Unexpectedly bright-that was Shirou's first impression of the Dungeon.
Narrow passages stretched in every direction. Branching paths intersected at irregular angles, leading into chambers of all shapes and sizes. The terrain itself was hostile. Any adventurer relying on long weapons would find combat here extremely uncomfortable.
"Fighting in an environment like this is indeed unfriendly to newcomers. The oppressive atmosphere, the confined space, and the constant threat of monsters appearing-anyone with weak mental fortitude would probably lose their combat effectiveness very quickly."
That applied to ordinary newcomers.
For Shirou, it didn't.
He had already experienced the Holy Grail War. He had fought legendary heroes face-to-face. Compared to that, this environment didn't register as a threat.
His body might still be that of a mortal, but his spirit and will had long since been tempered into something far more durable.
How could a mere Dungeon unsettle him?
"Crack-"
A strange sound echoed through the passage.
The walls around Shirou suddenly split open with thin fractures. From those cracks, newly born monsters spilled out, squawking as they fell to the ground.
Freshly birthed, they cried out as they gathered themselves, then swarmed toward Shirou's upright figure standing calmly in the center of the passage.
"So this is the so-called living Dungeon?"
Watching the Dungeon itself give birth to monsters, Shirou couldn't help recalling the descriptions he had read in books.
The Dungeon was alive.
On the upper floors, the monsters it produced were mostly Goblins and Spirits.
And now, standing before him, were Goblins-exactly as described.
Sharp claws. Pointed fangs. Creatures that could easily injure careless newcomers.
"So these are monsters?"
Shirou's lips curved slightly.
"Now it finally feels like an adventure world."
Twin swords flicked in his hands as he charged forward. He had no intention of waiting for them to surround him.
At present, Shirou's physical abilities weren't especially outstanding. In pure physical terms, he lagged far behind Beast-people.
What allowed him to surpass other adventurers was not raw strength, but experience. Mature combat sense. Techniques honed through real battles.
As for magic-once he deployed his Reality Marble, how much magical energy would remain?
Dungeon exploration was a war of attrition. That was something he needed to adapt to. This wasn't the Holy Grail War. Miyu wasn't here to supply him with magical energy.
Closing the distance, Shirou's swords rose and fell.
The Goblin's life ended instantly.
Fragile.
But that was the defining trait of Goblins.
Even a newcomer, as long as they remained cautious and kept their courage, could defeat them without much difficulty.
That was why, for beginners, mindset mattered more than anything else.
After killing the first Goblin, Shirou didn't even glance at the monster as it dissolved into ash. He immediately turned and charged at the others.
If he could easily defeat them one-on-one, there was no need for complicated tactics against multiple opponents.
Goblins weren't fast.
The two closest to him had already gathered together.
Shirou rushed in and timed it precisely. He kicked one Goblin away and immediately hurled a weapon after it.
Without slowing, he cut down the remaining Goblin beside him with a single sword.
In the distance, the Goblin that had been kicked away was already pinned to the ground, impaled by the thrown weapon. It turned to ash moments later.
"Projection Start!"
Rather than retrieving the thrown weapon, Shirou projected new ones on the spot, restoring the armaments in his hands.
Three Goblins remained.
Shirou advanced calmly.
The fight ended quickly.
"Indeed. The first floor exists for new adventurers to adapt."
"This isn't the battlefield I need."
He collected the six magic stones scattered on the ground and placed them carefully into his backpack.
Money.
In this world, due to the widespread use of magic stone products, magic stones were practically currency.
For adventurers, they were the primary source of income. Monsters dropped magic stones, and those stones could be exchanged directly for Valis at the Guild on the surface.
Which meant one thing.
Magic stones were money.
"These six are probably worth around a thousand Valis. Enough for one meal."
With his backpack secured and the area cleared, Shirou continued deeper into the Dungeon.
The first floor was too simple. It offered no meaningful training effect for him.
Although the Blessing in this world resembled a game-like status screen, growth didn't come from accumulating experience points by killing monsters.
The increase in Divine Blessing attributes came from training.
Strength.
Endurance.
Dexterity.
Agility.
Magic.
To increase Strength, one needed to exert force.
To increase Endurance, one needed to endure attacks.
To increase Dexterity, one needed to actively move their body.
To increase Agility, one needed to run at full speed.
To increase Magic, one needed to use magic.
Daily training could raise these attributes, but the gains were far slower than those achieved through real combat with monsters.
Between life and death lay great terror.
Only true life-or-death battles could draw out an adventurer's full potential.
The monsters on the first floor were no different from routine training within a Familia.
That was why Shirou needed to go deeper.
Much deeper.
Dungeon-Eighth Floor.
This was the territory of Killer Ants.
It was also the floor where the largest number of Killer Ants were born.
Sometimes, the Dungeon would spawn the same monster across several consecutive floors. As one descended, the number of monsters and the frequency of their appearances steadily increased.
The Eighth Floor marked the peak of Killer Ant activity.
"Clang-!"
Twin swords crossed, blocking a frontal attack.
Shirou, who had been constantly observing his surroundings, immediately kicked the attacking Killer Ant away. Without hesitation, he slashed at another that had already closed in from the side.
A clean strike severed its arm.
Ignoring the shrill roar, Shirou followed up without pause. The two short swords in his hands moved in rapid succession, striking from unconventional angles.
The Killer Ant's head was cut off.
But the fight wasn't over.
Shirou twisted his body and charged toward two more Killer Ants approaching from the side.
Surrounded by enemies, he showed no panic. No fear.
Only calm focus as he faced the monsters before him.
He rushed into the narrow gap between the two closely packed Killer Ants.
His left sword blocked one attack.
At the same time, his right sword thrust forward at close range, piercing the other Killer Ant.
Without stopping, Shirou leaned backward.
He slammed his back into the Killer Ant behind him.
As his body collided with it, the left sword that had just been used for defense was already drawn back and thrust behind him in a reverse grip.
"Boom!"
The Killer Ant was slammed against the wall.
Pinned.
It had no chance to resist.
As Shirou pulled the sword free, the monster behind him turned to ash.
Only the sound of a magic stone hitting the ground remained.
Shirou glanced around.
Several Killer Ants were still moving.
Breathing slightly heavier now, he decided to end the battle quickly.
He stepped forward lightly and charged again.
Isolated Killer Ants were cut down effortlessly.
Those clustered together required more effort, but nothing beyond his control.
When two Killer Ants leaped toward him simultaneously, Shirou jumped as well.
In mid-air, he spun his body and threw both weapons in his hands.
The blades pierced straight through their bodies.
Before landing, Shirou projected new weapons in mid-air.
As his feet touched the ground, his arms moved.
The last two Killer Ants were cut down.
Sword light flashed.
Their bodies split apart and turned into ash.
Shirou landed in a half-crouch.
After a moment, he straightened and turned to look at the battlefield he had just cleared.
In the dim passage, magic stones scattered across the ground, glowing faintly.
"...Looks like today will be a good haul."
Leaning against the wall, Shirou let out a light breath.
He smiled, satisfied.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter