Zongman, Rebirth of the Heaven-Defying Kirito

The matter concerning Miss Kiriko has finally come to an end, and Kirito can finally have some peace and quiet.

He was currently on the twenty-second floor of SAO, in the Natural Forest.

As for why they didn't go back to the cabin?

Naturally, it's because after Kirito's incident, Asuna always teased him with phrases like "The big idol is back~".

This even caught the usually composed Kirito off guard.

So he decided to lay low outside for a while and collect some ingredients, killing two birds with one stone.

Kirito casually depleted the health bars of the two monsters, 'Natural Chestnut' and 'Natural Camellia,' and as they turned into fragments and disappeared into the air, he obtained two portions of food.

Before we knew it, the sun had climbed to the top of the sky.

Kirito raised his hand to check the time and realized it was already noon.

He put away his weapon, found a relatively flat patch of grass, sat cross-legged, and carefully took out an exquisite lunchbox from his backpack.

This was prepared by Asuna herself before she left home.

The moment the bento box is opened, a rich aroma wafts out.

Golden and crispy fried pork cutlets, vibrant green vegetable salad, and a few rice balls wrapped in seaweed.

Kirito picked up his chopsticks and started eating, instantly dispelling the fatigue from a morning of hunting.

In SAO, any food can replenish stamina, even raw ingredients are fine.

But in comparison, carefully prepared food is indeed more enjoyable to eat.

Soon, Kirito had eaten most of the food in the bento box, leaving only a white, spherical food item.

He picked up the unfamiliar dessert, held it to his nose and sniffed it. A faint aroma of eggs mixed with a rich cheese scent filled his nostrils.

This... should be dessert, right?

I'd never seen it before, but just the smell made me want to take a bite.

Kirito lowered his head slightly, about to take a bite.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the bushes beside them, moving at an astonishing speed.

Before Kirito could react, a green figure shot out like an arrow, heading straight for him... no, for the dessert in his hand!

"Shh-!"

A cool touch flashed across his fingertips, and Kirito looked up abruptly to find the dessert in his hand gone.

He froze, his mind briefly blank, filled with nothing but question marks.

What happened?

Startled for a moment, Kirito came to his senses and looked in the direction of the green figure.

A player wearing light green leather armor was standing not far away, his mouth bulging as he chewed something.

The player's leather armor had no decorations and no obvious weapon, making him look like a newbie who had just entered the game.

But Kirito knew very well that the monsters on the 22nd floor were far too strong for a novice to handle, and that the monsters were definitely not simple to move around in.

Soon, the player swallowed the last bite of dessert, closed his eyes, and revealed an expression of lingering enjoyment: "Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with a rich cheese aroma, this is absolutely top-notch!"

Kirito: "......"

Huh? No, brother, you're even robbing me, the black-clad swordsman?

While stealing monsters and resources is rare in SAO, it does happen.

This was the first time Kirito had ever encountered someone stealing a dessert from another person in broad daylight.

Kirito replied: Well, you've really bitten off more than you can chew!

Kirito stood up, his eyes instantly turning cold.

He wanted to see if it was because his Elucidator was no longer viable, or if the players lately were just getting too cocky.

The player finally snapped out of his reverie, turned to look at Kirito, a satisfied smile still on his face, as if the incident of stealing the dessert was nothing to worry about: "Um... do you still have what you had earlier? Can I have another one?"

In response, Kirito slowly drew out the Explainer from behind him.

The black blade gleamed with a cold, sharp light, and as Kirito tightened his grip on the sword, the surrounding air seemed to become tense.

Kirito's voice was clearly displeased: "Fine, you ate what I specially saved for last, and you still dare to ask for more?"

Without uttering any more words, he pushed off with his feet and charged forward, the Explainer in his hand whistling as it slashed at his opponent.

Although Kirito only used one weapon and did not employ any complex sword techniques, given his level and swordsmanship, the speed and power of this attack were enough to leave an ordinary player with no way to avoid it.

However, just as the blade was about to touch the opponent, the player suddenly ducked and rolled forward with an extremely agile posture, barely dodging the attack.

The black blade grazed his leather armor, leaving a shallow mark.

Kirito raised an eyebrow; as expected, this guy really did have some skills.

But so what?

Even if Tilberu came, it wouldn't matter if they stole his dessert!

The player staggered to his feet, the satisfaction on his face long gone, replaced by panic.

That was too hasty!

I just thought the food in their hand looked delicious, but I never expected to encounter such a terrifying being!

He quickly took two steps back, waving his hands and begging for mercy: "Brother, don't be impulsive! I only ate one thing from you, it's not that serious, is it?"

"I'm just sending you back to your respawn point." Kirito approached step by step: "That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Seeing that Kirito wouldn't let it go, the player panicked completely and shouted, "Wait! I have something to say!"

Kirito wanted to see what other tricks this kid could come up with.

The player took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and said calmly, "My name is Coconut Latte, and I belong to the Gourmet Hunter guild!"

Kirito remained unmoved upon hearing this: "And then?"

Coconut Latte was stunned, her expression instantly falling: "Wait, why aren't you playing by the rules? Normally, shouldn't you consider my guild and let me off the hook?"

"So your guild is really strong?" Kirito raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly teasing.

Just kidding, he's someone who's gone head-to-head with a legion before. A guild whose name he's never even heard of isn't enough to make him wary.

Coconut Latte scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and finally answered honestly: "Not that great... Our guild only has about twenty people in total."

Kirito: "......"

He was so angry he almost laughed: "Good heavens, your guild isn't powerful enough, yet you dare to use it as a backing? Who gave you the audacity?"

The coconut latte looked miserable and quickly took two steps back. "Boss, I was wrong! It's really not worth arguing with me over a bite to eat!"

"It can't be that bad?" Kirito frowned.

That was a dessert Asuna had just made, which he deliberately saved for last, and it was something he had never tasted before!