Breaking Through the Levels

Meanwhile, Asuna and Usakawa Sumi were in full catch-up mode, chatting about school.

Then, Usakawa Sumi's gaze swept over Kazuto Kirigaya. "Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

This book is first published on t w k a n . c o m

Asuna blushed instantly, covering Usakawa Sumi's mouth. "Don't talk nonsense," she scolded.

Usakawa Sumi chuckled. "So, not yet. Who is he then?"

"My tutor." Asuna couldn't help but sigh at this. His tutor and her tutor were completely different breeds.

She felt a deep sense of powerlessness thinking about it.

At this point, Usakawa Sumi couldn't help but ask curiously, "How did you get into this game?"

Asuna helplessly pointed at the bright-smiling blonde.

Usakawa Sumi looked surprised. "He gave it to you?"

Asuna nodded.

Seeing Asuna's clueless expression, Usakawa Sumi couldn't help but say, "Do you know how precious beta testing access is?"

Asuna tilted her head, asking in confusion, "Is it very precious?"

She seemed to recall her brother mentioning that his company had a ton of them.

Usakawa Sumi nodded with a serious face.

She held up five fingers. "Market price, five million yen. After all, this is the world's only fully immersive virtual reality game. Even just the beta access has been hyped up to this price. The only reason I got this access was pure luck. And you, you just had someone give it to you."

Asuna thought about her allowance. Although her family was wealthy, they had good traditional habits, so they weren't extravagant spenders. In fact, she was quite frugal usually.

This considerable sum was definitely enough for her to have a blast for a while.

She truly hadn't expected that what the young man had casually given her held such precious value. While it wasn't exactly rare in her family, she appreciated the sentiment.

She remembered that day, the young man was guiding Asuna with her homework as usual.

When she finished writing the last Chinese character, Kazuto Kirigaya suddenly said, "Hey, Yuuki, want to play a game together tomorrow?"

And so, Yuuki Asuna entered the game.

Hearing Yuuki Asuna's account, Usakawa Sumi was full of emotion. She squeezed the girl's cheek and smiled, "He's definitely interested in you. Otherwise, why would he give away such a valuable gift so readily?"

Asuna pondered for a moment, feeling a little shy now, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. However, she still tried to act tough. "Sumi, don't talk nonsense, it'll cause misunderstandings."

Usakawa Sumi gave a knowing smile, chuckling, "Only you know whether it's a misunderstanding or not."

Seeing Asuna's reaction, she didn't press the matter further and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, he looks really dazzling, like a hero from a story."

"Hmph, looks can be deceiving," Asuna snorted coldly, remembering how the young man used her as bait.

"Hey, Asuna, is he really this handsome in real life?" Usakawa Sumi asked curiously.

"Tsk, he looks exactly like this in real life."

"Ah?"

Usakawa Sumi let out a small gasp. She looked at the young man in front of her again, scrutinizing him.

Short blonde hair, bangs casually parted in the middle, revealing handsome features. His fiery gold eyes were bright and spirited. A slight smile always played on his lips. He had a high nose bridge, fair skin, and a well-built physique from regular exercise. In short, he was a very good-looking guy, in every aspect.

Usakawa Sumi quietly leaned close to Asuna's ear. "Then you need to hurry. With his looks, there are probably tons of girls out there who would fall for him at first sight. If you haven't confirmed your relationship yet, you need to act fast."

Asuna followed Usakawa Sumi's gaze and looked towards the young man.

As if sensing Asuna's gaze, the young man flashed her a brilliant smile.

"Heh." Seeing his sunny expression, she couldn't help but scoff.

Don't be fooled by that bright smile. The more Kazuto Kirigaya smiled like that, the more he was plotting something.

Sunshine and handsome? Not a chance.

Blonde on the outside, dark on the inside.

It wasn't just in the game; Asuna had been tricked by this guy many times in real life too.

Even though it was always minor trouble, Kazuto Kirigaya's mischievous streak always made her feel both annoyed and amused.

"Don't just talk about me. How did you meet Kirito?" Asuna asked curiously.

Usakawa Sumi thought for a moment. "There's nothing much to say. We met while grinding mobs. Even I have to admit he's very strong."

Asuna's eyes narrowed slightly. "Very strong?"

Usakawa Sumi nodded. "Yes, very strong. His sword is fast, and his reaction speed is incredibly quick. Among the people I know, he's easily in the top three."

Asuna mused thoughtfully. It was clear that this family had a talent for gaming.

Seeing that the two had chatted enough, Kazuto Kirigaya stepped forward, interrupting their conversation. "Come on, let's team up and fight the BOSS. Let's clear as many floors as we can while we can."

Usakawa Sumi agreed. "Indeed. Getting information about the BOSS is the top priority right now."

They were currently on the fifteenth floor.

The scene was connected to a forest, somewhat like the Misty Forest on the third floor, but the fog wasn't as dense, and it didn't obscure vision or the minimap, making it relatively easier to clear.

However, the regular monsters were a bit tricky.

Not only Elves appeared here, but also ape-like creatures.

Elves usually came in groups of four: three Elf Archers and one Elf Warrior. Since they encountered monsters in teams, and these monsters had their own tactics and coordination, progress became very slow.

It could be called a solo player's nightmare. Even a top-tier Player like Kazuto Kirigaya, if he encountered two Elf squads simultaneously, could only leave the area.

The ape-like creatures weren't that difficult to deal with. They mainly had high HP and high attack power, but they appeared one by one. Unless they were extremely unlucky and ran straight into their base, they could be worn down with kiting tactics.

"It's been a month already, and I'm still on the fifteenth floor. I need to clear it quickly. Otherwise, the open beta will start in three months, and the gap between us and regular Players will widen rapidly," Kazuto Kirigaya said, analyzing the situation.

Everyone agreed. Acting alone was too inefficient. Finding other beta testers was difficult, and there was always the risk of them having ulterior motives. Furthermore, coordination was another problem.

Kazuto Kirigaya said, "Head straight south. The BOSS's door is over there."

Everyone nodded. Since the four of them were top-tier players, they quickly cleared a path and found the BOSS's room.

It was located between three giant trees.

The giant trees embraced it, and the large door shimmered with a deep blue light. The patterns on the door exuded an ancient aura.

The door was five meters high and three meters wide. The heavy, rustic door symbolized the BOSS's formidable strength.

They exchanged glances. Kazuto Kirigaya signaled, and directly reached out to push open the heavy stone door.

The stone door made a creaking sound and then slowly opened.

(I know readers don't like this part, so I won't drag it out.)