Chapter 31

Kirigaya Kazuto felt utterly exhausted. With a sigh, he cast a sidelong glance at Naoki Kirigaya, who was grinning smugly. Kazuto strongly suspected the boy was just messing with him for fun.

At that moment, Asuna and Tuzawa Misumi were in the middle of catching up, chatting about school-related things.

Then Tuzawa Misumi's gaze swept over Naoki and she asked, "Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

Asuna's face flushed instantly. She covered Tuzawa's mouth and snapped, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Tuzawa laughed and said, "Guess he's not, at least not yet. So, who is he?"

"My tutor," Asuna replied with a sigh. Other people's teachers and hers were like night and day.

The thought left her feeling deeply helpless.

Curious, Tuzawa couldn't help but ask, "How did you end up in this game?"

Asuna pointed helplessly at the blond guy with a dazzling smile.

Tuzawa raised an eyebrow. "He gave it to you?"

Asuna nodded.

Tuzawa looked at Asuna's clueless expression and said, "Do you have any idea how valuable a beta test slot is?"

Asuna tilted her head, puzzled. "Is it that valuable?"

She vaguely recalled her brother mentioning that his company had a bunch of them lying around.

Tuzawa nodded solemnly, holding up five fingers. "Market price: five million yen. This is the world's only full-dive game, after all. The beta slot alone has been hyped up to that price. I only got mine by sheer luck. And here you are, getting one handed to you."

Asuna thought about her allowance. Her family was well-off, but they had a tradition of frugality—she wasn't exactly rolling in cash. That kind of money would definitely let her live it up for a while.

She hadn't realized the gift Naoki had so casually given her was worth that much. Sure, it wasn't exactly rare in her household, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

She remembered that day clearly. Naoki had been tutoring her as usual. When she finished writing her last assignment, he suddenly said, "Hey, Yuki, let's play a game together tomorrow."

And so, Asuna Yuuki found herself in the game.

Hearing her story, Tuzawa sighed in amazement. She pinched Asuna's cheek and teased, "He's definitely into you. Why else would he just hand over something that valuable?"

Asuna paused to think, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. Still, she retorted, "Misumi, stop making stuff up. People might get the wrong idea."

Tuzawa gave her a knowing smile. "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, only you know the truth."

Seeing Asuna's reaction, she didn't press further and changed the subject. "By the way, he's kind of dazzling, isn't he? He's got that heroic vibe, like something out of a story."

"Tch, all looks and no substance," Asuna huffed, recalling how Naoki had once used her as bait.

"So, Asuna, is he this good-looking in real life too?" Tuzawa asked curiously.

"Yeah, he looks exactly the same," Asuna grumbled.

"What?"

Tuzawa let out a small gasp and took another close look at Naoki.

Golden blond hair parted casually in the middle, framing sharp, handsome features. Bright, reddish-gold eyes sparkled with energy, and a faint smile always played on his lips. With a strong nose, fair skin, and a fit physique honed by regular exercise, he was undeniably attractive from every angle.

Tuzawa leaned in and whispered, "You'd better lock him down soon. With looks like that, girls out there will fall for him in a heartbeat. If you haven't made it official, you should hurry."

Asuna followed Tuzawa's gaze toward Naoki.

As if sensing her stare, he flashed her a brilliant smile.

"Hmph." Seeing that sunny expression, Asuna couldn't help but scoff. The brighter Naoki smiled, the more likely he was plotting something shady.

A charming, golden-haired hero? Hardly.

Scratch the surface, and he was rotten to the core.

It wasn't just in the game—Naoki had pulled plenty of pranks on her in real life too. They were always harmless, but his mischievous streak never failed to leave her both annoyed and amused.

"Enough about me," Asuna said, shifting the focus. "How do you know Kirito?"

Tuzawa thought for a moment. "Nothing special, really. We met while grinding mobs. Even I have to admit, he's good."

Asuna narrowed her eyes. "Good?"

Tuzawa nodded. "Yeah, really good. His swordplay is fast, and his reflexes are insane. Among the people I know, he's easily in the top three."

Asuna mulled it over. It seemed this family had a knack for gaming.

Seeing the two had chatted enough, Naoki stepped in, cutting them off. "Come on, let's team up and take down a boss. We should clear as many floors as we can while we have the chance."

Tuzawa agreed. "He's right. Getting boss intel is the priority right now."

They were currently on the fifteenth floor.

The setting was forest-themed, somewhat like the misty woods of the third floor, but with less fog and no vision or minimap obstruction, making it relatively easier to navigate.

The mobs here, though, were a bit tricky.

There were elves—usually in groups of four: three archers and one warrior. They came in coordinated packs with their own tactics, slowing progress considerably.

For solo players, it was a nightmare. Even a top-tier player like Kirigaya Kazuto would have to retreat if he ran into two elf squads at once.

Then there were the ape-like creatures. They weren't too tough—high health and attack but slow. They usually appeared alone, and unless you were unlucky enough to stumble into their main camp, you could kite them to death.

"It's been a month, and we're still on floor fifteen," Kazuto said analytically. "We need to speed up. Once the open beta hits in three months, regular players will catch up fast if we don't widen the gap."

Everyone nodded. Solo play was too inefficient, and teaming up with other beta testers risked clashing motives or poor coordination.

Naoki spoke up. "Head south. The boss door's that way."

The group agreed. As seasoned players, they carved a path through the mobs with ease, soon reaching the boss room.

It was nestled between three massive trees.

The towering trunks formed a natural ring, and the door glowed with a deep blue light, its ancient carvings exuding an ominous aura.

The door stood five meters tall and three meters wide, its heavy, rustic stone signaling the boss's formidable power.

They exchanged glances. Naoki gave a nod, stepped forward, and pushed the thick stone door open.

With a grinding creak, it slowly swung inward.