I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Apart from a few ancient pine trees and a huge, decaying tree trunk, the clearing in the forest was completely empty, and there was absolutely no clue that could explain the girl's presence there.

The three of them practically jogged back along the same route, and when they returned to the cabin, the girl still showed no signs of waking up.

Gently placing the girl on the bed in the guest room, Mochizuki Kaede carefully tucked her in with a blanket.

After settling the girl in, the three returned to the wooden table in the living room.

After a heavy silence, Mochizuki Kaede spoke first: "The only thing we can be sure of now is that she is not a quest-triggering NPC. If she were, the quest list should update automatically upon contact."

Asuna nodded thoughtfully: "So she really is a player?"

“That’s the most reasonable explanation.” Mochizuki Kaede looked towards the guest rooms. “But the problem is, why would a child who looks less than ten years old be on such a far floor?”

Silica straightened up and said, "Could it be that they came out with other players and then got separated?"

Mochizuki Kaede tapped her knuckles on the table: "Such a young child should be accompanied by a guardian when logging into the game."

“Yes, I think so too,” Asuna echoed softly. “It’s hard to imagine such a young child logging into SAO alone.”

Her voice trailed off: "I hope her family is safe and sound..."

The last sentence landed heavily between the three of them like a stone. Asuna pursed her lips, swallowing back the words she was about to say, and turned to exchange a worried look with Mochizuki Kaede.

"She...will wake up?" Silica hugged Pina tightly.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded, forcing herself to answer with certainty: "Since the body hasn't disappeared as data, it means the NERvGear signal connection is still being maintained. The current state is closer to deep sleep, so you should wake up soon."

Despite his efforts to make his voice sound certain, a hint of uncertainty still crept in at the end.

Asuna suddenly got up and went straight to the guest room.

She gently knelt down in front of the bed, her slender fingertips carefully brushing aside the girl's black hair from her forehead.

Chapter 160: Yui

Asuna gently combed the girl's long, black hair with her fingertips, her movements as tender as if she were handling fragile glass.

Even in her coma, the girl exuded an otherworldly aura.

Her skin was a delicate, pure white, almost like snowflakes. Her features were exquisite, like a porcelain doll, with an exotic facial contour. Rather than a human child, the girl exuded an aura more akin to a forest elf from a fairy tale.

"If I could open my eyes..." Asuna murmured softly, as if afraid of disturbing the girl's dream, "I'm sure I'd see a captivating smile."

At that moment, Mochizuki Kaede and Silica also quietly walked to Asuna's side.

Mochizuki Kaede leaned down slightly, carefully examining the girl with a hint of concern and contemplation in his eyes, before saying, "Judging from her figure and appearance, she should be less than ten years old... probably only around eight years old."

Asuna nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed on the girl: "Pretty much... She's definitely the youngest player I've ever seen."

After hearing this, Mochizuki Kaede turned to look at Silica and said with a hint of teasing, "Younger than Silica, right?"

Silica's cheeks flushed instantly, and she said shyly in a soft voice, "I'm thirteen."

The afternoon flowed by like a gentle stream, neither hurried nor slow. As dusk deepened, the lake outside the window was tinged with a dark red. When the last rays of the setting sun faded through the windowpane, the black-haired girl on the bed remained fast asleep, like a night-blooming cereus that had quietly bloomed and then temporarily fallen asleep in the still night.

Mochizuki Kaede gently drew the linen curtains in the living room, and the warm yellow light from the wall lamp immediately filled the room.

He had just returned from Goral Village, the chill of the night wind still clinging to his shoulders. Asuna wanted to ask him, but Mochizuki Kaede's simple shake of the head conveyed the result of his trip—there were no clues about the black-haired girl.

None of the three were in the mood to enjoy dinner, quickly finishing their simple soup and bread in a few bites. Afterward, they sat around the sofa, flipping through the player newspapers that Mochizuki Kaede had brought back.

These so-called "newspapers" are actually quite different from the thick stacks of newspapers in the real world that rustle with paper. They are only magazine-sized and made of soft parchment. A semi-transparent system interface floats on the surface of the parchment, allowing users to switch between different sections using gestures.

As a player-run strategy media platform, its content is all-encompassing: from the latest monster information and item market prices to quest guides and player submissions. At this moment, all three were focused on the "Missing Person Notice" section.

“No…” Silica’s voice was clearly disappointed.

"Indeed, no." Asuna sighed softly.

The three of them stared at each other in silence. Usually at this time, they might have played card games or taken a walk by the lake, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. But tonight, the sleeping black-haired girl hung over their hearts like a dark cloud.

"Let's get some rest early tonight." Asuna gently rubbed her temples with her fingertips.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded: "Alright, we'll think of something tomorrow."

They turned off the bright lights in the living room and headed towards the master bedroom. Since moving into this little house, sharing a large bed had become an unspoken habit.

As Mochizuki Kaede reached out and turned off the bedroom wall lamp, the room was instantly enveloped in gentle darkness...

Soon, Mochizuki Kaede's breathing became even, and Silica curled up on one side of the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Only Asuna remained conscious, her amber eyes gleaming with worry.

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily to the black-haired girl sleeping in the guest room.

If the child had family with them all along, it would be fine, but what if they've been struggling to survive in this deadly game all alone for a year...?

Asuna's fingertips gripped the sheets tightly. How could a child not even ten years old bear such fear and loneliness? Just imagining it sent shivers down her spine.

The worst possibility lingered in his mind: perhaps the girl's unusual state in the forest was a mental breakdown caused by prolonged loneliness and fear. In this cage without psychologists or access to help, even adults could be crushed by despair, let alone such a young child?

And the time to beat this deadly game is still nowhere in sight...

A sudden, indescribable pang of heartache struck her. Asuna quietly rose and silently approached the guest room door.

Pushing open the door, the moonlight shone through the gauze curtains, casting a silvery glow on the girl on the bed.

Asuna sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You must be... terrified..." Asuna's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. She hesitated for a moment, then gently lifted a corner of the blanket and carefully lay down beside the girl. Her slender arms wrapped around the petite body, as if trying to dispel all the cold and fear with her own body heat.

"It's alright..." she murmured softly, her arms unconsciously tightening around her. The girl's body was still cold, but seemed a little softer than before. In the moonlight, her youthful face seemed to relax somewhat.

"Goodnight," Asuna whispered in the girl's ear, her voice like a night breeze rippling across a lake.

……

Asuna slowly opened her eyes in the morning light. Through her hazy vision, a pair of eyes as clear as obsidian were quietly watching her. Those eyes were so close, moist like black pearls soaked in morning dew, reflecting Asuna's surprised face.

The girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pale lips parted slightly:

"Ah...wu..."

Her voice was like a crystal wind chime being gently caressed by the softest breeze, so ethereal that it seemed to belong to another world.

Asuna paused for a moment, then snapped back to reality and called out towards the master bedroom:

"Xiao Feng! Come here quickly!"

In the master bedroom, Mochizuki Kaede had already woken up and got up to come to the guest room when she heard him call.

As soon as he entered, he saw Asuna sitting up, holding the girl in her arms. Asuna's eyes were full of concern as she gently patted the girl's back, as if comforting a frightened little animal.

"...That's great, you're awake." Asuna looked at the girl gently and asked softly, "Do you remember what happened?"

After saying that, she stared intently into the girl's eyes, waiting for her answer.

The girl was silent for a moment, then she shook her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"And what's your name?" Asuna asked patiently.

"Name..." The girl's voice was as pure as morning dew, "My...name..."

As she tilted her head slightly in thought, a strand of her dark hair fell beside her fair cheek. After a brief pause, she uttered two clear syllables:

"Yui...Yui. My...name..."

Chapter 161: Dad, Mom

"Yui?" Asuna's brows instantly relaxed, her voice filled with undisguised joy. "What a beautiful name. I am Asuna, and he is Mochizuki Kaede."

Mochizuki Kaede knelt on one knee beside the bed, looking the girl in the eye.

Asuna turned her head slightly, and the girl named Yui followed suit, her obsidian-like pupils shifting back and forth between them. Then, she moved her lips, hesitatingly speaking, "Nozomi... Nozomi, Nozomi, Tsukifumi..."

The sound was intermittent, like notes scattered by the wind, each word carrying a hint of uncertainty.

The unclear pronunciation made Asuna's heart tighten. The unease from last night surged back into her mind. The girl in front of her looked to be about ten years old, but her speech ability was like that of a toddler learning to speak.

"Yui." Asuna gently grasped the girl's cold fingers, her voice softening further, "Why are you on the twenty-second floor? Do you know where your parents are?"

The girl lowered her head silently, her long, black hair falling down.

After a long silence, she shook her head vigorously, her hair swaying violently with the movement:

"I...don't know...nothing..."

The last syllable was so soft it almost disappeared into the air, and the blankness in those dark eyes made Asuna's heart clench even tighter.

Asuna led the girl to the dining table and handed her a glass of warm milk.

Yui carefully held the cup with both hands and sipped it like a small animal.

Taking advantage of this break, Asuna and Mochizuki Kaede retreated to a corner of the kitchen.

"Xiao Feng..." Asuna lowered her voice, "What do you think?"

Mochizuki Kaede frowned, a hint of seriousness flashing in her gray eyes: "Memory loss is certain, but what's even more worrying is..."

His gaze passed over Asuna's shoulder and landed on the girl quietly drinking milk: "Yui's condition suggests that she has likely suffered severe psychological trauma."

"So...you think so too..." Asuna's voice trembled slightly. She turned to look at the dining table, where Yui was staring intently at the milk sloshing in her glass.

In that instant, the girl's expression didn't resemble that of a lost child, but rather that of... a lost soul.

“We’ve seen too many cruel things in this world…” Asuna’s amber eyes misted over, “but this is just too cruel.”

Looking into Asuna's sorrowful eyes, Mochizuki Kaede reached out and embraced her, feeling her trembling body. "Don't worry, there's something we can do."

"Hmm." Asuna raised her head, and Mochizuki Kaede's firm gaze gradually calmed her down.

She took a deep breath, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and gently placed her hands on Mochizuki Kaede's shoulders.

The two returned to the dining table together.

Mochizuki Kaede pulled out a chair and sat down next to Yui, deliberately asking in a light tone, "Um, Yui... can I just call you Yui?"

The girl, who had been staring at the milk glass, slowly raised her head, a flicker of emotion in her eyes, and nodded gently.

"Great! Yui can call me Kaede now." Mochizuki Kaede smiled.

"Little... Maple," Yui repeated haltingly, her pronunciation a little clearer than before.

"Yes, that's it!" Mochizuki Kaede couldn't help but laugh out loud, gently patting the girl's head.

The girl fell silent again, not even noticing Asuna refilling her cup. Time ticked by with the clock, until—

Yui suddenly raised her head, timidly looking at Mochizuki Kaede, and parted her lips slightly:

"……dad."

This name struck like a thunderbolt in the quiet morning light.

Asuna's spoon clattered onto the table, Mochizuki Kaede's arm froze in mid-air, and her gray pupils widened slightly.

The girl then turned to Asuna, a faint light appearing in her eyes:

"Ayu (Asuna)...Mom."

Asuna's fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

She couldn't be sure if this was a misidentification caused by Yui's confused memories, or a projection of her obsession with deceased relatives. But at this moment, a stronger emotion welled up in her heart before any rational analysis.

"Hmm..." Asuna tried to steady her trembling voice, a gentle smile curving her lips. "Yes, Yui, I'm your mom."

This sentence was like flipping a switch.

A smile bloomed on Yui's face for the first time, like the first ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds at dawn. Beneath her neat bangs, her previously empty black eyes suddenly brightened, and her delicate, doll-like face instantly came to life.

"--Mother!"

Yui's clear voice echoed in the kitchen as her small hands eagerly reached out to Asuna, their fingertips still warm from the milk. Asuna looked at those expectant little hands, her heart churning like a lake in a storm.

"Woo..."

She bit her lower lip hard, swallowing back the sobs that were about to spill over, and tried her best to maintain a smile on her face.

Her arms, however, reached out uncontrollably and lifted Yui's petite body from the chair. The moment that warm little body pressed against her chest, a hot tear finally broke free and slid down Asuna's cheek, dripping into Yui's dark hair.

After a simple breakfast, Yui's eyelids began to feel heavy.

She curled up in the chair like a contented kitten, her little head nodding, and finally fell into a deep sleep resting on Asuna's shoulder.