Sword Art Online: Progressive. Volume 2 (light novel)

After a hard but successful battle against the Second Level boss, the beta player Kirito and his temporary partner Asuna ascend to the next level. There, in the forest sprawling across the entire level, they encounter two elven knights fighting each other. The campaign begins as soon as the players choose one of them. During the beta test, the battle ended with the death of both NPCs, but Kirito and Asuna miraculously manage to save the dark elf named Kizmél. Confused by the unexpected difference from the beta, they nevertheless quickly find common ground with the NPC. Meanwhile, the other players convene a meeting focused on clearing the new level, during which Kirito and Asuna find themselves facing a difficult choice…