Unital Ring II: The Virtual Study Society

Plan of Defense, Part 1

As a result of our victory over the Life Harvester, we got a ton of experience, items, and meat. So much meat that we couldn't carry it all in our inventories. Yzelma suggested we cook the meat in celebration and chow down most of us did. The Patter, Insectsite gang, the three pets, Klein, and I were delighted to feast on the cooking of the nomadic tribe. I don't think I've had so many thick-sliced, juicy, well-seasoned steaks in one go in my life, and I've been to many Brazilian steakhouses back home in the states where they practically throw meat at you.

Yes, it is the flesh of the Life Harvester, which is why some hesitated, like Kirito, Leafa, and Alice. Kirito was forced by Yzelma into eating, though. He did believe it was delicious -"jeemeh" in Bashin tongue - and so did I. It was to the point that Sinon, the resident vegetarian, was handing me her steaks. She probably preferred the herbal stew Asuna, Koharu, and Yui made, which is as excellent as any dish Asuna and Koharu have a hand in.

After the festivities ended, Kirito, Asuna, Kureha, and I properly met with Hyme, the orchid mantis and Agil's real-life wife. The Actaeon rhinoceros beetle and Cantharolethrus steinheili stag beetle, who fought alongside us in the initial attack against the Life Harvester, are named Zarion and Beeming. After that, the two of us got to Argo and the SA:O sisters, the outliers in the group of insects.

"So...Argo, why were you with them?"

"Welp, I said I'd do everything I could last night, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did say that."

"Truth is, I've known Hyme for a little while."

"Oh...from Agil's route?"

Argo shakes her head. While we've all known her for a year (beyond SAO, of course), she only makes contact with me, Asuna, or Kirito. "Nope. Different route. I've been reseachin' the globalization of the Seed Nexus for the past year or so. Insectsite's one o' the bigger Seed games in America, but almost no one in Japan plays it. So when I finally found someone who was, it turned out to be Hyme."

"Whoa. It's that big in America?" Kirito asks, stunned by the revelation. As an American (I'm not ready to completely renounce my citizenship yet), it's surprising that a game about being a bug is as popular as a more Western-oriented VRMMO, Gun Gale Online. Then again, GGO is not the type of game I would have suspected to take off in fantasy-oriented Japan against the likes of ALO and SA:O.

"Yes," Asuna replies. "I was only aware of the name of the game because of Yuuki. She said the Sleeping Knights played it for just a little bit before they came to ALO."

"Ohh..."

I glance at Asuna, seeing the wavering smile on her face. Like yesterday when I took the ice magicrystal from Kirito, noticing his distant look as his thought of his lost friend, Asuna's doing the same. I wouldn't consider myself close to Yuuki, though we all adventured with her earlier this year in SA:O and I inducted her into Crimson Squad shortly before her passing. While Kirito comforts Asuna, I clear my mind of mournful thoughts and turn to Kureha. "You recognized them first, Kureha. Did you know it's popular back home?"

She nods. "Crazy, right? But apparently, it's big back in the states. I only know of it because Zeliska once spoke of how competitive it is against GGO, and seen some vids on it to understand why."

"All right," Kirito starts, "I know how you know Hyme, but why were you being chased by the Life Harvester with them?"

"Well, ah..." Argo picks up a stick off the ground, then draws a circle about three feet in diameter. "It's probably more complicated than that, but let's assume this is the Unital Ring world map, m'kay?"