The remaining two Kobold Assault Troopers, although they had AI intelligence and knew fear, found that bit of pitiful IQ meaningless in the face of absolute stat suppression and technical crushing.
Ye You didn't give them a chance to regroup.
His figure was like lightning.
When changing direction, he positioned himself perfectly in the blind spot of the monster's attack hitbox.
"Left."
Ye You thought to himself, his body leaning slightly to the left to dodge a round shield smashed his way, the Steel Longsword in his hand thrusting into the gap below the shield.
Squelch!
Weak point critical hit.
That Kobold didn't even have time to pull back its shield before its chest was pierced through by the sword, turning into a flurry of blue data fragments filling the air.
The last one's trying to run.
"Think you can escape?"
Ye You flipped his wrist, and a faint green light shimmered on the sword blade.
System assistance skill—[Sonic Leap].
This is a single-hit dash skill. Although it has long recovery frames, it's a god-tier skill for finishing off low-HP enemies.
My whole body turned into a streak of cyan light, instantly crossing a distance of five meters.
The blade's edge slashed across the monster's neck.
There was no suspense at all.
With the final crisp sound like glass shattering, only blue light dust that hadn't completely dissipated remained in the air.
Ye You sheathed his sword, his movements clean and swift, without even glancing at the trash materials in the drop list.
[Ding!]
[S-rank Desperate Rescue completed!]
[Target: Yuuki Asuna （Asuna）.]
[Desperate Situation Evaluation: Pulled back from the double edge of a mental breakdown and HP hitting zero, perfectly snapping the Death Flag.]
[Rewards obtained: Free Attribute Points +5, Special Item "Top-grade Fresh Cream" x1, Skill Book "Streaming Light Movement Technique （Passive）".]
[Target Affection System unlocked: Current affection—Cold （but a seed of shock has been planted deep in the heart）.]
"Top-grade Fresh Cream?"
Ye You looked at the extra exquisite glass jar in his inventory, the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
Just how afraid is this system that he'll starve to death in the game?
Giving attribute points and skill books is fine, but what's the deal with giving this stuff? Does it want him to be a pastry chef?
But now isn't the time to complain.
He turned around and looked at the figure leaning against the corner, panting heavily.
Asuna's current state was terrible.
Under the crimson hooded cloak, that slender body was trembling slightly and uncontrollably. This was the physiological reaction after overextending physical and mental energy.
Although her HP bar started to slowly recover after leaving combat, it still stayed in the dangerous red zone.
"Can you still stand up?"
Ye You walked over, looking down at her, his tone devoid of much emotion, "Or are you planning to just sit here until dark and wait for the next wave of respawns to send you back home?"
Hearing those slightly mocking words, the body under the cloak clearly stiffened.
Asuna jerked her head up sharply.
Although the hood hid most of her face, Ye You could still feel that gaze shooting out from the shadows.
Carrying a streak of stubbornness and a refusal to give in.
"It's none of your business."
Her voice was a bit raspy, with a hint of gritted teeth, "I can manage on my own."
As she spoke, she tried to stand up by leaning against the wall.
But she'd only pushed herself halfway up when her knees buckled, and she slumped back down hard.
"Sss..."
A suppressed cry of pain.
"Alright, stop acting tough."
Ye You sighed; this woman's temper was just as it was in the original work, foul and stubborn, a textbook tsundere.
He didn't reach out to help her—that would only provoke an even stronger resistance from her.
He sat his ass right down on the rubble opposite Asuna, maintaining a safe distance.
"This is a blind spot of the Safe Zone; the monster respawn interval is about fifteen minutes."
Ye You casually opened the menu and materialized a piece of dry rye bread from his backpack; it was the cheapest recovery item in the system shop, "It's enough to refill your HP."
Asuna remained silent.
She hugged her knees, burying her face deep into her arms.
The air felt a bit frozen.
Until—
"Grumble..."
A stomach growl abruptly echoed in the quiet corridor.
Source of the sound: Asuna's stomach.
At that moment, Ye You could even see that crimson hood give a sudden tremble.
Asuna froze completely, and the base of her ears flushed at a visible speed, turning bright red.
"Um... I..."
She tried to explain, but her voice was tiny.
In this world where even taste and hunger are perfectly simulated, hunger is a physiological instinct, and it has nothing to do with whether you're a beautiful girl or a guy who picks his feet.
"Catch."
Ye You didn't give her a chance to look for a hole to crawl into; with a flick of his wrist, that piece of rye bread landed in Asuna's lap.
Asuna fumbled to catch it.
The bread was rock hard and felt rough to the touch.
"Eat. It doesn't taste like much, but it'll fill your stomach."
Ye You took out a piece for himself too, took a bite without a care, and chewed expressionlessly, "In this hellhole, being able to stay alive and have a bite to eat is a luxury in itself."
Asuna looked at the bread in her hands and hesitated for a long time.
In the end, survival instinct triumphed over her sense of shame.
She cautiously lifted the hem of her hood a bit, revealing the lower half of a face so exquisite it made one's breath catch, her cherry-colored lips opening slightly as she took a small bite.
Her brows instantly furrowed.
Dry, rough, hard.
Just as Ye You said, this thing couldn't be called food at all; it was practically a torture device for the taste buds.
But she still forced herself to swallow it down.
"Well? Do you feel like life is hopeless?"
Ye You looked at her "mask of pain" expression and suddenly remembered that thing the system had rewarded him with just now.
"...It tastes terrible."
Asuna finally spoke, looking aggrieved, "Why does the food in this world taste so bad?"
"Because you haven't found the right way to enjoy it."
Ye You gave a mysterious smile.
He clicked open his inventory, and with a light tap of his finger, that exquisite glass jar appeared out of thin air in his hand.
"Try this."
He handed the jar over, "A rare drop from just now, consider it a thank-you gift for saving your life."
Asuna gave him a suspicious look, then looked at the jar.
Top-grade Fresh Cream.
The moment the lid was opened, a rich and mellow milky aroma instantly filled the air; that sweet scent seemed capable of dispelling all the gloom.
Asuna's eyes instantly lit up.
It was an instinctive reaction from someone with absolutely no resistance to sweets.
She hesitantly extended her finger, dipped a bit of cream, and spread it on that rock-hard piece of rye bread.
She took another bite.
This time, her expression changed.
Her furrowed brows relaxed, and a flash of surprise crossed her amber eyes. The creaminess and sweetness of the cream perfectly balanced the dryness of the bread; that long-lost sense of happiness exploded on her tongue.
"It's delicious..."
She murmured subconsciously, her tense shoulders relaxing along with it.
Watching this, Ye You inwardly gave the system a thumbs-up.
This Top-grade Fresh Cream was, in other words, a legendary tool for winning her over.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to steal it from you."
Ye You leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his gaze somewhat unscrupulously sizing up the girl in front of him as she nibbled on the bread.
Because she was eating, her hood slipped down a bit.
A few strands of chestnut hair fell beside her cheeks; that stunning face, which should have been famous throughout Aincrad in a few years, now carried a hint of youthfulness and innocence.
Especially with that bit of white cream stuck to the corner of her mouth, the coldness from before that kept everyone at a distance was completely gone, replaced by a dorky cuteness that made one want to tease her.
Seeming to have noticed Ye You's gaze, Asuna's movements paused.
She quickly raised her hand to wipe off the cream, then suddenly pulled her hood low again, covering most of her face.
"What are you looking at!"