Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 1)
A shimmering circle of ancient glyphs hovered in midair just outside the grand entrance of the Dungeon. The symbols pulsed with slow, deliberate energy — each beat a heartbeat of forgotten magic. Then, in a flash of bluish-white light, a figure emerged from the center.
Nad took a breath as his boots hit the stone pathway, the heat from the circle fading behind him. He stood now in a world vastly different from the countless others he had wandered. Before him loomed the gaping maw of the Dungeon — massive, dark, breathing with life. The gateway to the depths of Orario. The heart of Danmachi.
"…Well, this is new," Nad said to himself, hands in his coat pockets. His tone was light, but his golden eyes flicked across the scene with curious sharpness. The sky above was bright and cloudless. Around him bustled the far edges of Orario's central district — distant voices, adventurer camps, and the low murmur of enchanted tools.
He turned to admire the towering stone arch that marked the Dungeon's entrance — and that's when he saw her.
She stood no more than twenty feet away, still as a statue, but her presence was undeniable. Cloaked in deep black and dark violet, she was like a fragment of the night standing in broad daylight. Her long silver hair cascaded past her shoulders, swaying slightly in the breeze. What caught Nad's attention most, however, were her eyes — or rather, the contrast between them.
One eye was a soft, cold gray — calm like moonlight over a grave. The other, vivid green — alive, flickering with some emotion he couldn't name.
They met eyes. Hers narrowed slightly.
"You're not from here," she said, her voice carrying low but clear over the ambient noise.
Nad smiled, unfazed. "And you're quick to notice."
"I can feel it." Her gaze was sharp. "You're a god."
"Guilty," Nad said, raising his hands playfully. "Though I don't like to introduce myself that way. Bit dramatic."
She didn't laugh. In fact, her expression didn't shift at all.
"You came through that circle," she said, glancing at the still-glowing residue of the teleportation rune behind him. "Why?"
"I was bored," Nad replied with a grin, as if that were an entirely valid reason to travel between worlds. "Figured I'd go somewhere… interesting."
That made her blink — just once — but her stance remained guarded. She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Most gods descend for a Familia. Or for power. You don't feel like them."
"I've only been here for…" he glanced at an imaginary watch, "…two minutes? Cut me some slack."
She hesitated — something about his tone, his behavior, didn't fit. Most gods were haughty or aloof. This one was almost... casual. Lighthearted. And yet she could feel the divine aura emanating from him, faint but unmistakable — like an ember buried under snow.
Nad took a step closer, still respecting her space. "I'm Nad. Traveler. Observer. Occasional nuisance."
Her lips twitched at that last part. "Alfia."
He nodded slowly. "Nice to meet you, Alfia."
A silence settled between them, tense but not uncomfortable. Nad glanced at the Dungeon entrance, then back at her. "You guarding the place, or thinking about going in?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her gaze flicked briefly toward the dark entryway of the Dungeon, then returned to him.
"I wasn't going to go in," she said softly. "Not anymore. I just wanted to stand here… and think."
Nad raised an eyebrow. "Dangerous place to reflect."
"Fitting," she muttered. "For someone like me."
Something in her tone caught Nad's attention. Pain. Regret. He could feel it radiating off her like waves of heat.
He tilted his head, intrigued. "What's someone like you doing out here alone?"
She didn't look at him this time. "Thinking about how to disappear."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 2)
Nad didn't respond right away. Instead, he simply stood next to her — a quiet presence, unjudging. He looked out at the open stone archway with its swirling shadows, at the countless footsteps worn into the ground. His voice, when it came, was gentler.
"You're not the first person I've met who wanted to vanish," he said. "But you might be the first I've met at the threshold of a living world. That's rare."
Alfia turned to face him fully now, her mismatched eyes narrow but unreadable. "You've been to other worlds?"
"I travel," Nad replied with a shrug. "Call it a hobby. The last nine were dead. Dust, cold winds, and the bones of forgotten cities. This… this place is alive. The Dungeon pulses like a heart. The gods here can bleed. The mortals can rise."
He smiled faintly. "It's refreshing."
"Then go enjoy it," she muttered, but it lacked bite.
Nad's expression softened. "You don't want to die."
She blinked. "You don't know me."
"I don't," he admitted. "But I can feel it — not just because I'm a god. I can see it in your eyes. You're not here to end your story. You're here because you don't know how to turn the page."
That silenced her.
He continued, his voice lower. "You were hurt. Something inside you broke — and you think it can't be fixed. But it can. With the right magic… or the right person."
Alfia stared at him, unsure what to say. The gods were supposed to be distant. Powerful. Aloof. But this one was… present.
And then he did something unexpected.
He held out a hand, palm up.
"I can't promise I can fix everything. But I can offer help. Right now. If you want it."
She looked at the hand. Slowly, reluctantly, she pulled something from the pouch at her side — a few small, glowing shards. Monster crystals. Cracked, but still humming with energy.
She placed them in his palm.
"They're not much," she said.
"They're enough," Nad replied, already kneeling. With his free hand, he drew a small glyph in the dirt with the tip of his finger — a tight spiral surrounded by three outer rings. He placed the monster crystals in the center, then pressed his fingertips into the dust, humming softly.
The circle lit up.
Wind stirred around them — light, then stronger, flaring outward in a gentle pulse. The crystals cracked apart into a fine powder, which lifted into the air and swirled around Nad's hand before sinking into his skin.
A moment later, his palm glowed.
He looked up at her. "I'll need contact. Just your hand."
She hesitated, then extended her arm.
Nad gently wrapped his hand around hers. "This won't fix everything," he said. "But it'll give you some space to breathe."
A second pulse of light surged through the circle. Alfia gasped. It wasn't pain — it was absence of pain. Her muscles relaxed. The deep ache in her chest — the illness that had hollowed her since the fight with Leviathan — loosened its grip.
Her eyes widened. "It… feels like before. Before everything."
Nad let go of her hand, the light fading.
"It's temporary," he said. "With real materials and a proper anchor, I can do more. But for now, that's all the magic I can spare. Your condition is…" He trailed off, searching for a word.
"A puzzle," she finished.
Nad smiled. "Exactly."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 3)
Alfia remained silent for a while, flexing her fingers as if the absence of pain felt foreign to her. Her gaze wandered from the fading glow of the magic circle to Nad, who had plopped down on a nearby rock with absolutely no sense of divine decorum.
"You're not like other gods," she finally said.
He looked up at her with mock offense. "You've met a lot of gods, have you?"
"A few," she replied dryly. "None of them act like this."
"Well, most gods take themselves way too seriously. It's exhausting." He leaned back and grinned up at the cloudless sky. "You looked like you were about to throw yourself into a metaphorical pit of despair, so I figured, why not offset the mood a bit?"
She frowned. "You changed how you speak."
"Ah!" He pointed at her, grinning. "You noticed. Smart. Okay, confession time—" He leaned forward theatrically. "You were being very intense. Serious. Brooding, even. And if we both act like that, this entire story gets too grim too fast. So I decided to go full charming chaos mode. It's a balance thing."
"…Charming chaos?"
"Trademark pending," he said with a wink.
She blinked, then sighed. "You're going to be exhausting."
"You've already imagined our future, haven't you?" he said with a lopsided grin. "I saw the expression. You looked like someone reliving a thousand headaches in fast-forward."
"That obvious?"
"Very."
There was a long pause. Then, quietly, she asked, "Why help me?"
Nad's expression shifted. The grin faded, just a little. "Because you were about to disappear. And that would've been a waste. I can't fix everything, but if I can make someone's story just a bit longer — more interesting, more alive — I will."
She didn't reply, but her eyes lowered to the ground. Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Anyway," he said, standing up and brushing off his coat. "If we're going to keep you alive and fabulous, we'll need actual resources. Magic crystals, materials, maybe a nice couch. I'm thinking a villa. Definitely needs a balcony."
"…What?"
"Don't worry about it. First things first: we need a base of operations. Somewhere I can create a proper anchor for my magic — maybe even a Dungeon Core if I'm feeling productive."
Alfia turned to him sharply. "A what?"
"A Dungeon Core," Nad repeated. "Small, spherical, probably glowing. Not dangerous — unless you're rude. I can make one. Just one. Any more and I'd be asking for drama."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're telling me you can create an entire dungeon?"
Nad raised a finger. "Not telling you. Offering you."
She stared at him, long and hard. Then, to Nad's surprise, she smiled — just a little. "You're insane."
He grinned wider. "Compliment accepted."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 4)
Alfia stared at him as if trying to decide whether he was being serious or if this was just more of his bizarre divine humor.
"You're… offering me a dungeon?" she repeated, slowly.
"No-no-no," Nad waved his hands. "Not you. Us. Our dungeon. I'll build it, but we're in this together now. You did say I could heal you, right? Gotta pay the rent on that miracle somehow."
She frowned. "Aren't gods forbidden from creating dungeons? That's… a bit extreme."
"Oh, absolutely forbidden," Nad agreed cheerfully. "But! As long as no one finds out —" he lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper "— it's only morally questionable."
"That is not how the rules work."
"I'm new here," he said innocently, shrugging. "Give me time to misinterpret all the laws properly."
Despite herself, Alfia snorted. She covered her mouth quickly, but the sound had escaped. Nad's grin widened at the rare crack in her stoic armor.
"So," he said after a moment. "We'll need materials. Monster crystals — preferably a good number of them. And, well, a home base. I'm not casting divine-tier architecture magic from a back alley or a soggy ruin."
"There are ruins near the western edge of Orario," Alfia offered slowly. "Nobody wants that land — not since the surface collapsed after the last monster surge. The Guild practically gives it away."
"Ooooh, I love when things are almost free," Nad said with a sparkle in his eye. "Point me toward the property listings."
Alfia gave him a sideways glance. "You don't have any valis."
"I have charm. And mild divine charisma. And also—" He held up one of the partially cracked monster crystals she had collected earlier. "—magical credit."
Alfia took a deep breath. "Alright. Here's the plan. We go to the Guild. I help you get land. You — somehow — don't cause a divine incident. After that, I give you the rest of the crystals I've been collecting and you heal me. Properly."
Nad stood tall, hand over heart. "Madam, I swear on my semi-existent reputation that I will not do anything even mildly cataclysmic. Unless necessary. Or very funny."
She gave him a long look. "That's not a promise."
"That's the best kind of promise."
Another sigh left her lips, but this time it wasn't heavy with despair — just reluctant amusement.
"One more thing," she said, turning serious again. "If you do make a dungeon… no one else is to know. Not unless they've been in your Familia for months and I trust them to keep it secret. Understand?"
Nad tilted his head. "Why the secrecy?"
"Because you're already bending the rules just by existing here," she said. "And if others learn about a god-made dungeon… you'll draw attention. Dangerous attention. The kind of attention that gets gods sent back to Heaven."
He scratched his chin, then nodded. "Alright. I'll keep it secret. Pinky promise."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're going to seal this pact with a pinky?"
He held out his pinky seriously. "Divine pinky. Comes with extra binding power."
After a pause, Alfia wrapped her smaller pinky around his. "You're absolutely insane."
"And now we're co-conspirators," he said with a grin. "Welcome to the Nad Familia — population two."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 5)
The Guild headquarters was as bustling as ever. Adventurers of all ranks flowed in and out like waves, their voices echoing through the grand hall of stone and polished wood. The air was thick with the scent of parchment, sweat, and anticipation. Alfia walked ahead, her expression unreadable, while Nad trailed behind her with a bright, almost tourist-like fascination in his eyes.
"This place has such an... urban dungeon chic vibe," he mused, spinning slowly as he admired the architecture. "Are all bureaucratic buildings in this world this extra?"
"Yes," Alfia said without looking back. "Try not to talk too much. Or sparkle."
"But I sparkle naturally," he whispered with mock seriousness.
Despite herself, the corner of Alfia's mouth twitched upward. She didn't let him see.
As they reached the front desk, the receptionist blinked up at them. She was young, her uniform crisp and professional, but her eyes went wide the moment they landed on Nad.
"You're… a god."
"I know, right? It's the eyebrows," Nad said, pointing at them confidently.
The receptionist blinked again. "I… uh… need to get a supervisor."
"I get that a lot," Nad said cheerfully, waving her off.
Within minutes, two other Guild officials arrived — one of them older, with sharp eyes and a meticulous mustache. The other…
"Oh hey! Hermes!" Nad called, waving dramatically. "Fancy meeting you here!"
Hermes stopped mid-stride, his eyes narrowing as he took in the strange new face. "You're… not on the registry," he said slowly.
"I am the registry," Nad said solemnly, placing a hand on his chest. "Or at least I will be once this form is signed."
Hermes pinched the bridge of his nose. "Another free-spirited god. Just what we needed."
Alfia stepped forward. "He's new to this world. But he's registered me to his Familia."
That got their attention.
"You're—" the mustached official started.
"Alfia," she said plainly. "Formerly of the Hera Familia. Later associated with Erebus. I was cleared of wrongdoing. I never killed anyone. The gods present at my hearing confirmed that."
Hermes nodded slowly. "I was there. She told the truth. She was a part of something dangerous, yes — but she never crossed the line."
Nad leaned forward toward the mustached man. "Also, just saying — I can tell when someone's lying. Very handy divine feature. 10/10 would recommend."
The Guild man frowned. "We'll need documentation. Forms. A full review."
"Of course," Nad said, then snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, glittering flower petals swirled through the air. A magical chime rang out. A clipboard appeared in a sparkle cloud, gently drifting down into his hand like it was descending from the heavens.
Hermes sighed. "Please stop doing that."
"I'm countering the seriousness," Nad said with a grin. "She's way too dramatic on her own. You want her to balance her life, right?"
The Guild official was speechless. Alfia simply folded her arms.
"This is what I warned you about," she muttered to Hermes.
"I thought you were exaggerating," Hermes muttered back.
Nad held out the clipboard. "So! I'd like to buy some abandoned ruins. Preferably crumbling. Hauntingly beautiful. With enough structural instability to keep things exciting."
"You're… being serious," the mustached man asked.
"Deadly serious," Nad said, then added, "Unless that's a problem, in which case I'm only mostly serious."
Hermes looked between Alfia and Nad again, then turned to the Guild rep. "Let him buy the land. Just… make sure he signs everything."
Alfia sighed as Nad leaned in to sign the documents, humming some incomprehensible theme song to himself as he did.
"So…" she asked Hermes, "how long do you think it'll take for him to set off something catastrophic?"
Hermes thought for a second. "Three weeks. Maybe four."
"I give it two."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 5, Revised)
The Orario Guild Hall loomed like a fortress of stone and history, echoing with the chatter of adventurers and the rustling of documents. Nad's arrival did not go unnoticed — the moment he stepped through the doors, the divine presence he barely suppressed sent a shiver through the more perceptive Guild workers.
Whispers spread like wildfire. But the real tension in the room sparked when they saw who was walking beside him.
"Is that… Alfia?" one receptionist whispered.
"I thought she disappeared after the Erebus Familia was destroyed…"
"I heard she killed dozens—"
Alfia ignored the stares. Her posture was proud, her expression unreadable. Beside her, Nad walked with hands behind his back, like a guest touring a museum. His golden-emerald eyes scanned everything with unfiltered curiosity.
They reached the front desk, where a young clerk froze upon recognizing Alfia. Her hand hovered near the emergency bell, eyes darting toward the Guild's inner offices.
"Please don't," Nad said cheerfully, before she could ring. "She's not here to start a war. Also, I'm Nad, nice to meet you. I'll be needing a registration form — and a plot of land, if you've got one going cheap."
The clerk opened her mouth, closed it again, then stood stiffly. "W-we need a supervisor. Please wait."
Within minutes, a trio of officials emerged. Among them was Hermes, his smile polite but wary. The moment he saw Alfia, the smile faded. His gaze then drifted to Nad.
"You're not on the divine registry," Hermes said slowly.
"Nope. Fresh arrival," Nad said, stepping forward with an open hand. "Name's Nad. Lover of balance, fine architecture, and dramatic entrances. You must be Hermes."
Hermes didn't take the hand immediately. "And you're traveling with her."
Alfia met his gaze evenly. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I have something to say."
Hermes crossed his arms. "Then say it."
"I joined Erebus willingly," she began. "But I never killed anyone. I played the villain to drive adventurers to improve — to challenge them. I injured some. Scared many. But I never crossed the line."
Silence followed. Eyes turned to Hermes, who studied her with divine focus.
"She's telling the truth," he finally said. "No lies detected. She… believed what she was doing served a purpose."
A breath of tension lifted from the Guild staff nearby.
Nad stepped forward. "Thank you, Hermes. That means a lot. Now, second item on the agenda — Alfia is joining my Familia."
A wave of muttering followed. Hermes raised an eyebrow.
"You've been here for what, an hour?"
"And already making friends!" Nad beamed.
The lead Guild official stepped in, stern-faced. "That is highly irregular. A god must register, complete the approval process—"
Nad raised a hand, and with a shimmer of light, a bundle of documents appeared mid-air and floated gently into the man's hands. "Forms. Signed and everything. And before you ask — yes, that sparkle was absolutely necessary."
Alfia rolled her eyes. Hermes groaned.
"Gods like you are going to give me gray hair," Hermes muttered.
"Only if you're lucky," Nad said with a wink.
The Guild began reviewing the paperwork while murmuring among themselves. Meanwhile, Nad leaned toward Alfia, voice low and amused. "You're more infamous than I thought."
She gave him a sidelong glance. "You still want me in your Familia?"
"Absolutely," he said. "Besides, I like puzzles."
She blinked at him, surprised. Then she looked away.
For the first time in what felt like years, the ghost of a smile touched her lips.
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 6)
The ink on the paperwork hadn't even dried when Nad and Alfia left the Guild building. The murmurs and glances followed them out, but Nad didn't seem bothered. If anything, he was enjoying himself.
"You really have a talent for turning chaos into theater," Alfia said, arms folded as she walked beside him.
"I am a god," Nad replied with a mischievous grin. "What else am I supposed to do? Fill out forms like a mortal?"
She gave him a tired look. "That's… literally what you just did."
"Ah, but with style." Nad twirled, his coat fluttering slightly as he made a theatrical flourish. "Even bureaucracy can sparkle."
Alfia sighed, but she didn't protest.
Their destination wasn't far — a ruined lot on the fringes of the city, just beyond the reach of main roads. Cracked stones and decayed foundations marked where buildings once stood. Weeds grew high, and rubble lay like forgotten memories.
"This is it?" she asked.
Nad stepped forward, crouching to press his fingers against the earth. The ground pulsed faintly in response. "Yes. Cheap, abandoned, and within legal limits. It's perfect."
"You're going to build your Familia house here?"
"Better," Nad said. "A sanctuary. A fortress. A temple. A home."
From a small satchel hanging at his side, he drew a handful of crushed monster crystals. Powdered, gleaming with subtle energy, they shimmered with hints of blue, green, and violet.
Alfia watched with interest. "Those are from the first few floors of the Dungeon?"
"Yep. You did good collecting them." Nad held the powder to his palm and stepped into the center of the ruined foundation. "Now… watch closely."
The air shimmered. Magic gathered like wind being pulled into a whirlpool. The powdered crystals lifted into the air and spun in a slow spiral. Nad moved his hands in precise motions, drawing symbols with his fingertips — a dance of ancient signs and circles.
With a deep, echoing hum, the ruins began to transform.
Rubble was drawn together like metal to a magnet. Stones shaped themselves into smooth plates; rusted beams straightened and fused. Dust compacted into treated wood. Pipes slithered into place beneath the soil, connecting like veins.
A stone wall rose in a perfect circle around them — five points, connected by arcane channels of energy, formed a pentagram-like layout with a circular path separating inner and outer zones. At the center, the foundation of a European-style villa emerged, complete with pillars and arches.
The entire process took minutes.
Alfia stared, jaw slightly parted. "That's…"
"A good start," Nad said, dusting his hands. "Interior will take longer. I'm going for a Renaissance-meets-2025 look."
She blinked. "That's oddly specific."
"I know what I like."
He walked to the center of the garden space and crouched again, this time pressing a fresh batch of crystal powder into a shallow circle.
"Don't worry," he added without looking up, "the real heart of this place won't be visible yet."
"You mean the Dungeon?" she asked cautiously.
"Yes. But you were right." Nad glanced up at her, this time his expression serious. "We keep it a secret. No one knows unless they're in the Familia for a long time — and I mean earn that trust."
Alfia nodded slowly. "It's not just your secret to keep anymore."
"I know." He smiled faintly. "That's why I trust you with it."
She looked away again, arms crossed. "...Idiot."
The sound of the wind filled the silence. Then—
POOF
A puff of glittering smoke exploded near the entrance of the house as Nad snapped his fingers. A sparkly wooden sign appeared, hanging slightly crooked:
"Nad Familia – Under Construction, Enter at Your Own Sparkly Risk."
Alfia stared. "Really?"
Nad beamed. "We've got to set expectations early."
Chapter 1 – The Arrival of a New God (Part 7)
Inside the newly conjured home, the air was warm and filled with the scent of old stone and fresh timber. The walls shimmered faintly with residual magic, runes slowly dimming after their first awakening. It was sparse, but stable. A true foundation.
Beneath the floorboards, in a small, hidden chamber reachable only by Nad's handprint, a crimson-bricked hearth dominated the otherwise bare space. Carved into the fireplace's back wall was a sigil — sharp, alien curves interlocked into a symmetrical, arcane pattern.
This was no ordinary basement.
"This," Nad said, brushing dust from the top of the stone mantle, "is the beginning."
Alfia stood in the doorway, her mismatched eyes — grey and green — watching with skeptical curiosity. "So this is where your Dungeon will be?"
Nad nodded, pressing his palm into the stone. The sigil flared with soft grey light. The shadows inside the fireplace danced unnaturally, coiling into a shape that flickered like living flame — but it was cold, colorless.
A gateway.
"Not yet fully active," Nad muttered. "But enough to do what I promised."
Alfia stepped forward, slow and cautious. "The healing…"
He extended his hand. "Give me the last of the powdered crystals."
She did. The dust glistened, faintly humming with the lingering magic of low-level monsters. Nad scattered it across the stone floor in a circle, and as it touched, the lines lit up — forming a temporary magic array.
"Step into the center," he instructed gently.
She hesitated, then obeyed. As her boots crossed into the circle, the chamber filled with soft wind, spiraling upward. The symbols pulsed. The cold light wrapped around her form — not harsh or burning, but warm, like moonlight through leaves.
Her breath caught.
It wasn't dramatic. There were no screams or bursts of holy flame — just silence. Peace.
Her limbs lost the constant weight they'd carried for so long. Her chest loosened. The fire behind her eyes, that constant pain, dulled… then vanished.
She blinked. The room was still spinning with soft magic, but her body… was still.
"...I don't hurt anymore," she whispered.
Nad looked at her with a soft smile. "Temporary, for now. I need better materials for permanent results. But I told you I'd help."
Her hands clenched into fists. Her shoulders trembled slightly — not with anger or pain.
With relief.
"Why?" she asked after a pause. "Why go this far?"
Nad turned toward the flickering shadowgate, gaze distant. "Because you're more than what they think you are. And because I was bored."
She stared at him for a long while, then looked away — but not before a faint, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Idiot."
Epilogue – Threads of Fate
Later that evening, the stars glimmered over the city of Orario, but one spot in the distance now pulsed with a different light — a subtle, divine hum beneath the veil of ordinary.
Inside a forgotten lot, a new Familia was born. No fanfare. No ceremony. Just two souls — a once-fallen warrior and a god with too much time and curiosity.
"Tomorrow," Nad said, leaning back on the villa's unfinished balcony, "we visit the Guild again. Time to make this official."
"...Do I have to come?" Alfia muttered from behind him, wrapped in a blanket and sipping tea.
"Oh absolutely," he grinned. "There will be sparkles."
Her groan echoed into the quiet night, chased by Nad's soft laughter.
The stage was set.