Miracle Summoner

"Happy New Year!"

Kirito, Leafa, Lis, and Silica greeted everyone together.

"Happy New Year!"

Rozen, Asuna, and Yui returned the greeting warmly, exchanging New Year wishes.

With Rozen and Asuna's arrival, the guild became even livelier than before, with the festive atmosphere climbing to new heights.

Just as Yui had mentioned, Rozen and Asuna were the Guild Leader and Vice Leader of Crimson Wing, respectively. Rozen, in particular, was the spiritual pillar of the guild and practically everyone's idol. His presence naturally gave everyone a sense of reassurance.

Their arrival infused the guild with an unmistakable New Year's vibe, filling the room with renewed energy and excitement.

Rozen and Asuna began greeting everyone individually.

Then, as the Guild Leader, Rozen generously distributed New Year's money from his own pocket, earning cheers from everyone in the guild. Cries of "Long live the Guild Leader!" filled the room, raising the festive spirit to an even higher level.

Crimson Wing was known for offering some of the best benefits in all of ALfheim, which was one of the reasons it could rival even the nine main races.

However, Kirito and Leafa didn't receive any New Year's money this time.

That was because, in the real world, Rozen had already given them each a substantial red envelope filled with real cash, leaving both of them grinning from ear to ear. Naturally, they didn't mind missing out on virtual currency in the game.

Out of curiosity, Rozen asked, "What about Klein, Agil, and Sachi? Where are they?"

It was unusual for some familiar faces to be absent from the festivities, but there was a good explanation.

"Klein's company is holding a big New Year's celebration, so he's been caught up with that and likely won't log in anytime soon," Lis explained.

"Agil's bar has been super busy during the New Year, and he's probably working hard to make a profit. He likely won't log in for a while either," Kirito added.

"Sachi joined a travel event with the members of Moonlit Black Cats. They're currently in Osaka," Leafa explained further.

"As for us, we just got a chance to log in recently. We've been busy visiting relatives," Silica said with a smile.

It seemed that everyone was caught up in real-world obligations, and some absences were to be expected during the New Year.

"Looks like everyone's in the same boat," Asuna remarked with a sigh.

"Well, there's no rush to get everyone together," Rozen said, shrugging. "The official New Year's event hosted by the developers will happen soon. That's when things will get really lively."

By then, everyone should be able to log in together.

With that understanding, everyone relaxed, chatting happily about both real-life and in-game happenings. Nobody seemed eager to go hunting, and even Rozen and Asuna decided to take a break from adventuring for the time being to enjoy the festivities with everyone.

Amid this joyful atmosphere, Asuna's previously melancholic expression unknowingly softened, replaced by gentle warmth and lightheartedness, which gave Rozen a sense of relief.

The group even made plans for a picnic gathering once everyone had some free time.

The cheerful atmosphere lingered, with everyone enjoying each other's company until…

"By the way, Rozen, Asuna," Lis suddenly called out as if remembering something.

"You probably haven't heard yet, have you?"

Her sudden remark caught both Rozen and Asuna off guard.

"Heard what?" Asuna tilted her head in confusion.

"What is it we haven't heard about?" Rozen asked, blinking curiously.

Lis gave a mysterious smile as she leaned closer to the pair.

"There's been a rather incredible player in ALfheim lately."

"A rather incredible… player?"

Rozen and Asuna exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.

"What kind of incredible player?" Rozen asked.

Given Lis's standards, anyone she called "incredible" had to be exceptional.

It wasn't that Lis herself was especially strong—her skills as a Leprechaun primarily revolved around crafting and blacksmithing. Even though she occasionally trained in combat skills, her capabilities were relatively limited.

Within Crimson Wing, Lis's combat prowess was among the lowest, barely on par with the average guild member.

The guild was composed of either beta testers from the SAO era or players who had passed rigorous guild entrance exams. Even the players focusing on crafting and non-combat skills weren't much weaker than Lis in terms of strength.

Precisely because of this, Lis's praise for this "incredible player" carried weight—it was likely someone truly remarkable.

And indeed…

"Between the end of last year and the start of this year, a new player appeared," Leafa began, elaborating on the topic.

"They seem to have transferred from another game and have incredibly high stats. Their in-game skills are exceptional too. Within just a few days of joining ALfheim, they mastered Free Flight and excelled in high-level aerial combat, drawing attention from players across various races and guilds."

Leafa appeared well-informed, as did Kirito and Silica, although Silica listened with eager curiosity, while Kirito's expression darkened slightly, as if something bothered him.

Lis continued, "Many players have tried to recruit this person into their guilds or races, but the player declined every offer. Instead, they issued an open challenge, inviting anyone to duel them under the massive tree on the northern observation island of the 24th floor's main town. Anyone who wants to challenge them can head there."

Rozen raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, well… this new player certainly has an interesting attitude."

He could imagine how many players would be drawn to such a bold and confident declaration.

After all, when Rozen first transferred to GGO, he had received similar attention.

This newcomer seemed to share Rozen's experience in drawing such widespread interest.

However…

"Apparently, every player who challenged them lost miserably," Silica chimed in.

"They were all defeated?" Asuna asked, surprised.

"Yep, and the player reportedly won each fight with ease," Lis added. "Not a single challenger has managed to reduce their HP by even 30%. Even Kirito and Leafa failed to defeat them."

This revelation left Rozen genuinely astonished.

"Even Kirito and Leafa lost?"

Now that was truly impressive.