My slow journey to infinity

In the rare leisure time during the day, Wang Shui temporarily put aside his martial arts research and went to town with Shino for a walk.

Of course, Wang Shui has business to do when he goes out.

He wanted to find the information dealer Argo, and Wang Shui wanted to entrust Argo to help sell two sets of [refined steel ingots], two sets of 40 yuan, and now the unit price of the steel ingots has risen to 3,500 kel.

This is a big deal worth 140,000 kel. Since Wang Shui is fully entrusted, deducting commissions from brokers and professional merchants, Wang Shui expects to get a little over 100,000 kel.

This is a huge sum of money.

In fact, there are still a lot of steel ingots left, but Wang Shui has no intention of selling them all. On the one hand, he is still useful, and on the other hand, excessive selling will have a negative impact on the market. Although he does not intend to monopolize this thing, he does not want to Make a one-shot deal.

After the matter was settled, Wang Shui was severely blackmailed by the little information dealer "Argo of the Mouse" with golden brown curly hair.

That is, at noon today, while waiting for the meal in the dessert shop, Argo let out an envious sigh:

"Both you and Tong Zai have such beautiful teammates. In this afternoon's meeting, you will probably become the public enemy of the elite hamster players."

In other words, has Kirito already been in contact with Asuna?

Although Wang Shui's memory of the plot is not clear, he certainly still remembers that the first level BOSS strategy was performed by Kirito and Asuna.

"Kirito, that maverick guy, must have taken the initiative to stick with me. Now he probably even forgot to upgrade."

Wang Shui expressed serious disdain for Kirito.

"Tongzi's level is much higher than yours, what about you? Are you also obsessed with little Shino's beauty?" Argo smiled narrowly.

"It was Sinon who insisted on teaming up with me. I'm just a new player. Isn't it normal to have a lower level than a guy like Kirito?"

Shino, who was listening to Wang Shui's nonsense and holding iced lemon black tea in both hands, gave Wang Shui a look that seemed to be smiling and angry, but said nothing.

This ambiguous interaction caused Argo to scream strangely, and the pleasant atmosphere lasted until the dessert parfait was served.

"I didn't expect that I could enjoy this kind of food in the game. I really borrowed your help today, but I really didn't expect that you would give up the skill grid to practice [mining], and the starting capital for smelting is not low, right? "

"This is a unique money-making resource, and the price of information is not low." Wang Shui said casually.

"You kid always uses information to catch me! But unfortunately, this kind of money-making business is too time-sensitive. Recently, low-level players have been protected here to specialize in miners. It's better to keep your information to yourself."

Although Argo is keen on intelligence trading, he is definitely not a blind person.

The subsequent exchanges turned into Wang Shui learning about the recent status quo from Argo, why players in the first and second tiers are generally above level ten, the strategy team has not actually found the BOSS room, and there is an issue with updating the strategy manual. Like, I was chatted away with 2000 kel!

During the exchange, Shino said nothing during the whole process and kept listening quietly. It was not until Argo separated from the two of them and disappeared into the crowd that she said with some emotion:

"Miss Argo is a very nice person."

"It's just better for newcomers like you. We provide free strategy manuals to help low-level players and players who don't want to fight. Speaking of which, Sinon has also been taught, right?"

Shino nodded: "There were a lot of people at that time, and I thought Miss Argo wouldn't remember me."

"With your appearance, as well as your striking ice-blue hair and irises, it's not surprising that I would remember you. Speaking of which, I've always been curious, why did you choose such a conspicuous color?"

Sinon immediately felt helpless: "The face at the beginning was not my own. As for the hair and eye color, I chose the color I liked after seeing the prompt that they can be changed in the game."

"It turns out that changing the hair style and eye iris color requires going to a very high floor, and the NPC revealed that it costs 100,000 kels. It is mentioned in the strategy manual, and the dyeing items are also very rare." Wang Shui added.

"Yes, and even if I really have a hundred thousand kels, I will never spend it on such boring things."

After all, I still like this color, right? I have a different opinion.

Talking and laughing, the two seemed to be back in the real world when they were shopping together in a shopping mall, but this time the conversation was mixed with a lot of game content.

As the last supply point, the town of [Torbana] is not only large in area, but also has many various shops, and the items are complete and high-level.

At the end of the purchase, in addition to the consumables that must be replenished - potions, food and whetstones, Aqua Regia also bought some strange things: a large amount of table salt, some glass or ceramic bottles and jars, high-quality wine, large barrels of cooking oil and Lots of sugar and so on.

While he was buying it, he was muttering about the incredible production capacity of this world, because he even bought caustic soda at a fairly cheap price.

Facing Shino's puzzled gaze, Wang Shui explained very seriously:

"I just want to test how real this world can be. Don't worry, I often rely on reading and doing crafts to adjust my mood. It's very safe."

Shino didn't understand why Aqua Regia emphasized safety. It was just some ingredients. Although the quantity was large, would it be dangerous to test new dishes? Too bad to eat?

The beautiful and comfortable time is fleeting.

…

…

At four o'clock in the afternoon, nearly two hundred people gathered in the circular area of ​​the Fountain Square.

Here are almost all the current highest-level players, which Wang Shui calls the first-tier players.

Players come together to participate in the BOSS strategy meeting, and they are basically full teams. Many lone wolf players also have good friends, or they are simply acquaintances between lone wolves and form a team. Basically no one is alone.

Of course, there are real lone wolves like Kirito. Wang Shui, who was hiding in a high place, watched Kirito walk toward a thin figure covered in a dark red textile cloak at the edge of the field. That figure was probably Asuna.

Fortunately, the plot is pretty normal so far.

"Wow! Did you see Tongzai and Xiaoya? That little red riding hood is Xiaoya." Argo, who was sitting on a high stone pillar on the other side of the field with Wang Shui, whispered.

"That beauty you mentioned? You didn't charge for this kind of information." Wang Shui said perfunctorily while looking for other familiar people in the crowd.

"Tian Shujun and Tong Zai should be familiar with each other, right? After all, they are masters who have led the trend of PVP duels together, so Xiaoya's existence cannot be hidden. But don't you plan to team up with Tong Zai?"

Wang Shui shook his head, "I don't even plan to participate in the BOSS battle, but Kirito will definitely be watching the BOSS's final blow. This opportunity to get special rare drops, even if he can't grab it, he will definitely witness it with his own eyes. After all, he is a hardcore player."

"Huh? Aren't you going? Mr. Tianshu was obviously very positive when he asked."

"I just want to know when we can reach the second floor. By the way, Argo, why do you call Tongzi so affectionately, but use honorifics to me instead?"

"Ahaha, maybe Tianshujun feels more mature."

Aqua regia's straightforward expression made Argo a little embarrassed, but social colonists were not used to it.

"Then you can call me Brother Tianshu. It sounds more pleasant."

"You brat, are you looking for trouble?"

Argo couldn't help but punch Wang Shui, which slightly eased the tense strategy atmosphere nearby.

[Attention here, please be quiet, we are almost about to start! Get as close as possible. 】

The one who spoke generously in the presence of nearly two hundred people was a tall one-handed sword player, who was also equipped with a kite-shaped shield.

Aqua Regia never considered a shield because he had to throw with his left hand.

Wearing an imposing bronze metal armor, wavy bright blue long hair and handsome facial features, this swordsman stood out. Unfortunately, there were not many female players at the scene, and even those who were there were leveling enthusiasts like Sinon.

In fact, what attracted the players present more was his skill. Wearing such heavy-looking equipment, the blue-haired swordsman actually jumped onto the high platform of the fountain with a single leap, which was almost as tall as him.

His strength and agility are not low.

"It's such a gaudy blue, much worse than your taste." When Wang Shui also turned his gaze forward, he didn't forget to turn around and complain to Shino.

What he got in return was a bare-handed kidney shot.

[First of all, thank you all for responding to my call. Although many people have known me for a long time, I would like to introduce myself first. My name is "Diabel", a player who considers himself a "Knight"! 】

He was responded to by mixed applause and whistles, probably praising his courage to speak in front of so many people.

[I believe you all know very well that we are all players who are active at the forefront of the strategy. This meeting is to discuss the BOSS strategy. Because a few days ago, our team has discovered the passage on the highest floor of the first floor of the maze tower. After The difficulty of checking monsters has not increased much. Tomorrow...the day after tomorrow at the latest! We can reach the BOSS room! 】

A commotion broke out in the crowd, and from time to time, words such as "Have we already reached the 20th floor?" and "How awesome" were heard from time to time.

Wang Shui, who had never entered a maze before, suddenly realized that there were 20 subdivided floors in the maze black tower on the first floor. What a disgusting design. No one had mentioned it on the website guide before? At least he hadn't seen it in Wang Shui's memory.

After letting the crowd discuss for a while, the blue-haired Diabell continued:

[Nearly a month has passed before we reached the first level of this hundred-layered death game! I think many people have despaired of the slow progress, and many are anxious about the increasingly insufficient resources. Therefore, we must defeat the devil! Not just to declare our power! We also want to inform all players who are trapped in this cage that we will eventually conquer this world completely! This is the obligation and pride of all our high-level players here! Everyone, tell me, is it right? 】

The cheers were loud, and Diabel’s oratory and instigation skills were pretty good.

"Mr. Knight, give me a moment."

"If I don't explain some things clearly before starting the strategy, I won't be able to play a friendly game (Brothers' Dota X) with you."

Coming! Suddenly there was a thick, low voice, and Aqua Regia immediately locked onto the little man with the meteor hammer head.

"Kibaou", Wang Shui was deeply impressed by him. There are not many villains in Sword Art Online, but as the most clownish stereotype villain in the early stage, Mr. Kibaou left a deep impression on Wang Shui.

Yeah! That's it, this is a typical villain with a thin image - the author doesn't want to waste more words, so he can only use deliberate means to make him ugly in the early stage, and his voice is particularly annoying.

It’s so typical bro, I finally saw the clown alive and had the villain written on his face!

Aqua regia was suddenly excited, but the intelligence dealer Argo next to him became even more sad, while the blue-haired knight Diabell was all smiles:

"You can say whatever you want. Discussions are welcome here, but if you want to speak, you should state your name first."

"Humph - my name is Kibaou," Kibaou with the head of the meteor hammer was very imposing. He looked at the audience and said slowly,

"Among the players present, there should be many who want to apologize first, right?"

"Apologise? Who is following whom?" Diabel expressed confusion, his posture still elegant and handsome, like a decent person.

"Huh? Need I say more? Of course it is for the more than 3,000 players who have died so far! It is because some people have monopolized many safe and efficient resources by virtue of their information advantage that so many people died in the first month !”

Kibaou's voice reached the point of roaring, and the whole place fell silent instantly. Only Aqua Regia was more excited and even wanted to take notes.

"——-Mr. Kibaou, do you mean the "closed beta players"? "Diabel's expression became serious.

"Needless to say! Those players who have gone through the closed beta immediately rushed out of the starting town from the first day. They quickly occupied high-quality leveling grounds and high-yield tasks, and only focused on becoming stronger, and then I sneaked into today's meeting pretending not to know anything, and I want to participate in the BOSS strategy! If these guys don't kneel down and apologize, and then spit out all the money and items in their hands, I really can't defeat it with them. , even entrusting their lives to them!”

Okay, yes, Mr. Yaou performed sharp output. Wang Shui thought to himself that if I were a closed beta player, it would be strange for you to survive to the third day.

Although there was silence on the field, the exceptionally low pressure around some people almost revealed their identities, especially Argo, who was already shaking with anger!

"No! It's not like that!" Argo muttered softly.

"What?"

"... 531 people. It can be confirmed so far that among the more than 3,000 people who died, 531 are closed beta players." Argo whispered.

Is it more than half? So many people died during the closed beta test, the death rate is frighteningly high.

In fact, it is not difficult to guess that the so-called closed beta experience has naturally turned into traps after the huge changes in game content. A top lone wolf like Kirito was almost killed by the ruins that suddenly appeared.

Wang Shui had thought that the mortality rate of closed beta players would be high, but he didn't expect it to be so high.

Speaking of which, the game does not specifically mark out beta players. Argo can actually master such detailed figures. His intelligence ability is really too outstanding.

"Can I speak?"

oh? Here comes a person with relatively normal thinking ability among ordinary players.

He was a tall man over 1.9 meters tall, with a deep and muscular face. His chocolate-colored skin and his bald head made him look very oppressive.

"My name is Agil, Mr. Kibaou, do you think that the beta testers did not take care of the newbies, which resulted in so many deaths, so do you want them to apologize and compensate?"

"Yes... so what!" The little Kibaou was startled, but soon his courage was replenished by the energy of the trolls. He leaned forward and shouted,

"That's three thousand people! These players who dare to step forward are all RPG veterans. If they had been there, they would have broken through the third floor by now!"

Wow, what a language full of loopholes but extremely offensive. Wang Shui actually took out a piece of paper and wrote it down.

Next to him, Argo was very angry, and Wang Shui could only comfort him:

"Don't worry, there are always people like this on the Internet. You should be glad that you are not separated from the screen now. It is much easier to buy from him. Moreover, this is a game. You can buy it repeatedly. How about it? Are you excited? It's open for business. Special price for friends and acquaintances, buy three times and get one free.”

Sure enough, Aqua Regia was still good at comforting people. Argo just gave him a roll of his eyes and his tense attention was distracted.

"That's why I don't agree with Mr. Kibaou. Although you said that the closed beta players went out early, we didn't have much experience of grabbing resources when we were leveling. The game world has been magnified a hundred times, and if you talk about intelligence... …”

As the big black man Agil said this, he took out a parchment-bound booklet from the large waist bag on his waist. The cover had a rat symbol with round ears and three pairs of beards painted on it.

"Mr. Kibaou should have this strategy book in his hands, right? After all, you can get it for free in almost all prop shops in supply villages and towns."

"I got it, so what?" Kibaou's tone was still full of malice.

"You don't think this is compiled by NPC, do you? The language tone, illustrations, and explanations full of game terms are obviously the work of players, and if you use your sea urchin-like brain to think about it, this will Is it something created by new players? This is the contribution of closed beta players!"

"And you said that those three thousand people died because of lack of information and resources. Mr. Kibaou has been living here, hasn't he seen their life and death?! It's precisely because they are veterans and they are too familiar with their past game experience. Confidence, how many people died because they did not retreat in time, haven’t you seen it on the front line?”

Kibaou was momentarily overwhelmed by the aura of the big black man, gritting his teeth and speechless, while Diabel, the initiator of the meeting, nodded to Agil in agreement.

Seeing that the atmosphere on the court had relaxed a lot, Diabell concluded:

"Mr. Kibaou, I can understand what you mean. I also experienced many near-death experiences in completely unfamiliar leveling grounds to reach where I am today. But Mr. Agil is right, the closed beta players are not We are not a group of selfish guys, but we work together to conquer the Demon King. Let’s look forward to it, everyone! This meeting is to confirm that we will shoulder the burden of conquering the Demon King, and we will be the pioneers, so we cannot focus on In terms of internal friction, excluding experienced closed beta players will only increase casualties."

Okay, now that you are stealing the limelight from Xinijia, I, Wang Shui, approve of you!