Dual Blade/Story

JobSkillsStory

Story (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Dual Blade storyline was remastered in the Justice Update. This version has remained under the KMS story team's new continuity.

Main Story

Secret Suggestion

An Explorer hoping to become a thief was recruited by a man named Ryden, who instead convinced the Explorer to follow Lady Syl, rather than the Dark Lord. Ryden brought the Explorer before Lady Syl, who told them about her feud with the Dark Lord. She explained that the title of ‘Dark Lord' was handed down from generation to generation, each serving to guide the thieves through the darkness. As the daughter of the former Dark Lord, she had watched her father lead both the Dual Blades and the other thieves. She explained that her father, Sung, was a Dual Blade, and that he would have likely picked another Dual Blade as his successor. Because of this, his apprentice, Jin, had murdered him and had stolen his position as Dark Lord, with the rest of the Dual Blades going into hiding after the incident. She told the Explorer that she hoped to get her vengeance by building up the Dual Blades' strength and driving Jin out of Kerning City. However, as Jin was quite popular with the citizens of Kerning City, she feared that the people would defend him if the Dual Blades were to attack. As harming innocents was something that she wanted to avoid, Lady Syl told the Explorer that she needed a spy to infiltrate Kerning City and serve under the Dark Lord in order to undermine him. After the Explorer accepted her mission, Syl sent them to train under Ryden. Ryden first ordered them to hone their observational skills by having them distinguish a toy playhouse that was slightly different from the others. Next, he had them practice their stealth by making it through an obstacle course. Then, he had them defeat a Training Mano in order to sharpen their combat skills. Finally, he had them take a test of loyalty by drinking a poison and seeing Lady Syl for the antidote. However, upon visiting Lady Syl, they were informed that Ryden had merely given them apple juice, though she emphasized that the point was that they should never think of betraying her.

After passing the initiation trials, the Explorer became a Dual Blade under Lady Syl's tutelage. As they had not yet learned any Dual Blade techniques, Syl believed that they were in the perfect position to serve under the Dark Lord as a new thief. Ryden then tasked the Dual Blade with learning more about the Dark Lord by interrogating his closest associates of Kerning City: Nella, JM from tha Streetz, and Don Giovanni. The Dual Blade first spoke with Nella, who asked them to defeat the Stirges attacking the Pharmacy. After helping her, they learned that she viewed the Dark Lord as kind and trustworthy. Next, they spoke with JM, who asked them to obtain a Thin Jr. Necki Skin. The Dual Blade obtained one from Taeha, the Dual Blade merchant, and brought it back to JM. They then questioned him and learned that the Dark Lord obtained a delivery package once a week from out of town. Finally, the Dual Blade visited Don Giovanni at the hair salon Giovanni asked the Dual Blade to obtain a Toy Plane for his son, Icarus, who dreamed of flying. The Dual Blade obtained the toy from Taeha and brought it to Giovanni, who thanked them for their help. Upon being questioned about the Dark Lord, Giovanni explained that he occasionally ran into the Dark Lord walking by himself in the Swamp Region. After reporting back to Ryden, the Dual Blade was instructed to wait until he finished investigating the leads. Meanwhile, Lady Syl noted their talent and called them to learn the art of dual-wielding. She first tasked them with obtaining a Mirror of Insight from within one marble amongst many, which indicated that they were worthy of learning the way of the Dual Blade. After they were initiated into the ranks of the Dual Blades, Ryden contacted them and suggested that they train around Victoria Island and grow stronger.

The Unspeakable Truth

Soon after, the Dual Blade was contacted by Yun, Lady Syl's sister, who asked them to speak to Lady Syl on her behalf. She explained that Syl lately seemed to be in a bad mood quite often, and as Syl seemed to trust them, she hoped that speaking to her would cheer her up, as Yun believed that Syl would feel worse if she knew that her sister was worried for her. Just as Yun had hoped, Syl was pleased to see the Dual Blade and explained that her father used to tell her stories from the past whenever she felt depressed. She told them that thinking about her father made her feel better, though her memories of him had lately been slipping away. She confessed that she had even lost the memory of the day that he had passed, noting that it was strange, as she couldn't remember the details, even though she remembered the events. She wondered whether it was because of the trauma of losing him, or of Jin's betrayal. She explained that she did remember that the morning of that day, her father, his best friend - Tristan - and Jin had gone to Sleepywood in order to face Balrog. Though she had wanted to accompany them, her father had forbidden it, though she had secretly followed them anyways. As she hadn't been able to enter the cave, she had chosen to eavesdrop outside, though the very next thing that she remembered was coming out of a haze and seeing Jin holding a blood-stained sword, with her father and Tristan dead. She told the Dual Blade that she would never forget Jin's look of shock, adding that he likely must have killed Sung and Tristan while they had been weakened from facing Balrog. She noted that she thought of that moment every single day, and that she even dreamed about it, though she hoped that her flowers would help calm her dreams. She then asked them to leave her in peace, adding that Ryden had a new mission for them.

Ryden told the Dual Blade that the Dark Lord had been stealing their information, for which Ryden planned to strike back. He told them that he would lure the Dark Lord out of his headquarters, the Jazz Bar, while they searched the premises for clues. In the Jazz Bar, the Dual Blade found a hidden room and obtained the Dark Lord's diary, which they brought back to Ryden. After reading the diary, Ryden told them that the Dark Lord had mentioned the owner of the bookstore, Jeppi, whom the Dark Lord had banished some time ago. Believing that Jeppi had learned the truth about the Dark Lord's treachery, Ryden hoped to find him. As they had no leads on his location, Ryden asked them to speak with Mr. Pickall, whose store had been next to Jeppi's. Mr. Pickall told the Dual Blade that Jeppi had moved to Ellinia, where he lived inside the Giant Tree. The Dual Blade traveled to Ellinia and met with Jeppi, whom they intended to rescue. However, Jeppi explained that it was all a misunderstanding, as the Dark Lord hadn't banished him, but rather, he had sent him away for protection from an unknown threat. He revealed that from the shadows, someone had been twisting the history of Maple World, and that Sung had been hunting them down alongside Jin. He explained that he had helped them with his knowledge of history books by telling them about any inconsistencies, adding that Maple World's history had been deeply distorted.

He told the Dual Blade that with the help of several citizens of Sleepywood, including Tristan, Sung had intended to lure out the threat and destroy it. However, the enemy had been aware of their plan and had tricked them, resulting in the deaths of both Sung and Tristan. Upon seeing how dangerous the situation was, Jin had helped hide Jeppi somewhere safe while he continued the fight alone. The Dual Blade then reported back what they had learned to Ryden, who was immediately dubious. In order to validate the story, he sent the Dual Blade to meet Tristan's apprentice in Sleepywood. At the bottom of the Cursed Temple, the Dual Blade encountered the spirit of Tristan, who explained that it hadn't been Jin's fault, as all of them had underestimated their enemy, who had the ability to possess others. He revealed that the enemy had possessed Syl, who had been eavesdropping on them from outside. As they hadn't warned her about the enemy's powers, she hadn't been able to shield her mind, causing her to grow possessed. With a cold smile on her face, she had slaughtered him and Sung, as neither of them had been willing to hurt Syl. Tristan believed that the enemy had left Jin alive to teach the world a lesson, and that it had left Syl alive as a reminder of their weakness. Following the tragedy, Jin had been forced to continue his pursuit of the enemy in secret, while Syl had been left to believe in a lie. As proof of his claim, he asked them to obtain his keepsake from Mu Young.

Mu Young instructed the Dual Blade to obtain the keepsake in storage, where the Dual Blade encountered several Black Wings henchmen. After defeating them, they returned back to Mu Young, who noted that the storage room had already been looted of its valuables years ago. He then asked them to keep the keepsake – his master's diary. The Dual Blade returned back to Ryden and told him what Tristan had explained. They also gave him Tristan's diary, which confirmed Jeppi's story. He noted that the truth would devastate Lady Syl, as the thought of vengeance was the only thing that kept her going. He instructed them to say nothing for the moment until he found the best way to share the truth with her. He then asked them to accompany him to visit Jin and speak to him personally. In the Jazz Bar, Ryden confronted Jin and demanded to know why he had kept the truth from Syl, even while knowing that she was planning to kill him. He asked Jin whether he had intended to tell her the truth at the last possible moment when she would come to fight him, adding that he would make her look like a fool by doing so.

The Dark Lord was hesitant upon hearing Ryden's words, though he asked whether Syl would have benefited by knowing the truth that her father had only died because she had been taken hostage. He explained that though Syl was now strong, she had once been overwhelmed by the pain of losing her father, adding that he had hoped to avoid making her feel worse by telling her the truth. Ryden retorted that nevertheless, the Dark Lord had no right to keep the truth from her. The Dark Lord apologized, noting that he should have told her sooner. However, he added that he had only wanted to keep her from feeling any more pain than she already had. Ryden noted that though Syl needed to be told the truth, he feared that it would make her nightmares even worse. He then asked the Dual Blade to deliver his report to her, believing that it would be better coming from them. Just as Ryden had suspected, Lady Syl's face grew pale as she read the report. Nevertheless, she thanked the Dual Blade for their work and asked them to leave her to collect her thoughts.

2nd+ Job Advancement

Some time later, Lady Syl contacted the Dual Blade and asked them to return to the Secret Garden, where she promoted them to Blade Specialist. She noted that it seemed ironic that they had grown stronger, even when she had initially doubted them, while she had grown strangely smaller. She explained that her father used to tell her that Dual Blades used two weapons so that they were better equipped to protect others, though she quickly realized that she was rambling.

3rd Job Advancement

Soon after, Lady Syl told the Dual Blade that she had decide to unite the thieves and the Dual Blades, believing that they would be stronger as one group. However, she admitted to them in private that the decision had been quite difficult, as she had grappled with the revelation that her worst enemy was actually the one who had saved her, which had wounded her pride greatly. She explained that all her plans, schemes, and emotions had been based on a lie, for which she couldn't forgive Jin, who had made a fool of her. However, she added that she knew that she couldn't let her feelings sway her, as she needed to do what was best for her people. Before they could move forward, however, she told them that she couldn't abide knowing that Jin had kept the truth from her because he had believed her to be weak. She then asked them to defeat the Dark Lord in order to prove the Dual Blades' strength, which would satisfy her need for revenge. The Dual Blade confronted the Dark Lord and told them about Lady Syl's decision. Jin noted in satisfaction that Syl had matured for her to look past her anger and unite together. He then invited them to face him and summoned a weaker clone of himself. After the Dual Blade defeated the clone, the Dark Lord admitted that the Dual Blades and Syl were stronger, after which officially welcomed the Dual Blades back into the fold of thieves.

Temple of Time

While exploring the Temple of Time, the Dual Blade's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where their adventure began, the Dual Blade decided to return to the Secret Garden and spoke with Ryden, who recalled how excited he was to see such a skilled warrior enter the Secret Garden when they first met, and how he had high hopes for them. He added that they hadn't let him down, and that they had made him proud of being their teacher.

Black Heaven

In the Secret Garden, Lady Syl gave a speech to the entire organization. She told them that the Dual Blades had been born out of a simple misunderstanding, but since then, they had resolved the matter and were now on good terms with the Dark Lord. However, she reminded them that they couldn't forget their roots, adding that the operation was their chance to show all of Maple World why the Dual Blades existed. She commanded them all to achieve victory, claiming that it was high time that they came out of the shadows. Later on, she called the Dual Blade and gave them another mission. In the impending battle, she believed that their enemies were the same ones whom her parents had fought. Though she wanted to slay them herself, she didn't know if she could endure their mental attacks, and so she asked them to strike her down if she became possessed. Hesitantly, the Dual Blade agreed to her request.

After Athena Pierce and the player fight their way to the main deck, Athena gives a word of encouragement to the player as they charge into battle, which depends on their class. For Dual Blade, Athena tells him to show their enemies his skills as an Explorer.

Labyrinth of Suffering (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Labyrinth of Suffering storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

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Labyrinth of Suffering (Pre-Remaster)

After the Adversary collapses into despair as a result of Hilla's machinations, they pass out in a void of darkness within their own mind. As their morale and strength threaten to diminish completely, the mysterious divine light speaks to them in the form of someone close to them and provides them motivation to continue. For the Dual Blade, the voice of Lady Syl asks him why he risks his life to save others. The Dual Blade tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Lady Syl asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. The Explorer replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Lady Syl asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which the Dual Blade begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what else he can do, to which Lady Syl tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes, pick himself up, and do what he has to do, reminding him that they are the Dual Blades, and they're united as one right behind him. She then tells him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, the Dual Blade recognizes the voice as belonging to Lady Syl.

Limina

Note: Dual Blade's exclusive dialogue in Limina was added during the Limina remaster under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

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This article or section is in the middle of an expansion or major restructuring. You can assist in its construction by editing it as well.

Aftermath

In the Secret Garden, Lady Syl commended the Dual Blade for defeating the Black Mage and for bringing honor to the Dual Blades. The Dual Blade told her that he had merely fulfilled his duty, but Syl told him that he had done far more than that, having inspired her to move the Dual Blades out of the shadows. She admitted that she had even started visiting the Jazz Bar in Kerning City from time to time, having buried the hatchet with the Dark Lord. She then told the Dual Blade that she looked forward to hearing of his next victory.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

Main Story

An Explorer on Maple Island received a letter from an anonymous sender, who claimed that their organization had been watching their development, and that they had decided to give them a chance to join. They explained that Kerning City had been under the control of the Dark Lord for generations, and that the current Dark Lord was unfit to lead. They claimed that Lady Syl was the true master of Kerning City, and that the mission of the Dual Blades was to help her take back her rightful place. The letter also explained that the Dual Blades had been gathering information that would help in the fight against the Dark Lord and his missions. It then tasked the Explorer with infiltrating the Dark Lord's organization and obtaining information about him by becoming one of his thieves. The Explorer then became a thief under the Dark Lord and began working to gain his trust while secretly working for the Dual Blades. In order to get closer to the Dark Lord, the Dual Blade learned that the Spores were causing him trouble by stealing from the townspeople and pulling pranks on them. In order to gain his trust, the Dual Blade defeated the Spores around Victoria Island, after which they were contacted by Ryden - the man who had recruited them to join the Dual Blades.

In the back alleys of Kerning City, Ryden told them that Lady Syl was the only child of the former Dark Lord, and that the Dual Blades were working to help her reclaim her birthright. He explained that the people of Kerning City respected the current Dark Lord, and that the Dual Blades were working to expose his true nature. In order to hear the people's opinions on the Dark Lord, as well as to find people who might doubt him, the Dual Blade first spoke with Nella, who strongly believed that the Dark Lord was a good man. However, she noted that he always remained in the Jazz Bar, which made her wonder whether he had a secret. She then asked the Dual Blade to speak with JM From tha Streetz about the Spores that had recently popped up. JM told them that according to rumors, the Spores had stolen something that belonged to the Dark Lord, which explained why he was so eager to catch them. In order to learn more about the stolen item, the Dual Blade spoke to Mr. Pickall, who revealed to them that the Dark Lord was a title handed down through generations, with the current Dark Lord being the 8th in the line, having been a disciple of the 7th Dark Lord, who had mysteriously disappeared, along with his daughter.

The Dual Blade reported back to Ryden, who told them that the Dark Lord had learned about the existence of the Dual Blades. In order to learn what the Dark Lord was planning to do, the Dual Blade met with the thief job instructor at the Construction Site. The Dual Blade spoke with the thief instructor by pretending to have been sent on the Dark Lord's instructions to investigate the Dual Blades. The thief instructor explained that though the Dual Blades kept themselves well-hidden, he had noticed that Ryden was exhibiting suspicious behavior in the alleyways. The Dual Blade then reported back to Ryden, who gave them several falsified maps to bring to the job instructor, who thanked them, believing that the maps led to the Dual Blade hideout. Soon after, Ryden told the Dual Blade that Lady Syl hadn't been sleeping well because of the Wraiths that haunted her dreams. The Dual Blade eliminated the Wraiths in the subway, though Lady Syl's condition still wasn't improving because of her weakness. In order to help Ryden prepare a traditional Kerning City tonic for her, which was made from Octopus Tentacles boiled for three days and three nights, and mixed with special herbs from Dark Stumps, the Dual Blade collected the necessary ingredients from the monsters.

After helping Ryden prepare the tonic, the Dual Blade was tasked with placing posters around Kerning City, as well as a bomb in the Jazz Bar, which was meant only to serve as a warning that the Dark Lord was to be punished, not to kill anyone. After the bomb detonated and caused an uproar in Kerning City, Ryden was pleased and explained that the entire city was now aware of the Dual Blades. He then ordered the Dual Blade to recover special seals which had been placed in the monsters of Kerning City, which had been making them behave abnormally, thus erasing all traces of the Dual Blades, after which he asked them to leave the city and await further orders. After the panic in the city died down, Ryden contacted the Dual Blade and told them that they were to meet with Lady Syl herself. Ryden led the Dual Blade into the Secret Garden, their organization's headquarters, where they first met with Shiba, who - according to rumors - could destroy anything that he touched. Shiba told the Dual Blade that Lady Syl believed that Jin - the current Dark Lord - had gained his position by assassinating her father, the former Dark Lord.

The Dual Blade then spoke with Lady Syl's protégé, Yun, who explained that Jin and Syl had once been close during the time when Jin had served under her father. However, one day, the former Dark Lord had disappeared without a word, and Jin - after going in search of him - had returned with the Dark Lord's personal items and had reported that the Dark Lord had passed away, after which the people of Kerning City had made him the next Dark Lord. Syl had later been told by a passing Explorer that Jin had killed her father, after which she had vowed to get revenge. The Dual Blade then spoke with Lady Syl, who agreed to teach them the art of dual wielding if they could retrieve a Mirror of Insight, which would only reveal itself to those who were worthy of learning the way of the Dual Blade. After being chosen by the mirror, the Dual Blade was officially promoted to an official Dual Blade by Syl, who sent them to her pet own, Suri, for training. Soon after they finished training, Shiba contacted the Dual Blade and told them that Lady Syl's investigations had revealed an eye-witness to Jin's crime. The Dual Blade spoke with Mr. Pickall, who revealed that the former Dark Lord had been good friends with the late legendary hero, Tristan, who had once come to Kerning City in order to speak with him. Mr. Pickall suggested that they visit Manji in Perion, who had been a close friend of Tristan.

In Perion, Manji agreed to share what he knew, though he warned that he wasn't sure about all the details. He revealed that he and Tristan had been heading to the Cursed Temple in order to seal Balrog, who had been resurrected. Knowing how important their mission was, they had asked the former Dark Lord to join them. Though they had been meant to convene before facing Balrog together, Tristan and Manji had been delayed in the Burnt Lands because of the boars. Upon arriving at the temple, however, they had found the Dark Lord dead and a boy, who was covered in blood, holding a sword and standing beside the body. The boy had merely given his name, Jin, before leaving with the Dark Lord's body. He then explained that he and Tristan had gone on to seal Balrog, and that Tristan had gained his legendary reputation for having sacrificed his life to do so. The Dual Blade reported back to Lady Syl, who became convinced that Jin had murdered her father. Several days later, she called the Dual Blade back to the Secret Garden, where she explained that ever since she had heard Manji's story, she hadn't been able to sleep well, as she had been consumed with thoughts of starting an all-out war with the Dark Lord and making him shed tears of repentance.

She then tasked the Dual Blade with securing her father's diary, his last possession, hidden in a secret room inside the Jazz Bar. The Dual Blade infiltrated the room and fought several thief recruits who discovered them before returning back to Lady Syl with the diary. Syl explained that her father would often write in a cipher that only she could understand. Upon reading the last chapter, however, she grew furious to see that Jin had written in her father's diary and immediately threw it on the ground. The Dual Blade then picked up the diary and read Jin's words on the last pages. They learned that he had followed the former Dark Lord to the Cursed Temple after Syl had seemed worried about his sudden disappearance three days ago. Inside the temple, he had encountered an evil red-eyed monster that he had defeated in a fierce battle, after which he had been shocked to find that the monster had transformed back into the Dark Lord. The dying Dark Lord had revealed to him that his soul had been trapped within Balrog, and that Jin had freed him. He had then asked Jin to take care of Syl and Kerning City, and to never reveal what had happened to anyone, as he couldn't forgive himself for allowing Balrog to steal his soul. As the former Dark Lord had wished, Jin had decided to seal the diary away, and to never speak of that day.

Several days later, Yun told the Dual Blade that ever since Lady Syl had read the diary, she had sequestered herself in her room and was refusing to eat or come out. She explained that since Syl had been close with Jin, she had long been confused about Jin being the target of her wrath, and that she was facing a crisis about the fact that her vendetta against him had been based on a lie. As Yun was worried that Syl would lose her will to keep living, she asked the Dual Blade to help give Syl a gift of Yellow Tulips from the Fire Boars. Soon after, Lady Syl called the Dual Blade and told them that she had been thinking a lot about the Dual Blades, and though she wasn't ready to meet with Jin yet, she knew that she had been neglecting her duties as the leader of the Dual Blades. She acknowledged that she had kept the Dual Blades in the shadows for so many years, and that it was now time for them to come out. Syl sent the Dual Blade to speak with Arec - the thief instructor at the Chief's Residence in El Nath - as her representative. Arec sensed a kinship with the Dual Blade and recognized them as a member of the Dual Blades, a different branch of thieves born out of hate. In order to officially recognize the Dual Blades, Arec had the Dual Blade acknowledge that their hatred had been born out of a misunderstanding. He also had them, the organization's representative, apologize on behalf of the Dual Blades for their actions. He then had the Dual Blade defeat the White Fangs, who were hurting the people of El Nath, after which he gave them a letter to pass along to Lady Syl, acknowledging their official existence.

Birth of an Alliance

Lady Syl called the Dual Blade and told them that she had come to a decision regarding the future of the Dual Blades. She explained that the Dual Blades would join the Maple Alliance under their own distinction, separate from thieves, in order to earn fear and respect through their reputation, as the Dual Blades outnumbered the combined forces of all the other Explorers on Victoria Island. She also hoped to obtain a sovereign domain in Victoria Island at the end of the war with the Black Mage. After having Syl's proposal accepted by Jin, the Dual Blade worked with Dances with Balrog, who convinced the Alliance to accept Lady Syl's terms. Despite the Alliance accepting the Dual Blades, the Cygnus Knights had voted against allowing them to join, with the Knights even sending spies to monitor the Dual Blades. Lady Syl then sent the Dual Blade to threaten Neinheart to stand down, after which they reached an agreement.

Trivia

• Originally, the Japanese version of Dual Blade was linked to Evan, in which they have a misunderstanding and become enemies, resulting in the player fighting Evan as a Level 20 boss. This was later changed back to the original storyline.
• There are several plot holes created with the new Dual Blade storyline, which was revamped during the Justice update:
  • If hunting Balrog was a pretense for Tristan's mission to find Lotus, there is no explanation about how Balrog gets sealed or how Tristan passes his sword down to Manji.
  • The new storyline states that Mu Young is Tristan's apprentice, even though Manji is Tristan's apprentice and Mu Young is Manji's.
  • When Mu Young meets the Dual Blade, he claims that he wants to reseal Balrog and follow in his master Tristan's footsteps, although since he was part of the expedition to hunt Lotus, he should have known that sealing Balrog was a cover story.