No matter what, obtaining all the map data of the 27th-floor labyrinth and even getting information about the Floor Boss was an incredibly fortunate event for the Sleeping Knights.
After all, their goal was to carve their names onto the Monument of Swordsmen, not to make a name for themselves in Alfheim Online (ALO). No matter how strong Luo Zhen was—strong enough to leave them in awe—they would at most marvel briefly and wouldn't keep him in their hearts like typical players would.
Thus, after silently keeping Rozen's favor in mind, the group prepared to set off.
Where to?
Naturally, to the labyrinth on the 27th floor, heading straight for a battle with the Floor Boss.
Just as Asuna had said:
"If things go smoothly, we'll defeat the Floor Boss today and fulfill your wishes. Everyone, let's give it our all!"
Under Asuna's declaration, led by Yuuki, the group responded enthusiastically in unison.
Immediately, the seven of them formed a full party and headed toward the labyrinth on the 27th floor.
If this were back in the days of Sword Art Online (SAO), traveling from Lombar to the labyrinth would have meant crossing several outer grinding zones, encountering multiple waves of monsters, and consuming a significant amount of stamina and recovery items. But in ALO, with the ability to fly, the players could ignore ground monsters and head straight for the labyrinth, saving a lot of time.
Of course, there were also flying monsters along the way, but they posed no threat whatsoever.
The Sleeping Knights demonstrated that they weren't just newcomers who had recently transferred over. They flew smoothly without needing joystick assistance, dodged monsters at high speed with precise, complex maneuvers, and avoided battles whenever possible.
Even when forced into combat, led by Yuuki, they swiftly resolved situations with minimal energy and time consumption, without needing to use a single healing potion—leaving Asuna astonished.
Previously, Asuna had only seen the individual prowess of the Sleeping Knights and thought each of them was highly skilled. But now, she clearly witnessed that not only were their personal abilities outstanding, but their teamwork and collaborative combat capabilities also far exceeded her imagination.
Without speaking, they could communicate through small gestures and motions, understanding when to stop, when to rush forward, when to switch roles, or when to cooperate seamlessly in combat. Their combined strength was remarkable, and Asuna found herself staying at the back of the group throughout, without even needing to step in.
This demonstrated the immense trust and understanding they had in each other.
Fighting alongside the Sleeping Knights gave Asuna an unexplainable sense of ease and comfort.
It was a feeling she usually only experienced with her fixed team.
In other words, she typically only felt this way when adventuring with Kirito and the others.
Now, in another team, she experienced the same feeling.
This further deepened Asuna's admiration for them.
These individuals didn't seem like newly transferred players at all. Rather than simply being familiar with VRMMO games, it felt as though the foundation of their daily lives revolved around full-dive technology.
Such people, Asuna had only encountered among players in SAO.
No, most SAO players couldn't even compare to the Sleeping Knights.
They seemed to adapt to the virtual world even more naturally, treating it as their real life and living with utmost seriousness.
"Who really are they?"
Asuna couldn't help but wonder.
However, in the end, she didn't ask and simply joined the Sleeping Knights as they reached the labyrinth and entered it.
What awaited them next was their true battle.
Unfortunately, Asuna and the others failed to notice.
As they entered the labyrinth, a large wave of players was flying densely toward their location.
This was a coalition of players that had clearly formed an alliance.
Each of them belonged to a guild, as indicated by the various guild emblems on their colored cursors. Most had a crescent and arrow emblem, while others bore a shield and horse symbol. Although they came from different guilds, they had allied for a shared purpose. This alliance was common in ALO.
In the faction-dominated world of ALO, to avoid being suppressed by the nine major races and to monopolize rare resources in fixed locations, neighboring or like-minded guilds often formed alliances. This was to prevent internal strife from benefiting other guilds or factions and to maintain mutual restraint.
With Floor Bosses becoming increasingly difficult to defeat, guilds focused on progression had long formed alliances, pooling their elite forces to conquer Floor Bosses and claim the associated rewards and recognition.
If Asuna were present, she would recognize these players as members of well-known large-scale guilds that had been clearing labyrinths since the 23rd floor.
Because the Crimson Wing guild monopolized almost half of the Floor Boss clears up to that point, many guilds felt threatened and began forming alliances to compete with Crimson Wing. During times when Floor Boss rooms were about to be discovered, this coalition would aggressively occupy labyrinth areas and conduct carpet searches to find the Boss room before Crimson Wing.
Now, they had arrived here.
Moreover, this was the coalition's elite force.
Yes, this coalition, which typically only assembled for Floor Boss raids, had appeared in the labyrinth.
The purpose was clear.
"Land!"
The leader of the Salamanders gave a loud command, prompting the entire coalition to land in front of the labyrinth entrance.
Looking at the labyrinth ahead, the Salamander leader turned to one of their subordinates for confirmation.
"After purchasing the map data for the 27th-floor labyrinth, the team led by Zekken and joined by the Berserk Healer has already entered, correct?"
Indeed, they were targeting the Sleeping Knights.
"They've already gone in," the subordinate immediately replied.
"The sentries inside the labyrinth sent a message earlier. That team bypassed the monster groups at incredible speed and headed in one direction."
Hearing this, the Salamander leader grinned confidently.
"Excellent. It seems they've found the Floor Boss room, just as we predicted."
Clearly, they had seen through the Sleeping Knights' objective.