Because she was distracted, she bumped into someone head-on.
Asada Shino staggered back two steps before she managed to steady herself.
Quickly snapping back to her senses, she turned to the side.
The girl she had collided with had stumbled, plopping down on the ground with a soft whimper.
But in GGO, the pain settings were strictly regulated.
Even at maximum, pain could only reach three percent of real intensity.
Something that would normally kill someone with agony in reality would feel like nothing more than someone flicking your finger in here.
Clearly, this girl wasn't accustomed to full-dive VR, and her reaction was purely instinctive. Seeing this, Shino stepped forward and reached out a hand to help her up.
"Are you alright? Sorry about that, I was lost in thought and didn't notice."
Although the blame wasn't entirely hers, Shino still offered a sincere apology.
The girl rubbed her backside in confusion after being pulled up. It didn't hurt as much as she'd expected.
Hearing Shino's apology, she quickly shook her head.
"No, no, it's my fault too."
Now that Shino could get a proper look at her—She had fluffy chestnut-colored short hair, fair skin, and an adorably soft face that gave off an air of natural clumsiness.
A pair of red-rimmed glasses rested on her nose, suited to her perfectly—or rather, no matter what kind of glasses she wore, she would probably look cute in them.
Though GGO allowed you to adjust your appearance, it only permitted about a ten percent shift up or down in looks.
This avoided the awkward problem of players meeting in real life and finding their partner unrecognizable.
After all, anyone who looked stunning in-game wouldn't be too far off in reality, even after the adjustment.
(That restriction existed to enhance immersion in GGOand to make memory-erasure therapy more effective.)
The girl's outfit was a beginner's set: a pleated skirt, knitted cardigan, and black tights.
Clearly, a total newbie.
"Is this your first time playing this game?"
Shino asked without thinking.
The girl nodded.
Her natural, guileless expression made it obvious she wasn't some veteran smurfing on a new account.
"It's my first time… playing a game like this."
Shino understood immediately.
As someone who had been around since GGO's launch, she had seen plenty of new players like this.
She wasn't the type who enjoyed mentoring newbies. But today, she was in no mood for training,her thoughts were clouded.
Rather than drift aimlessly, she might as well help this new girl.
"Where were you headed?" Shino asked.
The girl blinked, as if trying to remember.
"I wanted to join… the bu… something event."
Shino tilted her head, thinking for a moment—then her eyes widened.
"You mean the Bullet of Bullets? You just started the game, and you want to join BOB?"
The BOB—Bullet of Bullets—was GGO's global tournament, held once a year.
After preliminary qualifiers, players fought a massive free-for-all battle royale, until only one champion remained.
While anyone could register, the entry fee ensured that only two kinds joined: overconfident amateurs, or skilled players who wanted to test themselves against the best.
Everyone else in BOB was armed to the teeth and highly experienced.
But the girl nodded firmly.
"Yes, I want to join!"
Shino frowned in puzzlement, but nodded anyway.
"Well… there's still time before registration closes. At the very least, let's buy you some equipment first."
They couldn't let a total beginner walk into BOB unarmed.
Pulling up her menu, Shino sent the girl a friend request.
The sudden pop-up startled the girl, but she quickly examined it.
"Sinon?" she read aloud.
"That's my in-game name," Shino explained with a nod.
(It was just a shortened form of Shino, like how Asuna came from Asuna Yuuki.)
The girl accepted, and her name appeared in Shino's friend list.
"…Kuriyama Mirai?"
Shino blinked.
Had she really used her full, real name?
This girl was almost too much of an airhead.
"Eh? You know me?" Mirai asked curiously.
Shino sighed, rubbing her forehead.
As they walked together toward the weapon shop, she asked, "Forgive me for asking, but why did you choose to enter such a grim, filthy, wasteland-style game?"
GGO's world was post-apocalyptic, full of scrap metal and punk-like aesthetics. Hardly the kind of setting a cute girl would usually enjoy.
Shino herself had joined to grow stronger and face her fears.
"To join BOB," Mirai replied with determination.
"…?"
Shino was completely baffled.
Why would someone who had never touched GGO jump in solely for BOB? The prize money and rewards weren't that amazing.
The two adorable girls walked into the weapon shop, immediately drawing attention.
"Ah, Sinon's here! Still as stunning as ever."
"Hey, the girl next to her is super cute—want to add me?"
"Cutie, want to team up? I'll carry you!"
Wolf whistles echoed around them.
Hearing the teasing remarks, Kuriyama Mirai puffed up angrily like a little cat.
"I am displeased!"
Shino snorted coldly, scaring off the pests, then grabbed Mirai's hand and led her inside.
The weapon shop walls were lined with displays of guns and gear, each with specs and stats.
Mirai's eyes glazed over almost instantly.
She was completely clueless about firearms.
"Your build's full agility. You should use a light rifle as your main weapon… Since you're aiming for BOB, real-bullet weapons are better than optics-based ones…"
Shino analyzed carefully, but then stopped short.
"Right… your funds."
That could be a big problem.
Mirai opened her menu at Shino's prompting.
"…I have 1,000 molla."
Shino sighed.
Just as she feared.
That was barely enough for the BOB entry fee. The only weapons she could afford were starter-level pistols.
Decent rifles started at tens of thousands.
Entering BOB with beginner gear was basically signing up to be cannon fodder.
Mirai drooped, shoulders slumping.
In reality, she was already poor enough— and now even here, she was broke.
"If you need, I can lend you some…"
Shino offered.
Veterans that generous were rare. But with her top-tier equipment, Shino had money to spare.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly…" Mirai said quickly—but her eyes sparkled hopefully at Shino.
Classic case of words and expression not matching.
Shino couldn't help but chuckle.
She turned, about to help Mirai choose a weapon, when a voice interrupted.
"If you're short on money, this place is hiring cute girls as staff. The pay's pretty good. Interested?"
Shino's expression darkened instantly.
She'd heard plenty of sleazy "offers" like that as a newbie.
Her conclusion long ago: such people should be shut down hard. Being hesitant only led to more trouble.
She opened her mouth to blast him— but stopped when she turned to look.
The speaker was a young man.
Deep, captivating eyes, a sharp nose, handsome features—his presence in the bright shop lighting made it hard to look away.
Of course, Shino wasn't the type to go easy on a creep just because he was good-looking.
The reason she hesitated was because she recognized him.
She had just seen him not long ago.
It was that police inspector—
Haruto.
The moment her eyes fell on him, Shino's heartbeat picked up noticeably. She could even see the rate climbing on her interface.
But what the display couldn't show was her sudden fluster.
Why on earth was Haruto here, inside GGO of all places?
And… why was he hitting on her in-game?
An overwhelming wave of embarrassment struck her, as if she had just been ambushedby a reverse offline meetup.