I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Chapter 150: Determination

"Relax," Asuna whispered in his ear, her soft breath brushing against his earlobe like a feather. "You're making Silica even more nervous."

Mochizuki Kaede turned his head and saw Silica biting her lower lip, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly, as if she were about to cry. He took a deep breath, tried to relax his fingers, and gently squeezed Silica's hand back. This subtle movement made the girl tremble, and she then gripped his hand even tighter, as if she had grasped a lifeline.

The air in the room became thick and warm. Asuna had rested her head on Mochizuki Kaede's shoulder without him noticing, the fragrance of her hair lingering around his nose. Silica, on the other hand, carefully moved closer, her forehead almost touching his arm.

“It feels like a dream…” Silica’s voice was barely audible.

Asuna suddenly chuckled, "This is really bad. What if Lisbeth finds out..."

Mochizuki Kaede blinked in confusion, not quite understanding the deeper meaning behind Asuna's words, only assuming that Asuna was teasing the ambiguous scene. After all, the usually dashing and capable Asuna and the energetic and lively Silica were now nestled on either side of him like two docile kittens. Asuna's chestnut hair cascaded over his shoulders, while Silica carefully pressed her face against his arm; if others were to witness this scene, it would likely cause a huge uproar.

He pictured Lisbeth's wide-eyed expression, Argo's meaningful smile, Yuna's likely gasp of surprise, and Mitt's indifferent face.

Asuna paused for a moment, then drew circles on his palm with her fingertips: "Let's keep our relationship a secret from the rest of the guild for now."

Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at her and noticed that Asuna's eyelashes cast dappled shadows in the morning light, obscuring the emotions in her eyes. She explained, "Mitsu and Yuna... feel awkward about these kinds of feelings."

Mochizuki Kaede roughly understood Asuna's concerns. In this death game, the complex emotional entanglements among guild members could affect teamwork. Would the budding feelings between him, Asuna, and Silica destroy the existing bonds, or would they strengthen them in another form?

“I understand.” Mochizuki Kaede gently squeezed their hands back. “Until we find a suitable solution, this is a secret between the three of us.”

A hint of relief flashed in Asuna's eyes, quickly followed by a sly glint. She suddenly sat up, her chestnut hair cascading down to Mochizuki Kaede's chest: "But some people should probably keep their expressions in check."

She glanced meaningfully at Silica: "Every time you see Xiaofeng, your eyes light up like stars."

Silica let out a soft "Ugh!" and buried her face in the blankets, only her bright red earlobes showing. She protested in a muffled voice from under the covers, "Asuna-neechan is so cunning... even though you yourself are..."

Mochizuki Kaede looked helplessly at Asuna's triumphant smile, suddenly realizing that this gentle swordswoman was unexpectedly aggressive when it came to emotions.

Asuna leaned close to Mochizuki Kaede's ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe: "Keng, you have to treat him fairly, otherwise... I'll get jealous."

Her voice was sweet as honey, yet it made the hairs on the back of Mochizuki Kaede's neck stand on end.

Silica suddenly poked her head out from under the covers, her wet eyes wide open: "A-Asuna-neechan, that's cheating!"

She mustered her courage and grabbed Mochizuki Kaede's other arm: "I... I get jealous too!"

Looking at the strikingly different yet equally captivating faces on either side, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly felt as if she had stumbled into a wolf's den.

The three of them nestled lazily together on the same bed, exchanging lighthearted jokes. Mochizuki Kaede gazed at Asuna's smiling eyes and brows, a smile of genuine joy. Silica curled up on his other side like a contented cat, occasionally letting out soft giggles. This heartwarming scene filled his chest with a warmth, as if time itself had stood still.

But Mochizuki Kaede knew better than anyone that this peace was as fleeting as morning dew. Soon, they would have to leave this warm haven. They would eventually have to grip their weapons again and step into the perilous labyrinth. Each level's boss awaited their conquest, each challenge tested their limits, and stagnation meant death.

Outside the window, the sky over Aincrad was perfectly simulated by the system: the arc of the clouds, the refraction of light, even the trajectory of the birds flying by followed precise algorithms. Beneath this false sky, their real bodies lay on cold hospital beds, like specimens, riddled with tubes and wires. Ventilators rhythmically pumped artificial oxygen, intravenous fluids maintained the minimum metabolic needs of their cells, and the flickering green lines on the electrocardiogram monitor were life's last stand.

Countless nights, Mochizuki Kaede would pull up the system menu and stare at the clock synchronized with real time. Each relentless tick of the second hand felt like the approaching footsteps of death. Any accident—power failure, equipment aging, neglect—could cause the body in the real world to cease its life-giving beating.

The cruelest part is that in this exquisitely crafted cage, they won't even receive any warning. Perhaps on some ordinary morning, when the sunlight shines through the curtains again, they will find that their companions have suddenly turned into cold data fragments due to the real world, without even having time to say goodbye.

Therefore, Mochizuki Kaede will never stop. He wields his sword not only for himself, but also to protect his companions: Asuna's chestnut hair dancing in the sunlight, Silica's stubbornly pursed lips during battle, Argo's cunning beard under his hood, Mito's flying purple hair as she wields her scythe, Lisbeth's focused profile as she forges, and the touching beauty mark at the corner of Sachi's eye when she lowers her head... Every bond is the sole reason why he must break through this deadly game.

As Asuna felt the pressure on her palm, she looked up and was met with a deep, grey ocean of light. His pupils, translucent in the morning light, resembled molten lava surging beneath a frozen lake. This contradictory beauty momentarily disoriented her, as if she were seeing that boy again, the one who wielded his sword alone in the dojo when they first met…

When the two girls finally left the room, the sudden silence left Mochizuki Kaede feeling somewhat dazed.

The pillow still held the scent of a young girl, and the warmth of their bodies lingered in the blankets. He slowly raised his hand, sunlight filtering through his fingers and illuminating the dust motes floating in the air. Suddenly, he wondered if, in the real world, their hair carried the same fragrance.

. . . .

Thank you [Ren2099] for the monthly pass!

Chapter 151: The White Dragon

January 2024.

Fifty-fifth floor.

Gransam, the "Iron City".

The town, constructed of steel, gleamed with a cold, silvery light under the winter sun, its towering metal buildings piercing the gray sky like sharp swords.

Mochizuki Kaede pushed open the heavy iron door of the equipment shop, the metal hinges creaking loudly.

"Is everyone ready?" Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at her companions who were walking out of the prop shop one after another.

Asuna wrapped her newly bought thick cloak tighter around herself, the white fur collar making her cheeks flush: "This cloak is even warmer than I expected."

She swiped her finger across the virtual interface: "Cold resistance +15, plus a slight ice resistance bonus."

Silica shook the linen bag embroidered with gear patterns in her hand, and the scent of pine nuts filled the air. Suddenly, she tiptoed, pinched an amber-colored nut between her fingers, and carefully offered it to Mochizuki Kaede's lips.

"Brother Feng, would you like to try some?" She blinked her bright eyes, her voice filled with excited anticipation.

Mochizuki Kaede paused slightly, then lowered his head and gently bit into the nut. A crisp sound filled his mouth, and a rich aroma instantly spread. He smiled slightly and reached out to ruffle Silica's hair: "Mmm, delicious."

A faint blush rose to Silica's cheeks. She hugged the cloth bag tightly to her chest, and couldn't help but smile. "That's good!"

"Hey, stop feeding them," Yuna said with a laugh. "We're going to hunt down the White Dragon, not have a picnic."

Mitt was the last to leave the store, tossing a newly purchased transfer crystal into his hand.

They planned to head to the snowy mountain region to defeat the White Dragon. According to Argo's intelligence, the White Dragon drops rare forging materials for throwing weapons, which would be perfect for helping Silica upgrade her [Crescent Moon].

The squad marched along the steel walkway of the main street toward the west gate, their boots making a crisp sound as they struck the metal mesh floor.

After passing through the city gate, the terrain begins to rise slowly.

The steel buildings lining the road were gradually replaced by snow-covered pine forests, the air filled with the crisp scent of pine needles. Occasionally, a pack of snow wolves would dart out from the forest, but before they could even bare their fangs, they were struck down on the snow and vanished into blue fragments.

"Hello!"

As soon as she stepped into the safe zone of the snow-covered mountain village, Silica sneezed loudly. She hunched her shoulders and gently rubbed her red, frostbitten nose with her fingertips. The village, built on the mountainside, was completely covered in snow, and icicles like glass hung from the eaves of each log cabin.

Asuna suddenly unfurled her pure white cloak, wrapping the petite girl in her arms like spreading wings.

"You'll catch a cold," she said softly, her fingertips gently brushing the snowflakes from Silica's hair.

“Thank you, Asuna-neechan…” Silica looked up, her cheeks, red from the cold, appearing especially soft against the fur collar. Asuna didn’t answer, but gently patted Silica’s head and pulled her cloak tighter.

Yuna stood a few steps away, observing the scene with great interest. She keenly noticed that the interaction between the two had recently become noticeably closer than before. Even more concerning, she had repeatedly observed that they were spending more and more time alone with President Mochizuki Kaede.

Yuna turned her gaze to Mochizuki Kaede, who was examining a map, and then looked at the two people snuggling together, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Which house is the village chief's?" Wang Yuefeng frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the quiet village covered in snow. According to the mission procedure, they needed to visit the village chief first to obtain information.

His gaze finally settled on the opposite side of the central square, where there was a log building with a particularly high roof, and wisps of smoke were rising from its chimney.

"It should be that one, right?" Yuna followed his gaze.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded slightly: "Yes, it should be."

The group walked forward through the thick snow, their boots crunching as they sank into the snow.

—A few minutes later.

As expected, they found the white-bearded village chief NPC inside the house. The old man sat in a rocking chair by the fireplace, the firelight flickering on his wrinkled face. After successfully triggering the dialogue, the old man began a long recollection—

From the amusing stories of hunting snow hares in the snowy mountains during his childhood, to the harrowing brush with an avalanche during his youth; from the hardships of leading the villagers to build fortifications in his prime, to the reflections on his current old age and declining health… just as everyone was about to lose patience, the old man suddenly changed the subject, mentioning the terrifying white dragon that dwells in the western mountains.

As the old man finally finished his roundabout narration, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the icy-crystal-covered windows, bathing the entire room in amber light. Wang Yuefeng glanced at the system time without batting an eye; unknowingly, they had listened to nearly two hours of this "snow mountain memoir."

When everyone finally emerged from the village chief's house, the snow-covered rooftops were bathed in the golden-red light of the setting sun. Glistening icicles reflected the evening glow, and the entire village seemed to be shrouded in an orange veil.

"I didn't expect that just triggering the mission would take up the whole afternoon." Mitt looked up at the darkening sky, somewhat helplessly.

"Should we go tomorrow?" Asuna turned to look at Mochizuki Kaede, who was gazing at the snow-capped mountains in the distance. He pondered, "It is indeed a bit late, but it is said that the White Dragon is a nocturnal monster."

He pointed to the west side of the village: "Is that the mountain?"

Following his pointing finger, a steep snow-capped peak stood in the twilight. Due to the height restrictions of Aincrad, the actual height of the peak was less than 100 meters, so climbing it shouldn't be too difficult.

"Let's go, and finish this quickly." Mitt took the first step, his boots crushing the frost on the ground.

The climb went surprisingly smoothly.

The mountain path, though appearing treacherous from afar, is actually quite flat when walked on. The occasional monsters along the way, the Frost Skeletons, pose no threat whatsoever; their icy skeletons crackle like wind chimes when weapons clash, instantly shattering into fragments and dissipating in the cold wind.

After walking for several tens of minutes on a snow-covered road, turning onto a steep ice wall, we arrived at the summit.

On the snow-covered mountaintop platform, countless enormous crystal pillars pierced the snow, rising like an ice forest. As twilight deepened, the last rays of the setting sun pierced through the crystal facets, refracting a dreamlike violet halo. Tiny ice crystals danced in the stream of light, enveloping the entire area in a hazy veil of light.

"Wow...!" Silica unconsciously stood on tiptoe, her eyes reflecting the shimmering rainbow light.

Mochizuki Kaede's gaze swept warily around the surroundings: "We may encounter the White Dragon at any time. Everyone check your equipment and prepare to transfer the crystal."

Everyone nodded in unison, and the metallic scraping sound of weapons being drawn was particularly clear on the silent snowfield.

They cautiously advanced towards the central area surrounded by crystal pillars.

. . . .

Thank you to [Hope and Possibilities Reached] for the monthly pass!

Chapter 152: Winged Dragon

The snow crunched softly underfoot, and apart from the wind, there was no other sound. Soon, a circular space naturally formed from crystal appeared before us—

Twelve enormous crystal pillars stood in a ring, the central open space covered with an unusually smooth layer of snow. Most strikingly, the snow was scattered with traces of some large creature's activity, but the white dragon was nowhere to be seen. Mitt crouched down, her fingers brushing across the deep claw marks on the snow, the ice crystals rapidly melting at her fingertips.

"It seems we've come at an inopportune time..." Yuna's words were cut short—

Boom!

The entire mountain suddenly trembled violently, the crystal pillars began to quiver slightly, and tiny ice crystals fell from the top. A shadow suddenly loomed over their heads, and a huge white figure was swooping down from the sky, the blizzard whipped up by flapping wings instantly engulfing the entire platform.

"Everyone scatter!" Mochizuki Kaede's shout was drowned out by the dragon's roar, but all the members of [Golden Rule] had already instinctively taken action. As the white dragon's massive forelegs tore apart the spot where they had just stood, the five figures leaped in different directions like blooming petals, their weapons simultaneously glowing with the light of their skills activated.

Yuna's slender fingers traced an exciting melody on the lute strings, increasing the attack power of the entire team.

Asuna raised the Banner of Valor and stood it on the snow. After everyone received the buff, her elven sword emitted an emerald light: "The White Dragon has three main attack patterns: Double Claw Hook Strike, Freezing Breath, and Storm Assault. Be careful, everyone!"

A white dragon with scales as clear as ice crystals hovered in the air, its massive membranous wings creating whirlwinds of ice shards with each flap. Its ruby-red vertical pupils locked onto the crowd; its posture was less terrifying than breathtakingly beautiful.

The white dragon suddenly opened its jaws, and with a crisp sound like shattering crystal, a torrent of extreme cold, shimmering with white light, poured down. The air in its path instantly froze into ice crystals, and the snow-covered ground froze into a mirror-like surface at a visible speed.

—Frozen Breath!

Mochizuki Maple's [Thunder Abyss Judgment] suddenly erupted with blinding blue-white lightning. With a flick of his wrist, the longsword began to spin rapidly around its hilt, the trajectory of the blade accelerating until it transformed into a circular shield of light woven from lightning. The buzzing sound of the blade cutting through the air even drowned out the howling wind.

The white dragon's icy breath swept in like a tsunami, colliding violently with the lightning shield. A dazzling burst of pure white light erupted in an instant, the frigid breath scattering in all directions despite the lightning barrier. Ice crystals and lightning intertwined, exploding into countless shimmering ice flowers on the snow.

"Zizzi-"

Amidst the piercing crackling of electricity, Mochizuki Kaede's health began to decline slowly but steadily. Even more surprisingly, the lost health was automatically regenerating at a visible rate.

This is precisely the effect that can only be achieved by mastering the [Combat Recovery] skill to its fullest extent. This skill, which is said to be "impossible to master perfectly," requires players to maintain combat while continuously enduring high levels of damage, making the training process akin to walking on the edge of death.

Just as Mochizuki Kaede was struggling to withstand the freezing breath, Mito's figure shot out like a ghost. She stomped her toes on the snow, creating a cloud of flying snow mist, and her purple scythe drew a sharp arc, shooting straight at the white dragon in mid-air like an arrow.

Normally, when facing flying monsters, the tactic is to first use throwing weapons to force them to the ground, and then have melee members surround and attack them. But Mitt did the opposite. She used the momentum of her charge to leap high into the air, almost level with the white dragon's head, and then suddenly launched a sword technique in mid-air!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Her scythe transformed into a blurry purple afterimage as she unleashed her sword technique, the blade slashing wildly at the white dragon's wing membranes and torso with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. The white dragon, in pain, angrily swung its talons in retaliation.

But Silica's [Crescent Wheel] had already hurtled in, the metal wheel tracing a perfect parabola in the air before striking the dragon claw's attack with a resounding clang. The collision of the wheel blade and the hook claw sparked dazzling flames, creating an excellent opening for her teammates to unleash their attacks.

Asuna leaped into the air, unleashing her sword technique, her entire body tracing a graceful Z-shaped trajectory in the air like a dancer. Each time the tip of her sword struck a dragon scale, it exploded into a cloud of shimmering ice mist.

Mito and Asuna's figures intertwined in the air, their purple and white streaks of light perfectly synchronized. As they gracefully landed back on the snow, the white dragon let out a painful roar, its health points already reduced by a third.

Wang Yuefeng's lightning blade, [Thunder Abyss Judgment], was still humming, the dancing lightning on its blade reflecting his sharp eyes. He gave Bai Long no chance to catch his breath, leaping into the air once more.

"Drink——!"

With a low shout, Wang Yuefeng gripped his sword with both hands, the lightning patterns on the blade suddenly blazing brightly. He traced a blue-white lightning trail through the air, the blade striking the white dragon's reverse scale on its forehead with pinpoint accuracy. The impact of the strike caused the white dragon's massive head to snap back violently, its health instantly plummeting from yellow to red.

As Mochizuki Kaede fell with the force of gravity, the moment his boots touched the ice, he shouted without turning his head, "Silica!"

"understand!"

The girl, who had been poised to strike, let out a delicate shout. She stretched out her arms, and the [Crescent Moon Wheel] shot out of her hand with a whooshing sound. The metal blade spun rapidly in the air, its edges shimmering with an orange-red aura indicating the skill was activated, and it struck the white dragon precisely.

"Crack!"