Chapter 39: Leveling Up

On the other side, Naoki Kirigaya stopped Asuna and said with a serious face, "You must know what's going on."

Asuna had a mournful face and muttered, "We're doomed."

Naoki Kirigaya slapped the girl's forehead heavily and said with a serious face, "Cheer up. Our current goal is to defeat Kayaba Akihiko and crush his conspiracy."

Asuna's eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked at Naoki Kirigaya with anticipation, asking curiously, "Do you have a plan?"

Naoki Kirigaya chuckled coldly. He could barely protect himself, so what plan could he have?

He said with a straight face, "We just need to get to the hundredth floor."

The light in Asuna's eyes went out, and she muttered again, "We're doomed."

Naoki Kirigaya was speechless and said to her, "Since it has already happened, we should look for ways to change it. What's the point of feeling sorry for yourself here? Besides, it's already like this, there's no need to care about your mother anymore."

After saying that, he forcibly pushed Asuna forward, saying as he walked, "Life is about looking forward, how can you always stay in the same place?"

"Okay, okay, let go, I'll walk." Asuna pushed the boy's hand away and walked forward angrily.

"Asuna, what's your level?" Naoki Kirigaya walked to Asuna's side and asked.

"Level 3." Asuna frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Naoki Kirigaya thought for a moment and said to the girl, "Let's go fight man-eating plants."

Asuna's expression froze, and she stopped walking, saying, "I'm only level three."

The implication was why would she go to her death.

Naoki Kirigaya said, "We can kite them, it's definitely no problem to kite them one by one."

Asuna narrowed her eyes at Naoki Kirigaya and said, "Is it really okay?"

Naoki Kirigaya patted his chest and said with a righteous face, "It's definitely okay."

Asuna reluctantly agreed to his request after the boy's persuasion. He sent Asuna a team invitation. After teaming up, experience would be shared according to the damage contribution ratio.

Along the way, he casually killed some wolf-like creatures, leading Asuna around to the entrance of the forest.

After exchanging a glance with Asuna, the boy took the lead and strode forward, holding the steel sword in his right hand and walking forward.

The mottled shadows of the trees began to sway, and a gust of wind blew, stirring up the withered yellow leaves on the ground.

Naoki Kirigaya looked around, occasionally killing some small monsters, and Asuna had no chance to attack at all.

Looking at the boy who was killing everything in front of her, Asuna fell silent.

She felt like she was useless?

After clearing the mobs, they followed the narrow path to the center of the valley again.

The center of the valley was not as dense as when they first entered the forest, and the sunlight shone directly down, illuminating the two of them.

Naoki Kirigaya walked up the slope and poked his head out to take a look.

It was indeed a gathering place for man-eating plants.

The surrounding man-eating plants stood together in twos and threes, moving slowly aimlessly.

Naoki Kirigaya whispered to Asuna, "I'll attract two or three man-eating plants later. After I attack, you attack and apply paralysis directly."

Asuna nodded.

Seeing that Asuna understood what he meant, the boy took a deep breath, casually picked up a stone from the ground with his right hand, and began to exert force.

The stone flickered with a blue luster. Naoki Kirigaya looked around, selected a man-eating plant that was closer, and after checking that there were no man-eating plants with seductive fruits nearby, he threw it directly.

The stone was very fast, carrying the whistling sound of breaking through the air, drawing a parabola in the air and quickly hitting the man-eating plant's head, reducing the man-eating plant's HP by a little.

In an instant, it and the two man-eating plants next to it began to move.

The target acquisition mechanism was activated, and they quickly approached Naoki Kirigaya's direction.

Man-eating plants were indeed bizarre species, not only were their appearances scary, but their walking postures were also very special.

Naoki Kirigaya whispered, "I'm going to attack, listen to my command later."

Asuna nodded. Naoki Kirigaya stood up, walked forward a distance, and began to lower his center of gravity. He held the steel sword tightly in his right hand and used the Sword God Style's drawing sword technique.

He exhaled, and the sword began to flicker with a cold blue luster.

The muscles in his right arm bulged, and he placed the sword at his waist.

Watching the approaching man-eating plants, he suddenly drew his sword when they got close.

The sword flashed with a cold light, and the sword's momentum was as swift as thunder. This sword was fast, unbelievably fast.

Almost in the blink of an eye, a hideous wound appeared on the chest of the first man-eating plant, its HP rapidly decreasing until it stopped in the red zone.

Green sap slowly dripped from the wound, falling to the ground.

The two man-eating plants behind it rushed forward, and a blue light emanated from Naoki Kirigaya's body. Magic power began to envelop his entire body, and for a moment, immense power surged like a tide, coursing through Naoki Kirigaya's limbs.

Naoki Kirigaya kicked out, sending the nearest man-eating plant flying three meters away. The sound of the man-eating plant falling to the ground echoed, and Naoki Kirigaya reversed his grip on the sword hilt with his left hand, changing from a one-handed sword to a two-handed sword. Another slash cut through the man-eating plant's bloated body.

The man-eating plant, which already had little HP left, had its HP completely depleted.

"Asuna, switch!" Naoki Kirigaya shouted loudly.

Asuna quickly rushed forward, and the one-handed rapier in her hand transformed into a swift thrust, piercing the man-eating plant. The vines that the man-eating plant extended towards Naoki Kirigaya were pierced by Asuna's rapier.

One-handed rapiers were inherently swift, and although Asuna's attack didn't inflict much damage on the man-eating plant, it did inflict the effect of flinch.

Flinch, meaning unable to act upon being hit.

This was a constraint that SAO placed on mobs and bosses. Once they were attacked by a player, they couldn't make any reaction.

Of course, the so-called attack judgment also had certain standards. Only sword skills and attacks that dealt effective damage would be counted as flinch.

Naoki Kirigaya quickly took a breath. Although the power of the previous attack was great, he needed to adjust his breathing for a moment.

His heart pounded violently. Asuna

Naoki Kirigaya shouted, "Switch!" He stepped forward, gripped the sword hilt with his right hand, and quickly thrust out.

This wasn't a sword skill, just a simple thrust, but even so, it was only a fraction of a second slower than Asuna's single sword skill.

Asuna retreated, waiting for her sword skill's cooldown.

The sword pierced into its chest, and Naoki Kirigaya kicked out, knocking it to the ground.

The other man-eating plant got up and charged towards Naoki Kirigaya.

Asuna stepped forward, intercepting the last man-eating plant.

The man-eating plant was kicked down with great force, its hideous mouthparts facing the ground, its sharp teeth shaking.

Naoki Kirigaya felt a chill.

Without hesitation, he finished it off.

Three swords thrust out, each piercing the opponent thoroughly, and the man-eating plant's HP was depleted.

"Naoki, hurry!" Asuna's voice came.