After the revival, a wave of embarrassment washed over Asuna as she regained her senses in Seiya's arms and remembered her confession.
"Asuna, what you just said..."
Seeing Seiya's surprised face, the already shy Asuna decided to be blunt. "That idiot just thought I was in love with Kirito. I was trying so hard to get close to you, but someone was just pretending to be clueless!"
The boss of the 50th floor was defeated by the combined efforts of the players. Because of this incident, the unspoken feelings between Seiya and Asuna were finally revealed. Although they didn't officially announce it, their shared inventory page was now in the "married" mode. Asuna also moved into the Wenren Store and would buy ingredients every evening to cook for Seiya.
After getting the Golden Catfish from Agil, Asuna didn't want to do any more shopping. She could already imagine the look on Seiya's face when he tasted the legendary ingredient, and a happy smile appeared on her face.
However, Asuna didn't notice a man with a gloomy expression who appeared from a corner right after she left Agil's store. The man gritted his teeth as he recalled the happy look on Asuna's face and the fact that she was married in the game. If Seiya were there, he would have recognized the man as the Knights of the Blood member, Kuradeel, who had a crush on Asuna. Kuradeel was supposed to go after Kirito, but now that Kirito and Sachi were a couple, Asuna's affection had shifted to Seiya, which meant Seiya was now in Kuradeel's crosshairs.
Meanwhile, after returning to the Wenren Store from Agil's shop, Asuna changed into her home clothes and became a "wife." In SAO, most food didn't provide any stat buffs, but Asuna was passionate about cooking. As she said, only by enjoying a delicious meal could she feel alive.
It was evening, and Mei and her grandfather had already gone home. When Asuna got home, she saw Seiya lying on the couch like a slob.
"Asuna, you're back later than usual. Hurry up and get me some food. I'm starving."
Asuna didn't seem bothered by her lazy boyfriend. Instead, she smiled and said as if she was talking to a child, "I will, I will. Tonight's dinner is a surprise. I got the legendary ingredient that Kirito-kun wanted from Agil. Tonight, I'll show you my true cooking skills."
Seiya was curious. When he saw Asuna proudly take out the Golden Catfish from her inventory, he immediately recognized it. He was a foodie, too. He had been trapped in this death game for almost two years, and the only thing he had to look forward to was food. He had earned enough Col, and even if he returned to the real world, he could make a fortune from the contracts. As for sex... it was possible, but the game's fully immersive virtual reality system couldn't replicate everything perfectly.
With Asuna's maxed-out cooking skill, the large pot of fish soup was completely devoured by Seiya and Asuna. Asuna's previous excuse about not liking fish was a complete joke in front of this golden fish soup. After enjoying the legendary meal, Seiya didn't forget to take a picture and send it to Kirito, who was still grinding for money.
Seiya: The Golden Catfish is one of the three legendary ingredients. The soup is incredibly fresh, and the fish melts in your mouth. I'm so lucky to have enjoyed such a delicious meal.
Kirito: Golden Catfish? You guys got it? Wait... Seiya, your Golden Catfish...
Seiya: Asuna bought it from Agil. I heard some poor guy wanted to buy it on credit, but Asuna paid three times the price and bought it first. You know, we're not short on money. We deserve to eat well once in a while. Burp.
Kirito: You guys are so shameless! Agil is a traitor!
Asuna leaned her head on Seiya's shoulder and laughed as she read his conversation with Kirito. "Are you really Kirito-kun's childhood friend? I feel like you never miss a chance to make fun of him."
Asuna and Sachi couldn't understand the relationship between Seiya and Kirito. They were undoubtedly best friends, but they would always take every opportunity to embarrass each other. Sachi had told Asuna many times that Kirito was the same way. They were like two overgrown children.
"There's a saying: 'Fear your brother's struggles, but also fear your brother getting a Land Rover.' If I'm the one with the Land Rover, my brother has to know about it."
Asuna just shook her head and smiled. She had never heard that saying.
"Seiya, there's something else I want to talk to you about. Our guild leader, Heathcliff, wants me to invite you to our guild again. The boss room on the 75th floor of Aincrad was found in the dungeon a few days ago. According to the rules of Aincrad, every 25th-floor boss is exceptionally powerful. Judging from the 50th-floor boss, our guild leader believes that the 75th-floor raid will be a difficult one. So, to better command and handle the raid, he wants you to join the Knights of the Blood."
While all players in the Assault Team would gather for the floor boss raid and claim to be fighting for the survival of the remaining players, guilds still existed for a reason. Floor bosses were dangerous, but they were also the fastest way to get stronger. It was one thing for other guilds to defeat a boss, but it was a completely different thing when your own guild did. This was why major guilds would try to recruit powerful solo players.