"Damn it!" Liam was peeved but this wasn't the time to think about his progress as the gate to this world was about to close up any second now. Before his dao field snapped, it had managed to kill the centipede, therefore closing the gates of this world.
And thanks to that, he was on the spot. He had to make a snap decision. The sword in his hand was going crazy and he had to decide if he was going to allow it to eat or not.
Heck, he didn't even know where the special material was. The entire room was a complete mess with metal spikes and bits and pieces sticking out everywhere.
While he was thinking about it, the golden glow already started enveloping him. This was it. He had to decide now or perhaps it was already late.
The black dragon sword was a weapon that housed numerous dragon souls. Its creator clearly had lofty goals for the weapon but how could a weapon destined to become that powerful be easy to forge?
Moreover, Liam only had the knowledge about the first seven seals, knowledge that he obtained from the description of the weapon given out by the tutorial. He had no idea how to break open the last two seals. He also did not know whether the sword at the end of all the seals would be the complete weapon or the incomplete weapon. The path ahead was full of uncertainties just like every other path in front of him. Perhaps he might never end up finishing the weapon. This was a distinct probability but one that he did not have to worry about now. The problem right now was whether to take this material in the tunnel or leave it.
"Motherfucker!" Liam decided to go for it. It was not single material would instantly break the sword and power it up explosively. He would also not come across materials for the sword on every single floor of the Spire. The chances of coming across something were very low. Unlike the system shop, he couldn't store the materials for future use. He simply had to take this now or leave it behind.
Considering these things Liam decided to go for it. He connected with the sword, probing it a little with his wounded soul, ready to back out in case he was attacked. Even the little action sent a wave of pain across his body but ultimately it was worth it.
Just like he expected the dragons did not fight back this time and stayed obedient. It was clear that they needed this badly. He was starving them and they knew better than to attack him.
Liam also had a distinct feeling that the dragon souls were planning something huge. They finally had a master who was strong enough to get the materials they needed but had a weakened soul which they could pick apart whenever they wanted.
Didn't this mean they currently had the upper hand? They could simply use him until they became strong and leave when they possessed enough power. This was a simple strategy and surely not something that slipped the mind of a powerful being like a dragon.
So Liam ultimately let them have their meal. His soul probe gave him instant results and the dragons pointed in the direction of the material that they craved. A blast of power emerged from the sword instantaneously dragging his body to a corner of the tunnel.
From there, Liam did not even have to move a muscle as the sword once again pulled his arm to the wall of dirt and metallic debris. Of course, this was because Liam had given it free rein to do whatever it wanted due to the time crunch.
The sword, vibrating intensely with an almost desperate hunger, resonated towards a specific point in the wall. Liam followed its guidance, reached out, and brushed away layers of dirt and fragmented metal. There, partially obscured by the debris, lay a lustrous, strange-looking ore, emitting a faint glow.
At first glance, it seemed extremely ordinary but the way the dragons reacted he knew that it was anything but. It was no surprise that his [Inspection] skill too did not yield any results.
The golden glow around him intensified, signaling the imminent closure of the gate. Time was of the essence now. Heck, he did not even have the time to mine the damn thing.
With the fraction of the second he had, Liam simply pierced the sword into the chunk of ore. Or at least tried to. To his shock, his sword simply did not have the power to pierce through.
The numerous dragon souls lashed out in rage at this failure. The sword vibrated violently against his hand.
Liam's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he churned his mana core using the full extent of his core strength and further channeling the dao of sharpness into the attack and once more struck the same thing.
With a swift, decisive movement, he plunged the sword into the ore. However, it still met with resistance. Unexpectedly, another wave of power erupted from the sword and Liam felt a tremendous aura seeping out.
Finally, the ore chunk was unable to withstand the pressure any longer and it started to crack and crumble. An intense energy emerged from within the sword and completely enveloped the ore.
Liam could feel a dense archaic soul blast forth and his own soul shivered from the mere presence of it. His already weakened soul couldn't bear such an overwhelming aura and he felt as if he was going to get ripped apart.
Liam's face turned grave. Even if the dragon souls did not personally attack him, the sheer intensity of the power unleashed was more than enough to threaten his already fragile soul state. This was a mistake.
However, just as his soul was about to get ripped to oblivion, the golden glow enveloped him entirely and he was whisked away from the tunnel.
An enraged roar appeared from the black dragon sword and Liam could feel the dragons fighting against the very essence of the Spire itself. But the victor was clear as the next second he found himself in the middle of a marketplace.