Quote:
Originally Posted by Flere821
Spoiler for Impression of 1st chapter:
In the 1st chapter alone I've probably said "HOLY ****" a dozen times... if this is the last arc of the SAO LNs I wouldn't mind, as I doubt later events can top this arc.
Major events:
-Kirito's revealed to be 'kidnapped' by the JSDF in making combat AIs (basically what Project Alicization was about). They took Kirito as the chance to do so arisen from Johnny Black's attack, replacing the ambulance personnel with their people. Kirito's importance was his influence in-game can make the AIs who cannot deviate from the Underworld's laws into breaking them, something that the researchers can't do. Ironically it was breaking the rules to save another life, in direct contrast with their original problem of getting AIs around the law of not killing people. Major back-story about SAOverse's US, and how unmanned weapons developed from the US citizen's distaste of soldier casualties in Iraq, leading on from Vietnam and other military involvements. AIs are developed because citizens don't want to see human casualties.
In the beginning, JSDF wanted a independent weapon source from the US so they won't rely on foreign influence too much. VR was suggested like Kirito thought to train soldiers, but after SAO beta started true AIs was thought to be eventually possible. When players were stuck in game preparations were made for this project.
-Fluctlight is the device/program involved in this project. Supposedly capable of making a copy of a person's soul. Copies however are unable to handle they're just a copy, with the same memories and everything of the original. Human babies had their mind copied and using the first 16 as a base, each eventually paired into 4 pairs and giving birth to ten kids in each set, which eventually formed a population of 80,000.
The Seed is used to form the Underworld, and can accelerate 1000x the normal time. It's not the brain nerves being accelerated but the consciousness/soul, so supposedly no negatively effects like burning the brain out. Getting the kids to adulthood, 18 years, in Real time was only 980 hours (approximately one week).
Oh, and the ruling inhabitants in Underworld managed to access the 'laws of the world', manipulate what laws people can or cannot break. It's equivalent to game characters able to hack into your computer and make changes to the game. Skynet, anyone? >.>
-Asuna sneaked into the heavily defended R&D department/base by asking for help from the person who developed the Medicuboid (Kayaba's assistant). Found her address from Kirito's files. Said person was asked to be part of the project many times by Raase, and Asuna disguised herself as her assistant. Hacked the photo earlier and the real assistant is currently on holiday.
- Kayaba may still be alive. o_O His assistant didn't get charged with helping Kayaba because he implanted a bomb inside her that would blow her head off from the neck up. The assistant kept the 'bomb' as a keepsake, knowing Kayaba would have never used the bomb on her and only did that as a excuse so when the game is over she won't be blamed by the authorities. Final line in the 1st chapter suggested Kayaba's mind is in there and can still influence things, heating up and giving her a burn.
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@Shiroi: I read on my Tablet. Its more natural that way.
The English is straightforward, although the translators did great in conveying the authors engaging writing style.
Yes SAO is both the game and Light Novel title. One rationale is that it all started with SAO so Subsiquent arcs are called SAO: Fairy Dance, SAO: Phantom Bullet etc.