Chapter 23: Second-Tier Armament, Target

The blade was sharp, yet the body was shattered. Even for the greatest blacksmith in the labyrinth city of Orario, this was a miracle Tsubaki had never witnessed before. If this short sword were handed to any other adventurer—including herself—it would likely shatter instantly upon facing even the lowest-level goblin in the Dungeon. But because the user was Liang Yue, it managed to retain its current level of sharpness.

"It is truly a miracle that this weapon has held up until now." Tsubaki looked at Liang Yue again with disbelief. Even Ais Wallenstein, known as the "Sword Princess," could not achieve such a feat. Due to her fighting style and the unique nature of her skills, Ais's weapons were frequently damaged, eventually requiring the Hephaestus Familia to custom-craft the "Desperate Sword," which possessed the "Indestructible" attribute, to avoid such issues.

Liang Yue, however, could defy the limits of a weapon's durability and extend its lifespan. "You are the most unique swordsman I have ever seen!"

Despite her intense curiosity about the boy before her, the priority was to help him repair his weapon. Driven by a blacksmith’s professional interest, Tsubaki’s gaze remained calm, her attitude growing more serious. "Leave the repairs to me. You don't need to pay."

"I simply want to verify one thing: whether your weapon possesses the potential for growth!"

"Thank you." Liang Yue could clearly sense the gravity in Tsubaki's tone. He could hardly ask her to rush the work. As the strongest blacksmith in Orario, the effort she was dedicating to his weapon would normally command a price he could scarcely imagine.

"It might take some time." Repairing the weapon was not difficult for Tsubaki. The key was to uncover the true reason why the blade hadn't shattered, which would be time-consuming. Yet, she felt the final result would surely be full of surprises.

Tsubaki added casually, "Take a look around the room; if any weapons catch your eye, feel free to borrow them and return them once yours are repaired."

Of course, she had her own selfish motives. The returned weapons would retain traces of sword energy, which would facilitate her future research. Possessing a pure vision for blacksmithing and a straightforward, bold personality, Tsubaki did not hide her intentions: "The weapons you use have research value for me. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"Thank you." Learning her true motives, Liang Yue became equally frank, though he asked with a hint of embarrassment: "I actually use a dual-wielding sword style... would it be alright to choose two weapons?"

"...No problem." Tsubaki paused for a moment before answering immediately. To her, there was no difference between lending one weapon or two. She was simply curious about his statement. Dual-wielding was certainly a novel concept in Orario.

Watching Liang Yue retrieve two short swords from the cabinet, she realized she didn't even know his real name after talking for so long. Before asking, she introduced herself: "I am Tsubaki Collbrande. And you?"

"Senior Tsubaki, just call me Liang Yue."

***

Feeling the solid weight of the two short swords, Liang Yue felt as if he were in a different world when he left the Hephaestus weapon shop. The weapons, forged from mithril, were dark grey in color. Under the light, one could see the clear, Damascus-like forging patterns on the blades. Based on the weapon grading system, they were at the very least top-tier "Second-Class" armaments.

"I can't even imagine," he thought, "how much easier it will be to clear out Dungeon monsters using the Li Ghost Sword style with these two blades."

Leaving the upper levels of Babel, Liang Yue headed toward the Dungeon entrance. Due to the passage of time, the number of adventurers heading into the Dungeon had noticeably increased. He kept both short swords hidden beneath his cloak. One should not flaunt wealth in public; after all, a top-tier Second-Class weapon would cost no less than a million Valis at any ordinary shop in Orario. Since they were borrowed, he had to take good care of them.

Arriving once again at the upper labyrinth levels, the special magnetic interference made it impossible to use a compass. However, after adventuring for some time, Liang Yue had become exceptionally familiar with this area. Thanks to the branching paths at the starting floor, he encountered few other adventurers along the way. Furthermore, because the path had already been cleared by others, he hadn't faced any monster blockades so far.

"Today's goal is the 7th floor... With the dual-wielding Li Ghost Sword style, clearing out Killer Ants should be faster, right?" Without hesitation, he headed toward the 6th floor.

***

Just as he stepped into the area he had been grinding, the sensory abilities honed by long battles allowed Liang Yue to instantly detect danger. He drew his mithril short swords in a flash.

A monster—a War Shadow—blended almost perfectly into the dim environment against the wall, easily overlooked if one didn't look closely. It raised its slender wrists, equipped with sharp claws, and launched a full-force attack on the passing adventurer without warning.

Aware of the weaknesses of such monsters and being no novice adventurer, Liang Yue executed a fluid, upward-slashing strike. Accompanied by a flash of light, a sharp blade of sword energy instantly cleaved the War Shadow in two. The unspent sword energy struck heavily against the cave wall, leaving a shocking mark. Stones collapsed to the floor, and dust rose up, obscuring his vision.

"Higher quality weapons... do they affect the damage caused by sword energy?" As the dust settled, Liang Yue looked at the point of impact and could clearly distinguish an increase in damage. This was something he hadn't anticipated.

Weapon quality influenced the sword energy damage of the "Li Ghost Sword" style. In a sense, this confirmed that if he wanted to become a Soul Bender, he would need enough money to forge powerful weapons. Thinking of this, he felt a strange sense of relief; luckily, in the world of DanMachi, there was no concept of equipment amplification—otherwise, all his savings would have gone into purchasing upgrade materials!

"Let's test the dual-wielding style on this floor first." Currently, Liang Yue was more accustomed to fighting with a short sword in his right hand; switching to the dual-wielding Li Ghost Sword style required testing on a lower-risk floor. By verifying that he could manifest sword energy from both blades and mastering this combat style, he could proceed deeper with confidence.

With no other adventurers around, Liang Yue did not hide the eerie Ghost Hand on his left arm. Gripping the swords with both hands, he gradually mastered the basic techniques of the dual-wielding Li Ghost Sword style. The specific fighting method was easy to understand: the right hand acted as the primary force, while the sword held by the Ghost Hand provided auxiliary attacks. They complemented each other, achieving twice the result with half the effort during combat.

"Against large groups of Killer Ants, the faster offensive of the dual-wielding style... the clearing speed should definitely increase." Liang Yue’s eyes swept across the complex cavern paths of the 6th floor. Having selected his objective, he decisively stepped forward.

Unable to hide his anticipation, he whispered softly, "The theory is sound. Now... the practical phase begins!"