Chapter 25: A Training Method Never Before Conceived
An extremely vast swarm of Killer Ants – other adventurers would avoid it at all costs, but for Liam, the situation was precisely the opposite. They were all just experience points for his "Sword Soul Template."
Having mastered his current combat style, he calmly looked at the ant swarm ahead. Frequent use of skills would affect his body.
Triple Slash, in particular, needed to be mentioned.
Skills like Moonlight Slash and the defensive counter, Backstep Cut, would only increase stamina consumption; the former, after all, was an instantaneous burst of potential.
The pursuit of ultimate speed…
"Ordinary sword aura."
"Against these Killer Ants, using ordinary sword aura attacks is quite effective."
Having formulated his next combat strategy, Liam slowly stood up from the ground and decisively strode towards the ant swarm.
He was completely engrossed in the battle.
Even he himself didn't notice the natural flow of sword intent emanating from his body.
The vibrations caused by his walking attracted all the Killer Ants pouring out from the cave, surging towards Liam like a tide.
Facing such a large number of monsters.
Liam finally understood why even Killer Ants were called "rookie killers"; the reason was their sheer numbers.
And their sturdy armor that ordinary weapons couldn't penetrate.
With a casual lift of his sword, a white sword aura slash was instantly unleashed. Armor that would definitely be sturdy for ordinary adventurers…
Yet it couldn't withstand Liam's casually launched offensive!
The Killer Ant at the forefront had its monstrous body cut in half by this sword aura that could cleave iron like mud, dissipating into gray dust.
But this sword aura slash didn't pause in the slightest.
It swept through the Killer Ants blocking Liam's path, clearing them away like an irresistible force.
"A pity this isn't a tower defense game…"
"."
Even after clearing the monsters in front, a dense mass of Killer Ants still swarmed in from the surroundings. The attacks they launched weren't particularly strong.
At least for Liam, there was no pressure at all.
And the improvement brought by dual-wielding short swords wasn't solely reflected in "Secret Sword Art"; to be precise…
It reduced the wind-up time for skills.
It was still the Ghost Swordsman's basic skill, "Moonlight Slash." When wielding a single sword, he needed to quickly swing twice in opposite directions.
Now.
After using the skill, he stepped forward, simultaneously swinging his swords in opposite directions, creating a brilliant slash like moonlight.
Its coverage was extremely wide.
The original skill effect was already very powerful, not to mention he was currently using top-tier Second-Grade weapons; the damage was noticeably amplified.
When encountering monster attacks.
A Backstep Cut to dodge and counter – the slash with its extended reach would tear apart the ambushing monster…
「Exp +68」
"."
They were all monsters with relatively low overall strength. Liam's heart didn't stir in the slightest after slaying them. If this were Arad.
These Killer Ants probably wouldn't even qualify for a seat at the feast. (Colloquialism: They are insignificant.)
After clearing away these monsters before him, he still left one Killer Ant alive in the end. After severing its limbs so it couldn't pose a threat.
He continued his experiment.
If he could attract other nearby Killer Ant swarms, he wouldn't even need to explore the current area. After each clearing.
Leave a lone ant survivor to continue calling its companions.
The main thing was efficiency!
Liam counted the deep purple magic stones dropped on the ground. After picking up all these spoils, his peripheral vision finally noticed.
Not far behind him, a supporter with a huge backpack.
Conspicuous reddish-brown hair.
Her appearance was slightly different from his impression, but her identity still flashed in Liam's mind: a Soma Familia adventurer.
Lili.
As for her earlier warning, he didn't feel it was out of goodwill.
On the contrary, his gaze swept towards the short swords gripped in his hands – two priceless Second-Grade armaments. Her specific intentions were very clear.
And given her personality, it was hard for Liam not to make preconceived assumptions.
---
The one-sided annihilation in the battle was something Lili had never imagined, especially looking at the remaining Killer Ant not far ahead.
It further confirmed Liam's actions…
He was using the Killer Ants' trait to attract monsters, achieving a training effect!
As a supporter, Lili had encountered many adventurers, even those Soma Familia members who exploited her.
When facing a Killer Ant swarm.
They would choose to avoid its brunt, not confront it head-on like Liam!
"This guy…"
"Which Familia did this monster pop out from?"
Witnessing the battle process firsthand, Lili couldn't hide the deep shock in her heart. Setting aside Liam's relaxed demeanor from start to finish.
Even his combat methods.
Were a special type she had never seen before. The sword aura slashes erupting with every swing – was it magic, or a skill?
It completely shattered her understanding.
But soon, Lili had another bold guess: could it be the special nature of those two weapons?
If that was indeed the reason, Lili didn't dare to imagine how expensive they would be. But just as a greedy thought arose in her.
Not far ahead, Liam, having picked up the magic stones dropped on the ground.
Cast his gaze towards her.
Very calm, yet it seemed to penetrate to the deepest part of her heart. All her ill intentions were laid bare at this moment.
There was no communication.
Yet Lili felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness. She actually hated Liam's sharp gaze; it stung her own不堪 (unbearable/sordid) past.
She thought of turning her head and leaving directly, but her earlier warning had already exposed her position.
She knew she had to come up with a reasonable explanation.
"Um... it's good that you're alright. After all, very few adventurers would do such a thing." Her tone carried a hint of timidity.
Finally, she carefully sized up Liam.
Lili forced down the twitching at the corner of her mouth, her tone serious as she couldn't help but emphasize, "Using a Killer Ant swarm to train yourself…"
"I didn't mean anything else just now; I just wanted to remind you that the situation was very dangerous."
"."
Liam, of course, didn't believe these words. He estimated her target was purely the two weapons he was using. He didn't expose her directly.
Especially noticing Lili was acting alone.
A supporter with absolutely no combat ability, forced to passively dodge when encountering monsters, just happened to appear deep in the Dungeon.
The specific reason…
He actually leaned more towards the idea that after "taking care of" some adventurers, she didn't want to be found by the "fat sheep" and wanted to take the opportunity to sneak out of the Dungeon?
Even her warning definitely had its own agenda.
And Liam certainly knew how Lili escaped her predicament in the original story. Only someone with Bell's personality.
Having experienced numerous betrayals, would still choose to save her with a sincere attitude, ultimately causing Lili's character to change.
Resulting in her successfully leaving the Soma Familia.
It was just that he couldn't really comment on the process. At least Liam definitely couldn't achieve that level.
He wasn't the one who caused her suffering.
Even if he kindly offered help, the result would only be a backstab.
Liam would rather have contact with Freya than ever have any involvement with Lili.
Even with her "well-intentioned reminder," his expression still didn't change in the slightest. He just replied with a somewhat pointed tone.
"Instead of worrying about my safety."
"Why not consider your own? A supporter exploring the Dungeon alone... should be more worried about their own safety, right?"
(End of this chapter)