Authors note:

If you didn't read the new chapter 1 I have changed things around a bit and will be going with a new direction. (One Piece to DanMachi) so reread that chapter if you haven't read it already. Just fair warning for those people.

Anyway on to the next installment of the story, hope you enjoy, and if you do you should know what to do. :P


Chapter 2 – Labyrinth City Orario

With a flash of golden light, a man in all black appeared in the centre of Orario just outside of the entrance of the dungeon. At that moment, a wave of power swept over the entire city. The few people in the place at the time that saw the man felt an overwhelming pressure pressed upon them as their bones creek and collapsed to the ground.

Charles looked confused as the people around him began to fall over in seeming pain. Suddenly at that moment a system message appeared in his vision.

[Due to worlds consciousness trying to classify your existence, you have been defined, within this world, as a major god and given all the permissions and abilities that are defined within the group.

World Restricted abilities gained:

Godly presence – based on the strength of your divinity you can inflict a divine pressure on all beings. This will affect beings differently based on their strength and existence level. (toggleable)

Godly body – your body is that of a god and as so has an extreme natural defence along with an increased healing factor

Familia creation – Within this world you are able to create a familiar. A group of lower existences with you at the head. This allows your followers to grow with the experience gained. The falna is the symbol of your connection.

Purchasing power – With your divine attribute, dictated by the world's consciousness, you can communicate with the world and purchase, either temporarily or permanently, the desired area, using either market points or the valis equivalent. In this purchased area you have full control.

Owned item control – all items owned can be controlled with the only limit being the items capabilities itself.

Buy your life, the merchant wills it – By communicating with the world you are able to purchase the life of one of its inhabitants and are allowed to do as you see fit. Whether it be to save someone or kill them.]

After reading the message, Charles realised that the people were feeling his godly presence and immediately turned it off. Then didn't think about it anymore. Then for the first time Charles looked back at the entrance of the dungeon then walked into the city.

At the same time Charles was walking, all the gods and Goddesses were in a daze. They had never felt a presence that strong before and thought that one of the greatest deities had descended onto the world but for all their knowledge they couldn't recognize the aura at all. Even Ouranos couldn't pinpoint the presence but with his rule over space and time he managed to find out who it was.

Ouranos was puzzled. After all he didn't recognize the figure as he walked away from the tower. There were very few entities with that amount of power and Ouranos was sure he had at least met all of them once. There was only one thing to do at this moment, he had to meet this person.

Sending a message down to the Guild, Ouranos sat back into his chair and waited.

Charles was currently strolling through the streets of Orario, just watching all the adventurers as they made their way to the dungeon at the early hours of the morning. Some still looked a bit shaken from when they felt his aura, but the more veteran of them had seemed to have focused more on the events that are to come.

After walking for half an hour at a moderate pace Charles found himself in the destroyed remnants of buildings that were once beautiful and elegant but were now crumbling to the ground. Charles knew this place to be where Hestia and Bell made their home in season one of the anime. After looking for a while, Charles found the church where the Hestia familia made home. Or… would make home it seemed, as after closer inspection, No one had seemed to have touched this place in a while and it had no indications that anyone has lived here since the collapse of the neighbourhood.

This could only mean that he had travelled to the time before the events of cannon had started and would know a bit of what is to come. If, of course, he is not screwed over too badly by the butterfly effect.

After some more wondering and pondering. Charles had thought that this would be a better place than any to set up his first storefront. After all Hestia and Bell lived here with no one, that we know of, ever complaining or anyone else being seen living here before. And therefore, the house prices must be pretty low.

Just after he had that idea, Charles heard the voice of a woman behind him. "Excuse me my lord, but there is someone that wishes to speak with you."

Turning around he saw the half elven face of Eina Tulle. Charles was stunned for half a second, but it was unnoticeable with the effect of merchant's mind activating and focusing him on the current situation. With his best mercantile smile, Charles said, "Hello Miss Eina, what can I do for you?"

Eina was stunned, she had never met this god before in her life but how did he know her name. With her mind racing she didn't notice that Charles had started to walk towards her. Then she heard him say "So what would Ouranos want with me. Well let's go see shall we"

And he began to walk towards the tower. She still just stood there stunned before snapping out of it and running after him.

After walking back to the location where he started, at the centre of Orario. Where the entrance to the dungeon and the large tower that covered it stood. Charles turned to his shadow and casually remarked. "It is a marvel isn't it"

Eina was confused but still replied in an affirmative. "Yes, my lord."

The tower itself had many floors with the first 25 floors being reserved for the different businesses that accommodated the adventures needs with the higher items and stores being located further up the tower. After the base 25 floors there were housing locations for the different major gods and goddesses located in the city. Only the entities with the most status in the city could hold a place in the tower. And at the top of the tower lived Ouranos the undisputed ruler and protector of Orario for over 1000 years.

Being guided to the lift of the tower, Charles travelled to the top floor and walked out into a dark room with a speckling of lights on the roof of the hall looking like stars in the night. At the end of the hall was a raised dais that held a throne made of stone. Sat upon the throne was an old man that Charles recognised to be Ouranos. Clothed in his cream robes and purple cloak, he looked just like he did in the anime that Charles had watched.

Ouranos sat back, in his chair, with an inscrutable look on his face whilst staring intently at Charles. Charles for his part walked up to the dais with a floorless mercantile smile plastered on his face, Merchants Mind allowing him to betray none of the thoughts that were currently going through his head, and meeting Ouranos's gaze head on.

After a few second where a battle of wills took place, Ouranos spoke up saying "Just who are you?" with a hint of hostility in his voice.

As if he couldn't feel the tension that filled the hall, Charles spoke in a cheerful tone "Why Ouranos my friend, my name is Charles, and I am the Merchant, owner of the Market".

Ouranos was slightly taken aback by the tone of the man's voice but didn't allow any emotion to appear on his face as he asked his next question. "And what is your purpose in my city?"

Not missing a beat, Charles responded with. "Come on my friend, I thought it would be obvious by my title, I am here to do business." His smile only growing wider as he finished the sentence.

Ouranos just stared at the man. Not believing that an entity with an aura like that of what he felt before would be here for something so simple. But not allowing is thoughts to affect him, he moved on to his next question. "How did you descend to this plain without my knowledge, after all if your aura is anything to go by, you are a god and in turn would need my permission and help to descend"

"That is simple Ouranos, I am not an inhabitant of your heaven, I have my own home without all the restriction that you have placed. And with that I that can do as I please." That was of course a lie on Charles's part as the market did have rules, but Ouranos didn't have to know that.

Ouranos now began to feel worried with the knowledge he had just obtained. Afterall this was a being with an aura that could rivel his own and from a place he had no information about. He at that moment decided that this existence couldn't be in his city, after all his true motives were unknown and he had nothing that could be considered as leverage on him.

Channelling his divinity over space and time, Ouranos was ready to send this person away from here, so that he could buy some time to plan. But as he was about to force this man away from the city and to the other side of the world. Ouranos was halted in his action after all he could now feel an invisible pressure descending upon him and his divinity halt in is track unable to move.

On Charles's part when he saw the glow of blue and green radiate from Ouranos, he knew he had to do something and immediately used one of the new powers he just gained, 'Purchasing Power', to rent the domain around Ouranos in order to stop him from channelling his divinity. Quickly Charles said "Whoa there man, I didn't mean to frighten you, I just meant to explain that I am not from your heaven and am an independent entity separate from you gods, even though I am in fact classed as a god in this world. I really am a merchant and just want to do business and make money"

With a combination of his many millenniums of experience, the helplessness that he currently was in, and the sincerity that he could hear from the man's voice. Ouranos quickly calmed down and began to think how he could turn this situation to his advantage.

In a noticeably softer but still domineering tone Ouranos spoke once more, "If that is true, what are your plans going forward?"

"Well, I was planning to set up shop in one of the less used parts of the city as I am a bit low on funds at the moment. Hahaha, but that is of no importance as I am confident in developing no matter the situation"

Thinking for a moment Ouranos comes up with a plan in which he could ingratiate himself with the powerful and mysterious entity whilst recording and manipulating the man's growth. He then spoke, "Well as an apology for jumping to conclusions and getting off on the wrong foot. Allow me to gift you with a property in the centre of Ourario that I happen to possess. Consider this a gift of sorts and a welcoming present to this fine city, I hope you do not refuse this gesture of friendship"

Charles stared intensely at Ouranos, trying to understand the maca nations of this millenniums old being. Charles could understand a bit of what the old man was trying to do. For one, he was indeed meaning it as a gift for the perceived slight on his part, next this location is in the centre of Ourario where Ouranos's power is most concentrated in this plain, finally Ouranos most likely had agents there, which he could use and with the limited amount of free space for property expansion, he would be able to stunt the markets growth. Even though that was a false assessment but not knowing of the markets true power one may be led to that conclusion given Ouranos's position.

After thinking Charles decided that no matter the plans of the other person, he was still ready to accept the gift that he was being given and so accepted the present, "I thank you my friend for your gift and will graciously accept the assistance that you will be providing. Consider any slight that you have made on my person forgiven and I hope we will have an amicable relationship in the future. If not more"

And with that the transaction was concluded. Ouranos and Charles kept all other conversations to things of no importance and not long later Charles left, being escorted to his new property by one of Ouranos's employees, where he was eventually left alone in front of his shop in the literal centre of Ourario within line of sight to the tower that sat on top of the infamous dungeon.

Standing there outside his start in this new world, surrounded by the midday hustle and bustle of the people going into and out of the dungeon. Charles pulled out the storefront token and threw it at the store's door. Instantly there was a blinding flash of light and an arch way appeared where the original front facing wall was, with a sign saying 'The Market' hung above the arch written in beautiful calligraphy.

Walking through the arch Charles was ready for the business to come.