He used the momentum to retreat, dodging a heavy sweep from the Sword Golem.
On the other side, Kirito wasn't having an easy time either.
Although his agility was high, his attack power was a bit lacking; facing that turtle-shell-like Shield Golem was like poking a rock with a toothpick.
"This can't go on!"
Kirito shouted, "SP is draining too fast! We have to break their defensive rhythm!"
"Then let's change it up."
Ye You's gaze turned cold.
Since fighting them separately isn't working, let's make them crash into each other.
"Kirito! Lead it over to me!"
Ye You let out a shout, suddenly giving up his hit-and-run tactics and charging straight at the Sword Golem.
"What?!"
Although Kirito was confused, out of trust for Ye You, he gritted his teeth and lured the Shield Golem over.
Just as the two golems were about to converge and launch a pincer attack on these two reckless humans—
"Jump!"
Ye You roared.
The two of them jumped simultaneously with perfect chemistry.
Boom!
The Sword Golem's heavy cleave and the Shield Golem's shield bash slammed into each other.
The massive impact sent both clumsy golems into a brief state of rigidity.
"Now's the time! Switch!"
Ye You was mid-air, the light from the Mithril Alloy Sword in his hand surging.
[Sonic Impact]!
He didn't attack his original target, but instead used the momentum of his descent to stab at the Shield Golem's joint connection.
That was the only weakness.
Pfft!
Armor-piercing effect triggered!
The originally indestructible obsidian defense shattered like tofu under this strike.
"Roar—!"
The Shield Golem let out a mechanical boom.
At the same time, Kirito understood Ye You's intention.
Taking the opportunity Ye You created, the black sword in his hand glowed with a dazzling red light as he slashed hard at the Sword Golem, which had lost its defensive cover.
[Vertical Square]!
Their attacks rained down like a violent storm.
The golem's shared HP bar started plummeting.
50%...30%...10%!
"The final blow!"
A sharp glint flashed in Ye You's eyes.
Right then, a sudden change occurred.
That Sword Golem suddenly abandoned its defense, its whole body emitting a blinding red light, the stone sword in its hand suddenly swelling in size, sweeping toward Kirito—who was still stuck in skill lag—with a suicidal momentum.
The berserk mechanic triggered early!
"Kirito! Watch out!"
Kirito's pupils shrank.
He couldn't dodge.
At this distance, this range, with his skill still in lag, he was completely unable to make any move to dodge.
Was he going to die?
In this damn hidden dungeon?
[Ding!]
[Emergency rescue target detected!]
[Target: Kirigaya Kazuto.]
[Current status: Skill rigidity, about to be cut in half.]
[Emergency Level: Rank B.]
"He's truly a handful."
Ye You sighed.
But he didn't hesitate for a moment.
His body twisted forcefully.
He didn't choose to block that strike—with the golem's current berserk strength, there was no way to block it anyway.
What he chose was—to attack.
Strike where the enemy must defend!
The Mithril Alloy Sword in his hand turned into a shooting star, flying from his grip!
Sword throw!
This move wasn't in the system's sword skill list at all; it was purely Ye You's improvisation.
Whoosh—!
The longsword, with a piercing whistle, plunged into the slit of the Sword Golem's helmet.
That was its core control center.
Crack!
The golem's movements came to a sudden halt.
That massive stone sword stopped less than five centimeters from Kirito's waist, and the fierce wind it kicked up even cut through his trench coat.
"Roar..."
The red light in the golem's eyes flickered twice before completely going out.
Because they shared HP, the other Shield Golem also collapsed with a crash.
The two massive bodies turned into fragments that filled the air.
The battle was over.
Kirito plopped down on the ground, gasping for breath, cold sweat soaking his back.
In that moment just now, he truly felt the sensation of death.
"Owe you another one."
Kirito looked at Ye You with a bitter smile.
Ye You walked over, picked up the sword that had fallen on the ground, and wiped the dust off its blade.
"Put it on the tab, the interest is high."
He replied casually, then walked toward the treasure chest slowly rising in the center of the cavern.
This is the first-clear reward.
The treasure chest opened.
There weren't any flashy golden special effects; only a simple, ancient parchment book was lying quietly inside.
Ye You picked it up and looked, his expression becoming a bit strange.
[Special Skill Book: Dual-Wielding Mastery （Ambidexterity）]
[Effect: Passive skill. Greatly reduces the attribute penalty of off-hand weapons, and increases attack speed and coordination when dual-wielding weapons.]
[Note: This is the key to a higher realm; only those with extremely fast reaction speeds can master it.]
This isn't that legendary [Dual Blades].
But this is the prerequisite foundation for Dual Blades.
Ye You glanced at Kirito, who was still sitting on the ground, then looked at the book in his hand again.
This thing was useful to him too, but he had a system and wasn't lacking this kind of basic passive.
And...
"Catch."
With a flick of his wrist, Ye You tossed the skill book to Kirito.
Kirito caught it subconsciously, and after seeing its attributes, he couldn't help but be shocked, "This... this is too precious! This is a hidden skill book!"
"It's yours."
Ye You turned around and waved his hand with his back to him, "Your reaction speed is faster than mine, this thing can only reach its full potential in your hands. Besides, you almost kicked the bucket just now, consider it compensation for your mental trauma."
Actually, Ye You's little abacus was clicking and clacking in his head.
If I don't train Kirito into that tanky, hard-hitting Dual Blades cheater, who's going to stand at the front and tank the BOSS later?
Investing in the protagonist is also a kind of long-term return.
"Ye You..."
Kirito gripped the skill book in his hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
In this world where everyone is only out for themselves, someone would actually give away a priceless treasure like this just like that?
"Stop being so sentimental over there."
Ye You's voice drifted over, "Hurry up and learn it, then head back to town. I'm hungry, it's your turn to treat this time."
"No problem! You can eat whatever you want!"
Kirito stood up, nodded vigorously, and clicked learn immediately.
A streak of golden light merged into his body.
After leaving that dark and damp underground cave, the two of them weren't in any rush to part ways.
As agreed, even though it hurt his wallet, Kirito still found a somewhat decent restaurant in the Main Town of Urbus and treated him to a feast. Of course, 'decent' just meant stews and grilled meat that were a bit better than black bread and water; in this resource-starved early stage of the game, it was already a luxury.
During the meal, Kirito showed extreme excitement over that 'Two-Handed Weapon Mastery' book.
The kid was stuffing roasted potatoes into his mouth while incoherently gesturing about his ideas for a dual-wielding style. Ye You just listened quietly, occasionally chiming in to shoot down this guy's unrealistic fantasies.
After the meal, the two of them parted ways at the square.
Kirito couldn't wait to head out to the fields and find a quiet spot to practice his new skills, while Ye You had plans of his own.
In this death game, info and levels are certainly important, but for him, who has the Desperate Rescue system, wherever there's trouble, that's his leveling holy land.
...
Aincrad, the third floor.
This is an area called the Forest of Vacuity .
Huge ancient trees blot out the sun, and white mist hangs in the air year-round, making visibility extremely low. Coupled with the complex forest paths and ambush monsters that can drop from the canopy at any moment, players have always seen this place as a Rookie Graveyard .
But Ye You liked it here.
Because low visibility meant it was easier for things to go wrong. Complex terrain meant it was easier to get backed into a corner.
"Snap."
Ye You snapped a dry branch as he wove through the trees.
By now, he had already changed back into the Black Midnight Coat.
Just then.
A chaotic clashing of metal and panicked shouting came from up ahead.
"Hold them off! Don't let them break through the line!"
"It's no use! There are too many! Tetsuo, where's your shield?!"
"I want to hold them off too! But these guys' attack frequency is way too high!"
From the sound of it, it's a standard six-person squad.
And hearing the chaotic commands and the almost tearful shouting, they've clearly run into big trouble.
Ye You paused in his tracks.
Business has arrived.
With a tap of his toes, he leapt onto a thick branch, and using the dense foliage as cover, he looked toward the source of the sound.