English Title: .hack//AI buster
Japanese Title: .hack//AI buster
Author: Tatsuya Hamazaki
Illustrator: Rei Izumi
Translator: Naomi Kokubo
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Fantasy
Original Run: 2002
English Run: 2005 – 2006
Volumes: 2
English Publisher: Tokyopop
Volumes Published in English: 2 (COMPLETE)
Synopsis: In the epic prequel to .hack, the avatar Albireo is a solo adventurer in The World, the most advanced online fantasy game ever created. When he comes across Lycoris, a strange little girl in a dungeon, Albireo wonders if she’s simply nothing more than a bug in the system. As the two journey further into The World, Albireo watches Lycoris turn all of the rules of The World upside down. Slowly, he comes to realize that she may hold a very deadly secret--a secret that could unhinge everything in cyberspace… and beyond!
Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository
Volume 2
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository
Note on the .hack chronology:
.hack//AI Buster (light novels) → .hack//SIGN (anime) → PS2 video games (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak, Quarantine) → .hack//Another Birth (light novels) → .hack//ZERO (light novels) → .hack//Legend of the Twilight (manga) → .hack//Roots (anime) → PS2 video games (G.U. Rebirth, Reminisce, Redemption) → .hack//CELL (light novels) → .hack//Link (manga) → .hack//Quantum (anime)
More exhaustive explanations on the franchise can be found on TV Tropes and Wikipedia.
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