"What's the method of use?"
Kirito stared at the map and tapped it twice, finding that nothing happened.
He then asked in confusion.
Kizmel lifted a corner of the map and explained, "This is made from the dried carcass of a monster called 'Skia,' a material similar to parchment."
"Skia… what's that?"
Hearing the unfamiliar monster name, both Kirito and Akimi asked.
There was no mention of this monster during the beta test or even in the official game database—it seemed that Kayaba Akihiko had added it after the official launch.
"Skia is a special monster that appears in abandoned mansions or ancient ruins. They always appear in pairs and are uniquely linked. After being made into parchment, if you drip blood on one sheet, the same spot on the other will show a bloodstain."
Upon hearing that, Akimi thoughtfully stroked his chin and said, "So in other words—if both sheets have the same map drawn on them, then you can use a blood drop to pinpoint the meeting location. That about right?"
Kizmel nodded.
"As for the meeting time… I think it relies on these small dots."
Akimi pointed to the tiny dots at the edge of the map.
There were twenty-four dots in total, evenly distributed along the map's border.
Between each dot were many fine tick marks—easy to overlook unless examined carefully.
"One dot equals one hour. That makes it pretty much like a regular clock—so we can use it to meet up with the Fallen Elves whenever we like. Now, all we need is to convince Kibaou and Lind."
As Akimi spoke, he pulled out a gold-colored VC token from his pocket, three centimeters in diameter, engraved with the letters "VC."
"The VC Kirito's holding will be used to exchange for the Volupta Sword. Mine will be entirely spent on top-tier potions, items, and materials—then we use the Volupta Sword as bait—"
Kirito picked up from there: "Tell the Kibaou and Lind that if they help us defeat the boss, the side that contributes more can buy the Volupta Sword for four hundred thousand Cor."
"?"
Argo looked at them with a confused, incredulous expression.
She swirled the last bit of liquor in her glass and leaned toward Kirito.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kirito, you're not running a fever, are you? That sword's worth a hundred thousand chips—ten million Col! And you're selling it for four hundred thousand?"
Kirito helplessly pushed Argo back a little and spread his hands.
Calmly, he said, "Our original capital was just three hundred thousand Col. Selling it for four hundred thousand is already profit—and if we don't offer a bargain, why would they ever agree to help us?"
Argo grumpily rubbed her nose and sat back on the sofa.
Still dissatisfied, she muttered, "Then… at least sell it for one million Col… selling a ten-million Col sword for four hundred thousand is just way too much of a loss…"
As a qualified merchant, Argo's instincts constantly urged her to maximize profits.
Such a massive loss was hard for her to accept.
"Alright—out of the one hundred thousand Col we'll earn, I'll give you fifty thousand. That good enough?"
Argo, who had just been pouting, froze for a second, then her eyes sparkled—but she quickly composed herself and said coolly:
"Seriously… forget it. I don't need your fifty thousand Col, Kirito. You barely scraped together that one hundred thousand yourself. I'm the top informant in SAO. I'm way richer than you."
Kirito was briefly stunned by her words, and when he came back to his senses, he gave her a glare and didn't say anything more.
Just then, a hurried knock came from outside the door.
Huazo opened it and said in a low voice, "Sister, Bardun is back."
"He's finally back... Kirito, let's go."
As Akimi spoke, he grabbed Kirito by the arm and left the room, heading straight for the prize exchange counter.
Before long, the two arrived at the prize counter.
Kirito took the chip Akimi handed him, placed it together with his own, and lightly tapped them on the counter.
He said to the NPC in a red uniform:
"The Sword of Volupta. Exchange the rest for healing potions, antidotes, and weapon enhancement materials."
As the two gleaming gold chips landed on the counter with a crisp sound, the area around the prize booth fell silent.
The NPC was visibly stunned for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
With a polite smile toward the two of them, she said, "Understood."
She then walked to the display case, pressed a button, and with a mechanical whir, the glass case containing the silver sword slowly descended from the top.
The NPC first took out the blue-black leather scabbard of the Sword of Volupta—though the scabbard had some scale-like patterns on it.
After confirming everything was in order, she retrieved the sword, slid it into the scabbard, and then held it up with both hands, presenting it to the pair.
"This is the Sword of Volupta you requested. Please accept it."
Kirito carefully received the sword from her hands.
The moment he held it, he marveled silently in his heart:
So light!
Despite its heavy appearance, the Sword of Volupta was surprisingly light—about the same as the Sword of Eventide Kirito was currently using.
Next, another NPC came over to the counter carrying a large leather bag.
After placing it on the counter, he said, "Here are the potions and materials you requested."
He then took out six black cards from behind the counter and said, "These are entry passes to our casino's private beach."
The cards were made of a material somewhere between jade and plastic—smooth on the outside, engraved with images of dragons and lilies.
The grooves of the carvings were inlaid with gold filigree, giving the cards a luxurious and high-end appearance.
Akimi accepted the cards, and just as he and Kirito were about to leave, all the NPCs behind the counter bowed toward them and said:
"Congratulations on winning the casino's grand prize. We look forward to your next visit."
The nearby crowd of NPC gamblers also began to murmur in awe:
"Whoa—! Someone actually won a hundred thousand chips!"
"It wasn't just a hundred thousand, you idiot! It was two hundred thousand!"
"The legendary sword that had been on display at the Volupta Grand Casino for centuries has finally been claimed."
"Unbelievable!"
However, Akimi and the others had no time to entertain these NPCs—they needed to find Fang King and Lind quickly and begin negotiations.
"Are things settled on Kibaou and Lind's end?"
Kirito glanced at the message panel and replied, "No problem. Liten and Shivata have already brought ALS and DKB to the same restaurant as planned. It's just a little east of the casino."
"Then let's go," Akimi said.
"Time to talk to Kibaou and Lind."
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