SAO: I replaced him?

Morin stood before the gathered players in the arena, his voice carrying over the murmuring crowd.

"The first-floor boss is a Goblin Lord," he announced, projecting his voice with practiced ease. "It lurks in the inner section of the maze area, and before you can even reach it, you'll have to fight through waves of monsters. If you think you and your two best buddies can just waltz in, you're in for a bad time. It's practically impossible to reach the boss room without at least a team of ten—and that's if you're good."

A few players exchanged uneasy glances.

"Now, unlike the monsters you've been grinding out in the open fields, the ones in the maze regenerate faster and hit harder," Morin continued, pacing as he spoke. "And the Goblin Lord? That thing's not alone. It can summon three elite guards—at minimum."

Groans spread through the crowd.

"Only three?" someone scoffed.

Morin smirked. "That's the thing, isn't it? If this were just a copy-paste of the beta test, maybe. But some of you have already noticed that SAO's full release has... surprises. Small adjustments, changes to quests, mobs that attack differently than expected. Players have died because they assumed things would be the same as the beta. So, if you're betting your life on the Goblin Lord being weaker than expected—" he crossed his arms, "—well, let's just say I wouldn't."

A tense silence fell over the arena. The weight of Morin's words settled in as players absorbed the implications.

Kirito, standing near the back, frowned slightly. He had played through the beta. He knew how things worked. But if what Morin was saying was true, then… Had he been underestimating this game's difficulty this entire time?

Even Diavel—who had been casually listening—sat up straighter, his face betraying a flicker of unease.

And then, Heathcliff, who was sitting in an inconspicuous position in the arena, looked at Morin with a hint of surprise...

"...Alright," Morin finally said, wrapping up his speech. "That covers the basics of the first-floor boss fight."

A hush settled over the arena as players processed everything.

Some looked grim, others thoughtful. A few seemed ready to rethink their life choices.

Good. That meant they were taking this seriously.

Then, after a long silence, someone raised their hand.

"Uh, Morin? Mind if I ask something?"

All eyes turned toward Diavel as he stood up. His expression was polite, but there was an unmistakable edge to his tone.

"Even if the boss is different from the beta," Diavel said, "you and [Star Flame] still have more than enough firepower to handle it, don't you? Your group is the strongest right now. You've got top-tier gear, coordination, experience..." He let the question linger before finishing, "So why are we here?"

The atmosphere shifted.

Players exchanged glances.

He wasn't wrong. [Star Flame] was a powerhouse. Unlike the loosely organized solo players and small groups, Morin's guild—though unofficial—was structured, well-equipped, and filled with competent fighters.

If anyone could take down the first boss without issue, it should be them.

So why call everyone together?

Morin met Diavel's gaze, unbothered. If anything, he looked... amused.

"Good question," he said, and his tone was almost too calm—like he had expected this all along.

For a moment, he let the tension hang in the air before speaking again.

"You all know the situation we're in," Morin said, his voice steady. "SAO has been a death game for over twenty days now. And in that time..." He paused, scanning the crowd. "Over 700 players have died."

The air grew heavy.

Some players visibly tensed. Others looked away.

Morin didn't let up.

"More than 300 people took their own lives. The rest? They died in combat—from underestimating this world, from making a single mistake, from thinking they had more time."

He let those words sink in.

"I won't sugarcoat it. There are still over 9,000 players trapped in this game, and I know that some of you have doubts—doubts about whether we can actually clear all 100 floors. Whether we'll ever see our families again."

His voice grew stronger.

"But that's exactly why this first boss fight matters. If we—if everyone—succeeds here, then for the first time since this nightmare began, people will have hope."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

"If [Star Flame] went in alone and won, sure, it would prove that we are strong. But what would it prove to the rest of the players?" Morin gestured to the crowd. "This isn't a one-guild mission. We need every player to see—to believe—that this game can be beaten."

"Besides," he added, smirking, "if we rush in solo and screw up, do you really want to be the ones waiting around for the next idiot to try again?"

That got a few chuckles. The tension eased just a bit.

But Morin wasn't done.

"We're not just here to clear the first floor—we're here to set the tone for the entire game. If we do this right, we can rally the players. We can start something bigger than just one battle."

His voice was firm now, filled with conviction.

"So for ourselves, for the people waiting for us in the real world, and for every single player who needs a reason to keep fighting—we will take down this boss. Together."

The shift was instant.

Players who had once been skeptical were now murmuring in agreement. Others nodded, gripping their weapons a little tighter.

Even Kirito, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, felt something stir inside him.

Clearing all 100 floors…

His thoughts drifted to Suguha—his little sister, waiting for him in the real world. He clenched his fists.

Yeah. I have to get back.

Nearby, Klein grinned and clapped him on the back.

"Guess we're in, huh?" Klein said.

Kirito sighed but smiled faintly. "Yeah."

Then—

"Wait a minute!!!"

A loud voice cut through the air, shattering the moment.

Morin's eyebrow twitched. Oh, here we go...

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