"Hmph!"
With all the players present, Kibaou let out a cold snort while still holding his hand up as if to speak. Then, he walked towards the direction of the fountain.
The players' gazes followed Kibaou's movements, watching until he reached Diabel.
Diabel also looked at Kibaou, neither stopping him nor expressing any dissatisfaction, simply accepting him in a very gracious manner.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Diabel humbly asked.
Kibaou's response was anything but polite.
"No, I also want to conquer this damned game. I have no objections to that."
Kibaou's tone was unfriendly and completely different from Diabel's cheerful demeanor. It was as if he was hurling insults as he spoke.
"However, if we're going to fight together, shouldn't we be more careful in choosing our team members?"
With this, Kibaou's gaze turned extremely fierce as he scanned each player in the area.
And his gaze lingered the longest on Rozen and Kirito.
Then, Kibaou spoke loudly.
"To be blunt, I don't trust some of the players here. I have no confidence in fighting alongside those selfish bastards to defeat bosses!"
Kibaou's words caused a shift in the entire atmosphere of the plaza. From the previous enthusiasm and excitement, it seemed to drop to the freezing point. It cooled down rapidly and even grew heavy.
Selfish bastards.
This kind of phrase could only make players associate it with them.
The players all turned to look in one direction.
Besides Rozen's position, where else could it be?
That's right...
"Beta testers!"
Kibaou stared at Rozen with an intensity as if he wanted to pounce on him and bite him. He spoke with such hostility.
"These damned beta testers abandoned over nine thousand ordinary players who didn't understand the situation from the beginning of this game. They monopolized the efficient hunting grounds and lucrative quests, focused only on becoming stronger, then had the audacity to flaunt their gains and strength in front of us in the town. They acted like they were showing off, showcasing their spoils and power, but they never considered just how hard we've worked, and how much we've suffered, to survive in this world!"
Kibaou seemed to want to vent his anger. In stark contrast to Diabel's eloquent speech, he spoke in an almost inciting manner, pointing at the players present, his words full of anger.
"Can you fight shoulder to shoulder with these kinds of people? Can you conquer this game alongside these selfish bastards? Who knows if after we've painstakingly defeated the boss, they'll rush ahead of us in the 2nd floor again? I absolutely won't accept it!"
These words caused the players to whisper to each other, and eventually, the gazes focused on Rozen began to fill with hostility.
In this situation, disregarding Rozen for a moment, Kirito had already lowered his head, his face appearing somewhat pale.
Not only Kirito, even Argo, who was hiding in a corner of the plaza, seemed to be breathing more rapidly.
Both of them were beta testers as well.
It's just that others didn't know.
But Rozen was different.
Facing the hostile gazes of all the players, as well as Kibaou's furious words, Rozen remained utterly unfazed. He crossed his arms and watched quietly.
Seeing Rozen's calm demeanor, Kibaou couldn't possibly stop there.
"You all should know how many players have died in one month, right?"
Kibaou raised his voice.
"Two thousand people!"
"A whole fifth of the player population!"
"Because so many people have died in just one month, players feel hopeless and though it's impossible to conquer this game!"
"Out of these two thousand, even if you don't know anyone, how can you be sure that among the future casualties, there won't be anyone you know, or even yourselves?"
Kibaou's words changed the expressions of the players, and some even trembled, appearing extremely fearful.
Kibaou's reasons for bringing up this matter were simple as well.
"If the beta testers had shared the information and knowledge about this world's conditions from the beta period, maybe these two thousand people wouldn't have died!"
"If the beta testers hadn't monopolized resources and had shared with everyone, surely more people could have effectively leveled up. Then there will be more top players who will gather here to conquer the floor boss."
"In other words, the reason so many people died in this game, the reason the progress is so slow, even if beta testers aren't the main culprits, they are definitely responsible!"
At this point, before other players could even get worked up, Kibaou himself was already grinding his teeth in anger.
"Hearing all this, can you still stand calmly in the crowd without even planning to step forward?"
"Beta testers!"
Kibaou finally pointed his finger at Rozen.
Simultaneously, most of the players on the scene glared angrily at Rozen, shouting in succession.
"Step forward! Beta tester!"
"Step forward!"
"Do you plan to keep hiding like a coward!?"
"You had the guts to do that, but do you lack the guts to admit it!?"
"It's all your fault that so many people have died!"
"Step forward!"
"Step forward!"
At that moment, each player was caught in a whirlwind of fury.
"Step forward! Step forward! Step forward! Step forward!"
As if chanting a slogan, their rhythmic shouts echoed as they raised their hands, one after another.
In that instant, Rozen became the target of everyone's hatred, a scapegoat for all the players' resentment toward the beta testers.
Among these players, some might not truly want to do anything, and some might just be incited. But being trapped in SAO for an entire month had long accumulated a significant amount of negative emotions in these once-ordinary players.
Within those negative emotions lay fear, sadness, anger, pain. With ten thousand players, there were ten thousand worth of negativity.
Now, taking advantage of this opportunity, these individuals fully vented their emotions.
This is what it means to be human.
Faced with this torrent of negative emotions, Kirito's form was already swaying unsteadily. He appear as if he was in a nightmare, sweat trickling down his forehead.
Watching Rozen become the outlet for players' frustration and the scapegoat for all beta testers, the young man's face twisted as if he had been punched in the chest.
Just when Kirito couldn't bear it any longer and was about to step forward...
"Are you done talking?"
Rozen's response seemed to have just occurred to him as he surveyed everyone present.
His voice wasn't loud.
However, it spread throughout the entire scene.
"I was wondering what you all were going to say. It's truly disappointing."
Rozen's tone was as if he were addressing a group of fools, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well then, let me tell you."
"How you were all able to survive until now, you bunch of idiots."
"Id... Idiots...?"
Rozen's unfiltered words left the players present beyond angry, freezing them in their tracks.
Even Kibaou was taken aback, unable to react in time.
In this situation, Rozen was about to step forward.
"Wait..."
Kirito tried to stop Rozen, but he pushed his hand down on his shoulder.
"Don't worry."
Rozen pressed Kirito's hand down, walking forward under everyone's gaze.
Not long after, Rozen arrived in front of Kibaou.
"Let me start by asking you, Mr. Kibaou."
Rozen posed the question with a half-smile before Kibaou could react.
"Do you know what 'Closed Beta Testing' means?"
Finally, Kibaou showed some reaction to this question.
"Isn't Closed Beta Testing just a closed test?" Kibaou spoke with a harsh tone, as if wanting to see Rozen's intention. "Before official game launch, game companies grant access to a select group of lucky players to play the game in advance for promotional purposes. Isn't that what it is?"
Rozen didn't deny Kibaou's answer.
"Indeed, Closed Beta Testing also serves the purpose of promotion. Some game companies even use it to gauge the market's response, evaluating the game's reception before deciding how much investment to make. That's what Closed Beta Testing is."
Rozen nodded and then continued.
"However, the primary goal of Closed Beta Testing is still 'testing the game.' If you're a real player, you should understand that, right?"
That's right.
The main purpose of Closed Beta Testing is to test a game before its official release.
Because, regardless of the game, there are bound to be imperfections, even flaws that others haven't noticed, in short, bugs.
To make the game more polished and to identify and fix all the flaws, game companies provide access to a select group of players for testing during the Closed Beta phase.
During testing, game companies collect data, bugs, and every piece of feedback and suggestions from players to improve the game. Only after there are no significant issues left, the game enters its official launch.
That's the essence of Closed Beta Testing.
In other words...
"Information and knowledge from the Closed Beta phase are indeed useful, but after the game's official launch, many aspects of the world have already been modified and improved, not just as they were during the Closed Beta."
Rozen looked at all the players present.
"Do you understand what this means?"
It means the experiences of Closed Beta players are not entirely reliable.
"Compared to players who know nothing and those who believe they know everything, only to face situations completely different from what they remember, the latter are the real danger."
Rozen's voice resounded clearly through the room.
"Let me tell you."
"The SAO Closed Beta held this summer had only a thousand slots."
"While all these players had the right to purchase the official game, not all of the thousand testers participated in the game's official launch. Having around seven to eight hundred players enter this world is already a lot."
Of course, Rozen wasn't referring to this.
Rozen wanted to share information he obtained from Argo.
That is...
"Among these seven to eight hundred, approximately three hundred have died."
Rozen delivered this startling news.
"Three... Three hundred people!?"
Players were taken aback by this revelation.
"Three hundred people?"
Kibaou's eyes widened as well.
Even Diabel, who had been silently observing, was taken aback.
Only Kirito, who seemed to know about this, lowered his head along with Argo in the corner.
That's right.
Three hundred people.
Among the Closed Beta players, so many had already died.
"This is the fate of beta testers who are so sure of their Closed Beta knowledge, not considering that the official launch might differ from the testing period, and walking blindly into traps, losing their lives in vain."
Rozen mocked as he spoke.
"A month into the game, and two thousand deaths?"
"Indeed, that's a shocking number."
"But have you ever thought, out of these two thousand deaths, three hundred were Closed Beta players?"
What does that signify?
"This explains that out of the current two thousand casualties, one thousand seven hundred were novice players. Considering there are over nine thousand novice players, their death rate is approximately eighteen percent."
"Conversely, among the seven to eight hundred Closed Beta players, nearly three hundred have died, giving them a death rate of almost forty percent."
"Is this the fate of the players you claim to prioritize their own strength, causing suffering for the novice players."
Rozen looked across the the entire plaza, sweeping his gaze and stopping at Kibaou.
"You say that so many people are dying in this game because Closed Beta testers didn't share information and knowledge?"
Rozen looked straight at Kibaou and spoke word by word.
"Well, let me tell you now. The reason you've survived until now is because Closed Beta testers didn't tell you anything, preventing you from wandering into dangerous areas with uncertain knowledge!"
The brutally realistic words left all the players in a stunned silence.
If what Rozen said was true, if so many beta testers indeed died because they believed they had extensive knowledge but ended up in situations completely different from the Closed Beta period, leading to their deaths, then sharing all that information and knowledge would indeed, as Rozen said, potentially cause even more deaths.
Ignorance often proves to be a form of bliss.
This saying was also true.
Not to mention...
"Even if they were beta testers, they're all humans. Even out of a hundred people, wouldn't there be at least one person with a conscience, among the ninety-nine who are selfish?"
Rozen's voice reached every ear.
"But until now, not many Closed Beta testers have come forward to share information and knowledge with regular players because they know that sometimes, this information and knowledge could actually become the spark that leads to the deaths of many, which is why they're afraid."
That's right
Not unwilling, but afraid.
"Now look at all of you, the self-proclaimed top players who want to conquer this game and liberate everyone."
Rozen glanced at Kibaou, then looked at everyone in the room, speaking with a contemptuous tone.
"Even though you aren't Closed Beta testers, you've still made it to this point."
"Without relying on knowledge of traps scattered throughout the Closed Beta phase, you've obtained the most real information, information that's much more reliable in terms of safety."
"But how many of you have shared the information you've obtained with those who aren't here but are hiding in safe zones within the towns?"
"Come on, tell me."
Rozen's words, filled with sarcasm, caused one player after another to gape open-mouthed, unable to utter a single word.
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