I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

It was a black cube identical to the one in the starting town of the first level, the Sanctuary, with a semi-transparent holographic keyboard floating on its surface.

"Management terminal?" He strode forward and lightly touched the keyboard with his fingers.

[System notification: Management terminal activated, granting transfer permissions to all regions in the Void Zone]

"Mochizuki Kaede! Over here!"

Philia's call came from the side. Beside her, a portal identical to those on the main floors of the city was emitting a soft blue light: "Portal found."

"That's great." Mochizuki Kaede walked over quickly. "Now we can go back."

“It’s so good to be able to leave here.” Philia’s expression was unusually calm, and her voice was as soft as a sigh.

Mochizuki Kaede keenly sensed something was wrong: "What's wrong? Philia?"

"nothing."

"Aren't we going together?" Mochizuki Kaede asked.

Philia was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "You should go back first. I... have some things to take care of."

Mochizuki Kaede gazed at her. Although he didn't know what she was planning to do, he didn't press her for details. He simply nodded and said, "Alright, I'll head back now. But now that this portal has been activated, I can come back anytime."

He paused, a smile playing on his lips: "I'm very interested in this [Void Zone]. Maybe I can find rare equipment or special items here."

After listening, Felia finally smiled faintly: "I understand how you feel... Remember to message me next time you come, I'll be waiting for you here."

"Hmm." Mochizuki Kaede nodded, then thought of another question, "By the way, even without this ring pattern on my hand, can you freely enter and leave this place?"

Philia replied, "The transfer portal is already activated and access is granted, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Alright, I'll come find you when I'm ready."

“I’ll wait for you,” Philia said, her blue eyes fixed on him, “though I won’t have any expectations.”

Mochizuki Kaede smiled and said, "See you next time."

The light from the transfer door gradually engulfed Mochizuki Kaede's figure. When the last bit of blue light dissipated, only Philia's figure remained standing alone in the empty space.

She stood quietly, staring at the empty transfer door, and murmured to herself, "See you next time...?"

She slowly walked towards the transfer door and said softly, "Transfer."

However, nothing happened.

A cold, impersonal system notification sounded:

[System Error: Unable to perform transfer operation from the Void Zone]

The mechanical beeping was particularly jarring in the silent space. Philia stood still, the blue light from the data stream casting shifting shadows on her face.

"What...is wrong with me?"

Her voice was very soft, as if she were asking herself, or questioning the space that imprisoned her.

……

The light from the portal gradually faded, and Mochizuki Maple's boots stepped onto the familiar stone slabs of the town's central square. The surrounding noise of people, the hawking of shops, and the laughter of players—these ordinary everyday sounds—made him feel as if he were in another world.

"I'm back safely..." he murmured to himself.

At that moment, his thoughts drifted to Philia. As he left, he noticed that the girl's sharp blue eyes seemed to hold complex and unfathomable emotions. His intuition told him that this girl harbored many secrets.

"He doesn't seem like the type to kill randomly at all..." Mochizuki Kaede rubbed her temples.

at this time--

"Xiao Feng—!"

A clear female voice cut through the hustle and bustle of the square like a sharp arrow.

Before Mochizuki Kaede could react, a chestnut-colored figure, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, crashed into his arms. Asuna's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and the force with which she wielded her rapier almost made him stagger back two steps.

"Wait, Asuna...!"

"You idiot!" The girl's voice trembled. "You just disappeared like that! Do you know how worried everyone was about you?!"

Chapter 194: Exploration

As Asuna held Mochizuki Kaede tightly, Mito, Silica, and Yuna arrived one after another.

Silica's eyes reddened: "Brother Feng, you disappeared for a whole day. We looked everywhere for you, but we couldn't find you anywhere!"

Yuna frowned slightly: "When we were in the maze area, you suddenly disappeared, and your location coordinates on the map also disappeared. We thought you..." She hesitated, her eyes filled with lingering fear.

Mitt looked at Mochizuki Kaede and said, "Just now, your coordinates suddenly reappeared in the square, so we rushed here immediately."

Mochizuki Kaede gently patted Asuna, who was still clinging to him, and gave her a reassuring smile: "Let's go back to the guild first, and I'll explain in detail."

"Hmm..." Asuna finally let go, tidied her slightly messy chestnut hair, and regained her usual calm demeanor, though her eyes were still a little moist. "It's good that you came back safely."

Back at the guild headquarters, Wang Yuefeng recounted his experiences in the [Void Zone]. After listening to his story, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

"So that's what happened?" Asuna's eyes widened slightly, a look of surprise on her face.

"Forced relocation?" Yuna tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Silica hugged Pina and asked worriedly, "So, Brother Feng was teleported to another place?"

“Hmm…” Mochizuki Kaede nodded, “It should still be inside SAO, but that place looks like a hidden area.”

“Hidden area…” Mite repeated, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Mochizuki Kaede continued, "There are some strong monsters there, it's like a high-difficulty area."

His gaze shifted to Yui, who had been listening quietly. As the system's AI, she might be able to offer some clues: "Yui, do you have any leads regarding this [Void Zone]?"

Yui's face showed a puzzled expression: "There are indeed some unopened areas in Aincrad, but those were completely blocked by the Cardinal system when the game was launched."

She tilted her head: "Theoretically, no player should be able to enter..."

"I see..." Mochizuki Kaede seemed to be thinking, it seemed that even Yui didn't know the reason.

Noticing Yui's disappointed look, he quickly comforted her, "It's okay, this information has already been very helpful."

Yui then smiled again: "It's good that I can help Daddy."

Afterwards, Mochizuki Kaede tried to have the others transfer to the Void Zone as well, but found that only she could succeed, while the others could not. Faced with this situation, even Yui was a little confused. She frowned and said, "There might be some kind of error in the Cardinal system."

A few days later, Mochizuki Kaede returned to the transfer portal and went back to the management terminal area of ​​the [Void Zone].

The blue light faded, revealing the same technologically advanced black space where data flowed like a galaxy. Standing not far away was the girl with short, apricot-yellow hair—Felia.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the terminal, a thoughtful look in her handsome brows. Her sharp blue eyes lit up slightly when she saw Wang Yuefeng, but quickly returned to calm.

"We meet again." Her voice didn't reveal much emotion.

"Sorry, I was delayed for a few days before I got back." Mochizuki Kaede took a few steps closer and smiled.

“It’s nothing.” Philia shook her head gently. “Anyway, I’ve always investigated this place alone.”

She paused, a hint of surprise in her voice: "...I didn't expect you to actually come."

"I won't go back on my word." Mochizuki Kaede smiled.

“…Hmm.” Philia responded softly, shifting her gaze slightly away. “I just feel that you should have more important things to do.”

Mochizuki Kaede looked around and suddenly asked, "Have you been back to Aincrad these past few days?"

Philia's expression faltered slightly before she calmly replied, "...No."

"You've been in the Void Zone for so long, aren't your friends worried?"

Philia tapped the hilt of her short sword lightly with her fingertips: "I'm a treasure hunter, and it's common for me to act alone. No one will worry about me."

Mochizuki Kaede noticed something was off about her expression. After a moment's thought, she tentatively asked, "Is it because of the red name tag above your head?"

Philia paused for a moment, then said calmly, "...That's one of the reasons."

Her answer was brief, clearly indicating she didn't want to continue the conversation. Mochizuki Kaede didn't press further, simply nodding, "Understood."

He changed the subject: "Since you're so familiar with the Void Zone, why don't we team up? I'd also like to see what a treasure hunter is capable of."

Philia frowned slightly, a fleeting, complex emotion flashing across her icy blue eyes. Finally, she nodded slightly: "Yes, I also need to collect some materials to enhance my weapons."

……

As they explored the Void Zone labyrinth, their teamwork became increasingly adept. Philia skillfully weaved through the monster hordes, drawing their attention while Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade delivered a fatal blow. After a fierce battle, they successfully annihilated all the monsters, and Philia also acquired some valuable forging materials in the process.

She weighed the ore in her hand, then suddenly said softly, "If only there were a skilled blacksmith here..."

Mochizuki Kaede smiled upon hearing this: "Didn't you consider this before? I happen to know a top-notch blacksmith. Would you like me to ask her for help?"

“Hmm.” Philia glanced at him gently. “...Then I’ll have to trouble you.”

Upon returning to the management area, Philia handed over her weapon and the forging materials she had painstakingly obtained to Mochizuki Kaede.

"I'll be back soon," Mochizuki Kaede said gently.

"Hmm." Philia responded briefly, standing with her arms crossed, calmly watching him walk towards the transfer door.

……

The forty-eighth floor.

Linda Si.

[Lizbeth's Weapon Shop]

"Wow! This material..." Lisbeth's eyes lit up as she held the ore. "Where did you get it? This kind of forging material is very rare!"

"A special area," Mochizuki Kaede said with a smile. "Can it be enhanced?"

“Of course!” Lisbeth swung the hammer with great enthusiasm. “Just wait and see what I’m capable of!”

……

After the weapon was forged, Mochizuki Maple was teleported back to the Void Zone.

"Philya, I've upgraded the weapon." He walked up to Philya and handed her the brand-new weapon.

Philia took the weapon, examined it carefully, and then slowly raised her eyes. Although her expression didn't change much, her tone revealed a hint of surprise: "I didn't expect... you really came back."

Mochizuki Kaede couldn't help but laugh, "You don't actually think I'd take your weapon and run away, do you?"

“Generally speaking, one would suspect that the person, while saying they were going to upgrade the weapon, would actually take it away and disappear without a trace.” Philia sheathed her short sword, her gaze falling on Mochizuki Kaede's face, her icy blue eyes softening slightly. “But you…”

She paused for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you."

Chapter 195: The Mysterious Man

Mochizuki Kaede's life has become unusually busy lately.

He frequently traversed Aincrad and the Void Zone, like a tireless explorer. This mysterious region truly held abundant treasures; the gleaming chests often yielded equipment that even frontline players envied. Upon his return, he would distribute these spoils to the members of the Golden Rule guild, steadily enhancing the guild's overall strength.

During their adventure in the Void Zone, Mochizuki Kaede and Philia gradually developed a tacit understanding as partners. During a brief rest, Philia recounted her initial experiences upon arriving there to Mochizuki Kaede:

"When I was first teleported here, I saw a group of players surrounding another player, engaging in PK without any restraint... The level of skill they displayed clearly indicated that this wasn't their first time."

Mochizuki noticed that a hint of gloom flashed across the girl's spirited brows as she spoke these words.

"After they found me, they naturally made me their next target. For a long time afterward, I tried to avoid all players... until I met you."

"So that's why you were so wary when we first met?" Mochizuki Kaede nodded understandingly.

Philia rarely showed a hint of embarrassment: "I'm sorry about that time. Thanks to you, I was able to rest peacefully in the management area... and upgrade my weapons."

Her tone was calm, but Mochizuki Kaede could sense the relief in her voice. In this malevolent area, encountering a normal player was incredibly precious to her.

……

"boom!"

The stone monster's massive fist slammed down with a whooshing sound, but Philia's short sword parried precisely at the last moment, metal colliding with rock and sparks flying. Her boots carved a half-meter-long mark into the black crystal ground, yet she had withstood the heavy blow.

"Now!" she whispered.

Seizing the momentary opening, Mochizuki Kaede unleashed a lightning-infused thunder blade, instantly freezing the monster's movements. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on its rock-formed body before it finally collapsed with a deafening roar, dissipating into countless data fragments into the air.

"Phew, what a formidable opponent." Mochizuki Kaede shook his slightly numb wrist.

Philia sheathed her sword, her short, apricot-yellow hair slightly disheveled from the battle: "But you always manage to handle things with ease... truly astonishing strength."

Despite having witnessed Mochizuki Kaede's swordsmanship many times, she still couldn't help but admire it.