Chapter 360

[Event For: Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor!!] [200 PS = +1 Extra Chapter!!]

Kirito thought that if he encountered trouble he couldn't handle, Izuna would surely step in to save him.

He was wrong.

When Kirito found himself surrounded by five elite goblins, Izuna remained seated calmly nearby, watching. It was then Kirito realized Izuna's words about "life-and-death combat" were no exaggeration.

He had two choices: defeat the goblins or be defeated.

"What should I do..."

Sweat dripped from Kirito's forehead as he gripped his two standard-issue swords tightly.

"Graargh!"

One of the goblins, foaming at the mouth, rushed at him with a club in hand.

Instinctively, Kirito glanced toward Izuna, who continued to spin his Steel Refining Sword idly in his hand.

A flash of inspiration struck Kirito. He raised his left sword to block the attack while his right hand flipped the other blade downward, stabbing into the goblin's head and landing a critical hit. A third of the goblin's health bar vanished instantly.

Kirito recalled Izuna's unique teaching method.

Most swordsmen tightly gripped their blades, fearing their weapons might be knocked away during combat.

But Uchiha-Style Swordsmanship was different.

It focused on assassination techniques, emphasizing adaptability and seizing opportunities to deliver fatal blows. To achieve this, it required holding the sword lightly, enabling rapid changes in the blade's direction for unpredictable attacks.

After delivering the critical hit, Kirito used the moment to escape the encirclement, darting away from the goblins.

What followed was a chaotic battle. Though Kirito was clumsy and frantic, he eventually managed to defeat all five elite goblins.

Even he couldn't believe what he had accomplished.

"How do you feel?"

Izuna approached, looking down at Kirito.

"I thought I was going to die a few times, but... I leveled up to Lv.6!"

Kirito beamed at the system notification, a mix of relief and joy on his face.

"You're still not fully accustomed to life-and-death combat, but your swordsmanship will become smoother with time," Izuna said.

"Sensei, where to next?"

"I'm taking you to meet someone."

Izuna glanced at a message in his interface before replying.

"Who?"

Kirito was puzzled. Shouldn't they continue training and leveling up?

"A traveling NPC who can assign you a quest to help you bond with a Pokémon. You need to start building teamwork with one."

"A Pokémon? Alright!"

Kirito's enthusiasm surged. He understood how valuable a Pokémon could be in battle. If he'd had one earlier, his fight with the goblins wouldn't have been so desperate.

"Let's go."

First Floor, Starting Town

Madara strolled down the town's streets, drawing the attention of countless players.

At Lv.7, he was clad in rare equipment, his imposing presence bolstered by the four beta testers following behind him.

Two of the four had been Kirito's teammates during the beta, and all four had sought out Madara early on, choosing to follow him. For now, they were merely part of a small party.

Madara hadn't formed a guild yet because he lacked two key components:

A Guild Token: A rare item that could drop from any monster but hadn't appeared for him yet. He had asked Izuna to keep an eye out.A Guild Base: Establishing a guild required purchasing land or a building in a safe town and displaying the guild's banner.

Madara wasn't willing to settle for a subpar location, but better properties required substantial funds, which they didn't yet have.

Still, he wasn't in a hurry. He could wait until higher floors to secure a proper guild base.

As they passed an alley, the sound of men's voices and a girl's sobbing reached Madara's ears.

"Hm?"

Madara frowned and turned toward the noise.

"Some people have lost their minds, thinking the law doesn't apply here and that no one can leave the game, so they're doing whatever they please," commented Reno, the yellow-haired member of Madara's party. He glanced disdainfully down the alley. "But they're all talk. Killing someone would turn them into red players."

"Red players can't enter towns without being hunted by guards. The guards in the Starting Town are Lv.15 on average. A few red players have already been killed in the past few days," added Kain, the green-haired member.

"Madara, should we go scare them off?"

Cain, the fiery red-haired member, spoke loudly enough for the men in the alley to hear, startling them. Moments later, a group of six or seven emerged, visibly angry.

"Who do you think you're calling trash?"

"You've got a death wish!"

"Do you even know who my dad is?"

"Could it be me?" joked Len, the blue-haired party member with glasses, smirking as he dismissed the group without concern.

Madara's party was well-known for their distinctive hair colors: black, red, blue, green, and yellow, forming a striking ensemble.

In reality, their hair wasn't naturally this colorful. SAO's public release restored players' true faces and body types but not their hair colors.

The men, now recognizing who they were dealing with, broke out in cold sweat.

Madara was a player many sought to join for protection. His reputation made it clear that antagonizing him or his group was a grave mistake.

Fearing retaliation from others trying to curry favor with Madara, the group quickly fled, covering their faces to avoid being remembered.

"Woof!"

Unnoticed by Madara, Growlithe had wandered into the alley and returned with a teary-eyed, pink-haired girl.

It was Lisbeth, whose real name was Rika Shinozaki. A 15-year-old girl, she would later become a renowned blacksmith in SAO, known for forging Kirito's "White Sword - Dark Repulser."

Growlithe gently tugged on Lisbeth's pants, leading her to Madara.

"...?"

Madara silently observed Lisbeth, saying nothing as he wondered what Growlithe was up to. The Pokémon rarely acted without reason.

"T-thank you for helping me and saving me," Lisbeth stammered, her voice trembling under Madara's piercing gaze.

Her face was smudged with dirt from being shoved to the ground earlier.

"It's nothing," Madara replied, waving dismissively. He hadn't actually done anything—the troublemakers had fled on their own.

He turned to leave with his party when Growlithe suddenly bit his pants leg.

"?"

Madara glanced at Growlithe, then at Lisbeth.

Years of bonding with Growlithe made it clear the Pokémon had noticed something unusual about her. Perhaps it was a scent or an aura that caught its attention.

"May I add you as a friend? I work at the blacksmith shop and have become a 'Blacksmith.' I can help you forge or repair weapons to repay your kindness," Lisbeth said, bowing nervously.

Madara's presence was overwhelming, like standing before a strict elder, making her hesitant to speak.

"A blacksmith?"

Madara raised an eyebrow, recalling his own beta-test experience as a Blacksmith.

A skilled Blacksmith could craft unique weapons and add enhancements or enchantments, provided the materials were available.

As the game progressed, weapon upgrades and enchantments would become essential for effective combat, but achieving mastery required significant time and effort.

Madara still aspired to become a Blacksmith but lacked the time to dedicate to it now. Managing a guild and leading his team left little room for grinding a secondary profession.

Yet, a guild needed a dedicated Blacksmith to maintain its reputation and dominance.

"Yes," Lisbeth confirmed, nodding eagerly.

"Do you want to be my disciple?" Madara asked.

If Izuna could take on a disciple, why couldn't he? Training Lisbeth could strengthen his guild's foundation.

"Of course!" Lisbeth's eyes sparkled as she nodded fervently, afraid to miss the opportunity.

(End of Chapter)

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