Chapter 625 (1/2)
Chapter 625
Aincrad, 2nd floor…
Players continued appearing near the fountain plaza . They grouped up and they departed the plaza on their own terms . They curiously looked around when they first arrived . They were like inmates who were freed from their cages . They examined the town with the intrigue of a free man . They are also trying to accustom themselves to the change in the environment .
Most of the players here are veterans who came equipped with the best gear they could get their hands on . They had tankers with bulky armor, damage dealers with sharps weapons . They looked like an adventurer party typically seen in fantasy novels . This NPC town soon turned very lively with the arrival of the players .
Anyone who wants to seize control of their own fates chose to abandon the safety of the stagnant heaven known as the 1st floor in favor of the 2nd floor . This included specialist players who have sub-jobs .
To get stronger, they needed to go to higher levels . Specialists also needed to move here if they wanted to be closer to their clients and materials .
Some of these players came to sightsee . These players had foundations on the 1st floor, they had friends or businesses in the 1st floor that needed oversight so they can’t stay long on this level . By the time they left, only around 60-70% of the players who arrived here stayed behind .
It’s already almost half a day since the floor boss was killed .
The established squads and guilds are already gearing up to gather intel on the 2nd floor . They wanted to quickly get their hands on hunting grounds, field monster data, boss locations, and etc so they can get ahead of the compet.i.tion . With sufficient information and preparation, they can give the monsters a run for their money .
The Town of Beginnings in the 2nd floor quickly filled up with players roaming the street and exploring NPC shops . Some of them wanted to get their hands on newer material while others want to find better equipment . They also wanted to see if they can get secret missions or quests from random conversations with NPC . All in all, it was getting pretty hectic in this town .
While everyone’s busy with their own work, Wu Yan leisurely sat inside the hotel he’s staying in, drinking beer while killing time…
“Augh…”
He downed his beer and he sighed .
“It tastes better than the beer found on the 1st floor but at least it was free on the 1st floor . 20 Cors a bottle of beer? This ain’t a drink for the average novice or anyone who ain’t got the shekels…’
Said the player with millions of Cors in his inventory…
A menu appeared in front of Wu Yan when he tapped the table . He ordered a bottle of beer and he closed the menu .
The menu is more diverse here on the higher floor but the food here still couldn’t compare to his own cooking . He would rather drink his time away than waste his time on poor-tasting food .
Thus, Wu Yan drank while the NPC kept replacing the empty bottle with new ones whenever he ordered another beer . Wu Yan let the NPC do their jobs without bothering them . At one point, a six-person party appeared in front of the hotel he’s staying at .
Moonlit Black Cats entered the hotel and they found Wu Yan drinking beer in casual clothing . s.h.i.+on yelled while running towards Wu Yan .
“We are here~~` Wu-mugh…”
Wu Yan immediately gagged her .
“I am in my casual clothes because I don’t want people finding out about my ident.i.ty, don’t go blowing my cover with your yelling!”
Wu Yan made sure s.h.i.+on heard every word he said . By the time he was done, she almost fainted from the lack of oxygen .
His black coat and Heaven Gazer became a signature for the strongest player in SAO . Even his name is publicly known so the other players here will swarm this hotel if they found out he’s staying here .
The other Black Cats stopped in their tracks because they were just as guilty as s.h.i.+on . They almost yelled his name out loud . They choked on their own words, Souta & the other 3 had to beat their chest to relieve the pressure . Sachi is the only one who didn’t screw up .
“Onii-san…”
Sachi grabbed Wu Yan’s hand, the hand which silenced s.h.i.+on, and she beamed at him .
“I think you should let go . s.h.i.+on-chan is about to expire…”
s.h.i.+on’s eyes are rolling back because she’s about to faint . Wu Yan released his hand and this prevented the first impossible case of a player being choked to death in a safe zone .
“Ugh, I could have sworn I saw a person in white clothes with bird wings…”
s.h.i.+on returned to the world of the living and she wheezed while leaning on Sachi .
“Sachi, did you see it?…”
“Ahaha…”
Sachi awkwardly laughed .
“Fortunately, no…”
“Seriously, are you going to give it a rest…”
Souta slapped his shoulder with excitement written across his face .
“I know you’re strong but when I heard the news, I thought they are just blowing it out of proportions…’