Is this okay?

"I will stop you!" Kirito stared firmly at Kayaba Akihiko.

Leng Mo walked up from the side, looking at Kayaba Akihiko with an arrogant attitude.

He was still basking in the afterglow of his recent victory.

"So what's going on now? What about your SAO? What about your Sword World?" Leng Mo looked at Kayaba Akihiko with the attitude of a victor.

Upon hearing this, Kayaba Akihiko sighed helplessly, his face filled with an indescribable sorrow. Recalling his experiences along the way, he felt an urge to scream out loud.

Do you think I want this?

I got everything ready and started the game with anticipation.

Snap!

The Elden Ring has appeared.

Where is my SAO?

Gone?

That's the culmination of over a decade of my hard work!

Ah—! Are you kidding me?! Are you kidding me?!

My life's work... it took me more than a decade of hard work!

"I don't know either. The moment I entered the game, I realized something was wrong. Just as I was about to investigate, I found that I had lost my permissions and couldn't even log out." Kayaba Akihiko looked at Leng Mo and the others with a heavy heart and told them about his situation.

Leng Mo and Kirito frowned, realizing that things were not so simple.

However, Asuna and Sachi were filled with disbelief; they didn't understand the situation and thought this was Kayaba Akihiko's world.

"What a joke! You think we'd believe that?" Asuna was the first to disbelieve, speaking to Kayaba Akihiko with a firm tone.

"Asuna, it's unbelievable, but what he said is probably true," Kirito said, speaking up after Asuna.

"What do you mean?" Asuna asked, her face full of surprise when she heard Kirito say that.

Kayaba Akihiko was surprised to hear Kirito say that, but he felt much relieved. After all, even a grown man would feel bad if he was wronged.

Leng Mo, standing to the side, put his hands on his hips and explained with complete agreement:

"It's like Kayaba Akihiko spent over a decade preparing for this project, and just as he was about to complete it during the open beta launch, someone suddenly intercepted it, changed the content, and even kicked him out of the administrator group. It's truly hilarious! Hahahaha! Kayaba Akihiko, I never thought you'd have this day! Surprised? Unexpected?"

"..."

"..."

Why does what you said give the impression that you are the real culprit behind everything?

For a moment, Asuna, Sachi, and Kayaba Akihiko were completely speechless, at a loss for words, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Kirito pouted speechlessly. If he hadn't been with Leng Mo, he probably would have already drawn his sword and attacked.

In the end, Rodrigo and Melina were completely bewildered and didn't understand what was going on.

After listening to Leng Mo's words, Kayaba Akihiko looked at Leng Mo with mixed feelings and wariness, and said, "Generally speaking, it's correct, but how did you know?"

"How would I know? Of course I've seen it!" Leng Mo said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?" Kayaba Akihiko frowned, sensing that things were not so simple.

"Want to know? Why don't we go somewhere else to talk?" Leng Mo said arrogantly, hands on his hips, exuding an aura of royalty.

Kirito, who was standing nearby, was a little surprised to hear this and said worriedly, "Amo, is this really okay?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. So what if they find out? With us here, can Kayaba Akihiko really cause any trouble? The answer is no! Impossible!"

"..."

Something's not right about what you're saying!

Don't you care at all about the damage you're causing? You're even trying to outdo each other!

Kirito was speechless upon hearing Leng Mo's words, and didn't even know what to say.

Chapter 313 Who exactly are you?!

"Isn't something wrong with what you're saying?" Asuna felt increasingly uneasy as she listened, and cautiously asked Kirito in a low voice.

She still knew that Kirito was reliable, at least he was a righteous guy, and even if he knew that there was a mastermind behind it all, he would not hesitate to strike.

"You'll get used to it. That's just how Amo is. Just treat him like a lunatic."

Kirito naturally understood Asuna's meaning and complained listlessly, as he was helpless in the face of this situation.

After all, no one can expect Leng Mo to be a normal person; if that were the case, the end of the world would probably be just around the corner.

"Huh? He's always been like this?" Asuna was a little surprised to hear this, and her gaze towards Leng Mo became strange.

Xing, standing to the side, was also completely bewildered, sensing that something was definitely wrong with the situation.

Kirito sighed and said earnestly, "Yes, Amo usually likes to question the real mastermind as if he were the mastermind behind the scenes, but overall he is still quite reliable."

"Isn't he afraid of being misunderstood?" Xing asked worriedly.

"If he were afraid of being misunderstood, he wouldn't be Amo. If he were misunderstood, he would definitely happily go along with the misunderstanding and find an opportunity to beat up his own people."

"?"

When I type a question mark, it’s not that I have a problem, it’s that you have a problem.

Asuna and Sachi looked at Kirito with puzzled expressions, completely unaware of what was going on.

What does it mean to be happy?

What does it mean to beat up one's own people?

How strange!

For a moment, the two of them were completely bewildered. Who would actually hit their own people? Aren't they supposed to be on the same side? Shouldn't they be loving and caring for each other, working together, and progressing together?

Kirito noticed their expressions and understood perfectly; he had felt the same way at first.

He only realized his mistake after he transformed into a Pretty Cure in front of his family in the living room!

They're betraying their own people!

"You'll get used to it; after all, this is a difficult thing to explain."

"..."

"..."

However, Asuna and Sachi found this question very strange, but seeing Kirito's nonchalant attitude, they felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

At this moment, Kayaba Akihiko on the other side was filled with a subtle sense of defeat, even feeling as if he had lost inexplicably despite not having done anything.

"Ahem, it's better that you understand my situation than anything else. You guys didn't seem like the mastermind before. Do you have any leads?" He forced down his frustration and looked at Leng Mo with a serious expression.

The topic shift was seamless.

Upon hearing this, Leng Mo revealed a confident smile, took a few steps to Kayaba Akihiko, and greeted him with a friendly smile.

"This isn't the place to talk, let's go somewhere else."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Kirito.

"Kirito, I'll go have a talk with Kayaba Akihiko. You guys make your own arrangements."

"Hmm." Kirito understood what Leng Mo meant; after all, the fewer people who knew about this, the better.

At this moment, Rodrika, who had been silent until now, looked at Leng Mo and asked, "Um... I..."

"Together."

Leng Mo smiled slightly, knowing that Rodrika was an outsider and that it wouldn't have any impact on her.

So Leng Mo led Kayaba Akihiko and Rodrigo to a safe place to have a detailed talk.

Kirito then took Asuna and Sachi back to the Ereshkigal Church to rest and recuperate.

After everyone left.

Kazuma, wielding his Nichirin Blade and brandishing its crimson light, stormed into Grek's throne.

"Hey! You bunch of scum, get out of my way!"

"Damn it, Amo! Where is he?! I've hacked my way from the top of the city wall to the bottom and haven't seen a single one!"

Then Kazuma discovered the Blessed Point after Grek's death, and immediately frowned, understanding the situation.

"You didn't wait for me again! You guys killed the boss way too fast!"

After saying that, Kazuma picked up his Nichirin Blade and rushed towards the outskirts of Stoneville Castle, determined to catch up with Leng Mo.

……

On the other side, Leng Mo led Rodrika and Kayaba Akihiko to the wooden house outside Stoneville, which was the same small wooden house where Rodrika had originally stayed.

Of course, Leng Mo quickly renovated the wooden house after arriving. Based on his renovation experience on Men's Island, he transformed the dilapidated wooden house into a Japanese-style cottage in no time, and even connected it to water and electricity.

Kayaba Akihiko's eyes widened at the sight, and he even felt that Leng Mo might be the real mastermind behind it all.

But it's too late to say anything now; he can't escape even if he wants to.

Finally, Leng Mo tidied up the small room, put the TV on, and turned on Sword Art Online content.

"Aren't you curious how I know you're not the murderer? Just take a look and you'll see."

Leng Mo sat in front of the television and turned to Kayaba Akihiko.

"What's going on?" Kayaba Akihiko stared at the television in shock, completely bewildered.

Rodrigo and Melina, who had just appeared, were quite curious about what these things were and sat quietly in front of the television watching.

As the content of Sword Art Online unfolded, Kayaba Akihiko's pupils contracted.

He recognized it, and was even certain of everything he saw.

That's right, if the Elden Ring hadn't appeared, I would definitely be just like the one in the picture.

"What's going on!? Why..." He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, feeling an unprecedented fear.

Leng Mo, Rodrika, and Melina ate snacks while watching Kayaba Akihiko and simply said:

"That's exactly what happened. In my eyes, the situation on your side is just like what's shown in the video. It's precisely because I know this that I'm certain you're not the mastermind, or rather, I only became certain after meeting you."

"What do you mean?" Kayaba Akihiko didn't understand.

"At first, I thought you had obtained the information about the Elden Ring and changed it temporarily during the public beta, but after seeing your appearance, I dismissed that idea. If you really had changed the information, you would definitely be hiding among the players and guiding them, rather than pushing forward alone on the outside."

Leng Mo explained it as a matter of course.

Upon hearing this, Kayaba Akihiko gasped and stared at Leng Mo in astonishment.

As he said, if he were the mastermind, he would definitely guide the players, because if the players didn't push forward, it wouldn't be fun.

Now that I'm not the mastermind, I have to investigate the situation alone.

"Who! Who modified my game?!"

Kayaba Akihiko shouted angrily. His hard work of more than ten years had been ruined. It was impossible for him not to be angry.

Although this other world fulfilled his dream, it was not what he wanted at all.

"I don't know about that, as I'm still investigating." Leng Mo shrugged helplessly, as there were too many things he didn't understand.

"Then who are you! Ordinary people couldn't possibly know any of this. Just who are you?!"

Kayaba Akihiko became serious and stared intently at Leng Mo.

For a moment, not only Kayaba Akihiko, but also Melina and Rodrigo became serious.

Melina, in particular, gazed at Leng Mo with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

It seems I've chosen an extraordinary guy.

Chapter 314 Lani! I'm not taking you to the Stars!

Kayaba Akihiko's question made everyone present serious. Melina and Rodrika could tell from Leng Mo's behavior that he was out of place. After all, it was impossible for an ordinary Faded One to hide in a box and spit poison.

This kind of despicable yet practical approach would be impossible for a group like the "faded ones," who have been cut down to the point of near self-isolation, to conceive of such a method.

After all, everyone here is upright. Even if someone is despicable and shameless, they would resort to sneak attacks or sabotage, not this kind of underhanded tactics.

But Leng Mo is different. He uses this kind of trickery in a dazzling way, and is even very happy for others to learn it. He is simply the most skilled among the most skilled, and a leader in the kind of thinking.