Anime: Passive Inheritance System

The next morning at 8:00 AM, Sedno took Kai to see the internal operations of the Company beyond the Tactical Teams.

They arrived at the logistics and technical support division on floors 20–34—four more than the ten floors for combat units. The walls were decorated in black and white for a clean, minimalist vibe.

After verifying identities, a woman in a lab coat led them to a dark room at the far end of the 30th floor.

The room was about the size of two living rooms. Not massive, but not cramped either.

Inside sat a machine resembling a CT scanner, taking up over 80% of the space.

"Beep."

The keycard swiped, lights flicked on overhead.

"Mr. Kai, please remove your shirt so I can attach the electrodes."

The female staffer manipulated the touchscreen, then pulled out several electrode patches.

Glancing back at Sedno, who had politely turned around, Kai said nothing and stripped off his shirt.

Once the electrodes were attached, lines of data appeared on the monitor, including a stable biometric wave.

"No wonder you were specially recruited for Tactical Team Seven… Mr. Kai, your body is in excellent condition."

The woman's gaze slid over his muscular frame before landing back on the screen, her smile subtly suggestive.

"Maybe it's because I work out a lot," Kai replied, flexing his biceps. "Actually, I focus more on endurance."

He wasn't bragging—his stats really did lean toward endurance and speed over brute strength.

Hearing this flirtation, Sedno frowned and scolded him coldly. "Mr. Kai, we're on a mission. You're talking too much."

"Uh…"

Caught off guard, Kai gave an apologetic smile and turned back. "Shall we start?"

"Yes, of course."

The staffer chuckled, then tapped the screen.

"Whirrr—"

The massive machine began to hum. After some internal mechanisms shifted, a metal bed extended outward.

"Please lie down. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

Kai nodded and lay down. The chill of the alloy bed seeped into his back as the table retracted.

This really feels like an MRI scan…

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he heard the staffer speak.

"Mr. Kai, neural signal connection is ready. Once you press start, you'll enter the game."

Start button?

He looked around but saw no obvious switch.

Suddenly, a silver cursor appeared before his eyes:

[START]

Ah, so it's this!

Taking a deep breath, he focused and tapped the icon.

[Ding! Connecting to neural interface!]

A crystalline sound echoed, followed by a cascade of dazzling colors as the quantum signal synchronized with his brain.

—

A breeze brushed his ears, carrying the scent of grass and earth—not like the stale air of the real world.

Kai's consciousness returned from that surreal, out-of-body moment. He opened his eyes to a grassy hill.

"So this is Aincrad…?"

A vast forest spread around him, with towns, hills, and valleys visible in the distance.

He looked down at his hands. Brown fingerless gloves. A brown tunic and black trousers—classic starter gear.

He raised his right hand, extending two fingers.

"If I remember correctly…"

Mimicking a pose he'd seen in the anime, he swiped downward. A purple rectangular system window popped up, accompanied by a bell chime.

This was SAO's iconic interface.

His status screen showed no equipment, just a long list of menu options.

At the bottom: LOGOUT.

Relieved, he smiled. At least he wouldn't be stuck here forever.

In the top-left corner: HP bar, XP bar—no MP, since this wasn't a magic-based game.

Level 51. According to Sedono, that matched the average of top-tier players.

But… Lv.51 and still wearing starter gear?

Wait, no—he did have a basic weapon.

In his inventory, the only item was a plain "Iron Sword."

He tapped the icon. With a soft chime, a simple blade materialized at his waist.

Gripping the sword hilt in his right hand, the system's notification rang out.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained: One-Handed Straight Sword (Silver) ]

[ Rating: 1 ]

[ Condition not met for Passive Talent [Black Swordsman]: [Sword Bone] ]

So it really is just a newbie iron sword...

Slightly exasperated by the system's "Rating: 1" announcement, Kai shook his head. With a metallic clang, he casually drew the newbie sword.

The silver blade looked extremely plain and unremarkable. But a faint golden glow shimmered along its edge.

That glow was the effect of the passive skill [Sword Bone] from the [Black Swordsman] class, which could enhance any sword with a lower rating than the user's own Sword Bone rating.

Kai flicked the blade a few times, drawing several sword flowers through the air, getting used to the weight and balance of the weapon. Then he set off, exploring around the hill to look for freshly spawned monsters.

Whether in real life or in a game, there was only one way to truly temper oneself—combat.

Kai knew this all too well, having fought through countless deadly encounters in the dungeons.

It didn't take long before he spotted a target as he descended the hill.

A wolf, about half the height of a man, covered in silvery-white fur, was emerging from the forest.

"Rrr..."

At the same moment Kai saw it, the wolf noticed him. A low growl filled with hostility rumbled from its throat. It crouched low, haunches raised, ready to charge.

Zheng—

Kai didn't flinch. He stared the wolf down as his sword trembled, emitting a clear, ringing sound that echoed around them.

Man and beast locked eyes, the tension between them taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

"Awoooo!"

With a final snarl, the wolf launched forward, powerful hind legs kicking off the ground. Its massive body moved with surprising agility, barreling toward Kai in a violent charge.

Kai's face remained calm. He raised his blade to strike, but just as the sword was about to slash down on the wolf, he abruptly stopped his motion and twisted his waist to dodge clumsily, narrowly evading the pounce.

No... this isn't right...

Using the moment of separation, Kai stepped a few paces forward, then turned back to face the wolf. He raised his sword to shoulder height and assumed a charging stance.

At first, Kai had instinctively used his own sword technique. Truthfully, with that, he could've easily killed the wolf. But something suddenly clicked in his mind—he remembered SAO's system sword skills.

As long as you performed the correct initiation posture for a system skill, the system would automatically control your body to land the attack.

Sure enough, as Kai took his stance, faint silver lights began to gather around the sword blade.

Unlike the warm glow of Ketsui no hikari

(Light of Resolve), SAO's system skill effects were rigid and artificial, lacking emotional warmth.

And once the silver glow peaked, Kai abruptly lost control of his body—taken over by the system.

"Haaah!"

He shouted low as his left foot slid forward into a bow stance, his body leaning in. His right foot slammed down, and with a "clang", the blade flashed silver as it slashed across the air, landing directly on the wolf and leaving a deep red gash.

One blow—and the wolf's HP bar vanished.

But it wasn't due to the system sword skill's power. It was simply the overwhelming level gap between Kai and the monster.

He held the pose for a few seconds, then slowly straightened up.

Turning to glance at the wolf dissolving into sparkling fragments, Kai's gaze fell on the purple experience notification in the center of his vision. He frowned slightly.

That brief moment of losing control to the SAO system… it made him very uncomfortable.

"Rrr..."

As Kai reflected on the fight, another growl echoed from the woods.

He shifted his view and saw three wolves approaching in a triangle formation, surrounding him.

Kai looked at the sword in his hand with some hesitation.

Should I keep using SAO's system sword skills?

Almost as soon as the question crossed his mind, the sword answered for him.

Vmmm—

The gentle glow ofKetsui no hikari began to gather on the blade.

Gripping the sword tightly, feeling the desire emanating from it, Kai didn't hesitate anymore. He launched himself at the pack of wolves.