Humans are a remarkably adaptable species. Even back in Renjiro's home world, a place that, on the surface, had no trace of supernatural power, it was this very adaptability that allowed humanity to gradually free itself from nature's grip on the food chain.
And it was precisely thanks to this innate racial trait that…
"Phew… I think I've finally adjusted to the rhythm of combat here."
Six hours into his first Dungeon dive, after cutting down yet another group of Kobolds, Renjiro (Aether) came to this conclusion.
By now, with Lumine's coordinated support, he could handle enemies easily, even without resorting to elemental powers, just using their pair of blunt swords.
In the process, he had once again experienced firsthand the true advantage of his clone ability. Their teamwork was seamless.
Time and again, Renjiro (Aether) would duck forward, and right on cue, Lumine behind him would sweep her sword in a wide arc, her slash tracing exactly through the space he had just vacated. In an instant, the enemy that had been focused on Renjiro would fall, killed by Lumine's blade.
Without question, this kind of coordination, where a split-second delay would mean accidentally striking your ally, was impossible without long-term training and absolute trust. Yet Renjiro and Lumine could reproduce it effortlessly, over and over.
The reason was simple: they were always linked by a spiritual connection. With that bond, no glances or signals were needed; each already knew what the other would do next.
It was, in effect, this world's scuffed but effective version of a Dual Blade Combination Technique.
But back on topic.
Thanks to this unique advantage,
"After fighting this long, I've gotten a decent handle on the 'Ironwind Sword Style.'"
This brought up a discovery even Renjiro himself hadn't expected. He hadn't imagined that the Traveler's basic attack, what he thought would just be a simple string of slashes, had evolved into a genuine sword technique.
The most crucial point was this: the sword style wasn't just instinctive, it was codified knowledge.
In other words, Renjiro could use it in his normal, untransformed state… and he could even teach it to others.
Looking to the future, this meant,
Keqing's Yunlai Swordsmanship,
Venti's Ancient Archery,
Xiangling's Chef's Martial Arts,
Hu Tao's Secret Spear Arts,
the Knighthood of Favonius Sword Style,
the Church's Spearmanship,
the Exorcists' Four Forms,
the Final Unit's Ninja Blades,
the Kamisato-ryu, the Genryu…
All of these techniques, at least the portions that didn't rely on elemental power, could one day become treasured martial schools within Orario, rivaling the city's finest.
Even Ais Wallenstein, the so-called Sword Princess blessed by the gods, didn't truly possess a formal sword style to her name.
Most adventurers, in fact, relied only on rough, self-taught "personal styles."
So in this environment,
"You could say I've stumbled into a massive store of non-material cultural wealth."
Renjiro (Aether) sighed to himself. "Too bad my blessing is only Lv.1. And the Traveler caps at Lv.20, so I can't yet unlock the 'Sky-Splitting Gale' talent."
He clicked his tongue.
"Otherwise… tch tch, that'd be the real deal, sword energy."
He couldn't help daydreaming about what might come in the future.
At that moment, Paimon, serving as their support, was busy picking up the magic stones left behind. Those stones could be exchanged for valis at the Guild's Exchange Counter on the first floor.
The Guild had a strict rule: if an adventurer could safely do so, they must process every magic stone that dropped. Either pick it up, or smash it on the spot.
There were two reasons for this.
First, Orario was the hub of the entire world, and one of its chief exports was magic stones. They powered everything, from the city's vast energy reserves to the humble streetlamps lining the alleys. It was the backbone of Orario's unique magic stone technology.
Without that revenue, the Guild could never afford the massive payouts to high-level adventurers. Its wealth was the reason it could pay in millions, sometimes billions.
Second, many Dungeon monsters ate magic stones. It was an instinct, a way to grow stronger. But too many, and the chance of spawning a Variant Species skyrocketed.
Take Kobolds: normally, any Lv.1 rookie could handle them. But a Variant? That could rival Lv.2s.
And since they looked almost the same, maybe just a change in color, adventurers often underestimated them.
The sudden burst of speed, the lethal swipe of claws… rookies couldn't react in time.
Such "first-sight kills" had claimed countless lives. Even veterans weren't safe, a careless moment could cripple or kill, and unlike Renjiro's clone, they had no chance of coming back fully restored.
Lesson learned: even the Upper Floors weren't absolutely safe. The Guild wasn't willing to see even a single Variant appear.
So the rule of "Process Every Magic Stone" was enforced with zeal.
That's why passing veteran adventurers either cleared the drops themselves, or left them for Lv.1s to clean up.
Right now,
"Storage space really is a blessing."
"Especially with my kind," Paimon chimed smugly, "the kind that can even fit entire buildings."
Renjiro knew he didn't have to worry about such things yet. But when the day came for him to launch an expedition, his "Return to Town" ability, combined with spatial storage, would shine brighter than anything.
After all, Loki Familia, Orario's most expedition-hungry familia, often had to abandon half their spoils mid-journey because their packs simply couldn't carry it all. Even their supplies were always stretched thin.
If Loki ever learned of Renjiro's abilities, that sly, narrow-eyed goddess might even rival Freya in trying to recruit him.
At that point, the two strongest familias in Orario might very well trigger a War Game over him.
And truthfully… between the two, Renjiro preferred Loki Familia.
Freya Familia wasn't a unified whole. Its members constantly schemed against each other, like a never-ending cycle of factional struggles.
Loki Familia, by contrast, was practically a family.
No wonder…
"Just two days in, and Freya's already been playing tricks, locking blessings, falsifying personal records… Guess she's a mischief goddess, sure, but not a brainless one."
As Paimon finished collecting the stones, Renjiro (Aether) stretched his back.
"Alright. Let's keep exploring. With my Return-to-Town ability, I don't have to worry about how long we're down here."
He glanced at the blonde girl beside him and sighed.
"Besides… apart from me (Aether) and Lumine, we've still got that five-star Genshin clone from my first pull yesterday. And it needs leveling too."
"No handy EXP books here. It's all endless monster grinding."
He gave a wry grin.
"Looks like we've got plenty of work ahead."
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