Having defeated the third-floor boss, the group ascended the staircase to the fourth floor.
"Kirito, what's the next floor like?" Hachiman asked.
"I think it's a barren, dusty place. Shops and stuff were all in high-rise buildings, like a ruin," Kirito replied.
"Sounds gritty," Asuna said.
As they chatted, nearing the fourth floor, cheers erupted ahead, urging everyone to run. Caught up in the excitement, the four sprinted and arrived—only to freeze.
"What… is this?" Kirito muttered, stunned.
A vast expanse of water stretched before them—water, water, everywhere.
"So that's why the shops are elevated," Hachiman said.
"What's that mean?" Asuna asked.
"In the beta, they planned for this, but the water mechanics probably weren't ready," Kirito explained.
"Makes sense," Hachiman nodded.
Nezha raised a simple question. "It's like an island. How do we cross this river?"
The group pondered, hearing others shout, "Search the area! There's gotta be something!" They joined the effort.
"Kirito, anything here that wasn't in the beta?" Hachiman asked.
"Hmm… maybe that tree," Kirito pointed.
It was a palm-like tree bearing doughnut-shaped fruit. Hachiman and Kirito exchanged a glance, an idea sparking.
"Could it be…" Hachiman started.
"A float?" Kirito finished.
They knocked down a fruit to test it. "Will heavy gear make us sink?" Hachiman wondered.
"No clue," Kirito said.
"Alright, I'll try it in my swimsuit," Hachiman decided.
"You've got a swimsuit?" Kirito asked, surprised.
"Bought it at the elf camp. Seemed suspicious, so I grabbed it," Hachiman explained.
"Smart move."
"Kirito, hold on tight. Don't let go!" Hachiman said, half-joking.
"Nice setup," Kirito laughed.
Hachiman changed into his swimsuit, used the fruit as a float, and entered the water. It held. He gradually added gear, finding it could support significant weight. Sharing the discovery, the group crossed the river, some greedily gathering extra fruit, but there was enough for all. Monsters attacked mid-crossing, but Nezha dispatched them with his chakram.
"Nezha, you're perfect for these enemies," Hachiman noted.
"Seems like it!" Nezha grinned.
Reaching the other side, they headed to the main town, Rovia. The raid disbanded, and with the hour late, they sought lodging. Kirito looked for a fourth-floor inn, Nezha returned to the Legends of Braves, and Asuna, craving a bath, opted to return to the first floor. Hachiman decided to explore Rovia briefly before slipping away to pass info to Argo.
The next day, Hachiman, Asuna, Kirito, Nezha, and Argo gathered at Rovia's teleport gate.
"Shall we start with quest hunting?" Kirito suggested.
They split up, funneling info to Argo, with a plan to share anything unusual. As they dispersed, Argo stopped Asuna. "Hey, A-chan, I got word of a bath-equipped property here. Wanna buy?"
"Absolutely!" Asuna replied instantly. "Going back to the first floor every time's a hassle."
Argo shot Hachiman a sly grin, which Asuna missed. Hachiman ignored it.
"I'll show you the place," Argo said, leading Asuna away.
"Let's go, then," Hachiman said to Kirito and Nezha.
"Got it!" Nezha replied.
"Meet up later," Kirito added.
Rovia's crisscrossing waterways made exploration tricky, but gondolas and the compact district helped them gather info quickly. Argo called them back to the teleport gate.
"Here's the rundown," Argo said, marking [!] quest points on a map.
"Argo, let me see that," Kirito said, leaning in and pointing. "This wasn't in the beta. Something's up here."
They headed to the spot, while Argo split off to work on her guidebook. At a dilapidated shack, they found an old man, Romolo, with a [!] marker, but he ignored their questions.
"It's definitely a quest, but…" Kirito muttered.
"Maybe we're saying the wrong thing?" Asuna suggested.
"Let's search the shack," Hachiman said.
They found only an odd-shaped screw and some tools.
"What's this screw?" Nezha wondered.
"Hmm," Kirito mused.
"Back to basics," Hachiman said. "The floor's changed—water everywhere…"
Kirito's eyes lit up. "That's it! Boats! Moving around without them is a pain."
"Oh!" the others exclaimed.
Kirito addressed Romolo. "Can you build us a boat?"
Romolo's marker shifted to [?], confirming the trigger. After discussing materials and specs, and considering the campaign's branching paths, they decided on two two-person boats. Gathering materials was straightforward under Romolo's guidance, but the final item was tough.
"That thing?" Hachiman said, eyeing the target.
"It's huge…" Asuna added.
The item came from a massive bear-like monster, Magnatherium.
"Sounds like an extinct animal," Hachiman noted.
"Slow but powerful," Asuna observed.
"Start with Nezha's ranged attacks," Kirito directed.
"Yes!" Nezha agreed.
The Magnatherium relied on charges, but using trees as shields kept the fight in their favor. It dropped multiple items, so Nezha took one for a Legends of Braves boat, and the rest were shared with allies. They also discovered fallen trees counted as materials, so they stored those and returned to Romolo.
"Looks like he can only build one boat at a time," Kirito said.
"Then you and Nezha's boat goes first," Hachiman suggested.
"Cool, I'll ping you when it's done. Probably a few hours," Kirito replied.
They parted ways. Three hours later, Kirito signaled, and Hachiman and Asuna's boat construction began. Kirito advised adding a fallen log as a ramming prow for an optional weapon. Kirito and Nezha went to scout the campaign quest, while Hachiman and Asuna rested during the build.
Three hours later, their boat was complete. They needed a name and, after some thought, chose Chivalry after Asuna's rapier.
"We have to steer this ourselves?" Asuna asked.
"So it can fit three, technically," Hachiman said.
"Good for Kizmel, then," Asuna noted.
They practiced rowing, mastering the controls, then set out to explore. Finding no new info, they returned to their inns.
"Hachiman, why not move to the fourth floor?" Asuna suggested.
"Yeah, the commute's a pain," he agreed.
"I got a bath-equipped inn here, so I'm inviting Liz too," Asuna said.
"Smart. The boat can carry three for travel, so no issue there," Hachiman replied.
They parted, and Hachiman found a nearby inn, collapsing into bed. Word spread of a shipbuilding rush—mid-sized and large boats were being crafted. Easier travel might speed up the raid, Hachiman thought as he drifted off.