"I don't mind you insulting me, but knowing you, you wouldn't come to me unless you needed something. Are you sure you still want my help if you make me unhappy?"
Kirito was stunned. He was right. With Seiya's personality, if he made him unhappy, getting his help would be difficult. Seiya had always been able to read him, and it seemed like this time was no different. But then Kirito thought about it. He had already been played so many times, what difference would one more time make? Thinking that a man should know when to bend and when to stand tall, Kirito put on an awkward smile. "Don't say that! We're childhood friends! Mei-chan already told me that my best friend would never be a perverted lolicon..."
"Stop. Just tell me what you need this time," Seiya said, cutting him off. Kirito's attempt at flattery was too clumsy.
Although Kirito was embarrassed that Seiya knew he was there for a favor, he got serious. "I need you to come with me to a dungeon."
Seiya was surprised. "Did the Assault Team find the boss room for the next floor? Why did you come in person? Asuna usually contacts me."
Six months had passed since they successfully defeated the first-floor boss. The victory had boosted the players' morale, and the Assault Team, made up of the first players, had pushed through to the 30th floor. Seiya, Kirito, and Asuna were all members of the Assault Team and were very famous. They were known as "The Saint," "The Black Swordsman," and "The Flash," respectively.
Kirito liked to be a solo player, Asuna had joined the top guild, "The Knights of the Blood," and Seiya ran his own shop. The three of them only met and worked together when they were fighting a floor boss. Asuna was the leader of the Assault Team, and she would always contact Seiya first when they found a boss room. Seiya would then find Kirito, and the three of them would work together to defeat the boss. Asuna had invited them to join her guild many times, but they had always declined.
"It's not a floor boss. It's just a dungeon, around floor 28."
Seiya was confused. "If I remember correctly, you're level 48, right? With your level and skills, you don't need me for a level 28 dungeon. Are you joking?"
He thought Kirito was messing with him. The level 28 dungeon might be dangerous for regular Assault Team members, but for Kirito, who was used to fighting alone and fighting monsters way above his level, it was like a walk in the park.
Kirito saw Seiya's confusion and explained, "There are others coming with me."
Seiya first thought it was Asuna, but then he realized that if it was Asuna, Kirito wouldn't need him. Asuna was no longer a newbie; she was now known as "The Flash" and could handle the level 28 dungeon herself.
"It's not Asuna. It's a guild called 'The Moonlit Black Cats.' They're not high-level, but they want to explore the upper floors. I couldn't stop them, so I had to get you to come with us as a backup."
Kirito then told Seiya about his experience. He had been a solo player, but he had met a few players from "The Moonlit Black Cats" and joined their guild. He didn't want them to be distant from him because he was a high-level player, so he had hidden his true level and strength. Kirito had never had a friend other than Seiya, and he really enjoyed the atmosphere of "The Moonlit Black Cats."
Kirito knew their strength, and even with his help, it was too dangerous for them to explore the level 28 dungeon. When Seiya heard the name "The Moonlit Black Cats," he immediately knew who they were. "The Moonlit Black Cats" might not have played a big part in the original story, but their tragic end was what made Kirito a lone wolf. Seiya was most impressed by a girl named Sachi. She was Kirito's first love, and they even shared an inventory page. In the game, sharing an inventory page was the sign of a serious relationship.
"So you want me to be a babysitter? I thought you were happy as a solo player. Didn't I tell you? You're a guild killer. Whichever guild you join will be in bad luck."
Seiya wasn't just messing with him. He genuinely believed that Kirito was a guild killer. He joined "The Moonlit Black Cats," and they were wiped out. Then Asuna invited him to join "The Knights of the Blood," and they found out that the guild leader was Kayaba Akihiko. Although the guild wasn't wiped out, having a villain as a leader was basically the same as being wiped out.