Big Improvements

Days passed quickly, and it had already been three months since Shido arrived in this world. Following the downfall of the Eight Fingers, the entire Kingdom was thrown into a state of shock, and ultimately, celebration. The criminal organization that had long instilled fear in the hearts of many had finally been destroyed.

In recognition of their efforts, the adventurers who took part in the raid were generously rewarded, with some even receiving promotions in rank. However, the one who received the most credit was none other than Shido.

Although he wasn't the one who initiated the raid, it was his actions that set everything in motion. It was because of him that the meeting to discuss the assault on the Eight Fingers was held in the first place. Furthermore, he had single-handedly taken down the organization's soldiers guarding their base and successfully captured most of their members, except for Zero, who perished by his hand.

Even though Zero died, no one really cared but they were amazed by how Shido could easily kill Zero which made the people wonder if his strength exceeded the rank of Adamantite and entered the realm of heroes. These thoughts stirred excitement and unease, especially among the nobles, who began to imagine the benefits of securing Shido's aid in the future.

The King shared similar thoughts and soon extended an offer, hoping to recruit Shido into the service of the Kingdom. However, Shido declined the offer without hesitation. While some nobles frowned at his refusal, the King remained unbothered, as Shido's response was not disrespectful.

Recognizing the value of Shido's contributions, particularly in removing the 'tumor' that had plagued his Kingdom, the King instead rewarded him with a generous sum of gold as a token of gratitude.

The King was even tempted to offer his beloved daughter to Shido in hopes of binding him to the Kingdom. However, he held back, reluctant to entrust his precious child to any man, no matter how extraordinary he is.

Little did he know, if Princess Renner had heard his thoughts, she would have accepted without hesitation as her desire for Shido growing stronger with each passing day. Even Climb who was her personal guard felt the change in his princess but he didn't think too much as the Blue Roses were around her.

Meanwhile, the Adventurer's Guild acknowledged Shido's extraordinary accomplishments by promoting him directly to Orichalcum rank, a leap of two full tiers, something nearly unheard of. Though a few adventurers were dissatisfied with the sudden promotion, none voiced their complaints aloud as Shido's overwhelming strength silenced any protest.

In this world, strength dictated authority. Only the powerful had the right to speak, while the weak had no choice but to accept the way of things.

With that, Shido became an Orichalcum-ranked adventurer without much resistance. In recognition of his fearsome strength and unmatched swordsmanship, the people began to call him 'The Black Swordsman'. Clad in black from head to toe, wielding two equally dark blades, he cut down enemies with a skill and speed no one could rival.

...

In a long-abandoned city, a fierce battle raged. The sound of clashing steel and the roar of exploding magic echoed through the desolate streets, shattering the silence of ruin.

Shido cleaved through an undead soldier, his blade slicing cleanly before he charged into another wave. But the numbers were overwhelming, far greater than what he had faced in the graveyard of E-Rantel. Among the horde were over ten Undead Knights, each radiating a sinister aura and wielding cursed weapons.

However, despite their number, Shido didn't felt fear, instead he felt excitement as Undead Knights finally appeared. It was one of his quest after all so it was good that he finally found them.

Still, a question lingered in his mind, 'Why had so many undead suddenly emerged in this abandoned city?'

Shido then thought that those people might have something to do with this army of undead.

'They finally started to move, huh?' He thought.

On one of the top of a building, Rumia stood under the cover of invisibility. To ensure her safety, Shido had personally cast a barrier around her, one strong enough to shield her from even a concentrated magical assault. From a high ground, she continued her support magic while remaining hidden from the undead below.

Once Shido had drawn all of the undead into the heart of the ruined city, he leapt back to the top of a crumbling building, gaining a wide vantage. Standing tall amidst the broken stone, he placed both palms in the center of his chest and held them parallel, golden light beginning to swirl and pulse between them.

The radiance intensified rapidly.

Then, with a sharp motion, Shido clasped his hands together. In that instant, a massive golden magic circle erupted across the sky, intricate patterns glowing with divine energy as it began to activate. 

"Fairy Law!" Shido's voice echoed like a command from the heavens.

The moment the words left his lips, a colossal pillar of golden light descended down from the sky, striking the ground with blinding force. The air trembled under the weight of the spell, and the earth itself cracked beneath the overwhelming pressure.

It was as if the judgement day has come, as the golden light engulfed the undead, they were reduced to nothingness

Ding!

[You gained 1,489,030 EXP]

[You gained 287,000 SP]

[You gained 31,058 SF]

Ding!

[Congratulations! You leveled up!]

A flurry of notifications popped up in Shido's vision, the familiar chime of the system echoing in his ears. He glanced over the rewards calmly. The sheer volume of EXP and SP didn't surprise him, after all, he had just wiped out tens of thousands of undead, but what caught his eye was the unusually high amount of SF.

Soul Fragments.

He muttered to himself, a faint smirk on his lips. "So I can even collect fragments from creatures that were already dead..."

It made sense now. Thirty thousand undead meant thirty thousand soul fragments. Even if they were mindless remnants, the system still counted them as valid. It was a significant gain, and a satisfying one.

What's more, he had leveled up. Now, Shido was Level 48.

Three months had passed since he arrived in this world. After the fall of the Eight Fingers, he and Rumia had relentlessly taken on mission after mission, steadily growing stronger with each mission. Even Rumia was now Level 41 which was quite amazing.

But their rapid growth wasn't solely due to their efforts, it was largely thanks to the unique feature of the Summoning System, which created a deep bond between summoner and summon. This link didn't just tie their lives together, it also shared the experience gained from defeating enemies.

At first, Shido had been worried that sharing EXP might mean splitting it in half. But to his pleasant surprise, both he and Rumia received the full amount of experience, without any reduction. This discovery left Shido overjoyed. With this mechanic, their growth would only accelerate further.

By completing missions together, Rumia also reached Mithril rank within the Adventurer's Guild, a remarkable achievement in such a short time. Her fame continued to rise, not only because of her close association with Shido, but also due to her pure-hearted demeanor and her rare, supportive magic. Her benevolence and kindness had won the hearts of many, earning her the respect and admiration of adventurers and citizens alike.

Rumia's kindness left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Her gentle demeanor, radiant smile, and unwavering willingness to help others had earned her the epithet "Maiden of Compassion" among the adventurers and the people of the Kingdom.

Rumia also healed some injured people on the streets when she saw one, so the residents of the capital really love her.

Naturally, many young men were drawn to her, enchanted by both her beauty and kindness. Some even tried to approach her, hoping to strike up a conversation or find a chance to get closer. But Shido only glanced at them before they gone back to their seat without a word since their body became cold in the instant Shido stared at them.

That's right, they know that Shido was with Rumia but they couldn't help but want to get closer to her. So, Shido would warn them that she was off limits with his emotionless gaze.

Everyone knew that Rumia was with Shido. And while they couldn't help but be drawn to her, they also understood one unspoken truth:

She was off-limits.

And Shido made sure they never forgot it.