Fairy Tail: Igneel's eldest son in Anime Multiverse

Dungeon, 10th Floor—this was Welf's first time descending to this level.

Normally, an average Level 1 adventurer would find venturing alone beyond the 6th floor to be their limit, since monsters like War Shadows started appearing there—enemies that rookie adventurers couldn't handle alone.

Of course, those with combat skills or magic might push beyond that limit.

But everything changed after the 10th floor. It was the first area where traps began to appear in the dungeon, and the dense fog meant adventurers had to watch each other's backs just to survive.

The monsters here also increased drastically in both number and strength, making team combat essential.

Welf swung his greatsword, cleaving two imps clean in half.

"Too many unnecessary movements! And remember to immediately reset your stance after attacking," Charles instructed from nearby as he hurled a flame that blasted a half-orc sneaking up behind Welf.

"Got it!"

Welf quickly adjusted his posture as Charles had advised.

After this stretch of combat, Welf finally understood why Hephaestus trusted Charles so much.

He had initially guessed Charles might be a Level 2 adventurer, but based on his performance so far, his actual combat level was definitely above Level 4.

Before entering the dungeon, they had agreed on a strategy: Welf would serve as the front-line fighter, while Charles provided magical support from the rear.

And Welf had clearly noticed that the pressure he faced in combat always landed precisely at the edge of what he could handle.

It was obvious this was due to Charles's deliberate coordination and control.

On top of that, Charles had provided him with a number of practical combat tips—something an average rear guard magic-user simply couldn't do.

Welf had no doubt: even without magic, Charles would still be an exceptional front-line warrior.

After finishing off the last half-orc, Welf shouldered his greatsword and wiped the sweat from his brow. The surrounding monsters had all been cleared, so the two could take a break.

Charles walked over after collecting all the magic stones and dropped materials.

"Not bad," he said. "It's clear you've been maintaining your physical training. But if you're serious about dungeon delving, you'll need more combat experience."

Welf bowed solemnly. "Thank you for your guidance!"

Charles waved his hand. "Don't mention it. We're members of the same Familia—it's only natural to help each other out."

Welf straightened up and scratched his head. "A Familia companion, huh? It's the first time someone's ever really said that to me."

After a pause, he looked at Charles and asked, "Charles, you really don't mind… you know, about me?"

Charles sat down on a nearby rock. "About you? Oh, you mean how everyone says you're wasting your talent? I don't really care, honestly. Everyone has their own principles.

But you've got to understand where the others are coming from. For most smiths, forging magic swords means something completely different."

Welf sat down across from him. "You're a blacksmith too, right? So what's your take on magic swords?"

Charles replied, "Magic swords, huh? They're just tools like any other weapon. No one says weapons are a part of an adventurer's soul, and a magic sword—destined to break—barely even qualifies as a weapon."

Welf flushed red. It felt like someone had just read out a middle-schooler's cringey diary entry in public—pure embarrassment, the shame of having one's youthful ideals exposed.

He strongly suspected Charles knew something, but he had never shared his inner thoughts with anyone, so he dismissed the idea.

Satisfied with teasing Welf, Charles continued, "Even ordinary weapons get worn down in battle.

Even if they survive multiple fights, as the adventurer grows stronger, those weapons often can't keep up and get replaced.

Take your sword, for example. It's fine for upper floors. But once you reach the middle or lower floors, it won't be able to pierce through a monster's defenses.

And if you still insist on using it down there, the result will be a broken weapon—and your death.

Forging a weapon that grows alongside its wielder is something only divine craftsmanship can achieve. But if you ever reach that level… you might even be able to craft a magic sword that doesn't break."

At that moment, Charles remembered the original storyline—how Welf had indeed forged the unique Hishou series of magic swords. Though they required the user's own magic power to activate, they had broken free from the curse of self-destruction.

Remembering that made Charles even more determined to help Welf break through his mental blocks—because once he did, Charles could learn a lot from his knowledge of magic sword forging.

Welf fell silent. What Charles had said was something he'd never considered before. But he couldn't deny it made sense.

It shook the foundations of the belief he'd held so firmly all this time.

Charles went on, "That's why I say magic swords are no different from ordinary weapons.

At the end of the day, a weapon's purpose is to help its wielder achieve victory in battle—to protect them in moments of danger. Even if it gets destroyed doing so, it's fulfilled its purpose.

And wanting your weapon to stay with you forever… that's just self-indulgent fantasy. So tell me, what's the real reason you refuse to forge magic swords?"

Welf's mouth hung open. Charles had taken the conversation this far—how was he supposed to answer?

Charles grinned and added, "You know what people regret most?

It's knowing you had the power to stop a tragedy, but because of some meaningless principle, all you could do was stand by and watch it unfold.

When something precious is gone, no amount of regret will ever turn back time."

Lately, Charles felt like he was getting better and better at delivering emotional pep talks. He wouldn't be surprised if his next level-up came with some "Guidance Counselor" type of skill or ability.

He stood up and said, "Anyway, enough talk. We've got monsters incoming. Since Lady Hephaestus entrusted you to me, I'm going to make sure you grow.

So brace yourself. The real training is going to be strict."

Welf jumped to his feet and gripped his greatsword with both hands.

Charles's words had definitely shaken his beliefs—but with monsters appearing, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

"Yes, Senior Charles!"

Charles's face twitched. Based on age and time spent in the Hephaestus Familia, Welf was technically his senior.

How had the roles reversed?

But Welf was genuinely sincere. Charles's overwhelming strength and mature insight had earned his respect, and the title "senior" came naturally to him.

Charles was only surprised for a moment before brushing it off.

"Stay alert. Silverback apes—three of them."

"Got it!!"

Welf swung his greatsword and charged forward. Charles stood ready to back him up at a moment's notice.

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