Rumors related to " that metal " began to spread among the refiners about ten days ago.
The final large-scale mission in SAO naturally referred to breaking through to the top. Other than that, there were also other missions of all sizes. For example, NPCs could entrust quests, act as guards, and search for items. Although the quests had a wide range of contents, they were very popular because there were satisfying tools in the rewards. Moreover, once someone completed the quests, they would only be triggered after a certain period of time. There were even quests that only appeared once, so they were very popular among players.
One of these quests was found in a small village in the corner of the fifty-fifth floor. A white-bearded NPC who was the village chief said,
A white dragon lived in the mountains to the west, eating crystals as food every day and hoarding a large amount of precious metals refined from its stomach.
It was obvious that this was a quest that could obtain weapon materials, so a large group of people immediately formed a strategy team and easily attacked the White Dragon on the mountain.
However, he didn't get anything. The loot was only a small amount of Cole and poor equipment. It couldn't even make up for the cost of potions and recovery crystals.
Later, everyone guessed that the metal might have been randomly dropped, so many teams talked to the elders, triggered events, and knocked down the white dragon, but still did not appear. Within a week, everyone had killed countless White Dragons, but not a single team had obtained any metal. In the end, someone suggested that it must have triggered some mission condition, so now everyone seemed to be working hard to verify it.
After hearing what I said, the man named Kirito, who was sitting on the chair in the studio with his legs crossed and sipping the tea I didn't want to make, replied with an " Ah ah " and nodded slightly.
[I've heard of this before. There was indeed a high possibility of obtaining material props. But no one has ever gotten it, right? Can we really get it if we go now?」
[In all kinds of rumors, there is a saying that 'there must be a refiner in the team', because there are not many refiners who can improve their combat skills.」
"I see. It's indeed worth a try. In that case, let's set off quickly.」
「…………」
I stared at Kirito's face, unable to take it anymore.
[You're lucky that you're able to survive until today without any sense of crisis. This isn't a hunt for fairies. If we don't properly recruit team members..."
[But if we do that, even if the target drops, we might not get a share, right?] Which level is that white dragon on?"
[... Level 55.]
"Well, I should be able to handle it by myself. It's okay if Lizbet doesn't do anything.」
[... Are you a super expert or a super idiot?] Forget it, I don't care. Anyway, it seems interesting to see you cry and escape.」
Kirito chuckled and did not reply. He quickly finished his tea and placed the cup on the table.
"Well, I can leave anytime, but where's Lizbet?」
"Ah, forget it. You don't intend to add a title anyway. Just call me Liz…The mountain range where the White Dragon lives doesn't seem to be large. If we can go back and forth in the same day, I'll just prepare a little.」
Opening the window, he first equipped his apron with simple defensive equipment. After confirming that his usual warhammer had been stored in the item bar, he then checked if he had enough crystals and potions.
I closed the window and said OK. Kirito also stood up. When I came to the shop from the studio, I saw that there were no customers at all. I took the opportunity to turn over the wooden sign at the door.
Looking up from the entrance, the sunlight was still quite bright. It seemed that it would be dark for a while. Regardless of whether I succeeded in obtaining the metal or failed-no matter how I thought about it, the probability of the latter was higher-I didn't want to go home too late.
That being said.
Things seemed to have developed into a strange situation…
I walked out of the shop and headed to the transfer gate square while thinking carefully in my heart.
I definitely didn't have a good impression of the man in black who was walking leisurely beside me. Not only did he make me angry, but he's also an arrogant person who thinks he's great. Most importantly, he even broke my masterpiece.
Even though I said that, I was walking side by side with this man I just met. They had even formed a team and were preparing to set off for a hunt on a floor that was quite far away. Wasn't this a date?
Thinking of this, I forcefully stopped thinking. I've never encountered such a thing before. Although there were a few male players who had a good relationship with me, I would definitely find all sorts of reasons to avoid the two of them going out alone. If I wanted to do this, the first person I would go out with would definitely be the person I liked. This was my original plan.
However, when I came back to my senses, I was with this strange man…What was going on!
Kirito didn't notice the entanglement in my heart at all. As soon as he saw the food stall at the entrance of the transfer gate square, he immediately rushed over. When he turned around, he had a huge hot dog in his mouth.
"Do you want to eat the black grain?"
…My heart was instantly filled with a sense of powerlessness, and I felt even more like an idiot when I was troubled just now. So I replied loudly,"
[Yes!]
The crispy hot dog-to be precise, it was a mysterious food that looked like a hot dog-had yet to completely dissipate the thick taste in our mouths when we arrived at the legendary village on the north side of the 55th checkpoint.
Moreover, there were no problems when they encountered monsters in the training area.
Considering that the frontline was checkpoint 63, the monsters that appeared here should be considered strong enemies. However, my level was around 65, and the Kirito who had bragged was also about the same level, so several battles ended without any injuries.
The only miscalculation was that the theme of this floor was the ice and snow area.
[Achoo!]
When I stepped into the small village and relaxed, I sneezed loudly. The season for the other floors was early summer, so he was too careless. Not only was there snow on the ground, but there were also huge icicles hanging from the eaves of every house.
This bone-freezing cold made me tremble. Kirito, who was standing at the side, put on a surprised expression and asked,"
"…Didn't you bring any other clothes?」
[... No.]
Then, the man in black, who didn't seem to be wearing much, operated the window. He first materialized a large black leather cloak and placed it above my head.
[... are you okay?]
[I say, this is a matter of willpower.」
This man's every word really made people angry. But the fur-lined cloak looked warm, and I couldn't resist its charms, so I put it on at once. The moment I couldn't feel the cold wind, I heaved a sigh of relief.
"Well... which one is the elder's house?」
When Kirito said this, I looked around the small village and noticed a house with a particularly high roof opposite the central square.
"It should be that one, right?"
[Probably.]
We nodded at each other and started walking.
A few minutes later.
As expected, we found the village chief NPC with a white beard and successfully triggered the conversation. This was because his story started from his childhood, through the bitterness of his youth and prime, and then he suddenly mentioned the White Dragon that lived in the western mountains. When he finished, the sunset had completely enveloped the entire village.
Exhausted, we left the village chief's house. The snow covering all the houses was dyed orange by the setting sun. It was a beautiful scene, but-
[... I didn't expect it to take so long to trigger the event...]
"Can't stand it…What should I do? Wait until tomorrow?"
He turned to look at Kirito.
" Yes, but I've also heard that the White Dragon is a night creature. Is it that mountain?"
Looking in the direction he was pointing, she saw a steep white mountain peak not far away. Even so, under the restrictions of Ain Grand's structure, the height would never exceed 100 meters, so climbing up the mountain should not be too difficult.
[That's true. Let's go.] Anyway, I want to see you cry sooner.」
[Don't be scared by my gorgeous swordsmanship.」
The two people who were originally facing each other snorted and turned around. However, how should I put it? I was clearly bickering with Kirito, but my heart was starting to feel a little nervous.
I shook my head vigorously and reset my useless thoughts before walking out on the snow.
The mountain range where the White Dragon resided looked rather steep from a distance, but when they really started to climb, they climbed up effortlessly.
Thinking about it carefully, many mixed teams had successfully reached the top without any difficulty, so the difficulty could not be too high.
Although it was also related to time, the strongest monster among the monsters that would appear was the ice skeleton called Frost Skeleton. Moreover, skeletal monsters are no match for my warhammer. Just like that, I knocked out the enemies with a clear sound.
After walking on the snowy road for dozens of minutes, they turned into a steep ice wall and reached the top of the mountain.
The bottom of the upper layer seemed to be very close. There were huge crystal pillars that broke through the snow everywhere. The purple light of the setting sun reflected irregularly and emitted a seven-colored light. This scene could only be described as a dream.
[Wow...!]
I couldn't help but cheer as I prepared to run out, but Kirito grabbed me by the collar.
" Wuuu…What are you doing!"
"Hey, prepare the transfer crystal first.」
Faced with that overly serious expression, I could only obediently nod in agreement. I materialized the crystal and placed it in the pocket of my apron.
"Also, it's going to be very dangerous, so I'll handle it alone. As soon as the White Dragon appears, hide behind the crystal over there and never come out.」
[…What? My level is obviously quite high. I have to help too.]」
[No!]
Kirito's black pupils looked straight into mine. The moment our eyes met, I understood that this person was worried about my safety from the bottom of his heart, so I held my breath and stood there in a daze. I didn't say anything and just nodded again.
Kirito smiled and patted me on the head, saying,"Let's go then."」I could only nod my head vigorously.
He felt like the atmosphere had changed.
Why did she come here with Kirito? Was she trying to change her mood? I was still going with the flow. In short, I didn't realize that this was a battle that required me to gamble my life.
Moreover, more than half of my experience points for leveling up came from crafting weapons. I had never been to a merciless battlefield before.
But I think this person is different. He had the eyes of a person who fought in a dangerous place every day.
After walking for a while with a chaotic mood, he immediately arrived at the center of the mountain peak.
He quickly looked around but didn't find any traces of the White Dragon. However, when he saw the space surrounded by the crystal pillar...
[Woah...]
He opened a huge cave with a diameter of at least ten meters. The surface of the wall that was frozen and shining extended vertically downward, and the depths were covered in darkness that made it impossible to see the bottom.
[So deep…]
Kirito kicked a small crystal fragment into the cave with the tip of his foot. The specks of light reflected by the fragments that fell into the cave immediately disappeared, and there was not even an echo.
[Don't fall down.]
[Of course not!]
Not long after I pouted my lips and replied, a sharp cry like that of a raptor tore through the air that was dyed blue by the last bit of sunset, resounding throughout the entire snowy mountain peak.
[Hide behind there!]
Kirito pointed at the large crystal pillar nearby and ordered. I hurriedly did as he said, gesturing at Kirito's back and shouting,"
"Well…the White Dragon's attack mode is the two-handed claw, freezing breath, and storm attack…You, you have to be careful!」
I quickly added that last sentence, and I saw Kirito maintain his back to me in a cool posture, waving his left fist with a thumbs up. The space in front of him shook almost at the same time, and a huge object surged out as if it was seeping through.
The partially thick and uneven edges appeared one after another. As the multi-sided shapes joined together, the intelligence increased with the gradually formed appearance. Finally, the huge body was almost complete. Just as the appearance could be recognized, the roar that made people tremble sounded again. Countless shards flew in all directions, then disappeared with a flash of light.
What appeared was a white dragon with scales shining like ice. It slowly flapped its huge wings and hovered in the air. The posture was frightening-it would be more appropriate to describe it as very beautiful. It stared at the two of us with its big red jade eyes.
Kirito calmly reached his hand behind his back and pulled out his pitch-black single-handed sword. Then, like a signal, the white dragon opened its large jaw, and with a hard sound effect, it spewed a torrent of white gas.
[It's a breath!] Quickly get out of the way!"
I couldn't help but shout, but Kirito didn't move. He stood straight and stabbed the sword in his right hand upward.
How could such a thin weapon possibly block the attack of the breath? Just as I thought this, the sword began to spin like a windmill with Kirito's hand as the center. Judging from the light green effect light, it should be a type of sword skill. Before long, it spun so fast that the blade could not be seen. It looked like a round shield made of light.
The ice breath attacked the light shield from the front, emitting a dazzling white flash that made me turn my head away. However, when the torrent of cold air hit the shield made of Kirito's sword, it dispersed and evaporated as if it was blown away.
I quickly looked at Kirito's body to confirm his HP bar. Perhaps because he could not completely block the breath, his health points were slowly decreasing to the left. But surprisingly, the damage immediately recovered after a few seconds. This should be one of the super high-level combat skills," Recovery During Battle ". However, in order to increase the level of this skill, one had to continuously take a lot of damage in battle. In reality, it was impossible to cultivate this skill safely.
Who the hell is he…?
Only now did I begin to think hard about the identity of this swordsman in black. With such strength, one would only think that he was a player from the Strategy Group. However, this name wasn't on the list of members of the top guilds, which was mainly composed of KO B.
At this moment, Kirito, who had predicted the end of his breath attack, made a move. He stepped out of the exploding snow dust and pounced toward the White Dragon that was still in midair.
Generally speaking, when facing an enemy who was flying, they would first use a halberd or a throwing weapon. These weapons with a longer attack range would drag the enemy to the ground, and then the members with a shorter attack range would join the battle. However, Kirito surprisingly flew to a place where he almost touched the White Dragon's head and then used a single-handed sword combo in the air.
With a sharp clanging sound, Kirito's attacks kept hitting White Dragon's body at a speed that the eye could not keep up with. Although the White Dragon also used its left and right claws to fight, the effect was far inferior.
When the Kirito landed on the ground again after a long time in the air, the White Dragon's HP bar had been reduced by more than 30%.
- One-sided massacre. Looking at this unbelievable battle scene, I couldn't help but feel a chill down my spine.
Even though the White Dragon aimed at the Kirito that had landed and spat out his Frozen Breath, this time, he used Sprint to dodge and jumped up again. As the heavy sound rang out, the single heavy attack hit the target one after another. At this time, the White Dragon's HP also decreased on a large scale.
His HP bar immediately turned from yellow to red. The battle should end after one or two more attacks. I decided to praise Kirito's strength directly this time. I stood up and took a step out from behind the crystal pillar.
At this moment, Kirito suddenly shouted as if he had eyes on his back,"
"Idiot! Don't come out yet!"
[What? It's obviously going to end soon, isn't it? Hurry up and solve it…]
And when I call back-
The white dragon, which was flying higher than before, spread its wings wide open. As the two wings flapped in front of its body, the snow right below the White Dragon exploded!」It flew into the air.
「……?」
A few meters in front of me, who couldn't help but be stunned, Tong, who had stabbed his single-handed sword into the ground, moved his mouth as if he wanted to say something to me, but his figure was immediately covered by snow and dust. In the next instant, I was easily blown into the air by the impact of the air barrier.
Oh no…It was a storm attack!
As I rolled in the air, I recalled the White Dragon's attack pattern that I had just mentioned. Fortunately, it didn't have much attack power, so I didn't suffer any damage. I spread my hands and got into a stance.
However, there was no ground in front of them after the snow dust dispersed.
It was a huge cave on the top of the mountain. I was blown directly above the cave.
His thoughts instantly stopped, and his body froze.
[Liar…]
I could only mumble these words unconsciously as I reached out my right hand into the air.
A black-gloved hand gripped my finger.
I opened my almost unfocused eyes wide.
「…………!」
Kirito, who was confronting the White Dragon from afar, rushed over at an astonishing speed. Without hesitation, he leaped into the air and grabbed my hand with his left hand, pulling me into his arms. Then, she wrapped her arms around my back and hugged me tightly.
[Hold on tight!]
I listened to Kirito's roar in my ears and hugged his body with both hands. In the next moment, the two of them began to fall.
In the middle of the huge cave, the two of us hugged each other and fell straight down. The sound of the wind blew in his ears, and his cloak fluttered in the wind.
If this cave extended to the surface of the building, falling from this height would definitely kill him. This thought flashed through my mind, but I didn't think it was something that had happened in reality. I just stared blankly at the gradually disappearing white circle.
Suddenly, Kirito's right hand, which was holding the sword, moved. First, he raised it back with force, then swung it forward. Light accompanied by " Clang!" A metallic sound rang out.
The counterforce of the powerful Dash changed our angle of descent and we bounced towards the wall of the cave. The blue ice wall was getting closer and closer. I couldn't help but grit my teeth. They were about to collide!
Just as he was about to crash into the wall, Kirito raised the sword in his right hand again and stabbed it at the wall with all his might. Just like when a weapon came into contact with a rotating whetstone, intense sparks flew out. The impact caused the speed of the fall to slow down, but it was still impossible to stop.
As the sound of metal being cut through rang out, Kirito's sword was cutting through the ice wall. I turned my neck and looked in the direction where I fell. I could already see the bottom of the cave filled with snow. They were getting closer and closer, and there were only a few seconds left before they collided. I thought that at least I wouldn't scream and desperately bit my lips, hugging Kirito tightly.
Kirito let go of the sword in his hand and hugged me tightly with both arms. He then rotated his body so that he was below me. Then-
Impact. A loud bang.
The snowflakes that flew up along with the explosive force gently landed on her face and then disappeared.
The coldness pulled her consciousness back. He opened his eyes and met Kirito's black eyes at a very close distance.
Kirito continued to hug me tightly as he stiffly raised the corner of his mouth into a faint smile.
[... Still alive.]
I nodded slightly and replied,
[Yes, he's still alive.]
For tens of seconds-or maybe minutes-we lay there motionless. The warmth coming from Kirito's body made everyone relax, and their minds went blank.
Soon, Kirito let go of his arm and slowly stood up. He first picked up the sword that he had dropped nearby and put it back into its sheath. Then, he took out a small bottle of high-grade recovery potion from the bag at his waist and gave it to me.
[At least drink it.]
[... Yes.]
I nodded and sat up to take the bottle, checking my HP bar. I still had about one-third of my body left, but the Kirito that had crashed into the ground had already entered the red zone.
I opened the bottle cap and drank the sweet and sour liquid in one gulp before turning around to face Kirito. Maintaining a slightly casual sitting position, I moved my lips that were still unable to speak properly.
" That…Thank you, thank you for saving me…"
Kirito replied with his usual cold smile,"
[It's still too early to thank me.]
He looked up into the sky.
[... Thank God the White Dragon didn't come after us, but what should we do to leave this place now...]
[Eh... Teleportation is enough?]」
I reached into the pocket of my apron and took out the glowing blue transfer crystal for Kirito to see. But-
"It shouldn't be. This is a trap meant for players to fall into. I don't think we can escape with such an easy method.」
[How could this be…]
Kirito used his gaze to signal for me to give it a try, so I held the crystal tightly and ordered,"
[Transfer! Linda!"
- My cry echoed on the ice wall in emptiness and finally disappeared. The crystal just flashed silently.
Kirito calmly and quietly lowered his shoulders.
[If I was sure that I could use the crystal, I would have used it when I fell. Because this place feels like a crystal void…"
「…………」
I lowered my head in disappointment. Kirito put his hand on my head and touched my hair in a mess.
"Well, don't be so depressed. Since he couldn't use the crystal, there must be another way to leave this place.」
"…It's hard to say. This might be a trap that requires the person who falls to be 100% dead…I should say that they are usually dead!」
[I see. That's true.]
Seeing Kirito nod his head in agreement so easily, I felt powerless again.
[You…you! Can you be more energetic?"
When he saw me shout, Kirito smiled."
[Liz is more suitable for an angry expression. This is the aura!]」
[What…]
My face turned red and my body stiffened. Kirito removed his hand from my head and stood up.
[Next, let's start experimenting with all kinds of ideas…I'm collecting ideas!]」
I could only smile bitterly at Kirito's attitude of doing things his own way even in such a situation. After I felt that I was slightly energized, I slapped my cheeks with both hands and stood up.
Looking around, the thin layer of snow on the flat ice floor was indeed the bottom of the cave. The diameter should be the same as the entrance of the cave, about ten meters. The afterglow of the setting sun reflected through the ice wall shone weakly from the high and far entrance, but it should be completely surrounded by darkness immediately.
It seemed that there was no way out, be it the ground or the surrounding walls. I placed my hands on my hips and racked my brain. Then, I said the first idea that came to my mind.
"That... what about finding someone to help?」
"Well, this is a maze, right?」
Kirito simply rejected it.
Although there was a way to contact the players who were logged in to the friend list, such as Asuna, it could not be used in the maze. Furthermore, he could not track the other party's location. To be cautious, I opened the message window to take a look, but just as Kirito said, I couldn't use it.
[Then…what about the players who shouted loudly to hunt the White Dragon?]」
" It's about 80 meters away from the top of the mountain... Sound shouldn't be able to reach there..."
[Is that so…Hey! You should also think of a way!"
When I was a little angry because my opinions were constantly being rejected, Kirito said something incredible.
[Run up the wall.]
[... Are you stupid?]
[Yes or no, we'll know once we try...]
Under my astonished gaze, Kirito first moved closer to the wall, then suddenly dashed towards the other wall at an extremely fast speed. The snow that had accumulated on the floor flew up violently, and the strong wind hit my face.
Just as he was about to hit the wall, Kirito instantly lowered his body and jumped up with a sound that sounded like an explosion. After standing on the high and far wall, he ran diagonally upward.
[How is that possible…]
Far above me, who was standing there with my mouth agape, Kirito was like a ninja in a third-rate movie shot in the United States, spiraling up the ice wall. His figure grew smaller and smaller, and when he was about a third of the way up, he slipped and fell.
[Waaah!]
Kirito waved his arms and fell towards the top of my head.
[Waaah?]
I screamed and backed away. The next moment," Bang!" A human-shaped dent appeared where I was standing just now.
A minute later, Kirito, who had finished his second bottle of recovery potion, sat next to me and leaned against the wall. I couldn't help but sigh.
"Although I always thought you were stupid, I didn't expect you to be so stupid.」
"If the run-up distance is a little longer, you can climb up.」
[That's not true.]
I muttered softly.
Kirito, who threw the empty bottle into the bag, ignored my grumbling and stretched lazily before saying,"
"Well, anyway, it's getting dark. Let's camp here today. Fortunately, there did not seem to be any monsters in this cave.」
Indeed, the color of the setting sun had completely faded, and the bottomless darkness completely surrounded the bottom of the cave.
[That's true…]
[Since you've decided…]
Kirito opened the window, moved his fingers, and began to materialize all kinds of things one by one.
A large camping lantern, a pot, a few mysterious bags, and two mugs.
"... you always carry these things with you?」
"It's common to stay out all night in the maze.」
He replied with a serious expression. It seemed that he was not joking. He clicked on the lantern to light it. With a pop, a bright orange light illuminated the surroundings.
After placing the small pot on the lantern, Kirito first picked up the snowball and threw it in, then poured everything in the small bag into it. He covered the lid of the pot and tapped the pot twice. A window that counted down the waiting time for the dish appeared.
Soon, the fragrance of herbs entered my nose. Thinking about it carefully, he had only eaten a hot dog during lunch. It was as if my stomach had woken up from reality, and I began to strongly insist that I was hungry.
With a bang, the timer disappeared. Kirito picked up the pot and poured the contents into two cups.
[My cooking skill proficiency is zero, so don't expect the taste.]」
[Thank you…]
He took the cup that was handed to him, and a wave of warmth slowly spread between his palms.
Although it was just a simple soup made with herbs and dried meat, the ingredients and props seemed to be of high quality. The taste was really good, and the warmth gradually seeped into his cold body.
" It's really…a wonderful feeling…so surreal…"
I muttered softly as I drank the hot soup.
" Like this... in a place I've never been before, sitting together and eating with someone I've met for the first time..."
"Is that so... because Liz is a professional. When exploring the maze, it was not uncommon for players to form a group and sleep in the open.」
"Well-I see... Tell me more about the maze.」
" Eh, hmm, alright, I don't think it's that interesting…Ah! Before that…"
Kirito collected the two empty cups and put them together with the pot into the window. Then, he continued to operate. This time, he took out two large pieces of cloth.
From the way it was laid out, it should be a portable bed used for camping. It looked like a sleeping bag in the real world, but it was very big.
"This is a high-grade product. It has excellent heat insulation and has a concealment effect on active monsters.」
He smiled and threw one over. I caught it and spread it out on the snow. It was big enough to fit three of me. I said in surprise again,
" To think that you can carry such a thing everywhere, and there are two of them..."
[You have to make full use of your inventory.」
Kirito quickly disarmed himself and got into the portable bed on the left. I also removed my cloak and warhammer and slid my body into the bag-shaped cloth.
Bu Gui was the prop that he was proud of. It was indeed very warm inside, and it was lighter and softer than it looked.
We lay about a metre apart with lanterns between us. I don't know why-I feel shy.
As if to dispel this shyness, I said,
"Hey, let's continue the topic.」
[Ah, ah, um…]
Kirito crossed his arms behind his head and began to speak.
When he stepped into the trap of the MPK in the maze area, it was a vicious criminal who deliberately gathered monsters to attack other players. Facing the boss monster that had low attack power but was extremely hard, everyone took turns to sleep and fought for two whole days. About the 100-person dice-throwing event held to distribute rare items.
Every story was exciting, satisfying, and sometimes funny. Moreover, all the stories clearly pointed out that Kirito was one of the members of the strategy team who constantly fought at the front line.
However, if that was the case, this person could be said to be carrying the fate of thousands of players on his shoulders. He shouldn't be someone who would sacrifice his life for someone like me.
I turned around and looked at Kirito's face. His black eyes that reflected the light of the lantern glanced at me.
"Um... Kirito, can I ask you something...?」
"Why are you suddenly so cautious?」
[At that time, why did you save me…?] It's not guaranteed that he'll be saved. No…I should say that the probability of you dying together with him is much higher, but…why…"
The corners of Kirito's mouth froze. However, he immediately calmed down and replied in a calm voice.
"... Compared to leaving people in the lurch, it's better to die together. And it was a girl like Liz.」
"... You're really an idiot. There won't be a guy like you.」
Although she said that, her eyes couldn't help but tear up. I tried hard to deny that the depths of my heart were tightly clenched.
This was the first time he had heard such honest and direct warm words since he came to this world.
No, he had never heard of it even in his original world.
These few months, the feeling of wanting to interact with more people and loneliness that had been lingering in the depths of my heart suddenly turned into a huge wave that attacked me. I want to be able to touch the depths of my heart and directly confirm the warmth of Kirito.
Unconsciously, a short sentence came out of my mouth.
[Hey…hold my hand.]
He turned his body to the left and stretched out his right hand from the portable bed to the side.
Kirito's black eyes widened slightly. Soon, he answered softly," Yes." Then, he extended his left hand in trepidation. The moment their fingers touched, both of them shrank back before they held each other again.
Kirito's hand, which I held tightly, was much warmer than the mug that had just been filled with soup. The bottom of my hand was clearly touching the frozen ground, but I didn't notice the coldness at all.
It's the warmth of a person…I thought.
Ever since I came to this world, the desire that often lingered in a part of my heart seemed to have finally come to be understood.
Because this was a fantasy world, my real body was placed in a distant place, and no matter how hard I stretched out my hand, I couldn't reach it. Because I was afraid of realizing this, I kept setting goals and devoted myself to my work. I kept telling myself to hone my smelting skills and make my shop more prosperous.
However, deep in my heart, I still feel that all of this is fake. It's just a simple file. I long for the warmth of a real person.
Of course, Kirito's body was also part of the file. The temperature that surrounded me now was just an electronic signal that gave my brain the illusion of warmth.
However, I finally realized that that wasn't the problem at all. To feel the sincerity of the other party---whether in the real world or this virtual world, this was the only reality.
I held Kirito's hand tightly and closed my eyes with a smile.
My heart was beating faster than usual, but unfortunately, sleepiness came early and brought my consciousness into a comfortable darkness.
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