It was unclear whether it was a coincidence or not, but this world was just like the main one, currently in the midst of summer.
The hustle and bustle of the city added an extra spark to the summer here, making it seem a bit hotter compared to the original world.
Walking amidst the crowd, with stalls constantly calling out to attract customers on the bustling streets, Riezel strolled casually like a traveler, brushing shoulders with the locals.
'It seems like language barriers aren't much of a problem for me.'
Listening to the continuous sounds around him and observing the storefronts and signboards posted on each stall, he confirmed this.
Whether it was the main world or this one, the language and writing used were different from what he learned in his previous life.
However, he could naturally understand the language of people from this world and comprehend the written words. It fascinated him for quite a while.
In the main world, there was no issue since he received the memories of his body's original owner, and understanding the language and letters was expected.
But being able to do the same in this world made him wonder if there was a specific reason for it.
'Is it the influence of the Dimensional Magic Cube?'
Riezel could only think of that possibility.
The Dimensional Magic Cube, capable of freely converting powers between different worlds, might not find it difficult to help its user grasp languages from various worlds.
Thanks to this, after wandering around a bit and interacting with a few locals, he roughly figured out where he was.
'As expected, this is the Labyrinth City, Orario.'
Labyrinth City, Orario.
This was the main stage of the original work, a city with an extremely special and crucial status.
Built on top of an underground labyrinth, it suppressed the labyrinth called 'Dungeon' below, like a fortress lid, preventing the monsters inside from escaping outside.
Due to the existence of the dungeon and its monsters, countless races converged in this city, seeking adventure and the unknown, making this city the unparalleled bustling city above ground.
Therefore, it was considered the center of the world, excelling in adventure, trade, entertainment, and conflict, attracting many experts, merchants, and even Gods.
'This works out perfectly.'
Riezel nodded and spoke inwardly.
'With the dungeon here and so many monsters to subjugate, after receiving a blessing from a God, I can also grow at the fastest rate.'
Moreover, being the main stage of the original work, many familiar people, events, and things were here, allowing him, who was familiar with the plot, to gain the advantage of knowing the future and receiving tangible or intangible help.
'The current top priority should be to quickly find a Familia to join...' Riezel began to ponder.
A Familia was a developmental organization and a family force established by the Gods for their own purposes.
The Gods bestowed the power of 'Falna' upon mortals, allowing them to transcend the ordinary and possess abilities far beyond mortals.
Those who received 'Falna' joined a God's Familia as the 'God's child', following their Familia's policies and providing the resources necessary for their Familia and their God to continue operating and surviving.
Strictly speaking, it was a mutually beneficial, interdependent relationship.
Of course, mortals varied in quality, some strong and some weak, and the same went for the Familia.
Although the blessing received from any God didn't differ fundamentally, due to differences in management philosophy and operational methods, the strength, influence, and position of major Familias varied.
Some Familias were newly established or struggling, making them relatively weak.
Others thrived, with numerous members, making them much more powerful, gathering various experts and resources.
There were also Familias primarily established for business, with members lacking combat power. Some Familias even existed and operated outside of Orario in the form of nations.
This was just the basic difference.
If one delved deeper, factors such as the personality of the God who established the Familia, the internal environment of the Familia, and the presence of negative influences had to be considered.
If one accidentally joined a God that saw their Familia and children as money-making machines or as mere entertainment, it was basically a game over.
After all, Gods in this world voluntarily sealed their Arcanum as they descended to the lower world for the sake of playing. Most of them were all about pleasure and entertainment.
Choosing which Familia to join required careful consideration and prudent selection.
'If I remember correctly, in Orario, the strongest seems to be Loki Familia, Freya Familia, and Ganesha Familia, right?'
The prefix name of a Familia referred to the God who established it. For example, the founder of Loki Familia was the famous God of Mischief from Norse Mythology—Loki.
But unlike the male counterpart in true mythology, Loki in this world was a female.
As Riezel recalled the long-lost original work, he strolled through the streets and suddenly found himself in a somewhat familiar place.
Just beyond the bustling main street, a much taller and larger building than the surrounding area appeared. Several high-rise towers overlapped, resembling a mountain of swords, and a flag fluttered atop the central tower.
The flag depicted a clown as if showing a comical smile to the people on the ground, particularly eye-catching.
The somewhat familiar building and flag made Riezel stop in his tracks.
'Loki Familia, huh?'
The clown flag, precisely the symbol of Loki Familia, one of Orario's strongest Familias, Riezel unexpectedly found himself in the heart of their base.
'Could it be... this is fate?'
===
As the sun set, Orario was enveloped in the glow of the evening sky.
The people finishing a day's work and the adventurers returning from the dungeon strolled through the streets with a mix of exhaustion and involuntary relaxation, transforming the city into the embrace of the night.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~"
In a corner of the street bathed in the twilight hues, a figure of a woman with long, casually tied crimson hair and eyes squinted walked with an elegant yet strangely messy appearance. Though possessing a refined countenance, she exuded an air of nonchalance and a lack of seriousness.
Humming a tune, she strolled casually but her hums faded as she lost interest.
"Ugh, so boring~ Wandered around all day and found nothing amusing."
The woman grumbled in a tone that sounded oddly down-to-earth.
"All the kids are off on expeditions, and only a few are left at home. And they all claim to have work to do, refusing to come out and play with me."
"That's not the worst part. I went out to have some fun myself, and those guys who are usually desperate for a party seem to have taken some strange medicine. Not a single one showed up today."
"Boring, just plain boring~!"
"Aah~ I want to play patty-cake with cute girls and have some lovey-dovey time with Ais."
Walking with a swagger, the woman continued her lamentations, making remarks that were far from flattering, causing pedestrians to instinctively steer clear.
Unaware of the effect of her remarks on others, she continued to sigh.
"Let's just go home and have a drink. If I calculate the time correctly, everyone should be back soon. I can endure a few more days."
After saying that, the woman turned into the road beyond the bustling main street and reached the mountain of swords-shaped buildings—Twilight Manor.
On the highest tower amid the multitude of towers, a flag depicting a clown still swayed in the wind.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the laid-back woman stopped in her tracks.
For no particular reason.
It just, on the manor's gate, someone stood there.
'A human boy?'
The woman recognized the person's race and gender, and her initially squinted eyes widened slightly. Inside, an unusual brightness for a mere mortal glimmered.
Especially when she saw the other person, who had clearly seen her as well. Yet, the boy remained standing by the gate, openly locking eyes with her. His figure showed no signs of wavering, and this display immediately piqued her interest.
'I see... Is he waiting for me?'
In an instant, the woman seemed to see through the boy's intentions and burst into hearty laughter.
Her smile, reminiscent of the clown's whimsical grin hanging on the flag at the highest point of Twilight Manor, added an inexplicable touch to the atmosphere.
'Interesting...'
When such a feeling arose in the woman's heart, there was no suspense about what action should be taken next.
To see something interesting and want to get closer was the nature of Gods.
Tired of the heavenly life, willingly sealed their Arcanum to pursue entertainment in the lower world and roamed freely like mortals.
The woman—or rather, the Goddess fully played out this trait, walking straight toward the human boy.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here by yourself?"
The Norse Goddess—Loki, greeted the boy who had just arrived in this world today, standing nonchalantly at the entrance of her Familia's base.
In response, the boy simply flashed a calm and steady smile.
"I have no place to go."
That's what the boy said.
Simple and concise.
Although it was not a particularly glorious situation, the boy's attitude was so calm and seemed almost indifferent to his own unfortunate circumstances.
But Loki knew he wasn't lying.
Even though her Arcanum was sealed, as a Goddess who had survived for countless eons, her divine insight and knowledge were sufficient to see through many things that mortals thought were profound.
Based on this, it was almost impossible for mortals to hide something from her.
"Do you want me to take you in?"
The comical smile on Loki's face seemed to be getting thicker as she asked that.
"Yes." The boy nodded straight.
"Good!" Loki said joyfully without any hesitation while still grinning. "From today on, you are my child!"
Was this just a whim of the Goddess, or was there a deeper meaning?
No one knew.
There was only one thing certain.
Riezel had successfully joined Loki Familia.
In just a few words.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
Twilight Manor, Central Tower's Top Floor.
This was Loki's divine room. In simpler terms, it was Loki's room, filled with all sorts of odds and ends.
There were expensive-looking quill pens on the table, along with mysterious crystals sporting a faint rainbow hue.
On the walls hang ancient-looking shoes and hats.
The bed was almost buried under heaps of thick books and ornate short swords.
Even the corners of the room were stacked with small storage units, containing bottles of various shapes and colors.
Guided by Loki, Riezel arrived in this room.
"Come in." Loki casually pushed open the door and strode into the room. "Excuse the mess."
Riezel, feeling oddly polite, first stood at the doorway, bowed slightly, then entered the divine room.
"Come, sit here."
Loki was quite enthusiastic, resembling a child who just got a new toy. In high spirits, she brought a chair for Riezel, sweeping aside the various clutter, and invited him to take a seat.
Observing the carefree and unrestrained Goddess, Riezel couldn't help but find it peculiar even though he was aware of her personality.
After all, even in his previous life, entities associated with the term 'God' were highly revered, and not to be treated with any disrespect.
Silently contemplating this, he sat down in response to her invitation, while glancing around the room.
On the other hand, Loki kept a close eye on him from beginning to end, wearing the always mischievous smile.
"Sorry, most of the kids from the Familia are out on a dungeon expedition, couldn't throw you a lively welcome party." Loki said with a cheerful grin.
"No problem." Riezel withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and shook his head. "I'm not much of a fan of lively gatherings, so this is fine."
"Uh-huh, I can tell. You're that kind of person." Loki nodded approvingly, then added, "But, whether you like it or not, now that you've joined my Familia, you're part of the family. Being too isolated won't do, y'know?"
"I know." Riezel smiled calmly at Loki. "If it's someone worth interacting with, I won't isolate myself."
"Someone worth interacting with, huh...?" Loki's expression turned subtle, but she shrugged it off. "Okay then, for now, let's leave it at that. I don't want to preach to a newcomer. We can save that for later."
With that, she propped her chin with one hand, lifted one foot to rest on the other thigh, and gazed at him with her narrowed eyes and the ever-present smile on her face.
"So, you're still free, and haven't received any blessings at all, yeah?"
At Loki's question, Riezel deliberately ignored her probing gaze and nodded naturally.
"I haven't received any blessings since I just arrived in Orario today. Before this, I haven't met any Gods or been a part of any Familia."
Riezel knew that lying was futile in the presence of this world's Gods. So, he wouldn't engage in any meaningless deception; every word and action appeared remarkably honest.
"I guess so..." Loki smirked. "If you had anything special, you wouldn't be standing there at the gate and waiting for me."
What is Loki Familia?
One of the strongest Familias in Orario, a faction second to none in this world and dubbed as one of the strongest Familias of Orario, alongside Freya Familia, known far and wide.
For such a powerful Familia, there was no shortage of people wanting to join.
But, joining Loki Familia wasn't as easy as it seemed.
Not to mention Loki Familia, even a weaker Familia would have some requirements for new members to join. They wouldn't just accept anyone randomly.
Generally speaking, if you want to join a famous Familia, you must have some exceptional qualities.
If you've been part of a Familia before and received blessings, then it's about your strength.
If you've never been part of a Familia or never received blessings, then it's about your potential.
The former was another matter, but the latter usually depended on race and innate skills.
After all, in this world, there were beings known as 'Demi-Humans'.
Beastmen had naturally keen senses and various innate skills depending on the classification.
Dwarves were widely recognized for their strength and stamina, surpassing other races in both.
Amazonesses, despite being only female, were known for their combat prowess and indomitable vitality.
Elves were magical races, able to perform miracles and mysteries to some extent even without receiving Falna.
Compared to Demi-Humans, Humans didn't have many special traits.
In such a situation, if Riezel, as a mere human, approached Loki Familia, one of the strongest, expressing a desire to join, he would likely be rejected at the door by the gatekeeper without even having the chance to meet the God of the Familia.
Fortunately, he was well aware of this, so he never considered a direct visit.
He knew what kind of situation he would face, which was why he chose to wait at the gate for Loki.
Rather than dealing with mortals who assessed people's worth in a very practical way, it was better to face Gods who acted on whims and were often unpredictable. That way, he could achieve his goal more effectively.
Riezel made this decision based on that point.
For this reason, he even prepared himself mentally for a long resistance, ready to wait for days. He couldn't believe that Loki, known as a free-spirited Goddess, would stay confined within the base forever.
As it turned out, his idea was correct.
"Let's get those clothes off first." Loki said while dragging a chair and sitting behind Riezel. "Just the top will do."
He nodded and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his back to her.
"Tch, tch, nice skin. Better than those little girls' back in our Familia." Loki remarked, marveling at Riezel's bare back.
Meanwhile, she casually picked up a box.
In the box was a needle.
As she took the needle in hand, she began to speak while still gazing at his bare back.
"What do you know about 'Falna'?"
Loki's question made Riezel pause for a moment, lost in thought. After a while, he spoke cautiously, relying on his memory.
"As far as I know, it's a power that uses the 'sacred text', the language of the Gods, engraving it onto the mortal body through God's blood as a medium which will enhance their abilities. This power acts as a catalyst, turning the experiences gained through various actions into powerful abilities, accelerating and amplifying them to facilitate rapid growth."
"Yep." Loki agreed with his explanation. "The Excelia, invisible to the naked eye of the mortals, is essentially your own history. We Gods use 'Falna' to extract this history, turning it into nourishment for your growth. It allows you to grow at an unimaginable speed and get stronger. That's the only role we Gods play in the lower world."
With that, Loki pricked her own finger with the needle, and a drop of blood oozed out. Using the blood, she drew a pattern on Riezel's back.
He could feel her fingertip sliding on his back. However, his attention was soon diverted by her voice.
"With sacred text as the guide and the blood of the Gods as the medium, we depict your abilities in a concrete numerical way. So, 'Falna' is also known as 'Status'. Anyone who can read the sacred text can visually confirm the abilities of those blessed by us."
Loki's voice seemed to distance itself, becoming mysterious.
"Status is basically divided into four parts—'Basic Abilities', 'Development Abilities', 'Magic', and 'Skill', with 'Level' being the most crucial."
"Development abilities aside, that's an extra thing you may get when leveling up. You won't have it right after receiving the blessing."
"Basic abilities are 'Strength (STR)', 'Endurance (END)', 'Dexterity (DEX)', 'Agility (AGI)', and 'Magic (MAG)', a total of five. Each has ranks from 'S' to 'I', indicating the strength of the ability. The closer to S, the stronger the ability." {T/N: I'll use abbreviations for basic abilities to differentiate them more easily from other terms.}
"Level, as the name suggests, is the most direct standard for distinguishing strength. The higher the level, the stronger. The improvement in basic abilities compared to level is incomparable. Basic abilities only improve one aspect, while level improvement is a complete body and mind evolution. You can think of leveling up as mortals approaching our level."
"As for magic and skill, the former is a power that can trigger supernatural phenomena. Originally, only a few magic races could use it. But after receiving the blessing, people of any race have a chance to possess it, from one to three. The latter brings special effects under certain conditions, not as visually powerful as magic races but without quantity limits."
Loki's voice took on an inexplicable inducement as it echoed in Riezel's ears.
"Speaking of which, both magic and skill, when inspired through Falna, are intimately related to yourselves. They are directly linked to your interests and approval of something, almost like materializing the power of imagination and longing in your heart. You can try asking yourself, recalling your life; maybe something will be triggered."
With Loki's explanation, Riezel involuntarily began to recall his previous life, a life that was not worth looking back on.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT