Chương 106: Unlimited Blade Works Grows

One sword. Ten swords. Dozens of third-tier and second-tier weapons appeared in Cael's inner world. As the number increased, the black space of Unlimited Blade Works began to change. The darkness receded, and a barren wasteland slowly emerged, like a desert beneath an empty sky. One hundred. Two hundred. Three hundred. The more weapons he recorded, the clearer that world became.

"Customer." A hand pressed firmly onto Cael's shoulder. The shopkeeper stood behind him with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Are you planning to handle every sword in the shop?" Cael froze. Lili and the Hashira stared at him. To them, he had looked as if he were possessed, silently picking up one weapon after another and putting each one back.

"Lord Cael, are you all right?" Lili asked worriedly.

"I am fine." Cael coughed.

"The weapons made by a smithing god were so impressive that I lost myself for a moment." The shopkeeper's grip on his shoulder did not loosen.

"If you are finished looking, please leave. Remember to collect your commissioned swords tomorrow."

"Of course." Cael walked out of the shop and wiped sweat from his forehead. Going through another person's store like that was embarrassing, but the result was worth it. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In the story he knew, the Heroic Spirit EMIYA had recorded countless blades after half a lifetime of wandering and after becoming a Counter Guardian. Cael did not need anything that dramatic. He only needed to walk into Orario's blacksmith shops.

If he was shameless enough, recording a thousand swords in one day might not be impossible. He did not care about ordinary swords for direct use. He already had the Hestia Blades. What mattered was explosive power. An ordinary projected weapon could explode like a grenade. A third-tier weapon could blow apart a two-story building. A second-tier weapon had the force of a rocket launcher.

As for first-tier weapons, Cael suspected they might reach missile-level force, but his Magic was not high enough to record them yet. The blacksmith street outside was noisy, hot, and full of clanging metal. The Hashira looked around with interest. For them, Orario's weapon district was another world.

"What happened in there?" Lili asked.

"It is hard to explain," Cael said.

"Touching swords can make me stronger. I became stronger just now." He projected a second-tier sword into his hand. Tengen's eyes lit up.

"So your Magic copies swords you have touched? No wonder you wanted to touch everything in the shop. If the shopkeeper had not stopped you, you would have copied the whole place."

"Convenient," Shinobu said.

"Especially because your projected swords can explode."

"Captain's strength must have risen again," Kyojuro said brightly.

"Enough preparation." Cael smiled.

"Let us go to the Dungeon. I want to cut monsters."

"Lord Cael sounds like he has not killed monsters in days," Lili muttered.

"A day without cutting monsters feels wrong." Compared with fighting people, Cael preferred fighting monsters. Humans schemed, negotiated, and brought trouble after the fight. Monsters simply attacked. Unless the human opponent was much stronger, fighting monsters was better for training basic techniques and growing through combat. Lili remembered the first day she met him, when he had been killing monsters with almost frightening enthusiasm. Maybe there really was a violent part hidden deep in Lord Cael.

"Since the Goliath has just been defeated, it should not respawn soon," Cael said.

"We can pass through the Seventeenth Floor safely, reach the Eighteenth Floor, rest if needed, then move toward the Great Tree Labyrinth." The Great Tree Labyrinth was where the Dungeon truly began to feel like another world. The Cave Labyrinth and the Limestone Labyrinth were only the opening stages. From the Nineteenth Floor downward, the environment, monsters, and danger all changed sharply. Lili took a deep breath.

"Lili knows Lord Cael will not listen even if Lili says it is dangerous. So Lili will follow and risk her life with Lord Cael." Cael looked at her.

"But Lord Cael must listen to Lili's information," she continued seriously.

"Even if it comes from other adventurers or Guild records, it can save lives. Panic in the Dungeon can be fatal."

"Understood," Cael said. The others nodded.

"Then we go to the Great Tree Labyrinth." The party's atmosphere settled. At that moment, a clear and powerful voice broke through it.

"Cael."