The Journey Begins in DanMachi

Omniverse, the journey begins in Dungeon.

Author: Silent West Wind Fungus

Synopsis:

Noah: It may only take a few days for a person to see others clearly, but a lifetime to recognize one's own desires. For instance, only after transmigrating did I realize that I didn't fight the Demon King to save the world, but because fighting is just so much fun!!

Ais: Noah is a man who could be my father!

Sakura Matou: My desire... is you, big brother!

Yukina Himeragi: Having said that, don't you think there are too many girls around you?

Dungeon · Great Struggle · Prologue

1 Just transmigrated, in another world, seeing a human trafficking ring

"We will erect a statue to sing praises of your great achievements in defeating the Demon King and saving the continent for eternity... after you die!"

"Why so much chatter? He doesn't have much magic power left! With so many of us, surely he can't kill us all!"

"I'm sorry, in your era, it was just too restrictive!"

[Beep beep beep, respected Mr. Noah, good afternoon. Congratulations, you have been selected by the No. 10086 Savior Hero System as this term's Destiny Holder. This system will assist you in saving the world in a relaxed and happy manner!]

In a deep, drizzling alley, a silver-haired youth lay upon the water-logged bluestone pavement.

Beneath a suit of shattered pale silver armor, his body was covered in wounds that reached the bone.

Blood seeped out, slowly staining the stagnant water red.

Cold rain fell, sliding over his mostly shattered, hideous faceplate, and lashed against his pale cheeks.

Suddenly, his brows furrowed tightly.

His fingers, gripping a long sword, trembled slightly, and the youth's eyes snapped open, his bewildered blue pupils reflecting the dim, hazy sky.

...Please, just die!

A face filled with murderous intent appeared before his eyes once more, jolting his consciousness from chaos and bewilderment. He instinctively sat upright.

Yet, the very next second, his vision went black due to the intense pain and weakness radiating from his entire body.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and Noah nearly lost consciousness again.

After urgently confirming his surroundings and sensing that although it was unfamiliar, there seemed to be no immediate danger, the youth finally relaxed and curled up, clutching his wounds.

"Ugh!"

After panting for a long while, the youth regained a sliver of strength and crawled to a corner of the wall that offered some shelter from the rain.

He removed his shattered faceplate, revealing his pale cheeks.

Only after taking a few deep breaths did he have the strength to look around again.

He was merely in a deep alley; aside from the ash-gray sky above and the four walls, he could discern nothing.

The only thing he could be certain of was that this was definitely not the desert battlefield where he had fought the Demon King, only to be plunged into a bloody, chaotic struggle against a group of traitors.

"No, where the hell did this bring me? Is this even still on the continent?"

As he gazed at the sky in confusion, a faint, crackling sound like weak electrical interference rang in his ears.

His body tensed, and the youth gripped his long sword, scanning his surroundings from the corner of his eye.

But no enemy attacked; instead, a pale blue fluorescent screen appeared before him.

[Beep, current world detected as: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? / DanMachi world.]

Looking at the flickering screen before him, a trace of confusion appeared in Noah's eyes.

"Pick up girls? What kind of nonsense is that?"

Dungeon—Noah had heard of such a place, a deep cavern filled with vicious monsters.

But he had heard of people going to a Dungeon to seek wealth, to seek power, or even to seek slaughter, but this was the first time he had heard of seeking encounters.

Falling in love in a place crawling with bloody monsters?

Eww~

Even though Noah had killed countless beings and could eat a meal beside corpses that were literally smashed to pieces, he still found it a bit disgusting.

However, Noah quickly realized another key point.

"Current world? So, I've run off to another world?"

[Beep, confirmed. This world exists in a different dimension from the one you previously inhabited.]

Noah fell into a brief silence.

For a fleeting moment, Noah suspected he might have been caught in an illusion.

But out of confidence, he dismissed that possibility.

This confidence stemmed from his own ability—even in a state of critical injury, no one could trap him in an illusion without him noticing.

It also stemmed from his former companions—no one would dare risk letting him survive, or every traitor would face certain death.

Upon realizing this, Noah relaxed his guard, his hands subconsciously wrapping around his body.

He could not tell if he felt cold due to excessive blood loss, or if he was simply lost in the desolate uncertainty of his situation.

As a hero, Noah had killed too many enemies on his path to saving the world.

Rebels, bandits, monsters, and foreign races were already beyond counting, but more importantly, Noah had never gone soft on internal threats.

Corrupt officials who oppressed the commoners, extravagant nobles, sects and churches with the faces of men but the hearts of beasts...

A significant portion of them were the elders, classmates, teachers, and friends of Noah's own comrades and subordinates.

Some had even risen from poverty themselves, having once fought alongside Noah, bathed in blood for the sake of justice.

That was until they were corrupted by power, becoming the very people they once despised, and ultimately becoming Noah's enemies.

Therefore, Noah had long been prepared for the divergence between himself and the others.

He just hadn't expected them to be so direct, so impatient.

No, that wasn't right; in truth, Noah had a premonition—the Demon King was dead, and he was at his weakest, making it the perfect moment to ensure his "legitimate" death. How could those people have resisted?

Yet, Noah, who had thought his heart was as hard as iron after countless battles, failed to realize that deep within, there remained a final shred of softness and fantasy left over from past friendships.

It was this last bit of softness that allowed the exhausted Noah to lower his guard and make an adventurous choice for the first time.

The Demon King is dead, and the hero's mission is fulfilled. If everyone is waiting for my death, then I, too, can finally take a long-overdue sleep.

Of course, Noah had taken all the traitors with him in the end.

[Ding, as long as the host continues to complete missions, there is a chance to return to the original world.]

"...No, there is no need. I have already given enough to that world; the rest is for them to walk on their own."

Noah shook his head, leaning against the wall to slowly stand up.

He tilted his head, gazing silently at the hazy sky, feeling the drizzle fall.

"...From now on, I should live for myself."

Stepping toward the mouth of the alley, Noah's focus gradually shifted from the past back to reality.

An unknown, different world?

A novel sense of nervous excitement surged in his heart, reminding Noah of himself at twelve years old, carrying the best sword from his village as he set off for the royal capital.

Back then, he was like a newly forged blade—sharp and bright—believing that his swordsmanship alone could sever all ugliness and injustice to bring happiness to the world.

But the jokes of fate had taught Noah the arts of power, the necessity of schemes, and the weight of compromise, turning him into a despicable hero whose heart was filled only with calculations, deliberation, and suspicion.

If he were to be compared to a weapon, he would surely be a rusted, dull, and broken sword.

Even though he had hypnotized himself countless times with the mantra "this is for justice," Noah understood that long before his armor was stained by demon blood, his soul had already become filthy.

Yet now, he felt that same excitement born of the unknown, just as he had when he first stepped into the royal capital.

What will I encounter in this world?

With this thought, Noah stepped out of the alley.

A biting winter wind, carrying icy rain, swept across the street, clearing Noah's vision and immediately drawing his attention to the scenery before him.

A wide avenue paved with bluestone, with shops and houses lined up in orderly rows on both sides.

Merchants in trading robes, adventurers carrying weapons, and residents with baskets and packs.

Most importantly, there were sturdy demi-humans, Amazons in revealing attire, graceful elves, and handsome men and women with ethereal temperaments—all sorts of races mingling naturally together.

Even more striking were the ends of the street: on one side, a massive wall that encircled the entire town, and on the other, a chalk-white tower rising into the clouds at the town's center.

Everything was vaguely familiar yet entirely different from the past, converging into a landscape Noah had never seen in his previous life.

But the next second, his eyes widened.

"You've got to be kidding me! There are child-trafficking rings in this world too?"

2 Come, Ambush!

On the empty street shrouded in icy rain, the eight-year-old girl, Ais Wallenstein, sprinted forward with the momentum of someone trying to shatter the ground beneath her.

Scalding tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, caught by the biting wind and sprayed backward.

Even as her broken armor fell away and her wounds were torn open further, bleeding and stinging with cold, she did not stop.

It was as if, if she ran fast enough, she could leave all the pain, sorrow, and distress behind her.

But she failed; those words, sharp as a sword, wounding both others and herself, still clung to her like a nightmare!

'You are not my mother!'

Riveria's expression, filled with pain and sorrow, echoed in her mind, and Ais felt as if her heart were being shredded.

Her heart felt as though it had been placed on a rusted saw, and every breath brought a trembling, flesh-tearing agony.

Why?

Why can't you people just understand!

This world is filled with danger and darkness; if one does not acquire sufficient power as quickly as possible, they will sooner or later be swallowed by the pitch-black abyss of despair once again!

Just like Father and Mother!

Reality is not a fairy tale; a "hero" will not appear...

There were none in the past, there are none now, and there will be none in the future!

No one will come to save her, no one will reach out a helping hand, and no one will come to her rescue.

Even when she searched until she was covered in wounds, crying until her throat could no longer make a sound, until blood replaced her tears, the hero she had longed for never appeared by her side.

Therefore, she cannot wait...

Therefore, she cannot hope...

Therefore, she picked up her sword...

Because Ais Wallenstein must become her own hero!

By the time Ais regained her senses, she had already arrived at the Dungeon.