DanMachi Fanfic - Chapter 4: First Time in the Dungeon
The morning dawned over the city of Orario. Sunlight pierced through the luxurious curtains, awakening Kira from his peaceful sleep. He blinked, needing a few seconds to remember that he was now in Folkvangr, the magnificent headquarters of Freya Familia.
"So it wasn't a dream," he murmured with a smile.
Kira rose and walked to the window, pulling the curtains open completely. The view of Orario spread before him—houses, shops, and magnificent buildings gleaming under the morning sun. In the center of the city, Babel Tower stood tall, marking the location of the dungeon that would be his main destination today.
"First time in the dungeon," Kira stretched his body. "Time to prove myself."
After bathing and getting dressed, Kira checked his new equipment—light armor made of high-quality leather and a short sword given to him by Ottar last night. Though simple, both were far better than the average novice adventurer's equipment.
"The advantage of joining an elite Familia," he muttered as he sheathed his sword.
A knock at the door diverted his attention.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing a tall man with black hair, along with pointed ears and a tail.
Allen Fromel, one of the level 6 adventurers in Freya Familia, was known for his cold attitude and sharp tongue.
"So you're the new member," Allen said with a dismissive tone. "Nothing special."
"Good morning to you too," Kira replied casually. "And thank you for the compliment."
Allen frowned. "Freya-sama ordered me to supervise you in the dungeon today. Make sure you don't waste my time."
"Wow, supervised directly by a level 6 adventurer? I feel special," Kira grinned.
"Don't be too confident," Allen snorted. "I'm just following orders. Meet me at the main gate in fifteen minutes. Be late, and you go alone."
Without waiting for an answer, Allen turned and left the room.
Kira shook his head. "Typical tsundere character."
---
Fifteen minutes later, Kira was ready at Folkvangr's main gate. Allen was already waiting with an impatient expression.
"Thirty more seconds and I would have left without you," Allen said coldly.
"But I'm on time, aren't I?" Kira smiled widely. "So, are we heading to the dungeon now?"
Allen just snorted and started walking. Kira followed with light steps, ignoring his senior's cold attitude.
Along the way to Babel Tower, Kira observed Orario in the morning. Unlike yesterday, he now viewed the city with his official status as a Freya Familia adventurer. Some people seemed to recognize Allen and gave respect or moved aside to make way, while others glanced curiously at Kira—a new member of an elite Familia that rarely accepted members.
"So, may I know why Freya-sama assigned you to watch over me?" asked Kira, breaking the silence.
"None of your business," Allen answered briefly.
"Come on, we're going to be Familia comrades. A little friendliness won't hurt," Kira winked.
Allen glared at him sharply. "You haven't proven yourself worthy of being my comrade. And my friendliness must be earned."
"Alright, alright," Kira raised both hands in surrender. "But at least tell me what we're going to do in the dungeon?"
Allen sighed. "We'll go down to the 5th floor. You'll fight alone, I'll just observe."
"The 5th floor for a beginner? Isn't that too deep?" Kira pretended to be surprised, although in his heart he knew that with his current status, the 5th floor wasn't a big problem.
"Your basic status is quite high," Allen glanced at him briefly. "And Freya-sama seems to believe you can handle it. But if you're afraid..."
"Who said I'm afraid?" Kira interrupted. "I was just asking. The 5th floor sounds fun for a warm-up."
Allen didn't respond, but Kira could see a hint of surprise in the senior adventurer's eyes.
---
Babel Tower looked more magnificent up close—a towering white building with intricate carvings and various symbols adorning its walls. Around the building, adventurers from different Familias were coming and going—some just exiting the dungeon with tired but satisfied faces, others preparing to enter with excited expressions.
When they entered the main lobby of Babel Tower, several adventurers moved aside to make way. Freya Familia indeed had a reputation that was respected, even feared by most of Orario's inhabitants.
"Allen! Unusual to see you heading to the dungeon this early," greeted a large, muscular man with a friendly attitude.
"Minos," Allen nodded briefly. "Duty."
The man called Minos turned his attention to Kira. "Oh? A new member of Freya Familia? Quite rare."
"Kira," Kira introduced himself with a friendly smile. "Just joined yesterday."
"Minos, Ganesha Familia," the man shook Kira's outstretched hand. "You're lucky to get into Freya Familia. They're very selective."
"Really? I thought they were just captivated by my good looks," Kira joked.
Minos laughed loudly. "I like your attitude, young man! Different from most of the rigid Freya Familia members."
Allen cleared his throat impatiently. "If you're done chatting, we have business in the dungeon."
"Ah, sorry for holding you up," Minos patted Kira's shoulder. "Good luck in the dungeon, rookie."
Kira nodded in thanks before following Allen, who was already walking toward the dungeon entrance.
"You're too friendly," Allen commented as they entered the dungeon.
"There's nothing wrong with befriending other adventurers," Kira replied casually. "They might be useful someday."
Allen just snorted but didn't argue.
---
Contrary to many people's imagination, the initial floors of the dungeon were quite bright. Luminous crystals growing on the walls and ceiling provided adequate lighting. The stone corridors with bluish-green walls felt damp and cool.
"This... isn't what I imagined," commented Kira, feigning amazement.
"The upper floors are still 'tame,'" Allen explained. "The deeper you go, the darker and more dangerous it gets."
They continued walking, passing several other novice adventurers who seemed to struggle against small goblins. Allen walked calmly, ignoring the monsters that immediately moved away upon sensing his presence.
"Watch and learn," Allen suddenly said. "I'll kill a few monsters to show you how to do it efficiently."
With a movement almost invisible to the eye, Allen darted toward a group of goblins. His sword flashed once, and three goblins instantly turned to dust, leaving behind glowing magical crystals.
"Magic Stones," Allen pointed to the crystals. "That's what you collect in the dungeon. Can be sold for money."
Kira nodded, pretending to be impressed even though he already knew all this. "You're very fast."
"That's just level 1 speed," Allen sheathed his sword. "Now it's your turn. Let me show you a good place to practice."
They continued deeper, descending several stairs until reaching the 3rd floor. Here, monsters began to be more varied—not just goblins, but also small dungeon wolves called kobolds.
"Start from here," Allen pointed toward a corridor where several kobolds could be seen. "Show me your abilities."
Kira nodded, drawing his short sword. He deliberately set his expression to look slightly nervous—after all, this was supposed to be his first dungeon experience.
The first kobold sensed his presence and immediately attacked. Kira moved to the side with a movement he made slightly stiff, then slashed at the monster. His slash didn't immediately kill the kobold—he deliberately held back his strength.
Allen observed with a furrowed brow. "Your movements are stiff. Fifteen years of physical training should result in better reflexes."
Damn, he's perceptive, thought Kira. I need to be more careful.
"Sorry, maybe a bit nervous," Kira smiled sheepishly. He then faced the next kobold with slightly more natural movements, but still not showing his full capabilities.
After killing five kobolds, Kira pretended to be out of breath. "This... is more tiring than I expected."
Allen narrowed his eyes. "Strange. Your basic status doesn't match your performance."
"Maybe I need time to adapt," Kira shrugged. "Fighting monsters is different from training."
"Hmm," Allen didn't look satisfied with that answer. "Let's go down to the 5th floor. I want to see how you handle stronger monsters."
They continued downward until reaching the 5th floor. Here, monsters began to look more threatening—larger and stronger kobolds, and occasionally thorny monsters called Needle Rabbits that could shoot poisonous spines.
"On the 5th floor, adventurers usually group up," Allen explained. "But with your status, you should be able to handle it alone."
As if hearing Allen's words, three large kobolds and two Needle Rabbits appeared from the corner of the corridor, immediately surrounding them.
"Perfect timing," Allen smiled thinly. "Face them. I won't help unless you're in truly fatal danger."
Kira swallowed, this time genuinely nervous. He knew he had to be careful—showing too much ability would be suspicious, but being too weak would also endanger himself.
The first kobold attacked with its sharp claws. Kira dodged and slashed the monster's arm, making it roar in pain. A Needle Rabbit shot its spines, and Kira managed to deflect some with his sword, though one spine succeeded in grazing his cheek.
"Focus!" Allen shouted from where he stood. "Their movements are easy to read!"
Kira nodded, deciding to show a bit more of his abilities. He moved faster, slashing the second kobold until it turned to dust. With a spinning motion, he kicked the third kobold before thrusting his sword into the monster's heart.
The Needle Rabbits continued shooting their poisonous spines. Kira jumped backward, then threw his sword with precision, piercing one rabbit's head directly. Without a weapon, he used his bare hands to face the last Needle Rabbit—dodging the spine attacks and then landing a hard punch on the monster's body until it shattered.
"Hmm, not bad," Allen commented when the battle ended. "But still many inefficient movements."
Kira retrieved his sword and began collecting the Magic Stones left by the monsters. "At least I'm still alive, right?"
"For a beginner, you are indeed above average," Allen admitted. "But still far from Freya Familia standards."
"I'll try harder," Kira smiled, secretly relieved that he had managed to show sufficient ability without being too suspicious.
"Let's continue," Allen walked deeper. "I want to see how long you can last before getting exhausted."