"Crack."
Even separated by a dozen meters, the crisp sound of bones fracturing could be heard completely clearly.
So brutal.
Mikoto subconsciously swallowed her saliva.
This is the legendary [Haimer Familia] that just registered as adventurers last night?
Although she had long heard that some geniuses would stand out in an extremely short period of time.
But this kind of...
This kind of fighting style that relied completely on physical strength to crush monsters of the same level.
Is it really something humans can do?
Just as Mikoto was still shocked by the terrifying combat power of this group of rookies, and even began to wonder in her mind if her Familia's Captain Kashima could last three rounds against that black-haired girl.
Suddenly.
That feeling of being watched, like a prickle in her back.
Made the hairs all over Mikoto's body suddenly stand on end.
"!"
Almost an instinctive reaction.
Mikoto held her breath, her body instantly tensing, and shrank herself deeper into the shadow of that rock.
At the same time.
Those eyes carefully looked towards the direction from which that gaze came.
She saw.
On a high platform far away from the chaotic circle of battle.
Besides that First-Class Adventurer who gave off a massive sense of oppression even just by standing there—Tsubaki Collbrande.
—Standing quietly beside Tsubaki the whole time.
There was also a girl with smooth, long, straight silver hair, wearing a red and white furisode kimono, looking like a delicate doll.
Except.
At this time.
That doll-like girl suddenly tilted her head slightly.
Quietly looking towards this corner where she was hiding.
Without any expression.
And without any movement.
Just staring straight at her.
"..."
Was she discovered?
Mikoto's heart skipped a beat.
Impossible, right?
Wait.
When Mikoto thought she was just overthinking.
She saw.
That girl who had been tilting her head and staring over here.
Suddenly raised her hand.
Extended a slender finger.
Across that noisy, clamorous battlefield.
Pointed directly at this rock she was hiding behind.
Then.
Her cherry lips parted slightly.
Although she couldn't hear the voice.
But reading her lips.
It seemed to be saying—
"There is someone there."
"!"
It's over.
She was really discovered.
Mikoto only felt her scalp go numb.
"Oh?"
Following Inaba Tsukuyo's movement.
Tsubaki, who had been resting the sword named [Crimson Shower] on her shoulder and watching the mowing performance below with a thoroughly bored expression.
Looked over in the direction Inaba Tsukuyo's finger was pointing.
A trace of teasing light flashed in that single eye.
The corners of her mouth curled up.
Revealing a huge smile.
Immediately after.
That familiar loud voice clearly reached Mikoto's ears, even across the entire cavern.
"Hey—!"
"Over there!"
"Stop hiding!"
""
It's over.
She was called out by name.
If she ran at this time, that would truly be a guilty conscience.
Furthermore.
Since things had been said to this point.
If she continued to hide, she would truly be unappreciative of their tact.
Besides.
Listening to Lady Tsubaki's tone, there didn't seem to be much malice.
"
Thinking of this, Mikoto disabled her concealed state.
She straightened the purple kimono on her body and adjusted the sword at her waist.
Then.
Stepped out from behind the rock.
A few minutes later.
At the edge of the cavern.
The clamor of the battlefield had somewhat subsided.
Mainly because that biggest source of noise—that swarm of killer rabbits—had been mostly cleared out.
Only a few scattered ones were left putting up a stubborn resistance, being chased all over the place by the black bear Kyoubou.
"I am extremely sorry!"
Without waiting for Tsubaki to speak.
Mikoto offered a standard ninety-degree deep bow.
"I am a member of the [Takemikazuchi Familia], Yamato Mikoto!"
"Because I heard the commotion over here and was worried that some adventurers might have met with a mishap, I took the liberty to come and check!"
"I absolutely had no intention of spying on your battles!"
"If there was any offense, please forgive me!"
"Huh?"
Amou Kirukiru, Onigawara Rin, and the others looked at this person who suddenly apologized with baffled expressions.
"Who is this?"
"Takemikazuchi?"
"Oh—"
"So it's a child from that War God's family."
However, Tsubaki on the high platform, hearing Mikoto introduce herself.
Looking at Mikoto's signature light purple Far East attire and red shoulder armor, recalled slightly, and then came to a sudden realization.
—Takemikazuchi.
Although in Orario, where Gods gathered in abundance, the [Takemikazuchi Familia] couldn't be considered a renowned or large Familia.
But.
In a certain sense.
This Familia was also considered slightly famous.
After all.
In Orario, a place where every inch of land was worth gold and material desires ran rampant.
A Main God willing to drop their divine airs and personally do manual labor for the livelihood of their Familia members could be counted on one hand.
Moreover, that Main God named Takemikazuchi was not only a good God with a bold and open personality who loved to help others, but also famously family-oriented.
Originally, when Takemikazuchi lived in a shrine in the Far East, he had adopted a large group of orphans.
But.
Because later.
As the number of children grew, the shrine's financial situation became stretched to the limit.
To the point they truly couldn't even afford to eat.
Only then was he forced to take the slightly older members of his Familia and cross the ocean to Orario to make a living.
They were a newly emerging Familia that had just settled in Orario in the past two years.
And because most of the Valis they earned had to be sent back to the shrine in the Far East.
Therefore.
If one had to use a single word to describe the situation of the [Takemikazuchi Familia].
That would be—
Poor!
Extremely poor!
And consistently poor at that!
"Since it's a misunderstanding, then it's fine."
Having figured out this connection.
Tsubaki waved her hand, and the last trace of vigilance in that single eye dissipated as well.
"Yes!"
Seeing that this renowned First-Class Adventurer had no intention of blaming her.
Mikoto's continuously tense body finally relaxed, and she carefully raised her head.
"I am Kikakujou Mary."
"Nice to meet you."
"This is Onigawara Rin, and that one over there is Hanasaka Warabi..."
Although Kikakujou Mary had a slight sadistic hobby.
In terms of daily social etiquette, she was still well-educated.
"A pleasure."
"A pleasure to meet you."
Standing to the side, Onigawara Rin, as well as Hanasaka Warabi and Nomura Satori, also put away their weapons and gave Mikoto a slight nod.
"Ah... yes!"
"P-pleasure to meet you..."
"Th-this humble one is Yamato Mikoto!"
"Pl-please take care of me!"
Mikoto returned the greeting one by one, feeling extremely flattered.
She had originally thought that this group of fierce gods who could slaughter hundreds of Almiraj in a few minutes would be extremely unapproachable.
She hadn't expected... besides that black-haired girl emitting a murderous aura all over her body who completely ignored her.
The other few had exceptionally polite attitudes.
With this intense sense of contrast, Mikoto couldn't even react for a moment.
...
However.
Just as Mikoto let out a long sigh of relief, straightened her cuffs, and was about to turn around to regroup with her Captain Kashima Ouka not far away.
"Um..."
Onigawara Rin suddenly looked at the mess all over the ground and let out an extremely distressed sigh.
She turned her head and looked at Tsubaki on the high platform.
"Miss Tsubaki..."
"These thi..."
Onigawara Rin pointed her finger at the thick layer of Magic Stones emitting an eerie purple light on the ground, as well as the mountains of rabbit pelts and sharp horns.
"Are we going to destroy them again?"
"Destroy?"
Mikoto, who had just taken two steps, suddenly slipped in her boots upon hearing these two words.
She jerked her head back, her eyes wide as she looked at this group of people.
Throw them away?
These things?
Are you kidding me!
One must know, although the Magic Stones and monster drop items of the Middle Levels couldn't be considered top-tier.
But converted into Valis, it was still a huge sum of money!
"..."
Hearing Onigawara Rin's words, Tsubaki looked at the items scattered across the floor and also grabbed her hair in a bit of a headache.
"There's no other way."
"Can any of you guys carry more?"
Onigawara Rin and the others looked at each other in dismay.
"We can't."
Kikakujou Mary patted the leather pouch at her waist that was already bulging like a ball.
"It was already stuffed full back when we finished dealing with that Killer Ant tide on the 7th Floor."
"Even though we threw away all the worthless stuff, it still won't fit."
"Yeah..."
Nomura Satori also looked with a face full of regret at a Magic Stone the size of a fist by her feet.
"At the time, to prevent what Senior Tsubaki said about the remaining Magic Stones being swallowed by other monsters and birthing Enhanced Species."
"We even specially destroyed a batch."
Onigawara Rin clutched her chest, a look of heartache so intense she couldn't breathe appearing on her face.
"That scene..."
"Thinking about it now makes my heart bleed."
Although in their original world, at the Aichi Symbiosis Academy, they had never lacked funding.
But after being in this world for barely a day, no matter how lacking in common sense they were.
After seeing the expensive price tags on those weapons, they also understood the importance of money in this world.
1
Mikoto listened to these words.
She only felt her throat go dry, and even breathing became a bit difficult.
Heart attack.
Was this the feeling of a heart attack?
They started throwing away Magic Stones as early as the 7th Floor?
"Hm..."
Just as this atmosphere was at somewhat of a stalemate.
Tsubaki's eye suddenly rolled around, eventually landing on Mikoto, who hadn't had time to leave yet.
At that moment.
Mikoto felt like a little chick targeted by an old fox, shivering all over.
"Since that's the case."
"Little girl from the Takemikazuchi family."
"You guys should have gone down into the Dungeon together with everyone, right?"
"Ah? Yes."
Mikoto braced herself, turned around, and answered stutteringly.
"Since that's the case."
"That means..."
"It's not just you alone? Right now, your Captain and your other companions should be nearby, right?"
1
"Yes, Lady Tsubaki, they are nearby."
Because Tsubaki's reputation in Orario was incredibly famous.
So Mikoto didn't have any defenses up.
"Very good."
Hearing this, an extremely bright smile appeared on Tsubaki's face.
"In that case, we happen to be short a few Supporters responsible for carrying things."
"How about it?"
"Are you interested in earning some extra cash?"
"Anyway, you going down all the way is for these things too. Following behind this group of little monsters and picking up ready-made loot is not only safe."
"But also..."
"It will absolutely earn you much, much more than fighting those scattered weak monsters by yourselves, living in fear, and working hard for a whole day, won't it?"
"!!!"
As these words came out.
Mikoto's eyes lit up.
.
However.
Before she could agree.
Onigawara Rin spoke up with some hesitation.
"But..."
"Senior Tsubaki, entrusting these things to outsiders..."
"What if..."
Although Onigawara Rin didn't finish her sentence, her meaning was already very clear.
What if they run off with the money?
After all.
Yesterday Tsubaki had educated them with quite a few stories about "scams" and "backstabbing" happening in Orario.
"That's right."
"We don't even know her."
"If they run away with the stuff."
"Where are we supposed to go cry?"
Hanasaka Warabi thought so too.
"1 "
Hearing this blunt suspicion.
Mikoto's face flushed red with anxiety, and she hurriedly explained.
"N-no, we wouldn't!"
"Although our [Takemikazuchi Familia] is poor..."
"But we would absolutely never do such sneaky, thieving things!"
"And..."
Mikoto bit her lip.
"Lord Takemikazuchi's divine name allows for no tarnishing!"
Looking at this posture of both sides suspecting each other before even starting to cooperate.
Tsubaki couldn't help but sigh, reaching out to massage her temples.
"I say, you guys..."
"Firstly, right now you only have these few people, plus two bears."
"If you still want to continue down to the lower floors, do you really plan to turn Kyoubou into a coolie specialized in carrying bags?"
"Secondly, I wouldn't dare say it for anyone else, but if it's the [Takemikazuchi Familia], I think I can guarantee this point."
"Lord Takemikazuchi is famously stubborn."
"In terms of credibility, he really is much tougher than those Gods who only know how to run their mouths."
"Besides."
"Taking ten thousand steps back."
"Even if this bunch of little ones really had the guts of a lion and dared to harbor some crooked thoughts."
"Don't forget who you have above you. You still have Lord Haimer."
"Although I haven't been in contact with Lord Haimer for long."
"But."
"If Lord Haimer knew that someone dared to rob you blind."
"I reckon by the second day, Lord Haimer would just carry his spear straight over to find Lord Takemikazuchi."
"Lord Takemikazuchi would probably personally tie them up and bring them before Lord Haimer to apologize."
"Furthermore..."
Inaba Tsukuyo, who had not spoken this entire time, suddenly spoke softly.
Those blind eyes turned slightly in Mikoto's direction.
"That big sister's heartbeat..."
"Does not show any signs of lying."
"It is a very upright sound."
As Inaba Tsukuyo expressed her identical attitude.
"Since Senior Tsubaki and Little Tsukuyo have both said so."
"Then let's decide it like this."
"Indeed, if we have that strength, it's better to cut down a few more monsters, and Lord Haimer will absolutely be very happy to see our Ability Values advance by leaps and bounds again."
At this point.
Everyone tacitly agreed.
Seeing that this group of difficult little monsters finally relented, Tsubaki also breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Mikoto, who was still standing in place.
"Alright, stop standing there looking dumb."
"How many of you came down this time?"
"How much can you carry?"
"Ah?"
Only then did Mikoto snap back to her senses, answering hastily.
"Captain Ouka, Chigusa, me, and Asuka..."
"A total of... six people!"
"If it's for carrying..."
"We all have specialized backpacks!"
"Each person can carry at least over a hundred kilograms of weight!"
"Six people?"
Tsubaki rubbed her chin, sweeping a glance at the pile of loot on the ground.
"That's about enough, as long as it isn't all rocks, considering the density of Magic Stones and materials."
"Six people should be able to clear it out."
"Go."
Tsubaki nodded.
"Go call your people over."
"Tell them that a windfall has come knocking."
"Yes!"
Mikoto was so excited that her voice trembled slightly.
She bowed deeply to everyone once again.
"Please wait a moment!"
"I will go call Captain and the others right away!"
After saying that.
Mikoto turned around and ran.
Her speed was double that of when she arrived just now.
...
A few minutes later.
At the corner of the tunnel on the other side.
"Hah... Hah..."
Mikoto, panting heavily, ran all the way back in front of the [Takemikazuchi Familia] group.
"Mikoto?!"
Seeing Mikoto completely out of breath.
Kashima's heart skipped a beat.
"What's wrong?!"
"Did you encounter danger?!"
"Are those monsters chasing you?!"
Behind him, Chigusa was scared so pale that the short bow in her hands almost slipped out.
"Quick! Everyone prepare to retreat!"
Kashima didn't even think about it, issuing the order to retreat directly.
"N-no!"
Mikoto grabbed Kashima's arm and shook her head vigorously.
On that heroic-looking face, a near-fanatical light was currently blooming.
"It's not danger!"
"It's a good thing!"
"A monumentally good thing!"
"Huh?"
Kashima was stunned.
Beside them, Chigusa and the others also had bewildered expressions.
DanMachi: Memoria Freese.
Hitachi Chigusa. She is a timid, unassertive girl. Although she secretly harbors feelings for Captain Ouka, to this day she has no intention of confessing.
A good thing?
In this godforsaken place filled with the corpses of killer rabbits and the stench of blood everywhere?
What the hell kind of good thing could there be?
Kashima furrowed his brows, looking at Mikoto with a worried face.
"Mikoto..."
"You couldn't have been scared silly, right?"
"Absolutely not!"
Mikoto stamped her foot anxiously.
"Ugh, I can't explain it clearly to you!"
"That commotion over there just now, it wasn't a monster riot!"
"It's... it's the Haimer Familia's party farming monsters!"
"They killed so many Almiraj!"
"And those big guys too!"
Mikoto made an exaggerated gesture.
"Now the ground is covered in Magic Stones and materials!"
"They don't have enough manpower and want to hire us to help carry them!"
"The compensation will definitely be very generous!"
"..."
"Haimer Familia?"
"Farming monsters?"
"And..."
Mikoto took a deep breath.
"Lady Tsubaki of the [Hephaestus Familia] is also there!"
"She is the witness!"
"Tsubaki?!"
"That one-eyed Master Smith?!"
Hearing this name.
Kashima's expression finally changed.
That was a big shot from the top echelons of Orario.
If even she was...
Then the nature of this matter was completely different.
"..."
After hesitating for a moment.
Kashima looked at Mikoto's firm eyes.
He ultimately surrendered.
"Alright."
"Then let's go take a look."
"But everyone stay on full alert!"
"If anything seems off, ignore the Magic Stones and just run!"
"Yes!"
Ten minutes later.
When Kashima led the group, trembling with fear, through the tunnel.
And arrived at the entrance of that cavern.
"Hiss—"
A synchronized sound of drawing breath echoed in this spacious cavern.
Everyone's expressions.
Froze in this instant.
Although before coming, Mikoto had already described the scene.
But.
The impact brought by imagination versus seeing it with one's own eyes were absolutely on two different dimensions.
Inside the cavern.
The smell of blood was so thick it almost congealed into substance.
Kashima Ouka stood at the entrance, his eyes that were always squinted on normal days were now wide as copper bells.
Not just him.
Behind him, Chigusa, Asuka, and the others were even covering their mouths, their faces pale.
"This..."
"Is this really something Lv.1s could do?"
Although Mikoto had already given them a heads-up.
But.
Looking at these piled-up Almiraj drop items, as well as those Magic Stones scattered in pools of blood, emitting a faint purple light.
Kashima only felt his worldview collapsing.
"How about it?"
Tsubaki was still standing on that rock high up, a helpless smile in her single eye.
"Are you taking this job?"
"We'll take it! Of course we'll take it!"
Kashima abruptly snapped back to his senses and swallowed hard.
Are you kidding me.
A fool would turn down a windfall like this falling from the sky!
"Chigusa! Asuka! Stop staring!"
"Get to work!"
"Move quickly!"
"Don't keep our benefactors waiting!"
"Yes!"
The members of the [Takemikazuchi Familia] instantly transformed into diligent bees, taking out their backpacks and beginning to collect.
However.
The Dungeon.
As the Gods' most malicious creation.
And the mother womb breeding endless monsters.
It was like a living, massive organism.
Whenever invaders stepped into its territory, especially when strong individuals carrying powerful auras wantonly slaughtered its offspring.
It would feel pain.
Feel anger.
Consequently.
Accelerate its pulse.
From deep within the rock strata, from the ends of dark corridors, it bred more killing intent, attempting to completely submerge these intruders who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
Every Floor.
It was absolutely not just as simple as the terrain becoming more complex.
But rather the malice of the Dungeon itself, beginning to gradually reveal itself.
"Wait."
Just as Kashima and the others had filled their first backpacks and were beaming with joy at the heavy load.
Inaba Tsukuyo, who had been standing quietly on the high ground all along.
Suddenly turned sideways.
Those red pupils without focus gazed towards the darkness deep within the cavern that even light couldn't penetrate.
That waterfall-like silver hair moved without any wind.
"It's coming."
Inaba Tsukuyo's gentle voice wafted over.
"What's coming?"
Chigusa, who was bending over to pick up a large Magic Stone, was taken aback upon hearing this and blankly raised her head.
However.
Before she could even react.
"Clang—!"
—The sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed rang out.
Almost in that same instant.
Onigawara Rin, who was just wiping the blood off her blade, Hanasaka Warabi, who was leaning next to the bear licking a lollipop, and even Nomura Satori, who seemed to be dozing off.
The auras around them.
Changed.
That murderous intent that had just subsided exploded instantly like a reignited powder keg.
Without any verbal communication.
Not needing any commands.
"Are they coming?"
Onigawara Rin gripped [Black Crow] with both hands.
Hanasaka Warabi patted Kyoubou.
Kyoubou immediately turned around, letting out a low growl and bearing its fangs.
"Rumble—"
The next second.
"Crack..."
Under the terrified gazes of Mikoto, Kashima, and the others.
The sturdy rock walls surrounding them began to crack.
All of a sudden.
"Boom—!!"
The sturdy rock walls surrounding them instantly burst apart!
Countless fissures spread across the rock formations!
Red specks of light lit up densely.
Those were eyes.
The eyes of monsters.
"Roar—!!"
A dozen? Twenty?
No.
This was a massive number sufficient to fill their entire field of vision!
—[Monster Feast].
This was the Dungeon's most direct response to adventurers.
.
"Monster Feast!"
"It's over..."
Chigusa's legs went weak, almost slumping onto the ground.
This kind of number.
Even an elite Lv.3 party would probably turn around and run away upon encountering this, right?!
However.
The monsters' shrieks were more miserable than ever before.
A Hellhound opened its bloody maw wide and bit down onto Amou Kirukiru's shoulder.
"Snap!"
The sound it produced was not of bones crushing.
But rather the crisp crack of teeth snapping.
Amou Kirukiru backhanded grabbed that Hellhound's skull and violently smashed it against the rock wall.
"Bang—!"
That Hellhound was smashed into black ash on the spot.
Amou Kirukiru bathed within it.
『Keshintou (Incarnation Blade)』
『Battle Craze』.
The two major skills operated frantically at this moment.
Every punch thrown
The thrill of that power surging up made her almost manic.
Crushed stones splattered.
Amidst the flying dust.
Accompanied by hissing roars, more monsters surged out from the cracks in the rock walls.
"I am the eyes."
Inaba Tsukuyo was still standing on the high platform.
That long sword named [White Heron] was already pointing diagonally at the ground.
"Three o'clock direction, five Hellhounds, preparing to breathe fire."
"Nine o'clock direction, Almiraj swarm, charging up for jumps."
Received~
"Kyoubou! Charge!"
"Roar!!"
The black bear Kyoubou instantly carried unrivaled momentum, crashing directly into the pack of Hellhounds at the three o'clock direction.
Not even waiting for the fireballs in the Hellhounds' mouths to spit out.
"Crack, crack—"
They were smashed straight into the ground, heads, fire and all, by those bear paws capable of shattering rocks.
Hanasaka Warabi used the momentum of Kyoubou's charge to leap up from the bear's back.
The tachi in her hands drew a cold arc of light in the air.
Precisely slicing open the throats of several monsters attempting to flank Kyoubou.
Amidst the intertwining of swords and black ash.
"..."
Tsubaki, standing high up, looked at all of this and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice.
"A second large-scale monster assault."
"According to this progress..."
"Could this group of little monsters..."
"Are they actually planning to advance directly to Lv.2 today?!"
One must know.
The current record holder, that one known as the "Sword Princess," Ais Wallenstein.
To advance from Lv.1 to Lv.2.
Took a whole year!
This group of little monsters...
"..."
Below Tsubaki.
Mikoto, Kashima, Chigusa, and the others were completely stunned.
Meanwhile.
On the surface.
Orario, the time had already reached noon.
Haimer was weaving through the crowd somewhat aimlessly.
"Hey, did you hear?"
Beside an open-air cafe by the roadside, two adventurers were lowering their voices and gossiping.
"That newly arrived Familia from yesterday?"
"Yeah! The one with a giant bear!"
"My brother saw it with his own eyes!"
The man gestured.
"That woman with long, straight black hair didn't even draw her weapon, directly blowing off an Orc's head with a single punch!"
"For real?! That was an Orc!"
"Is that woman a monster?"
"Who knows! Incredibly brutal!"
"..."
Haimer passed by, heard these discussions, and raised his eyebrows.
Brutal.
This evaluation was rather fitting.
However.
This was just the beginning.
When Haimer was preparing to change locations and continue strolling.
"Smack!"
Suddenly, a small hand lightly patted him on the shoulder from behind.
"Yo!"
"Haimer~"
"I have intel to tell you!"
Haimer frowned and turned his head.
Only to see entering his vision.
A flat-chested tomboy with short red hair, squinting elongated eyes, and wearing that signature "I am a bad guy" smile on her face.
—Loki.
DanMachi: Memoria Freese.
Loki. [Garbled Text]
Main God of the [Loki Familia].
Behind Loki.
Was a tiny figure shrinking back.
That smooth, short orange-yellow hair, and a pair of long, pointed Elf ears.
An Elf girl wearing a mage's robe, holding a magic staff even taller than herself in her arms.
At this moment, she was standing to the side somewhat nervously, secretly sizing up Haimer.
—Mage of the [Loki Familia], Lv.3.
—「Thousand Elf」, Lefiya Viridis.
____
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