The blade was sharp, but the body was battered.
Even for Orario's strongest blacksmith, this was a miracle Tsubaki had never seen before.
If this shortsword were handed to any other adventurer—including herself—then even against the weakest Goblin on the first floor, the weapon would likely shatter instantly. But in Liang Yue's hands… it could still maintain its current sharpness.
"For this weapon to have lasted until now… it really is a miracle."
Her gaze toward Liang Yue was filled with disbelief. Even Ais Wallenstein, the "Sword Princess," couldn't manage such a feat.
Because of her fighting style and skill set, Ais's weapons often suffered damage. In the end, she had to commission the Goibniu Familia to forge the Desperate sword—an unbreakable blade—to avoid such issues.
But Liang Yue… could ignore the limits of weapon durability entirely, extending its life far beyond its natural span.
"You're the most unique swordsman I've ever met."
Even though she was brimming with curiosity about him, the priority now was repairing his weapon. And truth be told, this was also an interesting challenge for her.
Tsubaki lifted her gaze, now much more serious. "Leave the repairs to me. You don't need to pay. I just want to test something—whether your weapon has the potential to grow."
"Thank you."
Liang Yue could clearly hear the gravity in her tone. There was no way he could demand she rush the repairs. Having Orario's greatest smith focus on his weapon—well, it'd cost a fortune to request her service otherwise.
"It might take a while," Tsubaki warned.
Fixing the damage itself wasn't difficult for her. The real question—and the time-consuming part—was figuring out why the weapon hadn't broken in the first place. She suspected the answer would be worth the wait.
"Look around the room," she said casually. "If there's any weapon you like, you can borrow it until yours is ready. Just return it when the repairs are done."
Of course, there was a personal reason for this offer—when the weapon was returned, it would carry traces of his sword aura, making it easier for her to study later.
With a pure love for the forge, she didn't bother hiding her intent. "A weapon you've used would be valuable for my research."
"A fair trade," Liang Yue said with a small smile.
Now that he knew her true reason, he spoke more frankly—albeit with a touch of embarrassment. "I actually use dual-sword style. Would it be alright to pick two weapons?"
"…No problem."
After a short pause, she agreed. Borrowing one weapon or two made no difference to her—though the idea intrigued her. Dual-sword style was certainly rare in Orario.
Watching Liang Yue take two shortswords from the rack, she realized they had spoken for so long without exchanging names. Before asking his, she offered hers: "I'm Tsubaki Collbrande."
"Just call me Liang Yue, Tsubaki-senpai."
——
Feeling the solid weight of the two shortswords, Liang Yue left the Hephaestus shop with an almost surreal sense of fortune.
Forged from mithril, the blades had a dark-gray sheen, and under the light, the Damascus-like forging patterns on the surface were clearly visible.
By weapon standards, these could easily be classified as top-tier Second-Class armaments.
"Unbelievable… Paired with Inner Oni Swordsmanship, clearing Dungeon monsters will be so much easier."
Leaving Babel's upper floors, Liang Yue headed for the Dungeon. Thanks to recent events, the number of adventurers entering had clearly increased.
Both swords were hidden beneath his cloak. After all, "an innocent man with treasure is a target." In Orario, top-tier Second-Class weapons would rarely sell for less than a million valis.
They were only on loan—he had to take care of them.
Back in the upper floors of the Dungeon, the magnetic interference meant compasses were useless. But after so many runs, Liang Yue knew this area like the back of his hand.
With the starting-floor crowds splitting into different routes, he met few adventurers along the way. And thanks to others clearing ahead of him, no monsters had yet blocked his path.
"Today's target is the 7th floor… Dual-sword Oni style should clear the Killer Ants faster."
He headed straight for the 6th floor.
The moment he stepped into the battle-worn area, his honed senses picked up danger. He drew a mithril shortsword instantly.
Leaning against the wall, almost blending into the shadows, was a monster—Shadow Warrior. Without close observation, it was easy to miss. It raised a long, thin arm tipped with sharp claws, striking without warning.
Liang Yue already knew this monster's weakness. He wasn't a rookie anymore.
In one smooth upward slash, his blade flashed and unleashed a fierce sword aura, instantly cutting the Shadow Warrior clean in half.
The sword energy didn't fade—it slammed into the cavern wall, leaving a deep scar. Stone crumbled and dust billowed, briefly obscuring his view.
"A higher-grade weapon… increases sword aura damage?"
When the dust settled, he could clearly see that the impact had been much stronger than before. This was unexpected.
So weapon quality affected the power of Inner Oni Swordsmanship. That meant… if he wanted to be a true Sword Soul, he'd need the funds to forge top-quality weapons.
At least, he thought wryly, this world didn't have the cursed "gear enhancement" system—otherwise, all his money would be eaten up by upgrade attempts.
"Let's test the dual-sword style on this floor first."
He was more comfortable using a shortsword in his right hand, but now, switching to the dual-sword Oni style, he could test it in a safer area before heading deeper.
With no one else around, Liang Yue didn't bother hiding the demonic right arm. Gripping both swords, he began to fully grasp the basics of the dual-sword technique—main-hand offense, demon-arm support, working in perfect synergy for maximum efficiency.
"For large Killer Ant swarms, the faster dual-sword strikes should speed up the clears."
Casting a sharp gaze over the twisting tunnels of the 6th floor, Liang Yue chose his target and strode forward, excitement glinting in his eyes.
"The theory works… Now for the practical test!"
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