posts introducing the game's content and mechanics, and the name that appeared most often among their authors belonged to a fellow called Thinker.

It looked familiar. He was probably a character from the story.

There weren't many particularly clear-cut villains in Sword Art Online, and Wang Shui couldn't remember what this fellow did.

Just as Wang Shui kept refreshing the posts, a new pinned notice appeared at the top of the guide website.

[SAO's official open beta begins November 6! The first limited batch of 300,000 game copies is expected to sell out in two days!]

Wang Shui sat up straight, his expression turning serious.

That's not right...

He opened the post. The page contained online sales links, as well as photos of bustling sales at various physical stores.

[The first public stress test will support up to 300,000 simultaneous players. How many people will be online on the first day?]

[With full virtual reality greatly upgraded from the closed beta, what surprising experiences await us?]

Wrong! The plot's wrong!

Wang Shui couldn't remember other details clearly, but he distinctly remembered that 10,000 players had entered SAO's open beta. Three hundred thousand? That was far too big a difference...

Something suddenly occurred to Wang Shui. He opened the mission interface and saw the world alteration tag.

Is this what the [Massive] alteration means?

Wang Shui suddenly felt his heart flutter with unease.

As a veteran gamer who wasn't particularly addicted to online games, Wang Shui knew the terrifying effect player numbers had on a game's lifespan.

With more people, more resources would be produced,

The total amount of rare resources would increase too. More than that, the number of powerful players would rise accordingly! This simple principle of quantitative change producing qualitative change would definitely have a direct impact on clearing the game!

Would the plot still develop the way it had in the original?

Could Kirito still become that one-of-a-kind Black Swordsman?

Would he defeat Akihiko Kayaba? Or rather, would he still have the chance to break through the system's limits, gain Kayaba's recognition, and obtain The World Seed?!

And there was another alteration tag called [Real]. What did that mean?

Countless questions overwhelmed Wang Shui. He curled up in his chair, cupping his face in both hands, repeatedly rubbing and massaging his face with his fingers and twisting his bangs.

Wang Shui's optimism about obtaining The World Seed took a nosedive. The word "erasure" in the failure penalty clamped tightly around his throat.

I want a cigarette...

He didn't actually have a smoking habit. Back when he had worked as an ordinary code monkey, he had only smoked a little when extremely frustrated and physically exhausted.

Too anxious to sit still, he opened his door and came to the edge of the narrow corridor outside. Looking out at Nihon's glittering modern city, he let the cool breeze lower the temperature of his brain.

Just then, a hurried figure rounded the stairwell entrance. It was Shino, carrying shopping bags.

Wang Shui had a very nasty personality.

Almost without thinking, a nasty idea surfaced in his mind: bully Shino a little.

The quickest way to relieve stress was to transfer it. Pass the pressure on to someone else, and use their suffering to comfort yourself.

What stopped Wang Shui from committing this nasty deed was the vivid fear in Shino's eyes, like a wounded little animal's. In fact, they were several steps apart, and it was dark. Wang Shui could only see a slight wavering, like ripples on water.

It tugged at his heartstrings... Forget it. A person still shouldn't be too disgusting. Bullying a little girl...

Wang Shui switched states quickly, but Shino still caught him raising and lowering his hand. First she panicked and stepped half a pace back, then her expression turned angry, until she became somewhat hysterical.

"So you want to humiliate me too!"

Wrong. The plot's wrong. Wang Shui noticed something amiss again. Shino's condition was wrong too!

Shino's story in the original began in her first year of high school. Faced with bullying from classmates, she had merely put up a little resistance and responded coldly.

She had lost her father as a child, and her mother's mental state had regressed to that of a teenager. The influence of her family and social environment had made Shino extremely mature and strong.

She had never regarded her classmates as peers. In her eyes, those people hadn't grown at all in personality since they were little children.

Shino wouldn't shout like this to bolster her courage, much less be this fragile.

And had Shino been attending school in Tokyo Metropolis since middle school?

As Shino backed away nervously and fearfully, Wang Shui reached her in a few strides. A faint, sour smell of fermentation drifted over.

The smell was very faint. Shino had cleaned up a little after vomiting.

At only a little over 170 centimeters, Wang Shui wasn't much taller or bigger than Shino, but the pressure of his advance made her panic even more. She wanted to run, even though the refuge she had lived in for two years was nearby.

With mixed feelings, Wang Shui caught Shino at the stairwell entrance, held her firmly in place, and quickly explained:

"Quiet, Shino. Calm down. Control your emotions, control your body. You have a strong, independent mind. You're not weak, and I won't bully you! I've been your classmate and neighbor for two years."

Wang Shui spoke quickly, and his words weren't particularly logical, but they were very professional.

For someone whose mental state was stretched taut, coherent, logical reassurance wasn't all that necessary. Getting them to take in uplifting words quickly and efficiently was what made language work.

This was something from a book on mental intervention, though Wang Shui hadn't believed it very much.

Whether Wang Shui's spur-of-the-moment verbal intervention worked or his hands, much stronger than Shino's, had done the job, Shino slowly stopped exerting herself and ceased resisting.

"Good. Now listen to me. I was just about to say hello, then felt a little awkward. I know why you're nervous. Relax. No one is going to hurt you now. You can understand that, you can accept it. Your muscles have already started to relax. Once the adrenaline fades, you'll feel a little tired and weak in the knees. Don't be nervous. That's a normal reaction."

Almost instinctively, Wang Shui began putting the useless knowledge he had learned long ago into practice on Shino.

Shino's body began to go limp between his arms, her breathing gradually quickening. At this point, her mind should experience a burst of clarity, like a final rally before death.

"That's right. Relax. I'll let go soon. You need to stand steady on your own. Your room is right next door."

He continued the intervention. In fact, there was also the option of gently hugging her now, which would lead down a different conquest route.

But Little Shino smelled bad, so Wang Shui declined.

Under his readily delivered lies and dubious psychological intervention, Shino regained her calm. When she made a slight effort to pull free, Wang Shui naturally released his arms and took two steps back.

"Sorry. I scared you just now, but I was afraid something might happen if you rushed downstairs in the dark."

His words, difficult to distinguish as true or false, combined with Wang Shui's detached expression that showed no excessive concern, made Shino truly lower her guard.

She first took a deep breath, then spoke as though using every ounce of strength she had:

"No, I... I'm the one who... I scared you. It's..."

Wang Shui smiled and shook his head while snapping the fingers of his right hand to redirect Shino's attention, then said:

"Go back to your room first. Put your things down and wash up."

Shino suddenly seemed to realize something, startled and embarrassed. She lowered her head and slowly walked back, entered the code to open her door, and fled into her room.

1758. An electronic lock that hadn't been physically secured with a key could be opened with just a card swipe or a code.

Should he say Little Shino wasn't cautious enough, or complain that this old electronic lock was too basic?

After Shino's interruption, Wang Shui's agitated mood over the plot changes... hadn't improved much either.

Although he had technically bullied Shino, having to apologize and counsel her made it a bad deal.

The more someone understood psychological intervention techniques, the harder it was to regulate themselves. Once they understood the purpose of the words, it became difficult to deceive themselves. That applied even to a half-baked dabbler like Wang Shui.

That was why he had initially wanted to transfer his stress directly by bullying Shino.

Not long afterward, just as Wang Shui was about to return to his room, the door diagonally behind him opened.

Shino was wearing casual house clothes, with moisture still lingering around her body.

She came to Wang Shui's side and looked out at the bustle with him.

"You said you knew about my situation?" Shino took the initiative to break the silence.

"Over the past two years, you've had multiple episodes of vomiting and shock. You're very sensitive in your behavior and personality. It easily brings to mind PTSD-post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental illness often seen in retired soldiers and police officers."

Shino didn't react much, and Wang Shui continued:

"Not only is your behavior unusual, even the teachers at school seem a little afraid of you. It's hard not to notice, so I learned a little more. But I didn't want to interfere too much with your life, so I haven't given you extra care or attention ordinarily. Sorry."

"Ah, no, there's no need. I'm already very grateful for today. I'm much better now. Thank you very much for your... sense of distance?"

Wang Shui's rationality and frankness made it easy for Shino to accept this line of reasoning. After all, his perfectly serious manner didn't look like he was lying.

"It's just very surprising that you seem to be very good at psychology, Satou?"

"I just like reading all sorts of books. Psychological treatment requires building a complete, professional psychological model of the patient before you can treat the problem appropriately. At my very low level, I can only guide people through a lot of conversation, and I often stray off topic and end up chatting."

This statement of Wang Shui's was true. In this field, he was only half a bottle of water-less than half.

"Actually, I feel your words are more powerful than those of many psychologists, Satou. You pulled me back very easily."

"It wasn't easy, you know?"

"What?"

"I was choosing my words very carefully then, only hoping to bring out your own self-control. Those words wouldn't do much for someone who wasn't mentally strong enough."

Shino suddenly smiled. "Am I strong?"

Wang Shui also turned his head and returned a calm smile. "Very."

After a stretch of silence, Shino kept feeling she wanted to say something, but couldn't quite grasp her thoughts. She was also reluctant to turn around and leave now.

"Are you trying to say that talking to me feels relaxing?" Seeing her awkwardness, Wang Shui offered a prompt.

"Yes!" Shino understood at once. "Right, relaxing. I never noticed you had a superpower like this before."

Having recovered considerably in spirit, Shino couldn't help shivering in the increasingly cold night breeze.

Wang Shui noticed, so he simply turned around and extended an invitation:

"It's rare to have some free time. Asada, would you like to visit my counseling clinic and see my therapeutic abilities?"

As he spoke, he turned and opened his door, then said, "This is my first time inviting a girl to my room. What a strange feeling."

Please analyze how much subtle pressure this sentence would exert on its target.

Shino showed obvious hesitation. Although they had been classmates and neighbors for two years, it seemed that only today had she begun to get to know Satō Itsuki.

She didn't know how she had persuaded herself.

The strange feeling seemed to send blood rushing to her brain. After a brief lapse in attention, Shino was already sitting on a cushion in Wang Shui's room, while Wang Shui walked out of the kitchenette converted from the balcony, carrying two cups of hot cocoa.

Like a bewitching fairy, he wasn't particularly handsome. He merely possessed a gentle confidence and an ability to draw people in.

It's mature thinking, and the power of language, Shino thought.

"Hot cocoa, flavored with lemon candy. I saw it on the way today and couldn't resist. There's matching mousse cake too, but you'll have to wait a little. It needs some time in the freezer to improve the texture."

"Ah, thank you. You don't have to be so... All right, thank you."

Wang Shui replied with a mild smile. "Sweets bring happiness."

Yes, Shino accepted this truth. In the silky hot cocoa, the slight bitterness and delicate sweetness didn't clash, massaging her mouth and mind in distinct layers.

As she began to focus, she carefully looked around Wang Shui's room. Its cleanliness and tidiness surprised her.

Yes, it was too tidy-or rather, too simple. There weren't many miscellaneous everyday items. It was almost as though someone had only moved in today.

"I thought your room would have lots of books on psychology, Satou. I didn't expect it to be so... empty."

"I just happened to do a thorough cleaning. As for books, e-books are more convenient to read. They help pass little scraps of boring downtime."

"So you're really a psychology expert, Satou?" Shino looked at Wang Shui.

"If you believe it," Wang Shui said with a mysterious smile, then got to the point. "Asada, there's something that concerns me a lot. When you saw me raise my hand, you instinctively shouted that I was humiliating you 'too.' And you seemed to have experienced a stress response."

Shino visibly wilted a little and said:

"Yes. Although I don't want to bring it up, bullying is still very common among middle school students, isn't it?"

"You can't think that way, Asada. Accepting childish bullying so readily will only increase your stress. Can you tell me about the bullies?"

Shino broadly processed Wang Shui's words and answered:

"No, don't worry about them... All right, don't look at me like that. Promise me, Satou, don't do anything unnecessary... It's Endou and the other two. Wait, did you just call me Asada? You actually dropped the polite address. You called me by my first name earlier too. Is that some psychological technique?"

"Not bad. Very perceptive. Although I just feel Shino rolls off the tongue better. How about you pretend your surname is Shino?"

"How can you be like this!"

During their relatively harmonious conversation, Wang Shui noticed a problem.

Someone with the surname Endou was probably in their class, but he had no impression of her at all. He couldn't remember whether she had appeared in the original, either.

But the mention of a trio of girls immediately reminded Wang Shui of the three first-year high school girls who had bullied Shino in the original. After all, Shino hadn't had that much of a storyline.

So had the plot moved ahead of schedule? Or was there another reason?

"Satou?" Shino suddenly noticed something amiss.

"Something occurred to me. Right, although it's a little rude, I still want to ask: do you have any particularly close friends, Shino? For example, a boy your age whom you're on good terms with, someone gentle but fairly enthusiastic?"

"That really is very rude. As for friends, there are a few classmates I can talk to. Boys... You're not asking for some clichéd reason, are you, Satou?"

Wang Shui rubbed his chin and said seriously:

"It's something very important. It probably doesn't have much to do with you."

"My friend, but it doesn't have much to do with me? What strange logic. All right, probably not. I don't remember having a friend who fits such detailed criteria."

In other words, the plot that had moved ahead of schedule didn't include that kid from the Death Gun trio.

Thinking about it, that made sense. That fellow had approached Shino through an interest in firearms, then cemented his presence through GGO.

None of those conditions existed now. Shino was probably still gradually familiarizing herself with firearms.

The reason the bullying plot had moved ahead was probably...

"Maybe I'm overthinking it. I didn't expect any girls to take an interest in your past, Shino, dig up the information from back then, and then turn around and..."

"That's not it." Shino seemed a little helpless about Wang Shui calling her directly by name, but she still explained seriously, "Endou and the other two didn't know anything beforehand."