994. The Goddess Ran Away in Tears / 995. The Goddess Hestia

All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin, but Shaolin martial arts actually came from India and have a deep connection with Patriarch Bodhidharma, the founder of Buddhism who Crossing the river on a reed. Although India was actually a collection of dozens of countries fighting each other before it was colonized by Britain and never achieved unification, a certain consensus was formed in religion. As a result, many devout ascetics emerged, including some extraordinary people with high martial arts skills.

"What?!" Shirou was also startled. The man in front of him seemed to have no bones, stretching his limbs at will and changing direction as flexibly and freely as dough.

"Hmph! Scared now! The Liver Emperor has mastered a rare skill—yoga! It has the effect of increasing the body's flexibility and suppleness by 100. He is a master of physical manipulation!!!" Someone from the same clan on the outer perimeter said with a laugh.

It is precisely because of this rare skill that the Liver Emperor was able to stand out in level two. Although he has not yet leveled up, he already possesses the strength of a mid-level level three player.

"Hahaha!!!" The Liver Emperor's eyes widened like a bull's, and his hands lashed out like whips, turning into long brown shadows that lashed out at Shirou.

Shirou doesn't have Unlimited Blade Works, so when he goes to the dungeon, he uses various specially made weapons to fight monsters, such as ropes to bind monsters, barbed wire scattered on the ground, arrows and darts. Of course, his best weapon is still the sword!

Shirou drew his katana from his waist, and a swift flash of silver light appeared.

Drawing Sword Slash!!!

With a flick of his wrist, the Liver Emperor sprang high into the air as if springy, narrowly avoiding Shirou's slash. He then opened his palms and brought them down from mid-air once more towards Shirou's face!

"Don't even think about it!" Shirou drew another small katana that emitted a faint purple glow and slashed upwards at the Liver Emperor's descending hand.

The Liver Emperor twisted his arm again, dodging the slash.

"It's useless! It's useless! The weapon's trajectory is too obvious. The human body is the strongest, quack quack quack!!!!"

"Again!" Shirou drew both swords, but missed Liver Emperor. He then threw darts, each of which Liver Emperor dodged with unimaginable flexibility. At least he wasn't hit, and the two were locked in a stalemate.

"Big Brother Shirou." Bell clenched his fists in worry.

"Cheer up, Shirou!" Ishtar shouted.

"Shirou! Do your best!" Ereshkigal cheered.

The Goddess of Justice stood on the railing, simply observing quietly.

"I'm getting a little tired of looking at it, hahaha~!" A yawning sound came from inside the Elephant-headed stone statue god.

"In that case, it's time to end this!" Upon hearing the god's words, the Liver Emperor's eyes gleamed with golden light, and he unleashed a skill, his hands turning a hard, golden color. This was a skill to enhance defense, ignoring Shirou's sword as he slammed it down on him.

Saint Bald Liver Emperor has the bonus of grace. His attack and defense were already higher than Shirou's. Now, with the protection of his skills, even if Shirou has a sword that is sharper than ordinary weapons, he is confident that being touched by the blade will not cause him any absolute damage.

But if Shirou gets hit by his attack, the match will definitely be over.

Shirou unleashed a sword strike, sparking a flash of light like steel clashing against steel, and then two palms, as heavy as Mount Tai, pressed down on his head.

At that moment, the Liver Emperor's eyes suddenly turned white, and he froze on the spot, motionless.

Shirou exhaled a soft breath, straightened up, and calmly sheathed his twin swords.

"The challenger is unconscious! The outcome is decided!" Astraea declared, raising the scales high.

Chapter 994 The Goddess Ran Away Crying

"Hey!!! It's over? It's over just like that?"

"What's going on?! Can someone explain this to me?"

Those on the outside were confused about what was going on!

"It's the Demon Sword! We're being restrained by the Demon Sword's effects!" someone with discerning eyes said.

"My title is the Demon Sword Forger. Even if my sword doesn't touch you, but merely brushes past you, the outcome is already decided."

The sword in Shirou's hand was covered with invisible air currents. As he swung it, another sword released pale purple particles that seeped into the Liver Emperor's body through the wounds.

Because the Liver Emperor's moves involve the frenzied use of his body, his blood circulation has accelerated considerably. Over this period of time, his entire body has been completely paralyzed through his blood.

Although Shirou doesn't have the bonus from the blessing, with the magic sword in his hand, he is actually no less powerful than any skill.

"Hmph! As expected of the lad I've been eyeing." The red-haired female Crafting God smiled; now her shop's repair fees were finally secured.

"Oh my god!!! The Demon Sword! So it's the Demon Sword!"

"The Demon Sword is so powerful!"

"Hmph, layman. Even magic swords have their superior and inferior qualities. It should be said that the magic sword he forged is unique!" Some high-level adventurers were also pondering whether they should place an order with Shirou.

At this moment, the goddess who had caused the trouble became arrogant once again.

"Hahaha! Serves you right!!!" Ishtar approached the elephant-headed statue and laughed loudly.

"Shut up! Waaah! I'm going back! I never want to see you annoying gods again!" Ganesha yelled.

"As per the previous agreement, Ganesha, you must pay the price," the referee goddess reminded him.

"Yes! Yes! Hand over the apology money," Ishtar said, waving her hand.

"Waaaaah!!!" The stone statue burst out of white smoke with a bang, and then a disheveled girl with a chubby belly and long hair emerged from it. She waved her hand, threw down three large 200-pound sacks, and ran away crying.

"I just wanted someone who could do laundry and cook, was patient and caring, and wouldn't get angry even if you stayed home all day, that's why I invited you to join my family! But I was rejected! Even trying to be more forceful failed! Waaaaaah!! Mom! Karna! Where can I find a 100% success guide?!"

"My Goddess! Wait for us!" the other adventurers shouted as they followed.

Several adventurers carried the unconscious "Liver Emperor" and ran away.

The burly men carrying the sedan chair exchanged glances, then heave-ho and ran back. Without the stone statue, the chair felt much lighter.

Shirou watched helplessly. Even Gineko had come here, and she was none other than Ganesha, the elephant-headed god from India. Fortunately, Karna, the Little Sun god, wasn't with her, otherwise, he didn't know how he would have ended up like this.

"Wow!! So many Magic Stones!!! That statue, I never imagined it would be so rich! So this is how Indian spices make money." Ishtar pounced on it, using both hands and feet to hug the glittering, colorful Magic Stone inside the sack.

At this moment, the goddess, acting as the referee, stretched out her hand, and the Magic Stone in the three bags shrank by one-fifth, being added to her spatial treasury.

"You hyena! How dare you take so much!!" Ishtar stared at the shrunken bag, her heart aching. Her eyes blazed as she glared at the blond-haired drill-headed man, baring her teeth like a hungry wolf ready to pounce.

"Oh dear, I am the fruit of your labor. The reason you are called the Goddess of Poverty is because of your poor management and lack of intelligence. It's your own problem. You're so jealous of me, you really have no self-awareness. Besides, this is Shirou's winnings, it has nothing to do with you, Miss Ishtar," the golden-haired drill goddess said haughtily.

"What?! You! Don't you dare keep pestering Shirou like that!" Ishtar yelled.

Huh?

"Hmm?"

The two goddesses naturally started fighting.

At this moment, Ereshkigal walked up to Shirou and said, "That goddess said that in addition to the losses caused by Ishtar, she would also reward you according to Shirou value, so in her heart, you have a certain weight."

"I understand. I will craft some True Magic items and send them over as a token of my gratitude," Shirou nodded and said.

"Yes, that should do it." Ereshkigal nodded with a smile.

Afterwards, Shirou paid compensation to the vendors around him who had been affected by the goddess's melee, and then prepared to take the Magic Stone he had sorted out from the sack that he could not use for forging to the guild to exchange for money.

"Big Brother Shirou, I'll go too." Bell stepped forward, indicating that he wanted to help.

"Okay, I understand," Shirou replied, then looked at the Sword Princess and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. The blacksmith shop is right here, but I'm busy right now. I'll finish forging the blank tonight, so could you come back to pick it up tomorrow morning?"

"Okay, I understand." Sword Princess nodded, then took her leave.

"..." Bell watched the departing figure with lingering reluctance.

"Alright, let's go. You come with us tomorrow too, then you'll see her," Shirou said, patting Bell on the shoulder.

"No, no, although not entirely. Ah! Big brother, please listen to me!" Bell blushed and stammered as he tried to explain.

Shirou just chuckled lightly; what young man hasn't experienced the first stirrings of love?

"Miss Eina--!"

"Um?"

Eina Zul, the 'guild' service window lady who manages the dungeon, looked up from the brochure she was holding in one hand.

She had pointed ears and clear, emerald-green eyes. Her medium-length brown hair shone with a lustrous sheen. Her beautiful features weren't as perfect and striking as those of Elf Race, but rather more naturally harmonious. Her slender figure looked stunning in the guild's black suit trousers.

This elegant young lady, possessing the poise of a professional woman yet also exuding kindness and approachability, is actually a half-human, half-elf.

It was the time when many adventurers were heading into the labyrinth, and Eina, who was idly sitting behind the counter, immediately knew who was calling her name.

About two weeks ago, the boy's eyes Gil as he completed the formalities at the guild.

The boy she was acting as a dungeon guide and supervisor for was only fourteen years old. Not only can anyone become an adventurer, regardless of race, gender, or age, as long as they are willing; but due to the nature of the work, casualties are commonplace. Eina's expression was naturally not good that such a young child deliberately went to a dangerous area.

Eina, who had been worried about the adventurers she was responsible for, softened her expression upon confirming that the boy, Bell Krune, was safe and sound.

She adjusted her glasses, turned towards the direction of the sound, and was about to greet them when...

"Miss Eina! Please help me convert the currency."

With a thud, Bell lifted a bag full of Magic Stone onto the table.

Chapter 995 Goddess Hestia

The sack on the counter opened, and a large pile of high-quality Magic Stone slid out.

"Eh?! Eh?!!" Eina, the receptionist, was startled by the scene. Although she had seen such things before, they were usually with famous conquering clans, but in front of her was a naive and innocent young man.

Just a few minutes ago, she was worried about his life and livelihood, but now she saw him slam a high-grade Magic Stone, clearly beyond his capabilities, in front of her.

"Bell! What's wrong with you? Are you a delinquent? Robbery and theft are wrong, you know?" Eina asked the boy with tears welling in her eyes.

Even if this city is a melting pot, how could someone be corrupted so quickly? Has that innocent and kind-hearted boy from back then already fallen from grace? Did he encounter some bad people and get led astray? Otherwise, why would there be so many Magic Stones?

"No, that's not it! I brought it over for my older brother," Bell said irritably.

"Hello, Miss Eina." At this moment, Shirou also came up, carrying two identical sacks on his shoulders.

"Eh? The Demon Sword... Mr. Shirou!" Eina looked at Shirou in surprise, not expecting him to know a boy like Bell.

However, as a professional member of the Adventurers' Guild, he quickly changed his title when he thought about his obligation to keep secrets.

Only then did Bell explain the situation to Eina.

"I see, Mr. Shirou, thank you for helping Bell." Eina bowed to Shirou and said.

"No, I get along very well with Bell, and my advisor is Miss Eina. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you before, so please don't be so polite," Shirou said to the half-elf counter clerk.

"Haha, I was really worried at first too. After all, Mr. Shirou didn't join a Familia or receive the blessings of the gods, yet he insisted on going to explore the dungeon. It was really reckless of him. But after witnessing Mr. Shirou's strength, I felt relieved. In fact, I really hope that others can learn from you," Eina said with a friendly smile.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you back then." Shirou apologized sheepishly. He hadn't joined a familia, but he insisted on going on an adventure into the dungeon, so he had acted a little recklessly at the time.

"Huh? Big brother, didn't you join a familia? If that's the case, the Goddess of Venus and the Goddess of the Underworld seemed to have said something before..." Bell exclaimed in surprise, even though Shirou seemed like a master of dungeons and had even defeated a mutated Minotaur.

"Well, my constitution is a bit special. Even without any special privileges, I only lack some conveniences in training. I still have the strength of a human and the True Magic. As long as I train and prepare properly, challenging dungeons shouldn't be a problem," Shirou said.

"Eh?! How could that be! I know! Big brother, come with me to see my Goddess, let her see what's going on!" Bell said to Shirou very seriously.

"Bell, thank you, but that's your clan's deity, isn't it too much trouble for her?" Shirou politely declined with a smile. Although he was grateful for Bell's consideration, he knew his own constitution and that it wasn't something that could be solved through the power of any deity.

"It's alright, my Goddess very free. Although he's a bit... well, he's very kind-hearted. Even if you're strong, big brother, joining a familiar would definitely be better!" Bell said, refusing to give up.

Unable to persuade Bell, Shirou eventually accepted his invitation.

Eina watched the interaction between the two and smiled kindly, deftly placing the Magic Stone in batches onto the instrument to determine their prices.

"Yes, the price for three bags of Magic Stone is 135,807,560 falies. Would you like to withdraw cash or deposit it?" Eina asked with a smile.

"Please deposit it into my account," Shirou said.

"Yes, I understand." Eina operated the machine.

The guild provides adventurers with convenient banking services, which can be used in all guild-related large shops throughout the city. However, adventurers can only exchange the Magic Stone they obtain at the guild.

The guild used this to monopolize the production of Magic Stone, selling them at high prices to other city-states and nations, and continuously making huge profits.

The corresponding guilds also provide various forms of support to adventurers, maintaining market order. In fact, the city of Orario and its dungeons are centered around "guilds," and the god Uranus, who founded the guilds, is said to be even older than gods like Zeus who have lived for hundreds of millions of years. Some even say that he is the father of Zeus and the Greek gods, and that he has a deep connection with the dungeons.

Shirou has some guesses about this; the dungeon is likely related to giants, titans, and many world-destroying monsters. The mutation of the Minotaur that attacked Bell in the dungeon also confirms Shirou's guess. However, to find out the truth, he must go to the deepest part of the dungeon.

"Oh, wow, so much... money." Bell, standing to the side, felt a little dizzy when he saw so many zeros on the monitor.

"Yes, I do owe someone a favor," Shirou nodded in agreement.

"Um, Eina, could you please exchange these for me?" Bell hesitated for a moment before handing Eina the cloth bag containing the scattered Magic Stone fragments he had obtained from hunting goblins and slimes that day.

"Yes." Eina smiled warmly and took the small bag. This was the Bell she knew.

"Yes, that's 1,200 Faris in total. Please accept this." Eina smiled with the same perfect service smile.

"Thank you..." Bell took the money. Because of the earlier commotion, although he had gone down to the fifth floor, he had earned less money than usual.

Faced with the huge difference in money exchanged with Shirou, she felt a little regretful, but she couldn't not take it out. The purchasing power of Faris was roughly equivalent to RMB, and a fast food meal would cost about fifty Faris.

So, if adventurers only want to solve their basic needs, it's actually very simple. Just entering the dungeon and killing a few monsters is more than enough. However, once you add weapon maintenance and repair, it becomes very difficult, and the expenses in this area are much more expensive than food.

But it was also the necessary expense for him to have his wish granted by the Goddess.

"It's okay, Bell, you're just getting started, in other words, you're still developing! Everyone has some hardships at the beginning, but as long as you get through this stage, life should improve. As long as you slowly build up your reputation, who knows, people might want to join your family! So cheer up," Eina comforted Bell.

"Is that so?" Bell glanced at Eina, then at Shirou, and asked in a low voice.