In the dimly lit passage, several Kobolds waved their clubs and charged forward with guttural roars.
Swish!
A faint light flashed by, and the charging Kobolds abruptly stopped.
Then gray flames ignited across their bodies, reducing them to ashes.
...
A purple stone fell to the ground.
Two meters away, a silver-haired boy with pointed ears stood calmly.
He held a blood-stained sword, as if the scene before him had something to do with him.
The faint light had been unleashed by this boy, and it was he who had slain the Kobolds with a single strike.
"It's time to head back, or Hestia will worry again," murmured Orsted, shaking the blood off his sword.
With his pointed ears and silver hair, modern people would undoubtedly call him an elf.
That's right—Orsted was an elf, and a transmigrator.
He had come from a world called Earth, and reincarnated as a fifteen-year-old boy.
The world Orsted was in, known as Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?.
It was an anime series Orsted had watched in his previous life.
After arriving in this world and understanding its nature, Orsted quickly sought out Hestia, who was still struggling in the North Street slums.
He became her first familia member, and together they established the Hestia Familia.
Today marked Orsted's fourth day of adventuring, and he was currently on the fifth floor of the Dungeon.
Having fought in the Dungeon for hours, it was time to return.
As a transmigrator, Orsted was cautious and avoided unnecessary risks.
He still had half of his stamina left, a reserve he maintained to ensure a safe journey back.
After all, the path back was the same as the one he had taken to reach this point, and monsters would inevitably spawn.
So...
Orsted needed enough stamina to deal with them; otherwise, the return trip could become dangerous.
As Ryuu had once said in one of the episodes:
"The Dungeon is cunning. It bares its fangs when you're exhausted, forcing you into desperate situations."
Knowing this, Orsted naturally couldn't afford to expend all his strength—unless absolutely necessary.
Stepping forward, Orsted began collecting the magic stones scattered across the ground.
After spending a few minutes gathering all the magic stones, he began his journey back.
If he didn't return soon, Hestia would likely come to Babel to look for him—or worse, venture into the Dungeon herself in a moment of impulsiveness.
That would not end well.
The gods had sealed their Arcanum, leaving them nearly powerless.
If a god were to use their power, the Dungeon would sense it and retaliate, causing a full-scale riot.
In such a scenario, the Hestia Familia would be in grave danger, likely facing condemnation from everyone.
A normal Dungeon riot or aka monster party was one thing, but a riot triggered by divine was entirely different.
Without someone to take the blame, pacifying the situation would be impossible.
After an hour of battling more monsters, Orsted finally emerged from the Dungeon.
Standing beneath Babel, he gazed at the sunset outside the window, his mind filled with thoughts.
Every time he returned from the Dungeon, Orsted felt as though he had been reborn.
While the Dungeon could make one stronger, its oppressive, dim environment was mentally taxing.
Staying too long could easily take a toll on one's psyche.
For Orsted, the sunset he saw exiting became a daily ritual to heal his soul.
The sight of the setting sun swept away the lingering gloom he had seen in the Dungeon.
"Well, it's time to go back," Orsted said, taking a deep breath before stepping out of the Babel.
"First, exchange all the magic stones for Valis, and then head home," he thought as he walked.
However, after just a few steps, Orsted froze involuntarily.
His calm expression shifted slightly, and a bitter smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The reason for this change was the intense, burning gaze fixed on his back.
"Freya… Why is she targeting me?"
Orsted sighed and continued walking and soon arrived at the Guild's entrance.