On the ninth floor of the dungeon.
In a winding passage, a red-haired young man wielded his twin "married" swords, representing Yin and Yang, cutting down every monster that crossed his path.
The black Yang sword was covered in a hexagonal pattern, while the white Yin sword had less of a metallic sheen and more of the soft, misty glow of a cloud.
He carried a heavy backpack on his back, yet showed no signs of fatigue or that the weight was affecting his agility—it was as if he were carrying nothing at all.
He moved swiftly between monsters, harvesting their lives with speed and precision.
From time to time, he would hurl his twin blades at monsters, then draw his bow and, with deadly accuracy, slay each enemy with a single arrow.
His awareness extended in every direction, tracking every movement of nearby monsters.
Despite his strength, he was not arrogant.
He seemed to have no blind spots, constantly blocking and countering attacks from every angle.
Whether he was blocking, dodging, or attacking, he was completely different from who he had been ten days ago.
This red-haired figure, skilled not only with blades but also with the bow, was none other than a Level 1 rookie of the Loki Familia—a young man from another world who came here seeking strength: Shirou Emiya.
After dispatching the last monster, Shirou turned and looked at the scattered magic stones on the ground, a smile forming on his face.
As time passed, Shirou's basic abilities continued to increase drastically.
But just like with any adventurer, the rate at which they improved began to slow down.
For the past ten days, he had spent every day fighting on the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors.
He had no plans to descend to deeper levels yet, as everything beyond the tenth floor changed drastically.
Floors 10 to 12 share a similar structure to the eighth and ninth floors. However, the light coming from above resembles morning mist. By the twelfth floor, the fog becomes much denser than on the tenth or eleventh.
Large-type monsters such as Orcs and Infant Dragons begin to appear on these floors. It's also where monsters start using environmental features, like trees, as weapons for the first time.
Shirou had a clear understanding of his own strength.
Even though he had once won the Holy Grail War in a single night, that was in the past—besides, back then, he was empowered by a Class Card.
In terms of magic, unless he used his Reality Marble or Projection Magic, he wasn't much different from Bell.
What set him apart was that Shirou had far more experience and combat skill.
He was practically the "enhanced protagonist."
Jokes aside, Shirou had not yet ventured into the main tenth floor because of his current strength.
But now, he felt the time had finally come.
Still, before that, he needed to visit the Hephaestus Familia to learn the art of forging.
Though Loki had arranged everything a long time ago, Shirou hadn't started his training right away. His Dexterity stat was still too low to produce anything worthwhile.
But now, all his basic stats had risen above C-rank.
"Ah~~ That's enough for today. I still need to rest, since tomorrow I'm going to the Hephaestus Familia to learn forging," Shirou murmured as he began heading back to the surface.
He already had plans for his future.
After dealing with a few unexpected encounters—more specifically, monsters—Shirou finally reached the surface.
Though many things in this world resembled an RPG, there was no teleportation device to instantly return to the surface. Everyone had to rely on their own legs.
Not to mention, Shirou was still carrying a heavy load.
The reason he was acting as a part-time porter was solely to enhance his training.
With his combat experience, monsters rarely landed a hit on him, which made Endurance the slowest-growing of all his basic stats.
Still, even with the added weight, the growth rate—though slow—was better than having none at all.
After selling all of the day's loot, Shirou left the Guild and took a deep breath of the fresh surface air.
"Ahh~ Much better than that damp dungeon air."
"Next time, I'll head straight down to the tenth floor."
Shirou didn't go straight back to the Twilight Manor. Instead, he stopped by the shopping district to pick up a few things.
After ten days of hard work, Shirou finally had enough Valis to furnish his room.
He was no longer the poor, miserable boy he'd been when he first arrived.
"Perfect!"
After some decorating, Shirou's room looked far cozier.
He was genuinely satisfied with the setup. After all, his domestic skills were EX-rank!
Lying comfortably in his soft bed, Shirou couldn't stop thinking about his sister, Miyu.
"I really want to bring Miyu here too…"
Recalling the good old days with his younger sister, Shirou soon fell asleep. It was one of the best nights of rest he'd had since arriving in Orario.
---
"So this is the Crimson Chamber of Valka, the residence of the Hephaestus Familia? They really are the strongest blacksmiths in Orario."
[A/N: In the light novel, the name of Hephaestus Familia's home is Vulcan Etna.]
Shirou couldn't help but sigh in awe as he looked at the building in front of him—it was no less grand than the Loki Familia's Twilight Manor.
"Excuse me, is anyone here? I'm Shirou Emiya from the Loki Familia," Shirou called from outside.
"You're the one from Loki Familia who wants to learn forging?"
A woman with dark skin, long black hair, red eyes, and an eyepatch covering her left eye replied. She had a well-endowed chest, wrapped in a sarashi, and wore a red hakama and sandals.
"I'm Tsubaki. Lady Hephaestus gave me the task of teaching you the art of forging."
"I didn't expect the captain of the Hephaestus Familia herself to teach me. I'm really grateful."
Shirou knew very well who the woman before him was.
Tsubaki Collbrande, the captain of the Hephaestus Familia and the most skilled blacksmith in Orario.
Looking at the respectful Shirou, Tsubaki smiled and gave his shoulder a firm pat.
"No need to thank me. It's been a while since I've seen Finn and the others. How are they doing?"
"Well, I'm still new to the familia. Since I joined, I haven't had the chance to meet the captain or the main team of adventurers," Shirou replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
Indeed, Shirou had only been part of the Loki Familia for half a month, and the main team hadn't returned yet from their latest expedition in the dungeon.
"Right, how could I forget? Finn did come by to buy weapons and gear before heading out. I guess I've been locked in my workshop for too long," Tsubaki said, tapping her forehead.
She then shook her head and turned to Shirou. "Come with me, Shirou. I'll personally teach you the best forging techniques in Orario."
"Yes! I'll give it everything I've got!" Shirou replied, following her without hesitation.
---
(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."