“————”

At this moment, the entire 10,000 players in the entire square fell silent, staring blankly at the red cloak suspended in the air, and did not react for a long time.

"Forever... Stay here...? ”

I don't know who muttered this, making one player after another show dazed expressions.

Presumably, none of the people present have been able to understand what Akihiko Kayaba said, right?

No.

It should be said that even if it can be understood, the brain is rejecting such a reality.

As a result, the whole square became extremely silent, and even the sound of breathing stopped, showing an indescribable dead silence.

In such a situation, there is only one person who can react in time.

That's Luo Zhen.

“…………”

At this time, Luo Zhen remained silent, quietly staring at the red cloak in mid-air.

Although Akihiko Kayaba had only spoken a few words, Luo Zhen was already able to understand the meaning.

Of course, Luo Zhen didn't really want to believe it.

I believe that the facts that will be revealed next.

However, reason told Luo Zhen that his hunches and speculations would definitely come true.

There is no other reason.

From this man who called himself Akihiko Kayaba, Luo Zhen felt an extremely familiar feeling.

Is that...

"Magician..."

Researchers who do not hesitate to exhaust all means in order to reach the "root", and even ethics can be violated.

From Akihiko Kayaba's body, Luo Zhen felt this familiar atmosphere.

Therefore, Luo Zhen knew that next, something would definitely happen.

That is cruelty and despair.

Sure enough...

"I know you won't understand what I'm saying, but that's okay, you just need to realize one thing, and that's that for you, this world is no longer just a game, it's another real world."

Kayaba Jinghiko ruthlessly pronounced the sentence.

"There are three things you need to be aware of."

"One: From now on, the game will cancel all resurrection functions, so the moment your HP becomes zero, your characters will be wiped out forever and will never appear again."

"Two: When your character dies, the NERvGear worn on each of you will emit microwaves that burn your brains at the moment of your death."

"Three: Please don't take chances, this game has begun, no one can stop, once someone outside wants to forcibly stop or remove the "NERvGear" you are wearing, the signal component will also emit microwaves, destroying your brain, and even, once the external power is cut off for more than ten minutes, the network is disconnected for more than two hours, or trying to destroy the body of "NERvGear", the brain destruction program will be executed."

"These conditions have been published in the outside world through the media."

"Presumably, your body in the real world will be carefully cared for in a hospital or other facility with a two-hour disconnection buffer while wearing the 'NERvGear'."

"And there is only one condition that can free you from this game———— "Reach the 100th floor of Ayn Grant and defeat the final boss there."

"At that time, you will be able to fully tackle this game of death, and all the players who survive will be able to log out safely."

"These are the rules of this world, and I hope you can remember them."

Akihiko Kayaba, who explained the so-called "rules" in one breath, continued to speak in an emotionless voice before everyone had time to react.

"In order to make you realize that this is not a joke, I will give you a special gift, which is in your inventory, please materialize it."

As soon as this sentence fell from Akihiko Kayaba's mouth, all the players below stretched out their hands in unison as if their entire bodies had been manipulated, and swiped directly downward, calling out the main menu in the effect of the electronic ringtone.

Luo Zhen did the same.

It's just that he wasn't induced by Akihiko Kayaba, but he clearly opened the inventory of his own will and saw a prop displayed at the top of the item list.

The name of the prop is ———— "Holding a Small Mirror".

Luo Zhen can be sure that this is a prop that he definitely didn't get before.

At that moment, Luo Zhen clicked on it almost without hesitation, and selected the "materialize" button from the window that appeared.

"Zheng!"

With a burst of polygonal brilliance, a small mirror appeared in Luo Zhen's hand.

Luo Zhen looked at the mirror.

At this very moment...

"Zheng ————!"

A much brighter and more dazzling light enveloped Luo Zhen and all the players present.

Luo Zhen subconsciously closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Luo Zhen's eyes instantly condensed.

Because, what appears in the mirror is not an intellectual face like a wise military advisor, but a familiar face as handsome as a half-breed, with a little childishness, which seems to be both lazy and careless.

This is exactly what Luo Zhen looks like.

"That is to say..."

Luo Zhen turned his head and looked around.

"It's... What's going on!? ”

"Liarious!?"

"You... Who are you!? ”

"Who are you?"

One by one, the players screamed one after another.

I saw that not long ago, the players who looked like handsome men and beautiful women who appeared in fantasy adventure games all disappeared, and were replaced by extremely ordinary faces, even the average height was much lower than before, and the average body also decreased all of a sudden, so that the appearance level of the whole game was reduced I don't know how much, and the atmosphere of the game disappeared completely, leaving only reality.

Apparently...

"Have you all reverted to what you look like in reality?"

Luo Zhen muttered such words.

Akihiko Kayaba made an inorganic sound as if he was laughing.

"In that way, you can more or less believe that this is not a "game" but a "reality", right?"

After speaking, Akihiko Aoba threw down his cold words.

"So, Sord Art Online, a virtual reality massive online role-playing game———— ———— officially launched."

"This is the end of the game description."

"Fellow players, I wish you all the best of luck with this Ayn Grant as soon as possible."

With such a sentence, the bright red giant cloak gradually disappeared, causing the patterns in the sky to disappear and return to its original appearance.

And above the square, the dead silence is still pervasive.

Until...

"Let me out! Let me out! ”

When the first player let out such a cry of pain, it was like a chain reaction, and all the players erupted.

"Let me out!"

"Get me out of here!"

"I don't believe it...! I don't believe there is such a ridiculous thing...! ”

"It's just a game!"

"It's just a game!"

"Let us out!"

"Don't!"

The tsunami-like noise shook the air throughout the square.

At this moment, all players were in a panic like never before, so that the voices of screaming, roaring, screaming, yelling, yelling, screaming, screaming, and crying were mixed together, and silence could never be restored.

Luo Zhen silently walked out of the crowd in this situation and came to an alley.

"Bang!"

The small mirror was pinched into pieces, and its durability plummeted, turning into a polygon and breaking apart in an instant.

And the light of the fragments illuminated Luo Zhen's face.

Illuminates that face full of disgust and anger.

Although he didn't know exactly what happened, Luo Zhen could still guess it somewhat.

"Do you not hesitate to imprison 10,000 ordinary people in the game world as experiments for your own research?"

Luo Zhen's eyes burned with a flame that he hadn't had before.

"Then I'll show you the strategy."

"Pierce the top of this world, find it in front of you, and make you regret using me as an experiment."

"Akihiko Kayaba."