988. Shirou and the Adventurers / 989. Shirou, the Magic Sword Smith ...

However, he never expected that he would be attacked by minotaurs as soon as he entered the fifth floor. The people here call these creatures Minotaur, but they look very different from the one Shirou knows, and they are also different from the legends in mythology.

Compared to the demigod monster born of the human beauty Europe, Zeus, the King of Gods, was far too weak. Even now, Zeus could kill it if he found an opening.

Shirou drew fifteen arrows with golden arrowheads from the quiver behind his backpack, nocked them on the bone bow, and aimed at the Minotaur's crimson eyes, preparing to save the boy.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and a girl wearing a tight-fitting dress and light blue armor rushed up from behind, carrying a sword.

Just by looking at the girl's rapidly running figure, you could tell she was a battle-hardened swordswoman.

Shirou sheathed the arrow he hadn't yet fired. Since a swordsman of this caliber had arrived, there was no need for him to take action.

The girl's swordsmanship was extremely ferocious, mercilessly stabbing at the monster, then slashing it left and right, causing blood and foam to fly everywhere in the cave. The Minotaur, almost cut into pieces, leaned back and let out a final mournful cry before collapsing helplessly.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Chapter 988 Shirou and the Adventurers

"Are you alright?" The blonde girl bent down slightly and reached out her hand to the boy who had fallen to the ground.

The boy, slumped on the ground, his face smeared with the Minotaur's blood, only then saw the newcomer's appearance clearly and was immediately stunned.

The girl wore a light blue armor over her shoulders, and underneath, for ease of combat, she wore a tight-fitting dress that perfectly showcased her curvaceous figure. Below the swaying hem of the dress, she wore blue knee-high boots. Only between the dress and the boots was a glimpse of her fair and firm thighs—a stunning sight that was simply dazzling.

The girl held a sword, her beautiful figure exuding the aura of absolute power. Her face possessed a unique beauty that humans lacked, a beauty unique to fairies. The girl was a hybrid of human and fairy, and her appearance was comparable to that of the most beautiful fairy.

However, her young age made her appear somewhat childish, and she possessed more of a girlish charm than the allure of an adult woman.

The boy knew the girl's name; she was a top-tier adventurer among all adventurers, a genius adventurer from the Loki Familia, a first-class clan, a legendary figure who reached level 5 at the young age of sixteen, known as 'Sword Princess' — Ais Wallenstein.

Someone of his level 1 rank wouldn't even be qualified to look at the other person from afar, yet he never expected to be able to talk to them at such close range.

The boy, whose name was Bell, felt his heart pounding and his body burning with fever; he seemed to be in love.

At that very moment, something strange happened. The Minotaur, which should have been dead, began to convulse violently, and crimson flames erupted from its body. By burning its wounds, the Minotaur was able to stand up again. Then, the monster's size began to grow, and in just a few seconds, it went from being more than two meters tall to more than seven meters tall, becoming a gigantic monster wrapped in flames.

The first thing the minotaur did upon regaining consciousness was to seek revenge. It raised its massive paw and slammed it down on the young female swordsman who had her back to it. The enlarged claw contrasted sharply with the girl's petite body, completely covering her. If such a blow were to land, the girl would likely be reduced to a pile of minced meat in a very miserable way.

"Watch out!!!" the boy lying on the ground shouted urgently.

At that moment, Shirou moved.

When Shirou saw the flame, he knew something was wrong. He quickly drew three pure silver arrows from the right side of his backpack, nocked them, and fired in one fluid motion. The arrows transformed into a streak of cold silver light and pierced the Minotaur's eyeball.

"Awoooooo!!!" The minotaur paused its massive hand strike due to the intense pain.

This gave Sword Princess enough time to retaliate. She turned around and slashed at the Minotaur's claws with her sword.

The sword struck something in the minotaur's hand, sparking a shower of sparks and deflecting the minotaur's claws.

The Sword Princess's blade cracked under the immense force of the minotaur. Without hesitation, she slashed again, and after several strikes, one of the minotaur's claws was finally severed.

However, for a monster engulfed in scorching flames, one hand is far from enough to defeat it.

At this moment, the silver arrow embedded in the minotaur began to play its true role. The moment the silver sword came into contact with the blood, it began to melt, and the entire arrow turned into a concentrated acidic poison that flowed into the minotaur's head along with the blood vessels.

The minotaur, who was unharmed despite being engulfed in flames, suddenly began to emit blue smoke from its ears, its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed to the ground.

The Sword Princess stepped forward and severed the Minotaur's head, only to discover that, apart from its horns and skull, the entire head had become limp and lifeless.

"Whoa..." Bell looked at the bull's head, which seemed to have been hollowed out, and was so frightened that he braced himself on his hands and shuffled back a distance.

"Don't worry, the arrow's effect only lasts for one minute; it'll be useless after it burns out," Shirou said, stepping forward to the two of them.

Shirou crouched down and picked up the minotaur's severed claw, which was adorned with a giant's ring—the very culprit that had broken the Sword Princess's sword earlier.

The reason the Minotaur mutated was because something that didn't belong to this world appeared on its Minotaur.

"Um...? Eh?" Bell was about to say something, but was startled by Shirou's actions.

"Shirou, you can just call me that." Shirou took out a saw and a cleaver from his backpack and began dismembering the mutated Minotaur to gather materials. If he wasn't quick, the strange energy in this dungeon would turn the slain monsters into nutrients, completely absorbing them and transforming them into Magic Stone crystals.

"Mr. Shirou? How did you do that? Generally speaking, shouldn't monsters... they..." Bell looked at Shirou's actions in astonishment. If the cut-off pieces could be exchanged for money, to be honest, he would want them too. After all, his family was very poor, and he also had to support a Goddess.

"You mean it will disappear? Even ordinary monsters can suddenly breathe fire and grow bigger. There's more to this than I can explain in a short time." Shirou then peeled the giant's ring off the minotaur's claws and put it into his backpack along with the other materials. As soon as he removed the ring, the Minotaur turned into a glowing light, and a large pile of Magic Stone fell to the ground. It seemed that due to the surge in energy after the mutation, the amount of Magic Stone far exceeded the amount that the Minotaur would normally drop.

Shirou looked at the two and said, "I'll keep the materials, and you can have the dropped Magic Stone, okay? Besides, no one else needs them except me."

"..." The baby-faced female swordsman did not answer, but only looked at the boy on the ground.

"Huh? Me?" The blood-covered boy waved his hands and said, "No, I didn't help at all, so I can't accept any reward."

"No, this monster is actually related to me. If I hadn't come here, it probably wouldn't have mutated," Shirou said sincerely to the two of them.

"No, it's my fault." The blonde female swordsman stepped forward and said firmly. Actually, this Minotaur was a monster that she and her companions had missed while they were fighting in the deep dungeons. It had been frightened and gone berserk, so it had run all the way from the dozen or so underground levels all the way to the fifth level.

If she hadn't returned in time, the boy would have been killed by the Minotaur, and she felt guilty about it. However, she hadn't expected the Minotaur to mutate; the dungeon was becoming increasingly dangerous. So, besides feeling guilty towards the boy, she also owed a favor to the man named Shirou, and as for the Magic Stone, she couldn't possibly accept it.

"Huh?" Bell was even more confused. Did this mean that powerful adventurers in dungeons all rushed to take on responsibility?

"Um..." So he raised his hand and said, "Actually, I also made the mistake of rashly entering the fifth level because my strength was too poor."

Chapter 989 Shirou, the Demon Sword Forger

"Aaaaaah!!" Shirou stared at the two idiots who wouldn't take any benefits. They were just too stupid. Could these guys really survive in the dungeon by themselves?

But it's precisely these naive girls that make me feel uneasy, and I don't want them to suffer any losses.

Shirou grew a little impatient and said loudly, "Alright, I'll accept the Magic Stone. Well, I don't really dislike you guys. How about this: since your equipment is all broken, I'll craft an item for both of you as a return gift."

"But..." Bell hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"My companions are still waiting for me," the blonde girl said in a cool, expressionless voice.

"Sword Princess, your sword is broken too, you need to replace it, right? I have a suitable sword for you. Little brother, you seem to need some better equipment as well. Anyway, come with me, this world has become a bit chaotic because of some things. If my equipment can help you, I'll be happy to do so." Shirou directly grabbed the boy on the ground and pulled him outside.

"Wait, wait, sir. I can't accept this." The boy, unable to break free from the pull, said.

"By the way, what's your name?" Shirou asked.

"Bell, my name is Bell Krune, no, wait, I can't go over there," Bell protested.

"Have you ever heard of the Ten Great Craftsmen of Good Swords?" Shirou turned around helplessly and asked the two of them.

Bell exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that the work of that super famous weapon master? The sword-type Noble Phantasm he forged can even rival the works of the Crafting God!"

Even a newcomer like Bell could often hear this name. No one knew this name before, but when he came to the city, he submitted ten magic swords for auction at the auction house at once.

These magic swords are not ordinary mass-produced products on the market. Each one has its own unique characteristics and is exquisitely crafted. The True Magic effects attached to them are also different. Legend has it that they have received the blessing of rare fairy spirits, and their durability is more than three times that of ordinary magic swords.

The ten magic swords wielded by the Demon Sword Forger form a series, all named after flowers and plants.

The five flowers are: Phoebe, crabapple, Snow Plum, Daphne, Ink Bamboo, Autumn Chrysanthemum, Bauhinia, peony, dandelion, and night-blooming jasmine; each representing the characteristics and symbolism of the demonic sword.

At the beginning of the auction, many people didn't realize it, but after that, people understood that it was not only an excellent weapon, but also a masterpiece with great collectible value.

Various factions joined the scramble for the ten demonic swords, and every swordsman considered it an honor to possess a sword forged by the Demon Sword Forger.

These ten magical swords were known as the Ten Great Craftsmen of Good Swords Making. As the pioneering work of the 'Demon Sword Forger,' who was destined to become a legendary blacksmith, they were fiercely sought after.

"Yes, that's what I forged," Shirou said to the two of them.

While Shirou is not well-known as a warrior, he has made a considerable name for himself as a blacksmith.

The blonde woman looked at Shirou and asked, "The Demon Sword Blacksmith?"

"Hmm." Shirou nodded.

--' The Demon Sword Forger's is someone who specializes in forging demon swords. In a world where even weapons that can unleash a small fireball are extremely rare, he truly possesses remarkable skills.

The blonde woman said, "I do want a sword that won't break, and I'll pay for it."

"I said I'd give it to you, and I mean it. I'll even have the equipment custom-made for you. Anyway, come with me!" Shirou said.

This time, the two finally behaved themselves, Shirou led them towards a blacksmith's shop in the city. Although he had also built a workshop in the suburbs, it was too far to go there. So he planned to borrow a place from someone he knew.

Back in the city, I soon saw the main road packed with people of all races, and I weaved through the crowd.

Dwarves, goblins, orcs, Parum... and pointy-eared elves carrying True Magic.

The Little Folk generally no more than 1 meter tall, but their body proportions are actually very harmonious, making them appear petite and cute.

The dwarves, who were of similar height, were a group of strong, muscular men with bearded man, and all of them had loud voices.

Beastkin with furry ears and tails.

The Spirit Race is a True Magic race of nature messengers, born with powerful magic, such as Water Spirit, Fire Spirit, wind, thunder, earth, and light.

Among them, the Goblin Race who resemble old men are the most adapted to city life, and are therefore more common.

Inside, there are also the rarest and most mysterious immortal spirits, who are recognized as the race closest to the gods. They are also known as the children most favored by the gods, or the avatars of the gods.

In legends, they assisted heroes in defending against monsters from the dungeons in ancient times, before the gods descended to earth.

The pointed-eared Elf Race live in an elven realm within the forest and are skilled in using bows and arrows as well as True Magic.

There is also the Amazon, an all-female warrior race. They are said to be descendants of Ares, God of War. They capture powerful men, mate with them, and produce offspring. Furthermore, every child born to Amazon is female, becoming the next generation of Amazon.

Some were dressed casually as ordinary citizens, while others carried dangerous weapons and were fully armored; they were adventurers.

Even though Shirou had been in this city for a while, everything still felt new and exciting. After all, it was like an adventure world from Dungeons & Dragons, practically one of the ideal fantasy worlds he had dreamed of as a boy when he admired heroes.

At this moment, the boy Bell beside him also showed a similar expression to Shirou. This place was truly colorful. Even the surging crowd was endlessly fascinating. The noisy and bustling crowd made him feel inexplicably happy.

"This place is truly captivating," Bell exclaimed.

"Right! I think so too," Shirou chimed in.

"Really?" Bell looked at Shirou excitedly as if he had found a kindred spirit. At this moment, Shirou had already taken off his hood, and he actually didn't look much older than Bell, so Bell also let go of his original restraint.

"Ah, a hero who travels the world, upholds justice, defeats evil dragons, and saves Princess —every boy has dreamed of that, right? So this city is practically a miracle," Shirou said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I get it! I get it! I'm actually from the countryside. I used to live with my grandfather. I've been reading stories of heroes since I was little, and I've always admired the heroic deeds of adventurers," Bell excitedly chimed in.

The hot-blooded young man unexpectedly found himself kindred spirits with Shirou.

Chapter 990 The Goddess Who Dropped the Buckle in Venus's Underworld

Bell was very happy. He had always lived in the countryside with his grandfather. After coming to this big city, he knew nothing and was subjected to a lot of ridicule. This was the first time he had met someone he could talk to so well.

But when he thought about his weak strength, he felt a little disappointed and muttered, "But I'm too weak... I was almost killed by a level two Minotaur."

"No, even heroes start with slimes. Your performance wasn't bad. The important thing is not to give up and persevere. As long as you keep training every day, you'll definitely improve. Effort may not always be immediately effective, but the soreness after training will never betray you." Shirou gazed intently at the sunset outside the city and said sincerely.

Bell's eyes lit up, and he looked at Shirou excitedly, shouting, "Big... Big Brother! Can I call you Big Brother?!"

The blonde girl, Ais was walking quietly behind, looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression, tilting her head in confusion. She felt like she might have missed something.

"We're here." Shirou led the two to a large blacksmith shop and went straight into the innermost room.

"Excuse me, boss, are you busy?" Shirou knocked on the door and went in.

Sitting at the desk inside was a tall woman with short red hair, wearing an eyepatch over her right eye, sketching something on a drawing. Hearing the sound, she put down her pen and said irritably;

"What? It's you, Shirou! You actually knew to come back."

The woman possessed a very special aura because she was not human, but a deity descended to earth. She was the god of Fire God and blacksmiths in the Greek gods, and legend has it that the palace where the Greek gods gathered, the chariot that carried the sun, Zeus's thunderbolt, Poseidon's trident, and Hades's fork were all made by her.

Even in this world where multiple pantheons of gods coexist, her skills are among the best.

When Shirou first arrived here, he was an unregistered resident and had lost his powers, so he could only find ordinary jobs. That's why he came to the blacksmith shop, hoping to find a job in forging.

Even without divine favor, Shirou's extensive knowledge of weapons was enough to make him a qualified blacksmith. Then he met Hephaestus, the owner of the place, and successfully applied for the job.

Hephaestus quickly discovered that Shirou had great ideas about weapon forging. With the intention of promoting talented people, she tried to talk to Shirou. With his advanced concepts that integrated the cold weapons and forging techniques of later generations, Shirou had a very pleasant conversation with Hephaestus.

The generous Hephaestus immediately offered to fund Shirou's forging of the magic sword, which enabled Shirou to earn his first pot of gold.

Shirou was just about to talk to Hephaestus about taking over a forging station.

Just then, two golden shadows shot into the Crafting God's shop from the sky, rolled several times on the ground before stopping, and smashed a large hole in the wall that was originally standing there.

I've told you not to drive recklessly!

"If you hadn't taken my hand, I wouldn't have made that mistake!"

"You gold-digging bastard!"

"You dark bastard!"

Shirou looked at the two figures wrestling on the ground and confirmed that they were Ishtar and Ereshkigal Rin without a doubt. In this world, the god still resides in the body of Rin Tohsaka, a girl with a deep connection to the Holy Grail, but as a god, she is stronger.

They replaced the gods who originally existed in this world, becoming Inanna, the goddess of Venus, and Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, from the upper realm to the human world in Mesopotamian mythology.

The two goddess sisters are usually quite normal, charming, and powerful, but for some reason, they always seem to mess things up at crucial moments. Shirou, who has an inexplicable connection with them, hasn't had a moment's peace since he met them here.

Bang!

The two goddesses bumped into a table while they were fighting, causing a vase on top to fall and break.