I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Silica instinctively curled up, covering her head, as a scorching breeze swept over her.

"Roar----!!"

A deafening roar of bison suddenly shattered the silence of the forest. Silica opened her eyes abruptly and saw a sword blade crackling with lightning cleave through the thick fog like a bolt of lightning.

The silver-haired youth descended like a god, his longsword crackling with blinding lightning. Wherever the blade sliced, tree spirits were reduced to charred fragments. Silica could even faintly hear the howling of bison echoing in the wind of the sword—a powerful and savage battle cry.

"Can you still move?"

The moment the boy turned around, his silver hair shone brightly in the sunlight piercing through the mist, and the lightning-wrapped sword tip was still crackling.

Behind him, a girl with chestnut hair held a rapier and was efficiently dealing with the remaining tree spirits.

The two worked together seamlessly and cleared a safe area in the blink of an eye.

Silica's lips trembled, and the short sword in her hand clattered to the ground. A surge of relief at being rescued, mixed with a sense of injustice, welled up inside her, and tears finally streamed down her face.

"Thank...thank you..."

Amidst choked words of thanks, Mochizuki Kaede sheathed his lightning blade, the lightning gradually dissipating. He crouched down, looking Silica in the eye: "You did a great job, holding on until the very end."

This simple word of approval made Silica cry even harder. For the first time in the death game, she felt truly safe.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Dark Elf

Mochizuki Kaede took out a high-grade healing potion and handed it to the petite girl in front of her. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, and withered leaves clung to her short ponytail; she looked no more than twelve years old. In this death game, there was actually such a young player trapped inside.

Children like this shouldn't have to face this...

Mochizuki Kaede's fingertips tightened slightly around the potion bottle, the mottled cracks on the girl's armor silently telling of her struggle alone in the mist.

"Thank you, thank you..."

With a weak voice still tinged with sobs, the girl timidly accepted the medicine, her delicate fingers still trembling from the battle.

Asuna gently crouched down, her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders. She took out the sandwich she had prepared that morning, wrapped it in oil paper printed with daisies, and handed it to the girl.

"Eat something first," Asuna's voice was gentler than usual. "I added some Grasse jam, it'll help you regain your strength."

The girl stared blankly at the food that had suddenly appeared, her nose twitching. She hurriedly wiped her face with her dirty sleeve, only making the dust smudge even more.

“I…I’m Silica,” she said softly, taking the sandwich with both hands.

Mochizuki Kaede's voice was gentle and steady: "My name is Mochizuki Kaede."

He turned his head and looked at the chestnut-haired girl beside him: "This is Asuna."

His voice was unhurried, as if he were afraid of startling the frightened little animal in front of him.

Asuna smiled gently, her rapier already sheathed: "Hello, Silica."

Her voice was like a clear spring in the forest, carrying a reassuring power.

Silica tilted her head back and forth, her gaze shifting between the two. Mochizuki Kaede's composed demeanor and Asuna's warm smile made her tense shoulders unconsciously relax.

"Thank... thank you for saving me." Her fingers, which were gripping the sandwich, loosened slightly, and her voice, though soft, was firmer than before.

Why did you come here?

Mochizuki Maple's gaze swept across the Misty Forest, his brow furrowing slightly: "This forest is far too dangerous, even for experienced players."

Silica took a small bite of her sandwich and explained softly, "Because...because I received a quest from an NPC..."

"A mission?" Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna asked in unison, exchanging a puzzled look.

Silica nodded, her short ponytail swaying slightly: "The quest says to find a dark elf named [Kizmur] in this forest."

She paused, her voice gradually gaining confidence, and her breadcrumb-covered fingers produced a parchment scroll: "Because the reward is very rare forging materials, as well as a generous amount of experience and Cor... I think..."

As she finished speaking, her voice trailed off again, her fingers nervously twisting together. Asuna noticed her tattered bracers and worn-out short sword—this child had probably taken such a risk to improve her equipment.

Mochizuki Kaede carefully examined the quest scroll, while Asuna leaned closer to Silica and whispered, "This reward is indeed very tempting."

Her gaze softened: "But next time you take on a mission like this, you can bring a partner along."

“I…I have no companions. Everyone thinks…I’m a burden.” Silica lowered her eyes, her slender fingers touching the hilt of her short sword. “So…so I want to at least become stronger on my own…”

In this brutal game where life and death are determined by cold, hard numbers, young and weak players like Silica are often avoided by other players. They not only worry that she will drag the team down, but they also fear the guilt of witnessing a child's "death."

Mochizuki Kaede was silent for a moment, then gently placed her hand on Silica's head: "You did very well in the battle just now. Even in the most dangerous moment, you didn't give up your sword, but continued to fight. That courage is truly remarkable."

Asuna added with a smile, "And the fact that you were able to get here on your own means you're even more capable than I thought."

She reached out her hand to the stunned Silica: "Why don't you team up with us? Let's complete this mission together."

Silica's eyes widened as she looked up at the two of them, her lips trembling slightly. "But...but I'll be a burden..."

Asuna chuckled and turned to look at Mochizuki Kaede: "It's alright, Kaede is very strong."

The image from just moments ago immediately flashed through Silica's mind: Mochizuki Kaede's sword, crackling with lightning, tracing a sharp path through the mist. That overwhelming power still left her in awe.

"Really...really?" Her voice was barely audible, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded and smiled, while Asuna had already brought up the team interface. When the system notification sounded, Silica's eyes reddened again, but this time it wasn't from fear…

The three formed a team and continued their journey deeper into the forest.

Whenever a tree spirit attacks from the mist, the [Thunder Blade] in Mochizuki Kaede's hand will unleash blinding lightning. In the flashes of lightning, those withered tree monsters don't even have time to let out a wail before they are cleaved into pieces by the violent lightning attack.

"Lightning and fire attributes are particularly effective against these plant-type monsters." Mochizuki Kaede explained to Silica as she sheathed her sword, the crackling electricity on the blade gradually fading.

This weapon, named [Thunder Blade], was crafted using [Thunder Seal] dropped by the second-floor boss. Like the [Midnight Coat] dropped in the first floor, it is a limited-edition piece of equipment that can only be obtained by the player who lands the final blow on the boss.

"Speaking of which," Asuna suddenly chuckled, "why aren't you wearing that midnight coat?"

A barely perceptible smirk appeared on Mochizuki Kaede's lips. He still remembered Asuna's smiling comment when they first met: "Kaede looks like the leader of an evil organization in this..."

The fog suddenly churned violently, and a sharp metallic clang came from ahead. The three quickened their pace, pushing aside the last clump of bushes, and the sight before them made Silica gasp—

A female knight with short purple hair was being besieged by more than twenty Mist Treants. Her dark skin was covered in wounds, and her light purple armor was torn by vines, yet she still moved with astonishing agility among the monsters. Her saber moved like a viper's tongue, each thrust precisely striking the red burl at the center of the treant's trunk.

Although her swordplay was fierce, she was clearly outmatched by such a large number of enemies.

"Asuna, protect Silica!"

Mochizuki Kaede's [Thunder Blade] clattered as it was drawn, the lightning bolts erupting from the blade illuminating the entire battlefield. His advancing figure brushed past the female knight, the lightning striking precisely the attacker's tree trunk. The two formed a defensive circle back-to-back, and the treants struck by the lightning fell like wheat being harvested.

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Thank you to 【凶萌TEL没有】, 【战极の铠武酱】, 【Asuna明日奈】, 【我是你还是你你】, and 【敢磕初祥你你的莎拉】 for the monthly tickets and knife blades!

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Curse of the Mist

More than twenty Mist Tree Spirits surged forward like a tide, their scarlet burls flickering in and out of the mist, emitting a chilling buzzing sound. The female knight with short purple hair lowered her body, holding her saber horizontally, her kite shield pressed tightly against her left arm, her dark skin already covered with fine beads of sweat.

"drink!"

She lunged forward suddenly, her military knife slicing a cold, silver arc. The foremost tree spirit hadn't even had time to react before it was struck in the central burl. Another tree spirit pounced from the side, its vines and claws aimed straight for her throat—

"clang!"

The kite shield parried precisely, the recoil momentarily halting the treant's movements. The female knight seized this fleeting opportunity, thrusting her saber forward, striking the treant precisely in a joint gap. The monster emitted a piercing screech and was briefly stunned.

Three Mist Treants pounced from her blind spot, their vine forelimbs splitting open to reveal stark white thorns. The female knight sensed the danger but it was too late to turn around—

"Hey!"

Lightning exploded.

A longsword crackling with violent lightning slashed from the side, cutting the attacking tree spirit in half. Mochizuki Maple's figure appeared in the lightning; the current on the [Lightning Blade] had not yet dissipated, illuminating his cold profile.

The female knight's dark purple pupils suddenly contracted, and her saber instinctively pointed at the suddenly appearing stranger. But more tree spirits had already surrounded them; now was not the time for questioning.

"The left side is yours," Mochizuki Maple said curtly, pointing his thunder blade at the dozen or so tree spirits on the right. "I'll take care of the right side."

The female knight gritted her teeth and finally turned to fight. Her small kite shield accurately parried the first treant that pounced on her, and her saber stabbed out like a venomous snake from beneath the shield, striking the scarlet burl squarely.

Another tree spirit on her right tried to ambush her.

"boom!"

A bolt of lightning struck the tree spirit precisely, blasting it to pieces. The female knight turned around in surprise, a hint of astonishment flashing in her dark purple eyes, but the battlefield allowed no hesitation. She spun around, raising her shield to block another attack, her saber thrusting out from beneath the shield.

This man...

Despite her doubts, her hands moved with unwavering precision. With a swift upward thrust of her shield, she parried the tree spirit's claws, then followed up with a horizontal slash of her military knife, stunning another monster. Moonlight Maple followed closely, her lightning blade crackling with electricity as she cleaved the tree spirit into a charred corpse.

The two quickly formed a killing rhythm through their coordinated attacks: the female knight charged in to break through the defenses, the kite shield blocked to create a counterattack opportunity, the saber precisely caused a stun, and Mochizuki Maple's lightning blade delivered the fatal blow.

"Three on the left!" the female knight suddenly shouted.

Mochizuki understood and plunged the lightning blade into the ground. As the female knight used her kite shield to force the three tree spirits together, a raging lightning serpent burst forth from the ground, instantly turning the monsters to ashes.

The remaining tree spirits finally realized the danger and began to retreat. The female knight's saber, however, was already tinged with an eerie blue light—

"farewell."

She and Mochizuki Kaede launched their final sprint at the same time.

The saber severed the last treant's knee, while the lightning blade precisely pierced the tree burl in its chest. The monster shattered into pieces amidst the exploding lightning, and the skirmish finally came to an end.

The female knight, panting, sheathed her sword and warily eyed Mochizuki Kaede: "Why are you helping this unfamiliar, powerful figure?"

Her kite shield still bore the scratches of the tree spirit, and her purple light armor was damaged in many places, but her posture remained as straight as a spear.

Silica peeked out from behind Asuna and timidly raised the quest scroll.

The emblem painted on it was exactly the same as the one on the female knight's shield.

Mochizuki Kaede and the others had already noticed the golden NPC quest marker above the female knight's head, as well as her ID—

【Kizmare: Royal Guard of the Dark Elves】

Asuna lightly touched Silica's shoulder with her fingertips, gesturing for her to come forward.

Silica held the yellowed parchment scroll in both hands, took a step forward, and the gilded dark elf emblem on the scroll shone faintly in the mist.

Kissmael's gaze fell on the scroll in Silica's hand, and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly. As she sheathed her sword, the armor made a crisp clinking sound: "It seems the commander's summons has led you here."

Her voice carried a hint of relief, yet also a barely perceptible weariness.

“Stay close to me,” she said briefly, her purple armor gleaming in the dim light. “The camp isn’t far.”

[System notification: Kissmael has joined the team]

A new status bar appeared in the upper left corner of Mochizuki Maple's field of vision, displaying brief information about this dark elf guard.

“The changes in this forest are getting increasingly serious,” Kissmael said in a low voice. “The area affected by the mist is expanding every day, and the number of tree spirits is multiplying…”

Her words trailed off, and she abruptly stopped. Ahead, in the mist, the corpses of several dark elf guards, entangled in grotesque vines, hung among the ancient trees like some kind of eerie sacrifice. The vines glowed with a purplish-black light, writhing on the armor like living creatures, even burrowing into the corpses' eye sockets and mouths, as if greedily draining their last breaths.

“Now there’s even an even more dangerous variant, the Dark Vine Demon.” Kissmael looked at the eerie vines, his voice filled with suppressed rage. “This damned mist has spread to the edge of our town.”

Silica covered her mouth, her pupils contracted, and a barely audible sob escaped her throat. Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna stood silently beside her, the air so heavy it seemed as if water could condense.

In the oppressive silence, Kissmael took a deep breath, turned around, and continued walking.

Led by Kissmare, Mochizuki Kaede and the others passed through the camp passageway covered with glowing moss and arrived at a tent in the center of the camp. When the heavy tent flap was lifted, the air mixed with the smell of rust rushed out.

The interior of the tent was surprisingly spacious, with a command table naturally formed from the roots of an ancient tree placed in the center. A 3D map of the forest, projected with data, floated on the table, the ever-expanding red fog zones a startling sight.

A dark elf man clad in heavy, dark armor was staring intently at a map. Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his head, his sharply defined features and dark purple eyes exuding an imposing aura.

"Commander," Kismer said, giving a standard elven military salute.

As Kissmael recounted in detail how Mochizuki Kaede had helped her exterminate the tree spirit horde, the commander's gaze lingered on the boy for a few more seconds, a hint of approval flashing in his sharp eyes.

"Adventurers, on behalf of the Dark Elves, I thank you for your assistance."

The commander's deep voice was hoarse with weariness as he pointed to the area covered by red markings on the sand table: "As you can see, the cursed fog is devouring our homeland and eroding the will of our people. The children dare not sleep, and the warriors are filled with fear... If this continues, before the fog engulfs us, fear will crush the entire tribe."

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Poisonous Spider Queen