Kirito was walking with Argo in the forest, "Argo, are you sure this is the location of this "Hidden Log-out location?" Argo raised her arms helplessly and said: "That's the rumors."

Suddenly a bear whole heard through the forest with a girl yell which made Kirito open d his eyes widely before he dashed at extreme speed.

Argo that was behind him was almost thrown back from the force of his speed, In seconds he appeared in front of the huge bear, his eyes didn't fail to see the young girl that was lying paralyzed on the ground as his eyes grew cold.

He jumped as he unsheathed his sword and with a single slash cut the bear to half, making it explode into thousands of pixels. He immediately took out a Healing Potion and let her drink it, her HP Gague started raising, and it seemed that only after he says her HP raising back to the green zone that he truly calmed down.

He stood up and looked at Argo that just managed to reach her, he said: "I leave her to you."
And he left silently not looking back. Only he knew how painful it was for him to leave her behind.

Sometime passed -

The hooded girl was lying on a huge bolder with Argo sitting on the top of the bolder watching over her. "I'm an Info Broker, I sell information for money, the rarer the information the more I money I charge."

The hooded girl asked silently "Then Hidden logout, How much do you want for this information?"
The Info Broker looked at her and said "No price. Because it's ain't exist."

"Then... Sell me Information that can help be grew stronger." Said the hooded girl sadly, Argo looked at her and asked: "Is it for your survival?"

The hooded girl shook her head gently as the image of the black-clothed boy appeared in her mind "So I won't have regrets."

Argo smiled at her words, happy that the girl wished strength so she can fight, "Then I will offer you that, It's the best guiding book in SAO. I will give it to you for free."

The hooded girl started to read the Information greedily devouring any peace on information she could so she can get stronger making Argo raise her brow.

It wasn't a minute before The hooded girl utilized «Linear» the first swords skill for Rapier type sword skills killing a boar instantly.

Argo was shocked. 'So fast?! How did she?!' The hooded girl smiled at the sword skill as she said: "If you truly try, it's not that hard."

Argo eyes flashed 'I can't let her go that easily!!' She jumped next to the hooded girl and asked "I changed my mind! I can't give you it for free! The payment for the book will be your name!"

The hooded girl turned around and answered casually "Yukki Asuna." Argo jumped and said "No! I meant you Username!"

It took a while but Asuna explained Argo that her username is Asuna, and Argo understood that she speaking with a noob who used her real name as a username account.

- December 2nd, 2022 -

Asuna was traveling through the Dungeon of the first floor, all by herself, she reached the last floor of the Dungeon. She looked tired, her body was fine, and her HP Gague was full, but her mind was exhausted. She fought all by herself for four days.

She slowly walked out of the safe zone tiredly into the last floor surrounded by a monster, but no fear was apparent on her face like she would accept it gladly at any moment.

A black-clothed swordsman was standing watching the scene of her fighting with a complete disregard of her life, pain couldn't help but be visible in his eyes. He swore to himself he will do his best to protect her. That this what he will do until death.

She started fighting killing monster after a monster, she didn't care about taking damage, her eyes lost all of their light when she was hit by an attack with Paralysis effect.

She fell on the ground weakly completely powerless to react, she didn't seem to fear as she accepted death with a smile. That's when a black figure appeared and with a flash bursting all the monsters into countless pixels.

She weakly raised her head as she saw the black-clothed boy that saved her before in front of her.
But she didn't focus on that but on the words that he said that reached her ears.

"You know... If you gonna keep fighting like this, you will die."

His words crushed her world as she felt that everything that she fought believing in was fake. "Do you dare tell me what's right or wrong! All of us will die here sooner or later! Instead of running away at least let me die satisfied..." She exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

He turned at her with a smile as he said "I'm not planning to tell you something like survive... But If you bent on dying, leave me your map data first, It will be such a waste, If you want to die after that, go ahead."

She couldn't help but feel angry after his arrogant speech, she slowly got up. Seeing her he smiled "Just like that, Fancer. Can I leave my back to you?"

She looked at him and couldn't help but wonder what's up with that guy, but she didn't bother thinking about it too much.

They both charged at the monsters together!

- 7 hours later, Outside of the Dungeon-

Kirito was leaning on a tree, next to him was lying the hodded girl, she was unconscious. Kirito eyes were closed. Asuna slowly wakes up and Kirito opened his eyes.

Asuna slowly turned around and looked at and their eyes meet each other "You shouldn't have."
Kirito raised his brow and asked "What?"

Asuna repeated, "You shouldn't have saved me." Her cold tone made a smile cross through his lips as he said "I didn't save, I only did it for you map data. You have days worth map data in the front lines, you must have mapped a good part of the area. It would be a waste to let that disappear like that."

His words made her clench her teeth, she expected him to say something like, value your life and lecture her about its importance but his answer completely caught her off guard. She couldn't retort it by no means.

Kirito of course lied, he knew the dungeon very well, more than that, he even knew where to boss room was located, but he couldn't tell her that, nor could he tell her that about their relationship.

But coming flash slashed toward Kirito head cutting some hair in the process, Kirito raised his eyes a bit only to see the rapier missing his head in few inches, as he cold sweat runs through his face.

She looked at him with a terrified face as he said "Y-you... you did something to my body while I was sleeping right?!

Kirito raised his hands in innocence and said "No! No! I did nothing!" She raised her rapier aiming to cut him again when her stomach growl.

Her face turned red in embarrassment, and Kirito smiled brightly at that as he started laughing. Asuna hid her face with the hood unable to look at him from embarrassment.

Kirito took out a bread from his storage and as he handed it to Asuna. Asuna looked at him and said, "I don't need your food, this just a game."

Kirito smiled and said, "Take it as thanks for your map data?" He knew Asuna was a very warm and welcoming girl, but this a side of her that will appear only a later when their relationship will come to a deeper level.

She was left speechless by this guy so she just decided to comply she took the bread from him "... Alright, Take it." She muttered as she opened the System Menu then tapped the Map info and materialized it to a scroll. She tossed it to the black-clothed boy which she only now noticed seemed to be older than her.

She looked at him and said "Now you got what you want. Goodbye." She tried to stand, but her legs felt so unstable and she couldn't stay steady. She forced herself to stand up strongly as she aimed to go back to the dungeon.

He looked at her and smiled before saying "If you want to fight that much, why not doing it against someone worth defeating?" She turned to him looking at him suspiciously, until know she didn't think about it but who exactly is he? he brought her out of the Dungeon to the forest?
Who was that swordsman dress in black?

She ignored him and kept walking back to the Dungeon, but what he said next made her stop in her tracks.

"If you want to fight until death, why not doing it with the purpose of actually beating this game? Not just die in some dungeon meaninglessly. So why won't you come to the meeting?"

"…Meeting?" she wondered aloud. The swordsman's words reached her ears on the gentle forest breeze.

"There's going to be a meeting tonight at the town of Tolbana near the tower. The meeting's purpose is to build a plan about how to beat the first-floor boss."