Tower of Babel.
It was a towering structure built like a lid over the dungeon, serving as a suppression device to monitor and guard against the dungeon's movements. Like the arena, it was a public facility under the guild's jurisdiction.
This white giant tower soared into the clouds, reaching hundreds of meters high. No matter where one stood in Orario, the Tower of Babel was undoubtedly the most striking building.
Babel Tower consisted of 50 floors.
The lower 20 floors were leased by the guild to various commercial Familia, and transformed into stores selling weapons, equipment, and items. Notably, the Hephaestus Familia, a dominant force in the forging industry, had taken over five consecutive floors (4th to 8th) and turned them all into weapon shops.
The upper 30 floors, however, were an area completely inaccessible to ordinary people.
For it was the residence of the gods.
Only the gods of Orario's top-ranking Familia were deemed by the guild as qualified to reside in the upper floors of the Tower of Babel.
Loki herself was eligible to live there, but she preferred staying with her Familia members, so she resided in Twilight Manor, leaving her room in Tower of Babel vacant.
As for the very top of Babel Tower—the 50th floor—there was no doubt that only the main deity of the strongest Familia in Orario, and even in the world, had the right to live there.
Familia had ranks, just like adventurers' proficiency levels, divided into ten tiers from I to S.
Loki Familia was an S-rank Familia, symbolizing the strongest in the city.
However, Loki Familia was merely one of the strongest. In this labyrinth city, another Familia stood as its equal, and many even believed that this Familia was the true strongest.
That was the Freya Familia.
On the 50th floor of the Tower of Babel resided the main deity of the Freya Familia—the Goddess of Beauty, Freya.
This was undoubtedly the most luxurious room in all of the Tower of Babel, equipped with every conceivable facility. The decorations—murals, carpets, chandeliers, cabinets—were all of the highest extravagance. It was difficult to find another room as opulent anywhere in the world.
The most breathtaking feature was the observation balcony, positioned at a height no other building could reach, offering a panoramic view of the grand city—an unparalleled spectacle.
At this moment, the silver-haired goddess stood by the window of the observation balcony.
Rectangular glass replaced the walls, casting a spotlight-like effect that accentuated her unparalleled beauty.
She wore a black, sheer nightgown, draping over her graceful and voluptuous figure. Her slender and delicate limbs, petite yet well-rounded curves, and perfectly shaped waistline—just a single glance could rob one of their rationality. Her snow-white skin basked in the morning sunlight, exuding a captivating warmth.
Her silky, waist-length hair shimmered like it was embedded with countless ice crystals.
Beneath her long eyelashes, a pair of enchanting and proud eyes gazed down at the world below the Tower of Babel.
At a certain moment—
Her indifferent eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on a specific point.
Even such an unintentional gesture carried a beauty capable of making others lose their minds.
"Ottar."
"Yes."
The moment she called out, a solemn voice immediately responded.
A figure stood at the entrance—it seemed he had been standing there for some time.
With short, reddish-brown hair and pig-like ears, his massive, rock-solid body exceeded two meters in height. This beastman, built like a statue, stood at the door like a guardian, awaiting his goddess's command.
"Has the Loki Familia had any new recruits recently?"
"Yes. Twenty days ago, Loki Familia accepted a new recruit who had not yet received a blessing."
"A recruit without a blessing…"
Freya crossed her arms under her chest, lifting her ample curves, her gaze deepening in contemplation.
"A soul so pitch-black yet dazzlingly brilliant, utterly unprecedented. And such talent… Loki really found herself a treasure this time."
She looked toward the entrance of the Tower of Babel, her eyes filled with surprise.
She had only been keeping an eye on the Loki Familia's large-scale mobilization outside the expedition period out of curiosity. She hadn't expected to discover something completely unforeseen.
"It is said that this boy made a name for himself by defeating several Level 2 adventurers in the arena, despite being an unblessed ordinary person. That attracted Loki Familia's attention, leading to his recruitment."
The pigman at the entrance answered Freya's question in a methodical manner.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Freya furrowed her brows in dissatisfaction, an expression so delicate it would make anyone's heart ache.
"A child like this should have joined my Familia instead. I can't believe Loki got to him first… Ottar, gather all the information about him. I want it immediately."
"Understood."
Freya's gaze toward the bottom of the Tower of Babel gradually turned fervent.
Ottar understood.
It was the expression she showed only when she had set her sights on prey—a manifestation of her boundless love, her divine favour, and the proof that one had been chosen by the goddess.
However—
Loki Familia… This target would be troublesome.
***
"Hiss!"
Just as he stepped out of the Tower of Babel, Eiji suddenly felt a chilling shudder run through him.
It was as if something utterly repulsive had locked onto him—a strange and invasive gaze from above, filled with an overwhelming possessiveness that made his skin crawl.
Since his rebirth, he had never encountered such… an eerie gaze.
"What's wrong?"
Tiona, walking beside him, immediately showed concern.
"…What is on the top floor of the Tower of Babel?"
Eiji frowned deeply, following his instincts to glance back at the towering structure's highest level.
"That's the residence of Goddess Freya."
Tiona answered instinctively, but then her whole body tensed like a compressed spring, and her expression instantly darkened.
"It couldn't be…"
As a high-ranking member of the Loki Familia, Tiona had naturally heard of the legends surrounding Goddess Freya.
"What is it?" Eiji asked.
"N-Nothing!" Tiona quickly denied it.
She couldn't let Eiji learn about Goddess Freya.
If he really had caught Freya's attention, then whether he knew it or not made no difference. But if he became curious about her, that would be as good as surrendering himself to her.
However, Freya had always exercised restraint when it came to matters involving the Loki Familia. She likely wouldn't risk a complete fallout with them over this.
Regardless, Tiona had to stay on high alert from now on—she must not let anyone from Freya Familia come into contact with Eiji!
"Come on, let's go heal you first!" Tiona quickly changed the subject with her usual cheerful tone.
But the simple-minded girl was clearly not good at hiding her emotions, and her face couldn't conceal her concern, making Eiji all the more thoughtful.
***
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