Shadow and Fate Intertwined

Moonlight fell through thick clouds onto the ground. The night wind brought a chill, and the shadows of the trees swayed. In the distance, the wind murmured low, as though telling of an ancient omen.

I stared at the magic circle beneath my feet. It looked ancient and dangerous. The runes trembled faintly like living things, giving off an unsettling glow. What was this thing for? Summoning? Sealing? Or some dangerous ritual? It might have been a mystery to others, but the answer was obvious to me.

"The Eminence in Shadow's trial..." I murmured, a smile curling my lips. The magic circle gleamed in the moonlight, and my shadow energy was like a key that fit it perfectly. This was clearly fate at work, a challenge into the unknown. And the outcome of that challenge—my victory, of course.

"Come on." I held out my hand, and pitch-black power poured from my palm. The runes lit up at once, as if cheering, like they had caught the scent of the offering they desired most.

The magic circle began to shake violently, and a pillar of light shot into the sky. I calmly took a step back and tilted my head slightly. To an ordinary person, this was a life-or-death danger, but to me, it was nothing.

"Is that all?" I taunted softly. The next second, the world suddenly turned upside down. A pitch-black fissure tore through space, and my body was swallowed in an instant. Wind howled in my ears, and white light filled my vision. Good. Another unpredictable adventure. I closed my eyes with a satisfied smile.

Brilliant light swallowed everything, and the wind howled in my ears. The next moment, I lost consciousness.

Orario · Deep in the Dungeon

Meanwhile, deep in Orario's Dungeon, an anomaly was brewing.

A group of adventurers was carefully exploring the labyrinth on the first underground floor when the ground suddenly shook violently. The magic stones flowing along the walls began to flicker with an unusual light.

"What's going on?!" an adventurer cried.

"Are the monsters rampaging? But this doesn't look like an ordinary monster horde..." Their captain gripped his weapon tightly, his face tense.

Deafening monster roars came from the depths. Some force seemed to be controlling the monsters. Their attacks had grown unusually frenzied, and their numbers were increasing rapidly.

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!" the squad leader shouted, but a pack of rampaging monsters had already blocked the passage behind them.

On the eighteenth floor, a safe floor, the members of the Loki Familia also sensed the disturbance. Its senior members quickly assembled under their captain, Finn, to discuss a response.

"The seal deep in the Dungeon seems to have developed a crack." Finn frowned and bit his little finger. "This monster rampage is unusual. It might not be a natural phenomenon."

In the deepest part of the labyrinth, a faint runic light flashed and vanished...

Orario · Labyrinth entrance

When I woke, hazy daylight filled my vision, and I heard noisy footsteps and quiet conversations around me.

"You're awake?"

A deep but somewhat casual voice came from nearby. I turned my head and saw a man in an adventurer's leather armor sitting beside me, a grass stem between his teeth. He looked relaxed, as though he had just returned from an easy adventure.

"...Where am I?" I pushed myself up and looked around.

"The labyrinth entrance in Orario." He pointed to a stone archway not far away. "I found you unconscious on the second floor of the Dungeon. You looked pretty miserable, lying face down. Hmm... it was kind of funny."

"The second floor?" I frowned.

"Yeah. You're pretty lucky to be alive after passing out in a place like that. So, did you faint from fright, or did you fall because you were running too fast?" the man asked with a grin, clearly not taking my situation seriously.

I glanced up at him without answering and began brushing the dust off myself.

"Hey, hey, don't be so cold. I was kind enough to carry you up from the second floor." He sighed deliberately, his voice full of teasing. "Do you have any idea how heavy a grown man who's passed out in the Dungeon is? I nearly threw my back out."

"Thanks," I said simply. I stood up and surveyed my surroundings.

The man blinked, looking a little disappointed by my attitude. "Oh? That's all? Just 'thanks'? You're pretty cool, huh?"

I paid him no more attention and turned my gaze to the towering structure in the distance. Whatever the case, this "teleportation" was no accident. The magic circle's power, the anomaly in the Dungeon, and the secrets behind this city... It seemed there was plenty worth investigating.

"Hey, next time you pass out, remember to pick a cooler pose!" the man called after me.

Orario · An unfamiliar street

Buildings with a distinctly otherworldly style surrounded me. The pedestrians came in all shapes and forms; besides humans, there were beastmen, elves, and other races. The bustling street had an air of prosperity. Most eye-catching of all was the tower in the city center, soaring into the clouds. Like a sharp blade thrust straight into the sky, it exuded an oppressive presence impossible to ignore.

It seemed I had been drawn into another world once again.

Unlike the dark world I had experienced before, however, this place was clearly much livelier.

"Hey! Is this your first time in Orario?"

A cheerful voice called out from beside me. I turned and saw a petite girl with twin tails standing there, a warm smile on her face. An ornament bearing a strange emblem was pinned to her chest.

A red-haired boy stood behind her, looking a little impatient.

"Would you like to join our familia?" Apparently not noticing my silence, the twin-tailed girl went on, "I'm Hestia, and this is Welf! We can show you around Orario."

"..."

Rather than answer immediately, I looked around. As the Eminence in Shadow, I knew full well how important information was. From scraps of conversation among the passersby, I had already picked up some key facts:

This was the labyrinth city of Orario, a city centered on adventurers and the underground labyrinth. The so-called "familias" were organizations founded by gods that provided adventurers with protection and support. The power system in this world was based on adventurer levels, beginning at level 1 and increasing from there.

"Sorry." I smiled faintly and politely declined the girl's invitation. "Before I consider joining a familia, I'd like to learn more about the city."

Hestia seemed a little disappointed, but she didn't press the matter. After telling me to be careful, she left with the red-haired boy.

The clock tower on the street corner chimed noon, and sunlight fell through the gaps between buildings onto the stone-paved road. I set off down the bustling street.

The rules of this city were completely different from those of the worlds I had encountered before.

But...

I raised my hand, and pitch-black shadows flowed across my palm.

Good. I still have my powers.

"Have you heard? New monsters have appeared deep in the labyrinth again lately..."

"Miss Ais of the Loki Familia has completed another great adventure..."

"Below the fiftieth floor is really dangerous right now..."

In a corner of the tavern, I sat in an inconspicuous seat with a mug of ale in my hand, silently listening to the conversations around me.

This tavern was called the Labyrinth Home, and it was clearly a place where adventurers gathered and exchanged information. Observing from the shadows suited my style better than asking around.

An underground labyrinth, monsters, a level system... An interesting system.

It seemed that joining a familia would be the best way to establish myself in this city.

As I pondered my next move, the tavern door was suddenly shoved open. A group of adventurers wearing splendid equipment walked in, matching emblems pinned to their chests.

"Hey, new face, those seats belong to our Apollo Familia." The blond young man leading them looked at me coldly, his tone haughty.

I set down my mug and looked them over.

It seemed this world had no shortage of self-important fools either.

Shadows flowed silently beneath my feet. Several ways to deal with them had already come to mind.

But before that, I had to confirm one thing.

What were the consequences of killing someone in this world?

"I'm terribly sorry, then." I rose unhurriedly, a faint smile still on my face.

The blond young man seemed very displeased with my attitude and raised a hand to grab my collar. How foolish. The shadow beneath my feet stretched out soundlessly and connected to his.

Just before his hand touched me, I activated my ability. A pitch-black hand reached out of the shadow and silently seized his ankle. Caught off guard, the blond young man lost his balance and fell to the floor in an ungainly heap.

"S-sorry, I tripped..." The blond young man got to his feet, his face bright red. He clearly hadn't realized what had happened.

Interesting. I withdrew my shadow and walked past them toward the door as if nothing had happened. It seemed people in this world couldn't detect shadow power. That was good news.

But just then, I noticed the gaze of a blond woman in the corner of the tavern. She sat there quietly, holding a glass of red wine, and her sharp eyes made me realize she seemed to have seen something.

Judging by the aura she gave off, this woman was no ordinary person. The emblem on her chest gave me a vague sense that something was unusual. Though I didn't know exactly what it meant, I caught scraps of information from the reactions of the people around her and the whispers in the tavern. She seemed to be from a powerful organization called the Loki Familia.

Our eyes met briefly across the room. She raised her glass gracefully and gestured to me. Was that a warning, or an invitation?

After leaving the tavern, I felt that gaze still following me, faint and intermittent. It seemed my situation in this world might be far more complicated than I had imagined.

But that suited me just fine. After all, the game in the shadows had only just begun.