Freya's Invitation

The Dungeon entrance.

Lu Qiming stared in confusion at the densely packed crowd in the distance. The first thing he noticed was the gods standing at the front, though their gazes seemed a little strange.

Those scorching eyes looked as if they wanted to swallow him whole.

"Senior, what's wrong?"

Aili, standing beside Lu Qiming, nudged his backpack to get him to stop blocking the exit.

"Nothing. Probably."

Lu Qiming muttered and took a few steps forward, letting the others behind him come out.

Before long, more than ten people filed out behind him. They too noticed the many gods and adventurers in the distance watching them eagerly—or, more accurately, watching Lu Qiming.

They even saw their own gods looking at them in delight, waving at them over and over.

Miach was beaming at the head of his Familia. He hadn't expected that he'd already befriended the boy who could defeat a Floor Boss on his own without a Falna. Didn't that mean his Familia had the best chance of recruiting the boy?

"Hmph! Don't get too excited, Miach. Maybe that boy just happened to run into your kid. Besides, how could I possibly let a child with such a beautiful soul slip away?"

Freya's eyes shimmered with infatuation as she stared fixedly at Lu Qiming. In her eyes, his soul was unlike those of the people of Orario. Its dazzling, multicolored radiance utterly captivated her.

In all the billions of years she'd lived, she had never seen a soul like this. In it, Freya saw beauty, longing, purity, slaughter, madness, reason, and countless other lights, combining to create a soul of entirely unique colors. After being tempered by the Dungeon, they were gradually blending together into a dazzling rainbow.

As she gazed at the soul whose radiance entranced her, Freya crossed her fair legs.

"What? Freya, are you planning to play some little trick again?"

Loki looked at Freya with disdain. The moment she saw an exceptional child, she wanted to devour him whole. She really lived up to her title as the Goddess of Beauty.

"Loki, do you think I need to resort to tricks?"

Freya gave Loki a contemptuous look, her watery eyes drifting over her upper body. That barren airstrip of a chest had no business getting involved.

She'd had people investigate what Lu Qiming had been up to before she came. She knew everything, from when he'd arrived in Orario to what he'd done on his first night.

She was sure that once the boy learned she was willing to have tea with him, he'd obediently join her Familia. She was the Goddess of Beauty, the most beautiful being in the world. How could anyone who couldn't even resist a lowly tea girl be immune to her?

"Hmph!"

Freya left Loki speechless. Loki had also noticed the contemptuous look Freya had given her chest, but there was nothing she could say in response. She was flat as a board; if she looked down, she could see everything.

But when Loki spotted the little dwarf nearby, her anger flared even more.

"Shorty, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you think that boy will join your Familia?"

Loki pulled Hestia over and began kneading her face.

"W-What are you doing? You grabbed me without a word! You're so hopelessly old-fashioned!"

When Hestia realized Loki was messing with her, she started waving her hands and firing back at her.

"You're so noisy, idiot! If you've got a problem, take it up with the lecherous goddess!"

"Stop blaming other people!"

Hestia slapped Loki's hand away and glared at her, cheeks puffed in anger.

"Anyway, what happened? Were you made fun of again for going without a bra and drawing attention to yourself?"

"Idiot! Today's star is that boy named Lu Qiming. Can't you even figure that out, you fat, round little dwarf?"

"Of course I know that, you flat-chested goddess!"

Hestia planted her hands on her hips, thrust out her chest, and looked smugly at Loki's.

"What are you looking at, you exhibitionist little dwarf?!"

The moment Loki saw Hestia's gaze, she bristled and charged at her, ready to fight.

"Lord Loki!"

The captain of the Loki Familia reluctantly held their goddess back and pointed to Freya, who was walking toward Lu Qiming. He reminded her that she hadn't come here to bond with Hestia.

That was right: to everyone watching, Hestia and Loki's squabbling looked like bonding, even if it was a little noisy.

"Ah! That shameless goddess is trying to sneak ahead!"

Loki forgot all about Hestia and ran after Freya.

Hestia followed, and the other gods headed over too, each determined to claim Lu Qiming. After sealing away their powers, an exceptional child was their greatest source of bragging rights.

At the Dungeon entrance, Lu Qiming watched Freya approach, looking thoroughly awkward.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her watery eyes were fixed on him. Even her gait was strange, like Tiya and Anna when they'd been leaning against the wall for support that morning. Anyone would have thought he'd done something to her.

"Um, Great God, may I ask what you want?"

Lu Qiming asked, bracing himself. Freya was already clinging to him, her body lightly rubbing against his. His keen sense of smell even picked up a strange scent. "Such a beautiful soul. It makes me..."

Freya gazed at Lu Qiming, her eyes unfocused. One hand gently traced his cheek as she coiled around him like a snake. Her other hand began exploring elsewhere.

"Ahem. Um, Great God, what is it you want?"

Lu Qiming quickly pushed her away and looked at her with a serious expression.

Freya lightly licked her finger, as if savoring the taste, and stared fixedly at him.

"Of course I want you to join my Familia. In return, I can have tea with you every day."

As she spoke, Freya moved close to Lu Qiming again and lightly ran her tongue over his earlobe.

"No! I refuse!"

Startled by Freya's sudden attack, Lu Qiming hurriedly pushed her away and retreated a good distance, staring at her in shock. He knew from the original story that Freya was exactly this kind of goddess. It was in her nature: when she encountered something beautiful, she couldn't control herself.

But this was a bit much, wasn't it?

And there were so many people around. Wasn't she embarrassed?

As for Freya's offer to have tea with him every day if he joined her Familia, Lu Qiming wasn't even a little tempted. First, it wasn't in his interests. Second, Freya had her way with everyone in her Familia, and she didn't even spare the pig-headed men.

Lu Qiming's tastes weren't that depraved.