Speaking of which, in his previous life Fron was also an otaku and a 24 hour shut-in.
Not exactly very seasoned, but at least he had watched all the anime's one was supposed to watch, and he was also a newbie who had just stepped into the world of light novels and manga's.
In his past life, he especially envied the people who could do custom paint jobs, so damn cool, yet his wallet was painfully empty, and he lacked the ingenious hands needed for such craftsmanship.
In the end, he died with that regret and was sent to this world by a dump truck.
Now Fron can proudly say: I am already a master craftsman.
The armor and weapons that have accompanied him through countless battles and life-and-death trials have already sublimated into super-first-class equipment.
Not only do they possess extraordinary defense and attack power, they also have special effects that no other equipment has.
With Fron empowering them, it's fair to say… they now shine across all of Orario along with the name Fron Argon, the night weaver.
If he hadn't been held up by the business with Enyo, the remnants of the Evilus, and the Knossos, the adventurers who came seeking him to craft equipment would have already blocked the entrance of the Loki Familia's base until not even water could pass through.
Gazing at the neatly arranged gear on the workbench, Fron shook his head to dispel the clutter in his mind. He stepped forward and began putting everything on.
Obviously, Fron's mindset was steady; he wasn't drowning in those mirage-like halos of glory.
Having had a past life, he understood from his day one that in this world, only fists are truth, everything else is irrelevant.
Conversely, so long as your fist is strong, even an ugly mug has value.
Ka-ka,
The robe fit perfectly on his tall and strong body. He draped the cloak on, tightened the belt, pulled on the gloves made of black Goliath hide, then tapped each magic tool and potion, placing them neatly into his thigh pouch, waist pouch, and backpack.
Finally, he picked up his staff, checked his reflection in the full-body mirror, smiled with satisfaction, grabbed his supporter's fully loaded backpack and left the workshop.
…
Fron's movements seemed like a small reflection of the entire familia.
He wasn't the only one making final preparations for battle.
Every adventurer who would participate in this expedition, one that mobilized the fighting strength of the entire city, was preparing nervously.
The Loki Familia, Ganesha Familia, Hephaestus Familia, Hermes Familia, and so on…
To secure victory in this war, these familias brought out every last hidden trump card they possessed.
In the massive building burning with fiery fervor, in the courtyard square, numerous muscular smiths shouted nonstop.
"Hurry up! Put the stock from Warehouse 11 here, 24 crates total! Count them properly, don't miss a single one!"
"Whew, so many magic swords. If we use them sparingly, they're enough to handle most crises."
"Yeah, these are the weapons our Hephaestus Familia has accumulated for years!"
"With the firepower of magic swords, we can flatten them head-on!"
One of the smiths clenched his fist viciously.
…
The dark blue night sky watched over everything.
The deep blue resembled the ocean, yet also a quietly burning blue flame. Gem-like stars glittered across it, joined by the brilliant moonlight.
Not a single cloud marred the clarity of the sky. Looking up, the Sword Princess, Ais thought so.
The sky held a beautiful contradiction, calm like a windless sea surface, making it hard to believe the city was on the verge of destruction, yet also brimming with heat like stars burning out.
"It's now! It's finally now, Onee-sama! I will avenge Hashana and protect the peace of the city!!"
"Calm down, Ilta Farna."
When Ais lowered her gaze, she saw the countless adventurers gathered.
The vice-captain of the Ganesha Familia, the Amazoness Ilta, shouted passionately, then was scolded by Captain Shakti. The rest of their members were similarly fired up.
"Oh, that guy who died on a woman's stomach? Tsk tsk… I mean, I want to say 'my condolences,' but honestly, dying like that is something countless men would envy."
"And besides, the lady involved was indeed very beautiful, even a top beauty in Orario. You can't deny it, right? Especially her… bold spirit of experimentation…"
"As the first man in history to enjoy "Creature welfare," Hashana indeed died gloriously, a true Warrior with no predecessors and no successors."
With his massive supporter backpack and staff at his feet, Fron leaned against the ruined wall with folded arms, clicking his tongue.
His words made several members of the Ganesha Familia glare at him.
"Fron, cut it out! This isn't the atmosphere for that kind of joke!"
A small hand pinched his arm, then twisted mercilessly as if afraid he might not feel pain.
"Hiss!"
Sucking in a sharp breath, he looked at Amid, dressed in white, and his eye twitched.
"Okay okay, Doctor, let go! Even with my defense, flesh still hurts!"
"…" Amid gave him a firm smack, then turned to Shakti and Ilta with an apologetic expression.
"Fron." Ais, fully armed, walked over, her emotionless golden eyes fixed on him.
"Yes?"
"Will we win?"
"Yeah. Definitely. Don't worry, I'm here."
"…Mm."
Then they looked around. Famous adventurers, smiths, and mages had all gathered around the ruins of Daedalus Street.
"…" As Fron swept his gaze over each face, hearing urgent voices, tense breathing, barely concealed anxiety, and all kinds of noises around them, it was obvious their mindsets weren't nearly as fearless as they were trying to appear.
…
According to the pre-battle arrangements, the first, second, and third units would enter through the surface routes.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth units would infiltrate the restricted zone from the Dungeon's 13th floor.
This was both to prevent overcrowding and to reach the locations where the "Fallen Spirits" were lurking in the shortest distance possible.
Fron, along with Anakitty and Amid, were one of the first ones to depart.
Their destination was the gate on the 13th floor that connected to the artificial labyrinth.