SAO: I replaced him?

"BOOM!!!"

"Watch out! Fall back, now!"

"Team 3, rotate in! Fresh fighters up!"

"Aaagh!!!"

"BANG—"

Inside the grand palace, the battle was a full-on slugfest. Morin and his team had completely surrounded the Goblin Lord, hammering at him with everything they had. The monstrous guardian of the gate roared in frustration, unable to escape the relentless onslaught. Teams of players rotated in and out, slashing and hacking with sword skills, forcing the boss into a corner where he had little room to maneuver.

As the first-floor Boss, the Goblin Lord was no pushover. His health bar was easily ten times that of an average player at the same level, and his sheer defense and strength made him a nightmare in one-on-one combat. To make things worse, he had three elite-tier Goblin Guards backing him up.

But the raid team, assembled and led by Morin, was far more prepared than any group from the original SAO timeline. A full sixty players had surrounded the boss in a semi-circle formation. Shield-bearers held the front lines, absorbing blows while the rest rotated in to attack in rapid succession.

It was a brutal but efficient strategy—one that frustrated the AI-controlled boss to no end. The Goblin Lord howled in rage, attempting to break free multiple times. Yet, every charge he made was blocked by a wall of swords and shields, forcing him to retreat after barely wounding a few players. Under Morin's precise commands, the injured fighters immediately swapped out, and fresh combatants took their place, continuing the cycle.

Even the Goblin Lord's AI-driven intelligence wasn't enough to counter this. His attacks prioritized players dealing the most damage, but every time he shifted focus, another wave of attacks would force him to change targets again. His health bar was dropping fast—visible chunks disappearing with each passing second.

As for his summoned Goblin Guards?

Yeah… they weren't faring much better.

Two squads—twenty players in total—had ganged up on the three elite Goblin Guards, mercilessly beating them down. The first batch went down fairly quickly, only for the boss to summon six more. Then, after those were wiped out, he summoned nine in the third wave.

Unfortunately for him, that was the limit. He could only call for backup three times. And against sixty of the best fighters available, that wasn't nearly enough.

Now, the once-proud Goblin Lord was cornered, barely hanging on as the relentless assault continued.

---

"Good! Keep the formation! Team Five, be ready to rotate in!"

Morin, now observing from the backline, remained focused. Unlike the others, he wasn't getting ahead of himself.

Victory was not guaranteed.

Leading the raid team came with clear rewards and serious risks. If they succeeded, the [Star Flame] Guild's reputation would skyrocket. More importantly, Morin had plans for Heathcliff—aka Kayaba Akihiko himself.

But if they failed?

Too many casualties could cripple player morale. It could turn into a disaster. Unless Morin pulled a "Tiberius" from the original timeline and got himself killed to avoid responsibility—not exactly his style.

That's why he wasn't rushing things.

Instead, he maintained strict rotations, kept an eye on the boss's movements, and especially monitored Heathcliff. The guy blended in shockingly well. He fought like a regular frontliner, his skill evident but not overly flashy. If you didn't already know he was the final boss of SAO, you'd never suspect a thing.

Morin smirked to himself. "Clever bastard."

---

After another round of exchanges, the injured players rotated out. Morin turned to Asuna and the other [Star Flame] members beside him.

"Asuna, get ready. Based on internal test data, this boss might have a second phase. I don't want anyone dying here."

"Got it!" Asuna nodded, her grip tightening on her rapier.

She wasn't the only one on edge.

Every single player had seen firsthand what could happen when bosses pulled out last-minute surprises. Morin's "vague spoilers" helped, along with Argo's guidebook, which detailed near-death experiences caused by unexpected boss mechanics.

Nobody was taking chances.

"The last HP bar! Everyone, stay sharp! The boss might pull something crazy!"

Morin's voice rang out across the battlefield, his stance shifting ever so slightly. His shield and sword were at the ready, precise as if he had measured his footwork down to the millimeter.

"Understood!"

"Eyes on the boss!!!"

The team tightened formation, anticipation thick in the air.

This was SAO.

A single mistake could mean death.

Most of the reckless players who believed otherwise had already gotten themselves killed. Those who remained—the real survivors—fought for their families, their future, and a chance to escape this nightmare.

No one was about to throw that away.

---

"AWWWOOOOO!!!"

The Goblin Lord suddenly froze, then threw his head back and let out a deafening howl.

A sinister red aura engulfed his entire body.

"Shit—he's transforming!"

The players instinctively stepped back, swords raised. The Goblin Lord's eyes burned with a feral intensity as he suddenly discarded his battle axe and small round shield.

His massive, clawed hands reached to his back—

And then he pulled out something completely different.

A massive, razor-sharp katana.

A Japanese longsword—sleek, menacing, and way too big for a goblin.

"What the hell?! That's not the scimitar from the beta!"

"He's using a wild blade instead!!!"

Murmurs of confusion rippled through the team.

"New weapon?! That wasn't in the test version!"

Morin narrowed his eyes. "Alright… now this just got interesting."

The Goblin Lord's aura intensified, his muscles bulging. The katana hummed as it sliced through the air, the boss's stance shifting into something more… deadly.

This wasn't just a simple second phase.

This was a different beast altogether.

"Everyone, get ready! This fight isn't over yet!"

With that, the real battle began.

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