Shirou calmly advanced through the dungeon in silence, wrapped in a serenity that set him apart from every other adventurer around him.
The journey ahead was just as grueling for him as for anyone else, and yet, his mind remained calm and steadfast.
There was no fear, no hesitation.
The only thing left was the simple act of moving forward.
His steps were steady, his gaze focused. He didn't need to motivate himself with bravado or battle cries. The fire that drove him came from within — quiet, but relentless.
And even among the adventurers walking the same path, Shirou stood out.
His clothing carried an unmistakable refinement. High-grade gear, clearly crafted from superior materials — durable, form-fitting, designed for real combat.
It wasn't hard for the others to notice.
Even though no one knew who he was, all eyes turned to him with a mix of curiosity and envy.
Elite equipment... tackling the middle floors alone...
He must be an advanced adventurer.
And yet, Shirou paid no mind to any of those gazes.
He simply continued forward, ignoring the silent voices around him as if walking through a world of his own.
The monsters from the upper floors were no challenge to him anymore. He dispatched them with precision and efficiency, without even slowing his stride.
His true destination lay deeper.
More specifically — the 17th floor.
There awaited the Monster Rex, a formidable enemy that tested even experienced parties.
And of course, Shirou knew he had no chance of defeating it alone.
The difference in strength between them was still immense — a wall he could not yet climb with his current abilities.
---
The Monster Rex of the 17th floor was Goliath, a colossal creature with a combat power ranked at level 4. For a mere level 1 adventurer, facing it head-on was unthinkable. Defeating such a monster alone bordered on absurdity — a distant dream for any beginner.
And yet, Shirou decided to take a bold path. Inspired by the feat of Ottar, the strongest adventurer in Orario, he chose to do something similar: a solo expedition.
Of course, the difference between them was vast. Ottar had not only descended to the 59th floor alone but also defeated the floor boss and returned unscathed.
Shirou, on the other hand, had a much more modest goal: reach the 17th floor — face all the challenges up to that point — and then return alive.
Even so, when comparing his goal to Ottar's, he felt slightly embarrassed. It was like placing a mouse next to a dragon.
---
At the entrance to the 13th floor, Shirou paused for a moment. The atmosphere was beginning to change. The air grew more humid, more dense. With a firm expression, he tightened the straps of his backpack against his shoulders.
This time, no magic stones, no collection items. His backpack carried only supplies. Everything unrelated to combat had been left behind.
The goal of this incursion was clear: to fight.
"Let's begin..." he muttered, performing a brief warm-up — rotating his shoulders and stretching the muscles in his arms and legs. Every movement was calculated. He couldn't afford to start a battle with a cold body.
He took a deep breath and stepped forward into the dark passage ahead.
At first glance, the 13th floor resembled a natural cave carved into the side of a mountain. Wet rocks, stalactites, and small streams gave the environment a mystical feel. It unconsciously reminded Shirou of Mount Enzou.
But he shook his head, pushing the memories away.
It wasn't time for nostalgia.
His eyes focused forward, and his thoughts aligned with his objective.
---
With his katana drawn, he moved through the rocky corridor. The sound of small paws echoing against the walls was his first warning.
An Almiraj leapt from the darkness, aiming for his chest.
Without hesitation, Shirou spun and sliced the creature in half, the steel gleaming under the magical torches installed on the cavern ceiling.
Another Almiraj followed, attempting to strike from behind. In a fluid motion, Shirou hurled his katana like a spear — the blade pierced the creature's skull and pinned it to the wall.
He ignored the katana and immediately projected Kanshou and Bakuya. At that moment, a whole group of Almirajs poured out from a crevice in the rocks, the ground trembling slightly under the weight of dozens of swift paws.
(So many...) he thought, gritting his teeth. He knew this was the true challenge of the middle floors — not the strength of individual monsters, but their overwhelming numbers.
Almirajs were deceptively cute — white rabbits with a single horn on their foreheads. But their sweetness was a lie. They had aggressive instincts and, when in groups, their classification rose from level 1 to level 2. They only appeared on the 13th and 14th floors, making them a constant obstacle for adventurers passing through.
Shirou took a deep breath as he readied himself.
The Almirajs surged like a wave of fur and horns.
He charged toward them — not fleeing, but advancing.
With a leap, he landed atop the first group, cutting down two Almirajs in a single sweeping slash. A third tried to gore his thigh, but Shirou twisted mid-air and stomped on its head, using it as a springboard to launch himself upward, landing among another cluster of enemies with a descending blow from Kanshou that split yet another in two.
Shirou fought with precision.
Every strike was lethal, every movement maximized.
He had already memorized the path through the middle floors ahead of time. Without stopping for even a second, he kept running and fighting.
Every monster in his way was slain.
ROAR!!
Even while running, Shirou remained alert.
Before the sound even reached him, he had already sensed three figures approaching.
Three Hellhounds.
Hellhounds were dog-like monsters that could shoot magical flames from their mouths.
They were physically among the weaker monsters of the middle floors, but their flames had caused countless deaths. Wearing Salamander Wool was a requirement for most adventurers exploring the dungeon.
Even higher-level adventurers could be turned to ash by a direct hit.
They also possessed exceptional resistance to fire magic.
[A/N: Only now I realized I forgot to mention Shirou's haori is made from Salamander Wool…]
The Hellhounds didn't immediately charge Shirou. They lowered their bodies, preparing to pounce.
But before they could attack, arrows pierced their skulls.
The moment Shirou sensed them coming, he had dismissed his twin swords, projected a bow, and fired three arrows simultaneously — each one striking its target's head.
Bang!
The sound of the bowstring snapping and the rush of wind echoed through the cavern.
Shirou had no time to rest. He sensed something quickly approaching from behind.
He spun around and loosed another arrow into the head of an oncoming Almiraj.
With the immediate threats eliminated, he slung the bow onto his back and projected another pair of twin blades, resuming his advance.
The reason he didn't leave the bow behind, as he normally did, was to conserve magical energy. After all, he would definitely need the bow again soon.
Thanks to the Falna, Shirou's projection magic had evolved to an epic level.
Bladed weapons — swords, spears, halberds — were the primary focus of his Reality Marble, in accordance with Shirou's Origin: "Sword." This made it impossible to register or reproduce modern weaponry like firearms or other mobile weapons.
Shields and defensive gear could be reproduced with far greater effort, consuming two to three times more mana than a sword, and their effects were far more fleeting compared to the originals.
But now, he could project shields and defensive armaments with standard consumption, while the mana cost for bladed weapons had been halved.
"You won't stop me!" Shirou shouted, immediately projecting dozens of swords and spears and launching them at the surrounding monsters — reminiscent of Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.
The continuous use of projected weapons marked the rising intensity of the battle.
Along the way, Shirou kept swinging his blades as he ran, cutting down every monster that appeared in his path.
He used dozens of weapons as he pressed forward — swords, spears, halberds, axes — slaughtering as he advanced.
Even so, he still sustained light injuries.
The monsters' attacks were growing stronger, and there were always strikes Shirou couldn't block.
But none of it could stop him.
Before long, Shirou reached the entrance to the fourteenth floor — only to find monsters already waiting for him there.
"Is this the gift the dungeon prepared for me? That wasn't necessary..." Shirou chuckled as he drew his bow once again.
With a grin on his face, he began firing arrows, taking down monster after monster without pause.
Soon, all that remained were monster cores and a few item drops.
Panting now, Shirou walked past everything on the ground and finally reached the passage to the 14th floor.
---
(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."