After Ethan washed the blood and grime from his body in the river, the water swirling red before clearing again, he stood up and took a deep breath. The cold helped clear his mind, but the weight of what just happened lingered on his shoulders.
Then—ding!
A familiar blue screen flickered to life in front of him, and a robotic voice echoed in his head
[System Activated]
Welcome to the New World.
Current World: Danmachi (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)
Main Objective: Reach Orario. Join a Familia. Begin your story."Danmachi?" Ethan blinked at the floating text. "Bell? Hestia? The dungeon?"
He was stunned for a moment, his heart racing. He had watched the anime before. He knew how dangerous this world could be, especially in the deeper floors of the dungeon. But the idea of living in it—of meeting the characters, of fighting monsters and leveling up—filled him with a mix of excitement and fear.
He clenched his fists. "So that's the world I ended up in…"
After drying off and putting his torn clothes back on, he followed the dirt road again, his grip on the sharp stick firm. Now that he knew where he was, he had a goal: reach Orario.
He walked for almost half an hour when a sudden shout echoed through the trees.
"Help!"
Without thinking, Ethan sprinted toward the sound.
Bursting through the foliage, he found a carriage under attack. Four massive Dire Wolves surrounded it, snarling and snapping. One man stood in front of the carriage wielding a bloodied sword. Behind him, three adventurers lay injured and slumped against the wooden wheels. Inside the carriage, a woman held a crying child in her arms, both of them trembling in fear.
Ethan's instincts kicked in.
He grabbed a rock and threw it with precision at the closest wolf, striking its eye. The beast growled and backed away, now focused on Ethan. The other wolves followed its gaze and began to circle him.
"Great. Four of them," he muttered. His heart pounded, but he kept his focus. "Time to test myself."
One of the wolves lunged. Ethan dove to the side and rolled, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws. Another came in fast from the right, trying to bite his arm. He managed to stab it in the eye with his stick, making the creature cry out in pain and thrash away.
The wolf staggered back and slammed into the carriage, nearly tipping it. Ethan turned to see the man with the sword glance at him.
"You okay?" the man shouted, breathing hard.
"I'm fine!" Ethan shouted back. Just then, another wolf lunged at him from behind. He turned just in time to see a glint of steel.
Slash!
The man had struck the beast across the side, drawing a deep gash. Ethan took the chance and picked up the sword from the ground, quickly beheading the wounded wolf before it could retaliate.
"We need a plan," Ethan said, catching his breath.
"I'll cover you. You distract them!"
Nodding, Ethan scooped up three stones and threw them rapidly to split the wolves' attention. The man rushed in with clean slashes while Ethan used the distraction to position himself carefully. Together, they brought down the third wolf.
But just as they caught their breath, the last wolf pounced.
Ethan tried to dodge, but the creature's claw raked across his upper arm. Pain exploded down to his fingertips, blood pouring from the wound. His thoughts spun.
Blood… he hit me… he hit me!
His breathing grew shallow. His vision blurred slightly. It wasn't fear—it was fury. Raw and unfiltered.
The wolf lunged again, jaws wide.
"Big brother, look out!!" the child's voice pierced through his haze.
Ethan blinked. That voice pulled him back. He saw the beast mid-air—and rolled to the side.
With a scream, he slashed upward. The blade cut through the wolf's stomach, then down across its head. The wolf dropped, lifeless.
Only one remained now. It saw its comrades fallen and turned to flee.
"Oh no you don't!" Ethan shouted. With all his strength, he hurled the sword like a spear. The blade sank into the creature's hind leg, tripping it mid-run.
"Finish it!" Ethan yelled.
The man didn't hesitate. He ran forward and delivered the killing blow, slicing through the wolf's neck.
Silence settled over the scene.
Blood soaked the ground. The carriage shook slightly as the mother wept, holding her child tight. The injured adventurers groaned, but they were alive. Ethan clutched his bleeding arm, panting.
The man approached him. "You alright?"
"I've been better," Ethan replied with a weak chuckle. "But I'm alive."
"You saved us," the man said, eyes full of gratitude. The three adventurers gave weak nods and thanks from the ground. The mother climbed out and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, young man," she said tearfully. "If not for you…"
The little girl ran to Ethan and looked up with wide eyes. "Big brother, you were amazing!" she said with awe.
Ethan smiled gently, ruffling her hair with his uninjured hand.
The man helped bandage Ethan's arm with some spare cloth and herbs. It still stung badly, but the bleeding slowed. Then the man asked, "Where were you headed, anyway?"
"To Orario," Ethan said.
The man's face lit up. "What a coincidence! We're going there too."
"Do you belong to a Familia?" he added.
Ethan shook his head. "No… I don't have one yet."
The man's eyes widened, and even the wounded adventurers stared at him in surprise.
"No Familia? And yet you fought like that?" one of them said, clearly impressed.
The mother stepped forward. "When we arrive in Orario, come visit my shop. I own a small general store. It's the least I can offer for saving our lives."
Ethan smiled and nodded. "I appreciate that."
The man introduced himself as Garret, a Level 1 adventurer from the Dian Cecht Familia. The others followed—three adventurers from the Miach Familia. They all climbed into the repaired carriage together, now surrounded by wolf corpses as reminders of what they'd survived.
As the sun began to dip in the sky, Ethan saw something on the horizon.
A towering spire of stone.
It reached high into the heavens, gleaming in the fading light.
The Tower of Babel.
Orario.
He stared, wide-eyed. "I can't believe I'm really here…"
This wasn't an anime anymore.
It was real.
And his journey was just beginning.
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