After a short rest, Liang Yue set his next target and soon reached the second floor of the Dungeon. So far, the cave environment hadn't changed much.
However, the monster knowledge and Dungeon characteristics he had learned from Eina at the Guild earlier were finally coming in handy.
The most dangerous threat here was the subterranean lizard—completely different from the image he had in mind. Its whole body was covered in gray‑brown scales, and its length was about the same as a human's.
It excelled at using its size to deliver powerful charges.
Though smaller in every respect, wall lizards liked to hunt in packs, ambushing adventurers from the maze walls or ceilings.
These were the ones to be especially wary of.
Liang Yue carefully explored the area. This was the downside of going solo—there were no teammates to split duties.
Any safety risks, he had to bear alone.
He wasn't exactly nervous, though. Mostly, he was looking forward to seeing what Inner Swordsmanship (Mastery) could do in real combat.
The Sword Soul class, after all, was in every sense a master of weapons.
It could wield any sword‑type weapon, and in the game, Inner Swordsmanship even had different effects depending on the weapon used.
After assigning points and raising the skill level, the most obvious benefit Liang Yue noticed was that he no longer needed to adapt to a new weapon—it was seamless switching.
"This world… probably doesn't have lightsabers."
"Once I've got the money, I'll buy a katana. Pairing it with my current sword for dual‑blade combat shouldn't be a problem—it should boost my combat strength."
"…Though, have the other adventurers already cleared out most of the monsters here? Feels like there aren't many left."
The deeper he went, the more his brows furrowed. There were plenty of adventurers passing through this floor, but he still hadn't run into anything blocking his path.
Without any monsters, he couldn't even test his upgraded skill. Just as he was thinking of going deeper—
A faint rustling reached his ears.
He snapped his head toward the sound and spotted it—perfectly camouflaged against the cave wall by its gray‑brown scales—a huge lizard.
If not for the massive maw lined with sharp teeth and the snake‑like tongue flicking in and out, he might not have identified it in time.
Well now… talk about falling asleep and someone handing you a pillow.
With its ambush spoiled, the subterranean lizard dropped all pretense. Its human‑sized body suddenly surged forward with terrifying speed.
Hooking its sharp claws into the wall, it launched itself straight at him.
This was their usual tactic: their tough scales could deflect ordinary weapons, and by using their bulk to pin an adventurer, they could end a fight in moments.
But Liang Yue had done his homework before entering the Dungeon. Instinctively, he gripped his sword tight and brought it down in a cleaving strike.
Drawing on his Inner Swordsmanship combat drills—
—A crescent‑shaped blade of energy burst forth from the swing. The blade didn't even touch the lizard, yet the slash, infused with sword intent, cut it cleanly in two.
The monster's body exploded into dust instantly.
A magic stone, barely bigger than a thumb, fell to the ground with a crisp clink—a clear sign of the lizard's death.
「Exp +34」
"Sword Qi!"
He had worried whether his weapon could even pierce a subterranean lizard's hide, but to think a casual strike had unleashed sword qi!
Though the body dissolved quickly, his sharp eyes had caught the detail—the monster's front half had been sliced through with surgical precision.
This confirmed it: sword qi could extend the attack range of a short sword.
His past gaming memories hit him like a wave.
Inner Swordsmanship with a short sword now unleashed sword qi—he hadn't expected that raising the skill to Mastery would have this effect even in the DanMachi world!
"If youth won't work hard, then at least make sure your attacks carry sword qi."
"Life complete!"
"…!"
He bent down to pick up the magic stone, feeling a surge of excitement. Even without other skills, just having sword qi to extend his range would speed up his leveling pace immensely—just like in the game, increasing his farming efficiency.
Most importantly, the extra reach didn't cost any extra stamina.
With faster leveling within his grasp, Liang Yue didn't even think about resting. His newbie Sword Soul blood was boiling—he craved intense combat!
"Let's go for it—hit Lv5 today."
Knowing the lizard's attack habits, his exploration went smoothly. The only downside was that they dropped no materials—though the EXP gain was solid.
With "sword qi" woven into his Inner Swordsmanship, even facing groups of wall lizards was no problem.
He pushed his way down to the fifth floor. In the dim caves where time meant nothing, the only feedback he got was the steadily rising EXP.
His stamina was wearing down, and breakfast's meager energy was long gone.
After clearing a dead‑end tunnel of wall lizards, he chose to stop fighting, keeping himself in good condition.
Even so, he could still sweep aside large groups if needed.
But when he opened the "poor man's lunch set" he'd bought from a street vendor in Orario, the joy of leveling up evaporated instantly.
The vegetable leaves were barely blanched, with no trace of oil.
The main dish was a lump of dark whole‑grain bread that looked like it would be a chore to chew, and the only protein was a single egg.
"…After this meal, I'm getting my lunches from a decent restaurant."
This had cost him 300 valis. With a little more, he could have gone to The Hostess of Fertility for a hot, hearty meal.
Maybe the katana purchase could wait.
Right now, improving his diet was the real priority!
He forced down the bland "poor man's set," washing it down with cold water to get it down at all. During the short break, he checked the Sword Soul Template.
「Liang Yue」
Level: 4
EXP: 51%
Skill: Inner Swordsmanship (+)
SP: 30
"If I bring some proper energy‑boosting food tomorrow, I can probably head to the sixth floor to grind."
Food deserved serious attention—if it was just barely edible and only served to fill the belly, it wasn't worth the time.
After finishing the last of the bread, Liang Yue drank a mouthful of water and gave his stomach some time to settle.
Leaning against the wall, he suddenly felt the ground tremble faintly beneath him.
From somewhere deeper in the cave came the sound of heavy footsteps.
Instinctively, he gripped his weapon. Subterranean lizards and wall lizards couldn't make this kind of noise—could it be another type of monster?
He stepped out of the dead‑end tunnel.
"…That's not right."
Scanning the surroundings and following the sound's direction, what came into view was a monster that should not exist on this floor.
A hulking humanoid, its frame massive and powerful—
—and on its shoulders, a bull's head, declaring its identity.
A Minotaur.
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