Chapter 14: Beta Testers and Cheaters
After the boss fell, a brief silence was followed by an explosion of emotions from everyone present.
People shook hands, praising each other's efforts.
Once the short celebration ended, the lack of an organizer led everyone to scatter and rest in small, loosely-formed groups based on acquaintanceship.
Even Hachiman showed signs of fatigue, sitting in a corner sipping his familiar drink.
When Asuna walked over and sat beside Hachiman, he naturally handed her another bottle of the same drink.
Kirito, dragging his exhausted body, also sat down beside them. Noticing they were drinking something, he asked:
"What are you guys drinking?"
"This? Just a kind of substitute drink," Hachiman replied.
When Hachiman mentioned the product name, Kirito seemed to recognize it.
"I can't stand that stuff…" he muttered, pulling out his own personal drink from his inventory.
"This is just the first step, Hachiman."
"Though we've only cleared the first floor, it's still a critical milestone."
"Yeah, it's only just beginning…"
"…Hachiman, do you think things will end so smoothly?"
"No way… The cost of loss is too high. Though honestly, I'd love to go home and sleep right now."
Before Hachiman could finish his sentence, as expected, Kibaou began stirring trouble with a group of players.
"Why did Diabel have to die?!"
Kibaou first targeted Kirito, accusing him of hiding knowledge about the boss's sword and confirming his identity as a beta tester.
Perhaps because they had just lost Diabel—their pillar—the crowd's mood began to shift toward criticism of the beta testers.
"What should we do, Hachiman-kun?"
"To be honest, I want to take them down with pure logic, but I'm not sure it'll win them over. It might just make them angrier."
As during the earlier meeting, the argument "Beta testers are underhanded" began to rise again.
Just as the crowd's hostility was turning toward Hachiman and Asuna, Kirito suddenly stood up and fired back at Kibaou:
"Why do you all place beta testers on a pedestal? Saying 'they're always one step ahead and sneaky'—you're basically praising them.
Listen, you all know the beta testers were selected from a thousand elites, but how many were actually top MMO players? Even outside the VR field.
Beta testers weren't all experts. But I'm different from them. I've always fought on the front lines, gathering intel you didn't know.
Don't lump me in with the average beta testers."
His words caused a massive stir among the crowd.
"What is this? That's cheating!"
"He's a total cheater!"
"Beta tester cheater—it's not just beta tester, he's a beater!"
"Beater! Beater!"
Kirito then changed into a black coat using the menu and said:
"This is the boss drop we just got. Looks fitting for the 'beater' image you all love, right?
I even used those two decently skilled newbies. Not that those naive fools realized they were being used.
I'll activate the teleport gate for you. Just go back to town."
With that, Kirito walked alone toward the stairs to the second floor.
"What the hell, Beater?! Apologize to Diabel!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd hurled curses at Kirito's retreating figure.
But Kibaou wore a complex expression—one of hatred mixed with confusion.
Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Hachiman and Asuna whispered to each other:
"Hachiman-kun… could it be…"
"Yeah, probably that… just like I used to be."
"What do we do now?"
"Maybe we can soften the negative backlash… But the problem is, in this situation, will people even listen to us?"
"We need something impactful to redirect their anger?"
"Exactly… Something shocking enough to grab attention."
As Hachiman tried to collect his thoughts and took a sip of his drink, Asuna suddenly asked:
"Hey, Hachiman-kun, what did you think when you first saw me?"
"Pfft—!" Hachiman spat out his drink.
"Is… is this really the right time to ask that?!"
"Ah, um, I don't mean anything weird by it?"
"F-fine… I was… surprised, in many ways…"
"'In many ways'—I'll ask more about that later. But if it surprised you, then it might work—"
Hachiman blushed slightly, and at her next words, his face turned pale.
"H-hey, don't tell me you're thinking…"
"I don't think people will listen to a stranger. But if you speaks, maybe things will improve?
So we need to make everyone willing to hear you out."
"That's logical, but I don't want you to bear all that pressure…"
"Right now, I consider Hachiman-kun my most important friend.
So when one of us has to carry a burden, we carry it together.
We bow together, we face them together. Let's go, Hachiman-kun!"
"You're impossible to argue with… Alright, let's break through the front."
The two stepped to the center of the area and shouted loudly:
"Sorry, everyone! Could you hear us out for a moment?!"
"Please, we're begging you!"
"You two are that guy's accomplices, aren't you?!"
"What's the point of talking now?!"
Most attention turned to Asuna.
Hachiman first took off his hood, but his low presence meant few reacted.
When Asuna removed her hood, the area fell into complete silence—
Revealed was a face so breathtaking that everyone held their breath.
"We understand that emotions are high, and perhaps no one wants to hear excuses. But please, we ask you to let us speak."
As they bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, the long-silent Kibaou finally spoke:
"…Might as well hear them out. They're being sincere."
With the main agitator's approval, the crowd quieted down.
"We were part of a strike team with that guy. Some of you suspect we're Kirito's allies, so we'll only state undeniable facts.
I'm not good with words—apologies in advance if I offend."
Hachiman spoke with utmost sincerity:
"First, why ask you all to listen? Because there are some glaring inconsistencies."
"Inconsistencies? Like what?"
"About the beta testers—there aren't many here. The earlier mood proves that.
So here's the question: Why are there so few beta testers present here?"
People looked puzzled, but Hachiman's next words made it click.
"Think about it. Beta testers should be progressing the fastest. By all rights, the majority of those here should be beta testers."
Some voices of agreement were heard as he continued:
"I'm not defending beta testers. I used to vaguely believe they were all strong. But as you've seen, reality is different.
So I believe: the difference between beta testers and regular players isn't that big. They might know more, but that knowledge isn't an advantage if it leads to overconfidence or death due to version changes."
Some in the crowd started to nod.
"It's understandable to criticize beta testers. Just like in real life, there are good and bad people. Players are no different.
Please judge people based on actions, not labels.
Now, let me ask: How did Kirito perform in the battle?"
From the crowd came:
"He was the real deal…"
"Even if he said all that later, he saved me several times…"
"But he's a beater!"
"Still, no one can clear the high levels alone, right?"
Hachiman seized on the contradiction:
"If he was just using people, why did he yell 'Run!' when Diabel got stunned?
That outed him as a beta tester. And afterward, he kept risking himself to give commands.
Most importantly—why did Diabel die?"
That one question set off a storm.
"It's the beater's fault!"
"He didn't protect him and still tries to justify it!"
Once the shouting died down, Hachiman dropped the bomb:
"Think back—did anyone order Diabel to attack?"
The hall went silent again as everyone recalled the fight. It was clearly Diabel who suddenly—
"That's right. The truth is—when his HP was nearly gone, Diabel rushed at the boss to try and land the last hit.
I suspect Diabel himself was a beta tester, trying to secure the kill bonus.
It's said whoever lands the last hit on a boss gets special gear. That black coat is proof—Kirito said it was a boss drop."
"So Diabel-san did it for…"
"I don't know the full truth. But this is the most logical explanation. Even if Diabel had backed off, we still could've won."
As gasps rippled through the crowd, Hachiman turned to Kibaou:
"Even if Diabel was a beta tester, does that invalidate all his effort?"
"Of course not!"
"Yeah! Diabel fought so hard!"
"That's my point. We all acknowledge Diabel's excellence. That's undeniable.
So the beta tester label doesn't matter. What matters is the person's actions and effort.
I'm not asking you to forgive Kirito for what he said. Just judge him fairly in the future. That's all."
Hachiman and Asuna bowed deeply again.
Kibaou, speaking for the now-silent crowd, responded:
"I understand what you're saying… but I can't agree."
"That's enough. Thank you for listening."
"You're going after him next?"
"Of course. He's still our teammate."
"Figured as much. You three seemed different. Didn't look like you were being used.
Tell him this: we'll need him for the floor two boss fight."
"We'll bring him."
The tense atmosphere had eased. Though doubt remained among many, the two successfully delivered their message.
Asuna gave a final smile before the two ran off to catch up with Kirito.
As they reached the stairs, Agil passed by and said quietly:
"Tell that kid I said hi."
"Asuna, what do we do after we catch Kirito?"
"Obviously, we team up and give him a good scolding!"
The remaining players gradually returned to town.
Though Hachiman's speech didn't win over everyone, it clearly left a deep impression.
Thus, the full chapter of the first-floor boss battle finally came to a close.