Journey to Planar World

The next day.

The atmosphere in Tolbana was far more tense than usual.

In his gleaming armor, Diavel led the Raid Team of about 70 players.

They moved in a tight formation, navigating the labyrinth's corridors. With their large numbers and high levels, they reached the Boss Room without significant issues, efficiently defeating the monsters in their path.

They finally stood before a towering gray stone gate, adorned with the menacing carving of a monster's face. A chilling aura seeped through the gate's cracks, creating an oppressive tension.

*TING!*

Diavel struck his sword against the ground, producing a sharp sound in the silence.

"Listen up, everyone. I have just one thing to say: Let's win!"

"OOOOOHHHHHH!!!"

Diavel's rallying cry charged the crowd with energy. He placed his hands on the gate and pushed it open.

The stone gate creaked slowly, revealing a dark room beyond.

The Raid Team stepped in cautiously, swords drawn, shields raised, ready for the danger awaiting.

Suddenly, the room lit up with vibrant colors. But the mighty Illfang the Kobold Lord was nowhere to be seen on his throne.

"Huh?"

Everyone froze. Floating in the air before them was a large white system notification: [Congratulations!].

A bewildered silence enveloped the room.

"Does this mean the Floor 1 Boss has already been defeated?" A player in the front finally broke the silence, voice hesitant.

"Impossible! We haven't even fought it!"

"But this notification… 'Congratulations!' Who defeated it?"

"Is this some kind of bug?"

"No way. SAO's system is too perfect for a bug like this."

"Could it be a trap?"

Debate erupted among the players. All eyes turned to Diavel.

"Diavel-san! What's going on?" a player shouted.

"I don't know. Yesterday, my party and I entered this Boss Room for reconnaissance and saw Illfang the Kobold Lord sitting on his throne. He was there!"

Diavel was just as confused, his voice uncertain.

"It must be those beta testers!"

Suddenly, Kibaou's booming voice cut through. He stepped forward, face flushed with anger.

"You shameless beta testers! Selfish! You wanted the rewards of defeating the Floor Boss for yourselves, didn't you?!"

"You greedy dogs! Abandoning us clueless newbies at the start, and now you even steal this chance! You just wanted all the EXP and rare item drops for yourselves! Cowardly scum!"

Among the Raid Team were a few beta testers like Kirito, Mito, and others. They lowered their heads, feeling guilty under Kibaou's accusations.

They, too, assumed the culprit who monopolized the Floor Boss and defeated it before the Raid began was a greedy fellow beta tester.

The corner of Diavel's mouth twitched at Kibaou's words. He could only hold his breath. After all, he was secretly a beta tester himself.

With all his fiery accusations, Kibaou didn't realize how close Diavel was to the 'selfish' label he threw around.

The other players began exchanging suspicious glances, murmurs of dissent echoing through the room.

Though harsh, Kibaou's words effectively fractured the fragile unity that had just formed.

Before the situation could worsen into uncontrollable chaos, Diavel raised both hands high, trying to calm the crowd.

"Stop! Stop it, everyone!"

"I know this is confusing, and I understand your frustration! But let's look at the bright side!"

He scanned the crowd, trying to regain their focus.

"Floor 2 is now open! That's an undeniable fact! Whatever happened, the result is that the Floor 1 Boss has been defeated!"

Diavel pointed to the still-floating [Congratulations!] notification.

"This is good news! It gives hope to all the players in the Town of Beginnings and everyone stuck on Floor 1 that Sword Art Online isn't impossible to clear! We won't die here for nothing!"

"Tch."

Kibaou glared at Diavel, clearly displeased that his outburst was quashed so quickly. But he said nothing more.

For now, Diavel's strong reputation and influence among the players made him hard to openly challenge.

Sensing the tension ease, Diavel seized the moment, pointing to a dark corridor previously overlooked on the room's far side.

"Alright, everyone. Whatever happened here, one thing is clear: we've won! And that means one thing…"

"Let's move forward! The path to Floor 2 is now open to us all!"

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Aincrad's Floor 2 sprawled as a vast savanna, covered in open plains and large rocks.

Its size was similar to Floor 1, but its geography was vastly different.

Towering mountains rose above the plains, dotted with small caves threaded by rushing underground rivers, creating a stunning yet dangerous landscape.

On a mountain not far from Floor 2's main settlement, Urbus, Asuna was battling a cow-like monster twice the size of a real-world cow.

It was called a Trembling Ox.

*SWOOSH!*

Asuna drew her rapier, its blade glinting under the virtual sunlight.

"MOOOOO—"

The Trembling Ox roared, scraping the ground with its massive hooves before charging forward.

Asuna didn't confront the monster's strength head-on. Instead, she relied on her extraordinary speed and agility.

*WHOOSH!*

As the Trembling Ox charged, Asuna darted to the side, activating her Sword Skill [Linear].

*PU-CHI!*

Her rapier pierced precisely into the monster's unprotected thigh, leaving a fleeting trail of blue light.

"MOOOOO—"

The Trembling Ox growled in pain, spinning angrily to ram her.

*WHOOSH!*

Asuna had anticipated the move. She leaped back, dodging the deadly charge, then spun quickly, searching for another opening.

The Trembling Ox charged again, swinging its head wildly, trying to pin Asuna against the large rocks.

*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*

Asuna danced around the monster, leaping onto a rock, then sliding down, maintaining distance while seeking weak points.

*SWOOSH!*

With incredible speed, Asuna struck again, exploiting every opening. She activated [Slant], this time hitting the Trembling Ox's shoulder.

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

The Trembling Ox staggered and swayed.

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

Asuna showed no mercy. She kept moving, attacking from various angles, her rapier a blur in the air.

Each small strike, though not dealing massive damage, steadily chipped away at the Trembling Ox's HP bar.

"MOOOOO—"

The Trembling Ox's final roar echoed across the savanna before its massive body collapsed, shattering into glowing polygons.

"What do you think, Charlie?"

Sheathing her rapier, Asuna turned, seeking Charlie's opinion. He had been watching from nearby, leaning against a large rock.

Charlie nodded slowly, offering praise.

"Impressive, Asuna. The way you used your speed and agility, finding gaps in the Trembling Ox's defenses… your Battle IQ is exceptional. It reminds me of the Sword Princess."

Asuna approached, curiosity clear on her face.

"Sword Princess? Who's that?"

"She's the strongest female swordsman in my world. Her name's Aiz Wallenstein." Charlie paused, then added, "and also my girlfriend."

"W-What?! Your girlfriend?!"

Asuna hadn't expected Charlie to have a girlfriend.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a single guy to you?"

Before Asuna could respond, her body suddenly stiffened. The shocked expression on her face turned blank, and she collapsed to the ground.

*WHOOSH!*

Charlie reacted quickly, catching Asuna before she hit the ground.

"Asuna! Asuna!"

He called her name repeatedly, but there was no response. Her body was rigid, her gaze vacant, as if under a Mind Break effect.

"Damn it! Is this the Abyssal Devourer's doing?!"