-271- Tell me

"Id... Idiots...?"

Rozen's unfiltered words left the players present beyond angry, freezing them in their tracks.

Even Kibaou was taken aback, unable to react in time.

In this situation, Rozen was about to step forward.

"Wait..."

Kirito tried to stop Rozen, but he pushed his hand down on his shoulder.

"Don't worry."

Rozen pressed Kirito's hand down, walking forward under everyone's gaze.

Not long after, Rozen arrived in front of Kibaou.

"Let me start by asking you, Mr. Kibaou."

Rozen posed the question with a half-smile before Kibaou could react.

"Do you know what 'Closed Beta Testing' means?"

Finally, Kibaou showed some reaction to this question.

"Isn't Closed Beta Testing just a closed test?" Kibaou spoke with a harsh tone, as if wanting to see Rozen's intention. "Before official game launch, game companies grant access to a select group of lucky players to play the game in advance for promotional purposes. Isn't that what it is?"

Rozen didn't deny Kibaou's answer.

"Indeed, Closed Beta Testing also serves the purpose of promotion. Some game companies even use it to gauge the market's response, evaluating the game's reception before deciding how much investment to make. That's what Closed Beta Testing is."

Rozen nodded and then continued.

"However, the primary goal of Closed Beta Testing is still 'testing the game.' If you're a real player, you should understand that, right?"

That's right.

The main purpose of Closed Beta Testing is to test a game before its official release.

Because, regardless of the game, there are bound to be imperfections, even flaws that others haven't noticed, in short, bugs.

To make the game more polished and to identify and fix all the flaws, game companies provide access to a select group of players for testing during the Closed Beta phase.

During testing, game companies collect data, bugs, and every piece of feedback and suggestions from players to improve the game. Only after there are no significant issues left, the game enters its official launch.

That's the essence of Closed Beta Testing.

In other words...

"Information and knowledge from the Closed Beta phase are indeed useful, but after the game's official launch, many aspects of the world have already been modified and improved, not just as they were during the Closed Beta."

Rozen looked at all the players present.

"Do you understand what this means?"

It means the experiences of Closed Beta players are not entirely reliable.

"Compared to players who know nothing and those who believe they know everything, only to face situations completely different from what they remember, the latter are the real danger."

Rozen's voice resounded clearly through the room.

"Let me tell you."

"The SAO Closed Beta held this summer had only a thousand slots."

"While all these players had the right to purchase the official game, not all of the thousand testers participated in the game's official launch. Having around seven to eight hundred players enter this world is already a lot."

Of course, Rozen wasn't referring to this.

Rozen wanted to share information he obtained from Argo.

That is...

"Among these seven to eight hundred, approximately three hundred have died."

Rozen delivered this startling news.

"Three... Three hundred people!?"

Players were taken aback by this revelation.

"Three hundred people?"

Kibaou's eyes widened as well.

Even Diabel, who had been silently observing, was taken aback.

Only Kirito, who seemed to know about this, lowered his head along with Argo in the corner.

That's right.

Three hundred people.

Among the Closed Beta players, so many had already died.

"This is the fate of beta testers who are so sure of their Closed Beta knowledge, not considering that the official launch might differ from the testing period, and walking blindly into traps, losing their lives in vain."

Rozen mocked as he spoke.

"A month into the game, and two thousand deaths?"

"Indeed, that's a shocking number."

"But have you ever thought, out of these two thousand deaths, three hundred were Closed Beta players?"

What does that signify?

"This explains that out of the current two thousand casualties, one thousand seven hundred were novice players. Considering there are over nine thousand novice players, their death rate is approximately eighteen percent."

"Conversely, among the seven to eight hundred Closed Beta players, nearly three hundred have died, giving them a death rate of almost forty percent."

"Is this the fate of the players you claim to prioritize their own strength, causing suffering for the novice players."

Rozen looked across the the entire plaza, sweeping his gaze and stopping at Kibaou.

"You say that so many people are dying in this game because Closed Beta testers didn't share information and knowledge?"

Rozen looked straight at Kibaou and spoke word by word.

"Well, let me tell you now. The reason you've survived until now is because Closed Beta testers didn't tell you anything, preventing you from wandering into dangerous areas with uncertain knowledge!"

The brutally realistic words left all the players in a stunned silence.

If what Rozen said was true, if so many beta testers indeed died because they believed they had extensive knowledge but ended up in situations completely different from the Closed Beta period, leading to their deaths, then sharing all that information and knowledge would indeed, as Rozen said, potentially cause even more deaths.

Ignorance often proves to be a form of bliss.

This saying was also true.

Not to mention...

"Even if they were beta testers, they're all humans. Even out of a hundred people, wouldn't there be at least one person with a conscience, among the ninety-nine who are selfish?"

Rozen's voice reached every ear.

"But until now, not many Closed Beta testers have come forward to share information and knowledge with regular players because they know that sometimes, this information and knowledge could actually become the spark that leads to the deaths of many, which is why they're afraid."

That's right

Not unwilling, but afraid.

"Now look at all of you, the self-proclaimed top players who want to conquer this game and liberate everyone."

Rozen glanced at Kibaou, then looked at everyone in the room, speaking with a contemptuous tone.

"Even though you aren't Closed Beta testers, you've still made it to this point."

"Without relying on knowledge of traps scattered throughout the Closed Beta phase, you've obtained the most real information, information that's much more reliable in terms of safety."

"But how many of you have shared the information you've obtained with those who aren't here but are hiding in safe zones within the towns?"

"Come on, tell me."

Rozen's words, filled with sarcasm, caused one player after another to gape open-mouthed, unable to utter a single word.