Kibaou was a particularly disliked character in *Sword Art Online*. Initially, he caused the main character to become what was known as a beater, and later indirectly contributed to the death of Kirito and Asuna's daughter, Yui.
In the original series, Kibaou's role was downplayed, and he was simply expelled from his guild, disappearing from the story. However, in Ren's adaptation, Kibaou's story didn't end there.
In the original series, there was a plotline not fully explored in the first season but introduced in the second season's GGO arc—the Laughing Coffin!
This in-game guild believed that since SAO was a death game, killing other players was a right they should enjoy, and they went around killing players.
In the second season, there's a brief mention of Kirito recalling a mission to eliminate this guild.
Ren decided to fully depict this guild in *Sword Art Online*, considering its importance even in later seasons. Although Ren was currently only working on the first season, who knew if he might later decide to explore the GGO arc?
Furthermore, Ren wanted to use this guild to highlight issues in the story that could resonate with readers in real life, especially in an era of highly networked information and virtual worlds.
He wanted to make the concept of a death game feel more real.
For example, there were people who stayed on the first floor, afraid to move forward due to the fear of death and battle. There were also those who risked their lives in the clearing group to free everyone from the game. Others couldn't distinguish between reality and the virtual world.
And then there were those who used the game to release their inner demons.
The first three types had already been depicted in the story, so Ren also portrayed the last group.
Since the original series didn't detail this part, Ren created it from scratch, with Kibaou as the driving force!
In Ren's version, Kibaou, dissatisfied with being expelled from his guild, turned to killing other players, becoming an orange-named player, and was eventually recruited by the Laughing Coffin.
As Kirito and Asuna had thwarted his plans, they became targets of his revenge. He, along with some members of the Laughing Coffin, attacked them but were easily defeated.
Noticing the coffin symbol on them and the recent rumors of orange-named players, Kirito and Asuna realized this was no simple matter—it was an organized, purpose-driven criminal group!
Under questioning, Kibaou finally admitted to joining the Laughing Coffin and disclosed their location.
With this revelation, many players became aware of the existence of this murderous guild, sparking fear among them.
Could players really find joy in killing others?
Under the leadership of Kirito and Asuna, a raid team consisting of members from large guilds like the Dragon Knights Brigade, the Knights of the Blood Oath, and other strong players was formed to take down the Laughing Coffin.
During the raid, the guild detected the raid team's movements, leading to a chaotic battle. In the end, the raid team lost over 20 members, while the Laughing Coffin lost around 30.
The guild was ultimately dismantled, and Kibaou, along with other surviving members, was imprisoned in the Black Iron Palace, awaiting trial once the game ended.
"Finally, I couldn't stand that guy since the second episode."
"It's a shame they didn't just kill him! Is this too forgiving?"
"Forgiving? They were thrown in prison. By that logic, should real-life criminals be executed on the spot? Is imprisoning them too forgiving?"
"Does killing someone in a game count as real murder?"
"Not sure, but considering it's a future world, the laws are probably constantly evolving."
"They didn't foresee something like a death game happening, or this situation wouldn't have occurred."
Online discussions about Ren's manga were lively.
Meanwhile, at home, Ren was massaging Jada's legs and waist, helping her relieve soreness and alleviate the anxiety that often accompanies pregnancy.
Ren found these tips online, and while he wasn't sure if they actually helped, they were at least a form of psychological comfort, right? He wanted to make sure his wife felt his care and concern.
After all, he had read about how many pregnant women could develop anxiety during pregnancy, sometimes even leading to depression.
Even though Jada had experience giving birth, Ren didn't want to take any chances this time.
While Ren was giving the massage, he received a call from his parents.
His mom wasn't calling because of some unexpected event back home but to inform him that they planned to visit and stay with him for a while.
Why? It was clear—they wanted to be there for the birth of their new grandchild, whether a grandson or granddaughter.
Although they adored their granddaughter Yueyue, they hadn't experienced the joy of holding a newborn grandchild!
When they first met their granddaughter, she was already quite grown, and it was hard for them to hold her, considering their age.
Now, with a new baby on the way, they didn't want to miss out.
Besides, they wanted to help take care of their daughter-in-law.
In their view, their unreliable son might be good at playing with a five or six-year-old, but taking care of a newborn and a wife who just gave birth was another matter.
They still remembered a photo Ren sent them one winter.
Their mischievous son had put their granddaughter on the snow and was shoveling snow onto her. Was this something a responsible father should do?
As they often heard from the kids in their village, 'When dad's taking care of the kids, as long as they survive, it's fine.'
Most importantly, they wanted to be involved in naming the new grandchild.
But Ren felt there was no way he could let his parents choose the name.
Look at his name—Ren (which sounds like "Good Man" in Chinese). How many times had he been given "Good Man" cards by girls during his school years?
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