Tower of Babel.
It was a towering structure built like a lid over the Dungeon, serving as a suppressive mechanism designed to monitor and guard against any activity within the Dungeon. Like the arena, it was a public facility managed by the Guild.
This white tower soared into the clouds, reaching several hundred meters in height. No matter where you stood in Orario, it was undeniably the most striking structure in sight.
The Tower of Babel had a total of 50 floors.
The lower 20 floors were rented out by the Guild to various commerce-oriented Familias and converted into stores selling weapons, equipment, and items. Notably, the Hephaestus Familia, a major force in the blacksmithing industry, had leased out an entire five-floor block from the 4th to the 8th floor, transforming it entirely into weapon shops.
The upper 30 floors, however, were areas that ordinary people could never set foot in, because they were, precisely, the residences of the gods.
Only Chief Gods from top-tier Familias in Orario were deemed qualified by the Guild to reside in the highest floors of the Tower of Babel.
Loki herself was among those qualified. However, she preferred staying with her children of the Familia and chose to live in Twilight Manor, leaving her room in the Tower of Babel vacant.
As for the very top, the 50th floor, there was no doubt that only the Chief God of the strongest Familia in all of Orario, perhaps even the world, had the right to reside there.
Familias were ranked in levels, much like Proficiency, divided from I to S, totaling ten levels.
The Loki Familia was an S-rank Familia, symbolizing the pinnacle of strength in the city.
However, Loki Familia was only one of the strongest. Within this Labyrinth City, another Familia stood as its equal, or as many believed, the true strongest Familia.
That would be the Freya Familia.
And on the 50th floor of the Tower of Babel lived the Chief God of the Freya Familia, the Goddess ruling over beauty.
This was undoubtedly the most luxurious room in the entire tower. Every amenity was fully equipped, murals, carpets, chandeliers, cabinets, all adorned with extravagance. Even if one scoured the whole world, a second room as luxurious as this would be nearly impossible to find.
The most breathtaking feature was undoubtedly the observation deck. At an altitude no other building could ever reach, it offered a sweeping view of the vast city below, an unparalleled vista.
The silver-haired goddess now stood before the window on that very observation deck.
The rectangular glass wall framed her stunning figure like a spotlight.
She wore a black, sheer nightgown that accentuated her graceful and voluptuous form, slender, delicate limbs, a petite and rounded rear, and a perfectly proportioned waist. Even a single glance could rob one of reason. Her snow-white skin glowed with warmth in the morning sunlight, adding an air of passion.
Her long, smooth, waist-length hair shimmered like it was embedded with countless ice crystals.
From beneath her long lashes, her gorgeous and proud eyes looked down upon the world beneath the Tower of Babel.
And then,
Her previously indifferent gaze suddenly narrowed slightly, focusing on a specific spot.
Even such a casual gesture was still beautiful enough to make people lose their minds.
"Ottar."
"Yes."
As soon as her call fell, a solemn voice immediately responded. A man was standing at the entrance. It seemed he had been there all along. With short, earth-red hair and boar ears atop his head, his body was built like solid rock. A towering beastman, well over two meters tall.
Standing like a statue at the doorway, the Boaz waited like a sentinel for the goddess's command.
"Has Loki Familia picked up any new rookies recently?"
"Yes. About twenty days ago, Loki Familia took in a rookie who has not yet received a Blessing, no Falna."
"A rookie without a Blessing…"
Freya crossed her arms beneath her bosom, gently lifting the weight of her ample chest. A pensive look surfaced in her eyes.
"There actually exists such a soul that's pitch-black yet dazzlingly brilliant, truly unprecedented. Also, this kind of natural talent… Loki really found a treasure."
She looked toward the exit of the Tower of Babel, surprise shining in her eyes.
Only by watching the large-scale movements of the Loki Familia outside of expeditions did she become somewhat concerned and pay attention, only to see something unexpected.
"It's said that the young boy defeated several Lv.2 Adventurers in the arena as a normal person without having received a Blessing/Falna. That's how he gained fame, attracted the Loki Familia, and was accepted."
Boaz at the door answered Freya's questions in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Freya frowned displeasedly, a look that made one feel sympathetic.
"A kid like that should have joined my Familia. I never expected Loki to snatch him first… Ottar, gather all the intelligence on him. I want it now."
"Yes."
Freya's gaze toward the base of the Tower of Babel grew increasingly intense.
Ottar understood.
That was the expression a Goddess would show when she set her eyes on prey, a boundless love from the Goddess, a favor bestowed by the Goddess, proof of being chosen by the Goddess.
However,
This time, the target was extremely tricky.
...
"Hiss!"
Just as he stepped out of the Tower of Babel, Ryoji suddenly felt a chill sweep over him.
It was as if something disgustingly vile was watching him. A strange gaze descended from above, seemingly wanting to lick his entire body, radiating a possessiveness that gave him goosebumps all over.
Since his rebirth, he had never encountered such a… bizarre look.
"What happened?"Tiona, walking beside him, immediately showed a face of concern.
"...What's on the very top floor of the Tower of Babel?" Ryoji furrowed his brow deeply and instinctively looked back at the highest floor of the towering structure.
"That's Goddess Freya's residence." Tiona answered instinctively but suddenly tensed like a spring, her expression turning ugly.
"Could it be…" Being from the top ranks of Loki Familia, Tiona had also heard legends about Goddess Freya.
"What happened?"
"No, it's nothing!"
Tiona quickly denied it.
She couldn't let Ryoji know about Goddess Freya.
If he really was being watched by Freya, it wouldn't matter if he knew or not, but if he found out, it might spark his curiosity about Freya, which would be tantamount to surrendering unarmed.
However, Freya had always been relatively restrained when it came to Loki Familia and shouldn't risk breaking ties by doing such a thing.
In any case, from now on, she had to stay alert and absolutely prevent anyone suspected to be from Freya's side from contacting Ryoji!
"Let's go, let's go, first, let me heal your wounds!"
Tiona then switched to a teasing, light-hearted tone.
But as a simple-minded person, she wasn't good at hiding her worries, and her anxious expression was impossible to conceal, which made Ryoji somewhat thoughtful.
(End of Chapter)
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