Chapter 139 The Immortal Holy Sword Worth Three Hundred and Fifty Million!
"You've advanced to Level 5!?"
At breakfast, Tiona's earth-shattering scream nearly blew the roof off the Loki Familia's dining hall.
The clatter of plates and cutlery ceased abruptly, and the entire hall fell into a dead silence.
Everyone's gaze, like iron filings drawn by a magnet, instantly focused on one person.
Arthur slowly put down his chopsticks and calmly surveyed the stunned faces.
"What are you all staring at? Keep eating."
His calm tone broke the deadlock, and only then did everyone snap out of their daze, sheepishly lowering their heads, as a wave of suppressed murmurs immediately swept through the dining hall.
"After Miss Ais, Mr. Arthur as well…"
"So Mr. Arthur only just advanced to Level 5? I thought he was already a first-class adventurer."
"Raul, why would you think that?"
"Huh? Because after witnessing the tragic situation of the 50th floor and Northeast Avenue, I really couldn't associate Mr. Arthur with Level 4."
"…That makes sense."
"Our Familia has another Level 5; does this mean we can finally surpass the Freya Familia?"
"Difficult. Don't forget, there's still a Level 7 sitting opposite us."
Bete, sitting alone in the corner, had a gloomy expression that could almost drip water amidst the chatter.
He furiously finished his plate, his chair scraping loudly on the floor, and quickly left without a word.
Finn's peripheral vision caught Bete's angry departing figure. He looked at Arthur, whose expression was as usual, and spoke with a hint of contemplation.
"It seems not everyone can calmly accept this fact."
Arthur shrugged noncommittally: "He's just overthinking it; he'll come around eventually."
Unlike Ais, who pursued pure strength, Bete's obsession with breaking through his limits was almost fanatical.
Ais chose to solo the Floor Boss of the 37th floor, advancing honorably with a great achievement.
As for Bete, according to Loki, all his abilities except magic had reached S-rank, yet he was always unwilling to take that final step.
Gareth wiped soup from his beard with the back of his hand, sighing gruffly.
"That kid chose the wrong whetstone, and he's stubborn. Ten oxen couldn't pull him back."
Tiona, who had been quietly eating, couldn't help but look up and retort.
"Old man, coming from you, that has no persuasive power at all."
Just then, Riveria and Ais, having finished their morning training, walked into the dining hall side by side.
Greeting members along the way, they naturally heard the commotion's core.
Ais's clear golden eyes showed a distinct ripple. She walked to Arthur's side, took her seat, and quietly congratulated him.
"Congratulations."
Arthur nodded slightly: "Congratulations to you too, Level 6."
Upon receiving a response, a nearly imperceptible faint smile curved Ais's lips. She then cautiously glanced at Riveria beside her, lowered her head, and quietly ate her meal.
Arthur took everything in, then spread his hands towards Riveria, who was sitting opposite him.
"Ais was never weak, and with the help of the Wind, soloing Udaeus is nothing. There's no need to keep nagging her."
Riveria's delicate brows furrowed slightly: "That's two different matters."
Arthur knew the Elf Royal Family's seriousness had resurfaced, so he could only give Ais a look of "I can't help you," and turned to Finn, who had finished his meal.
"Captain, can I join you for the collaboration talks with the Hephaestus Familia today?"
Finn stopped clearing his plate, his eyes a little puzzled.
"You can, but you just finished a quest. Aren't you going to rest for a few more days?"
Arthur unfastened the steel longsword, covered in cracks and nicks, from his waist and placed it on the table with a dull thud.
"My 'old partner' is still undergoing its transformation. I urgently need a suitable backup weapon."
…
Northeast Avenue, the clanging of metal and the scorching heat from the furnaces were as always.
Arthur and Finn once again arrived at the Hephaestus Familia's workshop.
The entrance was still cluttered with various items, and several failed weapon blanks were casually discarded in a corner, covered in rust.
With Finn's powerful knock on the door, it creaked open a crack.
Tsubaki, covered in soot and with a vacant look in her eyes, scratched her messy hair and peeked out.
"Oh, Finn. Your order is complete; it's all in the finished goods room."
This one-eyed master artisan, engrossed in forging, clearly had no interest in even teasing, yawning repeatedly.
Finn shook his head: "Thank you for your hard work. Actually, there's still time before the next expedition; you don't have to push yourself so hard."
Tsubaki waved her hand indifferently, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.
"Thanks for your concern, but I've been busy with something else recently."
Finn turned to Arthur and said: "Then I'll go check the order. You can talk to Tsubaki yourself."
Finn turned and left, while Tsubaki's pupils, previously unfocused from fatigue, sharply focused upon seeing Arthur's face.
"Why, it's you, kid!?"
Arthur offered a friendly smile: "Long time no see. I'd like to commission you to forge a sub-weapon."
Tsubaki mumbled, puzzled: "Sub-weapon? Want to try dual-wielding?"
"Never mind, it's not important! Come on! Get inside with me!"
Before he finished speaking, Tsubaki unceremoniously slung an arm around Arthur's shoulder, forcefully dragging him into the forge, muttering excitedly.
"Ever since I saw your divine weapon, I've been pondering how to forge a weapon that wouldn't lose to it!"
Arthur subtly ducked, breaking free from her overly enthusiastic embrace, and raised an eyebrow.
"Not lose to it? You really dare to dream."
Tsubaki understood the implication in his words. A flicker of unwillingness flashed in her single eye, but she still admitted frankly.
"I admit, it's like climbing a mountain with no visible peak."
"But as a blacksmith, I can't ignore it!"
She spoke with an almost fanatical conviction, leading Arthur to a private forging room.
As the heavy iron door opened, waves of cold, sharp air rushed out.
On the forging table and weapon racks, more than a dozen gleaming longswords were quietly displayed, each bearing similarities to Arthur's Holy Sword.
"These are…?"
Before Arthur could ask, Tsubaki quickly walked to an unfinished replica, glanced at it, and threw it directly into the furnace to be destroyed.
"As you can see, they're all replicas."
"I've tried every method, repeatedly seeking guidance from the goddess Hephaestus, but I can't even replicate one ten-thousandth of its divine essence."
Arthur casually walked to one of the replicas, lightly stroked the blade with his finger, and glowing patterns, like circuit boards, lit up, and he instantly understood.
Using orichalcum as the main material, imbuing it with an enduring, indestructible property.
Rare mithril was mixed inside to enhance magic conductivity.
"orichalcum with mithril, truly a luxurious touch."
Tsubaki's face showed the relief of finding a kindred spirit: "You know just by looking?"
She then added, her voice full of regret.
"It's a pity, the properties of mithril and obsidian conflict with each other. Several attempts at fusion forging failed, so I had to give up."
After confirming that the quality of these replicas was almost identical, Arthur picked one up nearby.
With a slight thought, a thick, violent wind pressure rapidly gathered around the sword, the air let out a sharp whistle, stirring up metal dust in the room, forming a small whirlwind.
Yet the sword, enveloped by the core of the wind pressure, remained as steady as a rock, without even a tremor.
He gazed at this sharp sword, capable of withstanding the Wind of the King, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Does it have a name?"
Tsubaki waved her hand dismissively: "Why would a replica need a name? If I had to say, we'll just use the 'Roland' series from your Familia's order."
Arthur chuckled: "Indestructible Roland (durandal)? Alright, I'll take it."
Tsubaki's single eye instantly lit up, gleaming with avarice. She held up three fingers and grinned.
"Three hundred and fifty million Valis, please!"
The smile on Arthur's face instantly froze.