The soft jingling of gold jewelry and the rustling of silk fabric slowly died down. Inside the circular hall on the 30th floor of the Tower of Babel, dozens of gods and goddesses who had been busy gossiping now focused their attention entirely on the center of the room.
A large Divine Mirror placed on the round table began to emit a pale blue glow. Its clear glass surface rippled gently like water, before finally displaying the silhouette of an old man sitting upright on a stone throne inside a dark underground prayer room. His blazing blue eyes pierced through the mirror screen, radiating an absolute authority that made the air in the Denatus hall feel much denser.
Ouranos, the founding god of Orario, swept his gaze over the entire audience before his heavy, echoing voice filled the room.
"I called you all here tonight not to spread useless panic," Ouranos began, every syllable sounding like crashing rocks. "But rather to present the Guild's preliminary investigation results on the three anomalies that have shaken the Gekai recently. We will start with the earthquake that occurred last night."
Loki propped her chin on her hand, her usually tightly closed eyes now open slightly, revealing a sharp red glint. Across from her, Hermes stopped twirling his hat, his playful smile fading into an expression full of interest.
"The Guild has sent elite exploration teams to comb the labyrinth since dawn today," continued Ouranos. "The reports they brought back are highly unnatural. From the Upper Floors to the Middle Floors, monsters have stopped spawning. Not a single anomaly has crept out of the labyrinth walls. Meanwhile, on the Lower Floors, the monster spawn rate has dropped drastically until only a small fraction of the normal amount remains."
The room was instantly filled with a surprised buzz. Hephaestus, sitting next to Venti, frowned deeply, staring at the mirror with a grim expression.
The cessation of the monster spawning process on the early floors was not something to be taken lightly. It violated the basic nature of the Dungeon as a tireless monster producer.
"Those of you who have been in Orario for a long time surely understand what this phenomenon means," Ouranos's voice commanded the room once again. "The Dungeon is a living entity. Last night's earthquake was no ordinary natural disaster. It was a physical response to extremely severe structural damage at the bottom of the labyrinth."
Ouranos paused his sentence, letting the weight of his information sink into the minds of the immortal entities before him. "The Dungeon is currently deploying almost all its energy to repair the damage on the deepest floors, so it is forced to halt its energy supply for spawning monsters on the upper floors. Based on the Guild's calculations, it will take weeks until the labyrinth ecosystem returns to normal."
"Severe damage on the lower floors?" interrupted a large-armed god from across the table. "What do you mean, Ouranos? An earthquake that strong purely due to damage? Not because a giant floor boss suddenly went on a rampage?"
From behind the Divine Mirror, Ouranos shook his head slowly. "Right before the earthquake occurred, I, who continuously offer prayers from underground, felt something. The Dungeon's will... it didn't merely react. It raged. Something, or someone, triggered a massive-scale battle in the depths of the labyrinth, destroying the foundation of the lower floors until it made the Dungeon writhe in pain."
A momentary silence enveloped the round table. The gods looked at each other with furrowed brows.
Wild murmurs began to break out, unstoppable.
"A battle on the lower floors whose impact sent shockwaves shaking all of Orario?" whispered a goddess with wide eyes. "Even in the golden era of the Zeus and Hera Familia, those crazy children of theirs never caused an earthquake to this extent! At best, their magic explosions only damaged a few walls which slightly reduced the number of upper floor monsters!" exclaimed another god with explosive enthusiasm. "What kind of monsters are fighting down there? Or... could it be that giant Irregular monsters are devouring each other?"
Amidst the sea of speculation and wild debates of the gods, Venti sat back very calmly. The God of Wind simply crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand, and put on a very convincing curious face, as if he were truly hearing this news for the first time.
Of course the earthquake was very strong, chuckled Venti inwardly. The suicidal explosion of the Corrupted Spirit on the Lower Floors severely damaged the labyrinth's foundation. Thank goodness the Dungeon is busy repairing itself right now, so the traces of that cursed spirit's explosion will surely be covered up by wall regeneration soon before the Guild has a chance to investigate further.
Ouranos cleared his throat loudly, his baritone voice immediately cutting through the commotion at the round table.
"The identity of the fighting parties at the bottom of the labyrinth remains a mystery," asserted Ouranos. "Therefore, the Guild strictly forbids any Familia from forcing their way down to the Lower Floors until the labyrinth's structure stabilizes again. Violations of this ban will be dealt with firmly."
The Divine Mirror blinked slowly, its blue light reflection illuminating the serious faces around it. "Now, we move on to the second anomaly. The roar from the northern end of the world. Regarding this matter, the School District has volunteered to go investigate directly for the safety of the Gekai. Baldr, please take over."
All eyes were now fixed on the figure of the golden-blonde-haired man sitting upright on the right side of the table. Baldr, the God of Light and the supreme leader of the School District, stood with the elegance of true nobility. His pristine white, fully covered uniform reflected the discipline of the giant seafaring city he led. His androgynous face looked calm, but his eyes, as blue as the spring sky, radiated a sharp seriousness.
"Thank you, Ouranos," said Baldr, his voice flowing melodiously yet demanding absolute attention. "As you know, our fleet was sailing not far from the northern waters when that terrifying roar was heard. Considering it was related to the Dragon Valley where the One-Eyed Black Dragon is sealed, I sent my strongest knight, Leon Vardenburg, to investigate directly."
The name Leon Vardenburg immediately drew respectful murmurs. He was a Level 6 existence, an honorable knight of the School District whose strength was recognized to rival the elite adventurers in Orario.
"Initially, Leon's report was quite relieving," continued Baldr, his expression turning slightly tense. "From a distance, the Dragon Valley looked intact. There were no signs of the Black Dragon flying out of its nest. However... when Leon and his elite team stepped deeper toward the valley, they found an anomaly that could not be explained at all by logic or the magic we know."
Loki leaned forward, her lazy smirk vanishing. "What kind of anomaly could confuse a Level 6 knight, Baldr?"
Baldr turned toward the Goddess of Deceit. "The giant storm wind seal that for years has restrained the Black Dragon in the northern territory... has now vanished without a trace."
The Denatus hall instantly erupted in a boisterous debate. The disappearance of the OEBD seal was tantamount to an apocalyptic threat to the world. If that Final Calamity were free, not a single one of them could stop it. But Baldr immediately raised his hand high, asking for calm.
"Calm down! Let me finish my explanation," prevented Baldr with a louder tone. "The old storm seal is indeed gone. But in its place, Leon found a new layer of seal that is far more mysterious. A veil that is highly transparent, pure, and does not emit any magic fluctuations."
"A new, transparent seal?" Hermes interjected, tapping his fingers on the table with a furrowed brow. "Then what is the problem? Isn't it good if the dragon is trapped inside a new, stronger seal?"
"The problem lies in the fundamental nature of the veil itself, Hermes," answered Baldr softly. "When Leon stepped inside, passing through the transparent layer, he felt no physical resistance. There was no strong wind repelling him, no magic explosion. But, the deeper he stepped... he never arrived at his destination."
The gods frowned, trying to digest the God of Light's words. Among them, Artemis, sitting across the room, seemed to narrow her sharp green eyes, while Aphrodite stopped twirling her blonde hair.
"Leon is a Level 6 adventurer whose senses are very sharp," Baldr explained slowly. "He kept walking forward at full speed for hours. But eventually, he realized that the scenery around him was repeating. Every time he stepped forward through a certain distance, the space around him twisted in a very subtle and absolute way. Unconsciously, he always returned to the starting point where he began walking."
Baldr took a deep breath. "A perfect loop. An illusion of space and time. They kept walking, but in reality, they were only moving in place. As if the valley was there, but refused to be touched by the world."
Total silence enveloped the hall of the Tower of Babel. The gods—beings who mastered various Arcanum concepts—were stunned to hear it.
"Bending reality to create a permanent spatial loop on a regional scale?" Hephaestus muttered in disbelief beside Venti, her red eye widening. "That's not just high-level barrier magic. That is a direct modification of natural laws! Who in the Gekai is capable of doing such an impossible thing without triggering a warning from Tenkai?"
"Did the dragon evolve and master space manipulation magic?!" exclaimed a god from a small Familia with a pale face. "Or perhaps there is an ancient Great Spirit who sacrificed themselves to lock the monster inside an isolated space?!" guessed another goddess with a voice trembling from excessive enthusiasm.
While the gods debated wildly, Venti bowed his head, hiding the smirk clearly etched on his face.
Ah, what an accurate report, Leon Vardenburg, thought Venti, feeling very satisfied with his masterpiece. He recalled the moment atop the Black Dragon's chest, when he had to burn half of his authority's power to create that miracle.
That is Temporal Severance—Time Separation, Venti thought proudly. I didn't just twist space, but I cut the temporal coordinates of the Dragon Valley from the main timeline of this world. As long as that veil stands, the dragon is trapped in one repeating past phase. It will never be able to reach the 'future', while anyone from the outside trying to enter will only slip on the surface of time and be returned to their present. A prison without iron bars.
"The School District recommends that no Familia attempt to approach the northern territory for the time being," concluded Baldr, ending his report before sitting back down elegantly, letting his authority quell the commotion around him. "We do not know what is actually happening inside that loop. Forcing entry will only risk damaging the structure of that strange seal and bring unnecessary disaster to the whole world."
Ouranos nodded in agreement from behind the mirror. "A wise suggestion, Baldr. The Guild will issue an official S-rank warning to prohibit all forms of expeditions to the northern territory."
The founding god then sighed, his voice lowering slightly as he entered the final agenda. "And now... the third anomaly. The pillar of light from the Far East. The forced repatriation of a god to Tenkai."
This topic was something that always caught the gods' attention. The destruction of a physical vessel—which forced a god to return to heaven prematurely—was a rather rare occurrence, especially if it happened outside Orario without a clear cause.
"The Guild has conducted a thorough census and check of all officially affiliated gods in Orario, as well as our allied gods in neighboring cities," Ouranos explained firmly. "The result is nil."
"So, the repatriated god has absolutely no affiliation with the Guild?" Artemis finally spoke up. The Goddess of Chastity's tone was firm and straightforward. "Then who is it? Why would a god without an identity hide so far away at the eastern edge?"
Ouranos looked at Artemis from the mirror screen. "That is the final conclusion of our investigation. Given the lack of official data, the greatest possibility is that the god is part of a radical god group secretly building power out there. One of the higher-ups from Evilus—the dark organization that has recently begun to exploit the power vacuum following the fall of the Zeus and Hera Familia."
Murmurs of agreement swept the round table. If the one who died and was sent home was an Evilus follower god, then most Familias in Orario actually felt indifferent, or even grateful.
"Tch, turns out it's just a sewer pest from Evilus," Loki snorted roughly, crossing her arms behind her head casually. "I thought there was a mysterious assassin hunting for our heads. Just let those remaining pieces of trash kill each other out there."
Aphrodite adjusted her sitting position, her elegant and captivating evening gown slightly revealing. She smiled seductively, but her eyes radiated obvious indifference. "So the point is, someone kindly took care of a disgusting god in the Far East for us. Shouldn't we be thanking whoever that unknown person is instead of making a fuss about it here?"
Ouranos raised his hand, preparing to conclude the meeting. "The facts have been laid out. The Guild will raise the city's alertness to the highest level. And I re—"
"Wait a minute, Ouranos," a cheerful yet sharp voice cut the founding god off.
All eyes at the round table immediately turned toward the source of the voice. Hermes, the Messenger God, stood up from his chair. He twirled his feathered hat on his fingertip, while his bright orange eyes narrowed with an obvious glint of cunning.
"Before we close this incredibly thrilling Denatus," Hermes smiled widely, walking around his chair casually, "there is one small detail—very small, actually—that has been bothering my mind since earlier."
Ouranos fell silent behind the Divine Mirror, while Loki raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly that the hatted god was planning something.
Hermes stopped his steps. His eyes now looked straight at the dark-haired young man in the green cloak sitting leaning back casually among the gods.
"It's about our new friend, God Venti," said Hermes, his voice flowing lightly but echoing throughout the suddenly silent room.
Venti raised his eyebrows slowly, returning Hermes's gaze with an innocent, guiltless smile. "What's the matter with me, Hermes? Did I miss my turn to pay for drinks at the tavern?"
A small laugh was heard from a few gods, but Hermes did not falter. His smile actually deepened.
"A week ago, right when that dragon in the North roared, I, Loki, Freya, and Ganesha went to visit your old church," Hermes began his attack, his voice designed to be heard by every ear in the hall. "Your captain—or should I call her the former executive of the Hera Familia, Silence Alfia—intercepted us at the door. She fiercely told us that you were out of town looking for... wine."
Murmurs began to spread among the gods. Mentioning Alfia and the Hera Familia directly always triggered a reaction.
Hermes spread his arms. "Isn't that a very fantastic coincidence, Venti? The giant wind seal in the North suddenly vanishes and turns into an anomaly, right when a new God of Wind happens to be out of town."
Hermes twirled his hat, smiling enigmatically. "Of course, we all know a god cannot use Arcanum in the lower world without being instantly repatriated to Tenkai. So, you couldn't possibly have done it yourself. But... isn't it strange? Did you meet the existence that altered that seal? Or perhaps, you intentionally went there because you know who the mastermind behind the seal's manipulation is?"
Hermes's eyes then narrowed, locking onto Venti mercilessly. "Then, let's talk about the earthquake yesterday. A pure destructive power capable of collapsing the lower floors of the labyrinth. Not even Familias as big as Loki's or Freya's would reach such a destructive scale. In this current era, the only adventurer in the entire Gekai known to possess destruction magic that strong is Alfia alone."
The room fell into a freezing silence. Hermes's accusation was truly deadly.
"Her god happens to be out there when the Black Dragon anomaly occurs and hides its secret. And exactly when her god returns yesterday, his golden child is the only suspect capable of collapsing the bottom of the labyrinth," pressed Hermes, his voice becoming a deadly whisper. "So, Venti... can you tell us, does this Familia of yours know anything about this string of apocalypses?"
For a few seconds, Venti just remained silent. He stared at Hermes with his unreadable clear green eyes, while the aura of suspicion from dozens of other gods began to press down on him from all directions.
Then, slowly... Venti's shoulders shook.
"Bwahahahahaha!"
The crisp laughter of the God of Wind exploded, shattering the absolute tension in the room to pieces. Venti laughed uproariously until he had to hold his stomach, as if he had just heard the best joke in all of Tenkai.
"Oh my, Hermes! Hahahaha!" Venti wiped the corners of his eyes, pretending to tear up from laughing. "Implicating me as a secret witness to the manipulation of the absolute space seal in the Black Dragon's nest? And accusing Alfia of being the labyrinth destroyer yesterday? I am truly flattered by that incredibly wild imagination of yours!"
Venti leaned forward, returning Hermes's gaze with an impenetrable playful smile. "Think about the simple logic, smart Hermes. You all know Alfia's current condition. She is a severely ill retiree due to her curse, and she almost never leaves the church because she's busy caring for her heavily pregnant sister. You're accusing an ailing woman who is nursing a pregnant mother of going down to the Lower Floors alone yesterday and destroying the labyrinth? Truly a good joke!"
Venti spread his arms wide toward the whole hall. "And me? Knowing the black dragon's secret and hiding it? If we really harbored information and power as tremendous as you mention, why would we live in an old church with a leaky roof and fuss over the cost of roof renovations tonight? If I had a secret that dangerous, I would have already sold the information to the Guild, billed Ouranos for a commission, and bought the entire commercial district to get drunk every night!"
An explosion of laughter instantly broke out from Loki's direction. The Goddess of Deceit slammed the table while laughing loudly.
"Gyahahaha! You hear that, Hermes?!" mocked Loki while pointing at the hatted god. "Your brain has been used to peek at goddesses bathing too often that you're hallucinating! Accusing the sick Alfia of leveling the lower floors alone? If that sickly woman could level the Dungeon alone overnight, Zeus and Hera would never have lost! Your accusation is truly the stupidest joke of the year!"
Many gods joined in the laughter, considering Hermes's speculation merely the result of excessive paranoia. It was highly impossible for a poor god who had just built a Familia and a sickly survivor to harbor a world-scale secret like that.
Hermes smiled faintly, raising both hands in a sign of surrender accompanied by an awkward little laugh. "Alright, alright. Perhaps my imagination is indeed a bit excessive tonight. Just a wild thought that crossed my mind. Please forgive my presumption, Venti."
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