Chapter 773
Chapter 773
Inside a hospital room wrapped in the scent of flowers . . .
The floral scent completely mitigated the industrial-grade sanitizers used on the rooms here . It looked like a hotel room more than a patient's ward .
There's a partition between the interior of the room and the entrance . A bed was situated beyond the partition . On a bed lit up by the gentle rays of the sun, a stunning girl laid there with her eyes closed .
Her chestnut-brown hair was as smooth as flowing water, her skin was porcelain white with an alluring sheen to her skin . Although she looked a bit malnourished, she didn't give off a pathetic vibe, rather, she looked like a damsel in distress . Her cheeks were also rosy red with a slight flush .
A sleeping beauty .
That would be an apt phrase to describe her .
However, almost two-thirds of her head was marred by an icy cold contraption that destroyed this scenic scene .
Nervegear, the revolutionary full-dive (immersion) VR tool that was the main tool behind the imprisonment of this poor girl's soul and some other 6,000 players .
3 starlight LED indicators on the Nervegear signalled to everyone that this machine is still in operation . This meant the girl is still trapped somewhere in the virtual realm, her location is unknown but she's still alive, that's for sure .
When the LED dies down, that would mean the girl would have gone into eternal rest, never to return from her virtual realm . . .
"Tell me, is there any sign of her waking up? . . . "
Two guys in suit stood by the patient's bed . The older male had a very upset look . He turned towards the third male in the room . A doctor in white coat . His tone might be subdued but he couldn't hide the anxiety in his voice .
The doctor sighed and he lowered his head .
"It's been 3 hours since other players woke up . We placed a staff on duty to watch for any signs of consciousness, however . . . "
The middle-aged guy turned anxious .
"Why? The other players already woke up! Why is Asuna still like this? . . . "
"It's not just Asuna-ojou . . . "
The doctor tried to defend himself .
"Asuna, and 300 other players around the country are still stuck like this!"
The middle-aged man said with a grave tone .
"The cause? Have you found it yet? . . . "
The doctor helplessly replied .
"We can only say she's still alive, we don't think it's likely anything will happen to her for now . . . "
The LED light is still on so barring exceptional circumstances, the Nervegear will continue operating . For all its notoriety, the Nervegear is built like a brick outhouse, hardware failure is nigh 0 in terms of probability .
As long as the Nervegear stays on Asuna's head, the girl named Yuuki Asuna will continue living in this state .
Frustrated, he decided to accept reality as he waved his hand .
"Okay, I will place my daughter's care in your hands . . . "
"Please, I am just doing my job . "
The doctor left the two males to their own devices . The middle-aged male, Asuna's father, Yuuki Shouzou, his adopted son, Sugou Nobuyuki stayed by the bed without speaking .
Sugou spoke up first .
"About that matter, do I have your blessings? . . . "
Shouzou lowered his head, this isn't the first time Sugou talked about marrying Asuna .
"Are you sure about this? Asuna may be stuck in this state forever, if you married her . . . "
Yes, Sugou wanted to tie the knot with Asuna .
He's not protesting this union because Sugou is an exemplary talent of a young man, he started RECT inc, a research institution playing a major role in virtual reality games as a very capable manager .
Shouzou took Sugou in as an adopted son so he's very aware of his accomplishment . In his opinion, Shouzou is qualified enough to marry his daughter .
He didn't think Sugou would stay on course despite the tragedy that has fallen upon her beloved daughter .
Sugou pushed up his glasses, covering up the sly glint within his eyes . Shouzou missed this yellow flag . . .
"No matter what becomes of Asuna, I will not change my mind!"
Shouzou said nothing . He looked at Sugou with more respect .
"Alright, no objections from my side then . . . "
Shouzou continued without hesitation .
"Your relationship with Asuna is okay with me!"
Sugou's eyes lit up and he bowed respectfully towards Shouzou .
"Thank you very much for your generosity!"
"No, on the contrary, I should say sorry . . . "
Shouzou shook his head .
"Asuna is as she is, but you, you didn't abandon her and you expressed your willingness to take care of her for the rest of her life . That resolve is worthy of my thanks, not just my apologies . . . "
"No no no, don't say it like that!"
Sugou used a very modest and frightful look .
"Yuuki Asuna is so beautiful, who in their right minds would abandon a girl like her? . . . "
"Really?"
Shouzou chuckled .
"Okay then . . . ''
Sugou chuckled too . Then, he lowered his head, his expression twisted in a very ugly manner . This ugly look was a stark contrast to his goody two shoes look from before .
Don't be fool by this prick's kind and amiable attitude . He's a possessive, overly ambitious and sadistic individual on the inside .
Shouzou was blinded by his stellar outwards appearance and behavior . He's not aware that the true culprit behind Asuna's state is due to this perverted bastard .
Sugou was a student at the same school as Kayaba Akihiko, they shared a lab for quite some time .
This is the mastermind behind the imprisonment of 300 or so players who were released from SAO but intercepted by Sugou through his hacking of SAO's servers . He imprisoned them so he can test out his vile theories of human emotion and memories manipulation . His research is completely and utterly reprehensible, unethical, and illegal!
He attempted human experimentation like a mad scientist .
Shouzou is woefully unaware of this . He locked Asuna up in a virtual realm so he can sidestep her consent and marry her while she's stuck in a comatose state . Yuuki Asuna would never marry a weirdo as horrid and disturbed as Sugou .
Shouzou's assessment and judgment of people is tragically flawed . . .