"Hey, kid, we can see it now! Just across this causeway, that's Orario!"
The coachman's shout jolted the young man inside the carriage awake.
The black-haired, black-eyed youth leaned out from under the carriage's canopy, gazing in the direction they were traveling, and a magnificent city came into view, the Labyrinth City, Orario.
'Finally, we're here.'
After five months of travel, they had finally arrived.
'The city walls are so tall.'
But even taller was the towering white spire known as the Tower of Babel.
Seeing it in person was far more awe-inspiring than reading about it in the original novel, its peak was lost in the clouds.
"Uncle, stop calling me 'kid.' My name is Rayleigh," the youth corrected him for what felt like the hundredth time with a hint of exasperation on his face.
"Hahaha, your name is too hard to pronounce," the coachman chuckled, clearly trying to brush off the correction.
Rayleigh didn't press the matter this time, his attention now drawn to the road the carriage was traveling.
"This must be the Fianna Causeway."
"You sure know a lot about random things," the coachman remarked, "but you're clueless about common sense, you're a real oddball," having traveled with Rayleigh for over a month, the coachman had come to know him quite well.
He couldn't understand Rayleigh's current mood, standing on the Fianna Causeway, Rayleigh was genuinely awestruck by the power of the ancient heroes.
This causeway had once been a mountain, long before the age of gods and Familias, this land teemed with monsters, the only ones capable of resisting them were the ancient heroes.
Among them, Fianna, the hero of the Pallums, made a monumental contribution.
With a single strike from her magic spear, she pierced through the hundred-eyed giant Balor and shattered the mountain, leaving a deep scar on the earth that formed a vast canyon.
Even after a thousand years, this canyon still existed and now become a scenic landmark outside the city of Orario, this was the origin of the Fianna Causeway.
What had once been historical events had now become mythical tales, but Rayleigh knew these stories were true.
Over two thousand years ago, in a distant past before the magnificent city of Orario even existed, a great war had raged here between heroes and subterranean monsters.
It was a battle that determined the fate of the world.
Climbing this causeway felt like a pilgrimage to a sacred site, having been in this world for a year, he had finally reached its heart!
...
The carriage arrived at the entrance to the Labyrinth City.
Rayleigh tilted his head back, gazing up at the towering walls.
From a distance, Rayleigh had thought the city walls were exceptionally tall, but standing at their base, he realized he had underestimated their true scale.
Considering these walls were built to contain monstrous creatures emerging from the underground labyrinth, their exaggerated height became understandable.
After passing through the inspection, Rayleigh finally entered Labyrinth City.
His long-awaited goal achieved!
The sudden shift in scenery made him feel as if he had stepped into a game world, most of the people walking the streets were Adventurers, many carrying weapons.
There were Beastmen with greatswords slung across their backs, mages wielding staves, swordsmen with swords hanging at their waists.
Adventurers of various races, statuses, and genders coexisted here as a matter of course.
In Orario, only strength mattered, there was no nobility or commoners, no aristocracy, only gods and mortals.
Gods bestowed Falna upon their followers, forming Familias and living alongside their people.
Joining a Familia was crucial for anyone aspiring to become an Adventurer, to explore the labyrinth as an Adventurer, several essentials were required.
First, Falna.
Receiving a god's Falna allowed one to become an Adventurer, unlocking ability values, magic, and skills, only with these powers could one hope to advance through the labyrinth.
Second, companions.
The underground labyrinth was extremely dangerous, with each deeper level becoming increasingly treacherous, situations where survival was a matter of life and death were commonplace.
To mitigate risks and maximize gains, forming exploration teams was essential.
However, the labyrinth was a lawless zone, amplifying the dark side of human nature.
As a result, most adventurers only teamed up with members of their own Familia.
Many necessities were required, but these two were particularly crucial:
Joining a powerful Familia offered greater assistance and protection, but such Familia had stringent recruitment requirements.
Weaker Familia had lower entry barriers, but provided little support or resources.
Members were largely left to fend for themselves, and might even be required to contribute financially to the Familia's upkeep.
Rayleigh had no doubts about this and he had already decided to join the Hephaestus Familia.
Hephaestus, the celestial divine artisan, the god of blacksmithing, a kind-hearted and understanding goddess.
The Hephaestus Familia that she led, was a production-oriented Familia composed of master smiths.
It was one of the top-tier, large-scale Familia in the Labyrinth City.
IT was the perfect place for him to showcase his abilities.