DanMachi: Unlimited Blade Works

On the 50th floor of the Dungeon, Shirou lay by the cliff-like steep slope, feeling the gentle breeze, his eyes narrowing slightly. It was the second day after yesterday's Floor Boss subjugation battle.

Based on current intelligence analysis, the Loki Familia in the original story did not encounter Balor's traces; that monster appeared due to the butterfly effect he caused. Shirou's judgment stemmed from the fact that the Loki Familia, after subjugating Balor, was forced to rest for a day on the 50th floor. This meant they would only proceed to deeper levels tomorrow.

The reason for this was not only to restore the stamina and energy of the executives but, more importantly, to maintain their weapons. In such circumstances, everyone's weapons and armor suffered significant wear and tear, requiring further maintenance. Of course, there were many other reasons forcing the Loki Familia to stay here. It was also because of this that Shirou had time to enjoy the scenery on the 50th floor. Unlike the previous two times he had slacked off while gathering ingredients, this time Shirou was openly resting. After all, in yesterday's subjugation battle, the executives were all exhausted. At the same time, they had to explore deeper levels tomorrow, which made Shirou feel light and unburdened.

"That was a truly thrilling battle yesterday!" Recalling yesterday's battle, Shirou couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear. Balor, rated as LV.7 by the Guild, was extremely powerful—a level of power Shirou had never seen before. Even someone as strong as Gareth struggled to withstand his attacks, leading to several close calls for the group. In yesterday's battle, the most outstanding performer was Ais. Her LV.6 basic stats, combined with her incredibly agile magic, Ariel, and her ability to fight above her level, Avenger Princess, meant that even Balor couldn't stop her attacks. In fact, the ultimate subjugation of Balor relied on Ais.

Of course, Shirou's performance was as eye-catching as ever. The rising mushroom cloud and the storm that blew away his teammates left a deep impression on everyone. Shirou, as he wished, gained enough advanced experience to level up. Of course, he also paid a huge price for it. To cause as much damage as possible, Shirou didn't just attack from a distance; after activating Super-Broken Phantasm, he projected Green Horizon to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent. Although his attack caused significant damage to Balor, he was also flung away, almost dying.

"The difference in levels is simply too great. When fighting these Floor Bosses again, I absolutely cannot engage in close combat." Recalling the scene, Shirou still felt a lingering fear. Those Floor Bosses were not only huge in size; their strength, speed, durability, and dexterity were all top-notch. Coupled with their tens of meters in height, they provided absolute mass suppression. If they didn't have magic power and couldn't use magic, it would be a dream for adventurers to defeat them. But individuals who could use magic were not nonexistent. Such incredibly dangerous beings not only existed but were also their ultimate goal for this trip: the Doppelganger of the Evil Spirit.

Although the Doppelganger of the Evil Spirit was classified by the Guild as the same level as Balor in terms of stats, in terms of combat power, the two were by no means at the same level. If Balor was compared to Gareth, the great dwarven warrior, then the Doppelganger of the Evil Spirit was the combination of the Loki Familia's three executives.

It was also LV.6, but it combined the advantages of all three. Can you imagine an enemy with a perfect physique, superhuman combat intellect, and capable of constantly using wide-area annihilation magic? The Doppelganger of the Evil Spirit was such an enemy. Thinking about the enemy he was about to face, Shirou couldn't help but sigh, "Although I no longer trust the information given to me by the anime production team very much, I still hope their information is accurate and that no other unforeseen complications arise."

But thinking of the encounter on the 24th floor a few days ago, Shirou again held no hope.

"Forget it, let's go back!" Standing up from the green grass, Shirou looked at the distant scenery, then turned and walked back.

---

As soon as he returned to the encampment, Shirou heard continuous hammering sounds coming from nearby. These were the senior blacksmiths of the Hephaestus Familia performing weapon maintenance and repairs. Thanks to them, and the presence of blacksmiths, this expedition didn't require carrying too many spare weapons, so their elixir reserves were very abundant. It's well known that during Boss subjugation battles, the consumption of potions is extremely severe.

Often, expedition teams returning would encounter medicine shortages because the potions had been depleted during the expedition. If calculated by the Loki Familia's previous potion carrying capacity, after the battle with Balor, they would already be ready to return. But judging by the potion carrying capacity for this expedition, they still had enough to continue to the 59th floor.

Quietly avoiding the direction from which the hammering sounds came, Shirou currently had no desire to be pulled into labor by Tsubaki. Although he enjoyed smithing, he wanted to rest more right now. He was no longer the pushover who helped everyone regardless of consequences.

Walking to one side, Shirou quickly spotted Ais. She was holding a wooden sword and performing slashing movements. Although her movements were as sharp as ever, Shirou saw a hint of eagerness in them.

"Why aren't you resting more? I remember you were just as injured as I was yesterday!" Looking at Ais's determined back, Shirou said with a smile. Hearing Shirou's question, Ais, who was swinging her sword, suddenly paused and replied somewhat sheepishly, "I'm fine now, so I'm a bit restless."

In yesterday's battle, the most severely injured were actually Tiona and the others. As the main attackers of the team, they had a two-level difference with Balor. In the continuous offensives, they were repeatedly knocked away, facing dangerous situations. But under the effects of elixirs and healing magic, they recovered.

Then they rejoined the battle. Therefore, after yesterday's Floor Boss subjugation battle, almost all the executives were injured, but with the consumption of a large number of elixirs, they pulled through. At that time, Ais's injuries were no less severe than Shirou's.

"Right. With healing magic, and our strong bodies, recovering quickly is normal. But Lefiya and the others are in a bad state." Indeed, Lefiya was in a very bad state. No, it should be said that the elven mages, represented by Lefiya, were all in a bad state.

Excessive use of magic had left them all in a state of mental exhaustion. Even Riveria, although not as bad as them, was also very tired. And this was why the Loki Familia had to rest for a day; if the mages, their great killing power, were not in shape, they themselves would fall into danger.

Looking at the now silent Ais, Shirou suddenly said, "Don't rush, Ais. The 59th floor is right there. We're not far from it."

"I believe we'll definitely reach it this time. Trust me!" Hearing Shirou's comforting words, Ais, who had been somewhat anxious, suddenly calmed down. A moment later, she showed a beautiful smile.

"Mhm, I trust you, Brother!"

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