I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Mochizuki Kaede's gaze swept over the scattered equipment on the ground, and only after confirming that the [Full Moon Wheel] was indeed among them did he relax his tense shoulders slightly.

"Let's go! To the black market!" The burly man dragged Nezha forward like a chicken, with the other victims following closely behind. The NPC residents on both sides of the street curiously peeked out, then quickly retreated back into their respective shops.

The pink-haired girl watched the group escort Nezha away, then turned to face Mochizuki and the other two. A hint of weariness flashed in her purplish-red eyes, but they quickly regained their luster.

Silica has retrieved the [Full Moon Wheel].

"Thank you so much." She bowed to the pink-haired girl.

Asuna sheathed her elven sword: "Thanks to you for exposing his trick in time."

Mochizuki Kaede nodded solemnly in acknowledgment: "We will not forget this favor."

He turned slightly to the side: "I am Mochizuki Kaede, this is Asuna, and this is Silica."

"My name is Lisbeth!" the girl introduced herself energetically, casually patting the forging hammer at her waist. "As you can see, I'm a proper blacksmith. I just couldn't resist teaching this kind of fraud a lesson."

She suddenly stopped smiling and said seriously, "However, you must be more careful when looking for a blacksmith in the future. It's best to check their work records first, or ask an acquaintance for an introduction."

"Can Liz help us upgrade our weapons?" Asuna asked with a smile, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Lisbeth was taken aback at first, then chuckled and said, "Hey, didn't you just get fooled by a blacksmith player? How come you're so quick to trust another blacksmith?"

She deliberately put on a stern face, but a mischievous glint flashed in her purplish-red eyes.

"Because I think Liz is different. She can stand up for players she doesn't even know. How could someone like that be a fraud?" Asuna felt a strong liking for this righteous pink-haired girl. Not only did she expose the scam in time, but her sense of justice was also admirable.

Mochizuki Kaede, standing to the side, nodded in agreement: "Yes."

Silica, holding the [Full Moon Wheel], leaned closer and said, "Miss Liz was so angry when she exposed that liar; she must be a very upright person!"

"Wow, I'm so embarrassed by all the compliments..." Lisbeth's cheeks flushed slightly, then she smiled, her freckles smoothing out with her radiant smile: "I'm totally impressed!"

She turned around and led the way with a hearty laugh: "Follow me! My workshop is around the corner. And just so you know, it's not free!"

Afterwards, Lisbeth led Mochizuki Kaede and the other two to her workshop.

The workshop was rather small and rudimentary. Lisbeth coughed lightly and said while tidying up the workbench, "Don't let the small size fool you, I'm just starting out here too."

She suddenly straightened her back, her eyes flashing with determination: "But my goal is to become the greatest blacksmith in Aincrad!"

Asuna looked around and noticed that the walls were covered with weapon design sketches: "I can tell that Liz, you put a lot of effort into this."

“Of course!” Lisbeth patted her chest proudly. “She did everything herself, from selecting the materials to forging.”

Mochizuki Kaede noticed a display in the corner, where several completed works were neatly arranged.

Silica, holding the [Crescent Moon], curiously approached the forge: "Miss Liz, do you usually work here alone?"

“Yes!” Lisbeth said, deftly twirling the forging hammer in her hand. “So, who wants to experience the craftsmanship of a true blacksmith first?”

Chapter 55: The Shipwright of Yesteryear

Silica handed the [Full Moon Wheel] to Lisbeth, while Mochizuki Kaede took out the forging material, Water Steel, from her inventory and placed it on the workbench.

“Leave it to me!” Lisbeth put on her specially made forging gloves, her crimson eyes gleaming with focused concentration. She tossed the materials into the furnace, the forging hammer tracing graceful arcs in her hand, each strike precisely hitting the part of the weapon most in need of reinforcement. Amidst the flying sparks, the crescent moon gradually shone with an even brighter silver light.

About half an hour later, with a final, crisp "ding," the [Crescent Moon +2] weapon shone brightly in Lisbeth's hand. The weapon's surface rippled with water-like patterns, and the blade glowed with a faint blue light, clearly indicating a significant improvement in quality.

“It’s done.” Lisbeth wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded in satisfaction.

Mochizuki Kaede took the enhanced weapon and examined it carefully; the attribute bonuses were exactly as expected. He handed the weapon to Silica and solemnly said to Lisbeth, "Thank you."

Lisbeth waved her hand, a bright smile on her face: "It's all legitimate business. You give it to Cor, and I'll do the forging. It's fair."

Asuna watched Silica stroking the weapon: "I never imagined that strengthening this weapon would be such a difficult process."

Looking back on today's eventful day, from almost being swindled out of a rare weapon to meeting the righteous Lisbeth, and finally unexpectedly meeting a reliable blacksmith.

Suddenly, Lisbeth clapped her hands: "By the way, I see your equipment is pretty good, how about we team up to complete a mission?"

She then brought up the system interface and displayed the task information to the three of them.

The glowing floating window displays:

[The shipwright of yesteryear]

mission target:

Collect the highest grade bear oil (dropped by defeating the Great Bear Oum).

reward:

Explosive Warhammer x1.

Gondola x1.

"This is a hidden quest I got from the old shipwright NPC at the docks." Lisbeth pointed to the reward panel, her crimson eyes gleaming. "The [Exploding Warhammer] is a high-level weapon for blacksmiths; I've been eyeing it for ages!"

She switched to the map interface, where the southeastern forest area was marked in red: "The Great Bear Oum is deep within this forest. I explored it last time..."

Her voice lowered involuntarily: "That thing is eight meters tall when it stands upright, and it can breathe fire. I really can't handle it by myself, so I have no choice but to ask you for help."

Mochizuki Kaede carefully examined the mission details, while Asuna was already captivated by the mission reward, the gondola.

Isn't that the elegant little boat they just rode on the canal? Owning a private gondola like that means you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the water city anytime!

Asuna turned to look at Silica and saw that the girl was also staring intently at the small boat icon with shining eyes. Their eyes met, and they nodded vigorously in unison.

“Liz, we agree to cooperate!” Asuna readily extended her hand.

"That's great!" Lisbeth exclaimed excitedly as they clapped their hands together. "With your help, we're sure to succeed this time."

Mochizuki Kaede looked at Asuna with some surprise; he hadn't expected her to make a decision so quickly.

"Then," Mochizuki Kaede asked, "when do we set off?"

Lisbeth immediately turned and busied herself in the workshop, the metal tools clanging together. As she stuffed various bottles and jars into her pouch, she said quickly, "How about we go in a bit? I need to prepare some fire-resistant agents and equipment."

Suddenly remembering something, she took down a leather armor that shimmered red from the shelf. "This fire lizard armor should come in handy. The flames of the mutated giant bear are no joke!"

Mochizuki Kaede nodded and turned to her two companions: "Then let's go to the training ground first and let Silica familiarize herself with the new weapon."

His gaze lingered for a moment on the [Crescent Moon +2] in Silica's hand: "After all, we'll be facing a fire-breathing giant bear soon."

"Mmm!" Silica's brown ponytail swayed gently as she nodded. "I'll definitely master it as soon as possible!"

Asuna smiled and brought up her friends list: "Liz, let's add each other as friends first, so it'll be easier to keep in touch."

She tapped her fingertips lightly in the air and sent a friend request.

With a crisp "ding" sound, Lisbeth wiped the potion powder off her hands and hurriedly opened the system interface: "Done!"

She waved to the three of them: "Shall we meet at the southeast gate in an hour?"

"no problem."

Mochizuki Kaede nodded and pushed open the wooden door of the workshop, letting in slanting sunlight. Asuna and Silica followed behind him, and the three of them headed towards the training ground.

The training ground is located on the west side of the water city of Lobia. It is a semi-open circular building complex, consisting of multiple independent training rooms.

Mochizuki Kaede chose a medium-sized training room, which happened to have a dedicated area for throwing weapons. Silica stood at the marked throwing point, with circular targets arranged at different distances in front of her. As the system notification sounded, the training mode officially started.

"Try the basic throwing first." Mochizuki Kaede brought up the control panel and set the target to stationary mode. "Pay attention to the weapon's spin characteristics."

Asuna stood by, ready to offer advice. On the walls of the training room, real-time data constantly updated values ​​such as attack power and accuracy. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, other players could be seen practicing with different weapons in their respective areas.

For the next hour, Silica focused intently on practicing the techniques of using the [Crescent Moon Wheel]. The silver wheel traced graceful arcs in the air before returning precisely to her hand.

"Pay attention to the strength of your wrist," Mochizuki Kaede instructed from the side. "When throwing, use the strength of your waist and abdomen to drive your arm."

Asuna helped Silica adjust her skill tree: "First, learn the two basic skills: [Precision Throw] and [Boomerang Mastery]."

She carefully explained, "From now on, you'll be responsible for long-range harassment and drawing the enemy's attention in the team."

Silica nodded earnestly.

An hour later, when the three met up with Lisbeth at the southeast gate, the pink-haired girl had completely transformed. She was clad in fiery red lizard skin armor, various potion bottles were strapped to her waist, and her backpack was bulging. Most striking was the new, metallic-gleaming forging hammer in her hand, clearly prepared specifically for this mission.

"Is everything ready?" Lisbeth asked spiritedly, her crimson eyes flashing with fighting spirit.

Mochizuki Kaede checked the equipment and nodded. Asuna and Silica also checked the status of their inventory.

"Let's go then." With Lisbeth's command, the four-person team set off on the path leading to the forest.

Chapter 56: The Great Bear

On their way into the depths of the forest, the four began to seriously discuss their tactical arrangements.

"The main damage output will still be handled by me and Xiaofeng," Asuna said softly.

Mochizuki Kaede nodded and added, "Silica is in charge of remote harassment, but she should be careful to maintain a safe distance."

Silica gripped the crescent moon tightly, her voice trembling. "I... I'll use my new skills to distract it!"

“I will cover Silica.” Lisbeth patted the medicine pouch at her waist. “I have prepared fire-resistant medicine, which may come in handy in a critical moment.”

As they were talking, Mochizuki Kaede, who was walking at the front, suddenly raised her hand to signal them to stop. A deep, huge claw mark was clearly visible on the ground in front of them, and charred burn marks remained on the surrounding trees.

Everyone looked in the direction the claw marks extended and immediately held their breath—

In a clearing a hundred meters away in the woods, a huge creature was gnawing on something with its back to them. Its grayish-brown fur stood on end, looking like sharp steel needles. When it turned its head slightly, everyone could clearly see its scarlet eyes, its protruding white fangs, and a jet-black horn on its head.

“That’s the Great Bear Oum.” Lisbeth lowered her voice and gripped the forging hammer tightly.

Silica gasped, her voice barely audible: "That can't really be called a bear anymore..."

Asuna nodded in agreement.

"Roar--!"

The deafening roar instantly shattered the tranquility of the forest.

The giant bear, Um, spotted them immediately, then sprang upright, its eight-meter-tall body resembling a moving mountain. With a swing of its powerful forelimbs, its sharp claws sliced ​​through the air, creating five cold, sharp lines that instantly carved deep furrows into the nearest tree trunk.

"Proceed according to plan!" Wang Yuefeng shouted, and the Thunder Blade was drawn with a clang, its blade instantly crackling with electricity. His figure blurred into a streak as he charged towards the left side of the giant bear.

Asuna activated her attack almost simultaneously, her elven sword tracing an emerald trail in the sunlight. With a delicate shout, the tip of her sword glowed with a skill effect, and she charged towards the right side of the giant bear.

The giant bear was enraged by this sudden attack from both sides.

Its massive right palm slammed towards Asuna with a whooshing sound, the force enough to shatter rocks causing the air to tremble. Asuna's pupils contracted, and her slender body flipped dramatically in the air, barely avoiding the fatal blow.

"Bang!" The bear paw slammed into the ground, sending shards of stone flying and creating a shallow crater two meters in diameter.

At the same time, Mochizuki Kaede's lightning blade had already struck the giant bear's left leg joint.

"Tsk-!"

The blade rubbed against the fur, sparking dazzling flashes.

The lightning bolts on the blade thrashed wildly, leaving a charred gash on the giant bear's grayish-brown fur. However, the thick fur was as tough as armor, and the electric current only traveled across the surface for a moment before dissipating.

"Roar—!" The giant bear staggered slightly, but its scarlet eyes became even more ferocious due to the pain.

"Watch out! Its defense is very high!" Mochizuki immediately sheathed his sword and retreated, the giant bear's left paw grazing his chest.

Asuna seized the opportunity and charged forward again, her figure transforming into a series of flashes as her rapier thrust seven times into the giant bear's right ribs. However, the tip of the sword was stuck less than three inches into the fur, and the giant bear roared in pain, its thick paw sweeping down fiercely.

"Asuna!" Mochizuki Kaede warned sharply.

Asuna decisively sheathed her sword, pushed off the giant bear's back with both feet, and used the momentum to perform a backflip. The bear's paws grazed the soles of her boots, and the resulting wind pressure tousled her long hair.

The giant bear's horn suddenly emitted a blinding red light, and the surrounding air began to distort and heat up. It slowly opened its blood-red maw, and a terrifying orange-red light gathered deep within its throat.

"Watch out! It's going to breathe fire!" Lisbeth warned.

While dodging the giant claw, Mochizuki Kaede shouted, "Silica! Now!"

Thirty meters away in the bushes, Silica held her breath. She gripped the [Crescent Wheel +2] tightly in both hands, her slender arm muscles tense.

"It has to hit." She murmured softly, and silver light began to flow along the edge of the wheel, a sign that the [Precision Throw] skill was charging up.

With a soft shout, the wheel flew out of his hand, tracing a silver crescent arc in the air. The spinning edge struck the giant bear's glowing horn with precise precision, producing a crisp "clang".

"Roar—!" The giant bear let out a deafening howl, staggering back several steps before finally collapsing heavily to the ground. The flame in its mouth dissipated into scattered sparks before it could fully form, drifting weakly around its mouth. The red light on its sharp horns also dimmed, clearly indicating that the attack had interrupted its buildup of flames.

"Now's the chance!" Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna exchanged a glance, seized the opportunity, and launched another fierce attack. The flashing blades tore open hideous wounds on the giant bear's body.

The giant bear howled in pain, trying to retaliate but its massive size made it slow to move. Its scarlet eyes were fixed on Silica's direction, and its thick hind legs dug deep furrows in the ground, but it could not break through the blockade of Mochizuki Kaede and Asuna.

Silica caught the spinning crescent moon wheel steadily, its silver blade reflecting her tense face. She took a deep breath, spread her legs slightly, and assumed the standard throwing stance again, her gaze fixed on the cracked horn on the giant bear's forehead.