God of Gaming // SAO x Male Reader x Hoyoverse Harem

Chapter 3: Demon of Aincrad and Fireworks

A/N: 2 out of 3, please enjoy!

A month and a half had passed, and your worst fears materialized the moment you entered the Floor 2 boss room. The game's difficulty skyrocketed exponentially, and the Cardinal System, which operated autonomously, was quick to address any exploits or attempts to break the game that you found, causing you to learn very quickly that anything you found that was unbalanced would only work once.

Nevertheless, one undeniable truth emerged, your initial goal to stand out had been accomplished. In a remarkably short time, you became the most despised player in the entire game. There wasn't a single soul unaware of you. Even if very few knew what you actually looked like, some even thought you were nothing but a myth.

Upon returning to the boss room the following morning after you defeated the Floor 1 boss alone, Diavel found it utterly empty and spared no effort in spreading numerous rumors about you. Stories circulated of you allegedly stealing all the EXP and items from the boss, going on a rampage, and attempting to kill him and his party at the boss door. He seemed rather proud of the rumors, even if it painted him as a weak loser who lost a 5-versus-1 against a teenager.

As the rumors spread players began avoiding you like the plague to prevent having their EXP or items stolen. Some even made a beeline for the floor 8 dungeon in an attempt to defeat it before you only minutes after you defeated the floor 7 boss. However, their endeavor ended in a swift party wipe, with everyone meeting their collective deaths.

Although this thought concerned you deeply, you remained indifferent to whether you were liked or disliked; your sole desire was to stand out, whether in a positive or negative light. It simply didn't matter.

But, despite your newfound fame, nobody approached or tried to recruit you, and you were no closer to finding Kayaba than you were a month ago.

All the false rumors that spread like wildfire also earned you a rather tasteless nickname... The Demon of Aincrad.

...

Seated alone on a solitary bench along the dimly lit streets of the main city on Floor 10, you intertwined your fingers.

Numbers streamed through your vision as you conducted a series of quick calculations. After closing your eyes, you tightened your grip on your hands, dissatisfied with the results you came up with.

The bosses and dungeons continued to escalate in difficulty, their algorithms becoming more intricate. However, that wasn't the primary concern. While it remained feasible for you to single-handedly defeat the bosses, your recent battle against the floor 9 boss a few days ago lasted for more than several hours. Sustaining that level of effort indefinitely just wasn't possible. Over time, you knew it would start to take days to defeat them alone, and even you required rest.

You sighed and then waved your hand through the air, summoning your friends list, which only consisted of one person. After selecting her, a message box appeared, and you swiftly composed a brief message before sending it.

Y/N: I guess I'll have to proceed with phase 2, though it's happening much sooner than I anticipated. I don't have a choice.

A notification alerted you that the girl had responded to your message and after briefly glancing at her reply, you slowly rose from the bench.

This prompted a few passing players to cast momentary glances in your direction before resuming their conversations with friends or, in some instances, their significant others.

However, they quickly did a double take, glancing back at you as you started to walk away. Their hushed whispers reached your ears, as they picked up their walking pace in an attempt to get as far from you as possible, but you paid them no mind as you continued towards your destination.