Is this okay?

"It's alright, but that's not enough. Your ability to fight head-on is practically nonexistent. If possible, you should train properly, but it doesn't matter. The most crucial thing is courage... you've already regained it."

Leng Mo spoke earnestly to Rodrika, his face full of concern.

Just as Rodrika was about to say something, a familiar voice came from the road at the main entrance.

"Amo!"

"Kirito? Shouldn't you guys be faster than us?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Mo turned around and looked at Kirito with a bewildered expression. Logically speaking, Kirito's speed should be faster than his own, but he only arrived after Leng Mo had broken through the small path, which was a bit strange.

"Don't even mention it! Who knew we'd run into this ominous sign at the main gate! We didn't encounter it when we entered the city before, but it turned out to be right there at the main gate, and it took me ages to get over there." Kirito complained, looking utterly dejected.

Upon hearing this, Leng Mo glanced at Kirito's disheveled appearance and sighed with a sense of melancholy.

"Looks like you've had a tough time too, why don't you join us?"

"Hiding to vomit poison?"

“That’s right! Rodrika has already learned it; it’s very simple. I don’t think Asuna and the others want to just watch the whole way.”

Leng Mo gave a thumbs-up and a friendly smile, as if everything was understood without words.

Asuna and Yuki's eyes lit up upon hearing this. They had only been watching along the way and felt somewhat superfluous.

Now, when Leng Mo brings up this matter, they immediately nod in agreement.

"Can we?" Asuna asked nervously.

"of course can!"

"That's great!" Xing jumped up happily upon hearing Leng Mo's words.

Kirito was speechless after seeing this situation; who knows what kind of battle would unfold from here?

However, it's a good thing that Asuna and Yuki have the ability to fight.

This game is difficult at the beginning, but it gets much easier later on.

Next, Leng Mo began to teach Asuna and Xing what poisonous fog and concealment were. Melina, who was invisible, was speechless at the sight, but she didn't say anything, after all, she just wanted to go to the foot of the Golden Tree.

……

In Stoneville, a man in guard armor walked cautiously through the city's passageways, carrying a shield and a king's straight sword. He looked around every time he took a step.

His name is Kayaba Akihiko, that's right! He's the founder of SAO!

The originator of stealth games.

A man hailed as a genius.

Driven by his dream, he imagined a floating castle in the sky as a child, then researched NERvGear and created the SAO game, ultimately creating The Seed and fulfilling humanity's dream.

He had prepared for the public beta of SAO countless times, filled with unprecedented anticipation and hope.

Although someone was caught cheating during the closed beta, I didn't care! I've already banned that person's account, and after the open beta, it's impossible for anyone to surpass my skills.

He was so confident, like a man about to realize his dream—exciting and joyful!

He couldn't wait to log into the game.

Then I saw the five big characters "Elden Ring" appear in front of me.

hiss!

To be honest, the moment he saw the five big characters of Elden's Ring of Law again, he panicked a little, and even wondered if there was a mole who had changed his game.

Have you ever done this kind of work yourself?

no!

what is happening?

What happened to Sword Art Online, which I worked so hard on?

What happened to my hard work of more than ten years?

What the heck is the Elden Ring?

Kayaba Akihiko was completely bewildered and confused by the situation, but ultimately chose to enter the game anyway.

Since we're already here, it would be a bit odd not to take a look.

The moment he entered the game, the players around him were also surprised, and even praised that the content was completely different from the closed beta.

Kayaba Akihiko's lips twitched at this, not wanting to complain, and without hesitation walked out of the study cave. When he first saw the scenery of the border area, he was deeply shocked and smelled the aroma in a breeze.

smell!!

Kayaba Akihiko's eyes widened in horror. His technique was far from capable of simulating the smell of air so meticulously. Then, incredulously, he squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil, his pupils dilating in shock.

Each grain is clearly visible and has a distinct tactile feel... Is this a real other world?

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Kayaba Akihiko laughed inwardly, never expecting that he had actually arrived in another world, a genuine other world.

His heart was filled with excitement, and he embarked on an adventure to explore another world with excitement and hope!

then……

The tree guard at the entrance had smashed his dog's head countless times, probably after dying in the hundreds... He finally discovered something terrifying: it seemed that the tree guard didn't need to be fought; this guy wasn't a beginner monster at all!

Then, he abandoned his plan to defeat the giant tree guard and trekked through mountains and rivers to reach the gate of the pass, where he saw the soldiers in the nearby camp looking expectant.

This should be an ordinary monster...

In the blink of an eye, he rushed forward and with a swift stroke, killed a soldier.

He breathed a sigh of relief after dealing with the soldiers; at least they weren't those freakish monsters anymore.

Then a bugle call sounded from the side.

Following the sound, he looked over and saw a dozen soldiers leading wolves toward him.

As a man, a man with dreams, Kayaba Akihiko did not back down and charged forward with his sword.

"Come on! Let me see what you're really capable of!"

He had completely embraced the role of an adventurer, and faced with combat power more than ten times his own without hesitation, he retaliated.

Then he was resurrected at the Blessing Point.

"..."

The resurrected Kayaba Akihiko was autistic, which was different from what I had imagined!

There's absolutely no gameplay involved!

No, this is a real other world, not a game at all.

Faced with this situation, Kayaba Akihiko suddenly didn't know what to say, but he wouldn't stop! He had finally arrived in another world, finally arrived in the other world he had always dreamed of!

"I will not stop!"

He shouted and turned away from the camp, running towards Stoneville City. But as soon as he entered the city gate, a ten-meter-tall giant with a giant sword fell from the sky and stood in front of him.

"..."

At that moment, Kayaba Akihiko was filled with despair and helplessness.

After a violent ground-slamming attack, he was resurrected at the Blessing Point once again.

"what--!"

He stood at the blessing point like a groundhog on a country fence, shouting loudly at the distant scenery.

This alerted the soldiers in the camp...

"..."

"No! Wait! You...you don't come any closer!"

Amidst Kayaba Akihiko's shouts, the soldier swiftly struck down his blade, ending his life in an instant.

Then... he was resurrected from the Blessing Point once again. This time, he didn't dare to say a word, cautiously looking around at the guy who wanted to strangle him for bringing him to this world.

This is not the other world I wanted at all, nor do I know what kind of other world I was looking forward to.

Arriving in another world, witnessing its beauty, and fulfilling one's dream—these are two wonderful things in themselves.

Why is it that two good things combined can cause such pain?

At that moment, Kayaba Akihiko felt a little depressed, but he did not back down. He knew that the situation was very serious, and if he did not do something, he might be stuck in this world for the rest of his life.

This is not the world he wants; he wants to end it all.

Although we don't know who interfered and changed the world we had envisioned, there will be no result if we don't move forward now.

As a man who has persisted in his research for more than a decade, he would not have succeeded without perseverance.

Now it's time to show your perseverance once again!

He took a deep breath, filled with an unprecedented sense of determination to figure it all out.

Taking a step forward with renewed resolve, he charged toward the next checkpoint—he was here!

Then they returned to the Blessing Point and resurrected.

"Hmmmm!"

Kayaba Akihiko was so angry that he roared wildly, giving up entirely. His roar was full of rage and madness, which attracted the attention of the soldiers nearby who drew their swords and brought them down, allowing him to be resurrected once again with a blessing.

"..."

On this day, Kayaba Akihiko mastered the ability to shout silently, not only venting his emotions but also without disturbing anyone.

And so, after many stumbles and setbacks, he, Kayaba Akihiko, finally arrived inside Stoneville Castle.

Based on his countless experiences of death, the moment he saw the omen, he immediately took off running, heading towards Stoneville City without looking back. The omen spotted him and quickly gave chase, but unfortunately, Kayaba Akihiko's escape skills, honed through countless trials of death, were top-notch.

Even a big boss like Ominous couldn't catch up, thanks to the absence of an invisible wall, otherwise he would have been helpless.

Finally, the ominous sign was encountered by Kirito just as it entered the main gate of Stoneville Castle.

After entering Stoneville Castle, Kayaba Akihiko walked cautiously along the road, paying close attention to every living creature there, absolutely not allowing himself to make a mistake.

He finally reached the blessing point and the respawn point was refreshed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he rushed out with ease, but lost his footing and fell off the city wall.

"Radish...special—!"

With a casual scream, Kayaba Akihiko returned to the blessing point.

"..."

There are still pits!

Why doesn't your city wall have railings?

Kayaba Akihiko was furious. This was all on purpose, just to bully people who didn't know anything about the castle.

But it doesn't matter!

It's just a pitfall; it's utterly incapable of defeating the determined Kayaba Akihiko.

He raised his shield, stared at the ground, and charged out once more.

Not long after, they heard the hooting of eagles in the sky, and when they looked up, they saw two barrels of explosives flying towards them.

Boom——!

With a loud explosion, he was blasted into the air, then fell to the ground and revived.

"..."

Kayaba Akihiko, who had been resurrected, was filled with a struggle. He took a deep breath and stood in the house of the blessing point to check his surroundings. After confirming that there were no soldiers, monsters, or explosives, he finally let out a shout from his soul.

"Hmphh ...

Kayaba Akihiko was so angry that he rolled around on the ground and shouted wildly, his face full of pain.

He had shouted and gone crazy, but he did not give up. He stood up again and walked out cautiously, looking around every step of the way, being as careful as he could be.

Just as he was about to die, he sensed someone approaching him from behind.

"Someone's there? A player?"