When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword - Chapter 83

When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword

Chapter 83   Gold Rank

We accepted the task of destroying the altar and then left the guild headquarters.

From the top floor, where the guild master’s room was located, we descended to the ground floor.

During this time, I decided to deal with the Onyx artifact I had received from Gibeon.

Name: Cursed Dragon’s Enchanted Blade

Rank: A

Level: 50

Attack Power: 480

Benefits: Strength +450, Durability +480, Agility +200, Magic +350, Vitality +400

Magic: [Death Curse – Dead End]

Skill: [Swordsmanship]

Durability: 450/450

This was the divine longsword used by Onyx, one of the Seven Great Demons. The ominous black blade that had tormented me extensively. It indeed possessed impressive performance properties.

It had almost equivalent performance properties to my [Cursed Magic Sword], which I had thought to be exceptional.

Considering that Onyx had lived for over two hundred years, it’s no surprise that he had significantly enhanced the artifact.

Moreover…

[Death Curse – Dead End] – Enchantment Magic

– Imposes a powerful curse on the slashed target

[Swordsmanship] – Increases benefit values based on the stance of the artifact

The magic and skills were formidable as well. The enchantment magic, needless to say, was a technique that had caused me considerable trouble.

The skill was also quite troublesome. It increased benefit values based on the stance of the artifact

I remembered Onyx’s sudden surge in agility during his lightning-fast Iaido slash.

That was likely the effect of the [Swordsmanship] skill.

He had said that he could only use that Iaido slash ability with one arm, so if he had both arms intact, he probably had many other stances.

The thought sent chills down my spine.

If he had been fighting in perfect condition, I would undoubtedly have been the one killed.

Anyway, after confirming the performance properties of the artifact, I immediately combined it with my [Cursed Magic Sword].

My artifact had the ability to absorb demonic artifacts and acquire their enchantment magic through the skill ‘ Sacred Treasure Synthesis.’

Name: Cursed Magic Sword

Rank: S

Level: ―

Attack Power: 500

Benefits: Strength +500, Durability +500, Agility +500, Magic +500, Vitality +500

Magic: [Black Flame – Hell Flare], [Dark Thunder Cry], [Death Curse – Dead End]

Skill: [Sacred Treasure Synthesis]

Durability: 500/500

Perfect. I’ve acquired the enchantment magic Onyx used.

While this power is rather ominous, it will undoubtedly aid us in our future travels.

With Dia watching over me, we eventually made our way down to the first floor of the guild headquarters.

Before leaving, we stopped by the reception desk.

We updated our Adventurer Guild Book from Bronze to Gold.

After completing the exchange, we stepped out onto the street.

“So, Rust, what should we do now?” Dia asked.

I folded my arms and considered our options.

Destroying the Evil God’s altar wasn’t something we had to do immediately. Gibeon had mentioned that it was fine to destroy it if we came across it during other tasks.

However, completing this task would grant us a substantial reward and a special promotion.

Given that my dream is to catch up to the person I admire, and Dia needs to search for her missing parents, we decided to prioritize the task.

“Let’s prioritize the altar destruction task. Since we’ve just upgraded to Gold, we could take on some tasks here for a while, but destroying the altar offers a good opportunity for promotion.”

“Alright, let’s head to the dangerous area where the Evil God’s altar might be.”

We unified our resolve and decided to head out to destroy the altar.

First, we needed to find the dangerous area where the altar might be.

Allegedly, the altars were located in high-danger areas, and the miasma from the Evil God’s altar caused demons to appear.

Thus, there was a high chance that an altar was set up near where many strong demons were found.

Our first step was to start researching.

Just as I was about to take a step…

“Huh, Dia?”

“What?”

We were abruptly stopped by someone calling Dia’s name from behind.

Only Dia’s name was called, but when we turned around, we saw a stylish girl with impressive long purple hair and a glamorous outfit.

It was a familiar face.

The wielder of the [Purple Lightning Bracelet]—Amethyst.

“Amethyst! It’s been a while! I didn’t realize you’d come all the way to this town already.”

“Yes, it’s been a while. I didn’t expect to run into Dia and you here in this town.”

Dia and Amethyst were genuinely delighted, their faces lighting up with joy.

It was as if the conflicts from the Adventurer’s Exam were a distant memory.

Seeing the two of them so happily reunited, I also hesitantly spoke to Amethyst.

“Lo-long-time no see, Amethyst…”

“Hey.”

“…”

Amethyst averted her gaze and responded curtly.

I guess she still doesn’t like me.

Well, that makes sense.

During the Adventurer’s Exam, we clashed head-on, and I ended up winning. It was no surprise she might still feel sore about it.

Not to mention, we weren’t exactly friends.

“Are Spinel and Lapis not with you?”

“Oh, they caught a cold and are resting in the inn. They always seem to fall ill at the same time, which is really surprising every time. I wonder if it’s some sort of ability of theirs?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s always been like that.”

While the two continued their cheerful conversation, seemingly unaware of my discomfort, I felt increasingly awkward.

“Dia, what brings you here? Do you have a task or something?”

“Well, um, we had a little business at the guild headquarters, and we just finished that. What about you and Amethyst?”

“We decided to set up our base here early. As it’s known as an adventurer’s town, it’s more comfortable than other places.”

Amethyst continued while gazing over the town.

“The guild headquarters receives requests far beyond what a branch does, and you can access various services by presenting your Adventurer Guild Book. There are even places where you can use facilities for free depending on your rank. Dia, why don’t you make this your base as well?”

“It does sound like a very comfortable place. If it’s alright with Rust, I’d also like to make this our base.”

“…”

At Dia’s words, Amethyst suddenly squinted her eyes and then unexpectedly turned a scrutinizing gaze toward me.

She stared at me with a look that seemed to suggest she had something to say.

“Wh-what’s up?”

“You two really are close, aren’t you?”

Well, of course, we’re traveling companions. It would be odd if we weren’t close.

I refrained from responding as it might have created another awkward atmosphere.

Instead, I decided to address a point that had caught my attention from earlier and asked Amethyst.

“Earlier, you mentioned there are places where you can use facilities for free. Is there, by any chance, a library among them?”

“Huh? Of course there is. There should be records left by adventurers and information on demons, and various books that could be useful for your travels. I would assume it’s well-stocked, but I’m not entirely sure.”

Receiving Amethyst’s vague response, I exchanged glances with Dia.

If there’s useful information available for our journey, then surely there should be records about dangerous areas in books.

Since I wanted to do some research for the altar destruction quest, it seemed a good idea to start by visiting the library.

Amethyst had brought valuable information to us.

So, I was about to suggest heading to the library when…

“Well, I think it’s over that way. Don’t dawdle, or I’ll leave you behind.”

“Oh, you’ll show us…?”

Even though I hadn’t asked, and she had no obligation, Amethyst took the lead and guided us.

Perhaps it’s her protective nature. It seems she genuinely wants to help Dia.

Despite being taken aback, Dia and I gratefully followed Amethyst.

After a while, following Amethyst’s lead, we arrived at a large, cylindrical building.

This must be the library.

Inside, numerous books were displayed along the cylindrical walls.

“Wow, amazing…”

The interior was quite distinctive.

The surrounding walls, arranged in a circular fashion, seemed to act as bookshelves.

There were spiral staircases along these walls, suggesting that you would need to search for books while ascending the stairs.

It was a bit disorienting. Why design it so complexly?

Anyway, since there seemed to be a reception desk, I decided to ask there where I could find books about dangerous areas.

Just then…

“Hmm?”

I caught sight of the bookshelves on the first floor out of the corner of my eye and instinctively stopped.

To my surprise, there was a section dedicated to “adventure tales.”

In the center of the first floor’s bookshelves, prominently displayed. It was essentially the main attraction.

As expected from a town known as ‘Clearland,’ the adventurer’s hub.

“Th-there are so many adventure tales…!”

In front of what seemed to be hundreds of adventure tales, I couldn’t suppress my excitement.

The glorious legends crafted by heroes are resting here.

Each book holds a single legend, carefully written.

I want to read them all, one by one. I want to stay up all night devouring their pages.

“What’s with you guys? What’s suddenly got you so excited?”

“Uh, well…?”

As I was unintentionally engrossed in the adventure tales, Amethyst’s icy voice hit my back.

I quickly composed myself and forced a wry smile.

“Sorry. I just saw a book that caught my interest. Let’s go to the reception now.”

I said this, trying to cover up my excitement, and headed toward the library’s reception desk.

The purpose of coming here wasn’t to read adventure tales. I was here to gather information for the next quest.

Regaining my composure, I approached the reception desk and spoke to the person there.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“Do you know where I can find books containing information about dangerous areas?”

Without hesitation, the receptionist pointed upward and answered promptly.

“In that case, you’ll need to go up the stairs. The books you’re looking for are in the middle tier. There are also staff members there who can assist you if needed.”

“Thank you very much.”

The receptionist provided the information smoothly, as if it was a frequently asked question.

So the books are in the middle tier. Climbing the stairs might be a bit tiring, but that can’t be helped.

“What’s this about? Are you guys going to explore dangerous areas for your next quest or something?”

“Well, something like that.”

While Dia and Amethyst were having this conversation behind me, I started to leave the reception area.

Just then…

“Oh, one more thing…”

“…?”

“This lower tier is open to the public, but from the middle tier onward, only adventurers with at least a Bronze rank, and Gold rank for the upper tier, are allowed access. I’m sorry, but may I see your adventurer’s guild book?”

The receptionist’s request made me stop in my tracks.

Ah, so that’s how it works.

The more important the information, the higher the tier it’s displayed in, and thus, the higher the rank required to access it.

The top floor probably holds quite significant information, perhaps even stuff that shouldn’t be known by the general public. That makes it naturally intriguing.

But there was no need to worry.

Dia and I took out our adventurer’s guild books and presented them.

Yes, the newly upgraded Gold-ranked adventurer’s guild books.

“This is our adventurer’s guild book.”

Since we had achieved Gold rank, we were now able to access all the information in this library.

There was no issue.

So, confidently presenting our guild books, it was not the receptionist who reacted, but rather Amethyst behind us.

“G-Gold-ranked adventurer’s guild book!?”

“Uh, yes, that’s right…”

“W-Why did you suddenly become Gold-ranked…?”

Amethyst was visibly stunned, and Dia and I quickly realized why.

It turned out that no one knew about our special promotion. And of course, if someone who was previously at Bronze rank suddenly became Gold rank, it would be quite surprising.

Especially since Amethyst had become an adventurer around the same time as us.

As I pondered how to explain this, the receptionist took the opportunity to continue.

“Thank you for presenting your adventurer’s guild book. You are cleared to view the books in the middle tier, so please present your guild book again at the reception desk there.”

“Yes, thank you.”

With that, we concluded our conversation and left the reception desk.

We then proceeded up the large spiral staircase toward the middle tier.

During the ascent, Amethyst, still looking astonished, silently followed us.

Should I be honest with her?

Though our special promotion hadn’t been publicly announced, it shouldn’t be a problem to tell a familiar acquaintance.

She doesn’t seem like the type to spread rumors.

And if I don’t explain, this awkward tension might persist.

Thinking this, I exchanged glances with Dia and decided to be straightforward with Amethyst.

“We haven’t made it public, but we’ve just been specially promoted. That’s why we jumped straight from Bronze to Gold.”

“And we were just visiting the Guild Master. We didn’t mean to keep it a secret, but I’m sorry we didn’t mention it.”

“…”

Despite revealing the truth, Amethyst remained silent, staring at the stairs with a downcast expression.

It was a bit unnerving.

What could she be feeling right now?

As I cautiously looked at Amethyst, she suddenly spoke.

“…It’s always you guys getting ahead of me…”

I felt like a voice, strained as if through gritted teeth, was seeping from her downcast face.

Then, she suddenly lifted her face, filled with anger, and grabbed onto my chest.

The force of her action made me let out an awkward “ugh” sound.

Confused about what was happening, Amethyst, with a displeased expression, spoke something completely unexpected.

“Take me along on the next quest.”

““Huh?””

“I want to see with my own eyes the reason why you’ve pulled ahead of me.”

Her eyes burned with a fierce determination.

It seemed she felt humiliated by being left behind as an adventurer and was driven by a strong desire to catch up.

Seeing her determined face up close, I understood her feelings even without her saying it.

“What about Spinel and Lapis?”

“I’ll keep them resting for now. They’ll be bedridden with their cold anyway. The innkeeper is taking care of them, so there’s no problem. Besides, if I stay with them, they’ll only get more restless wanting to join the quest.”

That didn’t seem like the real issue.

I was concerned about whether it was alright for her to join us without the consent of her party members.

And even if I did take her along, I felt like I would be the one getting in trouble with Spinel and Lapis.

“I don’t intend to take any reward, nor do I plan to be a burden. If you find me in the way, you can leave me behind in the dangerous area. But let me tell you, I’ve become quite strong myself, so don’t underestimate me.”

“Well, it’s not that we’re underestimating you…”

I knew well from our previous battle just how capable Amethyst was.

She was by no means a liability.

But this was a different matter entirely.

“Or what? Are you saying it’s bad for me to join you? Are you that bothered by having me around while you two are together? Ah, how enviable your close friendship is.”

“N-No, that’s not it!”

As I desperately denied her accusation, Amethyst nodded, seemingly taking my response as confirmation.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll join you on the next quest. Now, let’s quickly gather information and head to the middle tier. If you dawdle, I’ll leave you behind.”

“…”

Amethyst released her grip on my chest and moved ahead, leading us.

Once again, we were left dumbfounded and whispered among ourselves.

“Is this really okay? The Guild Master said that the quest to destroy the altar is only assigned to specific adventurers…”

“Well, I think her skill level is fine, and she doesn’t seem like someone who would spread rumors, so it should be okay. We can just say we asked for an extra helper… I think.”

Honestly, having an extra helper was a relief, as I was concerned about managing with just the two of us.

Amethyst’s magic would be quite useful in combat, and since she said she didn’t want any reward, it seemed like a good deal.

However, I wasn’t sure how well Amethyst and I would coordinate, and there was a risk of causing issues if our powers clashed.

Still, rejecting her could lead to other complications later on.

So, despite my considerable unease, we decided to temporarily form a party with Amethyst.

What I was truly worried about was the potential for creating an “awkward atmosphere” during our journey.