The entrance of the dungeon laid open for anyone to climb down, an enormous hole into the ground, ten meters wide and with only a small narrow path leading down into the depths of the dungeon.
The day before I had bought a set of potions from the Dian Cecht familia, six health potions, three stamina potions and one mind potion rested safely inside a small padded leather pouch resting at my waist, it had cost me 10 thousand valis in total but I thought it was a worthy investment.
Who knows I may not even need to use them.
I didn’t feel myself being watched but still took some time to look around and make sure nobody was following me.
A party of higher level adventurers was going down the dungeon entrance before me, the six scantily clad amazonesses barely spared me a glance before actually ignoring the winding path and jumping down the hole like agile cats, I gave them some time to clear the way and, when nobody else came, started walking down.
Unsheathing my sword I finally stepped into the first floor of the dungeon alone, the party before me were long gone leaving the corpses of four goblins laying around, their heads crushed from a single blow.
Shrugging my shoulders I took only a minute to harvest their magic stones and a single goblin fang putting them in separated pouches in my backpack.
The first floor of the dungeon was a cave environment with wide hallways and light blue walls, the light came from a myriad of small shinning spots on the walls.
Turning a corner a small dog headed humanoid screeched and charged towards me fur covered its back and privates, opening its arms wide he telegraphed a wide swing with his claws.
The beast wasn’t much faster than an average human and had no skill; better yet since the kobold was mostly humanoid my eyes could already predict its every movement.
Not seeing any other monster around I became complacent, lazily stepping away from the patch of his swing, what I didn’t consider was that the Kobold would have time to react to my movements twisting his body and striking at my face.
My heart skipped a beat as I desperately ducked under its claws and struck with a rising blow as fast as I could severing its entire arm, some blood sprayed into my face but I immediately reversed the swing and decapitated the creature.
Taking a second to recover my breath I wiped the blood from my face and looked down at the creature “Fuck, gotta remember this isn’t actually a video game, the monsters won’t keep to their neat little patterns even after I dodged them”
Continuing exploring the dungeon I killed another two lone kobolds before a group of three goblins rushed at me, with a brief glance I sent a wave of pain to the first goblin causing it to release a pitiful scream and fall to the floor grabbing at his head, the second goblin stumbled on his body and was sent sprawling but the third one had enough time to jump over their bodies.
Adjusting my posture I grabbed my sword with both hands and delivered a powerful wrath strike using my reach to cut the monster in half before it could strike me, seeing as the second monster had started to get up I lunged, thrusting the tip of my blade all the way through his head.
The first monster was still twisting around on the ground and crying out, despite using a lesser illusion the goblin was still too weak to get rid of my influence so I just pierced its hearth and watched it dissolve into dust and leaving behind a second goblin fang.
Shit I forgot I shouldn’t hit their magic crystals.
Retrieving my blade I flicked it aside to get rid of the blood and harvested the other two corpses getting another two intact magic crystals but no lot drop.
Half an hour later I found the entrance to the second floor and went down.
I barely took a dozen steps on the second floor before I had to jump back as a giant lizard fell from the ceiling and attempted to bite me, the beast was almost the size of an adult man with leathery skin and feet like a frog’s.
Twisting around it tried to hit me with its tail and I was forced to retreat in a hurry, with a different musculature and shape my eyes were still unable to predict the beast’s movements so I looked around and, seeing no other monster, spent twenty minutes fighting the creature.
It was slightly slower than me and, despite being unable to predict then, I could still see its movements as if they were in slow motion so I had no trouble fighting the beast until I started to see the shadow of its movements.
By the time I was done it was already exhausted and bleeding out so I just cut off its head and harvested its crystal.
Monster spawning in the first floors seemed sporadic at best and I saw a few other new adventurers fighting alone or in pairs so I made my way down to the fourth floor where the corridors were wider.
There were more adventurers hunting here but the floor itself was several times bigger and I started encountering groups of monsters fairly often, goblins and kobolds attacked me in groups of three or four monsters but they had no coordination or pack instinct and got in each other’s way as often as not.
At first I was forced to use my illusions to take one or two monsters off the fight but I soon grew used to their fighting and fought around them with ease using illusions just to improve them and grow my attributes.
Almost bored I sidestepped a goblin but couldn’t strike it down before one of his companions tried to grab me, I was fighting in an intersection and found two groups at the same time, being forced to fight seven of the creatures.
Waving my sword in a wide arc I forced the goblins back and started walking sideways until I managed to put one goblin at the front so that the others had to come through it to attack me.
I took a deep breath, after such long time fighting I had started to get a headache and was unwilling to spend any more mind if I didn’t have to, I didn’t want to be caught without mind by something like the Vouivre or a monster wave.
Considering my options I knew I had to eliminate a few goblins before they surrounded me and made it impossible to fight.
We looked at each other for a few seconds and, seeing their muscles start to tense I lunged before they could react, my sword pierced the neck of the first goblin to the hilt and I drove my shoulder on his chest, lifting his small green body up and using it as a shield as I charged the others.
The goblins spewed blood at the back of my armor as it received several scratches from its friends, I managed to skewer a second goblin and break through their ranks leaving the crossing and entering one of the hallways.
With a kick I pushed both goblins out of my sword and twisted around finally managing to put my back against the wall, the remaining five monsters were already charging at me.
Waiting for the last second I sidestepped the first monster and cut off its neck, with a single wide blow I cut a second goblin in two and carved halfway through the skull of another before my sword got stuck on his bones.
“Fuck!” Unable to pull the sword out in time I kicked out, stomping on the chest of another and sending him flying back.
I was forced to release my hilt to roll under the last goblin’s blow; before it recovered from the pounce I pulled out my throwing knives and sent them flying burying them in his neck.
With my last dagger I approached the goblin I had kicked, my blow had driven the air out of its lungs and it was still trying to recover its breath when I stomped on its arms and drove the point of the dagger into its eyes.
Patting myself down to get rid of the dust I was left breathing hard and sweating but with a huge smile on my face, damn that had been fun.
Harvesting their magic crystals and gathering my throwing daggers I sighed, I really should have used my illusions on the goblins, seven of them were a little too much to safely fight and I still didn’t have the kind of stats capable of shrugging off a strong blow.
Even a single claw or strike at the wrong place could leave me unable to recover or dead but, the illusions just made things a little too easy.
Leaning on the wall I took a few minutes of rest and saw another dungeon lizard trying to sneak his way through the ceiling in order to ambush me, a flick of my arm and a dagger buried itself on the creature’s large eye causing it to drop on its back screeching.
Damn I got pretty good at this.
Opening my pouch I pulled out a stamina potion and looked at it feeling a little bit of pain gripping my heart, they’re so small but each one cost over 1000 valis, pulling the cork off I drank it.
Short rests just weren’t helping all that much anymore and I didn’t want to risk getting caught in an even bigger fight.
Washing my hands with some of my water supply I pulled out a piece of jerky and started walking while eating searching for another group of monsters.
Turning another corner I finally saw the cave leading to a lower floor and stopped, floor 5 was a different beast and I didn’t know if I could take it.
Fuck it, I had only used a single stamina potion in this entire delve and my headache was already going away.
Plus, continuing to fight kobolds and goblins would be boring, I already memorized their attack patterns and, unless I found two or three groups at the same time, I wouldn’t even need to use my magic.
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Going down to the fifth floor I saw another adventurer coming up, his shirt was covered in blood but he just looked tired, tightening the grip on my sword I gave him a wide berth.
The fifth floor looked different. The walls had a light green color and looked a little more natural instead of the almost manmade feel of the first four, the hallways were wider and I soon found myself in a huge room with a bigger ceiling and three entrances.
The room itself was filled with boulders and gaps from where monsters could ambush me, the second I stepped inside a large Kobold caught sight of me and howled before five of the creatures charged me.
Pulling out three daggers I threw them hitting one of the creature on the neck and chest and a second on the arm but, because of their thick fur, it didn’t kill them.
Waving around the beast I cut them, my sword flashing around and leaving arcs of blood as I carved through their flesh cutting off limbs and slashing their exposed chests.
Even dying one of the kobolds managed to bite down on my sword arm forcing me to retreat while trying to open his jaw. Something hit me from the back ridding my body to the ground and tried to bite my neck.
My armor blocked the dungeon lizard’s fangs and I rolled aside causing it to fall off my back, I jumped to my feet before the lizard could recover and looked around for my sword, it had fallen on the other side of the creature and there was already one last Kobold rushing me.
Dodging its claw swipe I punched the creature in the throat then smashed my elbow on its temple and kicked its body towards the lizard making it busy enough I could recover my weapon and finish it off.
Looking at the bleeding bite marks on my arm I shook my head, so much for not using potions, another 700 valis down the drain.
The second room I found was actually big enough that I spent almost an hour clearing it of monsters, there were seven goblin parties and two Kobold packs as well as several lizards hidden between cracks and even under boulders.
I wasn’t stupid enough to go very deep only keeping to the rooms and hallways around the entrance but I was still fighting far more often than on the previous floors and needed to take a second stamina potion.
I barely had the chance to catch my breath before another kobold pack rushed me in the hallway; one of the creatures even had a large stone club on his hand.
Taking a deep breath I got up and waited for them to arrive, my stance relaxed to conserve energy, the moment they got into range I struck.
My eyes had adjusted so much to their movements I could predict every step they took letting me kill them with a single slash or thrust, flicking the blood away I put my sword away and stretched my back.
My backpack was almost full and it was probably around the time to get back, I had seen another five adventurers going up the floor already and I didn’t want to get caught in a wave of returning adventurers.
Who knows if one of them wouldn’t turn out to be an asshole and lay am ambush to try and rob me?
Looking towards the next room I briefly considered continuing, I had wanted to see a war shadow or killer ant but there had been none so close to the entrance of the fourth floor.
Stretching my limbs I already saw a goblin breaking out of the wall to my left, the dungeon working hard to spawn new mobs and try to kill me, the creature was far enough I couldn’t hit it with a dagger so I just retreated and starting making my way back.
I still had to be careful so I wouldn’t be ambushed by those damn dungeon lizards who kept appearing when I least expected.
Who knew giant geckos could be so sneaky? Even the sharingan had trouble making them out when I was distracted.
Finally taking the stairs out of the dungeon I started to holster my sword but thought better of it and kept it in my hand until I finally stepped out into the streets and people started giving me angry looks.
Cleaning the blade with a piece of cloth I put it away and pulled out another piece of jerky to snack on.
I had just bitten off another piece when I froze, a shiver went down my spine filling my entire body with goosebumps, with slow and stiff movements I turned my head and saw it.
Sitting there, sucking on a tall glass from a wooden straw, her feet on top of the table and her crimson eyes starring right through my soul was Loki.
Her mouth opened in a wide smirk as she gave me a little wave.
“Argh… coff…coff…coff” I choked on my jerky, tears filling my eyes and I started to panic until I finally managed to spit it out “why me”
Avoiding her eyes I lowered my head and immediately turned around to dash away, I smashed right into something hard and bounced back a few step.
“Ne, ne, newbie-kun, good to see you survived the dungeon alone!”
A small hand patted my shoulder in congratulations making me focus on the girl in front of me, Tiona, like most amazoness, wore little clothes, her chest was bound by a single piece of cloth that could be called a sports bra and she had a yellow skirt that showed her bare legs.
I stared for quite a few seconds to take in the tanned level 5 adventurer, she was petite and extremely fit with a hint of a six pack on her abs, despite her muscles she still looked cute… damn the anime simple drawing really didn’t do her justice.
“Come on newbie-kun, Loki wants to talk with you”
“Can I say… no?” I asked while looking down at Tiona’s smiling face.
“Sure” she said and put a finger against her mouth in thought “Hmmm, I don’t think Loki would be happy thought”
Well… fuck me then.
With a sight I followed Tiona back to the shop where Loki was still waiving, her eyes almost closed in amusement and her pupils barely visible.
Loki took her boots off the table and I put my bag down in order to free my hands before sitting with the amazoness, my body completely stiff and my hand gripping my sword as hard as I could.
Why the hell was Loki after me, for fuck’s sake what did I do to catch her attention?
Putting both elbows in the table she crossed her fingers in front of her face and just stared at me making humming noises and only making my tension grow.
Just as I was about to force myself into relaxing Loki’s eyes opened wide at something behind me and she violently pushed her chair back to escape.
Turning around I activated the mangekyou and jumped off my chair drawing my sword out for a parry.
“Fast for a level one aren’t you?” Loki said in amusement “got a lot of kills too”
Did this bitch just trick me with a ‘behind you’?
Swallowing my wounded pride I sat back down and turned to see Loki searching my backpack, turning to Tiona she just shrugged in sympathy but actually started to lean over to get a look too.
“Hey you got a lot of lizard tails” she shouted happily and pulled out a bag with twelve of the item drops “my kids never drop them anymore since everyone hunts further down, thanks, I love the taste”
“Can I have those back?” I calmly asked doing my best to not show how annoyed she was making me.
“Nope, they’re mine now” pushing the backpack back she kept the lizard drops for herself and threw a bag of valis “Relax newbie, order something I’m paying, have to thank you for saving my cute kids after all”
Loki probably wouldn’t have me killed right in front of the dungeon entrance, there’s no way even her familia could escape the repercussions… I hope.
Alright, I just have to keep myself from agreeing with anything and I’d probably be fine.
Finally relaxing a little I ordered an ice coffee and forced myself to release my sword, Tiona too laid back on her chair put her hands behind her head.
“Hmm, Hmmmm, Hmmmmmmmmm” Loki twisted her head from side to side looking me over, a finger over her mouth “you’re a really new adventurer aren’t you? I can see you’re still a little out of shape and, from your lot, you stopped around the fifth floor right?”
“I just heard monsters are stronger in the dungeon, I was just testing that today so there was no need to delve too deep”
“Heh, you do remember I can tell when you’re lying right?” she said sounding almost disappointed.
Shit I was so tense I had forgotten!
“Fine, it’s only been a month or two” I grumbled, a servant finally arrived and laid a glass with my coffee in front of me, it looked surprisingly modern for a sword and sorcery world, it even had a good amount of cream on top and a little spade.
“Say, what’s the name of your god again? I didn’t think anyone still in the city was the type to give someone a falna and just dump them in the 18 floor” she asked leaning over the table.
“He never told me his name” I answered and moved my chair as discretely as I could away from her.
“How odd, the gods usually like to brag” commented Tiona without much care, her body leaning back in her chair.
“Say, since your god is such an asshole what do you think about becoming a member of my familia” Loki offered casually “I don’t feel like a few fingers are enough to pay you back for one of my kid’s lives and you’re amusing enough”
I felt a cold drop of sweat running down my face as I tried to find a reason to refuse her without lying or making her feel insulted, come on think Roland, think!
“I thought both deities had to agree to that?” I almost shouted when the answer came to me.
“Tsk, that’s true I suppose” grabbing my coffee Loki took a sip of it and released a little sigh of surprise “huh, I never really liked coffee but this is surprisingly good”
“Really? Let me try”
I watched as both girls enjoyed my Ice coffee, Tiona taking a big bite out of the cream before her eyes shone with light and she shamelessly stole the entire cup.
Seeing as Tiona showed no sign of wanting to give it back I sighed and ordered another cup.
“I could always talk with him you know” Loki said as she cleaned her mouth with a napkin “very few gods can deny me when I really want something”
A menacing aura started leaking from the petite woman as she grabbed the table with both hands and gave me a very creepy smile.
“That’d be hard” I said, relieved I had an excuse for that too “after he gave me my falna I haven’t meet him again”
“I see, I see” Loki suddenly opened her crimson eyes causing me to flinch “So how did your falna get updated? A level 1 with 0 stats couldn’t have gotten so many magical crystals in a day… not as out of shape as you were”
Shit. Fuck. Goddamnit why did gods have to be able to sense lies.
I started to panic; do I tell her I can update my own falna? I had never heard of any other adventurer capable of something like that but there were some ridiculous skills in danmachi, but wasn’t the falna manipulation exclusive to gods?
“Hehe, you should see the look on your face” Loki finally said and looked away from me “Forget it, it would be more interesting to find out on my own”
‘Fuck, stop messing with me woman!’ Is what I didn’t scream in her face no matter how hard I wanted to.
“But I still feel like a few prosthetic fingers aren’t enough to pay you back for Remilia-chan and Kevin-chan’s lives, even your share of the Vouivre’s lot could pay of it, maybe”
“You really don’t have to pay me back Loki-sama, I barely did anything”
“Lying again!” she said in a singsong voice “I know why don’t you at least stay in the Twilight Manor until you can get more permanent place?”
For fuck’s sake I was just trying to be humble, speaking no lies was when you’re trying to hide things is so hard.
“I respectfully decline” I bowed my head low and prayed it was enough.
No way am I staying in shouting distance of Loki if I can help it no matter how rude I have to be.
Wait, I have been cursing in the name of god and praying for things all the time… can the danmachi gods hear it?
“Haaaaaaa, you’re no fun” she said and, despite not being a god, even I could see she was lying “At least let me offer you some training, without a god you won’t even be able to get a guide from the guild”
I’m sad to say I truly considered it, the anime only showed bell sparring as training but didn’t have anything about the working of the dungeon or what gear I should bring.
“Hey Tiona, you up for a few spars to teach newbie here how to fight?”
“Huh?” Tiona asked in confusion, her face finally lifting from my glass of ice coffee with a cream mustache
“Come on, it would be fun” Said Loki getting behind the amazoness and grabbing her shoulders before leaning over her ears “He’d be your apprentice, you could train him and even pit him against other adventurers to see who’s stronger!”
What the hell did she think I was, a pokemon?
“Mou, I guess it could be fun” Tiona shrugged and looked me over “You know I’m bad at holding back, you sure he wouldn’t die from a single kick?”
You’re a level 5 woman! I’d die, if you kicked me for real I’d definitely die!
Despite her ominous words and the fact she was working for Loki I couldn’t help myself, the chance to learn from a first class adventurer, to copy her moves and skills, it was just too tempting.
Plus I’m pretty sure Loki wouldn’t give up and who knows what her next offer would be “alright I accept”
The fact Tiona was hot and barely wore any clothes had nothing to do with my decision, nope.
“Great, it’s a date them!” Loki laughed and grabbed Tiona by the arm dragging her away
I finally took a sip of my ice coffee wondering just why I hadn’t just ran away from the city, oh yeah I refuse to live my life in fear.
I felt as if escaping Orario would be taking a step back and I didn’t dare do that, I knew myself, if I started retreating from fear of what would happen it wouldn’t end well for me.
Before long I’d become the same zombie in human skin, going through the motions of everyday life but too afraid of both failure and success to do anything.
Until now I had managed to force myself to keep moving but if I lost my momentum…
I let my body fall sprawling on top of the table and banging my forehead against the wood in frustration.
Ugh, living was hard