Before Jeanne d’Arc, the master of the dungeon finally revealed itself.
Its true form was a colossal emerald-hued stag beetle.
Of course, from an omniscient creator’s perspective, it wasn’t much different from an ordinary stag beetle, but compared to Jeanne d’Arc standing before it, its size was almost like that of a dump truck.
At last, detailed information about the dungeon’s master appeared right before her eyes.
—Ding!
[Asura Beetle]
- Master of Verdure.
A steel-hard exoskeleton envelops this insect-type monster, which uses the massive horn growing from its head to effortlessly hurl boulder-sized rocks. The Asura Beetle combines formidable defense with overwhelming attack power, and despite its large size, it possesses surprising agility. It consistently proves a tough challenge for the Knight Order of Rivera venturing into the Verdure Dungeon.
True to its title as Master of Verdure, the Asura Beetle’s entire body was sheathed in a vivid emerald shell.
Among its features, the most striking was the huge horn protruding from the center of its head.
Whereas a normal stag beetle’s horn is used to flip opponents over, the Asura Beetle’s massive horn could crush enemies outright.
Huge.
「Sssik! Sssik~!」
At that moment, the Asura Beetle, which had been snorting fiercely, spread its wings wide and took to the air.
It dived toward Jeanne d’Arc with fierce momentum.
…KWAANG!
Jeanne quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the beetle’s heavy downward strike.
The ground where Jeanne had just stood cracked with a sharp sound.
‘…If I’d taken that head-on, there wouldn’t be anything left of me.’
Jeanne hurriedly rose to her feet and swung the Sword of Jeanne d’Arc at the beetle’s leg.
She aimed for the joint connecting the segments of its leg.
However—
Zzhang~!
The Master of Verdure swiftly raised its leg and blocked the blade with its hard carapace.
In the end, Jeanne’s sword bounced off without leaving a single scratch, ringing like it had struck a boulder.
Fortunately, Jeanne seemed to know the stag beetle’s weak points.
‘…The problem is, it probably knows its own weak spots just as well.’
Of course, if she stepped in personally, she could easily subdue the Master of Verdure.
But this Quest had special conditions.
[Quest]
Clean and Clear
- Assist Jeanne d’Arc in clearing the Verdure Dungeon.
- [Special conditions apply]
・Experience +50, Divine Power +5P
[Clean and Clear – Special Conditions]
- Jeanne d’Arc must defeat the dungeon’s master alone.
・Special Reward: Orb of Verdure
The one who delivers the final blow to the dungeon master must be Jeanne d’Arc herself.
‘…And I’m quite curious about what that special reward is for.’
For now, I decided to trust and watch.
In truth, Jeanne d’Arc was still keeping her composure.
At that moment, the Master of Verdure lowered its threatening horn and charged like a rhino.
It was clearly intent on picking Jeanne up with its massive horn and throwing her.
As the distance between Jeanne and the beetle closed to less than a span—
Flash!
Like a bullfighter, Jeanne skillfully sidestepped the charging foe.
Then, she immediately targeted the joint where the side plates of the carapace met.
But the Asura Beetle, as the rightful ruler of a dungeon, was no ordinary stag beetle.
Its joints were also covered by thick carapace plates.
As a result—
Crack!
Jeanne’s Sword of Jeanne d’Arc broke with a dull sound.
「…?!」
At the same time, the Asura Beetle spun its massive body and flung Jeanne far away.
Thanks to a quick roll upon landing, Jeanne avoided serious injury, but the Sword of Jeanne d’Arc she held was damaged beyond repair.
Having been overworked in the cave for days without proper maintenance and repeatedly exposed to the corrosive slime’s acidic mucus, the sword had long since reached its limit.
And after striking the rock-hard shell of the Asura Beetle multiple times, its breaking was inevitable.
All.
But seeing that, I actually smiled.
‘I just happened to have an item I wanted to test out.’
I quickly tore open the package I had brought and took out the item inside.
“…Here we go!”
At that moment—
Flash!
A sharp, elegant object began to materialize in a dazzling white glow above us.
Both Jeanne d’Arc and the Asura Beetle watched the strange phenomenon with hesitation.
Then—
Crack!
A beautifully crafted sword plunged into the ground like a lightning strike.
It was a custom-made Titanium Alloy Twin Dragon Sword from the Titania Workshop.
—Ding!
[Optimized Delivery List]
- Titanium Alloy Twin Dragon Sword… 5P
The blade had smooth curves and a razor-sharp edge.
The jet-black hilt was adorned with golden tassels and a jade-green orb.
Unlike the Western-style sword Jeanne had been using until now, it closely resembled the Korean-style Hwandō.
It was modeled after the legendary Twin Dragon Sword said to have been wielded by General Yi Sun-sin.
Inscribed on the blade gleamed a radiant silver light with these words: ‘…Forging the Twin Dragon Sword grants a grandeur that lasts a thousand autumns. A vow sworn to mountains and seas, loyalty and righteous anger remain unchanged from ancient times to now.’
Well, that was roughly the meaning.
At that moment, Jeanne d’Arc’s eyes widened as she slowly drew the sword embedded in the ground.
「This dazzling radiance, the exquisite blade shape I’ve never seen before, and it’s as light as a feather. This is…」
Her voice trembled softly.
Then, swallowing dryly, Jeanne’s lips moved with a fierce expression.
「…A Sword of Light!」
||
…?”
It seemed Jeanne d’Arc had fallen under some kind of misconception.
Well, since the sword was granted by God, it was understandable she might mistake it for a Sword of Light.
Even in a pitch-dark cave, the Twin Dragon Sword emitted a brilliant glow, giving off a sacred aura.
‘…Well, if it’s General Yi Sun-sin’s Twin Dragon Sword, it’s practically a Sword of Light, isn’t it?’
I glanced again at the note from Titania Workshop.
They sent the finished Twin Dragon Sword early but said the shield and armor would take more time.
‘…They said the additional process requires even more delicate craftsmanship.’
They promised quality would be guaranteed despite the delay, so no worries.
Besides, the Asura Beetle was a swift opponent.
Facing it wearing heavy plate armor would be suicide.
Maintaining mobility with just a sword like now was far more practical.
At that moment, Jeanne d’Arc raised the Twin Dragon Sword with both hands and shouted.
「Gods, thank you for bestowing this Sword of Light. I will cherish it as if it were my very life!」
After a brief prayer of gratitude, Jeanne grasped the sword firmly.
Her movements were clearly different from before.
It was undoubtedly her innate talent guiding her naturally.
The way to use a Hwandō, not a shortsword.
Ta-at!
Jeanne pushed off the ground and dashed forward, slashing the Asura Beetle’s shell diagonally.
Crunch!
Unlike before, her strike left a deep gash on the enemy’s hard carapace.
Meanwhile, the clear silver blade remained unscathed.
「Kiiiiik!」
The Asura Beetle writhed in pain and stepped back, but Jeanne closed the distance again and struck a second blow.
—Crunch!
Another clear cut appeared on the beetle’s tough shell.
But Jeanne didn’t stop there.
She spun on the spot and drove a third slash into the enemy’s side.
Her graceful movements resembled a fish in water, and her sharp succession of blows was like watching a hawk soaring through the sky.
‘…Of course.’
Haedong Kumdo, the Korean swordsmanship Jeanne learned, was originally designed for the Hwandō.
But the sword Jeanne had been using was a Western-style shortsword.
Trying to apply Haedong Kumdo techniques with a Western blade was like forcing an ill-fitting cog into a machine.
It was a mismatch that creaked and groaned.
「Kiiik!」
Enraged, the Asura Beetle howled sharply and began swinging its horn wildly.
It overturned the ground with its massive horn, spun its heavy body, and struck the earth with its forelegs.
It launched a fierce assault toward Jeanne d’Arc.
Swish—swish—swish—
But Jeanne effortlessly flowed past every attack as softly and calmly as cherry blossoms drifting in the wind.
“Lighter than a feather. This is the legendary Sword of Light…!”
Jeanne’s eyes sparkled as she smiled confidently.
As time passed, the Asura Beetle’s body bore more and more wounds, large and small.
「Sssik! Sssik~!」
It still snorted fiercely, but it seemed the damage had accumulated significantly, making it stagger.
However, its gaze remained sharp and fierce.
At last, with a roar, the Master of Verdure charged wildly again.
- Its threatening horn aimed straight at Jeanne d’Arc.
But unlike before, Jeanne showed no intention of dodging this time.
She simply held the sword with both hands, ready, and waited for the enemy to come.
Then—
Paching!
Two lines crossed.
In an instant, a flash of pure white light ignited and quickly faded.
Neither Jeanne nor the Asura Beetle moved an inch.
Slowly, Jeanne sheathed the silver sword.
At the same moment—
Zzjeok! Crack!
The sound of a thick core snapping filled the air as something fell and struck the ground with force.
Terooom!
It was the Asura Beetle’s massive horn, which could have crushed even giant rocks.
And beside it, the Master of Verdure’s huge body slowly toppled.
Now, only one figure stood proudly in the Verdure Dungeon.
The saintly Jeanne d’Arc, her golden hair flowing gently.
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