I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

“The second question is even simpler—as long as the flag is up, the effect will last forever, so there’s no need to worry about time limits.” Argo twirled a branch, his tone light and cheerful.

“…Mmm.” Asuna’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.

Argo held up one finger at the end: "As for the number of people? As long as they are members of the same guild, we'll add as many as they come. Even if your guild has a hundred or two hundred people, as long as we can fit them in, there's no limit."

After saying that, she stood up: "Alright, I've told you the information."

Mochizuki Kaede, Asuna, and Silica exchanged glances, all three seeing the same thought in each other's eyes: the value of this item would likely spark fierce competition between guilds.

Mochizuki Kaede readily took out her bulging money pouch, the metal clinking together with a crisp sound: "Here you go, this is the agreed-upon reward."

He tossed the money pouch to Argo and then asked, "By the way, Miss Argo, there's one more question: detailed information about the fifth-floor boss."

Argo deftly caught the money bag, weighed it in his hand, and a bright smile spread across his face: "Oh my, Maple is so generous today~"

She tucked the purse inside her cloak and said, "Do you remember what I mentioned about [SAO Origins] on the third floor?"

Mochizuki Kaede replied, "Yes, it's that legend of the 'Earth Severing', right?"

Agor nodded at Mochizuki Kaede's words, then straightened his face and began to explain:

"Well, let me briefly mention the key points... This fifth level, a long, long time ago when it was still on the ground, was apparently an industrial city of a human kingdom."

"Humans used magic to mine many ores and magic stones, which were then used to manufacture large quantities of weapons and armor and exported to war-torn regions. However, the king of that country did not export the truly powerful magic stones but instead accumulated them, intending to use them to create enormous combat weapons... namely, golems."

"Ultimately, when they created the golem in preparation for attacking their commercial rival, the dwarf kingdom, the Earth was severed, and the golem and the king floated into the air. After losing their magical powers, they could no longer mine or refine... Well, that's roughly the story, and the fifth floor's boss is this weapon of war, the golem."

Mochizuki Kaede nodded thoughtfully: "I see."

At that moment, Asuna suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Speaking of which... the zombie boss on the third floor of the catacombs seems to be wearing a crown on its head?"

“Yes, that’s true.” Silica tilted her head, looking puzzled. “But that body shape doesn’t look human at all? That size…”

Seeing the confused expressions on everyone's faces, Argo suddenly chuckled: "Think about it, don't the evil king bosses in games all grow to gigantic sizes?"

Mochizuki Kaede stroked her chin and added earnestly, "Maybe it's because it lay in the damp underground for too long, and the corpse absorbed water and swelled up? I heard that zombies have a particularly strong ability to absorb water..."

"Ugh..." The three girls simultaneously showed expressions of disgust, with Silica even exaggeratingly hugging her shoulders.

"Ahem." Mochizuki Kaede quickly coughed twice to change the subject, "So, the most important floor boss... the one we have to deal with is this [Golem], right?"

“Yes, that’s basically it.” Argo nodded and continued, “During the closed beta, this golem boss only used its hands and feet for physical attacks. As long as you kept your distance, its health wouldn’t decrease.”

Her eyes suddenly sharpened: "But you must remember that all the floor bosses so far, even if they look the same as during the closed beta, will definitely undergo some kind of fatal change."

Argo raised his fingers and began to count:

"The first-floor [Kobold Lord Ilfang] used a nodachi that he did not possess during the closed beta."

"The second layer of [King Taurus Asterius] did not exist during the closed beta test."

"The third-level [Demon Tree Spirit Nereus] possesses the [World Destroyer] skill, which has a wide range and high damage and was not present during the closed beta test."

She paused for a moment, looking at everyone: "So the fifth floor boss, the Golem, will definitely undergo some changes that are different from those during the closed beta."

Chapter 72: The Golden Rule

Mochizuki Kaede eventually reached a cooperation agreement with Argo, with the information broker leading them to the labyrinth area where the fifth-floor boss was located for reconnaissance.

However, the setting sun had already painted the sky red. Argo waved his hand and said, "It's getting late. You guys should prepare your equipment and supplies. Let's meet here tomorrow morning."

When we returned to Kara town, the streetlights were already on.

The three of them went to a popular dessert shop and ordered a signature dessert.

Three Swiss rolls were neatly arranged on an exquisite porcelain plate.

Looking at the 20-centimeter-long Swiss roll in front of him, Mochizuki Kaede saw that the soft cake was evenly covered with a thick layer of banana-flavored cream and perfectly rolled into a beautiful swirl.

"Wow! It's huge!" Silica couldn't wait to cut off a piece and put it in her mouth, her eyes immediately squinting with happiness. "So delicious! The cake is so soft."

Asuna cut off a small piece with her fork, tasted it carefully, and nodded in approval: "It's really delicious. This cream has a very light texture, completely different from ordinary cream. There must be some special ingredient added to it."

Watching the two of them enjoying their Swiss rolls, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly put down her fork and said, "Speaking of which, shouldn't we be able to form a guild now? We've met all the requirements."

He skillfully brought up the system menu and projected a detailed explanation of guild formation:

Guild Formation Guidelines

Guild application location: Guild Management Office in the main urban area.

Minimum number of participants: 2 people (must remain in a team).

Registration fee: 10000 Keer (non-refundable once paid).

Asuna smiled knowingly, a little cream still on her lips, which she wiped with a tissue: "Xiaofeng thought of this because of the [Guild Flag], right?"

“That’s right.” Mochizuki Kaede nodded, her eyes becoming serious. “The effect of the Guild Flag is really too powerful. In this death game, it can give us an extra guarantee of survival and also help us better challenge the higher levels.”

He looked at his two companions: "Of course, this is just my suggestion. Asuna, Silica, what do you think?"

“Of course I have no problem with that,” Asuna replied with a smile, then turned her gaze to Silica. “What does Silica think?”

Silica's eyes lit up: "Really? We can form our own guild? That's amazing!"

The two girls' quick reply was exactly what Mochizuki Kaede had expected.

Asuna suddenly asked, "Since we've decided, let's go to the guild administration office to apply later. But the guild needs a name, right? How about we think of one together now?"

Mochizuki Kaede put on a thoughtful expression: "I've already decided, I'll call it [Remembering Amitabha's Kindness]."

"Huh?" Silica almost spat out the juice she had just taken a sip of.

Asuna blinked and exchanged a confused look with Silica: "What... what's this name?"

Mochizuki Kaede explained earnestly, "This is the name of a famous swordsman from the Warring States period. He combined Buddhist practice with the essence of swordsmanship, and in the history of Japanese Kendo..."

"Pfft, hahaha!" Before he could finish speaking, Silica was already laughing so hard she was doubled over, her face turning bright red. "What a weird name!"

Asuna couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth and saying, "No, no, this name is absolutely not going to be used! It sounds like an old monk's name, not cool at all! It would be better to call him 'Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain' instead."

“And it’s so hard to pronounce…” Silica added, wiping away tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes.

Mochizuki Kaede's shoulders slumped immediately: "But this name has a profound meaning..."

"Rejected!" the two girls said in unison.

Silica playfully made an "X" sign.

Mochizuki Kaede looked dejected.

Seeing this, Asuna suppressed a laugh and patted his shoulder: "Alright, alright, let's think of a better name together~"

She turned to Silica: "Silica, do you have any good ideas?"

"How about we call it 'The Band of the Hawk'?" Silica waved her little hand. "It gives people a feeling of soaring freely in the sky!"

Asuna rested her chin on her hand, thinking, "Hmm...it feels kind of ordinary."

At this moment, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Since we decided to form a guild because of the [Guild Flag]... why not just call it [Flag]? Simple and direct."

"That's too casual!" the two girls retorted again.

Unwilling to give up, Mochizuki Kaede suggested again: "How about the Sword and Shield Alliance? It would highlight our strengths in both offense and defense."

“That’s so outdated,” Silica said.

Asuna sighed helplessly, "It seems that choosing a suitable name is more difficult than defeating a boss."

Just then, Silica's eyes suddenly lit up: "Ah! How about we each take one character from our names? Maple, Na, and Ka... put them together and it's 【MapleNaKa】!"

Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna exchanged bewildered glances; the strange name sounded like some kind of new drug.

After a moment of silence, Mochizuki Kaede thoughtfully spoke up: "How about calling it 'The Golden Rule'?"

Seeing the two looking at him with doubt, he explained earnestly, "The Golden Rule represents perfect proportions, just like the precision of our combat coordination. The Golden Rule is not just a name, but also our code of conduct."

Asuna and Silica exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"It's surprisingly good," Asuna said with a smile.

“That sounds amazing, like we’re destined to be the perfect team.” Silica clapped her hands happily.

And so, the three of them finalized their names.

Mochizuki Kaede held up her juice glass, the liquid inside reflecting an amber light under the lamp: "For the establishment of the [Golden Rule], for survival, and even more so for standing together on the highest level of this floating city to complete this game."

"Cheers!" Asuna and Silica responded in unison.

Three glasses collided in mid-air.

It was already late when I left the dessert shop.

The sparse streetlights cast long shadows of the three people.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Mochizuki Kaede caught a familiar figure—

A player wearing a purple cloak was hurrying across the plaza, followed by a girl wearing a large white hat who shouted as she ran, "Wait for me!"

“That is…” Mochizuki Kaede was about to examine it closely when Asuna grabbed his sleeve.

"What are you daydreaming about? The guild office is closing in half an hour!" Asuna urged.

Silica pushed his back, saying, "Hurry up, Brother Feng."

At the guild management office, the reception NPC smiled and handed over a parchment contract: "Please sign here to confirm."

Mochizuki Kaede solemnly signed his name, and a system notification sounded immediately:

[The guild "Golden Rule" has been successfully established.]

[President: Mochizuki Kaede].

[Members: Asuna, Silica]

After leaving the management office, the three of them rushed to the prop shop to prepare some potions for tomorrow's battle.

It was already late at night when I got back to the hotel.

They said goodbye in front of their respective doors.

"We'll be facing the maze area tomorrow, so get some rest," Asuna said softly, closing the door behind her.

"Goodnight, Brother Feng." Silica waved energetically and closed the door.

Mochizuki Kaede returned to his room and lay on his bed, but the mysterious purple figure kept replaying in his mind. He felt like he had seen that person somewhere before, but exhaustion quickly overwhelmed him, taking him to sleep.

Chapter 73: A Hidden Path Ahead

The maze area on the fifth floor stands in the northeast corner of the floor.

A giant maze with a radius of 500 meters surrounds it in a semi-circle, with towering stone walls at both ends perfectly connecting with the edges of the floors, forming a natural barrier.

Argo led the group toward the southeast.

The area was teeming with monsters, and by the time they finally reached their destination, it was already 2:45 PM.

"We've arrived." Argo suddenly stopped.

Wang Yuefeng looked around, and what came into view was an extremely desolate scene: to the north stood a steep stone wall, 20 meters high, rising vertically as if cut by a knife. To the south and west stretched a barren, gray-brown wasteland, and further away was the withered forest they had just passed through. Under the setting sun, the entire forest was dyed a monotonous dark brown.

Looking eastward, through the gap in the outer perimeter, one can see a vast and boundless sky. But that blue-gray sky is gloomy, giving one an ominous feeling.

Mochizuki slowly withdrew his gaze and looked up again at the dark stone wall in front of him.

According to the legends told by Argo along the way, the labyrinth is the sleeping secret weapon research base of an ancient kingdom, and the labyrinth was built to prevent invaders.

After learning these stories, the towering stone wall felt even colder, but I still had to find a way to get through it.

"So where should we enter from?" Mochizuki Kaede asked, turning to the guide who was drinking water.

Upon hearing this, Argo wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, a confident smile appearing on his face.

She pulled a glowing object from inside her cloak.

It was a large bronze key, about 15 centimeters long, with intricate patterns engraved on its surface and a faint glow.

"Watch closely~" She hooked the leather cord on the key with her index finger, making the key spin in the air in a shiny trajectory, and then walked lightly toward the stone wall.

She pressed her face almost against the weathered rock wall, searching carefully for something, when suddenly her eyes lit up. With a soft "click," the key was precisely inserted into an almost imperceptible crevice. She turned her wrist slightly, and a dull thud of a mechanism operating came from deep within the rock wall.