The dungeon

English is not my first language, so you might find some mistakes in the translation of the chapter.

This chapter has been translated by various means in order to obtain the best result so that you may find some simple or regular wordings.

If you find any grammatical errors or misspelled words, please feel free to correct them or write a recommendation to improve the story. Your support would be appreciated.

Enjoy the chapter.

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"..." - Dialogues.

'...' - Thoughts.

<... > - Spells

[...] - Unique things or others

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This is a rewrite of another story, [from wattpad in Spanish so do not worry about looking for it], with the character coming from Terraria. The protagonist will be completely different, so much so that they will not seem close to how I wrote them each.

I read a delightful story by DanMachi that combines a protagonist from another world and had a very unusual beginning that instantly caught my attention. I took inspiration from this story and that is why they look a bit similar in case anyone recognizes it, however, I will add my formula which is Terraria.

Furthermore, I will clarify from the start that my protagonist's backstory is not very pretty and is full of traumas, not caused by people, but monsters, regrets, and laments. It will all come out as the story continues because releasing it all at once does not have the same impact as bit by bit.

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The man's purple eyes opened calmly. His body felt a relief, coursing through him completely, the fight had ceased. It was not a fight against something else, no, that fight was long over.

The fight was against himself, to take the path he had been searching for so many years to escape from his horrible reality and to be able to take a break away from everything. To get that longed-for ending.

The quest was finally over. The final struggle of catastrophic proportions for the world was over, and the hero saved the world from the imminent end. A simple young man grew up and became the longed-for hero.

After that, the hero could finally be free from the bonds that had been placed on him when he was dragged away from his world. In search of freedom, the man explored what he could and increased his strength despite the fear that rooted his body all the time.

So it was, and the man succeeded.

At last, he is free.

There is nothing more to fight for.

Then the man went towards the path that after much effort and sacrifices he obtained. Many years of unceasing struggle. Although after looking around, the man did not expect the place where he appeared to be very bleak.

There are hardly any signs of light, the only source of light available comes from some plants that are growing on the walls or some pile of stones on the site. It is a cave.

There is no one to ask questions that correspond to the current situation; however, the man did not mind that. It is not the first time he is in an unfamiliar environment that it is necessary to explore from scratch.

If it is a cave, it is only necessary to dig towards the surface because probably for him using a potion that allows him to appear somewhere else is not the best viable way at the moment.

The surroundings are not like the caverns he had entered the past. They seem to have a sort of maze-like shape because in the background the paths are very varied.

*Thomp!*

Looking at the wall, the man had moved his fist and hit the wall hard, making an echo in the area. Using his experience, he concentrated on his sense of hearing to pick up some familiar sound.

It is experience of several years being employed to find a way. The man sighed because it seems that he is underground, very deep, and the site extends for an enormous size.

Still, the man is not alarmed, he simply let out a sigh as if he is saying that he has to go back to work again. The caverns he had been in for a long time were also massive and more dangerous.

Likewise, he cannot confirm about the so-called danger because he has not seen any creatures in this kind of cave. The monsters in the world he came from were very catastrophic, that is what he had contemplated.

Monsters were present in every place in the world that man had been. By heaps or alone, however, he does not lie when he says that at the beginning of it all he was afraid and hid.

He continued with his steps in the unfamiliar environment, but before he could continue, he felt the area tremble. It was not caused by nature itself, but apparently the footsteps of some kind of creature coming in a hurry.

Looking at his body, he noticed that he was wearing the same clothes he had started the trip with. A long-sleeved black T-shirt, dark pants, and black shoes. A simple outfit, but something that brings him a lot of nostalgia.

Apparently, he is not wearing his armor, however, he did not get upset because he could feel his inventory and everything that is stored in it. Also, his accessories are stored, there is only a need to put them back on.

He was taken away from his world to have to live in another one, however, when he realized that there was a possibility that he could be free by defeating a certain creature, he worked hard to achieve it for many years.

Such was the way he spent many years growing up in a unique environment, completely changing his way of thinking.

As such, it was not a simple task. After a while, he realized that he also acquired the logic of that world and could accomplish many things. Without looking for a reason, he went ahead and did everything within his reach.

It was not easy at first. Just to say that the amount of traumas he got when certain events happened was complicated. It took a while before he overcame them, but in his mind those memories still bothered him.

The creatures arrived, and the man analyzed them as much as he could. They are quite different from the ones he knows; however, it did not stop there. The walls creaked and from the cracks more creatures were born to start growling at him.

Some creatures appeared, he took them for monsters because they have resemblance to animals, however, his experience tells him that this is not so. Even in the other world, turtles are enemies, but they are still animals.

The wasps were the worst, also the spiders. The animals increased in size, and that also increased their danger level massively.

These monsters look like bigger bears, some kind of wild boar, some humanoid lizards, and giant beetles. Yes, it seems to be yet another day for him in the madness of survival.

With a single thought, something wrapped around him in an instant. An ancient looking robe with spectral designs, his body was fully clothed, and a mask covered his head with a particular design in the shape of spikes. In the eyes-only complete darkness could be seen.

Raising his hand, a staff appeared. It has an amazingly simple design, the staff is black with three silver parts, one at the end, one in the middle and one at the other end.

The final end has attached to it a purple triangle shape. Attached to the staff, it looks like a strange object and of a quality.

*Rum*.

A purple ray shot out from the empty space of the triangle. This beam at first went through one monster, but did not stop, instead it went through the others until it disappeared, reaching its range limit.

Seeing that his attack did not change, the young man aimed at a wall taking a diagonal point and fired. This time, the beam hit the wall and bounced off the angle that followed it.

The shot hit the walls again and again piercing the monsters in the way. He fired several times, as if he was used to eliminating monsters that way.

Sighing, tired of having to keep going and not being able to take a break, the man walked, but something caught his attention. Some bodies disappeared and others were scattered, destroyed, around the place.

In the middle of the bodies, a stone shape radiating some energy, which seems to be magic, caught his attention. Walking over to the stone, the man picked it up and inspected it.

Looking at the others, it seems that the one he holds in his hand is fragmented, broken, by the magical attack. Reviewing the area and analyzing how the stones came out, he came to the conclusion that the stones appeared when he killed the monsters or were inside them and only came out when the body was destroyed and turned into dust.

Shaking his head, the man picked up the stones that were lying around and continued on his way. As he exited the corridor, he noticed that he entered an open space that is filled with trees and glowing moss. The surroundings appear to be made of a wood-like material.

As expected of caves, as long as the passages or stairs lead downwards, it is only necessary to look for those that lead to the surface, simple.

There is only one thing left to do, and that is to explore. The work is not yet finished.

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The adventurers head towards their destinations. The 18th floor of the dungeon is a safe zone, so it is also a resting place for those who went down to the dungeon.

The floor functions for expeditions to deeper floors, although several individuals also decided to stay on the 18th floor to live, or, rather, to stay for extremely prolonged periods of time. Rivira, the city for adventurers made by adventurers, is located there.

Adventurers must find ways to earn income, so they use exchange. Money has no validity because it is useless and only does so on the surface. Objects increase in value if you use money as a means of purchase.

Many adventurers exchange their magic stones or other Drops Items from monsters with traders. Materials are scarce, so there is no use complaining about the high price. Survival is more important than riches.

Tsubaki Collbrande stretched her body, leaving the inn where she is currently staying. Several members of her Familia are also with her.

Rivira is a city made by adventurers for adventurers. Since obtaining resources is complicated, not impossible, bars, inns, stores and restaurants are expensive. New adventurers are usually the target of scams.

As it is not a Guild-affiliated city, illegal items are common. That is the terrible thing about the dungeon, laws do not apply there, so you have to protect your back at all times.

On the 18th floor there are hundreds of different Familia members, so there are unwritten rules. If there is any conflict, it is best to resolve it outside the city to avoid wreckage or to avoid paying for damages, which is expensive.

"We still have some time before the Goliath raid. Make sure you are ready by then."

"Yes, Captain!"

The members of the Hephaestus Familia, to which Tsubaki belongs, walked away to continue what they must do before the exploration. The Hephaestus Familia is a Familia of blacksmiths and few fighters, but that does not mean they are weak.

Blacksmiths have the goal of creating equipment that usually consists of weapons, armor, magic weapons and so on to go into the dungeon, which is the common thing.

It is a time-consuming task, but there is one essential thing.

Materials.

The dungeon provides them in massive quantities. There are some blacksmiths who go down on their own to get their own, others would make deals or buy them from the stores that give them at the best price.

Tsubaki reached level 5 because of her determination in blacksmithing. In search of better materials and testing her creations, she went down to the dungeon. Her efforts paid off, making her the highest level and most skilled mortal blacksmith in Orario.

Currently, she and several members of her Familia are on the 18th floor waiting for the Goliath to regenerate in order to obtain Drop Items from it and for the rookies to gain experience in creating weapons.

The descent was not entirely peaceful for Tsubaki, though.

Being the highest-level adventurer present in Rivira, she is the one who receives the news of a very serious problem for Rivira. In this case, recently the adventurers gave a warning that the monsters below the 18th floor were disturbed.

So, when Tsubaki showed up at Rivira they gave her the notice if she could go down with a team to calm the monsters. She agreed as long as she could get Drop Items, to which they accepted the deal.

That time, Tsubaki noticed that the monsters were in a frenzy and were constantly appearing, which led to a Monster Party. It was a tough fight, but with Tsubaki the monsters were defeated without incident.

"Cyclops"

Tsubaki stopped her walk when she looked next to her at one of the few trustworthy, still in doubt, people in Rivira. He also wears an eye patch like her.

"Bors. You're up early this time."

The man named Bors snorted, "Doesn't sound good from you if you barely got out of an inn."

Bors Elder, the representative of the city Rivira. He is a well-built man with black hair and one blue-green eye, the other eye, left, is covered by a patch. He has an open sleeveless jacket with arm guards and gloves, blue pants, boots, and a belt.

Likewise, he is the strongest in the city, being a level 3. Adventurers coming from the surface usually communicate with him, as he is the one everyone in Rivira trusts. Bors holds the position of representative in Rivira.

He is greedy and materialistic, being that he sometimes charged for a simple request, something common for adventurers, but Bors in general is a good person.

"I was looking for you" Bors said seriously to Tsubaki "As before, being that you are the strongest, we need your help with something or rather someone."

Tsubaki raised her eyebrow, "What's so special about that someone?"

"The guards watching over the stairs on the 17th floor gave their report. Normally, they inspect when we prepare to face the Goliath and visualize every adventurer who enters the 18th floor."

"Huh? And what do you have?" Tsubaki did not quite understand, "They notify you who comes down, but... Do not tell me who you say did not pass through the 18th floor entrance?"

"Yes. In Rivira we all know each other, and we take advantage of getting money from newcomers. He's a new face and... apparently he came from the Intermediate Floors below the 18th."

"He went up... What else?"

"No scratches."

"What?"

"He's not hurt" Bors explained "Nothing, not even his clothes show no signs of being soiled from a battle. He looks spotless and walks around inspecting everything."

"That's strange" Tsubaki folded her arms taking a more serious attitude "So he's either fast enough to avoid monsters or he's skilled at fighting, that he wasn't smeared with blood and dirt."

"He's not carrying a weapon."

Tsubaki's eye widened in surprise, "No scratches and no equipment. I imagine he was not carrying anything on him, or am I wrong?"

"He was seen at a restaurant. He ordered a lot of food and apparently does not know how to pay in Rivira" Bors mentioned and frowned, "They saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a gold bar with which he paid for his meal."

"He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold bar?" Tsubaki repeated skeptically, "Is it a magic outfit? Some sort of pocket where he keeps his things?"

Bors shrugged, "I don't know, but I have to tell you the Dwarves on the site went crazy with the gold, saying about its purity and blacksmith stuff. I will run it by you, Cyclops. It's in the noisiest restaurant in Rivira."

"Yeah, you got me on the gold thing" Tsubaki turned around and headed to where she would hear the most noise, "I'll handle it. If anything happens, remember I'm the strongest in Rivira."

Bors thought that stronger did not mean there would not be trouble. He sighed, thinking what would happen with someone unknown.

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Tsubaki will not admit out loud that she is excited to solve another problem happening in Rivira. It is annoying at times because it shows the inability of the adventurers. The problem is sometimes not so easy to solve.

Even with a well-organized group of adventurers, occasionally the dungeon creates monsters that break those formations and outnumber the adventurers. In the dungeon, anything can happen.

The only thing that Tsubaki is accepting the situation more calmly and not bored is that Bors mentioned something about gold with a remarkably high purity.

This is meant as a joke because obtaining a lot of purity in metals is difficult, but that a Dwarf is mentioned to be shocked at the situation already gives something to talk about.

"Don't be like that! Just one bar! I will pay you 300 thousand valis, no, 500 thousand valis!"

Tsubaki opened the door, noticing a bunch of adventurers watching the spectacle. There are also some on the floor with a blow to the face. A broken nose or a blow to the head just causing bruises.

In the background, a man continues to eat calmly despite being disturbed. A pile of plates is ordered one on top of the other and the cook brought more plates with drink included.

'He has an appetite, I must admit' Tsubaki thought 'He seems to be enjoying something new, his expression says it all and at the same time not. All the more reason to investigate him.'

"I beg you!"

"No"

"Please!"

"No"

"Please..."

"No"

The girl, who is bothering the peculiar man, looks defeated, but still her eyes show determination that a blacksmith has when contemplating unique materials they wish to take with their hands.

She has green eyes and long red hair tied in a tail at the back of her head. She wears a short teal and brown top that exposes her stomach, shorts of the same color with attached pouches, a teal and pale blue cap with goggles, a yellow headband, and teal and pale blue gloves.

From her body she looks like a Dwarf because of the stoutness in her, however, she is not. She is a Half Dwarf, the same as Tsubaki. In fact, Tsubaki recognized who the girl is.

"At least a deal!" The girl placed her hand on her chest, "My name is Marco Powell. I am part of the Goibniu Familia, a blacksmith-type Familia. The gold you gave the owner of the place is of the highest quality I have ever beheld."

"Is that so?" the man continued to eat.

"You don't know!" Marco exclaimed and then narrowed her eyes, "No, you don't, or maybe you never considered the purity of the ore when turning it into an bar!"

"I just mine it and turn it into my forge. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"That's stranger! At least tell me your name. I can look you up on the surface. I just want a deal and to see the bar. Yes? I'll pay you well for the gold."

"Hm" the man stopped his thoughts. Marco seeing that perked up "I'll look for you".

"Oh, come on!"

"And if you keep bothering me, I think I'll consider you as an annoying individual that I'll have to ignore."

"No, please!" Marco pleaded, "It's just...it's the best ore I've ever seen. I am not lying when I say about the purity of the gold. Do you have any other bars like that?"

"If I give you one, will you stop bothering me?"

"I-I'd appreciate it!" Marco clasps her hands together "I promise to leave it up to here!"

"I will also go in the future and if I find out that you created something deplorable with the bar... I will never speak to you again."

"As a blacksmith I will create the best that my level 2 will allow me to!"

"Level 2?" The man raised a dubious eyebrow not knowing why such a low level in number or the significance of it.

"I am a level 2 blacksmith belonging to the Goibniu Familia" Marco said proudly "By obtaining the skill [Blacksmith] my creations improved considerably and with the bar I will be able to increase my experience."

The man does not know what Marco's words mean at all. Apparently, people are under the name of a God, they have levels and skills. More information remains to be gathered.

"Well," the man reached into his pocket and pulled out an bar of a light brown color that could glow if light was put on it, "This is iron. Make something useful."

Marco's eyes shone with anticipation, taking it carefully in her hands, "With this... my crossbows will be more effective... they'll be perfect. Thank you very much!"

With that, Marco turned and walked with speed out of the bar as if she had obtained a sacred treasure.

"I won't give anything away, so stop fussing and let me eat" the man spoke loudly continuing his nostalgic feeding, "The ones on the floor are there because they bit off more than they could chew."

"Oho, why don't you tell it to me?"

Tsubaki walked in with a big smug smile. Murmurs began to be heard as she walks to the table under the gaze of the man, who followed with the same look unsurprised.

He inspected her looking to see if she is an enemy, but it seems she has come to resolve some sort of commotion, of which he is aware of what it is.

Tsubaki has brown skin, long black hair, red eyes and wears a patch over her left eye. She has a well-endowed chest which she keeps in a sarashi and wears a red hakama and sandals.

"You caused a bit of a commotion with the gold bar" Tsubaki took a seat in a chair across the table facing the man, "I didn't contemplate the gold because they already kept it, but I did with the iron. She's right about the purity."

The man continued to chew the food with a bored look at Tsubaki.

"Wordless?"

"Who are you?"

"So, Bors is right. You are not from around here" Tsubaki stated "You know, they say about a human who climbed up from the 19th floor without injuries and also doesn't carry armor or a weapon. Do you know anything about that?"

*Munch* *Munch* *Munch* *Munch*

"Hey" Tsubaki's eyebrow twitched at the human's impudence, "I'm talking to you. It's impolite not to respond, and even more so if that person is in front of you."

The man swallowed the food, "You're the rude one. You interrupt my meal by complaining about nonsense. If you want a talk, wait, and let me finish. I pay a lot."

"A gold bar" Tsubaki hummed looking sideways at the restaurant owner who looks happy for the money he would get by exchanging it, "Good! I'm going to wait for you here."

"Here?" The young man blinked, "At my table?"

"Yep. I have to ask you some questions, you know. An unknown person coming from floors below the dungeon. No one knows you in Rivira, so you did not get here the normal way or maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Nothing" Tsubaki shook her head, "I'm creating results without knowing much. Tsubaki Collbrande. What is your name, Mr. Stranger?"

The man drank from the bottle, noting that it is beer, something he has tasted before, but the taste is quite different. The same with food, the world not only changed but everything and he wants to experience it, to know if it is worth it.

Years of suffering with a hatred/love for the world he was trapped in left him with many thoughts and now that he can try something different, he desires.

"I'll say it when we're away from the stairs" the man said avoiding being overheard by others, "Now let me finish, and then we'll talk."

"Well... Will you let me see the gold?"

"Fuck one more time, and I'll be gone."

"Yeah, well, sorry" Tsubaki laughed with amusement at the negativity of the human in front of her, "I'm the best blacksmith, so maybe I'll ask again."

The man just looked into her eyes as if he did not care. When she appeared, he only inspected her once and then looked her in the eyes without hesitation. Almost as if he saw the situation as boring.

'I hope and this will be worth it, Bors'.

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"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"First of all, your name. I have already introduced myself, so it is your turn. What is your name, my dear stranger?"

"Michael Lancaster"

Away from other people, Michael and Tsubaki are starting their long-sought conversation, on Tsubaki's part, with the objective of clarifying where Michael is coming from.

"Look, I can tell you prefer to get straight to the point, so I'll do it that way. Where are you coming from?"

"I don't understand your question. Expand the question and give me the context behind it."

"Do you know where you are?" Tsubaki asked seriously.

"In a cavern" Michael replied as if it was obvious with a shrug, "I've seen many caverns like this. Some natural and some not so much, but they do differ in size."

Tsubaki does not understand who would dig deep enough to make such a large space under the ground, "This is the dungeon, the 18th floor".

"Up 18 roads to the surface" Michael murmured intrigued, "We're pretty deep, and I don't know how deep. What else?"

"The dungeon is under the Tower of Babel, and the Tower of Babel is in Orario."

"I see... it's very intriguing. So, you are telling me that there is a city above us, and this so-called dungeon is below a Tower. Tell me more."

"With your words I can confirm that you are not from around here" Tsubaki smiled suspiciously "Where do you come from? I already know you don't come from above ground, but from floors below the dungeon, something impossible."

"What if I don't want to say something?" Michael said calmly as if he did not feel intimidated at the pressure of Tsubaki's words, "I'm shy, you know."

Tsubaki laughed as if it was a good joke, "Yeah, you act like nothing's wrong. Look, I just want to make things quiet around here. We're going to go kill the Goliath in a little while, and I want to settle this as soon as possible."

"Solving a problem that you yourselves created and stuck me with, just because you don't know me. I don't see how that's a good thing for me to answer."

"The problem is that you are not from the surface. Everyone knows about Orario, the Tower of Babel and the dungeon" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes "The stories are famous that even children know about it."

"I don't."

"I know" Tsubaki sighed, "Just tell me where you're coming from and let's get it over with. Rivira's security fell on me for being a level 5, it is annoying. Help me, won't you?"

"Level 5?" Michael thought of video games because that is the first thing on his mind, other than the level of rarity he knows, "Why such a low number?"

"Low?" Tsubaki frowned, "Let me tell you that there is currently only a level 7 in Orario. Even me being a level 5 I am one of the strongest there is. There are not many level 5's in Orario. Minus 6 and 7."

Michael nodded, consuming the information. Apparently, there is some sense of leveling, however, this is ridiculously minor compared to what he knows.

"Likewise, if I tell you where I come from, you won't know it."

"Never mind, just tell me" Tsubaki waved her hand carelessly, "I don't want to take you as an enemy and stop you. In the restaurant it was other people's problem and not yours I understand, but in the future who knows what will happen."

"Are you saying you'll stop me if I cause any trouble?"

"Yes, I will."

Michael looks at her from head to toe. It is easy for him to see that Tsubaki's body is well-formed. She is a blacksmith, so it is to be expected that she has muscles after many years of hammering. Posture and technique are essential.

Tsubaki's abs are in plain sight because of the clothes she has, but not her legs. Her tan skin definitely adds a touch to her appearance and the confidence in her makes her glow more. Her appearance makes her look strong.

"How much do you observe?" Tsubaki folded her arms emphasizing her breasts, something common because they are big, but she has no intention of doing that "Captivated?"

"Is it wrong for me to appreciate another's looks?" Michael raised his eyebrow, "Yes, you're beautiful and strong, that's all. Still, you won't be able to stop me."

"Oho, what makes you say that?"

"Just saying" Michael shook his head. His mind is full of memories of fighting for survival, from the quiet ones to the ones that made him cry in despair, "It's not like you broadcast danger to me."

In the blink of an eye, Tsubaki swung her fist, creating a small wave of wind. She did not direct it towards Michael, but to the side of his head, as if it was a demonstration of what she can do to him in case of a fight.

It is also not as if Tsubaki showed his full strength. Many adventurers learned to control themselves with the passage of time and also because strength is gained as the years go by.

"You're a tough one, I must say."

Michael just stood there looking at her with boredom. Tsubaki noticed it from the beginning, he saw her move and did nothing, he just stood there as if he did not care what happened.

Suddenly, Tsubaki blinked in confusion as Michael moved and began to inspect her arm curiously. He prodded her forearm and arm with his finger, as if testing how hard it felt.

"Hey, at least buy me a drink first, right?" Tsubaki laughed without seeing anything wrong with his act as she withdraws her arm, "Or also let me inspect yours if you want to see mine."

"I just want to see what the difference is from some muscles made by wrestling and another in blacksmithing" Michael shook his head "Don't notice anything different."

"You're funny. You are not a bad person; I can see that. I have seen a lot of adventurers, each with different intentions. You're not one of those pretending to be good."

"You too" Michael had created something that warns him of hostility after many moments where monsters surprised him, "You don't emit hostility, just curiosity."

"Good! We are getting along" Tsubaki patted Michael's back as if he were his friend, "We even shared a drink recently".

"It was you stealing one from me."

"I paid for it, so it wasn't theft."

"..." Michael sighed, making Tsubaki feel that it is a heavy topic for him, so she made sure not to bother him so much about it, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I have heard many stories since I was young" Tsubaki clarified calmly "I come from a very different culture, so I had to learn to accept many things and Orario is very cultured. Go ahead and say it, without fear."

Michael looked at her and then spoke, "I'm from a place called Terraria."

"Terraria?" Tsubaki placed her hand on her chin in deep thought, "Hm, I haven't heard that before. Where in the world is that located? Towards the north? No, it does not sound like anything from over there. East minus, so it could be south."

"It's none" Michael calmly stated, "No matter where you look for it, you won't know where that place is. Nor will I tell you why I don't want to know about that place anymore."

"Really? ¿Pod-?"

"No"

"¡!" Tsubaki flinched, taking a step back at Michael's tone. It was the first time since she met him that she felt fear, and it was just a simple word.

Michael's posture did not change, however, his gaze did. It shows annoyance and tells Tsubaki to cease with his question.

"Sorry, I didn't think it was hard."

"It's okay. I just prefer to forget the past."

"I'll stop with that" Tsubaki said, causing Michael to nod, "Anything else you can tell me about why you came from lower than the 18th floor?"

"I don't know, I just appeared there. Many monsters appeared soon after I opened my eyes. They looked angry, like their instincts were stronger than others. I know because I encountered other monsters later, and they didn't look like the ones I encountered the first time."

"It makes sense" Tsubaki began to explain "I recently came down with my Familia, I received word from Bors that the monsters below the 18th Floor were acting differently."

"Many of them went into a frenzy" Tsubaki smiled, flexed her arm, and patted the muscle with her other hand "Fortunately with me, it wasn't a problem and I got materials!"

"Right, you're a blacksmith. So, am I in the clear or something?"

"I'd like to say yes, but maybe not" Tsubaki shook her head "It's just that now that you said you showed up down there, everything got even more complicated. How nice for you would it be to have an audience with a Deity?"

"A Deity? Are there Gods around here?" Michael asked intrigued.

"Now you don't know about them" Tsubaki sighed, "Have you heard their reason for descending from heaven to the earthly world?"

"The Gods descended?" Michael opened his eyes with some surprise for the first time since he has been in another world, "How so? Tell me more."

"I'm thinking you're not from this world or something" Tsubaki joked, "You live under a rock? They descended around 1000 years ago, so a lot of things changed with their presence."

Tsubaki clenched her fist and pounded her is chest, more like pounded her bust, making a smile, "The falna they give us allows us to grow beyond what we can. My smithing has gone places I never thought of."

"Falna?"

"The blessing of the Deity" Tsubaki clarified Michael's doubt, "When we join a Familia, the Gods give us the Falna. As well as it also increases all our strength and allows us many more things."

"... I understand" Michael thought, intrigued of such a power system, "Does the level have to do with the falna?"

"Of course. I am a level 5 blacksmith. As such, I am not an adventurer and blacksmiths are lower level, but my yearning to go further made me grow up and get to where I am with my passion. Intrigued of my strength?"

"No"

"Hey, why does it sound like the gods bother you?"

"I don't hate them. I have only met one, but I also think that in the past one or a few of them made my life change completely" Michael almost frowns in anger "The only God I ever knew I killed."

For a moment, Tsubaki froze as if she had heard the worst. She looked at Michael expecting it to be a lie, however, as she perceived him, she noticed the serious look in his eyes and the anger there "If it's true what you said... Why?" she asked with a worried tone, "Do you know what happens when you kill one?"

"I did it because if I didn't, it would destroy the world."

"..." Tsubaki did not know how to answer, "But... The Gods sealed their Arcanum when they came down. It is a rule they created to avoid trouble and have a new life. It's impossible for one to do that unless their Familia members are the ones causing it."

"Terraria is not here in this world. Terraria is a world, another place apart from everything here present. The God I killed was the last evil in existence and by doing so I was able to get out of the life I was dragged into since I was younger" Michael stated all to avoid further unnecessary explanations.

Also, Michael does not mind that this was known, since everyone over there knows that he is not from that world and that he is the promised hero who would save them from disgrace, something that Michael did not want.

Tsubaki showed an incredulous expression, "What you just told me is the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my life. What kind of God wants to destroy the world and why did you kill it?"

"The reason was that if I didn't the world, I was in would be consumed by that monster, and the other reason was that I was the only one capable of killing it. No one else besides me had the ability to take it on. What, you want a test of my strength?"

"No" Tsubaki hastened to deny it, "My Goddess. We mortals cannot lie to a Deity. Come with me and I can help you. I do not lie, if what you say is true a Deity can confirm the truthfulness of your words."

"Can the Gods see if an explanation is true or not true?"

"It's kind of annoying at first, but many times it helps to determine if someone has double intentions" Tsubaki frowned. "Although sometimes it's possible to avoid it if it's true for you, however, for others it's not. It's strange."

"Whatever. I just want to get out of here and see this new world. Not for nothing did I fight to the point of almost dying over and over again" Michael looked at Tsubaki "And if anyone wants to keep me from my peace... they'll know why I came all this way."

"I'm not your enemy" Tsubaki sweat a little in fear and raised her hands in surrender, "I just want to make it clear that you're not a stranger because of how you came to Rivira and about helping you it's true. More so now that I see you had a hard time."

"What's the other reason?" Michael asks simply.

"Another reason? I do not see any reason other than to be nice" Tsubaki squeaked looking away.

"Maybe it won't help you later..."

"Minerals, of course!" Tsubaki laughed, "As a blacksmith, I can't pass up such a moment. Could you give me one? I will pay you enough. By the way, I'm very stubborn, so I'll bother you a lot."

"Can you pay with favors?"

"Hohoho!" Tsubaki laughed, covering her mouth "First we have to get to know each other well" Michael did not change his expression and Tsubaki pouted slightly "It's hard to get you to change your face. What kind of favors?"

"A place to live in calm or just protection in case I made some trouble involving me with those so-called Familias or the Gods."

"You want my Familia to protect you?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, "You don't even know if my Familia has the ability to do that?"

"However, you already told me enough to know" Michael stuck his tongue out slightly, a gesture that annoyed Tsubaki despite being very simple, "Let me explain why."

"Aha, tell me, and I'll believe you."

"You mentioned that blacksmiths aren't as strong because they don't do the same thing as adventurers, but you did and got to level 5. You also said that there aren't many levels 5 and up, which makes you important."

Tsubaki smiled calmly. Although she had been caught, she was amused by the current situation.

"Knowing that you are level 5 and the best blacksmith, your Goddess gained a lot of prestige, as your blacksmithing skills made you a valuable asset to the city. I don't know who your Goddess is, but you have already told me everything I need."

"With so little you have made a great deduction" Tsubaki was impressed "After defeating the Goliath we will go to my Goddess. By the way, no one else must know that you are not of this world."

"Is it strange?" Michael raised an eyebrow. There are beings in Terraria who are not from that world or who know of the existence of other worlds. After all, even aliens exist, and a merchant was showing up with strange objects.

"Strange?" Tsubaki took a deep breath, "No one comes from another world. The Gods only descended from heaven, it's not another world, even if it's only a place they can inhabit."

"Ah... then keep it a secret."

Tsubaki's eyebrow twitched at the effortless way Michael asked her to hide the secret. She will not say anything, however, such a secret has to be told to her Goddess and from there everything could get complicated.

The perspective of a God is different from that of a human. Maybe a God knows it is another world, but mortals do not. Tsubaki was grateful that her Goddess is kind to many things.

"By the way, only those who participate in defeating the Goliath will get paid. Also, the Drops Items will be divided" Tsubaki said to Michael, who did not react.

"I have fought for years for my survival. The last thing I want right now is to fight, I want to rest and have peace of mind."

"Meh, your loss" Tsubaki turned around "Follow me, I'll pay for your lodging while we take care of the Goliath."

"Can I watch the battle?"

"I knew you had something in you" Tsubaki smiled, "Sure, but don't get in the way. The reason?"

"I just... I want to see how much a monster is different from the ones I know."

Tsubaki for some reason felt a chill when Michael finished speaking. Apparently, the monsters around here are different from the ones he has faced, and Tsubaki is intrigued.

"Hey, if you're from a different world, then a lot of things will be, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Seeing as you don't like to talk about what happened on the other side about your life, you can at least tell me about the materials that exist over there."

"I was almost butchered thousands of times just to get some iron and gold."

"I'm sorry..."

"I'll tell you if, after your fight, you explain to me the basics of how it all works around here. Maybe I'll even show you a little if you make the effort to tell me what's necessary."

"Do you know how much I love you?" With a cheeky smile, Tsubaki put her arm around Michael, who did not resist and let go, "We'll have a long conversation. I already promised to help you, so don't take a step back."

"Yeah, whatever."

Tsubaki is honestly trying to help Michael. She is a blacksmith, so she meets many people of different races all the time and has to make deals that are favorable to both sides.

She looked him over from head to toe. Michael has a beautiful appearance; it has to be said. After his words of always trying to survive, who would think he looks good after many battles.

Michael is also taller than she is. He has dark purple hair, very long, which sometimes moves around hiding half of his face or gives him a somber look when he is upset. Even with long hair, it seems to only add to his masculinity. She admits he is a handsome man.

His clothes are black in hue, but it does not look bad on him. Tsubaki managed to contemplate that even though the clothes show nothing underneath it all, it could be the body of an experienced warrior in battle.

What Tsubaki wants to know from Michael is how he appeared in the dungeon, and if any threat from the world he came from can appear in the same way as he did.

The way Michael talks about the world called Terraria is as if he hates it, but at the same time he is accepting of that suffering. She also heard that his life changed from one moment to the next.

After many meetings with adventurers, Tsubaki learned how to read others to know their intentions. Some want a weapon, to show off, flirt, chat and so on, but Michael is just there, and his voice is everything.

Tsubaki does not know what life Michael had in the world called Terraria, however, she knows that look. A look empty of life and at the same time firm that did not waver in the face of the enemy and the power behind it. That is why Tsubaki vowed, apart from searching for the materials, to give Michael the best welcome.

Is it wrong to help someone you met in a dungeon?

<><><><><> 

Very good. The chapter resembles the story from which I was inspired to write the rewrite, however, I could not find another way to create it because other than Tsubaki the way Michael would enter DanMachi would change completely.

About the secret of the other world, this can be answered by Michael's mentality. For Michael that is not important, and it is not a big secret to know about other worlds either. If you noticed well, in the whole course of the chapter it was said that Michael hates Terraria because he was dragged to that world and just wanted to get away from there.

Terraria outside of its gameplay is a dangerous world, too much so. Michael spent years in that world. Bonus fact, he was young when he came to Terraria, so he had to grow up there. As I was saying, he went through so many situations that he gradually became lazy to find logic in things.

The Traveling Merchant is proof that many more things exist, so Michael accepted that fact. He does not know anything about DanMachi. I just have to say that experiences change people and Michael grew up trying to survive.

In the chapters I will put details, from the smallest to the most important, about what happened to Michael over and over again, so that he has learned to trust certain individuals and not others. Besides Tsubaki does radiate trust or that's what some characters say in the Wiki.

Wait for the next chapter~.