Labyrinth area, 20th floor.

Needless to say, this is the closest place to the 2nd floor of Ayn Grant.

Physically, the top floor of the 1st floor maze is connected to the bottom of the 2nd floor.

Once you've made it through this level and found the stairs that lead directly to the previous level, you'll be able to move on to Level 2, where you'll find new maps and challenges, as well as new dangers and opportunities.

Unfortunately, the staircase leading to the second floor is located in a single room.

And this room has the strongest monster in this level in terms of setting———— Boss of the Guardian Floor.

It is the biggest difficulty in a level.

It is the biggest obstacle in a level.

Only by defeating it can players be considered to have conquered one floor and can move on to the next.

Now, a total of sixty players have arrived.

"Gollum..."

I don't know who swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and the sound was clear and resounding all around.

However, no one laughed at this player.

Because, the scene presented in front of you is indeed enough to make people nervous to swallow their saliva.

There was not a glimmer of light around, only candles burning on the walls.

The air was silent, filled with a heavy pressure that everyone else could feel casually.

Sixty players stand in front of a quaint gate.

It was a tall and heavy door made of gray stone, and it was also a terrifying beast-headed monster relief on the surface.

Looking at the relief, and then being slightly rendered by the surrounding environment, players can't think about it without being nervous.

Even Luo Zhen stood in front of the door and looked at the door in front of him fixedly.

"This is it, right?"

Luo Zhen confirmed with Diabel beside him.

"Yes."

Diabel opened the main menu, confirmed the map, and then nodded heavily.

In other words, behind this door is the room where the boss is located.

In the room, there should be a staircase leading to the second floor.

"Whether you can step on that part of the ladder or not depends on what follows."

Luo Zhen's words made the tension on the scene even stronger.

Diabel turned around and looked at all the players present.

"As you can see, there's the room of the boss in front of you."

Diabel said with a solemn expression that had never been seen before.

"I hope you get through here."

"No, you have to go through here."

"Otherwise, the players who are imprisoned in this world will never have hope."

Diabel threw out such words, causing the faces of one of the players to tense up.

Including Kirito, Argo, Achill, and Tooth King.

At this moment, whether it is a closed beta player or an ordinary player, it is like this.

Even Asuna didn't say much about it.

Because, as everyone knows, Diabel is not alarmist.

"The players gathered here can be said to be the highest combat power in SAO today." Kirito said in a low voice, "If the people here fail, or if they are all wiped out, then the news will immediately spread throughout the first floor, so that the pessimistic idea that "this game cannot be raided" will penetrate into everyone's hearts, right?" ”

"That's right." Argo agreed with Kirito's statement and said, "If that really happens, it will take more time to form the second raider force again, and there may even be no one to challenge it again." ”

That's why Diabel attaches so much importance to this raider.

If you can successfully complete this strategy, then players will realize that this game is indeed being cracked step by step, and they and others will not just sit still, and more people will have the courage to go out of town and level up desperately, so as to catch up and become the power of the game.

On the other hand, if you fail and even the top player group can't attack the simplest layer 1, then the rest of the players will think that there is no hope of cracking the game at all, and they will fall into despair.

So, although this is only the first layer, it is a crucial layer.

If you can tread it, then players will be able to soar.

If you can't tackle it, you'll never see the future.

It is precisely because of the realization of the importance of this strategy battle that Diabel will keep repeating such words.

"I don't want to say anything superfluous."

Diabel raised his weapon.

"Now, I have only one word for you."

That's ......

"Gotta win!"

Diabel made such a shocking announcement.

"""""Oh!" ””””

The players immediately shouted one by one, echoing Diabel.

Diabel then looked at Luo Zhen.

Luo Zhen did not hesitate and nodded directly.

So, the commanders of the two raiders turned around at the same time and faced the gate in front of them.

Immediately, two hands representing the future and hope stretched out from the two of them and put them on the door.

"Boom..."

The next second, with the heavy sound of the door opening, the door was pushed open.

The players, led by Rogen and Diabel, slowly walked into the room.

This is a rectangular space that extends into the depths.

The width of the space is 20 meters, and the wall from the gate to the depth is about 100 meters, which is very spacious and very dark, without a trace of light.

However, when the players step into the room, the entire room suddenly lights up and turns into a brightly colored hall.

And in the deepest part of this space, there is a simple but huge throne.

Players saw it.

On that throne, there was a huge figure.

"Zheng..."

The eyes of the huge figure suddenly lit up and turned red.

"Whew..."

Amid the sound of strong winds, the other party slowly got up from the throne.

It was only then that the players got a clear view of each other.

Dressed in red fur.

More than two meters tall.

The physique is as strong and bloated as an orc.

In his hand, he holds an axe made of bone, a round shield made of leather, and a knife-like weapon about one and a half meters long stuck in the back of his waist.

This is the Champion Boss of the first layer of Ayn Grant———— "Kobold Lord Ilfang".

"Gollum ————!Gollum Gol

A terrifying roar rang out from the other man's mouth.

With this sound, three heavily armed kobold guards jumped down from several openings high in the walls on the left and right sides, and came in front of Ilfang.

"That's... Is that the boss of this layer...!? ”

"And the guards...!"

"It's the same as the intel mentions!"

"It's the same as the Guardian Boss during the closed beta period!"

"Great!"

The players were first shocked by the huge body of the boss of the defending layer, and then let out such a loud cry of joy.

"Luo Zhenjun!"

Diabel shouted at Rogen.

"I know."

Luo Zhen nodded calmly.

"So..."

After pulling the Sword of Fortitude +8 from his back, Luo Zhen pointed the tip of the sword forward.

"Start attacking!"

With Luo Zhen's order, the players all let out a roar and rushed out in one go.