Chapter 39

Naoki nodded, this time opting not to activate his berserk mode. Instead, he relied on his standard sword skills to take down the enemy. Once the fight was over, Asuna stared at him in surprise, her curiosity piqued. "What kind of sword technique was that? I don't think I've ever seen you use it before."

She wasn't referring to his sword-drawing stance. What caught her attention was the blue glow emanating from him during the battle.

Naoki smiled and explained, "When you master a unique sword technique and the system acknowledges it, you unlock a one-of-a-kind skill."

That was how he explained it to Asuna, though only he truly knew the full story.

This wasn't the game world controlled by Akihiko Kayaba anymore—it was a real world now. In other words, his skill set was entirely under his own control.

Fighting like this, he grinded for nearly two hours, managing to snag a few decent-quality weapons as drops. Unfortunately, the hooded rat he'd been hoping for never showed up, leaving Naoki a bit frustrated.

Night had fallen. In this game, hunger and fatigue stats existed. While players couldn't physically feel them, skipping meals would still slap a debuff on you. Plus, the beasts at night grew fiercer and harder to handle.

Feeling sticky and grimy, Naoki decided it was time to head back, clean up, and check in with Kirito and the others. He grabbed Asuna's hand and led her back to the Town of Beginnings with practiced ease. They found an inn, and after glancing at the price—200 Col, not too steep—he figured it was reasonable. A single man-eating flower dropped about 100 Col, after all.

Col was the currency of this world, used for everything from food and lodging to buying gear.

Along the way, both players and NPCs shot Naoki odd looks. No surprise there—he was covered in green monster goo, reeking of something foul.

Asuna didn't even know what to say. Sure, she'd gotten some of that goo on her clothes too, but once the monsters died, it vanished after a while. Not for Naoki, apparently.

He waved a hand and flashed Asuna a bright grin. Too bad the filth smeared across his face turned his handsome features into something more grotesque.

"You go book a room first," Naoki said. "Of course, if you're up for it, you're welcome to join me in mine."

Asuna's lips twitched at his teasing. "How about you deal with your own mess first?" she replied lazily before heading into the inn without looking back.

Naoki hit the bathhouse, soaking comfortably for a while and scrubbing himself clean. After slipping into fresh clothes, he stopped by a shop to grab two low-level mana potions. Then he ate a meal, blowing nearly half his money in the process. Sighing, he muttered to himself about how pricey everything was.

Back at the inn, he rented a small room. The faint glow of the moon slipped through the curtains, casting a soft light inside. Naoki flopped onto the bed and started messaging Kirito.

Naoki: Kirito, what level are you at now?

A reply came quickly.

Kirito: Level 9.

Naoki: I'm at 10.

Kirito: You've got some nerve bragging now. I wonder how Suguha's holding up out there.

Naoki: Mom should be back soon too. By the way, what do you think of that person?

Kirito: Who?

Naoki: Don't play dumb. You know who I mean—Shinozaka.

Kirito: She's pretty impressive. Helped me out a ton. I wouldn't have leveled up this fast without her.

Naoki: Touched her hand yet?

At a diner in the Town of Beginnings, Kirito sat across from someone, his expression stiffening as he read Naoki's message. His mind flashed back to that afternoon—his hand brushing against her soft, warm one. He glanced at the girl across from him unconsciously.

Shinozaka.

A cute, delicate girl with a bold, carefree way of speaking—no trace of typical girlish reserve. That was Kirito's impression of her from the beta test. Now, though, they just ate in silence.

It was clear she wasn't in a good mood.

Kirito swallowed and tried to comfort her. "Hey, you don't have to feel down about it."

Shinozaka looked up at him, forcing a light tone. "I'm just still processing it. It's fine—I'll get used to it in a few days."

Kirito wanted to say more but held back. In situations like this, giving her space to sort things out was probably the best move.

Back in his room, Naoki smirked when no reply came. He didn't press further and opened his chat with Asuna instead.

Naoki: Asleep yet?

Asuna: Yes.

She replied instantly.

Naoki kept typing.

Naoki: That's not how sleeping works. What's up? Still thinking about today?

No response.

After waiting a bit longer with no reply, he sighed. If she didn't want to answer, fine.

Feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in, Naoki drifted off to sleep.

Jobless Reincarnation World

Letting go of his control over Naoki, Roya turned with a scowl toward the yellow-haired kid in front of him.

"Ludeus!" he barked. "Have you even learned your swordsmanship yet, or are you still messing around with Sylphie?"

Ludeus scratched his head, giving Roya a puzzled look. "Big bro, you can't just take it out on me because your new fling ditched you. Let me chase my own love life."

Roya fell silent, then snapped in frustration. "That's a separate issue! Have you mastered your sword skills or not? It's been years, and your technique's still garbage."

Ludeus puffed up indignantly. "I'm a mage! Swordsmanship's just a side gig—I don't need to be great at it."

Roya's expression hardened. His sharp, handsome face twisted into a mocking grin as he stared Ludeus down. "If Paul heard you say that, you'd be in for a beating."

At the mention of Paul, Ludeus visibly shrank. Clearly, he'd taken more than a few hits lately. Still, he shrugged it off and went right back to goofing around with Sylphie.

Roya glared at him, exasperated, then tilted his head back to the sky. A glimmer of tears welled up in his eyes.

Day 730 of missing Roxy.

It'd been two years since Roxy left. Aside from occasional letters, there'd been no pretty girls around to keep him company. Just endless, monotonous sword practice.

With no women to distract him, Roya's natural talent had shone through. He'd reached the advanced level of the Sword God style—and he was only ten years old.

A ten-year-old advanced swordsman. When he'd fought Paul to a standstill, Paul had just waved him off in silence, admitting he had nothing left to teach.

It weighed on Paul. Lately, his smiles had grown rare, and even his time with Zenith couldn't hide his exhaustion.