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Dan shifted the giant backpack on his back, thinking that if it were filled to the brim, his body from his past life probably couldn't have handled the weight.
"I can help carry it too, Master~"
A cheerful voice echoed in his mind—it was Silence Suzuka.
Before they set out, she'd intentionally downed a bottle of Hakimi, and now she was bursting with energy!
Thanks to being in a united-body state, Dan could tap into the absurd physical endurance of the Umamusume. If he ever got mentally tired, he could just switch personalities.
Though… if he really started treating them like hired labor, that might raise a few ethical red flags.
"It's fine, Master! Please, feel free to rely on me!"
"Even if we're not on the racetrack, getting to take part in an actual adventure like something out of a light novel—this is a one-of-a-kind experience for any Umamusume!"
Dan couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
Suzuka's excitement lifted his own mood and eased his worries.This usually quiet horse girl was now pushing him forward enthusiastically from within his mind. Clearly, she was really looking forward to this adventure.
After registering Dan as an adventurer, the familia made their way to the first basement floor of Babel Tower.
In the grand hall leading into the dungeon, there was a single entrance at the center of the floor—a massive hole, ten meters wide, yawning open.
Thick stone pillars were spaced out evenly around the circular hall, and a beautifully painted ceiling mural overhead reminded Dan of Renaissance-era Western artwork from his previous life.
This was the threshold between the surface and the dungeon below. Countless adventurers streamed in and out of here day and night.
Their familia—six girls and one guy—stood out a lot. Dan, surrounded right in the middle by all the girls, drew more than a few stares of envy, jealousy, and admiration from nearby adventurers.
Some of the more well-informed even figured out who he was.
But none of them dared to approach.
The reason? That icy, unapproachable aura radiating from that elf in the familia.
The clean-freak elf was glaring daggers at anyone who even thought about getting closer, her sharp eyes scaring off all the strangers.
Meanwhile, in the shadows beneath one of the nearby pillars, a cloaked man confirmed Dan's identity.His eyes widened in shock.
After double-checking Dan's face, a twisted, bloodthirsty smile spread across his lips. He turned quietly and slipped away.
"Heh... You've got some guts showing your face again. Guess you really think you're invincible now...Lord Vito will definitely want to hear about this."
...
Dungeon – Floor 1
The walls and ceiling were painted a pale blue, filling their entire view.The sky was nowhere to be seen.This vast, natural labyrinth stretched endlessly in every direction.
"Ohhh! So this is where all those heroic tales begin?!"
Suzuka practically screamed with excitement inside Dan's mind, and she sounded like she wanted nothing more than to start running around joyfully with her tail wagging.
"Aren't you jumping into this a little too fast? Shouldn't you be resting a few more days?"
The voice came from Dan's right—the masked elf, who had deliberately stepped out of the vanguard to walk half a step behind him.
"After everything you went through, you only slept one night and now you're diving into the dungeon? That's a bit reckless, don't you think?"
Dan was honestly surprised that this shy, clean-freak elf was actually starting a conversation with him.
Ryuu's long, pointed ears twitched as she gave him a sideways glance, suspicious.
"You've got some stereotype about elves, don't you...?"
"Uh, no, not at all."
"Hmph! W-Well, I am your senior in the familia, so it's only natural I look out for a newbie like you!"
Dan blinked, then laughed softly.
So that's what this was about.
Before he came along, Ryuu had always been the youngest in the familia. Now, even though Dan hadn't officially joined, the girls had more or less accepted him as one of their own. This was Ryuu's first chance to finally act like someone's senior!
"What're you laughing at? I'm being totally sincere here—just sharing my survival wisdom!"
"Haha, alright, alright. I'll be counting on you then, Senpai Ryuu!"
"Ugh... you don't have to sound that formal... A-Anyway! You're not aiming to become a full-time supporter, are you? Then learning how to fight is absolutely necessary!"
After joining the familia, Ryuu had been doted on by everyone and picked up a wide range of skills and knowledge from them all.
Now that she had their blessing, she planned to pass that wisdom on to Dan!
"....."