Chapter Thirty Nine: Divinity

The [Infant Dragon] is a small dragon-type monster found on the 11th to 12th floor of the Dungeon. 

Although its name includes the word "Infant," it only seems small compared to the dragons in the deeper floors of the Dungeon. In reality, the [Infant Dragon] stands at around 1.5 meters tall and over 4 meters long, making it a giant beast by upper-floor standards.

The [Infant Dragon's] potential reached the upper range of Lv2, with its endurance nearing Lv3. It's considered the Floor Boss of the Dungeon's upper floors where Monster Rex doesn't spawn.

Not only did it have stats far superior compared to the other monsters on the same floor, it also had immense durability, all characteristics common among the Floor Bosses. For example, the Goliath on the 17th floor has the potential of Lv4, but its durability reaches Lv5. 

If this was a game, the Floor Boss would have HP bar as wide as the screen.

It makes sense that Floor Boss, with their large size, would have incredibly high endurance. 

However, as a Floor Boss, the most significant impression the [Infant Dragon] leaves on adventurers was not its strength but its rarity.

Despite its potential being only at Lv2, what stands out the most is how rarely it appears and its "valuable" status due to its scarcity. 

Due to being incredibly rare, the [Infant Dragon's] drop items are highly sought after by Orario's merchants and are often sold at sky-high prices. As a result, whenever the news of an Infant Dragon is sighted, even high-level adventurers in need of money will rush to the 11th and 12th floor to hunt for it.

Thus, the sound of the [Infant Dragon's] roar excited all the nearby adventurers.

"It sounds like the roar of an Infant Dragon! We're so lucky to encounter one. If we can get the drop, we're going to be rich!"

"That roar might be an Infant Dragon. Let's hurry before someone else gets to it."

"If we can get the drop, we could earn tens of millions of valis! Forget these bats, let's go hunt the dragon!"

....

Shirou's group wasn't the only one on the 12th floor. As the Infant Dragon's roar echoed through the dungeon, many adventurers dropped whatever they were doing and rushed toward the source of the sound.

"Isn't the Infant Dragon a Lv2 boss? Can we really take it down?"

"Idiot, we're not the only ones going after it. If its too strong, we'll just team up and split the loot afterward."

Most of the adventurers on this floor were Lv1, but those capable of reaching the 12th floor usually had at least one high basic ability. The gap between a Lv1 adventurer and a Lv2 monster could be bridged with enough people.

"The only thing we need to worry about is if a high-level adventurer shows up and takes the Infant Dragon for themselves."

Unfortunately, the adventurers' worst fears came true.

By the time the other adventurers arrived, all they could see was the Infant Dragon, frozen in ice.

"Is there anything you need?" Alicia asked coldly, glancing at the approaching adventurers. This was already the third group to show up.

"…We heard something happening over here and thought maybe we could be of help. But since you've already dealt with it, we'll be on our way." The adventurers had arrived quickly but left even faster, not wanting to give the powerful adventurer any reason to think they were trying to steal the kill.

The unwritten rule of the Dungeon was that the monster belonged to whoever initiated the fight, unless help was explicitly requested or the monster fled. No one else should steal the monster.

While the value of the Infant Dragon could tempt some greedy adventurers to break this rule, fortunately, most were greedy but not foolish.

Not everyone recognized Alicia, but any observant person with common sense would notice that the dragon wasn't defeated by ordinary means but had been immobilized by ice magic, they would instantly abandon any foolish ideas they had, realizing that someone capable of such feat was at least a Lv3 mage. 

The Lv1 adventurers wisely left.

The adventurers, disappointed, had no choice but to leave empty-handed, lamenting their lost chance at a fortune.

"[Elleaf (Pure Garden)], why is a Second Class Adventurer of your level in a floor like this?" A bold well-known adventurer approached Alicia.

"And why are you here, [Antianeria (Beauty Elite)]?" Alicia countered, watching the woman before her with caution.

The woman in question was Aisha Belka, a battle prostitute of the Ishtar Familia. About three years ago, she leveled up and became a Second Class Lv3 Adventurer. However, due to her profession, Aisha was even more famous in Orario than many veteran Lv4 adventurers like Alicia.

Aisha had the characteristic tan skin of the Amazons and stunning purple eyes. Her long black hair covered her right eye, adding a layer of mystery to her already seductive appearance. 

She wore a dancer's outfit typical of brothel performers, adorned with gold rings and various ornaments around her chest and abdomen, making her attire quite revealing. Large patches of her milk chocolate-colored skin were exposed, so much so that one might mistake her for wearing only underwear.

Another notable detail: she always walked barefoot, even in the Dungeon.

"I'm just here to train some new members," Aisha said casually. "I heard the dragon's roar and came here to check it out, hoping I might get lucky. But you beat me to it, so what can I do?" She grinned. "I'm just here to say hi, there is no need to be so cautious. Or… maybe you've got a cute boy in your party?"

"Wow! You really do!" Aisha's eyes gleamed as she noticed Shirou behind Alicia, throwing him a flirtatious wink out of habit.

"Leave now, Amazon, if you don't want to get hurt!" Alicia responded coldly, while Ryuu quickly covered Shirou's eyes, preventing him from seeing the scantily-clad Aisha.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving! So please refrain from casting any magic!" Aisha, feeling the temperature around her rapidly drop, quickly raised her hands in defeat, and hastily departed.

"Shirou, stay away from Amazons in the future, especially those from the Ishtar Familia. Understood?" Alicia said sternly.

"Got it," Shirou replied, doing his best to keep a straight face under the watchful eyes of the three elf girls.

The Ishtar Familia, known for running the Entertainment District, was perfectly suited for the Amazons, who were known for their openness. This was exactly why the pure-hearted elves detested them.

After shooing away Aisha, Alicia sealed the Infant Dragon's mouth with ice magic to stop it from roaring again.

"No more adventurers should come near for now," Alicia commented before adding regretfully, "What a shame. If Shirou, you could had defeat it alone, it would have been more than enough to earn you the [Achievement] necessary for leveling up."

Shirou shook his head. "Alicia-Onee-Chan, fighting an Infant Dragon isn't that easy. Besides, it tried to flee as soon as it appeared, not even giving me the chance to fight it."

Though Lv2 monsters vary in strength, an Infant Dragon is not like the mass-produced Minotaur; it's a proper Floss Boss-class monster. 

Shirou had enough attack power to injured it, but if he fought it head on, his agility to dodge, and stamina for a prolonged fight weren't sufficient. While soloing it wasn't impossible, and with [Hrunting] he could most likely come out on top in a battle of life or death, but it came with significant risks.

Especially since he had already used up quite a bit of his stamina and mana. 

The dual potion he took earlier hadn't fully taken effect yet.

It was a pity. If he had encountered the Infant Dragon after fully developing his Level 1 basic abilities, he might have been able to challenge it solo and earn the [Achievement] necessary to level up.

"We were quite lucky to encounter an Infant Dragon like this. It was as if it was running straight toward us," Alicia remarked.

Shirou nodded. He had the same feeling. The dragon seemed to charge directly at him, and the [Fake-Hrunting] in his hand also seemed to be guiding him toward the dragon's location. 

Could it be that dragons and dragon-slaying swords are naturally drawn to one another?

However, the boy wielding the "dragon-slaying sword" didn't get the chance to fight the dragon on his own. Instead, the elven mage beside him immobilized the dragon with her magic.

The main reason for this was that the Infant Dragon, initially charging in with full force, immediately turned around and fled the moment it saw Alicia chanting. 

If it hadn't, Shirou would have definitely tried to fight it. Of course under the supervision of Ryuu and Alicia.

But since it was intent on escaping, Alicia had no choice but to freeze it.

"Shirou, I've only immobilized the Infant Dragon. It's still alive. I want you to kill it," Alicia said. "Although you won't gain as much experience as soloing it, you'll still gain some experience points."

Just like in a game where a higher-level player would weaken a boss and then let a lower-level player finish it off, the Dungeon allows for similar tactics. 

Large familias often use this method to help newcomers grow. The downside is that without an all out battle, the experience and achievements gained are rather limited.

Furthermore, the experience gained from merely delivering the finishing blow is rather "mediocre" and won't help push one's basic abilities past their limits. It also doesn't aid in acquiring magic, skills, or development abilities.

The acquisition of skills and development abilities is closely tied to the adventurer's experiences in battle. For example, adventurers who kill many monsters are more likely to gain the [Hunter] development ability, while blacksmiths who forge frequently might acquire the [Blacksmith] development ability, and those who were poisoned several times may acquire the [Abnormal Resistance] development ability, and so on.

Over reliance on high-level adventurers for feeding experience and achievements can make it difficult to acquire new skills and development abilities.

However, since Shirou had experienced many high-quality battles, this wasn't too big of an issue. For him, any achievement is better than none.

"Oh right, you should try using your strongest attack to finish off the [Infant Dragon]. If you can killed it in one attack, you can still gain a considerable amount of achievement," Alicia suggested. "This is a method that only powerful mage with high firepower can use to level up."

Even though it wouldn't be a solo kill, being able to deliver a massive amount of damage in a single attack still counted as a significant achievement. 

It's no wonder the elven mages from the Loki Familia level up so quickly.

"I see," Shirou begins to think. To deal as much damage as possible in a single blow, there was only one move that suited him best: overloading a [Noble Phantasm] with magic energy and the using it as an arrow, making them explode on contact, otherwise known as [Broken Phantasm]. 

The [Fake-Hrunting] he held was the perfect "arrow" for this, but he would need a bow strong enough for the task. An ordinary bow wouldn't suffice.

Shirou began his familiar chant:

"Judging the concept of creation.

Hypothesizing the basic structure.

Duplicating the composition material.

Imitating its craftsmanship.

Sympathizing with the experience of its growth.

Reproducing the accumulated years.

Excelling every manufacturing process.

Come forth the sword of fantasy—"

This was the bow wielded by the Heroic Spirit who stands at the pinnacle among all Heroic Spirit, a symbol of his unrivaled power.

A weapon belonging to Heracles, the son of Zeus. His most trusted Noble Phantasm, [Nine Lives (Shooting the Hundred Heads)].

Rather than a weapon, it was more of a school of techniques, so to speak. Heracles' Noble Phantasm [Nine Lives] could change its form depending on the target(s) and the circumstances of its use. From Anti-Unit to Anti-Army and even Anti-Fortress. It could be used regardless of whether it is delivered with a bow, sword, shield, spear, axe, or even bare-handed.

Its original form was that of a bow, the one used by Heracles to slay the immortal Lernaean Hydra, a monster capable of  "resurrecting no matter how many times it is killed", Heracles developed a technique that can "exterminates no matter how many times his opponent resurrects."

Heracles, who excelled in every aspect—mind, technique, and body—capable of masterfully using every weapons, was most powerful in his Archer Class. 

In mythology, he used both wisdom and strength to overcome countless dangers and trials, making him something of an ideal figure for Shirou.

While the heroic spirit Emiya (Archer) had many powerful and varied methods to deal with his enemies, his weak parameters were his greatest limitation. 

The combination of Heracles (Archer's) abilities combined with Emiya's versatile methods became the ultimate goal that Shirou, who had received a divine blessing in this world, aspired to be.

That's why, almost instinctively, Shirou chose this weapon to project—[Fake-Nine Lives II(Shooting the Hundred Heads)].

A massive, heavy longbow materialized in Shirou's hands.

Taking a deep breath, Shirou raised the massive bow. The bow was so large it exceeded his height, so he had to hold it horizontally.

The mana restored by the dual potion was completely depleted once again, but his mind remained crystal clear.

"All I need is to release one powerful shot."

Gripping the sword hilt, [Fake-Hrunting] began to transform, shifting from a "sword" into an "arrow." 

This was the [Hrunting] Shirou was more accustomed to, as compare to its sword form, [Hrunting], with its"tracking" ability made it particularly suited to be used as an arrow.

Nocking the arrow, and drawing the bow, forming a crescent shape.

"Go…" Shirou muttered quietly, releasing the bowstring.

There was no sound of wind tearing through space or a sonic boom. Instead, a faint red glow flashed by as the arrow flew like a silent hunting dog chasing its prey across a wasteland. Without a sound, it teared into the Infant Dragon's body.

What followed was a powerful explosion, tearing the dragon's body to shreds.

「Skill ?????? (Roadless Valhalla) activate.」

「Temporarily acquired Skill [Mind's Eye].」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Hunter] I.」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Archer] G.」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Swordsman] G.」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Fist Fighter] I.」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Spearman] I.」

「Development Abilities [Archer], [Swordsman], [Fist Fighter], and [Spearman] have been fused into [Arms Mastery].」

「Temporarily acquired Development Ability [Divinity] H.」

「Due to external environmental influences, [Divinity] H has been lost.」

After shooting that arrow, Shirou nearly fainted from the mental exhaustion. At the same time, he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly.

A sudden sense of danger washed over him, a cold chill rising from his feet, climbing up his spine, and settling at the top of his head as if he were being locked on by thousands of arrows. 

A shiver ran down his spine, and it felt like a venomous snake had coiled around his ankle. He could almost feel the cold, slick sensation of its scales.

Before his eyes, Shirou briefly envisioned everyone falling from a great height.

"Ryuu, Lefiya, Alicia, be careful of the ground!" Shirou immediately shouted, warning his companions.

Just as the words left his mouth, the Dungeon began to shake violently. Cracks appeared beneath Lefiya's feet and quickly spread.

Before anyone could react, the floor beneath them collapsed.

———-

(Fun Fact: There is an ongoing joke in the Chinese community about how having Divinity is a debuff. In the game FGO having divinity increases a character damage by a tiny bit, however, in exchange, they became super vulnerable to many servants who do increase damage against divine targets, or have extra effects against divine targets. It's not help how in the anime Gilgamesh used Enkidu to defeat both Heracles and Iskander who both had divinity.)

Aisha

https://danmachi.fandom.com/wiki/Aisha_Belka/Image_Gallery?file=Aisha_Belka_Character_Art.png

https://danmachi.fandom.com/wiki/Aisha_Belka/Image_Gallery?file=DanMachi_Volume_7_84.jpg#DM_Light_Novel

Nine Lives Bow Form

https://typemoon.fandom.com/wiki/Nine_Lives?file=True_Nine_Lives.gif