Author's Note
"Conversation in italics is the conversation between Tet and Ken."
'Lines in single comma are thoughts.'
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After filling all of the required details, Ken handed the form back to Rose who double-checked all the necessary information which was required in order to register an adventurer with the guild. The guild is the primary in-charge of the adventurers, and thereby they are also responsible with maintaining the details and confidentiality when it comes to information related to all the adventurers.
"So I take it that you have yet to receive a blessing? Any God or Goddess you have decided on or are interested in?" Rose inquired, once she updated all of Ken's details in her register, leaving the Familia column blank.
"Right now, my interest lies with the dungeon and what it has to offer." Ken replied. He didn't beat around the bush with his intentions and objectives.
"That's quite the reckless thought for your first day." Rose commented, not at all surprised with Ken's attitude. She had seen many beginner adventurers with high self-confidence and how often they would underestimate the unpredictable dangers that lie in the dungeons and eventually meet their unfortunate end in those dark depths.
To her, Ken was no different. She wouldn't be surprised if he became yet another casualty—a name forgotten as swiftly as it was entered in the registry. Even as his manager, her involvement would mean little unless he managed to defy the odds and survive.
"She probably thinks you will die sooner or later." Tet's voice made itself known, with the God in their orb form, still orbiting around his head. "To her, you are just some cocky rookie."
"From her position, it's quite understandable." Ken replied, knowing how to respond to Rose and clear her of her doubts. "There must have been many of those who made such claims before myself."
Ken knew more than anyone that his words wouldn't be able to persuade her as much as his actions would be able to. He would need to actually face the dangers of the dungeon and eventually overcome them to prove his worth to his manager. If he wasn't even able to prove his worth to the manager, then he won't be able to do the same to other people of Orario.
Similarly, the Gods or Goddess simply wouldn't accept a nobody who came out of nowhere into their Familia or bless them out of good faith. The adventurers vying for their blessing would need to show their worth to the deities in order to catch their interest or attention. Enough for them to want him in their Familia, rather than him going around door to door, requesting to be blessed by them.
In that way, he would have more options in his hand to choose from, compared to the lack of options he has at the moment. There would be no need to settle for the scraps.
"How about we put that theory to test? Whether I am simply being a reckless fool or not." Ken proposed, running his fingers on the counter. "How about a wager?"
"A wager?" Rose's ears twitched slightly, her curiosity piqued despite herself. She leaned forward, regarding him with renewed interest. "Go on."
"Put my adventurer's license on hold for today." He began, his tone unwavering. "Seven thousand vals—that will be my earnings by the day's end. If I fail, I won't request my license again until I've received a blessing. And you won't have to deal with me as your charge."
"Oh, this is getting interesting!" Tet's amused voice added, the glowing orb practically vibrating with excitement.
Rose stared blankly at the man in front of her, wondering if he had grown a second head or not. seven thousand vals was no mere amount, especially not for someone who was going into the dungeons for the first time. That too without any blessing. It was practically suicide and yet, despite the odds presented in front of him, Ken was confident. She could feel that his words weren't just empty words. From the way he spoke, he would be able to back up his claims with his skills.
The werewolf still had her doubts on whether this rookie would be able to return alive or not, but a part of her wanted to give him a try. After all, who was she to deny someone's wishes to go into a dungeon. And if by some stroke of luck, he does manage to return alive, that too with materials worth the decided amount, then she might be getting her hands full managing a skilled adventurer.
It had been too long since she'd had a charge worth her time. If Ken's gamble paid off, her days of idle observation at the guild would come to an end.
"Fine, we have a deal." Rose said coolly, folding Ken's application form and placing it aside. "Just try not to get yourself killed on your first day."
"For that I would need some equipment. I heard that the guild does have stock of weapons and equipment, unused by adventurers."
"Yes, but it is going to cost you." Rose quickly replied, having already taken out the key of the storage room from her drawer. She wasn't going to let a newbie go into the dungeons without any sort of preparation.
From the looks of him, she doubted he had the coin to afford anything worthwhile. His worn attire and empty hands spoke volumes. She briefly wondered if he even had enough on him to cover the cost of the second-hand gear he was about to borrow.
"You can deduct the required amount from the seven thousand vals I will be earning today." Ken responded with a shrug. At the moment, he did not have a single penny on his name. The only way for him to earn money right now was through hunting the monsters in the dungeon.
The only method of earning income which was known to him was through fighting and killing. This was something he had been taught in his entire life. Survival of the fittest was drilled into his very head right from the beginning. No matter the difference in worlds, some of the things remained the same.
"I am already having second thoughts about this little wager." Rolling her eyes, Rose stood up from her seat and started walking towards the inner sections of the guild building, with Ken following right behind her.
Arriving in front of a set of double doors, Rose used the key before pushing open the door to the storage room. Inside the room, there were many boxes full of various equipment lying around. Some of the equipment were hanging on the walls while some others were covered with white blankets.
Rose went ahead first, removing all the blankets and pulling out the boxes full of equipment before arranging them on the floor. Ken entered right behind her, observing the contents of the room while covering his nose with his left hand to prevent any dust from getting inside. A part of him wondered how Rose, with her more sensitive nose, was practically okay with the dust around them.
"This is the guild's storage house where we keep all the backup and mostly second-hand equipment." The redhead spoke up, pushing a few boxes towards the newcomer. "Since you don't have any money to purchase anything from Babel, you will have to do with this."
"These will be more than enough." Ken remarked as he approached one of the nearby crates and drew a sword from within.
At first glance, the blade was nothing extravagant. It lacked any decorative flair, clearly forged with practicality in mind rather than presentation. The blade itself was straight and double-edged, making it suitable for both precise thrusts and wide slashes. The crossguard was flat and unadorned, its ends angled slightly to better protect the wielder's hand. The hilt was wrapped in worn leather, offering a firm and reliable grip, while a circular pommel at the base could serve as a secondary striking surface in close combat.
Next, he selected a pair of bracers crafted from thick, coarse fur, reinforced with sturdy metal plates. After strapping them securely to his arms, he slung the sword and its sheath across his back. He then donned a set of shoulder guards, followed by a timeworn silver chestplate, modest in design, but offering enough coverage to shield his neck in the event that a monster's strike made it that far. He wasn't entirely convinced he would need it, but caution often proved more valuable than regret.
"Ah, now this is the real prize." Ken muttered with a grin, his gaze falling upon an unused black cloak tucked near the bottom of a bin. Wasting no time, he draped it over his shoulders and fastened it around his neck. "There, now it's complete."
"Did you really have to go with that one?" Rose couldn't help but sigh, putting her palm on her face. "At the very least you seemed prepared enough."
"I'll admit, the gear seems suitable enough. But why the cloak?" Tet chimed in, circling above with visible amusement.
"You have my thanks." Ken replied, ignoring their remarks as he adjusted the cloak. If the interior of the dungeon was anything like what he imagined, the cloak would serve as an excellent means of camouflage, especially for launching ambushes from the shadows.
"You're welcome." Rose responded once both of them were out of the storage house. She locked the doors before turning to face the newest adventurer. "Good luck on your debut hunt and don't get killed on me. Those items are on loan in case you might forget."
"I am not forgetting that. I was the one who made the wager after all." Ken replied with a wave of his hand and turned to take his leave.
"And one more thing, return before midnight!"
"Why is that?"
"Midnight is when the monsters begin to respawn. And they're generally stronger during that phase." Rose warned. It was every guild manager's duty to warn the newbie adventurers about the respawn time of the monsters and ensure that the adventurers assigned to them would heed to the warning.
He did seem to have a good head on his shoulders or so her initial judgment about him said. This was their first meeting and she wouldn't dare to jump into any conclusions. He could be a reckless idiot with more confidence than sense, for all she cared.
"I will keep that in mind." Ken replied before leaving the guild building and headed down the path which led to the dungeons.
"You are definitely going to try that out, I just know it."
"Don't say anything shiny."
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Babel Tower stood as one of the most imposing and iconic structures within the city of Orario, rising majestically up to fifty floors. Erected directly above the dungeon's entrance, its purpose was twofold: to serve as a barrier preventing monsters from breaching the surface, and to act as the primary gateway for adventurers venturing into the labyrinth below.
The upper levels of Babel Tower were largely devoted to trade and commerce. Goods sold within its walls boasted superior quality and exceptional utility, commanding significantly higher prices than those found elsewhere. Weapons and equipment available here belonged to an entirely different class—so refined and powerful that many believed only elite adventurers could afford or wield them. It was even said that Orario's most powerful Familia had claimed the tower's highest floor as their residence.
As Ken approached the tower, he observed a bustling stream of adventurers flowing in and out of the structure—humans mingling with members of other races, each armed with a unique array of weapons and armor tailored to their individual fighting styles. Those emerging from the dungeon carried bulging sacks filled with spoils from their hunts—monster cores, essence stones, materials, and treasures to be exchanged at the Guild for valis. Some adventurers, however, chose to keep certain items for themselves, either as trophies or for future use.
The entrance to the dungeon was located beneath the tower, on its first subterranean level. A massive ten-meter-wide shaft plunged directly into the dungeon's depths, encircled by a spiral staircase designed for safe descent. Overhead, the ceiling was adorned with a stunning mural of the azure sky, as though to remind those descending into darkness of the light that still existed above.
"Quite the extravagant design." Ken murmured, descending the spiral staircase and stepping into the dungeon's first floor.
The walls of the first floor were decorated in light blue color. It hadn't been since he stepped foot in the dungeon when he started to hear growling sounds from the dark corners of the cave-like structure.
"The first floor is the home ground of Kobolds." Tet explained. "They are nothing much. Just wolf monsters."
"So basically, mutts." Ken replied without even a hint of concern. He didn't slow his pace, nor did he adopt a more cautious stance. "You seem to know quite a bit about every monster down here, huh?"
"Yes? Why do you ask?"
"That makes you the perfect monsterpedia!" Ken said with a smirk. No sooner had the words left his mouth than he spun on his heel and delivered a sharp back-kick directly into the snarling face of a lunging kobold, sending the creature crashing into the wall behind.
"Keep feeding me intel whenever something new pops up."
The concept of monsters was entirely foreign to Ken. In his world, such creatures were the stuff of legends, confined to the pages of fairy tales and horror stories. He had imagined what they might look like, but experiencing them in flesh and fury was something else entirely. The raw presence of such beasts, the way they moved, fought, and roared—it was unlike anything he had ever faced.
'Their combat style is completely different.' He noted inwardly, ducking beneath another kobold's leap. With a swift, practiced motion, he caught the creature mid-air by the legs and flung it hard against the stone wall. 'Battles between humans are far more erratic and unpredictable. These monsters, on the other hand, seem driven purely by instinct rather than tactics.'
So far, Ken hadn't felt the need to draw his weapon. Their repetitive, easily-read attacks made them little more than training dummies. His fists and feet were more than enough or so he thought, until the two kobolds he had just subdued began to rise again, now joined by two more of their kind.
'Toying around with these mutts is fine but I don't want to spend the entire day on the first floor.' Keeping his thoughts in his head, he ceased his movement before drawing out his sword from the sheath.
The familiar weight of the blade in his hand awakened something within him, a long-dormant sense of self. It hadn't been long since his arrival in this world, yet holding a sword once more felt like reconnecting with a piece of his soul that he hadn't realized was missing.
Holding the sword made him feel like he was filled with a sense of purpose. The purpose of killing the monsters that would come in his path.
"I sincerely hope the dungeon can keep me entertained."