Akihiro made his preparations well in advance. Truthfully, with his current assets, he didn't need to be so meticulous.
The healing medicine given by Amid, leader of the Dian Cecht familia.
And the adventure gear Hestia prepared for him: a sharp one-handed sword forged from fine iron and a cloak to conceal the abnormalities of his left arm.
Seeing the goddess sleeping on the sofa, he knew she'd worked late into the night. He decided not to disturb her rest.
"I'm off."
The morning sun bathed his body, gradually dispelling the chill. Akihiro walked with determined steps toward the city center, heading for Babel Tower that led to the underground world.
He bought a simple meal from a street vendor along the way. Though enough to satisfy hunger, it was far from tasty. It would serve as sustenance during his adventure.
He hadn't acquired other "Sword Soul" skills yet.
The Ghostblade Technique he currently mastered would suffice. Against goblins, kobolds, and underground lizards from floors 1-3, they shouldn't pose much threat.
As he walked toward Babel Tower, he briefly planned today's adventure.
Many adventurers headed early into the Dungeon. Akihiro blended naturally among them. From an attire perspective, his cloak was standard adventurer gear.
Not far away, the imposing Babel Tower stretched skyward. Even in the clear morning, its peak couldn't be clearly distinguished when looking up.
"Almost there!"
In the central plaza before Babel Tower, numerous adventurers from various familias had already gathered.
Most visible were supporters with huge backpacks, patiently waiting to be hired.
Some, noticing Akihiro exploring alone, approached like sharks scenting blood, offering their services.
He refused them all.
Their assistance wasn't necessary for just exploring the upper floors. Hiring them would be a waste of money.
After his clear refusal, they didn't persist.
It was peak adventurer activity hours, and Ganesha Familia guards, responsible for maintaining city order, were present to supervise.
Including verifying adventurer identities entering Babel Tower.
Looking at the wide spiral stairs descending underground, Akihiro couldn't help feeling excited. He took a decisive step, embarking on his Dungeon journey.
Following other adventurers, he passed through the safe "Starting Path" area of the Dungeon, surrounded by typical cavern surroundings.
With illumination from bioluminescent fruits growing on walls, visibility was acceptable.
However, upon entering dangerous Dungeon zones, intricate tunnels scattered adventurers. Even the sound of footsteps became scarce.
Akihiro carefully observed his surroundings and drew the sword at his waist.
Unlike the Asura class with wave perception, he had to rely on sight and reflexes to identify dangers.
Being prepared in advance could prevent many risks.
His steps produced brief echoes on the ground, but the dark environment didn't feel oppressive.
On the contrary, not having to deliberately hide his spectral arm made movements freer.
While exploring, Akihiro spotted several monstrous figures in a cavern corner.
Goblins had dark green skin, long pointed ears, short stature, and extremely grotesque appearances, brandishing wooden clubs.
They didn't differ much from DNF game goblins.
Killing them might yield "Goblin Fang" materials, additional income beyond magic stones.
"Finally we meet."
"I wonder if I'll get EXP for killing them!"
Akihiro didn't panic upon seeing monsters. Instead, he incorporated real combat into his Ghostblade training, adding fierce killing intent to his gaze.
He stepped forward to attack, gripping his sword with both hands. The initial Ghostblade Technique movement struck a goblin.
A clean horizontal slash instantly beheaded the monster without even a whimper. Blood splattered cave walls as the body dissolved into black smoke.
A small magic stone fell with a clear sound.
He maintained focus. Detecting movement in his periphery, his body reacted instinctively.
Dodging another goblin's club swing, he raised his sword. Instantly, the monster's body was split in two.
As for the last goblin...
While it leaped to attack, Akihiro pierced its skull with his sword tip!
His movements were precise and fluid.
He simply applied Ghostblade training techniques, treating targets as moving dummies. Then he crouched to collect magic stones and sharp "Goblin Fangs."
Though low-value, Akihiro knew the saying: "Even the smallest mosquito is still meat." After confirming no nearby threats, he opened his Sword Soul Template.
"EXP+10"
"EXP+11"
"EXP+9"
The experience points from killing goblins motivated him. Though quantity wasn't high, he didn't expect great rewards from low-level monsters.
Progress bar: 60%
Efficiency was acceptable.
Leveling up in early stages would be faster than expected.
In early game stages, level-up EXP requirements were minimal. But at high levels, they easily reached tens of millions, surpassing hundreds post-updates.
This EXP system clearly didn't apply in DanMachi's world.
The "Sword Soul Template," lacking quest systems, had simplified. Level-up EXP requirements were drastically reduced.
Still...
He had to overcome the difficult initial phase. Only upon reaching level 15 would he unlock skills like "Triple Slash" or "Jumping Slash."
Akihiro looked away from the template. Upper-floor monsters were weak and manageable with Ghostblade Technique, though at greater stamina cost.
Before mastering new skills, he shouldn't venture beyond the fifth floor.
"I must keep striving."
After regaining composure, Akihiro decided to seek more "EXP packages" nearby. For a while, he encountered no other adventurers, but numerous goblins.
These low-level monsters wielding crude clubs were easy prey for him, who mastered Ghostblade and wielded a sharp weapon.
He continued accumulating EXP until reaching level 2. Without stopping, he pressed onward.
The process proceeded without incident.
Though not particularly pleased. The Sword Soul Template was a pure class, lacking even basic skills like "Phantom Slash" or "Wave Slash."
He calculated that mastering more techniques would drastically increase efficiency.
*Rest and Assessment*
After eliminating the last monsters (whose ugliness matched their names), intense physical exertion began causing fatigue.
He decided to return to the safe zone.
Leaning against a wall, Akihiro drank from his canteen and reviewed changes in his Sword Soul Template while recovering stamina.
——
"Akihiro"
"Level: 2"
"EXP: 63%"
"Skill: Ghostblade Technique (+)"
"SP: 10"
——
The "+" symbol by Ghostblade Technique made him frown, realizing an overlooked detail.
In the game, reaching certain levels automatically granted Sword Soul class mastery.
No learning required.
Nor could SP points improve skills later. Only special equipment and costume effects could increase mastery levels.
But this manual template seemed to allow it!
"Well, SP points are useless for now. Maybe leveling up increases attack damage?"
The path to new skills remained long.
Akihiro considered Ghostblade Technique his most effective current combat method. Even costing 10 SP, it wouldn't be wasteful.
[Spent 10 SP]
[Ghostblade Technique upgraded to Ghostblade Technique (Mastery)]
Watching skill points disappear, he felt inexplicable relief seeing the skill name identical to his past life as Sword Soul.
*Final Foray*
After brief rest, Akihiro ventured deeper again.
High-level skills sped up game progress, but he didn't know how mastering Ghostblade Technique would translate in reality.
What kind of improvement would he gain?