Volume 1 — Chapter 4.1 The Name of the Black Swordsman

The battle was over.

The enormous body of the Level 47 Blood Demon slowly disappeared into countless particles of light.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

The players simply stared at the place where the monster had stood.

Then the system announcement appeared.

[Second Floor Boss has been defeated.]

[Congratulations to the players who participated in the battle.]

[The path to the Third Floor has been unlocked.]

Airi stood silently.

Her breathing was still uneven.

Her right hand hurt.

Even though the wound had already disappeared after the battle, she could still remember the sensation of the Cerberus biting into her flesh.

The pain had been real.

Too real.

Airi looked at the man standing beside her.

He was wearing a completely black cloak with dark purple details.

His face was calm.

In his hands were two swords.

One sword was longer than the other.

Both were covered with traces of the battle.

The man slowly returned the swords to their sheaths.

Click.

The sound was surprisingly quiet.

Airi looked at him.

"You..."

The man turned toward her.

"You saved me before."

Airi blinked.

"Me?"

He nodded.

"Behind the broken wall."

Airi remembered.

The wounded player.

His HP had reached zero.

She had used ERASURE on him.

At the time, she had not even known whether the skill would work.

"I thought you were unconscious."

"I was."

He smiled slightly.

"And if you hadn't used that strange magic on me, I wouldn't be standing here."

Airi looked at him carefully.

"Then why did you come back?"

The man was silent for a moment.

Then he answered.

"Because I owed you a life."

Airi did not know what to say.

The man extended his hand.

"My name is Kurogane Renji."

He paused.

"In Japanese, 黒鉄 蓮司."

Airi stared at him.

"Renji... Kurogane?"

He nodded.

"For the game, I use the player name BlackZero."

Airi's eyes widened.

"BlackZero?"

Several nearby players heard the name.

Their expressions immediately changed.

One of them whispered:

"BlackZero..."

Another player looked shocked.

"That BlackZero?"

"The beta tester?"

"The one who reached the fortieth floor?"

Airi looked from the players to Renji.

"You're famous?"

Renji gave a tired expression.

"I wouldn't say famous."

A player nearby immediately interrupted.

"Don't lie!"

"You were one of the strongest beta testers!"

"You reached Floor 40 before the others!"

"You were one of the first players to fight monsters above Level 30!"

Renji sighed.

"I see people still remember that."

Airi looked at him with curiosity.

"So you really reached the fortieth floor?"

"Yes."

"During the beta?"

"Yes."

"How did you get that far?"

Renji looked toward the enormous gate leading to the Third Floor.

"Experience."

He paused.

"And patience."

Airi tilted her head.

"That doesn't sound like enough."

A small smile appeared on Renji's face.

"It wasn't."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Airi looked at his swords.

"You use two swords."

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because one sword wasn't enough."

Airi stared at him.

Renji continued.

"When I reached the higher floors during the beta test, I realized that the enemies became faster. Their attacks became harder to predict. Eventually, I started using a second sword."

"Is that why people call you the Black Swordsman?"

"That's what other players started calling me."

Airi nodded slowly.

She looked at him again.

There was something strange about Renji.

He was not arrogant.

He did not act like a legendary player.

He simply stood there as though everything that had happened was normal.

But Airi had seen him fight.

His movements were different from those of ordinary players.

Every step had a purpose.

Every attack was calculated.

Even when Cerberus moved faster than Airi could follow, Renji had managed to read its movements.

He had fought like someone who had spent years inside the world of M.A.O.

Airi suddenly remembered something.

"Renji."

"Yes?"

"How many floors did you reach before the game changed?"

"Forty."

"And after that?"

"I never went farther."

"Why?"

Renji's expression became serious.

"Because the beta test ended."

Airi lowered her eyes.

So this man had once explored the tower before anyone else.

He knew things that ordinary players did not.

He had fought monsters that many players had never even imagined.

And now he was trapped here just like everyone else.

Renji looked toward the Third Floor.

"But things are different now."

"Different?"

"The tower."

His voice became quieter.

"During the beta, the tower followed rules. Monsters had fixed levels. Certain areas had fixed difficulties. The bosses were powerful, but their behavior was predictable."

Airi remembered Cerberus.

"Not anymore."

"No."

Renji looked at her.

"Now the administrator is changing everything."

Airi did not answer.

She knew exactly what he meant.

The Bloody Feast.

The monsters.

The increased difficulty at night.

The inability to log out.

The deaths.

Everything had changed.

Airi looked around.

The players who had survived the battle were exhausted.

Some were sitting on the ground.

Some were checking their equipment.

Others were talking quietly about what had happened.

Nobody was celebrating.

How could they?

More than one hundred players had already died.

And everyone knew that if they died here, they would die in the real world too.

The game was no longer a game.

It had become their world.

Their prison.

Their battlefield.

Their only chance to survive.

Renji suddenly spoke.

"We should go."

"Where?"

"The Third Floor."

Airi looked toward the enormous gate.

The doors slowly opened.

Beyond them was a bright light.

One by one, players began moving forward.

Airi followed.

Renji walked beside her.

The Third Floor

The moment Airi stepped through the gate, everything changed.

The darkness of the tower disappeared.

Instead, she saw a vast city.

Stone buildings stood along wide streets.

There were shops.

Restaurants.

Weapon stores.

Armor shops.

Item stores.

Large guild buildings.

A fountain stood in the center of the city.

People were everywhere.

Players.

NPCs.

Adventurers.

Merchants.

Blacksmiths.

Children.

Travelers.

It looked like a real fantasy city.

Airi stopped walking.

"...Wow."

Renji looked at her.

"This is the Third Floor."

"It's completely different."

"Yes."

Airi slowly turned around.

The tower was still behind them.

But the Third Floor did not feel like the inside of a dungeon.

It felt like another world.

A world where people lived.

A world where adventurers gathered.

A world where players could finally breathe.

Airi looked up.

The sky was blue.

Real sunlight covered the city.

For the first time since entering M.A.O., Airi felt warmth on her face that did not come from a monster attack or magic.

She closed her eyes.

The sunlight felt peaceful.

For a moment, she forgot that she was trapped inside a deadly game.

Then she opened her eyes again.

"This place..."

Renji nodded.

"During the beta, this was one of the safest places in the tower."

"Safest?"

"Relatively speaking."

Airi smiled.

"That's not very reassuring."

Renji laughed quietly.

"It's still safer than the first two floors."

Airi looked toward the streets.

Players were already beginning to settle down.

Some entered shops.

Others searched for inns.

Some immediately began looking for information about the next floor.

Airi watched them.

Everyone seemed to have their own plans.

But something had changed.

They were no longer simply running.

They had finally reached a place where they could stop.

Even if only for a short time.

Several Days Later

The first day in the city passed quickly.

Airi and Renji found an inn.

It was a simple building with wooden walls, several tables, and a large fireplace.

The innkeeper was an NPC.

She smiled warmly when they entered.

"Welcome, adventurers."

Airi looked at Renji.

"NPCs really behave like normal people."

"They are designed that way."

"But..."

Airi looked around.

"Sometimes they don't feel like NPCs."

Renji was silent.

"I know."

They rented two separate rooms.

Airi entered hers and immediately sat on the bed.

The bed was soft.

Much softer than she expected.

She fell backward.

"Ah..."

For the first time in days, she felt completely exhausted.

She stared at the ceiling.

Mika.

Her best friend.

The thought came suddenly.

Airi's smile disappeared.

Mika was still missing.

She had been deleted from Astrea.

Airi did not know if there was a way to bring her back.

She did not even know if Mika was still alive somewhere inside the system.

Airi closed her eyes.

"I'll find you."

She whispered the words.

"I promise."

The next morning, Airi woke early.

She went downstairs.

Renji was already there.

He was sitting at a table and drinking something that looked like coffee.

"You sleep well?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Airi sat down.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About the next floor?"

"Partly."

Renji looked at her.

"The city has something important."

"What?"

"Information."

Airi understood.

The tower could not be conquered by strength alone.

They needed knowledge.

They needed maps.

Monster information.

Boss information.

Item information.

Player information.

Most importantly, they needed to understand what Vygeo had changed.

Airi and Renji spent the entire morning walking through the city.

They visited weapon shops.

They visited magic shops.

They checked the prices of healing items.

They looked at armor.

They listened to conversations between players.

Slowly, Airi began to understand how the city worked.

Players could sell monster materials.

They could buy equipment.

They could accept quests.

They could form parties.

They could stay at inns.

They could even work as craftsmen.

The Third Floor was not simply a place between battles.

It was a complete adventurer city.

And for the first time, Airi realized something.

If M.A.O. was truly designed as a living world, then there were probably countless systems that players had not discovered yet.

On the second day, Airi went to the training area.

It was located outside the main city.

Many players were practicing there.

Some used swords.

Others used bows.

Mages practiced spells.

A few players were experimenting with unusual skills.

Airi watched them for several minutes.

Then Renji appeared.

"Want to train?"

"Yes."

Airi stood up.

Renji drew one sword.

"Attack me."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

Airi activated her Mana Eye.

The world changed.

She could see the flow of mana.

She could see Renji's movements.

She could see the subtle changes in his posture.

But she still could not completely predict him.

Airi attacked.

Renji blocked.

She attacked again.

He moved aside.

Airi used magic.

Renji dodged.

Then Airi activated her Manipulation of Space and Time.

The space between them distorted.

Renji immediately moved backward.

"Good."

Airi looked surprised.

"You saw it?"

"I felt it."

"How?"

"Experience."

Airi frowned.

"Again with experience."

Renji smiled.

They continued training.

For several hours.

Airi learned how Renji moved.

Renji learned how Airi used magic.

Neither of them tried to defeat the other.

They were learning.

Preparing.

Surviving.

The third day was quieter.

Airi spent the morning walking through the city.

She discovered a small bakery.

The smell immediately caught her attention.

She entered.

The NPC behind the counter smiled.

"Would you like something sweet?"

Airi looked at the shelves.

There were cakes.

Bread.

Cookies.

Fruit pies.

And a small strawberry cake.

Airi's eyes stopped on it.

"How much?"

The NPC told her the price.

Airi bought it.

She sat near the window.

For a few minutes, she simply ate.

It was strange.

She was trapped in a deadly game.

People were dying.

Her best friend was missing.

And yet she was sitting in a bakery eating cake.

Airi almost laughed.

"This world is strange."

Renji, who had entered the bakery a few minutes earlier, sat across from her.

"You like sweets?"

"Yes."

"Good to know."

Airi looked at him suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You look like you're planning something."

"I'm not."

Airi continued eating.

"You're suspicious."

Renji smiled.

"You say that while eating cake."

"It's delicious."

"I can see that."

Airi turned her face away.

The fourth day was when they learned more about the city.

A group of players had created a temporary information board.

They recorded everything they knew about the tower.

Monster levels.

Locations.

Items.

Boss rumors.

Dangerous areas.

Airi and Renji spent several hours reading it.

Some information was outdated.

Some was incomplete.

Some was completely wrong.

But one thing was clear.

Nobody knew what awaited them beyond the third floor.

The beta testers had information about the early floors, but the current version of the tower was different.

Vygeo had changed the rules.

The monsters could become stronger.

The difficulty could change.

Even the nighttime system was different.

Airi looked at the information board.

"We can't trust the beta completely."

Renji nodded.

"Correct."

"Then how do we know what is safe?"

"We don't."

Airi sighed.

"That's terrible."

"It's reality."

Airi looked at him.

Renji's expression was serious.

"We can only gather information and adapt."

Airi nodded.

That was what she had been doing from the beginning.

Survive.

Learn.

Adapt.

Move forward.

The fifth day was different.

Airi woke up to loud voices outside.

She went downstairs.

Players were gathering in the streets.

Something had happened.

Airi immediately followed them.

At the center of the city, a large crowd had gathered.

A new system message appeared.

[Announcement.]

[The Third Floor Adventurer Guild has been unlocked.]

[Players may now register as adventurers.]

The crowd became excited.

The Adventurer Guild.

Airi looked at Renji.

"What does this mean?"

Renji smiled.

"It means the real adventure begins here."

Airi looked toward the enormous guild building.

Its doors were opening.

Hundreds of players began moving toward it.

Airi followed.

Inside were quest boards.

Reception desks.

Maps.

Information counters.

The guild offered missions to players.

Monster extermination.

Item collection.

Escort missions.

Exploration.

Information gathering.

Airi realized that the city could become much more important than she had expected.

They could earn money.

They could gain experience.

They could gather information.

And perhaps...

They could find clues about Mika.

Airi's expression became serious.

"I want to register."

Renji nodded.

"Then let's do it."

They walked toward the reception desk.

The NPC receptionist looked at them.

"Welcome to the Adventurer Guild."

She smiled.

"Please provide your names."

Airi answered first.

"Airi Amamiya."

The receptionist entered the information.

Then she looked at Renji.

"And you?"

Renji answered calmly.

"Kurogane Renji."

The receptionist paused.

"Player name?"

Renji looked at Airi.

Then he answered.

"BlackZero."

The receptionist's expression changed.

She looked at him for a moment.

Then she continued entering the information.

Airi smiled.

"So now the entire city knows your real name."

Renji sighed.

"I suppose it was bound to happen eventually."

Airi laughed.

For the first time in several days, the sound was natural.

Not forced.

Not nervous.

Just laughter.

Renji looked at her.

"You're smiling."

Airi stopped.

"So?"

"Nothing."

She looked away.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"To find information about the next floor."

Renji stood up.

"Of course."

They left the guild together.

Outside, the sunlight covered the city.

The streets were full of players.

Some were preparing for quests.

Some were shopping.

Others were practicing.

The city had begun to feel alive.

Airi looked at the enormous tower rising beyond the buildings.

The next floors were waiting.

More monsters.

More bosses.

More dangers.

And somewhere inside this enormous world was the answer to what had happened to Mika.

Airi clenched her fist.

"I'll reach the top."

Renji looked at her.

"Why?"

Airi stared at the tower.

"Because I want to escape."

She paused.

"And because there are people I need to find."

Renji did not ask any more questions.

He simply nodded.

"Then I'll help you."

Airi looked at him.

"Why?"

Renji smiled.

"Because you saved my life."

He looked toward the tower.

"And because I want to see how far this new version of Astrea can really go."

Airi smiled.

"Then let's conquer it."

The two walked through the streets of the adventurer city.

For several days, they prepared.

They trained.

They gathered information.

They bought equipment.

They accepted quests.

They learned about the monsters.

And slowly, the Third Floor became their temporary home.

But neither of them forgot the truth.

This peaceful city was only a stop.

Beyond it waited the fourth floor.

Then the fifth.

Then the floors beyond the limits of the beta test.

And somewhere above them waited the unknown.

Airi looked up at the tower one final time.

The sunlight reflected from its enormous walls.

She did not know what awaited her.

She did not know whether she would survive.

She did not know whether Mika could be saved.

But now she had an ally.

The legendary Black Swordsman.

Kurogane Renji.

Player Name: BlackZero.

And together, they would continue climbing.

The adventure had only just begun.

 End of chapter 4.1