Virtual Hell (Sword Art Online X Male Reader Remake)

Level 6 - Hit and Run

The cold, stagnant air of the dungeon settled heavy around me as Steven led the way, his twin knives twirling effortlessly between his fingers. The faint hum of the distant dungeon music played softly, barely audible beneath the sound of our boots echoing across the stone floor.

Steven seemed unusually pumped, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. His movements were confident, almost playful, as he spun the knives in synchronized arcs. The deeper we ventured into Floor 12's dungeon, the stranger it felt—eerily empty. Not a single enemy in sight, no traps, no surprises.

It was too quiet.

"Already cleared the dungeon out, Stevie?" I asked, my voice carrying a faint edge of suspicion.

Steven smirked, catching both knives mid-spin before flipping them into the air and catching them again. "Something like that." He turned to face me, walking backwards as he continued juggling the blades. His grin widened, a spark of excitement glinting in his eyes. "I've got to show you something really cool. Trust me, you're gonna love this."

I raised an eyebrow, falling into step behind him. "What is it? Some rare drop? Or maybe another glitch spot?" My tone was light, but my instincts were starting to buzz. Steven's silence was telling, and that smirk of his wasn't doing much to reassure me. I glanced around at the empty corridors, my paranoia rising. "Hey, shouldn't we have brought some more people? Not saying we can't handle it, but, you know... safety in numbers."

Steven scoffed, tossing one of the knives high into the air before catching it with a dramatic flourish. "Y/N, chill, why don't you? You're acting like we're stepping into the gates of hell. I think the number one PvP player can handle a few lizards. Besides, what I'm about to show you? It's better than any loot drop."

I rolled my eyes but stayed on edge. Steven was always the cocky type, but this felt different. He stopped suddenly at the edge of a wall next to the boss room's massive double doors. Before I could say anything, he stepped backwards—right through the wall.

"What the...?" My jaw clenched as I stared at the space he'd disappeared into. "I swear if this leads to another trap room with an endless horde of slimes..." I muttered, stepping forward and pushing through the wall myself.

On the other side, I stopped dead in my tracks. It wasn't just another room—it was an entire section of the dungeon, hidden away behind the boss room. The air here felt different, colder like it wasn't supposed to exist.

Steven stood a few paces ahead, waving me over with an exaggerated grin. "Come on, Y/N! Don't just stand there gawking."

I approached cautiously, my steps slow and deliberate. But before I could say anything, two figures emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath dark cloaks. The sight of them immediately set me on edge. The way they carried themselves, the faint aura of menace that hung around them—I knew who they were before Steven even spoke.

Laughing Coffin.

The infamous Player Killers.

"Yo," Steven said casually, motioning toward me. "This is the player I was talking about. My best friend, Nightfall."

The two cloaked figures stopped, their gazes shifting toward me. Even with their faces obscured, I could feel their surprise.

"The One Hit Wonder?" one of them said, his tone somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

"The very same," I muttered under my breath, instinctively stepping closer to Steven. My hand drifted toward my sword, though I made sure to keep my movements subtle. This wasn't right. None of this was right.