Chapter Seventy-Two: Lancer’s Little Scheme

Lancer was as lazy as ever, sprawled across the grassy fields of the twenty-eighth floor, waiting for that event to unfold.

"Judge, the target has reached the destination." A voice suddenly sounded.

"Lace, I know we're in a game, but could you stop being so melodramatic? You're not a kid anymore." Lancer had formed the FFF Group partly out of his own lingering penchant for dramatic flair, but he certainly wasn't as extreme as his subordinate.

"Sir..."

Raising his hand to silence her, Lancer donned his coat and led his group into the labyrinth of the twenty-eighth floor.

———Dividing line for the beginning———

"Are we really doing this here?" A timid voice reached Kirito's ears.

"Let's head back. We've earned enough for the furniture." As a regular participant in these raids, Kirito knew that boss labyrinths typically offered greater rewards but were also more dangerous than ordinary dungeons. While this posed little threat to the seasoned front-line team, it was perilous for this party, whose levels were decent but who lacked real combat experience.

"Let's go back. Keita should be returning soon, and if they find out we've been wandering off, they'll be upset." Kirito knew that Keita's authority in the guild was unchallenged; he hoped mentioning him would keep everyone in line.

"Alright." Even though he was classmates with Keita, in this game, Keita was their leader, and it was best not to anger him.

Just as he turned to leave, the wall before him shifted—

"Luck! It's a hidden chamber; there must be something good inside!" With that, someone dashed inside.

"Don't!" Kirito felt a warning deep within him, urging him not to enter. As one of the game's top players, he could solo wild bosses with ease, though he couldn't explain this sense of foreboding. It had saved him countless times, so he voiced it to warn the others.

"Kirito, did you notice something?" They had a good impression of the man who had saved their companion; even though they were eager to explore, they still asked him.

"No, but my sixth sense is telling me—"

"Alright, enough about your sixth sense. Let's just take a look." With that, someone patted another on the shoulder.

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"Yeah, it'll be fine. Besides, even though we're in a game, it's just ordinary swords, no magic or anything, so don't worry." Another member shrugged off Kirito's warning.

"Trust me. During many boss fights, it's only because of my intuition that we've survived." He didn't want to reveal his identity, but he feared losing his new family more than being ostracized. This guild was his home, its members his kin—and there was more.

Remembering his promise last night to bring a certain someone back alive, he steeled himself. "I must protect them!"

The others exchanged hesitant glances. "Kirito, are you serious? Are you really part of the raid team?" They couldn't quite believe that the legendary front-line warrior was among them, but Lancer's skill was evident.

"..." After another round of uncertain looks, someone suggested, "Kirito, how about this? We'll keep the crystals ready, go in for a quick look, and if anything happens, we'll teleport out. Deal?"

"..." Kirito trusted his intuition, but the proposed safety measure made him waver. Seeing their expectant faces, he sighed. For all his strength, he'd never led a group before and wasn't sure when to refuse. Since they'd decided, he could only agree.

Seeing Kirito nod, the group cheered and exchanged high fives.

"Go in, but remember, just a glance. If there's danger, teleport out immediately—don't hesitate." Lancer drew his sword, its blade glowing blue. Though he agreed, he remained wary, ever ready for battle.

Inside, there were no swarms of monsters—just a solitary treasure chest in the center.

"Wow! A chest without any guardians!" Someone rushed forward to open it.

Kirito's hairs stood on end; he realized his ominous feeling was about the chest.

"Don't!" Kirito shouted, but the person only glanced at him in confusion—the chest was already open.

"Beep—beep—" The room, once bathed in blue light, turned red.

"What’s happening?" someone shouted.

"Come here! The chest is a trap, and we're in a trap room." Kirito had faced this before, usually alone or with Lancer at his side, who needed no protection. Now, he had several to look after.

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All he could do was gather everyone close for easier protection. But seeing the puppets and goblins emerging, he hesitated—should he reveal his greatest secret?

Yet, seeing the now-useless return crystals and the trembling Lucky hiding behind him, his doubts vanished. He switched to the equipment selection screen.

"Hold out for a few seconds!" he called, preparing to change gear—but someone seemed intent on stopping him from revealing himself.

"Boom!" A thunderous crash shook the room.

"What’s going on?" Like most, the guild members panicked, while Kirito remained calm. The monsters halted, their eyes fixed on one wall.

"Bang!" Another crash—and the room, reputedly impossible to escape except by defeating all monsters, was breached.

"Comrades! Under the witness of the Blood Oath, let us rescue our friends!" A persuasive voice rang out, followed by a strange, coordinated chorus.

Though they couldn't fathom how someone had destroyed the indestructible walls, with the reinforcements here, it seemed all would be well.

A massacre followed. With a team of high-level front-line players, the room was swiftly cleared.

"Rest assured, comrades. We will not allow you to die so easily." The leader strode over, clapping Kirito on the shoulder with dramatic flair.

But as he waited for a heartfelt reply, he was met with a furious roar—"Who are you calling comrade, you weirdo? Don't curse me!"

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