After killing the last monster, Shirou leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
It had been a long time since he entered the dungeon, and although it was hard to tell exactly how much time had passed, Shirou was sure it was already close to sundown.
He had gained a lot today. If we only counted magic stones, his backpack was almost full.
And when it came to combat experience, he had earned plenty of that as well.
All the experience he had inherited from the heroic spirit EMIYA was based on fighting people.
But just one day in the dungeon had already improved his skills considerably.
"Alright, time to head back."
Shirou didn't plan to keep fighting after sensing that only 20% of his magical energy remained.
His fighting style relied heavily on magic, since all of his weapons were projections that consumed magical energy. Without it, he couldn't summon anything.
However, at the same time, he wasn't entirely dependent on it—projecting a weapon didn't require much magical energy, and once it was projected, it could be used continuously.
But that wasn't good for training his magic reserves.
If he used only one weapon all day, his magic would increase very slowly, making it hard to keep up with the growth of his other attributes.
This would slow down his overall development in the future.
After collecting all the magic stones and leftover items, Shirou calmly made his way back to the surface, slaying the occasional monster that appeared along the way.
"As I thought... it's already getting dark," he murmured with a light chuckle as he stepped out of the dungeon and saw the sun setting.
Somehow, he was really starting to enjoy this lifestyle.
"Ah~ I should go sell the magic stones and monster drops first," he said, stretching lightly.
"And I should buy a few sets of regular clothes on the way back..." he muttered while looking down at his outfit.
Calling them dirty would've been an understatement.
After sighing briefly, Shirou turned and walked toward the guild headquarters, located in the very tower of Babel itself, to sell the day's spoils.
After selling everything, Shirou ended up with a little over 72,000 Valis.
"No wonder high-level adventurers can earn millions of Valis in a single expedition..." he muttered while walking through the streets of Orario.
In just one trip to the upper floors, he had recovered more than 72% of his starting funds.
"Then again, even if it pays well, it also costs a lot..."
A single mid- or high-tier weapon could cost millions of Valis.
Fortunately, Shirou didn't have to worry much about weapons. Thanks to his magic, he could create as many as he needed.
"But I should still learn how to forge weapons..." he murmured thoughtfully as he made his way back to Twilight Manor.
While walking, he recalled one of his abilities:
--Anima Ignis
• When the user wields a weapon forged by their own hands, the essence of creation resonates with their soul, enhancing the weapon's attributes beyond normal limits.
• Accelerated growth.
• Buffs to the above bonuses if the forged weapons are of high quality.
According to its effects, if he wielded a weapon forged by himself, the weapon's attributes would improve, and his growth rate would increase as well.
Thanks to Kanshou and Bakuya, he had already tested the bonus effects.
If he previously enhanced a weapon's stats and his growth rate by about 50%, the bonus now boosted both by around 75%.
With this ability, his growth rate would far outpace that of most other adventurers.
Unfortunately, he didn't possess the blacksmith development ability, which allowed users to create better weapons and imbue them with special effects.
Nor did he have any real knowledge or experience in forging, aside from the books he had read in the Twilight Manor library.
"Where should I learn forging?"
Shirou asked himself as he tried hard to recall the little information he had about the world of Danmachi.
From what he remembered, the Loki Familia was on good terms with two blacksmith-type familias.
The Goibniu Familia and the Hephaestus Familia.
By process of elimination, he decided to approach the Hephaestus Familia to learn forging.
Of course, he'd need Loki's help for that.
The Loki and Hephaestus familias had a great relationship.
Not only did the two goddesses get along well, but their familias also maintained a close cooperation.
"Looks like I'll have to ask Loki after dinner..." he murmured with a bitter smile.
---
Nighttime.
After another lively dinner where they once again tried to get Shirou drunk…
Loki suddenly pulled Shirou aside and dragged him to the sanctuary.
As soon as they entered the room, Loki pushed him into a chair.
"Take off your shirt, quickly. I need to see how much your basic stats have improved," she said impatiently.
She was extremely eager to see just how much Shirou's growth had been accelerated by that skill.
"Know that if the core members of our familia weren't on an expedition, you'd have to wait at least three days before updating your status."
"And even now, with such a golden opportunity, you still needed me to remind you?" Loki scolded as she updated his status.
"...What is this? What kind of absurd growth rate is this?"
"If this continues, you'll hit the requirement to reach Level 2 in less than a month."
Loki exclaimed in shock as she read Shirou's updated status.
Even though she was stunned by his progress, she still translated the information into the common language and handed it to Shirou.
---
[Name]: Shirou Emiya
[Level]: LV.1
[Basic Abilities]:
Strength: H156
Endurance: I91
Dexterity: H178
Agility: H145
Magic: G239
[Development Abilities]:
–
[Magic]:
Unlimited Blade Works
• Projection Magic
• Reality Marble
• Structural Analysis
[]
[]
[Abilities]:
--Anima Ignis
---
"Is that unusual?" Shirou asked.
He knew the growth rate was insane, but he couldn't resist teasing Loki a little.
"Unusual!? Shirou, do you even understand the kind of impact your growth speed could have!?" Loki snapped.
"An adventurer's basic abilities are divided into ten tiers, each labeled with a letter and a number from 0 to 999. That means: 0-99 is I, 100-199 is H, 200-299 is G, 300-399 is F, 400-499 is E, 500-599 is D, 600-699 is C, 700-799 is B, 800-899 is A, and 900-999 is S."
"Normally, once your basic stats reach C or higher, you're eligible to level up."
"Forget maxing out your stats—just know that the fastest person in all of Orario to reach Level 2 was Ais, and even she took a year."
"Now look at your stats again. In just one day in the dungeon, your basic abilities grew more than what most adventurers get in an entire week down there."
"If this keeps up, you'll hit Level 2 in a month. Maybe even less!"
"When that day comes, every god in Orario will be stunned. Who knows—there might even be some conspiracies against you!!"
"AND YOU STILL ASK IF THAT'S UNUSUAL!?"
Looking at Loki's expression, Shirou asked with a grin, "Are you scared of them, by any chance?"
He knew Loki would never fear something like that. Quite the opposite, in fact.
He was certain that if any god dared move against him, they would become her target.
Sure enough, upon hearing Shirou's question, Loki's shocked face twisted into a sinister smile:
"Scared? Don't be ridiculous! I'm Loki! When it comes to schemes and conspiracies, no one beats me!"
She then patted Shirou on the shoulder and said with a grin:
"You did great, Shirou! I'm really proud of your growth. By the way, your skill improves the attributes of weapons you forge yourself, right? I already talked to Hephaestus. You can go to her anytime to start learning blacksmithing."
Shirou felt warmth in his chest knowing that Loki had taken care of everything before he even asked.
"Thank you so much, Loki-sama!" Shirou said sincerely.
Hearing Shirou's gratitude, Loki smiled and wrapped an arm around his neck.
"Why are you thanking me? Don't forget—we're family!"
"All you have to do is grow as fast as possible. I can't wait to see the jealous faces of the other gods!"
"Yes! I'll do my best!" Shirou replied with a confident smile.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."