Labyrinth City Orario, West Main Street.
This road was wider than the other seven main streets in Orario. This was because it always hosted the largest flow of people, the vast majority of whom were adventurers.
West Main Street was commonly referred to as Adventurer Street. It was lined with a multitude of shops and stalls, almost all of which were inextricably linked to the profession of adventuring.
Weapon shops, item shops, and taverns essential to adventurers stood side by side. Even the narrow alleys and dark lanes were crammed with old, eerie shops; despite their suspicious appearance, the business they conducted was also centered around adventurers.
This was because the management body of the Dungeon—the Adventurers' Guild—was located here.
The Guild served as both the administrative organization for the Dungeon and the governing body of the city of Orario. It held full authority over matters concerning the Dungeon, the Familia established by the gods, public order, and economic development. In other words, it was Orario's official government.
Anyone wishing to explore the Dungeon in Orario had to go through the Guild to handle various procedures and receive assistance. Those wishing to become adventurers were required to register with the Guild. The various Familia were even obligated to provide a portion of their members' information—such as their levels—to the Guild. Failure to do so was considered a violation and resulted in Guild investigations, ranging from fines to the imposition of mandatory "Mission Quests." From this, one could see how high the Guild's authority reached in this city.
The Guild also mandated that adventurers sell the magic stones obtained from monsters to them, which meant that all adventurers visited the Guild frequently.
Under these circumstances, West Main Street, where the Guild headquarters was located, naturally saw a constant presence of adventurers. Shops catering to this demographic chose to open here, making it a street exclusive to them; the name "Adventurer Street" was well-earned.
It was just after eight in the morning. At this hour, many adventurers were preparing to head into the Dungeon, so the boulevard was filled with those readying themselves for the labyrinth exploration.
There were beastmen carrying greatswords into weapon shops, Amazonian warriors bustling in and out of item shops, and many supporters carrying large backpacks walking behind their adventurers, creating a scene of immense liveliness.
Leon appeared here as well. Wearing a small straight sword and a buckler, with two small pouches attached to his waist, his appearance was extremely inconspicuous among the variously equipped adventurers.
He brushed past groups of adventurers clad in heavy armor and arrived before the Guild headquarters situated by the main street.
It was a temple built with white pillars, its appearance best described as solemn. In front of its main gates lay a wide courtyard containing a monument, where many adventurers could be seen entering and exiting, creating a crowd even larger than elsewhere.
"The Pantheon—"
Leon looked at the temple-like building referred to by that name and, after a moment, stepped inside.
If he wanted to enter the Dungeon, he needed to register as an adventurer with the Guild.
The Guild, which handled the operation of Orario, held full authority over the Dungeon and its related affairs. Besides adventurers, who received certain status and legal protections through registration, one also had to register here to become an official resident of Orario.
Furthermore, to use the profits recovered from the labyrinth to develop the city, the Guild actively disclosed various knowledge and information about the Dungeon to adventurers and provided assistance in exploration. Therefore, a trip to the Guild was indispensable when conquering the Dungeon.
Stepping into the Pantheon, the first thing Leon saw was a lobby vast enough to accommodate a massive number of adventurers.
To one side of the lobby was a bulletin board, as well as an exchange center for magic stones. The most numerous features were the counters staffed by Guild employees. Many adventurers stepped forward to inquire about various matters, particularly in front of the beautiful elven female clerks, where groups of adventurers formed long queues.
The elven race was famous for producing handsome men and beautiful women. When Leon first arrived in this world, he had also been captivated by the sight of the breathtaking elves.
Elves were also a natural magical race; anyone born of the elven race was capable of magic.
Thanks to this, members of the elven race were welcomed by almost every Familia. It could be said that as long as one was an elf, they would certainly receive recruitment offers and warm invitations from various major Familia upon arriving in Orario. Even the Loki Familia rarely refused an elf's entry, even if the person was—like Leon—a total novice who had yet to obtain any Basic Abilities.
Or rather, because a certain patron goddess particularly loved beautiful girls, the Loki Familia was never short of stunning elves. Even Riveria, the elven high royalty, was in this Familia, which spoke to how many elves chose to join.
Over the past year, Leon had grown accustomed to seeing all kinds of beautiful girls, from naturally gorgeous elves to Ais, a young girl whose beauty rivaled that of a goddess. This had significantly bolstered his resistance to beautiful women.
Thus, Leon ignored the counters with long lines for the beautiful elven clerks and approached a counter staffed by a human woman.
There was a queue here as well, but the numbers were small. Leon waited for about five minutes before it was his turn.
"Hello, how may I help you?" The Guild employee inquired with a sweet voice and a smile.
"I want to become an adventurer. Please register me." Leon stated his request calmly.
"Certainly."
The clerk was clearly accustomed to this task. Maintaining her smile, she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began registering Leon.
"Your name?"
"Leon Eligos."
"Age?"
"Sixteen." Leon answered without changing his expression.
He was, of course, older than that, but after crossing over, his physical age had indeed regressed to fifteen. This was the bone age determined by the old man, Gareth. Loki had also seen that his physical age was only fifteen. A god's insight required no further elaboration, so stating this age wasn't a lie. Even if he said it to a god's face, they wouldn't see through it.
The Guild clerk didn't doubt it either and continued her questions.
"Level?"
"Lv. 1."
During the Q&A, the clerk quickly recorded Leon's information. She didn't ask for his gender, which left Leon somewhat satisfied.
In the past, when handling affairs in his other world, Leon had encountered clerks who solemnly asked for his gender. That robotic process sometimes made him want to ask if he truly looked so effeminate that they couldn't tell if he was a man or a woman.
In this regard, the Guild employees were very perceptive. They didn't stick to a rigid script, focusing on efficiency so as not to waste anyone's time.
Then, she asked the crucial question.
"Which Familia do you belong to?"
Hearing this question, Leon paused slightly. Then, he spoke expressionlessly.
"Loki Familia."
The moment those words were spoken, the Guild clerk jerked her head up.
"L-Loki Familia? You are a member of the Loki Familia?"
The professional smile on the clerk's face vanished, replaced by profound shock. Her voice inevitably rose, causing nearby clerks and adventurers in the middle of their business to look over.
"—Please don't make a scene, alright?" Leon said, somewhat helpless.
"I-I'm sorry!" The clerk realized her mistake and hurried to bow in apology. "I-I didn't expect you to be from the Loki Familia. My apologies!"
It wasn't just the clerk; those nearby who noticed the commotion began to chatter as well.
"He's actually a newcomer from the Loki Familia?"
"Looking at his gear, he must be a total rookie who just debuted, right?"
"Since when did the Loki Familia start recruiting total rookies again?"
"We need to send someone to investigate this—"
Predictably, Leon became the center of attention. In Orario, or rather in this world, the words "Loki Familia" carried that kind of weight.
The city's preeminent faction, one of the strongest Familia, and one of the two "Kings." A member of this Familia would become the focus of attention no matter where they went.
This was exactly why Leon felt helpless.
However, Leon didn't show it. He continued the registration without changing his expression. Only after the registration was finished and he had officially become an adventurer did he leave the Pantheon, bathed in a multitude of gazes.
"Finally finished the preparations."
Leon let out a breath and turned his gaze toward the center of the city.
There, a white skyscraper tower reaching toward the heavens stood quietly, radiating a staggering sense of presence and pressure. It was incredibly eye-catching.
"Let's go."
Leon watched for a moment before following the main street toward that towering giant.
This walk took nearly an hour. An hour later, Leon successfully reached the vast center of the city, a giant plaza where the white giant tower was located.
Here, the crowd was even denser than on Adventurer Street.
Numerous fully armed adventurers either walked toward the white tower alone or entered in groups. Some had serious expressions, as if they were about to head onto a brutal battlefield; some looked excited, as if they were about to search for treasure, showcasing all facets of life.
That was only natural. After all, beneath that white tower lay one of the world's three great mysteries, the source of the fierce monsters scattered across the entire continent—the Dungeon.
Labyrinth City Orario was a fortress city built with this labyrinth as its center. Its original purpose was to defend against the monsters constantly surging out of the Dungeon. The white tower itself served as the skyscraper facility functioning as a lid for the Dungeon—Babel.
Leon followed the flow of people into Babel and arrived in a circular space.
The area was extraordinarily vast, more than enough to accommodate thousands of people. The overall decor was temple-style, overflowing with a noble flair, much like an altar for offering tributes to the gods.
The vast circular space used blue and white as its base tones. Surrounding it were black stone monuments inscribed with the names of many adventurers. Thick and long pillars were set at regular intervals, and the ceiling featured an exquisite painting of the sky, as if one could look directly into the firmament.
However, the most eye-catching feature here was neither the black monuments nor the exquisite ceiling painting, but a massive hole located in the center.
It was a large hole with a diameter of about ten meters, forming a thick cylindrical shape. Along the walls of the hole were massive spiral stairs that wound downward, plunging deep into the earth.
The adventurers who came here were all walking down these silver stairs. Leon followed the crowd downward, finally reaching an underground space formed by regular paths at certain intervals.
This area had walls and ceilings dyed pale blue. Paths extended in all directions, forming many visible forks, crossroads, and gentle slopes, creating a complete underground labyrinth.
Standing at the entrance of this underground labyrinth, Leon felt a mix of emotions. This was the 1st Floor of the Dungeon, the level closest to the surface and the safest.
"It's been a year. I finally see this place again."
A year ago, Leon had been brought from here to the surface by Ais. Since then, Leon had not returned to the Dungeon. Until today, he had finally visited again.
"This time, there won't be anyone clearing the path in front of me."
"This time, there won't be anyone protecting me either."
"I must venture here myself, fight here myself, and kill here myself."
Leon steeled his resolve, and his emotions quickly regained their calm.
He chose one of the many branching paths and began to walk inward, gradually separating from the crowd. As he went deeper into the labyrinth, he became alone.
At this point, fellow adventurers were no longer just companions; they were competitors, or perhaps even—enemies.
There were only so many monsters in the Dungeon, and they only respawned after a certain period. As long as the goal was hunting monsters, it was inevitable to end up in situations of mutual competition. There might even be people with ulterior motives who would suddenly jump out to steal your loot. It was impossible to guard against everything.
Therefore, once inside the Dungeon, unless they were people who trusted each other implicitly, or companions from the same team or Familia, very few people were willing to mingle.
Leon deliberately stayed away from the crowds, walking alone along the pale blue path.
Before long, Leon's footsteps came to a halt.
"Gigi—"
In front of the path, a small figure appeared, swaying in the darkness.
It had oddly colored skin, pointed ears, sharp teeth, a ferocious face, and eyes gleaming with malice. Both of its hands were tipped with sharp claws.
That image was something anyone who had watched isekai anime would recognize; some might even grit their teeth in hatred toward it.
"Goblin—" Leon whispered softly.
"Gagy!"
The small monster shrieked and immediately charged toward Leon's position.
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