Of course, most players looked up to these four.
If Kazuto Kirigaya had been branded a "beta-tester," it was largely because beta-testers had affected the progress of the lower-level players.
But if a player had cleared the first floor on the third day, then continued to triumph over every challenge and practically carved a path through Aincrad, most players would admire and respect them.
Once the gap grew so wide that it was impossible to even catch a glimpse of the other side, envy and resentment naturally faded.
SAO's players now seemed to be taking things easy. More accurately, the number of lower-level players had grown, while the high-level players were still the same group as before. Even so, everyone could feel that the tense atmosphere had diminished considerably.
That naturally meant there was a little less drive. And with more floors opening up, high-level players no longer monopolized the resource areas meant for lower-level players, so conflicts didn't break out. As for information about dangerous monsters, beta-testers would compile data and distribute it to the newcomers.
There were still some conflicts, but far fewer than in the original story.
However, as the boss raids continued, the bosses on higher-level floors became increasingly difficult to deal with.
The bosses on certain floors also saw a huge increase in strength, and each had its own bizarre abilities. It wasn't always possible to wait until a boss changed forms and then unleash a flurry of attacks to kill it instantly.
Some bosses only lost a set amount of health, no matter how much damage they took. Others moved so quickly that the four of them couldn't find time to coordinate their attacks.
In the end, the four settled into a fixed formation: Kazuto Kirigaya took the lead in attacking, Kazuto served as