Everyone probably had the desire to be a hero when they were young.

And the forger Nezha and his companions, the childhood dreams of the brave have not been extinguished to this day, and in a sense they deserve admiration.

His feelings are pitiful, and his deeds are hateful.

What a disturbance they did......

They must be stopped before they can cause any serious consequences.

But the question is how to stop or punish them.

If it's another game, you can choose from convenient methods such as blocking the city gate, chasing and killing on the whole server, broadcasting bounties, etc.

But this is SAO, Game of Death.

None of the above can be used......

And you have to try to protect them from being hunted down......

But there's one more thing to consider...... The Brave seem to have abandoned Nezhhar......

They are getting closer to the top players step by step, and Nezha is just a life player, and sooner or later he will be abandoned......

"Anyway, let's debunk him first, okay? I can only stay for less than a day and a half more, okay? At least let me see what kind of state that guy was in when he was exposed......"

Ye Chi grumbled inappropriately, and then was suppressed by Asuna......

"But we really have to hurry......" Asuna suddenly remembered.

"It's not good if you delay the boss strategy battle."

"So, whoever it is, let me see the ending, okay?"

"Shut up!" *2

――――――――

Still, the two accepted the suggestion......

Kirito, who has never seen it, went to fight the grass and startle the snake, and then Ye Chi and Asuna were responsible for intercepting it......

On the roof, Ye Chi could see everything very clearly......

Then he could see very clearly that the sword had exploded......

Then, after a few words of conversation, a sword suddenly appeared in Kirito's hand......

Then the blacksmith ran away in tears......

"Levi-kun, it's on."

"You're in front of me!"

The two jumped off the roof where they were hiding, blocking the forger's path one after the other.

"Even if you die alone, it won't solve anything!" Asuna said with a heroic and awe-inspiring posture.

"Besides, you're not primarily responsible, are you? Accomplices who have voluntarily repented can have their sentences commuted. ”

Ye Chi appeared behind Nezha out of thin air as if he had taken a step out of the void - in fact, he had already been there, just pretending to be a force......

This time, the voices of the two and the somewhat unique outfits of the two seemed to quickly make Nezha realize that these were the two people he had deceived that day.

The weak expression became more distorted—but Ye Chi couldn't see it, and even behind him, he could feel the pain of being immersed in guilt, despair, and self-abandonment.

As if to escape Asuna's sight, he turned his face to the lower right as much as possible, and said in a stiff tone:

“………… What if, somebody, finds out about my fraud...... At that time, I will die to atone for my sins, which was decided from the beginning! ”

"In Ayn Grant, suicide is a worse sin than fraud. If enhanced fraud is a betrayal of the client, then suicide is a betrayal of all players who want to beat the game! ”

The acpier said awe-inspiringly.

Nezha's body shuddered for a moment, then shrank again—and then suddenly raised her head:

"Anyway! Anyway, a fool like me is going to die sooner or later! The difference is only in whether you are killed by a monster or commit suicide, early or late death!! ”

"Another stupid guy in a hurry to die, Miss Asuna?" When Ye Chi heard this, he glanced at Asuna meaningfully and said, with a smile that could not be hidden in his words.

"I'm sorry, I'm not making fun of you. It's the young lady who said the same thing to you just a week ago......"

"Eh............"

Nezha looked at Asuna again as if she were about to snap her eyes out. After taking a few breaths, he cringed and asked:

"That...... You're Miss Asuna from the Frontline Raiders Group...... Right? ”

"Uh-huh............"

This time it was Asuna's turn to blink, straighten up a little, and asked:

"Why do you know?"

"When it comes to the cloaked Rapier, it's famous...... That's the only female player active on the front lines......"

“………… This, that's it......"

Asuna's tone was complicated, and she pulled her hood down.

"I'll just say it...... Hurry up and change your outfit, or this will become a lifelong mark......"

"You're so busy! I love it! It's warm! The thin sword made a word and glared at Ye Chi viciously.

How are you going to deal with yourself in the summer, little gray hat......

Do you put on a linen cloak in the summer?

"That's, that'...... Is what you just said true? What did Miss Asuna say...... 'I'm going to die someday,' anyway......," Nezha asked, shimping.

"Ahh I couldn't leave it alone, but STR wasn't good enough to pick up a player, and thankfully I was given a big shield and dragged her back. ”

Then Ye Chi received a heavy blow on the instep of his foot......

"That's what that shield does...... Truth be told, that thought hasn't been dispelled until now. Because it's only now that we've reached the second floor, the end is a hundred floors far from here. The thought of going to the end, and the thought that I would die somewhere, has been struggling with all my strength. But ......"

“…… But I'm never going to fight to the death again. In order to survive, to get through the game, and even to enjoy the process...... Although I can't fully let go of it, I still find a small but clear goal and fight for it. ”

"It's changed a lot, hasn't it, it took me a long time to change from rushing to die to what it is now......" After that, Ye Chi could only hold his feet......

Kirito couldn't interject at all at this time...... Because he didn't know anything about these things, he stopped paying attention to the two people in his mouth and began to concentrate on enlightening the forger.

"You're bound to find it, too. No, you must already have a goal in mind. What to do...... What should I fight for this goal? Because, didn't you leave the 'Initial Street' on your own feet? ”

“………………”

Nezha didn't answer quickly, and lowered her head again. But instead of closing his eyes, he kept looking at the leather boots he was wearing. It was only then that they realized that it was not a shoe item to be worn on the street (decorative fashion, skin, etc.), but a piece of armor.

“………… The goal, it does. ”

The muttered answer was as if he had died, but there were still trembling sparks in it.

But Nezha shook her head vigorously as if she was going to blow it out herself.

"That's gone, though. Before coming into this world. Further than that...... The day you bought NERvGear...... I...... In the initial connection test, it was judged to be FNC......"

FNC, i.e. not suitable for [NonConforming] to fully stealth.

A fully stealthy machine, which uses extremely weak microwaves to communicate with the brain and direct signals, is a slender and subtle machine that must be finely tuned to the user.

However, the tens of thousands of civilian NERvGear on sale cannot be so intimate in any case. The machine is equipped with an automatic adjustment function, and if you pass the boring connection test and calibration that took a long time during the first connection, you can sneak from the second time by simply turning on the power.

Although rare, it is possible to be judged "unsuitable" in connection tests. Most of them are due to the fact that one of the five senses is not fully functioning, or there is a slight delay in communication with the brain, and although it is not a fatal obstacle, there are examples of people who cannot stealth.

Being able to get into Ayn Grant shows that Nezha's FNC isn't that bad - but it might be luckier to be judged to be unable to stealth. That way, you won't be trapped in this death game.

After storing all the props sold in the open-air shop into blankets and moving the conversation to an unused house near the square, the three of them continued to listen to Nezhha's story.

“………… My four senses, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, all work normally, but there is an abnormal ............ in the key vision."

Nezha said as she reached for the teacup that Asuna had prepared on the round table. However, instead of holding the grip on the right side directly, he slowly reached forward and carefully picked it up after his fingers touched the grip.

"It's not that you can't see, it's the visual function of your eyes...... That is, the sense of distance and proximity, and the sense of depth is not very good. I can't grasp how far away the virtual body's hand is from the object on the other side............"

It's just this extent...... If it's a normal game, it's good to be an archer or a spellcaster...... Although you can't use the spells of the Heavenly Descent system...... And in a game with a strong gravitational effect, even an archer can't be an archer, which is to calculate the trajectory......

But you can play it, can't you......

But...... There are no Mages in SAO, not even Archers. Players of all combat classes can only fight with weapons held in their hands.

Whether you're using a sword, an axe, or a spear, it's a big problem if you can't grasp the sense of distance - in other words, the distance between you and the monster. The basis of combat in this world is, first of all, to memorize the attack distance of your weapon with your body.

Taking a sip of tea and carefully placing the cup back on the coaster, Nezha laughed weakly:

"It's hard enough for me to hit a non-moving weapon on an anvil with a very short blacksmith's hammer......"

"So you knocked it very seriously......" Ye Chi took a sip of tea and said with emotion.

"Yes...... There are only a few, apologies for the damaged sword...... - but ......"

“…… I'm a little bit of that, though...... You've seen through my tricks. And not today...... You noticed Miss Asuna's WindFleuret+4 three days ago when you were retrieving it from a distance, right......? ”

"Ah, back then, it was just a matter of 'possibility'. By the time I realized this, it was almost an hour before the time limit for keeping ownership, so I broke into the inn Ryacena's room and had her use the full materialization command...... Originally, it was better to try it than to do nothing, but I really didn't expect to get it back at first......"

"But I really understood the whole technique yesterday, and I knew about 'Nezha'." Ye Chi took another sip of tea......

“………… I didn't expect you to even notice this kind of thing............"

Actually, the first reaction was like this...... I am Chinese, the first reaction when I see the letters is to spell according to the Chinese pinyin, I didn't expect it to be really ah, at first I thought that Japanese Roman has a corresponding special meaning, and the confirmation of this point has been confirmed by the intelligence broker. ”

"Since you're also a 'hero', it's impossible to be a life player from the beginning, so you have the ability to learn skill mods, and I figured this out before I made the method clear."

"Actually, I don't have much time, I will hand over the handling to my two teammates after this, I only ask you one thing, who gave you this method?"

Ye Chi's expression was contrary to his usual kindness, and his eyes were sharp as if he had nailed the forging master to the wall.

"Neither me nor Orlando...... Not to mention other partners. ”

"Huh...... So, who is ......? ”

“…… In fact, I spent the first two weeks aiming for a combat career. In this world, there is only one skill that uses flying items...... In that case, you can fight even if you don't have a sense of proximity, so ......"

"Throwing a sword......" Ye Chi sighed, after all, this was his first sword skill.

"However, this cultivation takes a long time, so I gave up when I was about 50......"

“…… When I said I was going to give up my sword throwing skills, it was a terrifying atmosphere. Although no one said anything, everyone should have thought that the team was slowed down by me. Even if I say that I want to change jobs to become a blacksmith, it takes a lot of money to train skills...... So it became like everyone was waiting for someone to say, 'Just throw this guy on Primordial Street.'" Although I should have said it myself...... But I can't say anything. I was scared, scared of being alone...... - and then, in the corner of the tavern where we were talking, a man who had always been completely an NPC of us walked up to us and said a word. "If that guy is a forger with combat skills, he has a super cool way to make money." ”

The play meat is coming!

"Yes, who is it, ...... that person?"

"Name...... I do not know. He left as soon as he finished saying how to unpack the weapon. He hasn't been seen since. However, I always feel ...... He's a very strange person. No matter how you speak...... Or dress up. Wearing a black patent leather, full-coverage cloak resembling a raincoat......"

Cloak-type gear with hoods is by no means uncommon in fantasy RPGs, including SAO - at least two of those present are equipped for now.

Therefore, it cannot be used as a search factor.

"About that black poncho man......" Ye Chi suddenly asked.

"Ah...... Yes, yes! ”

"That guy, the commission...... In other words, did he specify the method by which he would receive a share of the profits earned from the enhanced fraud? ”

"That...... No, he didn't say anything about that......"

Oh, unexpected......

"Huh...... Didn't say anything, what's going on......? ”

"That is...... As I said before, he only explained the use of 'Quick Switch' and 'Storage Blanket', the method of replacing with the prepared weapon, the sharing and the reward for the idea, and nothing to mention it. ”

“………………”

Several people fell silent.

"Pleasure offender?" Ye Chi whispered this term.

"What?"

"Refers to a criminal who does not aim for revenge, profit, etc., but simply takes his own preferences as the goal of committing a crime...... The most difficult type to guess. ”

“…… That one...... In other words, the man quickly got into the subject after talking to Braves, explaining only how to pack the weapon, and then quickly left...... Is that so......? ”

Asuna confirmed this, and Nezha wanted to nod, but stopped halfway through.

“…… That one...... To be precise, we also had a little bit of a conversation. Because it was fraud anyway, at first Orlando they objected, saying, 'Isn't that a crime?'" Then the guy laughed heartily in the hood...... It doesn't seem to be deliberate, but it always feels like the kind of laughter in the movie, clear and pleasant. ”

"Clear ...... Laughter......? ”

"Yes. How to say that...... Just hearing that voice, I feel that nothing is so important...... When he came to his senses, it was Orlando, Beowulf, or the other three...... Even I laughed. During that time, the guy said a word. It's like...... 'This is in an online game?' The only things you can't do are the ones that the system prescribes in the first place, aren't they? In other words, you can do whatever you want to do what you want...... Don't you think so? ’……”

"That'...... That's all sophistry!! ”

Before Nezha could finish her sentence, Asuna shouted loudly.

"Because, if you say that, you can attack a monster that is fighting with someone from the side, or throw a large group of monsters that you have attracted to others*, and this kind of faux pas can be done wantonly! No, if you go further, outside the circle is where the AntiCriminal directive can't cover it, and in extreme cases, it will ...... other players"

"Killed." Ye Chi said the word that Asuna didn't have the courage to say, and this word seemed to drain all the strength of the rappier.

"Is it purely for the purpose of messing up SAO...... Ye Chi thought silently.

"Then you two, if you have any questions, you two can ask. I have to take a step in advance, if I can't come back-" Ye Chi got up and left, pushing open the door of the bar.

"-Second floor--No, the future strategy, please."

After Ye Chi finished speaking, the death flag that was like a last word did not wait for anyone to react, closed the door and disappeared into the street.

[If I really can't come back...... You can only see it realistically......]

[Even if the strategy fails...... They will have at least one rest ......]

[And I'm just an electronic ghost or a vegetative person......]

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The book is unprecedentedly long...... The enhanced deception event is over, and the second Assassin mission of the volume is next...... You can guess what a cheat you are......