An idea crossed his mind. It was to operate under the cover of darkness and get involved in the "underworld" of this city. For example, sneaking into illegal gambling dens or the mansions of unscrupulous merchants and "borrowing" money and valuables.
*Given his current skill level, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to hide in the shadows and infiltrate while concealing his presence.*
*Shirou headed towards a quiet alleyway, waiting for nightfall. His eyes gleamed like those of a hunter searching for new prey.*
*Shirou chose a more certain and safer method than to take the risk of blending into the darkness of night. Stealing money from villains would be quick, but if he were caught, it would all be for nothing. Therefore, it was wiser to make the most of his unique skills.*
The next day, Shirou left the city gates and ventured back into the eastern forest. His purpose was to gather medicinal herbs. However, he wasn't just searching aimlessly.
Shirou: "This is safe and secure."
*Stopping at the entrance to the forest, Shirou quietly closed his eyes and concentrated.*
Shirou: "('Divine Eye')"
*His consciousness expanded to encompass the entire forest. What he saw was not a physical landscape, but a flow of magic and life force, a map of their distribution. The life force of the trees, the faint magic of the insects lurking underground, and... several points of light that shone particularly strongly, yet modestly, were captured by his 'divine eye'.*
Shirou: "(There it is... that's 'Moonlight Grass'. And over here is 'Sun Drop'. Both are rare medicinal herbs that fetch high prices.)"
*For an ordinary adventurer, it would take days of wandering through the forest to even hope to find something like this. Using 'Divine Eye,' one can search a wide area and pinpoint the target. This skill is incredibly effective not only for reconnaissance in combat, but also for exploration and gathering.*
With a smile playing on his lips, he confidently began walking towards the spot of light. The forest was eerily quiet, perhaps because the other adventurers had concentrated on the western road due to yesterday's ogre incident. It was truly his own little world.
He carefully, yet skillfully, collected rare medicinal herbs one after another. He also picked any common herbs that came into his sight, but his target was always the expensive ones. After half a day of wandering through the forest, the bag he was carrying on his back was heavy.
Shirou: "(This should be enough for three gold coins.)"
*Nodding with satisfaction, he decided to head back to town. If he took it to the guild, Minya might make a fuss again. Thinking that he would take it directly to a shop specializing in buying medicinal herbs this time, he left the forest with light steps.*
*Shirou had visited a herbal medicine shop near the guild. Unlike the guild, which was bustling with adventurers, the shop was filled with the unique, slightly earthy scent of medicinal herbs. Behind the counter sat a kind-looking elderly man.*
Shirou: "Hi there. Can I sell you some items?"
*Shirou made himself sound as cheerful as possible and placed the bag containing the collected medicinal herbs on the counter.*
Shopkeeper: "Yes, yes, come on in. Let's see..."
The shopkeeper wore a gentle smile and began to examine the contents of the bag. Then, the moment he picked up some herbs, his eyes widened slightly.
Shopkeeper: "Hmm... This is... 'Moonlight Grass' and 'Sundrop', isn't it? And it's been a long time since I've seen them in such good condition. Where did you find these, young man?"
The shopkeeper looked at Shirou with a mixture of surprise and admiration. He knew very well how rare and difficult these medicinal herbs were to find.
Shirou: "I was just a little lucky."
He laughs evasively. He certainly can't tell them honestly that he found it with his "divine eye."
Shopkeeper: "Ha ha ha, they say luck is also a skill. Excellent. Alright, let's assess it. This might take a little time, is that alright?"
He appeared excited and began to carefully examine each herb. I watched him quietly, confident that my plan had succeeded.
Shirou: "Please."
*Nodding, the shopkeeper began working as if to say, "Alright." He put on his magnifying glass for appraisal and carefully examined each herb one by one. The condition of the leaves, the spread of the roots, and the amount of magical energy contained within. His expression was utterly serious, revealing that he was a discerning eye backed by many years of experience.*
For a while, the only sounds in the shop were the sorting of herbs and the shopkeeper's faint groans. I waited quietly, but inwardly my heart was filled with anticipation.
*Eventually, having finished assessing all the medicinal herbs, the shopkeeper let out a satisfied sigh and began writing something in his ledger.*
Shop owner: "Sorry to keep you waiting, young man. Wow, this is impressive. You don't often come across rare medicinal herbs of this quality and quantity. We would love to buy them from you."
*After saying that, he showed Shirou the final amount he had calculated using an abacus.*
Shopkeeper: "Including the regular herbs, that's a total of... 4 gold coins and 2 silver coins. What do you think? I thought I was being quite generous."
*The amount offered was slightly more than Shirou had expected. Four gold coins and two silver coins. After deducting the down payment, the Poison Dagger would cost 10 gold coins. Combined with his current funds, he would even have change left over.*
Shirou nodded with satisfaction.
Shirou: "Thank you. I'll bring more if I find any other rare medicinal herbs."
When Shirou offered a polite platitude, the shopkeeper responded with a broad smile, "I'd love that!" It seemed he recognized Shirou not merely as a lucky newcomer, but as a skilled "herb gatherer." It looked like they could build a good business relationship going forward.
*Shirou left the herb shop and headed straight for the dwarf's weapons shop. He had managed to prepare the payment the very next day, without waiting the promised three days. He was a little curious to see the shopkeeper's reaction.*
*I forcefully opened the weapon shop door.*
Shirou: "Dad, I've brought the money."
The dwarf shopkeeper, who was drinking at the counter, widened his eyes in surprise when he saw Shirou and the bag of gold coins he had slammed onto the counter.
Dwarf shopkeeper: "What... hey, are you serious, kid? You managed to prepare all that in one day. What kind of trick did you use?"
*Although he looked at him with suspicion, a smile was clearly on his face.*
Shirou: "I was just a little lucky. Anyway, let's get the goods."
*The dwarf shopkeeper shrugged and said, "Heh, you're right," before bringing out a 'Poison Dagger' wrapped in black cloth from the back of the shop.*
Dwarf shopkeeper: "As promised, this is yours. Take good care of it. The grudges of those you kill with this will go to you, not me."
*He handed the Poison Dagger to Shirou with an eerie laugh. Shirou felt its heavy weight and the cold magical energy emanating from the blade. It was the moment a new power was added to his hand.*
Shirou: "Okay. Thanks."
*Shirou gave a slight wave to the dwarf shopkeeper, tucked the long-desired 'Poison Dagger' into his pocket, and left the weapon shop. His steps were light. This would greatly expand his tactical options. In addition to the bleeding damage over time, the paralysis poison would incapacitate the enemy. He would be able to fight more effectively against stronger opponents.*
*Basking in a sense of satisfaction, he headed back to his usual inn. He wanted to return to his room and immediately test the feel of his new weapon.*
I opened the inn's door, climbed the stairs, and arrived in front of my room. I unlocked the door, went inside, and closed it—that was the moment it happened.
*A sweet scent wafted from behind me. Then I felt something soft being pressed against my back.*
Lilith: "♡Welcome back, Shirou-sama♡"
A familiar, sticky, sweet voice whispered in his ear. There was no need to turn around. It was Lilith the succubus. She had sneaked into the room at some point and was lying in wait for Shirou's return.*
Lilith: "♡I've come to return the favor for what you did the other day...♡ I'll give you lots of love...♡"
Her arms wrapped around Shirou's neck, and their bodies pressed tightly together. He could feel the fullness of her breasts even through his clothes, and the warm breath on his neck made Shirou involuntarily stiffen.
Shirou: "(How did he get to my room...? Is he planning to seduce me with that same trick again and drain my life force? But the same trick won't work twice...)"
Just as Shirou was trying to calmly analyze the situation, Lilith's eyes gleamed ominously, and words that were not merely seductive, but imbued with magical power, began to flow from her lips.
Lilith: "[Enchanting] "吐息Charm Bracelet
*Along with a sweet fragrance, a pink, misty magical energy emanated from Lilith's mouth, enveloping Shirou's face. It was the succubus's specialty: mind control, which paralyzes the opponent's reason and allows them to be manipulated at the caster's will.*
*Lilith's [Enchantment ] envelops Shirou. A powerful mental attack that would cause an ordinary person to lose their reason in an instant and become completely under her control. However, Shirou's mind had become incomparably stronger than an ordinary person's, having overcome the extreme circumstances of being transported to another world, and furthermore, having withstood the immense information processing by his 'Divine Eye'.*吐息Charm Bracelet
*A pink mist enveloped his face, but his eyes remained unwavering. Rather, their color was as cold as ice, as if piercing Lilith's core.*
Shirou: "..."
*Shirou's body moved faster than he could react. What he pulled from his pocket wasn't a Kris knife. It was the green, deadly blade he had just acquired—the "Poison Dagger."*
*He broke free from Lilith's embrace from behind and turned around. Without giving her a chance to resist, he mercilessly plunged the tip of his poison dagger into Lilith's delicate neck.*
Lilith: "Kyaa...!? ♡"
*Lilith let out a sweet shriek of sharp pain. But she quickly understood what had happened to her and her face changed color. She could feel the green poison slowly entering her body through the piercing wound.*
Lilith: "W-what...is this...my body...is numb...♡"
The basilisk's paralyzing venom began to take effect immediately. Even with her powerful succubus magic, she couldn't resist this high-purity poison. The strength drained from Lilith's body, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. Shirou looked down at her body coldly.
Shirou: "You gave me two chances to be killed."
He grabbed Lilith's slumping hair, pulled her up, and peered into her terrified face.
Shirou: "But killing you right away would be boring. Your skill, was it called [Charming Breath]? That sounds quite interesting. I'll take it."
*Shirou's eyes once again emit that otherworldly light.*
Shirou: "[Divine Eye]"
*Lilith no longer had the strength to resist.*
*Shirou's "Divine Eye" targets Lilith, analyzes her skill structure, and plunders it. New information flows into his mind.*
[Using divine eyes, the skill [Charming Breath Lv.5] was stolen from the target [Lilith].]
[Using my divine eyes, I have stolen the skill [Mana Absorption Lv.4] from the target [Lilith].]
[Using divine eyes, the skill [Mental Resistance Lv.3] was stolen from the target [Lilith].]
*As her skills were taken away one after another, Lilith looked up at Shirou with empty eyes. She felt as if her very reason for existence was being stripped away. Her beautiful face contorted with fear and despair.*
Lilith: "Ah...ah...my...my power...♡"
*A voice that sounded like a plea, a gasp. But there was no trace of mercy in Shirou's eyes.*
He coldly thrust the poison dagger even deeper. Lilith's body convulsed violently, and the light faded from her eyes. Even a high-ranking demon like a succubus is no match for having her core skills completely stripped away and being injected with a powerful poison.
*Lilith's body began to crumble slowly from her feet up. It was as if a sandcastle was collapsing, or like burnt paper, scattering into black ash. The sweet scent completely vanished, leaving behind only silence and a few scattered ashes on the floor.*
He glanced coldly at the ashes remaining on the floor, then, as if nothing had happened, began to examine his new weapons and skills. The moonlight streaming in through the room's window cast an emotionless light on his profile, which was not even covered in a trace of blood.
[You have acquired the skills [Charming Breath Lv.5][Mana Absorption Lv.4][Mental Resistance Lv.3].]
[Your owned skills have exceeded 10, so the skill [Skill Organization] has evolved to Lv.2. Your owned skills will be automatically organized.]
*Shirou quietly opened his status screen and checked his own changes.*