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88.64% Miracle Summoner / Chapter 1632: -1613- [ ALO ]

Bab 1632: -1613- [ ALO ]

After returning to the Kirigaya household, Rozen chatted briefly with the family before retreating to his room.

As soon as he entered, Rozen immediately powered up his computer and began searching online.

The search query was straightforward:

"Games from the comprehensive electronics manufacturer RECT."

Rozen was looking specifically for a game produced by RECT.

Although he had failed to access the SAO servers earlier that day, his interaction with Sugou Nobuyuki had revealed some troubling hints.

Given that the SAO servers were still operational and 300 players, including Asuna, had yet to awaken, it was highly probable they remained trapped within a game, just as they had been during the SAO incident.

According to Kikuoka Seijirou, SAO's data had supposedly been erased after the game was cleared. This didn't sit right with Rozen. He suspected that someone had tampered with the servers and repurposed them to run another game.

This other game, Rozen believed, was where Asuna and the others were still imprisoned.

Rozen's goal in accessing the SAO servers was to uncover the name of the game currently running on them. Although he hadn't succeeded in gaining access, Sugou's behavior had raised some red flags.

"Blocking my access at every turn and using the lives of those 300 players as a shield—it seems like more than just a simple lack of trust toward me."

If trust was the only issue, then someone like Kirigaya Aoka's father-in-law, Yuuki Shouzou, would have at least explained the situation properly and tried to convince Rozen of its gravity. However, Shouzou had seemed troubled, which suggested that RECT's refusal was not as straightforward as they claimed. Sugou had likely pressured Shouzou to block Rozen for reasons other than the safety of those players.

Rozen's instincts told him that Sugou wasn't genuinely concerned about human lives.

"A man eager to arrange a political marriage while Asuna remains unconscious wouldn't care about anything so noble as human lives."

Rozen scoffed at the thought.

Sugou's refusal to let Rozen access the servers pointed to two possible motives:

1. Sugou was deliberately opposing Rozen, seeing him as a rival for Asuna's affection.

2. There was something far more sinister going on.

The first scenario was plausible, given Sugou's obsession with Asuna and his clear hostility toward Rozen. However, Sugou's calm demeanor was odd. It was as if he were confident that Rozen could never interfere with his plans, even if Rozen cut off his access to Asuna entirely. Sugou had simply walked away, showing no signs of anger or panic. This suggested he was hiding something significant.

"The SAO servers were managed by RECT's research department even before the game was cleared. If they are still operational, it's only logical to assume there's something shady going on."

Connecting the dots, Rozen concluded that the game currently running on the servers was likely a product of RECT—and the prison holding Asuna and the others.

Driven by this suspicion, Rozen resumed his search.

And sure enough, he found it.

"A high-end VRMMO game with visual fidelity and motion precision comparable to SAO?"

This immediately piqued Rozen's interest.

SAO had been the brainchild of the genius Kayaba Akihiko, who had poured his heart and soul into building it. Before SAO, VR games were small-scale at best. It was only with SAO's release that the market changed, drawing in gamers like Rozen and Kirito, who had eagerly embraced it.

Over the past two years, although several VR games had been released, none came close to matching SAO's quality. If not for the deathtrap it became, SAO would have undoubtedly taken the world by storm.

Rozen found it hard to believe that anyone other than Kayaba could create a VR world of similar caliber.

"And now RECT has released a game on par with SAO?"

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Rozen quickly searched for the game software and found a link to purchase it online. He clicked the link, and an illustration filled his screen.

The image depicted a vast moon rising over a dense forest. In the sky, a boy and a girl wielding swords soared through the air. Both wore traditional fantasy-style clothing, with large, translucent wings sprouting from their backs.

Beneath the image was the game's elegant title logo:

"ALfheim Online"

Or ALO, for short.

"The realm of the fairies...?"

Rozen narrowed his eyes.

Without hesitation, he added the game to his cart and completed the purchase.

---

Night had fallen by the time Rozen finished.

Not long afterward, Kirigaya Midori returned from work.

Dinner was already prepared, thanks to Kirigaya Suguha. Since she was in her final year of junior high, Suguha now had the flexibility to stay home most days. Recently, she had taken over cooking, providing three meals a day for Rozen and Kirito, which they both deeply appreciated. Having such a caring little sister at home made their lives comfortable.

Once everyone was seated at the table, they began eating and chatting. Partway through the meal, Rozen paused, looking around at his family. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke.

"Everyone, I need to tell you something."

The family turned their attention to him.

"I bought a game online, and I plan to log in tonight."

The moment those words left his mouth—

Bang!

A clatter of bowls echoed across the table.

"W-what did you just say?"

Kirigaya Midori stared at Rozen, her bowl slipping from her hand in shock.

"Aoka-nii-san, you..."

"You're serious!?"

Both Kirito and Suguha looked at Rozen with disbelief.

It was only natural.

Rozen, a survivor of a game that had trapped him for two years, was now announcing his intention to dive into another game.

"Is it really that shocking?"

Rozen gave a bitter smile, as though he had anticipated their reactions.

His family gradually recovered from their initial shock.

"No! Absolutely not! I won't allow it!"

Midori shot to her feet, rejecting the idea without hesitation.

The atmosphere at the table grew tense.


Bab 1633: -1614- Compromise

At this moment, Kirigaya Midori's expression was severe, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Kirito and Suguha dared not even breathe, nervously exchanging glances with Midori, who had stood up, while desperately shooting eye signals toward Rozen.

However, Rozen completely ignored them, calmly meeting Midori's gaze without saying a word, just quietly observing her.

As someone who had raised him for a full ten years as his foster mother, how could Midori not realize that this child wouldn't be intimidated by her?

This realization made Midori bite her lip as her attitude softened.

"Don't act out, Aoka," Midori said sternly. "Don't forget everything you've been through."

Midori's words carried a warning.

As an editor, Midori had always adopted a laid-back parenting style with the Kirigaya siblings. Even though Rozen and Kirito immersed themselves in computer games, as long as their grades didn't drop, she never opposed it.

Unlike many modern parents who view gaming as a harmful distraction to studies and routines, Midori took a more open-minded stance, allowing her children to engage in games and use the internet without restrictions.

But after the SAO incident, even Midori couldn't help but feel regret.

She regretted being too lenient—wondering if her indulgence had allowed Rozen and Kirito to become entangled in that deadly game.

The heart of a parent is universally tender. Though Midori could be carefree at times, she was still a responsible mother.

Of course, in today's society, it is impossible to completely avoid the internet. Despite the events of SAO, the allure of fully immersive VR technology continued to attract people, fueling the release of numerous VRMMO games, which still had large player bases.

If Rozen had brought this up a few months later, Midori might have been concerned but not so quick to deny his request.

But he had only just returned a few days ago!

How long had he even been back?

And now he was already talking about logging into another game? Of course, Midori's alarm was triggered.

Even Kirito and Suguha were alarmed by this; otherwise, they wouldn't have reacted the way they did.

"What you need now is to rest at home," Midori continued firmly. "Once your father returns from overseas, he'll take you to a renowned institution for a full-body checkup. Your dad would have rushed back already if it weren't for his work. He's even made an appointment with the clinic."

Midori's tone softened as she tried to persuade him.

"Listen to me and stop thinking about games for now, okay?"

Her voice almost carried a plea, revealing how deeply worried she was.

Even Kirito and Suguha spoke up in agreement.

"You just got back. Why the rush to dive into another game?" Kirito asked. "I've been back for two months, and I'm still observing the latest fully immersive technologies and checking out the current gaming landscape. Let's wait until things seem safe, and then we can play together. Doesn't that sound better?"

"That's right, Aoka-nii-san," Suguha added, clearly conflicted. "We're not saying you can't play games. How about playing some PC games for now?"

Even Suguha—who had once despised gaming—had come around to make this rare concession.

Everyone was united in opposing Rozen's idea of logging into a new game.

Their reaction was precisely what Rozen had expected.

"I know you're all worried about me," Rozen sighed. "But I'm not just playing for fun—there's something I must do."

If saving Asuna was all he wanted, Rozen had many ways to achieve that without entering the game himself.

Even without resorting to any mystical means, Rozen could uncover and expose RECT's suspicious activities with his intellect alone. He could have the whole organization fall apart without much effort or time.

If his goal were merely to save Asuna and reveal the truth, he wouldn't even need a month. A single day would be enough for him to wrap everything up.

However, Asuna's refusal to awaken when he tried to guide her out of the game had been weighing heavily on his mind.

Rozen understood that if Asuna had refused to wake up, there must be a reason.

If Asuna was truly in ALO, then something in that world must be troubling her—something that made her subconscious resist returning to reality.

Whatever that was, Rozen needed to find out.

Forcing Asuna awake and ending the incident without addressing that underlying cause could have unforeseen consequences.

Thus, entering ALO was a necessity.

"I mean, are you really worried I'll get trapped inside the game again and won't be able to come out?" Rozen asked, glancing at everyone around the table.

"If that's the case, then you don't know me well enough."

Who was Rozen, after all?

Even in this world, the side of himself he showed to others was that of a prodigious and brilliant young man.

"Even if another SAO-like incident happens, I already have ways to handle it," Rozen declared confidently. "Just trust me."

His words left everyone silent.

"But…" Midori seemed like she still wanted to say something.

Before she could continue, Rozen interrupted her.

"I promise I won't stay logged in for more than ten hours at a time. I'll make sure to log out every ten hours and report to you. How does that sound?"

Rozen offered a small compromise.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

His gentle yet firm words left Midori speechless.

Neither Kirito nor Suguha knew what else to say either.

The dining table fell into an awkward silence, transitioning from tension to a stifling heaviness.

Unable to bear the atmosphere, Kirito turned to Rozen and asked, "So, what game do you plan to log into?"

This was his way of trying to get some clarity.

There was no reason for Rozen to hide it.

"It's a game called ALfheim Online, also known as—ALO."

Rozen answered truthfully.

And in the next moment...

"Huh?"

Someone at the table lifted their head in shock, her expression filled with disbelief.


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