Asuna: So My Teammates Were All Top Players

To be honest, ever since Akihiko Kayaba appeared, Kirito had been worried about being trapped in the game, but he could hardly be said to be panicking.

During the beta test, they had reached the eighth floor of the Sky Tower in just one month.

Kirito had originally thought that, with SAO now having a hundred times more players than before, they should have been able to clear the game even faster.

Yet unexpectedly, not only had nearly a thousand players died over the past month, but there had also been absolutely no progress in clearing the game.

Compared to the beta test, the location of the Floor Boss's room in the labyrinth area had changed, and Diabel had only discovered it today.

The changes in the labyrinth area might have been one reason for the slow progress so far.

But Kirito believed that the players' mindset was also a major issue.

Diabel had made such a big deal out of this Strategy meeting. If they could defeat the Floor Boss smoothly, then naturally that would be a good thing. But if they failed...

Then the players who were already terrified of the labyrinth area would probably become even less willing to face the Floor Boss.

In a more serious scenario, they might be trapped on the First Floor for months, half a year... or even longer.

"It's hard to say. This beginner's guide does indeed contain information on the First Floor Boss, the Kobold.

But compared to the beta test, the Floor Boss's room location has changed. Who knows whether its skills and mechanics might have changed too?"

"And you probably saw what happened today. That idiot called Ya Wang started provoking conflict between players before the battle had even begun. How are they supposed to work together like that?

As for Diabel, the one who organized the meeting, I don't think he's a simple guy either.

Gathering everyone to raid the Boss is probably not just about boosting player morale. He also wants to make a name for himself.

After all, if they successfully clear the first Floor Boss, we'll be pioneers. And as the leader, once he has that reputation, plenty of people will naturally choose to follow him when he wants to recruit others in the future."

After Seiya's analysis, Kirito and Asuna agreed with most of it. Still, they felt that Seiya viewed everyone else far too darkly.

They could not understand it. They all looked about the same age, so why was Seiya's mind comparable to those filthy adults?

"Heh. You're just innocent, foolish middle schoolers... It's normal that you don't understand how dangerous society can be."

Kirito: (▽｀) We practically grew up wearing the same pants, and you're trying to act cool in front of me?

Asuna: (￣￣) From his introduction earlier, wasn't he a year younger than me?

And you two are the middle schoolers. I started high school this year, okay? Why was she, a high school student, getting lectured by middle schoolers? So annoying!

"Anyway, if anything unexpected happens, the three of us will do it ourselves!

It's just a Floor Boss. Even with only the three of us, there shouldn't be any problem.

If we hadn't been unable to find its room before, we would've soloed that Kobold ages ago."

To be honest, Seiya's tone was incredibly arrogant, leaving Asuna, who sat beside him, quite speechless.

She was also a complete gaming newbie, but thanks to her outstanding Learning ability and adaptability, she had grasped the tricks of the game in a very short time.

Even so, Asuna often found herself struggling greatly against ordinary monsters of the same level. She truly could not understand why Seiya made soloing a Boss sound so easy.

Was he simply arrogant, or did he truly have the strength to back it up?

However, Asuna would soon personally experience whether Seiya was all talk or truly capable.

Diabel had scheduled the Strategy meeting for two days later. Those two days were meant to give each team time to prepare and improve their mutual coordination and teamwork.

Seiya and Kirito were one thing, but since Asuna was a new teammate, Seiya suggested that they go grind some monsters together to improve their synergy.

And during those two days of practice, Asuna came to truly understand that when Seiya said they could solo the Boss, he absolutely had not been joking.

Because both of her teammates were freaking monsters!

It was not as though Asuna had never fought alone, since she herself usually did just that.

But Seiya and Kirito's solo fighting completely shattered her worldview!

They said they were taking her out to improve the team's coordination, yet they brought her straight to the most dangerous area, where the monsters were densest and highest-leveled!

And fighting monsters above their level was one thing, but those two actually took on multiple monsters at once every single time.

Watching them weave through several monsters at once, Asuna deeply understood what it meant to dance on the edge of a blade.

Even more absurdly, after the first day of adjustment training ended, the two of them found a Field Boss on the second day that was higher-level than they were.

Then, according to her aptitude, they taught her the "Switch" mechanic used in Boss battles!

Although a Field Boss was not as powerful in attributes or level as a Floor Boss, nor did it possess uniqueness, it was still not something ordinary players could defeat, much less when they were challenging it above their level.

Yet absurdly, the Field Boss that seemed nearly unbeatable in Asuna's eyes was slowly worn down and killed by the three of them under Seiya and Kirito's careful instruction.

And as the one who landed the final blow, she not only gained a huge amount of experience and leveled up, but also received a rapier called "Flying Star" as a special reward.

From that moment on, Asuna understood that the two teammates she had encountered by chance were absolutely top-tier players.

Seiya in particular was a monster among monsters. His reflexes and technique simply did not seem human.

When she had not yet fully mastered the "Switch" mechanic and exposed openings, Seiya had been the one to cover for her every time.

The so-called "Saint" was not merely rich. His combat strength was also as overwhelmingly powerful as a saint's!

The two days passed quickly. As agreed, Seiya's group and the other parties gathered with the rest of the Strategy Group at the entrance to the labyrinth area.

Compared to her shabby cloak outfit from two days earlier, Asuna now had waist-length flaxen hair, wore fitted leather armor, and carried the rapier "Flying Star" at her waist. She looked every bit like a valiant female swordswoman.

She had previously used a cloak to hide herself because Asuna did not want to invite trouble, and because she was unwilling to trust others easily.

After all, there were no Detectives or similar roles in this game. It was practically a true lawless land.