The next morning, when the first ray of virtual dawn pierced through the window lattice of the "Sleeping Lamb" suite in the Starting Town inn, Artoria, Minerva, and Ellie were already ready to set off.
After a full night's rest, although their bodies were bionic, the "System's" simulated sense of sleep and energy recovery mechanism remained effective, leaving the three of them full of spirit, with none of the fatigue and anxiety commonly seen on other players due to the pressure of death on their faces.
Their luggage was simple, yet it exuded a sense of "vacation" luxury.
Each person had a spacious travel backpack enchanted with a slight spatial expansion effect, a high-priced item from the item shop costing 1,000 currency each. The Cognitive Coordination Field once again rationalized it as a "bonus for winning the lucky jackpot." Inside, it was packed with exquisite bento boxes from "Golden Oak," herbal tea brewed with high-grade spring water, a clean picnic blanket, emergency medicine and items, and various "possibly useful" trinkets that Ellie had enthusiastically collected—such as glowing stones, uniquely shaped leaves, and herbal sachets said to repel low-level insect-type monsters, among others.
"Let's go! Target, Star-Sinking Lake!" Ellie shouldered her small backpack and waved her fist excitedly.
Leaving the Starting Town, which was still shrouded in a heavy atmosphere, the three of them stepped onto the grassland once again.
The grassland in the morning light had a bit more freshness and vitality than yesterday evening; virtual dewdrops hung on the blades of grass, shimmering in the sunlight.
The monsters also seemed to have just "woken up," their movements slightly slower than in the afternoon.
They did not deliberately avoid combat, but they didn't seek it out either; they simply followed their planned route, admiring the scenery while clearing away the sporadic monsters blocking their path.
With the foundation of yesterday afternoon's coordination, the three worked together even more tacitly.
Ellie's shield block timing was getting better and better, and she could occasionally attempt a small counterattack with a shield bash.
Minerva's sword skills were becoming increasingly precise and concise; every strike strove to be effective, conserving her stamina.
Artoria was more like a composed Commander, always able to appear in the most suitable position at the most suitable time, whether to finish off an enemy, relieve pressure, or direct their positioning.
For them, combat was no longer a high-pressure life-or-death struggle, but rather more like a stimulating "physical exercise" that required some brainpower and tested their coordination.
Their experience points were growing slowly and steadily.
After clearing the third prairie wolf, a leveling-up white light lit up on all three of them simultaneously—they were now LV.3.
Their attributes had a small increase, and their basic values such as HP, Strength, and Agility also increased accordingly.
They didn't stop to celebrate, just smiled at each other and continued forward.
Passing through the open grassland, they entered a relatively sparse woodland.
The trees here were tall, casting mottled light and shadow between the branches and leaves, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and humus.
The types of monsters had also changed; "Thorn Porcupines" (LV.3) that could shoot spikes from a distance and "Camouflage Vines" (LV.2) that hid under fallen leaves and suddenly sprang up to attack appeared.
These new monsters brought some minor troubles, but they also added to the fun of exploration.
Ellie still had lingering fears about the sudden attacks of the Camouflage Vines, but after successfully flattening one with her shield, she proudly declared that she had found the trick to it.
"Look! There's light ahead!" Ellie, who was walking in front, suddenly pointed ahead of the woods and shouted.
Passing through the last patch of woods, the view before them suddenly opened up.
A huge, tranquil lake, as if inlaid within the embrace of the mountains, revealed itself before them.
The lake water was clear and azure, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the silhouettes of the distant snow-capped mountains. A breeze brushed by, causing ripples to shimmer.
One side of the lakeshore was a gentle grassy slope dotted with unknown wildflowers; the other side consisted of rugged rocks and a small pine forest.
It was now the afternoon, the sunlight was just right, and the lake surface shimmered with light like shattered gold, as beautiful as a fairyland.
This was the famous scenic spot of the First Floor—"Star-Sinking Lake."
It is said that at night, countless glowing plankton appear in the lake, like stars sinking to the bottom, hence the name.
"So beautiful..." Even the quiet Minerva couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
The magnificence and tranquility of the scenery before them formed a stark contrast with the oppressive atmosphere of the Starting Town and the slaughter on the grassland, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.
"Perfect!" Artoria looked around and quickly chose a flat, clean patch of grass by the lake with an excellent view. "This is the spot, our picnic location!"
The three of them immediately got busy.
They spread out a thick picnic blanket and laid out the roast chicken, smoked fish, vegetable salad, fresh bread, and fruit packed from "Golden Oak" in special insulated food containers, along with herbal tea in exquisite glass bottles.
Ellie even pulled out several small wooden cups and a set of portable, simple magic stone stoves that could heat tea from her backpack like a magic trick.
Sunshine, lake breeze, delicious food, good friends.
Everything was like the most perfect spring outing.
They sat cross-legged on the picnic blanket, leisurely enjoying their lunch, chatting, and admiring the lake and mountain scenery, while occasionally curious, non-aggressive "Flash Butterflies" or "Water Spirits" flew by, adding to the charm.
The shadow of death and the pressure of the quest seemed to be isolated outside this tranquil lake.
"This place is so comfortable." Ellie took a bite of a juicy virtual fruit and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "It feels like we're really on vacation, and not in a... well, death game."
"Death is the background, vacation is the mood." Artoria took a sip of the warm tea with a faint floral fragrance, her gaze looking distantly at the lake surface. "The key lies in how we define our own experience."
"The scenery here is excellent, the food is delicious, the combat is fun, and I have you guys by my side. To me, this is a perfect vacation."
Minerva nodded gently, picked up a piece of bread, tore off a small strip, and tossed it toward the lakeshore.
A few bold, brightly feathered "Bread-Pecking Ducks" (LV.0) immediately waddled over to fight for it, making happy quacking sounds.
"The creator of this World really spent countless efforts on the details."
"Even in a game themed around combat and death, so many corners that make people feel peaceful and beautiful were left behind."
"Perhaps this is also a reflection of his complex feelings toward this World."
The afternoon time flowed slowly in leisure.
After the meal, they didn't leave immediately, but walked around the lake to explore.
Ellie tried using the "Fishing" skill to fish by the lake; although she only caught a few useless "small trash fish," the process kept her happy and tireless.
Minerva became interested in the moss growing on the rocks by the lake that emitted a faint fluorescence and used the "Gathering" skill to collect some, intending to study it when she got back.
Artoria leaned against a smooth large rock by the lake, letting the wind blow, staring blankly at the lake surface, enjoying this rare moment of emptiness where she didn't have to think about anything.
The sunset descended, dyeing the sky and the lake in a brilliant orange-red.
Tourists gradually increased—not just them, but other players who were also attracted by the beautiful scenery or wanted to temporarily escape the oppressive atmosphere appeared in twos and threes by the lake.
Some people watched the sunset in silence, some talked in low voices, and some, like them, spread out simple mats and shared food.
Although they mostly kept their distance and remained silent, this tacit understanding of pursuing a moment of beauty even in a desperate situation gave the atmosphere by the lake a peculiar beauty interwoven with tranquility and sorrow.
"That's about it, it's time to prepare for the main event of the night." Artoria looked at the sky and stood up.
The "Star-Sinking" scene at night was the main goal of their trip.
They found a spot behind some rocks by the lake that was relatively sheltered from the wind and had a good view to serve as their observation point for the night.
They lit a small campfire, which could dispel the cold of the night and potential low-level monsters, and also add to the atmosphere.
Ellie even tried roasting the "small trash fish" she had caught and the herbs she had collected earlier over the campfire; although the taste was indescribable, the process was full of rustic charm.
Night finally descended completely.
At first, the lake surface was pitch black, with only the reflected starlight and the faint light of the campfire.
But gradually, one, two, ten, a hundred points... countless faint, soft, blue-green light spots slowly emerged and rose from the depths of the lake, like a dream being awakened, finally covering the entire lake surface!
They gently rippled with the water, flickering on and off, truly as if the entire brilliant galaxy had been moved into the water, and it was also like countless sleeping spirits dancing gracefully at the bottom of the lake.
The light was not dazzling, but pure, mysterious, and breathtakingly beautiful.
The silhouette of the distant snow-capped mountains appeared even more tranquil and solemn against the backdrop of the Star Lake.
"Wow..." Ellie opened her mouth wide, staring at the miracle before her without blinking, the light of the campfire dancing on her face.
"Indeed... it lives up to its name." Minerva also sighed softly, her eyes reflecting that sea of stars.
Artoria didn't speak, just watched quietly, feeling this pure natural beauty that transcended the boundaries of virtual and reality.
At this moment, whatever power, whatever quest, whatever crisis, all seemed insignificant.
The meaning of existence, perhaps, is just to witness and feel such moments.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
A burst of slightly hurried, chaotic footsteps, accompanied by suppressed exclamations and the sound of weapon clashing, came from the woods on the other side of the lake, breaking the quietness of the Star Lake.
The three of them turned their heads to look in alert.
They saw four figures rushing out of the woods in a sorry state, running toward the lakeshore.
Running in front were two male players, one holding a one-handed sword and shield, the other holding a long spear; both were injured, and their HP bars were not full.
In the middle was a female player wearing a novice priest robe, her face pale; she seemed to have exhausted her MP and was panting.
At the very back was a young girl holding a short bow, shooting arrows while running and looking back; her arrows seemed unable to cause effective damage to the pursuers, and her face was full of anxiety.
And chasing behind them were five "Shadow Wolves" (LV.5) that were pitch black, had blood-red eyes, were a size larger than ordinary prairie wolves, and had exposed fangs!
This type of monster was obviously not something that a player party of this level could easily deal with, especially when they were in poor condition and their formation was scattered.
"Help! Is there anyone who can help?!"
"Can't hold them off! Run into the lake!"
"No! There might be water monsters in the lake!"
The man with the shield running in front shouted anxiously while blocking the pouncing of the Shadow Wolves.
Their direction was right toward the campfire where Artoria and the others were.
Obviously, this was a player party that had accidentally provoked high-level monsters while exploring at night or had been chased by a group of monsters and had stumbled into this place.
They were not high-level, their equipment was ordinary, and facing five LV.5 Shadow Wolves, they were already in a desperate situation.
Other scattered players nearby, seeing this scene, mostly retreated subconsciously, staying away from the danger zone.
In this death game, self-preservation was the top priority; rashly helping strangers could very likely get oneself dragged in too.
"It's Shadow Wolves, LV.5, active aggressive type, relatively fast, attacks carry slight Shadow attribute damage, and they work in coordination." Ellie immediately pulled up the monster encyclopedia stored in her memory and said quickly, "That party can't beat them; if this continues, they will suffer casualties or even be wiped out in at most one minute."
Minerva looked at Artoria, her eyes filled with inquiry.
Given their current levels and equipment, they might handle one or two Shadow Wolves, but facing five at once, especially with the enemies in good condition, was equally dangerous.
More importantly, they were here for a "vacation"; was it necessary to get involved in this sudden battle?
Artoria's gaze quickly swept over the team on the verge of collapse, then glanced at the other players nearby who were indifferent or dodging away, and finally settled back on the five Shadow Wolves that were baring their fangs, their eyes flashing with cruel red light.
"Aili, get ready to use 'Flash Stones' for interference. Minerva, you and I will handle the two on the left. Aili, try your best to use your shield to attract the attention of the one on the right and buy time. Don't fight to the death; just create chaos and give those people a chance to disengage from the battle," Artoria commanded in a steady tone, her eyes calm.
"We have teleport crystals, so the risk is controllable. Besides... watching people get torn apart by monsters right in front of us would make for a pretty lousy 'vacation' experience."
"Understood!" Aili immediately pulled several low-quality Flash Stones from her backpack.
Minerva also nodded gently, drew her longsword, and locked her gaze onto the targets.
Just as the team was less than twenty meters from the campfire, the archer girl running at the back was pounced on by a Shadow Wolf, her health bar plummeting as she let out a cry of pain. At the exact moment she was about to be finished off by a second Shadow Wolf—
"Close your eyes!" Artoria shouted in a low voice.
Aili forcefully threw the three Flash Stones in her hand toward the ground in front of the densest part of the Shadow Wolf pack!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three blinding white lights suddenly exploded by the lakeside in the night!
The Shadow Wolves clearly hadn't expected this attack; they let out pained hisses, their movements stuttering in unison, their crimson eyes temporarily losing focus.
"Now!" Artoria and Minerva sprang out like cheetahs!
Artoria's target was the Shadow Wolf on the far left, which was shaking its head, trying to regain its vision. She didn't use any flashy sword skills, just a simple, unadorned diagonal slash, accurately striking the relatively fragile junction of the Shadow Wolf's waist and abdomen!
-25! A decent amount of damage.
Minerva engaged another one, her footwork even more elusive. Dodging the Shadow Wolf's blind biting, she thrust her sword into its eye!
-32! A weak point attack plus a critical hit!
Aili also gathered her courage, raised her shield, and charged toward the Shadow Wolf on the right that had been blinded the most severely. She used all her strength to slam a shield bash onto its nose!
-8! The damage wasn't high, but it successfully attracted its aggro, and the Shadow Wolf turned toward her in anger.
The sudden assistance and the interference from the Flash Stones instantly disintegrated the Shadow Wolf pack's offensive, giving the team on the verge of despair a precious chance to breathe.
The shield-wielding man and the spearman were stunned for a moment, but then realized what was happening and immediately protected the healer and the injured archer girl, retreating toward the campfire behind Artoria and her team.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" the shield-wielding man said loudly while retreating, his voice trembling with the relief of having survived a brush with death.
"Don't talk nonsense, get back to the fire first!" Artoria shouted, simultaneously dodging a pounce from a recovered Shadow Wolf and backhanding it with her sword, leaving a wound on its flank.
Minerva also nimbly avoided an attack, forming a pincer formation with Artoria to resist the Shadow Wolves' counterattack.
Aili, relying on her shield and leather armor, hard-tanked the attacks from that Shadow Wolf; although her health was slowly dropping, she was not in immediate danger.
With the containment provided by the three of them, the four-person team finally retreated safely to the side of the campfire.
The healer girl hurriedly cast a slow heal on the injured archer and herself, and the shield-wielding man and the spearman also seized the time to drink low-level healing potions.
"Friends, we're here to help!" The shield-wielding man and the spearman, having caught their breath, exchanged a look, gritted their teeth, and charged back into the fray.
Although they were in poor condition, having two more people to share the pressure immediately improved the situation.
Five versus five—strictly speaking, five versus four, as Aili was mainly tanking.
Although the players were at a disadvantage in terms of levels and stats, with organization and coordination, the Shadow Wolves' numerical advantage was no longer obvious.
Artoria and Minerva's precise attacks and flexible movement, the shield-wielding man's steady defense, the spearman's harassing thrusts, plus Aili's intermittent Flash Stone interference, turned the battle from a one-sided hunt into a back-and-forth tug-of-war.
Finally, at the cost of everyone's health bars dropping by more than half and Aili's shield durability almost hitting zero, the five Shadow Wolves disappeared one after another into fragments, leaving behind a pile of currency, materials, and two glowing pieces of equipment.
The battle ended, and the lakeside returned to silence, leaving only the crackling of the campfire and the heavy breathing of the group.
"It's, it's over..." The shield-wielding man sat down on the ground, looking at his remaining health bar, which was less than a third, feeling lingering fear.
The others were much the same, sitting down or leaning against each other, seizing the time to recover.
Artoria, Minerva, and Aili also retreated to the side of the campfire.
Artoria and Minerva had about half their health left, while Aili, having taken on the main tanking task, had the lowest health, with less than 30% remaining.
Her small face was a bit pale, but her eyes were shining, filled with post-battle excitement and a trace of lingering fear.
"Th-thank you so much!" The girl wearing a priest's robe, named "Lisbeth," stood up first and bowed deeply to the three of them, her voice thick with tears.
"If it weren't for you, we, we might have..."
"Yeah, thank you so much!" The shield-wielding man, "Egil," also stood up and expressed his sincere gratitude.
He was burly with a rugged face, but his eyes were sincere.
"I'm Egil, the temporary Captain of this team. This is Klein, Lisbeth, and Silica. We really owe you for your righteous help today!"
The spearman, Klein, was a red-haired youth who looked a bit frivolous, but at this moment, he had put away his cynical expression and was thanking them earnestly.
The archer girl named Silica was the youngest, looking only fifteen or sixteen years old. The wound on her arm had already been simply treated by Lisbeth.
She looked timidly at Artoria and the others and whispered, "Th-thank you, big sisters..."
"You're welcome, it was just a small effort." Artoria waved her hand, her attitude calm.
"But what about you guys? How did you end up provoking so many Shadow Wolves at night? This isn't their main activity area."
Egil's face showed embarrassment and annoyance: "We heard that the night view of Star-Sinking Lake was beautiful, so we wanted to come and see it, and maybe level up nearby while we were at it."
"We didn't expect that on the way here, we accidentally stepped on a hidden'Shadow Wolf Nest' trigger point, and five of them spawned at once... We tried to run, but they were chasing us too closely, we almost..."
So that was it. Accidentally triggering a hidden spawn point—their luck really was bad.
"With your levels and equipment, you might be able to handle one or two, but five is really pushing it," Minerva said softly, her gaze sweeping over their worn-out equipment and their mostly empty supply slots.
"Yeah, this is a real lesson." Klein scratched his head. "We won't dare run around at night from now on. By the way, I haven't asked your names yet? Looking at your skills, you don't seem like ordinary beginners. Are you beta testers?"
The Cognitive Coordination Field quietly operated once again.
Egil and the others looked at the three of them—although their levels weren't high (LV.3), they had excellent equipment and were calm and coordinated in battle.
The slight doubts that had arisen in their hearts were quickly replaced by "reasonable" explanations like "they might be ordinary players with great skills" or "they might have some special technique/talent."
After all, SAO was so huge, it was normal to have a few talented newcomers.
"Artoria, Minerva, Aili." Artoria briefly introduced the three of them.
"We aren't beta testers, just people who like to explore. We've been lucky and managed to get some good gear." She pointed to the currency and materials dropped by the Shadow Wolves on the ground.
"Let's split the loot by contribution. We'll take three parts, you take two, how about that?"
"That won't do!" Egil waved his hands hurriedly. "You saved us, and you did most of the fighting. We didn't help much. We're just grateful to have kept our lives; we can't take the loot!"
"Yeah, yeah, you guys take it!" Lisbeth and Silica also said hurriedly.
"Without you drawing fire and helping at the end, we wouldn't have been able to resolve it so easily." Artoria was persistent.
"Let's leave it at that. There are only two pieces of equipment, a piece of leather armor and a short sword. See who needs them."
Ultimately, due to Artoria's persistence, the loot was distributed as she had said.
Egil's team couldn't refuse and gratefully accepted their share of the currency and materials.
The Shadow Wolf leather armor with decent stats was given to Egil, who excelled in defense, and the short sword was given to Silica, whose attack options were relatively limited, giving her an extra means of self-defense in melee.
After splitting the loot, the atmosphere relaxed a lot.
Egil and the others had a very good impression of the three; they were not only capable but also righteous and not greedy.
They built their own campfire, set up camp nearby to rest, and started chatting with Artoria and the others.
During the conversation, they learned that Egil seemed to be a small shop owner in reality, Klein was an ordinary office worker, Lisbeth was a student, and Silica was still a junior high school student.
The four of them were ordinary players who had accidentally entered SAO when it opened. After it became a death game, they were forced to form a temporary team and support each other.
Like most bottom-tier players, they felt lost and fearful about the future, but the instinct to survive and the bonds with their companions made them struggle forward.
The three of them didn't reveal too much about themselves, just identifying as "casual players who like to wander around and look at the scenery," occasionally sharing some harmless little tips or scenic spots they had found during their "exploration."
Their relaxed and calm attitude, in the eyes of Egil and the others, became a sign of "strong mental fortitude" and "open-mindedness," making them admire them even more.
The night deepened, and the light of the Star Lake began to slowly dim.
Egil's team decided to camp by the lake until dawn before returning to Starting Town.
The three of them also planned to spend the night here and continue their "vacation" itinerary tomorrow.
Before going to sleep, Silica secretly ran to Artoria's side and handed her a small bag of sweet dried berries she had collected, her little face blushing as she said, "Big Sister Artoria, this... is for you. Thank you so much for today, really."
Artoria was stunned for a moment, then smiled and took it, patting Silica on the head: "Thank you, it's a great gift. Get some good rest tonight and stay safe."
That night, two campfires burned quietly by the shore of Star-Sinking Lake.
Beside one, four players who had experienced a life-or-death crisis were taking turns keeping watch, exhausted but vigilant; beside the other, three "vacationers" were sleeping peacefully under the starry sky, their health slowly recovering.
An unexpected battle, a casual act of assistance.
It didn't change the overall situation of this death game World, but perhaps it planted a seed of warmth and hope in a small heart.
And for Artoria, Minerva, and Aili, this was merely a slightly exciting, heartwarming, and memorable little episode in their long SAO vacation.
Tomorrow, the sun will rise as usual, and the vacation will continue.
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