Early in the morning, Yoru was dragged out of bed by Hestia. Though it was his first time venturing into the Dungeon, it was Hestia who seemed far more nervous than he was.
With a helpless sigh, Yoru simply let the goddess fuss over him. Though clumsy, her behavior was also strangely endearing—everything she did was for him, after all.
After eating the lovingly prepared breakfast made by his goddess, Hestia personally walked Yoru to the entrance of the Dungeon in Orario.
Besides the Dungeon itself, another striking landmark at the heart of the city was a massive tower that loomed over everything.
As Yoru stared curiously at the towering structure, Hestia began explaining from beside him.
"That's the Babel Tower, a skyscraper facility and the tallest building in Orario. It's used to monitor the Dungeon and houses the Guild's main offices. It has everything—shops, exchange centers, even trading facilities. The very top floor is where the gods reside."
Yoru tilted his head in curiosity.
"So why aren't you living up there, Hestia?"
Hestia's face turned a little awkward.
"Well… I have my reasons. I only came down from Heaven not too long ago, and since I don't have status or influence, I'm not qualified to live in the tower."
She looked up at Babel Tower, but Yoru couldn't see even a hint of resentment or envy in her eyes. It was as if she had no interest in the luxurious building at all.
"Honestly, I got sick of living in fancy places in Heaven ages ago. Sure, where I live now is a bit run-down, and I've got to work just to get by… but I'm happy."
Hestia said that so casually, smiling with genuine joy.
"And now that I have family, I'm already more than satisfied. Wanting too much isn't a good thing, you know?"
This was enough for her?
Yoru couldn't help but think that she was an incredibly easily satisfied goddess.
He shook his head slightly, and once again, his hand naturally reached out to gently pat the top of her head.
"Don't do that—seriously, it's embarrassing! People are watching!"
Flushed red, Hestia swatted his hand away and darted her eyes around. After all, this was the Dungeon's entrance, and despite the early hour, it was already crowded with adventurers preparing to descend.
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice the intimate moment between an unknown goddess and her lone follower.
"Be careful, okay? Don't push yourself. It's best to team up with some experienced adventurers. Even if you don't want to join them, it's fine to just trail behind from a distance."
She kept rambling on, anxiously giving advice. Then she stood on tiptoe and awkwardly patted Yoru's head.
Once she finally managed to reach, she smiled with satisfaction.
"I'll be waiting for your triumphant return, my hero."
"Yeah, don't worry. It's only the first floor—no need to be so nervous."
Yoru chuckled at her reaction and gently pressed his hand against hers.
"I'm supposed to be a genius, right? If that's true, then the first floor's no big deal."
"Mhm! You're a genius, Yoru! I just know you'll become the strongest adventurer in Orario!"
Nodding earnestly, Hestia reluctantly let go of his hand as she watched Yoru take a few steps back.
"Then… I'm off to work. Good luck!"
Yoru gave a soft nod, then turned and began walking toward the Dungeon entrance.
Weaving through the noisy crowd and ignoring several adventurers trying to strike up a conversation—likely thinking he was just another greenhorn—Yoru descended the long staircase alone.
Although Hestia had urged him to pair up with others, Yoru had no intention of doing so.
Besides him, a few other rookie adventurers stumbled about nervously. Yoru ignored them as well, deliberately heading toward a less populated path.
He instinctively disliked noisy environments and realized he wasn't fond of crowded places.
After walking alone for a while, the surroundings grew silent. According to Eina, Dungeon monsters usually spawned from the walls, so staying alert was essential—but for some reason, Yoru just couldn't bring himself to feel tense.
"Still… there's not a single monster."
Looking at the empty tunnel ahead, Yoru muttered to himself.
It was the first floor, after all. Since countless adventurers passed through every day, the low-level goblins were usually wiped out as soon as they appeared.
Maybe… I should check out the second floor?
Having wandered around for quite some time without encountering a single monster, Yoru looked at one of the stairways he occasionally passed by and seriously considered it.
Eina had warned him repeatedly to be cautious—over and over again—but now that he was actually inside the Dungeon, Yoru felt no discomfort or anxiety at all.
No nervousness.
No fear.
None of the tension a beginner was supposed to feel in their first Dungeon dive.
So this is the Dungeon? …Doesn't feel like much at all.
It felt way too ordinary.
Like he was just taking a stroll through his backyard.
It wasn't that he was overconfident. Rather, it was Yoru's nature—he viewed danger, even his own life, with a kind of detached calm.
Maybe others would see this as reckless or foolish, but in Yoru's eyes, it was a completely normal decision.
Since no monsters were showing up on the first floor, he might as well head straight to the second floor.
An absurd reason, to be sure—but also hard to argue with.
With that mindset, Yoru descended the stairs without hesitation.
On his very first day in the Dungeon, he went straight to the second floor.
Yoru had just become one of the rare few to ever do such a thing.