At that instant, dust began to fall from the cave ceiling.
Something was about to drop—
Komini heard it too—the roaring sound from above, something that could smash her into pulp.
Bang!
The next second, a giant boulder crashed into the water from above, sending up a massive splash.
Even after landing, it didn't stop rolling. It tore through the shallow water before slamming into the flower wall and shattering apart, the rising dust marking the end of the danger.
For several seconds afterward, the cave fell completely silent.
Then someone in the water struggled to stand.
"Cough, cough…"
Arthur stood amid the slowly settling dust, staring in shock at Komini, who was sprawled beside him in the water, gasping for breath.
At the last moment, he had reacted just in time, reaching out and grabbing this unlucky child.
Good heavens… why is this girl so unlucky? She manages to stumble into every dangerous situation…
He wasn't trying to scold Komini, but frankly speaking, there weren't many natural traps in the cavern layer—and yet she somehow managed to trigger one of them.
What they had just encountered was a classic Rolling Boulder Trap.
These traps were mechanical devices that naturally generated underground and in caves. No one knew who originally built them.
In the past, countless Terraria veterans hadn't died to monsters, but instead to these very traps.
Rolling boulders, poisoned darts, spike pits, cacti, TNT traps…
Each one was deadlier than the last.
Even in the late game, certain professions could still be instantly killed by a TNT trap.
And at their current stage, a rolling boulder alone was enough to wipe them out several times over.
Fortunately, the boulder's trajectory hadn't been aimed directly at them.
Otherwise, there would have been no escape.
Unlike Arthur, however, Komini still hadn't recovered. Tears welled in her eyes as her breathing trembled.
Even an idiot would know she had just brushed past death.
The fear seized her again, chilling her limbs and freezing her thoughts.
"Are you okay? That was an accident," Arthur said as he pulled her out of the water. Luck was something no one could predict.
"Hoo…"
Komini nodded. Though still shaken, she forced herself not to show it in front of Senior Arthur.
Anything in this world could take her life.
I should have been prepared for this already.
After steadying herself, Komini helped Arthur dismantle the pressure plate and remove the wiring hidden in the nearby dirt.
Only after everything was cleared did they finally stand atop the small earthen mound in the center of the cave.
"You pull it out," Arthur said, looking at the sword hilt embedded in the stone.
He still decided to give this chance to Komini—a small comfort for what she had just endured.
"Mm…"
Without refusing, Komini grasped the hilt and pulled gently.
It was far easier than she expected.
The stone casing around the blade instantly crumbled and fell away—
Revealing an emerald-green sword.
"…This…"
Arthur's gaze unfocused slightly as he stared at it.
[EGO Weapon: Terra Blade (Sword)
Level: HE
Equipment Requirements: None
Attack Attribute: Physical
Attack Speed: Extremely Fast
Attack Range: Extremely Short]
He couldn't say it.
He really couldn't.
Was Komini lucky… or unlucky?
The Terra Blade was extremely rare—not only because Sword Shrines themselves were scarce, but because when one was broken, there was only a 1/50 chance to obtain it. The rest of the time, it would yield an Enchanted Sword.
Lucky, because she pulled a Terra Blade.
Unlucky, because she pulled a Terra Blade.
Because although the Terra Blade appeared as part of the Zenith's attack method, it was not a crafting material for Zenith.
And worse—
Arthur sighed internally.
In practical terms, the Terra Blade was far inferior to the Enchanted Sword.
Its attack speed was absurdly fast, but its attack range was extremely short, and it lacked any additional special effects.
As the saying goes—
A longer reach is a stronger reach.
Without sword beams, what was the point of such a short blade?
"Try using it," Arthur said.
"Eh? Really?"
"Of course." Arthur took a few steps back, just in case the system's data was inaccurate and the weapon injured him by accident.
Seeing Senior Arthur's reaction, Komini didn't hold back.
The blade was light enough to wield with one hand.
As she took an awkward attack stance, she quickly realized something strange.
The power of this EGO Equipment wasn't just physical.
The moment she fully gripped the sword, countless attack stances and techniques surfaced in her mind—as if she had wielded this weapon for years.
Grip… then swing…
There was no sound of air being cut.
No whistle.
Nothing.
Yet both Komini and Arthur felt it.
In the instant she moved, countless overlapping faint green slashes appeared in the air.
Her attack motions were completely imperceptible.
This wasn't a blade attack.
It was a storm of cutting wind.
"So powerful…"
Komini herself was the most shocked. She couldn't believe her own movements.
Arthur picked up a chunk of broken stone from the water and hurled it toward her.
Komini instinctively raised the Terra Blade.
The faint green slashes touched the stone—
And like a grinder, it instantly disintegrated into dust.
Hmm. Stone works…
Then—
Arthur rubbed his chin, suddenly drew a pistol from his waist, and aimed it at her.
He had always wanted to test whether cutting bullets like in movies was possible—and this seemed like a perfect chance.
"Hey, Senior!" Komini rushed over, the green slashes dissipating. She glared at him angrily. "You were going to shoot me, weren't you?!"
"…." Arthur smiled, not denying it.
"Sigh, honestly."
Not dwelling on his reaction, Komini gently pushed the weapon toward him.
"Here… you should take it."
To her surprise, Arthur waved his hand.
"No need. It's a gift for you."