Am I the only one streaming Sword Art Online on the entire internet?

The previously silent atmosphere suddenly erupted into laughter, as if the phrase had become inextricably linked to Ya-o's Kansai dialect. Agil, suppressing a laugh, translated Ya-o's words for Sorin.

Upon hearing this, Sorin was both angry and amused. He stood up, walked to Ya Wang, and drew his katana from his back. Ya Wang, seeing Sorin like this, instinctively took a step back, but then, as if summoning his courage, forced himself to stand still.

"Closed beta... Ha, I'd love to be a closed beta player. I forgot to use a VPN when I was applying for a closed beta pass. After I got the pass, they checked my IP and found out I was Chinese, so they didn't give me the pass." Solin's voice was still elegant, but it no longer had the gentle feeling it had when commentating before; instead, it was terrifyingly cold. "As for why I was able to react so quickly and step in to command..."

“Unlike you laymen, I’m a professional! You’re comparing me to those noobs in the closed beta… are you kidding me?”

"What!" Ya Wang looked at Sorin in surprise. He originally thought that Sorin, who was close to Kirito, a known beta tester, was also a beta tester. However, the truth was not like that at all. In fact, Sorin proved that he was not a beta tester in a way that was impossible to refute.

"There's a saying in the Chinese gaming world that roughly translates to 'a noob sees everyone as a cheater.' I bet you're the kind of noob who sees everyone skilled as a beta tester, right, Tooth King?"

Solin's merciless mockery slapped at Ya Wang's face repeatedly, and the surrounding players gradually began to discuss it, their eyes filled with doubt as they looked at Ya Wang.

"You may have seen me before, and even given me a rather chuunibyou-esque nickname like 'Thousand Swordsman,' but I still want to formally introduce myself here." Solin was too lazy to care about that clown, Ya Wang, at this point. He quickly realized this was a perfect opportunity to boost his reputation. "I am Mo Yulan, game ID: Solin Markov, ranked 32nd in the World Esports Hall of Fame, a contracted streamer with MagicTV, and currently a full-time streamer."

"Perhaps I'm a top-tier player in other games, but here, I'm just a newbie who's just starting out in this game, just like you guys. At most, my advantage is my past experience and my ability to understand new things."

His statement resonated with many people present, and quite a few of them had heard of the world-renowned ID, Sorinmarkov.

"Right now, we all share the same goal: to conquer the hundredth floor as soon as possible and escape this damned game. But as everyone knows, this can't be done by one person or even just a few people." Seeing that his words seemed to resonate with those present, Solin quickly pressed on, "What we need is a team, a raid group composed of the game's top players, to stand in front of all the players and carve a path to survival for everyone!"

He paused deliberately as he spoke, and then the players standing around him erupted in applause and cheers that were even more enthusiastic and loud than when they killed the boss, echoing throughout the hall and lingering for a long time.

Sorin waited a little longer, then pressed his hands down to signal the cheering crowd to stop. He then took out the LA reward for this boss—a pure white cloak embroidered with a blue triangle and inscribed circle in the middle—and equipped it directly.

"Friends who want to fight for all those trapped in the starting town, all those innocent people trapped in the game, join my team and welcome the cheers and victory that belong only to true heroes!"

"Lok'tar Ogar! (Victory or death!)"

This further heightened the already rousing speech, creating a new climax. Many of the players present had played the original World of Warcraft and were extremely familiar with this orcish phrase and the spirit behind it. As the first person repeated the shout, more and more people raised their weapons and joined in the chant.

“Lok'tar Ogar!”

“Lok'tar Ogar!”

“Lok'tar Ogar!”

"Come on, friends! Those who want to join me, follow me!" Sorin raised the katana he had been holding for so long high, pointing it at the open door on the other side of the hall. "Open the portal to the second level! Tell our companions waiting below! We've won!"

"This is a victory for the brave! Lok'tar Ogar!"

18. Arrive at the second floor

[Teacher Mo is awesome (voice cracks)]

[This is so exciting! It's incredibly exciting! Did anyone record it?]

[I recorded it! I recorded it! The streamer is awesome!]

[Aru gave 10 rockets to the elegant Mr. Solin]

[Little Mo looks quite good, I didn't realize!]

"...I guess I'm more suited to sitting inside with seven grown men, having a heated argument behind closed doors." Solin walked ahead, then suddenly sighed and said, "Although it's not my first time giving this kind of speech, I'm still quite nervous to be honest."

"More than that, I'm curious about what it means to sit inside a house with seven grown men and compete with each other." Kirito suddenly leaned over and said innocently, "Also, thank you for this time."

"What are you thanking me for? Thanking me for helping you divert attention?" Solin suddenly found it a bit funny. "Also, I was talking about offline drafting. You're overthinking it."

[What the hell? Seven grown men sitting inside a room with the door closed, having a competition?]

Why is what I'm thinking different from what you're thinking?

"I guess so, otherwise it would have been really difficult, especially when that Fang King came out and said that we were both beta testers." Kirito was still a little shaken when he said this, "I really didn't expect you could come up with such a solution."

“Being a solo player doesn’t mean I haven’t led a guild. But to be honest, my main job is as a PVP commander. I don’t play much PVE, but I have led a few first clears of dungeons.” Solin pushed open the door to the top floor and was the first to step into the second floor area. “And don’t fucking mention closed beta to me, honey. Who the hell would have thought that we’d be using VPNs back then? I usually only use VPNs when I’m selling CSGO and DOTA2 items.”

Asuna still couldn't get a word in edgewise. As a complete novice to the game, she still couldn't understand the countless jargon used in Kirito and Sorin's conversation, and could only listen and walk around. She did, however, have great respect for Sorin's speech, and it was Sorin's explanation that truly shattered her preconceived notions about this death game.

“Saying it’s impossible without even trying is something only a coward would do…?” she muttered to herself, then suddenly grabbed Sorin’s left sleeve. “Can I join your team, Sorin?”

"Of course, I'd be delighted. But why did you always say you'd think about it when I tried to recruit you to the team so many times before, and now you suddenly want to join?" While Solin was happy to have this promising newcomer join his team, he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. "Is my speaking ability really that amazing?"

"Don't you see how many people want to follow you, Brother Sorin?" Kirito said casually from the side. "Even I, who originally wanted to be a solo player, was tricked into joining you."

“That makes sense.” Sorin nodded. After exiting the tower in the maze area and reaching the second floor, it was still a safe zone where no monsters spawned. At the end of this path was the central district of the second floor, which is usually referred to as the main city—Ulbas.

The distance wasn't very far. After walking for a while with his followers, Sorin saw the city half-embedded in the mountains. When Sorin first saw the city, its unique shape and architectural style immediately reminded him of another city also built in the mountains.

Ironforge?

"Wait a minute, Khaz Modan is a snow mountain, the climate is different from here, and besides, there are no dwarves here, are there?" Kirito, who got the joke, complained again.

"Never mind that, everyone behind! Follow me into town!"

Sorin waved his hand and quickened his pace, becoming the first to step into the gate of the iron furnace... no, I mean Urbas, and walked along the main road. Behind him were Kirito and Asuna, followed by the remaining forty-two people, each lined up in seven neat rows, heads held high, following behind Sorin.

At the very center of the end of the main road was the portal to this level. At this moment, the portal seemed to be enveloped by something like a bubble. Without hesitation, Sorin touched the bubble-like seal with his hand, and the bubble immediately burst open, releasing a dazzling blue light. Then, concentric blue ripples began to ripple in the center of the portal. After several ripples, the blue part finally covered the entire portal.

"At this moment, we are the warriors of the tribe! For the tribe!" Thorin shouted.

"Reporting to Commander Sorin, I'm from the Alliance!" a voice joked from behind.

"Get out of here, Alliance dog! Don't make me send you off! Everyone line up! Get ready to welcome our companions coming out of the portal!" Solin joked casually, then started to daydream.

He has many things to think about right now. The most important thing is the name of this raid group, or rather, the guild. Secondly, he needs to come up with a reliable DKP scoring scheme as soon as possible, and also find a relatively free secretary to help him keep track of the DKP.

Of course, he didn't have much time to think. The moment the portal opened, countless players came out. Some held up maps and frowned, some stood in the square looking around, and many more shouted, "We've arrived at the second level!"

Of course, none of them held back their praise for the heroic deeds of the forty-five people present. Applause and cheers expressed their excitement and gratitude.

"Alright, my comrades. Those who are interested in joining my team, I'll be waiting for you at the Urbas Arena at 8:00 AM tomorrow. Now..." Sorin saw that the crowd emerging from the portal was gradually thinning out, so he dismissed the members of the strategy team. "Now cheer and celebrate with your friends! Today belongs to us! Today belongs to the heroes!"

The cheers continued, but were even more enthusiastic than before. The crowd dispersed, leaving only Sorin, and Kirito and Asuna, who were still teaming up with Sorin.

“My plan is to form a guild with a relatively large number of members, and an elite RAID team selected from the guild. This structure is quite suitable.” Solin walked up to the two of them and told them his plan. “However, since there is no instance for the gatekeeper boss, we only need to set up one RAID team.”

"I wouldn't understand this if you explained it to a solo player like me. Just do what you think is best, Sorin." Kirito yawned. After the intense battle and the excitement of the fight, everyone felt quite tired. "But I think the most important thing right now is to find a place to rest. At least we should have a meal to celebrate."

"good idea."

19. This book is also known as "How to Correctly Use the Word fxck".

Besides the cloak with the Ozori symbol on the back, Ilfang's LA reward also included a large amount of Cole. Since Sorin was not short of money at all, he naturally found the most magnificent restaurant he saw and paid off the 450 Cole he still owed Kirito.

This restaurant, named Dostoevsky Café, has three floors. On the first floor, there is a right-angled counter directly opposite the entrance. The second floor features a book reading room and a train exhibition room with an artistic flair. The third floor is an open-air glass roof, below which is a dining area with a separate counter.

This structure was so familiar to Sorin that he didn't even dare to sit at the table where Kirito and Asuna were sitting.

"Who the hell designed this awful place... Why do I always feel a chill above my head when I sit here?" Solin finally sat down at the table, but he wasn't sitting comfortably, glancing at the glass roof every now and then. "Hey, don't you two think someone might be pointing a gun at us from above?"

"Why would you think that? Besides, there aren't any guns in this game, and no one would learn the climbing skill to get to the rooftops right now." Kirito asked, looking at Sorin who was tilting left and right in front of him, with some confusion.

“No, you don’t understand.” Solin finally managed to stop tilting from side to side, but he still glanced at the glass roof every now and then. “This place is so poorly designed.”

[What the hell is this Dostoevsky Café?]

[This is Science Popularizer: The design of this restaurant is a complete replica of a map from Rainbow Six Siege, and the spot where the streamer is sitting is usually a must-hold position for the attacking team on the rooftop.]

Actually, choosing the third floor location in a coffee shop is inherently unethical; people usually only choose the third floor when there's no other option in a ranking competition.

"Let's not talk about that for now, Sorin. I have a feeling that the King of Fangs is a problem." Kirito said more seriously when he saw that Sorin had finally stopped dazed. "I have a feeling that he will still be picking on you in secret."

"Fxcking fxck those fxcking fxckers. (Forget those guys you hate.)" Sorin chuckled and said this, then, considering that Kirito and Asuna might not understand this slang, he added a translation, "There's a Chinese saying, 'A gentleman is magnanimous, while a petty person is always anxious.' Besides, I'm very confident in my public relations skills; he can't possibly control my pace."

"Since you're so confident, then I won't think about it anymore." Kirito nodded, half understanding. In fact, he hadn't understood most of what Sorin had just said, so he changed the subject. "But... have you thought about the name of this guild?"

“Edelweiss, I think that’s a more suitable name right now,” Sorin said without hesitation. “Of course, Edelweiss is probably more well-known as one of the top three Magic: The Gathering teams in China than as a SAO guild.”

Honestly, I don't think the streamer's claim that Edelweiss is now CNMTG's number one team is an exaggeration.

[First place is a bit of an exaggeration. At least in terms of overall strength, Edelweiss is not as good as Xifan Palace and Magic Sheep right now, but Teacher Mo is indeed powerful.]

Am I the only one who thinks the streamer's use of the word "fxck" is particularly apt?

“That’s a nice name, but if you’d come up with one… Sorin, you must be from the North.” Asuna was the first to agree to Sorin’s proposal, and casually guessed.

"I'm from Heilongjiang, and I currently live in Harbin," Suolin admitted quite readily, since it wasn't exactly a secret anyway.

"Hey Sorin, is it really okay to reveal your real name and address in the virtual world?" Kirito seemed a little worried. "You're livestreaming, you know."

"No, Kirito, you'll probably understand later. When someone's fame reaches a certain level, they don't care much about these trivial things anymore. For example, in the comments I'm seeing now, there are viewers calling me Sorin and Teacher Mo." Sorin patiently explained, "Of course, you're just having fun in the virtual world, not working, so try not to reveal your real-life information... I'm talking to you, the guy who uses the pronunciation of his name as his ID!"

"...I just couldn't think of a name, and besides, if it weren't for my ID, Father wouldn't have been able to contact me so quickly," Asuna retorted somewhat indignantly.

“You are a fxcking genius!” Solin exclaimed jokingly, then casually took the plate handed to him by the waiter, picked up a fork, twirled a piece of spaghetti, and stuffed it into his mouth. “It tastes alright, but I honestly didn’t get the feeling of an 80 Cole. It’s just so-so.”

"I think this is good enough. After all, the food in the restaurants in SAO isn't very satisfactory. If you eat something unusual today, you might just start cursing." Kirito spoke up to explain, since this did involve Sorin's area of ​​knowledge. "Of course, it would be best if players learned cooking skills and made their own food. That would be more reliable."

“Cooking skills… I’d like to, but the problem is I can’t learn any non-combat skills right now. Do you think the title of ‘Thousand Swordsman’ is just for show?” Sorin said, sounding particularly angry. He opened his skill bar and showed Kirito and Asuna his newly leveled-up Weapon Master skill.

By the way, this is what the [Weapon Master] skill panel looks like when it's upgraded to Lv.3.

[Weapon Master lv.3 (17/1000)]

【Effect: 1. You can have different weapon mastery skills, the maximum number of which depends on the current skill level (current maximum number of weapon mastery skills: 4)】

2. As long as you still have an available weapon mastery slot, you can automatically gain the weapon mastery skill equivalent to the weapon mastery skill level when you equip a certain weapon.

3. You can switch weapons in a very short time during combat, and gain a 50% damage increase for 3 seconds after each weapon switch.

4. You can automatically learn all available combat skills for all equipped weapons, and these skills will also switch when you switch weapons. However, at the cost of this, you cannot learn any non-combat skills (including but not limited to cooking, blacksmithing, tailoring, etc.).

"One Law Understands All Laws – Dark Elf Sword Dancer Kissmael"

"...While it seems stronger, this side effect is really... ridiculous." Kirito looked at the newly added [Weapon Master] effect with a strange expression. "So you have another weapon slot now. Have you decided which weapon you want to choose?"

“I’ve already thought it through. After we finish eating, go buy me another weapon and practice with me while you’re at it, so I don’t embarrass myself tomorrow because I’m not familiar with the new weapon.” Solin forked another roll of spaghetti and stuffed it into his mouth. “And hurry up and eat, I’ve really had enough of being here.”

20. My third brother will always be my eldest brother.

In fact, Sorin had already planned what seven weapons he might have in the future. The reason he didn't consider eleven, which is the maximum skill level +1, was twofold: firstly, Sorin felt that the skill might not keep increasing indefinitely, limiting the number of weapons he could equip; secondly, he felt that he could only carry a maximum of seven or eight different weapons without a dedicated weapon case.

He planned to use a polearm as his fourth piece of equipment, because it was only after he had been in the game for a while that he heard from Kirito that polearms came with crowd control skills.

Crowd control skills are particularly useful in both PvE boss battles and PvP. Solin doesn't plan to actively engage in open-world PvP, but he needs to be able to react quickly enough if someone attacks him in the wild. As the saying goes, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others.