Sword Art Online: Regeneration

12:

     I log into SAO around three in the afternoon. I went to Shylock's to meet up with Asugaya there. Our training with Rogue was about to begin. As I was about to ask him how he was doing, a huge line was forming inside. He was not in the counter but he appears with boxes full of supplies.

     "Hey, Raito. Um kinda busy at the moment but anything I can do for you?" Shylock hurriedly inquired as I see him attending people all at once, exchanging weapons and armor for money.

     "This is a first." I declared, "Your shop never had that much customers. What's the sudden customers?"

     "You haven't read this month's paper haven't you?"

     SAO had this news outlet called Aincrad Post. A newspaper outlet for all the events and news on SAO. Whether it's a new update or event, or even promoting famous podcasts on SAO. They'll report it. Just like a newspaper in the real world, you gotta buy them. The only difference is that it's not clumps of paper, it's one sheet that you could scroll through to read. I usually read the Japanese version to practice my Japanese skills, it barely helps as I knew only how to read Hiragana and some Katakana, but Kanji was a pain.

      "No, I haven't read it yet."

     "He opens his menu and presses some buttons and I get a notification that I received the November issue of Aincrad Post. I open the notification and enlarge the paper. The news was encircled in a black marker by my friend, a frontline issue.

SWORD ART ONLINE EVENT: SWORDSMAN FESTIVAL SHALL START IN HALLOWEEN OF 2042!

"And why are people going nuts about it?"

"Well for one the prize will be a super rare item. Remember how the creator of this SAO is a survivor of the original game?"

"Uh yeah."

"They decided whoever wins the event gets to keep their sword and a special skill that they themselves created."

"But it's only late September, what's everyone hyped up about?" I noticed the line getting smaller and smaller.

"To participate in the event. It's not by level, it's mostly skill. You have to take part of the preliminaries next month. If you pass, you have a seat in the event. The interesting catch of this event is that players could either go duo or solo."

To me, I wasn't interested in these game events. Never have, never will. Events were most battle for people who don't have lives other than SAO. I bet me and Asugaya have lives other than SAO. Rogue is a high ranked guild member, so she's automatically out. I knew well I couldn't do it alone, I could be diced up even before beginning that prelims.

     I shrug at Shylock, "Eh, I don't feel like doing it."

     "Knew you were gonna say that." He chuckled as we sat upstairs on his chabudai with tea mugs set, "What if I told you there's someone you know who entered."

     "Who on earth could it be?" I sipped my tea, looking suspiciously at him. He slides some paper towards me and I grabbed it. It was like a screenshot from the game. It was a person, they had a long black and purple robe covering their body. The good was off and their sea green hue was visible, the light was just reflecting it too harshly.