"a whole month has gone by." "2022 First Floor:" "Tolbana 000 people have died so far." "none of the players have been able to clear floor one." "and even I haven't found out where the boss's lair is." "we're having a meeting to figure out how to find and defeat the floor one boss." "60)}Mitometeta okubyou na kako 1050)}The cowardly past that I'd acknowledged" "60)}Wakaranai mama ni 60)}Kowagatteta ushiro no jibun ga Genjitsu wo ima ni utsusu scared Projecting reality onto today" "60)}Ikutsu mono sora wo egaita 1050)}I've drawn so many skies" "60)}Koko wa kitto hakanai kokoro 1050)}This must be my fleeting heart" "60)}Midashite 1050)}Out of control" "60)}Yume de takaku tonda karada wa this body soars so high" "60)}Donna fuan matotte mo furiharatteku 1050)}And it can brush away any fears that cling to me" "60)}Nemuru chiisana omoi hirogari dashite these budding feelings start to expand" "60)}Kizuku yowai watashi kimi ga ireba weak as I am..." "As long as I had you 60)}Kurai sekai tsuyoku ireta 1050)}I could stay strong in this dark world" "60)}Nagai yume miru kokoro wa sou eien de 1050)}My heart will dream a long dream forever" "I want to always be with you" "I'll give you everything I have... 720)}Beater" "let's get this meeting started!" "I wanted to thank everyone for coming." "Good to see you." "My name is Diabel." "the job I rolled is "Knight"." "there's no job system in this game!" "A knight?" " You guys want to hear this or not?" "here's the deal..." "Our party found the boss room at the top of the tower today." "Seriously?" "we need to defeat the boss and make it to floor two." "The next step is:" "We have to tell everyone waiting in the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game." "it's our duty as the most capable players here." "or not?" "Okay!" "let's figure out how we're gonna beat the boss." "we'll team up into parties of six." "Of course." "A typical party doesn't stand a chance against the floor boss." "That's why I..." "We need a raid group made up of multiple parties." "huh?" "Not even." "I wasn't left out." "It's just...everyone seems like they're already friends." "you're solo too?" "You want to form a party with me?" "You heard what the guy just said." "We can't beat the boss on our own." "And it would only be for this fight." "690)}Do you accept party invitation?" "Alright!" "Looks like everyone's teamed up!" "Now then" "Hold on a sec!" "got that?" "I wanna get something off my chest!" "yeah?" "some of you need to apologize to them right now!" "I think I know who you're referring to... right?" "Of course I mean them!" "right?" "They ditched all us beginners! too!" "They were the only ones getting stronger in here." "they've ignored us like we're nothing!" "beta testers!" "We should make them apologize to us!" "and we should make them all give up their money and the items they've got!" "They can't expect the party to trust them when they don't trust us!" "Why should we?" "Can I say something?" "Hey... my name's Agil." "right?" "I want to make sure I'm on the same page..." "You say the ex-beta testers should be blamed for the rookies' deaths because they didn't help them..." "And you want them to apologize and give up their winnings..." "I leave anything out?" "No... you didn't." "The item store hands these out for free." "didn't you?" "I got one..." "So what about it?" "You know who was handing these out?" "The ex-beta testers." "Huh?" "Listen up!" "Everyone had equal access to this information." "lots of players still died." "I didn't come here to point fingers at anyone..." "I'm here because I want to learn from those players' deaths." "I'm here because I want to find out how we're gonna beat the boss." "Okay." "Can we get back to the meeting now?" "For info on the boss..." "It's all in here." "The latest issue of the guidebook you just heard about." "the boss's name is Illfang the Kobold Lord." "the Ruin Kobold Sentinels." "Illfang carries an axe and a buckler. he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar." "He can change his patterns of attack too." "That's it for the briefing." "money will be divided equally among everyone." "The party that defeats the boss gets the EXP." "gets to keep it." "Any objections?" "Good!" "We leave tomorrow at 10 in the morning!" "Meeting adjourned people!" "aren't they?" "Mind if I sit down?" "You really think these taste good?" "Uh-huh." "I end up eating at least one a day." "I got a trick to make it taste better." "What trick?" "Try it with some of that." "Cream?" "I got it from "The Heifer Strikes Back"." "That's the quest in the village before you get to this one." "D'you want to know how I did it?" "I didn't come to this town to eat good food." "Okay...why are you here?" "So I don't lose sight of who I am." "I don't want to lock myself in a room in the Town of Beginnings and slowly rot away." "I'd rather stay the way I am until the last moment." "Even if a monster beats me and I die." "I won't lose...to this game or this world." "No matter what." "I wouldn't want a party member dying on me..." "So try not to die tomorrow." "2022 Floor 1:" "Forest Field 935)}Let's go over it again." "935)}We're the backup." "So our target's gonna be the boss's minions:" "The Ruin Kobold Sentinels." "I know." "I'll use a sword skill to knock their weapons up and out of the way." "switch and jump in." "What's a Switch?" "level with me...is the first time you've ever been in a party?" "Uh-huh." "everyone." "I've only got one thing to say to you." "Let's win!" "C'mon!" "Commence attack!" "Squads A and C!" "Switch in!" "Here it comes!" "block!" "keep guarding and prepare to switch. regroup and flank them!" "keep those minions off us!" "you got it!" "Switch!" "I'm on it!" "but she's got good skills." "I can't even tell the tip of her sword." "Right on." "Looks like the guidebook was right..." "Stand back!" "I've got it!" "I thought the plan was for everyone in the group to surround it." "That's not a Talwar!" "It's a No-Dachi!" "This isn't like the beta!" "stop!" "It's no good!" "Get out of there!" "no!" "Diabel!" "What the hell were you thinking?" "You know... weren't you?" "You were after the last attack bonus...the rare item..." "You're just like me...a beta tester?" "Please..." "You have to...." "Defeat the boss." "For everyone here..." "nothing else mattered." "Klein." "Diabel." "you brought them together." "and you fought brilliantly!" "You tried to accomplish something I couldn't." "I'll go too." "Okay." "We'll hit him just like we did the minions." "You got it." "Switch!" "Asuna!" "He's coming back!" "No!" "Go!" "We can hold this bastard off until your health's back up!" "You guys..." "Watch out!" "Not a chance!" "Asuna...." "Help me beat this sucker!" "One last attack!" "You got it!" "Yeah!" "668)}Coat of Midnight" "Nice job." "That was fine swordsmanship." "Congratulations." "Today's victory is all thanks to you." "No..." "Stop Cheering!" "huh?" "..." "Why'd you let Diabel die?" "Let him die?" "That's what I said." "you knew the technique the boss was gonna use!" "You could've told us! He wouldn't have had to die!" "I know why he knew!" "He used to be a beta tester!" "Think about it!" "He knew the boss's attack patterns." "but he kept it from us!" "And..." "I bet he's not the only beta tester here." "Come on!" "Show yourselves!" " I'm not." " Aren't you one?" "This is bad." "At this rate..." "For everyone here... calm down..." "So you guys think I used to be a beta tester..." "It's not cool to put me in the same class with those newbs." "W-What'd you say?" "000 people who scored a slot in SAO's beta were rookies." "they didn't even know how to level up." "even you guys are better than they were." "man." "I made it to floors that were higher than any of the other testers." "That's a fact. because I fought tons of monsters with way more sword skills on higher floors." "I know a bunch of other things too." "More than you can imagine." "More than any info broker." "W-What the hell?" "then you worse than a beta tester!" "that's what you are!" "a cheater!" "A tester and a cheater..." "He's a beater!" "that's good." "I like it." "Okay..." "You can call me a beater." "Just make you don't confuse me with those beta testers anymore." "240)}Coat of Midnight" "Wait." "you called me by my name." "I wasn't trying to be rude." "Did I mess up the pronunciation?" "How'd you even know it?" "you'll see another HP gauge under yours." "yeah?" "Kirito..." "Kirito?" "Your name's Kirito..." "Yeah." "I'm so dumb." "It was there the whole time and I never knew." "You can become powerful here on your own. don't turn it down." "'Cause there are limits to what a solo player can do." "But...you're solo.... 158)}{\frx-12}Create" "465)}{\frx-12}Dissolve 324)}{\frx-12}Invite" "596)}{\frx-5}Will you disband your party?" "60)}Tookuni kikoeta kane no ne ga sukoshi samishikute 1050)}The tolling of the faraway bells sounded a little lonely to me" "60)}Mou ichido tsuyoku kondo wa takaku kake nuketa all the way up" "60)}Tada kurikaesu genjitsu mo 1050)}Neither this reality that just keeps repeating itself" "60)}Hoshi no kazu no negai goto mo as numerous as the stars" "60)}Mezasu beki asu wo mitsuketa 1050)} Now that I've found the tomorrow I should strive for" "60)}Kono omoi ni wa katenai 1050)}None of them can overcome these feelings of mine" "60)}Me no mae ni hirakareta hate nai sekai opening up before my eyes" "60)}Tatoe yume demo ii 1050)}Even if it's no more than a dream" "60)}Mayoi tsuzukete mo mune no oku de tsuyoku it is strong" "60)}Zutto zutto hibiiteku 1050)}Echoing forever and ever" "60)}Sotto sotto hikatteru ever so softly" "298)}Next Time:" "784)} Red-Nosed Reindeer"