The first thing Najin perceived was gravity.
His shoes pressed firmly on stone bricks, weathered by the years. His shoulders were pulled forward, and he stumbled to reorient himself.
Sound and light were the next things he perceived.
Upon seeing the approaching floor, he righted his face and stood straight.
Still, he staggered not a moment after.
When the sound blast of a bustling street nearby assaulted his ears, he finally understood how to stand up as a human again. Finally, he could balance himself.
"Hah,"
Then, he breathed. Cold air seeped into his lungs.
"That's refreshing."
He was no longer choking on his own blood or breathing in an inferno. Oxygen.
Oh how sweet it was to inhale rocket fuel and know that he was still alive.
Despite those ominous voices of mockery, Najin felt great. He was no longer stuck on Earth and forced to eat scraps from a ruined civilisation. Now, he could drink unpolluted fresh water and dine on actual food.
Not those synthetic pastes that humanity had to resort to in their ending days.
Still, he felt a hint of nervousness.
After regaining his senses, he suddenly grew hyper aware. He wasn't arrogant nor ignorant enough to ignore the challenge he now faced.
"I cannot be wounded."
Not a nick.
Not a scratch.
…Not even a mosquito bite, according to those voices.
"This is absurd."
Well, and so was his killing of the Demon of Woes. Animos Najin…
Even he, himself, was only vaguely aware of how terrifying his act of defiance had been. Despite his planning and all of the actions that led to his success, he was still in disbelief.
But the reality was there.
He had a new body. A new life in a different world.
In a world called, "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" which he was familiar with only because of a game his friend wanted him to play.
He was unaware of the anime timeline — he never watched it. Nor was he familiar with the light novel. He was more of a manga reader, and even then, he hadn't read DanMachi in its entirety.
"Now, I wish I did."
If he had done so, then the Apocalypse of Authors would be easier going forward.
At the very least, he was familiar with Bell and Hestia, and he could probably recognise a few other characters based on faint internet recollections.
Most importantly, he wasn't completely lost on what it meant to kill the Black Dragon. Specifically, the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
King of the Skies.
"I'm a bit screwed, I think?" Najin bit his lip. "Nah, I'll make it work. It had lost an eye in the past. Shouldn't be that hard to make it lose its head next."
…Right?
Najin shivered and quickly stopped biting his lip. He might just lose his soul if his teeth broke through his skin.
He was beginning to realise how heavy a challenge he was forced to take.
Suddenly, even stepping out into the chaotic streets became a bit terrifying.
What more, descending into the dungeon?
Najin cursed under his breath and began thinking. First thing's first: figure out the setting.
* * *
Wariness.
That single word was all-consuming when Najin walked out of the dark alleyway he spawned in.
What greeted him was a lively city.
The inescapable shadow of a tower climbed into the sky, as if connecting heaven and earth. The bustling streets of raucous adventurers and passionate merchants. Drunken figures staggered at the edges of the street, leaning against their friends and comrades.
It was indeed the city he had seen only in fiction, long ago.
"May the birds sing your praise~ Oh lovely, lovely daisy!"
A trio, singing an off-key ballad stumbled past, their weapons rustling against their clothes. The lights of Orario's early-evening festivities lit their faces in a warm afterglow.
"…" A few stares reached the trio, bothered by their nonsensical lyrics and singsong voices.
Najin stepped out of their way. Though he was unaware of exactly how powerful the trio was, his instincts beseeched his caution.
And obviously, bumping into drunken strangers was a great way to start a fight.
A fight he had no reason starting.
—Tap, tap, tap.
So, Najin began to walk. His footsteps were light and steady. He acted as if he knew his way around, strolling leisurely along the widest roads available.
In just a few minutes, he already realised how big this city of Orario really was. Those images on the internet did not give it justice.
The tower in the distance hadn't moved at all, looming like a mountain.
Moreover, the crowd grew livelier as the night went on. They flowed in one direction.
Towards a walled city within another city.
And, judging by the conversations around him—
"Brother! Why not join us? The ladies miss you."
"I was thinking of getting lady Livie tonight…"
"No! Madame Narame is the best!"
"Ugh… I can't afford that place tonight…"
Najin judged that it was some sort of pleasure district.
He was quick to pivot.
Although he could still gather information there, it was enough knowing its general location for now. The rest of the city still had to reveal itself to him.
And so, Najin would walk throughout the night and barely scratched the surface of the city's vistas. He had barely even left the influence of the entertainment district behind him as he approached Orario's central landmark.
Luckily, it wasn't for naught.
Eavesdropping allowed him to learn quite a bit. He learned household names and pieced together a rough image of what rumours were floating around. Talks about the Loki Familia's recent exploits, the Freya Familia's movements, and the Ishtar Familia who thrived in the entertainment district flooded his ears.
More important than that, he had also confirmed his knowledge and learned a few new things. Terms like the Tower of Babel, the Guild where adventurers always flocked, the existence of gods, their blessings, as well as a vague idea of the strength of a Level 1 adventurer.
"…Yeah,"
Najin was quite glad he didn't bump into that drunken trio earlier. Even the bottom of the barrel was stronger than him. He would've died if they so much as scratched in his direction.
It was quite the terrifying thought.
Looking around and noticing the deepening darkness, he sighed.
Perhaps it was time to rest. Without money and connections, he had no choice but to find some rundown location to sleep.
Somewhere secluded. Somewhere safe enough.
Somewhere he could lie down on cold, unforgiving stone.
Homelessness wasn't new to him ever since the apocalypse took everything he loved and once knew.