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When Yuto returned to the "Hostess of Fertility," the night sky had already plunged into a deep, inky black. He figured that after Freya received his "gift," she'd leave him alone for a while. He had zero interest in that flirtatious goddess.
...
Time slipped by in a flash, and before he knew it, a new day had dawned. After savoring a hearty breakfast with Miss Ryuu at the tavern, Yuto strolled out the door with a carefree air.
"Yuto!!!"
A lively, energetic voice rang out from behind. Turning around, the boy spotted the blue-ribbon goddess, Hestia, clutching a delicately wrapped small bag as she dashed toward him with all her might.
"Huff… huff… I almost thought I wouldn't catch you in time," Hestia gasped, hands on her knees, panting heavily. From Yuto's vantage point, he caught a teasing glimpse of her creamy white skin, jiggling as if waving hello.
"Hestia, what's got you chasing me down so early?" Yuto asked, blinking with curiosity.
"Well, you're heading to the Dungeon today, right…?" After finally catching her breath, Hestia shyly opened the little bag and pulled out a serpentine dagger with a blood groove, offering it to him.
"I know I'm kind of a useless goddess, but I still want to help with your adventure. I begged Hephaestus for this all day… sniff… I wasn't sure what gear you use, so I thought a small dagger might be handy in a pinch. I hope you don't mind."
"How could I mind? I'll treasure it," Yuto replied. Truth be told, he didn't need the dagger, but her earnest effort warmed his heart. That was Hestia's charm; sure, she could be a bit of an airhead, but when it mattered, she radiated the sincerity, dependability, and kindness of a true goddess.
"I'll keep it safe," he said, tucking the dagger into his inventory. Stepping forward, he wrapped the petite goddess in a gentle hug.
"Eep! …Th-there are people watching," Hestia squeaked, sounding like a startled critter. She darted her eyes around nervously before ducking her head, her cheeks flushing a bright scarlet.
"Wait for my victorious return," Yuto said with a grin, letting her go and ruffling her hair fondly.
"Mm, I believe in you, my very first Familia member," Hestia replied, her delicate face lighting up with a hopeful smile as she watched his tall figure vanish around the corner. Having someone to care about felt so wonderful!
…..
Long ago, this world harbored a cavern; a gaping, bottomless abyss that endlessly spawned monsters, a veritable hellhole. From this pit surged countless grotesque creatures that once rampaged across the surface, their presence tainting forests, mountains, valleys, seas, and skies. Humanity, the supposed lords of the world, found themselves powerless, crushed beneath the onslaught. To reclaim their pride and avenge their dead, humans banded together across racial divides, launching a desperate counterattack against the monstrous horde.
After countless brutal battles, spearheaded by those later dubbed heroes, humanity drove the monsters back into the cavern's depths and built a fortress atop it. That fortress became known as the "Labyrinth City Orario," and the abyss below earned its infamous name, the "Dungeon."
The Dungeon was a sprawling labyrinth, a realm apart from the surface. Each floor boasted distinct environments and terrains, teeming with a wild array of deadly monsters. The deeper one descended, the more intricate and treacherous it grew, with the beasts becoming ever more formidable.
Now, Yuto stood alone at the Dungeon's entrance beneath Babel Tower. With his blessing, this place was the perfect proving ground for adventurers. The monsters and battles within would propel his swift rise. Given his strength, he had no intention of slogging through it floor by floor like some rookie.
He was here to speedrun it.
"Let's see what's waiting inside," he muttered, slipping into a loose robe and stepping inside with a casual stride. He didn't notice the stunned gazes of the adventurers behind him.
"Is that kid out of his mind? Soloing the Dungeon with no armor?!" one whispered in disbelief.
"He's either insane or an idiot! But check out those fancy robes, he is probably some spoiled noble's brat," another scoffed.
"Haha, a moron like that? It'd be a crime not to fleece him. Come on, let's shadow him and wait for our shot," a masked adventurer hissed, his voice low. His companions, veterans of the Dungeon's depths, knew exactly what he was plotting.
As they tailed Yuto, some sneered, others shook their heads, but most silently mourned the loss of yet another soul to the Dungeon's jaws.
…..
The Dungeon's first floor greeted him with light blue walls and ceilings. Branching paths, crossroads, and gentle slopes wove into a tidy network of passages. As the starting point for all adventurers, it was well-kept and deceptively safe-looking. For now, aside from the shady group trailing him, Yuto sensed no other threats.
It didn't take long. At a forked path, pairs of glowing crimson eyes flared in the shadows like lanterns. Ambushing monsters emerged—Kobolds, the Dungeon's most common pests. Alone, they were weak enough for an armed civilian to handle, but in swarms, even Level 1 adventurers had to stay sharp.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before the Kobolds could pounce, Yuto whipped out Kanshou and Bakuya, the twin guns. He unleashed a barrage on the pack. In a one-versus-many scrap, these guns were flawless. Every mana bullet struck true, blasting heads into gory bursts of red and white.
"Feels like one of those old monster-hunting games," Yuto chuckled.
"Awoo…!?" The Kobolds' faces froze in bewildered shock as their bodies crumbled into black smoke, leaving behind tiny blue-purple crystals scattered across the floor.
"So these are magic stones," Yuto mused, picking one up to inspect. Magic stones, the cores of Dungeon monsters, held mysterious energy used to craft all sorts of goods. Though Orario lacked electricity, these stones powered lamps, refrigerators, stoves, and more. The city's thriving economy owed much to these little treasures.
…..
Meanwhile, the adventurers stalking Yuto gaped at his bizarre fighting style.
"What is that weapon? I've never seen anything like it!" one hissed.
"Is it magic? What spell summons gear that deadly? He's popping off mana bullets like it's nothing…" another muttered.
"We should bail. He's already on the fifth floor… any deeper, and we're toast," a third warned.
"Yeah, let's ditch." the leader grumbled, eyeing Yuto's effortless carnage with growing unease. The kid's gear and wealth were tempting, but his breezy dominance on the fifth floor screamed danger. Messing with him was a bad bet.
As they turned to retreat, the lead adventurer suddenly burst into a cloud of blood.
Boom!
The deafening explosion froze the others in their tracks. Gore splattered their faces, and a mangled corpse dangled from the ceiling, black crystals sprouting from its ruins, dripping with flesh, blood, and eyeballs.
"What the hell?!"
Before they could process it, their own stomachs began to bulge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like exploding melons, the adventurers were torn apart, their blood and guts spraying the air red. One lone survivor stood petrified, then fled in blind panic.
From that day, whispers of Yuto's eerie slaughter spread among adventurers, earning him the chilling title "Ghost Slayer."
…..
Yuto smirked, pulling back his gaze. He pressed deeper into the Dungeon; sixth floor, seventh floor… thirteenth floor, fifteenth floor. Soon, he reached the fifteenth. The moment he stepped in, a thunderous roar shook the air, like a herd of thousands charging. In the distance, massive monsters barreled toward him, pursued by a familiar white-haired figure.
'Bete the Fierce Wolf?' 'Yuto recognized him. 'Then those must be Minotaurs chasing him.'
Bete led the pack, with the Loki Familia trailing far behind, tangled up fighting more Minotaurs.
'The plot's shifted,' Yuto noted. 'In the original, Ais was the one chasing Minotaurs to the newbie floors.'
His presence had clearly sparked a butterfly effect, twisting Danmachi's storyline.
"You!" Bete snarled, releasing his killing intent as he spotted Yuto. Memories of his last humiliating defeat at the boy's hands flooded back.
'Might as well clean up this loose end,' Yuto thought, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes. He wasn't one to let a grudge-bearing foe live.
A single drop of blood-red liquid slipped from his fingertip, unnoticed by all, sinking into the ground.
As Bete plotted his revenge, a nearby Minotaur let out an earth-shattering bellow. Its body warped violently, muscles swelling grotesquely as it shot up to ten meters, sprouting three heads.
"Aaaaah!!!"
"W-What… what's happening?!"
Caught off guard, Bete was snatched up by the hulking Minotaur and hurled into one of its gaping maws.
Crunch, crunch…!
Amid the bone-chilling chewing, Bete's scream cut off as the Sea of Life-altered Minotaur ground him into a bloody mess.
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