Super God: If I punch you, you will die

"call--"

Asuna took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Before SAO became a death game, the second half of the error message only meant that the other person might have temporarily logged off. But now, in SAO, there's no longer a normal way to log off.

The so-called "offline" means—death!

But... since the HP bar is still there, it means Lin Yan is not dead!

"Could it be sent to the wrong person?"

Asuna muttered to herself as she tried to contact Lin Yan again. This time, she saw a message: "[Sorry. You are not in the contactable area, or you are not online. Please try again later.]"

Another failure.

Asuna frowned slightly, and her expression subtly changed. Although Lin Yan's strength had been proven countless times, she could guarantee that in this SAO, at least up to the current level, no player or monster could harm Lin Yan.

But could there be one exception?

That's right.

That's Kayaba Akihiko, the one who declared SAO to be a death game.

For some reason, Asuna felt a vague sense of unease, and this feeling was gradually intensifying.

Sigh.

Asuna looked ahead...

0114 Asuna's Determination [Please Subscribe]

Should we chase after them?

Asuna answered her own question, "No, I can't just be protected all the time. I want to become the one who can protect... protect...."

The unspoken part, omitted in the middle, is [protecting precious people].

In Asuna's heart, Lin Yan was more than just a teammate; he was an absolutely irreplaceable person.

"Set off."

As if to encourage herself, Asuna whispered.

Asuna's eyes sharpened as she headed towards the stairs leading down to the lower level. Night had fallen, yet scavengers still lingered in the courtroom on the first floor.

Open the map tab.

Most of the tasks have been completed; the remaining gray area is located in the southern part of the hall.

Confirm again and again.

Asuna pushed open the moss-covered stone door. It was easier to open than she had imagined, as if it were slowly opening due to inertia.

The only passage leads directly south.

Continue forward and you'll find the stairs leading to the next floor. At the top of the stairs, there's a clear sign: [Entering an off-limits area ahead. Please be careful.]

In other words, this is forbidden territory for scavengers.

The [Notice Board] is an item with a relatively long lifespan, but its durability will reach zero after 24 hours, at which point it will disappear. Players will personally pay to replace it each time to prevent unauthorized access.

"The equipment is fine, and the potions are all packed in my pouch. Have faith in yourself, Asuna."

Asuna carefully checked everything one last time to make sure it was correct before finally looking ahead. This was quite a challenge for her.

A huge challenge.

Uncertain future.

Moreover, this was done without Lin Yan accompanying him.

It was only twenty steps, but Asuna felt it was an incredibly long journey. Despite this, Asuna had no intention of backing down.

She was determined to find Lin Yan.

Fight alongside her.

Thinking of this, her eyes became even more resolute. When she stepped into the small room on the second floor, a warning message appeared in front of her—[OuterField].

Asuna swallowed hard.

The surrounding area was exactly the same as the first floor, with the same floor and walls made of the same material. The only difference was the bone-chilling cold.

Asuna shivered.

"It's so cold."

"Don't be afraid, the danger here decreases once you're above level 12, and I'm already level 18," Asuna muttered to herself.

Deep down, I was still a little scared.

This was inevitable. What Asuna lacked was the courage to complete the mission alone. Her strength was already outstanding among girls, even surpassing the vast majority of male players.

As I walked through the room, the lights flickered ahead.

The dim torchlight barely illuminated a short distance; the rest of the area was shrouded in darkness. The only challenge was the sheer number of doors—ten in total—that needed to be checked one by one, a truly disheartening task.

"Lin Yan."

Asuna wanted to shout at the top of her lungs.

The sound came out as faint as a mosquito's buzz, almost inaudible even to herself.

"Let's investigate them one by one."

Yasian walked towards the rusty metal door. It was eerie inside. She muttered to herself, "It's so dark, I hope no more ghosts will appear..."

0115 The Stone Coffin and the Ghost [Please Subscribe]

"Asuna, you can do it!"

Asuna rallied herself once more. Deep down, she knew that retreating here was absolutely impossible. The only option was to break free from the grip of fear and take that crucial first step. Only then could she become stronger, much stronger!

The deeper you go, the darker it gets.

The darkness seemed to absorb the light, and the few remaining candles flickered like eerie will-o'-the-wisps.

The room was empty.

"What's that?" Asuna frowned slightly, staring at a box in the distance. She mustered her courage and took a step forward.

Another step.

Sudden--

Asuna's eyelids twitched suddenly.

That wasn't a treasure chest; it was a stone coffin.

Its shape and size clearly indicate that it is a coffin. Moreover, it is quite reasonable for a coffin to appear in an old underground cemetery.

Asuna retreated nervously, seemingly even more tense than when she entered, only letting out a sigh of relief after leaving the small room. The next door also led to the ossuary, where coffins were stored.

The same applies to the third and fourth doors.

When Asuna opened the fifth door with a lot of doubt, she saw a light that was different from the ones she had seen before.

That's not candlelight.

The brilliance of the Raptors' crushing defeat reminded him of the light emanating from the ruins of Karluin's temple at night. Asuna glanced at her HP bar; the buff icon marked with an eye was flashing incessantly.

The support effect of [BLINKBRINK]'s pie still applies.

Therefore, that white light source is—[the relic].

Asuna stared at the shimmering [relic], her heart filled with conflict. Should she go in to retrieve it or retreat? The former would certainly involve some risks, after all, they were already outside the circle. The latter would avoid risks, but if one didn't want to take any risks at all, then why come to the outside of the circle?

Risk and return are often linked.

I thought about it again and again.

Asuna still stepped inside.

The eerie ossuary sent a chill down Asuna's spine.

The [Relic Discovery Bonus] lasts for sixty minutes, and there's not much time left.

She cautiously made her way deeper into the ossuary, until she came to a white light source. In the cracks of the stone slabs, she discovered the source of light—an ancient ornament.

I picked it up and examined it closely; it was a silver earring.

After carefully storing the ossuary in her waist pouch, Asuna prepared to leave the ossuary.

But suddenly his whole body trembled.

Click.

Click! !

Click!

The chilling sound of heavy objects grinding together, the grating sound of stones scraping together, continued incessantly.

Asuna turned her head in horror.

That was indeed the sound of stones rubbing together, and the source was that stone coffin.

What could be inside a coffin? Only the person being placed in the coffin, the deceased. And if it's the dead, why would it make such a noise?

Fake corpse?

Zombies?

……

In an instant, countless rumors about corpses that Asuna had seen in movies and anime flashed through her mind.

Asuna stared intently, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead despite the cold little room. Her fear was spreading, but she wasn't about to faint. With swift movements, she drew the Chivalric Rapier from her waist.

Blue light flashes.

A figure lunged forward...

0116 Losing your weapon is equivalent to death [Please subscribe]

In that instant, Asuna saw the true form of this victim, who bore a striking resemblance to the undead girl she had encountered before. The only difference was that Asuna saw a pale red pointer.

HP bars are also present.

The name is [MournfulWraith].

Asuna immediately realized the danger; this was the most crucial difference. This wasn't an NPC or part of a quest, but a real monster—a genuine monster capable of harming and killing players.

"what!"

The monster screamed in agony, and its lunging motion was terrifying. Asuna swiftly retreated, seeking shelter against the wall.

Asuna seemed to sense something amiss beneath her feet as she pushed off the ground. But it was too late; she couldn't react in time, and the ground beneath her gave way, sending her plummeting towards the abyss. In the instant of impact, countless thoughts flashed through Asuna's mind.

What's below?

If it were a hard surface, she would surely die.

Even with spears covered in spikes standing tall, she would be pierced by a thousand arrows.

Or perhaps it's a venom chamber.

……

In a flash, countless thoughts raced through my mind: Why did this damn trapdoor have to be designed on the floor of the room?

Asuna remembered that the first player to die in SAO was [falling from a great height], how ironic, the game was over.

Life has ended.

"I'm sorry, Lin Yan."

Before Asuna could even shed a tear, her boots touched the ground. It wasn't the terrifying height she'd imagined, and she wasn't injured at all. She bent her knees and twisted her body backward, her back slamming against the wall.

It hurts a lot.

But it's much better than falling to your death.