Over the next few days, Morin, Asuna, and the little fairy familiar Yui grew even closer, and the news that Yui had become a fairy familiar rewarded from a hidden quest quickly spread throughout the player community.
Morin and Asuna naturally had no objections to little Yui's transformation. In fact, Asuna practically stayed glued to Yui all the time, enthusiastically bonding with her, much to Morin's slight jealousy. Even so, seeing the bright smiles of Asuna and Yui filled him with warmth and happiness.
Meanwhile, the players in the Star Flame guild, upon discovering that Yui had become a fairy familiar, especially the female players like Silica, almost lost their minds with excitement. Their passionate adoration for the adorable Yui left the little fairy completely overwhelmed.
After a few lively yet peaceful days, Morin finally received a message from the Knights of the Blood Oath.
—
The villa where Morin and Asuna lived on the twenty second floor of Aincrad.
"A message from Heathcliff, the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, about a joint guild meeting regarding the eightieth floor boss?"
Listening to the news brought by a Star Flame player, Morin's brows furrowed slightly.
"Yes, the Knights of the Blood Oath sent someone to our headquarters to inform us. The vice leader asked me to deliver the message to you..."
The player, who had rushed over from the Star Flame guild branch, clearly understood that their guild boss had been enjoying a few peaceful days off with the guild's idol, the Black Swordsman. He could not help but glance enviously at Asuna out of the corner of his eye before quickly continuing,
"It is said that the Knights of the Blood Oath plan to attempt clearing the eightieth floor while they still have momentum. However, the reconnaissance team they sent into the labyrinth has yet to return. It is suspected... that it might be one of those special death halls."
As he spoke, the player's voice lowered, and his expression darkened.
Regardless of personal feelings, the Knights of the Blood Oath were undeniably a major force in the battle to clear Sword Art Online.
Although Star Flame players were usually a little displeased that the Knights' momentum seemed to be catching up to them, when it came to clearing the game, everyone was united in their stance.
Now that the Knights of the Blood Oath had lost players during the eightieth floor scouting mission, not a single player in the room felt any sense of schadenfreude. Instead, there was a somber understanding that death in this world was final, and the loss of comrades was always heavy.
"A death hall, huh? No wonder..."
Morin raised his eyebrows, unsurprised by the Knights of the Blood Oath's decision to call a joint strategy meeting.
The so-called death halls were nicknames given by the clearing group players to special floors such as the first, twenty fifth, fiftieth, and seventy fifth, where the bosses were exceptionally powerful and the danger level far exceeded that of regular floors.
Sometimes, floors with special environments or traps could also earn this dreaded nickname. The meaning behind the term was obvious, clearing these death hall floors almost inevitably came at the cost of elite players' lives.
After the catastrophic loss suffered by the Army guild while attempting to clear the fiftieth floor without adequate preparation, no guild dared to recklessly challenge a death hall floor anymore. In a world where death was permanent, no leader could afford to gamble with the lives of their comrades.
"I will head over immediately."
After a few moments of thought, Morin made his decision without hesitation.
"Yes, Guild Leader."
—
The Town of Beginnings, a building located at the center of the plaza.
Compared to the surrounding guild branches and NPC-owned shops, this modest three story building did not usually see much traffic. However, as the designated meeting place for the representatives of the five major guilds and other top players in SAO, it held a uniquely important status.
Today, the building was once again filled with hundreds of elite players clad in top tier equipment. Only about thirty players were permitted into the second floor conference room, where the real meeting would take place.
"Mr. Heathcliff, we are here now to hear about the situation on the eightieth floor."
After exchanging only a few polite greetings with acquaintances, Morin, as the host, signaled for the meeting to begin. Once the room quieted, he fixed his gaze on Heathcliff and asked sharply, "Are you certain that all of your dispatched reconnaissance teams were annihilated? Not a single player returned alive?"
The room immediately fell silent, and all eyes, including those of the Holy Dragon Alliance, Fuurinkazan, and even the bystander group Army, turned toward Heathcliff.
"That is correct," Heathcliff confirmed calmly. "We discovered the entrance to the eightieth floor boss room, but after dispatching reconnaissance teams to gather information, none of them returned. I do not believe the boss itself is unusually powerful, so I suspect the floor has some kind of highly troublesome special features."
Kayaba Akihiko, hidden behind Heathcliff's avatar, clasped his hands before him and addressed the room with a composed expression.
Many players gasped at his words. Even the heavily damaged Army guild members and the solo players in attendance wore grim faces. The Knights of the Blood Oath were no weaklings. The fact that their elite scouts had been completely wiped out confirmed that the eightieth floor was a true death hall.
"Can we confirm the nature of the floor?" Morin asked bluntly. "Is it a crystal nullifying area? Are there traps in the boss room? Environmental hazards? Or is the boss's strength simply overwhelming?"
Each possibility he listed reflected the bloody experience earned by the clearing groups over the course of this death game. Knowing the type of death hall they faced was critical to preparing an effective strategy.
"It appears to have the characteristics of a crystal nullifying area," Heathcliff replied, shaking his head slightly. "But beyond that, we still lack sufficient information."
Kayaba Akihiko's acting skills were not perfect, and Morin, who already knew the truth behind his identity, could easily spot the cracks in his performance. However, the other players, seeing only a stern faced Heathcliff delivering bad news, had no reason to doubt him.
"A crystal nullifying area..."
"That means once the battle begins, it is fight to the death."
"And we still do not know anything about the boss's actual abilities."
Low murmurs spread across the room as players whispered urgently among themselves. Even Kirito, who already had a significant reputation among solo players, looked deeply troubled as he considered their next move.
"Alright. Everyone has heard Leader Heathcliff's report. I propose we follow our previous protocols and adopt the most cautious approach possible, by assembling the strongest clearing team to tackle the eightieth floor boss directly."
Before the conference room could descend into more chaotic murmuring, Morin tapped the table loudly and spoke with firm authority.
"The strongest clearing team..."
"Indeed. That is the best method."
One after another, players nodded in agreement.
Faced with a death hall level boss, equipping the best players with the best gear and items and forming a specialized strike team had always been the most effective strategy. Morin's suggestion was both expected and completely reasonable under the circumstances.
After a brief discussion, all attendees, including Kayaba Akihiko himself, agreed to Morin's proposal. They would assemble the strongest lineup possible and make a decisive strike to clear the eightieth floor boss.
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