The Journey Begins in DanMachi

Before Amid could dwell on it, a verdant figure walked through the door, instantly capturing her full attention.

"Lady Nine Hell!"

The moment she saw Riveria, Amid's gaze subconsciously swept the surrounding area, but she failed to find the silver-haired figure that should have been there.

In just a few moments, Riveria arrived at the counter, her gaze profound as she looked down at the girl.

"Miss Amid, stop looking. He isn't here."

Coming back to her senses, Amid looked at Riveria and pressed her lips together.

"I don't understand what Lady Nine Hell is talking about. I wasn't looking for Noah Cipher."

Eh? Without me knowing, has Amid already started calling Noah by his first name?

A complex feeling arose in Riveria's heart, similar to the sensation of discovering that a stray cat she had been feeding was accepting food from someone else.

No, that must be an illusion. Noah isn't a cat!

"Miss Amid, I never said it was Noah."

Amid's eye twitched violently. She took a deep breath, lowered her eyes slightly, and maintained her composure.

"I mentioned Mr. Noah only because he often appears with you; there was no other meaning."

Although Amid's acting skills were already excellent for her age, how could she possibly deceive an old... young person like Riveria!

Just by seeing the slightly reddened, delicate earlobes of Amid, Riveria understood what was going on, and her mood became instantly complicated.

Under normal circumstances, if Riveria saw Noah poaching excellent members from other familias—especially a genius like Amid—she would be very happy...

The problem was, there was still Ais in her own familia!

Although she didn't know when Noah and Ais had become so intimate, the die was cast!

Ais clearly had her heart set on Noah, to the point where it had even manifested as a skill!

Oh right, when Riveria saw that skill, a strong urge to complain rose in her heart—

One was to surpass, the other was to chase.

Once Ais caught up, she let Noah surpass her.

Then Ais would chase again, only for Noah to surpass her again...

Are you two trying to step on your own left feet to ascend to the heavens?

With such a convenient and useful skill, could you please give me one too?

The Elf Royalty also wants to improve, you know!

"Is that so?"

The Elf Royalty nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly spoke out of the blue.

"But, Noah asked me to request a leave of absence for you, saying he couldn't make it today. What's that about? Did he get it wrong?"

Now that it had come to this, Amid knew there was no point in pretending anymore. Riveria clearly knew everything and was just here to tease her.

How black-hearted!

Seeing the resentful expression on Amid's small face, Riveria felt exceptionally pleased.

Teasing children is truly a joy!

Matters between young people should be left for them to resolve themselves; after all, they are still young.

57 Dark Disturbances

As midwinter approached, following a few early snowfalls, news spread through Orario that a festival would be held.

When it came to Orario's winter festival, the first thing that came to mind was naturally the Holy Night Festival, where lights illuminated the white night amidst the swirling snow.

However, this was only a small-scale festival, with lanterns hung and stalls set up only in the Central Plaza.

Even so, in these difficult times, the news was still heartening.

But before the citizens and adventurers of Orario could even feel the festive atmosphere, they were shocked by another announcement from the Guild.

A newcomer to the Loki Familia, a Level 1 adventurer, Noah Cipher, had solo-defeated the floor boss of the 17th floor, Goliath.

This news swept through like a giant storm, plunging Orario into a brief silence.

Announced by the Loki Familia, one of the city's two great factions, verified by the Astraea Familia, and recognized by the Guild.

With these three factors combined, even the adventurers who usually scoffed at street rumors could not help but fall silent.

Some veteran adventurers couldn't help but recall the era seven years ago when the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia dominated Orario.

Is it another monster born?

If he grows up, can he completely purge the heavy darkness and turmoil currently lingering in Orario?

Countless people who had experienced sorrow and despair, who hated and loathed the dark age, couldn't help but feel hope. It was just like the countless lanterns hanging in the Central Plaza, gathering into an ocean of light that illuminated the dark night.

Deep within a pitch-black, narrow corridor, faint, flickering lights illuminated many bloodthirsty faces.

"Hey, Valetta, are we really going to do this?"

A rough, brutal voice echoed through the darkness, emanating from a man with gray-white hair and a face twisted in cruelty.

"What's the matter? Oliwas, are you scared?"

Silently stroking her blood-stained greatsword, Valetta merely cast a sidelong glance at her comrade.

Facing Valetta, who acted as the brains and commander of the Dark Faction, even the man known as the White-Haired Demon, Oliwas, dared not display his usual ferocity.

"Tch, is it really worth going to such lengths for a brat? Didn't they say the experiments on Apathe's side still need time to adjust? And who knows what those two lunatics from the Alecto house are off doing."

After briefly stating his reasoning, Oliwas realized he couldn't convince Valetta and shifted his gaze to the person beside him.

"Hey, Vitt, what do you think? Didn't your deity say he went outside the city to find someone? Still no word after all this time?"

This was a man with dark, blood-red hair, dressed in combat attire resembling the robes of a priest.

"Well, who can truly understand the chaotic and fickle nature of the gods? He wouldn't notify me anyway, but I support this operation—"

Vitt's eyes narrowed like a fox, and the fake smile at the corners of his mouth made him look like a clown.

But when his right eye, curved into a crescent, opened slightly, the crimson-stained iris radiated an aura of madness.

"—those bugs have been harboring hope lately, haven't they? If we grant them despair at a time like this, the color of the blood will surely be even more beautiful! A brand new kind of despair!"

"Tch, then you two make the call."

Seeing that Vitt didn't object, Oliwas knew the plan was set and said no more.

Mainly, Oliwas didn't want to provoke these two lunatics too much.

Yes, Oliwas admitted he was evil—the kind of evil that went to the bone—but his malice still fell within a range that ordinary people could comprehend: he enjoyed the thrill of slaughtering the weak, tormenting the world, and dominating the lives of others.

But the sheer madness of the two beside him made even Oliwas feel afraid.

Perhaps this tendency to bully the weak while fearing the strong when faced with a formidable enemy was simply a sign of his own "normality."

"You haven't crossed blades with him, so you don't understand how terrifying he is. We absolutely cannot let him grow! What if he levels up after participating in the Loki Familia's expedition? By then, none of us will be his match!"

Does this have anything to do with you getting tricked by him and taking a kick to the kidneys?

Vitt and Oliwas exchanged a look, but neither voiced the thought.

They, too, could feel the threat posed by that newcomer to the Loki Familia.

That day, they couldn't help but recall the fear once dominated by the Hera and Zeus Familia, and the humiliation of having to crawl in the dark, sunless depths of the underground!

"In that case, it's decided. But Valetta, what will you do?"

Vitt stroked the weapon in his hand—a short sword with no distinguishing features other than the bloodstains from excessive killing.

"Oliwas and I can probably only create chaos on the surface to buy time, and we can't keep it up for long. Once Finn discovers our intentions, he'll likely send reinforcements into the Dungeon quickly. Are you confident you can finish him off?"

"If I can't kill him, can't I kill the little girl by his side? If he saves her, he dies. If he doesn't, then let all of Orario see what kind of 'hero' they've been pinning their hopes on!"

Valetta raised her blood-stained greatsword.

She stared at her own reflection in the blade, her eyes brimming with violent killing intent.

"Noah! I want to see if you are truly the same kind of person as us—if I can dye you in a different color and create a demon for Orario, then what does it matter if I die?"

Oliwas and Vitt exchanged a look and rose to leave together.

Women are truly terrifying!

Five days later, the Dungeon, the 15th Floor's rocky caverns.

Perched on a high ledge, Ais, carrying a massive backpack, watched silently as Noah fought a bitter battle against a group of Minotaurs in the hall below.

For Noah in his normal state, a Minotaur would be nothing more than a single sword stroke, but today was different.

He was not using magic, wearing armor, or even wielding a weapon; he was bare-chested, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the savage bulls.

Over the past few days of battle—or rather, the one-sided slaughter of Dungeon monsters—most of Noah's stats had risen rapidly and were nearing their limits, save for Endurance, which was climbing very slowly.

After all, Endurance was, to put it politely, defense; in layman's terms, it was the ability to take a beating with thick skin.

In the upper and middle levels of the Dungeon, the fastest monsters like Killer Ants, Terror Bats, Hellhounds, and Saber-toothed Tigers struggled to even land a hit on Noah, so naturally, his Endurance was difficult to raise.

Although no one had demanded that Noah max out all his stats, having already suffered the consequences of a body that wasn't tough enough, how could he pass up the chance to forge himself into a well-rounded warrior?!

When Noah asked Riveria how to quickly improve his Endurance, her answer was—fighting with bare fists is the romance of a man!

After shattering a Minotaur's arm and half its torso with a fist-to-fist strike, Noah ended the battle and returned to the high ledge.

Picking up a towel to wipe away the sweat and dust, Noah felt something strange while drinking water.

He turned his head and found Ais staring at him, her eyes unmoving.

To be precise, she was staring at his bare upper body, and the look in her eyes made Noah feel a bit afraid.

"Ais?"

58 Before the Festival · Respective Paths

Why do I feel such a strong urge to touch him?

At this moment, Ais found it difficult to look away from the sharp, clearly defined muscles of Noah's upper body.

In the past, whenever she hit a bottleneck, Ais had sought out almost every method available to improve herself.

Muscle training was naturally one of them, so Riveria had asked Bara, a veteran Amazon of the Familia, to be her instructor.

At the time, Ais had felt that Bara's muscles weren't solid enough; they should at least be developed to the level of Gareth or Noel.

Back then, Bara had mocked her mercilessly.

"Little sister, men's and women's bodies are different, you know. Each has its own beauty. Besides, what's so good about those massive, ugly muscles like a Dwarf's? Do you think beef tastes best when it's so tough you can't even chew it? The muscles on a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, full of vitality and life—that is the most delicious kind!"

Vitality? A sense of life? Could muscles really be related to such things?

Only now could Ais understand what Bara had meant.

The silver-haired boy before her was covered in a thin layer of sweat, making the curves of his muscles, swollen and taut from the intense battle just moments ago, all the more striking.

They could be described as lean and solid, yet they still retained a certain slender quality.

However, even from a distance, Ais felt as though she could sense the heat radiating from the rapid flow of blood beneath his skin.

It was like the warm sun on a winter morning, illuminating the darkness and dispelling the cold, making one feel vibrant and incredibly warm.

Accompanied by the faint warmth rising behind her, Ais felt a surge of strange sensations she had never experienced before.

She felt restless, as if she had swallowed a large gulp of hot liquor; her chest burned, and her head felt a little dizzy.