August would be able to speak Koine from now on, thanks to an auto-translation blessing Hestia had bestowed on him through her divine power.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
The next morning, inside Hephaestus's office.
An intangible door suddenly materialized in the center of the room. With her divine senses, Hephaestus imdiately picked up on the anomaly.
"Welco back," Hephaestus drawled, leaning back in her chair.
She watched the mortal and the Goddess step out of the void. She imdiately noticed August, and more prominently, Hestia, who had changed into an outfit entirely alien to this era. Both of them were glowing, looking thoroughly refreshed.
"Looks like a successful trip." Hephaestus let out a low whistle. It was obvious the duo had co back fully geared up.
"Hehe." Hestia rubbed the back of her head, looking slightly bashful. "I have to admit, August's world is very peaceful. It's just... a little wild sotis."
After securing their new arsenal, the trip back to the apartnt turned out to be far more eventful than expected. Near the military base, a pair of gorgeous twins just so happened to bump into them. Later, a stunning woman in business attire, her long legs wrapped in silk stockings, tried to strike up a conversation from the window of a luxury car.
Hestia quickly realized that if she didn't assert dominance, these modern won were going to eat her alive.
Back in Orario, she had no choice but to endure watching other won circle her child. Her divine power had been sealed, and there was nothing she could do about it. But here on Earth, with her power fully restored, things were different. If these mortal won thought they could flirt with her Familia child right in front of her, they were gravely mistaken. Hestia made sure to show them exactly what divine possessiveness looked like.
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, easily reading her friend's smug aura. She had clearly enjoyed her ti on the other side.
"I take it you're ready, then." She shifted her gaze to August, knowing it was ti for him to enter the Dungeon.
"I'm ready," August nodded. He was fully prepped.
"Catch." Hephaestus walked over to an anvil near the forge, lifting a sleek set of armor and tossing it to August.
"Custom-forged light armor. Given your current build, heavy plate would just slow you down on your first descent."
It was a parting gift from the Goddess of Forging. She knew August was a cautious man who wouldn't throw his life away in the Labyrinth, making a high-mobility loadout the optimal choice.
"Thanks." August caught the chest piece and quickly strapped it on. The light armor fit him perfectly. As for weapons, his [Spatial Backpack] was already stocked with his own specialized gear.
"Let's go!" Hestia grabbed his arm, practically buzzing with anticipation. It was ti for her child to show the world what he could do.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
As soon as they stepped outside, Orario's familiar dieval fantasy atmosphere greeted them. August took in the sights and sounds of the city, drew a deep breath, and followed Hestia toward the Tower of Babel.
The early morning streets were already bustling with adventurers. They wore a chaotic mix of armor and robes, representing a wide array of races. Elves, beastn, dwarves, and Pallum crowded the thoroughfares.
When they reached the plaza beneath Babel, several veteran adventurers took notice of them. It was not every day that a goddess personally escorted one of their children to the entrance. Although August looked older and far more composed than the average rookie, Hestia's personal send-off made his inexperience obvious.
"Stay safe down there, August!" Hestia called out, completely ignoring the curious stares from the crowd.
"I will." August nodded. He took one last steadying breath and walked toward the grand entrance of the Dungeon.
The mont he crossed the threshold—
"Hey there, mister! In need of a Supporter?"
A Pallum carrying an oversized backpack trotted over. Spotting August as a fresh face, she pitched her services. It was the classic introductory rite of the Labyrinth.
August hadn't expected to be approached this quickly. He gave the small demi-human a quick visual appraisal.
"What is the deepest floor you've ever reached?" he asked.
He had to be strategic. He possessed a detailed map of the upper floors provided by Hephaestus, but the Dungeon was a living, breathing anomaly. A map was good, but an experienced local guide was better.
"?" The Pallum blinked in surprise. This guy was asking practical questions, unlike the usual cocky rookies.
She counted on her fingers for a second before confirming her deepest dive. "The fifth floor."
"Fifth floor?" August muttered, running the numbers.
The first five floors were relatively safe. Thanks to the divine protection of Ouranos—the God of the Sky—massive monster spawns and stampedes were rare in the upper strata. More importantly, now that he was officially a Level 1 adventurer, his physical stamina was vastly superior to a normal human's, aning he could maintain a rapid marching pace.
"I'll hire you." August paused for a mont. "But the work is going to be tough. Are you sure you want to take it?"
"Wait, seriously?" The Pallum was clearly surprised that a rookie was willing to hire a Supporter right from the start. Most of them were too arrogant for that.
She studied his face. His expression was dead serious. There was none of that naive, wide-eyed bravado typical of first-tirs.
"I accept!" she agreed imdiately.
A heavy workload was fine. He looked cautious, and more importantly, he wasn't looking down on her for being a Pallum. He was just laying out the terms. It was just a rookie run anyway. How bad could it possibly be?
"Let's move out, then," August said, gesturing toward the downward spiraling ramp.
"Yes, sir!" The Pallum hoisted her oversized backpack and quickly hurried after him.
However, their little exchange hadn't gone unnoticed. The veteran adventurers lingering near the entrance snickered, throwing open mockery their way.
"A rookie hiring a Supporter on day one? Guy's got more money than brains."
"Seriously. A Supporter is just a walking backpack. What's a pampered rookie who needs his Goddess to hold his hand going to do with that?"
"What a moron."
"Give it an hour. The Supporter will probably ditch him the second a goblin shows up."
"Nah, I bet the kid uses her as monster bait to save his own skin."
"Hahaha!"
The rough-looking veterans openly sneered at August. Hiring a Supporter for his very first run was seen as absurdly overconfident. To them, the kid looked like he had a death wish.
Hearing the cruel jeers, the Pallum tensed up. She nervously glanced up at August to gauge his reaction.
To her surprise, he didn't even flinch. He didn't shoot her a suspicious glare, nor did he acknowledge the laughing veterans. He just kept his eyes forward, his boots thudding steadily against the stone ramp leading down into the abyss.
Noticing her footsteps lagging behind, August briefly paused and looked back.
"What's wrong? Getting cold feet?"
"N-No! I'm coming!"
Seeing that he paid no mind to the toxic gossip, the Pallum felt a wave of relief. He was not playing so cruel joke. He actually wanted to hire her. She hitched her heavy pack higher onto her shoulders and jogged to catch up.
—•——•——•——•——•——•—
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