Chapter 72: 72 Growth
[Die!]
The giant ship-cutting blade was gripped in one hand, its sharp physical edge glowing with a radiant energy blade, slicing clean through the monster, cutting it in half. The massive monster's body fell in two, dying with a wail, while Altair, holding the blade, grinned wickedly.
In his left hand, he held up a signboard.
[This sword is awesome!]
Sheathing the blade behind him, Altair crouched down to pick up the magic stone.
"It seems like you enjoy that weapon, don't you, Altair-kun?"
Just a short distance away, Saeko was sheathing her sword. In front of her, a monster's body was quickly dissolving, leaving behind a magic stone. She glanced over at Altair, her expression slightly odd.
"It feels like this weapon doesn't quite match your usual style."
[Did the weapons I used before really fit my style?]
"Fair point."
Saeko gave up arguing. The first time she had met Altair, he was dressed like a medieval knight in full armor, but the weapon he pulled out was a magical energy-driven energy blade. It was bizarre, to say the least.
Now, even after receiving precious Holydite from the Loki Familia, instead of crafting a holy sword, Altair forged this massive, sci-fi-inspired sword.
Saeko wasn't a mecha fan, so she didn't recognize that the weapon was inspired by the Beam Saber from Gundam. All she knew was that it looked far more like something out of a science fiction story than a fantasy world.
Not only that, but the long rectangular object on Altair's back didn't fit the world's aesthetic either... it was a magical energy-powered beam rocket launcher, and the small beam rifle attached to his right arm added to the out-of-place look.
After crafting this entire set of equipment, Altair dragged Saeko into the dungeon to test it out.
And that's when Saeko realized something new about Altair. In battle, he couldn't speak. If he wanted to communicate, he had to raise his dialogue board.
Even though fighting from a distance with a magic-powered AK-47 was easy, there was something about swinging this massive sword that got Altair hooked. Sure, the AK-47 could kill multiple enemies effortlessly, but cutting through them with a blade was far more satisfying!
It was like walking through the countryside and finding the perfect stick to swat at things along the way... it just made everything more fun.
After cutting down a bunch of monsters, Altair even felt like shouting, "Come on! 1v1 in the training grounds! Only swords!" and then instantly selecting the strike sword form. Ideally, his opponent would pick the impulse sword form, so they could have an epic duel between sword wielders!
Unfortunately, no one here understood him. Such a pity... So Altair decided to take out that frustration on the dungeon monsters!
[Die!]
With the massive ship-cutting sword in his right hand, he slashed at a newly spawned monster. The energy blade instantly melted the monster's tough skin, followed by the sharp physical edge cutting through its body like butter, leaving the severed flesh glowing like molten lava.
Compared to the lightsaber, the ship-cutting sword was much safer. He no longer had to worry about accidentally injuring himself with the lightsaber's back edge, and it felt much more comfortable to wield. When using the lightsaber, he always had to activate the switch carefully to avoid accidental triggering, but now, he could simply control the flow of magical energy in and out with ease.
Against weaker enemies, he didn't even need the lightsaber... just the physical sword was enough to mow down foes. With a range of over 2.2 meters including the hilt and his arms, Altair's sword had the reach of a polearm, far exceeding normal melee weapons.
In the dungeon, most close-combat monsters didn't have the range to touch him, so Altair could kite them while dishing out devastating attacks, allowing him to challenge higher-level monsters.
Altair and Saeko had ventured to the exact spot where Bete had kicked the Floor Boss into oblivion just the day before. This was the 27th floor... not a place for Level 1 or Level 2 adventurers. The monsters here were all Level 3 at minimum, and anyone fighting here needed to be at least Level 3, preferably with a team, not alone.
But Altair had brought Saeko with him. After tagging along with Bete the previous day, he had memorized the layout and the monsters, so he felt confident in his farming experience here.
[Die!]
He sliced through another monster and turned to Saeko.
[How's it going, Saeko?]
Unfortunately, Saeko was still locked in combat with her monster, struggling with her katana. The monsters on the lower floors were physically weaker, so her blade had easily sliced through them. But here, their defense was higher, their bones harder, and everyone knew that katanas weren't ideal for cutting through bone.
The stalemate didn't last long, though. Saeko, knowing she couldn't overpower the monster, made a quick sidestep, causing its attack to hit the ground. She swiftly drew her blade across its throat.
While her katana couldn't chop through bones, it was perfect for slashing throats. Unlike Altair, who relied on brute strength and weapon superiority to cleave through enemies, Saeko's style focused on technique. Her strength was her weakness, so she compensated with speed and precision, targeting critical points with deadly accuracy.
Watching the monster collapse, Saeko wiped the blood from her blade, breathing heavily, her breast rising and falling as her face flushed with both exertion and excitement.
She turned to Altair, quickly reading the words on his signboard, and nodded.
"These monsters are much more challenging than the ones on the previous floors. Fighting them will help me grow faster!"
No kidding... fighting monsters two levels above her! If that didn't speed up her growth, what would? Every single one of these monsters required multiple precise actions to defeat. And with her Sword Demon skill active, Altair figured Saeko might even reach Level 2 before he did.
Seeing how pleased Saeko was, Altair felt satisfied as well. He needed to farm stronger monsters too. Especially now that he had fallen in love with slicing through enemies with his ship-cutting blade. AK-47s? Forget about them!
As for the goats he couldn't handle, he would just leave that to Saeko.
[Let's enjoy ourselves and keep fighting here!]
[Die!]
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