The Journey Begins in DanMachi

"Hmm, I'm here for my morning training. Noah, you—"

Seeing the two troublemakers, Ais and Noah, about to strike up a conversation, Riveria felt a surge of panic.

If the truth slipped out and Noah found out, what would he do?

Huh? So the serious and earnest Riveria-sama has a side like this? I never would have guessed... how cute!

No!

She absolutely could not let that happen!

"Ais!"

Just as Ais and Noah were about to continue their exchange, Riveria suddenly cut in.

"Noah and I are planning to explore the Dungeon today. Do you want to come along as a supporter?"

The confusion in Ais's eyes shifted to surprise, her pupils widening slightly and sparkling with a gem-like brilliance.

Whatever she had been thinking about before was instantly cast to the back of her mind.

All she could think about now was that she could finally go back into the Dungeon!

Seeing Ais so happy that her golden hair seemed to float with excitement, Riveria hurriedly added, "Only as a supporter. You are not allowed to join the fighting!"

But Ais wasn't listening; she turned on her heel and dashed back into Twilight Manor.

"I'm going to change into my gear!"

After Ais left, Noah and Riveria were once again alone in front of Twilight Manor.

The difference was that Riveria stood with her arms crossed, staring at the brightening sky, treating Noah as if he were air.

Noah wasn't one to fear awkwardness, but since they were all heading to the Dungeon together, he knew that if he upset Riveria, it would be difficult for him to fight to his heart's content.

"Come to think of it, Riveria, how did you know I was planning to go to the Dungeon today?"

Though she saw right through Noah's attempt to change the subject, Riveria didn't intend to dwell on it.

"Hmph. A fifty-million Valis order—did you really think Goibniu Familia wouldn't notify me, the one paying the bill, after you took the equipment?"

"Oh, I see."

When it came to this, Noah truly didn't know what to say.

Let's just say that when you're living off someone else's generosity, you lose the right to stand tall and speak with confidence.

Seeing Noah fall silent, Riveria quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

In truth, she hadn't told him everything. Aside from the bill from Goibniu Familia, more importantly, Amid had notified Riveria about Noah purchasing potions on credit.

However, Riveria wasn't foolish enough to betray Amid so easily; she would need her to keep track of Noah's movements in the future.

During this week of magic lessons, although Noah hadn't finished every book on those shelves, he had already shocked Riveria.

She had never expected Noah to complete those courses in such a short time; otherwise, wouldn't that just make her look incompetent?

Even so, Noah's learning progress far exceeded Riveria's expectations—in seven days, he had already finished the material the school provided for new mages to learn over three years.

This made Riveria even more convinced of her judgment: Noah would surpass her at a speed she couldn't imagine, perhaps even surpassing the monsters of Hera Familia and Zeus Familia.

But precisely because of that, Riveria wanted to protect him as much as possible during his early stages as an adventurer.

In the Dungeon, the greatest danger is never the monsters, but the unknown—unknown zones, unknown monsters, unknown enemies...

Because the Dungeon is alive. It strikes when adventurers are at a disadvantage, plunging them into despair.

It was common for high-level adventurers to finish their activities in the deep floors only to die on the upper floors due to carelessness on their way back.

Being strong never meant one was immune to danger; on the contrary, the stronger one is, the more often they walk alongside death—Riveria, having witnessed the fall of Zeus Familia and Hera Familia, understood this all too well.

Even if the time is short, I will do everything in my power. Glancing at the silver-haired boy from the corner of her eye, the elven royalty made a silent vow to herself.

Once Ais had changed into her armor and returned with a massive backpack, the three of them left Twilight Manor amidst the cold morning breeze.

After grabbing a bite to eat by the roadside and packing some food for lunch, the three entered the Dungeon.

34 Straight to the 12th Floor

Passing through the massive hole beneath the first floor of Babel, they arrived at the spacious thoroughfare known as the Path of Departure.

Although the stone road was sturdy and wide enough for several carriages to travel side-by-side, it gave off a feeling of being winding, narrow, and gloomy.

With every step, it felt as if the dark, cold walls on either side were closing in, as if they might collapse and crush them at any moment.

Entering the cavern that resembled a giant beast, Noah stopped after his feet touched the dirt floor, closed his eyes, and gently breathed in the surrounding air.

Although this was his second time entering the Dungeon, it was only now that Noah began to truly feel it.

Phosphorescence illuminated the surroundings, and the ceiling above was reasonably high, but once inside the Dungeon, one could feel that everything had changed.

A gust of wind whistled through the caves like a roar, as if the monsters were issuing a challenge to the adventurers.

The sun, moon, stars, the four seasons, and the elements of the outside world were all left behind.

Ahead lay a deep, cavernous abyss filled with endless danger, extending infinitely downward—a place whose end even the gods did not know.

Endless fierce beasts, endless danger, endless battle...

The pervasive sense of danger in the air surged through his entire body like static electricity; Noah felt his hair stand on end and his breathing grow deep.

His heartbeat accelerated, pumping heated blood throughout his body, and his muscles tightened involuntarily.

There is no mistake; this is where I belong, this is my true nature...

Standing to the side, Ais and Riveria also stopped in their tracks, watching Noah quietly as they recalled the feelings they had when they first entered the Dungeon.

Fear, nervousness, excitement, terror...

Those emotions were still vivid, as if they were experiencing them all over again. How would Noah feel?

When Noah reopened his eyes and swept his gaze forward with a calm, unruffled expression, both Ais and Riveria felt a chill like the glint of a sharp sword pass over them, stinging their very souls.

But looking again, Noah's eyes had returned to calm, making one suspect it had just been an illusion...

No, it was not an illusion.

Riveria and Ais looked at Noah, both certain in their hearts.

In Noah's azure eyes, something had vanished—the calm, slightly lazy air he usually wore.

But something else had emerged—a coldness akin to that of a predator locking onto its prey.

Though no emotional fluctuations were visible, Ais and Riveria both understood that this was merely a layer of frozen ice over a rapid, dark current.

Just like a magic sword containing high-density magic, even if it is just quietly sheathed, it compels one to stare at it.

Ais widened her eyes, looking at the silver-haired boy who suddenly felt like a stranger.

Still able to recall the nervousness and panic she felt when she stepped into the Dungeon a year ago, she tried to find common ground with Noah.

However, she failed.

The mere look in his eyes made Ais realize that there was an insurmountable gap between them.

Noah is different from me... he is a powerhouse.

The shivers running through her body... and even the fear, made Ais realize this.

"Let's go."

Without noticing their gazes, Noah took the lead, walking toward the depths of the room.

Before long, they heard the walls of the Dungeon crumbling on their own.

Amidst the falling debris, monsters curled up and then landed, stretching out until they revealed their true forms.

With dark gray fur and short, hunched bodies, they walked upright, their sharp claws and fangs gleaming with a cold light.

In particular, their malicious, scarlet eyes defined a life essence completely different from all other creatures in the Lower World.

Kobold, like the Goblin, are the weakest monsters in the Dungeon, distributed from the first to the fifth floors, differing only in number and frequency.

They are cannon-fodder monsters that even an adult wielding a weapon could defeat.

It's just that this type of monster doesn't really stir up much desire to fight.

Although he thought this, Noah still slowly drew the long sword at his waist as he looked at the thirty-some Kobold before him.

With a clink, the Silver Sword left its scabbard.

The moment the silver light flashed through the dim cave, Noah, who had been standing in place, turned into a blur, swinging his blade forward!

Three hours, twelve floors!

The fluorescent light of the upper levels was gone, and in the withered forest filled with hazy morning mist, Riveria and Ais stared in astonishment at the scene before them.

As the Silver Sword swung down, the sword energy tore through the mist and dust, sweeping five Orc, each over three meters tall, into the strike.

Before the Orc could fall and turn to ash from the fatal attack, the pale silver figure moved in tandem with the violent sword energy, passing through like a streak of moonlight.

Unlike the crisscrossing caves above, this floor consisted of a jungle area overgrown with weeds and withered trees, shrouded in white mist from an unknown source.

Right in the middle of this vast wilderness, a figure moved from left to right, charging straight ahead without dodging or turning.

Slashes, swings, thrusts, horizontal strikes... countless attacks formed a barrier of blades, shredding and annihilating every monster within reach.

The sword that cut down evil left behind countless aftershocks, and everything swept by the hissing sword-whistle turned into dust and corpses.

The monsters, sensing the threat, launched vicious attacks as dense as a barrage, but claws, fangs, clubs, and rubble missed the boy's figure by mere inches, only for their bodies to be sliced apart amidst pained roars.

Passing under a log falling from the hands of a Silverback Ape, Noah didn't even look, relying solely on the "intuition" floating in his heart to deliver a backhanded strike.

Then, a second before the stiffened Silverback Ape died, he stepped off it for leverage, crushing the chest and abdomen of a Hard-Shelled Rat as he landed.

Although he had sliced through more than a dozen Imp with one strike, Noah's target was not these imps, but a group of amber figures in the distance.

Long tails, sharp teeth, moving on all fours, their amber scales reflecting a solid, cold light.

Young Dragon, a rare monster that appeared on the 11th and 12th floors.

Although they lacked wings, their hard scales and tough muscles gave them a level of defense that no other monster in the upper levels could match, and they were considered the de facto dungeon bosses of the upper floors.

There were twenty or so Young Dragon in front of Noah; such a number appearing at once usually meant the Guild would receive news of a party of novice adventurers being wiped out.

Turning his wrist to deflect all attacks with a wide-range slash, Noah kicked off the ground with force, a shocking blast of air erupting.

Noah, having gained a violent burst of speed, literally transformed into a gale.

Charging without any attempt at concealment, he crossed the path of the Young Dragon's tail—which was shattering the ground like a hammer—a mere second before it arrived. Reaching the edge of the cavern, Noah rushed up the rock wall without losing momentum.

Racing into mid-air, Noah flipped his body, planted his feet against the vaulted ceiling, and launched himself outward!

Moving at a speed that defied the naked eye, Noah's body gradually blurred, turning into a streak of silver light along with his longsword.

The Young Dragons were pulverized amidst their roars and shrieks!

Leaping into the air during combat is a dangerous and foolish act; without a guaranteed killing blow, it often provides the enemy with an opening for a counterattack.

The reason Noah chose this style of combat, constantly varying his methods of execution, was entirely to adapt to his own body.

Whether it was the physical enhancement gained from the Blessing or the aftermath of the seven days of unbearable physical healing received from Amid, Noah had acquired a vast, surging power entirely different from before, to the point where his control had diminished.

A slash intended only to sever a neck ended up obliterating the entire head.

An attempt to leap behind a monster for a counterattack resulted in a landing spot over ten meters further than intended.

Or, misjudging the hardness of the rock beneath his feet, he would crush it entirely while pushing off, nearly causing himself to stumble.

To regain fine control over his body, Noah discarded the various efficient techniques he had honed through long years of battle.

Facing the monsters' attacks, Noah neither dodged nor parried, relying solely on his speed and the sharp blade in his hand to break through them head-on.