Presumptuous Words

The game name wasn't something Wang Yang paid much attention to. In his haste, he almost blurted out his own name, but then he remembered he'd be joining a party later. If he used a fake name, Arthurslin's teammates might be displeased.

With that thought, he quickly opened the system menu to check his name. His flustered movements caused Kadi and the other three to frown in unison.

If they let such a newbie join their party, not only would they fail to quickly establish an advantage, but they might even put the party in danger.

Kadi glanced at Arthurslin, then waited patiently.

After searching for a while, Wang Yang finally found his name above the character equipment slots.

Xiang Kong.

"My game name is Xiang Kong!" Relieved, Wang Yang announced his game name.

Arthurslin heard him and opened her system menu. With a tap of her index finger, she brought up her friend list and sent Wang Yang a friend request.

Wang Yang accepted the request, and his lonely friend list gained a new name.

"Xiang Kong, is it?" Kadi suddenly said calmly, "What level are you now?"

"Uh... Level 1." Wang Yang's face flushed slightly.

"Level 1?!" Kadi exclaimed in disbelief. He suddenly looked at Arthurslin, his expression darkening. "Xiao Lin, do you know his level?"

Arthurslin gritted her teeth and nodded. "I do."

Now, Kadi was a bit angry. He was angry at Arthurslin's fearless stubbornness. His tone suddenly turned cold. "I don't agree to him joining the party."

He had originally planned to use the upcoming actions being extremely dangerous as an excuse to make Wang Yang back down. It might have taken some effort, but he was a hundred percent sure it would succeed. However, now it was completely unnecessary.

The reason was simple: Wang Yang was only level 1. A level 1 newbie couldn't do anything at this point.

Arthurslin also knew the consequences her stubbornness would bring to the party. However, with the game having turned into this, she couldn't abandon Wang Yang.

Some people are like that. Changes in their environment can cause them to transform completely. When SAO was a normal game, Arthurslin could have simply abandoned Wang Yang because it was just a game with no real danger. Small groups like Kadi's would even offer Wang Yang some practical help. But when death in SAO became real death, the transformation between the two sides was thorough.

Knowing that death in the game meant real death, Arthurslin was even less likely to abandon Wang Yang. Kadi, on the other hand, prioritizing his party, wouldn't care about Wang Yang's life or death at all.

I won't back down.

Arthurslin met Kadi's gaze stubbornly. He could easily see the meaning behind that stubborn look.

Kadi suppressed his anger and raised his voice slightly. "Can't you see he doesn't even have basic game knowledge? I even suspect he only entered the game a short while ago."

"That's precisely why I can't abandon him!" Arthurslin said excitedly, tilting her head slightly. "If we abandon him here, what will he do, not knowing anything?"

"So you want the entire party to stay in the newbie leveling area with him? And wait for him to grow up?" Kadi said coldly.

"I..." Arthurslin opened her mouth. No matter what, she couldn't make decisions for the entire party.

Wang Yang stared blankly at Arthurslin's retreating back, listening to her argue with her party. His heart warmed, but he also felt deeply apologetic. He could tell Arthurslin's party had no intention of accepting him from the start. At this moment, he had given up on joining the party, not even wanting to drag the cute and kind girl down because of him.

Just then, Star Envoy saw the argument escalating and quickly intervened, "Kadi, don't be so harsh. We're all on the same side, what's with the attitude?" She then looked at Arthurslin and said softly, "Xiao Lin, I understand how you feel, but if you bring him along, the Sword and Fire Squad won't be able to tackle the game on the front lines."

"Don't forget the original intention of our party," Thor continued, his voice flat. "If you insist, then leave the party."

"Thor!" Star Envoy exclaimed, "What are you talking about?"

Kadi was also stunned, and Sparrow even shouted, "Are you kidding me? You want Xiao Lin to leave the party for some noob?"

Facing his teammates' accusations, Thor's expression remained unchanged. He looked at Arthurslin and said calmly, "You want to help him, I understand. If that's the case, then leave the party and help him. As for us, we will strive for the day tens of thousands of Players are liberated."

Kadi, as the captain, remained silent, indicating his tacit approval.

Sparrow and Star Envoy grew anxious seeing this. One secretly admired Arthurslin, and the other treated her like a younger sister. Neither wanted Arthurslin to leave the party.

Arthurslin also began to realize that asking Wang Yang to join the party was a very willful request. So, she planned to leave the party and teach Wang Yang some basic game knowledge.

"Then I..." She made up her mind and was about to announce her decision to leave the party when a flippant, disdainful voice interrupted her.

"Tch, first hunt failed, huh? Looks like SAO can't exploit sympathy for Profit right now." Wang Yang feigned a look of disdain and contempt, but in his mind, he was frantically searching for information about SAO to enhance his credibility.

All five people present were stunned by Wang Yang's sudden outburst. Arthurslin's expression showed disbelief.

"What did you say?" Kadi was the first to react, staring at him coldly.

"Don't you understand what I'm saying?" Wang Yang said expressionlessly, shrugging with a cold laugh. "I thought this little chick was a bit silly and easy to fool. I didn't expect her to have a party. But then again, most of the respawn points in Black Iron Palace are probably gone now. Since death is real death, Players have naturally become selfish. This isn't good news for Hunters like me who exploit the goodwill of Players for Profit."

"Xiang Kong, you're lying..." Arthurslin's eyes widened suddenly, completely disbelieving that a noob who didn't even know how to open the system menu would know about a respawn point in Black Iron Palace.

Clearly, she realized she had been deceived. However, recalling her initial interactions with Wang Yang, she couldn't believe it was all an act.

"Ha..." Wang Yang looked at her with pity, mockingly laughing, "You're not just a little stupid. Do you think someone who could get their hands on a limited edition NerveGear would know nothing about games? Do you know why I exposed myself? The reason is simple: you are all Beta Test Players. Although there's plenty of oil and water, the risk is also greater."

"I only like targets with high Profit and low risk. Bye-bye, foolish little girl."

Wang Yang laughed loudly, then turned and strode forward. However, the moment he turned his back, the cold indifference he had feigned vanished instantly.

Sparrow glanced at the crestfallen Arthurslin, angrily drew his spear, and pointed it at Wang Yang's retreating figure, shouting, "Xiang Kong, if I see you outside the safe zone next time, I'll kill you."

"I really couldn't tell he was a Hunter," Star Envoy frowned, hugging Arthurslin to comfort her. "Don't overthink it. There are all sorts of people in the game. It's not unusual to encounter them in person."

"Be careful next time. You can't revive now; death is final. You should know that some Players are more terrifying than Monsters," Kadi sighed.

"Hunters are even more detestable than the red-named Players during the Beta Test. Xiao Lin, it's fortunate we met earlier this time, or you would have been in danger," Sparrow also began to comfort Arthurslin.

Kadi nodded. "Xiao Lin, people's hearts are unpredictable. Don't dwell on it."

Arthurslin gently broke free from Star Envoy's embrace and forced a smile. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, Captain Kadi."

"Let's forget about the past," Kadi waved his hand dismissively. Then, he turned serious. "Alright, let's set off now and try to get all our gear on the first day."

"Okay!"

The moon was bright and clear tonight. Even without lights, Wang Yang could see the path. He casually found an alley and slipped into it.

Then, he watched from the shadows as Arthurslin was surrounded by four people. After that, he simply watched the Sword and Fire Squad leave the Small Plaza.

"I really couldn't tell you were so naive when I first met you. This is good, though. It'll teach you how wicked people can be," Wang Yang muttered to himself, stroking his chin. He sighed. "But with those guys around, I guess I was being redundant. Never mind."

Wang Yang pressed himself against the wall and slowly sat down. A chill spread from beneath him. He looked up, gazing at the bright moon in a daze. He suddenly felt very lonely. Just half a day ago, he was sleeping in his dorm. In the afternoon, he would play ball with some Ball Friends, work up a sweat, shower back in the dorm, and then chat and joke with his buddies. But now, he had come to the world of Sword Art Online all by himself.

"Next, I'll explore the system menu on my own," Wang Yang shook his head, casting aside the melancholy thoughts. He brought up the menu and clicked around.

In the anime, Sword Art Online's first-person view had a Health Bar and a name. But his first-person view had nothing. The only thing he could see was the green diamond marker above other Players' heads.

This was the first thing he wanted to figure out.

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