Floor 39 had opened the day before, after yet another successful raid with zero casualties, led by Heathcliff, with Silver holding the boss’s aggro for most of the fight.
The front line had four unmistakable pillars.
Heathcliff, who commanded raids like a warlord at the very front instead of a general sheltered in the rear. His presence enforced order, and wherever he stood, his holy sword set the tempo of the battle.
Kirito, who little by little had earned the respect of most players. He was being called beater less and less, and more often the Black Swordsman. He competed with Heathcliff for top damage on every boss, but unlike the leader of the Knights of the Blood, Kirito always kept part of his attention on the battlefield around him. He never hesitated to break formation to rescue a player in danger.
Asuna, the Flash. Despite her youth and delicate appearance, she had secured the position of vice commander of the Knights of the Blood through her skill with the rapier, her unshakable character, and an almost obsessive drive to clear the game as fast as possible.
And Silver.
The unbreakable wall.
Ever since he received the Queen’s Warden Set, Heathcliff had named him the raids’ primary tank. He didn’t stay on the front line for every second of every fight, but when the strategy called for regrouping or buying time, everyone trusted that he alone could hold the enemy long enough for the raid to reorganize, heal, and push again.
Silver stood in front of bosses and took the punishment without giving up a single inch, like he’d grown roots into the ground.
For most players, the reason they’d gone several floors in a row without deaths was obvious: Silver.
The irony was that he hated that responsibility.
Because it forced him to focus completely on his role, and in those moments, he lost sight of Yuiha. Even if he could see her HP bar beneath his in the interface, not knowing what might be closing in on her kept him in a constant state of tension.
He’d been forced to learn, the hard way, to trust that she could take care of herself. Silver never doubted her ability but still, he wanted to be the one who guaranteed her safety.
The main city of Floor 39, Xing’er, carried a strong asian cultural influence. It was exactly what Silver had always imagined a “Chinatown” would feel like; only scaled up to Aincrad.
Xing’er unfolded before travelers like a city suspended in a delicate balance between order and contemplation. From a distance, its curved rooftops layered over one another like scales, finished with lifted eaves that seemed to challenge the sky. Dark timber frames contrasted with pale stone walls and deep red lacquered panels worn by time, yet maintained with almost ritual care.
The streets were wide, paved with perfectly aligned rectangular stones, threaded by narrow canals where water flowed in silence. Low arched bridges linked neighborhoods, their railings carved with cloud motifs, stylized dragons, and lotus flowers. Paper lanterns hung from posts and balconies; even in daylight, many remained lit, bathing the city in a steady, warm glow.
Xing’er wasn’t chaotic, but it wasn’t rigid either. Trade spread through inner courtyards and covered galleries, where vendors offered gear, spices, and handcrafted goods with the calm of people who didn’t need to raise their voices to draw customers. The dominant sound wasn’t a roar of noise, but a murmur: measured conversations, restrained footsteps, the occasional chime of a bell as a sliding door moved.
At the city’s heart stood a large rectangular plaza, flanked by wooden pavilions and a multi-level administrative building crowned with green roof tiles. It didn’t overwhelm by size, but by presence. From there, the main avenues radiated outward, lined with carefully pruned trees that guided traffic as if the city itself were quietly pointing the correct way.
Yuiha had explored it all the previous afternoon, despite the fatigue from the prior floor’s raid.
When she got distracted admiring a pond where colorful fish seemed to float in midair, Silver quickly bought a dragon-shaped hairpin; the same one he’d caught her staring at a moment earlier.
He smiled to himself, imagining how she’d react when he gave it to her the next day.
* * * * *
October 8, 2023. 12:24 p.m. — Dragon Trail, Floor 39
Dragon Trail was a long road, flanked by two towering stone walls that wound along both sides like serpents and vanished beyond the horizon.
When Silver saw the map notification, his heart lurched.
—Are there dragons here? —he asked, his voice coming out a little higher than he meant it to.
—I don’t think so —Yuiha replied with a smile.— The name probably comes from those long walls. They look like sleeping dragons. Though… —she added, tilting her head mischievously— I can’t promise there aren’t dragons.
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—Great. Never thought I’d miss undead sentinels —he muttered with a crooked smile.
Early that morning, the different parties had gathered to coordinate efficient exploration of the floor. Like every level before, Yuiha and Silver chose to push west. The terrain looked narrower in that direction, so only one other party had taken the same route, leaving a while before them.
Yuiha and Silver walked at an easy pace, hands intertwined as if it were a leisurely stroll. Yuiha’s enemy detection skill allowed them that luxury, even though neither of them stopped watching the surroundings.
What stood out was the near total absence of monsters, as if they were crossing a safe zone. But the system message on leaving the city had been clear: they were in the wilderness.
Apparently, the party ahead of them had done an impeccable job clearing the route, and enemies hadn’t respawned yet.
Instead of unsettling them, the quiet felt like a gift.
Yuiha rested her head gently against Silver’s arm as they walked.
He thought he wouldn’t care about losing everything else, as long as he didn’t lose her.
* * * * *
When they reached a small clearing between trees, framed by the entrances of several caves, Yuiha stopped dead.
—What is it? —Silver asked immediately.
—Something’s close —she said, drawing her sword.
Silver did the same.
—The party ahead of us?
—No. My skill only detects threats, not other players.
The silence stretched longer than it should have. Neither of them moved forward.
—Wouldn’t expect anything less from two front-liners —a voice said from inside the cave.
Three figures emerged at an unhurried pace. Worn cloaks, low hoods hiding their faces, except for twisted smiles, far too confident.
Yuiha’s eyes widened when she saw their cursor colors.
—Orange players —she said evenly.— Probably Player killers.
A chill ran down Silver’s spine. Without thinking, he stepped in front of her.
The three didn’t react. With a gesture from the tallest—clearly the leader—the other two fanned out, forming a loose arc.
Silver felt panic rise. If they struck at once, he could only hold one.
—What do you want? —Yuiha asked, keeping a calm she didn’t feel.
—Miss —one of them said— you have a very interesting weapon. Hand it over, and we’ll let you walk away.
—I have no idea what you’re talking about.
—The Soul Slayer in your inventory, sweetheart —another replied, mocking.
This time, neither of them could hide their shock.
How could they know?
Only the merchant in Stonecross… and Blossom.
—I don’t have any weapon by that name —Yuiha insisted, firm.
The leader smiled, visibly pleased.
—Doesn’t matter. I’d rather take it by force. Besides… —he added, tilting his head— Xaxa never keeps his promises.
—BOSS! —the masked one protested.— You always ruin my fun!
Silver’s mind raced. Fighting players had no patterns—no aggro, no predictability. He cursed himself for never practicing PvP.
He gripped the Aegis and braced.
—So you’re the famous “unbreakable wall” —the third one said, Jhonny Black.— Can’t wait to see the look on everyone’s faces when you don’t show up for the next raid.
Silver put the Aegis away in silence and drew his sword.
Jhonny smiled, satisfied.
—Now! —Yuiha shouted.
Like a rehearsed routine, both of them began charging a sword skill at the same time… then canceled at the last second.
They leapt backward, pulled blue crystals from their belts, and activated them before their feet even hit the ground.
—Teleport! Everwoods!
—They’re running! —Xaxa and Jhonny shouted.
But the leader was already moving.
PoH appeared in front of Silver just as the crystal began to glow.
—It’s showtime —he whispered, laughing in a way that froze the blood.
The knife came down.
Silver’s arm fell clean off at the elbow. The crystal rolled across the ground and went dark.
Silver stared in disbelief as his severed arm burst into fragments of light.
He closed his eyes.
He would die there.
But Yuiha would escape.
He turned to see her one last time… and felt a soft tap against his armor.
He opened his eyes.
Yuiha was pressing her teleport crystal against his chest.
She gave him the warmest smile he knew.
—You have to live.
The crystal flared bright.
She let go.
And Silver vanished before he could speak, scream, or even move.
The blue light faded.
He appeared in Everwoods.
—NO! —he screamed as he watched Yuiha’s HP plummet.
He sprinted for the portal. Thirty meters. Every stride felt like it pushed it farther away.
Her bar dropped to yellow.
—Just give them the weapon… —he whispered, desperate.
Halfway there, it fell to red.
—Please! Give them the damn weapon!
Before he reached the portal, the bar emptied.
Silver stopped.
The bar blinked beneath his for several seconds.
Then it vanished.
A cold notification appeared in front of him.
A chest materialized at his feet.
Silver dropped to his knees.
He didn’t scream.
He didn’t cry.
He didn’t move.
He opened his menu with a mechanical motion.
Yuiha’s name had been erased as his wife.