Just Virtual Cultivating Immortality & Changes in Dengeki Bunko

Early Saturday morning, the weather was clear with a blue sky. Due to the light rain and dew last night, Tokyo was refreshed and not too hot outside, instead offering a cool and pleasant atmosphere for the journey.

Sagiri made the plain noodles for Tetsuya very early in the morning. Using the fresh ingredients bought yesterday, the plain noodles still scored a remarkable 90 points, leaving Tetsuya somewhat speechless.

The tenderness of his younger sister from the previous night lingered vividly in his memory. This time, he made sure not to be at home to avoid any unnecessary encounters. He securely closed all the windows and doors, as encountering someone unexpectedly and seeing his sister eating the food he made could lead to strange situations. The world is filled with so many unpredictable individuals, and Tetsuya couldn't be certain if another unexpected situation like the incident with the girl taking off her clothes could occur again.

After carefully locking the front gate, Tetsuya grabbed his backpack and headed out. Inside the bag were his thoughts on the "Accel World" draft. All he needed to do was submit this draft to the Dengeki Bunko and have it reviewed. They had experts knowledgeable in light novels who would soon determine whether his work was suitable for publication.

As his home wasn't far from Akihabara, Tetsuya chose to walk rather than drive. The breeze brushed past the flowering cherry trees on both sides of the path, creating a picturesque scene where cherry blossoms danced gracefully in the wind. The ambiance was so beautiful that it reminded Tetsuya of a heart-touching anime he had once watched, evoking poetic thoughts.

After about half an hour of walking along the streets adorned with cherry blossoms, Tetsuya finally arrived at Akihabara station, as planned. Akihabara was bustling with activity on this clear day. Almost everywhere around the station, there were enthusiastic fans of the dwelling culture cosplaying various characters, creating a dense crowd as far as the eye could see.

Standing at the platform, Tetsuya looked at the bustling crowd on Akihabara's central avenue and the young maids at the entrances of different restaurants. He couldn't help but sigh at the progress of the dwelling culture. While he was interested in exploring Akihabara, his current goal was to buy SAO with Aki. Sightseeing in Akihabara would have to wait for another time.

"Tetsuya, over here!" Tetsuya was about to dial Aki's number on his cell phone when he heard someone calling from behind. He turned around and saw a cool-looking male student with short, pitch-black hair, dressed in a black school uniform and black-framed glasses. Apart from his fair and delicate face, he exuded an aura of dwelling culture. He was standing near the station sign, waving to get Tetsuya's attention.

"Tetsuya, it's been a while!" Aki patted Tetsuya's shoulder with a smile. "Of course, I had to come early. Today is the SAO release day, and the game will officially go on sale in the Akihabara game branch in less than half an hour."

"Don't we have VIP passes? And the member edition? Won't they reserve Device numbers 100 and 101 for us?" Tetsuya asked, slightly surprised.

"We need to line up. It's likely to take until the afternoon, or even the evening," Aki replied.

"So many people?" Tetsuya was taken aback, quickening his pace alongside Aki towards the conference site where the Akihabara game branch was selling SAO. He exclaimed, "How many people are buying SAO, anyway?"

"This is just the first batch of Devices, limited to 50,000 units. In other words, if we miss out this time, we'll have to wait until next week's two-day weekend to buy. According to the official, 'SAO' has only one game world, and everyone in this world will start with a significant advantage over newcomers who join later," Aki explained.

"Of course," Tetsuya nodded. He understood that in a game with special features like 'SAO,' the dedicated players who start early would have a considerable advantage over others.

"Will this game have in-game purchases?" Tetsuya asked. If time-strapped players wanted to play the game, they might have to rely on making purchases in the game, just like the big penguin game he had played before.

"Yes, it doesn't require real money to play the entire game, but players can trade in-game currency for real-world money through the bank. However, 'RECT' will deduct a 5% transaction fee, and some items, like gold coins, will have additional deductions," Aki answered.

"So, no real money purchases, but players can engage in real-money trading within the game. It seems like there will be many professional players in this case," Tetsuya mused. He suddenly remembered the game section at school, where Nishimura Hideki and others were planning to quickly raise their rankings and conquer the 100 colossal floating castles in the game. According to the game's propaganda, the equipment dropped by successfully defeating these bosses was incredibly valuable.

Thinking about this, Tetsuya hesitated. Should he use the remaining Fantasy Points he obtained from Ishikawa Iwa to exchange for game talents? Perhaps in this way, he could navigate the game more effectively.

After a while, the two arrived at the Akihabara game trading place. To Tetsuya's surprise, even though SAO was still an hour away from officially going on sale, there were already over 100 people gathered, forming a long queue that stretched halfway down the street.

"So many people?" Tetsuya's mouth twitched a few times. He held onto Aki's clothes and asked in astonishment, "Will we miss the editor's meeting if we stay here for so long?"

Although he desired a leisurely daily life, he recognized the importance of fulfilling his responsibilities as a writer. In his opinion, games were just a form of entertainment. After all, he cultivated himself to become an immortal...

"It's alright. My appointment is in the afternoon," Aki assured him.

Tetsuya: "..."

Okay, I don't really have anything else to say.

At that moment, Aki nudged Tetsuya's arm and excitedly said, "Tetsuya, after all these years of experience, I can confidently say that your 'Accel World' manuscript will be greatly appreciated by the readers at the Dengeki Bunko. If you continue to work diligently without any setbacks, you might even win the Rookie King Award this year. I haven't seen such a remarkable work in a long time."

Even as a popular blogger, Aki didn't hesitate to express his admiration for Tetsuya's work. He had been worried about the further development of Tetsuya's story, as many authors start off strong in the early stages but struggle with later plot developments. However, after reading Tetsuya's "Accel World," he discovered...

This work was simply outstanding. It was extraordinary, beyond imagination...

True book friends, don't worry about this book suddenly collapsing. The silver flash has written four books, and as someone who has been writing for many years, I have some experience. How could it be so simple for the story to crash?

______________________________

After waiting for two hours, the long line in front finally dispersed, and Tetsuya and Aki moved forward to their positions.

Tetsuya took out 50,000 Japanese Yen and handed it to Aki. Aki also took out his own 50,000 Japanese Yen and member version coupons, which they gave to the staff responsible for selling the game.

After checking the coupons, the staff, now dressed in official attire, received them and handed Aki and Tetsuya two lottery-like papers with serial numbers "100" and "101" respectively.

"What's this?" Tetsuya and Aki looked at each other, confusion evident in their eyes. They realized they had made a mistake. Instead of receiving two SAO coupons in exchange for their 50,000 Japanese Yen, they were given these two "lottery tickets."

Observing their puzzled expressions, the staff explained with a smile, "Gentlemen, these are SAO Device vouchers. Today, to avoid the rush for game Devices, we have replaced them with vouchers. These vouchers are equivalent to purchasing SAO Devices. Tonight, we will count the number of SAO purchases, and as long as you have a voucher, you can come here tomorrow to receive your game Device."

"Tomorrow," Aki said with a hint of disappointment, lowering his head. He continued, "I have to work at the restaurant tomorrow morning, so I won't have time to come here to collect the game Device."

At this point, Aki turned to Tetsuya and pleaded, "Tetsuya, do you have the time?"

"Yes, I do," Tetsuya replied honestly. He had nothing else to do, so he agreed to help Aki collect his game Device at Dengeki Bunko the next day. It shouldn't be a problem since he would be in Akihabara anyway.

"Thank you. If you need any help, just let me know," Aki said gratefully.

"You're welcome. I don't mind," Tetsuya replied generously, waving his hand. Good friends help each other without thinking too much about it. It brings happiness.

At that moment, the staff handed Tetsuya a book that recorded his cellphone number and said, "For the specific opening time of the game, we will send a notification to the cellphone numbers you provide. Please leave your cellphone numbers to ensure you don't miss the game's launch."

Tetsuya sighed helplessly. He had expected to buy the game Device and start playing right away. He considered asking Yuuki Asuna if she had played the game, but then again, would it be appropriate to ask her directly? He knew her status as Yuuki Asuna, but perhaps she wouldn't like playing games as her character and ojou-sama status.

As Tetsuya pondered this, he made sure not to accidentally fill in his own cellphone number.

"Will this game have a guide or walkthrough?" Tetsuya asked the staff after filling out the form.

The staff apologized and replied, "Sorry, our company will not disclose any game guides. It is up to the players to explore the game. However, we can give you a reminder that the most challenging BOSS can be found at the 100th level. Completing this challenge will grant the player a place in the game's hall of fame."

"Okay," Tetsuya nodded. This game was different from the ones he had played before. Instead of starting as beginners, everyone began as novices, which was a good idea.

After waiting impatiently for others in line, Tetsuya and Aki quickly put their game vouchers in their backpacks and left the Akihabara game selling place. They would come back tomorrow to collect their game Devices. Tetsuya had to make sure not to miss his editor's appointment in the afternoon, so they hurriedly walked towards the station.

As they passed by a computer game center, they suddenly heard someone wailing in disappointment. Tetsuya turned his head and saw a middle-aged man, wearing the blue uniform of the computer game center, crying and holding his head. He kept repeating, "I thought I had won the prize, but that annoying girl got nothing with just one try! I'm so disappointed!"

Seeing the computer game center staff covering their heads as if they were in pain, Tetsuya was taken aback. What kind of prize could make them cry like this?

Following the gaze of the computer game center staff, Tetsuya saw a girl wearing a red coat and cowboy shorts. Her legs were covered with knee-high socks, and she had a small hat on her head, seemingly trying to hide her face. Despite that, her tall figure and slender legs caught Tetsuya's attention. She disappeared from his sight while carrying a bag of prizes.

"She seems somewhat familiar," Tetsuya murmured to himself. Perhaps it was just a coincidence or a trick of the mind.

However, the girl's actions gave Tetsuya an idea. He couldn't help but glance at the game center. If he could get some prizes for his cute younger sister, Sagiri, maybe she would like them. After all, Sagiri seemed to enjoy cute things just as much as he did.

Although Tetsuya didn't have any special skills at the moment, he had some experience in winning prizes from his previous life. He decided that he would try to win some prizes for Sagiri when he had the chance.

Ahem, with delicious food and prizes as enticements, I'm sure Sagiri won't be able to resist opening the door to her legendary room!

The baby machines in the computer game center, were truly unfair. They made you want to try again.

At 1:00 PM, Tetsuya and Aki finally arrived at their destination in Nishi-shinjuku, Tokyo.

"Here is Dengeki Bunko," Aki pointed to the 20-story building in front of them.

"Are you sure this is it? Did you remember correctly?" Tetsuya scratched his head in doubt. Although he hadn't been to Tokyo in his previous life, he had heard of Dengeki Bunko and imagined it as a small office, similar to domestic magazine editorial societies. However, the lively and tall building in front of him didn't match his memory of Dengeki Bunko.

"Yes, this is it. I've been here several times," Aki replied with a smile. He seemed familiar and at ease as he led Tetsuya towards the revolving door entrance of the building. Suddenly, he realized something and asked, "Tetsuya, do you think something is wrong?"

"No," Tetsuya shook his head. It seemed that this world and his previous world were different. In this time period, the ACG (Anime, Comics, Games) empire was thriving. Dengeki Bunko, influenced by this prosperous era, had also experienced growth. It was no longer as small as he remembered.