Chapter 352

The 20th day of the beta test arrived quickly.

The highest-level players had already reached the 35th floor, with Dak and his two companions leading the charge as the top players at Lv.43.

Most other beta testers were still stuck on floors 28 or 29, while the upper floors had been cleared almost entirely by Madara and Izuna.

Since the incident on the 25th floor, where both brothers underestimated the boss and were instantly killed by its earthquake attack, they had begun taking the game much more seriously, diving headfirst into clearing the floors.

While they could avoid most attacks, any single hit meant game over for the two of them.

For them, every boss fight was either a flawless victory or a complete restart.

Even now, at the 35th floor, neither Madara nor Izuna wore any armor—only carrying their weapons.

The boss on this floor was a banshee capable of unleashing unavoidable soundwave attacks. Although the damage wasn't high, it was enough to instantly kill the unarmored Madara and Izuna, leaving Dak unable to solo the boss.

For now, they were stuck on this floor, which gave them time to wait for other players to catch up.

During these days, Kirito occasionally sparred with Izuna, primarily to learn from Izuna's "Uchiha Sword Style."

This name was something Izuna had casually come up with, but Kirito had etched it deeply into his memory.

When Kirito first heard the name, he found it odd that there was no information about it in the real world. Given Izuna's level of skill, he should have been nationally renowned.

Dak provided an explanation: "Izuna is just too low-key. He focuses solely on perfecting his swordsmanship and has no desire to gain fame. If you master his style, you could be the one to carry it forward."

It wasn't until Kirito stood before Izuna as his opponent that he fully understood the terror of Izuna's swordsmanship.

This was clearly a style crafted for killing. There were no flashy techniques, only fundamental moves—slashes, thrusts, cuts, and sweeps. Yet every strike targeted the opponent's vital points.

Even knowing he wouldn't die in the game, Kirito couldn't help but feel a chill when Izuna's blade aimed for his eyes or sliced toward his neck. Izuna's cold gaze reminded him of an ancient assassin profession: ninja.

May 20th.

35th Floor, Silent Hill.

This floor's theme was pure horror. Eternal darkness shrouded the floor, with thick fog blanketing every corner.

In the desolate city known as "Deadman's Town," Dak and his companions were gathered in a multi-purpose hall.

This hall served as a hub for trading, enhancing equipment, forming parties, and accepting quests.

"So, there are this many sub-classes? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

Madara held a crudely made long kunai in his hand.

This weapon was something Madara had crafted himself. By visualizing the weapon's form in his mind and hammering the materials, he could forge it. However, for now, only bladed weapons and similar cold arms could be made.

For example, a warhammer could be forged and categorized under "one-handed sword" or "two-handed sword." But unconventional weapons like brass knuckles were off the table.

Madara's elongated kunai was categorized as a "short one-handed sword."

Madara found kunai far more practical than swords or spears—it just felt more natural to him.

"I didn't think Kayaba Akihiko would implement the sub-class system during the beta," Dak said innocently, shrugging.

SAO featured hundreds of sub-classes, including "Beastmaster" and "Alchemist."

As for main classes, the game didn't really have them—every player was essentially a "warrior," "swordsman," or "blade master."

"Speaking of which, it's amazing that you can simply add materials to auto-refine them," Izuna said as he attempted to craft potions.

Of course, he wasn't interested in healing potions—they were useless for him and Madara. Instead, he focused on crafting potions that temporarily boosted strength and speed.

Izuna had initially dismissed sub-classes as too much trouble, but after watching Madara easily forge weapons, he decided to give it a try.

"I remember the lava beast on the 32nd floor drops fire-element ores, right?"

Madara examined the crude kunai in his hand with disdain.

"Not only that, but it also drops keratin that can add fire-elemental damage," Izuna added.

"So, is that our next target?"

Dak, reclining on a long bench in the hall, lifted his head to look at them.

Both brothers gave him a subtle glance.

"...?"

32nd Floor, Lava Volcano.

"Those jerks!"

Dak angrily tossed his obsidian shield to the ground, its heavy thud echoing around him.

Madara and Izuna had turned him into their errand boy.

Madara: "I need to level up my blacksmithing with other materials first, so I can't farm right now."

Izuna: "Same here."

Since Dak didn't have a sub-class—except for "fisherman"—the task of farming materials fell to him.

"Ha!"

Kirito, who had accompanied Dak to hunt lava beasts, couldn't help but chuckle. However, his attention soon shifted to the mysterious creature by Dak's side. "Shirona-san, is your sub-class Beastmaster?"

By now, Kirito knew Dak was actually male, but it didn't bother him.

From the moment Dak had taken up the shield as the team's tank, Kirito had suspected that "Shirona" was a man playing a female avatar.

"It's not Beastmaster; it's Trainer. This one here is Darkrai, a Pokémon."

Dak clarified, then added, "By the way, there's a rumor that the Beastmaster sub-class will be removed in the official release."

Indeed, on the 20th day of the beta, Kayaba Akihiko's lab had achieved a significant breakthrough—developing NERvGear for Pokémon.

Due to Pokémon's diverse shapes, creating a unified NERvGear for them was impossible. To allow Pokémon to enter SAO, Kayaba and his Porygon-Z had created a massive furnace-like machine. Pokémon would enter, be scanned, and have their forms replicated in-game.

Darkrai, as it appeared now, was almost identical to its original form, albeit greatly weakened.

[Darkrai]

Lv.40Type: Dark

Stats: (Hidden)

Skills: Hypnosis, Quick Attack, Night Shade, Feint Attack, Disable

In-game, Darkrai's abilities were severely nerfed to prevent it from disrupting the game's balance.

Its stats were capped at 20% of a player's, and its skill pool was heavily restricted, with each skill's effects halved.

In SAO, Pokémon were more about companionship and morale, serving as emotional support for players.

"Trainer? Is that a hidden class?"

Kirito muttered internally but didn't probe further. He wasn't the type to pry into others' private affairs—it was impolite to do so.

"Kirito, thanks for helping me out."

"It's nothing."

Kirito scratched his head sheepishly.

He had spent seven or eight of the last twenty days adventuring with Dak and his group, gaining plenty of benefits. Even his current weapon, the "Dark Elf Queen's Sword," was a gift from Izuna.

Helping Dak farm materials felt like a natural way to return the favor.

"Alright, same strategy as always. I'll tank the aggro upfront, you find openings to deal damage, and Darkrai will use its skills to disrupt the enemies when needed."

"Got it."

Kirito nodded.

He knew the team's dynamic by now.

Although Dak didn't explicitly say it, Kirito had figured it out: Dak was the weakest of the trio in combat.

Even so, Dak was still strong enough to dominate Kirito in a duel, suggesting he was likely a skilled martial artist in real life. However, compared to Madara and Izuna, he was outmatched.

An hour and a half later...

"Shirona-san, my family's calling me for dinner."

Kirito awkwardly admitted.

"Go ahead. We've got enough materials for them. Let's team up again next time, Kirito."

Dak waved him off with a smile.

"Alright!"

Kirito sighed in relief and moved to a safe zone to log out.

In the real world, Kirito stretched as he got out of bed.

"It's so much more relaxing to hang out with Shirona-san. Madara-san and Izuna-san are way too intense. They probably hold high positions in real life to even get beta accounts so easily."

Kirito rubbed his neck and muttered to himself.

"Big brother! Dinner's ready!"

His sister Suguha's voice called from outside his room.

"Coming!"

(End of Chapter)

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