A journey to another world starting from a sword

"!" Mite immediately pricked up his ears, listening carefully to the sounds in the forest, excluding the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves and the faint chirping of birds... but he couldn't hear anything.

"Over here." Dante walked in a certain direction, and after going around several thick tree trunks, the sound of swords clashing could now be clearly heard even by Asuna.

"What is this?" Asuna couldn't help but ask.

Dante gently shook his head, raised his index finger to her in a "keep quiet" gesture, then hid behind an ancient tree and peered forward.

In the relatively spacious open space ahead, two figures were engaged in a fierce sword battle.

Ignoring the other person, Dante's eyes were already drawn to one of them.

This is an elf with short, blue-purple hair. Her slightly dark-skinned profile is breathtaking. Her bright red lips, mysterious obsidian eyes, and long legs clad in black over-the-knee stockings beneath her bulging breastplate and skirt armor make her a beauty that rivals Asuna's but has a different style.

A dark elf older sister exuding an aloof and alluring charm!!!

Chapter 77: Kizmel's Reflections

As for the forest elf who resembled a Nordic-style handsome man with blond hair tied back in a movie, she was completely ignored.

Just then, an email notification appeared in Dante's field of vision. It was a message from Argo, containing information about the third layer.

It also contains a complete walkthrough for the third level, the "Elf War Campaign Quest," which is similar to what Mitt said. The third level alone has quests from the first to the tenth chapter.

However, it is also a very time-consuming task. If the strategy team plans to complete the third floor in five days, just like the second floor, then this series of tasks will greatly delay the progress of the strategy.

"Is that an elf?" Asuna peeked out from Dante's chest, her hand still gripping his waist, clearly using him as a hidden wall.

She murmured in amazement, "It's just like being a player..."

“The ears are pointy.” Silica poked her head out from Asuna’s upper abdomen, but she was only leaning on her knees, which were covered by black stockings, and squatted down a little.

Indeed... if it weren't for those pointed elf ears, probably no one would think they were NPCs at first glance.

“Forest elves and dark elves, we must choose one to help.” Mite leaned against the tree trunk, looking at the three people piled up together, and sighed wearily.

"Namt, which of these two is on the side of justice, and which is on the side of evil?" Asuna asked, turning around.

“No,” Mitt shook his head. “They don’t distinguish between good and evil. According to the setting, it’s just a war between two camps that have accumulated hatred over the years, although one side will definitely claim that the other side is evil.”

"Just like England and France," Dante concluded, noting that by the end, they had become sworn enemies, and the Hundred Years' War was merely one phase in that process.

"An elven war? It sounds a bit scary, but it also has a fairytale feel to it." Asuna was very interested in it.

"Well, given Asuna's personality, she'll definitely choose the Dark Elves." Dante lowered his head slightly, but kept a certain angle so that his breath wouldn't blow onto her hair, even though an indescribable JC scent had already filled his nose.

"What?!" Asuna raised her head in dissatisfaction, causing Dante to raise his head again. "Dante, you're the one who wants to help that blonde elf? You're supposed to be a knight."

"Knight is a nickname given to me by others, I never acknowledged it. And although boys can't hit girls, you are girls." Dante spread his hands and joked.

"Ahem... We've almost decided whether or not to intervene." Mitt interrupted their conversation and pointed to the open space.

“Yes, we’ll join the Dark Elves.” As the squad leader, Dante made the decision, only to be met with a “I knew it” look from Asuna.

"There's one more thing." Mitt paused for a second, then said hesitantly; this series of missions had unexpectedly been quite long...

"The guild quests overlap somewhat with the quests in the previous chapters, so they might be able to be done at the same time."

She considered this because there really wasn't enough time.

To obtain the seals needed to establish a guild, one must engage in a series of errands, raids, collections, and event battles. Compared to the event quests of the Elf War, the scale is relatively small, but it still requires at least twenty hours, which is more than two days.

"Where do I pick up guild quests?" Asuna asked.

“Well… there’s a yew tree in the main district ‘Zumford.’ You can trigger the conversation by talking to the mayor on it. After that, he will tell you the story of how hard it was to carve this tree…” Mitt mentioned briefly.

This involves a background story designed by the game's official creators. When the town was under construction, three carpentry groups, each carving three trees, often quarreled. A warrior, blacksmith, and carpenter persuaded them to cooperate in building the town. The king awarded him the seal of a guild leader for this achievement. However, the seal was stolen during the term of the hereditary mayor. Retrieving the seal is the guild quest. To express his gratitude, the mayor will give the player this seal, symbolizing unity, as a reward.

"Do you mean we should split up for now, Mito?" Asuna asked hesitantly.

“Yes, that’s more efficient,” Mite nodded.

She did not join a guild during the closed beta because large guilds often acted together, but the efficiency of the whole team was far less than that of two or three people or even one person.

Even for the four of them, it was clear when facing some small monsters that the small monsters had very small footprints, resulting in only enough space for two people to attack. There would always be one or two people who could only stand in the back and watch the battle, which was indeed a waste of their combat power.

“But it is definitely safer to be together,” Mitt added.

The main reason why most players form a six-person team is for safety, but their combat power is much higher than that of ordinary players.

So she turned her attention to Dante, and the meaning was clear: you decide, Dante.

"..." Dante closed his eyes, then opened them again a second later. He had made his decision. "Asuna and I will go to make contact with the elves. Mito, you and Silica will go to Zumford."

First, if they were to separate, it would be best if he and Mitt were in different teams to ensure efficient action. Then, when they encountered the spirits later, there would be a tough battle to fight, and he was not sure about the outcome, so it would be best if he had a strong teammate with him.

It is imperative to ensure the Dark Elf elder sister survives, rather than forcing her to perish alongside the Forest Elf due to the player's insufficient strength.

Asuna, Mito, and Silica had no objections, although Silica seemed a little disappointed; she really wanted to go and see.

"It's alright, I'll bring you back to do the elf quest when we have time later." Mitt noticed Silica's disappointment and comforted her with a smile.

"Mm." Silica nodded sensibly.

The four-person team will temporarily disband to prevent Mito and Silica from accidentally stumbling into Dante and Asuna's questline when they receive the quest later.

The clash between the white forest elf paladin and the black dark elf royal guard continues, and Dante wonders if they will fight forever in this forest if left unattended.

However, he quickly dismissed this thought and turned to his only teammate, Asuna, saying, "Let's go."

"it is good!"

They then stormed into the scene where the two elves were fighting.

"Are you humans? What are you doing in this forest?" the male forest elf asked.

"Forest elves are the sworn enemies of us dark elves! We humans have no need to interfere!" the dark elf elder sister declared. "Get out of this forest immediately!"

Well, neither side really welcomes them.

However, Dante had already drawn his sword and pointed the tip at the forest elf, whose magnificent metal armor and long cloak were extremely jarring.

"How can a grown man hurt a woman? Doesn't he feel ashamed?!"

Especially since she's such a gentle and beautiful older sister!

His words were so righteous and awe-inspiring that Asuna couldn't help but glance at him suspiciously.

"Foolish! To turn against us forest elves with blades, are you trying to help the dark elves?!"

The forest elf's handsome face became increasingly distorted, and red borders began to flash around the neutral yellow buoy above its head, indicating that it was about to turn hostile.

“That’s right!” Dante declared loudly, almost adding, “Who do you think you are?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the forest spirit's buoy in front of him changed from yellow to a dark red that was almost pitch black.

"I said I don't need your interference. Even if it results in mutual destruction, I will still defeat him...!"

The resolute voice of the dark elf elder sister came from behind, her words tinged with inexplicable sorrow.

"We can't afford to lose both of us. If you die, I'll be in a lot of trouble." Dante turned his head and smiled dashingly. "Step back first, we'll protect you."

This made Asuna stare at her in surprise again. What are you doing at a time like this?

If Dante hadn't said "We will protect you," Asuna would have thought he was trying to pick her up... No, didn't he just say "I'm troubled"?

"Alright, then I'll deal with you first, humans." At this moment, the forest elf seemed to be unable to bear seeing the enemy talking so leisurely, so he raised his sword with a "clang!" and then charged forward.

According to Mitt, the opponent's strength is at the level of an elite monster on the seventh floor, which is generally beyond the capabilities of players on the third floor.

However, Dante was already level 15 at this point, which was close to the recommended level for the fifth tier. The difference between level 5 and level 7 should not be significant.

When the forest spirit swung his sword at him from the front, Dante raised his sword to block, then spun around to deflect the force of the blow; the sword was quite powerful.

Then, in order to disrupt his opponent's rhythm and footwork, he made a feint first, and then quickly attacked from the other side.

As the forest elf staggered backward in panic, Dante performed another reverse spin, using the momentum to strike the enemy in the waist and back.

Feeling as if his sharp sword was about to sever the opponent's spine, a painful roar erupted from the opponent's throat.

However, his attributes were ultimately inferior, and the forest spirits immediately attacked him after realizing what was happening. The storm-like onslaught left Dante barely able to defend himself.

He continuously deflected sword blades swung from all angles. Encountering such a formidable foe for the first time ignited a fierce fighting spirit within him, but...

He turned again, nimbly leaping backward and exiting the shimmering curtain of swords.

"Asuna, aren't you going to attack?!" Dante shouted in surprise, turning to his companion.

"...No." Asuna, unwilling to interrupt this magnificent knightly duel, wore a complicated expression. "I feel like you could defeat them all by yourself."

So far in the battle, Dante hasn't lost a single drop of health, while the male forest elf's HP has already dropped significantly.

"How is this possible?!" Dante exclaimed as he parried the oncoming attacks.

"How tiring it would be for one person to do that!" After deflecting the attack, he pointed his sword at the other side and said, "For people like this, bah, elves, we don't need to talk about morality. Let's all gang up on them and give them a righteous beating!"

"That's not something a knight would say," Asuna retorted, but she still put on a very serious expression, and the rapier in her right hand immediately shone brightly.

Originally, when the player's HP was reduced to half, the assisting elf would use its trump card to defeat the opponent, but at the cost of sacrificing itself. In the end, the player would take the elf's remaining relics to the elf camp.

Meanwhile, Mito watched from behind a tree as Dante and Asuna fought, seeing the quest triggered, the dialogue begin, and the battle unfold.

But... the more I look at it, the more something seems off.

The forest elf seemed to be completely overwhelmed. Although she couldn't see how much Dante and Asuna's HP had dropped since she left the party, it was certain that neither of them had been hit.

She didn't even last two minutes during the closed beta!

Finally, she watched helplessly as the forest elf paladin died with his eyes wide open, only ten minutes after the battle had begun.

"How could this be..." she murmured to herself.

"How...how is this possible..." The forest elf, who was falling backward in surprise, uttered the same exclamation as Mitt.

"Phew...it was pretty easy." Slightly tired, Asuna twirled her sword, then sheathed it and waved towards Mito.

Dante then approached the dark elf who was holding a black saber and silently looking down at the enemy's corpse, and asked, "Are you alright?"

The dark elf elder sister slowly raised her head and looked at him, her eyes like the deep night sky, but revealing a variety of emotions such as surprise, doubt and confusion.

"What's that?" Dante looked at the ground where the body had disappeared, where a leaf drawstring bag remained.

The stunned dark elf sister finally came to her senses. She bent down at her slender waist and carefully picked up the bag with her hands, which were covered by purple arm armor.

Then he quietly held the bag to his chest, let out a long sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and then put it into his waist bag.

"I never expected that human warriors could defeat a master among the forest elves. Are you all alright?" she asked, raising her eyes in concern.

"It's nothing." Dante shook his head.

“Easy,” Asuna replied with a smile.

"Is that so...that's wonderful." The dark elf elder sister was relieved, then placed her hands on her chest in a gesture of respect, saying, "I must thank you. It is thanks to you that the First Key was protected. Thank you for your help."

“My name is Kizmel, swordsmen, tell me your names,” Kizmel asked Dante and Asuna.

"I am Asuna," Asuna introduced herself.

“Ah—Zina?” Kizmel murmured uncertainly.

“Asuna,” Asuna corrected.

"Asuna." This time she pronounced it correctly.

"Yes, yes!" Asuna clapped her hands with a beaming smile.

“Human names are really hard to pronounce,” Kizmel remarked helplessly, then looked at Dante, “And who is this?”

“Dante,” Dante said simply.

"Dante?" Kitzmer pronounced it correctly in one go. After Dante nodded in confirmation, he immediately smiled, his thin, red lips curving upwards. "Dante... what a fine name."

Chapter 78: An Elf Belonging Only to One Person

"Perhaps it's just that the pronunciation is simple," Dante said with a smile, spreading his hands.

"..." Kizmel was silent for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Was what just now a joke?"

"Ignore this guy." Asuna walked over and patted Dante hard on the back.

"Ah, thanks to you both, we were able to guard the First Key. I am very grateful for your help. I'm sure our commander will reward you both. Would you please come with me to the camp?"

“We’d love to.” Asuna and Dante exchanged a glance and replied to Kizmel. The mission log continued to progress, and the “?” symbol above the elf’s head slowly disappeared, replaced by a new HP bar on the left side of the field of vision announcing the addition of a third party member. They both realized that the mission had entered the next stage.