Martial Arts Encyclopedia - Chapter 4

Falna (3)

I woke up to a wonderful softness on my face, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the twin mountains in which all men dream rest, my nose took in the pleasant, sweet scent, my ears listened the rhythmic sound of another person’s breathing, and my morning wood was rubbing against soft flesh down there.

I have to pee.

Carefully I untangle myself from Artoria, who softly stirs in her sleep before turning around and going back to sleep. I take that as my cue to go to the bathroom and relieve myself before starting on the breakfast.

I crack a pair of eggs, cut a pair of slices of bread and prepare a fruit bowl for us to eat, until she walks into the kitchen in a white camisole while rubbing her eyes.

“Good morning.” I greet her and she nods in response. Differently from yesterday, she has an ahoge sticking out from her hair, giving her a softer aura than before.

“I made breakfast. Eggs and bacon, a slice of bread and cut fruits for us to start the day. I also have some tea brewing too.” Of course there would be tea, especially in Orario with the highest concentration of divine beings per square kilometer.

Her eyes snap open, and her ahoge stands at attention like a living entity, and I can see her warring inside between going back to her room and making herself presentable or eating breakfast.

Like always, food won, and we both sat at the table to eat.

Just don’t make it weird and enjoy the food. If she doesn’t bring up the previous night's sleeping arrangements, then don’t mention it. I don't know what kind of relationship we have, and while she shouldn’t be a horny gremlin like Loki or Hestia, it’s clear that she wants the close physical contact. I’m not Bell who thinks having a relationship with divine beings is wrong and literally runs away from his one-sided love Aiz, but there’s no reason to rush.

Paraphrasing a wise man: first power; then the bitches.

My goddess also gave up on appearances and went back to business as usual after finishing eating. “What do you plan to do today?”

“Well, first, I will go to the Guild since they should have approved the loan by now. Afterwards I will buy some basic equipment, then I will delve inside the dungeon to get a feel for it. After that we can start planning our long-term strategy as a Familia.”

“I will leave it to you, then,” she nods in approval, “just make sure to stay safe inside the dungeon. That place is evil incarnate, and many adventurers fell due to carelessness.”

“Thank you for your concern, ma’am, I appreciate it. I will make sure to return home safe and sound.”

By the time I cleaned the dishes she was already back into her black leotard, her ahoge smoothed out and the stern presence was back to the front. I take a few minutes to appreciate her outfit, though I should put ‘buying a new wardrobe’ for both of us on the top of the priority list.

…

At the Guild I was able to figure out the rough timeline I landed on. It was already a decade since Freya and Loki Familia kicked Zeus and Hera’s from Orario, and it has been three years since the Astraea Familia disbanded and the goddess left the city. That means canon Danmachi is at least two years away, meaning it's three years before the hard deadline of the end of the world. Because if the One-Eyed Black Dragon destroys Orario, the world ends with it as the Dungeon will be open once more and an endless stream of monsters will pour into the world.

That means I can’t waste time, and need to become as strong as I can, as fast as necessary. To do that, I need to face great risks to reap great rewards, but first, shopping.

With the money in hand, I went to the Hephaestus store to buy my equipment, with the senior blacksmiths directing me to the apprentice quarters, when I caught a hint of red hair. My eyes widened and I rushed after that person, and when I caught up with him, I sighed in relief.

“Oh, it’s just Welf.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I simply confused you for somebody else.”

Here am I, talking about not acting weird around Artoria, but the moment I thought Emiya Shirou was in the picture the dumbass got desperate. Way to go you hypocrite.

“I’m not going to make you, or anyone else, a magic sword.”

“Wand.” I corrected him.

“… what?”

“If you wave it around to unleash a magic effect for a finite number of times before it turns useless, that’s not a magic sword, it’s a magic wand. It’s a consumable by design.”

He starts sputtering in indignation at having the truth thrown into his face. “That’s not how magic swords work, at all!”

“Eh, I know what a real magic sword looks like, and what you and your family made in the past isn’t it. Anyway, do you also make armor, or do you just make swords?”

He’s silenced by my words, mouth flapping uselessly like a fish, before he glares at me. “Yeah, I can also do armor, knives, spears, and things other than swords.”

“Great! I just got my loan from the guild and need to outfit myself. Show me your shop so I can spend some money.”

I clap his shoulder before leading him away, and the young teenager is too surprised by my actions to kick me out. In the end I managed not only to get a proper combat outfit and weapons, but I also signed a contract with him to provide maintenance to my equipment and future commissions.

As for my gear, my budget allowed me to buy a “jack”, a brigandine shirt, with separate shoulder guards, arm guards and steel-plated leather boots. For weapons I got a dagger to open the monsters’ bodies to extract the magic stones, and a short sword to fight on Welf’s recommendation.

Thanks to my Martial Arts Talent I quickly got the hang of my new weapons, even if my skills are still too raw, however if Bell can dive into the dungeon and with no formal training and still bring cash home, then I should be fine. Waving at my new contracted blacksmith I leave for the dungeon entrance.

I follow the morning rush and adventurers until I’m at the entrance of the dungeon, descending the first flight of stairs into the dungeon. In the first hall I can see the various images depicting the dungeon and its horrors, with one message written for the new adventurers: ‘abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’

What a warming welcome.

Most of the other adventurers have a suitably grim look to their faces, but it’s not the grimness of facing a dangerous enemy, instead it is the grimness of going to another shift in their dead-end job that demands too much and pays too little.

Indeed, this is Hell.

Despite the mass of people entering the dungeon, soon I find myself alone in the corridors of the first floor. I had memorized the map of the first floor and I’m now familiar with the enemies encountered here, so I’m as prepared as I could be without devoting months to years of training first.

I draw both my physical and mental swords, and the Dungeon answers with the sounds of cracks in the walls. I look around, trying to find the source of monsters, sharpening my senses, when I jump to the side as a goblin almost lands on my head!

The creature doesn’t pause, jumping after me as soon as it hits the ground, clawing and biting with hatred in its eyes. I stab at it, glancing at its shoulder, but the hateful monster doesn’t even flinch and goes directly for my throat.

I met its attack with a right uppercut, its jaws clapping shut as the monster teeth cracked and broke from the impact. I don’t stop my assault and punch down at the creature head on its mouth, once, twice, thrice, until I hear a cracking noise from the goblin’s skull and the creature flops on the ground, dead. The wall ahead of me cracks and I intercept the arriving goblin with a palm strike to its lower jaw before grabbing at its head and twisting the monster's neck.

From the distance, I can hear more goblins coming my way, but the real danger came from the previously thought dead monster jumping after my neck from the back. I deflect the creature's attempt with my shoulder guard, and instead I’m the one strangling the creature, who never tries to scratch and escape my grip until I finally snap its neck and the creature goes limp. I don’t make the same error twice and stab at the creature's neck to make sure it’s dead.

I stand up and pick up the short sword, but after a single glance I sheath it once again and get into a fighting stance. I’m more familiar with this anyway.

The next enemies come in pairs, and I pick up the fallen goblin at my feet and throw it at one of the advancing monsters, the creature flying at a surprising speed and impacting one of the pairs. I meet the still advancing monster with a knee strike to its head before grabbing it at the neck and smashing it on the ground twice to stun it before I stomp its head and crack the goblin skull, for real this time.

The second goblin also comes charging at me, but I catch it in a guillotine like in the MMA fights, but instead of slowly applying pressure to defeat my opponent, I apply as much pressure as I can while doing my best to tear off the head of the creature. In just a few seconds, the monster goes limp, and once more I snap the creature's neck to make sure.

I scan the corridor around me while managing my breathing and returning to a calm state, but no more enemies arrive to ambush me. Looks like I officially passed the Dungeon welcoming committee.

Average talent my ass! If Bell managed to do something similar when he first started, then he earned his reputation of Killer Rabbit.

I take out my dagger and start extracting the magic stones and end up with monster blood all over my gloves. The viscous liquid doesn’t even have the decency of disappearing alongside the body. What an ass.

Four magic stones, and a lot more to go.

…

After a grueling day I exchange my earnings with the Guild, who are mildly surprised that I brought back a filled pouch while fighting solo. After four hours of dungeon delving today’s income was 6222 Valis, above average the income of a single Level 1 Adventurer.

Considering the costs in equipment, maintenance, potions, rations for long dives inside the Dungeon’s Floors, general expenses and taxes paid to the guild, I’m operating at much tighter profit margins than I initially expected if you look at the lens of corporate metaphor.

As an Adventurer, a Hero, and a Gamer, that just means I need to ‘git gud’ and stop being a ‘filthy casual’.

Once more I went inside the dungeon, and after three hours I only managed to earn 1988 Valis, and most of that money came on my trip back. The Dungeon is certainly intelligent, if it specifically targets returning adventurers that are both tired and fat with profits.

Back at the temple my goddess is waiting for me, the bath already drawn and kitchen ready for me to cook for her. I quickly clean myself up before making another burger for the two of us.

“How was your day,” she asks before starting eating, “you came back a little late today.”

I sigh at her questioning, stretching my back for a moment. “It was tough, not going to lie. The monsters have no sense of self preservation and keep trying to kill you even while sustaining lethal injuries.” They’re video game enemies, or dungeons and dragons’ monsters that don’t know the meaning of retreat. “I had to buy a health potion after coming back, and even the cheapest of them all cut on my profits severely.”

“What’s important is for you to be alive.” She rebukes me gently and I agree with her. “Let’s update your Falna after dinner.”

“Oh, before that, I want to check The Blue Book first.” By that I mean the Martial Arts Encyclopedia, “I want to see if I got some Karma after surviving my first dungeon dive.”

“Sure, we can take a look together.”

After cleaning the kitchen table I look at the Accumulated Karma section of the book, and I stare at its contents in disbelief.

A total of 480 Karma for the weight of my previous actions and finishing my first milestone in my path to ascension!

What the hell, I was expecting a far more modest haul than this! I, I might be able to pull this off!

“Ha, ha ha. HA HA HA HA HA!”

Well then, let’s see what I can look forward to.