Despite his talent for getting into trouble related to virtual worlds, Kirito persistently tries to stay up to date with VR technology development, as he sees it as the future. The mysterious firm RATH, where Kirito has taken a part-time job that requires nothing more than sleeping and dreaming virtual dreams (which he remembers nothing about upon waking). Dreams based on a fundamentally different technology for creating virtual worlds than the Amusphere. As if playing God, RATH attempts to peer into the very essence of a person — into their soul, in the most literal sense. And Kirito, once again falling victim to circumstances, finds himself in a new and truly cruel virtual world, where he quickly finds a new friend and confronts the mysteries that stand before him.