Kratil's instantaneous demise left the players present stunned. Death in the game world... was linked to reality.
The cause.
It was simply that the player wanted to join the Strategy Group , and after Asuna refused, he tried to use the name of all players to forcibly pressure her.
As for the outcome, it was already clearly before their eyes, and what was even more direct was Kochou Shinobu's immense strength, easily dispatching the veteran player.
Continue protesting?
The players present exchanged glances, understanding that such an act was equivalent to courting death.
After all, once they completely cleared the SAO game, everyone's consciousness would return to the real world, so they had no objections to Asuna's team only recruiting females.
Among them, a girl with long black hair, wearing a light blue skirt and blue armor, took the initiative to ask.
"Is it... is it only for females?"
"Of course."
Her appearance had already been replaced by her true form in the real world. Asuna looked at the girl of similar age, relieved that a player was finally asking.
It wouldn't cause such a big commotion.
And then, without recruiting any members for the Capture Team, she would leave dejectedly. Asuna explained seriously, "The goal of our Capture Team..."
"...is to perfectly clear the SAO game and return to the real world!"
"I am a Spear User, and my gender... should meet the requirements of the Capture Team. I haven't joined a guild yet, may I join?"
"Sachi!"
The player, who clearly knew Sachi, wanted to grab her hand, his grave expression indicating all the problems. Just moments ago...
A member of the Capture Team... had killed a player.
"Dakar, I want to leave this game world. I've already decided to join the team. As for the Moonlit Black Cats guild..."
"...it can still be created without me."
After witnessing Kochou Shinobu's displayed strength, Sachi had already made her decision, desperately wanting to leave the SAO World.
Asuna's team before her.
This was definitely her best choice, even if joining the Capture Team might require her to handle many chores and fight on the front lines.
Now that she had caught a glimmer of hope, she was unwilling to give up... "What do you think, Shiraishi-kun?"
The final decision on whether a Capture Team member joined still rested with Shiraishi Kawa. Asuna had no negative feelings towards Sachi.
Just as she said before, forming a reliable and suitable team was the most crucial part of clearing the SAO game!
"Okay."
Compared to Asuna, the girl named Sachi before him was naturally very different. After all, Asuna was the peak of beauty in the SAO game.
Shiraishi Kawa did not refuse Sachi's application. To be precise, it was within his plans, quite suitable from the perspective of developing a Hedonistic Chosen.
Desperate to leave the SAO World.
It certainly wouldn't work without a solid foundation of strength. He just wasn't sure if the divine authority-bestowed skills would be effective on players whose consciousness existed in the game world.
"Welcome to the team. I'm Asuna, this is Shiraishi-kun, and also Kochou Shinobu."
The Capture Team successfully gained a new member. Asuna, the leader, took the initiative to introduce them, of course, omitting their true identities.
They continued to wait for members to join, but the results were slightly unsatisfactory. Some players were attracted by the beautiful girls, but when they inquired about the requirement that members must be female, they could only leave regretfully.
After concluding the recruitment of Capture Team members, Asuna returned to the inn and asked Shiraishi Kawa, "For lunch, should we eat first... or directly begin the capture?"
"..."
Sachi, who had just joined the team, was also a bit confused as to why Asuna, as the leader of the Capture Team, would even ask Shiraishi Kawa about such details.
Her gaze couldn't help but size up the handsome and refined boy.
From the team's attitude, the difference was clear. Earlier, when Kratil was provoking them, even the person involved hadn't expressed an opinion.
Kochou Shinobu, the girl with a somewhat strange dress style, directly killed the provocateur, and even Asuna, the leader of the Capture Team, seemed to care deeply about Shiraishi Kawa's opinion.
"I don't mind, but you still need to replenish your stamina. What floor of the Dungeon have the SAO players reached in their capture?"
Asuna, though a girl, possessed the qualities of a married woman.
If Shiraishi Kawa remembered correctly, Yuuki Asuna's cooking skills were quite good. He wondered who was better compared to Busujima Saeko.
"Then I'll cook!"
Asuna volunteered to cook, unsure if the culinary skills she mastered in the real world could be replicated in the SAO World. As for the capture progress, she had been hiding in the inn.
So she hadn't paid much attention, shaking her head gently, "I haven't had any contact with other players."
"Is it the players' capture progress? If nothing unexpected happens, they'll begin capturing the Boss of the first floor of the Dungeon this afternoon."
Sachi, who knew a bit of information, readily shared it. She had also previously participated in capturing and leveling up with other players, but perhaps she wasn't inherently a bold person.
Fearful of death, she had backed out when they were preparing to rest and gather players to fight the Boss. She only met Asuna after returning to the Starting City.
"The progress is a bit too slow..."
If he remembered the plot correctly, the players in the SAO World hadn't been able to successfully defeat the Floor Boss for two months. Shiraishi Kawa's psychological expectation for the maximum time this group rescue mission would take was within three days.
"..."
"I'll go help Asuna prepare lunch."
Sachi had no idea how to respond to that. Noticing that Asuna was already busy in the inn's restaurant, she decisively found an excuse to leave.
Leaving only Kochou Shinobu and Shiraishi Kawa in a corner of the first-floor restaurant.
Kochou Shinobu had no idea how to start a conversation when alone with a member of the opposite sex. Part of the reason was the incident of killing Kratil.
It was a little awkward... when she heard the other party provoke Shiraishi Kawa, even though her sister had told her to be gentle in front of boys, she still couldn't control her inner thoughts.
"Shiraishi-kun..."
"Shinobu."
Shiraishi Kawa had a pretty good impression of Kochou Shinobu from the Demon Slayer World. With no other players here, he simply asked directly,
"Do you want to go to other worlds?"
"I have thoughts. I might go to the world where Hestia and Shiraishi-kun are, and also... I'm very interested in modern society."
The conversation flowed smoothly. Kochou Shinobu was no longer as flustered as she was at first. She honestly expressed her thoughts. If it weren't for her insufficient points,
She would even want to go to Shiraishi-kun's real world!
"The real world?"
"To Shiraishi-kun's place!"
"However... my current strength doesn't seem to be able to help you much. The remaining points might only be enough to exchange for basic physical stat enhancement."
Kochou Shinobu mustered her courage and didn't hide her thoughts, but as soon as she finished speaking, she felt... her heart accelerating.
It was really hard to make a choice.
If she didn't use the Dimensional Chat Group points to improve her strength, let alone catch up to Shiraishi-kun, it would be difficult to even see his back.
"..."
For Kochou Shinobu, who was good at being direct, Shiraishi Kawa felt there was no need to beat around the bush. He said in a relaxed tone, "If you want to improve your strength... I have a method here..."
"...actually, there's a way."
"It can help you save your Chat Group points."
As for the method, it was definitely to help Kochou Shinobu become a Hedonistic Chosen, break through to the transcendent level to improve her strength, and his own attribute values would also be boosted.
"What... what method is it?"
"The method is to become my Hedonistic Chosen. I don't think I've told you, but to some extent, I'm also a newborn god."
Shiraishi Kawa decisively invited Kochou Shinobu to receive the silver lines .
If her next goal was to go to the DanMachi World, bringing her into the Familia would allow her to team up with Lili and Sakurajima Mai in the Dungeon.
She was a very worthwhile target for development.
"Hedonistic Chosen?"
"I really didn't expect that besides Aqua, Hestia, and that other goddess... Shiraishi-kun, you're actually a god too."
Kochou Shinobu didn't have a particularly detailed concept of gods.
To be precise, it was Aqua's Purification that eliminated all the demons in her world, which made her realize the true value of gods.
She didn't ask if there was a price.
She didn't think Shiraishi Kawa would deceive or harm her.
"I'm willing!"
"The price of becoming a Hedonistic Chosen is to pledge all your loyalty to me. When we go to Hestia's world, I will help you change your profession to Adventurer."
Although Kochou Shinobu didn't ask for detailed reasons, Shiraishi Kawa still explained as a matter of routine. To some extent, this was no different from a disclaimer. Looking at the determined Kochou Shinobu,
There was no need for further explanation.
He smiled easily, decisively gathered the Hedonistic Divinity in his palm, and said to the girl before him, "I will bestow the Divine Authority Seal upon you."
"Lift your shirt up..."
"Alright..."
Never having anticipated such intimate contact, Kochou Shinobu's cheeks were so red they looked like they might drip water. She reached out and gently lifted her clothes.
But.
Just then.
Asuna, who had just walked out of the inn's kitchen, was about to ask Shiraishi Kawa what kind of food he liked when she saw the ambiguous scene before her.
Kochou Shinobu with her shirt lifted.
And Shiraishi Kawa, with his hand raised, about to make a move. Breaking the normal course of events, Asuna's face instantly flushed, and she suggested softly,
"Why don't you..."
"...go to my room? There are other players in the inn..."