CHAPTER 10.1 - Elf's

"It's a perfect victory!!" The players were happy laughing there are still in the Boss chamber

"Zero casualties," Lind said and smiled "Everyone alive, you see that Diavel-San right?" He looked at the ceiling of the Boss chamber

"Kirito-San! Asuna-San! Nice work!" Nezha said while running towards them "That's finish was amazing!"

"You two are too coordinated if you ask me," Argo said

"Nice work in the fight, congratulations," Agil said

"You didn't tell us that you know how to use a dagger A-chan," Argo said

"Actually I got this when my rapier broke" She holds her kunai "We went to Horunka Village to find a rare type of monster to return my wind fleuret and after defeating the monster I receive this Toram wind Kunai"

"I see, it looks like it's very rare. How much it cost if we sell I sell that information hmm.." Argo said

"Asuna-Sama!" Liten approach Asuna and hugged her "I'm so proud of you! This is my first time seeing you using your rapier, you're amazing Kouki-Kun was right about you" She giggled

"Oh wait! Before I forgot, how did you come here? And where's Kouki?" Asuna asks

"HAHA, We discovered a trick" Liten equipped a red cloak "Charan! You saw this?" Asuna stared at the cloak and she suddenly remembered the owner of the cloak

"The NPC old man!" Asuna said

"Yeah, it was an accident because a trembling ox was passing by and we noticed that it become more aggressive when it saw the old man so the monster rushed towards him and attempt to attack at first we wondered why the monster attack him and we find out the reason is because of this" Liten pointed the red cloak of the NPC old man "That monsters like red so we forced the old man to give us his cloak and when we got it. We put the cloak in the rock that was assigned to us and the trembling ox rushed to attack the rock so we finished the quest by doing that trick HAHA" Liten laugh remembering how she kick the face of the NPC old man after receiving the martial arts skills "And about Kouki he told me to follow you, he told me that after doing something he will follow. But I guess it was too late you already defeated the monster"

"So that's the reason why are you late?" Kirito looked at Asuna

"Hehe Sorry" She smiled and makes a peace sign. After introducing Liten to them they decided to open the 3rd floor. Asuna and Kirito was about to leave when Liten stooped Asuna

"Asuna let's party together on the next floor and defeat the Boss together" She smiled "Maybe you're right we need to face this reality, thank you for giving me hope" After saying that she leave the Boss chamber

Asuna and Kirito was walking up the stairs when Asuna suddenly stopped "The last attack bonus of the King, never showed up for me that's weird right we both got the last hit" Asuna suspiciously looked at Kirito "You forced me to go a split second later!"

"Er, well what can I say" Kirito was thinking about how he can escape that thing "Oh! Is that the exit over there?" He pointed the entrance to the 3rd floor

"You did still it didn't you? I won't get mad; just tell me what you got!" Kirito started to run and Asuna follow him

"The real SAO starts from the third floor" Kirito stopped at the double door that was the entrance to the 3rd floor of aincrad

"It does?" Asuna asks

"Yeah, let's go Asuna!" They both open the 3rd floor

***Third Floor of Aincrad***

The third floor of the aincrad is a forest-themed floor. Unlike the woods around on the 1st floor or the southem area of the 2nd floor, the 3rd floor is covered entirely by enormous ancient trees. The southem area of the floor is called the forest of wavering mists, a baffing place choked with thick fog. The labyrinth is located in the northem area of the floor, which is separated from the southem area by mountains, with a tiny pass guarded by the field Boss.

Kirito and Asuna were grinding on the forest of wavering mists, trying to defeat the Treant Sapling monster. It is a withered tree with a pale trunk fifteen centimeters in diameter and two meters in height, comparatively smaller than the old trees in the forest. Pale lights shine in the two small knotholes in its bark and its branches stretching out to the side waves like slender claws.

"Let's go for a pincer attack," Kirito said "Okay, Treant battle tactics one, they try to lure you deeper into the forest, so always pay attention to where you're standing"

"Got it!"

"And they can instantly flip from front to back, so you can't sneak out behind them" The Treant Sapling stared at Kirito for a few seconds, then pulled its roots out of the ground and began walking toward him. As the tree suddenly began dashing at full speed, the tree opened its third knothole and the tree howled. After three minutes, Kirito cut off both its arm branches with his anneal blade that he got in the first-floor quest and upgraded it to +6 and Asua penetrated its mouth with her wind fleuret, causing the tree to explode into polygons.

"We just beat the second floor Boss a few hours ago and made our way up to the third floor," Asuna said

"Right" They started to walk

"So what are going to do now? Other than not going to Town" Asuna ask

"Uhm well.." Kirito was thinking

"Listen, maybe you've been well prepared for this day all along! But three straight days up until this morning I was working on that stupid quest and then I had to sprint full speed to the Boss fight! And nearly death!" Asuna was shouted at Kirito's face "What I'm trying to say is today I will have my bath!"

"Ohh.. HA-HA, no worries there was a bath there. I guess?" Kirito said, "Hey, Asuna do you have good ears?"

"Huh? Why would you ask that? Do you have an ear fetish?" Asuna covered her ears and give Kirito a death glare "I'm kidding besides were in SAO, we're hearing these sounds directly inside our minds through a nerve gear our ears have no bearing on our sense of hearing here"

"That's true, but.. I heard something" Kirito started to walk and Asuna followed him

"Where are we heading to" Asuna didn't finish "Uwaa! Bath!" You can hear the sounds of water coming from the top of the mountain "How did you know that there are waterfalls here?" She asks in amazement

"I just hear the sound of the water" Kirito pointed his ears "You know, hearing skills.. You can take a bath here I will wait"

"Okay- wait!" Asuna looked at Kirito in a suspicious way

"Hey you'll be fine because I'll watch the whole place for you" Kirito assured to her

"That's exactly what I'm worried about" Asuna shouted "You have a prior record!"

"Huh?" And then he suddenly remembered the bath encounter on the first floor, he smiled remembering the look of Asuna that time "That's right.. I forgot about that"

"Ah! Wait never mind! No! Don't remember that!"

"He-he-he"

"No flashback allowed!" But Kirito still make that 'I saw you with your undergarments' look so to make him stop, Asuna equipped her dagger

"Oh! I don't remember anything! Promise!" Kirito said seeing Asuna's was about to throw her dagger at him