-327- The completion of the final stage

Afterward, with the addition of the Knights of the Blood Oath to the clearing group, they seized the opportunity and rapidly advanced into the maze of the 26th floor. In less than a few days, they located the room of the floor's boss.

Just as Rozen had previously mentioned, the 26th floor didn't present the extreme difficulty the clearing group had feared. There was no dramatic leap in challenges. Instead, it resembled the past, and with the efforts of the clearing group's players, they successfully conquered it.

The smooth progress was attributed to two reasons: the absence of a significant difficulty spike and the addition of the Knights of the Blood Oath.

With the powerful guild's inclusion, the clearing group's strength was restored to its former glory, if not slightly improved. Unlike the former "Aincrad Liberation Squad," the Knights of the Blood Oath might have had fewer members, but each one was an elite player.

Particularly Asuna, after several astonishing battles, the players started calling her "Flash" and she quickly become one of the top five players in the clearing group.

Within the ranks of the Knights of the Blood Oath, it wasn't just Asuna who held a position of authority; Heathcliff, the immensely powerful leader, was also present.

Rozen clearly remembered that when the clearing group rushed into the boss room of the 26th floor, facing the boss's fierce onslaught, Heathcliff unleashed the unique skills of the "Holy Sword." He single-handedly withstood the boss's attacks, halting its movements. He even revealed a never-before-seen sword technique, displaying his terrifying strength. This left the clearing group's players astonished.

Especially Kirito. His gaze carried deep shock and immersion, like he had uncovered the true essence of SAO. He remained entranced until well after the battle concluded.

In such circumstances, the revelation of Heathcliff's unique skill could not remain hidden and quickly spread throughout the server. As players buzzed with excitement, Heathcliff's reputation skyrocketed.

Naturally, Asuna's reputation expanded even more, perhaps even more exaggerated than Heathcliff's. Her exceptional strength and stunning appearance attracted significant media attention. As Rozen had anticipated, before long, a large fan following gathered around her.

However, these fans were unaware that Asuna's reputation within the clearing group was growing in another way. Not for her beauty, not solely for her strength, but for her cold and rational demeanor.

After joining the clearing group, Heathcliff rarely attended meetings aside from those related to boss strategies. He delegated the entirety of the Knights of the Blood Oath's leadership to Asuna. This allowed her to have multiple opportunities to speak during clearing group meetings, showcasing her exceptional leadership skills.

Similar to how she commanded the Knights of the Blood Oath players during the 26th-floor mini-boss battle, Asuna's suggestions were consistently reliable and practical.

Yet, her suggestions often lacked empathy.

For instance, she rarely considered personal issues between players or guilds when formulating strategies. Sometimes she even recommended breaking up group compositions and collaborations between different guilds for the sake of a strategic advantage.

Or suggesting that players push themselves to the limit to break through the maze within the designated time, sacrificing their leisure and entertainment. Her rationale was that time wasted on recreation could be better spent striving for a swift floor conquest, ultimately liberating all players.

Had this been anyone else, they would have likely begun complaining or expressing dissatisfaction. However, all of Asuna's suggestions were logical and reasonable, leaving others frustrated but unable to refute.

This led to the players in the clearing group nicknaming her the "Strategy Devil." If it was for the sake of strategy, she was willing to exert herself relentlessly, much like a heartless demon.

Consequently, Asuna became known as the "Strategy Devil."

Coincidentally, in the eyes of the players, Rozen, the unrivaled commander, was given the title of the "Strategy King." However, their opinions often clashed.

Or, more accurately, Rozen consistently rejected Asuna's suggestions, creating an impression of discord.

Initially, this wasn't a significant issue, but as the frequency of strategy meetings increased, Rozen and Asuna clashed several times. Eventually, Rozen's persuasive eloquence rendered Asuna speechless, causing her to fall silent and refrain from offering her opinions. However, to outsiders, it seemed that the relationship between Rozen and Asuna was not as harmonious.

However, it must be acknowledged that under Rozen's leadership, the clearing group once again achieved remarkable progress after conquering the 26th floor. Just like before, they surged forward, repeatedly surpassing the current floors.

Of course, the clearing group didn't escape challenges entirely.

For example, upon reaching the 30th floor, the difficulty suddenly spiked, and the same happened when they reached the 40th floor. These jumps in difficulty were far more pronounced than the incremental increases between other floors.

Thankfully, Rozen had anticipated this pattern, and with every ten floors, there was a moderate difficulty increase. They persevered and ultimately succeeded in breaking through.

By the time they reached the 50th floor, much like the 25th floor, they faced a massive surge in difficulty that posed significant threats to the clearing group's players.

During that time, even Rozen took multiple risks, and it was only with the assistance of Saichou and Hanachou, who had been nurtured with great effort, that they managed to maintain an unblemished record and conquer the 50th floor.

And so, nearly a year had passed.

The frontline had advanced to the 55th floor.

At this moment, almost a year and a half had elapsed since SAO officially transformed into a death game.

On this day...

"Roar!"

Within a room crafted entirely from steel walls in the maze of the 55th floor, Rozen tightly closed his eyes. He braced himself for the attack of a one-eyed ogre wielding an enormous steel blade.

"Swoosh!"

The piercing sound of the massive steel blade cutting through the air was jarring.

In the face of the strike, Rozen didn't even open his eyes. As the attack drew near, he suddenly shifted his body to the side with minimal movement, evading the strike entirely.

"Roar!"

The one-eyed ogre let out an angry roar. It swung its steel blade repeatedly, but Rozen effortlessly dodged every attack with the slightest of movements, not even a hair's breadth away from contact.

Until a certain moment, Rozen's figure shot up abruptly. Taking advantage of the ogre's missed attack and its weapon unable to be retracted, Rozen's one-handed sword emitted a blood-red light. With a swift and forceful strike, he hammered it into the ogre's heart.

"Squelch!"

The longsword pierced through the ogre's heart, protruding from its back.

"Roar!"

The ogre emitted a dying, agonized cry, and then its enormous body froze over in a blue hue.

"Boom!"

The next second, the ogre shattered into polygons, bursting apart.

Only then did Rozen open his eyes, revealing a wide grin.

"The Magus's final stage—'Mind's Eye.'"

At this moment, Rozen had officially mastered it.