Narrator speaks
Envy... what an unhealthy feeling. That uncontrollable desire to be in someone else's shoes. That longing to have what makes them special. To look at what you've got, compare yourself to the ones the world seems to love, and realize that next to them you are, at best, mediocre. That absurd urge to be less "me" and more "you."
For years, Gabriel was the living definition of envy. Always watching others succeed from afar. Wishing he could be in the spotlight. Wanting to dance forever with that woman so many call "fame." Wanting not to be the one who feels envy anymore—but the one others envy. To be the center of attention. To matter. To have a name that carries weight. That's Gabriel's deepest dream. So strong, it's soaked into every gram of his soul.
Gabriel speaks
—"For tonight's show, we've brought a very special guest—the man of the moment—despite his youth, he strikes fear into the hearts of players when he steps onto the field. Let's welcome... LAMINE YAMAL! Big round of applause, everyone!"
I saw on the TV screen how the show's host, a brown-haired man with the first signs of gray, well dressed in a designer suit—so expensive that even the highest price I could imagine wouldn't be enough to buy his tie—presented his guest with excitement.
—"Hello, hello, testing, one, two, three. Can you hear me?"
The Spanish star did a mic check. Then he sat down on a couch facing the host, with a kind of confidence only someone who screams "I'm the best" just by being there could have.
That absolute confidence is already enviable, but what I envy most about him is...
—"Lamine, whether people like you or not, no one can deny your talent. At just 18 you've already won the Ballon d'Or, your trophy case is full of big titles... I'd even dare say you're the best player in the world right now. Would you say so?"
His talent. That's what I envy. He's someone who was born to shine, and people like me are just meant to watch from afar...
—"I've never liked saying I'm the best, but… I'm more about showing it."
And with that I just turned the TV off. I didn't care what else he had to say...
—So envious...
Now lying on my back in bed, I couldn't help but say those words out loud. Words my lips are so used to saying. How depressing. Is it really that bad not wanting to keep being me?
I envy people who were born with talent. People surrounded by wonderful people. All those who everyone sees and admires. I know it's not healthy to want what others have, I know it perfectly well, but... it's part of me, and I can't help it.
I'm afraid. Afraid of dying like this, the way I am now. I've got two parents who are closer to hating me than loving me. Just waiting for me to turn 18 so they can kick me out. Friends who say they care, but I've never heard them ask how I'm doing. I've had girlfriends—not many, but enough to know how cruel people can be.
I wish I was ridiculously talented at something. I wish people would look at me, cheer for me, shout my name in a way that's addictive to hear. I want to go places and be received like a hero who just pulled off the greatest feat imaginable...
But sometimes, dreams are far from reality. I'm everything except what I wish I was.
—Guess that's enough for today. Tomorrow's another day. Hopefully a better one.
I whispered, then let myself fall into Morpheus's arms.
Narrator speaks
That night, the young man known as Gabriel died. Of what?
Of sadness. As if, contrary to his last words, his body didn't agree… and decided to give up.
"WHAT THE FUCK, WHERE AM I?!"
Those were the first words shouted that morning in Orario, the Labyrinth City, cradle of heroes and home of the world's only Dungeon.
Heyyy people, how's it going? Hope all's good.
This story is basically an isekai in Danmachi. There's no system or anything like that, but what there is, to me, is way more busted (don't worry though, it has limits—he's not gonna curb-stomp Ottar on day one). You'll see soon.
Another thing—I don't know if I'll go with a harem. On one hand, Danmachi has way too many 10/10 female characters. On the other, developing multiple relationships is a real pain (and my personal experience doesn't help much either—I suck at that). So if I do go for it, max 4 or 5 girls, and even that feels like too much. I might cut it down to 3. We'll see.
One thing I am sure of: Ryuu has a spot. Best waifu in all of Danmachi. Say otherwise and I'll come at you with a machete (lol). Riveria's a strong candidate too. Airmid as well—gotta have an albino waifu. Though Artemis? She's something else. Ais has her charm, Mikoto's a scandal—a naughty little ninja. Eina's a show, Alicia's that sweet elf, the abandoned catgirl Anya, Haruhime, Lefiya, Tiona... If I could and the timeline allowed it (which it doesn't), Alfia would be in—uff, my love.
What a paragraph just about waifus, lmao. Anyway, I don't know when I'll update this. I've got no chapters ready or anything like that. This fanfic came to me this afternoon, I've got nothing planned, no plot, just a few loose ideas. I still need to watch all the available Danmachi content and dive into the wiki a few times to look up some stuff.
Oh—and one more thing I forgot. In case I didn't make it clear what the MC's like: he's someone who desperately wants fame. If it were up to him, he'd be the most well-known person on the planet. But he's got no talent, nothing that makes him stand out, and no real chances of getting famous (I mean, some of the idiots that go viral just by standing in front of a camera... it's honestly worrying). But beyond being envious, he's a good guy. One of those friends who's already given up on life, who's hurting as hell, but if it's your birthday and it's pouring rain, one of those times where it feels like a fucking flood's coming down, and you think no one's gonna show up... the doorbell rings and he's there.
His life's a mess, nothing's gone right for him. Bad parents, fake friends, crappy relationships. He's extroverted, naturally super social, a sweetheart of a person—deeply envious, yeah—but a good guy.
That's all for now.
Written on 07/31/2025