Chapter 359

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July 3rd

It was the third day of SAO's public release. The events in Aincrad mirrored the chaos happening in the real world on Earth.

In just three days, most players had accepted their new reality and began focusing on quests and grinding to level up.

Everyone shared a single goal: clearing the game and returning to the real world.

In the original timeline, things were similar. However, over time, many players became disheartened or apathetic, choosing to live idly in the game rather than striving to clear it.

This shift happened after the first month, when 2,000 players had already perished. Nearly half the remaining players gave up on clearing the game, resigning themselves to survival until their inevitable end.

Such players would surely appear again, but for now, they were few and far between. Most players had yet to witness the death of someone they knew firsthand.

On the plains near a small village at the edge of the first floor…

A brown-haired girl with twin ponytails was battling a wild goat with her Pokémon companion.

"Glameow, use Sing!"

Silica noticed the wild monster's health was low and decided to finish it with one last push.

"Meow~"

Glameow opened its mouth, releasing visible waves of purple sound. The goat collapsed to the ground, the "Zzz" symbols hovering around its head indicating a Sleep status.

In SAO, Sing's effectiveness depended on the user's level and skill proficiency.

Silica's Glameow had Sing at Lv.2 and was already Lv.5. Against the Lv.2 goat, the skill worked perfectly, putting it to sleep for up to 30 seconds or until attacked.

"Charge!"

Silica commanded while launching her own skill, Piercing Thrust, with her sword.

Both attacks landed simultaneously, and the goat was defeated before it could wake.

[Congratulations! You received: Currency ×18, XP ×16]

[Your level has increased to Lv.6!]

"Yes! Glameow, I leveled up again!"

Silica cheered as she picked up Glameow and twirled in joy.

"Meow~"

Glameow wagged its tail, equally pleased.

"We must be among the highest-leveled players right now, don't you think?"

Silica opened her status menu, allocating the 10 attribute points she'd just earned. She distributed them as 5 to Strength, 3 to Agility, and 2 to Constitution, leaving Intelligence untouched.

Her strategy was clear.

Glameow focused on Intelligence and Agility, using its control skills and speed to attract aggro, while Silica capitalized on those opportunities to deliver high-damage strikes.

"Meow!"

Glameow nodded confidently.

Since becoming a Trainer, Silica had ventured westward to the map's edge.

This area had the fewest towns and only a few scattered villages, making it unpopular with other players.

Here, Silica and Glameow could monopolize wild monster resources while avoiding unnecessary attention.

Thanks to Glameow's support, Silica had leveled up quickly, reaching Lv.6—a level high enough to participate in the first-floor boss raid.

Meanwhile, most players were still hovering around Lv.3.

In a small northeastern town on the first floor…

"As I thought..."

Kirito approached a park bench, sighing in mild frustration.

"I should've guessed you'd come for the 'Steel Refining Sword.' It's the best weapon on the first floor for someone like you."

Sitting on the bench, Izuna was sharpening the Steel Refining Sword with a whetstone, restoring its durability. Beside him, Growlithe lay basking in the sun.

The past three days had been intense. Izuna had nearly solo-cleared the first-floor boss, stopping only at the boss room entrance upon recalling Dak's advice to let players handle it themselves.

Had it not been for that reminder, Izuna might already be on the second floor.

Now, Izuna and his Growlithe were both Lv.8, the first floor's level cap, solidifying him as the strongest player in the game.

Even Madara was only Lv.7, as he'd been busy raising his profile and reputation among other players by showcasing his strength.

"You've probably met with my brother, right?"

Izuna didn't look at Kirito, focusing instead on inspecting his sword.

"Yes. Madara's reputation is incredible. Players are calling him 'a player too powerful to be human.' He also seems to have a rare passive skill that lets him equip gloves as weapons," Kirito replied.

The moment Kirito heard the nickname, he knew it had to be one of the trio. Finding one made finding the others much easier.

After meeting Madara, who didn't know Izuna's location, Kirito had spent some time deducing and searching. It wasn't until the third day that he finally found Izuna.

What surprised Kirito most was that both Madara and Izuna looked almost the same as they had during the beta test. Even their IDs remained unchanged.

"Madara plans to form a guild to lead players in clearing the game. Why don't you join him?"

Izuna's calm demeanor made Kirito feel as if they were still in the beta phase.

Kirito couldn't help but admire Izuna's composure, thinking to himself, As expected of someone with great status and power. Even in this situation, he remains unshaken.

"I..."

Kirito hesitated before revealing his passive skill, Dual Blades.

"I've acquired a unique skill. At this stage, it's not wise to reveal it."

He opened his menu, showing Izuna the skill.

"I trust you because of our time in the beta, but this isn't something I'd show anyone else."

Unlike Madara, who could fight ten players single-handedly, Kirito lacked that level of strength. Revealing his skill could provoke envy or hostility, putting him at risk.

"Following my brother would ensure no one dares to touch you. With your ability, you could secure a good position in his guild," Izuna remarked, sparing only a glance at the skill.

Izuna already knew about Dual Blades from Dak.

"I'd rather learn swordsmanship from you," Kirito replied, resolved. "I want to grow strong enough to survive in this world."

"You could survive just by hiding in the cities."

"I..."

Kirito clenched his fists. "I want to return home. I want to clear SAO."

"Are you certain?"

Izuna looked at him, his grip tightening on his sword as if he had been waiting for this response.

"Yes!"

Kirito nodded firmly and activated the mentor request system.

A dialogue box appeared before Izuna:

['Kirito' requests to become your apprentice. Do you accept?]

[Yes]

Izuna didn't hesitate. After all, his role in SAO was to guide Kirito to lead the players in clearing the game—even if it meant defeating Madara, the final boss.

[Congratulations! You have learned the passive skill 'Uchiha-Style Swordsmanship.']

"What is this?"

Kirito stared at the notification in shock.

"It seems that by becoming my apprentice, you've inherited my unique passive skill," Izuna said, somewhat surprised. Dak hadn't mentioned this mechanic.

[Uchiha-Style Swordsmanship Lv.1: Increases critical hit rate by 3%.]

"This skill can reach Lv.10, increasing critical hit rate by 3% per level. That's a 30% boost at max level! This is incredible!" Kirito exclaimed.

Izuna didn't share Kirito's excitement. Instead, he asked, "What's your current level?"

"Lv.5. Solo grinding is slow, but I've managed by completing high-quality quests," Kirito explained.

"Good. Let's go to the Labyrinth."

"Huh?"

"If you want to learn my swordsmanship, it'll be through battles where death is a real threat," Izuna said with a faint smile.

"Wait, what? Sensei—"

The smile sent chills down Kirito's spine.

Though Lv.5 was sufficient to enter the Labyrinth, it was still dangerous, especially if faced with multiple monsters.

"Uchiha-Style Swordsmanship can only improve in life-and-death combat," Izuna stated firmly.

"...Alright," Kirito relented, his shoulders slumping.

With Izuna by his side, things might not be so bad—or so he thought.

Kirito was about to learn how wrong he was.

(End of Chapter)

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