-302- Call this attitude......

It has to be said that Sachi's earlier concern was reasonable.

In this forest, almost all monsters were between level 15 and 17, with even some level 20 small elite monsters. For players moving around on this floor, the pressure was considerable.

Though, according to safety levels, players operating on the 11th floor should be around level 20, in a forest filled with monsters above level 15, it was dangerous without the right player skills.

Normally, Keita's group wouldn't enter this forest.

However, with Rozen and Kirito accompanying them today, Keita's group was undoubtedly braver.

Though Rozen and Kirito didn't actually take action to deal with the monsters emerging from the forest, it was still Keita's group who faced them.

But, compared to Kirito's cautious use of his 'Searching' skill, Rozen wasn't merely observing.

Like now...

"Don't raise your shield to block, charge with full force."

Seeing the deer with huge antlers that was facing off against Tetsuto about to rush him, Rozen suddenly spoke, causing Tetsuto to tremble and halt his movement to raise his shield, which was an instinctive reaction.

"Oh...! Oohhh...!"

Tetsuto let out a bold shout, raising his shield and closing his eyes, charging with all his might.

"Thud!"

The charging deer's antlers slammed into Tetsuto's shield before reaching full force, and due to the impact while in mid-air, its body was flung backwards.

Keita, Sachi, and Sasamaru, the users of long weapons, happened to be standing there.

"Use sword skills."

Rozen's concise instruction prompted the three to unconsciously comply, each unleashing their sword skills.

Normally, collective use of sword skills was avoided to prevent weapon collisions.

However, Rozen seemed to have considered the activation speed and types of sword skills, allowing the three players with long weapons to flawlessly coordinate their angles, preventing any obstruction. Their skills struck the deer's body one after another.

"Boom!"

Before long, the level 17 deer turned blue, shattered into polygonal fragments.

At the same time, Keita's group gained a substantial amount of experience compared to their previous encounters, resulting in several members leveling up.

"Yeah!"

"Leveled up!"

"So fast!"

Dakar, Tetsuto, and Sasamaru cheered in succession, and Sachi, usually quiet, even managed to smile.

However, Keita came over to Rozen.

"Thank you very much. It's all because your guidance. You're truly a member of the same guild as that 'Magus'."

Keita expressed his genuine appreciation and admiration.

But...

"These monsters should be easy for Mr. Rozen to handle. Why not join in?"

Keita seemed a bit puzzled.

Rozen didn't say much, but Kirito answered that question.

"Players from the clearing group aren't allowed to grind monsters in the lower-level training areas."

High-level players excessively killing low-level monsters in the lower-level grinding areas was not only considered impolite, but it could also be seen as malicious disruption.

Because regardless of the monster area, within a certain time frame, the number of monsters spawning was fixed. This was also one of the reasons why the beta testers had monopolized efficient grinding areas on the first floor.

If Rozen were to engage in a massive slaughter here, without a doubt, these monsters would be wiped out within five minutes.

During the time before the monsters respawn, players aiming to level up or seeking materials dropped by these monsters would be unable to achieve their goals and would waste time until the monsters reappeared.

Though the time frame wasn't long, players would indeed experience losses, slowing down their leveling progress and potentially causing someone's material collection quest to fail.

Due to this, high-level players causing havoc in low-level training areas was impactful behavior.

To prevent such incidents, the clearing group had established regulations. If top players were found unreasonably grinding monsters in areas more than ten floors below the frontline, the entire clearing group would be responsible for penalizing them.

These penalties could range from fines used to compensate affected players to equipment confiscation, and in serious cases, even expulsion from the clearing group and their current guild.

Considering this, even Kirito was only here to gather weapon materials. Once collected, he would leave immediately without lingering. Rozen also had no intention of committing the same mistake for a second Rainbow Butterfly.

After all...

"These are the rules set by the leader of the clearing group, the guild master of our guild, the one we call the 'Magus,' right?"

Kirito chuckled playfully, delivering these words.

Hearing this, the members of the "Black Cat" guild were full of admiration.

"Truly a leader of the clearing group."

"Although a beta tester, it's not true that they're all selfish, right?"

"That's right."

Ducker, Tetsuto, and Sasamaru expressed their sentiments in succession. Even Keita voiced his admiration.

"I heard that 'Crimson Wing' occasionally provides the latest information to mid and lower-level players, to some extent promoting collective progress among players. That should be a directive from the guild master, right?"

Keita's question immediately brought Kirito's response.

"That's right." Kirito's enthusiasm was apparent: "Though he always said, 'It's just a useless information, what's the big deal? After all, even a rat does the same thing occasionally,' but the guild members call this attitude as tsunde....."

Before he could finish his sentence, Kirito's expression froze.

Because there was a small dagger pressed against his back.

It wasn't a weapon but a thrown item.

Furthermore, it was a very high-level thrown item.

Rozen stood behind Kirito, using the small dagger to poke Kirito's back again and again, while saying with a mischievous smile:

"I believe you should know that the throwing items I use are of high performance. Even if your armor's performance is high, breaking through it shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure the level 4 poison applied on it will give you some fun, right?"

Saying so, Rozen even gestured as if he were going to stab Kirito's back again and again, causing Kirito's forehead to bead with sweat.

"C-Calm down. We're outside the safezone. Initiating an attack will result in an orange name. By the way, you've actually applied poison to throwing items, and it's level 4 poison damage. Isn't that a bit too devious?"

It's important to know that once hit with poison, a player's HP would be deducted periodically until the poison wore off.

And at level 4, the amount of HP deducted was considerable, and the duration would be long. Regular antidote potions wouldn't work, except for curing crystals and high-level antidote items. If a player below level 30 were hit by it, even if they didn't die, their HP bar would drop into the red zone.

For Rozen to coat high-performance throwing items with this level of poison, Kirito underestimated him.

"This poison cost me quite a bit to acquire, so be careful not to accidentally touch it."

Rozen didn't seem concerned at all, causing Kirito's expression to become even more distressed as if he were crying.

At that moment...

"We're here! Over there!"

Ducker's shout suddenly sounded, making everyone's eyes light up, and they rushed forward.