I'm a Sword Master in Sword Art Online

Chapter 126: The Suspension Bridge Effect

The mission was successfully completed, and the rare forging material [Earth Dragon Scale] was also obtained. On the way back, Lisbeth was unusually silent, mechanically following half a step behind Mochizuki Kaede.

The wind in the wilderness whipped at the hem of Mochizuki Kaede's black coat, and Lisbeth's gaze unconsciously followed that tall, upright figure. She suddenly shook her head violently, her short pink hair swaying wildly in the wind. The feeling of her heart racing in Mochizuki Kaede's arms surged back, making her clutch her coat tightly.

"What a joke..." she muttered under her breath, "It would be so stupid to fall for someone at a time like this."

"Could it be the suspension bridge effect..." she muttered to herself, trying to explain her unusual reaction using the psychology knowledge she had learned.

"What's wrong?" Mochizuki Kaede suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.

Those grey eyes were exceptionally clear, and Lisbeth felt her cheeks suddenly burn. She hurriedly turned her face away, her voice unconsciously rising eight octaves: "N-nothing!"

After walking a short distance, Mochizuki Kaede, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped without warning. Lisbeth was still hesitating whether to ask what was wrong when she heard him say, "Prepare the transfer crystal first."

"Huh?" Lisbeth was taken aback, her eyes full of confusion, but she still obediently took the crystal out of her bag. When her hand touched the crystal, she noticed that Mochizuki Kaede's [Thunder Punisher] was slightly unsheathed, with faint arcs of electricity swirling around its blade.

Mochizuki Kaede stared intently at the woods ahead, her expression serious: "Those lying in ambush there, you can come out now."

Lisbeth tensed instantly, staring anxiously at the interlacing shadows of the bushes. But the bushes were silent, save for the sound of the wind rustling through the dry branches, a sound like bones grinding together. Three seconds… five seconds… just as she thought Mochizuki Kaede had misjudged the situation—

"rustle……"

The leaves in the bushes suddenly twitched.

Immediately afterwards, two figures slowly emerged from the bushes.

One was draped in a black cloak, the other wore a mask that only revealed his red eyes.

Lisbeth saw player badges above their heads, but the badges were red, not green. She gripped the transfer crystal tightly, her voice trembling slightly: "Red-named players..."

Mochizuki Kaede took a half step forward without making a sound, shielding Lisbeth behind her.

“Tsk tsk tsk…” The cloaked man—Blake—shaked his head dramatically, “You were actually able to see through my [Stealth], your target acquisition skill level is frighteningly high, Swordsman.”

As he spoke, he spread his hands in feigned annoyance, his shoulders slumping slightly: "It seems I underestimated you. I thought I could take you down without anyone noticing, but you found out."

His companion, Shasa, narrowed his eyes slightly, like a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

Blake twirled the poisoned dagger in his hand and continued, "I saw that you came from the wilderness area just now, and you made such a commotion, so you must have already obtained the [Earth Dragon Scale], right?"

Before anyone could answer, he chuckled to himself again: "I just bet with Sasa that you guys would be torn to shreds by that dragon, but you actually came out alive. What a surprise..."

Lisbeth felt a chill run down her spine. These two had clearly been lying in wait, watching them fight the dragon, even treating their deaths as mere entertainment. She gripped the teleportation crystal tightly; these people couldn't be called "players" at all.

Blake took a step forward, the hem of his cloak brushing against the withered grass with a rustling sound.

“Since you were so lucky to escape from the dragon’s claws…” The dagger in his hand suddenly turned, the tip pointing directly at Lisbeth’s throat, “Why don’t you share some of that luck with us? Hand over the dragon scales.”

"What are you talking about!" Lisbeth suddenly shouted, her short pink hair standing on end in anger. "Who would hand over the materials they worked so hard to collect to scum like you!"

Although his voice trembled, it carried an undeniable determination.

Sasa took two steps to the side and slowly drew his long sword.

“Look,” Blake suddenly switched to a sweet, coaxing tone, “we’ve come all this way to watch the battle, and as payment, all you have to do is hand over the dragon scales…”

He sized up Lisbeth with ill intent: "How about we keep this lovely blacksmith lady here as well?"

"You—!" Lisbeth trembled with rage, her forging hammer already raised halfway in the air. "Dream on!"

If Mochizuki Kaede hadn't stopped her, she would have rushed up and smashed that ugly face with a hammer.

Upon seeing this, Sasa let out a hoarse sneer.

“Of course…” Blake’s expression suddenly darkened, “If you refuse, we don’t mind playing a hunting game.”

A flock of crows suddenly took flight from the dead woods, their flapping wings seeming to toll a death knell for this standoff.

Lisbeth bit her lower lip hard. She secretly glanced at Mochizuki Kaede beside her. The boy's intention in having her prepare to transfer the crystal in advance was obvious. He planned to face the two red-named players alone, allowing her to take the opportunity to escape.

This realization felt like a red-hot iron was pressed against Lisbeth's chest, and she gripped her forging hammer tightly. The image of that strong back on the dragon's back flashed through her mind—that fool who had shielded her from all danger with his body. And now, this fool wanted to repeat the same act?

Lisbeth wasn't sure if Mochizuki Kaede could defeat these two red-named players. Although they had just defeated the dragon, red-named players were fundamentally different from monsters. Monsters only followed repetitive actions set by the system, their attack methods were singular and easily predictable. But these two red-named players knew how to set traps, how to ambush, and enjoyed the hunt like cats toying with mice. They could adapt to their opponents' actions and strategies, and every attack could carry a deadly threat.

Lisbeth was filled with worry. She feared that Mochizuki Kaede would be injured in this battle, or even... she dared not think further. Was she to use the teleportation crystal to escape alone? To watch helplessly as the person who had just protected her from the dragon's back turned into data fragments?

"What a joke!" Lisbeth roared inwardly, the inscriptions on her forging hammer almost etched into her palm. She'd rather die fighting alongside this idiot than run away.

Blake then said with a smile, "Or shall we play an even more interesting game? The rules are simple: you kill each other, and only one of you can leave alive."

"So? Fair enough, right?" Blake tilted his head. "Or would you rather become data fragments together?"

Lisbeth stared intently at him.

"Three seconds to consider." Blake began the countdown, his dagger tapping lightly in the air. "Three..."

"two……"

The shadows in the dead forest seemed to twist and writhe as the countdown began.

Just as the "one" was about to be expelled—

"boom!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly exploded, illuminating Blake's astonished face. Mochizuki Maple's lightning blade had appeared before him without his noticing, its tip only inches from his throat.

"I'm sorry," Mochizuki Kaede said calmly, "I never make deals with the dead."

Chapter 127: Longing

"You are... the Silver Asura?"

Blake's voice suddenly boomed through the silent, withered forest. For some reason, this legendary name suddenly popped into his memory, and the oppressive aura emanating from the silver-haired boy in front of him made him almost certain of the answer.

Mochizuki Kaede's blade remained motionless against his throat, the cold metallic touch causing Blake's Adam's apple to bob.

In that split second, Shasa launched his attack. His longsword suddenly came from the side. But Mochizuki Kaede was faster; his left hand had already drawn the [Sin Blade] from his waist and plunged it into Black's abdomen.

"Ugh!" Blake howled in pain as the poison backfired, and the [Paralyzed] status icon flashed instantly next to his health bar in the upper left corner of his vision. He staggered backward and fell backward like a piece of dead wood.

Mochizuki didn't even glance at him; the [Thunder Punisher] had already turned towards Shasa. The lightning patterns on the blade erupted with dazzling blue light, leaving a brilliant blue-white trail in the air.

Shasa's eyes were fierce and sharp, like a wolf about to pounce on its prey. As an experienced red-named player, he instantly judged that the attack was aimed at his right shoulder.

A smug smile played on his lips, as if victory was already assured. He gripped his longsword tightly with both hands, the blade precisely aimed at the trajectory of the lightning blade, and slashed down with the same swiftness.

Just as the two blades were about to collide, Mochizuki Kaede suddenly shifted to the side, flipping his right hand to change direction. This subtle change of move completely thwarted Sasa's prediction; his longsword struck only air, while the real lightning blade had already changed direction and was attacking from the exact opposite angle!

"A feint?!" Shasa's pupils contracted. The moment this realization dawned on him, a violent impact came from his side.

"Zi la——!"

The blue-white arcs of electricity crackling around the blade exploded instantly, reducing Shasa's health by a third. But this battle-hardened red-named player did not back down; instead, his eyes gleamed with an even more ferocious light. His left hand drew a poisoned short sword from his waist, its blade flashing with a ghostly green light.

This insidious thrust was swift and deadly; the poisoned sword aimed directly for Wang Yuefeng's heart, the tip of the blade only inches from his breastplate.

"clang!"

The Blade of Sin was parried in time, sparks flying. Using the recoil, Mochizuki Kaede took a sidestep, and the Thunder Punisher swung upwards, its blade aimed directly at Sasa's sword-wielding wrist. Sasa was forced to retreat, but stepped on a weathered pebble as he landed, his body momentarily pausing.

Mochizuki Kaede gave him no chance to catch his breath.

His sword strikes continued unabated, the lightning blade slashing out in a circular trajectory, the second strike already following closely behind. This time, the speed of the strike was so fast that it left afterimages in the air, the blade aimed straight for the throat.

Shasa, gritting his teeth against the sluggishness caused by his injury, awkwardly turned his head to dodge. But the Thunder Blade was relentless, the third and fourth strikes coming one after another. Each strike precisely predicted his dodge direction, as if it had thoroughly analyzed all his fighting habits.

“What kind of monster is this…” Cold sweat beaded on Sasa’s forehead, and his breathing became rapid beneath his mask. His prized PvP experience was a complete joke in front of Mochizuki Kaede. All those techniques and moves that had once worked indefinitely were now useless.

What Shasa didn't know was that Wang Yuefeng's Thunder Blade had already fought against dozens of red-named players like himself. Each life-or-death battle etched a deeper mark into the silver-haired swordsman's fighting instincts. He had experienced those insidious sneak attacks, deadly counterattacks... all the common tricks of red-named players, a thousand times over.

As the fifth bolt of lightning struck, Shasa, in a desperate move, feigned an opening. He deliberately staggered, and in that instant of loss of balance, his longsword thrust out once more!

But Mochizuki Kaede seemed to have anticipated this.

"boom!"

The sixth strike, carried by the force of lightning, cleaved down, and Shasa's longsword finally gave way, snapping in two amidst the blinding flash of electricity. The lightning blade, its momentum undiminished, pierced directly into his shoulder.

Sasa knelt on the ground, his health points already in the danger zone. He looked up at the silver-haired swordsman towering above him, recalling the "Silver Asura" that Blake had mentioned earlier, and finally understood the power of that name.

……

After sending the two red-named players to the prison area using transfer crystals, Mochizuki Kaede let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief. Although the battle wasn't particularly difficult for him, his nerves, which had been tense throughout, finally relaxed.

He glanced instinctively in Lisbeth's direction, a flicker of fear crossing his grey eyes. The most terrifying aspect of red-named players wasn't their direct combat prowess, but rather their ruthless sneak attacks: poisoned darts, hostage threats, psychological warfare... If the red-named players had chosen to attack Lisbeth first, even he couldn't guarantee their safety.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and acted swiftly, immediately drawing the attention of all the red-named players to himself, leaving them no energy to pay attention to Lisbeth.

"That's why I had her prepare the transfer crystal..." Mochizuki Kaede thought to herself, this decision was the safest option. If a red-named player attacked Lisbeth, then she could use the transfer crystal to escape quickly.

To Mochizuki Kaede's surprise, Lisbeth had just assumed a fighting stance while holding a forging hammer. Although her eyes, beneath her short pink hair, revealed fear, she showed no sign of backing down.

"You idiot! You always do things recklessly!"

Lisbeth's voice pulled Mochizuki Kaede back to her thoughts. She charged over aggressively, still holding the forging hammer in her hand, looking like an angry cat.

“You know how… how much I was worried just now…” Lisbeth’s voice suddenly stopped. She bit her lower lip hard, then, as if to cover something up, she suddenly raised her head and changed the subject: “Did you think I would run away with the teleportation crystal?”

She brandished her forging hammer defiantly: "I'm a warhammer user, after all! I'm not afraid even when facing red-named players!"

Actually, she felt a little uneasy when she said those words. She knew all too well how ruthless the red-named players were, but at this moment, she didn't want to show any cowardice in front of Wang Yuefeng. She wanted Wang Yuefeng to know that she could fight alongside him.

Looking at her stubborn expression, Mochizuki Kaede nodded slightly with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. This simple gesture made Lisbeth's expression even more complicated.

Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the incredibly dangerous scene just now. In that split second of the battle, her emotions underwent a dramatic transformation. When Wang Yuefeng charged towards the red-named player without hesitation, an unprecedented fear gripped her heart. But in an instant, the overwhelming strength that Wang Yuefeng displayed left her in awe.

Memories flashed back to earlier times: the arms that unhesitatingly held her tightly in their embrace during the battle with the [King of Earth and Mountains], and his unique scent. And now, even after just finishing a battle, his gentle eyes immediately checked on her safety.

His gaze, his warmth, brought her peace and a sense of longing. But how should she face this feeling, and what path should she take?

Thinking of this, Lisbeth suddenly turned her face away, hiding her burning cheeks. She rubbed her eyes roughly and muttered, "Anyway, let's get out of here quickly!"

Chapter 128: The Sword of the Earth

Back in the familiar forging workshop, the furnace was burning brightly, and the leaping flames illuminated the neatly arranged forging tools all around.

Lisbeth suddenly turned around, looked at Mochizuki Kaede, and said, "I want to forge a weapon for you using [Earth Dragon Scales]."

She quickly added, "You helped me complete the [Blacksmith's Trial] quest, so now I'll forge a brand new weapon for you. It's fair; consider it a trade."

After hearing this, Mochizuki Kaede asked, "But haven't you already paid me?"

Lisbeth's face flushed instantly, like the sunset rising quietly on the horizon. Her already playful and cute freckles looked even more endearing against the blush.

"I feel the previous compensation wasn't enough; we need to increase it..."

She deliberately raised her voice to hide her panic: "What, you're not happy about having a brand new weapon made for you? Or do you not trust my skills?"

Seeing her like this, Mochizuki Kaede quickly replied with a smile, "Alright, alright, I'm not unhappy at all, and I certainly wouldn't dare to question your skills."

Mochizuki Kaede had always admired Lisbeth's forging skills. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made a special trip to her place every time to have his equipment maintained.

Looking at the boy's smile, Lisbeth's heart inexplicably quickened, and an indescribable emotion quietly spread through her heart.

Since being trapped in this deadly game, as one of the few female players, she has endured countless sleepless nights. Fear, confusion, despair... she has experienced all these emotions deeply. But her stubborn nature allowed her to persevere, and she even became a blacksmith.

In the stillness of the night, she often stares blankly at her hands, these hands capable of forging exquisite weapons, which are in reality just a string of electronic data. Her real body is perhaps lying in a hospital bed, her vital signs maintained by various machines. This realization is like a dull knife, slowly torturing her nerves day after day.

To escape this sense of emptiness, she numbed herself with the goal of "becoming the best blacksmith," pouring all her passion into running the shop. Designing new weapons, improving recipes, expanding the shop... it was as if being busy enough would allow her to forget that she was trapped in a giant electronic cage.

But as the last flame dies down and the furnace's residual heat dissipates, a bone-chilling loneliness creeps into her heart. She yearns for real touch, for someone to understand her fear, for no longer to be alone…

Even today, on that dangerous dragon's back, Mochizuki Kaede unhesitatingly shielded her in his arms. At that moment, she felt a long-lost warmth, not the heat of the forge, but the body temperature emanating from another living person.

—That warmth, it's the warmth of a person.

Lisbeth suddenly realized that what had been hurting her for so long was the longing for real bonds. Even knowing that the figure before her and the warmth of their touch were just illusions made of data, the desire to protect her was a reality that no program could simulate.

She took a deep breath and tossed the ingot into the roaring furnace. The flickering firelight illuminated her freckled face and reflected the determination shining in her eyes.

“A one-handed straight sword, right?” Lisbeth asked, turning her head, her voice softer than usual.

"Hmm." Mochizuki Kaede sat on the round chair for guests and nodded slightly.

When the ingot turned orange-red, Lisbeth used long pliers to remove it and placed it steadily on the anvil. She habitually tossed her short pink hair, raised the hammer high, and placed her entire weight on the blow—

"Qiang!"

The crisp clang of metal against metal echoed through the workshop, dazzling sparks flying like stars. Each hammer blow poured forth her complex emotions: a longing for warmth, a yearning for bond, and an indescribable feeling. The metal gradually took shape under the hammer's strikes, just as her chaotic heart was being gradually cleared by the rhythmic tapping.

This time, she was determined to forge a weapon worthy of him, a powerful tool to protect this fool who always bore everything alone.

But the thought that Mochizuki Maple would continue to hunt down red-named players on her own after getting the sword, and might only come to repair the weapon once every ten days or half a month, made her feel a sense of loneliness.