Chapter 28

Naoki Kirigaya began explaining the concept of sword skills to Asuna, along with the key points to watch for when using them.

Being a skilled teacher himself, combined with Asuna's decent comprehension, she quickly grasped the basics.

Unfortunately, she still wasn't used to the game.

Naoki told Asuna to take down the wolf in front of them. She hesitated, gripping her rapier nervously.

"Asuna, what are you doing?"

"Strike fast and hard! Switch skills quicker!"

"Yes!"

"Asuna, dodge! When you see blue light, either evade or interrupt their skill!"

"Got it!"

On the grassy plain, a blonde boy barked orders at a chestnut-haired girl.

"Keep your movements steady—your grip needs to be firmer."

"Yes!" Asuna gritted her teeth. Imagining the wolf as Naoki, she stabbed it fiercely. The wolf's HP hit zero, shattering into blue light. Asuna sighed in relief, wiping sweat from her brow.

She glanced at Naoki. His expression remained cold, his crimson-gold eyes meeting hers with an unnerving calm.

"Keep going, Asuna," Naoki said flatly.

"I can't," Asuna panted.

Naoki shook his head. "These wolves are as basic as slimes. You should be able to one-shot them."

With that, he stepped forward, gripping his iron sword. He took a deep breath, recalling a swift sword-drawing stance from his training. Then he lunged.

His right foot shot forward, his body surging ahead. Reaching the wolf, he thrust his sword in a flash of white light across its neck—sharp and swift.

His stamina dropped fast but didn't zero out. This was a sword-drawing technique from his practice.

Normally, a neck strike should trigger a critical hit, and the move itself doubled a regular attack's power. Yet it still didn't kill the wolf in one blow.

Before the wolf could react, Naoki flipped his grip and struck again. A second flash of light hit, and the wolf howled, its body dissolving into blue fragments.

It shattered like glass, leaving no trace—the death mechanic of SAO.

"Asuna, you've got to be quick," Naoki coached. "Picture the skill triggering in your mind and match it with the starting stance. Once a sword skill starts, you can't cancel it!"

Asuna pouted. "Getting lectured by you is so annoying!"

"Sword Skill—Rapier Basic—Linear Strike."

A silver line streaked forward. Thanks to Asuna's high agility, it was a blur—near-instant, perfect for an opener.

Low damage, but lightning-fast, fluid, and single-target.

Her rapier struck the wolf's jaw. Asuna pivoted, adjusted her stance, and followed with a basic attack—flat damage.

Yes, a plain attack.

At level one, their skill panels were empty, so basic attacks filled the gaps.

It worked, though. Basic attacks were more about staggering than raw damage.

Sword skills had cooldowns, after all.

Naoki's ability to chain-kill stemmed from his real-world experience and a year of wooden sword practice.

Clearly, his moves weren't recognized as system "sword skills."

If they were, they'd be faster and stronger.

If his best technique couldn't outdo a slime-level mob, even Paul from another world would laugh.

They kept leveling Asuna up. Since it was the beta phase, few players competed for mobs here—everyone stuck to their own grind.

Asuna was still soaking in the game's realism.

After clearing a stretch of small fry, they hit level 3.

Naoki dumped their base stat points into strength and agility, then led Asuna onward.

They headed for the towering structure ahead. After a short trek, they encountered odd insect-like creatures—level 3 wasps and the like, nimbler than wolves. This called for throwing skills.

Naoki explained the wasps' patterns and attack staggers. He picked up a rock, which glowed blue in his hand, then hurled it. With a whistling rush, it smashed into the wasp's body. Its HP was low, and Naoki said, "You need to learn throwing skills too. It's simple, but it can be a game-changer in the right moment."

Asuna mumbled a half-hearted reply.

Seeing her lackluster attitude, Naoki's mouth twitched. He gave her head a firm smack.

"Hey, listen when I'm talking. This stuff might come in handy later."

"Tch, like game skills matter in real life," Asuna shot back.

Naoki sighed. Teenage rebellion was a handful—she was even defying her "old man" now.

He put on a stern face. "No backtalk."

Asuna's face flushed. "I'm older than you!"

"I'm the senior here."

"I'm taller!"

"I'm your teacher."

"But—"

"I'm your teacher."

"Ugh, why do I still have to listen to you in a game?" Asuna grumbled.

Ignoring her complaints, Naoki dragged her along to farm more mobs. Soon, they reached a forest entrance.

He peered inside from the edge.

Since it was the beta, death was no big deal. Charging in boldly wouldn't hurt.

"Let's go, Asuna." Naoki shushed her and led the way.

A narrow, winding path greeted them. The lighting felt real—tree shadows dappled the ground, sunlight filtered through the canopy, and insect chirps filled the air.

Leaves crunched underfoot. Asuna looked around, wide-eyed, murmuring, "So real… it's like another world."

The forest was quiet enough that her whisper reached Naoki. He thought for a moment. "You don't need to push yourself so hard in reality. I've told you—balance work and play. Games can relax your mind and sharpen your focus."

Asuna listened silently, unusually without a retort.

That surprised Naoki.