Chapter 697: The warmest time together
“Sorry I made you wait...”
Asuna removed her oven mitts after placing the soup on the table . She smiled towards Wu Yan who was sitting across the table .
“Eat up, I know it’s been a while since you ate my food...”
Wu Yan nodded, he grabbed a piece of sandwich and he gobbled them down .
“You’re the one who strong-armed me into making food for you every time you came here, lord knows it would harm you to bring some food when you visit each time . ”
Asuna pursued her lips and she grumbled in a small tone .
“I wasn’t gunning for the food when I visited...”
“What was that?”
“No~thi~ng~”
Asuna turned her head the other way while Wu Yan marveled at how women can experience such swift and fluid change of mood .
Wu Yan usually eats simple dishes for breakfast . Food like sandwiches and bread is the norm for him . It’s simple to make and Wu Yan’s skill made each slice an absolute delicacy . Asuna also practices similar approach at home . Since Wu Yan is a guest, Asuna decided to cook up a pot of soup to celebrate their special day together .
Asuna likes good food, her appearance belied her appetite although it’s not to the inhuman extent of girls like Astrea and Tohka . Those two are just bottomless pits plain and simple . They are happy as long as they can eat their fill . For a gourmet like Asuna, the quality of the food needs to be up to par . That’s why she spent a bit of time to make the perfect soup for this occasion .
They enjoyed their meal in silent bliss .
Picking up the dishes, Asuna went into the kitchen to clean up . Wu Yan sat on the sofa as he read the newest paper .
It’s been a day since 74th floor was cleared . The volume of information released today surpassed his expectations . There was a ton of information on monster levels, difficulties, the general layout of the town and such . There is even information on quests .
The good quests are kept as secrets so he’s not expecting to see them here . A player needs to spend a bit of money to get intel on the juicy quests .
The players were fast in this regard . Frontliners are already testing out their skills in the monster fields . Generic findings were reported by information brokers . This is the reason why players are advised to read the newspaper a day or two after a floor is cleared .
But, for Wu Yan, the information contained here isn’t enough for him . He completed less than 10 quests during the past two years in SAO . He always rushed for the labyrinth, normal quests don’t pay enough to justify the investment . Rare quests are also given up because he reckoned that they would waste a lot of time that he can better use clearing the labyrinth .
It’s boring but effective at bringing his levels up .
The frontliners’ movements are more interesting to Wu Yan . He wanted to know what they are up to just like other players in this world .
Asuna finished her cleaning duties and she sat next to Wu Yan . She peeked as she asked .
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, I just want to inform myself on the movements of frontliners like you...”
Wu Yan nonchalantly said . He didn’t turn away from the paper when he replied .
“The Black Cats, Fuurinkazan, Dragons, and the KoBs are all exploring the monster fields, however, the pace is slower than my estimates...”
“Of course...”
Asuna sighed .
Her tone turned grave .
“Every 25th floor presents a floor boss like no other bosses before it, one wrong move could lead to the deaths of many . The souped-up bosses are the reason why the Army bowed out after the 25th floor, it’s also the reason why we lost a lot of players on the 50th floor . Without the Guild Master to delay it for 10 minutes, the frontliners would have been wiped out then and there...”
“This is the 75th floor, I understand why they are taking this so gingerly . What will happen if there is another mass-wipe out among the frontliners?”
Wu Yan threw the paper in his hand away .
“I should have participated back then...”
Asuna thought about it . With his power, the battles would have gone down different routes had Wu Yan joined back then .
Alas, the frontliners got to the boss room before Wu Yan 2 out of 2 times .
If Wu Yan found the boss rooms first, would he have been able to take down the souped-up bosses on his own?
Asuna felt anxious and she grabbed Wu Yan’s arm .
“Yan, can you promise me something?”
Asuna looked a thin with a serious look .
“You must join us during the floor boss raid this time!”
“Hah?”
Wu Yan felt bewildered . He saw her stern look and he immediately read her mind . He chuckled as he continued .
“You’re looking down on your husband, aren’t you?”
Wu Yan tickled her chin as her nose twitched in response .
“The 74th-floor boss got diced up in less that 5 minutes, what can the 75th-floor boss do even if it’s stronger than the 74th floor boss? I am confident I can take it down, don’t forget, I also have my Dual Blades to back me up...”
Asuna relaxed her expression but she still looks a bit worried . She puffed her cheeks and she turned her head the other way .
“I don’t know what husband you’re talking about, we are not married...”
“It’s easy to get hitched, is it not?”
Wu Yan teased her .
“We just have to go apply for it...”
Marriage inside SAO is relatively straightforward . With the two players’ consent, the players only need to buy a ring and then exchange the rings with each other to become married husband and wife in this game .
It’s not a feature to be trifled with . For instance, once married, the two married players will share the same inventory, the players can freely take out or put items inside . If one of the couples died, his/her items would go to the other party .
The trust needed to take this step is one that stopped a lot of players from going through with marriage . A partner might plot to kill the other spouse if the hostile spouse covets the asset . Dying like this would be a damn shame .
There are cases in SAO that went about like this, they served as cautionary tales for other players .
Wu Yan and Asuna knew each other very well . With the advances in their relationship, even Asuna couldn’t hold her heart back from fluttering when Wu Yan brings up marriage .
“Do you really want to marry me?”
Asuna’s eyes wavered .
Wu Yan’s asset would make anyone greedy . It’s not hard to imagine how it would twist someone’s mind into a ravenous state .
Wu Yan proposed first so that must mean he has absolute trust in her .
Asuna felt her heart throbbing when she realized the amount of trust Wu Yan had in her .
“I don’t want to see a shred of doubt from you...”
Wu Yan hugged her .
“You’re the most charming person in SAO, thousands of suitors would drool at the prospect of tying the knot with you . Nobody can turn your feelings down, including me...”
Wu Yan grinned .
“But, when we do get married, I don’t want a cheap paper marriage like the one in this game . We are going to have a grand wedding with Kirito, Liz, Sachi, and the others in attendance . It would be best if our union is witnessed by all the players...”
“Then, we are going to exchange rings...”
At this point, Asuna covered her mouth as her body trembled . Joyful tears streamed down the sides of her face and she immediately flew into Wu Yan’s embrace .
“Yan, I love you...”