NOVEL FROG [14] : A New Home in Orario. First Dungeon Run!
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According to Yahweh, in the early stages of the Familia Games, many gods descended to the lower world seeking entertainment. However, in the later stages, many were driven down by her. Because of this, Yahweh looks down on many of the main gods in Orario, as they were all defeated by her.
Recalling Yahweh's past stories and looking at the gods she despised, Mika couldn't help but worry. Would the enemies their goddess made in heaven come seeking revenge on them?
...
"Mika! Airmid!"
Looking towards the source of the voice, a familiar figure appeared in Mika's sight.
"It's Uncle Nick!"
Seeing the middle-aged man coming to greet them, Mika and Airmid waved their arms excitedly. Uncle Nick had taken care of them often when they were children. Later, he moved to Orario to expand his business and settled there. This time, Mika sought his help.
"You finally arrived!"
Nick was just as excited to see Mika and Airmid again. However, knowing that Mika was accompanied by a goddess, he quickly brought the conversation to Mika's request.
"According to your requirements, I've found a suitable house. All the details have been sorted out; all that's left is to pay."
"Really!"
Mika was pleasantly surprised. His requirements were indeed quite high. He needed a house with a courtyard to practice martial arts, all within a budget of three million valis. After liquidating their assets, Mika's parents left around four million valis. Mika set aside over a million valis for equipment and emergency funds, dedicating the rest to purchasing a house. For Mika and his companions, having a safe place to rest after exploring the dungeon was paramount. Given their many secrets, living in an apartment wasn't feasible.
"Of course!"
Nick displayed a proud expression. "It was quite lucky. A friend of a friend was urgently selling his house to leave Orario. Because of the urgency, he was willing to sell it for 2.8 million valis. However, the house is in the old district of the west side. Are you okay with that?"
"Of course!"
Mika had prepared for worse scenarios, so this result was better than expected.
"Then let's go!"
"Sure, heading to the west side!"
Yahweh and the others were filled with anticipation as the carriage moved towards the west side.
...
"So, are you satisfied?"
"Thank you, Uncle Nick, we are very satisfied!"
Looking around the courtyard, Mika nodded in satisfaction. The yard was about twice the size of Mika's childhood home, with five rooms, enough for all four of them. The central area was a large open space, taking up almost half the courtyard, with a vegetable garden planted by the previous owner. Mika planned to turn this garden into a training ground in the future.
"I'm glad you're satisfied!"
Nick nodded and then said, "Since that's settled, I'll head back. I'll come back in three days to take you to pay. I have other matters to attend to."
"Don't go yet; I haven't treated you to a meal!"
"Next time!"
Watching Nick leave, Mika couldn't help but sigh. Life here was indeed busy for those striving for a better life.
Shaking his head, Mika closed the gate and walked into the house.
...
In the following days, Mika and his companions were quite busy. As newcomers, they needed to familiarize themselves with Orario's layout, register their Familia at the Guild, and buy equipment. Although Airmid and Mellie's roles were a healer and a mage respectively, they needed to be well-rounded because of their Familia's many secrets. Yahweh decided to focus on quality over quantity when recruiting members. Due to Mika's abilities, their training time would be several times that of other Familias, giving them ample time to develop their skills.
Moreover, Mellie had yet to awaken any magic, so she could only fight with a sword for now. Mika and his companions also had to renovate the courtyard. Yahweh needed to reconnect with her acquaintances from the heavens.
After handling everything, a week had passed.
...
Early morning.
As the sun rose, Yahweh looked at her Familia members with concern and said, "Be careful!"
"Don't worry, Yahweh-sama. Today we plan to get used to the dungeon environment. We will go deeper but not too far."
Mika, well-prepared for today's exploration, responded with a smile. Seeing Mika's smile, Yahweh's initial nervousness gradually eased.
"Then let's go! Begin our dungeon exploration and our great endeavor!"
"Yes!"
Mika and the others responded loudly.
...
Walking on the road towards Babel, Mika and his companions kept conversing.
"Mellie, don't forget to buy some portable food. We'll be having lunch in the dungeon."
"Leave it to me!"
"Airmid, have you prepared the necessary medicines?"
"I prepared them yesterday!"
"Then I'm relieved!"
Hearing their responses, Mika's initial nervousness gradually eased. After all, this was his first time heading to the dungeon!
Tightening his backpack, Mika relaxed his clenched fist. Unlike other adventurer teams, Mika and his companions didn't need a supporter. They were all self-sufficient, carrying smaller backpacks that wouldn't hinder their combat abilities.
"However, this will only suffice for the upper and middle levels. As we go deeper, this amount won't be enough. I hope we can acquire some storage equipment or abilities in the next world or the one after."
Tightening his backpack, Mika thought to himself.
-----------------------
"So many people!"
Upon arriving at the plaza beneath Babel, Mika and his companions couldn't help but marvel. The spacious plaza was filled with people. Humans, beastmen, dwarves, prums, elves—various races were all present. Unlike the mix of races typically seen on the streets, everyone here was an adventurer. Mika and his companions could clearly feel the murderous aura from them, and their equipment was all very refined.
"Such good equipment everywhere!" Mellie couldn't help but feel envious, recalling the top-tier equipment and prices they saw at Hephaestus's store a few days ago. Compared to these adventurers, Mika and his companions' equipment looked quite ordinary.
Hearing Mellie's comment, Mika shook his head helplessly. "For now, our equipment is sufficient. Don't aim too high, Mellie!" Mika said softly, patting Mellie's shoulder. "With our current strength, using too good of equipment might attract unwanted attention and cause trouble."
Among all the adventurers in Orario, nearly half were LV.1. After all, upgrading with divine blessings required great achievements, which essentially meant defeating stronger foes. Not everyone could do that, so many adventurers remained at LV.1. Moreover, the dungeon's layout was conical, getting larger as you go deeper. This combined with the high number of low-level adventurers resulted in a crowded upper level of the dungeon.
Mika thought of Bell Cranel's Hestia Knife, which was worth two billion valis. If it hadn't been a weapon that recognized its owner, Bell might not have even made it out of the dungeon. Most adventurers risked their lives for wealth, and a weak person carrying valuable equipment was an easy target. So, Yahweh's Familia had to be cautious, as they had no strong seniors to protect them.
Despite her frustration, Mellie understood and accepted Mika's explanation. This was a reality new Familias had to face. Seeing her expression, Mika smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, this situation will only last in the upper levels. In the wider middle levels, we won't need to hide our abilities as much."
"Plus, with our current wealth, we can't afford top-tier equipment anyway. It's better to save up and buy better gear later."
As he spoke, Mika patted Mellie's head. With his more mature mentality, Mika often treated Mellie and Airmid like children, which Mellie frequently protested, though Mika rarely heeded. Airmid, however, had gotten used to it.
"Don't treat me like a child!" Mellie slapped Mika's hand away and quickly hid behind Airmid.
"Sorry, sorry!" Though he apologized, Mellie saw no sincerity on Mika's face. Just as she was about to complain more, Mika suddenly said, "We've finished our final preparations. Let's head to the dungeon!"
Instantly, Mellie and Airmid responded seriously, "Understood!"
"Then let's go!"
...
Following the flow of people, Mika and his companions reached the first basement level of Babel. In the center was a huge entrance. Descending the spiral staircase, they soon arrived at the first floor of the dungeon, the uppermost level.
In the dungeon, the deeper you go, the stronger and more numerous the monsters become, and the larger the area gets. Every twelve levels, the monsters undergo a significant power increase, marking a new tier of difficulty. The first twelve levels are the upper level, with LV.1 monsters. The next twelve are the middle level, with LV.2 monsters, and so on through the lower, extreme lower, deep, and unknown levels.
"So, this is the dungeon?" At the entrance, Mika and his companions saw a narrow cave. The walls glowed faintly with phosphorescence, keeping the caves from being pitch dark—dim, but not hindering combat.
"Yes, it matches the maps and information we got from the Guild," Mika said calmly, surveying the surroundings. Suddenly, an unusual sound came from the walls, and they watched as a monster seemed to be "spit out" from the wall.
"Rawr!" A kobold emerged, the academic term being "geken." Upon seeing Mika and his companions, it charged at them excitedly, only to be swiftly defeated. The trio, well-trained, drew their weapons and struck in unison—Mellie's longsword beheading it, Airmid's shortsword piercing its heart, and Mika's greatsword slicing it in half.
They laughed at their simultaneous attack on such a weak creature. After a good laugh, they squatted down to extract the magic stone from the kobold's corpse. Unlike what Mika had seen in anime, the monster's body didn't instantly turn to ash upon death; adventurers had to extract the stones themselves, which was why supporters were necessary.
"Is this a magic stone? No, it's more like a fragment," Mellie said, holding the thumbnail-sized stone.
"This is just the first floor, after all," Airmid replied, shaking her head. Once the stone was removed, the kobold's body quickly turned to ash. Monsters in the dungeon existed thanks to their magic stones; without them, they disintegrated.
Standing up, Mika glanced at the ashes and said, "Let's keep going. With our strength, this level won't provide any real training."
"Let's go then!" Mellie and Airmid agreed eagerly. Forming up, the trio headed deeper into the dungeon.