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DN : [351] Chaos
🕑 Added 2024-11-09 16:00:20 +0000 UTCIn the days that followed, the city of Orario descended into chaos.
The reason was simple: the entire dungeon had erupted into a violent frenzy. Monsters were spawning in overwhelming numbers, and even the floor bosses were reviving ahead of schedule. There was a looming threat that they might break through Babel and flood the surface.
In response to the Guild's call, all the Familia united to launch a counterattack against the invading monsters.
However, despite their efforts, the death toll rose with each passing day.
Monsters, being the children of the dungeon, would revive even if killed, but adventurers were not so fortunate. They would grow tired, suffer injuries, and die. Even the top-tier adventurers could not withstand the endless battles without breaking.
August, of course, had a good idea of the cause. It was likely because he had planted the World Tree sapling in the dungeon, triggering the uprising.
But he didn’t particularly care. He simply kept an eye on Ais, Tsubaki, Haruhime, and Bell. As for the others, their fates were of no concern to him.
In the depths of the Guild, at Ouranos's altar, the gods had gathered.
Orario was founded by Ouranos. A thousand years ago, in order to defend against the monsters pouring out of the dungeon, Ouranos created the fortress city that became the prototype of Orario.
At the Guild's underground altar, prayers were offered to the dungeon, and with divine might, the dungeon was suppressed, preventing monsters from emerging onto the surface as frequently as they had in ancient times.
But now, the dungeon was in chaos. Monsters were spawning at an alarming rate, and the gods were growing restless.
If Orario fell, their carefully cultivated playground would be lost. So naturally, all the gods gathered here to question Ouranos.
"Ouranos, what is going on? Why are so many monsters being born in the dungeon?" Hermes was the first to speak. He had the closest relationship with Ouranos and knew many secrets, but even he was at a loss this time.
"I don't know. Three days ago, the dungeon suddenly erupted, and monsters began to multiply."
"Could it be that a god has secretly entered the dungeon, triggering its reaction?"
"We can't rule out that possibility."
There was an absolute rule in Orario: gods were strictly forbidden from entering the dungeon.
The dungeon despised the gods, and if it detected divine presence, it would react by trying to eradicate the deity. Now, with the dungeon in a frenzy unlike anything seen in a century, the idea that a god might have entered was a reasonable suspicion.
After all, the gods were a self-centered and reckless bunch. And gods were not only in Orario; there were many outside the city as well. But Orario had the highest concentration of deities, which is why it became the Labyrinth City and the center of the world.
"So, what should we do? Right now, it's impossible to enter the dungeon," Loki chimed in, clearly anxious about the situation.
"This time, we need everyone to unite, form the strongest team, and delve into the dungeon to find the cause of the chaos and a way to resolve it," Ouranos said slowly. As soon as he finished, all eyes turned to Loki and Freya.
As the twin pillars of Orario, their Familia were by far the strongest. Especially with August and Ottar—Ottar, known as Orario’s final weapon, was powerful, and August, a new-generation prodigy, was even stronger.
"Absolutely not! Sending my children to their deaths? Are you insane? The dungeon is a monster's lair right now. Even the strongest adventurers would be worn down and killed. They’re humans, not gods. Their strength and stamina are limited."
"Loki's right. My children belong to me. How could I sacrifice them so easily?"
Neither Loki nor Freya was willing to send their Familia members into what seemed like a suicide mission. For Freya, especially, both Ottar and August were off-limits—Ottar, her most powerful subordinate, and August, the first man in millennia to captivate her completely.
"Hmph, how selfish of you, Loki, Freya. Refusing to act just to preserve your strength? How disappointing," Apollo sneered.
"Apollo, you bastard, what did you just say? Do you want to die?" Loki shot back, fury rising.
"Loki, stop yelling. I can hear you just fine," Apollo responded, unbothered.
"You piece of trash! Do you want to start a War Game with me?"
At the mention of a War Game, Apollo immediately paled. His Familia couldn’t hold a candle to Loki's.
Still, he quickly regained his composure. In the current situation, there was no time for War Games. Even if he and Loki agreed, Ouranos and the other gods would never allow it.
"Enough, Loki, Apollo. That's enough," Ouranos commanded, silencing them. Loki had no choice but to stop, while Apollo grinned triumphantly.
Other gods began to chime in, and the discussion once again centered on Loki and Freya’s Familia. After all, the safety of Orario was at stake.
In the midst of the gathering, Dionysus wore a small smile.
He didn’t know what had caused the dungeon to riot, but he welcomed it. If he could fan the flames of chaos, perhaps by releasing even more monsters, then his long-held desire to see Orario destroyed might finally be within reach.
"Loki, Freya, you can’t be so selfish. You must think about the bigger picture," he said smoothly.
"Exactly. You have the strongest Familia in Orario. With the city in danger, you must contribute."
"That's right, Loki. You're our last hope."
"Your adventurers are all top-tier—level 7 and level 6. They'll be fine."
"All you need to do is find the source of the chaos and deal with it."
Voices rose from all around, all pressing Loki and Freya to send their Familia into the dungeon to solve the crisis.
"Shut up, all of you!" Loki snapped, her patience at its limit. "If you’re so brave, why don’t you go? Do you think I’m easy to push around? Keep it up, and I’ll destroy all your Familia first! If we’re all going down, I’ll make sure you go down with me!"
Her words stunned the room into silence. Loki was notorious as an evil god, and if pushed too far, she would absolutely follow through on her threats.
Most of the gods present didn’t have strong Familia—many only had a single level 3 adventurer to their name. If they had even one level 4 or level 5, they were considered fortunate.
Comments
jose torres
Awesome chapter looking forward to your next release
