In an underground space shrouded in darkness, where only a faint phosphorescent glow dimly illuminated the area, the vast expanse was completely swallowed by shadows, resembling a white palace, or perhaps, a white labyrinth.
Although the natural stone walls of rock could be seen everywhere, they all carried a murky white hue, turning this subterranean maze into something that resembled an ancient tomb.
In terms of scale, even when compared to the ancient ruin of Reinnail, this place was no less impressive.
Within one section of the white labyrinth, not far from its center, there was a colossal chamber of staggering width and height, with the ceiling towering more than ten meters above the ground.
*Growl—*
*Growl—*
*Growl—*
Inside the chamber, accompanied by a series of low, growling sounds, many monsters—or more specifically, skeleton monsters—devoid of skin, muscle, and even internal organs, just skeletal remains, wandered aimlessly.
Various parts of their skeletal bodies jutted out sharply like armor, and their appearances were not only sharp but also equipped with bone swords, bone axes, and bone shields.
More importantly, their eye sockets burned with ghostly flames, making it clear that these were not creatures to be trifled with.
They were monsters called Spartoi, appearing on the 37th Floor of the Dungeon, known as the monsters with the highest combat abilities on this floor.
Even though these monsters seemed to be nothing but skeletons, their immense strength, speed, and skill in using their bone weapons made them formidable opponents. Even high-ranking Adventurers would struggle against them.
Fortunately, this was the 37th Floor, classified as a deep floor of the Dungeon, where ordinary adventurers could hardly reach. Even if they tried, it would take several days to get here.
Because of this, most of the Spartoi in this chamber could only wander aimlessly, unable to unleash their deadly weapons on the living beings they naturally despised.
However, today was different.
*Swish!*
A figure appeared in the chamber without warning, instantly surrounded by a large group of Spartoi.
"..."
All the wandering Spartoi suddenly halted, turning their heads in eerie unison—the sound of their bones grinding against each other echoed through the air as their hollow, glowing eye sockets fixed on the intruder.
"..."
Meanwhile, the figure who had appeared in the chamber silently observed the scene.
For a moment, the two sides simply stared at each other until the figure finally broke the eerie silence.
"Not gonna lie, seeing you guys, for a moment, I thought I'd returned not to the world of Danmachi, but to the world of Overlord." Riezel remarked casually, glancing at the Spartoi surrounding him one by one. "To open my eyes and see so many Ainz, even I almost got scared, okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ghostly flames in every Spartoi's eye sockets suddenly flared up—one by one, they let out terrifying roars.
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
All the Spartoi, seemingly enraged by Riezel's attitude, rushed toward him.
As famous monsters that resided on a deep floor, Spartoi were classified as Level 4 monsters.
A large group of Level 4 monsters charged from all directions, heading straight for a single person—the scene, no matter who witnessed it, would look like a disaster.
But unfortunately, these Spartoi had chosen the wrong target.
"Shining Burst!"
In an instant, a burst of radiant light and a scorching explosion erupted.
A ranged-based offensive magic capable of dealing immense damage to evil beings, undead, and those with low moral values was unleashed within the forgotten depths of the Dungeon—the white light expanded into a hemispherical explosion, radiating from Riezel's position.
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
*GROOOAAAAAA—!*
Undeniably evil creatures—perhaps even undead—all the Spartoi were instantly consumed by the sun-like light and roaring flames as they charged forward. It was as though they had been purified, their screams of agony echoing through the chamber as their bodies slowly evaporated in the blinding white light.
By the time the brilliance faded, the ground was still steaming, and all of the Spartoi in the chamber had been completely wiped out—the scene was nothing short of dramatic.
If anyone had witnessed this moment—how a large group of Level 4 Spartoi were obliterated in the blink of an eye—they would surely have their hearts race with shock.
High-level mages could certainly achieve the same result, but they would need to chant their incantations painstakingly, take time to cast their magic, and often engage in fierce struggle with the monsters before releasing their magic.
Moreover, they would also need multiple front-liners and mid-liners to guard them, ensuring they had the time to complete their chants.
Riezel, however, didn't need any of that.
All he needed was a magic name—and in just a fleeting moment, he could accomplish what would otherwise take a Level 4 mage days of preparation and exhausting battles.
Looking at the now-silent chamber, even Riezel couldn't help but sigh.
"If it were me back then, before I left this world, I definitely couldn't have done something like this..."
Even before leaving, when he had reached Level 5, he couldn't have accomplished such a feat.
"Guess this is what it feels like to return home?"
Riezel smiled slightly, took off Hermit from his waist, and placed it back into the storage space of the Dimensional Magic Cube.
Hermit—or more specifically, the new Hermit—was something he hadn't owned before leaving this world, so it was better not to wear it around and draw unnecessary attention.
Instead, he took out Fool, the weapon he had used before leaving this world, and strapped it to his waist.
"Well, time to go home."
After finishing these actions, Riezel finally lifted his gaze toward the towering rock ceiling, as though his sight could pierce through each floor and reach the surface above.
Normally, to ascend from the depths of the 37th Floor to the surface, it would take at least two to three days.
During that time, he would also have to deal with countless warrior-type monsters inhabiting this floor, such as Barbarians with physiques comparable to Minotaurs, Lizardman Elites, and the obsidian-skinned creatures known as Obsidian Soldiers.
All these medium-sized monsters, with humanoid forms and refined combat prowess, roamed the 37th Floor freely. Even though they weren't as troublesome as Spartoi, they were still formidable foes that most adventurers would have to fight tooth and nail to overcome.
Especially Obsidian Soldiers—the stones composing their bodies, known as obsidian, could weaken the power of magic. In other words, they were highly resistant to magical attacks, and any mage unlucky enough to face one might find themselves in serious peril.
Against so many high-level monsters, even Riezel, when he had just reached Level 5, would've had to exert tremendous effort to cross this floor and make it back to the surface.
But now...
"Gate."
Riezel cast the highest-tier teleportation magic, and soon, a circular dark portal appeared in front of him.
On the other side of the portal was the surface.
===
Labyrinth City Orario.
At this moment, it was the busiest time of the day on the surface.
In this city—hailed as the center of the world and the busiest city in existence—in a small, empty alleyway, a circular dark portal silently opened.
Riezel stepped out from the portal, gazing at the familiar scenery before him, but before he could even feel a hint of nostalgia, an unusually loud noise drew his attention.
"Why's it so noisy?"
Surprised, Riezel walked out from the alleyway, only to find the street completely packed with people—the air was filled with cheerful voices, far livelier than what he remembered of Orario.
At this time of day, while many adventurers were diving into the Dungeon, the streets of Orario were actually crowded not only with ordinary citizens but also with adventurers—a rare sight outside Babel's central plaza.
Humans and demi-humans like cat people, dwarves, elves, amazonesses, pallums... people of various races had gathered together.
Some lingered around the countless stalls lining the streets, while others strolled along a road adorned with satin ribbons and vibrant flowers, heading toward a large stadium echoing with cheers.
Above the crowd, flags of two different designs fluttered in the wind—one bearing the fierce outline of a lion representing monsters, and the other featuring an emblem shaped like an elephant's head.
While the former was unremarkable, Riezel recognized the latter.
"Is that... the flag of the Ganesha Familia?"
Ganesha Familia.
It was one of the most prestigious familias in Orario, known not only for its incredible strength but also for its extraordinary relationship with the Guild.
It ranked just behind the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia, even surpassing them in terms of the number of members, and its pride was the largest number of First-Class Adventurers in the city, boasting eleven Level 5 members.
Even though the Ganesha Familia didn't possess any Level 6 members like the Loki Familia or the Freya Familia, its close ties with the Guild gave it a semi-official status in Orario, which often made it represent the city's power, causing even the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia to treat it with respect.
Now, the flag of this familia was everywhere, and the streets were bustling, giving off the feel of a grand festival.
"Could it be..."
Riezel's mind began to stir.
"Could it be that today is the day of Monster Feria?"
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
[Support me and read next chapters early at: patreon.com/VALRRR]