Rose did not like to wake up early. She would even go as far as to say that she hated it.
Morning shifts are the worst.
With a languid look in her sharp golden eyes, Rose Fannet observed as the guild main hall steadily filled up with overeager adventurers. They were practically vibrating in excitement to enter and finish their affairs so that they could go into the Dungeon as soon as possible.
These fools. Why are they always so excited to venture into that cursed place? Have they really not figured out yet that all that awaits them at the bottom of it is death?
Rose had been working for the guild for over a decade now. In that time, she had seen many things. Most of them terrible.
She had seen Families be destroyed. Orario's very own Dark Age come and goe. She even had a front-row seat to the rise of the famous Sword Princess.
In all of that time, if there was one thing that had never changed, then it was the arrogance of adventurers.
How is it possible that each of them always thinks that they are the chosen ones? That they are somehow special, and just one more trip into the Dungeon will change their fortunes and make everyone else recognize that 'fact.'
Rose sighed and rubbed her forehead in annoyance.
I did not understand it ten years ago, and I still do not understand it today. Maybe being an adventurer just requires a certain level of delusion?
This job was not good for her mental health. She only just passed her mid-twenties, and she already felt like she was too old to still be doing this crap.
"Eh, Rose? What are you brooding about again? The day has only just begun… Oh! Don't tell me…has some poor adventure confessed their love to you again?!"
Rose sighed even louder as she turned her head toward her unruly junior. Would this girl never get tired of teasing her? What happened to respecting your elders? She was almost a full ten years older than this mischievous girl!
"No, Misha. That is not what I was thinking about. Besides, do not call them "poor" even in jest. I have made my stance very clear when it comes to romance. If they do not respect me enough to heed it, then I feel no pity for them when I am forced to "break their hearts," as they say. And neither should you."
"So cruel! As expected of our thorny Rose. As tough as always. Don't you know that—"
"Excuse me."
A smooth voice interrupted her pink-haired friend just as she was about to go on another tangent regarding her nonexistent love life.
Rose slowly turned her head to the source of the disturbance. Her face remained carefully blank as she inspected the young man in front of her. Meanwhile, Misha had made herself scarce the moment she realized that playtime was over and her senior colleague was busy.
He is neither wearing armour, nor does he have any weapons on him. And what are those clothes? It really has been a while since I've seen a newbie this green…He doesn't look like he's fought a day in his life.
Her gaze turned somewhat judgmental as she took him in. Still, despite her thoughts, years of experience allowed her to answer with the professional tone of an expert service worker.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"My name is Cain. I recently joined a Familia and have been told that this is the place to sign up as an adventurer."
Rose furrowed her eyebrows as she considered what she had just heard. Registering new adventures was nothing new to her. Quite the opposite. New adventurers showing up at the guild was a daily occurrence. The adventuring industry was a gaping pit that was only matched in its mortality rate by how fast it could replace the bodies it devoured.
Still, it was somewhat unusual for a rookie to appear before her without at least one senior member of his Familia there as support and to show him the ropes.
"I suppose this Familia of yours is a small one then? Tell me the name of your god so that I can register you as a new addition to their followers."
She prepared herself to go and retrieve the necessary documents from the archives when the young man spoke up again with a somewhat sheepish tone this time.
"Actually, I am my Familia's first and only member. The Hestia Familia. We are just starting out."
Ah…It is one of those situations.
The odds were certainly not stacked in his favor. Did he even know what he had consented to when accepting the Falna of a goddess that could offer him nothing but her blessing, by the looks of it?
"Very well. If that is the case, then you first must register your Familia with us so that we can put you into our system. We will then assess your Familia rank, based on which we will collect taxes for our provided services. Has your goddess explained to you what is involved in that process? Is she going to join us soon?"
Rose suppressed a sigh when she saw the boy's clueless expression.
Just my luck.
With practiced ease, she searched through the drawers of her desk until she found the files she was looking for. She always made sure to keep at least a couple registration papers on the ready just in case a situation like this one arose.
She fished a pen out of her pockets and handed it to the newbie.
"Here. First read through each page carefully and then simply fill in the brackets here, here, and here. Then sign at the bottom…there. Of course, only do that if you agree to the terms listed within. I should warn you that once you have signed, you will be held liable for its content as long as you reside within the walls of this city."
She paused for a moment as she took his nonverbal answer to her last question into consideration. "As you are a new Familia, we would normally also require your goddess's signature for the registration to be valid. However, since you are its first member, that automatically makes you the Famila Captain. Your will counts as the will of your goddess, and as such, it is your right to represent her interests in an official capacity."
The boy understood her meaning and went to work going through the documents page by page.
She observed him silently.
He either reads very quickly or just not very carefully.
Disbelief rose within her when she saw him write down that the Hestia Familia would be mainly operating as a "Dungeon Exploration type" Familia.
What is it about the Dungeon that attracts young men like him? For a newbie without guidance to go into that place… I will be shocked if I ever see him again after he leaves this building.
"Alright, I am done." The boy smiled and handed her back the filled-out documents. Her expression remained unchanged as she put them aside for sorting later.
His handwriting is pretty nice.
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you mean by Familia Rank? How will that rank influence my Familia going forwards…and how will the taxation work?"
It was getting progressively harder for Rose to accept that there really was a goddess out there who was willing to send her first follower into the Dungeon while he was this clueless.
Is she trying to get rid of him?
There was no way a goddess existed that was this incompetent.
"Families are ranked by the strength of their adventurers. At the top of the hierarchy are the S-rank Familias like Freya's and Loki's. Those at the bottom are either very new or simply very weak. They are all made up of few members that are all level 1. Those Familias hold the Rank I. The Hestia Familia is one such case. The guild taxes Familia based on that ranking. The tax level rises as that rank increases."
Seeing that he was keeping up with her explanation, Rose shifted to a different topic.
Having long noticed how utterly underdressed the aspiring adventurer was for the Dungeon when it came to his gear, she decided to throw him a bone.
"The guild also offers beginner equipment for new adventures. We offer knives, armor, and bags with a light space enhancement enchantment. They are expensive for newcomers, but to compensate for that, the guild gives out loans with no interest attached to them. Just be aware that you will not earn any Valis from the magic stones you sell to us until that loan is paid."
It wasn't like she really expected him to last long enough to ever pay that debt back…but she had not yet grown cold enough to send another adventure to their deaths without offering at least some token amount of aid.
The boy nodded at her offer with a contemplative expression.
At least he is taking this seriously.
"I would like to take one of those bags, please. No weapons or armor."
…Or not. When will the arrogance of adventurers ever cease?
Rose briefly thought about admonishing him for his foolishness but decided that she had already done enough and instead simply did as he requested. She returned a short while later with a small, brown leather backpack held within her arms.
"That will be 5300 Valis, to be paid at a later date."
The boy took the bag and immediately began fumbling around with it in interest.
"The guild also recommends that all new adventurers consult our very own library before setting foot in the Dungeon. Of course, I cannot force you, but I would advise you to heed that recommendation. The library might be small, but within it, there are books with detailed explanations on the Dungeon monsters and floor layouts."
To her surprise, the boy perked up at the mention of books and gave her his full attention as she provided him with the direction to the library area.
Shortly after, he was gone.
———-
Well…that went pretty alright I'd say.
I did not know what I had first expected when signing up at the guild, but I did think that there would be more to it than simply filling out some documents and signing a few papers.
In the end, all they wanted from me was to know the size of my Familia and its purpose, my own level, and the name of my goddess. All of those were very reasonable requests.
Apparently, I would now be held accountable by the guild for any crimes I committed within Orario. That was hardly a problem for me. I was not planning to break any of their laws in the first place, and if I was forced to do so…I would simply make sure not to be caught.
With an idle mind, I strolled through the first section of the library. The striking receptionist had certainly been understating things when she called this place "small."
In what kind of world can a place that has collected within it a thousand years of knowledge be called small?
I came to an abrupt halt when I spotted the title of a book that looked especially relevant for my current situation.
The Monster Encyclopedia
I quickly grabbed it and walked over to the spotless seating area.
How come this place is so empty?
While it was still relatively early in the morning, the guild hall had steadily been filling up as I conversed with the crimson-haired woman. And yet, the library was completely empty.
I put that curiosity out of my mind and began to read the first passage of the book as soon as I was seated.
Monsters are born from the Dungeon. They hatch from its walls and stay on the floor they were created in. The source of their power is the magic stones that give them life. To destroy the monster, it is enough to sufficiently damage the magic stones at the center of their being. Once that is achieved, the monster will disintegrate. While it is not a phenomenon that has been observed within the Dungeon, it is known that monsters are able to breed and procreate once they escape to the surface and spread across the land…
I took a pause from reading and browsed through the many pages of the thick book. Once I properly assessed the task ahead of me, I let out a long-suffering sigh and relaxed back into the comfortable chair.
I think I am going to be here for a while.
————-
It was hours later when Rose saw the young man she had spoken to in the morning again. He wore a satisfied and determined expression on his face. He was also walking toward her from the direction of the library.
Are you telling me he actually spent all this time in there reading? I thought he went home or sneaked off into the Dungeon the first chance he got, like newbies tend to do.
"Hello again, miss. I'm afraid I require some more of your time. I have a request to make."
Of course you do. Wouldn't be here otherwise, now would you?
"As long as it concerns your career as an adventurer in relation to guild activities, you can ask me anything."
He nodded. "Alright. I wish to know how I can get in contact with an advisor…I recognize that there is still too much that I don't know. Things that no amount of reading can prepare me for. My Familia is new, and I want to be prepared so that any future members will not have to start from zero like I have to do now."
Rose stared at the boy silently for a moment. She had planned to brush him off as soon as she heard the word "advisor," but in front of such earnest reasoning, how could she not answer truthfully?
"Being an advisor isn't a separate profession. All of us guild employees can choose to take one or more adventurers for ourselves and fill that position. We will then guide them in their journey and represent their interests in an official capacity during legal disputes that concern the guild."
The boy perked up and smiled in relief. "Ah, that is good. Will you be my advisor then?"
"No. I will not."
The newbie's smile froze at her pitiless rejection.
"May I ask why not?"
Her voice remained even as she answered. "Do you want me to be honest?"
"Of course."
"I think you are going to die. You wear no armor, wield no weapons, and know nothing about what it means to be an adventurer. Neither I nor any of my colleagues would ever accept to be your advisor because you are…"
———-
"...a lost cause."
I was more stunned than I would like to admit as I processed the harsh words directed at me.
I guess I should have been expecting something like this. I was warned that these women were "notoriously picky." There were only a few of them, and there must be thousands of adventurers without advisors. Did I really expect that getting one to choose me would be that easy?
Instead of getting angry, I simply nodded. "Is there something that I can do to change your mind?"
"There is not."
"I understand. Then I will bother you with it no longer. However, know that you are mistaken about one thing." My chin rose. "Yes, I am inexperienced. Yes, I possess neither weapons nor armor. But that does not mean that I am without means. I will not die in this Dungeon. I will never die."
My spine straightened, and burning conviction spread out from my core through the rest of my body.
"I will go down into that place, and I will kill the monsters it holds within. I will continue to kill them day after day until someday, I have killed so many of them that they will start to run in fear the moment they catch sight of me."
I stared dead in the woman's stunned eyes and continued in a lower voice.
"I do not fault you for not believing in me. That is alright, I do not mind. You don't know me yet. Neither am I arrogant enough to believe that I am somehow special and can therefore convince you otherwise. Still, I want you to know this: while it might be harder for me without an advisor, I will still succeed. And die? That is something that I will never do."
Having said all that I wanted to say, I turned around and advanced toward the exit.
I did not make it far before a voice called out to me from behind.
———
"Boy, wait."
This is probably not a good idea.
"If you ask me today, then no, I will not be your advisor. But if you make it out alive from the Dungeon and ask me again tomorrow? Maybe I still won't be your advisor then, but maybe I will."
The young man turned around and glanced at her in confusion. Eventually, he nodded with the right corner of his mouth slightly raised and continued walking away.
Rose let out a deep exhale as she felt Misha approach her from behind with muted steps. Of course, her own werewolf heritage allowed her to hear the troublesome girl coming as clearly as if she had been stomping.
"I can hear you, Misha. No need to try and be sneaky."
"Rose! What was that all about? Has some passionate young adventurer finally managed to worm his way into your thorny heart?"
Rose clicked her tongue in annoyance. She could not wait for Eina to come back from her break and relieve her from this pink menace. The adorable half-elf girl was much easier to get along with.
"It is nothing like that. You know that the others have been pestering me for a while now about taking another adventure under my wing. Besides, it likely won't matter anyway. The chances that he makes it out of the Dungeon are minimal."
Misha let out a humming noise. "Is that so? Are you sure that is all there is to it? Mhm?"
Rose' wolf-like ears twitched in agitation as she was once again drawn into her junior's pace. She fought with all her might to resist the urge to snap back at her.
She failed.
It took a few more minutes until Misha finally had enough of riling her up and fled to gods know where.
Rose used that precious moment of quiet to think about what had just happened.
Well, it's not like it's all bad. He either dies and I will forget all about him, or he comes back and I am proven wrong…it wouldn't be the first time that happened.
In Rose's mind, the image of Cain glaring into her eyes with such unflinching conviction overlapped with another set of golden eyes. Eyes that belonged to a delicate, female face. A face framed by shining blonde hair.
————
I might have gone a little overboard back there.
I was used to being underestimated. After all, I had done my best to appear as unassuming as possible for many years of my life. If people had known about my Blessing or my blasphemous thoughts about the Theocracy…well.
I likely would have ended up in this world a lot sooner.
Still, somehow the way in which she said that I "was going to die" rubbed me the wrong way. I had gotten intimately familiar with death quite recently, and it was not an experience that I wanted to repeat.
Most of all, I had no intentions of dying weak and helpless again. Certainly not before I left my mark upon this world and achieved my ambitions.
That I swore to myself.
I can't even imagine how Hestia would react if she found out that I died.
It did not take long until I crossed the relatively short distance separating the guild building from the humongous tower that was built over the entrance to the dungeon.
No. I will not die in this place.
This was just the start of my legend.
The Legend of the World's Greatest Hero.
12/3/2026Add bookmark#17"Young man, I recommend that you do not proceed any further down this path."
My appreciative gaze shifted away from the beautiful azure painting above, depicting the sky outside, and instead fixed itself on the source of the disturbance.
A short man in heavy armor frowned up at me. The corners of his mouth, hidden behind a thick graying beard, pulled downwards.
A suffocating pressure radiated from his diminutive body.
My head tilted to the side. "And why exactly would I do that?… I just got here."
A deep exhale left the dwarf's bulbous nose. He pushed himself off the smooth wall he had been leaning against and closed the distance between us with short strides.
"I have been an adventurer for more years than you have lived. In that time, I have seen many rookies. Some were talented, some were not. Some made it big and attained eternal glory; some died the first day they stepped foot in the Dungeon."
His glowering brown eyes sharpened visibly as he glared up at me.
"But in all of that time, not once have I seen a newbie quite as foolishly brazen as you." His jaw clenched.
He took a deep breath as if to steady himself.
"What do you think you're doing going into the Dungeon unarmored and, even worse, unarmed! Do you think this is a game? Is your life a joke to you?"
I flinched backwards slightly at the intense look in the stranger's eyes.
He must be one of those high-level adventurers I've heard so much about.
"What concern of yours is it how I choose to enter the Dungeon? You don't know me. I am not a part of your Familia… What stake do you have in my survival?"
The dwarven man's oppressive glare softened.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Ah, the willful ignorance of youth… Yes, you are not part of my familia. Yes, you are not my responsibility—not mine to protect. But what does that matter? We share something far more important in common. The Dungeon is our enemy. It is the enemy of all living beings in Gekai… I will not stand by silently and watch a youngster like you be swallowed into its hungry maw."
The tension in my muscles loosened as I registered the man's words.
A quiet huff escaped me.
The right corner of my lips raised faintly. "I appreciate the concern, old man. I really do, but you don't need to worry about me. It's alright. I know what I'm doing—"
A booming noise interrupted my speech.
The ground shook beneath our feet as a translucent cloud of grey dust filled the air.
The dwarf pulled his fist out of the stone wall.
His wizened eyes glowed with burning conviction as he glared at me.
"No, boy, you do not know! You know nothing! Not yet. But if you refuse to heed my advice… you will."
His stare grew vacant.
Silence spread between us before the old man averted his eyes from mine.
"In any case, you are right. You are not a part of my Familia. Whether you live or die is not for me to worry about… That burden falls to your god, your Familia captain, and your comrades. I have delivered my warning; my conscience is clear. What you choose to do next is your decision to make, and yours alone."
I stared unblinkingly as the aged dwarf turned around and left me behind.
He halted his movements a moment before entering one of the numerous tunnels that served as the entrances to the Dungeon.
He raised his voice without turning around. "One last thing... That dream of adventure you nurture in your heart, put it to rest. The Dungeon is nothing like the stories you heard about. Do not be fooled by the shining tales of valor and heroism. In this dark hell, only monsters roam."
The room turned silent when the veteran adventurer disappeared into the Dungeon.
The only sound still reaching my ears was my rapidly beating heart thundering in my chest.
The hairs on my neck rose up.
—————
So this is the Beginner Road.
My path through the spacious tunnel was steadily illuminated by the dim light emitted by the luminous crystals that lined the jagged expanse of the ceiling above. With cautious steps, I marched deeper into the first floor of the Dungeon.
"I did not expect it to be so… empty."
It was impossible to accurately determine the passage of time in the Dungeon without the use of specialized tools. However, going by a rough estimation, it could not have been less than half an hour since I first entered the Dungeon.
And yet, there was no sign of either monsters nor any other adventurers.
I slowed down my pace even further and trailed the tips of my fingers across the light blue colored walls as I passed them by.
I cannot let my guard down.
My expression sharpened as my posture straightened.
With steady steps, I progressed from one empty tunnel to the next. After turning a few more corners of the sprawling labyrinth, I finally came across my first sign of life.
A cracked wall, covered with bright red blood.
My eyes narrowed as I evaluated the scene.
The blood is still wet. Whatever happened here, it has not been long. The combatants must still be somewhere around here.
I pulled the lever in my core and activated the Blessing of Death.
With wary steps, I crossed the wide passage and turned the corner to the next section.
There was nothing there.
I shook my head.
Am I overestimating this place?
The tension in my shoulder loosened as I turned off my skill with a low huff.
A mistake.
Barely a moment after I exhibited my first sign of carelessness since entering the first Dungeon floor, a loud crack echoed through the tunnel.
A shrill shriek announced the birth of a monster.
I did not hesitate for even a second. My eyes widened as I crouched down and rolled to the side.
Not a moment too soon.
Where I had once been standing, now hunkered a ugly, green creature.
The monster was small, and its skinny limbs did not convey a feeling of strength.
I narrowed my eyes as a flash of light reflected off of its sharp claws and nails.
A goblin. The weakest monster in the dungeon. It has no weapons. Short arms. My reach is greater.
In the split second it took the monster to land on the ground and rush towards my new position, I assessed its threat level and called forth my Blessing once more.
My fists trembled from how tight I was balling them together.
I planted my feet on the ground and, with one fluid movement, punched the approaching beast out of the air.
It was as easy as swatting a fly.
The moment my fist made contact with the monster's cheek, it exploded into a shower of black mist.
Leaving nothing behind.
I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes in preparation for the incoming high.
A high that never came.
"What is this? What is this feeling?" My eyes snapped open. "Where is my pleasure?" I glared at the air in front of me. "I earned this! I killed the monster fair and square!"
Another crack from the wall to my right alerted me to the incoming danger.
I whipped toward it, only to be forced to shift my attention to my left when another sound announced the birth of an additional monster.
Two on one, huh?
I lunged toward the monster that had came into being first and killed it with an open palm strike to its bare chest.
The beast glowered at me with baleful red eyes, even as it evaporated.
Without giving the sudden rush coursing through my veins any attention, I turned around and raised my fists.
The second goblin made its assault the moment its clawed feet touched the ground.
The small monster pounced toward me.
Without delay, I shifted the majority of my weight on my left leg and lashed out with the other foot. A thunderous kick smashed the goblin back into the wall it came out of.
The beast slid down and fell onto the ground in a graceless heap. Before it could get up again, I was on it and placed my hand flat onto its green face.
A moment later, it was gone.
A shuddering breath escaped me at the pleasure that spread from my core outwards into the rest of my body.
Ahh… this is it. But still…it is not enough.
I glared down at my empty hands. Why is this not working properly?
I momentarily grew distracted as my thoughts turned back to the skill description of Morsalis.
The Dungeon mercilessly punished me for my negligence.
A heavy weight smashed onto my back, and pain assaulted my mind.
An ever-increasing flood of warm, crimson blood gushed out of my neck, as razor-sharp teeth tore into my bare flesh.
A hoarse scream tore its way out of my throat.
My mind came to a screeching halt.
With a movement driven purely by instinct, I reached up both of my hands and grabbed onto the disproportionately large head of the monster that was pushing me down to the floor.
Once both my hands had found their target, I squeezed down hard.
My mouth twisted into a bloody smile when the weight disappeared from my back.
Sweet relief arrived immediately after the kill.
I fell down to one knee and released a wheezing breath. My pupils dilated.
After a moment of hesitation, I raised my hand and placed it over where the gaping wound had been just seconds ago. Beneath a thick layer of blood, there was only smooth skin.
It is healed.
My head fell fully backwards as I rested my other hand on the left side of my chest.
My heart was pounding wildly.
It is okay. I am okay.
I stood up and raised myself to my full height. After a moment of consideration, I spread my arms wide on both sides.
"I heard the Dungeon is alive, so you can hear me, right?… Was that really all you have?"
I crouched down low when the sound of multiple cracks answered my taunt.
My lips curled upward.
"That is more like it."
————-
My breathing gradually returned to normal as I tilted my head and peered around the empty tunnel.
The floor and walls surrounding me were colored red with my blood.
Of my vanquished enemies, nothing remained.
I am missing something.
My eyes narrowed. A few seconds later, they widened.
I turned my head downward and frantically searched the floor. When that did not give me the result I hoped for, I pivoted and scanned every corner I had previously fought in.
I found nothing.
"Where are their magic stones?!"
My breath hitched as I considered the situation.
It did not take long for me to form a conclusion.
"The Blessing of Death… destroys their magic stones when I kill them with it."
A passage of the Monster Encyclopaedia flashed before my eyes.
'The source of their power is the magic stone that gives them life.'
I scanned the empty floor and rubbed my forehead.
This complicates things… does that mean I need to kill them with my bare hands if I want to get their magic stones?
My jaw clenched as I kicked the Dungeon wall.
It was already healing from the marks my battle had left on it.
"How is this fair? The Falna made no mention of that being the case… I don't even feel any stronger than I did before. What empowerment? This skill is useless!"
Did the Falna change the nature of my Blessing when it was turned into a skill?
My fists trembled by my sides for a moment longer as I stared at the ground with knitted brows.
Slowly, I loosened my tensed muscle and released a sigh.
"I… really should have listened when that guild lady tried to sell me her beginner weapon."
I shook my head and took a firm step forward. As I did that, my feet splashed into a puddle of blood.
No use stressing it now. What I need is Valis. If I have to get my hands dirty to get them, then so be it
With an unhurried gait, I advanced deeper into the labyrinth.
Silence blanketed the area.
The long break was very unlike the rapid-fire succession in which the goblins had spawned before.
When the Dungeon finally attacked me again, it immediately deployed two of its lesser children, instead of one.
However, they were of an entirely different breed of monsters than the goblins I had previously faced.
Twin red eyes glared at me out from dog-like faces. Aside from their animal heads and the tails growing out of their backs, the grey fur covering their lower half was the only thing that distinguished them from human males.
They are kobolds. Level 1 monsters. Predominantly found on the upper floors.
The werewolf-like beasts jumped toward me in a synchronized leap.
I grit my teeth and waited until they were within reach. In the last possible second, I jumped to the side just far enough for the kobold on the right side to graze my shoulders with its claws.
Before the monster could gather itself and turn around to strike at me again, I punched it in its dog-like head.
In the meantime, the other kobold had successfully repositioned itself and swiped its sharp, clawed hand at my face. I quickly pulled the lever in my core and reactivated my skill.
Now again as the Blessed of Death, I grabbed onto the incoming limb with my bare left hand. The deep puncture wounds disappeared the moment Morsalis fulfilled its purpose.
The monster evaporated into black mist.
Without pause, I deactivated my skill and shifted my attention towards the still disoriented kobold I had struck previously.
I coiled my legs and leaped onto its shorter body.
After I encircled its furred waist with my lower limbs, I stuck both of my hands onto its head, each on one side.
My deactivated skill made it so that the skin contact did not outright kill it, but that would not remain true for long.
I plunged my thumbs into the monster's bulging eyes.
A pained roar tore itself out of my victims throat, but I did not relent.
I pushed my fingers in deeper until I felt resistance and then continued even further. The monster below me thrashed around a few more times before it stopped struggling.
The beast went limp and shortly after, exploded into black mist.
Leaving behind a single, crystalline magic stone.
I heaved a breath and picked up the purple treasure with my bloody thumb and index finger.
Shining within the stone was an internal source of white light.
"All of that effort… spent for this tiny thing."
I sighed and put the magic stone into the bag I had loaned from the guild.
"I need to pay my debts. I need to buy a weapon. I need to make sure that Hestia is comfortable. And for that…" I straightened and wiped the sticky blood on my hands off on my pants.
I stared down the dimly lit passage of the first Dungeon floor. "…I need to kill."
——————
I came to a stop with my back facing the uneven light blue wall. My eyes closed as I leaned onto it and slid downwards until I was sitting on the floor with my legs extended.
Red blood dripped from my hands onto the stony ground.
My arms were entirely covered in the red liquid, and so were my feet. Barely a few patches of white remained on my formerly spotless shirt.
I should probably turn back now.
I pivoted my head to my right side and cast a sidelong glance toward the inviting entrance of the Dungeon's second floor.
"Surely I have gathered enough magic stones for a single day's work… Why risk staying any longer?"
'That dream of adventure you nurture in your heart…put it to rest.'
My fingers twitched as the memory surfaced.
My heartbeat sped up.
'I think you are going to die. You wear no armor, wield no weapons, and know nothing about what it means to be an adventurer. Neither I nor any of my colleagues would ever accept to be your advisor. You are a lost cause."
A scoff escaped me.
Just watch me.
I rose to my feet and entered the stairway without looking back.
With steady steps, I descended into the second floor of the Dungeon.
Following behind me, the shadows cast by the dimly glowing crystals deepened until they swallowed me whole.
This is getting tedious.
The freshly born goblin thrashed wildly beneath me as I wrapped my bloody hands around its scrawny neck.
Once my fingers were secured in place, I squeezed down. Hard.
My expression was blank as the choking monster tried to claw at me.
It did not even come close.
It's green limbs were firmly secured to ground by my unbending knees. The goblin's short legs twitched desperately behind me. That erratic movement ceased when a loud crack rang out from between my palms..
After one last gasp, the monster evaporated into black mist.
A deep breath escaped me as I shifted from my kneeling position into a low squat.
I reached out and grabbed the purple crystal that was all that remained of the goblin. I straightened and placed the magic stone into my enchanted bag with a well-practiced motion.
A sharp glint ignited in my eyes as I gave the heavy bag a slight shake. The clinking sound that answered was like music to my ears.
I stretched languidly and strode toward the other two stones littering the rocky floor. Of the four goblins I had killed, only three left behind the source of their power.
With a ready posture, my gaze trailed alongside the light blue walls of the Dungeon.
After a few seconds of waiting, I relaxed.
"Already spent again?"
The third floor of the Dungeon answered my taunt with silence. I huffed quietly and strode through the wide opening into the adjacent tunnel of the convoluted labyrinth.
Despite what must have been hours spent fighting one bloody battle after the other, not a single injury marred my body.
I came to a halt in front of a crossway and, on a whim, chose the right path.
While my body was as healthy as was physically possible, my mind could not boast of the same.
The mental fatigue was starting to mount.
I slowed my pace.
While keeping myself alert and prepared for a surprise attack by the Dungeons children, a memory formed in my mind.
A short, raven-haired woman smiling up at me with sparkling azure eyes.
My heartbeat quickened.
Yeah… I think it is time for me to go home.
—————-
My trek back to the start of the third floor proceeded without disturbances. Not a single monster had obstructed my path.
A foreboding weight settled in my chest.
My worries were validated right before I could take my first step on the staircase leading up to the second floor.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed down the spacious hallway.
I froze when I recognized the noise as the first human sound I had heard all day stuck down in this hell.
Any thoughts of leaving immediately left me.
My muscles tensed.
I pivoted and broke out into a dead sprint toward the source of the screeching sound.
My pace continuously accelerated as I tore past tunnel after tunnel.
Meanwhile, the chilling scream grew louder, and progressively more desperate.
After what felt like an eternity spent running, I finally arrived at a dead end.
My breath hitched at the sight before me.
A young boy was lying limp on his back in a puddle of blood. His tear-streaked face contorted into a visage of pain and terror.
Hunched over the boy's ruined body like a victorious predator, was a monster.
A Dungeon lizard had put its entire, pointy snout into the boy's stomach and was messily slurping up his guts while he screamed in pain.
My mind came to a screeching halt as I took in the scene in front of me.
I had never seen a more vile sight.
My jaw clenched so tightly my teeth made a clicking sound as they met. My hands trembled.
I exploded forwards into a lunge and violently grabbed the monster by its scaly legs.
I pulled hard and tore the beast away from the screaming boy.
A heave of exertion escaped me as I twisted my upper body and threw the lizard to the other side of the tunnel.
Far from defeated, the monster landed on its feet and hissed at me.
In response to the beast's threatening display, I planted my feet in preparation for the inevitable lunge. When the lizard was again in reach, I sidestepped its snapping jaw and rotated my body.
It flew past me.
I immediately followed the dodge with a charge and crashed down hard on its scaled back.
Both of my arms lashed out like twin whips.
I secured my left arm under its soft throat and pressed down onto its neck with my right palm.
The monster rolled in place, seeking to throw me off, but my grip was like a steel vice.
A brutal struggle broke out between us.
A struggle from which I emerged the victor when the oversized lizard wheezed one last strangled breath and disintegrated into black mist.
Leaving its purple magic stone behind.
I did not give the crystalline treasure a second glance and instead, slowly approached the crying boy.
His screams had stopped shortly after I tore the monster out of his stomach.
My gaze softened as I took him in.
He's just a child… What is he doing here? Why is he alone?
I crouched down next to the boy and fiddled with my hands.
What do I say?
After a moment of consideration, I slowly opened my mouth.
However, just when I was about to address him, he called out to me in a trembling tone.
"Captain? Is that you?"
He did not turn towards me when he talked, and his eyes were unfocused. His hair spread out around his head like a brown halo.
"Yes… It's me. The Captain. I heard you needed help, so I came."
Fresh tears gathered at the corners of his green eyes.
They grew even more unfocused as he continued to stare up at the dim ceiling.
"I am glad that you're here. I knew you would come, Captain!"
He smiled brightly.
"Do you see? I made it all the way down to the third floor! You all said that I was not ready yet, but I knew I was!"
His lips trembled.
"Are you proud of me?"
A knot formed in my throat.
"Yes. I am very proud." I paused. "You did well."
A relieved smile bloomed across the boy's face.
For a moment, he looked truly happy.
That smile did not last.
What should I do?
What can I do?
His pale cheeks quivered as he choked out a broken sob.
"Captain… I did not want to say it before, but it hurts. It hurts so much! Please make it stop."
Should I use my Blessing? He is suffering. I can take his pain away.
My hands trembled at the thought.
No. I cannot. He's an innocent. I cannot use my Blessing on the innocent. I made an oath.
When I did not respond, the boy's verdant eyes regained some of their clarity. He looked down at the hole in his stomach and blinked rapidly.
"Am I going to die, Captain? Please don't let me die."
I raised my hand and slowly breached the distance between us. My mind wrecked with indecision.
The choice was taken from me before I could finish making it.
The boy's eyes grew cloudy. His previously shaky breathing pattern slowed as he spoke up again.
This time, I could tell his words were not directed at me.
"I am sorry, Lord Father. I am sorry, Mira. I should have—"
His speech cut off.
My gaze rested on the bloody corpse in front of me for a long, silent moment.
Eventually, I lowered the hand I had previously raised and, with my thumb and index finger, closed his eyelids.
Once the task was complete, I retracted my hand.
It was shaking.
Without saying a word, I sat down next to the lifeless body and encircled my arms around my knees.
—————-
"Torron! Torron! Where are you? This is not funny anymore. It really is dangerous down here. I told you not to run off on your own!"
A loud, female voice echoed through the tunnel.
I quickly stood up and placed myself between the unmoving body and the incoming voice so that my back faced the entrance.
I did not turn around until I heard a sharp intake of breath reverberate behind me. The following sound was the unmistakable noise of a blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Who are you? What are you doing with Torron?"
I turned my head to the side just enough to give the young woman a sidelong glance.
She glared at me with burning green eyes.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I grimaced slightly and stepped to the side—allowing the adventurer to get a clear view of what had previously been hidden.
The armored woman gasped for air. She looked as if she was drowning.
I averted my eyes and bit down on my lower lip.
Moments later, she turned toward me. Her arms trembled with rage as she pointed her sword at me.
"Did you do this? Did you kill him?"
"No." I shook my head. "There was a monster—a Dungeon Lizard." I hesitated. "It was eating him alive, so I killed it. He died shortly after."
The woman's arm fell down to her side.
The sword slipped from her hand and landed on the ground with a clang.
She raised her hands to cover her mouth.
Her verdant eyes reddened and filled with unshed tears.
My feet shuffled in place a few times. A moment later, I slowly addressed her again. "His last words… they were directed towards his father and someone named Mira. He apologized for something."
She fell down to her knees.
The tears gathered in her eyes finally fell.
"I am… sorry for your loss."
The girl flinched.
She looked up at me as if I had struck her.
The expression stayed that way for a second longer before her features twisted again with anger.
"You could have saved him! You said that you found him while he was alive! You said that you managed to kill the monster!"
She glared at me.
"Why did you not give him a potion?!"
My brows furrowed.
I tilted my head and looked at the girl with incomprehension.
"I'm sorry... I don't know what that means. What do you mean you say potion?"
The anger vanished from her face as quickly as it came; instead, it was replaced by utter bewilderment.
She stared at me as if she was seeing me for the first time.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and her pale face was covered by a curtain of long brown hair.
Just as I was about to say something else, she bolted upward and ran back into the Dungeon passage she had come from.
She did not look back even once as she made her escape.
Her well-taken-care-of sword was left behind.
I quietly watched her retreat, until she was completely out of sight.
Eventually, I glanced down at the discarded sword.
Its edges were sharp, and a shining ruby was embedded into its pommel.
Next, my gaze shifted towards the purple magic stone the Dungeon Lizard had left behind.
After a moment of consideration, I shook my head and turned my back on both.
Now faced again with the corpse of the young boy, I first stared at my blood-caked hands, then the gruesome corpse on the ground and finally, the dimly lit ceiling.
After a minute spent in further silence, I breathed out a sigh.
"Fuck."
——————-
"With our current exchange rates, the value of your magic stones comes up to an even 7450 Valis. Taking into account the debt you owe the guild, that leaves you with a net balance of 2450 Valis." The guild employee smiled. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, honored adventurer."
The wooden drawer slid back out from where I had pushed it under the thick glass.
Instead of the magic stones that had filled it before, there were now a couple gold coins placed on it.
My movements were listless as I collected the Valis I had labored so hard for.
Just as I was about to turn around and leave, a loud noise echoed from behind the thick metal grid.
The employee working at the counter had cleared his throat.
I peered through the gaps of the golden wall and met the man's eyes.
"For a fresh level 1, you have earned a lot today. Some would even say too much," he said with a voice that sounded more authentic than the clearly practiced cadence he had addressed me with before. "I am not one of those people." He shook his head. "It is clear to me that you know what you're doing, so I will not belittle you."
His eyes turned distant for a moment. It was the same look the old dwarf had given me earlier in the day.
"I have seen that expression you wear on your face right now more times than I cared to count. In most cases, that expression was the last I saw of the people who wore them."
His voice hardened. "So let me tell you what I believe every adventurer ought to be told before even signing up at the guild: What happens in the Dungeon stays in the Dungeon. Do not beat yourself up over it." He stared at me with piercing blue eyes. "Whatever it was that happened to you today, no matter how terrible it might have been, forget about it. Now. These things happen. Do not allow them to break you. If you do, the Dungeon wins."
I returned his stare with an equal intensity.
My lips curved upward slightly as I huffed.
"Save your speeches for somebody who needs them, old man. I am far from broken."
I pivoted and turned my back on the meddling guild employee.
Half a dozen long steps later, the man's voice rose again.
"And make sure that whoever is selling you those potions gets paid extra! By the look of you, they deserve every single Valis you can spare."
I frowned as I approached the exit.
Again with those potions.
Before leaving the guild building, I threw a sidelong glance to the other side of the vast hall.
The guild employees working those counters were different from the ones I met in the morning.
I recognized none of them.
My shoulders fell slightly, only to quickly raise again when the image of a striking, crimson-haired woman flashed before my eyes.
A hesitant voice resounded in my head.
"If you make it out alive from the Dungeon and ask me again tomorrow? Maybe I still won't be your advisor then, but maybe I will."
The left corner of my mouth raised slowly as I recalled the memory.
"Tomorrow."
I pushed open the door of the nearly empty guild and walked out.
I can't wait to see my goddess again.
—————
Orario looks different at night.
The streets of the bustling city were filled with laughter and people making merry.
The atmosphere was festive, completely unlike any place I had ever been to before.
Nonetheless, the plentiful attractions surrounding me did not tempt me in the slightest. Instead, my eyes stayed fixed straight ahead as I marched through the busy streets of the labyrinth city.
The multitude of people I walked past either avoided my gaze entirely the moment they noticed the ruined state of my clothing and the dried blood coating my limbs, or chuckled amongst themselves with snide grins on their flushed faces.
I did not care about the attention I attracted.
Time passed fast and soon, I left the inner city behind me and entered the outskirts I now called home.
I almost stumbled when I recognized the petite woman leaning against the church entrance.
Hestia? Why is she…?
The raven-haired goddess sprinted toward me at full speed the moment I entered her line of sight.
With hastened breath, she came to a stop in front of me and frantically assesed the state of my clothes.
After fussing, while mumbling incoherently, for a few moments longer, she looked upward and finally locked her azure eyes onto mine.
As soon as she did, they widened.
Her arms shot upward as she pulled me down into a tight hug.
The stiff tension in my muscles loosened as I melted into the woman's warm embrace.
My head found a home in the crook of her neck.
Her lips graze my right ear as she whispered softly.
"Cain… what happened?"
The ruined church's basement was filled with the sound of flowing water and skin rubbing against skin. A single magic stone lamp illuminated the small room with a dim yellow glow.
I watched silently as the flowing water softened the dried blood that had encased my hands. The black crust lightened and transitioned back to its dark red shade.
A rust-colored mixture of fluids washed down the drain as Hestia's small hands scrubbed an ever-increasing amount of muck off my limbs.
"Goddess… you really don't have to do this."
The short woman glared up at me.
"You!" she forced out. "You leave me here, all alone, for an entire day!" Her azure eyes burned. "Then you come back late at night, covered in blood. You refuse to explain what happened when I ask… and now you don't even want me to help you get cleaned up?"
My head drew back a fraction. "That's… not what I meant.."
The last drops of blood washed away and revealed unblemished bronze skin.
Hestia lowered her arms and silently passed me the towel after she finished drying her own hands.
My lips twitched slightly as the water in the sink lost its rusty color and returned to a translucent state.
"Looking at the bright side of things…. at least most of that blood was not actually mine."
My lopsided smile was short-lived as Hestia glowered up at me.
"That is not funny, Cain." Her eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how worried I was over the last few hours? How worried I still am." Her fists clenched at her sides as her bottom lip trembled. "And you don't even care! You're acting like this is a joke!"
My gaze fell to her lips and then back to her eyes.
I bent forwards and angled my head so that I was face-to-face with the goddess.
I gently cupped her cheek with my hand. My eyes locked with hers.
"You're wrong, I do care, Hestia. I care… a lot." My free hand settled on her other cheek. "This is not a joke to me at all… far from it."
The tremble in her lips slowly stilled. "Then why… why will you not tell me what happened?" Her brows furrowed. "I am your goddess, am I not? Do… do you not trust me?"
My eyes widened.
I studied her expression for a moment and then breathed out deeply.
"Come."
I reached out with both hands and grasped onto hers. With a gentle tug, I directed the raven-haired goddess toward the multicolored patchwork couch behind us.
Our hands remained connected as I took a seat. Hestia's eyes did not stray from mine even once as she settled down next to me.
I broke our eye contact first.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Hestia." I shook my head. "It's the opposite! There isn't a single person in this world that I trust more than you. Neither do I want to keep secrets from you. It's just that I… I don't know what to tell you."
I paused, struggling to find the right words
"I don't even know what it is that I'm feeling right now."
My gaze snapped back to her when she squeezed my hands. The tension left my muscles as her expression softened.
"Something happened while I was in the Dunge–"
Hestia's grip on my fingers tightened.
A small smile grew on my face as my thumbs drew slow circles on the back of her hands. "Not to me. I am fine. This isn't about me. There was a… boy there." My forehead creased. "A child, really. And he died. Right in front of me. There was… nothing I could do."
The grip on my hands loosened as she peered up at me. "Are you sure it was a child?" She tilted her head. "Could it not have been a pallum?"
I blinked. "A… pallum? What's a pallum?"
The light left the goddess's eyes as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly.
"Cain… one of these days, the two of us really need to sit down and have a conversation about the common knowledge and sense of this world."
She shook her head. "Pallum are a demi-human race of small people. They have childish bodies and are generally considered to be the weakest of all races."
My eyes went distant. "Yes. I am sure. He was a child. A human child." I hesitate for a moment. "There was another adventurer. I think it might have been his sister. No, I'm sure that's who she was…. She was a normally sized person."
"Oh." Hestia squeezed my hands again. "And how… did he die?" Her voice faltered.
I exhaled deeply. "It was a monster. A Dungeon lizard. I killed it, but..." I flicked my eyes to the side. "That is not really the part I'm struggling with."
Silence settled between us.
"Whatever happened, you can tell me," she said. "Don't worry… Even if you did something bad, I will still be here for you."
I stared at her intensely. "Hestia… tell me. If you walked in on somebody… and saw them dying. They're suffering, and you know that there is nothing you can do to save them."
My expression hardened.
"However, there is one thing you can do. You can make their passing… easier. You can take away their pain, in return for their life." The intensity left my eyes as I leaned back into the couch. "In that situation… what would be the right thing to do? Killing an innocent… or standing by as they suffer."
Hestia's eyes widened.
She did not speak for a few more seconds. "I… are you certain you want to hear my opinion on this?" Her gaze shifted to the side. "I'm not… I am not human. My view on things is… different compared to yours."
I looked at her quietly and did not respond until her eyes met mine again. "Yes. Your opinion is important to me."
The goddess sighed and glanced up at the ceiling.
"Death… dying… it is what mortals do," she said. "All children die eventually. Some sooner, some later, but in the end they all did, without fail."
The usual spark in her eyes was absent.
"So… yes. I would kill that person. Mortal life is already filled with so much suffering. If I had to choose… at least their deaths would be without pain."
My gaze dropped from the goddess's face to the floor.
I chewed on my bottom lip.
At my side, Hestia fidgeted in place at an increasing pace the longer the silence stretched on.
Her hair whipped upwards when she perked up and sprung to her feet.
She raised herself up in front of me and smiled.
"If you really want me to understand how you feel…there is an easy way to do that!"
A slow smile rose on my face to match her own. "A way for you to understand what I feel?… And what way would that be?"
The goddess grinned. "It's time to update your Falna!"
————
Hestia's eyes glinted as she positioned her knees on either side of Cain's hips and took a seat on his backside.
Her child's muscled back and the Falna bearing her sigil were laid bare before her eyes.
She retrieved the clean needle she had previously prepared and pricked a hole into her index finger.
A single drop of divine ichor trickled out of the small wound and from there, guided by her will, fell onto his back.
With familiar ease, she called on the permitted amount of arcanum granted to her while she dwelled in the lower world and directed her heavenly gaze into Cain's soul.
Following her desire, the Excelia her child had accumulated in the Dungeon moved. Its state altered into pure potential and entered the Falna as status points.
Acting as the conduit for the magical substance to reach its destination, Hestia witnessed a compressed version of the feats Cain achieved to earn the Excelia.
Cain's lips thinned as he smashed a goblin's head against the wall until it caved in and spilled gore onto the rocky floor.
Cain squeezed his hand tightly together until the twitching kobold beneath him exploded into dark mist.
Cain's muscles burned as he pushed his finger deep into a Dungeon lizard's eyes until he reached far enough to gouge out its squishy brain.
Hestia lips pursed as she watched the assortment of violence perpetrated by her child. At the same time as the images blurred through her mind, so did the emotions that Cain experienced while living through them.
This… isn't right… It's all wrong!
The face of a red-haired woman flashed before her narrowed eyes,
Having children that regularly explore the Dungeon is stressful. It really is. You never know if they'll make it back or not… but if there is one thing that makes it all worth it… then it's the privilege to witness their adventures when updating their Falna. You'll understand when you finally get your own Familia, Hestia. Their fear…their courage… their pride… their joy. It is a beautiful experience unlike anything else Gekai has to offer.
Hestia's gaze contorted into a glare as she stared into Cain's soul.
This is wrong!
Within the Excelia she was channeling, none of the emotions Hephaestus had described could be found.
The only feelings that continuously rushed through her as she witnessed her child tear apart monster after monster were apathy, boredom, and disappointment.
This is not how an adventure is supposed to feel!
Hestia's eyebrows knitted together. When the visions ran out and the update was finished, her child's status had risen a few points across the corresponding stats.
Just as she was about to close the lid to her arcanum and finalise the ritual, her eyes widened.
Hidden away in a separate corner of Cain's soul, was a spot so dark not even her divine sight could peer through it.
When her heavenly gaze fell on it fully, a stark light gleamed out of the darkness. Without explanation as to how, a cluster of sparkling Excelia revealed itself to her eyes.
Hestia's jaw dropped.
She studied the anomaly closely and then probed it with her divine will. Her eyes widened even further at what her examination revealed.
"Cain… if you could choose to raise any of your stats… which one would it be?"
Her child tilted his head and sent her a sidelong glance over his shoulder. "If I could choose? Well… I guess I don't really have a preference. Any is fine."
Hestia chewed on her bottom lip and then shrugged her shoulders. She tapped into the cluster of excelia, incomparably more dense than the one she had previously channelled, and manually allocated them equally amongst each of Cain's stats.
The moment her will made active use of the Excelia, the accompanying visions shot through her like lightning.
Once the first memory crashed into her, she almost leapt off of her child's back and ruined the entire update.
Compared to the graphic images that came before, the fragments of battle that flashed before her eyes this time were almost serene.
Cain was laughing loudly as he slapped a goblin across the face.
Cain whistling as he tapped a kobold between its bulging eyes with his index finger.
Cain grinned widely as he put his entire arm into a Dungeon lizard's mouth.
A single touch of the young man's hands was enough to bring death to anything the Dungeon threw at him.
Despite the striking image they presented, it was not the visuals of the memories that nearly made Hestia retreat.
It was the accompanying emotions.
Pure, concentrated pleasure raged through her body. The intensity of it was almost too much for her body to handle while constricted to its earthly state.
The goddess's face flushed a deep red, and her breath grew labored. Sweat glistened on her pristine skin.
When the final portion of Excelia was finally absorbed by the Falna, Hestia almost toppled over.
"Goddess?… Are you… are you alright?" Cain asked.
Hestia's breath hitched. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Once they opened again, she exhaled audibly and peered down at her child's freshly updated status.
Name: Cain
Level: 1
Strength: I 0 -> I 47
Endurance: I 0 -> I 45
Dexterity: I 0 -> I 42
Agility: I 0 -> I 41
Magic: I 0 -> I 40
Skills:
Morsalis
Each life taken with the Blessing of Death is used to empower the host.
Magic:
— None
This… It's that skill of his… Morsalis… If the others found out that something like this existed…
Hestias frowned as she positioned a blank piece of paper over Cain's back and permitted his status to be copied onto it.
Her frown shifted into a grimace.
Mind-numbing pleasure was not the only thing she felt when channeling the Excelia Cain had gathered with his skill.
She placed the newly marked paper to the side and leaned forwards until her body was squished down flat against his back.
With a deep exhale, she encircled his broad upper body with her arms and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Cain… are you sure you….
———-
… want to be an adventurer?" Hestia asked quietly
Her breath tickled my ear as I froze in place. For a long moment, I did not move from my position.
I abruptly rolled myself over until my back faced the bed and swiftly pulled the yelping goddess onto my bare chest.
I crossed my arms over her lower back and peered into her wide blue eyes. "Why do you ask?"
The goddess exhaled slowly. The released air tickled my nose. "When gods update their children's Falna… we get a kind of… summary of what you experienced... I felt the emotions you experienced when you fought in the Dungeon." Her eyes narrowed. "Cain… that is not what adventuring is supposed to feel like."
A single eyebrow rose. "Are you telling me that there are… rules for what I'm allowed to feel when killing monsters?"
The goddess glared at me. "I'm serious, Cain! You're supposed to feel happy!"
"...Happy?"
"Yes. Happy!" Her gaze softened. "Not before, or even during, but definitely after!"
She propped her hands on my shoulders and leaned back. "You felt nothing at all while exploring the Dungeon… that is not how it's supposed to be. You should feel proud when you defeat a monster. Happy when you win a fight. Joy when the day is done and you have attained victory."
She lowered herself back down until her face hovered over mine. "You felt none of that… the only times you felt anything even remotely similar were when you used that skill."
Her voice was strained as she spat out the word "skill".
Ah… So that's what this is about.
"You don't like me using my Blessing, do you?"
Hestia flinched and unwrapped her body from mine. She shuffled backwards and seated herself next to me.
"Yes. I don't like it. It is not a blessing, Cain." Her gaze darkened. "That skill… it doesn't just kill. It alters your very being each time you use it. It is not good for you!"
Her shoulders dropped. "I felt the after effects of it… I know."
I averted my eyes.
I would have preferred it if she didn't.
"Please, don't use it again," she said. "You don't need it!"
I sighed. "I can't do that, Hestia. I… I just can't. I do need it."
And I don't want to stop.
"If it wasn't for Morsalis… I would not be here right now."
Hestia's fists clenched. "Yes! But that's only because you fought with just your body as a weapon… and you had to do that because—"
I reached out and took her balled fists into mine. They unclenched as I squeezed gently.
"Yes… if I had a weapon, things would have been easier. But even then, I still would have used my Blessing. It is a part of me."
The goddess peered into my eyes and then exhaled deeply.
She lowered herself back down until her turned head lay flat on my chest again.
"Just… please be careful, okay?" she whispered.
I smiled and tangled my fingers in her raven hair. "I will."
My head cocked to the side. "Actually… I am already working on that." I brushed my finger over her temple. "What do you know about guild advisors, goddess?"
Hestia stilled. "Advisors?"
She glanced up at me through a thick curtain of dark hair. "From what I've heard… they're guild employees who take a favored adventurer under their wing and then advise them on anything they might need to do well in the Dungeon… though it's supposed to be almost impossible to get them to actually pick someone."
A smirk grew on my face. "It is not confirmed yet…but I'm confident that there is an advisor waiting for me at the guild tomorrow morning."
She frowned. "Why do you think that?"
"Call it a hunch."
The goddess's frown shifted into a glare. "Don't tell me… is it a woman?"
I repositioned my arms and squeezed her body closer to mine.
"Say, Hestia… how about after I'm done with the guild tomorrow, we spend some time together? Just you and me."
The glare vanished as quickly as it came.
"So, you survived… and you came back."
The woman's voice was flat as she studied me with piercing golden eyes.
Behind her, a pink-haired guild employee browsed through a stack of paperwork—stealing furtive glances at us from the corner of her eyes.
"I did," I responded.
The murmurings of the numerous people littering the vast hall filled the silence between us.
Although dawn had only just broken, the guild was steadily filling up with adventurers.
"I was told you already managed to pay back your debt," she said, hesitating for a moment.
"And that you exchanged enough magic stones to still make a profit… Is that true?"
A smile played on my lips.
"It is."
"And you still want me as your advisor?" she asked.
"Yes."
She arched a brow.
"Why?"
Her arms crossed.
"It appears to me you're doing just fine by yourself."
I met her gaze with flinching back.
"I need you," I said calmly. "I'm not satisfied with my performance yesterday."
My voice lowered.
"I could've done better. Be more prepared," I continued. "And I would have been, if I had you your support—your advice."
She placed her hands on the counter and leaned forward.
"Why should I care for your satisfaction?" she asked.
"Why should I choose you? I've turned down hundreds of adventurers—most of them many times more powerful and experienced than you."
I shook my head.
"I cannot answer that question," I said.
"Wether you accept my request—or refuse—it is up to you."
My shoulders relaxed.
"I will respect your decision."
The wolf ears atop her head twitched.
Her gaze dropped—scanning me from top to bottom.
She exhaled, her eyes meeting mine again.
"Alright," she breathed. "If that's the case… then I accept."
Her spine straightened.
"My name is Rose Fannett, and from today onwards…"
A small smile tugged on her lips.
"I will be your advisor."
A high-pitched scream cut through the air.
It originated from the wooden table behind Rose.
I tilted my head, casting a glance at the pink-haired employee.
The girl was gawking at me with a beaming smile on her face—her gloved hands cupped her flushed cheeks.
"Our thorny Rose has finally been plucked!" she squealed. "Oh, this is—"
"Misha!" Rose cut in sharply, whirling toward the girl.
The smile quickly slipped from Misha's face as the older woman's attention fell on her.
She paled—then snapped her head back to the mountain of paperwork in front of her.
The heap was still just as tall as it had been when I first entered the guild building.
My advisor slowly turned back towards me.
"You did not just hear that ," she said, voice low and threatening. "Forget about it. Now!"
I bit down on my tongue, stifling a laugh.
"…Forget about what?" I asked.
The woman released a breath, averted her eyes to the side.
"…I will be back shortly," she said quietly. "Wait for me here."
She pivoted and made her way to one of the numerous shelves lining the walls on the employee's side of the guild hall.
When she passed by her unruly colleague, she slapped the girl across the back of her head—creating an audible smack that echoed through the hall.
The younger girl yelped in pain, glaring after my advisor with a pout on her lips.
Rose searched through a number of drawers and pulled out a sheet of paper.
When she strode back toward me, her expression was once again carved from ice.
She placed the paper on the counter and pushed it over to me—together with a silver pen.
"This is an Adventurer-Advisor contract," she said calmly.
"While it's the verbal agreement that really matters, this will ensure that our relationship is official—acknowledged and backed by the guild."
I picked up the pen and read through the document.
"Once I become your advisor," she continued. "Our paths will be intertwined—as will our careers."
She paused, waiting for me to meet her eyes again.
"It doesn't matter whether you die tomorrow, or if you become an adventurer on the highest level and complete the Last Quest—my name will be spoken of alongside yours for as long as people remember you."
Her expression hardened.
"I'm taking a gamble with you, Cain. My career is very important to me—so you better not even think about dying!"
I signed my own and Hestia's name in the brackets at the bottom of the document—then raised my head.
My lips curved into a smile.
"Didn't I tell you already?" I said. "I have no intention of dying anytime soon."
My voice softened.
"You will not regret this, Rose. I promise."
The woman's arms crossed over her chest as she studied me closely, her wolf tail coiling around her waist
"Just to be clear—so that there are no misunderstandings between us ," she said slowly. "I am now your advisor now, but that relationship is strictly professional."
Her eyes narrowed.
"I will not tolerate any funny business separate from what we've agreed upon here."
My brows raised as I took her in.
A small smile tugged on my lips.
"Of course," I said. "You'll see nothing of the sorts from me."
Her arms lowered to her side.
"Good," she said, nodding.
My eyes shifted to the side, attracted by the pink-haired guild employee doing her best to draw my attention.
Instead of doing her work, like she was supposed to, she was grinned at me—thumbs pointing to the ceiling.
This girl…
I suppressed a snort and turned back to Rose.
"How will this work exactly?" I asked. "There are… quiet a few things I need your advice on."
I glanced around the busy hall.
"I don't suppose the guild leaves you with much free time?"
"That will not be a problem," she answered, shaking her head. "Any time I spend advising you counts as working hours."
An amused spark ignited in her eyes.
"And if you need my aid while I'm otherwise occupied—I'm sure I'll find someone ready to cover for me."
A squawk echoed out from behind her.
Rose's gaze sharpened.
"But before we get to that…" she went on. "Show me your Falna."
I blinked.
"You mean… like right now?" I asked, tilting my head.
There were dozens of other people in the hall with us.
"I suppose things really do work differently here," I muttered. "I did have my suspicions based on the way people dress—"
"Wait!" Rose shouted. "Stop that!"
I froze, shirt halfway past my torso.
"I don't understand," I said. "Was that not what you wanted?"
She inhaled deeply—then released the breath through her nose.
"No," she said. "It wasn't. That was a test."
Her brows furrowed.
"By Ouranos… did your goddess really not teach you anything? Besides trusted guild employees and your own Familia… You don't show your Falna to anyone. Ever—and you certainly don't reveal it in public!"
I hummed, scanning the room.
While our exchange had not attracted too much attention, there were a few curious eyes directed at me.
"I see," I said.
Rose palmed her forehead.
"Just come with me," she muttered..
"The sooner we get some sense into that head of yours, the better."
——————
"That's … what?" Rose whispered.
I cast the werewolf a sidelong glance over my shoulder.
Her golden eyes were wide.
"Cain…did you lie to me?" she asked quietly.
I turned on the cushioned chair, meeting her gaze.
"Not once," I said. "Why? What's wrong?"
She studied me carefully.
"It's your stats," she said. "While only I rank, they're all above 40."
Where's she going with this?
"That's not possible after a single day in the Dungeon. It should have taken you weeks—at the very least—to reach this level," she continued.
"And those points in your magic stat…. You don't even have a spell!"
The corners of my mouth pulled upward.
The benefits of having an advisor were already showing themselves.
Hestia had been unsure of how exactly my growth compared to other adventurers.
"Can you not guess it?" I asked. "You've seen my Falna."
Her brows knitted together.
"Your skill—Morsalis," she said. "That's how."
"Yes."
"I see," Rose breathed, handing me the shirt I had placed on the table.
She took a seat on the couch opposite me and tapped her chin.
A slow smile pulled on her lips.
"So my gut feeling was right," she muttered. "You're just like her."
The smile drained from her face as her expression hardened.
"You must keep this a secret," she said sharply. "Tell no one that you possess this skill."
I tilted my head.
"Why not?"
Her shoulders dropped.
"I know you're new to Orario," she said. "But you need to understand that things work differently here. No matter what preconceptions you might have carried until now in regards to the gods and other adventurers—abandon them. If anyone who's not on your side finds out that a skill like Morsalis exists—and that you possess it—they will never leave you be."
My hands clenched.
It's happening again.
"They would try to kill me?" I asked slowly. "Just because of my skill?"
She hesitated for a moment.
"Some of them would, yes," she said. "But that's not what I was alluding to—most would simply try to recruit you... and there is only one answer they will accept."
She leaned back into her chair.
"We do our best, but the truth is—it's survival of the fittest in this city. As long as you're weaker than them, there will be little either of us can do to stop them."
A sigh escaped her as she watched my reaction.
"Don't worry about it too much," she continued. "As long as you keep a low profile and don't show off your Falna to anyone… you'll be fine."
She pursed her lips.
"Do you still not carry a weapon?"
"…I don't," I answered.
"I thought so," she said. "Stay put for a minute. I will be right back."
When she returned, she carried a sheathed dagger in her hand.
My gaze immediately locked onto the weapon as she crossed the distance between us.
"For as long as you remain a level 1, carrying a weapon with you every time you enter the Dungeon is non-negotiable," she said.
"The guild's rookie dagger might not be Hephaestus-level work… But it will suffice for now. We'll get you something better soon."
She placed the dagger on the wooden table and sat back down.
"What kind of weapon did you use before coming to Orario?" she asked.
If I had used any at all, I would have ended up here much sooner.
I cleared my throat.
"Unfortunately, I can't say I have much experience with using weaponry… of any kind."
Rose nodded.
"I figured as much," she said.
"You were entirely too comfortable going into the Dungeon while unarmed to be someone used to relying on a weapon."
I'm never unarmed.
"You're clearly a hand-to-hand combatant," she continued, leaning forward. "But, while that might have worked well for you outside of Orario—where the enemies you faced were mostly humans—Here, things are different."
Her expression darkened.
"Fighting monsters… it's an entirely different kind of battle."
Her eyes bore a hole into mine.
"The monsters you'll encounter in your career as an adventurer… they won't be like the one's on the upper floors. Their power will increase—and their weaknesses will decrease."
I nodded slowly.
"I don't doubt that," I said.
"What kind of weapon do you recommend?"
"A sword," she answered without hesitation.
"Why?"
She paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
"A sword is never the best at one single thing," she began. "A spear can pierce better. An axe can cut better. A dagger is the best for close-quarter combat," her gaze dropped to the weapon on the table. "However, swords are capable of all of them—their verstanden is unmatched." Her voice lowered. "If mastered to the highest level… they reign supreme over all other weapons."
She met my gaze again.
"If there is one weapon worth dedicating yourself to—it's the sword."
Silence settled between us as I traced the silver dagger with my eyes.
"Alright," I said, nodding. "A sword it is then."
I tilted my head.
"Where did you recommend I buy one," I asked. "And how much would it cost me?"
She hummed lightly.
"I'll accompany you to the shopping district as soon as possible—we'll make sure to find something suitable for you there." She shook her head. "And don't worry about the price. As long as it's reasonable, I will cover the balance."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I'm your advisor now," she said softly. "As long as you honour your side of the contract, I will do my best to ensure the Dungeon will never catch you unprepared."
My eyes widened slightly as a lingering warmth spread through my chest.
I leaned forward.
"There is something else I've been meaning to ask," I said, my voice deepening. "Potions… what are they?"
Rose blinked once.
Then twice.
A deep sigh escaped her.
"I really have my work cut out for me, don't I?" she muttered.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you going to the Dungeon today?" she asked sharply.
"No," I replied, taken back. "I'm taking the day off."
"Very well," she said, nodding.
"From now on, you will meet me here every morning. No exceptions. If you enter the Dungeon that day—we devise a strategy together. If you're taking a break—I will teach you everything I know about the Dungeon and life as an adventurer in general."
She fixed me with a stern stare.
"Understood?" she asked.
My lips curved slightly.
"I understand," I said.
"Good. Now, potions are…"
————-
"…and then there are the elves. They're a race of people with pointy ears and an extraordinarily long lifespan compared to other mortals. They're also naturally gifted when it comes to magic, and they really don't like to leave their forests."
Hestia stiffened on my chest.
"However," she added quickly. "Don't be fooled by their appearance! They really aren't very pleasant to be around for you humans." Her voice lowered. "You're better off avoiding them whenever possible… especially the female ones."
I raised a brow.
"Why," I asked. "Are they that dangerous?"
"Elves stand amongst the most powerful of all mortal races," she said slowly. "So they could appear dangerous to regular humans—but that's not the biggest issue with them."
She hesitated.
"They're a very proud people, which makes them look down on the other races—to the point they refuse physical contact with anyone not an elves." She snorted. "Many of them even see themselves as just a step below us gods."
My brows furrowed.
That sounded familiar.
"What about those in a Familia?," I asked. "It's up to the god who joins and who doesn't. They'll be forced to interact with others eventually."
Hestia nestled her head closer against my body.
"Those who join Familias are usually the most tolerant of their kind," she said. "They wouldn't have left their forest to to come here if they weren't."
"I see." I muttered. "Thank you for answering my questions, goddess."
I glanced up at the cloudless sky.
"This world really is something else," I continued. "Completely different from my old one."
I leaned back into the grass and swept my gaze across the city park.
The sun stood high in the air.
The radiant light emitted by the star reflected in Hestia's clear blue eyes as she nibbled at the corner of a cream-filled Crêpe.
Her head drifted from where it rested on my stomach as she hummed a soft tune.
I did not recognize the melody.
"Say, how do you feel about recruiting some more members for our family?" I asked. "It will take some time until we reach that point—but I was told every Dungeon exploration-type Familia needs to expand in size eventually to compete."
Hestia stilled.
"I do like the idea of more children to bond with," she said, lowering the Crêpe from her lips. "But… I think I would prefer it if if it was just us two for a bit longer."
I raised my thumb and brushed away some of the cream lingering at the corners of her mouth.
"I agree," I said.
A smile spread across my my face as I licked my finger clean.
Her cheeks flushed.
"You know, I've been wondering," I said. "What does an immortal goddess do in her free time."
I wonder how old she is.
"What do you like to do?"
The blush faded as she tilted her head to the side, meeting my gaze.
Her breath brushed against my face.
"I like to read!" she said.
My smile brightened.
"As do I!" I said. "What do you read about?"
Hestia turned until the back of her head lay flat on my stomach again.
"Anything, really," she said slowly. "The creativity of mortal never fails to amaze me. Stories of romance. Adventure. Heroism—I love them all."
My smile faltered.
"Heroism, huh?" I whispered.
A furrow carved between my brows as I peered down at her.
"I've been meaning to ask this since yesterday…" I said. "What does it mean to be a Hero in this world?"
Hestia blinked.
"What it means to be a hero?" she repeated.
"Well…" she said, chewing on her bottom lip. "A Hero is someone who is noble. Someone who spreads hope and inspires people with their actions."
Her voice picked up.
"Whenever a monster threatens the world, Heroes put themselves between it and the innocent—even if it costs them their life."
She smiled brightly.
"That is what it means to be a hero!"
A tight knot coiled in my chest.
"I see," I muttered.
Hestia perked up, seating herself next to me.
"I also have a question for you!" she said, leaning closer. "What was it that made you want to be an adventurer? What are you're fighting for?"
I held her gaze for a moment—then shifted my eyes toward the sky.
A deep breath escaped me as I came to a decision.