In the remaining four days before Christmas, my level increased by another level, reaching the 70 mark.
During this period of time, I didn't sleep at all. This should be the price I have to pay. Sometimes, I would feel a headache as if I had been stabbed by a nail, but even if I lay down, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep.
Since then, Klein's guild, Wind, Forest, Volcano, had never appeared in Ant Valley. As for me, I continued to mix in with the large teams of other guilds and lined up, hunting ants alone like a robot. The gazes of the gamers who were looking at me finally turned from mockery to disgust. Although there were still people who would talk to me, as soon as they met my gaze, they would immediately turn their faces away and leave.
The biggest unsolved case among a large group of people who were targeting Christmas presents was the location of the huge pine tree that would produce the " Apostate Nicholas ". Regarding this question, I took advantage of the gap in my leveling up in Ant Valley to obtain an almost certain answer.
I had searched for the coordinates of all the trees I had bought from various intelligence agencies. However, although those trees looked like Christmas trees, they were actually not firs, but firs. Unlike the cedar trees with needle-like leaves, the front end of the leaves was slender and oval. I know this because I have these two trees in my backyard in the real world.
A few months ago, I found a huge curved tree in a corner of the random transfer maze of the thirty-fifth level, the Lost Forest. I thought that the shape seemed to have some kind of meaning. It might be the starting point of an unknown mission, so I did a careful investigation, but I didn't find anything at that time. Now that he thought about it, that giant tree was a fir-shaped tree. On Christmas, which was tonight, the special Mob " Nicholas the Apostle " should appear under that tree.
I didn't feel anything as I listened to the horn that announced that my level had risen to 70. After I finished sweeping away the surrounding ants, I took out the transfer crystal from my bag. I didn't greet the players who were queuing up and directly returned to the frontlines where I was currently living, the main street area on the 49th floor.
He raised his head and looked at the clock tower in the transfer gate square. There were only three hours left before midnight. They probably wanted to spend Christmas Eve together, as the square was filled with couples walking with their arms around each other. I quickly passed through them and rushed back to the hotel.
After rushing into the room that I had been staying in for a long time, I immediately opened the storage box installed in the room. From the item window that popped out, I moved all the recovery crystals, antidote crystals, potions, and the like to the portable item window. Even though this alone could be counted as a fortune, I wouldn't feel that it would be a pity to use it all.
He also took out his rare one-handed sword from his collection. After confirming its durability, he exchanged it with the sword on his back that had been damaged by the ants. Then, he replaced all his defensive equipment, including his leather coat, with new ones.
When I finished all my homework and was about to close the window, I suddenly stopped when I saw the top of my props bar.
There, in addition to the page labeled " Self," which was my own item bar, there was also a page labeled " Sachi."
This was a common tool window set by players who were in a good relationship but had not yet gotten married. This was different from the marriage where all the props and money were set to be shared without saying anything. Only the props in this tab window were shared by the two of them.
Yuki, who had never even asked to confess or hold hands, said that she wanted to set up this window not long before she passed away. When I asked her for the reason, she said that she could easily exchange items such as recovery potions. If this was the purpose, there was already a common window for guild members. This was a rather unacceptable answer, but I still agreed and set up a common tab for me and Sachi.
Even if he died, this page was left behind. Of course, Yuki's name was still in the friend list, but Yuki's name had already turned gray and could not be contacted. The few recovery potions and crystals that were left in the common item column could no longer be used.
After half a year, even though the guild tab had been removed, I still couldn't remove the label with Yuki's name. Of course, the reason is not that I believe there is a possibility of her resurrection. I just couldn't forgive myself for being able to feel a little more relaxed once I got rid of it.
After looking at Yuki's name for about 10 minutes, I snapped back to reality and closed the window. There were only two hours left before midnight.
As I walked out of the room and moved towards the teleportation door, I kept thinking about Yuki's expression at the last moment. All I could think about was what she wanted to say at that time.
After moving to the thirty-fifth level and walking out of the portal, they arrived at a square that was completely different from the front line. It was very quiet. Perhaps it was because there was still some distance between this place and the main battlefield of the intermediate players, and the main street area was a rural area that was not worth visiting. However, I still pulled up the collar of my coat and quickly left the street area while avoiding the gazes of the players present.
I didn't have the time or energy to fight with the minions. After confirming that no one was following me, I started to run at full speed. Relying on the increase in my level in this month, my agility increased by a lot. My feet on the snow were as light as feathers. Although the pain in my temples didn't disappear, it also made me feel completely awake.
After running for about ten minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the Lost Forest. This training area maze was made up of countless square blocks. Because the connection points between each block were randomly alternated, it was almost impossible to break through without a map item.
He opened the map and stared at the marked area, deducing the path to that place. After memorizing the route, I walked into the Dark Forest alone.
After two unavoidable battles, I arrived at the area before the target tree without any obstacles. There were more than thirty minutes left.
Next, I would have to fight against the boss monster that might take my life-and the probability of that happening was very high. However, I didn't feel any fear in my heart. Perhaps this was what I was hoping for. Dying in the battle to resurrect Yuuki might be the only way I could accept dying.
I didn't mean to say something heroic like " I'm looking for my own burial ground." I had no right to pursue the meaning of my own death.
What was the point of doing this? Fortunately, you asked me this question. I replied that it was meaningless.
Now, I can finally turn those words into reality. In the meaningless death game SAO created by the crazy genius Hayaba Akihiko, Yuki died meaninglessly. Similarly, I would die in a place where no one would notice, without being remembered, and without any meaning.
If I successfully defeat the boss and survive, then the resurrection item will definitely turn from a rumor into a reality. I thought so without any basis. Fortunately, her soul will return from the Yellow Springs Road or the River Styx. At that time, I will be able to hear her last words. At last-at last, I've been waiting for this moment...
Just as I was about to walk the last few dozen meters, I suddenly felt several players appear from the transfer point behind me. I backed away in surprise and reached out to grab the hilt of my sword.
A group of about ten people appeared. Standing at the front was Klein, a man with a headscarf and a long sword hanging from his waist.
The main members of the Wind, Forest, Volcano guild all had nervous expressions as they approached me, who was standing in front of the last transfer point. I stared straight at Klein's face and squeezed out a hoarse voice.
[... Are you following me?]
Klein nodded as he grabbed his hair that was sticking up behind his headscarf.
[Yes, we have a master of tracking skills here.」
"Why me?"
"Because I bought the information that you had bought all the coordinates of all the trees. As a result, the person who was sent to the 49th floor to guard the transfer door saw you moving to a floor that did not appear in the information. I think your combat ability and intuition for the game are really strong. You're even the strongest in the strategy team…King Shen is above that Heavencliffe. That's why…Kirito, you can't die in a place like this!」
Klein pointed at me with his right hand and shouted,"
"Give up on the pointless act of attacking alone and form a contract team with us. And the resurrection item was willingly accepted by the person who dropped the monster. That was fine, right?」
[... In this case...]
I could no longer believe that Klein was saying this because he treated me as a friend and was worried about me.
" If that's the case, there's no point at all... I have to conquer it alone..."
Gripping the hilt of my sword tightly, I thought with my fanatical mind.
Kill everyone.
In the past, at the start of this game of death, I had abandoned Klein, a beginner who knew nothing, and headed to the next town alone. I regretted this for a long time, and I was relieved that Klein had survived so beautifully.
At this moment, I seriously thought about it. Even if I had to personally kill one of my few friends and become a red player, would I still have to achieve my goal? He shouted weakly in his heart that this kind of thing was meaningless, but another voice that was hoping for its meaningless death roared back with an overwhelming volume.
I was sure that if I pulled the sword out a little, I would never be able to stop myself from that moment on. Klein, on the other hand, looked at me with a sorrowful gaze, my right hand trembling non-stop as I struggled internally.
At this moment, the third batch of intruders appeared in the block.
This time, there were more than ten people in the team. It was estimated to be about three times as many as before. I looked at the large corporation in shock and muttered to Klein, who turned his head in shock,"
"It seems like you've been followed too, Klein.」
[... Ahhh, it seems like that's the case...]
At the boundary of the block about 50 meters away, there were a few people who had been seen in Ant Valley recently among the group that was silently looking at Wind, Forest, Volcano and me. The Swordsman of Wind, Forest, and Volcano, who was standing beside Klein, whispered to the president,"
"That group of people is the 'Holy Dragon Alliance'. They are a group of people who can turn orange in order to defeat a special leader.」
I often hear this name. Their name was as famous as the Blood Alliance Knights, and they were the largest guild in the strategy group. Although the players were all below my level, I didn't have the confidence to defeat them.
However, the ending should be similar, right?
I suddenly felt that whether I was killed by the Boss monster or by a large guild, my death was probably for nothing. But at least it was a better choice than fighting Klein, right?
I decided to pull out the sword on my back this time. I was too lazy to think about it. As long as he acted like a machine, he would focus on swinging his sword and killing everything in front of him until it broke.
Klein's scream made me stop.
[Damn it! These bastards!"
The curved sword operator pulled out the weapon at his waist before I did and roared with his back facing me.
[Kirito, hurry over!] I'm in charge here! Go and defeat the leader! But I won't allow you to die! If you dare to die in front of me, I won't forgive you! I will never forgive you!"
「…………」
There was not much time left. I turned my back to Klein and stepped into the final transfer point without even thanking him.
The huge fir-tree stood quietly at the location in his memory, with the curved shape in his memory. This square area with almost no other trees was covered with snow and emitted a pure white light. It looked like a plain where life was completely extinct.
The moment the clock in the corner of my vision reached midnight, a bell rang out from somewhere. I looked up at the top of the tree.
With the pitch-black night sky, or more accurately, the bottom of the upper layer as the background, two rays of light extended continuously. After a closer look, he realized that it seemed to be a huge sleigh pulled by some strange monster.
As I reached the top of the firs, a black shadow flew down from the sleigh and I took a few steps back.
The one who kicked the snowflakes away was a monster about three times my height. Although it still had the appearance of a human, its arms were abnormally long. As its body was bent forward, it almost rubbed the ground. Her small red eyes shone under the shadow of her unusually protruding forehead. The lower half of his face was covered with a gray, curved beard that reached to his lower abdomen.
The strange thing was that the monster was wearing a red and white shirt and a conical hat of the same color. It held an axe in its right hand and a big bag full of things in its left hand. The developer who designed this guy probably wanted a large group of players to feel scared and funny when they saw this ugly version of Santa Claus. However, to me, who was alone in a confrontation with the " renegade Nicholas ", the appearance of the leader was not important at all.
Nicholas was probably going to say the lines for the mission and was about to move his tangled beard.
[So annoying!]
After muttering to myself, I pulled out my sword and kicked the snow with my right foot.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。