…

/Bing bong Bell.../

'Multiple Bells tolled at the same time indicating it was morning in Orario.'

"... Ur... Urg..." Said Silver as he woke up

"... I hate these, they are so loud…"

This is one of the reasons why there is a law limiting the number of churches in an area.

/GROWL!/

'His stomach churned with strange sounds…''

Did I eat too much yesterday?

"I need to resolve this as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will have to spend some long hours in the bathroom."

My head still hurts a little from yesterday, so I guess I will train in the ruins first and go to the Dungeon at night.

...

'Downstairs the Innkeeper was serving food to the clients, the little girl was probably sleeping at this time while his wife was in the kitchen.'

'He noticed Silver approaching him.'

"Hum?... Oh, it's you. I almost didn't recognize you. Are you in for some food or a bath?"

"... Just… Just give me a hot bath." Said Silver

'The Innkeeper seemed to have noticed he wasn't feeling that well.'

"Alright. Go to the second floor in 5 minutes and I will have the hot bath prepared for you."

'Silver nodded.'

'Although there is plumbing in the city, it's just for the sewers, only big Familias can install plumbing for showers, much less hot showers.'

'This inn heats the water using a heating device. They first place a large water tub in your room, after that they place the heating device.'

'Then you enjoy a few minutes of heat.'

'The innkeeper went into the workers-only area and came back several seconds later.'

"While we wait for the bath, do you want something to eat?" He asked

"No no… I am fine for now…"

'He looked at Silver in understanding.'

"..."

I am not hungover okay…

...

/Splash/

"Ahhh… Much better now."

'He massaged his head while he thought.'

Okay, I visited some classical areas, met some interesting people, but it's time to stop fooling around.

Yesterday I tested some situational Plasmids, like Invisibility and Sound muffle, today, I will test the Offensive means I have, and tomorrow I will try the defensive ones.

Lastly, I will go for the miscellaneous during the next few days.

"But first I need to resolve this little problem."

"I couldn't do this yesterday in front of many people."

'His belly started to glow green, and his veins became yellow.'

'Nothing happened for the first few seconds but small amounts of gas started to leave his mouth.'

'Half a minute later this bizarre scene stopped and Silver returned to normal. However...'

'Silver seemed to be holding something in and...'

"BURP! Pheww…"

'A thunderous burp was released from his mouth.'

"The difference is like heaven and earth."

'Free from the weight in his stomach, he could now run as much as I wanted.'

'What he did here was to use his ability to partly control a part of his body, turning his belly into a digesting machine.'

"I feel as if I have energy for days!..."

/Sniff!/

Urg… The smell… Let's clean this up.

'All of the gas in the room started to condense in one area before being flung outside.'

'At the same time outside the window, a bird lost control and fell on the ground unconscious...'

"I also need to brush my teeth…"

...

/Crack!/

/Crack/

'After taking a shower and brushing his teeth, Silver went to stretch a little. His body was very sore due to the long way from the village to Orario, plus all of the minor events that happened after.'

"The ruins are relatively big. So where should I go…"

…

'One hour later, in the middle of a large tilted building, A young man was carrying a large stone in his back, doing several squats.'

"10…100." He said with difficulty

/Bam!/

'The rock was dropped in the ground, from its size, it was at least 90 Kg.'

'He sat on a nearby rock and drank some water from his pouch.'

/Gulp/

"I miss the training machines in my previous lives."

Perhaps I should sell it here in this world?

'He took another gulp of his water satchel before looking around.'

'Tall ruins from a distant era were everywhere in this place.'

"I wonder who built these?... Probably the numerous Familias of the past."

It's not like the Freya and Loki Familia were always the strongest. Before they rose to the top, the Zeus and Hera Familia were the top dogs.

But who came before them? I refuse to admit they were the strongest for over a thousand years of history since the Gods started to descend.

(N0)

"But why leave this behind? A memento from the past?"

"It's just a waste of space, even more, when you have almost an entire district reserved for the poor. They could easily live in this area as long as the Familias cleaned this space and built some homes."

But If you think more deeply into this situation, the Familias were never united to begin with.

There are definitely dozens of Familias who keep helping the poor or those in need. And I am sure there is a Familia dedicated to construction and repairs. There should be dozens in fact.

But they are already overworked with all of the demand in the center parts of Orario.

So there is no time to fix these old ruins.

…

'He took out his pocket watch and saw the time'

"It's 2 Pm. Time to work."

'Silver got up and took his things, giving himself a clean in the process.'

'He turned around and went on his way out of the ruins.'

…

'He delved into the dungeon once more, this time, he was testing his Offensive abilities.'

'For the next few hours, all sorts of Effects were tested since he needed to know just how resistant these monsters were compared to those on the surface.'

'It was rather underwhelming...'

'He noticed a similarity between his Plasmids and the magic of this world.'

'And that is the fact that his abilities can be blocked by magic resistance. And they work like instant cast magic suffering from similar limitations as this form of casting.'

'Although they have similarities, there are also many exceptions...'

'One of them being the origin, he didn't think Plasmids follow the same rules as magic, they just have the same energy source.'

'Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time to train since he started this later than the recommended time, but in any case, he only stayed on the Upper floors, so he didn't lose a lot of time traveling up and down.'

'This time, the delve was much more interesting than last time, with Silver successfully helping 2 groups of adventurers escape some dangerous situation, and healing one guy from certain death.'

'Adventurers die every day in the Dungeon, yet, there are more newcomers than deaths at the end of the month.'

'Around 7 Pm, he decided it was time to leave. But he didn't use "Houdini's door" this time since he planned to walk home and see how it went.'

'Same thing as always, close to the surface he took out his armor and continued the rest of the journey with only a small sword strapped to his belt.'

'He also decided to wear light leather armor, gloves, and boots.'

...

'Half an hour of walking later, he was at the surface once more. Most adventures were returning home, but very few of the desperate ones were entering the Dungeon.'

'These were the abused and tormented, but some consisted of those who didn't know how to spend their money, gambling, and spending everything away.'

'Or those who need some quick cash.'

(Or the ones trying to break their limits by training and fighting.)

'He even saw a very familiar Pallum, but he shook his head thinking it was just a similar person.'

'How many Pallums are there in the city as a whole?'

"I wanted to go to the shopping district to see some goods but… It's too late right now."

"Hungry? No. Tired? Just a little. There is only one solution then: Bed." Said Silver as he turned around and went to the inn

…

'While he went back to the Inn he saw some adventures with nefarious expressions, and considering their path, they were most likely going to find some fun in the "entertainment" district.'

'They were of all ages, girls, and boys. Young and old.'

'Although the ratio of girls to boys was only one in 20 boys...'

"I wonder what they use in order to prevent impregnation and diseases from happening. Is it truly divine protection?"

'On the way, he saw the Hostess of fertility. So he decided to take a look and see how things were inside.'

"I didn't eat anything today, a quick bite isn't going to hurt anyone."

Today, I woke up and refused breakfast because I wasn't feeling well... The only thing I ate were some snacks in the Dungeon...

I really need some proper food.

/Creek/

'The doors opened revealing the room inside. There were many adventures talking and laughing with each other.'

'Silver's entrance didn't cause any ripples until Mia locked eyes with me…'

'She pointed towards a chair.'

'He didn't see the Loki Familia adventures this time. Not like that would change anything. So he sat on the chair and waited.'

"It's you again young man! Ready for another meal?"

"As long as you tell me the price tag before offering it..."

"HA! You enter the pub, you order something, then you eat it all! The food is good and the price matches that perfectly! So I will ask you again, what will it be?" She said with a large smile.

"Sigh, can I have a drink then?"

"Sure."

…

"Hey, did you hear it?" Said an adventurer

"What is it this time?"

"I heard the Loki Familia started another exploration raid."

"Again? Didn't they do one a few months ago? The one where the Sword princess became Level 5?"

"There are rumors saying they want to level up some of the newbies, so they will stay on the middle floors."

"And me here struggling even to reach Level 3, while they are unsatisfied with their recent Level 5…"

"That's how big Familias operate, if you are unsatisfied, why don't you join them?"

"Fuck you man… If I could, I would already be there..."

…

'Silver heard their conversations and wondered.'

Another excursion? Was there one like that in the show?... Probably not. however, this is a real-world, its dynamic is very different from the LN.

In fact, weren't all of the characters from the show I met so far, older than they should've been?

Chronologically, Ais should be 14 years old by now, but she looked like a 17-year-old girl. The same thing goes for all other characters such as the girls in the Hostess of Fertility and the members of the Loki Familia.

Is everyone older in this timeline older or could it be that the events of the show will be brought up 2 years sooner? The best way to prove that would be Bell appearing one of these days, but Hestia's descent should also be a tipping point.

(Since she stayed in Orario for 3 months before meeting Bell.)

The more I progress the lesser his knowledge holds. The time to just throw it away is coming…

"I will only focus on my development for now."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" said a girly voice from behind him

"... It's the second time that you come from behind me like that." He said towards the silver-haired girl.

"You are so dull! I only wanted to say hi!"

"Hello then."

"..."

/Sip/

'The conversation just ended like that.'

How dull can this guy be?

"Are you an adventurer? Looking at the sword on your back I imagine you are."

(He was currently wearing his dungeon-delving clothes plus the Mk3 magic sword.)

"Yes I am, just a beginner though. I got here a few days ago."

"And you have the money to get such equipment? Those aren't some normal clothes, they are made from the skin of Wyverns, that sword also seems to be enchanted. Are you from a big Familia?"

"No… They were mostly farmers, I just had some adventurers in my family. That's all. Most of the money was made by hunting monsters on the surface."

"So you had training? That's rare, most come here with dreams but no substance to complete them. What was your deepest floor?"

"I went to the 10th floor today. I will see how the 11th floor is next week."

A small lie, but it shouldn't matter.

"That's quite deep for a beginner! You should be more careful, even if it was just for sight see... What's your Familia and…"

"SYR! Stop slacking off! Said Mia loudly."

'Syr seemed quite surprised, however, she realized she was talking too much, so she bowed.'

"... We can continue this conversation later. By~e."

'And as such, she left.'

"..."

Sigh. I wonder why the sudden interest in me? Considering this place and its residents…

'There was a distant memory right at the tip of his lips but he couldn't remember.'

"Forget it…"

"Sorry for the trouble, Nya."

/Tump/

'Silver's heart skipped a bit because of the sudden appearance of the beautiful black-haired catgirl.'

"... No reaction? Are you made out of wood Nya?" She said with a mischievous smile.

"I will have a real heart attack one of these days."

I can't even fight back considering her Level...

"Nyahaha! Don't worry Nya! We will be there to fix you up Nya." She said with a happy and sly smile

"So what's your secret?" She whispered in his ear.

"What secret?"

"You look like a normal Human, yet you don't smell like one."

???

What... I don't smell like a Human?... Think. That must be a skill...

"So you found out." Said Silver in a serious tone as he took a sip of his drink

Her browns furrowed but they soon returned to normal.

"Tell me!" She said in a curious tone

"Come closer."

'She approached Silver, her ear staying one foot away from his face.'

"... I actually have a secret shampoo."

"..."

'She looked at me with a blank face.'

"Do you want it?"

"NO!"

"That's a shame."

'She looked annoyed, but the clients were piling up, so she needed to go help her colleagues.'

"So be it, if you want anything, be sure to call Nya! Oh yeah! My name is Chloe, don't forget it." She gave Silver a wink and left.

'When she turned around, she smiled a little, amused by the situation.'

"Thank you."

/Sip/

"These girls are surely different from normal."

But why the sudden interest in me?

After all, Chloe, the catgirl, is a Shotacon…

And Syr just likes to tease the adventurers.

Nothing interesting happened in the following half an hour, just baseless rumors. So I paid for my drinks and left the Pub.

I can't really get drunk due to my body's fast metabolism, but I can at least enjoy its taste.

Unless I drink a lot of alcohol very fast.

When you have multiple Gods of drinks and food competing to see who is the best, the result can be outstanding for the mortals...

Or deadly.

If you have the money to pay for them that is.

…

"You seem distracted, did something happen?" Asked the blond Elf to Chloe.

"It's nothing..." Said Chloe as she smiled

"..."

The blond elf looked at her colleague and went away in silence.

…

'After drinking Silver left and went back to his "home".'

'And from there, he just repeated his routine for the next several days, going to the Dungeon in the morning and leaving it at night to eat in the HF(Hostess of fertility).'

'Every day, he grew better and better at controlling his powers and fighting against the monsters.'

'His relationship with the girls somehow improved over time, but he knew he wasn't really a friend, at least, on the same level as Bell. He was more of a "recurring client".'

"All of the girls there are really reserved, they form some sort of barrier preventing people from entering. Bell managed to enter their circle due to his MC power and the fact he was invited into it by one of the girls."

Not like I care anyway.

I didn't go to the Dungeon on the weekends, and used that time to explore Orario, going to many shops and workshops.

I sold many of the excess loot drops in my storage space, almost emptying it out.

"It's been a while since I saw so much space."

(Current net worth: Around 3.2 Million Valli)

I wanted to go to Babel, but eventually didn't.

So I only went to some random shops in order to better familiarize myself with the city's economy and to properly grade myself in regards to my skills.

And from what I saw. My overall skills are all on the high-end of Level 2, but due to the fact I don't have any special skill or Development Ability, I guess this is as far as I can go without receiving a Falna.

I can't even compete with other blacksmiths.

The Stats allow them to get strong enough to handle materials such as Adamantite and they have skills that boost their craft.

Even if I use all of my abilities, I wouldn't be able to even shape Adamantine after heating it up.

The only thing I can do is be creative. And that's why I consider myself to be a level 2 craftsman in many areas if I have the proper materials.

Like using special blacksmithing methods ahead of this era.

There might be Gods of Blacksmithing but they aren't Omnipotent, perhaps they are if they use Falna. But here in the Mortal World, most strive to improve.

There isn't really a Level classification here in Orario, but it's clear some can make High-Level equipment while others can't.

(As far as I know at least.)

As for the Dungeon, after the first week, I started to descend into the Middle floors. And I must say, the change is enormous.

Monsters get stronger, spawn faster and in higher numbers, they also start to cooperate. They also start to use magic and mutants are slightly more common.

You may suddenly find yourself in a group of 30 monsters within the blink of an eye.

But thanks to the Plasmids, I could easily go away anytime, although I rarely ran away. However, there were some times where I just left due to the non-stop waves of monsters.

Sometimes I also need to run… Strategically retreat when a higher Level monster appears.

It was clear I wasn't ready to face them yet.

'Some monsters are too fast for even his eyes to notice them.'

In those trips, I ended up saving several adventures, something that boosted my fame across Orario, even if just a bit.

Or should I say "RED's" fame? That's the name people have been calling me.

My combat abilities improved slightly, but I could see that I was reaching the limit of a Human… At least from what I can see. But I don't think there is any way to go beyond this.

If this wasn't enough, in the most recent Denatus, the permission for normal people to go to the Dungeon was revoked. And now only adventures can trade with the Guild.

That's why I didn't collect any loot. I wanted to keep my identity a secret until I found a decent Familia.

(N1)

"Well… Being realistic, the guards left their post and now everyone is free to enter regardless, but now, only licensed adventurers can trade with the guild."

Everyone else can either leave Orario and sell outside, or go to the black market.

Both choices are terrible.

How are you going to smuggle Magic crystals outside of the city in the first place?

In order to be worth it, you would have to either carry hundreds of small stones, or a single more valuable one.

But if you can hunt a strong monster, then you are without a doubt an adventurer, there is no point in doing it.

And the Black market will always try to swallow you whole. So going there is like shooting one's own foot.

At the end of the day, just go to a God, even if they aren't the best for you, there are literally hundreds out there. If you are desperate, just go to a Familia that is recruiting, you can always resign at a later date.

(Although there is the danger of the God knowing your info when you resign. Unless he is sent to heaven.)

This wasn't a problem to me for now, and I hope it never becomes one.

"But I still need to find a Goddess that fits his criteria…"

"The ideal situation would be a Goddess like Hestia, a God without a Familia and trustworthy..."

So that I can grow alone... I don't like having to suck up to others and being carried.

/Crack!/

/Crunch!/

It seems to be about time!

'Silver gazed at the massive wall in front of him...'

.

.

.