I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Asuna pursed her cherry-colored lips.

Just as she was about to speak, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind her.

"Brother Feng!"

Silica rushed over like a golden whirlwind, her twin ponytails tracing messy paths in the sunlight. Her face was flushed red from running, her chest heaving, and she threw herself into Mochizuki Kaede's arms. The girl's petite body trembled slightly from the heat of running, and the faint scent of citrus lingered in her hair.

"I...I heard everything..." Her voice was muffled by Mochizuki Kaede's uniform, trembling with obvious sobs, "Why did you leave? Was it because of that red player badge? Silica doesn't care at all!"

Mochizuki Kaede's hand gently landed on the top of her head, his fingertips sinking into the soft strands of hair. He could feel the small body in his arms trembling slightly, like a frightened little animal.

Looking up, Mochizuki Kaede saw Yuna walking slowly towards her. The brim of her white wide-brimmed hat cast a soft shadow on her face, and her long brown hair was gently swayed by the breeze, shimmering softly in the sunlight. The usually gentle girl was now pursing her lips, and her eyes, which always held a smile, were now churning with complex emotions—worry, reluctance, and some indescribable flutter of emotion.

"It's just a short separation." Mochizuki Kaede gently stroked Silica's soft hair, her voice much softer than usual.

"President..." Yuna called softly, hesitating to speak. In the end, she simply sighed softly, a gentle smile curving her lips: "President, would you like to hear me play a piece?"

"Huh?" Mochizuki Kaede was slightly taken aback, only to see Yuna had already taken out the familiar lute. Her fingers gently caressed the strings, her eyes shining with a determined light: "I hope this song can accompany you on your journey ahead."

The melodious sound of the piano flowed gently through the air, like a clear stream. Yuna's fingertips danced lightly on the strings, each note brimming with unspeakable emotion. She used music to convey her feelings completely to the person she cared about, instead of words.

Wang Yuefeng stood quietly in place, his silver hair swaying gently in the music. He closed his eyes, deeply engraving this moment of warmth into his heart.

The girls' concern, his companions' trust, and this blessing woven with music will all become the most precious baggage on his solitary journey.

. . . .

Thank you to [New Dragon King] and [Radiant Blade Master] for the monthly tickets.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Meditation

In the wilderness, leaden clouds hung low, shrouding the entire world in gloom. Withered yellow grass swayed uneasily in the biting wind, rustling mournfully.

Mochizuki Kaede and Argo trudged along the muddy path, each step leaving clear footprints in the damp soil. Argo occasionally opened the semi-transparent system map, surveying their surroundings.

Their journey together dates back a few days—Argo suddenly found Mochizuki Maple in the wild. When she saw the striking red emblem above the head of the former president of the Golden Rule, the distinctive wrinkles on her face twitched noticeably.

After listening to Mochizuki Kaede's brief explanation, the information broker, unusually, did not make any jokes, but simply nodded thoughtfully: "I see, that Kradir is indeed a madman."

"So, what brings you here specifically to see me?" Mochizuki Kaede asked at the time.

Argo narrowed his eyes mysteriously, wagged his finger, and a sly smile played on his lips: "I have some very interesting information. How about we make a deal?"

Mochizuki Kaede had always had unwavering faith in Argo's intelligence network. The two quickly reached an agreement, which led to their journey through the wilderness today.

Mochizuki Kaede cautiously surveyed her surroundings. According to Argo's intelligence, they should encounter each other here—

"boom!"

A muffled thud came from the hillside not far away, followed by a low curse. Wang Yuefeng instantly became alert, silently drawing his Thunder Blade. He slowly approached the source of the sound and saw a white-haired man lying disheveled on the ground.

The man was tall and wore a worn leather armor, with two longswords slung across his back—a steel sword and a silver sword. His white hair was tied into a loose ponytail at the back of his head, and he had short stubble on his face, with a hideous scar over his right eye.

The man's ID, "White Wolf the Witcher," floated above his head, along with a flashing golden exclamation mark—the mark of a special quest NPC.

“Damn it…” the man said in a low, hoarse voice, “To fall like this from a two-meter-high slope, I’m really getting old.”

Argo's eyes lit up, and he winked at Wang Yuefeng: "That's him!"

The two quickly approached the white-haired man who was still lying on the ground.

Argo gestured for Mochizuki Kaede to take out a bottle of healing potion.

The white-haired man thanked him, accepted the drink, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp. The abrasions on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Thank you." The man slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his leather armor. His voice was deep and powerful, and the scar over his right eye stood out prominently.

His brownish-yellow cat-like eyes scanned the two of them: "You don't look like ordinary travelers."

Argo nodded.

Just then, the surrounding temperature plummeted. Trees and the ground were instantly covered in frost, and the sky darkened eerily. The white-haired man's eyes sharpened instantly, and his right hand swiftly drew the silver sword from his back. The runes on the sword glowed with a ghostly blue light, resisting the sudden chill.

The air ahead suddenly distorted and fluctuated—

Three knights clad in ice crystal armor appeared out of thin air. The eyes of their warhorses burned with eerie blue flames, and their breath froze the surrounding air into tiny ice crystals.

The lead knight slowly raised his helmet, which was covered in frost:

“White Wolf…” His voice seemed to come from the deepest abyss, echoing with a chilling force, “The king is waiting for you.”

Argo whispered in Mochizuki Kaede's ear, "Kaede, the quest has been triggered~"

The electric arcs wrapped around Mochizuki Kaede's blade crackled in the cold wind, their light mingling with the eerie blue glow of the silver sword.

The white-haired man lowered his body slightly, held his silver sword horizontally in front of his chest, and said to Mochizuki Kaede and Argo, "It seems we need to cooperate ahead of schedule."

The Frost Knights raised their icy lances in perfect unison, their warhorses' hooves pawing the ground restlessly, creating spiderweb-like cracks in the frozen earth. The chill in the air seeped into their bones, and each breath condensed into a thick white mist.

The battle is about to break out.

The Frost Knight's lance pierced the stagnant air first, its tip carrying a chilling aura as it hurtled towards the three.

Mochizuki Maple's lightning blade traced an arc of light, the electric arcs on its blade colliding with the ice crystals, shattering into countless tiny ice shards. Argo nimbly leaped backward, steel claws suddenly appearing in his hand, gleaming with a sharp light.

"Leave the left side to me!" the white-haired man shouted, and the runes on his silver sword suddenly shone like stars. He was using the New Year's Greeting Sword Technique, the blade precisely cutting into the gaps in the knight's armor, and a dark blue liquid sprayed out, only to condense into ice crystals in mid-air.

Mochizuki Kaede met the lead knight head-on. The instant his lightning blade clashed with the ice crystal spear, a bone-chilling coldness spread up the blade. He swiftly changed his move, the blade sliding down the spear shaft and severing the knight's lance finger. The knight let out a monstrous roar, thick icy mist spewing from the severed finger.

Argo crouched low like a cat, then suddenly rolled to the side to avoid the knight's lance. His steel claws, in the roll, precisely sliced ​​across the warhorse's forelegs, the specially crafted claws easily severing the seemingly indestructible ice crystal armor. The warhorse neighed in pain, and Argo, using the momentum, leaped up, his other claw aimed straight for the knight's face.

The battle entered a fierce stage.

The three of them worked together more and more seamlessly.

The Witcher's silver sword and Mochizuki Maple's lightning blade spearheaded the frontal assault, while Argo waited for the opportune moment to deliver the fatal blow. One after another, the Frost Knights fell, their bodies shattering with a crisp sound like breaking glass.

When the last knight's helmet was cleaved open by the lightning blade, revealing the empty darkness within, the entire wilderness suddenly regained its warmth. The frost covering the grass and trees melted rapidly, leaving only traces of frost on the ground as proof of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The white-haired man sheathed his silver sword on his back and let out a long sigh: "Well done."

He took out a strangely shaped metal bottle from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a swig.

"Good teamwork." He wiped his mouth. "You guys are better than I expected."

Argo's cloak was covered in ice crystals, and as she shook them off, she complained, "This mission is at least S-rank! The reward should be doubled!"

Mochizuki Kaede turned to the white-haired man: "What are these things?"

"The vanguard of the Wild Hunt." The white-haired man's expression turned serious. "It seems they've followed me to this world."

His brownish-yellow cat-like eyes swept over the two of them: "You saved my life, and according to the rules of the Witcher, you should repay me."

He took out an ancient parchment scroll from his robes: "This is my improved [Meditation] skill scroll. Unlike ordinary skills, it allows you to quickly adjust your state in battle and even enhance your perception for a short period of time."

He deftly handed the scroll to Mochizuki Kaede, the leather armor making a slight rustling sound as he moved: "I should continue my search for my daughter. Until we meet again."

. . . .

Thank you to [Sengoku no Kaimu-chan] and [Yaozi] for the blades and monthly tickets, and thank you to [fghjkop] for the donation!

Chapter 100: Trap

The midday sun poured down, filtering through layers of leaves and branches into dappled patterns of light, weaving a shimmering net of gold across the decaying leaves and moss in the forest. Tana looked around in confusion, his boots crunching a few pine cones with a crisp sound.

"Joe, why did you bring me here?"

The man walking ahead did not answer immediately, but continued to push aside the bushes blocking his way.

Both are core members of the Aincrad Liberation Army and the King of Fang's most trusted right-hand men. But recently, Joe's words and actions have become increasingly radical, to the point that Tana is uneasy—especially after the PK incident.

That PK incident that caused such a stir between the two guilds is still a powder keg.

Zarobeshi of the Aincrad Liberation Army engaged in a duel with members of the Dragon Knights, the stakes being their respective high-level weapons. After losing, Zarobeshi lost the valuable weapon and subsequently died unexpectedly while leveling up in the wild.

This was originally an unfortunate accident.

"It was clearly a fair duel agreed upon by both parties, and the stakes were agreed upon beforehand." Tana recalled that the people from the Dragon Knights explained it that way at the time. "Moreover, Zarobesi did not die from the duel itself, but met with an accident during a subsequent wilderness activity."

"You have to accept the consequences of your bet; that's the rule of the game." At the time, Ya Wang was heartbroken, but there was nothing he could do.

But Joe kept fanning the flames from the sidelines—

"They provoked us first!" Joe's voice still echoed in Tana's ears. "Zarobeshi was forced to fight! The Dragon Knights are also responsible for his death! It's very likely all a conspiracy by the Dragon Knights!"

What troubled Tana even more was that similar comments had been increasing recently. Joe had hinted in the guild that the Dragon Knights were secretly undermining the King of Fang's authority, attempting to leave the Aincrad Liberation Army leaderless so they could become the largest guild.

Ordinary players in the [Aincrad Liberation Army] have long been at a disadvantage. Lacking both the experience of beta testers and high-level equipment, they struggle to survive. This inequality has fostered intense jealousy within the guild: why is it that the members of the [Dragon Knights] have higher levels and more powerful equipment, when they are also players trapped in the same game?

Tana had repeatedly tried to persuade Ya Wang to ease the conflict. He sincerely hoped that the two guilds could work together, because in this life-or-death game, internal strife would only slow down the progress of the strategy and put everyone in a more dangerous situation.

“We’re here.” Joe suddenly stopped and turned to face Tana. Patches of sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting eerie shadows on his leather mask, making the already sinister mask even more terrifying.

Tana looked around.

This was just an ordinary grove of trees, nothing special. He looked at Joe, puzzled, but only heard the other's sinister laugh: "Tana, you're in my way..."

This statement left Tana momentarily stunned.

Before he could react, the surrounding bushes suddenly rustled. Several dark figures slowly emerged from behind the tree trunks and surrounded Tana.

When he could see the red player icons above the heads of those dark figures, his sword was already drawn.

Red-named players are those who enjoy hunting down other players.

Their stealth skills were so advanced that Tana was completely unaware of the ambush.

"Joe! Run!" Tana lowered his body, his sword tip pointing directly at the nearest red-named player. "I'll hold them off!"

However, Joe's next answer plunged him into an icy abyss.

"Everyone, don't hold back, his level is not low."

Joe slowly retreated outside the encirclement: "Leave no survivors."

"Joe...you?!" Tana stared at him in disbelief, the tip of her sword trembling slightly. "You're a red-named player? But your player ID is clearly green!"

"Hahaha—" Joe suddenly clutched his stomach and burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the woods and startling several birds into flight.

"Tana, Tana." He wiped away tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. "I thought you were smart, but I didn't expect you to be such a fool."

At that moment, Tana understood everything.

Joe colluded with a player with a red name (indicating a high-ranking status on the game), using Joe as bait to lure him to this secluded forest. Meanwhile, other players with red names were already lurking there, like venomous snakes waiting for their prey.

"Joe!" Tana's roar echoed through the woods. "Are you insane? Why would you collude with a red-named player? We have no grudge against each other!"

Joe said slowly, "Tana, you're in my way. Every time I try to stir up emotions against the Dragon Knights in front of the King of Fang, you're the one who pours cold water on it."

Tana's pupils contracted sharply: "Are you deliberately stirring up trouble between the two guilds? What good will that do you? Internal strife will only slow down the progress of the strategy and trap all players in this death game!"

"Stop!" Joe dramatically covered his ears. "Why are you all so eager to escape back to that boring real world? Mortgages, car loans, workplace backstabbing, the hypocrisy among relatives... all those suffocating shackles don't exist here!"

Joe opened his arms as if embracing the whole world: "Look, in this world, we are reborn. There are no laws, no moral judgments. We can kill at will, plunder, and control the life and death of others. How could we possibly experience this ultimate freedom in that boring real world?"

Tana's Adam's apple bobbed painfully, and cold sweat trickled down his back. Joe had completely lost his mind; he was an absolute madman.

His fingers, gripping the sword tightly, turned white from the force, the grooves of the hilt deeply imprinted on his palm. He glanced around; four red-named players wore smiles, their eyes gleaming with excitement. They casually handled their weapons, as if not preparing to kill, but anticipating an entertaining game. These people had truly killed before; they showed no reverence for taking lives, but rather relished it.

As the right-hand man of the King of Fangs, Tana's level and equipment were top-notch in the guild. But at this moment, the tip of his sword was trembling slightly. Four against one, and the opponents were all experienced killers... the hope of survival was so slim it was despairing.

“Joe…” Tana suppressed his fear and tried to negotiate one last time, “If you kill me, how will you explain it to Chairman Fang? The chairman knows that we left together.”

Joe laughed upon hearing this, a laugh as grating as a dull knife scraping against glass: "How simple~ I'll cry and tell Ya Wang that we were ambushed by red-named players, you died heroically, and I escaped by sheer luck. Moreover, those red-named players 'accidentally' revealed that they were acting under the orders of the [Dragon Knights]."

Tana's teeth clenched so tightly they were grinding: "Do you think the King of Teeth would believe such a clumsy lie?"

"Believe it or not—once the rumor starts, someone will believe it. When enough people believe it, the lie becomes the 'truth.' Then..."

Joe made an explosion gesture and made a "bang" sound: "The conflict between the two guilds will erupt completely like this~"

Tana's heart sank to the bottom.

He finally understood Joe's entire plan: to use his own death as a catalyst to ignite the war between the two guilds. In this deadly game, suspicion and hatred were often more deadly than swords.

"You... madman..." Tana raised his sword again. Since the negotiations had broken down, he would at least make this traitor pay the price.

.

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