My SAO adventure is wrong, as expected

Chapter 51: Dual Wielding

This statement shocked both Kirito and Klein so much that they stood up immediately.

"Seriously?! You traitor!"

"Klein's making a fuss. So Agil is married?"

"Yeah, so no hopes of romantic encounters anymore."

Despite saying that, Agil seemed eager to join the conversation: "But those two are such a perfect match. Why is there no rumor about them dating? That's the biggest mystery in Aincrad."

Hearing Agil's words, Kirito thought for a moment before answering:

"Hachiman always underestimates himself. Even if he vaguely senses Asuna has feelings for him, he probably dismisses it as his own delusion, right?"

"Ah..."

"Exactly..."

Both nodded in strong agreement.

"Asuna must understand Hachiman's personality and sensitivity. Unless something major happens, it'll be hard for things to progress, right?"

"At this rate, Hachiman will get Asuna stolen by someone else!"

"No, no, no way."

"Yeah, impossible."

"Definitely impossible."

Klein didn't take it seriously either and nodded along.

"But they do look good together as they are. I just hope they find true happiness."

"Yeah."

"Well then, let's toast once again to the two we love most!"

"Oh!"

"Toasts!"

The three laughed and clinked glasses, spilling some wine onto the old oak table.

They chatted a while longer about those two before parting ways.

Nobody mentioned the events of the day—those were memories everyone preferred to forget, and probably never to be brought up in casual conversation again.

"See you later."

"Yeah, goodbye."

"Bye!"

Kirito settled into the inn, thinking over the recent conversation but quickly switched to thinking about battle matters, which suited his style better.

"Monsters, huh... To keep up with a stronger Hachiman, I really have to reconsider my skill setup..."

While opening his skill interface, Kirito discovered a skill name he didn't recognize. The faint blue glow from the screen made his pupils tremble: "What is this... When did I learn this?"

After reading the skill description, his finger hovered over the send button, hesitating for three seconds before finally closing the interface.

The next day, Kirito visited Hachiman.

The morning mist had not yet lifted when Hachiman opened the door and saw Kirito sporting panda eyes.

"Pulled an all-nighter?" Hachiman tossed over a bottle of energy potion. "Let me say this first—no borrowing money."

"Already better?" Kirito was glad his friend could joke so soon.

"Yeah, I was a bit lost, but thanks to Asuna's help."

"Asuna really is Hachiman's exclusive, huh."

"What do you mean exclusive..."

They chatted as they entered the living room.

Seeing Kirito's serious expression, Hachiman's joking mood faded a little.

"I've got something to discuss today."

"You came all the way here just so no one else can hear?"

"Yeah."

After sitting on the sofa, Kirito brought up the skill he discovered yesterday.

"Dual wielding?" Hachiman suddenly reached out and pinched Kirito's cheek. "You didn't get some cursed debuff, did you?"

"Ouch, ouch! It's real!" Kirito rubbed his reddened cheek. "It suddenly appeared at the very top of my skill tree last night. The acquisition condition was just a question mark."

"It's a common skill name in games, but I've never heard of it in SAO."

"No acquisition condition listed. It has to be a special skill."

"Probably..."

Hachiman fell into thought.

"What do you think we should do?"

"First, absolutely no one else can know."

"Exactly..."

After sipping tea, Hachiman organized his thoughts and concluded, "It's fine if you have a guild backing you like Heathcliff, but since we're solo players, to avoid trouble, it must be kept secret."

"But you need training, right?"

"Yeah, you can practice in my yard. No one will see."

"Then I'll borrow your yard."

"Do you have sword techniques?"

"Yes."

"Prioritize mastering sword skills, then find a place for practical combat, preferably an isolated area."

"Good idea. That way we won't get discovered."

Kirito began searching for suitable quests.

"But that's not enough."

"Another problem?"

"To use this skill effectively, I need another high-level weapon. Otherwise, balance is too off."

"A weapon of that level..."

"We can commission a player craftsman. How about asking Liz?"

"Liz? Who's that?"

Hachiman paused, surprised.

'Wait, Kirito doesn't know Liz? They haven't been seen together, and Kirito doesn't even know her name. Interesting. Better not reveal it.'

Trying to hide his smirk, Hachiman explained, "She's a blacksmith. Asuna's Lambert Sword was made by her."

Asuna's current weapon is the high-performance sword "Lambert Sword" crafted by Lizbeth.

"That's a top-tier weapon."

"Her craftsmanship is trustworthy. She recently said she finished her masterpiece. Want me to tell you where her shop is?"

"Thanks! I'll go tomorrow." Kirito looked happy, oblivious to the mischief behind that offer.

"On the 48th floor..."

After Kirito left, Hachiman went to Liz's shop. Every time he visited, Liz was busy, the huge forge constantly glowing red, burning semi-finished weapon blanks.

"Hachiman! Long time no see."

"Here for weapon maintenance."

"Okay, a bit busy now. Just a moment."

The thriving business gave Hachiman peace of mind.

"Going well, huh?"

"Thanks to you and Asuna spreading the word."

Feeling the intense heat from the burning metal, Hachiman thought the SAO sensory system was impressively detailed.

"We're just helping promote. Your skills are the key. Be more confident."

"Thanks!"

"By the way, on the snowy plains of the 55th floor, there's a white dragon said to carry crystal ingots."

Lizbeth recognized the name.

"That's advanced material, but no one's ever gotten it."

"Intel confirms it exists, but no one has obtained it. Probably needs special conditions, like a master blacksmith accompanying."

"I see. 55th floor now. The frontline is at 63?"

"Yeah."

"Can Hachiman solo it?"

"No problem."

"Then let's go collect it next time."

"Alright."

Their chat ended as the weapon maintenance finished.

Hachiman left, Liz completely unaware this was part of his plan.

The next day—

"Welcome! What weapon do you need today?"

"A custom weapon. No budget limit. Make the best one."

"Leave it to me!"