Orario, the Labyrinth City.
A massive city built atop a sprawling underground dungeon.
It is a place where adventurers and gods gather. Humans and demi-humans alike receive blessings from the gods and descend into the dungeon to battle monsters, growing stronger through their struggles.
In essence, this is a fantasy world set in a Western medieval backdrop.
And as for this world—Su Mo was no stranger to it.
Yes, he was a transmigrator.
There was no grand reason, no ominous storm, no dramatic death. Just a simple "poof"—and he found himself in another world.
He clearly remembered the name of the anime: "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?"
Back then, Su Mo had even scoffed at how ridiculously long the titles of light novels and anime had become.
Little did he expect that one day he would have the "honor" of being transported into such a world.
His only reaction?
"Over my dead body am I going into that dungeon to be an adventurer!"
He said this while expertly stir-frying a plate of Yangzhou fried rice.
Yes, Yangzhou fried rice.
The location? A bustling commercial street in Orario.
More specifically, a small food stall tucked within that street.
Su Mo was busy cooking fried rice with practiced hands, even adding an extra egg upon the customer's request.
Standing before him was a beautiful young woman with elven ears, dressed in the uniform of the Guild—the organization that manages the dungeon.
She was a half-elf named EinaTulle.
A member of the Guild, Eina served as a guide and advisor to new adventurers, helping them grow and stay safe.
And Su Mo? He was one of her assigned beginners.
Eina was at a loss for words after hearing Su Mo's declaration.
"I'm not exactly pressuring you to go dungeon-diving," she said, choosing her words carefully.
"Though I work for the Guild, I'm well aware of how dangerous the dungeon can be."
As a veteran advisor, her understanding of the dungeon rivaled that of experienced adventurers.
"I often advise new adventurers not to challenge the deeper floors beyond their capabilities."
After all, the deeper the level in the dungeon, the more dangerous the monsters.
Venturing recklessly into floors beyond one's ability could easily result in disaster.
"Still," she added, a hint of awkwardness in her tone, "while we do preach safety and tell adventurers not to be reckless…"
She glanced at Su Mo with a conflicted expression.
"…it's rare to see someone like you—who registered as an adventurer a whole month ago—and still hasn't stepped into the dungeon even once."
Eina chose her words carefully—she didn't want to hurt Su Mo's feelings.
But truthfully, in all her years at the Guild, Su Mo's case was a first.
Calling it unusual might even be an understatement.
Adventurers—even the most timid of them—would at least attempt to enter the first floor of the dungeon.
After all, the monsters on the first floor were no more dangerous than chickens, ducks, or geese.
Even a teenage human could easily deal with them.
And if someone was squeamish about killing?
Running away was always an option—the monsters on the first floor weren't even fast enough to keep up with a fleeing human.
In short, there was practically no real danger.
Most new adventurers might hesitate for two or three days.
A week at most.
But someone like Su Mo—who had been registered as an adventurer for a full month without even once stepping into the dungeon, and who clearly had no intention of doing so—was absolutely unheard of.
To this day, Eina had only ever encountered one such person: him.
It was baffling. Truly bizarre.
This time, she had taken time out of her workday to personally come over—hoping to finally talk some sense into this peculiar rookie adventurer.
"Is there something bothering you?" she asked gently. "A mental block, maybe? Is that why you're avoiding the dungeon?"
If that were the case, she felt it was her duty to help guide him through it.
But to her surprise, Su Mo shook his head without hesitation.
"No mental block or trauma," he said matter-of-factly. "The reason I'm not going to the dungeon is actually pretty simple."
"What is it?" Eina asked, genuinely puzzled.
Su Mo casually pointed to the space in front of his stall.
"Just look at all the customers. Even selling fried rice, I make more than most rookie adventurers."
"And if that's the case, why should I go risk my life in the dungeon, when I can just make a peaceful living here?"
Eina followed his finger and looked ahead.
Sure enough, she couldn't help but nod in agreement.
In front of Su Mo's stall stretched a long line of waiting customers.
Some were drawn by the mouth-watering aroma in the air, while others were clearly repeat customers—or people who had come after hearing the buzz about this tiny food stand.
It had only been a month since Su Mo set up shop, but his stall already had quite the reputation among Orario's food lovers.
The line of eager patrons that formed every day spoke volumes.
Each plate of fried rice sold for 200 valis—a bit on the pricey side—but that didn't deter the customers one bit.
Even after deducting the cost of ingredients, the profits Su Mo made from just the crowd in front of him likely exceeded what most newbie adventurers earned.
If business stayed this good, his daily income might even rival that of a Level 2 adventurer.
Yes, you heard that right—selling fried rice was turning out to be more lucrative than dungeon crawling for over half the adventurers out there.
Eina was stunned by just how profitable the stall seemed, but at the same time, she couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"So you're telling me," she said slowly, "the only reason you're not going into the dungeon… is because it doesn't pay as well as selling fried rice?"
All this time, she'd been poring over his records, thinking maybe he had some kind of trauma or psychological resistance to battle.
But in the end, the reason was just that simple?
"Uh-huh," Su Mo nodded, then added,
"Besides, the dangers of the dungeon are also a big factor."
He was nothing if not self-aware.
As a shut-in with barely the strength to swat a fly, he seriously doubted if he could even take on a full-grown goose, let alone a monster.
Sure, he could grit his teeth and slowly get stronger through experience.
But when he could make money safely and comfortably, why would he risk his life?
Especially when…
He had a little loli goddess at home depending on him.
If something happened to him and he died in the dungeon, wouldn't she be left a widow before her time?
No way. That simply wouldn't do.
"…Alright," Eina said after a brief pause, nodding.
She had no intention—or authority, for that matter—to force Su Mo into the dungeon.
She had only come here out of a sense of responsibility.
Guiding new adventurers was part of her job.
…Although, she had to admit—Su Mo being handsome did make her a bit more invested than usual.
"If that's the path you've chosen, I'll respect your decision," she said. "But if you ever change your mind, you can come to me anytime. I'll always be here to help you with dungeon guidance and strategy."
Her voice carried a trace of regret.
If he really stuck to this path, chances were they wouldn't have much to do with each other going forward.
"Don't worry," Su Mo replied firmly, completely missing the subtle shift in her tone.
"I won't change my mind. My dream is to live a peaceful, plant-like life. Adventuring just isn't for me."
A lie, of course.
Men, after all, remain boys at heart until the day they die.
Su Mo naturally yearned for adventure, combat, and beautiful women.
But he also knew himself too well. There was no way someone like him could replicate the insane growth curve of the original story's protagonist—Bell Cranel.
He might be a transmigrator, sure.
But he hadn't received any sort of cheat.
No awakened magic, no special talents, no divine artifacts or overpowered systems.
Not even the tiniest hint of a so-called "golden finger."
Without a protagonist's plot armor, trying to follow in Bell's footsteps would only end in one thing: an early grave in the dungeon.
So, fully aware of his own ordinariness, Su Mo had wisely chosen a different, much safer path.
Profit was king.
"Alright then… goodbye," Eina said softly, sighing as she turned away with a trace of disappointment.
Watching her retreating figure, Su Mo shook his head.
Sure, Eina was beautiful—but he wasn't the kind of fool who'd let himself be swayed by a pretty face.
Go into the dungeon?
Maybe if he ever awakened some kind of cheat ability.
If that day ever came…
Lost in that thought, a strange sadness flickered in Su Mo's chest as he took the next customer's payment with one hand and handed over a steaming plate of fried rice with the other.
Just as the plate left his hand—
Suddenly.
A burst of white light flared before his eyes.
And when his vision cleared, he realized he couldn't see anything in the distance—something was blocking his view.
Looking around, he discovered he was now in a vast, open space filled with thick, white fog.
"What is this place?" he muttered, dazed.
As if guided by instinct, he began walking forward.
After a dozen or so steps, he reached a wide plaza.
And there, right in the center of it, were two figures standing and talking.
The more he looked at them…
The more familiar they seemed.
In fact, the more he stared—
The more they looked like… himself?!
**********
T/N: Hello readers!
This novel, originally written by 红烧派蒙 (Braised Paimon), is one of my favorite Chinese fanfictions. I'm currently working on translating it into English so that more fans around the world can enjoy this wild multiverse adventure. While I've done my best to preserve the tone, humor, and action of the original, I'm not a professional translator—so if you find any errors, awkward phrasing, or places where the meaning isn't quite clear, please don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know.
If you're enjoying the story, I'd greatly appreciate your support in the form of reviews and power stones! Your feedback not only motivates me but also helps other readers discover this gem.
Thanks for joining Su Mo on his journey across worlds. Let the chaos begin!