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The blood-red flash of " Deadly Strike " pierced through the darkness and reduced the HP of the two large insect monsters to zero at the same time.
He used the corner of his eye to confirm that the multi-sided fragments had scattered, and when the hard hit time was over, he retracted his sword and turned around to attack the sharp jaw that was approaching him from behind. Then, I used the same skill again to deal with the huge ant that was making such an ear-piercing sound and leaning back.
This single-shot heavy attack skill appeared in the sword skill list about three days ago when my single-handed sword skill proficiency reached 950. Even I was surprised at how easy it was to use. Even though the skill would last longer, its attack range was more than twice as large as the blade, and its power was comparable to a heavy spear with two hands, which was enough to completely make up for its shortcomings. Of course, if it was used in a battle, the time slot should be immediately read out. However, it was fine if he fought against monsters that only followed the actions of AI. Unceremoniously, he fired continuously, sending all the enemies that rushed forward flying with a bright red effect.
Speaking of which, I felt that after fighting for about an hour under the dim light of the torch, my concentration would indeed be exhausted. Since a while ago, even when faced with the simple attack mode of biting with its large jaws and spitting out acidic mucus, it was unable to react immediately. Although there were many ants, they were not small soldiers. Its habitat was only three floors below the 49th floor of the front line. It was a very powerful monster. Although it was within a safe range based on the level, if he was surrounded by a large number of people, his HP bar would soon drop to the yellow area.
There was only one reason why he would take such a risk to come to a floor that had already been cleared. This was the most efficient and popular place to earn experience points in the current practice area. The giant ants that had emerged one after another from the nests that had several holes in the surrounding cliffs had high Attack Power, but their HP and Defense were very low. As long as they could continuously dodge the attacks, they could defeat a large number of monsters in a short period of time. However, as mentioned earlier, once they were surrounded, they might not even have a chance to stabilize their position. They might be directly killed. Therefore, it was not a training area suitable for solo players. Because this was a very popular location, there was a team that could only use the agreement for one hour at a time. I was the only one in the waiting line. It was the same now. The familiar guild members were waiting for me to finish training at the entrance of the valley. However, their faces, which were lined up side by side, should have an annoyed expression that seemed to be stamped with a seal. No, it would have been fine if I had only made them impatient. However, the members of the large guilds who had a strong sense of teamwork seemed to be making fun of me by calling me " the strongest idiot " and " the outcast "-but of course, I didn't know about this.
After seeing the timer on the left side of my field of vision turn to 57 minutes, I decided to retreat when the next wave of monsters was dealt with. In order to squeeze out the last bit of concentration, I took a deep breath.
First, he threw a dagger at the right ant of the two ants that approached from the left and right at the same time to restrict its movement. Then, he used the three-hit combo skill "Sharp Claw" to kill the guy on the left. As he turned around, he used < Deadly Strike > to slash at the center of the widely opened jaw. In the middle of the hard hit, I used my left glove to swing the green acid that was shooting at me from a distance. He was speechless at the HP bar that had decreased slightly with the effect sound. At the same time, he kicked the ground and jumped up. From the air, he slashed at the ant's softest abdomen and dealt a fatal blow. Then, he used the strongest six-hit combo skill he had learned. After killing the last two enemies with three slashes each, he suddenly ran before the next wave of monsters surged out.
I ran the entire 30-meter-long Ant Valley in five seconds. It was only after I crawled out of the narrow exit that I finally let out a breath. As he panted violently for fresh air, he wondered if the pain only existed in his consciousness, or if his physical body had stopped breathing as well. Before I could come up with an answer, I felt a spasm in my stomach. After I couldn't help but vomit several times, I fell onto the frozen road like a rag.
I heard multiple footsteps approaching. Although I know him, I really can't be bothered to greet him now. After waving his right hand weakly to signal them to leave, he heard a rough voice followed by a loud sigh.
[My level has already pulled away from yours, so I won't be playing today. Listen up, don't let the circle collapse. Pay attention to the people around you at all times. Don't be polite if you encounter danger. Call for help. Also, the moment the Queen appears, run away immediately.」
The guild leader gave the order in a seasoned manner.」[Oh!] After the ground replied, the rustling footsteps gradually faded away. I repeatedly took deep breaths and finally adjusted my breathing. At the same time, I propped up my upper body with my right hand and weakly leaned against a tree trunk.
[Catch!]
He gratefully caught the small bottle of Health Potion that flew over, opened the bottle cap with his thumb, and greedily drank it. Although it tasted like bitter lemon juice, I found it very delicious. I placed the empty bottle on the ground and watched as it emitted a small glow and disappeared. Only then did I raise my head.
Klein, the president of the guild Wind Forest Volcano, whom he had met at the beginning of the death game SAO, was still wearing a headscarf with vulgar patterns. He raised the corner of his mouth that was surrounded by a messy beard and said,
" Kirito, no matter what, this is too reckless. What time did you come here today?"
"Uh... around eight o'clock in the evening.」
I answered in a hoarse voice, and Klein put on an exaggerated expression of dissatisfaction.
"Hey, hey, it's two o'clock in the morning. You've been locked up here for six hours. In such a dangerous training area, one would die instantly if they used up all their energy.」
"It's okay. You can rest for an hour or two while waiting.」
[If no one comes, you plan to keep fighting!」
"That's why I chose this time to come. If they came during the day, they would have to wait for five or six hours.」
Klein dropped the words " you idiot " with a cluck of his tongue. He took off the rare Japanese sword at his waist and sat down heavily in front of me.
"... Well, I've been very clear about how strong you are since the first day of SAO... What's your level now?」
The ability data, including the level, was the lifeline of the players. It was an unwritten rule of the SAO not to ask or mention it easily. However, there was no need to hide it from Klein. I shrugged and answered honestly,
[It has increased to 69 today.]
Klein stopped stroking his chin, and his eyes, which were half-covered by the headscarf, widened.
"... Hey, really? Since when are you more than 10 levels higher than me? However, this makes me even more confused. The speed at which you've been leveling up recently is too unusual. You must have locked yourself in a sparsely populated training area during the day, right? Why did he have to do this? I don't want to hear you say…that you're doing this to complete the game. No matter how strong you became, the progress of conquering the boss was still decided by a powerful guild like KO B.」
[Don't worry about me. As a martial arts fanatic, just earning experience points is very refreshing.]」
Klein put on a serious expression as he refuted the words that came out of my masochistic smile.
"Don't joke around... Even I know how hard it is to keep hunting until you become so haggard. Solitary travel consumed too much mental energy…Even if he was close to level 70, it was not safe to travel alone in this training area. If you want to take risks, you have to have a limit. What's the point of leveling up in a place where you might die at any time?」
Wind Forest Volcano was a guild formed by Klein's friends from before SAO. Every member was a scoundrel who hated excessive interference, even Klein, who was the president.
Although this guy was a very good person, he probably had his own reasons for being so considerate to me, who was a rogue. I had a certain degree of confidence in that reason. With the intention of helping Klein, who was not good at dealing with words, I smiled bitterly.
"It's okay. There's no need to pretend to be worried. You want to know if I'm targeting special mobs, right?」
A special Mob was a monster that was set to be the key to the quest. Most of them appeared once every few days or hours, but some of them only had one chance to clear them, which was very close to the existence of the Boss monster. Of course, the strength was not a joke. Therefore, they usually needed to form a large team like the leader of the raid.
Klein put on a stiff expression and turned around to rub his chin.
[…I don't really want to know…]
[There's no need to hide anymore. You bought the information that I bought from Argo about Santa's leader…I'll buy this information as well.」
[What!]
Klein's eyes widened again, and then he was speechless.
[Argo, that guy... the title of rat is not undeserved.」
"As long as it's information that can be sold, that guy will even sell his own ability value. In short, we all know that our target is the Christmas leader, and we have already bought all the information that we can get from the NPCs at this stage. Therefore, you should know why I would earn experience points without any plans, and why I wouldn't stop no matter what advice you give me.」
"Ah ah…I'm sorry, you should also use the words of persuasion.」
Klein scratched his head and continued,"
"There are less than five days left until the night of the 24th... No matter which guild it is, they want to increase their combat power more or less before the leader appears. However, in this cold night, there were very few idiots who locked themselves in the training area. However…our guild members are close to ten people. Even if we target the leader, we still have a good chance of winning. You should know that since it's an 'annual' powerful special Mob, it's not something that can be hunted alone.」
「…………」
Unable to refute, I lowered my head to look at the light brown withered grass.
A year after SAO began. Before the second Christmas, a rumor began to spread throughout the entire Irongrand. About a month ago, the NPCs on all levels began to talk about the same mission information.
It was said that during the Month of Osmanthus, which was the 24th of December, at 12 o'clock in the evening, the legendary monster " Nicholas the Apostle " would appear under a giant pine tree in a forest. Knock it down and you'll get the treasure in the big bag on the monster's back.
Even the powerful guilds that were only interested in conquering the maze area showed great interest this time. This was because treasures, whether it was a huge amount of Cole or a rare weapon, could greatly help the leader of the raiding floor. If this was a Christmas present given out of goodwill by the SAO system, which had only taken items from players, how could he not receive it?
However, as a solo player, I wasn't interested in this rumor at all. Klein didn't need to say it, I also felt that this wasn't an opponent that could be hunted alone. Moreover, with the money I've earned so far, I can even afford a house if I want to. Most importantly, I didn't want to become famous for playing a special Mob that everyone wanted to clear, which would attract unnecessary attention.
However, two weeks ago, my mood had a 180-degree change because of some NPC information. From then on, I came to this Human Aura Training Area every day. Although I became the laughing stock of everyone, I still kept leveling up like crazy.
Klein accompanied the silent me and didn't say a word for a while. Then, he whispered,"
[As expected, it's because of that intelligence-the 'resurrection prop'…]
[... Ahhh.]
At this point, there was no need to hide anymore. I didn't know how many times it had been since I coldly admitted it. The curved blade envoy sighed deeply and forced the words out.
[I know how you feel…I didn't expect to have such a dream-like item.] 'Nicholas' big bag hides a divine artifact that can save the souls of the dead...'But... like most people say, I also think that it's just a lie. Rather than saying that it was a lie, it was more accurate to say that it was just a script written for the NPCs when the SAO was still developed as a normal VRMMO. In other words, it was just a prop that allowed players to revive without death penalty. However, it was impossible for the current SAO to have such a thing. There was only one penalty, and that was the player's life. Even though I don't want to think about it, that was what that fellow from the Heavenly Thatch Yard said at the start.」
The explanation given by the GM that Kazuhiko Hayaba disguised himself as on the day of the incident rang in my ears-when the HP drops to zero, the player's consciousness will disappear from this world, and they will never be able to return to their physical bodies in reality.
I don't think that's a lie, but…even so…
"…No one can be sure that the death of this world is equivalent to what actually happened.」
As if I was resisting something, I said these words. The next moment, Klein wrinkled his nose and said,"
" After you die, you realize that you've returned to reality and are alive and well. Would Mao Chang still say 'I lied to you' to you? Stop fooling around. This problem had been confirmed a year ago. If it was just a bad joke, he would have immediately pulled out all the players 'NERvGear and the incident would have been resolved. Since there was no other way, it meant that this was a real game of death. The moment the HP drops to zero, the NERvGear will immediately turn into a microwave oven and burn our brains. If it wasn't for that…those bastards who were killed by those bastards and monsters, crying 'I don't want to die' and disappearing at the same time…what are they…"
[Shut up!]
I interrupted Klein with a hoarse voice that surprised even myself.
"If you really think I don't understand this kind of thing, then I have nothing to say to you... Indeed, Hayaba said that on that day, but didn't KO's Heathcliffe also say it during the floor boss contract strategy a while ago? As long as there was a 1% chance of saving their companion's life, they had to pursue that possibility with all their might. Those who could not do it were not qualified to form a team. Although I don't like that man, what he said is correct. I'm trying that possibility. Suppose the consciousness of the person who died in this world did not return to reality, but did not disappear. Instead, they were transferred to a place similar to a reserved area, waiting for the final outcome of the game. If that was the case, there was a reason for the resurrection tool to be established.」
I gave a rare long speech about the unreliable hypothesis that had been supporting me recently. Klein put away his anger and looked at me with pity.
"... really?"
His voice was completely different from before. It was very calm.
[Kirito... you still haven't forgotten what happened in the previous guild... it's been half a year...]
I turned my head and spat out an explanation.
" I should say, how could I forget it after only half a year... They were all wiped out, except for me..."
[It's called 'Black Cat Group on a Moonlit Night', right?] It wasn't like they were attacking a guild, and they even ran to a place close to the front line. In the end, it was probably the Thieves who triggered the alarm trap. That's not your responsibility. No one will blame you. They might even praise you for being able to survive.」
" It's not like that... It's my responsibility. Whether it's to stop them from going to the front line, to make them ignore the treasure chest, or to let everyone escape after the alarm rings, it's all something I can do..."
If I hadn't hidden my level and skills from my companions. The pain of not telling Klein the truth bit my chest. Before the unintelligent curved saber operator could say something comforting that he was not good at, I rushed to continue.
[Indeed, there's not even a one percent chance. Whether it was the possibility of me finding the Santa leader, the possibility of defeating that guy alone, the possibility of the resurrection tool really existing, or the possibility of the consciousness of the dead being preserved…all of these combined were like finding a grain of sand in the desert. However…it wasn't zero. Since it's not zero, I have to put in the most effort for it. Besides…Klein, you're definitely not worried about money, right? So, you're targeting him for the same reason as I am?」
Klein grunted at my question. He grabbed the scabbard on the ground and replied,"
" I'm different from a dreamer like you. It's just that…I had a friend who was killed before. If I don't do everything I can for him, I won't be able to sleep at night..."
Klein stood up and I smiled bitterly.
[It's the same.]
[It's different. After all, our main goal is the treasure. What we said just now was just a passing thing…With only that group of people around, it would be bad if a giant ant ran out. I'll go and take a look at the situation."
[Ah ah.]
I nodded slightly, closed my eyes, and leaned against the tree trunk. I heard the soft voice of the curved sword messenger as he walked away.
"Also, I'm not worried about you just to get information, you bastard. If you die in a place like this because you're trying to be brave, I won't use a resurrection item for you!」
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