Early morning light filters through the basement window.
Leon wakes before dawn from habit. He sits up slowly, listening. Above him, he can hear soft breathing—Hestia is still asleep somewhere in the church. Good. She was so excited last night that she probably stayed up late.
He moves through his morning forms quietly, careful not to make noise. The movements center his mind and prepare his body. When finished, he washes, dresses, and checks his equipment. Hunting knife, bow, quiver with arrows. Everything in order.
But they have no food.
Leon counts his remaining coins. Enough for ingredients. He can cook something simple—better than spending money at a tavern. He noticed a market area yesterday while exploring the city.
He climbs the stairs carefully, avoiding the creaky spots, and slips out of the church.
---
The morning market is already busy.
Vendors call out their wares, customers haggle, and the smell of fresh bread fills the air. Leon moves through the crowd with purpose, selecting what he needs. Eggs, vegetables, a small loaf of bread, some cheese. Simple ingredients, but enough for a good breakfast.
He pays the vendors, stores everything in his pack, and returns to the church.
Inside, he finds the small kitchen area Hestia showed him yesterday. It's basic—a simple stove, a few pots and pans, some plates. But Leon cooked with less.
He lights the stove, cracks eggs into a pan, and begins preparing breakfast. Scrambled eggs with vegetables, toasted bread, cheese on the side. Nothing fancy, but it'll be warm and filling.
The smell of cooking food fills the church.
Upstairs, he hears movement. Footsteps on the stairs, then Hestia appears, rubbing her eyes. Her hair is messy, her dress wrinkled from sleep.
"Leon?" She blinks at him. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Making breakfast."
Hestia's eyes widen. "You're cooking? For me?"
"For both of us."
She walks over to the stove, staring at the food. "I can't remember the last time someone cooked for me." Her voice is soft. "Most gods expect their children to serve them. You didn't have to do this."
"We're family, aren't we? Family takes care of each other."
Hestia's eyes get watery. "You're going to make me cry again."
"Please don't. The food will get cold."
She laughs and wipes her eyes. "Okay, okay. Let's eat!"
They sit together at the small table Leon cleaned. Hestia takes a bite and her expression lights up. "This is delicious! Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"My grandfather taught me. When he got sick, I had to cook for both of us."
"Well, he taught you well." Hestia eats with clear enjoyment. "You know, Leon, I was worried about taking care of you. I don't have much money, and I can't cook very well. But you're taking care of me instead."
"It's no burden."
"Still." She smiles warmly. "Thank you."
They finish breakfast in comfortable silence. When done, Leon cleans the dishes while Hestia gets properly dressed and fixes her hair.
"So," she says, returning to the kitchen. "What's your plan for today?"
"I need to register with the Guild officially. Then I'll enter the Dungeon."
Hestia's expression becomes worried. "Your first dive. Are you sure you're ready?"
"I'll start slow. Just the first floor. Learn the patterns."
"Promise me you'll be careful. And come back before dark."
"I promise."
---
The Guild headquarters is busy when they arrive.
Adventurers fill the main hall, registering kills, collecting bounties, or planning their dives. Hestia leads Leon to a counter staffed by a half-elf woman with brown hair and glasses. Her nameplate reads "Eina Tulle."
"Good morning," Eina says professionally. "How can I help you?"
"Good morning!" Hestia beams. "I'm Hestia, and this is Leon Fury. He just joined my Familia yesterday. We need to register him as an adventurer."
Eina's eyebrows rise slightly. "Hestia Familia? I don't have that in my records yet."
"We're brand new! Leon is my first member!"
"I see." Eina pulls out a registration form. "Congratulations on forming your Familia." She looks at Leon. "Name?"
"Leon Fury."
"Age?"
"Seventeen."
"Race?"
"Human."
"Level and basic stats?"
Hestia pulls out the paper with Leon's status. "Level 1. His stats are quite good for a new adventurer!"
Eina reads the sheet, and her eyes widen. "These stats... Mr. Fury, do you have prior combat experience?"
"I'm a hunter. I grew up tracking and fighting animals."
"That explains the high Dexterity and Agility." Eina makes notes on her form. "And you have three skills already? That's extremely rare."
"So I've been told."
Eina studies him for a moment, then sets down her pen. "Mr. Fury, I'll be assigned as your Guild advisor. That means I'll help you understand the Dungeon, track your progress, and provide guidance. Is this your first time diving?"
"Yes."
"Then I need to give you the standard safety briefing." She pulls out a map of the upper floors. "The Dungeon has rules you must follow. Never dive alone if you can help it—parties are safer. Always bring spare weapons. Never go deeper than your level can handle. And most importantly, never underestimate the monsters."
Leon nods, absorbing the information.
"Floor one contains primarily goblins," Eina continues. "They're weak individually but dangerous in packs. They use crude weapons and basic tactics. Floor two has more goblins plus kobolds, which are smarter. Floor three introduces War Shadows, which are fast and aggressive."
"I've read about them in a dungeon guide."
"Good. But reading and experiencing are different." Eina's expression is serious. "I've seen many skilled fighters die in the Dungeon because they underestimated it. Please, Mr. Fury, be extremely careful on your first dive."
"I will."
Eina signs his registration form and hands him an adventurer card. "This grants you legal access to the Dungeon. Welcome to the Guild, Mr. Fury. Please don't become a statistic."
"I'll do my best."
---
Babel Tower rises impossibly high, its white stone gleaming in the afternoon sun.
Leon stands at its base, looking up. Around him, adventurers come and go—some entering the tower fresh and eager, others emerging exhausted and bloodied. This is the rhythm of Orario. Descend, fight, return. Repeat until you die or grow strong enough to survive.
Hestia stands beside him, fidgeting nervously. "You have everything you need?"
"Yes."
"Knife, bow, arrows?"
"Yes."
"And you'll be careful?"
"Yes, Hestia."
She grabs his hand. "I mean it, Leon. Come back safe. I just got my first child—I don't want to lose you on day one."
Leon looks down at the small goddess. Her eyes are genuinely worried. "I'll come back. I promise."
"Okay." She squeezes his hand, then lets go. "Go. Show the Dungeon what Hestia Familia can do."
Leon nods and walks toward the entrance.
Inside Babel, the entrance to the Dungeon is unmistakable. A massive spiral staircase descends into the earth, wide enough for dozens of people to walk side by side. Adventurers stream down, their voices echoing off the stone walls.
Leon joins the flow, descending into darkness.
---
The first floor of the Dungeon is different from what Leon expected.
The walls aren't stone or earth—they're something else. Smooth, almost organic, with a faint blue glow that provides dim light. The air is cool and carries a strange smell, like minerals and something alive.
The corridor stretches ahead, branching into multiple paths. Other adventurers move through the space, some in parties, some alone. The sound of combat echoes from deeper passages—steel on steel, shouts, the screech of monsters.
Leon moves away from the main group, choosing a quieter side passage. He wants to encounter monsters without interference, to learn their patterns himself.
He walks slowly, all senses alert. His hand rests near his knife. His breathing is controlled, steady.
Then he hears it. A high-pitched chatter, aggressive and excited.
Leon stops, listening. The sound comes from around the corner ahead. He moves to the wall, peers around carefully.
A goblin.
It's exactly as the books described—small, hunched, with green-gray skin and yellow eyes. It wears ragged clothes and carries a crude knife. The creature is alone, wandering the corridor randomly, chattering to itself.
Leon studies it. The goblin's movements are erratic, but there's a pattern. It walks a few steps, pauses, sniffs the air, then continues. No real awareness of its surroundings. Pure instinct.
He nocks an arrow, draws his bow, and aims.
The goblin turns at the sound of the bowstring.
Leon releases.
The arrow strikes the goblin's shoulder. It shrieks, stumbles, but doesn't go down. Instead, it charges directly at Leon with surprising speed, knife raised.
Leon steps aside smoothly, letting momentum carry the goblin past. As it stumbles, he draws his hunting knife and strikes—a precise cut to the back of the neck, severing the spine.
The goblin collapses, twitches once, then goes still.
Leon watches it carefully. After a moment, the corpse begins to dissolve into black ash, leaving behind a small purple crystal.
A magic stone.
Leon picks it up, examining it. Warm to the touch, humming with faint energy. This is what adventurers collect—the Dungeon's currency, the proof of their kills.
He stores the stone in his pouch and continues forward.
---
Over the next few hours, Leon encounters five more goblins.
Each time, he learns something new. Goblins are aggressive but stupid. They charge in straight lines, easy to dodge. Their crude weapons have limited reach. They can't adapt—if a tactic fails once, they'll try the exact same thing again.
But they're faster than he expected and stronger than they look. His first arrow rarely kills them outright. They can take multiple wounds and keep fighting.
After the sixth goblin, Leon pauses to assess.
His bow is useful for first strikes but not decisive enough. The arrows can't penetrate deeply enough to kill quickly. His knife work is effective, but it requires closing distance, which adds risk.
He needs better equipment. A proper sword or spear for reliable kills. Better armor for protection.
But for now, this will do. He's learning, adapting, understanding the Dungeon's rhythm.
Leon continues deeper into the first floor, hunting methodically.
---
Evening approaches when Leon finally emerges from Babel.
He's tired but uninjured. His pouch holds twelve magic stones—not a fortune, but decent for a first dive. More importantly, he learned the basics. How monsters spawn, how they fight, how the Dungeon feels.
Hestia is waiting near the entrance, pacing nervously. When she sees Leon, her face lights up with relief.
"Leon! You're back!" She rushes over, looking him up and down. "Are you hurt? Did anything happen?"
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"How did it go?"
"I killed twelve goblins. Learned their patterns. No major problems."
Hestia's eyes widen. "Twelve on your first dive? That's impressive!" Then her expression becomes worried again. "But you look exhausted. Let's go home. You need food and rest."
They walk back to the church together, Hestia chattering about her day while Leon listens quietly. The evening air is cool, the streets less crowded than earlier.
At the church, Leon exchanges his magic stones at a nearby shop, earning enough coin for tomorrow's needs. Then they return home.
"I'll cook dinner," Leon says.
"You cooked breakfast too! Let me do something!"
"Can you cook?"
Hestia hesitates. "Well... not really. But I can try!"
"I'll cook. You can help by cleaning."
She pouts but agrees.
Over dinner—simple stew made from market ingredients—Hestia updates his status. His stats increased slightly from the day's combat. Not much, but noticeable growth.
"This is just the beginning," Hestia says, studying the numbers. "You're going to become so strong, Leon. I just know it."
Leon looks at his goddess, her eyes bright with belief and excitement. She has complete faith in him, despite having just met him yesterday.
"I'll do my best," he says.
"I know you will." She smiles. "That's why I chose you. Well, technically you chose me, but still!"
That night, Leon lies in his basement room, thinking about the day.
His first dive was successful. He learned the basics, earned some coin, and came back uninjured. Tomorrow, he'll dive again, go deeper, push further.
This is the beginning. The first step on a long journey.
And for the first time in either life, he isn't walking that path alone.
Leon closes his eyes and sleeps deeply, dreamlessly, at peace.