I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

The moment she landed, she executed a swift roll, sweeping her saber to force back two assassins who had ambushed her from the ground. Her movements were fluid and graceful, showcasing the strength of a royal guard.

"Beautiful!" the lead assassin clapped and mocked, "But how long can it last?"

Before the words were finished, six dark figures pounced at the same time.

With a flick of her wrist, Kismael's saber transformed into a silver streak, precisely parrying the first poisoned scimitar. The blades clashed, sending sparks flying. She twisted her slender waist, narrowly avoiding the second strike, and then slammed the hilt of her saber into the throat of the third attacker, who immediately recoiled in pain.

"laugh--"

The fourth scimitar slashed across her shoulder, tearing her armor. The fifth strike followed immediately, leaving a burning gash on her waist. Kissmael grunted, then swung her blade backhand, piercing the sixth attacker's shoulder and flinging him toward the onrushing enemy.

The assassin's blade was coated with deadly poison, and a chilling, numbing sensation was spreading from Kissmael's wound. Sweat streamed down her pale cheeks, but it couldn't dispel the biting cold.

But her sword strikes showed no sign of abating.

Like wolves that have caught the scent of blood, the assassins' attacks grew increasingly fierce. Kismael's every parry remained chillingly precise; his saber deflected a fatal blow aimed at his throat, and as it spun, it precisely pierced another enemy's wrist.

"boom!"

She sent her right-hand enemy flying with a spinning kick, but in the instant she finished her move, her thigh was slashed by the curved blade on her left. The pain made her movements pause slightly, and a new wound immediately appeared on her back.

Gradually, her movements slowed. Her breathing became heavy, and her short purple hair, soaked with sweat, clung to her pale cheeks. The military knife was still sharp, but the trajectory of her swings was no longer as precise as before.

The toxins were raging through her body.

A bone-chilling cold spread from every wound, as if she had been thrown into an ice cave. Her lips lost their color, and her slender fingers trembled uncontrollably. But even so, she still gripped the military knife tightly.

As royal guards of the dark elves, they would rather die standing than kneel and beg for life.

“That’s enough.” The assassination leader approached slowly, his boots crushing dry branches with a grating sound in the deathly silent forest.

He admired Kissmael's swaying yet still upright figure and sneered, "Truly admirable backbone. Farewell."

The assassin raised his scimitar high, the tip aimed at Kismer's heart. The poisoned blade gleamed with a chilling light; a mere instant was all it took to end the elven knight's life.

"boom--!"

The deafening clang of metal clashing suddenly tore through the twilight, making the air tremble.

The assassination leader's pupils constricted sharply. The recoil from the hilt of his sword made his hand go numb, and his entire arm trembled. The curved blade, which should have pierced flesh, was now firmly held in place by a long sword wreathed in lightning, unable to advance an inch.

The leaping arc of electricity illuminated the figure that suddenly appeared between the two men—silver hair, a ghost mask, a black coat fluttering like night wings, and a pair of cold eyes locked onto him from beneath the mask, like the gaze of death casting a judgment.

"you……"

Before the assassination leader could even utter his question, Lei Dao suddenly exerted force, his blade spinning to deflect the man's weapon. The next second, a streak of light pierced the air, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, precisely piercing his throat!

"cough--!"

The assassination leader's scimitar flew from his hand, twirling several times in the air before crashing into the ground. He staggered backward, clutching his throat tightly with both hands.

"You..." He struggled to lift his head, his eyes filled with disbelief, "How could this be..."

However, before the assassination leader could finish speaking, his body began to disintegrate, turning into countless tiny data points that dissipated into the deepening twilight.

Dead silence.

All the assassins froze in place, their eyes turning to the uninvited guest.

The lightning blade in his hand emitted blinding electric light, illuminating the surrounding mist, as if even the darkness itself feared its sharpness.

And at this moment——

The last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, seemingly overwhelmed by the imposing presence of this figure, and dared not linger for even a moment longer.

Beneath the mask, a deep, cold voice rang out, like a final judgment:

"farewell."

Chapter 105: Warmth

The night was as dark as ink, and a thick purple mist flowed slowly through the forest, shrouding the entire world in a hazy darkness. This should have been the perfect hunting ground for assassins; the darkness obscured their vision, the mist concealed their movements, and every shadow could harbor deadly intent.

However, at this moment, this natural barrier became the best cover for the silver-haired demon.

The six assassins moved at the same time.

Like a group of venomous snakes cornered, they unleashed their final ferocity under the threat of death. Six dark figures pounced from different angles, their poisoned scimitars drawing deadly arcs, sealing off all of the silver-haired demon's escape routes.

"Die!" roared the assassin at the front, his scimitar aimed straight for the throat.

The pupils beneath the demon mask narrowed slightly.

Time seemed to stand still.

The electric arcs on the Thunder Blade suddenly surged, and blinding golden lightning coiled around the blade like a raging dragon. The next instant, Ghost Face vanished.

No, it's not disappearing—it's almost gone.

"laugh!"

A bolt of lightning swept across the battlefield. The assassin at the forefront was still charging forward when the lightning blade pierced his heart with pinpoint accuracy. The assassin's movements abruptly halted, an expression of disbelief flashing in his eyes, as his body began to dissipate into data fragments.

"First."

A cold voice came from the mist, but its direction was unclear. The remaining five assassins stood back to back in a circle, warily scanning the swirling fog around them. Sweat streamed down their foreheads.

They suddenly realized that they were the ones being hunted.

"laugh!"

Another bolt of lightning pierced through the mist. Before the second assassin could react, the lightning blade had already pierced his heart from behind.

"the second."

The sound came from the left this time, but when the assassins turned, they only saw the hem of a black coat flash by in the mist.

"There!" The third assassin roared as he lunged at the shadow in the fog, only to be pierced through the ribs by a lightning blade that came from the side the next second.

"The third."

The remaining three assassins stood back to back, their weapons trembling slightly with fear. Lightning flashed intermittently in the thick fog, and the silver-haired, masked figure moved through it like a phantom. Each flash of electricity was accompanied by a chilling countdown.

"laugh!"

"the fourth."

"laugh!"

"the fifth."

The last assassin desperately swung his scimitar, hacking wildly into the fog.

"Come out! Come out here!" he roared hysterically.

His response was a bolt of lightning that pierced through the mist.

"sixth."

As the last assassin vanished into data fragments, the forest returned to silence.

The mist, like gauze, gradually dissipated under the moonlight. The outline of the silver-haired, demon-faced figure emerged from the haze. With a slight turn of his wrist, the Thunder Blade emitted a clear sound as it returned to its sheath. He then turned and walked towards Kismer, who stood leaning against the blade.

The clasp on the demon mask made a soft "click" as it slowly came off, revealing a face that Kissmel knew all too well.

In fact, she had already recognized the figure the moment the lightning pierced the twilight. That familiar fighting stance, that familiar back view, who else could it be but him?

"It's alright now," the boy said softly.

“Wang Yuefeng… Your Excellency.” Qi Zimei tried to bow, but found her knees betraying her will. The saber slipped from her limp fingers and fell to the ground covered with fallen leaves with a dull thud. She felt all the strength drain from her body in an instant, and her legs buckled as she was about to collapse.

Mochizuki stepped forward and caught her falling body. The icy touch made him frown. The elven knight was as cold as ice, her once radiant face now deathly pale, and her breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible.

He swiftly drew the healing potion from his waist; the sound of the cork being bitten open was exceptionally clear in the silence. Kismer felt the warm liquid slide down her throat, only to freeze in her chest. Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably, making a soft, cracking sound.

"It's so cold..." The words that escaped her lips turned into white mist.

The barely audible murmur made Mochizuki Kaede's gray eyes darken. Without hesitation, he tore open his black coat and wrapped Kismer completely in his arms.

The boy's body heat seeped through his clothes, like the last embers of a campfire dying out on a winter night.

Kissmael tilted her head slightly and saw that beneath his lowered eyelashes, those usually calm gray eyes were now silently asking, "Are you feeling any better?"

She nodded gently, unconsciously curling up in Wang Yuefeng's arms. Even the Dark Elf Royal Guards, known for their honor and resilience, showed a rare vulnerability in front of the young man.

[The Fallen Assassin] The poisoned scimitar carried a chilling coldness. Multiple wounds allowed the toxins to rage within her body, and the frozen state lingered, causing her delicate body to tremble uncontrollably. Only by pressing herself against his chest could she draw some warmth from his steady heartbeat.

Kissmael gently closed her eyes in his arms, recalling memories of him.

In the misty forest on the third level, the silver-haired boy also suddenly appeared with a thunder blade, defeating the misty tree spirit for her.

During the battle with the Spider Queen, just as she was about to be attacked by the venomous web, it was these arms that pulled her into their embrace, saving her from a fatal blow.

And there was the time she grieved before her sister's tombstone while keeping watch at the dark elf camp. The boy's rare gentle voice still echoes in my ears.

Speaking of which, he saw me naked while I was soaking in the hot spring. He looked so embarrassed, which was completely different from his usual calm and composed self, although I later found out that it was an accident.

The chill seemed to have lessened a bit.

She felt a warm hand gently patting her back, the rhythm reminiscent of an elven lullaby. Mochizuki Kaede's gentleness was never a blazing flame, but rather like his body temperature at that moment, steadily radiating a reassuring warmth.

"Okay, sleep peacefully, I'll always be here for you."

The whisper made Qizmail bury his face even deeper into his chest.

She knew that as a knight and a royal guard of the dark elves, she shouldn't be so out of line, but her frozen fingers still secretly grabbed the hem of Mochizuki Maple's clothes.

She didn't understand why the boy possessed such a subtle and enduring aura—like dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, or a stream of melting snow in early spring, clear yet carrying a faint warmth.

The aroma reminded her of the time when she secretly tasted the leftover wine in her mother's cup when she was a child. The clear wine slid down her throat, not too strong, but with a lingering aftertaste that made her heart flutter.

Mochizuki Kaede's presence was always like this: seemingly so close, yet giving one a sense of elusive uncertainty. At times, Kissmel felt he was like fine sand slipping through her fingers, or a spring that could never be contained in a bamboo basket. The more she tried to hold on, the more clearly she could feel him quietly slipping away through the cracks of life.

Even if I try my best to follow him, I probably won't be able to catch up with this boy who is always moving forward.

Wang Yuefeng's figure was too far away, her steps too fast, as if she was born to go to a distant place she could never reach.

Only at this moment, when the boy took the initiative to pull her into his arms, did that warmth feel so real and tangible. His heartbeat traveled through their pressed chests, the warmth of his breath brushed against her hair, and his strong arms held her firmly within his domain.

At this moment, she finally believed it—

Wangyue Feng is right here; she's not going anywhere else.

Chapter 106: The Sage

Kissmael gradually awoke in a hazy warmth. The frozen toxins in her body had subsided at some point, but the lingering chill still ached faintly in her bones, making her worry that she might catch a cold.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and just as she was about to open her eyes, she heard a clear, crisp female voice:

"Hey, Fengzi, how long are you going to keep hugging this young lady?"

The voice sounded strangely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. Kissmael instinctively maintained her even breathing and didn't move immediately.

Immediately afterward, she heard Mochizuki Kaede's voice close at hand, her warm breath brushing against her hair: "Let's talk about it when Miss Kissmel wakes up naturally."

"Tsk tsk tsk." The female voice chuckled mischievously, "When I first came over, I saw you holding her and I thought you were going to do something to the unconscious elf lady. After all, our Feng is at the age of youthful vigor, and the one in your arms is such a well-built dark elf, with curves in all the right places. You guys probably all like this type, right?"

"..."

Kissmel could clearly feel Mochizuki Kaede's chest stiffen instantly, her silence revealing a helpless embarrassment. She herself couldn't help but wonder—what exactly did Mochizuki Kaede think of her?

"Fengzi, we're going to Garre City later." The lively female voice rang out again.

"More new information?"

"Haven't you been looking for materials to upgrade your weapon? The Sage in Garre City has magic stones that can enhance the Thunder Blade."

Kismer's eyelashes trembled slightly. Garree City—wasn't that the city of the Dark Elves on the eighth level? Could the sage they spoke of be their reclusive sage?

Just as she was pondering, the girl suddenly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Fengzi, the name tag above your head has changed back from red to green."

Mochizuki Kaede nodded and said, "It took about two weeks to restore the green name... It seems that as long as I don't kill other players within two weeks, the status can be reset."

In fact, Mochizuki Maple has only personally killed one player so far, and that was Kradir. For the other red-named players he encountered, he simply confiscated their equipment and Cor, then threw them into the prison area. This "Robin Hood" approach was surprisingly efficient, allowing him to quickly accumulate considerable wealth and no longer struggle with skill upgrades.

His equipment is now almost brand new.

Aside from the Midnight Coat and the Thunder Blade, the former had already been upgraded, but the Thunder Blade was still stuck due to the need for special materials. He specifically asked the information broker Argo to keep an eye out for it, and Argo readily agreed. After all, they had already formed a tacit cooperative relationship in cracking down on red-named players: the confiscated equipment was split 70/30 between them and Ke'er, with Argo taking the 70%.

Argo crossed his arms and said, "Now that you're a green-named person, shouldn't you go and meet up with Asuna and the others?"

Mochizuki Kaede shook her head slightly: "It's not time yet. At least we need to find out more about the red-named guild, Smiling Coffin... We can't drag Asuna and the others into this kind of danger."

Kissmael shifted her body at the opportune moment, pretending to have just woken up. Mochizuki Kaede immediately noticed the movement in her arms, and as she looked down, her silver hair fell down: "Miss Kissmael, are you awake?"