The raid in progress

The second strategy meeting was scheduled for eight that evening, but the raid group gathered well ahead of time.

"Everyone, since we're all here, let's start early. The good news is that the boss hasn't changed. It's still [Illfang the Kobold Lord]."

The raid organizer, the blue-haired knight Diabel, drew everyone's attention.

Quite a few people had come to watch and listen like Wang Shui, but they all stayed around the edge of the plaza of their own accord, trying not to disturb the meeting within.

"I believe you've all received this." The knight displayed the thin parchment booklet in his hand. "The information broker has updated the free strategy guide, adding a demon lord section."

Wang Shui hadn't seen Argo, the information broker, but he had picked up a copy of the booklet from an NPC stall beside the plaza.

The boss's name, estimated HP, weapon types, and even the lengths of both weapons, attack speeds, damage values, types of Sword Skills, and more were all covered in exhaustive detail.

The strategy section of the guide was even more detailed:

The boss had four HP bars in total. Each time one was depleted, it would summon three elite-template [Ruin Kobold Sentinels], and it would also summon three at the start. It was therefore best to have dedicated parties pull these supporting elites farther away and clear them quickly, or the monsters might pile up during phase transitions.

The boss had roughly two phases. During its first three HP bars, it used a one-handed axe and a round assault shield. Its attack range was short and its damage was average, but its shield Sword Skills inflicted long-lasting crowd-control debuffs. These couldn't be tanked head-on; multiple players needed to take turns holding aggro.

When its HP dropped to a quarter, the boss would switch weapons to a massive scimitar and enter a berserk state, attacking more aggressively and dealing increased damage. Frontliners could still tank a couple of hits at this point. They only needed to focus their attacks quickly and push through this phase.

On the guide's final page, a line was written in bright red:

[This information comes from the SAO closed beta and may differ from the current version.]

Looking at this newly released guide, Wang Shui refined his mental profile of Argo, the information broker. So this mercenary character had a temper of her own. This detailed booklet must have been her counterattack as a beta tester.

"Everyone," the blue-haired knight said, pulling Wang Shui out of his thoughts. "I know what some people are thinking, but I'd rather believe that most people can think for themselves-we should be grateful for this information."

Good, someone with a brain, Wang Shui judged. But he remembered this blue-haired fellow seemed to have died?

"This strategy guide has saved us a great deal of scouting and probing, and reconnaissance battles are where casualties are most likely to occur. If this information is accurate, the boss's stats aren't particularly terrifying either. With our average level above ten, we should be able to defeat it quickly!"

"So! We need to plan our tactics, bring enough healing potions, and minimize losses... Sorry, I misspoke. What I should say is that I absolutely will not let anyone die! I swear it to you on my honor as a knight!"

Diabel's stirring words drew cheers and applause.

"Before we start planning our tactics, we'll need to break up the existing parties. Of course, we'll try to put familiar faces in each new party. Experience fighting side by side will help you perform better."

"First is our most important party, party A. Everyone who has learned [Shield Specialization], share your equipment and stats with me. Please trust my character; I guarantee I won't disclose your information. Party A will consist of the six players with the highest HP and defense. You'll work in pairs, forming three tanking lines to stabilize aggro."

"Next is party B, the group using large polearms: greataxes, great scythes, long staves, and spears. If anyone has the advanced weapon, the two-handed longsword, that counts too. These weapons have a greater advantage in clashes.

"You'll be responsible for interrupting the boss's Sword Skills. If possible, I'd like every Sword Skill interrupted. You don't need to worry too much about damage; our overall damage output should be more than enough." "Parties C, D, and E will be our main damage dealers. Those using fast, high-damage weapons such as One-Handed Straight Swords, scimitars, daggers, and rapiers belong here. Ideally, you'll have high proficiency in [Hide]. You'll be responsible for focusing your damage while using your ability to clear aggro. Each of the three parties should preferably have one dagger user to maintain the Armor Break effect."

"As for parties F, G, and H, along with the additional reserves, your task will also be difficult. Your composition will be more balanced, and each party will be responsible for one elite-template kobold sentinel. And! Your job is to clear the sentinels quickly. Letting monsters pile up would be extremely dangerous."

"That's the basic raid plan. Tonight, we'll compile everyone's information. Tomorrow morning, we'll rehearse against elite monsters in the labyrinth. At noon, or tomorrow afternoon at the latest, we'll begin the boss raid!"

At this point, the blue-haired knight Diabel surveyed everyone with a confident smile.

"Tell me, everyone! Are you confident?"

"Yes!"

The response was a resounding affirmation like a roaring sea. Even the spectators around the edge felt the raid group's powerful momentum.

Wang Shui watched calmly, nodded, and took Shino back to their rented house. Once they returned, however, he lay back on the sofa with his eyes closed, thinking.

"What is it? Worried about the raid group?"

Wang Shui nodded slightly at Shino's question, though his concerns probably weren't quite what she imagined.

Wang Shui vaguely remembered this part of the plot. After all, this was the first time Lord Kirito had truly shown his prowess, and the first time he and Asuna had worked together in perfect sync.

More importantly, this part of the plot had profoundly shaped the main characters' personalities.

Wang Shui remembered that a different weapon in the boss's final phase had caused a major crisis, and only Kirito and Asuna's explosive performance had prevented heavy casualties among the raid group.

Afterward, Kirito had accepted the nickname [Beater], meaning a beta tester with a cheat-like wealth of information, shouldering ordinary players' hatred toward beta testers all by himself.

This growth was very important to Kirito, and Wang Shui wasn't sure things would go as smoothly now as they had in the original.

Wang Shui wasn't worried about a lot of people dying. Whether it was the blue-haired knight or anyone else, one death or a few more should have roughly the same impact on Kirito. What he couldn't tolerate was the raid group being wiped out. If too many powerful players really died, the plot would spiral out of control.

Protecting Kirito, keeping the raid on track, and ensuring Kirito remained the strongest player-trying to manipulate the plot at Wang Shui's current level was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

That was why he felt troubled and worried.

The limits of progression in this game world were clear. Trapped on the first floor, Wang Shui couldn't become all that strong, no matter how hard he worked.

His most unusual trait was his unrestricted ability to learn skills, but even if he learned every skill in the game, he couldn't wield ten weapons at once and launch into a ten-sword style. Besides, that would seriously derail the plot.

Wang Shui's mission objective, [The World Seed], had been entrusted to Kirito because Akihiko Kayaba admired his courage, self-discipline, and kindness. If Wang Shui merely became strong enough to clear this world himself, he really didn't know how he would obtain [The World Seed]. He had a clear understanding of his own character.

The safest approach was to preserve the plot's original course. That was why Wang Shui was considering whether to reveal that the boss's final-phase weapon wasn't a scimitar.

If he revealed it, given the raid group's levels and abilities, they would very likely clear the boss without any deaths if they were prepared. But that would inevitably change the plot considerably.

If he let disaster strike the raid group... that was why Wang Shui was panicking. After all, the current SAO was already very different from the original. If the crisis exceeded Kirito's capabilities, it could very well lead to a large-scale wipe.

After agonizing over it repeatedly, Wang Shui decided-not to tell them. Because if all he needed to do was prevent mass deaths in the raid group... Wang Shui worked through many possible scenarios. By the time he sorted them out and came back to himself, it was already one in the morning.

To ensure he would have enough energy, Wang Shui had no choice but to drag himself off to rest.

The next day, outside the enormous stone doors on floor [1-20] of the labyrinth.

The nearby light sources in the corridor had turned a striking red. Beyond the enormous, moss-covered stone doors lay the end of the first floor.

"All right, everyone saw the results of this morning's rehearsal. With our teamwork, the elite monsters couldn't withstand a single blow. I hope everyone can maintain that form. Clearing the boss will simply follow naturally. After all, this is only the first-floor boss! It's only the beginning of our legendary adventure!"

The blue-haired knight Diabel didn't deliberately raise his voice. Morale was already high enough. As he eased the tension and maintained everyone's confidence, he checked the party arrangements.

After confirming everything was in order, he gestured forward, then went to the front and opened the boss room's doors himself.

"Line up in party order. Don't crowd together. Follow me and advance steadily."

It was hard to imagine players whose parties had been broken up and reorganized displaying such discipline and understanding. Every order Diabel gave was clear, easy to understand, and logical, filling the raid group with a sense of security.

As they ventured deeper into the vast, dim room, the parties began spreading out their formation to avoid stacking too many people along a single attack front.

Suddenly, soaring, epic choral singing rang out, and vivid colors began to cover the entire room!

The room instantly became brilliantly lit, and the players finally saw the enormous rectangular arena clearly. There was little clutter, only two rows of towering stone pillars.

Everyone couldn't help looking ahead. On the colorful throne at the far end of the room sat a gigantic dark-red figure, with the standard kobold appearance of a dog's head on a humanoid body.

As the golden-red light in the boss's eyes intensified, it rose and reached for the enormous one-handed bone axe beside it. The arena's background music abruptly switched to a more stirring, urgent melody.

Roar!

The boss roared from the far end of the room, then suddenly leaped forty or fifty meters, landing in the center. It roared again, and four HP bars appeared amid electronic sounds, with the name [Illfang the Kobold Lord] appearing below them.

It stood a full three to four meters tall, its muscular body covered by only a few pieces of metal armor. The blade of its one-handed axe was half a person's height. Accompanied by the epic background music, its presence was astonishingly oppressive.

The one who broke that oppressive atmosphere was the blue-haired knight Diabel! He stepped forward and shouted his orders:

"Two from party A, engage! Establish aggro quickly, while the other four build it slowly. Party B, move closer and be ready to support and interrupt Sword Skills at any moment. Parties C, D, and E, dagger users, count ten seconds, then apply Armor Break and lead the damage! The elite sentinels are here! Parties F, G, and H, take one each! Reserves, help deal damage nearby and make sure the elites go down quickly!"

Under Diabel's orders, the raid group's fifty-two players advanced in an orderly fashion and quickly spread out. The three elite kobold sentinels had barely spawned before they were pulled in three different directions.

Ten seconds passed in a flash. Party C's dagger user seized an opening and landed the [Armor Pierce] Sword Skill, applying a level-one [Armor Break] effect that lasted one minute. The three damage parties attacked in staggered waves, immediately retreating whenever the boss showed signs of switching targets or using an area attack.

Right from the start, the boss displayed combat intelligence far beyond that of other monsters. While moving and attacking, it even caught a sword-and-shield frontliner off guard, knocking him three or four meters back with a basic axe attack. The frontliner's HP bar instantly turned yellow!

Fortunately, a nearby frontliner stepped in with practiced ease, quickly drawing the boss's attention away.

"A weak-point critical from a basic attack, 1,233! That's close to the guide's figures. Slow the offense a little and focus on dodging. Parties F, G, and H, clear the elites quickly!"

Diabel didn't move up to deal damage with the others. He had assigned himself to the reserve party. As commander, he needed to oversee the entire battle's progress, watch the boss's Sword Skills, and call for interrupts. It was an arrangement beyond reproach.

Wang Shui and Shino were watching from the boss room's entrance. Aside from them, several other high-level players from the leading tier were there. They hadn't had the courage to join the raid, but still wanted to witness this moment.

"New elites spawning! Leave the last low-HP one from the previous wave to the reserves. Pick up the new ones first. Don't let the damage dealers get surrounded!"

Diabel issued his orders before the elite monsters spawned. Kirito was also watching the situation, and had already begun moving toward the last low-HP elite.

The green glow of a Sword Skill accelerated Kirito through the air. As he flipped over the weakened elite's head, his [Sonic Leap] struck the monster.

"Go help the others! Leave this one to us!"

Kirito shouted, then held off the elite, which was roughly his own height, with basic attacks. Its aggro hadn't fully transferred yet, and the kobold was still trying to get around him.

Asuna, wearing her little red hood, caught up. The two quickly switched positions as they attacked, and soon stabilized its aggro.

The situation looked fairly good. Fewer than ten players had dropped below half HP. The interruption party wielding two-handed polearms was highly efficient, and the boss's HP was falling fast!

Roar!

On its final HP bar, the boss roared again.

Here it comes. Wang Shui pulled Shino a little closer, watching the boss's movements.

During the phase transition, the surrounding players were knocked back. The gigantic kobold lord abruptly discarded its axe and shield, its right hand gripping the hilt of the weapon strapped horizontally across its lower back.

"Surround it! Anyone facing the boss, watch out for straight-line attacks!"

As Diabel spoke, he charged forward himself.

Following his orders, the first five parties tightened their positioning. Most of those surrounding the boss were Diabel's teammates, and they let him through.

What's going on?! Why is he in such a hurry to steal the last hit?

Watching from the sidelines, Wang Shui couldn't quite understand. Wasn't it far too obvious to have his own people monopolize the inner ring like this? But the boss still had a full HP bar. Why the hurry? What was he afraid of?

Just as the encirclement was completed, the background music abruptly changed. The boss threw back its head and roared, suddenly drawing a-a [nodachi] gleaming with cold light!

Recognizing the changed weapon from the outer edge, Kirito suddenly shouted in a trembling voice:

"D-don't go in! Jump back! It's an area attack!"