Chapter 33

It was as if he'd been transformed from a pile of data into a living, breathing entity.

The perks of being a player were obvious—no need to elaborate. Pain was dulled to a minimum, and as long as he had a health bar, even with just a sliver left, he could still stand up and fight back.

But what about reality?

Forget being at low health— even half health would probably throw him off his game.

Realizing this key difference, Naoki couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

The system had stabbed him in the back, and it was a critical hit.

Not only had it wiped out his backup plan, but it had also stripped away the advantages he'd had as a player.

Now, he had no choice but to grind monsters and level up fast, reaching a strength that could take him to higher floors.

Sure, he could trail behind Kirito and Asuna, leeching off their progress and piggybacking on the storyline. It wasn't impossible.

But Naoki didn't want to.

What was the point in that?

To him, it felt meaningless and unnecessary.

Things hadn't hit rock bottom yet. In fact, this might just be the perfect chance for his original self to sharpen his skills—exactly what he'd wanted all along.

With that realization, Naoki let out a sigh of relief and strode confidently toward the frontlines again.

A flash of cold steel glinted as his blade sliced through the necks of one wolf after another.

Blood splattered, and the wolves collapsed with heavy thuds. Naoki glanced at his level, his expression unchanged.

He'd gone up a level. But it wasn't enough.

A warm surge coursed through his body. It wasn't much, but he could clearly feel the changes—his speed had sharpened, his strength had grown.

It was roughly equivalent to a month of training.

This discovery caught him off guard. More than that, it sparked a bold idea: if the game ended, could his real body inherit these gains?

For now, though, he needed to rest. Without a break, the exhaustion from intense combat would start dragging down his performance.

After resting for a bit, his stamina gradually recovered, and his mana bar slowly refilled. This time, Naoki played it smart—he held back from using the Sword God Style techniques.

Before, it hadn't mattered; they'd only drained his mana.

Now, they sapped his mental energy too.

He'd have to wait until he was a higher level before he could cut loose.

Drawing his sword, he charged forward, flipping the iron blade in his hand. One by one, wolves fell as souls claimed by his steel.

Not far off, more wolves respawned after a short interval.

These Level 1 beasts were easy to handle.

But as Naoki's level climbed, the experience from these magic wolves dwindled. After a moment of thought, he decided to sprint ahead.

The endless grasslands stretched before him. The pounding of his heart as he ran, the earthy scent mingling with the air—it all left Naoki feeling a little dazed.

Sword Art Online had been billed as a fully immersive game, but even then, it hadn't felt this real.

The reason? It dulled the player's pain to a minimum.

After all, it was just a game, not reality.

If playing meant suffering unbearable pain, how many people would actually stick around?

What players wanted was the chance to unwind after work—to bask in the morning sun, feel the sea breeze, and walk across soft grass.

In short, they craved comfort, not pain.

Sure, the pain was toned down, but that came at a cost.

The most obvious loss was the sense of touch.

And now, Naoki could feel the difference instantly.

This world couldn't even be called a game anymore.

A gentle breeze brushed through his hair, and the warm sunlight bathed his body, soothing him.

Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to lie down in the sun and take a good nap.

He checked the time. It was already noon—12:00 PM.

Naoki had always been one for afternoon naps, a habit he'd picked up from his original self. Whether as Naoki or Roya, he firmly believed that a nap was the key to a sharp, energized afternoon.

But now wasn't the time to slack off.

He hurried toward the forest.

If he could pull some monsters near the man-eating flowers, he might even stumble across a rare spawn—a hooded rat, lightning-fast and capable of dropping a one-handed sword with top-tier stats.

That sword would stay relevant even up to the third floor.

For a newbie, it was practically a godsend.

But after walking for a while, he gave up.

The problem? Too many monsters on the way.

They were seriously slowing him down, and pushing deeper wouldn't get him anywhere near his goal.

By 4 or 5 PM, the GM would probably announce the real gameplay mechanics. And here he was, still Level 2.

At this rate, he was far from a top-tier player.

With no other choice, Naoki stayed put, cutting down wolves and the bees hovering in midair.

Luck wasn't on his side. It wasn't until his 23rd bee that he finally got a drop—a piece of gear.

It was a hefty longsword, its blade glinting with a deep, icy sheen.

One look, and Naoki's eyes lit up. This sword was leagues better than his starter iron blade.

And he was right.

[Fine Steel Sword]

[Equip Requirement: Level 2]

[Trait: Sharpness (I)]

Though it was still a Level 1 trait, its stats were noticeably better than his newbie longsword.

Gripping his new weapon, Naoki pressed on, grinding monsters to level up.

Thanks to the sword's sharpness boost, paired with his level advantage, he was cutting through enemies like butter—one slash, one kill.

Soon, he reached the forest's edge again.

A glance at the time showed 3:45 PM.

Heading deep into the forest to grind now wasn't practical.

But sticking to the outer edges—wolves, bees, or whatever else crawled around—wouldn't yield much anymore either.

After some thought, Naoki decided to push forward.

He was banking on luck, hoping to run into that rare spawn.

Even if he got the drop, he could pass it to Asuna.

The forest was vast, its towering trees blotting out the sky, letting only faint slivers of light slip through the leaves.

A gust of wind rustled the branches, casting dappled shadows that swayed across the ground.

The dim light hampered Naoki's vision a bit. Sometimes, he wouldn't spot a monster until he was five or six meters away.

His boots crunched over thick piles of leaves. Withered, yellowed foliage was everywhere, and with a closer look, Naoki could even spot tiny bugs crawling across it.

Oddly enough, these insects didn't count as monsters. Curious, he'd even squashed one to test it.

In a dense forest like this, you'd expect swarms of mosquitoes, but Naoki didn't hear a single buzz. The bugs didn't climb onto him either—they just scuttled along the shadowy ground.

This world was growing more intriguing by the minute.

In the forest, a boy with striking golden hair strode boldly down a narrow path.

This winding trail was one Naoki had found during the beta test.