Chapter 152
Orario. The Labyrinth City. The so-called center of the world.
Everything here revolved around a single truth. The Dungeon at its core.
At the heart of the city stood Babel, a tower so massive it felt like it was holding the sky in place, casting its shadow over a city that never truly slept.
Up close, it was even more ridiculous. The sheer scale of it made everything else in the city feel smaller by comparison.
Here, gods walked among mortals, and every street carried the weight of ambition. Wealth, glory, and death all began in the same place and beneath the tower, where the earth opened and the unknown waited.
But before I went dungeon diving, I needed to register with the Guild first.
Based on Hestia's description, it was one of the largest buildings in the city. It was a massive structure near the center of Orario, not far from Babel Tower itself.
Speaking of which, it had taken me a while to convince Hestia to let me go to the dungeon on my first day.
Even after seeing my skills and abilities, she hadn't agreed right away.
Of course she wouldn't.
From her perspective, I was a complete unknown—someone who had just received a Falna and was already talking about diving into the Dungeon like it was a casual errand.
She was worried I was overestimating myself.
That I'd walk in, get in over my head…
…and never come back out.
I couldn't blame her for that.
But unfortunately for Hestia, I had no plans of taking my time.
I needed to get stronger.
Fast.
The Guild headquarters wasn't hard to find.
Especially with me knowing its appearance from the anime.
The inside was spacious and organized. The main hall was divided into sections, reception counters lined one wall, each staffed by Guild employees in uniform. Bulletin boards covered another wall, covered with quest postings and notices.
I walked toward the reception area.
Most of the counters were occupied, but I spotted one near the end with a shorter line.
Behind the counter stood a young woman with animal ears. A werewolf, by the looks of it. She had long red hair and wore the standard Guild uniform. A white blouse under a fitted black vest.
Rose Fannet.
I didn't know much about her. She barely had any screen time in the anime, and I hadn't read far enough into the novel to say otherwise. But from what little I remembered, she was competent. Professional. No-nonsense type of person.
She was currently helping another adventurer, nodding as she filled out forms.
I waited.
"Sign here. And don't lose the slip this time," she said, sliding the paper across the counter.
The man gave an awkward laugh, muttered something under his breath, and quickly left.
Her gaze lifted immediately.
A minute later, the adventurer thanked her and left.
The receptionist looked up.
"Next!"
I stepped forward.
She looked me over once.
"What do you need?"
"I'd like to register as an adventurer."
"First time?"
"Yeah."
She reached for a clipboard without hesitation and placed a blank form in front of me with a soft tap.
"Alright. Basic info first," she said. "Name."
"Leon Mishima."
Her pen moved quickly across the page.
"Familia?"
"Hestia Familia."
The pen stopped.
Just for a second.
Then she slowly looked up at me.
"…Hestia Familia?"
"Yeah."
"…Didn't know she finally got one started."
"She did."
"Clearly."
She clicked her pen once, then wrote it down anyway.
"Alright," she continued, tone back to business. "That makes you her first member?"
"Yeah."
She gave a short nod, expression returning to neutral.
"Got it."
Her pen continued moving for a few more seconds.
Then she set it down and tapped the paper once, like that part was done.
"Alright," Rose said, looking up at me again. "Registration's straightforward, but there are a few things you need to understand before you step into the Dungeon."
"First. The Dungeon is split into floors. The deeper you go, the stronger the monsters get. As a Level 1, you stick to the upper floors—one through five, maybe seven if you're confident. Anything past that without proper experience and team is suicide."
I nodded.
"Second. Magic stones. Every monster drops one when it dies. That's your primary source of income. You bring them back here, exchange them at the counter, and get paid based on weight and quality.
Third, drop items. Rarer than magic stones, but worth more. Claws, fangs, hides—whatever the monster leaves behind besides the stone. Those you can keep and sell, or use for crafting equipment."
"Understood."
"Fourth, If you get in over your head, retreat. The Dungeon doesn't care how confident you are. It'll kill you just as easily as anyone else."
Her red eyes held mine for a moment.
"Don't be stupid."
"I won't."
"Whatever," she said. "Just don't die on your first day. It creates unnecessary paperwork, and I already have enough of that to deal with."
"I have no plans to."
She reached under the counter and pulled out a small metal plate, placing it in front of me with a soft clink.
"Your adventurer registration," she said. "Keep it on you at all times. If something happens to you in the Dungeon, this is how we identify you."
"That's temporary for now," Rose added. "Once your goddess submits your official Falna verification, we'll update it with your full status. But for dungeon access, this is all you need."
"Got it."
I picked it up, turning it slightly between my fingers.
"Anything else?"
She pulled out a thin pamphlet and set it on the counter. The cover had a drawing of a sword and shield, along with the words Dungeon Safety Guidelines printed in bold letters.
"Standard safety guidelines. Read it if you want, but I've already covered the important parts. Anyways you're cleared to enter now, the Dungeon entrance is directly beneath Babel Tower. Just follow the main road and you'll find it. There's always a line."
"Thanks."
I turned to leave.
"Hey."
I paused and glanced back.
Rose was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Good luck out there."
I gave a small nod.
"Thanks."
Then I walked out.
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The plaza surrounding Babel was crowded.
More crowded than the streets leading up to it. Adventurers moved in every direction, some heading toward the Dungeon, others returning with blood-stained armor and exhausted expressions. A few groups stood off to the side, dividing loot or arguing over drop items.
It was chaotic.
I shifted my gaze toward the entrance.
There was a line.
A long one.
It stretched out from the Dungeon entrance, curving slightly as more people joined the back. Adventurers standing shoulder to shoulder, some impatient, some just waiting quietly, probably used to it.
I watched it for a few seconds.
…Yeah. No.
I wasn't doing that. Not when I had a perfectly good alternative.
I stepped off to the side just enough to avoid bumping into anyone, then focused.
It wasn't anything complicated.
At least, not for me.
I activated an invisibility spell.
The air around me shifted, bending light and presence until I was effectively erased from sight.
I walked past the entire line like it didn't exist, heading straight for the entrance.
Honestly, it felt a little unfair.
Then again…
That was kind of the point.
At this level, there wasn't anyone here who could see through it. Not with the difference in ability.
Adventurers, guards, even the Guild staff stationed nearby.
None of them noticed a thing.
Only the gods might've picked up on something being off.
And they weren't the ones checking people at the door.
I stepped past the front.
Crossed the threshold.
And just like that—
I was inside.
I let the spell drop once I was in.
For now.
I started walking.
It didn't take long to meet my first monsters.
Goblins.
Three of them came stumbling out from a side passage, crude weapons clutched in their gnarled hands.
They spotted me immediately, their beady little eyes going wide with whatever passed for predatory excitement in their tiny goblin brains. Then they screeched and charged.
Unfortunately for them, they didn't stand a chance—not even the slightest possibility of one.
Hell, I just stood there, arms crossed, watching them close the distance with all the threat level of angry toddlers.
The first one swung its knife at my arm but the blade just hit my skin and stopped, the impact reverberating back through the goblin's arm hard enough that I saw it wince.
The sound rang out like metal striking metal, the impact shuddering back through the goblin's arm so hard its grip faltered.
It stared at the knife. Then at my arm. Then back at the knife.
I flicked my finger against its forehead.
Its eyes rolled back. It dropped.
The other two froze mid-step, weapons half-raised.
Then they lunged anyway.
One stabbed at my side, grunting with effort. The other swung low at my leg, trying to hamstring me.
Both blades hit.
Both bounced.
I sighed, no point wasting my time on these floors. I didn't bother dragging it out.
A moment later, their bodies broke apart into fine ash, scattering across the stone floor. A few dull magic stones clattered where they'd fallen.
A few dull magic stones dropped with soft clinks.
I glanced down at them.
They looked exactly like they did in the anime.
I picked them up and slipped them into my storage ring. Something I'd made earlier along with a few other items. Convenient, to say the least.
I didn't linger.
The second floor passed quickly. Then the third.
By the time I reached the fifth floor, it still looked the same.
The only difference was the monsters. Now it was mostly kobolds and wolves.
Not that it made much difference.
I checked the time.
Still afternoon.
Alright. Let's speedrun this shit.
Or at least, that's what I wanted to do.
But by the seventh floor, I ran into something unpleasant.
Adventurers.
Five of them, spread across the tunnel in a loose formation that looked just a little too deliberate to be accidental. They weren't moving. Just standing there, weapons already drawn, watching the passage like they were waiting for something.
For someone.
And based on their expressions, they weren't planning on hunting monsters.
I sighed.
One of them grinned, showing yellowed teeth. Another tapped the flat of his blade against his palm in a slow, lazy rhythm.
I could see them sizing me up, weighing risk versus reward.
Perhaps it was due to my appearance and the equipment I was using. Or rather, the lack of it.
Of course, my armor and my weapons were all safely tucked away in my inventory
As of now, I had no plans on using them. They were overkill for this dungeon. Hell, they'd be overkill for most things in this world.
Well.
Unless it was absolutely necessary.
So for this little excursion, I'd created something simple instead, light leather armor and a simple longsword at my hip, plain crossguard, unadorned blade.
Actually, it was kind of nostalgic.
It was the same outfit I'd been wearing back when I was just starting out in the DxD verse, prowling the streets at night and hunting down stray devils
Simpler times.
The lead thug took a step forward, still grinning.
"Well, well… look what we've got here."
I let out a quiet sigh.
"…Yeah. Let's just get this over with."
I wasn't in the mood to drag things out.
With a thought, I reached for my Annihilation Maker.
The shadows at my feet stirred.
Then they stretched.
From the ground, shapes began to rise. One after another, dark forms peeled themselves out of the stone, taking shape with slow, fluid motion.
Within seconds, dozens of shadow wolves stood around me.
"Wai-Waiitt."
"What the hell."
I didn't bother drawing my sword.
Didn't feel like getting my hands dirty.
"…Handle it."
That was all it took.
The reaction was immediate.
Panic.
The moment the wolves moved, whatever confidence those idiots had vanished.
One of them barely managed to raise his weapon before a shadow tore straight through him, his body dropping before he even understood what was happening. Another turned to run, only to be dragged down mid-step, claws sinking in as his scream was cut off almost instantly.
It wasn't even a fight.
It was a slaughter.
I watched quietly, arms still crossed, as the wolves moved through them brutally.
Bodies dropped.
One after another.
"…Yeah," I muttered under my breath, my gaze following the last one as he stumbled back, barely able to keep his footing. "Should've stayed out of the Dungeon."
He was the only one left.
He stumbled back, weapon shaking in his hand, eyes wide with pure terror as the wolves closed in around him.
The shadows tightened.
One of the wolves lunged forward, jaws opening—
And then steel flashed.
A sharp, ringing sound cut through the corridor as something intercepted the strike, knocking the wolf aside and dispersing its body into shadow before it could even complete the attack.
I blinked, my brows drawing together slightly.
"…Huh?"
Someone stood between the wolves and their prey.
A woman.
Something about her felt familiar, like a memory just out of reach, something I should've recognized immediately but didn't.
Then it clicked.
"…Ah."
Right.
Ais Wallenwhatsit.
That was her name.
Before I could say anything, she stepped forward, just a single step, but it was enough to shift the entire atmosphere, her gaze locking onto me with quiet intensity.
"…Why?"
Her voice was calm, but there was something sharp beneath it.
"Why are you killing adventurers?"
I blinked.
"…Huh?"
For a second, I just stared at her, trying to process what she had just said.
Then I glanced around.
Oh.
I let out a small breath, lifting a hand to my temple.
"Ettu…"
I hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words.
"I think you're misunderstanding something here."
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