The raid for the seventh floor came to a temporary end.
Thanks to Akimi and the others' rushed efforts, the critically injured Nirrnir was treated with Dragon's Blood—not only was the effect of the Silver Poison completely cleared, but her nearly depleted HP was also instantly restored to full.
When Kirito was about to fulfill his promise to Kibaou and Lind, he instinctively glanced at his character panel—only to be shocked to find that his experience bar, which was nearly full and ready to level up, was now empty.
During the pursuit of the Fallen Elf, Kirito had already reached level 24, and logically, the experience gained from defeating Aghyeller should have significantly boosted his EXP.
After asking Nirrnir, he found out that the Volupta Sword—whose true name was Doleful Noe, the Doleful Nocturne—was a sacred weapon exclusive to the Lord of the Night.
Only the Lord of the Night and their chosen could use it without consequences.
Others who wielded it would have to pay a price in soul—in game terms, it meant sacrificing experience points.
Enough to even drop a level.
Upon learning this truth, Kibaou and Lind fell into a long silence.
"Ahhhhh—! Damn you, Blackie! Damn you, Young Master! You two did this on purpose, didn't you?!"
Kibaou angrily grabbed Akimi and Kirito by their collars, shouting loudly at them.
Lind stood beside him with an equally unfriendly expression.
This made Akimi and the others visibly awkward.
They turned their heads away guiltily, avoiding Kibaou's glaring eyes.
"Ah... ha, haha..." Kirito scratched the back of his head and let out a dry laugh.
"Actually, we... we didn't know about this either..."
Akimi added with an apologetic smile, "Uh, how about we give you the boss drop instead? I mean, it's not as valuable as the Volupta Sword... but it's totally free."
There was no helping it—this time, they really were in the wrong.
In the end, Kibaou and Lind accepted Akimi's offer with great reluctance, choosing to cut their losses.
-----------------
"Dodododo!—Clatter."
Kirito stood at the kitchen counter, repeatedly slicing strange, oddly-shaped fruits with a small paring knife—fruits so bizarre it was hard to tell what they were.
He dropped the chopped pieces into several wine glasses.
"Hey! Kirito! Wait a second—did you just put something weird in there?!"
Not far away, Akimi, holding a keg of alcohol, gave Kirito a suspicious look and questioned him, "If I'm not mistaken... you just added Nasoth Fruit, didn't you?"
Well, technically, Nasoth Fruit is edible.
It's sweet and spicy—and lets you truly understand what it feels like to be bitten by fruit.
Hearing Akimi's voice, Kirito rushed over and covered his mouth, holding a finger to his lips.
"Shh! Don't shout! Later we'll let Agil and the others enjoy a little surprise poking their butts with knives."
Akimi, caught off guard, immediately shoved Kirito away—Seriously?! You're wearing gloves, sure, but those gloves are still soaked in Nasoth Fruit juice and you just used them to cover my mouth? Are you trying to murder me?!
But it was too late.
As a tingly shock sensation spread across his lips, Akimi silently set the keg down and—in a flash—grabbed Kirito's hand and shoved it into his face.
"No way I'm suffering alone."
Akimi stated flatly.
"...Same here."
Kirito replied.
Then the two of them poured the fruit wine from the keg into the glasses filled with Nasoth Fruit, carried the tray of drinks, and headed toward the beach.
Under the night sky, the deep navy-blue sea stirred with waves from the sea breeze, gently lapping at the fine white sand, breaking into foamy white spray.
At the far end of this not-so-vast coastal area, beyond Aincrad, stars twinkled in the distance.
The lights from the casino behind them faintly illuminated the beach, and the noise from the gamblers had faded into barely audible murmurs.
Torches stuck in the sand emitted a warm orange glow, standing in stark contrast against the dark sky and sea.
By the shoreline, five girls in various stylish swimsuits were splashing in the water; on the other side of the beach, five towering, muscular men—dressed only in tight swim trunks—were gathered, deeply engaged in discussing philosophy♂.
(Swimsuit Showcase)
"Ahahaha... Here comes the booze!"
Akimi and Kirito approached with mischievous grins, holding a tray full of special fruit cocktails.
"Ah, perfect timing. I was getting a little thirsty."
Agil immediately came over, grabbed a glass, and downed it in one go.
"Wuuagh—!"
As the burning and electric sensation hit his throat, Agil couldn't help but let out a small cry.
But he quickly composed himself, hiding the pain, and calmly said to his dear companions, "Not bad at all. You guys should try it too."
Asuna, wearing a sleek white one-piece swimsuit that accentuated her stunning figure, sharply noticed the unnatural twitch on Agil's face.
She eyed the tray in Akimi and Kirito's hands with suspicion.
Seeing Asuna's expression, Akimi knew she was probably out of reach and chuckled lightly.
He picked up a glass from the edge of the tray and handed it to her, lowering his voice:
"Kirito and I spiked the drinks with Nasoth Fruit—wait, what's with that look? Don't worry, this one's clean."
Asuna took a cautious sip, still a little skeptical.
Once she was sure he was telling the truth, she took the glass and returned to her lounge chair.
In the end, the results of the special "cocktail surprise" were as follows: every male fell victim—including Kirito and Akimi themselves, who were eventually caught and force-fed two glasses by Agil and the others.
As for the girls, only Argo got hit.
Nirrnir wasn't interested in fruit liquor, Kizmel was extremely sensitive to the pungent smell of Nasoth Fruit, Kio didn't want to drink, and Asuna had Akimi's private tip-off.
Listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach, Akimi slowly leaned back into his lounge chair.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Asuna lying on another chair not far away.
The silvery moonlight bathed Asuna's fair skin, while the torchlight glowed against her chestnut hair, making her silhouette seem to shimmer in a soft halo.
"Had enough staring?"
Asuna, having long since noticed Akimi's gaze, spoke in a tone of feigned composure.
"How could I ever get enough?" Akimi shook his head and smiled.
"Asuna is so beautiful—I'll never get tired of looking."
"...Y-You..." Asuna blushed, turning her head away, no longer looking at him.
She murmured softly, "I-Idiot..."
"Hey, looks like we've pretty much accomplished our main goal for the seventh floor. Tomorrow, let's go check out that special mineral site Kio mentioned. After that, it's probably time to head to the eighth floor," Akimi said cheerfully.
"As for tracking the Fallen Elf camp, let's leave that to Kirito. With Nirrnir's help, they should be fine."
In fact, after they cleared the boss, Nirrnir used her heightened senses as the Lady of the Night to help Kirito and his team locate the Fallen Elves' temporary camp.
But by the time they arrived, it was long abandoned—only a ruined ancient teleportation gate remained.
However, Nirrnir said that with the right materials, she could repair it herself.
So everyone decided to return to Volupta, gather the supplies, and take the chance to relax before fixing the teleportation gate the next day.
"Mhm."
Asuna softly replied.
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