"Madara-san is certainly a very charismatic man, but don't you think he's a bit too old for you, Lisbeth?"
Shoumei shot Lisbeth a concerned glance.
There was no denying Madara's appeal—especially for strong-willed women like her. A dominant, commanding leader naturally attracted admiration.
But Lisbeth was only sixteen.
Falling for a man that much older…
Could this be an Electra complex?
"I actually think the leader of the Avengers guild is pretty cool. That kind of crazy bastard energy is really appealing."
Silica's eyes sparkled as she made her unexpected confession.
She had a thing for the types normal people wouldn't like.
"…Eh?"
Shoumei blinked, stunned.
She hadn't expected Silica's taste to be even weirder than Lisbeth's.
Now she was starting to worry about her own daughter.
Hopefully, she wouldn't fall for some deranged psycho.
"Speaking of which… I've noticed Asuna and the leader of the Wanderers guild seem pretty close."
Lisbeth suddenly smirked at Asuna, narrowing her eyes mischievously.
"I saw the two of you lying on the grass together last time, basking in the sun like a couple~ You've never done that with us, Asuna!"
"Eh?! Seriously?! Asuna, you're having a secret romance behind our backs?!"
Silica pounced on Asuna, wrapping her arms around her in mock betrayal.
"No, I'm not! Don't say weird things!"
Asuna's face flushed red as she quickly denied it, trying to stop any misunderstandings from forming.
"Ohh~? Is that so~?"
The three girls immediately began playfully wrestling, while Shoumei calmly watched, shaking her head.
...
Meanwhile, on the 6th Floor.
The wilds of this floor resembled a tropical rainforest, filled with venomous creatures capable of inflicting poison status with their attacks.
A red-named man sprinted frantically through the jungle, his face twisted in panic and despair.
A deep slash ran across his back, bleeding heavily.
"Damn it! Why won't he stop chasing me?!"
"I already ran to the 6th floor, how the hell is he still tracking me?!"
"I only accidentally killed a wild Rattata! It didn't even have a Trainer!"
The man glanced backward, his pupils shrinking.
The figure of a man wrapped in bandages, carrying a massive scythe, stalked him like a predator.
Zack wasn't sprinting—but he wasn't falling behind either.
It was clear he was toying with him.
And every time the red-named man tried to use a potion, Zack would immediately charge forward to interrupt him.
"Hahahaha!!"
Zack's deranged laughter echoed through the rainforest.
The sound sent chills down the man's spine, forcing him to run even faster.
That laughter never disappeared, always lingering just behind him.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
Just then—
A woman's scream pierced through the jungle.
Zack's smile vanished.
His eyes flicked toward the sound.
Then, he glanced at the red-named man.
He had made his decision.
"Hahaha! Go save her!"
"You can always kill me later, right? I'll just—"
SHLIK.
The man's eyes bulged in shock.
He looked down.
A massive scythe blade had pierced through his chest.
His HP plummeted to zero.
"I can kill you first and then go save her. Lucky you."
Zack ripped his scythe free, watching as the man's body shattered into data.
Originally, he wanted to torture him longer.
But saving a real person took priority.
He quickly scooped up the dropped items, slung his scythe over his shoulder, and charged toward the scream.
With one swing of his weapon, he sliced through the thick rainforest vines and branches in his way.
Soon, he arrived at the scene.
A young female player was cornered by three Scythers.
"Get down."
Zack didn't waste words.
He immediately hurled his scythe forward.
The weapon spun rapidly, glowing with a dark crimson aura.
Most players could learn a skill called "Returning Throw."
It allowed them to throw their weapon, dealing damage, before recalling it like a boomerang.
90% of players learned this skill since it was one of the few ranged attacks available.
However, in PvP fights, the skill was rarely used.
Why?
Because opponents could "grab" the weapon mid-air, preventing its return.
This temporary disarm wouldn't let the enemy steal the weapon permanently, but the user couldn't store it away until the fight ended.
Fortunately, monsters couldn't do this.
"KYAAAH!"
The girl screamed, throwing herself to the ground, covering her head.
"So noisy."
Zack muttered.
Unlike normal players, true warriors didn't just stand around waiting for their weapon to return.
He rushed forward, following closely behind his scythe.
By doing this, he minimized the delay between his attack and retrieval.
SLASH.
The scythe sliced through the first Scyther, severing it in half.
SWOOSH.
As soon as Zack caught his weapon, he swung it in a horizontal arc.
A blinding silver flash—
And the remaining two Scythers were bisected instantly.
"...Get up."
Zack glanced down at the still cowering woman.
His voice was cold.
Ever since Rosalia's betrayal, he had learned to be cautious around other players.
He never let his guard down.
Even in the low-level 6th floor, his scythe never left his hands.
"U-Um… Th-Thank you for saving me…"
The woman stood up slowly, bowing sincerely in gratitude.
Zack's shoulders relaxed slightly.
From her manners alone, he doubted she was a criminal.
Still, he kept a firm grip on his weapon.
"What the hell were you doing here alone?"
Zack studied her.
She carried only a single short sword—hardly fit for real combat.
"Our party… we got separated while fighting some Scorpions…"
She wiped her tears, explaining softly.
She didn't even argue when Zack called her reckless.
Because, honestly?
He was right.
"YUKI!"
"Thank god you're okay!"
"We heard you scream!"
Suddenly, four young male players rushed over.
Zack sighed.
This was Yuki—a girl who, in the original story, had a crush on Kirito but was later killed.
The four boys?
Her real-life friends.
Together, they would eventually form the "Moonlit Black Cats" guild.
"…"
Zack said nothing.
One of the boys turned to him.
"This guy… saved me."
Yuki's face flushed red as she glanced at Zack shyly.
The whole "hero saves the beauty" trope had left a deep impression on her.
Especially in Japan, chivalrous rescues were the ideal fantasy for young boys and girls alike.
Her male friends noticed her expression.
They exchanged amused looks, nudging each other.
"Thanks, big bro!"
One of them clapped Zack's shoulder.
"…I'm sixteen."
Zack deadpanned.
Why the hell were they calling him "big bro"?
Then again…
With his bandages, red cloak, and eerie scythe, it wasn't surprising they thought he was older.
"Come on! Let us treat you to a meal!"
"You saved Yuki's life—we owe you!"
"Yeah! It won't take long!"
Zack sighed.
He had a bad feeling about this.
(End of Chapter)
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