"So, Kibaou ended up dead just like that? Not sure if that's poetic justice or just bad luck."
Daniel had been planning to deal with Kibaou, but before his shadow clones could act, news arrived that Kibaou had already died while attempting to defeat the fifth-floor boss, the Void Colossus.
The reason for Kibaou's death was straightforward. After Diavel's disastrous attempt at the boss, which resulted in his own death and a heavy toll on his team, player morale had sunk to an all-time low. Seizing the opportunity, Kibaou stepped up, proclaiming that he'd avenge Diavel and clear the floor's boss. Rallying some support, he took Diavel's remaining allies and equipment and headed to the boss room.
If Kibaou had succeeded, he would've become a hero among the players, much like Diavel before him. His ambition was clear, but unfortunately, his skill didn't match his aspirations.
Kibaou hadn't acted purely on impulse—he was terrified of dying, after all. He only made his attempt after thoroughly reviewing Diavel's strategy and analyzing the boss's attack patterns. Diavel had nearly defeated the boss, after all, so Kibaou believed that, with the right adjustments, he could succeed where Diavel failed. And as long as it wasn't him who died, Kibaou was willing to risk others.
In fact, Kibaou's ruthlessness was similar to how he'd later use a Corridor Crystal to trap the Army Guild leader in a labyrinth to gain power, showing he had little qualm about endangering others for his benefit. It was no surprise he hadn't joined Laughing Coffin; the PK guild likely found him too unreliable.
However, Kibaou's plan was pure fantasy. Knowing the boss's skills and patterns was only half the battle—execution mattered. Like someone using the same character in a game: one player could score multiple kills and MVP, while another would get crushed.
Compared to Diavel, Kibaou had no instinct for timing or tactics. Diavel might have had flaws, like his obsession with landing the final blow, but he was a front-line fighter through and through. Kibaou, in contrast, had always cowered in safe zones, which was why he'd survived even as the Army Guild suffered heavy losses.
Had this been any other floor boss, Kibaou might have survived by retreating once he sensed trouble. But the fifth-floor boss was different.
Unlike other floor bosses that waited in rooms, the fifth-floor boss was unique—it was the boss room itself. The Void Colossus was an entity that enveloped the room, so fighting it was like battling within its own body. Inside, players suffered from various negative effects, including reduced vision, impaired hearing, and loss of balance.
Diavel's group had failed due to these debuffs, particularly the balance disruption. Since the entire room was the boss's body, it could tilt the floor, causing players to misjudge angles and lose their footing. A few seconds of disorientation during a boss fight could prove fatal.
This boss's room design was eerily similar to certain ninja training chambers, where floors were deceptively angled to create an illusion of a slope. This slight tilt would throw a person's natural balance off, leading to missteps.
It was clear that Kayaba Akihiko had put meticulous thought into the Void Colossus's design.
Rumor had it that SAO's entire programming was Kayaba's solo endeavor, which meant virtually no information about the game leaked out beforehand.
This boss was a challenge not only for these ordinary players but also for professional fighters and martial artists. SAO lacked magic, but Kayaba compensated by utilizing ingenious mechanical traps.
Another factor in the team's failure was the lack of a high-level rogue—a detail many players had overlooked until now. Kayaba's game design was remarkably balanced, with no useless classes.
In this death game, however, few players leveled rogue skills. After all, this was no longer a game for leisure.
"Honestly, it's better this way." Kibaou's death saved Daniel the trouble of dealing with him. However, the incident highlighted a new concern: Daniel had previously dismissed the rogue class, but now realized its importance. His three shadow clones had already been assigned core roles, but having a skilled rogue on the team seemed essential.
"Kayaba really designed this game to force cooperation among players."
From this point, it was becoming clear that solo-clearing SAO was impossible. Even Kirito in the original story relied on allies while wielding his dual-wield skill.
Kibaou's failed attempt not only resulted in casualties but dealt another blow to player morale.
"No wonder Diavel failed." After Kibaou's defeat, Daniel, along with his shadow clones, attempted the boss themselves but ultimately had to retreat. The initial traps were simply too troublesome.
"I'll have to find a high-level rogue to disarm the traps." After exiting the boss room, Daniel made a mental note.
The other way to get through was to grind levels until attributes and damage were high enough to overcome the traps, but that would require a significant time investment and wasn't feasible under current conditions.
"So, you need a high-level rogue for a boss raid?" Argo the Rat, the game's information broker, was quick to catch on when Daniel approached her with his request.
Argo was well-known among the players for selling information and rare items, and Daniel had met her while selling excess loot and items he'd gathered from elite monsters and quests. Argo, a beta tester herself, supported the clearing group in her own way.
"Exactly. We need to clear this boss soon. If we let the current atmosphere fester, it could lead to more…unpleasant incidents."
Daniel's implication was clear—more suicides were likely. Players held out when there was hope, but prolonged despair would drive many to extreme actions. Some orange and red players had succumbed to hopelessness and spiraled into violence, becoming like Laughing Coffin's PKers.
"This sounds urgent, but finding someone like that won't be easy, and even if they exist, they may not come forward." This was, after all, a death game, and no one would volunteer to face a boss without strong motivation. There were other beta testers, but few had joined the clearers directly. Still, many supported the effort indirectly, each contributing as they could in hopes of escaping SAO.
For instance, Argo herself sold information and items to the clearers at reduced prices. Kirito, despite initially avoiding the clearing group, also supported the effort through Argo by supplying information and items.
"I only need someone to disarm the traps. They don't have to fight the boss, and I can ensure their safety." Daniel held up a rare Teleport Crystal as proof.
Teleport Crystals were extremely scarce at this stage, and those who had them hoarded them as potential lifesavers. Daniel had found his crystal in a treasure chest, one of the random drops scattered throughout the game's hidden dungeons and maps.
These hidden areas added an element of surprise to SAO. While they would've enhanced gameplay in an ordinary game, in this death game, they posed deadly threats. Kirito's guild, the Moonlit Black Cats, would eventually fall victim to one of these traps on a hidden map, leading to the entire party's demise.
In that tragic scenario, Kirito's high level had inadvertently raised the difficulty of the trap, causing the guild's downfall. Ironically, Kirito's first love interest wasn't Asuna, but a girl from the Moonlit Black Cats.
"Count me in for the raid." Soon after Daniel asked for Argo's help, he received a message from Asuna.
Since their separation after the first-floor boss, Daniel and Asuna had kept in touch and occasionally teamed up to hunt monsters.
"This time might be a bit too dangerous."
"If you're not afraid, why should I be? I'm not here to sit back and do nothing." Like Daniel and Kirito, Asuna hunted solo, holding her own among the top players in both level and gear—a remarkable feat for someone who'd never played games before.
Asuna, raised in a high-achieving family, had never touched a game. She only logged into SAO out of curiosity after her older brother, the intended player, was suddenly called away.
"Alright." Knowing Asuna wouldn't easily change her mind, Daniel agreed.
"Didn't expect to see so many of you." After Argo confirmed she'd found a rogue, Daniel met up with her and was surprised to see not only Asuna but also Kirito, Klein, and Agil.
"Fancy meeting you here," Kirito greeted Daniel with a nod. The two had crossed paths before through Argo.
Kirito, though a solo player, shared Daniel's method of killing elites and exploring maps, with most of his spoils sold through Argo. Unlike Daniel, Kirito had known Argo since the beta.
Kirito joined the raid because the rogue Argo found was one of Klein's teammates. When she contacted Klein, she had explained the situation, leading Kirito and the others to participate.
Without the burden of his "beater" stigma, Kirito seemed more sociable and relaxed than in the original story.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. But I have to say this: this raid isn't without risk. If anyone isn't ready for that, you should sit this one out."
"If we weren't ready, we wouldn't be here."
"Alright then, let's gear up and get going."
With the group's support confirmed, Daniel led them to the boss room.
"Strength in numbers, huh." In a game where solo feats were impossible, numbers made a difference. With Daniel, his three shadow clones, and elite players
like Kirito and Asuna, their coordinated effort allowed them to defeat the boss with zero casualties.
Clearing the fifth floor rekindled hope among the players. The formation of guilds brought further organization to the clearing group.
Guilds could not be established until after the fifth floor. By the time they reached the sixth floor, several guilds had formed, rapidly advancing through floors six, seven, eight, and nine. It wasn't until they reached the tenth floor that the clearers encountered a new hurdle.
This taught Daniel something vital: the difficulty spiked on floors ending in five or ten.
This particular challenge didn't stall the players for long; even before Daniel could get involved, the newly formed Knights of the Blood Oath cleared it. Their leader was none other than Heathcliff.
With the Knights of the Blood Oath rising in prominence, floor clearing accelerated, earning them the title of SAO's leading guild.
"Never thought you'd join a guild." Daniel shook his head slightly as he observed Kirito's new guildmates, the Moonlit Black Cats.
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