Chapter 7: Chapter 7
"Yang Power: Life Everflowing."
Kiriya cast the healing Magic on his arms.
A warm current flowed through them, and the stinging pain quickly faded, replaced by a cool, refreshing sensation, as comfortable as soaking in a clear stream on a scorching summer day.
After only a few steps, both of his arms had healed completely, and his condition had returned to its peak.
’As expected, in a place like the Dungeon, having a healing ability really is important.’
Kiriya felt rather pleased with himself.
But that satisfaction did not last long before a series of cracking sounds reached his ears.
Pa, pa, pa.
Following the noise, Kiriya saw several goblins struggling out of the wall.
It felt as if the wall itself had "hatched" them.
That was the Dungeon.
It was alive.
Not in the sense that it would attack adventurers directly, but it possessed the traits of self-repair and automatic monster production.
Just like birds hatching from eggs, monsters could be born from the walls, floors, ceilings, and even from any unexpected corner of the Dungeon.
Because of that, the monsters inside this underground labyrinth were virtually endless. There would never come a day when they were completely wiped out.
And goblins were among the most common small fry on the upper floors.
"Gaa—!"
After breaking free from their "shells" and falling to the ground, the goblins dropped onto all fours and leapt toward Kiriya.
Against this sort of speed, most adventurers who had only just received a Falna would inevitably be thrown into a panic. Kiriya, however, would not.
With the Sharingan, he could easily read the movement paths of these monsters.
Then he swung the longswords in both hands.
Chii, chii, chii—
The ugly goblins’ charge suddenly stopped.
Their bodies dropped to the ground before bursting into ash with a soft bang, leaving only fingernail-sized crystals behind.
That was how monsters in the Dungeon worked.
After being killed, they did not leave corpses behind. They only dropped energy crystals known as magic stones.
Magic stones contained rich energy and could be used to create all kinds of items: lamps for lighting, stoves for cooking, and more.
Although this world did not have a mature technology tree or industrial system, the existence of magic stones allowed people to enjoy very convenient living facilities.
Because of that, magic stones were strictly controlled by the Guild as strategic resources.
Every year, the Guild earned enormous profits merely by exporting magic stones, and the source of those stones was the loot collected by adventurers after killing monsters in the Dungeon.
Kiriya picked up the magic stones and examined them carefully before putting them into the pouch he carried with him. Then he continued toward the lower floors.
The magic stones were only a byproduct.
His true purpose was to test the abilities he had obtained and train his ability values.
Goblins placed no pressure on Kiriya at all, so after a brief adjustment period, he headed toward the Third Floor.
Rustle, rustle...
A faint sound reached his ears.
Kiriya tilted his head aside and flicked his sword upward.
A long tongue fell to the ground.
Kiriya turned his head and met a pair of furious eyes.
It was a lizard-like monster nearly one and a half meters long. It clung to walls and ceilings, launching sneak attacks against adventurers.
Newbie adventurers who were unprepared could easily fall victim to it.
Unfortunately, it had run into Kiriya.
Its tongue had been severed, and under the sharp pain, the lizard monster pounced at Kiriya like a tiger.
Against such a foolish enemy, Kiriya did not bother wasting time. He slid forward, split open its abdomen, and ended the monster’s life completely.
Kiriya did not stop walking.
Along the way, more and more dungeon lizards and goblins appeared, and the pressure they brought became increasingly obvious. But instead of being alarmed, Kiriya was delighted.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Only sufficient pressure could properly train his ability values.
On the road, Kiriya encountered several groups of adventurers. When they saw him traveling alone, their expressions turned strange.
They probably had not expected there to be someone this bold, a person who dared to explore the Dungeon alone without even wearing proper armor.
Kiriya ignored their mocking or pitying gazes since he focused only on fighting and training.
...
Soon, he arrived at the Fifth Floor.
Compared with the earlier floors, the Fifth Floor was noticeably wider.
There were also more hidden passages, and the layout had become even more complicated, which greatly reduced the chance of running into other adventurers.
Correspondingly, there were more monsters.
"Gii!"
Eight or nine kobolds emerged from the wall all at once. Standing upright, they were around one meter sixty tall, their fur bristling like steel needles.
With sharp fangs and claws, they waved wooden clubs and charged at Kiriya.
Unlike the goblins and dungeon lizards from before, which fought like scattered mobs, these kobolds actually had a little sense of coordination. Their charge carried a faint military-like momentum.
In the blink of an eye, the leading kobold rushed in front of Kiriya and smashed its wooden club down.
Whoosh—
The wind howled from the force of the blow, proving its strength.
Kiriya remained calm.
The longsword in his hand thrust out suddenly, striking the kobold right in the throat and killing it on the spot.
The death of one companion did not obstruct the kobolds behind it in the slightest. Instead, it made their charge even more ferocious.
They surrounded Kiriya from the left, center, and right, then leapt high and smashed their wooden clubs down heavily.
Chii—
Kiriya unleashed a beautiful circular slash, accurately cutting open the throats of all three kobolds.
Bang!
Their bodies collapsed into smoke and dust.
Kiriya followed the momentum, twisting his waist and swinging both blades with even greater force, beheading the two kobolds that rushed in afterward.
In a few swift movements, the aggressive group of kobolds had been wiped out by Kiriya.
"Hoo..."
Kiriya let out a long breath.
His entire body felt hot, and an unprecedented impulse beat inside his chest.
He still wanted to fight.
More.
More battles!
The frustration of the previous owner’s more than ten years of weakness, the humiliation and rage of being forced into the role of an experimental subject immediately after transmigrating, and the joy of awakening power after receiving a Falna—all of it merged into fuel at this moment, burning fiercely until his whole body seemed to grow scorching enough to melt.
He had to advance another inch.
"Come on!"
Holding his blades, with several swords hanging at his waist, Kiriya let out a battle cry toward the newly spawned kobolds and charged forward without hesitation.
Dodge.
Turn.
Slash.
Thrust.
The many combat techniques ’he’ had learned at the Ninja Academy surfaced in his mind one after another, and he applied them in actual combat.
Fifth Floor...
Sixth Floor...
Seventh Floor...
Kobolds...
War Shadows...
Killer Ants...
All kinds of monsters emerged in an endless stream, attacking Kiriya in groups.
And Kiriya’s response to them was simple.
Attack.
Attack.
And attack again!
When his swords broke, he used Forest of All Things to create another.
When his body was injured, he used Life Everflowing to heal.
When his stamina declined, he "borrowed" a little from those monsters.
The further he went, the braver and more exhilarated Kiriya became.
He turned into a merciless battle machine, shredding every monster that approached him into mincemeat before they vanished into ash.
...
Outside Babel, in Orario’s Central Park.
Hestia, dressed in white, stood outside the entrance, waiting anxiously.
"Honestly, why he hasn’t come out yet?"
The little goddess stomped her foot hard, deciding that once she saw Kiriya, she would give him a proper scolding.
She had never seen such a reckless adventurer before.
On the very first day after receiving his Falna, he had gone straight into the Dungeon.
Going into the Dungeon was one thing, but he had not brought proper weapons or armor.
He had not even prepared food or water. He had simply gone down empty-handed!
And he had stayed there for an entire day.
Was this guy here to adventure or to die?
’I’m definitely going to scold him properly and teach him what the dignity of a patron goddess means.’
Hestia made up her mind.
However, as time passed second by second, the sun was nearly setting, and there was still no sign of Kiriya.
Hestia became so anxious that she bit her lower lip hard, almost hard enough to draw blood.
"You said those things to me... If you die just like this, I’ll never forgive you."
But Kiriya still did not appear.
Tears had already gathered in Hestia’s eyes.
Was her first child, her first Familia member, really gone just like that?
Just as Hestia’s heart sank into despair, a figure walked out from the Dungeon entrance.
His clothes were torn and ragged.
His hair was disheveled, his face filthy, and his body was covered in large amounts of blood. He looked ten times messier than a beggar.
Even so, Hestia recognized him at first glance.
"Kiriya!"
Hestia threw herself at him immediately.
At that moment, all thoughts of scolding him or teaching him a lesson were tossed to the back of her mind.
Right now, she only wanted to hold him and confirm that he was truly alive.
Thud.
Kiriya was directly tackled to the ground by the goddess. Pain made him bare his teeth.
"I said, Hestia, could you be a little gentler?"
But his words stopped halfway.
Because he heard Hestia sobbing, and a cold dampness spread across his chest.
"Honestly... I was so worried!"
Hestia shouted as if venting all the fear she had been holding in.
"..."
Kiriya’s body stiffened for a moment.
Then he wrapped his arms around Hestia.
"Sorry. I made you worry."
"..."
This time, it was Hestia’s turn to fall silent.
Ignoring the dirt and blood on the boy’s body, the goddess buried her face in Kiriya’s chest.
"As long as you’re okay. Welcome back."
"Mm. I’m back."
Kiriya gently stroked the goddess’s hair and spoke softly.
Neither of them said anything more, nor did they pay any attention to the gazes around them. They simply held each other in the plaza.
After a while, once Kiriya had recovered a little strength, he sat up and said to Hestia, "Let’s go. I’ll take a bath first, and then I’ll treat you to a big meal."
"Mm."
Naturally, Hestia had no objection.
The two went to the rest area inside Babel.
Kiriya used magic stones to pay for a set of clothes, then took a proper bath and changed.
After exchanging the remaining magic stones for money, they headed straight to the nearest restaurant.
"I really didn’t expect you to stay in the Dungeon for an entire day."
Hestia’s appetite had returned now that her worry had eased. She stuffed food into her mouth in large bites while teasing Kiriya.
"Don’t tell me you got lost?"
"How could that be?"
Kiriya was eating even more boldly. Hearing her words, he replied with disdain, "I was fighting the whole time."
"Liar."
Hestia clearly did not believe him.
He was only a Level 1 adventurer. Where would he get that much endurance?
"Heh. Did you forget my Magic?"
Kiriya lowered his voice.
"Forest of All Things and Life Everflowing. I can do this all day."
Hestia suddenly understood.
Then she grew a little horrified, looking at Kiriya as if she were looking at a monster.
"You really fought for an entire day?"
Although he could restore his stamina and heal his injuries, high-intensity combat placed an extremely heavy burden on the mind.
This guy could actually endure it?
"Hmph, impressive, right?"
Kiriya continued devouring food.
"After we finish eating, let’s go home. I can’t wait to update my ability values."
Hearing that, Hestia also sped up.
After all, it was not only Kiriya who was curious.
She was curious too.
...
That night, in the basement of an abandoned church, Hestia sat on Kiriya’s back and updated his ability values.
As divine blood dripped down, bright light emerged.
The sacred hieroglyphs shifted and changed on their own before finally settling into place, forming Kiriya’s newest Status.
Kiriya
Level 1
Strength: I (0) → H (120)
Endurance: I (0) → H (175)
Dexterity: I (0) → H (170)
Agility: I (0) → H (175)
Magic: I (0) → H (120)
Magic:
-Forest of All Things
-Yang Power: Life Everflowing
Skill:
-Wish of the Strong
"W-what... what even is this?"
Hestia’s disbelieving voice echoed throughout the entire basement.
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