SAO: I replaced him?

November 6, 2022

Shingo Nobuyuki—no, from now on, it should be Morin's home.

As a senior operations manager and developer at a major gaming company, Nobuyuki lived in a private villa—far more spacious than the typical Japanese apartment. The modern décor and high-end amenities were a world apart from the cramped apartment Morin had once rented. But right now, none of that mattered.

Sitting on his bed, Morin turned the SAO NerveGear over in his hands. The sleek, sci-fi-looking helmet, resembling an open-faced motorcycle helmet, was something he had obtained using the contacts and favors in his inherited memories. This was his ticket into Sword Art Online—the only place where he could complete the two main quests looming over him.

"If I want to complete my objectives, the only option is to dive into SAO and give it my all. There's no other way."

He let out a slow breath, his gaze flickering between resignation and anticipation.

Despite not getting much sleep last night, Morin had spent hours analyzing his situation—his inherited memories of Nobuyuki Sugou, the two main quests, and the brutal reality of this world. Compared to testing the patience of whatever god had thrown him here, or following Nobuyuki Sugou's original twisted ambitions in ALO, fighting through SAO was the only viable path.

A harsh truth: even with Sugou's knowledge, there was no way Morin could pull off imprisoning Asuna's consciousness like in the original ALO plot. And as for Kayaba Akihiko—that man had already logged into SAO at launch. Killing him outright? Out of the question. The security around him was far too strict.

As for ignoring the quest entirely…

Yeah, that was a one-way ticket to death, and Morin wasn't feeling suicidal.

---

As time ticked by, the clock finally struck 1:00 PM.

Beep!

The standby screen on the NerveGear displayed [13:00], confirming the time. Morin lay back on the bed, his heart pounding as he reached for the power button.

A moment of dizziness washed over him, like free-falling into an abyss. The world around him turned black as a cascade of data panels flashed before his eyes. With practiced efficiency, he entered his account credentials and swiftly navigated through the character creation screen.

Then, without hesitation, he clicked OK.

---

"This is… Aincrad?!"

A gentle weightlessness—like stepping out of an elevator—washed over Morin. When he opened his eyes, his breath caught.

A vast medieval European-style town stretched out before him. Towering stone buildings, paved streets bustling with life, and the crisp scent of virtual air—every detail felt incredibly real. Above, the bright blue sky stretched endlessly, the soft breeze tickling his skin.

Before he could fully take it in, flashes of blue light erupted around him. One after another, players materialized in the main plaza, their figures forming out of shimmering pixels. In mere seconds, what had been an empty town square became a sea of people.

"We're in!"

"This is insane! It feels so real!"

"SAO, let's go! I'm gonna clear this game!"

"Hey there, miss, need a party?~"

The quiet streets erupted into chaos—players testing their movements, stretching, running, shouting. Some rushed off to explore while others celebrated the sheer immersion of the game.

Morin watched them, his expression unreadable.

They were excited now, but in just a few hours, their joy would turn into horror. Once Kayaba Akihiko made his announcement, these carefree players would realize the truth—they were trapped.

Morin knew the numbers well. Out of the 10,000 players, nearly 4,000 would die before this death game was cleared. Only a little over 6,000 would make it out alive.

"...I should focus on myself first."

Shaking off his thoughts, Morin pulled up the hood of his novice cloak, blending into the crowd as he made his way into the city.

---

Aincrad – The Town of Beginnings

The starting town of SAO was breathtaking. Towering stone buildings, bustling merchant stalls, and lively streets gave the illusion of a thriving medieval city. Players wandered around, some snapping screenshots, others marveling at the scenery, completely unaware of the nightmare ahead.

But Morin had no time to waste. He navigated through the crowds with purpose, heading toward a butcher shop marked by a sign of bones and meat.

As he stepped inside, the burly NPC butcher behind the counter seemed to be pacing in frustration.

"Something wrong?" Morin asked, his voice polite but firm.

The butcher turned, eyeing him for a moment before a glowing quest marker appeared above his head.

"Ah, a traveler!" The NPC's gruff voice rumbled. "I'm running low on fresh meat. If you can bring me 50 wild boar meat, I'll make it worth your while."

Morin nodded. "I'll take the job."

After scanning the NPC's dialogue options, he confirmed that no hidden quests were available. With that, he turned and left the shop.

For the next thirty minutes, Morin roamed through taverns, leather shops, and other locations, picking up three additional beginner quests. His movements weren't random—he already knew which quests to take and which ones were worth skipping.

And that was thanks to money.

The night before, he had purchased SAO quest and monster location guides from players who had participated in the closed beta. Since no one knew SAO was about to become a death game, this information had been dirt cheap—100,000 yen well spent.

Even if it only covered the first three floors, it was still a massive advantage.

---

"Time to get to work."

As Morin walked toward the city gates, he glanced at the other players wasting their starting Keer on overpriced beginner gear and food. They still had no idea how valuable their resources would become.

But Morin did.

With a quiet smirk, he stepped forward—ready to take on the first leveling grounds of SAO.