I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

What should have been tree roots have now transformed into two thick legs, covered with a bark-like keratinous layer, causing the ground to tremble with every step. The upper part of the trunk has split into several vine arms as thick as giant pythons, each vine ending in sharp claws, swaying slowly in the air and dripping corrosive slime.

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Thank you to [Yaozi] and [Miss Shiori] for the monthly tickets!

Chapter 50: The Demon Tree Spirit Nereus

What's most chilling is the enormous, blood-red single eye in the center of its trunk. When its vertical pupil contracts, it makes a gurgling, sticky sound, and the whites of its eyes are covered with purplish-black blood vessels that undulate with its gaze. When it fixates on a player, that eye suddenly dilates, reflecting the player's terrified face in its pupil.

“This…this is the boss guarding the third floor…” Silica’s voice trembled slightly.

"Watch your position!" Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade was already drawn, the golden lightning strikingly bright in the dim room. "Proceed according to plan!"

Before the words were finished, the demonic tree spirit let out a deafening roar, and its three giant vine arms slammed into the ground.

Mochizuki Maple's lightning blade precisely cleaved through an incoming vine.

"Scatter!" Rinde shouted sternly.

The elite members of the Dragon Knights immediately split into three groups, their inscribed longswords tracing silver paths in the darkness, precisely intercepting the attacking vines.

Ya Wang spat, crossed his twin swords, and shouted, "Charge!"

He led the members of the Aincrad Liberation Army to break through from the flank.

The blood-red vertical pupils on the tree trunk suddenly contracted violently, and several bulges rose from the ground. With a nauseating tearing sound, ten twisted little tree spirits burst from the earth. They were entirely purplish-black, their branches covered with sharp thorns, leaving trails of sticky venom on the ground as they moved.

"hiss--!"

They charged at the player group with piercing screams.

"Hahaha, just in time! Let these bastards see how powerful we are!" Ya Wang laughed wildly, crossing his twin swords. The Liberation Army members behind him, though poorly equipped, quickly formed a tight defensive formation. A young member nervously swallowed, his short sword trembling slightly, but seeing Ya Wang's retreating figure, he gritted his teeth and followed.

The King of Fangs led the Aincrad Liberation Army to form a defensive circle, dividing and surrounding the treant horde.

Rinde's longsword drew a silver arc in the air: "Dragon Knights, Formation Three! Concentrate your attack on the tree trunk's weak point!"

The elite players behind him immediately shifted positions, and the six swordsmen simultaneously unleashed their thrusting skills, their inscribed longswords piercing the demon treant's trunk with a dull "thud." Large chunks of rotten bark peeled away, revealing the writhing purple flesh beneath.

"Watch your step!" Asuna's warning suddenly rang out.

The corpses of the slain treants were rapidly dissolving, turning into bubbling, dark green pools of poison. Silica hastily retreated, her Shadow Dagger slicing aside an attacking treant at the last second.

Wang Yuefeng noticed that the corpses of each slain treant dissolved into dark green poisonous pools, forming a venomous area about two meters in diameter on the ground. Even more dangerous was that while these pools didn't spread, players who stepped into them immediately displayed a "Poisoned" status icon above their heads.

"Ah!" A player accidentally stepped into the poisonous pool, his face turning pale instantly, and his HP began to drop at a rate of 2% per second. He frantically tried to jump out, but was entangled by another tree spirit around his ankle.

"Don't panic!" Wang Yuefeng rushed forward, his lightning blade precisely slashing down the tree demon that was entangled with the player, and pulled the person out of the poisonous pool. "Use the antidote!"

He shouted towards the direction of the Fang King: "Aincrad Liberation Army, take note! Lure the summoned creatures to a corner and deal with them!"

"Do you need to tell me!" Ya Wang spat, but still did as he was told. He led a few members, luring the three tree demons to a broken stone pillar, then suddenly turned around, his twin blades slashing out like a whirlwind, cutting through the tree demons' weak points. The poison pool was confined to a corner, preventing it from affecting the main battlefield.

Progress has also been made on Rindo's side.

The elite members of the Dragon Knights coordinated perfectly, their longswords piercing the same spot on the BOSS's torso simultaneously, causing considerable damage.

Suddenly, an ominous tremor came from the ground. Sensing the anomaly, Lin De immediately shouted, "Everyone scatter! The earth spikes are coming!"

Before the words were even finished, the ground beneath the demon tree spirit's feet suddenly bulged, and dozens of sharp black earth spikes burst forth, shooting straight into the sky with a howling whirlwind. Although most of the Dragon Knights reacted quickly and retreated immediately, two members were still unable to dodge in time.

"Ah—!" A shield-wielding warrior was struck directly by the ground spikes, launched into the air, and then swept up by the accompanying vortex, spinning several times before crashing heavily to the ground. His health instantly dropped by nearly a third, and a new [Stun] status effect appeared on his status bar.

The demon tree spirit suddenly arched its twisted trunk, and the tentacles at the crown trembled violently. The blood-red single eye in the center of the trunk suddenly expanded, and a thick, purplish-black mist gushed out from the cracks in its bark.

"It's [Poisonous Mist]! Disperse!" Mochizuki Maple shouted sharply, while quickly retreating.

The poisonous fog spread across the ground like a living thing, covering an area with a radius of about five meters. Tiny purple particles could be vaguely seen dancing within the fog, and the ground beneath them immediately sizzled as they corroded.

Two members of the Dragon Knights who charged too far ahead were unable to retreat and were instantly engulfed by the poisonous fog. Their health points began to slowly decrease, and their faces quickly turned ashen.

"Antidote! Quick!" Linde rushed forward and pulled the two out of the poisonous fog.

The demon tree spirit once again lashed out with its massive vine arm. Mochizuki Maple's eyes sharpened; gripping his sword with both hands, he met the oncoming vine head-on with an upward slash. The instant the lightning sword collided with the vine, blinding lightning spread along the tendrils, charring the entire massive arm black.

Another vine attacked from the side, about to strike Mochizuki Kaede who was unleashing a sword technique—

"Don't even think about it!" Asuna's elven sword flashed like lightning, precisely intercepting the vine, while Silica swiftly finished it off with her petite frame.

The battle reached a fever pitch, with poisonous fog, summoned creatures, ground spikes, and the ever-present threat of the [World Destruction] skill keeping everyone on edge.

The elite members of the Dragon Knights took turns attacking, while the Liberation Army focused on controlling the number and positioning of the small tree spirits. Mochizuki Kaede, Asuna, and Silica formed a mobile squad, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

As time goes by, the Demon Treant's health points are constantly decreasing.

Suddenly, the demonic tree spirit ceased all movement, and the single, blood-red eye on its trunk began to rapidly contract, its pupil surrounded by a blinding red light. The magic in the air surged wildly, forming a visible energy vortex.

"It's [World Destruction]!" Mochizuki Kaede shouted. "Asuna, now!"

Asuna was already poised to strike.

She leaped lightly into the air, and the elven sword burst forth with dazzling light. Ancient elven runes on the sword lit up one by one, and emerald green energy coiled around the blade as if it were alive.

"Uhhhhhh-!"

Her voice was clear and bright, like the cry of a phoenix.

The moment the sword tip pierced the blood-red pupil with pinpoint accuracy, time seemed to freeze for a second. Then, a dazzling emerald light burst forth from the wound, like dawn piercing the night. The demonic tree spirit let out a heart-wrenching howl, its gathering destructive energy abruptly interrupted, dissipating into countless dark red specks of light into the air.

Chapter 51: Joining a Guild

The [World Destruction] spell was abruptly interrupted at the last moment.

The demon tree spirit let out a mournful howl, its massive body swaying as it retreated.

The shockwave knocked Asuna back several steps, but she landed steadily, her rapier maintaining a perfect defensive stance. Silica immediately rushed to her aid, her Shadow Dagger precisely deflecting the splashing corrosive liquid.

"Now! Go all out!" Rinde and Ya Wang shouted in unison. All the players seized this precious opportunity, unleashing their strongest skills on the Demon Treant, and the entire BOSS room instantly erupted with dazzling light.

The demon tree spirit's mangled body suddenly convulsed violently, emitting a deafening shriek. With its last strength, it plunged its roots deep into the ground, causing the entire room to tremble violently.

"Not good! It's [Earth Spikes]!" Mochizuki Maple's pupils constricted, and he warned sharply, "Everyone, retreat to the edge immediately!"

Before he could finish speaking, the ground suddenly exploded.

Countless sharp spikes erupted from the ground, forming a terrifying whirlwind at the center. Several Aincrad Liberation Army members who reacted too slowly were instantly blasted away, their health bars plummeting to red.

Taking advantage of the situation, the demonic tree spirit began absorbing the energy from the surrounding poisonous pools, and its damaged trunk began to slowly heal. Its blood-red vertical pupils flashed with a crazed light, clearly indicating it was preparing for a final, desperate counterattack.

"Asuna!"

With a roar, Wang Yuefeng unleashed a blinding golden light from his Thunder Blade. He moved like lightning, charging straight at the giant vine arm wielded by the demon tree spirit.

Just as the thick vine was about to crash down, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly changed direction. The sole of his boot traced a semi-circle on the damp ground, grazing the edge of the vine at a precise angle. His lightning blade followed suit, slashing upwards and leaving a charred gash on the vine's surface, forcing the BOSS to let out a painful roar.

This perfectly executed feint created an excellent opportunity.

Asuna's figure flashed like a silver meteor through the gap created by Mochizuki Kaede. The Elven Sword shone brightly, tracing an arc in the air, its blade precisely striking the vulnerable spot beneath the Demon Tree Spirit's blood-red vertical pupil.

A thick, giant vine suddenly whistled in from the side, the force of which whipped up her chestnut hair.

At the critical moment, Asuna displayed astonishing reaction speed. Her slender waist twisted gracefully in the air, and she turned as lightly as a falling maple leaf, with vines brushing past her light armor and only lifting a few strands of hair.

"Now!" Her clear shout had barely faded when Wang Yuefeng's lightning blade pierced through the air, golden lightning crackling wildly across its surface. He stomped his feet on the ground, charging towards the demon tree spirit like an arrow released from a bow.

"Uhhhhhhhh-!"

With a roar, the Thunder Blade, carrying the force of a thousand bolts of lightning, cleaved down from the Demon Tree Spirit's head. Wherever the blade passed, dazzling lightning surged wildly into the wound, raging within the BOSS's body.

"Roar--!"

The demon tree spirit let out a final, mournful howl, its massive body convulsing violently. The light in its single, blood-red eye gradually dimmed, and the vines that had been coiling around it drooped limply.

With a deafening explosion, its body shattered into countless data fragments, which vanished completely under the golden lightning.

The entire BOSS room fell into a brief silence, with only the lingering crackling of electricity on the Thunder Blade remaining.

"Ding--!"

The system notification "[BOSS battle victory]" lit up in front of everyone.

Mochizuki Maple slowly sheathed his lightning blade, and the lightning gradually subsided. He let out a long sigh, and the fatigue from the battle finally washed over his limbs.

Asuna sheathed her spirit sword, looked up at Mochizuki Kaede, her amber eyes filled with the joy of victory, a few strands of sweat-dampened chestnut hair clinging to her cheeks.

"We won! We really won!" Silica cheered as she ran over, her brown twin ponytails bouncing merrily, her cheeks still flushed from the battle.

At the other end of the room, Ya Wang was loudly directing the members of the Aincrad Liberation Army to clean up the battlefield: "Take stock of the rewards for this BOSS battle!"

He patted a young team member on the back with his rough, large hand, almost knocking the man over: "Well done, kid!"

Not far away, Rindo was leading the elite members of the Dragon Knights to check on the condition of each member. Occasionally, he would look up, his gaze complex as he looked in the direction of Mochizuki Kaede.

Diabel weaved through the bustling crowd, walked up to Mochizuki Kaede, and smiled, "Another brilliant victory."

At this moment, Rindo also walked over. He stopped in front of Mochizuki Kaede and said, "Mr. Mochizuki, your abilities in actual combat are impressive. On behalf of the Dragon Knights, I formally invite you to join us."

He turned slightly to the side, gesturing for Mochizuki Maple to look at the Dragon Knights who were resting: "We possess a lot of information that ordinary players have no way of knowing: hidden quests, high-level item spawn points, and high-level leveling spots."

Rindo's gaze returned to Mochizuki Kaede: "More importantly, we adhere to the principle of distribution according to contribution. In this death game, strength is everything. Join us, and every outstanding performance you make will be rewarded accordingly."

Before Mochizuki Kaede could answer, Ya-o's loud voice interrupted: "Hey, hey, hey!"

He squeezed in front of Rinde, his twin swords dangling at his waist: "Brother Mochizuki, don't listen to this pretentious guy's nonsense!"

He patted his chest and said, "Come join our Aincrad Liberation Army, and I guarantee you'll be the vice-captain!"

Rindo frowned slightly, but surprisingly did not refute. He simply waited quietly for Mochizuki Kaede's reply.

Mochizuki Kaede's gaze swept over the two people confronting each other, then over the players around him who were holding their breath and waiting. Finally, he turned to Asuna and Silica, who had been standing beside him the whole time.

"Thank you for the invitation," Mochizuki Kaede said with a smile, "However—"

He reached out and gently placed his hand on Silica's shoulder: "We already have the best team."

Asuna added knowingly, "Besides, we're more used to doing things our own way."

Ya Wang paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into a hearty laugh: "If you ever change your mind, the Aincrad Liberation Army will welcome you anytime!"

Rindo nodded: "Looking forward to the next collaboration. The doors of the Dragon Knights are always open for you."

After the two left, Mochizuki Kaede turned to face her two companions.

“Let’s go,” he said, taking a step forward, “to the fourth floor.”

Asuna smiled slightly.

Silica jogged to catch up with the two: "I... I'll do my best!"

The three of them walked slowly up the spiraling stone steps.

Asuna suddenly chuckled, her amber eyes gleaming with mischief: "Shouldn't we celebrate first? After all, someone's now a hot commodity that both major guilds are vying for."

She deliberately dragged out her words: "'Brother Wangyue,' 'Mr. Wangyue'... they're getting more and more sought after."

Mochizuki Kaede shook her head helplessly: "Spare me."

Silica covered her mouth and chuckled, "Brother Feng is indeed very popular!"

The three continued forward.

Mochizuki Kaede paused slightly at the end of the steps.

The door to the fourth floor is just a stone's throw away.

"Are you ready?" he asked, turning around.

Asuna chuckled and said, "Anytime is fine."

Silica nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

Mochizuki Kaede smiled and reached out to push open the heavy stone door—

The wind from the fourth floor, carrying an unknown aura, came rushing towards us.

Chapter 52: The Blacksmith