Chapter 4， Echoes of AI-On A Digital Déjà Vu

At this point, the name Alive In World Online came up.

But it didn't make sense. Even if this information hasn't been made public, people falling into comas—and even dying—should have sparked some rumors.

Suddenly, I recalled the gossip my friends had mentioned.

—Now that I think about it, I did hear rumors about a death game in AIWOn—

Could that be where these rumors originated?

"There's another reason why Alive In World Online is suspected to be the cause. ...Suzanne, do you know which title was responsible for the Angel In incident 23 years ago?"

"Surely it's Angel In Online, right?"

"What about its nickname?"

"Well, I can't go that far..."

At the time, it stirred up a lot of buzz, but because it was a VRMMO that caused countless deaths, people seemed reluctant to even speak its name. Gradually, the details faded into obscurity.

Yet, the next words out of my father's mouth took me completely by surprise.

"Angel In Online—commonly known as AI-On."

What?! AI-On?! Could it possibly be connected to AIWOn?

"Exactly. Angel In Online is linked to Alive In World Online. The one who headed Angel In Online was arrested, and the case was thought to be resolved, but that's not the whole truth. The executives of Access, the company that managed Angel In Online, were not arrested. Do you really believe they're completely uninvolved?"

"...No, there's no way they're not connected."

"Most people would think that, but somehow, they escaped any accountability for the incident. The company itself went bankrupt due to compensation issues, but those execs, who were alleged to be involved in the death game, went on to establish a new company called Arcadia."

Arcadia is the company behind Alive In World Online.

I see. So the executives from the company behind the death game are still up to something.

"But why call it AIWOn? That just raises suspicion about a connection to the Angel In incident."

"I can't say for sure; you'd have to ask the executives. But it's likely a challenge to the Angel In players—a declaration that the event isn't over and the nightmare continues."

Yet for those caught in this, it's a nightmare in itself. Just like the Angel In incident, where victims fell into an unexplained coma and ultimately died, this is a revival of a death game.

"It's crystal clear that AIWOn is the cause. Shouldn't we be suing Arcadia Corp to uncover the truth?"

"VRMMOs work by transmitting signals from the VR device to the brain and reading brainwaves in return. When the device is removed, there's no causal link to any effects from the game. In other words, Arcadia Corp claims that despite the removal of the VR device, the comas are unrelated to Alive In World Online. Furthermore, they warn that if anyone attempts to connect the dots between Alive In World Online and these comas, they will sue."

"Even if I pressed the issue, they're not likely to reveal the true cause of the coma," he said dryly.

"Are you kidding me? Given the overwhelming circumstantial evidence and the loss of life, you expect me to believe AIWOn is uninvolved?"

"But as my father pointed out, those who've been scheming for over twenty years won't easily reveal their hand."

Letting time slip away while they evade accountability would be disastrous. Wait—my father mentioned there might be a way to treat her.

"Dad, it's not about extracting a cure from Arcadia; there's another method, isn't there?"

"Looks like you've got some sense after all. I was worried you might be all brawn and no brains, but you seem fine."

"I'm not that stupid. So how do we save Yuki?"

"I should warn you, this is based on information I've independently gathered. It might sound dubious, and you may not fully believe me, but this is likely the only solution."

My father hesitated for a moment, but steeled himself to share the treatment plan.

"I can't explain the mechanics, but Yuki's consciousness—or perhaps her soul—is trapped within Alive In World Online. The only way to bring her back is to enter that world and rescue her."

"What? The soul is trapped in the game?" I couldn't believe my ears at my father's absurd claim. Was he seriously suggesting that a game could house a soul, as if it were some kind of occult nonsense?

"I understand why you'd have a hard time believing it," he continued, "but if we consider the idea that a soul's absence is the reason for a comatose state, it starts to make sense. No matter how many life support machines are attached, a body cannot survive without a soul."

Aunt Ayako might not fully believe in such supernatural claims, but logically, her argument held weight given the situation. Still, overthinking it wouldn't help right now.

"Dad, I can believe this, right? That Yuki is in AIWOn?"

"Yes."

Then there was only one thing for me to do. I could leave the medical issues to Aunt Ayako, but the fact that I had a way to help Yuki filled me with determination. I jumped up from the couch, ready to head to the director's office when my father grabbed my arm.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To dive into AIWOn and rescue Yuki."

"You make it sound easy. Do you even have a plan? The VRMMO world is vast, even if it is just a game. It won't be quick or simple to find her."

"It's better than sitting around here. I'll find a lead once I'm in AIWOn."

"What about school?"

"I don't have time to deal with that. Fortunately, Golden Week starts tomorrow. At least for the next four days, there's no issue."

"Do you think I'll let you dive into a VR game that could lead to death?"

"I don't need your permission. I'll do what I can."

Ignoring my father's objections, I tried to leave the room.

But he called me back again.

"I told you to wait. Why do you think I brought this up? Knowing you, I figured you'd definitely dive into Alive In World Online. Do it with a partner, and I'll give you my approval. It's better than you acting on your own."

And with a sly smile, he added, "And make sure you have top-notch support."

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"Hey? Amy! What are you doing here? Oh right, you mentioned helping out at your dad's company."

"Oh? Suzanne? What brings you here? And what about school?"

After that, I had been taken by my dad to ICE's company, where I found Amy. She was engaged in what looked like a meeting with one of my father's colleagues but rushed over as soon as she spotted us.

"Amy, plans have changed. You need to stick with Suzanne and dive into Alive In World Online. We'll handle the investigation from here."

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, Yuki got trapped in Alive In World Online too."

"...! So that's why Suzanne is going to rescue her."

"Exactly. Sorry, but I need you to take the helm here. I might get a bit too distracted when it comes to Yuki."

"Hey, who's getting distracted?"

I understood exactly how my dad was looking at me.

"It's you. Wake up a little. Anyway, that's not important. Go to the other room, listen to the staff's instructions, and get ready to dive."

What exactly am I supposed to be aware of?

I went to the designated room to prepare for the dive into AIWOn. Inside was a capsule-type VR machine—if I remember right, it was called the "Dream Drive." This type of VR machine was from two decades ago; nowadays, headgear-style VR systems dominate, and I hadn't seen one of these in ages. Inside was the headgear-style VR system, the "Amulet II."

According to the staff, the idea was to connect to AIWOn using the Amulet II, while the capsule provides life support for longer dives.

Next, they attached electrode wires to my body to monitor my heartbeat and other vital signs. To facilitate this, doctors and nurses were dispatched from the Akasaka Hospital. I realized that with this setup, I could search for Yuki in the other world for a considerable amount of time.

Suddenly, I heard my father's voice shouting from outside the room. If you read the words, you can understand that "full dive" refers to immersing oneself completely in virtual reality. So, there wasn't really a reason to shout…

"Yes, that's right. It makes it easier to ensure Suzanne's safety," Amy replied calmly.

"But if you're the one in danger, it makes no sense!" he retorted.

"It does make sense. I essentially returned for this purpose," she said, her words hanging in the air with significance, causing my father to fall silent.

"...Fine. Just don't do anything reckless."

"I know," Amy responded, stepping away from him and disappearing into another room.

My father then approached the staff in the room to discuss preparations. Meanwhile, I entered the Dree Drive and donned the Amulet II. A nurse proceeded to attach the electrode wires to my body.

Once I was ready, my father spoke to me. "Suzanne, knowing you, you'll dive until you find Yuki."

"So I installed life support systems so you can dive for longer."

I see, that's why there's a life support system.

As expected of Dad; he really understands me.

Of course, I'll keep diving until I find Yuki.

"Even with the life support, long dives are dangerous. You need to come back at least once a week. Show your mother your face and let her know you're okay. Got it?"

Right, I hadn't told Mom about all of this. Sorry, Mom. I'll worry you a little.

"Yeah, got it. By the way, what about Amy?"

"Amy's diving from another room. Learn to be a bit more considerate toward women. She's waiting at the starting point in that world."

Yeah, it would be embarrassing for her to see me sprawled out half-naked in Dream Dive like I am now.

Oh well. I'll dive into Alive In World Online and search for Yuki to rescue her.

But first, there's one thing I need to confirm with Dad.

"Dad, before I dive, I need to know... how long can Yuki hold on?"

"...Six months. There have been some who lasted up to ten, but most in that comatose state have been confirmed dead after about six months."

"Yuki-chan should be good for about six months," he mused.

Six months. For most, that would seem like a long time, but in the current state of AIWOn, six months might feel short. This situation is tougher than I expected.

"Alright, off you go."

"Yeah, full dive!"

◇　◆　◇　◆　◇

I find myself standing in a pure white space. In front of me floats the rectangular logo of "Alive In World Online." This is the private home of my Amulet II. It's reminiscent of an old desktop computer screen. Here, I can launch applications, run programs, or connect to the internet.

Currently, there's only one application before me—the Alive In World Online app. If this were my own Amulet II private home, I'd have a variety of applications available, but this is a borrowed Amulet II, stripped down to just what I need. All I have to do is dive into AIWOn.

I launch the AIWOn app. As the scenery of my private home transitions into the opening movie of Alive In World Online, I skip the video. My goal is to find Yuki, not to enjoy the game.

Once the login screen for Alive In World Online appears, I quickly enter the ID and password provided by my dad's company, completing my setup.

"Login!"

With that, I was thrust into the world of Alive In World Online.

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Alive In World Online Strategy Thread 325

901: Anonymous Adventurer: 2058/03/09 (Sat) 12:00:59 ID: Bs8610hrk