"We've been trapped in this game for over a month now. So far, no rescue has succeeded from the outside. We have no choice but to rely on ourselves."
Standing on a high platform in the center of the park, Diavel addressed the crowd, and his speech, eloquent as it was, received a great deal of support.
In the first week, some had still held onto hopes of rescue, thinking help would arrive a bit later. However, after a month, most people had given up on any outside intervention and had resolved to save themselves by clearing all 100 floors, as Akihiko Kayaba had said.
After rallying everyone's spirits, Diavel prepared to share information about the first-floor boss, the Kobold Lord Illfang. But just as he was about to speak, someone interrupted.
"Wait a minute!" A young man with short brown hair ran forward, shouting.
"My name is Kibaou. Before we fight the boss, I believe someone should take responsibility for the deaths of those who have died so far. It's because of the beta testers that so many people died. They hoard all the information, equipment, and resources. I think they should share these with everyone," Kibaou shouted.
After Kibaou finished speaking, a few people in the crowd immediately chimed in, echoing his sentiment. Kibaou was no fool; he was quite shrewd. In fact, he would later go on to become the vice commander of the Aincrad Liberation Force. Though his character was flawed, he still managed to survive SAO.
"Ha! Is that what you're here to say—just a bunch of nonsense?" Kibaou was about to continue his tirade when he was interrupted by a mocking laugh from the side. The one speaking, naturally, was Daniel Davis.
"What did you just say?!" Kibaou snapped.
"Look, you're not a kid anymore, so stop acting so childish. You claim the beta testers caused so many deaths. But as I understand it, on the third day of the game, someone in the square was handing out a booklet with all the game information, free for anyone to take. That was the beta testers' doing."
"While the beta testers were doing that, what were you doing? Or are you saying that if they didn't give you everything directly, it's somehow their fault? You think this is your home? Demanding equipment and resources—you think you're their child or something? They risked their lives to earn those things. Why should they share them with you? Who do you think you are?"
"You…!" Kibaou tried to argue back, but Daniel immediately cut him off again.
"Don't 'you' me. This is a death game. Others risked their lives for their gear and resources. If you want equipment, go fight monsters yourself. The booklet lists where you can find all the equipment drops. What, are you too scared to go? Makes sense—someone like you is only brave enough to stand here and talk big."
Kibaou's gear was decent, but that was because his whole party had pooled their resources for him.
"I know who you are! You're one of those beta testers who killed all those innocent people!" When Daniel finally paused, Kibaou shouted.
"Sorry, but this is my first time playing this game, so I'm no beta tester. But as for you, a loser like you should stop wasting our time."
"Alright, everyone, let's calm down," Diavel interjected. After all, he had gathered the crowd.
"I am calm. This boss raid is crucial, and I think everyone here knows it. But people who only want rewards without putting in any effort should stay out of it. I don't want to be ambushed during a boss fight and end up dead in this game."
Daniel's words left the crowd in thoughtful silence. The players who had managed to reach the frontline in this deadly game weren't fools. Many had already been annoyed by Kibaou's words but hadn't wanted to argue. However, when it came to matters of life and death, they were unwilling to take risks, even a small one.
"That's right! I've seen this guy before—always lurking near town, picking off small monsters, never daring to stray far. Just looking for easy gains," someone immediately chimed in, backing Daniel. Naturally, it was one of Daniel's shadow clones.
"Yeah, I saw him too," others began to agree. Whether true or not, this was hardly the time for anyone to investigate the claims.
In the end, Diavel decided to ask Kibaou and his party to leave. Kibaou's group wasn't particularly well-equipped, and his earlier behavior had shown Diavel his character. Had there been no disagreement, Diavel might have overlooked it, but with doubts now planted, it was clear Kibaou couldn't be allowed to join the boss raid.
"About the first-floor boss's information," Diavel continued after Kibaou and his group left. He shared details about the Kobold Lord Illfang and then had everyone form small teams.
In SAO, teamwork was essential for effective skill-switching, especially since there wasn't yet an established clearing guild. It was only natural that most players preferred teaming up with people they knew.
"Hello, can I join you?" Daniel glanced around and spotted a figure cloaked in a hooded robe—undoubtedly Asuna. She was the only one fully cloaked, and Daniel was impressed. Despite being a complete gaming novice trapped in a death game, Asuna had transformed from a terrified newcomer to a front-line player, an achievement that was beyond the reach of most people.
When Diavel had everyone form teams, the only unpaired players were Daniel, Kirito, and Asuna. In this deadly game with no second chances, even those capable of soloing tended to hesitate before risking their lives.
As Daniel extended his invitation to Asuna, his username, FeiFei, appeared above him. He had originally considered the name "Flying Squirrel" but decided against it.
After a brief pause, the hooded figure accepted his invitation, and her username confirmed his suspicion—she was indeed Asuna.
As Daniel debated whether to invite Kirito to join them, he saw that Klein and his friends had already invited him, so he dropped the idea.
Though they were preparing for the boss raid, the actual battle was set for the next morning. Everyone still needed to make final preparations—repair equipment and stock up on potions, as this was a life-or-death situation.
In SAO, all weapons had durability that required regular maintenance. Kayaba had aimed to create a realistic world, so legendary items like the Elucidator didn't exist yet.
Since this was only the first floor, survival items like teleport crystals hadn't yet appeared. In this death game, teleport crystals would eventually become crucial life-saving tools, usable even in boss rooms—except in a few restricted areas.
"Here, try this seasoning," Daniel said at dinner, seeing Asuna eating plain black bread. He offered her some seasoning he had acquired from an earlier quest.
Basic food in SAO was bland and tasteless, although better-tasting food was available, albeit expensive. Asuna wasn't yet the wealthy player who would later buy a house worth millions.
"I'm taking Kirito's spot here, huh? My bad." Even though Daniel could log out, he still needed to eat in the game, a setting he couldn't avoid. One of his shadow clones had even taken up cooking to improve the quality of their food, which was how Daniel had obtained the seasoning.
The next morning, the raid party assembled at the agreed time and set out for the northern labyrinth tower, where the first-floor boss was located.
After clearing the enemies along the way, they finally reached the door to the boss room. They took a moment to rest and check their gear, waiting for their skills to recharge.
"Alright, everyone, stay alert. I hope we all make it out safely," Diavel said, preparing to push open the tower doors.
"Hold on. I think there's something we need to address before going in." Daniel stepped in front of Diavel, then called out loudly, "Come out—I already know you're there."
His words put everyone on edge. Although player-kill incidents had been rare so far, a few cases had already occurred. Some players had found pleasure in killing others, known as "red players." At this early stage, these incidents were scattered and unorganized, with infamous guilds like Laughing Coffin still in their infancy.
"Is there really someone there?" someone asked, uncertain.
"There is," Kirito confirmed.
"If you don't come out, we'll come after you!" Klein shouted after hearing Kirito's confirmation.
"His detection skills must be high—makes sense, since he's a solo player," Daniel thought. Though Kirito had discovered them through skills, Daniel had spotted them simply by being cautious. If only he could use Observation Haki in the game, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths.
Finally, Kibaou and three others stepped out, looking uncomfortable.
"Sorry, we just thought we might be able to help out," Kibaou said, his face darkening.
"Help out? During the boss fight, maybe sabotage us? Tell me—are you behind the recent player-killing incidents?" Daniel's accusation put everyone on high alert.
In this death game, attacking other players was essentially the same as being a murderer.
"It wasn't me!" Kibaou denied immediately, but by then, no one believed him.
"What should we do?" someone asked Diavel. No one wanted to go into the boss room with enemies at their backs.
"Leave your equipment here," Diavel said firmly after a moment. No
one was ready to resort to killing, as these players came from peaceful lives; even Kirito would suffer deeply after taking a life.
Disarming Kibaou and his group was the only way to prevent interference during the boss fight. In this world of swords, a weapon was essential, and even Kirito's strength would plummet without one.
Reluctantly, Kibaou surrendered his gear. "You'll regret this!" he spat, glaring at Daniel before he and his group turned and fled.
"Guess I'll have to deal with him sooner or later," Daniel thought. He hadn't initially intended to bother with Kibaou, but he knew it would be reckless to leave someone like him unchecked.
With the Kibaou situation handled, the group entered the boss room, and Diavel quickly began giving instructions.
The boss's health was much higher than that of any player, so they needed someone to withstand its attacks head-on. Shield skills were vital here, and one of Daniel's shadow clones had chosen the shield class.
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