Across the Multiverse: The Journey Begins with DanMachi

"Stop!"

"Don't come any closer!!"

Explaining things would obviously be a hassle, and they'd definitely try to shake him down. But he didn't have time to waste talking.

As soon as he landed, Noah set down the bundle containing the three little ones. He supported Ryu with one hand and drew his sword with the other.

A crack of lightning boomed. Blinding light washed the world white, and a slash exploded against the distant cliff face. The blast echoed across the entire Eighteenth Floor.

"I'm a member of Loki Familia! We were just attacked by the Dark Faction, and my friend is injured! We need your help! Please, lend us a hand!"

Looking at Noah's icy expression, as if he were saying, If you don't help me, none of you are leaving, Ryu's eyes couldn't help but glimmer.

You Can't Just Falsely Accuse Me!

The slash had the power of a bombardment spell. Hundreds of adventurers in Rivira fell silent, leaving only the fading echoes of the explosion to fill the void.

Nearly a minute passed before murmurs of discussion began to rise from every direction.

"Loki Familia? Never seen him before."

"Was that spell instant? That power's just cheating! Was that blast just now his doing?"

"Oh! I saw him with Nine Hell at the Guild last time. He must be a new member of Loki Familia."

"A newbie? You're telling me that's a newbie? He looks like he could take me out in a second!"

"But that one's the Gale from Astraea Familia. No doubt about it! She broke Oli and a few others' bones not long ago!"

The commotion ended when a muscular man wearing a black eyepatch stepped forward. The adventurers around them turned to him, apparently recognizing him as their leader.

"I'm Bors Elder. You—"

His imposing gaze swept over them, then Bors wore an expression that seemed to say he'd given up on asking questions.

"—What do you need?"

You're that strong. Whether or not you're from Loki Familia, we won't ask any more questions. We'll just take your word for it.

After sheathing his sword, Noah picked Ryu up again to slow the bleeding.

Reading that message in Bors's expression, Noah didn't press the issue. As long as they provided what he needed, that was enough.

"Something to break a curse. My companion was struck by a cursed weapon, and there's an Incurable Curse on her wound!"

Bors glanced at the wound on Ryu's abdomen. She was pressing a hand over it, but blood still streamed between her fingers. He stroked his chin.

"Something to break a curse? Those are extremely precious."

Detecting a hint of bargaining, Noah narrowed his eyes and looked from Bors to the others.

"You know the Killing Emperor of the Dark Faction, don't you?"

"What?! She was the one who attacked you?"

The most notorious murderer in the Dark Faction had appeared on the Eighteenth Floor. The news sent a shiver of terror through the adventurers.

"Don't worry. She's already been burned to a crisp. You should be thinking about something else—do you think I'm easier to deal with than Valetta?"

The boy's meaning was clear: he had killed Valetta. The adventurers were still reeling from the news when a chilling killing intent swept over them.

"I'll give you whatever you ask for if you save my friend. But if I find out later that you held anything back, not one of you will get away..."

The bone-chilling killing intent hit Bors, a Level 3 adventurer, and made him shudder. He hurriedly stamped down the greed he'd accumulated over the years.

In their line of work, the most important thing was knowing how to read the wind and adjust your approach to the person in front of you. Otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you died.

They dared to challenge the Guild and extort Freya Familia, Loki Familia, and Astraea Familia—the city's powerful factions—because those powerful familias were all good people.

But just one look at the silver-haired boy told him he was a ruthless killer.

How had someone like him ended up in Loki Familia? Shouldn't he have joined the Dark Faction?

"I! I understand! Hey, you lot! It's time to show the spirit of camaraderie that makes us adventurers of this city! This is a hero risking everything to uphold justice in the city! Bring out all the good stuff, right now! If I find out anyone's hiding anything, you'll never set foot in Rivira again!"

Watching Bors and the merchants of Rivira bustle into action, Ryu remembered all the grievances her own familia had suffered after arriving here. She immediately felt indignant, forgetting even the embarrassment of being carried in a princess hold in front of everyone.

"W-why? When we came here, you squeezed us for a hefty sum!!"

"Because I know how to reason with people."

Holding Ryu, Noah regained his composure and walked toward an inn.

"Reason? They know how to reason, too?"

"Of course. Everyone has their own reasons. For some, reason means money; for others, it means a sword, or justice. So you need to know how to speak one way to people and another to demons. Got it?"

Ryu didn't quite understand, but she nodded in a daze, like a child taking her first lesson.

Then, remembering how cold and ruthless Noah had been just moments ago—so unlike the way he usually acted—her thoughts suddenly went off track.

So that's how you act around me because you think I'm easy to bully, too?!

A feeling of indignation at being looked down on welled up inside her. Ryu puffed out her cheeks, suddenly wanting to bite Noah.

But as she stewed over it, her anger abruptly faded.

Never mind. If those Rivira adventurers hadn't bullied me back then and forced me to return to the surface early, I might never have met this guy...

The weakness and dizziness brought on by blood loss clouded her thoughts. She gently closed her eyes and leaned against Noah's chest, listening to his heartbeat and breathing.

Just as expected—and yet not entirely unexpected—the curse on Ryu was unaffected by any of the curse-breaking potions, rare materials, or healing magic provided by Rivira's adventurers.

"T-this is beyond us. We tried mermaid blood, a unicorn horn, and even our most precious items! We really brought out everything! I swear!"

Looking at Bors, flustered and sweating, Noah waved him off.

"Enough. I know you did your best. I don't blame you. Go on. I'll remember what I owe you."

After Bors left, the room fell silent. As Noah sat deep in thought, he suddenly noticed Ryu gazing at him with her sky-blue eyes, like a child waiting for dinner at the table.

"Shouldn't you be a little more worried? If we don't find a way soon, you might die."

Ryu took off her mask and tilted her head, perplexed.

"Why should I be worried? You're the one trying to find a solution, aren't you? Or are you going to let me die? If you do, I'll never forgive you!"

"Is there a chance the wound is on your stomach, not mine?"

The oddly familiar remark left them both silent. Before Ryu could smile, Noah narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, you trust me this much. Is it because you fell in love with me at first sight?"

Her smile hadn't even formed before Ryu's face turned scarlet. A vein even seemed to stand out on her fair forehead.

"You! How can you falsely accuse me like that?!"

"Hmph. Good. Because most cases of love at first sight are just lust at first sight!"

Before Ryu could object, Noah removed his gauntlet and smeared a little of her blood on the elf's exposed abdomen.

"I really can save you. But whether you can accept the method is none of my concern."

Then Ryu watched Noah put the finger stained with her blood into his mouth.

At That Moment, Ais Was Wandering Around the Festival (Revised)

The Dungeon restored its terrain on its own, so there was no way to level the land and build houses.

The inns in Rivira were really just a series of natural caves with somewhat spacious, level floors.

The cave Noah and Ryu were in had a high ceiling. Combined with the lighting and the blue crystals embedded in the cracks in the walls, it didn't feel as enclosed as caves usually did.

But even so, the space felt suffocating to Ryu.

Her abdomen had already gone numb from the pain of the curse-covered wound, but when Noah's fingers touched it, a tingling sensation still spread through most of her body.

And seeing Noah put his bloodstained finger into his mouth made her feel unbearably ashamed.

Before she could cry out, she sensed the change in Noah and couldn't help widening her eyes.

His short silver hair didn't grow longer, and his fair skin didn't change color. Aside from his icy blue eyes turning the blood-red hue of rubies, nothing else about him seemed different.

Even so, the clear aura around Noah had grown deep and mysterious.

Like mist veiling the moon, he was difficult to see clearly, yet somehow captivating enough to make people lose themselves in him.

The scent around him changed, too. It had been refreshing and invigorating; now it was intoxicating and alluring.

Even Ryu's body, chilled by blood loss, began to feel faintly warm, and her thoughts grew hazy.

The closest thing Ryu could think of was beastification.

It was a phenomenon found in only a few kinds of beast people. Aside from the drawbacks of greatly heightened animal instincts and diminished reason, it greatly increased strength, endurance, speed, and even defense—in short, everything except magic.

Of all beastification, a werewolf's was the most difficult to trigger, but also the most powerful.

Werewolves had to bathe in moonlight to transform, but where could anyone see the moon in the Dungeon?

Even on the surface, the weather changed, and the moon waxed and waned. A moonlit night wasn't always guaranteed.

Yet a werewolf's physical ability under the moon was considered superior to that of every other race.

In Astraea Familia, if they had to pick another vice-captain besides their captain, Alise, and vice-captain, Kaguya, the unanimous choice would be Neesh the werewolf.

Ryu had seen Neesh transform under the moon. Neesh's strength had already been far beyond her own, and even her sole remaining advantage—agility—had been completely matched.

Ryu didn't know whether Noah's combat ability had increased.

But she could clearly feel the danger radiating from him. In fact, her instincts were screaming alarm!

This wasn't the danger of a warrior. It was the danger of a woman!

"W-what's happening to you?"

Noah drew his sword and used it as a mirror. He blinked his reddened eyes, feeling the changes in his body as the elf's blood awakened his bloodline.

But aside from feeling a little excited and slightly warm, he couldn't seem to sense anything unusual.

"Hmm, a vampire? I can't really explain it. This is the first time anything like this has happened."

After looking at himself for a while, Noah tossed his sword aside and winked at Ryu, his gaze surprisingly seductive.

"But whatever. As long as I can save you."

A vampire?

S-save me?

Ryu couldn't make sense of what Noah was saying. But when she saw his gaze, she instinctively covered her neck and the wound on her lower abdomen, both of which felt a little cold.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I can exchange bodily fluids with women to form a circuit and increase both our magical power. And I can feel that my magic can break this curse. As long as I pour my magic into your body, the curse will be lifted!"

Exchange bodily fluids?!

To a pure-hearted elf, those words were like downing a whole bottle of powerful liquor that could catch fire!

Her pale face turned bright red in an instant. Ryu, who had been on the verge of death, suddenly sat bolt upright and tried to flee the room.

But as soon as she straightened up, Noah pushed her back onto the bed.

Not only that, he pinned both her hands beside her head and straddled the elf.

Noah had already carried her in his arms, but being carried and being pinned down like this were completely different things.

"Y-you... What are you trying to do?"

Overwhelmed by the strong scent of the opposite sex, Ryu couldn't resist. In truth, she didn't even have the strength to struggle.

Her face flushed rosy, and even her fair, pointed elf ears turned red. A veil of moisture appeared in her sky-blue eyes.

"L-let me go, now, or I'll..."

Though her little mouth threatened him, her voice was so soft and sweet that even Noah felt his bones go weak.

Elves really do smell wonderful. Her blood must be sweet, too.