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Chapter 64: Multiverse Digger, Danmachi 2.0
🕑 Added 2025-04-21 04:08:07 +0000 UTCLooking up at the giant monster charging at them, its maw twisted into a grotesque grin, Lioro narrowed his eyes.
Without hesitation, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a gleaming blade wreathed in cold mana. With a swift motion, he slashed forward.
"Skill: Magic Slash."
A shimmering wave of condensed mana erupted from the blade, traveling in a crescent arc. The monster didn't even have time to scream as the attack bisected it cleanly, its upper half slid away and crashed into a burning building.
The city shook from the impact.
But Lioro didn't relax.
As soon as the beast fell, voices flooded the air.
Crying.
Screaming.
Pleading.
All around him—left, right, behind.
Men, women, and children sobbing for their lives as monsters tore through the city. Adventurers fighting surrounded by monsters, People ran across the streets only to be cut down by creatures far beyond their level. Others barricaded themselves in buildings already ablaze.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Lioro's mind faltered for a moment. The sudden, overwhelming chaos made his chest tighten.
This was Orario?
The city of heroes?
Why was it burning?
Why were monsters on the surface?
Where the hell was Bell Cranel? The supposed protagonist of this world?
Then, suddenly, a massive white pillar of light erupted in the sky, piercing the heavens like a beacon.
Both Lioro and Elsa instinctively turned to look. It wasn't just light.
It was divine.
Lioro's eyes widened. "A god… returned to heaven?"
And then, a name surfaced in his heart.
Hestia.
What happened to her?
He turned toward Elsa, whose eyes were locked on the pillar with a horrified expression.
"Elsa! Let's go!"
But Elsa just stood there, pale, her hands trembling. The panic and destruction were overwhelming her senses. She wasn't a warrior like him. Not yet.
Seeing her stunned state, Lioro cast a spell.
"Spell: Mind of Undead."
A calming green glow enveloped Elsa. The spell numbed her panic and restored composure. She blinked, breathing in sharply as clarity returned.
Then—
"—kyaaah!!" a scream rang out to their right.
A woman holding her baby was being chased down an alley by two fang-mawed monsters. Without thinking, Lioro swept Elsa into a princess carry and leapt onto the nearest rooftop. From there, he dove toward the alley.
"Spell: Magic Arrows."
Magic arrows shot from Lioro's hand and attacked the two monsters, killing them. He landed
The woman collapsed, holding her baby close, sobbing.
"Th-Thank you…!"
Seeing her frantic expression, Lioro helped her up then took out a single arrow from his inventory and infused it with his epic-class ability.
----
Item: Metal Arrow
Grade: High.
Type: Ammo
Equip Requirement: None.
Description:
A simple metal arrow blessed by the divine smith.
Added Effect: Will point towards Goddess Hestia's location.
----
Instantly, the arrow pointed to his left.
Lioro's eyes shone, since the arrow was working, it meant Hestia was still here.
Putting Elsa down he picked up the woman with her child, placed strength in his legs then jumped from roof to roof, quickly making his way towards Hestia.
Elsa followed behind him using her magic.
As they were going forth, a flying monster with sharp teeth suddenly rushed at them.
Lioro was about to kill it when Elsa suddenly raised her hand and sent an ice spear, piercing through the monster's body.
Lioro glanced at Elsa's hardened face, then kept rushing.
Not long after, they arrived at a familiar place.
"Abandoned church?.....", Lioro muttered in a small voice, looking at the familiar place.
Putting the woman down, Lioro killed the nearby dungeon monsters and kicked open the blocked door of the church.
Instantly, the faces of several young children and their parents, covering them, appeared in his vision.
There were even a few low level adventurers in front, shakily holding their weapons at them.
But as soon as they saw Lioro and Elsa, their eyes lit up with hope.
"Adventurers?"
Some of them called out in a hopeful tone.
"Elsa, protect them."
Lioro said, then walked towards the stairways leading to the underground floor.
Elsa looked at the injured children in front of her, the scene made her tightly clench her fists in anger.
Walking down the familiar staircase, Lioro stepped foot on the underground floor.
His eyes locked on the familiar figure of a petite goddess.
She sat calmly on the bed, her head lowered, wearing her usual white dress.
Lioro instantly felt his heart calm down.
Approaching the silent Hestia, Lioro got on one knee and asked her.
"Goddess Hestia, what happened?"
Hestia remained silent, as if she didn't hear Lioro's words.
Feeling something was wrong, Lioro grabbed her shoulder and lightly shook her.
"Goddess Hestia-"
As soon as their eyes met.
Lioro stopped.
The usual cheerful eyes, filled with liveliness, were gone.
Replaced by two empty ones.
"Goddess?....", Lioro softly called out to her.
Finally, Hestia showed a reaction; her gaze, which was staring in the void, turned towards him.
Seeing her dull reaction, Lioro felt an inexplicable pain in his heart.
Just then, Heatis parted her snow white lips and asked.
"Adventurer?...."
Seeing that she was responding, Lioro quickly asked.
"Goddess Hestia, just what happened to Orario?"
"Orario..."
Hestia continued in a despondent voice.
"Orario lost."
Her voice became hoarse.
"We lost."
Hestia raised her head, staring at the ceiling.
"My children lost."
She raised her hand as if to grab something.
"My Bell..... lost."
'Bell Cranel lost?'
Lioro narrowed his eyes.
Seeing Hestia's delirious state, he carefully asked.
"Who?"
Hestia stopped.
Then lowered her head and looked at Lioro.
Instantly, their eyes met.
And for the first time.
Lioro saw an unconcealed flame burning in Hestia's eyes.
A flame filled with suppressed anger.
"The strongest of the three calamities..."
Tightly gritting her teeth, Hestia continued.
"One-Eyed-Black-Dragon."
Hestia tightly clenched her fists and shouted unwillingly.
"If not for being afraid of destroying the world! I would have killed it with my own hands!"
A terrible aura rushed out of Hestia, Lioro almost saw the illusion of a world-ending flame ready to burst out, burning the world to ash.
Lioro remained silent.
After releasing her anger, Hestia calmed down.
But now, her face was filled with sadness instead.
"My Bell..... my familia, they're all gone."
Lowering her eyes, Hestia raised her legs and wrapped her arms around them, and muttered to herself.
"We lost."
"Our blessing lost."
"My Bell..... lost."
She continued in a lifeless tone.
"My children--"
Just as she was about to continue.
A voice interjected.
"Your children haven't lost."
Hearing the strong voice.
Heatis slowly raised her eyes and looked at Lioro.
Seeing his unfamiliar face, Hestia sighed.
"Child, you should leave, Orario....is no more."
"Go and save your life."
"Leave this defeated goddess and let her grieve--"
"Goddess Hestia."
Lioro looked straight at her.
"Your children haven't lost."
And repeated his words in a calm voice.
Hestia finally noticed his meaning.
"My children?..."
Her children were dead.
So why was it?
That this unknown man.....
Said they haven't lost?
Suddenly, Hestia sensed a familiar blessing from this unknown person.
It was familiar.
A familiar blessing.
It was her blessing.
Hestia's eyes unknowingly widened.
Looking carefully at Lioro's unfamiliar face.
She fell into confusion.
His hair was similar to her Bell, but his eyes were different.
"Who are you?....."
Lioro remained silent as he didn't know how to answer her question.
Hestia kept staring at him.
The more she looked.
The more she felt something.
Her instincts as a goddess were telling her something.
Screaming at her even.
That this child.... this child was different.
Feeling confused, Hestia put down her legs and asked Lioro.
"Can you help us?"
It was impossible for a single child to turn the situation around.
"Can you.... save us?"
And yet she couldn't help but it, as her instincts kept screaming at her.
Their last chance.
Their last hope.
Was here right before her.
Raising her hand towards Lioro, Hestia asked.
"Will you... be our Hero?"
Lioro looked at her extended hand, then lightly shook his head.
He was self-aware.
A hero was not something he could become.
His motives were too selfish.
Seeing him disagree.
Hestia lowered her head in disappointment.
As if all hope was lost.
But just as her hand was about to drop down.
Two strong pairs of hands enveloped them.
Feeling the warm touch, Hestia raised her head.
His unavering eyes filled her vision.
And at the same time.
A voice rang out in her ears.
"Although I cannot be your hero...."
Their eyes locked.
"I wouldn't mind being your executioner."
A quiet fire lit in Hestia's once-dead gaze.
----
Elsa knelt beside a trembling boy, gently patting his back as he wept into his arms. The young adventurer, barely Level 1, looked up at her with red, swollen eyes.
In a drained voice, he whispered.
"Orario… is no more."
The words hit like a dagger to the heart.
Around them, sobs erupted, both from children and broken adults huddled together in fear. Hope had long since fled their eyes, leaving behind only pain, confusion, and loss.
Elsa felt her chest tighten.
The air was heavy with despair.
Her fists clenched.
She wanted to help them.
Return the city to its liveliness.
Yet she could do nothing to change it.
It was the second time she felt such powerlessness.
Just then.
Without any warning.
A suffocating aura surged up from the underground floor like a tidal wave of death, crashing into everyone present.
Children screamed. Adults froze.
Elsa instinctively turned, eyes wide.
From the dark stairwell leading into the underground, silence reigned, until the sound of heavy metal echoed across the church.
CLANK
CLANK
CLANK
Everyone stared, breathless.
Then, it appeared.
A lone figure stepped into view, shrouded in pitch-black armor. A massive greatsword hung sheathed by his side. His helm, crowned with infernal spikes, glowed faintly with cursed runes.
From within the narrow slit of his helm, two piercing red lights gazed out at the living.
9th tier undead: The Abyssal Dread Knight.
Every eye locked on the towering, undead warrior. Children cowered behind Elsa. She instinctively summoned an icicle shield, heart pounding. Cold air wrapped around her like armor.
The Abyssal Dread Knight paused.
His eyes lingered on Elsa's shield. Then… he lowered his head in disappointment.
Like a knight misunderstood by the world, he turned silently… and walked away in a sad posture.
Elsa blinked in confusion.
"What…?"
Then came laughter.
A ghastly sound echoed up the stairwell, like wind chimes crafted from bones.
"Kill-Monsters-Save-People-Kill-Monsters-!"
A burning skull engulfed in neon green flame floated up from the darkness, twitching unnaturally with jerky movements. Its hollow eye sockets burned with ecstasy.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee! KILL-MONSTERS!"
It darted past the crowd like a demented spirit on a mission, not even acknowledging their existence. Just its mere presence left goosebumps crawling across Elsa's skin.
But it wasn't over yet.
A flood of shadows emerged next—
Two skeletal sorcerers wrapped in tattered royal robes, their hands brimming with dark magic, Night Liches.
They were followed by lumbering undead wrapped in ancient, cursed bandages, Greater Mummies, and a thin, twitchy creature with elongated claws, Jack the Ripper. He waved at Elsa with his deadly metal fingers, cackling.
Elsa flinched.
An Elder Lich smacked him across the back of the head with its staff, as if to scold him. The undead quarreled for a moment like mischievous children, before regaining their solemn silence.
Elsa stood frozen.
Fear began to fade, replaced by curiosity.
What were these beings?
And why… why didn't they attack?
----
Outside the church.
The group of Undead stood together, greedily absorbing the death energy all around them.
The Abyssal Dread Knight stood at the forefront, his pitch black armour gleaming under the dark night. The monsters approaching in the distance snarled and shrieked, forming a terrifying wave of destruction.
Unafraid, the Dread Knight's fingers curled around the hilt of his sword, coating it with dense negative energy. He took one step forward, then another.
And then he struck.
SWOOSH—!!!
A single slash of corrupted magic erupted forth, a massive dark wave slicing through the oncoming horde like butter. Screams of agony rang out as monsters were torn asunder, their bodies erupting into blood and dust. Magic crystals rained onto the ruined streets.
Ignoring the several magic crystals dropped by his enemies, Abyssal Dread Knight raised his sword and declared his master's command.
"Kill.... all.... monsters.....!"
The elemental skull cackled in glee, spinning in the air.
"Hehehehehe-Purge-the-filth!"
The Night Liches readied their spells.
Jack the Ripper sharpened his claws.
The Mummies wailed.
Since the living were unable to save the city...
Then let the undead do it!
"Death..... for.... my..... Lord!...!"
The night on Undead has arrived.
