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🕑 Added 2024-12-18 06:04:28 +0000 UTCRoy nodded to himself. This time, he refrained from unleashing his Berserk, relying instead on standard sword techniques to deal with the enemies.
When it was over, Asuna regarded him with wide eyes, her curiosity apparent. "What kind of sword skill was that? I've never seen you use it before."
She wasn't referring to the initial draw-style attack. Her question was about the mysterious blue glow that had emanated from Roy earlier.
Roy chuckled lightly, offering a casual explanation. "When you master your own unique sword skill and the system recognizes it, you can unlock a one-of-a-kind ability."
His explanation seemed straightforward, but Roy knew better than anyone that the reality was far more complex. This wasn't Kayaba Akihiko's game-controlled world anymore. It was a real, tangible place.
And here, Roy's skillset wasn't dictated by any preprogrammed system. He controlled every aspect of it himself.
For the next two hours, they continued grinding, taking down monsters and collecting loot. They managed to score a few decent weapons, but the hooded rat-like creature Roy had been hunting never appeared. It was frustrating, but there wasn't much he could do about it.
As night fell, Roy decided it was time to head back. Even in this world, hunger and fatigue had their consequences. While players couldn't feel physical hunger, not eating eventually triggered debuffs, and nighttime brought out more aggressive and dangerous creatures.
Feeling sticky and grimy from the day's battles, Roy knew it was time to clean up and check in with Kirito to see how things were on his end.
He grabbed Asuna's hand, leading her back to the Town of Beginning. After navigating the familiar streets, they found a small inn. The price wasn't bad—200 Cor. Considering that a single Little Nepenthes dropped about 100 Cor, it felt reasonable.
Cor was the currency in this world, used for everything from lodging to buying equipment and supplies.
As they walked through the town, Roy noticed the odd stares from both players and NPCs.
It wasn't hard to figure out why. His body was covered in green monster sap, and he reeked of it.
Asuna wrinkled her nose but refrained from commenting. She couldn't deny that the sap had splashed onto her during their battles, but unlike Roy's situation, the residue had evaporated shortly after the monsters were defeated.
Roy, grinning as though oblivious, waved at her cheerfully. Unfortunately, the grime caking his face turned what might have been a charming smile into something closer to a grimace.
"You go book a room first or if you're feeling bold, you can share mine."
Asuna's lips twitched as if she were suppressing a laugh. "How about you clean yourself up before you start joking around?" She shot back, walking into the inn without a second glance.
Roy sighed dramatically but headed off to the bathhouse. After scrubbing off every trace of grime and soaking for a while, he felt refreshed. Dressed in clean clothes, he stopped by a shop to pick up two low-tier mana potions.
A meal followed, nearly draining half his remaining Cor. "What a rip-off." Roy muttered to himself, though he couldn't help but laugh at his own complaint.
Finally, he rented a modest room at the inn. As moonlight streamed softly through the curtains, he lay on the bed and began messaging Kirito.
[Roy: Kirito, what level are you now?]
It didn't take long for a reply.
[Kirito: Level 9.]
[Roy: I'm level 10 now.]
[Kirito: You're seriously bragging about that? Have you even thought about Suguha? I wonder how she's doing out there.]
[Roy: Mom should be back soon. By the way, what do you think of her?]
[Kirito: Who?]
[Roy: Don't play dumb. You know exactly who I mean—Tozawa Misumi.]
[Kirito: She's strong. She's helped me out a lot. Honestly, I wouldn't have leveled up this quickly without her support.]
[Roy: So, did you hold her hand yet?]
Somewhere in the Town of Beginning, at a small restaurant, Kirito's expression froze as he stared at the message on his screen.
The memory of holding Misumi's soft, warm hand earlier that day surfaced unbidden, and Kirito found himself sneaking a glance at the girl seated across from him.
Tozawa Misumi.
She was a very cute and delicate girl, speaking in a carefree manner, with none of the typical girlish shyness. That was how Kirito had remembered her from the closed beta.
But now, as they sat together, there was nothing but silence between them. It was clear that her mood wasn't great.
Kirito swallowed, trying to offer some comfort. "You don't need to be too upset."
Tozawa Misumi lifted her eyes, glancing at him. She forced a light smile, replying, "I just haven't fully processed everything yet. I'll get used to it in a few days."
Kirito wanted to say more, but in the end, he held his tongue. In situations like this, giving the other person some space was usually the best course of action.
Meanwhile, in his room, Roy stared at the screen, waiting for a reply from Asuna. When the message didn't come immediately, he smiled faintly and decided to type instead.
[Roy: Are you asleep yet?]
[Asuna: I am now.]
Her reply came instantly.
[Roy: That's not really sleeping, is it? Are you still thinking about what happened today?]
There was no response.
He waited a few moments, but still, nothing.
Sighing indifferently, Roy shrugged it off. If she wasn't going to reply, then so be it.
Feeling the exhaustion creeping in, he eventually drifted into sleep.
...
In Mushoku Tensei world, he let go of control over his Fool self, feeling a sense of frustration as he turned to face the irritating young man with yellow hair in front of him.
"Rudeus, have you learned any swordsmanship yet? Or are you still playing around with Sylphy?"
Rudeus scratched his head, looking at Roy with confusion.
He muttered, almost under his breath, "Nii-san, you can't stop me from chasing after love just because your new crush left."
Roy fell silent for a moment before erupting in irritation. "That's beside the point. Have you learned the sword techniques or not? It's been years, and your swordsmanship is still pathetic."
Rudeus, clearly unbothered, replied, "I'm a magician. Swordsmanship is just a side thing, not that important."
Roy's expression hardened, his refined, handsome face twisting into a mocking smile. He stared at Rudeus intently. "If Paul hears you say that, you're in for a beating."
Mentioning Paul caused Rudeus to shrink back slightly. It was clear he'd been getting his share of beatings recently.
But even so, Rudeus went right back to playing with Sylphy.
Roy, growing more exasperated by the moment, looked up at the sky, a hint of frustration flashing across his face.
It had been 730 days since Roxy had left.
Two years had passed since Roxy's departure, and aside from the occasional letter exchange, he hadn't had any beautiful girls around him.
Every day felt monotonous, spent practicing swordsmanship.
Without a woman to distract him, Roy had managed to reach a level of mastery in the Sword God Style that surpassed even the advanced-level techniques. And he was only ten years old.
At ten, he was already at a level that could rival the advanced ranks of swordsmen. When Roy faced off against Paul in a friendly duel, the two had fought evenly. At that point, Paul had silently raised his hand, signaling that he could no longer teach him.
This had troubled Paul deeply.
Recently, Paul's smile had become more and more rare. Even when he was with Zenith, it was clear he was tiring.
