Journey to Planar World

”Charlie, you heard it, right?”

”Of course. I’m not deaf, okay?”

”Then let’s head to Tolbana.”

”Even if we go there, how do you plan to get them to reveal the Boss Room’s location?”

”Well…”

Asuna fell silent, unable to answer Charlie’s question.

Just moments ago, they overheard players talking about a major meeting in Tolbana to discuss the raid on the Floor 1 Boss.

This was a significant first step, a spark of hope.

After a month trapped on Floor 1, many players had grown desperate, sinking into fear and resignation. Hope was needed!

That’s why defeating the Floor 1 Boss couldn’t fail—it would pull players out of their fear and encourage them to actively work toward clearing SAO.

Charlie and Asuna had just learned from nearby players’ conversations that frontline players were spreading word of finding the Floor Boss Room. Anyone wanting to join the raid was asked to come to Tolbana.

”Don’t you have a solution? Can’t you use magic or something?”

Asuna asked again, her eyes looking at Charlie hopefully.

”I do.”

”You do?! Why didn’t you say so earlier, Charlie!”

”You didn’t ask, Asuna.”

From the playful smirk on Charlie’s face, Asuna knew he was teasing her.

After daily interactions, their relationship had grown comfortable, even laced with occasional teasing and light jabs.

”Fine, fine, my fault.” Asuna conceded, sighing in resignation.

”Let’s go to Tolbana then. Prove your words, Charlie. Before we face the Floor Boss. I don’t know how strong it is, but I’m worried there’ll be casualties if players fight it, right?”

”Most likely. The Floor 1 Boss, even if considered ’easy’ by beta testers, could be a nightmare for regular players.”

In the original story, there were indeed casualties during the Floor 1 Boss raid. Asuna’s speculation wasn’t wrong, and Charlie didn’t deny it.

”Let you handle the Floor Boss. You said you’re strong, right? Show me. I want to see you take it down alone.”

”Oh? You want me to handle it? No problem at all.”

Seeing how easily Charlie agreed, Asuna felt relieved but also a bit guilty.

”Thank you, Charlie. And… sorry.”

”Sorry for what?”

”I feel so selfish. Letting you face a dangerous enemy alone, even though it’s for all our safety. I don’t know how strong the Floor Boss is, but if even frontline players need to team up to face it, it must be really dangerous.”

Charlie gave a small smile, gently patting the top of Asuna’s head.

”Asuna, you’re overthinking the Floor Boss. For SAO players, they need to level up, equip the best gear, and form large parties to have enough strength to fight it.”

He lowered his hand, gazing at the sky.

”But I use a different power system. My strength and skills aren’t bound by this game’s parameters. I’m confident I could solo every Floor Boss up to Aincrad’s 100th floor. My only issue, as I’ve said, is finding the Boss Room, wherever it is.”

”…”

Asuna fell silent, processing his words. A new understanding slowly sank in.

If Charlie was telling the truth, his power was on an entirely different level from other players. Her guilt eased slightly, replaced by a stronger spark of hope.

Recalling Charlie’s earlier action, Asuna huffed, stomping her foot in frustration.

”I’ve told you so many times, stop patting my head! I’m not a kid!”

”In my eyes, you’re still a kid.”

”What?!”

Asuna exclaimed in disbelief, but Charlie just chuckled softly.

Their little argument somehow felt comforting amidst Aincrad’s tension.

They continued chatting, trading light teases and banter, as they walked toward Tolbana.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

The Floor 1 Boss strategy conference was set for 4 p.m. in Tolbana’s town square.

Though there was still time, players were already gathering.

Among the roughly 70 players filling the square, Charlie and Asuna were present, sitting apart from the crowd.

’Kirito’s gear doesn’t match the original timeline. This must be Miguel’s doing.’

Scanning the crowd, Charlie quickly spotted Kirito, sitting alone not far from where he stood with Asuna.

Unlike most players grouped in parties of four or five, only a few solo players stood out.

That was normal.

Sword Art Online wasn’t just a game; death was final.

So, regular players teamed up to increase safety and survival odds.

Only beta testers, unwilling to carry ”burdens” (regular players), rushed to gather resources and grow stronger.

Charlie observed Kirito closely. He looked more worn and exhausted, his gear tattered, far from the image of a tough beta tester.

This strengthened Charlie’s suspicions about Miguel’s interference.

’After this, I need to meet him to exchange info. I want to know if he’s fought the Abyssal Devourer yet.’

Suddenly, Charlie felt a gaze on him, but when he tried to find its source, no one seemed to be looking directly at him.

He suspected it was Miguel, possibly hiding in another dimension using the Doa Doa no Mi’s power.

*CLAP!* *CLAP!*

A clear clap broke the growing noise in the square.

”May I have your attention?”

All eyes turned toward the central fountain.

A player stood there.

He wore bronze armor on his chest, shoulders, arms, and shins, with a large longsword at his left waist and a kite shield on his back. His blue hair had long bangs, and his eyes were blue. His clothing beneath the armor was also blue.

”Thank you all for responding to my invitation. My name’s Diavel. You can consider my class a Knight.”

After introducing himself cheerfully, the anxious players seemed to calm slightly.

They knew SAO had no class system, but Diavel’s introduction brought a sense of formality and leadership.

From there, everything followed the original storyline.

Diavel announced his group had found the stairs to the Boss Room on the labyrinth’s highest floor.

After declaring that climbing Aincrad was possible, Diavel was interrupted by Kibaou, who demanded that all beta testers present apologize for abandoning new players and compensate with money and items.

Charlie had no intention of intervening and simply watched the show.

”What do you think of beta testers, Charlie?”

Asuna asked softly, only for Charlie to hear.

The question stemmed from Mito, her close friend who betrayed her, also being a beta tester.

”Nothing wrong with them, Asuna. Humans are selfish. It’s understandable that beta testers wanted to get a head start and strengthen themselves for their own sake. That’s basic survival instinct.”

”Are all regular players saints or something? In the month since SAO officially launched, the players gathered here reached high enough levels to challenge the Floor Boss. That means they’ve gathered as much info as beta testers.”

Pausing, Charlie gestured with his chin toward the crowd.

”But how many of them would share their info with lower-level players or those in the Town of Beginnings? I bet not many.”

Asuna looked away, pondering Charlie’s words.

Then, seeing a tall, baldy head, dark-skinned man counter Kibaou’s accusations, Charlie’s words suddenly made perfect sense.

Everyone was chasing personal gain.

”These beta testers… why are they so confident in their knowledge?” Asuna muttered, mostly to herself.

”Before the game’s official launch, the company invited people to play early. Those were the ’beta testers,’ as they’re called. Their purpose was to help gather data, find bugs, and suggest improvements to make the game near-perfect before public release.”

”But many forget one key thing. After the official launch, parts of the game were modified, fixed, or changed. Not everything matches their closed beta experience.”

”So, beta testers who think they know everything, overconfident in their info, and then face situations different from the beta… they’re likely in greater danger than regular players who know nothing and stay cautious.”

This wasn’t just talk. Charlie had seen beta testers die. Even Asuna’s friend, Mito, made mistakes due to inaccurate info.

”So, they could die from overconfidence?” Asuna frowned, processing this.

”Exactly. Of the roughly 2,000 players who died this month, some were beta testers.”

”They trusted their closed beta knowledge without suspecting that things had changed post-launch. When faced with unexpected situations, they couldn’t adapt and died.”

Charlie nodded, watching the drama between Kibaou and Agil unfold.