DanMachi: The Epic of the Heroic Spirits of Emiya Shirou

"A magic sword of this caliber is a one-of-a-kind item in the current Labyrinth City, with a price tag of at least one hundred million Fali, and your share is twenty percent."

-

Magic Sword Price:

The most common magic sword in the original work, which can only fire a small fireball, costs between several hundred thousand and a million falies (its power is very small, and it may not even kill a level 1 monster).

Tsubaki forged a lightning-type magic sword that could briefly stun a Lv.6 (but it didn't deal much damage). This is currently the top-tier magic sword in the Labyrinth City, and its price should be over tens of millions of falies.

Currently, it would be reasonable for a unique Super Magic Sword to be priced at hundreds of millions or even millions of yuan.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Willful Fighting Style

Emiya Shirou arrived at the Tower of Babel for the second time. On the first basement level of this white giant tower was the entrance to the underground city.

Last time, because he was traveling with other members of the clan, he didn't have a chance to observe carefully. It wasn't until now that Shirou Emiya started to notice the scenery here.

The entire hall is decorated in blue and white tones, with black stone tablets inscribed with the names of many adventurers scattered around. Thick, long pillars are spaced evenly, so numerous that they are difficult to see at a glance. Looking up, one sees a vast sky filling the entire ceiling, creating a magnificent and awe-inspiring effect, as if a corner of the real sky has been transported here.

In the very center of this magnificent space, which resembles a temple, lies a massive opening. Spiral silver stone steps lead deep into the opening, marking the entrance to the underground city. Beyond these silver steps lies the true world of monsters.

However, while one side of the cave entrance is the Demon Realm, which stands in opposition to the rest of the world, the other side is filled with the hustle and bustle of human life. The circular plaza centered on the large cave is exceptionally spacious; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it could accommodate thousands of adventurers. Yet, this seemingly excessively large space is currently feeling somewhat crowded.

"Adventurer, do you need a support person? I have the skill 'Unsung Hero,' which would be perfect for me. Please, give me a chance—"

"Thank you, but no, it's not necessary." Shirou Emiya politely declined the persistent pleas of the little girl; this was the third person to offer help to Shirou Emiya.

Avoiding the other person's regretful gaze, Shirou Emiya walked through the crowd. Seeing the volcano and forging hammer emblem on his cloak, the crowded people tacitly made way for him.

"Those who look for supporters in the square are not trustworthy. If you need supporters, it is best to choose your fellow clan members or friends you know, or hire a reputable supporter from the guild. It will be more expensive, but at least it is reliable."

When I first entered the dungeon, the Loki Familia elder Raul earnestly shared his experience, emphasizing that supporters are the cornerstone of the team and must be trustworthy individuals.

Encountering unscrupulous individuals stealing loot is a minor matter; however, if you encounter malicious individuals colluding with other adventurers, that would be a real problem.

However, Shirou Emiya doesn't need to worry about these things for the time being, because as Hephaestus said, he doesn't need any supporters at all.

He doesn't need spare weapons; he can project them using Unlimited Blade Works. Medicines don't take up much space anyway, so he can carry them with him. As for the most important loot, he simply doesn't need it.

Whether it's goblins or orcs, magic stones or drops, they are all discarded. They don't even bother to pick them up, let alone carry them.

In the words of the goddess, "If Shirou wants to make money, he can forge a sword in the workshop and earn millions in no time. Picking up those magic stones and drops is not even worth the time!"

The goddess's words make so much sense; Emiya was speechless.

The newly crafted [Demon Sword - Spiral Sword] by Chun is currently estimated to cost 100 million Fali, but the actual selling price will only be higher, not lower.

Even the lowest quality magic sword, capable of only releasing a small fireball, can sell for nearly a million falies, while the magic power and expected power of that [Magic Sword - Spiral Sword] are record-breaking.

Tsubaki and the goddess plan to first conduct preliminary publicity, and then let the families capable of buying the magic sword bid for it. Twenty percent of the transaction amount will belong to Emiya.

Tsubaki insisted on doing it this way, and if it weren't for the high costs of the initial research and production, she even felt that Emiya should be given a higher share.

In other words, if the selling price is 100 million Fali, Emiya can get a huge sum of 20 million Fali. Considering that the bounty for the first-class wanted criminal, Ms. Ryu, is 80 million Fali, it is equivalent to making 0.25 Ryu in one go. If the selling price can reach 200 million Fali, the 20% share would be 0.5 Ryu.

Therefore, Shirou Emiya doesn't need any supporters or loot; all he needs to do is fight and kill monsters!

The two new members of the Ganesha Familia and their seniors formed a fixed team, while Lefia stayed with the Loki Familia to receive magical training from Riveria. After careful consideration, Shirou Emiya decided to embark on a solo dungeon adventure.

Only in this way can he truly give it his all.

·

"Gah——"

On the fourth floor of the dungeon, the bowstring was drawn taut, and an arrow was fired, a vivid flower of blood blooming above the right eye of the short, humanoid monster [Goblin].

The goblin monster group that was charging forward suddenly stopped in their tracks. With their low intelligence, they could not understand the reason for their companion's death in an instant. However, their instincts made them feel fear at the figure hidden in the cloak in front of them.

However, the arrows were faster than their reactions.

"Right eye, right eye, right eye—" Arrows pierced the goblin's right eye socket one after another, the rhythm like a light spring rain.

Even weak monsters like goblins, who pose no threat whatsoever, can be trained in archery and dexterity using this method. Shirou Emiya never misses an opportunity to hone his skills.

Several goblins lay on the ground, their dark red blood splattering, yet not a single drop touched Emiya in the distance.

As life fades, the goblin's corpse begins to decompose at an accelerated rate.

Ignoring the magic stone fragments that might be found in the corpses, as well as the possible drops [Goblin's Fang], Shirou Emiya turned and left to continue his hunt on the fourth floor.

On deeper floors, this practice could be risky. If adventurers don't take the magic stones and they are eaten by other monsters, it could easily lead to the creation of "enhanced species."

However, there's no need to worry about this before the fourth floor. Many adventurers are exploring this area, and some will specifically pick up magic stone fragments that other adventurers don't want.

Once you reach the fourth floor or above, you'll need to add a step of crushing magic stones, but it's still much easier than mining them.

Emiya traversed the first to third levels in a very short time, but planned to linger on the fourth level for a little while.

Starting from the seventh floor, as hordes of short, hard-shelled monsters like killer ants appear, bows and arrows will become ineffective, and his primary weapon will switch to swords.

Therefore, he hoped to first train his archery skills on the fourth floor, taking advantage of the goblins and kobolds that were everywhere.

Upon encountering a lone kobold, without hesitation, he raised his hand and fired an arrow, piercing the monster's left eye.

When encountering goblins, shoot them in the right eye; when encountering kobolds, shoot them in the left eye. Shirou Emiya navigates the labyrinth, showering down a rain of death with his bow and arrows.

The projected arrows vanished along with his figure, leaving only the monster's remains in place, its eye sockets gaping open with blood, staring at the labyrinth's ceiling.

At the same time, a blonde girl carrying a sword and a huge backpack on her back also stepped into the dungeon alone.

Chapter Twenty-Four: An Encounter with Ais

The underground city, seventeenth floor.

"Goliath, has it already been defeated?" A blonde girl carrying a huge bundle looked at the empty maze with a disappointed tone.

The 13th to 17th floors of the underground city are known as the cave labyrinth, with the 13th floor also serving as the boundary between the upper and middle levels.

From the 13th floor onwards, the walls, floors, and ceilings are all constructed of solid rock. Compared to the upper levels, which are simply a flat, circular maze, the middle levels have a more complex layout, including intricately interwoven tunnels. Here, the light dims, and the air becomes humid. Vertical openings leading to deeper levels appear randomly.

On the 17th floor, in a vast maze room, there exists a massive wall known as the Wall of Sorrow, the cradle of Goliath, the lonely giant of the maze.

The Labyrinth Boss is a special type of monster that spawns only on specific floors and possesses potential abilities far exceeding the average level of that area.

For example, the Lone Giant Goliath in the 17th floor of the maze possesses a potential of Lv.4 overall and a durability of Lv.5. In contrast, the most powerful ordinary monster in this area is the Minotaur, a Minotaur with an overall ability of Lv.2.

Only one Lone King of the Labyrinth can be born at a time, and no new Lone King will appear unless it is killed. In addition, the birth cycle of Lone Kings of the Labyrinth is much longer than that of ordinary monsters. For example, the rebirth period of Lone King Goliath of the Labyrinth is as long as fourteen days.

The blonde girl had seen the information about the rebirth of the Lone King of the Labyrinth and excitedly came to the seventeenth floor, only to find that it was empty.

"Thinking about it carefully, it seems that the expedition of the Ishtar Familia only returned to the ground yesterday. The newly resurrected Goliath was defeated by them, sob..." The girl made a reluctant sound, her body was slightly bent, and the bundle on her back seemed to be even heavier.

The blonde girl, Ais Wallenstein, the "Sword Princess" of the Loki Familia, is the youngest Level 1 adventurer in the Labyrinth City and even the world. This astonishingly talented thirteen-year-old Level 5 prodigy is currently burdened with pressure, or rather, debt, that is disproportionate to her age.

The Loki Familia's last expedition ended in disastrous failure due to Ais's impulsiveness and willfulness. As a result, her prize money and allowance were all confiscated by her guardian, Riveria, and she also had to compensate the Familia for the huge amount of property lost because of her.

Even if she gave away all the magic stones and loot she got from killing the enhanced dragon monster, it wouldn't be enough. Little Ais, at such a young age, had already incurred a debt of two hundred million falies, and she would need to capture Ryu 2.5 times to pay it off.

In addition, Riveria strictly forbids her from entering the lower and deeper levels, and even the latter half of the middle level, thus restricting her activity range to within the 18th floor.

Because of the "pitfall" mechanism in the middle level, if you accidentally fall to the 27th level in the latter half of the middle level, you may encounter the Labyrinth King, the two-headed dragon Amphisbina, who has a potential ability of Lv.5 and an underwater combat strength of Lv.6.

Clearly, the Loki Familia leaders' aim was to teach Ais a lesson and temper her temper.

Afraid that she would be sold by Riveria to pay off her debts, Ais wrote a letter of self-criticism overnight and then rushed into the dungeon to grind monsters and collect magic stones.

To save money, Ais didn't even hire any support staff and rushed over herself carrying a big bag.

With her Lv.5 level and combat ability, she can hunt monsters in the upper and middle levels even while carrying a pack.

The Sword Maiden's primary target is, of course, the strongest monster in the upper and middle levels, the Labyrinth King Goliath. To pay off her debts, the girl has her sights set on Goliath's giant magic stone and the dropped item, Goliath's Fang.

Unfortunately, we came up empty-handed.

"In that case, we have no choice but to go up..."

If you can't go below the 18th floor, you can only go up there and bully the Minotaur, Hellhounds, and groups of Unicorn Rabbits, which are only level 2 weak monsters.

As for secretly running down to the lower level, Ais did have that urge, but thinking of Riveria's disappointed eyes, she restrained herself.

If he keeps acting recklessly, Riveria will probably whip him into a spinning top with a copper-tipped leather belt.

Furthermore, the money for the copper-headed belt will be charged to Ais's account, since it's equipment for Miss Ais, which is very reasonable.

Little Ais pulled out some potato balls from her backpack to stave off her hunger. While munching on the potato balls, she picked up her sword and headed upstairs.

Meanwhile, Emiya reached the twelfth floor.

Strictly speaking, this is not an area that newcomers should enter. The guild's advice is that Lv.1 adventurers should have at least a B-rank in their basic abilities in order to explore floors 10-12.

However, Emiya is not an ordinary adventurer, and his combat strength cannot be measured by the numerical values ​​of his basic abilities.

The most powerful monster on floors 11-12 is the baby dragon, a small dragon monster about 150 centimeters tall and more than 4 meters long, with an overall ability of Lv.2. Some say that the baby dragon can be regarded as the lonely king (boss) of the upper-level labyrinth.

However, baby dragons are extremely rare monsters. Not to mention there are very few records of them being hunted, there are even very few eyewitness reports. They are even harder to encounter than the precious blue swallowtail butterfly.

Shirou Emiya wasn't lucky enough to encounter a baby dragon, but if he had, he would have had the ability to maneuver and escape.

If all else fails, take out the magic sword that Sister Chun lent me and use a Lv.4 mage's magic cannon to kill the opponent.

The rare baby dragon can be ignored. Shirou Emiya's target on the 12th floor is a level 1.5 monster, such as an orc, whose overall rating is still Lv.1, but whose ability has exceeded the limit in one aspect.

At the same time, he didn't plan to go any deeper. Below the 12th floor, there would be hordes of monsters of level 2 and above. That wouldn't be an adventure; it would be suicide.

"Three lone orcs spotted—"

Emiya Shirou raised his bow and launched the first attack.

The longbow was drawn taut, and an arrow flew out, its speed and power greatly enhanced compared to the attack when shooting goblins.

The armor-piercing arrow penetrated deep into the orc's throat, a fatal wound for most, yet the massive pig-headed orc struggled.

"Such vitality, truly worthy of being called a monster." Emiya fired another arrow, piercing the orc's knee. The orc fell to the ground in a sorry state, clutching its throat and rolling around.

The other two pig-headed beastmen let out two strange cries and charged towards Emiya, but the boy remained calm and put away his bow and arrows.

"Projection started (Trace on)."

Two longswords appeared in Emiya's hands. Facing the two enraged orcs, he did not choose to dodge, but instead went to meet them head-on.

The orc raised its heavy wooden club, intending to strike the boy on the head. In its view, given the boy's physique, even if he tried to block, it would smash him along with his weapon.

However, Emiya didn't even think about parrying. Facing the orc who had raised his weapon and opened his heart, he directly used a move that a normal swordsman would not easily use—he threw his sword away.

The flying sword instantly bridged the few meters between the boy and the orc, piercing the orc's heart, but only penetrating the surface of the skin and muscle.

Orcs possess formidable durability, and with the power Emiya used, this attack could not completely penetrate their defenses.

However, he could deliver another blow.

The longsword left in his right hand thrust straight out, hitting the end of the hilt of the sword he had just thrown—the position and angle were perfect.

The sword pierced the orc's body, blood splattering everywhere. The orc's arm, which had been raised high in the air, finally fell limply to the ground.

The third orc made a choice that followed its instincts—it turned and ran away.

However, exposing one's back to an archer is undoubtedly the worst choice, even if the archer is holding a sword.

"Projection started (Trace on)."

In Shirou Emiya's hand appeared a straight-bladed short sword, about thirty centimeters long.

With a running start, acceleration, and throw, the dagger transformed into a wisp of cold air, piercing the orc's nape.

The orc remained unmoved; such an attack was merely a minor blow to its durability.

The next moment, it collapsed to the ground, lifeless, and a burnt smell emanated from the wound on the back of its neck.

The demonic sword projected by Emiya erupted inside his body, directly burning away his spine.

Although it was only a low-level magic sword with very little power, and the flames it released were not even enough to penetrate the thick hide of an orc, if it burned inside the body, even a small spark would be enough to cause terrible damage.

"Phew, the Projection Demon Sword still consumes a lot of magic power." Emiya let out a long breath. The magic power consumption of the Projection Demon Sword was no less than that of the sword's magical burst; compared to ordinary swords, the magic power consumption was on a completely different level.

However, its advantage is that it does not require chanting and is instantaneous. It is precisely because of this characteristic that the magic sword is valued by adventurers and regarded as a trump card.

Therefore, at present, Emiya's strongest attack method is the projection of the Demon Sword. However, he cannot project the Demon Sword: Spiral Sword with his current magic power, and the same applies to those high-powered Heroic Spirit Noble Phantasms.

Emiya looked to the other side. The orc who had been shot through the throat and rendered unable to fight was still alive and struggling. The monster's vitality was truly astonishing. Without any hesitation, he projected his sword to finish the orc off and shattered the magic stone in the orc's chest cavity with a single strike.

"Who?" Emiya suddenly turned his head.

As an archer, his senses were always sharp, and just now, he vaguely heard human voices.