Chapter 19: An Ordinary Swordsman Just Passing By
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After dispatching all the Killer Ants with ruthless efficiency, the intense concentration required for the battle left Liang Yue feeling slightly fatigued.
He briefly surveyed his surroundings.
Going head-on against such a vast horde of monsters was, in a sense, comparable to the “Monster Banquet” found only on the deeper floors.
The final result was naturally a good one.
Thanks to the sheer number of Killer Ants, the experience bar had risen to thirty percent, building on the Sword Soul template’s recent advancement to Level 15.
“It really works.”
“Using the Killer Ants’ habit of calling their companions whenever they encounter danger is an efficient way to gain experience. The only problem is that it consumes quite a bit of stamina.”
Liang Yue’s resolve grew firmer.
Searching for monsters one at a time was inefficient unless they were rare species, floor bosses, or other elite monsters that yielded comparatively substantial experience.
Against low-level monsters, the efficiency would be far worse.
Leaving aside the distant goal of reaching Level 50 and awakening as a Sword Saint, even the signature Sword Soul technique, Iaijutsu, would require a long time to master.
He gradually gathered his thoughts, stooped to pick up the magic stones dropped by the defeated Killer Ants, and finally fixed his gaze on Bell, who was leaning against the wall a short distance ahead.
The white-haired boy had a delicate, androgynously cute appearance.
“Are you all right?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Liang Yue felt a strange sense of familiarity, as though history were repeating itself.
When he had slain the Minotaur, Ais Wallenstein had asked him the very same question after arriving on the scene. Now, it was his turn to say those words to Bell, who had become an adventurer.
“No.”
In truth, Bell should have been the one asking about his condition.
Facing Liang Yue’s calm, utterly unruffled gaze, Bell finally got a clear look at the adventurer who had kindly come to his aid.
He seemed somewhat older than Bell.
His features were distinctly eastern, and his eyes were the same crimson red. Yet within them, Bell could almost see something terrible moving and flowing.
A sharp sword aura naturally emanated from his body.
His dazzling and masterful swordsmanship against the Killer Ant horde, along with the sword-energy attacks Bell had no idea how he had performed, all proclaimed one thing—
He was unquestionably a powerful senior adventurer!
Bell’s inquisitive gaze quickly shifted away from Liang Yue and fell upon the arm not fully concealed by his cloak. It possessed none of the luster of normal skin.
Instead, it was an eerie white, with grotesque blood vessels clearly visible beneath the surface.
“Um…”
Although Lady Freya had warned him that the specially prepared healing elixir was extremely precious, Bell still took it from his pack.
He did not think too much about it. After all, Liang Yue had kindly helped him.
Looking at Liang Yue’s arm, Bell asked with concern, “Your arm… I have a special healing elixir prepared by my goddess. It should be able to slow the worsening of your injury, shouldn’t it?”
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“It won’t help.”
Liang Yue could still distinguish false concern from genuine feeling. Bell was just as kindhearted as he had been in the original story.
He shook his head and smiled faintly. “I already asked Miss Amid of the Dian Cecht Familia to try treating it. My condition is rather complicated.”
“This…”
Bell had naturally heard of Miss Amid, the “Saint of the Battlefield” of the Dian Cecht Familia, though he had never met her.
If even Amid could not resolve the problem, he could not help tightening his grip around the crystal vial.
What kind of suffering must someone endure if their illness required black-iron shackles to restrain it?
Bell could not know. Yet Liang Yue, a complete stranger, had still been willing to help him.
“Thank you very much for your help, Senior Adventurer. Your arm… truly won’t affect you?”
Concern filled Bell’s eyes as he asked the question.
It was obvious that fighting the Killer Ant horde had placed an enormous burden on Liang Yue’s body. His face was now marked by unmistakable exhaustion.
Bell had not intended to offend him. If anything, he felt somewhat guilty.
If not for his own reckless adventure, Liang Yue—who had kindly come to his aid—would never have been dragged into such trouble, would he?
Liang Yue did not answer Bell directly.
His reason for helping was simple, but he had never intended to change the boy’s way of conducting himself. With an easy smile, he explained, “Must one submit to fate simply because one’s body is incomplete?”
“Even if the hand that wields a weapon has become twisted…”
“Striving toward the goal I have chosen gives my life greater meaning.”
As he finished speaking, Liang Yue turned his eyes toward Bell.
His tone grew much more solemn.
“Hold firmly to what you believe in. And besides… exploring the Dungeon is fraught with danger. Try not to place yourself in peril whenever possible.”
“Know your limits.”
Liang Yue’s words touched Bell deeply, especially the question: Must one submit to fate simply because one’s body is broken?
Standing rooted to the spot, Bell found it difficult to imagine how many hardships Liang Yue must have endured to possess such unwavering convictions and still retain kindness toward everything around him.
Perhaps this was what a strong person needed—
The courage to press forward fearlessly in the face of adversity and dare to challenge fate!
Could Bell do the same?
Watching Liang Yue’s retreating back, Bell did not follow. Instead, he hurriedly called out, “My name is Bell Cranel!”
“May I ask your name, Senior?”
“Hmm…”
“Just an ordinary swordsman passing through.”
—
His level had risen to 15, he had acquired a new skill, and on his way to the seventh floor he had encountered Bell and a horde of Killer Ants.
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Today’s exploration of the Dungeon had been exceptionally fulfilling for Liang Yue.
He once again left the dim stairway leading down from Babel Tower and returned to the labyrinth city of Orario.
Night had quietly fallen.
The streets were crowded with bustling streams of people, making the city seem extraordinarily lively.
He still had nearly thirty thousand valis on hand. The magic stones and materials dropped by the War Shadows and Killer Ants had yet to be exchanged.
The Adventurer’s Guild was already closed.
“I’ll buy something to eat.”
“After that, I can head home.”
For the moment, he abandoned the idea of dining alone at the Hostess of Fertility. Using skills at such high intensity consumed an enormous amount of physical strength.
At present, he had enough skills at his disposal.
His speed at clearing monsters on the upper floors had increased noticeably, but a weakness had also been exposed: his stamina could not sustain high-intensity combat.
If he improved his ability to fight for longer periods, he would be able to harvest far more experience in the Dungeon.
After buying two packed dinners, Liang Yue decisively returned to the basement of the abandoned church, where his Familia’s residence was located.
With such a substantial increase in level, he was also eager to see what changes had occurred in his abilities.
Hestia had finished her exhausting shift at the weapon shop and was lying on the sofa resting. When she saw Liang Yue return home safely, she immediately sprang to her feet.
“Liang Yue!”
“You’re back?”
Hestia carefully examined him. Only after confirming that he was uninjured did she finally release a sigh of relief.
But when she saw the dinner he had thoughtfully brought home, her mood grew even heavier.
After finishing work, she had tried recruiting new Familia members at the Adventurer’s Guild, but none of the people from the Lower World had shown any interest.
In fact, once they heard her divine name, they had seemed to leave even faster.
She truly did not know how, as a goddess, she could help Liang Yue or lessen his burden.
Liang Yue could clearly sense Hestia’s dejection. The reason was probably that she had failed to recruit any additional Familia members.
She was unable to help him.
He placed the dinner on the table and offered a request with a smile. “Lady Hestia, could you update my ability values after we eat?”
“No problem!!”
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