After the game's newest update, thirty thousand befuddled Japanese gamers are transported from their ordinary lives into the realm of the popular MMORPG, Elder Tale—unable to log out. Shiroe, a socially awkward college student, is among them. His uncertainty and astonishment last barely a minute as, as a veteran of the game, he instantly sets out to explore the boundaries of his new world. Shiroe must learn to live in this new environment, leading others and dealing with the NPC "natives" in order to bring stability to Akihabara, the virtual metropolis. He is joined by his unlucky buddy Naotsugu, who logged in for the first time in years only to discover himself confined, and Akatsuki, a diminutive but formidable warrior.