Dark Ye seemed to remember something important.

"That's right."

Maybe bringing out the clothes she wore before reminded Asuna of something.

"What?"

Asuna asked suspiciously.

"Look at it."

Dark Ye's fingers drew a translucent panel, looking for the white robe he wore in the past, and first quickly browsed through the equipment, but he didn't find it.

With a puzzled expression, he continued to search accurately, but he still couldn't find it, and suddenly his eyes widened.

"In that case."

That piece of equipment isn't found on the first tier in SAO, so it won't be in the equipment slot right now.

A white glow glowed on Dark Ye's body, and a white robe appeared on him.

Asuna's brown pupils, hidden in the depths, widened.

In this nascent world, changing clothes is almost the same as in reality, not a one-click change in SAO. Clicking on a garment in the system bar is just to take it out. Even like in SAO, Asuna knows that this is not the case with the light effect of changing clothes.

"What are you?"

Seeing that Asuna didn't have any recollections, Dark Ye was not sad, and pretended to smile mysteriously and didn't answer her question.

Today's SAO, to some extent, has become a prison, and it is impossible to log out on its own, and the death of an individual is also a real death. In such a situation, there are almost no people who want to sneak into a maze full of dangerous monsters and traps.

Dark Ye smiled and asked worriedly, "Do you look tired now, don't you go back to the city?" Besides, the way back to the city is not so safe, why are you so desperate? ”

Although he asked with a smile, the worry in his words was very obvious.

“………… The way back to the city? ”

From the hood that was deep over his head, a voice with a questioning tone was heard again. Although fatigue made his voice hoarse, and the ups and downs were not very strong, in Dark Ye's ears, the voice was still very beautiful. Of course, Dark Ye would not have said this.

"yes. It's almost an hour from here to the exit to the maze, and the fastest exit to the nearest neighborhood is thirty minutes, isn't it? As fatigue increases, so do mistakes. I think you seem to be a SOLO player too, and no matter how small a mistake can be fatal if you go it alone. ”

“…… If so, then no problem. I'm not going back. ”

"Huh? …… Don't go back, neighborhood? I say...... The supply of medicine bottles, the repair of equipment or something...... And rest ......"

Dark Ye replied in surprise, and Asuna listened to his words, and her shoulders moved slightly.

"If you don't get hurt, you don't need medicine, and if you don't get hurt, I bought five of the same sword. …… Rest, just in a safe area nearby. ”

Hearing her hoarse answer, Dark Ye was silent for a while.

I didn't expect Asuna here to be so desperate.

Safe zones are rooms that are spread out within the maze and are free of monsters. The corners of the walls are decorated with distinctive color markings that are easy to identify. It's a resting place for hunting and mapping, but even so, it can only give people a break for about an hour. The floor was too cold to be used as a bed, and the footsteps of monsters that frequented nearby pathways could be heard. No matter how brave a player is, it's absolutely impossible to get a good night's sleep here.

However, based on what she said before, it is really possible that Asuna will rest in the safety area as a hotel in the street and stay in the maze all the time...... Maybe so, right?

“………… How long have you been in here? ”

Dark Ye asked tremblingly.

Asuna exhaled deeply and replied, "Three, four days." …… So, okay? The nearby monsters are about to come back to life, and I'm leaving. ”

With her slender left hand in thin leather gloves against the wall, Asuna slowly stood up.

At this time, Dark Ye's heart seemed to be pricked by thousands of needles: Asuna, she is really miserable, how long will I owe her? But...... What reason is there to continue talking to her now?

The unsheathed raiser weighed as if it were a two-handed sword, and the head of the sword hung downward, and Asuna walked towards Dark Ye's back.

One step, two steps, the Rapier gradually faded away, and the equipment was in dilapidation from the loss of durability in each part. No, it's already a miracle that flimsy cloth gear like this can hunt here for four days in a row and still stay in place. The phrase "I love you" that I have always wanted to say is now absolutely unacceptable...... After all, Asuna now doesn't have these ideas.

Thinking of this, Dark Ye looked at Asuna's thin back, and couldn't help blurting out, "............ With the way you fight, you're going to die. ”

Asuna paused, leaned her shoulder against the wall on the right, and slowly turned her head. In the depths of the hat, the hazel-colored pupils that I saw just now turned light red from the inside, and I stared at Dark Ye like this, and the gaze I cast seemed to shoot through Dark Ye.

“………… Anyway, everyone is going to die. ”

The hoarse, cracking sound made the air in the already cold labyrinth even more harsh.

"After only a month, two thousand people died. And now, the first layer has not been broken through. It's impossible to get through this game. Nowadays, the only difference is where, how to die, and die early...... Or die late ............"

Asuna uttered the longest, most emotional words to date, but her voice trembled along the way, and then stopped.

In front of Asuna, who subconsciously took a step forward, it was as if she had been attacked by some invisible paralysis - just like when Dark Ye had fought with Usba Kizuhiko before.

The only difference was that Asuna immediately fell to the ground.

Loss of consciousness is caused by a temporary delay in blood flow to the brain, resulting in a temporary cessation of bodily functions. Blood deficiency is caused by a variety of factors, such as abnormal heart and blood vessel function, anemia or low blood pressure, and hyperventilation.

A second before she fell unconscious, Asuna said something like a last word in her head: she would die here. Passing out in a labyrinth where ferocious monsters roam, it's impossible to be safe. Although there may be other players nearby, I don't have the luxury of expecting others to rescue others who have passed out because they are themselves in danger.

A strong feeling of dizziness came up. As a reflection made at the moment before falling to the ground, this is inevitably too long, too comfortable. And the underside of the body should be a hard stone pavement, but there is a subtle soft touch coming from the back. The body is getting warmer, and I even feel a sense of security that I haven't felt for a long time......