Journey to Planar World

The highest floor of the labyrinth.

The atmosphere here was starkly different from the previous corridors.

No light sources existed except for candles flickering around, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls.

The candles lined up neatly, forming a path to a towering gate.

Charlie and Asuna stood before a massive gate of dark gray stone, etched with the terrifying face of a monster.

Its mere appearance radiated an overwhelming aura of pressure, as if something fearsome lurked behind it.

"Charlie, are you sure about doing this alone?"

"It's just the Floor 1 Boss. Wait here, I'll be back before you know it."

Unlike Asuna's nervous reaction, Charlie seemed utterly unfazed.

Though he'd forgotten many specific details about Sword Art Online, Charlie still remembered the game's broader strokes. The Floor 1 Boss, known as Illfang the Kobold Lord, posed no real threat to him.

"I'm coming with you."

"You—… Fine, do what you want."

Seeing the resolve in Asuna's eyes, Charlie abandoned any attempt to dissuade her.

From his experience as a married man, he knew arguing with a woman who'd made up her mind was pointless.

"Um, even if you tried to stop me, I wouldn't listen."

Asuna nodded, a faint smile on her lips.

Charlie: "😐"

See?

He placed his hand on the stone gate's surface and pushed it open slowly, eliciting a heavy, rumbling sound.

Before stepping inside, Asuna turned to Charlie.

"Charlie, I noticed the players at the strategy meeting earlier… they seemed to place a lot of importance on this Floor Boss Raid. Why is that?"

Charlie gazed into the dark boss room.

"If this Raid succeeds in defeating the Floor Boss and shows that SAO isn't impossible to clear, it'll motivate other players. They'll be inspired to leave the Town of Beginnings, level up, and join the frontline players. It'll ignite their spirit and hope."

"But if they fail… If even the strongest players in SAO can't defeat the weakest Floor Boss, others will sink deeper into despair. They'll think there's no hope, and all efforts are futile."

Charlie looked at Asuna, his eyes conveying the gravity of the situation.

"That's why, even though it's just Floor 1, this is crucial. This victory isn't just about defeating the boss—it's about giving hope."

Asuna nodded, Charlie's clear explanation illuminating her thoughts.

"I understand now. So, this isn't just a fight—it's a gamble for everyone's hope in Aincrad."

"Anything else you want to ask, Asuna?"

The Raid Team players were still in Tolbana, with the attack set for tomorrow. Charlie wasn't in a rush; he could defeat the boss anytime.

"Hmm… One last thing."

"Go ahead."

Asuna fixed him with a sharp gaze, as if searching for any hint of deception.

"Have you ever hypnotized me like you did with Diavel?"

Getting the map from Diavel had been simple.

Charlie approached Diavel discreetly. Using a bit of Spirit Art—appearing to others as a faint glimmer or inaudible whisper—he planted a subtle suggestion. In an instant, Diavel, preoccupied with his tasks, unwittingly sent a copy of the map data to Asuna.

The process was so quick and subtle that Diavel felt nothing odd. To him, it was a fleeting moment of confusion before he resumed his activities, unaware he'd just handed over Floor 1's most valuable information.

(Charlie didn't do anything perverted to me without my knowledge, did he? For him, SAO's protection system for female players means nothing.)

Recalling the pornographic hypnosis content her friends had shown her in the real world, Asuna couldn't help but wonder if Charlie had misused his hypnosis powers on her.

"…"

Charlie let out a long sigh. He could already guess where Asuna's thoughts were headed.

"Haaa… Let me guess. Asuna, you're worried I've molested you without your knowledge, right? I admit I'm not a saint, but I'm not so low as to abuse women like that."

"Really?" Asuna looked at him, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"I'm telling the truth. Believe me or not, up to you."

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Charlie turned and stepped toward the boss gate.

"Wait! I believe you. Don't be mad, Charlie." Asuna called out, feeling a bit guilty.

"I'm not mad." Charlie replied without looking back.

"No, you're mad." Asuna insisted, stepping forward.

"…"

The room was vast and pitch-black, devoid of any light. But as Charlie and Asuna entered, light gradually filled the space, transforming it into something entirely different.

Massive stone pillars loomed, and at the far end, a grand stone throne stood majestically. A large figure sat upon it.

*SHUA!*

The figure's eyes glowed bright red, and it slowly rose from the throne.

The creature was over two meters tall, muscular, covered in thick red fur, with bloodthirsty copper-red eyes. It gripped a massive bone axe in one hand and carried a long, curved blade strapped to its back.

This was Aincrad's Floor 1 Boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord.

"ROARRRRR!!!"

As its terrifying roar echoed through the room, three fully armed Ruin Kobold Sentinels appeared to aid Illfang.

*CLANG!*

Asuna drew her rapier, tension clear on her face.

Charlie, on the other hand, remained indifferent, raising his hand forward.

"Kazikli Bey."

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

The next moment, the ground beneath Illfang and the Ruin Kobold Sentinels churned.

*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*

*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*

*PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!* *PU-CHI!*

Hundreds of sharp black stakes erupted instantly from the floor, piercing upward with deadly speed. They impaled the Kobold Sentinels and Illfang, pinning them in place.

*CRUSH-BANG!*

The three Ruin Kobold Sentinels didn't last five seconds. Their HP bars drained in an instant under the relentless barrage of stakes, their bodies shattering into polygonal fragments and vanishing.

"ROARRRRR!!!"

Illfang lasted slightly longer. It roared furiously, swinging its bone axe brutally, smashing the stakes piercing its body. But the stakes regenerated faster than it could destroy them.

*SWISH!* *SWISH!* *SWISH!*

New stakes kept emerging, piercing from all directions. Illfang's four HP bars depleted rapidly. It lasted only five seconds longer than its minions.

*CRUSH-BANG!*

Its body finally shattered into countless polygonal fragments, briefly floating in the air before vanishing completely.

[Congratulations!]

In the now-silent room, a large, glowing Congratulations appeared in the air.

Aincrad's Floor 1 had been conquered!

"It's over?" Asuna asked in disbelief.

The entire fight had happened so quickly it felt like an illusion.

"I told you, it'd be over before you knew it, Asuna."

"Sorry, it's anticlimactic. No thrilling, tense battle. That's what happens when the power gap is too wide."

"By my estimate, it'll be like this up to Floor 50."

If Asuna had thought Charlie was just boasting before, seeing the effortless annihilation of the Floor 1 Boss left her no choice but to believe.

"Can you really end this game?"

"Of course."

Charlie's firm, confident answer flooded Asuna with a wave of hope.

For the first time since being trapped in Aincrad, the dream of returning to the real world felt within reach.