DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 7: First Steps in the Dungeon

Orario in the morning is like this miracle that you can't really put into words.

The clock showed a little past six when I left the old church. My body felt light after working out and taking a shower, even though that well water was seriously stabbing cold—like hugging snow directly.

But now, as I'm walking down these stone streets, the cold air feels like breathing itself, how do I put it... way better than the world from my previous life.

My steps are slow, not 'cause I'm lazy, but because I wanna enjoy the morning air.

The streets are starting to come alive, even though the sun isn't fully up yet. Merchants are opening their stalls—some showing off bread, smoked meat, cheap potions, and weird stuff like broken rings and monster bones that supposedly have special properties. Some of them are already yelling their heads off trying to sell their goods, competing with the aroma of morning cooking that's torturing my stomach.

In the middle of all that chaos, I'm starting to realize one thing:

Orario isn't just a human city.

A big-chested Amazon with this confident smile walks past me while chatting cheerfully with some short dwarf carrying an axe on his shoulder. A werewolf guy with sharp ears is negotiating potion prices with a shopkeeper who... I'm pretty sure is a gnome. And then—

—my eyes meet an elf.

My steps just stop. Her face is so smooth and calm, like the surface of a lake on a windless night.

Pale white skin, emerald green eyes, long blonde hair falling like a waterfall from heaven. She's wearing simple but elegant clothes, and the way she walks... it's like the world adjusts its tempo just for her.

The elves here are way prettier than women from my previous life.

I swallow hard.

She's so beautiful—but for some reason, Goddess Hestia's image keeps popping up in my head. Her laugh, the way she talks... For some reason I can't compare them.

That thought just came out of nowhere.

And like getting slapped by reality, I shake my head quickly, brushing away pointless fantasies. Focus, Kaen. Focus. You're going to the Dungeon, not hunting for a life partner!

With one long breath, I start walking again.

The trip from the church to the Dungeon takes a few minutes of fast walking. But honestly, when you're walking in a city like this, time just evaporates. Tall buildings, magic lamps hanging on iron poles, colorful name boards—Orario feels like a place that could swallow you alive if you don't know where you're going.

But I feel weird, why didn't I get lost? You know Orario is super complicated, full of twists and turns.

But somehow I didn't get lost even though I haven't been in Orario for long.

Am I talented at being an adventurer?

Thinking about that just makes me more confused.

I brush that thought away—this isn't the time to question weird stuff.

And finally, I get there.

The Tower of Babel

---

Dungeon Entrance.

It's shaped like a huge stone dome. High ceiling, towering pillars, and in the middle, a big hole about ten meters in diameter, gaping like the mouth of the world itself. The walls around it are painted with this soothing light blue color, depicting a beautiful sky—totally contrasting with the reality that this hole leads to underground hell.

I stare into it.

Dark. Deep. Can't hear anything except the whisper of wind slowly descending. But there's something in there—something calling, like the world's heartbeat pulsing slowly.

My footsteps carry me to one of four doors at the base of the tower, then down through a spiral staircase that circles around the big hole in the ground.

Then I go down.

---

Floor 1.

The walls are light blue. Not scary, actually pretty calming. The floor is flat and damp. Natural magic light from the ceiling gives off dim lighting, enough to see a few meters ahead.

And I'm not alone.

Even though it's still morning, there are already lots of newbie adventurers like me. Some look like they're fighting goblins—small green-skinned monsters with faces like rotten tomatoes. Some are nervous, some are so excited they're going berserk. One adventurer falls down, his sword flies away, and he almost gets clawed before his friend comes to save him.

I watch that scene.

'Okay. This is real. This isn't training anymore.'

I walk deeper, keeping my distance from other adventurers. Not because I'm arrogant, but... I wanna test myself. I've been training for years. Now it's time to see the results.

Doesn't take long to find one.

Goblin. Alone.

About four feet tall, sharp teeth like a saw, glowing red eyes. It stares at me and screams—a hoarse voice that's not more threatening than the neighbor's chicken with a sore throat.

I draw my sword.

"Let's see... if all that training paid off."

I move forward slowly, then when the goblin jumps, I duck and spin my body. My sword swings from bottom to top—

CHRAAK!

The goblin gets split from shoulder to waist. Its body explodes into ash particles—and a magic stone falls to the ground.

I smile a little.

But only for a second.

Because coldness creeps up my spine.

Without thinking, I jump to the side—and sharp CLAWS whiz past where I was standing before, leaving marks on the stone wall.

A kobold.

Taller than a goblin. Skinny. Grayish-blue skin. Big fangs. And a stare like a starving wolf.

'My reflexes just now...'

There's something in my chest that's throbbing—not my heart, but more like... a voice whispering in my mind: 'Back off. Now.'

I realize. My skill is active.

『Survivor's Instinct』

And I'm grateful. If I hadn't listened to that instinct...

I wouldn't have enough time to regret it.

The kobold attacks fast, its claws swinging like a scythe. But my body's already moving. I parry once, twice, then thrust straight toward its chest.

Another magic stone falls.

I stand up, catching my breath.

'Okay... this isn't a game.'

Honestly I don't feel scared when fighting monsters, just a little nervous.

Maybe because I trust my sword skills.

Picking up the magic stone, I continue looking for monsters to kill.

---

A few hours pass.

I don't know exactly what time it is now. The Dungeon doesn't have a sun.

But my body already feels tired.

I fought several goblins. One or two kobolds. Last one—two kobolds at once.

Even though my body's strong from working out, I'm still in the regular human category.

Body armor and sword feel heavy for me now as just a regular human.

That fight... made me realize.

Years of training really helped me. My sword technique is pretty good. But real monsters move wildly. They don't follow rules. They attack from unexpected places, scream, jump, sneak from dark corners.

I can survive—because of experience, and because my skill gives warnings almost like sharp intuition.

And now... I'm hungry.

Really hungry.

My stomach's rumbling, and my knees feel a little shaky. I haven't eaten since last night's party. And all that energy from the roasted chicken... burned out a long time ago.

I pick up the last magic stone from the kobold that's now lying as ash, then take a long breath.

Enough for today.

I start walking toward the exit, going through several corridors while staying alert.

In the distance, I see two other newbies—maybe my age—struggling against one goblin. They look panicked, but not reckless. They remind me of myself this morning.

We exchange glances. They nod slightly, and I nod back.

Fellow newbies.

We're all fighting to live.

Finally, light from the entrance starts showing in the distance. Wind from the surface feels like it's seeping through my pores, welcoming me like a hug from the world full of light.

For some reason, after getting out of the dungeon, relief washes over me. That's because being inside the dungeon made me feel uncomfortable.

Probably because it's my first time entering the dungeon so my body needs time to adapt.