I live my life in Tokyo

He pointed to a basic sketch drawn on the side. "Each floor has a boss. Only by defeating this boss can you ascend to the next floor. Of course, it is necessary to find the boss in the depths of the maze. Life on the floating city is no different from life on the ground. This place can be set as a resting place. In the near future, you can also buy player houses and guild huts here. "

"To defeat the boss, we naturally need everyone's unity. The setting is a large-scale group battle of 128 people. After the boss is conquered, the list of the first group of people who conquered the boss will be permanently engraved on the strategy wall. Every week, there will be a fixed speed-clearing competition challenge for the boss..."

Sakakibara listened and nodded from time to time. These were the results of discussions between him and the planning team. At that time, they discussed for a long time whether the boss would be refreshed after being defeated. In the end, it was Yuuki Koichiro who made the final decision. On the basis of Sakakibara's original refresh challenge, the racing indicator was added. Of course, when re-challenging the boss, the equipment level would be suppressed for the sake of fairness.

After all, it was different from the Sword Art Online TV series script he was given. In the TV series, there were only 10,000 people in the death game, and less than 1,000 people were active in the strategy group, and resources were limited. But in real life, Sword Art Online was a game with hundreds of thousands or even millions of people online at the same time, and there was only one big region with only three servers under it.

Kaede Sakakibara thinks that this kind of server design is very good. While diverting traffic, it also allows players to play games with players from other servers, instead of being completely unable to communicate.

"Well, in the new version 2.1, we will launch a new high-difficulty level, the full name of which is Desperate Battle—"

Listening to Yuki Koichiro's continued introduction, Sakakibara Kaede took out his mobile phone. He had just looked at the chat records of the five girls, and now they were all in the read status. It was most annoying when the messages were read but not replied, so he quickly began to edit the reply.

Okay, okay, you are right, I will definitely come, this is the one-health-three-combination that Sakakibara Kaede is capable of.

But it seems that Saturday is indeed very busy. He has to have dinner with Sakurajima Mai, discuss the plot with Higuchi Madoka, play games with Yuuki Asuna, identify roles with Ichinose Chizuru, and spend time with Asakura Toru... Is this day long enough for him to divide into five parts?

The five of them made appointments for Saturday at the same time, which made Sakakibara Kaede feel guilty that the situation was out of control. He seemed to have sensed something fishy.

Now it really is divided into five equal parts (sad).

Chapter 11 The Death Game Begins

The pattern of the crew was exactly the same as what Sakakibara had experienced in the past. He saw hundreds of people on the set. As extras, they were communicating in low voices and getting dressed and put on makeup in batches.

After the live broadcast ended, Koichiro Yuki found that the number of people in the live broadcast room peaked at over one million. The number of players in the Sword Art Online game is currently around 1.1 million. As a game that became an instant hit upon its launch, the fact that it has attracted so many game players is closely related to its good reputation and RECT's operations.

Originally, Yuki Koichiro's goal was to give away one appearance for every 500,000 players. After seeing the number of players surpass one million, he gave all players a mount. If players who joined the game after the live broadcast wanted to get this mount, they had to go to the store to buy the appearance.

Kaede Sakakibara revealed on the show that he was also playing Sword Art Online, but he did not foolishly report his ID. As the guild master of the Blood Knights, he knew how much trouble would be waiting for him if he was exposed. First of all, Yuuki Asuna's relationship could not be hidden from others, and secondly, the number of people joining the guild would reach a terrifying number, which would make Sakakibara tired and the guild's top leaders tired as well. If this operation was done, it would be a loss rather than a gain.

"Sakakibara-san, please come over here."

The makeup artist's eyes were sparkling, and Sakakibara Kaede stood up with a smile, walked past several actors who were reciting lines to each other, and entered the dressing room.

Here, he saw most of the actors who participated in the first script of Sword Art Online.

Mai Sakurajima, who plays the role of the young lady rapier user, Yu Kashima, who plays the role of the weapon forger, Chizuru Ichinose, who plays the role of the monster user, and Madoka Higuchi, who plays a role that even Kaede Sakakibara doesn't know what it is - at this moment, she is sitting aside, touching her phone and scrolling through it. She just came here to make herself familiar.

It has been a long time since I last saw Ichika Nakano. For some time, Sakakibara Kaede had not been concerned about the actor's affairs, and the communication between him and Ichika Nakano was limited to Line on the mobile phone. This was the first face-to-face communication after the New Year.

After the five sisters were admitted to Japanese universities, their contact with Sakakibara Kaede was naturally not as close as before when they were tutoring. Although they went there for the not-insignificant tuition fees at that time, it now seems that the fact that he was able to make five poor students work hard and be admitted to Japanese universities in just one year proves that he was a good educator.

He and Ichika Nakano nodded and smiled and chatted for a few words. Ichika Nakano played the role of his sister in the plot, so the two of them naturally had to be close. However, the story of his sister was not in the first script, Sword Art Online. The role of his sister would only appear in the second script, Fairy Kingdom. He came here today just to say hello to everyone in the crew and get acquainted with them.

"Sakakibara-senpai~Long time no see."

Nakano Ichika held Sakakibara Kaede's hands and a smile with the charm of an older sister appeared on her face.

stare--

Kaede Sakakibara suddenly felt a chill on her back.

He quickly smiled and said, "It's been a long time indeed. I'm going to change my clothes first. We can talk about role practice later."

"Okay."

Nakano Ichika let go of his hand with a smile, and the young man looked back and saw that Sakurajima Mai, Higuchi Madoka and Ichinose Chizuru, who were originally staring at his back, had already turned their heads away. He only saw the backs of three heads facing him.

Ok.

Under the guidance of the makeup artist, Kaede Sakakibara entered the dressing room. He glanced at the clothes made by the props team and exclaimed in admiration.

The young man couldn't let go of the uniform, which looked like a medieval swordsman's uniform, although he knew it was just the going-out outfit for the Novice Village.

This reminded him of cosplay uniforms. Although he had never done cosplay himself, he had been to many anime conventions. The material and appearance of cosplay uniforms are an important part of evaluating the degree of restoration of the cosplay - most cosplay uniforms are handmade by cosplayers.

But the texture and the feeling are like wearing a vintage uniform from a certain brand.

Kaede Sakakibara changed into cloth clothes, put on the armor on his shoulders, moved his body a little, and felt pretty good.

There was an iron sword on the shelf. After the young man picked it up, he felt that the weight was not right and then he burst into laughter. How could an actor swing an iron sword? The sword was made of wood with a layer of metallic paint on the surface.

After changing clothes, Sakakibara Kaede returned to the makeup artist and was naturally greeted with exclamations from the actors. The actor who looked like an uncle sitting next to him came forward enthusiastically and shook hands with Sakakibara Kaede, walked around him twice, and looked at this cool outfit.

"how do you feel?"

The staff member opened the door, and Yuki Koichiro walked in wearing a suit and tie, wearing a pair of elegant glasses. Seeing Sakakibara Kaede's appearance, he grinned and said, "Well, you look like a swordsman from another world."

"Well, let me see it too, brother."

Yuuki Koichiro was somewhat helpless when he heard this. He stepped aside from the door. Yuuki Asuna, who was dressed in casual clothes, waved to the young man with a faint smile, her eyes lit up, "Wow, this is the novice outfit from Sword Art Online, and it was restored exactly as it was."

"you do not say."

The actors all knew the investor, in other words, the boss, and they all stood up to greet him. Yuuki Koichiro smiled and nodded in return before sitting down. He was usually a very humble person, but his identity and status forced him to put on airs.

Yuuki Asuna went to chat with her good sisters. Seeing her smiling and huddling with Sakurajima Mai and the others, Sakakibara Kaede looked away.

"Why is Yuuki-senpai here? Asuna is here too."

"Today is the first day of work after all, so I wanted to come and take a look. But I can't stay with you until the end today. I have to take the Shinkansen to Osaka in two hours. This time I will probably be on a long business trip for two months." Yuki Koichiro pushed his glasses and smiled. He glanced at the swordsman-like Kaede Sakakibara, "By the way, have you said hello to Director Miyamoto? He just arrived at the crew."

As they were talking, the two stood up and walked out of the venue. Koichiro Yuki wanted to ask Kiyoshi Takenaka about the progress of this week's filming, while Kaede Sakakibara simply wanted to meet his former master Fumu Miyamoto.

"The way you draw your sword is wrong. It's not pure enough."

Miyamoto Fumiaki had a serious face. In front of him stood several actors holding wooden swords. Some had bitter faces, while others were training indifferently and silently. Sakakibara Kaede saw the uncle actor who had greeted him before - although he was an uncle, he was only a few years older than him. He was waving a wooden sword for practice in his hand, and with his untidy face, he looked like a down-and-out samurai who had run away from the set of a Taiga drama.

“Directed by Miyamoto.”

"Well, you're here." Miyamoto Fumiaki raised his eyes and nodded, "Draw your sword."

Sakakibara Kaede pulled out the wooden sword stuck in his back. He was a little unfamiliar with the action of drawing the sword, then he pulled out the sword, held it in one hand and held it upright in front of his eyes. Although he did not make any moves or attack, he did not look like someone who had never touched a sword before.

"I'll modify the sword-drawing motion for you."

Miyamoto Fumiaki nodded slightly. "Mr. Takenaka told me that there is a setting similar to a skill in the play. Let's start with the most basic one... um, Sonic Impact."

He glanced at the instruction manual in his hand and nodded.

Sakakibara took a deep breath and joined the practice. Because he had sung for two to three hours straight, his physical fitness was very good. Unlike other actors who were out of breath after practicing for more than ten minutes, Sakakibara was now able to compete with stuntmen who specialized in this skill.

Mai Sakurajima gently patted Yuuki Asuna beside her and asked with a smile, "Asuka-chan, are you here to see Kaede-san?"

Higuchi Madoka glanced at Sakurajima Mai. Didn’t this question seem a little too straightforward?

Asuna Yuuki nodded slightly and acknowledged Mai Sakurajima's words very naturally. She had a very good relationship with Mai Sakurajima, and an occasional joke was nothing. What's more, Mai Sakurajima had asked her many questions before the audition, which was considered a small interview. In the end, Mai Sakurajima was able to successfully get the role of the female lead thanks to Asuna Yuuki.

“Everyone’s costumes are so beautiful.”

Asuna Yuuki clapped her hands in praise. Although everyone will have different fixed equipment in the future, at present they are still wearing the same cloth clothes as Kaede Sakakibara and armor that only protects the shoulders.

"But I feel like the setting for Silica is going to be a little smaller."

Sakurajima Mai said this, and Chizuru Ichinose covered her chest with a blushing face, "Mai-san, don't say that! I'll use a chest binder in a while..."

Several male actors who had just finished putting on makeup and drinking water and slacking off in the dressing room could no longer sit still. They had no habit of listening to the actresses' whispers, and it would be annoying if they continued to stay here, so it would be better for them to leave early and go to rehearsal.

Seeing that all the idle people had left, the three of them except Higuchi Madoka smiled.

"Well, Mai-san, what are you planning to do this Saturday?"

Chizuru Ichinose asked. Their strategy team has only received instructions from Sakurajima Mai and Asakura Toru, to send an invitation to Sakakibara Kaede to come to the apartment on Saturday. Any reason is fine, but they are confused about what to do.

Sakurajima Mai stroked the hilt of the rapier at her waist and said without hesitation, "I'm sure everyone has seen Feng-san play Feng Lai Xue Guo, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Chizuru Ichinose let out a cry of pain, Asuna Yuuki blushed a little shyly, and Madoka Higuchi looked away expressionlessly.

"You should all be familiar with the harem line in Feng Lai Xue Guo." Sakurajima Mai said with a smile, "Our goal on Saturday is to watch Feng San push the harem line in Feng Lai Xue Guo."

After these words came out, the girls all blushed. The meaning of this intention was too obvious. Sakakibara Kaede was not a fool. At least now he would not avoid the emotional matters, so he must be able to see it. But in the end, although the girls were chatting happily, Sakakibara Kaede was still in a state of confusion.

"Well... let's make lunch together, Chizuru-san, and then we can go shopping for groceries together."

"Okay." Chizuru Ichinose nodded vigorously.

Outside, Sakakibara Kaede thrust his sword straight out with all his strength, and uttered a clear shout. The wooden sword slashed through the air sharply, leaving behind a whirring sound. Miyamoto Fumiaki nodded slightly, "It seems that Sakakibara, you have not given up the way of the sword, which makes me very happy."

"I still swing the sword a hundred times every day." Sakakibara Kaede wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled.

The crew members were watching from the sidelines, and when they saw that the practice had come to a temporary end, they stepped forward to inform Sakakibara Kaede that the rehearsal for the first act was about to begin filming, and asked them to take their positions.

The first thing to shoot is the scene of 10,000 people gathered in the square. The most troublesome part must be solved first, and then the individual or opponent drama plot can be adjusted according to the time.

Although the setting is for 10,000 people, Toei obviously cannot hire 10,000 people. Besides, there is no venue large enough for 10,000 people to stand at the same time. How long will it take to lay out the green screen like a carpet?

Except for the people, everything else is made with CGI. Everyone knows how much time and effort it takes. It's more like making a movie than a TV series.

"Everyone is in your place!"

Kiyoshi Takenaka held a megaphone in his hand and spoke loudly from a high platform overlooking the entire square.

Kaede Sakakibara came to the center of the crowd - of course, it was not crowded, because there were several cameras around him.

He glanced at the group of people standing loosely nearby. Sakurajima Mai was muttering something silently, as if she was reciting lines. She seemed to notice Sakakibara Kaede's gaze and gave him a faint smile.

"In the first scene, everyone is teleported into the square, and then Kayaba Akihiko tells all the players that this is a death game. Let's begin!"

click!

Sakakibara Kaede began to hold his hands repeatedly according to what was written on the manuscript, as if confirming the function of the transmission.

"Feng, Feng, so you are here. What happened just now?"

A mature-looking actor at the side spoke to him and said that the other party was Klein, Kaede Sakakibara's friend in the game and in the future in real life. At this time, his face was well done by the makeup artist and he looked a little younger.

The same goes for Sakakibara Kaede. He looks even more perfect with makeup on his face, and from a distance he looks like a handsome guy - he looks like a character in a game.

"Teleportation function." The young man muttered to himself while staring at the ground. He looked at the camera, "What happened?"

"what is that?"

Someone pointed at the green screen in the distance, and everyone stopped making noise temporarily. They all raised their heads and stared stupidly at the green screen that didn't exist.

"CUT! What you just said is too dramatic. Say that again!"

The young man nodded silently. It is indeed difficult to shoot in front of a green screen, and it is also the most challenging for acting skills.

Let's talk to Sakurajima Mai later and ask her for some tips.

Chapter 12 Feeling Uneasy

If you swing the sword unsteadily, you may sprain your waist.

The guy who plays Klein sprained his waist while fighting wits and courage with the air. He is not a stuntman. On the contrary, his iconic stubble uncle looks like an adult in many TV dramas, such as a down-and-out adult, an adult who can't make it, or an adult who has given up on himself.

After the scenes with hundreds of people were shot, it was the turn of Sakakibara Kaede and Klein to act against each other. The two had just met today and started filming without chatting for a few words. They were not familiar with the roles, but the filming was more interesting. The first meeting in the online game was also unfamiliar and strange, which was exactly the same as the feeling they showed in front of the camera.

After watching the first scene of the filming of the 100 people, Yuuki Koichiro left because he had to catch the Shinkansen. Yuuki Asuna did not rely on the fact that she was a relative of the investor to continue sitting in the audience. After all, she also wanted to watch Sword Art Online, and it would not be fun if she was spoiled. She made an appointment with Yuuki and Mite to go to the game hall nearby to play video games. With Yuuki Asuna there, Sakakibara Kaede was quite relieved.

The first episode was not too difficult for him. Apart from the acting skills he imagined while looking up at the sky, the rest was just posing and slaughtering wild boars in the Novice Village. The next part was the CGI creation part. The sister character played by Nakano Ichika also appeared in the opening of the first episode, but only appeared for less than a minute and was only given one shot.

"Sonic Impact here is very professional, Sakakibara-san."

RECT Company was in charge of the handover with Toei crew, and the director who designed the skills couldn't stop praising him. When he was designing the skills before, he didn't feel anything when he saw the characters moving, but it was still very exciting to see living people using the designed skills in front of him.

It was hard for Sakakibara Kaede to say, the skill of Sonic Impact was just a straight swing of the sword. He remembered that there was another skill called Horizontal Four Direction Slash, which was a test of his waist.

He can only do his best in action, and special effects are not something he worries about.

Following Takenaka Kiyoshi's instructions, Sakakibara Kaede repeated the action of drawing the sword and sprinting in front of the green screen again. He gradually felt the numbness in his arms. This was not caused by lack of exercise, but the numbness caused by repeating the same action over and over again.

After hearing the 20-minute break, Sakakibara breathed a sigh of relief. He took the towel and water from the staff and sipped the water while walking slowly. He was not needed in the fighting scenes of Kamen Rider, because Kamen Rider wore a prop costume and helmet made by Toei, and a stuntman could be used after putting on the helmet, but this Sword Art Online was different, they needed the actor himself to swing the sword.

In Miyamoto Fumiaki's place, it was like another kendo hall. He held a wooden sword in his hand and made standard Iai instructions, while Nakano Ichika was watching his every move carefully. In the character setting, she, as the younger sister, loves kendo very much and even won a medal in the high school kendo competition. But Nakano Ichika is different. Among the five sisters, each has her own strengths. She should be the one who looks the laziest and likes to sleep the most.

"How does the rapier feel?"

Sakakibara sat next to Sakurajima Mai who was taking a break. Nakano Ichika and others were getting familiar with the rhythm with different directors, so Sakakibara did not disturb them rashly.

"Well, it's okay. It feels like a combination of kendo and fencing." Mai Sakurajima said, swinging her legs. Then she laughed, "My arms are so numb now. I just want to get a full body massage after today."

"I want to get a massage, too."

Sakakibara Kaede held back a yawn. He was indeed a little tired today.

"Saturday, there are no crew tasks on Saturday. I will apply essential oil to you on Saturday."

Mai Sakurajima glanced at the young man and smiled after a moment.

Sakakibara Kaede felt a chill on her back for no apparent reason. "So what's going on on Saturday? Why are everyone asking me to go to the apartment? Are you planning on having a meeting or having dinner? If you're planning on having dinner, just say it directly."

"Senior Feng really has no patience and is mean-spirited."