His height decreased by about two centimeters, to roughly 180 cm, and his build changed slightly to match.
All of it combined to make him completely another person.
--------------------------------
"Transformation magic, huh? Not bad... very nice."
The middle-aged man chuckled in a hoarse, gloomy voice, then navigated through the complex alleys, quickly arriving at a certain location he had scouted earlier.
Casting a glance at the deep, ancient passage extending underground, he entered without hesitation.
This was the nearest sewer entrance to [Daedalus Street].
In the labyrinth city of Orario, the term "labyrinth" to most people would naturally refer to the Dungeon, because it was simply too famous.
However, only the locals or adventurers living in this city knew it had another meaning: The city's underground sewer system, comparable to a real labyrinth.
Thanks to the blessings brought by the Dungeon, magic stone products had spread throughout the world.
Whether it was light bulbs, cooking stoves, or a whole array of bathroom utilities, all of them were powered by magic stones.
Through the purification of these magical devices, the wastewater flowing into the city sewers was so clean it could be safely reused.
So… aside from being ancient and a bit decayed, these sewers were actually very clean, even unusually so.
Descending slowly down the stairs, Fron stopped in front of an iron grating. The sound of rushing water came from behind the gate into his "360-degree" hearing.
"This should be it, the main sewer channel." He held a portable magic-stone-powered flashlight in his hand, murmuring in confirmation.
Splash.
His boot stepped into the water channel, sending droplets scattering.
Glancing down briefly, Fron estimated the water depth, then proceeded upstream with his portable magic stone lamp.
The water wasn't deep, only covering the tops of his feet, and it didn't much affect his mobility.
With his exceptional Level 4 stats, he could easily advance alone in search of his target.
This time's Monster Pheria wasn't just the work of a single faction.
"When Loki left with Ais earlier, she was probably acting as a bodyguard. If I'm not mistaken, the person they went to meet was the goddess Freya. I don't believe her 'Insight Eye' could be wrong twice."
"And… Loki must have some questions she wants to ask her as well."
Bell Cranel, the only surviving descendant of the Zeus and Hera familia's, the last hero left behind.
A soul so pure that even a goddess could easily be captivated, causing almost any woman to develop feelings for him without reason.
Of course, there was another explanation: protagonist cheat.
"Wants to build a harem, but ends up being a pure-love idiot." Fron found this thought baffling and rather irritating.
"Whatever, the whirlpool surrounding Cranel has nothing to do with me. Right now, I need to deal with the pests targeting Ais."
Bang.
His boot stepped onto the door of a water reservoir passage, and his advance stopped.
Beneath his hood, his mask tilted slightly upward as he squinted under the dim glow of the magic stone lamp.
"Hiss…"
…?
In the darkness, strange and eerie scraping noises came from both sides, growing denser and denser.
Combined with the surroundings , the secretive, the unknown, the creeping darkness and shadows, it felt as if he were wrapped in fear itself.
Faintly, massive snake-like black shapes glided in the water's reflection, slowly encircling Fron.
The sound of rushing water made the whole scene even more terrifying. The dim light, the shifting shadows, and the constant scraping noises…
-Suddenly!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The walls of the reservoir were violently shattered, the roar echoing through the entire sewer.
From the collapsed ceiling, rotting debris rained down, carrying a foul stench from ahead.
He saw them, long, slender bodies with smooth skin and head, or rather, front ends, lacking eyes or any other organs. The slightly bulging tips looked like sunflower seeds.
Their whole bodies were a pale yellow-green, evoking a deeply unpleasant, almost nauseating feeling.
"Faceless snakes? No… that's not right."
The monsters swayed their bodies, towering over ten meters high, densely packed before Fron.
Tentacles spread from their bodies, sealing his escape. Their ferocity was enough to make any ordinary person faint from fear.
Raising his magic stone lamp, he studied the new monsters closely.
Even with scattered memories, seeing them firsthand was incomparable.
"Flowers? Ten-meter-tall man-eating flowers… even in the Dungeon, this is my first time seeing such a thing. And… the color, the design, they're clearly in the same series as the new variant species. Factory-made for sure."
Coldly smirking in his heart, Fron decided to strike first , raising his hand toward the enemy.
"[O light, rush forth,]"
"[Tear through the darkness, executor, I am the Light Elf, ]"
"[Incarnation of light, King of Radiance-]"
[T / N: Not sure which spell this is, any idea?]
...
...
On the plaza outside the [Colosseum], the Monster Pheria's main venue, crowds bustled about and voices filled the air. Food vendors prepared delicious dishes to entice passersby.
From the massive building, waves of cheers occasionally erupted, adding to the festival's lively atmosphere.
After an emergency meeting with the goddess Freya, Ais and Loki had nothing pressing to do, so they wandered casually among the food stalls, buying this and that.
By the time they emerged, Loki had a handful of assorted skewers, eating as she commented on which ones tasted best.
Today, Ais wasn't wearing her usual tight-fitting Adventurer gear but a far more casual and warm outfit.
A white backless crop top, a violet pleated skirt, paired with white stockings, completely shedding her adventurer's image, looking every bit the noble lady from a wealthy family.
Her golden hair swayed messily behind her, adding a touch of natural beauty.
The "Sword Princess" Ais Wallenstein, princess of the Loki Familia, her goddess-level beauty drew constant stares wherever she went.
Rumble…
"?"
Suddenly, a quake-like vibration traveled through the ground into their bodies, making both Loki and Ais stop instinctively.
"An earthquake?"
Loki took a bite of her skewer, squinting suspiciously.
Ais didn't answer, just shook her head calmly to indicate she didn't know either.
Before their doubt could settle, the shaking subsided.
"Somewhat curious…" As a deity, Loki seemed to sense something, her eyes narrowing in thought.
Rumble…
?
Loki and Ais exchanged glances, eyebrows raised slightly.
"Ahhh! It's bad! Monsters have escaped!"
"What?"
The sudden shout interrupted them. As panicked civilians fled in all directions, Loki frowned.
The earthquake mystery was still unsolved, and now monsters had broken free from the Ganesha Familia's prison, rampaging through the city.
'That lovesick goddess' stunt? She really will do anything for a kid she fancies.'
Thinking for a moment, Loki tilted her head.
"Tch, Ais."
"Got it!"
-Boom!
With her stats activated, powerful strength filled her body. Ais' legs, clad in white stockings, pushed lightly, launching her up to a tall rooftop.
Loki watched her go, murmuring to herself: "That earlier tremor… it's not quite like what that lovesick goddess said. What's going on?"
Her divine intuition and the sense of familiarity from her own actions made Loki feel that this Monster Pheria was shrouded in a bizarre conspiracy.
"Hehehehehe… interesting, "
...
...
Meanwhile, deep in the city sewers… A fierce battle was underway.
The Violas' skin was extremely tough, even Tione and Tiona's punches couldn't leave a mark, so Fron never even considered melee combat.
He started straight away with short-chant magic.
"[Light Burst!]"
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM…
A massive white beam pierced through the densely packed enemy formation, boring straight through.
Anything touched by the beam disintegrated instantly into ash. Even the distant ceiling was blasted apart.
Unlike other monsters, these left no corpses.
These specially-created variants turned to ash immediately upon death, leaving behind unusual magic stones.
Fron's black cloak flapped from his high-speed movements. With agility and dexterity, he weaved through enemy attacks, growing more accustomed to his upgraded body. His motions became smoother and more natural.
Even when grazed by attacks, his armor, made from the Black Goliath's hide, easily absorbed the blows.
"[Light Burst!]"
Pushing off his toes, he leapt lightly, dodging another lash of tentacles, and with a flash of a white magic circle, unleashed a brilliant white death upon his foes.
Bang, bang, bang, bang…
As expected, the monsters all exploded into ash.
In less than ten minutes, the reservoir once packed with man-eating flowers was completely cleared, the darkness returning to silence.
Drip drip, splash,
The sound of running water quickly masked the noise of battle, the dim light and darkness returning to their eerie quiet.
Having slain the monsters, Fron felt no joy. Standing in the reservoir's center, his masked expression was faintly grave.
Then, without turning his head, he spoke lightly: "What, you've been watching for so long and still won't come out?"
In the dark space, only he remained, eerie and ominous.
After a moment, footsteps echoed from the side.