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Chapter 384: Chapter 380 ~ Kirito

"...Eh?"

"Hm? Ah-"

Kirito and Coper froze midstride, their eyes fixed upon the tall figure obscured by darkness of the night and a hood. 

"Who…!"

Kirito inquired, his voice laced with warning. 

They themselves had just arrived at the village and met each other. They were both Beta Testers, and they rushed to this village as soon as they could specifically to complete a quest that they knew would grant them an amazing reward. 

But upon arrival, they found that the quest had been taken, and they could no longer take it. At least, until the quest cooldown of 24 hours ended. 

So, they decided to peruse the tool shop for anything useful, check in to the local inn, before heading to the forest to grind for a bit.

But neither he, nor his new acquaintance would've expected to find another player here already!

"Calm down. I mean you no harm."

The figure raised his hand. Most of his figure still obscured by his clothing and the night. 

He was tall, and although Kirito couldn't see his physique clearly underneath his coat, it was apparent that he's quite athletic as well, judging by his broad shoulders and lean stature. 

His voice also sounded quite young, though he couldn't be sure… His tone seemed mature and quite pleasant, so perhaps he was the same age as Coper?

"Ah, s-sorry… I was just surprised to see another player here. I didn't expect to see one in this village at this time."

Kirito rubbed the back of his head apologetically. 

"M-Me too. You really surprised me… I thought Kirito and I were the only ones here."

Coper lowered his head, smiling apologetically.

"Ah, I'm Coper! Nice to meet you."

"I'm Kirito. Nice to meet you as well."

Kirito lowered his head in greeting. 

"My name is Yuuji. Likewise."

Yuuji returned the gesture, and resumed his stride towards the inn. 

He could already guess what these two people were. But he had no desire to interact with them. 

Not when the fear of Kayaba's words and this world were still fresh in their minds. 

It would only invite trouble. 

Their gazes gravitated towards Yuuji as he walked past them. 

The mystery that surrounded him spurred their curiosity. But even more than that, there was a gravitas to his presence that demanded their full attention. 

It was then did Kirito noticed something. 

Upon closer look, the coat Yuuji didn't seem like any special armor from a quest or a more powerful armor he bought from a shop. 

It was a normal leather coat that could be bought from a regular armor shop in the Town of Beginnings.

'Why would he buy that…?'

This didn't make sense to him. 

The [Leather Coat] offered less defense stats than the beginner's leather armor they were given for free at the start of the game. 

It was an equipment meant for fashion rather than utility or protection. 

Such a useless purchase was illogical. 

Why would he waste Cols on an armor that gave him lesser defense? 

This decision wouldn't make sense in a regular game, unless he simply liked the look of it and bought it purely for fashion. 

Even more so when Sword Art Online turned into a death game. Why would he waste his Cols for inferior armor now when their HP was now tied to their lives? 

Even if he were to buy that before the announcement, why was he still wearing it now and venture this far from the safety of the Town of Beginnings?

'A newbie…? No, that can't be it.'

The simple fact that he was here in Horunka village erased the possibility that he was a clueless newbie. 

Kirito had dashed here as quickly as he could from the Town of Beginnings. He didn't stop at any point aside from defeating the monsters that obstructed his path.

The fact that Yuuji was already here before him meant that he must have also gone here directly after Kayaba's announcement. 

'He knows about the quest here… Wait, he's already completed it?!'

Kirito noticed it. Though obscured by the dark and his leather coat, Kirito definitely recognized the familiar shape of the sword sheathed on his waist. 

'So that was why the quest wasn't available!'

The Anneal Blade. The quest reward for the [Secret Medicine of The Forest] quest! The reason why he had come to this village in the first place!

'He must be a Beta Tester!'

That was the only explanation he could come up with… Why else would he already be here and complete the quest so quickly? 

Just like Coper by his side, he must also be a beta tester. 

'So he's using the coat to hide his appearance…'

For a beta tester to hide his appearance was something Kirito could reason in his mind. 

A player who had played in the beta version of the game would naturally have more knowledge about it than anyone else. 

Game mechanics, combat mechanics, monster types, monsters' attack patterns, quest lines, item location; they'd naturally have access to more information than any other players in this game now. 

And information was equal to advantage. The more information they had, the more advantage they'd have in leveling up, gaining better items, and surviving in this death game.

It was only natural to want to monopolize this information so he could grow stronger himself. 

'But on the other hand…'

There was also a risk that he'd attract the attention of other players and be forced to share that information, or risked being shunned or worse.

'Still… He must be quite confident.'

Although his reason for hiding his appearance with the [Leather Coat] made sense, Kirito couldn't help but note his confidence. 

After all, he'd still have lesser defense than what he'd have if he were to equip the leather armor. 

'I wonder what level he is…'

Kirito himself had leveled up to level 2 and was well on his way to level 3 thanks to the monsters he defeated on his way to this village. 

So considering that Yuuji had completed the [Secret Medicine of The Forest] quest, he should be around level 4. 

"Uhm… I'm sorry for asking, but are you a beta tester?"

Coper raised his hand slightly, daringly stopping him and asking the question that surprised even Kirito. 

Yuuji halted his steps and turned his head slightly at first. Then, he turned fully towards them. 

"No."

"Eh? No way…"

"What…?"

The two of them froze in their disbelief. Their faces contorted in shock. 

A lie. Both Kirito and Coper instantly thought Yuuji's words to be so. After all, if he wasn't a beta tester, how could he find this village and complete the best quest here before they could even arrive?

"It seems like you don't believe me."

There was no fluctuation in his tone. He didn't take offense to their disbelief. Yuuji said those words like they were only a matter of fact. 

The two nodded. 

"It's just… It's hard to believe that you're here if you're not a beta tester. After all, there's no map you can buy in the Town of Beginnings that would show this village."

Kirito reasoned. 

"I've been grinding monsters in the forest before I got teleported to the Town of Beginnings. And after Kayaba Akihiko's announcement, I made my way back here, only to find this village. So, I decided to take a look."

'He's been grinding in the forest…?'

Kirito found that hard to believe. 

After all, the game had only been live for half a day. How could a player level up quick enough to challenge the monsters in this part of the forest already? 

'Unless he had been grinding since the game started, it'd be impossible…'

Most new players who came to this world would definitely explore this world first. After all, it's the world's first full dive MMORPG. The first fully immersive digital world. 

Even beta testers like him would run around and explore the world they've been thinking of non-stop since the beta ended. 

Moreover, new players would have to learn the basic combat mechanics of the game as well. And that wasn't something that could be learned so quickly. 

Players would have to fight with their own body against monsters that would charge at them directly. And they'd have to learn how to use skills as well to fight effectively. 

'Even with my guidance, Klein needed quite some time before he could kill one Frenzy Boar…'

That was normal. After all, not all players would be trained in combat or sword fight. And when there's a literal monster charging at them in such an immersive world, most would be overcome with fear or panic. 

But before they could pry further, Yuuji spoke first. 

"How about you? You are beta testers, aren't you?"

"Eh? How did you-"

Yuuji simply tilted his head. 

He wondered how they could suspect him as a beta tester while not knowing how they could be suspected as beta testers as well. 

"...You came to this village directly from the Towns of Beginnings as well, and it must be for a reason. And also…"

He turned towards Kirito. 

"Kirito… You seem to recognize this sword, which is a reward from a quest here. That means, you must know about the quest and its reward beforehand."

He nodded. 

There was no point in hiding it now. 

"Well, you can go ahead and take the quest. It's already quite late, but you should still be able to finish it before it gets too late."

"Ah… Actually…"

Kirito smiled helplessly as Coper rubbed the back of his head. 

"We can't start the quest anymore. At least not now. We'll have to wait 24 hours for it."

"Is that so?"

This time, Kirito and Coper noticed the surprise in his voice. 

"I see… Well, you can go rest for the day or grind the monsters outside the village for a bit."

Yuuji said, but just as he was about to go, Coper stopped him once again.

"Hey, do you want to party up? Both of us will be trying to hunt for the monsters to get the quest item now so we can complete the quest tomorrow quickly. If you're free, how about grinding for a bit more before ending the day?"

Yuuji narrowed his eyes from under the hood of his coat. 

His visage was hidden by his hood and the cloth mask. But he could see their expression clearly. 

The greed and envy in Coper's eyes when he saw his Anneal Blade was too obvious. 

Of course, Yuuji could also see the envy in Kirito's eyes. But that was it. 

He didn't see the desire to take the sword for himself from Kirito. But it was different with Coper. 

He could already guess what Coper was planning to do when he invited him to party up. 

Yuuji had seen many who'd shown such expressions upon seeing his treasures or loved ones. And he had equally erased as many of them. 

'I really want to nip this kind of problem in the bud, but…'

Being considered as a murderer in this world would bring more trouble than he wanted. And perhaps, he could simply scare him off and be done with this problem. 

"... I will join your hunt. But I won't join your party."

"Eh?"

"But…"

Yuuji raised his hand, pausing them from interrupting him. 

"But don't worry. If the quest item dropped from a monster I kill, I'll give them to you. I just want to keep the experience points, Cols, and other item drops. If you're fine with that, then I'll join you."

Kirito and Coper looked at each other, contemplating. 

Kirito didn't mind these terms. Although they won't be sharing resources from their kills, having more players around would be safer since they'd be able to help each other in times of emergencies. 

Moreover…

'I'll be able to see if he's actually lying or not…'

Kirito wondered how skilled of a player he would be. 

They both nodded at Yuuji's words. 

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

"Wow…"

"No way…"

Kirito stood unmoving. Deep within the forest at night, far from any safe zone, danger lurked in every direction, behind every tree, within every bush, between every nook and cranny. 

As a beta tester of Sword Art Online, Kirito knew first-hand how dangerous the wilds were at night in this game. 

Back when it was still a simple game, the frequency of monsters in the wild at night made it easy for him to farm them. But now, with Sword Art Online having become a death game, it was foolish to dive into such danger and stand still. Especially when he was barely on the level capable of challenging monsters this deep in the forest. 

To his side, Coper similarly stood unmoving, his gaze locked at the figure a few distance before them as well. 

No monsters approached them despite them being defenseless, standing still with their swords lowered. 

There were no more monsters able to approach them. 

A few distance away, a Little Nepenthes burst into particles of digital light. Then before it had completely disappeared, another one followed suit. 

Then another… And another. 

Under the moonlight that seeped through the canopies, one after another, without pause, they were cut down under the gleaming blade of the cloaked figure. 

*Rustle*

Kirito flinched and turned to the side. 

But instead of a monster, it turned out to only be Coper who had taken a step back. His face was contorted in shock as he clutched his sword so tightly that it began to tremble. 

'Well… That's the normal reaction.'

Even he, himself, couldn't fully believe that what was happening before his very eyes was even possible. 

Kirito knew from the start that Yuuji must've been higher level than himself and Coper. And with the Anneal Blade, Yuuji's damage would've been incomparable to them. 

But those factors still didn't explain what was happening before them. 

'Every single one of his hits are critical hits… How's that even possible?'

Cheating was impossible in this game. After all, the game had just been released and they were immediately trapped within it with no access to the outside world or any way to interact with the system outside of what was intended by Kayaba. 

That could only mean one thing… That Yuuji was perfectly aiming at the monster's vulnerable points so accurately that it triggered a critical hit without the system's automatic guidance that would activate according to their critical rate. 

And he was doing so while in such a fierce battle against ferocious monsters. 

Even during his time in the beta, Kirito had never seen such a feat. 

He didn't even know such a thing was even possible. 

'What a monster…'

Kirito couldn't help but wonder if he was a real-life swordmaster in reality, like the one he had read about in anime and manga.

His swordsmanship was… incredible. Elegant, beautiful, yet precise, efficient, and deadly. 

Even as a novice in Kendo, Kirito had seen plenty of incredible kendo athletes during his two years of study. But even then, none were as amazing as him. 

'He's even timing his hits with his sword skills so efficiently…'

It was seamless. He was stringing each hit and sword skill so seamlessly that Kirito didn't even realize when he did his "Pre-Motion" and when the "Post-Motion" of the sword skill occurred. 

Kirito stared at his figure, unmoving. Amazed. 

This was the most exemplary show of swordsmanship he had ever seen. And perhaps, the pinnacle of swordsmanship in Sword Art Online. 

Although he didn't know if he ever could imitate it, Kirito kept his gaze at Yuuji. Learning. Burning his movements into memory. 

If he could even replicate a fraction of his movements, then he would definitely be able to climb higher than he ever did in the beta. 

In the end, Kirito and Coper didn't get to grind much before Yuuji gave them both the quest item they needed for the [Secret Medicine of the Forest] quest, and they all returned to Horunka Village. 

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