my slow journey to infinity

Chapter 17 Shock!The two players were in the wild late at night...

Taking the center of the first floor of "Aincrad" as the origin, there is a huge swamp in the direction of 60 degrees east-north.

To the north of the swamp, there are mountains and labyrinth areas stretching east and west.

Out of a total of more than 22 players, about 7 to [-] have joined the active game, and this number will continue to increase in stages, which has led to the so-called resource point congestion problem.

It stands to reason that the world on the first level is a hundred times larger than during the closed beta, so leveling resources should be quite abundant.

But resource points also have advantages and disadvantages. Even if there are no intelligence dealers, players themselves will measure each resource point based on investment and benefits. In the world of SAO, safety is also included in the measurement conditions.

High-quality, safe, and high-yielding resource points will always attract a large number of players.

For example, near mountains, such as the outskirts of the maze area, this is currently the front line of the strategy. Most of the resources produced are used to strengthen weapons, and the output of experience and money is also higher than other places.

Another example is the forest. The vast forest produces various animal and plant materials, herbs, etc. Recently, the price of potions has increased, and the price of NPC purchasing herbs has also increased a lot.

There is also a huge grassland. The grassland surrounded by six starting towns is the best training ground for novices. It produces meat, bones, teeth and fur. The processed animal leather is necessary to strengthen clothing and equipment. Materials, and meat can be exchanged with NPCs for money.

Of course, the most important thing is safety.

This is why there aren't many players here in the swamp - it's too dangerous here.

As an area that is theoretically only slightly more difficult than the forest, now players would rather go to the next valley to hunt monsters with higher defenses rather than enter the swamp.

The reason why the swamp is dangerous is not single and easy to overcome, it is a comprehensive difficulty!The extremely small number of NPC village supply points and the complex environment with dense water networks are only apparent difficulties.

The most terrible thing is the monster group. The monsters here are of average level but very difficult to conquer.

A giant mosquito that can fly and drink blood to recover, a horned frog that jumps far away and can attack from a distance, a giant crocodile with thick health, high defense, high attack, and low chassis, a swamp python that can sneak attack, and a rope hook that allows players to use their weapons. Freed swamp kobold trappers and more.

Any one of these monsters would be quite disgusting in other areas, and the swamp is full of such things.

Players have been gnawing at it for a long time, especially some teams that thought they were strong. They wanted to take over this empty resource area, but in the end they only lost a lot of lives and added more shocking rumors to this area.

So much so that now, very few players hang out around here, especially lone players. These disgusting monsters are particularly unfriendly to lone wolves.

To sum up, this is a very suitable place for an orange name.

There is a buffer grassland in the north of the swamp that borders the mountainous area. It is connected to the swamp. The monster type is the disgusting monster in the swamp, but there is no trap-filled terrain in the swamp, so it is a slightly safer place to spawn monsters.

But there are no players here. The reason is simply the remoteness. The nearest supply village here takes seven or eight hours to walk. It is really disgusting to invest such time to kill these disgusting monsters.

So Wang Shui and Shino came here. They had to stay away from NPCs and players and use time and monster spawning to slowly wear away the orange state.

During the day, they lured the monster out of the swamp and onto the grassland to kill it. At night, the two of them retreated to the edge of the valley and built a small camp in the windless zone between the boulders.

Tonight, Wang Shui enlarged the fire pit with stones, then placed a clean stone slab on top to heat it, and used the stone slab to grill the fresh meat harvested today.

Shino, who had somewhat regained his energy, was now sitting far away on the edge of the fire, looking at the outskirts of the camp, as if he was wary of approaching monsters - in fact, he was just shy.

In other words, I have complicated feelings and cannot look into the eyes of "the monster who can see into people's hearts".

Sinon originally wanted to vent her complicated feelings on the monster, but the more she teamed up with Wang Shui, the more a special sense of distance filled her heart.

After just two days of cooperation, Shino realized how powerful Aqua Regia was in the game world.

The hunting efficiency and safety of the two of them as a team far exceeded that of Sinon's previous team.It seemed that no matter how difficult the monster was, he could not keep him busy. His attacks were always very coherent and continuous, and the control and suppression effect made Sinon extremely relaxed.

This afternoon, the two of them even defeated an elite monster with a crocodile model. This was a target that their team could not even imagine before, but now the big guy is exuding fragrance on the stone slabs.

She also played a big role in this, giving her the illusion that she had become stronger.

"Are you going to stop talking to me for the rest of your life?"

Wang Shui's tone did not have the cold and oppressive tone of yesterday. The relaxed and cheerful tone allowed Sinon to once again connect the [Half Heavenly Book] in the game with [Sato Shu] whom she had just met in real life.

But...he really killed someone, three people, and he wasn't affected at all?

It was hard for Shino not to compare Wang Shui with herself. In order to save her mother, she took away the robber's pistol and was forced to kill a murderer and robbery demon when the gun was snatched away. Such an experience has always bound her soul. , she is still dominated by nightmares and fears from time to time.

"Do you think I'm a murderous demon?" Wang Shui, who was turning over the barbecue, spoke again, feeling like he was being read.

"Although it is a bit redundant to say this, this is also the first time I kill someone. Across the Internet, across the hand of Kayaba Akihiko, it is like an executioner cutting the rope of the guillotine."

"This feeling is naturally different from your experience. At that time, it seemed that I could even choose to swing the sword, or choose to let them live and find some friends to put the robbers in the prison of [Black Iron Palace] Here, when the game is over, there will naturally be laws to judge their crimes."

"Perhaps outsiders would agree with the decisive killing, but when there are living lives under the sword, any normal person, of course, normal people who are not dazzled by various impulses, will hesitate, but I still choose to kill them .”

Wang Shui transferred the roasted crocodile meat to the warm stone, then sat next to Shino and shared it with her.

"There are three of them, and they are high-level orange players who are proficient in fighting between players. If they realize that I am just an ordinary player at level 7, both of us will die."

"Momentum and determination, that's why we survive."

"Actually, at that time, I originally thought that I would be timid and fearful. In the past, I would even faint from blood and feel dizzy when I smell the rust. But I didn't. This is probably thanks to the game developers for not making this place too realistic. .”

"Of course there are psychological burdens, but I know how to suppress them better than you, and I also know how to vent them when necessary, so don't think too much. The goal now is to live well."

Wang Shui ended the serious yet relaxed conversation and began to enjoy the much better tasting barbecue.

"Eat something, then communicate with me, and return to your original self. This is your recovery process. You said you would protect me the day before yesterday."

"I did not say!"

Shino quickly and firmly denied it in a low voice. She picked up grilled crocodile meat to satisfy her hunger, and at the same time thought carefully about whether she really said anything shameful that night.

"I care more about your opinion of barbecue than thinking about the past."

Pulled back from her thoughts, Shino tasted the grilled crocodile meat carefully. The taste of this elite monster is somewhat similar to the combination of chicken and beef. It has less fat and is very tough. The light saltiness and the burnt aroma of the meat make it not Very boring.

So she commented, "Why do you carry so much salt with you?"

Wang Shui, who had recently mastered the [Cooking] skill, was still looking forward to the first compliment from a diner, but Sinon's sudden confusion revealed bad memories.

"Ah... this is probably a bitter experience brought by life. How does it taste?"

"It tastes great. It's hard to imagine that this is that big guy's meat." Sinon's tone and demeanor also returned to calmness. She began to learn to let herself go and let herself think simply about living.

"The refresh time of elite monsters seems to be two days, but this type of monster wandering in the wild may not be easy to find."

Wang Shui began to seriously consider the issue of cooking ingredients. After a short period of silence, Shino finally couldn't help but ask:

"Sato Tong...Tian Shujun, I have another question to ask you."

Wang Shui was very satisfied with Shino's change of words. There was still someone who knew how to call him by his name.

"In this world, the most practical problem right now is naturally to conquer the game and become stronger. You probably want to ask how to become stronger, right?" Shino nodded and said: "The hunting efficiency of the two of us in the past two days, even It has surpassed our previous six-person team, we are not a team that just lives in vain, our character levels are all level 8."

Wang Shui shrugged: "This question is too simple. Even if I don't say it, you will understand it after a while, because this is a game."

"Some parts of the game world are difficult to understand with common sense. Especially in level-based games, once ability values, player levels, skill proficiency, and equipment are suppressed, many monsters with high difficulty will become very weak. "

"The strength you see about me is 35% due to my strength of 32 points and agility of [-] points, [-]% due to my weapons, and the remaining [-]% due to my fighting qualities."

Seeing Shino's thoughtful look, Wang Shui continued:
"There are two important cornerstones for becoming stronger in this game. The first and most important point is level and ability value, as well as rare and powerful equipment; the second is combat technology."

"Ability points and equipment are more important than technology?"

Shino still doesn't seem to understand that foreign objects are more powerful than technology. In her opinion, Wang Shui is using powerful skills to kill monsters.

"Otherwise, why do you think the strategy team would risk their lives to rush to the front line? The combat skills of many of them are not as strong as you think. What is really powerful for them is to enhance their experience. They know how to stack attributes effectively and efficiently. . Most of the real game fanatics have average physical fitness, let alone combat fitness."

Shino thought thoughtfully: "Then, how do I become stronger?"

"Then what do you want to become stronger in, and to what extent do you want to achieve it. Quickly accumulate equipment and attributes, and be at the forefront of the strategy? Or... do you want to defeat everyone?"

Wang Shui's rhetorical question was like a seed suddenly wedged into Shino's heart.

Defeat...everyone? !In this world, can it be done?

It seems that it can be done.

In the boring and blind real campus life, Shino never endured everything silently. She constantly wanted to get rid of PTSD and became stronger, but reality is reality, and she would not be gentler because of her strength.

But it's different here. This is a game, a hierarchical game. The role of numerical values ​​is even higher than the so-called combat quality. Here, she seems to have an equal opportunity to progress with the rest of the world!

She seems to have a chance to become a top combat power!
Feeling that Shino's aura became sharper, Wang Shui suddenly interrupted and interrupted:
"Wrong, you thought wrong again."

Um?Shino was awakened by water regia.

"Stacking numerical values ​​is indeed the main means for players to become stronger. It is even said to account for [-]% of a player's strength. However, this [-]% has an upper limit. When the difficulty of the strategy increases, the speed of accumulating numerical values ​​will slow down. Players who only accumulate numerical values ​​will be eliminated. To tie quickly is not really strong."

Wang Shui stared into Shino's beautiful ice-blue eyes and slowly explained:
"Combat quality only accounts for [-]%, but this is what really widens the gap between players, and it is also the most difficult to obtain. Just like mathematics in the comprehensive examination, it is the subject that can best differentiate students."

Shino said he understood, but his eyes seemed to be very dissatisfied with Wang Shui's mathematics.

"As long as you understand, then, without further ado, let's have a fight!" Wang Shui threw the empty slate aside and quickly stood up to change equipment.

"Huh? What...a fight? Here?"

"How do you think you can improve your combat quality and bully monsters that are weaker than you? PVP is the most effective method! There is no safety guarantee [in the circle] in the wild, so a half-health duel may result in death because the final blow exceeds half health. , we put on the equipment with the highest defense, use the weapon with the lowest attack, and use one-third of the health as the victory point."

Wang Shui's evil smile was particularly hateful under the firelight, "Don't worry, I will release the water."

This guy always makes people angry as fast as possible!

As a player who had the courage to face the death game on the first day and relied on her true strength to conquer the maze, although Sinon did not have a deep understanding of the game, the long-term battle did not fail to cultivate her confidence.Although her teammates took care of her, she was not a burden. On the contrary, Shino was the most proactive person in her original team.

"Okay, let me see your skills too!" Shino said angrily like a kitten with explosive hair. Even if she couldn't beat him, she still wanted to make Aqua Regia look good!
The two of them put on heavier armor, and their weapons were replaced by junk goods dropped by kobolds. Once these things were dropped, they were not durable enough, and their properties were even worse than those in stores. They usually had to be melted into metal ingots.

The countdown to the half-blood duel reached zero, and Sinon took up the dagger and charged forward. Thanks to her sword skills, her speed was so fast that she could pull out the afterimage.

On the opposite side, Wang Shui did not rush to recharge his sword skills. When Shino stabbed his chest with the dagger with green light, Wang Shui shook his head and stepped back, and then Sinon's sword skill stabbed him hard. --Air.

"You didn't even pay attention when you were spawning monsters. Your skills with people are really zero~"

Wang Shui mocked in a calm tone, and Sinon gritted his teeth and continued to attack.

"This is a bit interesting. People do occasionally resort to clever tricks when they are extremely angry. Hey, watch your step, you are about to trip over yourself."

When Shino was greedy to advance, Wang Shui moved away. Taking advantage of Shino's lack of sword skill bonus, he pushed Shino back with a squeeze, causing her to almost fall.

"It's my turn."

After Wang Shui finished speaking, he lunged and stabbed with his sword. Sinon subconsciously blocked the sword and blocked the blade, but Wang Shui immediately broke through the defense with Bu Bengjian and penetrated Shino's left shoulder.

Originally he should have drawn his sword and stabbed again, or followed up with a fist and kick attack, but Wang Shui retreated with his sword and pulled out a [horizontal slash] with his sword horizontally.

Sinon immediately used the [Backward Step] under the [Reaction Avoidance] skill to accelerate out of Wang Shui's attack range, but Wang Shui's sword skills were not just a single slash, and his feet also kept following up. This shot [ [Horizontal Slash] was released slowly and deliberately, and he followed Sinon seven or eight steps away.

The damage figures exploded, and the two people's high-speed moving figures stopped and stood still. Wang Shui retracted his sword and said with emotion:

"It seems that I am too optimistic. You are not even a blank slate now, and you have begun to develop deadly habits."

This time, Sinon was not frustrated or angry, but asked calmly:

"You mean you can still be saved? It doesn't matter if you take some time, just teach me how to defeat you first."

"I don't want to boast, but at this stage, I should be ranked in the top [-] of all players in terms of PVP. Even if I can teach you the skills to defeat me, it will be difficult for you to grow faster than me."

Wang Shui spread his hands, adjusted the weapon into a dagger like Sinon's, and gestured twice with it to get used to the center of gravity.

"You fill up your blood first, and then I'll try to deal with you with a dagger."

"Eh? You know how to use a dagger? You don't have the [Dagger] skill, right?" Shino expressed confusion.

"Anxin, you are no match for me even without sword skills. I usually read information on daggers."

In fact, it's not just daggers. After Wang Shui discovered that he had no limit on the number of skills, he immediately thought of the information he had written down when he first entered the game.

The 202 pieces of manuscript paper covered with densely packed small characters and pictures are various resources that Wang Shui collected before entering the game.

There are a small number of game guides and a large number of combat skills - as long as it is relatively complete information that can be found on the Internet, he has recorded it.

When recording this information, Wang Shui simply wanted to learn more about what fighting was, so that he wouldn't have to go into the game with a black eye and not know how to use a sword.

But since he discovered that there is no limit on the number of skills, Wang Shui has other ideas - he can learn miscellaneous skills!
In this world, he has a physical quality that far exceeds that of the real world. Whether it is strength or speed, he can easily imitate those martial arts movements.

And he still has many opportunities for actual combat, and in many cases there is no need to consider injuries and life-threatening injuries.

This is simply a paradise for exercising your skills and fighting qualities!

The mission of the infinite boss [Dream System] is of course the most important, and failure will result in being wiped out.But now it seems that no matter how hard Wang Shui works, he has to wait for Kirito to grow slowly, and wait for Kirito to be recognized by the game developer Kayaba Akihiko, so that Wang Shui can get the mission item [Seed of the World].

For others, entering the infinite world may lead to a thrilling chase and escape, but Aqua Regia has to endure a long time.But this played into Wang Shui's plan - he didn't think he would have the courage to fight for it after entering a world rich in resources.

The world of swords is just right for him.

Although he was a bit petty and had to start practicing basic sword skills, Wang Shui was already very satisfied.Starting to pay attention to the training of combat quality is not a whim of his current idea. As early as in the forest, when he dueled with Kirito, Wang Shui had made up his mind to become stronger here!

Just, getting stronger a little bit is considered getting stronger, right?
(End of this chapter)