Miracle Summoner

Asuna covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

Her surprise was entirely understandable.

Who were Kirito and Leafa?

They were bona fide top-tier players.

Kirito, needless to say, had already defeated Eugene, who was once hailed as the strongest player in ALO. Within the elite-filled Crimson Wing, he was second only to Rozen. Even Asuna didn't dare claim she could defeat Kirito. Despite a year of guidance from Rozen, which had significantly improved her skills, Kirito had received the same training, often learning new techniques from Rozen. His strength had only continued to grow.

If Kirito and Asuna were to duel now, Kirito would likely win seven out of ten matches, while Asuna could only manage three—and that's assuming she was lucky. If luck wasn't on her side, Asuna might not win a single match.

And Asuna was someone Rozen himself had praised as a prodigy with the rapier. If this was the result when she faced Kirito, one could imagine how formidable Kirito had become.

As for Leafa, being Rozen's sister naturally meant she had benefited immensely from his guidance. Her strength had grown immeasurably since the old ALO days. If we exclude Rozen, Leafa was now recognized as the strongest Sylph player. Just last month, during the all-race tournament hosted by Crimson Wing, she had fought Eugene to a standstill for nearly half an hour before narrowly losing. Her strength was just as undeniable.

Currently, in ALO, it was publicly acknowledged that Kirito and Leafa were both among the top five players across all servers.

With the influx of SAO players, the transformed and thriving ALO was more prosperous than ever. Being ranked in the top five across all servers was enough to make anyone a standout in their race and a revered player among their peers.

Naturally, Asuna was also in this league, considered capable of being ranked in the top five.

Crimson Wing boasted four players strong enough to rank in the top five across all servers, a significant reason why the guild was feared by the nine major races.

Of course, Rozen was the fourth.

However, Rozen wasn't merely considered one of the top five—he was recognized as the undisputed number one in all of ALO.

After all, Rozen had effortlessly defeated Kirito, single-handedly fought and defeated a floor boss, toyed with Eugene, and was openly acknowledged by Asuna and Leafa as being far beyond their level. The title of the strongest player had long since been solidified.

Even so, Kirito and Leafa, as top-tier players, losing to a newcomer who had only recently transferred from another game? Asuna couldn't help but be astonished.

"There was… nothing we could do. That person's movements were just too fast. Even their basic attacks were almost as quick as sword skills. It was nearly impossible to keep up visually. I only managed to chip away forty percent of their HP, and that was already quite an accomplishment."

Leafa puffed out her cheeks, looking both unwilling to admit defeat and yet having no choice but to concede.

"…That person is indeed very strong."

Kirito, on the other hand, simply stated this seriously.

"So they're that impressive, huh?"

Asuna finally accepted the reality and marveled at it.

"If they're that strong, I guess no one wants to challenge them anymore, right?"

Rozen speculated thoughtfully.

Unlike general tournament events, dying in a duel, even if it didn't result in item drops, would still cause a significant loss of experience points.

Under such circumstances, one would expect players to avoid challenging that person.

However...

"It's quite the opposite. Even now, challengers keep coming one after another, and many of them are top players from different races."

Liz denied Rozen's assumption.

"Why?"

Asuna was baffled.

The answer, however, was simple.

"They've stated that anyone who defeats them will win a wager."

Silica, recalling the terms of the wager, couldn't help but look astonished.

Even Kirito couldn't help but express admiration.

"Brace yourselves—you won't believe this wager when you hear it," Kirito said, his lips curving into a wry smile.

"The wager isn't equipment, items, or currency. It's their custom-made original sword skill—OSS."

Hearing this, not just Asuna, but even Rozen raised his eyebrows.

OSS—Original Sword Skill.

This was a system.

As Kirito mentioned, it allowed players to create their own sword skills.

After the old ALO incident, Kayaba Akihiko's World Seed was released to the public, enabling the rebirth of ALO. During its reconstruction, the developers integrated SAO's system files.

Thanks to this, former SAO players could transfer their old avatars to the new ALO, effectively resurrecting their SAO characters. The revamped ALO also incorporated numerous features from SAO.

For instance, the emergence of the new Aincrad.

Another example was the introduction of the guild system.

But the most important addition was the sword skill system.

The current ALO included SAO's sword skill mechanics, allowing players to execute powerful techniques like those in SAO. This innovation brought unprecedented diversity to combat and could even be considered revolutionary.

In the past, ALO players relied almost entirely on magic for significant damage and flashy effects. Melee combat depended solely on player skill, with no inherent sword or weapon skills. Given the natural advantages of magic, such as range and accuracy, it was challenging for players to build characters focused solely on physical attacks.

However, with the introduction of sword skills, a balance was achieved between magic and melee combat. Players were no longer limited to enhancing magic abilities and fighting from a distance but could excel in close-quarters combat. This shift led to the rise of melee specialists, especially those who combined close combat with aerial maneuvers, which were far more dynamic and powerful than relying solely on ranged magic.

Nonetheless, the developers recognized that simply transplanting SAO's sword skill system wasn't ideal.

The new ALO had many former SAO players who were already intimately familiar with the mechanics and techniques, creating the potential for imbalance.

To address this, the developers introduced a new feature: the Original Sword Skill (OSS) system.

This system wasn't about pre-designed techniques programmed into the game but encouraged players to design and register their own unique moves, creating custom sword skills.

After this system was implemented, countless players eagerly sought to develop their exclusive, stylish sword skills. It wasn't uncommon to see players striking various poses with their weapons, attempting to create new techniques in towns or open fields.

However, creating an original sword skill was no easy task.