Congratulation, 2nd floor

Egil raised his shield again to meet Ilufang's furious slash. The attack hit the shield with a loud clang, and Egil almost fell, but he managed to hold his ground.

"You won't get past us!" he shouted, trying to block Ilufang's next attack.

On the other side, Kirito saw an opportunity. He slashed with a quick horizontal slash at Ilufang's right leg before spinning and slashing at its left leg.

"DPS, attack now!" Asuna shouted. Several players focused their magic, and arrows flew towards Ilufang, causing its HP to drop steadily.

Meanwhile, Noah, who was behind Asuna, used his magic to attack the Kobold guards who were being pressed by the tank in the middle.

Noah's magic continued to hit the group of Kobold guards and their numbers continued to dwindle.

As Ilufang was being pushed back by the attacks from Asuna's team, Kirito didn't waste the opportunity. With incredible speed, he dashed forward, dodging Ilufang's wild attacks. In a matter of seconds, Kirito was on Ilufang's right side, observing the Ilufang's every move.

"Now!" Kirito shouted, moving his sword with great concentration. He waited for the right moment, when Ilufang paused after taking a magical attack from the other players. Kirito jumped and with one precise swing, Kirito slashed Ilufang's neck with a powerful, coordinated attack.

"This moment is the end!" Kirito moved his sword once more, with a diagonal strike at Ilufang's back.

Meanwhile, the DPS players launched magical attacks at Ilufang. Asuna launched a ranged attack with the wind magic that Noah had taught her.

Kirito, seeing the opportunity, gathered his power in one final attack. With a swift movement, he launched his sword at Ilufang, using all the power he had.

"Final Strike!" he shouted as he swung his sword.

Kirito's sword pierced through Ilufang's defenses and struck straight at its target. In an instant, a blinding light appeared, and a clanking sound filled the air as Ilufang fell to the ground, letting out its last sound before dissipating into particles of light. Along with the death of the Kobold Lord, the remaining Kobold Guardians soon disappeared.

"Congratulations!!!"

"We did it!"

"....."

The death of the Kobold Lord brought a moment of silence before the players cheered in joy at their victory.

"Congratulations. You got the last attacking bonus!"

Kirito fell to his knees panting and stared at the screen in front of him.

"Bonus item. Coat of Midnight"

"Good job! Amazing sword technique." Kirito turned around at the sound and saw Egil standing behind him for some time.

"Why, why did you let Diabel get killed. If you had told him about it earlier, he wouldn't have been killed!" Kibaou's sudden words brought the celebration to a halt for a moment and the other players looked at Kirito as if demanding an explanation.

"He must be a beta tester"

"He wants to take all the benefits for himself"

The voices of other players continued to echo and blame Kirito.

Kibaou felt the sharp gazes of the players around him. They seemed to be judging his every move and word.

Egil, who was standing beside Kirito, shook his head. "Kibaou, enough! We are all here to fight against the same enemy. Blaming him will not change what happened. Diabel is gone, and we all know that this is a dangerous game and everyone here should be prepared to face death at any time"

"Diabel should not have died! He had information that could have saved him, but he chose to keep it to himself."Kibaou pointed at Kirito with a sarcastic tone.

Klein who heard this argument felt angry because he knew what kind of person Kirito was. "Kibaou, you don't understand! Kirito has fought with all his might in this battle. No one can predict what will happen. We are all at risk, and we are all fighting together."

Noah looked around with a mocking gaze, "It's amazing how some people would rather blame others than celebrate a clear victory in front of them."

"What did you say, you're defending him, are you also a beta tester?" said a player.

"Right, he must be a beta tester, I'm sure there must be many beta testers hiding here." said another player.

"So what if I'm a beta tester? Do I need to apologize and give compensation? If so, try taking it yourself." said Noah sarcastically and raised his spear while summoning dozens of ice cones.

Seeing Noah's aggressive actions, the player who accused him of being a beta tester immediately backed away nervously and did not dare to make a sound.

"Noah, don't be impulsive," said Asuna while pulling Noah's hand that was holding the spear, she was worried that Noah would attack the players.

"Don't worry Asuna, they don't have that courage. Kirito, Asuna, let's go to the 2nd floor," said Noah to calm Asuna before inviting them to go to the 2nd floor.

The players spread out as Noah walked past them, they still remembered the scene where Noah alone cast various kinds of magic and destroyed the Kobold guards. Noah's strength amazed and scared them at the same time.

Kirito, who was still depressed because of the players' accusations, heard Noah's call and raised his head. Walking to the 2nd floor with Noah, Kirito was still thinking about what the players said.

"Kirito, don't think too much about it, there's nothing wrong with you, no one anticipated the boss's move at the last moment. Instead of thinking about the attitudes of some of those players, it's better to use your time to increase your strength so you can survive in this death game," said Noah when he saw Kirito's expression.

"Right, Kirito, don't think too much about it, I know you're a good person and not like they say" Asuna agreed.

"Thank you" Kirito sincerely thanked them for their support.

Seeing that Noah and the others had entered the 2nd floor, the players immediately followed to the 2nd floor.

.....

The 2nd floor of Aincrad is a savanna realm covered in plains and large rocks and is almost the same size as the first floor.

The 2nd floor is divided into a wide open northern section and a narrow southern section. This floor is mostly made up of towering mountains, towering above the plains, dotted with small caves through which underground rivers pass. Most of them are inhabited by large ox-type monsters.

Urbus is the main settlement on the 2nd floor.

To the west of Urbus are grasslands and savannas inhabited by dangerous buffalo-type monsters. Beyond the grasslands is a desert that Kirito said would be dangerous when the floor was opened.

There was a towering mountain on the southern edge of the floor, which was a small clearing surrounded by cliffs, springs, and a single tree.

News of the successful defeat of the first floor boss and the opening of the second floor soon spread to the decadent and desperate players in the starting town. The news of their success immediately raised their hopes of clearing the game, and they immediately began preparing to Level up and join the raid teams on the front lines.

...

Noah and Asuna explored Urbus, the main settlement on Aincrad's second floor. The atmosphere in the town was lively, with players interacting with each other, discussing strategies and sharing information. Although they had just suffered heavy casualties in the previous boss raid strategy, the enthusiasm to continue the fight against monsters and the new floor boss was evident on their faces.

They walked through the market, where merchants sold various types of items and equipment. Asuna paused to look at the goods at one of the stalls.

"I need some healing potions and some items to increase my magic abilities," she said as she examined the prices listed.

Noah nodded in agreement. "I also need a new weapon, my spear's durability is almost gone."

After shopping, they continued their journey out of town, towards the grasslands west of Urbus. There, they found large, ox-type monsters roaming around.

"We can start leveling here," Noah said, gripping his spear tightly. "These monsters should give us some good experience."

Asuna smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's give it a try."

They began fighting the monsters. Noah used ice magic to slow the monsters down, while Asuna attacked from a distance with wind magic and would occasionally fight agilely with her rapier in hand. Their cooperation felt harmonious, and they managed to defeat several monsters efficiently.

After a few fights, they took a short break, sitting on a large rock at the edge of the grassland. "We've gained quite a bit of experience and items," Noah said, looking at their stats.

"But I feel like we need to train harder if we want to be ready for the next boss." Asuna said as she also looked at her stats.

After they took a short break, Noah and Asuna went back to work. They continued their training in the grasslands, killing the ox monsters that roamed around. Every time they defeated a monster, experience and valuable items kept pouring into their inventory.

However, as they explored the area deeper, something larger and more terrifying suddenly emerged from behind a large rock. The sound of heavy footsteps shook the ground, and when they turned around, they immediately saw a giant figure with sharp horns and a muscular body. It was a Minotaur, an elite monster renowned for its strength and aggression.

"Noah, it's a Minotaur!" Asuna exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. "We have to be careful!"

Noah nodded. "We can defeat it if we work together. I'll try to draw its attention, while you attack from a distance."

"Alright, I'm ready!" Asuna replied firmly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

The Minotaur let out a thunderous roar, and in an instant, it began charging towards them at a speed surprising for its size. Noah quickly took a stance, raising his spear steadily. He waited for the right moment to strike.

"Now!" Noah shouted as the Minotaur approached. With a swift movement, he jumped to the side and thrust his spear straight into the Minotaur's leg. His attack was successful, and the monster staggered for a moment.

Asuna didn't waste the opportunity. She dashed forward, unleashing her mastered wind magic.

"Tornado Slash!" she shouted, and the wind swirled rapidly, hitting the Minotaur with enough force to stop it.

The Minotaur staggered, but quickly gathered its strength and went on a rampage. It swung the large axe it was carrying rapidly, targeting Noah and Asuna in turn. Noah quickly dodged, while Asuna jumped to the side, trying to stay in a strategic position.

"He's so strong!" Asuna exclaimed, feeling a tinge of fear creeping up on her. "We need to be more careful!"

"Relax, we've done this before," Noah replied. "We just need to keep attacking and watch our movements."

They coordinated once again, with Noah drawing the Minotaur's attention with melee attacks, while Asuna launched magical attacks from behind. Their strategy was starting to pay off. Each attack they launched reduced the Minotaur's HP, even as the monster continued to fight back.

"Now, let's try a combination attack!" Noah said. "I'll stagger it, and you attack with full power!"

The Minotaur let out an angry roar, and Noah quickly ran towards the monster, dodging his axe attack. He managed to break through the Minotaur's defense and stabbed his spear into the monster's body again, staggering it again.

Asuna saw the opportunity. With a quick step, she gathered her magic power.

"Wind Swirl!" She launched a magic attack, creating a whirlwind that hit the Minotaur hard. The monster was thrown back, falling to the ground.

"Good job, Asuna!" Noah cheered.

However, the Minotaur as a wild boss certainly couldn't be killed easily. Angrily, it got back up, letting out a roar that echoed as the minotaur entered a violent state.

"mooo!!!"

With red eyes and red mist surrounding it, the Minotaur ran at a fast pace towards Asuna.

"Blink Penetration"

Facing the Minotaur's attack, Asuna jumped back gracefully and performed several attacks in quick succession before retreating. As Asuna retreated, Noah's fireball hit the Minotaur and caused an explosion.

Due to the burning effect, the Minotaur's HP continued to drop and quickly reached the yellow line.

Noah ran and dashed forward with his spear.

"Now!" he shouted, and he used all the strength he had to launch a finishing blow, stabbing the Minotaur's heart.

The attack caught the Minotaur by surprise. It let out a final roar before falling, emitting shining particles of light.

After the Minotaur disappeared, they felt their success. The two sat on the ground, taking deep breaths to calm their hearts.

"That was a good attack, Asuna, and it seems like our teamwork is getting better," Noah said, patting Asuna on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I didn't think we could defeat a wild boss with just two people," Asuna replied with a smile. "We have to keep training together to get stronger."

The two of them got up from their spots and continued their journey.

As they explored the grasslands, they not only looked for monsters to fight, but also built a stronger relationship. Every battle, every victory, brought them closer together.