"Killing enemies is definitely linked to the SlashBlade. Such a simple truth, yet those fools from the Samurai Nation still don't get it!"
Even he understood it, yet they called it their national treasure.
Simply idiotic!
"I can share this tip with Mark later to increase our leverage within the Alliance."
Having grasped the situation with the SlashBlade, he immediately thought of its practical benefits.
Catching up in progress was unlikely, but reaching parity or gaining a few more advantages would be good enough.
He didn't pay much attention to Galen Yu.
He's just upgrading a SlashBlade—mere petty cleverness!
Now that the secret was out, there was nothing else to watch.
Instead, the arrival of the latest Crisis was imminent. It was more important to have the logistics team continue researching how to maximize their survival.
He shifted his focus back to the Crisis.
On Sky Island, another wave of zombies was slain.
Looking at his nearly full inventory of Proud Souls, Galen Yu felt the collection phase was essentially complete.
The Oodachi had accumulated over six thousand Proud Soul points and had been refined dozens of times. Once he used the Proud Souls in his inventory to upgrade and forge it again...
The next stage of advancement would be nearly ready.
Before returning to the core area of Sky Island, he stopped by to check on the Black Mage.
After half a night of exertion, the Black Mage was exhausted in both body and mind, lacking even the strength to scream.
He could only mindlessly kill zombies, recover mana, and kill more zombies.
Naturally, compared to the physical fatigue, the true despair came from his soul.
The Swap Magic had long since ended, and the results were as follows:
[BLACK MAGE: 242]
[GALEN YU: 410]
The score was nearly double. This was despite Galen Yu spending nearly half an hour at the end with his Oodachi instead of using the more powerful Tsukumo the entire time.
Had he used Tsukumo, the results would have been even more crushing.
"It's all over."
Despair radiated from every fiber of the Black Mage's being.
After confirming the situation, Galen Yu nodded slightly.
Unable to die and unable to escape—it was exactly the outcome he had envisioned.
"A swindler deserves a swindler's end!"
Unlike ordinary villagers, these special characters could customize their own trades.
He had saved the Architect's life, and in return, the man worked entirely for free—blueprints, construction, all for just three loaves of bread a day.
Look at the Black Mage; there was no comparison.
The more he thought about it, the more Galen Yu felt that the Wooden Boat Rocker was too light a punishment.
He'd deal with other matters later; first, he returned to the Sky Island to craft the Muramasa.
There are many ways to play with a SlashBlade, which is why they are so popular.
There are also many ways to forge and enchant them.
There are five main methods to repair a SlashBlade and restore its durability.
They are: Anvil repair, Material repair, Soul Eater repair, Experience repair, and Enchantment repair.
Anvil is the standard anvil. Material repair involves adding blocks in a crafting table, like adding stone to an Oodachi.
If a SlashBlade enters the Soul Eater state, and a successful sheathing is performed after killing a creature, durability is restored.
Experience repair requires the blade to be in the 'Bewitched' state. By placing it in the hotbar without selecting it, the blade automatically absorbs the wielder's experience to restore durability.
Enchantment repair refers to Mending.
Opening the anvil, he placed the Oodachi inside and added the Proud Souls he had just farmed.
Using Proud Souls for repair restores a percentage of durability. Using different types of Proud Souls results in different restoration ratios.
Tiny Proud Soul Fragments, Proud Soul Fragments, Proud Soul Ingots, Proud Soul Orbs, Proud Soul Crystals, and the Proud Soul Trapezohedron.
The ratios are 20%, 40%, 60%, 70%, 100%, and 100%, respectively.
What Galen Yu needed wasn't durability, but the accumulation of Proud Soul points.
These could also be obtained via the anvil; a Tiny Proud Soul Fragment adds 100 points at the cost of 1 level.
A Proud Soul Fragment adds 200 points for 2 levels, and a Proud Soul Ingot adds 400 points for 3 levels.
A Proud Soul Orb adds 400 points for 4 levels, and a Proud Soul Trapezohedron adds 500 points for 5 levels.
The Proud Soul Trapezohedron requires a Blade Stand to obtain, which he didn't have yet.
However, he had plenty of Proud Soul Fragments.
With the Crisis approaching, experience was the one thing he didn't lack. He put in nearly a stack of Tiny Proud Soul Fragments.
The missing four thousand Proud Soul points were quickly filled, and his refine count increased simultaneously.
It was done!
With the prerequisites met, the next step was the eight Proud Soul Orbs.
Crafting Proud Soul Ingots required slow smelting. While Galen Yu was in the middle of refining...
In the distance, Kira Oakmoor grew restless.
"Why would Galen Yu spend so much time farming zombies for no reason?"
Realizing something was off, the two were puzzled.
But they didn't dwell on it. Watching Galen Yu fully immersed in crafting and refining, Kira Oakmoor gripped his Oodachi.
"Fiery Set? As expected of the guy who got the first clear of the Twilight Forest. You've hogged all the rewards!"
His eyes were filled with undisguised greed.
This set alone was worth a fortune, and who knew what other treasures were hidden in those chests!
His score had surpassed the Alliance's; he was certainly loaded!
"Oakmoor, don't be impulsive. Look over there."
Soren Park was calmer, pointing toward the Guard Villagers in the distance.
"I'm not seeing things. Those villagers are holding AK-47s. What a waste! To give rare gun drops to villagers like that!"
It would be a lie to say they weren't envious.
"And over there—the Snow Queen, the Giant... Good heavens."
Alerted by Soren Park, Kira Oakmoor finally noticed and let out a low gasp.
Even the bosses had been recruited. It was absolutely unheard of!
"Going with you, Soren, was definitely the right choice. Your observation skills are on par with Mountwell's!"
Amidst his amazement, he didn't forget to offer a few compliments.
Kira Oakmoor was better suited for combat. If it had been up to him, he would have rushed in to duel Galen Yu long ago without noticing any of this.
Now, his expression turned grim.
The Alliance truly couldn't even hold a candle to Galen Yu!
"No, I'm not saying this to belittle us, but to understand our opponent more clearly to ensure our ultimate victory!"
"Defeating Galen Yu isn't hopeless. We just need a plan—one step at a time."
"Villagers love emeralds. Perhaps we can start from there."
No villager could resist the temptation of emeralds!
This was an ironclad rule Soren Park had observed across several civilizations.
Special characters might be different, but these ordinary villagers lacked their own consciousness and were easier to bribe.
These neutral mobs only recognized emeralds. They'd side with whoever paid the most.
"That makes sense. Even if they don't defect directly, we can trade for those firearms!"
In Kira Oakmoor's mind, emeralds could be traded for any item.
He pulled out ten emeralds, ready to make his bribe.
Just as he selected an isolated Guard Villager and prepared to use an Ender Pearl to teleport over, he suddenly froze in place again.
"What's wrong, Kira? I thought you had all the emeralds."
"No, it's not that. It's Galen Yu..."
A brand-new, black longblade appeared in Galen Yu's hands.
[CHIZURU MURAMASA]
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