Sword Art Online Crossover: They're all close friends, how did I become a player?

"Then, shall I call you Hozuki?"

Yu Bai smiled and spoke to the little ghost lamp in front of him, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Ghost lamp?"

Little Ghost Lantern repeated the name, a hint of doubt rising in his mind.

He vaguely remembered that when this person first met him, he seemed to have blurted out this name.

Could it be that he mistook me for someone else?

Little Ghost Lantern lowered its eyelids for a moment, then raised its head and stared at Yu Bai expressionlessly.

A sudden surge of anger welled up inside him, though he didn't know why he was angry at that moment.

"Do you want me to be someone's stand-in?" Hozuki's voice carried a hint of anger.

"Huh?" Yu Bai was quite surprised by Little Ghost Lantern's words.

What stand-in? Stand in for what? Who are you standing in for?

Yu Bai looked at Hozuki with complete bewilderment, not understanding why the other party would say such a thing.

They were speaking Sakura's language, so why can't I understand it all now?

And how could you, at such a young age, understand stand-in literature?

"Who's the stand-in?"

Adhering to the principle of asking questions when in doubt, Yu Bai confirmed with the little ghost lamp.

"When you first saw my face, didn't you blurt out that you called me Hozuki? Didn't you say that I looked like someone you knew? And now you still want to call me Hozuki."

You resemble someone I know, but that's just who you are.

After all, how could you not be similar to the person you were as a child?

What a great substitute you are!

However, Yu Bai couldn't very well say to Hozuki, who was still a child at the time, "Actually, I met you when you grew up a thousand years later."

Would Hozuki believe that?

So, Yu Bai smiled awkwardly and tried to explain to the little ghost lamp:

"Uh... Ding, you might not believe it, but I want to assure you that you are not anyone's stand-in."

When I called you Hozuki before, I was indeed referring to you. If you don't like me calling you Hozuki, I can continue to call you Ding, or any other name you prefer.

Hozuki lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said decisively, "No, just call me Hozuki. From now on, that's my name."

He didn't explicitly state whether he believed Yu Bai's words, but simply stared silently at the silver-haired ghost before him. His black eyes flickered with an unreadable light.

No matter who Hozuki was before, I will make the Hozuki standing in front of you after this become me.

"Really? That's great, Hozuki. Oh, speaking of which, you have some injuries. Do you have any medicine so we can treat them quickly?"

Upon hearing that the black-haired boy Hozuki agreed to let him call him that, Yu Bai's face instantly broke into a big smile, his eyes curving into crescent shapes, his face full of joy.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Bai's gaze fell on the wounds on Hozuki's body that had been exposed from his previous struggles and counterattacks.

The crisscrossing wounds were a shocking sight.

Yu Bai's smile froze instantly, replaced by a look of worry and anxiety.

He started circling around Hozuki, trying to heal Hozuki's domineering nature, but he couldn't. His eyes were full of concern and heartache.

Seeing Yu Bai so worried about his wounds, Hozuki's mood inexplicably improved.

A slight smile played on his lips as he calmly addressed Yu Bai, "There are no healing medicines at home, but I can go up the mountain to collect some herbs."

Because he often had minor conflicts with the children in the village, Hozuki had accumulated a wealth of experience in getting injured and how to treat wounds, and he was very skilled at going up the mountain to find herbs that could treat wounds.

With that, Hozuki led Yu Bai up the mountain.

They wandered along the mountain paths, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows.

Before long, Hozuki found several herbs that could treat wounds in an inconspicuous place.

He skillfully picked it, carefully held it in his hand, and prepared to take it home for further treatment of his wound.

……

The dilapidated house was built entirely of rough wood, with a roof covered in sparse straw, as if a strong wind could sweep it away.

The whole house exuded an old, musty smell. It was less a shelter from the wind and rain and more a temporary resting place that could barely offer a moment of peace.

As for the house's insulation, that's simply wishful thinking.

The wooden walls were riddled with holes, allowing the cold night wind to penetrate freely, making the inside and outside almost indistinguishable.

This house is an inheritance left by Hozuki's parents when they were alive. In this era, all the houses in the village maintained this simple style.

However, compared to the houses of other villagers, this house appeared even more dilapidated.

Although the villagers' houses were equally simple, they were at least better equipped to keep warm.

Furthermore, Yu Bai, through his ability to pass through walls, discovered that some villagers' homes even had places where they could light fires for warmth.

Since Yu Bai transmigrated to this era, he has discovered that he exists in the form of a soul and does not need to sleep at all.

Therefore, whenever night falls, Yu Bai would take advantage of the little ghost lamp's slumber to quietly leave the house and go to investigate the surrounding area.

After several days of investigation, Yu Bai unexpectedly discovered some traces of monsters deep in the back mountains.

Yu Bai, out of curiosity, tried to appear in front of these monsters to see if they could see him.

However, after several persistent attempts, he reluctantly concluded that in this era, apart from Hozuki, neither humans nor monsters seemed to be able to see their own existence.

Why is this?

Yu Bai sat cross-legged in the air, staring at the sleeping little ghost lamp, lost in thought.

Is it because in this era, Little Lantern is the only person connected to him that he can see himself?

If he is truly only in a soul state right now, then where is his body?

Has it fallen into a deep sleep or encountered some other change?

In an instant, a flood of questions surged into Yu Bai's mind.

He shook his head violently, trying to banish those unwanted thoughts from his mind.

Prepare to focus your attention on issues related to your own abilities.

Now, although he possesses a little power that he can use, it is only enough to throw a small pebble.

Yu Bai felt powerless about most things. Furthermore, he had no clue how to travel back in time, so he could only take it one step at a time.

"Ah~"

Yu Bai sighed helplessly, silently reciting to himself, "Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it."

Perhaps when the time comes, he will naturally travel back in time, just like he did in Heian-kyo.

Moreover... Yu Bai turned to look at the sleeping Hozuki beside him.

After spending these past few days together, Yu Bai fully understood Hozuki's current situation and didn't want to leave so soon.

If possible, he would like to spend more time with him.

……

Yu Bai: May I call you Hozuki?

Hozuki: (Because of the name he blurted out earlier, he suspected that Yu Bai wanted to ask him for a substitute literature) Who are you looking at through me?

Yu Bai: Huh? I'm watching you through you?