Journey to Planar World

"Who are you? And why did you save me?"

Tightly clutching the Healing Potion given by the mysterious young man, Asuna didn't drink it right away.

After being abandoned by her best friend, she no longer trusted people easily, especially someone she met for the first time in such a life-threatening situation.

"Hm... Just call me Charlie. As for why I saved you... Well, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"..."

Asuna glared at him sharply, her face showing doubt. She wouldn't drink the potion until she knew the truth.

"Why are teenagers these days so rebellious? Just drink it already."

Worried that the Abyssal Devourer might suddenly attack Asuna, whose HP bar was nearly depleted—potentially killing her in one hit—Charlie swiftly grabbed the Healing Potion from her hand and forced her to drink it.

"Mhmm—"

Asuna gasped, her eyes widening. She pounded on Charlie's arm and kicked at the air, trying to break free. But she was overpowered. She was forced to drink until the Healing Potion was empty.

"Cough, cough... You!"

Asuna coughed violently, glaring angrily at him after breaking free.

"One Healing Potion isn't enough to fully restore your HP bar, right? Here, drink another one."

Without hesitation, Charlie grabbed another Healing Potion, restrained Asuna again, and forced her to drink.

"Gulp... Gulp..."

Asuna couldn't believe she was being violated not once, but twice!

As far as she knew, Sword Art Online had protections for female players. Male players couldn't commit sexual harassment—in terms of sensitive physical contact—unless permitted by the female player herself.

Even sexual relationships were a feature reserved for players married in the game. Normally, male players couldn't touch sensitive areas like a female player's chest or buttocks due to the system's protections.

Unfortunately, Charlie didn't log in through a Nerve Gear but entered the game directly with his soul. Thus, SAO's rules binding players couldn't restrain him.

"Pervert! Creep! Degenerate! Hentai!"

Asuna shouted after being released, pushing Charlie away while crossing her arms over her chest, trying to protect herself.

"Oh, that's your fault for being uncooperative. Sorry for my rough methods, but for the sake of the world, I can't let you die. The Abyssal Devourer could attack at any moment."

Charlie was completely unfazed by her anger.

"..."

Asuna calmed slightly, seeing he didn't continue 'harassing' her.

"I don't understand what you've been talking about. Abyssal Devourer? Is that a unique monster or an area boss?"

Trying to make sense of the situation, Asuna voiced her doubts.

"Should I kidnap you and lock you up somewhere, waiting for the Abyssal Devourer to show itself?"

"Y-You..."

Instead of answering her question, Asuna heard Charlie's words, which sounded terrifying to her.

"I guess that wouldn't work. This time, the Abyssal Devourer is an Assassin Type, not a Summoner Type. Its patience in waiting for its target to let their guard down is unmatched. In that case, I can only stay by Asuna's side."

"Thanks for saving me, but I'm not interested in whatever you're talking about. Goodbye."

Without waiting for a response, Asuna turned and walked away, unwilling to deal with someone she thought was mentally unhinged.

"Stop following me!"

Asuna brandished her rapier at Charlie after realizing he was still following her.

"Your temper is really something, Asuna. Come to think of it, your gentle personality was shaped after spending time with Kirito. In this early phase, you're cold and unfriendly."

"Don't act like you know me! Stop following me, I want to be alone!"

"I refuse. I'm your protector."

"Oh, so this is what they call chuunibyou."

Her hostility toward Charlie lessened slightly. To Asuna, there was no point arguing with someone mentally unstable.

"Haaa... It seems no matter what I say, you won't believe me." Charlie sighed deeply, approaching Asuna.

"D-Don't come closer! I'll really attack you!"

It was just a bluff. Asuna couldn't bring herself to attack another human.

Dying in the game meant dying in the real world. She couldn't possibly kill someone.

"Hyaaa!"

Asuna yelped in shock as Charlie suddenly scooped her up in a princess carry.

"Why isn't the system stopping him?! This is clearly sexual harassment! What's going on?!"

"Let me go, you pervert!"

Asuna struggled with all her strength in Charlie's arms. She didn't just sit there being violated; her hands pounded on Charlie's chest, and her legs kicked frantically in the air.

*SLAP!*

The sharp sound stunned Asuna. A stinging pain shot through her buttocks.

"Eh?"

"How dare you spank my butt, you filthy pervert!"

"Stop struggling, or I'll do something even more dangerous."

The threat worked. Asuna fell silent, obedient in his arms. But her eyes, filled with hatred, were unmistakable.

"Come on, no need to be angry. Your body right now is just a collection of binary data in the system—it's fake."

"Fake, you say?! Even if what you said is true, that this is just data, every sensation I feel in SAO is transmitted directly to my brain! Pain, touch, fear... It all feels real! It's no different from my body in the real world!"

Asuna glared at Charlie, her expression conveying how deeply humiliated she felt.

"Sorry for spanking you. I won't do it again in the future."

Unlike women who often struggle to apologize for their mistakes, Charlie, as a man, didn't like complicating matters.

"Hmph. Can you put me down now?"

Snorting softly, Asuna was slightly surprised by his apology. A faint positive impression of the man began to form in her mind.

"Sure. But after I show you something."

After saying that, Charlie mobilized the spiritual essence in his body. His body began to float upward, carried by a faint breeze that seemed to support him. Then, with a single thrust, he shot into the air.

*SHUA!*

"Kyaaaaaaa—"

Asuna instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Charlie's neck to avoid falling.

Her eyes widened as she saw the sprawling view of hills covered with lush trees below them. They kept rising, moving farther from the ground.

"We're flying?"

"Yes."

"Mito never said players could fly in SAO."

"The answer is simple: I'm not a player like you, Asuna. Haven't you noticed the system doesn't display a name above my head?"

Shifting her gaze from the breathtaking scenery below to Charlie's captivating face—though she hated to admit it—Asuna focused on the space above his head.

Sure enough, there was no HP bar or name floating like other players had.

"Could you be a special NPC?"

That was Asuna's most logical conclusion.

Even a top student like her couldn't fathom the idea of someone from another world coming to protect her for the sake of the world.

That concept was too far from her reality.

"Wrong. Alright, I'll explain everything to you. Let's talk somewhere else—this place isn't suitable for a long conversation."

Without waiting for Asuna's approval, Charlie carried her in his arms and flew toward the city.

Due to air resistance in this virtual world, he couldn't fly too fast. Charlie had to admit that Kayaba Akihiko was a genius, albeit a psychopath.

The scientist even included details like air resistance in his game, showcasing an extraordinary level of realism.