Chapter 2: The only way is up
I dragged my tired body towards the surface, one stair at a time, ignoring the curious looks from the other adventurers passing by.
The clothes I wore, a black shirt and shorts, were more than a bit torn, and I didn't miss how the smell of sweat, grime, and blood had stained the cloth.
Still, they would have to do for now since I wasn't planning on changing them. Instead of dwelling on useless thoughts, I figured it would be better to check out the gains from my first excursion in the dungeon.
I stopped my ascent, closing my eyes for a brief moment. To any witnesses, I must have looked like I was catching my breath, which wasn't even all that far from the truth. Focusing inwards, I softly chanted the name of my other skill, which represented the reason for my courage to face the Dungeon even as an untrained, Falna-less human.
"Non Deorum Opus..."
I felt a tingling in my eyes, and then, after a single instant, I could see my very own status, white letters hovering in the air in front of me. They weren't real; I had checked extensively; instead, I was almost sure they were an illusion created by my skill, existing solely within my brain.
Name:??????
Level: 1 (0.7%)
Basic Abilities (Expand)
Developmental Abilities: (0)
Magic (0/3)
Skills: (3)
I opened my eyes and continued walking, just in time to see a group of adventurers giving me a wide breadth as they descended into the dungeon.
I gave them a forced smile as they looked at me with wide eyes. I ignored the looks of pity on some of their faces as they continued on their way. I might have seen wrongly, but they appeared to have become a bit more tense, grabbing their weapons more tightly after they saw me.
I couldn't read minds, but I could bet that they thought I had been robbed of my gear. I didn't look like an Amazoness after all, and only a lunatic would have entered the dungeon armorless and without a weapon. Even the most inexperienced of rookies had some basic equipment borrowed from the Guild, at least as far as I knew.
The lack of gear, or at least a pouch of magic stones, and my slightly feral appearance from my fight with the goblin, along with the fact that the blood on me was clearly not mine, could have made them think of Dungeon Bandits.
I didn't feel the need to correct their misconception. If anything, being more aware would do them good, since those guys clearly existed on the lower floors.
I was rather thankful since these types of criminals would become the perfect guinea pigs to test if Fenrir's Hunger worked on humans as well as it did on monsters, but those concerns were meaningless for the present me, as I lacked the strength to execute such plans.
In fact, if there was a contest right now for the weakest rank 1 in Orario, and I claimed the second spot, I doubted anyone would dare claim they were first.
Basic Abilities:
Power: 1–22 (I)
Power not only represents raw strength but also allows the person to influence the physical 'laws' of the world.
Endurance: 1–15 (I)
Endurance is the ability to resist not only physical blows but also allows them to disperse some of the physical 'laws' of the world. Endurance also determines how much stamina a person has and how quickly they can recover.
Dexterity: 1–12 (I)
Dexterity is the technical prowess and control of your body. It is required to control one's agility.
Agility: 1–13 (I)
Agility is just raw speed. On its own, it does not increase spatial awareness or body control.
Magic: 1–4 (I)
Magic influences a person's understanding of 'laws' which allows them to increase the mana they can contain in their bodies. Magic also enhances a person's perception and mental clarity.
This didn't mean I was dissatisfied with my progress, far from it. A 66 increase in stats was quite prodigious for someone who's only delved a single time—so prodigious in fact, that I was almost sure it had something to do with the "meal" I just had.
Was the fact that I ate even the goblin's magic stone related to the higher-than-normal increase in stats, or was it just beginner luck? I had no fucking clue, but that only meant that more research had to be done. That was the "scientific way" I had been taught in my home world, and I remembered it despite the fact that my memories seemed to be...foggy, for lack of a better word.
If I didn't know better, I'd say I was beginning to suffer from Alzheimer's, but it was probably a side effect of my soul spending time in the dimensional void after my death, or it was a Geas implanted by some ROB to not have his puppet whine and cry about wanting to go back home.
"Heh, either way, it's not like I can do something about it with my current level of power."
There was nothing to be gained by dwelling on such matters. Instead, I refocused on my status screen, the white letters still hovering in front of my face.
Name:??????
Level: 1 (0.7%)
Basic Abilities (Expand)
Developmental Abilities: (0)
Magic (0/3)
Skills: (3)
My name was still unknown, just like it was maybe two hours ago when I almost shat my pants due to the game-like interface appearing in front of me out of nowhere.
I didn't really know what to make of this since I clearly remembered my name from my previous life. The fog was not strong enough to make me forget core memories like that, so maybe this Name represented something else.
Next was my level, 1, like literally anyone who had just gotten a Falna, and if I had to guess, the (0.7%) represented how much progress I made toward the next level. The only thing to note here was that I had yet to tattoo my back, and I wasn't too keen on it, to be honest.
My basic abilities came after, and those were the most straightforward. Kill shit, absorb exp (or excelia as it was called around here), and they go up, making you stronger.
I didn't know much about Danmachi, as I remember being more disappointed with each episode I watched in my previous life, finally dropping it after the first season, but the scattered memories I had were suspiciously clear compared to stuff like the date of my birthday or what my home address was back on earth.
"A compelling argument for the Geas theory, I guess" I muttered to myself as I could now clearly see the end of the stairs to the surface.
There was no sunlight washing over me since the tower of Babel was built upon the hole, which acted as the exit/entrance to the dungeon. Still, the magical torches did a good job lighting up the place, and I had no problem climbing the spiraling stone staircase. All the while, I recalled the half-forgotten classification of basic abilities used in this world.
I 0-99
H 100-199
G 200-299
F 300-399
E 400-499
D 500-599
C 600-699
B 700-799
A 800-899
S 900-999
SS 1,000-1,099
SSS 1,100+
I had a long way to go, huh? And oh, I'm pretty sure I needed to do it all over again when I rose to a higher level, with diminishing returns to top it all off.
Fun...
My developmental abilities and magic spells were straight-up nonexistent, but I had some clues on how to rectify the situation. As for my skills...
.
.
.
.
The first floor of the Tower of Babel was a monumental chamber, its circular expanse stretching over a kilometer in radius and rising nearly a hundred meters in height. Carvings of ancient deities adorned the thick walls, their forms etched into the stone and illuminated by the cold, bluish light emitted from enchanted torches.
Constructed with meticulous precision, the walls were fortified to withstand the weight of the towering structure above, their composition a masterful blend of magic and engineering. The gaping hole at the chamber's center served as the sole entrance to the Dungeon below, a strategic design choice to channel adventurers into the depths.
Within this colossal chamber, devoid of warmth or sentiment, adventurers gathered with steely resolve, their aspirations overshadowed by the imposing presence of the towering walls and the yawning chasm that beckoned them into the unknown. It was not a place for dreams, but for calculated risks and the relentless pursuit of fortune and glory amidst the unforgiving depths of the Dungeon—or so I believed after seeing it only once when I entered the dungeon earlier.
The hype would surely fade with time. Humans were nothing if not adaptable and easily bored, after all.
I finally stepped outside the dungeon's hole after 1 hour, 28 minutes, and 33 seconds since I entered, or something like that. I didn't count, and despite having the exact same body as I did on earth, clad in the very same clothes I died in, the watch I always wore on my wrist was nowhere to be found.
I could hear the hustle and bustle of the adventures all around me, coming and going, some more tired than others, others looking downright fresh and ready to slaughter some monsters or get butchered in return.
I ignored all of them as I slowly made my way toward the edge of the hall, searching for the darkest, emptiest part of the room I could see, as far as possible from where adventurers usually gathered.
Reaching a place I deemed suitable, I collapsed to the ground, my body begging for rest. I lay there, my back leaning against the tower's wall, ignoring the world and seeking solace in the quiet darkness.
The footsteps and voices faded, replaced by the soothing embrace of silence. I remained unmoving, eyes closed and breath even, for at least ten minutes, waiting to see if anyone deemed me important enough to follow after. Be they thieves, good samaritans, or merely curious people, thankfully none approached what appeared to be a simple, tired adventurer.
"Non Deorum Opus..." I muttered softly, summoning my status once more.
Name:??????
Level 1 (0.7%)
Basic Abilities:
Endurance 15–16 (I)
Developmental Abilities: (0)
Magic (0/3)
Skills: (3)
It looked identical to the last time I saw it, except for the extra point in endurance. It was clearly due to my effort in climbing out of the dungeon, and it proved that I could gain excelia through simple physical exercises, if with massively reduced efficiency. These were good news, but I was more curious about my skills currently.
With a mere thought, the white letters changed and morphed in the air, displaying what I wished to see.
Skills :
1-Fenrir's Unending Hunger (Note: Everything is prey if you are hungry enough.)
2-Non-Deorum Opus (Note: Throughout heaven and earth, you alone remain unshackled.)
3: Thick skin (devoured) (Note: You must be good at poker.)
Despite not seeing them for the first time, I still couldn't stop a mad grin from splitting my face.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone