Without Charlie's help, Asuna's pursuit of the Sly Shrewman was dramatic.
At one critical moment, Asuna was just a meter away from the Sly Shrewman, her hand nearly grabbing her rapier. But she was too focused on the creature to notice her footing. She stepped into a puddle and slipped, falling. Seizing the chance, the Sly Shrewman darted into the tunnel's darkness.
In another instance, Asuna acted smarter. She hid behind walls and rocks, waiting for a Sly Shrewman she suspected would pass by. When the monster approached, she leaped from hiding and attacked, killing it.
Unfortunately, as the creature fell, Asuna realized with frustration that it wasn't the one that stole her rapier.
In short, Asuna began hunting every Sly Shrewman she encountered, slaying them relentlessly. The process was unending, draining her time and energy, as she killed dozens of Sly Shrewmen, yet her rapier remained missing.
"Hey, Asuna, are you sure you don't want my help? It's been almost an hour since you lost your rapier."
Charlie offered again, unable to keep watching from the sidelines.
"This…"
Asuna hesitated. Though reluctant to rely too much on Charlie, she also didn't want to lose her beloved rapier. Frustration began to overwhelm her.
*TAP!* *TAP!* *TAP!* *TAP!*
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the silent catacomb corridors.
"Charlie, what are you doing?"
Asuna was confused as Charlie quickly pulled her to hide behind a dimly lit cave wall.
"Shhh—don't make a sound, Asuna. Two players are coming. Aside from their suspicious appearance, my instincts tell me they're very dangerous. At least, for you."
Charlie signaled for silence, narrowing his eyes as he watched two figures approaching from the opposite direction.
"…?"
Not understanding the situation, Asuna complied, abandoning her usual stubbornness. In serious moments, she fully trusted Charlie's judgment.
*TAP!* *TAP!* *TAP!* *TAP!*
The two players wore tattered hooded cloaks, their faces hidden in shadow. They stopped not far from where Charlie and Asuna hid.
"Hey, you're early today! Sorry for keeping you waiting." One cloaked player greeted with a cheerful, friendly tone, sitting on a large rock.
"Not too long, but coming here is such a hassle. And writing meeting notes is even more annoying. I can't use that pen. Can't we just send messages?" The other cloaked player complained, sounding like a gossiping housewife.
"No way. Messages leave a trace. Alright, let's get to the point. How's it going?"
"Yeah, it's going smoothly. The core ALS (Aincrad Liberation Squad) players will skip the joint countdown event the day after tomorrow and raid the labyrinth."
"Sounds good. It'd be boring if Kibaou-chan and Lind-chan didn't clash, right?"
"Don't make it sound easy. Organizing guild meetings and mobilizing them is tough, you know."
"I get it. But didn't the boss train you in some slick talking techniques for that?"
"That's true. Honestly, I'd rather they just kill each other. The problem is, I can't figure out what the boss is thinking. Why go through such a convoluted plan?"
"Hahaha… Right now, we're just sowing seeds. If we rush, the fun festival will end too quickly."
"I know! Enjoy the process, right?"
The two players, named Morte and Joe, continued their conversation, completely unaware their shady dealings were overheard. Especially by someone with a deep hatred for evil.
Though not a Justice Enforcer bound by strict morality, Charlie was an Anti-Evil who wouldn't tolerate wicked acts in his presence. Surely, Morte and Joe's fate was sealed—this would be their last day alive.
(Killing each other?)
Hearing their conversation, Asuna felt a chill, as if her blood ran cold.
In her view, there was no reason for players to kill each other. This wasn't a typical competitive game where defeat meant a temporary 'Game Over.' SAO was no ordinary game—it was a death game. Dying here meant dying in the real world.
(How can there be people this evil? We're all trapped here, our lives at stake every second, and these people want to manipulate others into killing each other? For what? They even called it a festival.)
(Don't they have a conscience? Don't they understand the consequences of their actions? Killing someone here means taking a real life, stealing their future, destroying their families.)
Asuna couldn't comprehend why some players would want to kill others in this situation.
[Asuna, what color are their cursors?]
"…?"
Charlie's voice suddenly rang in her mind, as clear as if he were whispering in her ear. Asuna nearly yelped, but before she could react, a hand quickly covered her mouth.
[Calm down.]
Charlie's voice came again, softer and soothing in her mind.
[It's just telepathy. Back to the main point—check the color of their cursors. You know I'm not a player, so I can't see cursors or HP bars in this game. Blink once if they're green, twice for orange, three times for red.]
For some reason, Asuna felt Charlie's tone at the end carried a chilling edge.
Peeking at the two players, still engrossed in their violent talk of murder, Asuna focused on the cursors above their heads. After a few seconds, she blinked three times.
[So… as I thought, they're trash…]
Charlie's voice now carried a dangerous edge, far from his usual calm.
[Asuna, don't watch what I'm about to do if you don't want to be traumatized.]
Under Asuna's confused gaze, Charlie stepped out from hiding.
His first step alone made Morte and Joe, previously chatting casually, instantly alert.
Their conversation stopped. Both instinctively drew their weapons, a hostile aura filling the dim catacomb air.