"Asuna!"

As the figures of the three Luo Jie disappeared into the teleportation array, Kirito broke free from the world of Xiyuan Temple and rushed to the teleportation array, reaching out to grab the teleportation light, but his hand was empty.

The blue-haired handsome guy Di Ai Beiru walked over and put his arm on Kirito's thin shoulder, and was about to comfort him, but Kirito shook his head and interrupted him, and said dejectedly: "I'm sorry, Di Ai Beiru, I've caused you trouble...... I want to retire from the team for a while and be alone. ”

"Huh? Kirito, wait for me! ”

The world of Saionji bowed apologetically to Di Aiberu, and quickly caught up with Kirito with a lost face from behind.

The two of them sat down at a window somewhere in the Tower of Ruins, and together they crossed their knees and looked out over the rolling grasslands and woods in the distance.

"That girl...... Is that the wife you said in your previous life? "The eyes of the Saionji world are full of pity and sympathy.

"You're finally willing to take my word for it now?" Kirito's expression was in a trance, as if he was caught in the reminiscence of the past.

"It's still a little hard to believe, but I'm sure you won't lie to me." The world of Xiyuan Temple hesitated for a moment, and said cautiously: "But...... With your current body, even if you confess everything to that Asuna, do you think the other party will really be able to accept you again? Kiriko? ”

A young man who is as beautiful as a girl...... No, it should be said that a girl who is as handsome as a teenager suddenly hugged her knees and shed helpless tears.

……

Enter the fifteenth day of the SAO world.

Luo Jie, Asuna, and Gui Yanye traversed the cave area and wasteland area of the second layer of "Ulbas", and successfully killed the boss of the defending layer "Taurus King Asterus".

……

Enter the 32nd day of the SAO world.

After wandering in the "Misty Forest" on the third layer for nearly half a month, Luo Jie and the three finally found the location of the teleportation array, and entered the fourth layer after killing the "Demon Tree Spirit Nerius".

……

On the forty-first day, the fifth floor is cleared.

……

On the 53rd, the sixth floor was cleared.

……

On the 100th day, the 10th floor of "Thousand Snake City" is cleared.

……

After more than three months of almost non-stop rushing and fighting, Asuna and Gui Yanye had reached a critical point both physically and mentally, so after clicking on the teleportation point on the eleventh layer, the three of them used the [Teleportation Crystal] to return to the first layer of the Beginning Street again.

Over the past three months, the Street of Beginnings has changed a lot.

Due to the activity of the heroes of the other world, the residents of the royal capital, who have regained hope, have also changed their decadent passivity and renewed their enthusiasm for life, and the whole city is filled with positive vitality.

Of course, Luo Jie knows very well that behind the current good situation in the royal capital, it is built on the bones of the traversers.

Since each time a traverser's death is announced through a sky projection, it is clear to everyone how many traversers have fallen on this otherworldly land during this time.

3121 people.

On average, 30 traversers fall forever almost every day, and the same number of traversers fill the void, fighting for a world that does not belong to them from generation to generation.

There have been people who have been dissatisfied, people have complained, people have resisted, and even people have rioted...... However, there is no longer one.

All have come to terms with reality, or rather, they are numb.

If you want to go home, you have to fight all the way to the 75th floor, and there is nothing else to do.

And human adaptability is powerful.

For those who are accustomed to fighting, this other world where you can get honor, status, money, and beauty as long as you have the courage to work hard is actually far better than the complicated real world that used to be, no need to worry about the boss's face, no need to face colleagues with smiling knives, and no need to face the endless complaints of parents and wives...... Whatever you want, raise the sword in your hand and cut down, life here is so simple.

Walking along the streets of the royal capital, Luo Jie and others saw many couples.

However, most of them are male traversers and indigenous women, and female traversers obviously can't let go of their former pride and reserve, neither looking down on those savage and rude indigenous men, but also can't compare to those soft and cute indigenous women who are obedient, and the result can only be so high and low.

"It is said that these female travelers seem to be organizing some kind of women's rights protection association, and the male travelers who interact with them must abide by the monogamy ...... of the original world"

Asuna nibbled on a croquette-like snack while talking to Luo Jie and Gui Yanye about gossip in the royal capital.

She is very good at getting along with other traversers quickly, coupled with her youthful and beautiful appearance, she is quite popular among both male and female traversers.

The name "Asuna of Flash" also miraculously put on her head again, but this time it had nothing to do with her combat skills.

"This ...... I'm afraid it's hard, right? ”

Although Gui Yanye can understand the distress and helplessness of those female traversers very well, the experience of more than three months has made her understand the truth of survival of the fittest.

Unless you have the power to change the world, don't try to adapt the world to you.

"Who's to say it isn't? Although their demands are understandable, the problem is that they are not the only ones who have a choice for those male time-travelers...... I feel that if we continue like this, I'm afraid it will end up in a farce. As she spoke, Asuna's gaze suddenly fell on Luo Jie, who was beside her, and asked curiously: "Dire-king, if it were you, would you choose a traverser girl?" Or is it a bunch of indigenous girls? ”

After more than three months of getting along, the relationship between the three of them has become quite familiar, even Gui Yanye will no longer commit masculinism when she gets along with Luo Jie alone, and the lively Asuna and Luo Jie are often unscrupulous when they joke with Luo Jie.

"Hmm." Luo Jie thought about it very seriously, "Then it depends on which side of the chest is bigger......"

"Humph! You boobs star! I thought you were a cool guy! Pervert! Asuna pretended to be angry and pouted.

Luo Jie shrugged his shoulders disapprovingly, similar conversations happen from time to time, the two sides have long been accustomed to it, even Gui Yanye, who is easy to innocently lie down because of his big chest, will not be as embarrassed and red as he was at the beginning, at most he purses his lips and snickers.

"Seriously, from the tenth layer onwards, I feel that the pressure of the battle is getting bigger and bigger, and the speed of advancing upwards has obviously slowed down a lot......" Asuna's eyebrows rose with a hint of worry, and she folded her hands and said, "It took us 100 days to enter the 10th layer of 'Ayn Grant', and even at this rate, it would take nearly three years to reach the 100th floor......"

"It can't be just three years." Gui Yanye shook his head and said, "I can feel that the difficulty of 'Ayn Grant' increases by ten layers, and if the clearance time of each ten layers increases by half, the time it takes us to reach the 100th layer is likely to be more than 30 years...... And that's when all goes well. ”

"Oh my God, doesn't that mean that when we return to our original world, we will be almost fifty years old?" Asuna held her face nervously.

Fortunately, it is still smooth and tender.

"Not only that......" Gui Yanye's mood dropped as she spoke, "Sister Asuna, have you ever thought about one thing—if we were fifty years old when we went back, what about our parents and family?" ”

Asuna's hand slowly lowered, staring silently at her toes.

Yes, if you are already fifty years old, then your parents and family ...... Will you still be alive?

Gui Yanye smiled miserably, shook his head and said: "Actually, I have been thinking about this matter for the past few days, rather than returning to the real world after decades of hard work to accept that sad truth, it is better to simply live in this simple world." ”

Just when Luo Jie was about to comfort the two girls, a group of people suddenly walked out of the tavern across the street, and the red-haired uncle led by him had a very piercing face.

"Hey! Dire-kun, it's been a long time! ”

"Three months is not a long time."

Luo Jie smiled and high-fived Klein with one hand, and then swept his gaze over the team members behind him.

Yuki, Makoto Ito, two unknown public faces, and ...... Saionji World and Kirito?