Chapter 294: -290- What you're trying to do
"Boom!"
This was the sound caused by the transformation of the Kobold Sentinels into polygonal fragments and their subsequent disappearance.
With the defeat of the guardian boss, the Kobold Sentinels were no longer allowed to exist according to the settings. Thus, they vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Even the previously vibrant surroundings gradually dimmed, returning to their original darkness.
At first glance, it seemed as though nothing had happened, making people doubt whether the battle that had just occurred was merely a dream.
However, this was definitely not a dream.
Because before all the players, windows displaying the experience points, money, and loot from this battle appeared in front of each player. This informed them that everything was real.
As a result, the players cheered and even embraced their companions, immersing the entire boss room in joy and celebration.
"Gu!"
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, the Rainbow Flower Butterfly also danced happily, fluttering around in mid-air, sprinkling luminous phosphorescent powder.
Of course, these were merely special effects, not the abilities of the Rainbow Flower Butterfly.
"Phew…"
Rozen also let out a sigh, recovering from the state of his〈Mind's Eye〉. He wore a genuine smile of relief.
After all, this time Rozen had managed to activate the〈Mind's Eye〉for several minutes, a rather pleasant surprise considering that he had entered the state of〈Mind's Eye〉in just a few seconds.
Though he hadn't dealt the final blow to the guardian boss or recorded the Kobold Lord as his familiar, it was a bit of a pity. However, the Kobold Lord was merely the guardian boss of the 1st floor, theoretically the weakest guardian boss in all of Aincrad. Even if he hadn't recorded it, it wouldn't be much of a loss.
Rozen walked over to Kirito, who had just recovered from the stiffness caused by using sword skills, and extended a hand towards him.
Seeing this, Kirito seemed to realize what had just transpired. He had personally taken down the 1st-floor guardian boss and wore a slightly stiff expression of delight. He also extended his hand, giving Rozen's fist a fist bump.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
A round of applause erupted from behind the two brothers, drawing their attention.
"You guys are amazing. I'm really impressed, ZenZen, Kirito."
Argo clapped vigorously and grinned.
Despite Argo's relatively low profile during this guardian boss battle, in reality, the agile information broker had been active from the very beginning. She provided support to players lacking recovery potions, those too tired to move, and those who retreated to the rear. She transported recovery items and provided cover, even distracting the Kobold Sentinels to serve as bait. Her workload wasn't light.
Beside Argo, Agil, who had stashed away his dual battle axes, also gave a thumbs-up to the two.
"Who would've thought you guys were this strong, and your coordination was so perfect, especially the execution of sword skills. I'm amazed."
Agil praised wholeheartedly.
Naturally, players from the beta test period cheered, shouted aloud, and bantered.
"Great job!"
"Well done!"
"Are you guys even stronger than during the beta test?"
"You guys look like you're cheating!"
"Teach us too!"
"Don't be too stingy!"
"Hahaha!"
The beta testers burst into hearty laughter, their happiness palpable.
On the other hand, the regular players, while happy about the successful defeat of the guardian boss, also recognized that the beta testers had contributed the most to this battle. Consequently, they couldn't help but feel somewhat disgruntled.
Nevertheless, overall, everyone was in good spirits.
"In that case, can we proceed to the 2nd floor now?"
"Will news of this floor's conquest immediately spread back to the Starting Town?"
"At least the players should feel a glimmer of hope now."
"Exactly."
One after another, players expressed these sentiments.
There were only three people who couldn't find much joy in this situation.
"Hope… huh…?"
Asuna, wearing a cloak and gripping a rapier, stood at the outer edge of the crowd. She lingered in a corner where no one paid her any attention, murmuring to herself.
"To think that the beta testers would steal the spotlight…"
Kibaou, amidst a group of regular players, wore a displeased expression.
"..."
Diabel, who was busy recovering lost HP by drinking potions, remained completely silent.
In this state of affairs...
"Well then, it's our turn to talk now."
Rozen approached Diabel with these words, his gaze fixed on him.
This puzzled all the players present.
"What's going on?"
"What else is there to discuss?"
"Is it about distributing the loot?"
"Haven't we agreed that whoever picks up the dropped items gets to keep them?"
One after another, players expressed their confusion.
Only Kirito, Argo, Agil, and even Asuna seemed to sense something amiss. They remained silent and turned their gaze towards Diabel.
Only then did the atmosphere in the area begin to change slightly.
"What do you guys want?"
Kibaou stepped forward from the crowd, as if indicating that he and Diabel were united in this matter. He glared at Rozen.
"Don't think that just because you guys made a big contribution, you can do whatever you want. Don't even think about taking advantage of us regular players!"
It seemed Kibaou believed that Rozen and his group intended to make unreasonable demands, such as insisting that the regular player groups didn't contribute much and thus should give up all the dropped items.
As always, this person held the view that beta testers were a selfish bunch who only aimed to get stronger for their own benefit. While he might not be as hostile as before, he still hadn't extended any recognition.
However, how could Kibaou know?
"Doing whatever you want after making a big contribution? Isn't that what you're trying to do?"
Rozen delivered these words without reservation, causing Kibaou's fierce expression to freeze, and Diabel's complexion to grow darker.
Witnessing this, the players present finally realized that something was happening behind the scenes.
"What's going on, ZenZen?"
Argo spoke on behalf of everyone, voicing the question on their minds.
Kirito, Agil, and Asuna, who stood in the corner, all directed their gaze at Rozen.
To this, Rozen offered a simple explanation.
"Diabel wanted to snatch the last-hit reward for the guardian boss, so that's why he rushed forward earlier."
This straightforward statement completely changed the expressions of the players present.
They turned from surprise to shock.
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