[Cyoa Information]IMPORTANT NOTE: THE CYOA IS LOOSELY FOLLOWED, CREATIVE FREEDOM HAS BEEN TAKEN IN REPRESENTATION OF CERTAIN DRAWBACKS, PERKS, ABILITIES, SKILLS, AND MORE. THE CYOA IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE THE FULL REPRESENTATION OF THE MC'S ABILITIES OR FALNA, AND IS USED AS A GUIDELINE.
cyoas/danmachicyoa/ - LINK TO CYOA
You
Male
Drop-In
Teen
[Race] Human
Humans are generally said to be the weakest race.
However, uniquely, they are the only species besides Amazoness that can breed with the other native races to produce halfbreed children. This is different from the Amazoness, who will only have Amazoness children regardless what race their partner is.
Hephaestus Familia
Orario
Cost: -5
Orario, also known as Labyrinth City Orario, is the only city in the world that has a dungeon. It is here where most of the story plot takes place.
If you choose this as your starting location you won't have to pay an entrance fee at the gate.
Collateral Damage
Gain: (Plus)10
Incompatible: Mountain Village [Location]
Incompatible: Remote Village [Location]
You awaken within rubble badly beaten and bruised. Fortunately, it is nothing you cannot recover from with time and rest. It seems you were the casual victim of happenstance being between two fighting adventurers. The aftermath of their battle has left you beaten and your home and belongings utterly destroyed.
[Meta]
You're now guaranteed to have at least an extra ten years from the canonical start before the One Eyed Black Dragon reappears. Events will still otherwise play out the same, but you don't have to worry about this world-ending catastrophe plot event for another decade.
Drawbacks
What CYOA?
Gain: (Plus)5
You will forget all the choices you made in this CYOA, beyond the fact that you filled in a CYOA. Another Adventure boon will be exempt from this.
Foggy Memory
Gain: (Plus)5
Your memory of Danmachi lore is spotty at best. You only remember key and general elements.
But while you may recall the general gist of the story and the more important events, specific details will be forgotten.
The more a character was considered to be in a "side" role or otherwise of minor importance to the overarching story plot, the more vague your impression of them will be.
Blank Slate
Gain: (Plus)10
You forget everything you know about the story plot of Danmachi. You can remember the setting in general terms such as being an anime about Gods giving powers and adventurers fighting in a dungeon, but that's it.
You do remember filling the CYOA, though the importance of your choices will be unclear since you won't remember the significance.
High Grade
Gain: (Plus)10
Gain: 1 Free Skill
Normally, in order to rank/level up, one must have at least a D rank in one basic stat which is 500-599.
You, however, require at least three B's 700-799.
Gain (Plus)1 Free Talent and Skill
Pauper
Gain: (Plus)15
You start with no free gear beyond what your scenario offers. You can still spend your points to purchase gear, but you will have no freebies.
Gain (Plus)1 Free Boon
Talentless
Gain: (Plus)15
Gain: 1 Free Skill
Incompatible: Special
Incompatible: Montage
Gods and those with a "discerning eye" will perceive you to be without talent. This will make it difficult to join a famila, even if you have chosen one to have favor towards you.
Furthermore, once your gain your Falna you will not immediately have access to any skills, even those selected here. Your skills will not show up or activate until you have reached your first Rank Up.
Gain (Plus)1 Free Skill and Boon
Boons
Big Build
Cost: -10
Incompatible: Shorty [Drawback]
Your body is exceptionally large and powerful for your race. This greatly increases your base strength and endurance even without a falna.
Discounts High Constitution
High Constitution
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
Your body's overall resilience and durability is greatly increased.
This means you will tire less easily, heal a little quicker, have an increased threshold for pain or discomfort, and be far less likely to get any type of sickness or disease.
Should you be poisoned directly even if it should be otherwise fatal you will have a high chance to survive and recover from it, even if it will leave you bedridden for a considerable time.
Discounts High Recovery
Discounts Iron Samson [Skill]
[Discounted by Big Build]
Discounted
High Recovery
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
You recover from injuries, even devastating ones, at far greater ease and pace than others.
What would have left a normal man bedridden for months you will walk off in weeks.
Bandaged wounds that would take weeks for others to heal will only take you days.
Discounts Second Wind [Skill]
[Discounted by High Constitution]
Discounted
Longevity
Cost: -5
Required: High Constitution
Required: High Recovery
You are naturally very long-lived and will maintain your youth for hundreds of years, similar to the Elven race. If you are an elf this will further enhance your natural lifespan to near immortal levels.
Fated Encounter
Cost: -10
So long as it is feasible, you can ensure that you will one day encounter an individual of your choosing and have a minor degree of control over how the encounter will occur.
This does not alter their perception of you or ensure they feel any specific way towards you, but you will run into them.
Sharp Wit
Cost: -10
You will have a very high intelligence compared to the average citizen.
This does not make you a genius or prodigy, but you will have a far greater memory than most and find it easier to retain and comprehend information and make quicker deductions.
Discounts Academics and Strategist [Talent]
Iron Will
Cost: -10
You will have a near unshakable will that will not falter as long as you have set yourself a goal to achieve.
A fringe benefit of this includes a higher pain tolerance and patience as long as you are determined to continue towards your goal.
Danger Sense
Cost: -10
You will have an innate sense of danger that borders on the line of precognition.
You will instinctively detect danger coming your way as well as from what general direction moments before it occurs with a brief flash of hyper-aware focus. This has a "cooldown" time of five minutes.
Attractive
Cost: -10
Incompatible: Ugly [Drawback]
You will be widely regarded as attractive. Even facial scarring will be more likely to only add to your rogue charm rather than outright making you displeasing to the eyes.
There is a certain nearly otherworldly aura about you that makes you stand out from others. Even dirt, sweat, and grime tend to flow off you with ease, keeping you in an almost photogenic fashion despite it.
Discounts Charisma
Prodigy
Cost: -10
Choose three of your selected talents. You will be imbued with 10 years of dedicated experience and knowledge in the relative field.
As a result of this, your chosen talents are guaranteed to unlock a relevant corresponding ability when you receive your falna.
Discounts Rising Star
Rising Star
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
You will always be able to improve yourself the more adventures and epic deeds you actively take part in.
You will always gain two Personal Skills and Development Abilities upon rank-up and have at least five to choose from.
Discounts Limit Breaker
[Discounted by Prodigy]
Discounted
Limit Breaker
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
For most people, S RANK is the highest rank they can ever achieve in their stats. For you, this is no longer true. You have broken through the shackles that bind you and can now grow indefinitely.
While you are free from your limits, the practicality of leveling will still exist, as at a certain point it is just not feasible to keep grinding experience without leveling up.
[Discounted by Rising Star]
Discounted
Martially Gifted
Cost: -10
You will have a natural affinity towards picking up martial arts and performing in physical combat.
Martial talent is arguably less relevant in the dungeon against monsters where stats and level play more of a role.
Discounts Brawler [Talent]
Token Exchange
Gain: (Plus)5 Points
Exchange a single Skill Token for five points. Can only be taken once.
Gear
Grimoire
Cost: -5
Grimoires are spell books created through the use of the Mystery and Mage Development Abilities. It allows the reader to learn a magic simply by reading it. It can only be used once, and will become empty after it is read.
Talents
Swordsman
Cost: -10
You have a natural affinity for wielding a blade as an extension of yourself. How to balance the weight, how to swing to strike, how to move to parry, these all come naturally to you.
This can include other melee weapons such as spears, axes, or maces. However, each will have their own learning curve.
Discounts Weapon Empowerment [Skill]
Brawler
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
Fisticuffs. Brawling. Wrestling. Slugging it out. Whatever you want to call it, you have a natural talent for fighting barehanded. Whereas others reach for a sword, you're bashing in teeth.
Beyond just a better instinct, you'll excel at being able to knock others unconscious with one savage blow and know how to move your own body reflexively to avoid taking critical damage.
[Discounted by Martially Gifted [Boon]
Discounted
Blacksmith
You have a keen grasp of forging and shaping metals. it will not take you much trial and error to learn the best methods to ensure your work is fine and you will be able to easily identify most minerals that you've had previous contact with.
You'll also have a good eye for details when it comes to spotting imperfections in forged armor and weapons.
[ Discounted by Dwarf [Race] ]
Free [Familia]
Medical
Cost: -10
You have a natural talent when it comes to matters of medicine and rendering aid to the injured.
Mercantile
Cost: -10
You have a knack for barter, trade and managing finances. You have a keen eye for spotting the value of items and quickly determining someone's bottom line in terms of how much they'd be willing to spend, trade or sell.
Artisan
Cost: -10
You have an instinctive and intuitive grasp on matters of art. From drawing, painting, or crafting sculptures, you have an uncanny natural ability to create great works of art.
Discounts Crafter's Touch [Skill]
Survival
Cost: -10
You have a natural affinity towards surviving in the wild and scavenging off the land.
From tracking down prey, setting traps or even identifying useful or harmful plants, it all seems simple for you.
Discounts Predator [Skill]
Academics
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
When it comes to matters of academics and learning, you're a natural. You'll have a higher reading comprehension than most and a far greater innate memory recall and retention.
[ Discounted by Sharp Wit [Boon] ]
Discounted
Magic
Cost: -10
You have a natural knack for the mystic arts. You can learn magic at quicker rate and with easier progress than others. You also have a higher control than most and as such are less likely to suffer backfire from spell failure.
Combo with Arcane Mind [Boon] to discount Arcanist [Skill]
[ Discounted by Arcane Mind [Boon] ]
Magic: Defensive
Cost: -5
You have a natural talent for picking up defensive magics.
This influences the direction your falna will go for potential magic unlocks as well as your own affinity for this type of magic.
Magic: Utility
Cost: -5
You have a natural talent for picking up utility magics.
This influences the direction your falna will go for potential magic unlocks as well as your own affinity for this type of magic.
Token Exchange
Exchange two Skill Tokens for one extra skill freebie. Can only be taken once.
Skills
Primal
Cost: -10
Greatly increases Strength when not wielding a weapon.
Greatly increases Endurance the less protection you are wearing.
When in effect, Endurance is additive to your attack power and your Strength is additive to your physical resistance up to half depending on how much effect is being applied.
[Discounted by Beastification [Boon]
Crafter's Touch
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
Anything you craft personally, be it from a forge, a kitchen an apothecary, will have a heightened effect and quality as if the best tools or ingredients were used.
[Discounted by Artisan [Talent]
Discounted
Iron Samson
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
Raises the user's strength and endurance stat by a large amount.
Increases your physical defense.
[Discounted by High Constitution [Boon]
Discounted
Weapon Empowerment
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
You can empower your weapons with your mind or magic to be sharper and more durable. If you know any magical attacks you can channel them through your weapon.
[Discounted by Swordsman or Archery [Talent]
Discounted
Relentless
Cost: -10
Your stamina will never run out from the activity of fighting or battle. You can still get tired normally, or even through strenuous activity, but as long as you are in combat you will have inexhaustible stamina.
Rampage
Cost: -10
Increases the user's strength and agility with every consecutive hit on an opponent. Will reset if the target changes or you go longer than two seconds without attacking.
Second Wind
Cost: -5 [Discounted]
Once during an instance of combat you can completely restore your stamina, mind and heal any wounds, status ailments or curses on yourself.
Can only be used once every thirty minutes.
[Discounted by High Recovery [Boon]
Discounted
Imbrue
Cost: -10
Tremendously improves the damage dealt to creatures whose blood are soaked on your weapon or body. E.g, blood of goblins will increase your damage against goblins.
Monster Hunter
Cost: -10
Increases all abilities when fighting monsters you have encountered and gained excelia from, potentially making the user stronger than their actual level when fighting them.
Effect further improved with the number slain.
Miracle Hand
Cost: -10
Enables the usage of the Mystery Development Ability during item creation.
Allows the user to infuse miracles when creating items. The strength of the effect corresponds with the user's desire and the quality of the item created.
Base effect dependent on Level.
Alterations to Universe/ AU Content:
When Monsters die, they do not dissipate into nothingness. Drop Items are thus non-existent, and Monsters are now selectively valued in various markets. Even a Goblin is valuable, its organs and blood a popular reagent within Mixing. Adventurers make a lot more money if they are able to store quality products, with even low-level Adventurers diving in the first floor being capable of making ten-times the amount a normal person working a job that gives them living wages.
Money valuation: I generally will try to keep Valis consistent with what is shown on the Wiki, but this is not going to be an overly accurate attempt. I usually tend to follow a simple conversion of 1 USD = 30 Valis, which generally ballparks a good value for most things within the setting. A Level One adventurer would be capable of making around 50,000-100,000 Valis a dive, but doing so alone within the Dungeon is unsafe; requiring party members, supporters, and more to be paid for.
Due to how lucrative the Dungeon Business is, there are dramatically more Adventurers and Familias within the world; more importantly, around Orario. A new location within, or rather, around Orario will be the 'Sprawl'. The Sprawl is a slum-region of camps and shacks built around Orario's walls by refugees and visiting familias that only desired to stay within the city temporarily. The Sprawl, initially just a few camps in the time of Hera and Zeus' old yore, has grown out of hand due to Freya and Loki's uncaring management of the city; now a sprawling haven of the poorest and lowest classes of Orario. Numerous thieves, rouge familias, and others navigate hidden entrances and smuggling routes under or through Orario's walls, infiltrating the city and irritating Guild Enforcers and allied familias. - This has been done to expand the Underworld of Orario, beyond just Ishtar, Soma, the Ikelos Familia, and Evilus.
Crime is now a real threat within Orario, with rival Familias wanting to take advantage of Orario now being under the rule of weaker Familias than the Zeus and Hera Familia.
For a frame of Reference, the Set and Horus Familia waged war with the Zeus and Hera Familia for a bid to control the city; they failed obviously, their Level Sixes and Sevens falling in battle to Zeus and Hera's Level 8's and 9's -entirely ignoring Alfia and Zald's existence- but they still did so. A feat of stupidity from a retarded familia earning a Darwin Award; or was it simply greed acting as the real motivator of a Familia desperately trying to obtain the font of infinite wealth that was Orario's Dungeon?
Either way, with Freya's Captain being 'merely' a Level 7, I'd imagine that would attract any God and Goddess that had previously been dissuaded from trying to claim the gem and jewel that was Orario; protected and claimed by the strongest Familias for over a millennia. And then comes an Influx of Familias racing towards that level, wanting to become rivals of the Loki and Freya Familias. From near or far, from the Far East, to the Far North. Orario has been left with a massive power gap, and the vacuum is closing.
The Dungeon is Alive. The Xenos are not just Monster Girls being preyed on by Slavers. They are the Dungeon Evolving, playing with the Soul, testing Sapience and Sentience; slowly evolving itself and its creations. Towards what end? Towards what goal? I doubt even it knows…
Mixing is an evolved profession that has a wide variety of unique products. While not likely to be expanded upon or invested into by the Main Character, side-characters that have specialized inside of Mixing may be introduced to shed light on the new reagents and ingredients; along with interesting or fascinating products. These products will edge out of the generic 'Health' and 'Mind Potion'; leaking into a more 'Harry Potter' and 'Skyrim' Vibe with varying levels of 'useful household alchemical supplies' to 'potions with bizarre and strange effects'.
Wilt does not know about Danmachi.
Wilt will be capable of reading, speaking, and understanding any language he comes across because he's an Isekai Protagonist. This has plot fun implications.
The Black Dragon's Apocalyptic Awakening will happen in Ten Years from Plot Start, a Meta Option given by the CYOA this is based off of.
Bell is Bella and has been genderbent for NSFW reasons.
Vote: Should Alfia be alive, acting as a caretaker for Bella who greatly reminds her of Materia because of the gender difference? This has been done in another fanfiction, which I didn't bother to read for some reason; but make your opinion known. I might listen to it as she nor Bella has been mentioned or introduced yet.
CHAPTER ONE
THE MONOTONY OF DIOGENESE'S MASTERBATION
His bones hurt.
It was with great effort that he opened his eyes, a mist of dust lingering in the air. An intake of breath had him coughing, bringing his arm to his face, trying to breath through his sleeve. It was an action that had his body screaming in agony, and the man groaned; trying to understand what was going on.
Trying to stand, but merely getting onto his knees, Wilt started to crawl. He groaned and grumbled, hands gripping blocks of rough stone and dragging his broken body over them. Bruises and welts covered him, blood spilling from lesions on his skin, all the while he spat and coughed the lingering dust from what was becoming more and more apparent to be some kind of building. Heat and fire gusted from somewhere; Wilt not willing to find where, so long as it was away from him.
A wooden beam fell from the ceiling, nearly cracking him in the head. Wilt winced as he kept crawling, finding light from a shattered window. He dragged himself over shattered glass, lifting his body onto the window, breaking through the already broken wooden frame of the window. He gazed out at a mess; a ruined street located within a claustrophobic looking city. With houses built on top of other houses, and bridges of wood running over his head connecting to the opposite side of the road. Some of those bridges dangled, ropes and wooden planks swaying in the wind.
Wilt heard shouting, done in a language he'd never heard, but could easily understand. They were garbled shouts of confusion, alarm, swearing, and calls or cries of help.
Wilt paid them no mind as he lifted himself onto the lip of the window, and glancing over to his right, he saw one of the rope bridges had fallen; laying against the wall of the building he was inside.
Grimacing, he reached over and tightly gripped the rope of the bridge, securing his bare feet onto the base of the rope, then started to slowly shimmy his way down. Each time he moved, stinging pain would lance through his body, shards of glass embedded in his skin and new pain making itself known. Wilt didn't care, just pushing through it, filled with a newfound athleticism bolstered by a desperate need to survive.
He reached the ground, stepping off and then limping into the street; his feet becoming bloody as he stepped on glass and shattered wooden splinters. People of different races sprinted by him, some casting him glances; but seeing as he was standing and not crushed under tons of bricks or thick beams of wood, he wasn't a priority. Wilt just gapped like a fish, watching dwarves and bearded halflings lift people out of buildings, humans and elves working together to sift through rubble, soon joined by a man with a massive halberd, his wolf-ish ears twitching randomly as he barked orders to people.
Wilt sat down on a pile of rubble, dazed by his sudden translocation to fucking fantasy land. Did he do some crazy drugs that he was hallucinating his ass off to? He certainly wasn't dreaming, his body ached too much for that. Wilt sat, staring at the chaos, nursing his wounds while he did so. Eventually some form of militia arrived on the scene, barking out orders and lifting massive amounts of weight that boggles the mind. Following them were monstrous creatures that followed their orders, people whispering about the 'Ganesha Familia'.
'Wasn't that…an Indian God?' Wilt wondered, queerly gazing at the flamboyantly dressed people, garbed like they were animal tamers, circus workers, or Australian out-back guides. Eventually one of the women, a black haired woman with tan skin came to him; she inspected him closely, mainly focused on his wounds. "Are you okay sir?"
Wilt snapped out of his daze, and shook his head negatively; honest. "I think I got hit in the head…" He muttered, "Other than that, my body hurts like I've been stoned for half an hour."
The woman nodded, pulling out from her hip a vial of some red liquid. She handed it to him, and after inspecting it, and thinking it was some kind of medicine, he popped the cork and took a sip. He blinked, the pain immediately fading, and so he drained the rest of the vail, gasping out in shock as he took in his healing wounds.
He looked up to thank the woman, but she was already gone. Wilt grimaced, rubbing the back of his head, thinking on what he needed to do. Ruminating on trying to figure out any basic knowledge of what the hell was happening, Wilt was approached by a man wearing a fine looking suit; clashing with the people wearing more medieval clothing.
"Hello sir, I'm Arbitrator Henal, representative of The Guild. If I could get your statement of the events from your perspective, it would be most gladdening." The man pulled out a pen and notepad, raising his eyebrow for Wilt to speak to him.
Wilt jawed for a moment, before sighing and started to give his recollection. "I was sleeping, I think, but the last thing I remember was waking up inside of that building there." He pointed to the one that was currently on fire, half destroyed, and effectively looking like an Earthquake or bomb had gone off inside. "I crawled out of the rubble and made my way to a window, where I climbed down the rope from one of those bridges to safety. Then I stayed out of the way, waited for treatment, and am now talking to you." Wilt winced, "I'm having a hard time remembering things, though; and even after drinking one of those…healing tonics, my head still hurts a bit."
The man wrote down the statement, "May I have your name, sir?"
"Wilt Weathers."
The man nodded, "Well then, Mr. Weathers." The man started, "The events of today were the result of two high level Adventurers fighting. We've already confirmed their identity, one belonging to the Magni Familia, and the other the Macha Familia." Henal grinned, "You seem to have a solid case, and if you are willing, I can possibly get you to testify in front of a Divine; you'll be entitled to recompense from both Familias, earning enough to hopefully restart your life." The man glanced up to the ruined building in pity.
Wilt licked his lips, and nodded without hesitation; "Yes, please do." He said quickly, the Arbitrator grinning and closing his notebook.
"Please, follow me."
…
Wilt rubbed his head, adjusting the bandage that had been wrapped around it purely for aesthetics. His first few days within Orario have been a tumultuous time of court dates and trials. Apparently, these kinds of trials were rather common, but they were also handled with utmost seriousness by the governing bodies of 'Orario'.
The Dungeon City, Orario. He snorted and shook his head ruefully.
Wilt still wasn't sure what to think of the place. Most of what he'd learned came from books he was reading, given to him by Henal as he lounged around in hotels, inns, and other temporary housing locations. Henal appeared to be some sort of local Lawyer, acting as his representative and agent within the legal community of Orario, pushing his case forward. Beyond his case being worked by Henal in the background, Wilt made due progress in working towards becoming knowledgeable about this city and world.
He wasn't really all too sure if what he'd read was to be believed; as it all sounded so…
Fantastical.
Populated by 'Divines', entities that could bless people with what to him looked like an RPG Status Page, and could easily tell if someone was lying just by being a Divine; but otherwise looked like normal humans or a race of their choosing. Complex beasts they were, and their nature and existence raised all manner of questions that he yearned to have answered.
Silly questions, like what was the point of being a Divine of Truth if everyone could tell the Truth?
Hello, Apollo? All these posers are stealing your shtick.
Then there were more serious questions, like if they were really Divine Entities. Did Gods walk among him, or were these entities just…magical spirits that thought themselves divine?
Wilt shook his head from the banal thoughts that populated it. It'd been a hard handful of days rapidly adapting to his new situation, Henal being a grand help in easing things along.
The man was entirely driven by greed; wanting a decent amount of the settlement money that would be coming from his injury from the incident, targeted at both Familias for the destruction of 'his' home.
It wasn't his, but Henal had apparently found a deed of the place logged in the Guild; apparently just recently bought by one 'Mr. Weathers'. How that was possible without Wilt having any memory of it, he didn't have a damned clue. He wasn't exactly going to argue it though.
His value from a victim of violence, to a victim of violence and destruction of property had soared in his agent's eyes. The greedy Guild Arbitrator jumped onto his case, eager to bleed the familias to hell and back.
His case was joined by several others, combining into a 'class action lawsuit' that built up a massive amount of charges; of which his witness statement and several others worked to obtain a hefty fine and several restrictions and punishments that Wilt didn't really understand much of.
The gavel was just dropped, and now Wilt waited inside a side room; of which Henal opened with a wide grin. "Mr. Weathers, my good friend." Henal laughed, "You're not quite a rich man within Orario, but a wealthy one? That you could claim." He laughed again, presenting Wilt with a complex legal paper that he started to read over.
Wilt chuckled as he finished reading the paper, setting it to the side and standing up, "Well, I guess this completes our business arrangement, Mr. Henal. I imagine you're looking forward to the twenty four million you just earned?"
The Arbitrator grinned widely, satisfied that he'd bet correctly on the man in front of him. "That I am. My God, Tyr, will be quite happy I managed to pull in this amount of cash. We're rather close to being able to buy our own law firm, so if you ever need a legal battle won; just come around and I'll jump to your side."
Wilt chuckled, "I'll keep that in mind, Henal. Have a good one." Wilt stood and waved, the Arbitrator nodding as he got his own things in order.
Wilt glanced down at the paper in his hands, gazing down at the listed amount of money that was deposited into his new bank account; split between the two Familias, they owed him a total of 89 Million Valis. It seemed like an insane amount of money, and Wilt was entirely unsure how to calculate comparative value to his own native currency of USD.
This world didn't have the same industries as his did, and just to take an extreme example; a 'Level Three's Blade' cost around ten to thirty million Valis. A 'Level Six's Blade' meanwhile was valued in the hundreds of millions.
How did a sword cost more than a five story house located in what he'd come to find was an actually pretty decent neighborhood? Lower to middle-middle class at the very least.
'I still own that land, even if the building is getting torn down.' He thought of a silver lining. Knowing that his settlement money wasn't going to be enough to cover repairs, if he went down that route he'd bankrupt himself. It was best to just let the city deal with the rubble; he'd already given them the go-ahead to demolish what remained of 'his' building. What would remain would be an empty plot of land that Wilt was thinking of likely selling. Or maybe repurposing?
The thought had him pause, a grimace riding onto his face; facets of his existence within this reality coming to the forefront of his mind now that he wasn't desperately grasping for a means of understanding where he was, and how he was going to eat. They'd been lurking on the periphery, purposely ignored and pushed off; but now he couldn't do that any longer.
Wilt had been transmigrated. He'd been ripped from his old life, and thrown into this new one; and in that transition, Wilt believed that he'd likely met some…entity. Something had done things to him, as he wasn't what he remembered himself to be.
He didn't have ten years of knowledge and experience of crafting, smithing, and working in sweaty workshops creating weapons, armor, and metalworking goods for peasants and nobles alike. Yet, he did.
He didn't have ten years of martial experience and knowledge, feeling the ache in his hands and the callouses long since developed there; speaking of undeniably false memories of training yards, and warfare, and battles, and duels. And yet, he did.
He didn't have ten years of knowledge and experience of surgical, doctorial, medicinal, and biological wet-working; fractured memories of himself using primitive bonesaws and old-age medicinal supplies like honey and poppy flower, all combining with literal years of experience in using state-of-the art laboratory hospital tech doing sensitive surgery on all parts of the body.
And yet. He did.
Wilt shivered as he felt alien inside his own skin. His face was his own, yet his body didn't feel like it. He was too large, shredded muscle climbing on his bones that were once covered with flabby and weak flesh. His sedative lifestyle was replaced by a man looking like he ate bricks and shit swords. And despite him saying his face was his own, it was cut and molded like it was an airbrushed and high-definition version of himself. Like he was fucking mewing and looksmaxing nonstop!
He hated that he liked all of these changes.
He hated that he fantasized daily on heading to a forge and smashing out weapons and armor.
He hated that he loved the new understanding he had of biology, the expertise and masterful dexterity he managed his body with. His new face had everything he'd hated removed, he loved having skills, he loved being better than he was before.
He hated how easy it was to forget who he was, and embrace the new man that had seamlessly stepped into his shoes. Or was it the other way around?
Wilt sighed, standing on the side of the Pantheon, the building feeling like his new home considering how long he'd spent inside its halls. He glanced into the open doors, eyes trailing over the long lines of Adventurers and Clerks. Then his gaze transferred over to the massive Space-Needle tower named 'Babel'.
It was a Tower that was stated to have unusual effects in 'harmonizing languages', granting all who were under its influence an equal understanding of others; regardless of the language barrier. For Wilt, he simplified that as just allowing him to read, write, speak, and understand everyone else inside this City. It made him reluctant to leave this dangerous place, for without that tower and its presence giving him the gift of language; he was without voice.
Swallowing thickly, Wilt started to walk towards Babel, feeling drawn there. He navigated his way through the throngs of people, making his way to the foot of Babel.
There, he gazed into the maw. The tower of Babel was a large structure, on one side there was a large elevator leading to shops and fancy restaurants. Then to the other side, there was an unguarded gate leading to a dark spiral staircase he could only just see the start of. He grimaced as he watched a man carrying a broken corpse out of the darkness, his helm shadowing his eyes, yet failing to hide the tears that trailed down his cheeks and chin. The woman in his arms was long since dead, her skull leaking drops of blood, the last remnants of its contents.
The man was let pass without any form of harassment, everyone looking at the man with a sense of pity or shared pain; then as he passed, everyone moved on. Wilt swallowed a deranged chuckle as he watched that play out. How densitized were these people, that they gave a single acknowledgement to a man who likely lost his partner, then returned to their lives without a second thought?
'On second thought, it's not like we were any different.' The scream sheets, the click bait, the tragedies and horrors, the wars and hells, the starving peoples and rampant diseases. Apathetically stared at and moved on from. The genocides allowed to happen, because if they did do something; margins would be hurt and products would stop being made or shipped. 'Not our problem…huh.' Was the message he read from the crowd.
He snorted, walking closer to the hole that the so-called 'Adventurers' filtered in and out from.
He peered down the dark hole, keeping a clear distance from the edge, but staring down at the foreboding entrance into the famous Dungeon. He stared at long convoys of people hauling up foul stinking creatures up; massive bags soaked in blood being carried on the backs of downtrodden looking figures.
Wilt…paused.
'Come.'
'Delve.'
'Come.'
'Delve.'
'...ways…to die…choose one.'
'Power.'
'Blood.'
'Conquest.'
'Riches.'
'Power.'
'Death.'
'Treasure…beyond…imagine.'
'Delve….'
Wilt jerked his head to the side, shaking his vision that had hyper focused into the Dungeon's darkest depths.
He heard a snicker from behind him, glancing back to find an old beggar sitting in the farthest corner of the room. He was ignored by all, but his sole eye hidden by a brush of white ragged hair and fangle toothed mouth was all directed towards him.
Wilt swallowed, and walked over, the elder's eyes following him as he approached. "Thought you were going to jump, kid." The old man's voice was whispy and raspy, "But no, it was just its calls." The beggar giggled.
"...You hear them too?" Wilt whispered, having thought that was just his imagination.
"I hear it, young friend. The Dungeon, those are its whispers." He chuckled, "It's learning." The old man coughed and hacked, gazing up at Wilt with a milky blue eye, "The Gods, they are blind, willfully ignorant. Ouranos tries, but one Divine, as powerful as the Old Primordial is, can't stem Tartarus' waking rumbles." The old man gasped from his speech, his breathing harsh and quick.
Wilt glanced over to the hole. "What does it tell you?" He asked, his voice soft, curiosity in his tone.
"To die. To rest." The old man said softly, losing some of the mania previously present in his voice. "I once delved into it, ventured deep, but I'm both old, and without blessing. Now, I just listen to its voice, listening, and listening."
Wilt grew interested in the old beggar, "It wants me to dive." Wilt stated as he sat back, joining the beggar in his loitering state overlooking the pit. "It tempts me."
The old man snorted, "Aye, it tempts us all, but only a few can hear its voice. Some are specifically chosen, others are just natural." He coughed, "The Dungeon…it's an old thing. Few records speak of where it is from, what it is…I've learned much about it, but only hints at its origins."
"You called it Tartarus." Wilt noted.
"It is not Tartarus. Tartarus was an old God, spoken in ancient texts as to be worshiped by humans who practiced…foul arts. Heretical sacrifices of flesh and blood, done over a pit and altar. His connection to 'Pits' has his name cast forth to the Dungeon, along with his acts in assisting the sealing of the Pit; the original name of the Dungeon, before it was one."
"Like naming something after the one who discovered it…" Wilt concluded.
"Aye." The beggar drank from a gourd, wetting his throat. "Some say it is rude to call it so, others who knew the God say it fits him well." He sighed, "But, the Dungeon stirs…" He glanced over to Wilt, "You look weak, kid. Don't know what good it does to tell ya', but the Dungeon? It's waking up."
Wilt frowned deeply. "Waking? Are we going to be expecting invasions?" 'Was this some kind of Manwha?'
The old man's eyes widened, "Hmm, not many would come to that conclusion, but I must admit it is possible." He sighed, "The restrictions on the Dungeon are systematic, locking its abilities and functions in creating its children at certain depths. Tartarus, Ouranos, and Gaea worked together to seal the creature, Gaea communicating with Genkai to bind the Pit deep in the flesh of the Mortal World; Tartarus acting as the binding sacrifice, the conceptual representation that fit well with what the Pit was in concept. Oranaus, meanwhile, weighed the sky onto the Pit, constructing the Tower with the help of a Thunder God by the name of YHWH; that God too was mentioned in the design of a seal of some kind that further restricted the Pit's powers, but he is an obscure myth."
Wilt's eyes were wide, mouthing the name 'YHWH' in shock. The old beggar didn't notice the reaction, half-blind as he was. "The seals, they are strong. The weight of the Heavens, perfectly balanced. The Dungeon, however, grows." The old man's face became a firm frown. "It's getting used to this game, and it's starting to experiment. Making these…intelligent monsters. Mortal monstrosities; I've found a few, some friendly, others not so..." The beggar sighed, "The damned thing is becoming more intelligent. Its voice is stronger, more clear. Its words and meanings…profound. They hold wisdom, instead of the random misassembled mutterings of an entity half-mad." He licked his beard, "I sit here listening, and what I've heard paints an odd picture."
"What does it want?" He asked.
"It hates Gods, but Mortals? It loves mortals." He chuckled, "It's learned so much from them, it emulates them. It wants more, and more, and more; all to dive into it. For what reason? For what purpose? Is it harvesting their souls? No, the Gods would never let their precious toys within if that were the case, most of all that freak in the tower." He glared up at the ceiling, before his sour gaze stared back at the distant pit. "I can do nothing except theorize."
Wilt and the old beggar sat there, staring at the pit, listening to its words and voice. It wasn't long before Wilt spoke, "What is your name, old man?" He asked, standing.
"Diogenes." The man uttered blandly, "Former member of the Zeus Familia, Vice Captain, before that brat Maximus and Zald came along…" He spat to the side, his face marred with disgust for merely speaking all of those names. Zeus was the one that was spat the most venomously.
Wilt nodded, the names meaning nothing to a man who knew nothing of the city he walked within; or its history. Instead, he simply asked the wise beggar carrying the name of a famous philosopher a question. "How do I delve into the Dungeon?"
"You walk." Diogenese chuckled, "But, I know what you mean. You have no blessing, yes? You'll need that first. Then, you need skill and preparation. Potions, good food, and the means to swing a blade."
Wilt nodded, "I have skill in combat, I know how to bandage a wound, and I have money; but the blessing is a problem."
Diogenese hummed, "Delving into the dungeon is risky business, but you…you're no Adventurer dog. Not one of these slaves." He glared at the random faceless masses that came and went through the Dungeon. "What got it to stir your heart? What words did it string along for you to bet your life?"
Wilt turned away from Diogenese and stared at the Dungeon's pit.
"It asked me how I wanted to die." Wilt uttered blankly. "And it made me think about how I wanted to live."
"Glory." The old man spat. "Had enough of that in my life." He barked a short laugh, "Maximus had enough thirst for Glory to make Tantalus look hydrated!"
"No. Not that." Wilt looked down at his hand, and clenched it with strength. "'It would be a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.'" He licked his teeth at the old quote he used to hate, "I always felt…defeated by that statement. Said by a man of an older age, of an older time. Where life was…simpler in ways." He chuckled, "Simpler, but harder." He sighed, leaning back against the wall of Babel, "And now here I am, standing at the gateway between a quick and meaningless death; or an alluring scent of intangible fulfillment. The squelching of flesh between my fist and blade, the sense of victory and pride that burns in the chest after hard fought battles."
"Addictive." Diogenese's voice warned.
"Satisfying." Wilt corrected. "Satisfying in a way that no other pleasure could ever come close to. The pleasure of the flesh? Fleeting. A delicious meal? Shit the next day. The accolades of glory and fame? The weighty sense of eyes and expectation, for heavy weighs a crown of gold. Love? Hah! You jest." He spat. "Better the greed of a woman's heart to trust, for what can money not buy?"
Diogenese chuckled, and said nothing. His eyes…satisfied.
Wilt continued, "Yet, for a man who lived a life stripped of self-confidence, who yearns for a means at which to prove himself capable; who is content with life, yet is suddenly presented with a means of actualizing value and validation -not in any sense of societal worth- but self-validation. The desperate need to fill a hollow hole inside the chest and to point, state, and claim; without doubt, without hesitation, and without shame. That he has done something. That he means something." Wilt breathed, "The Dungeon, it offers that to me; all of it and more. It offers a risk that I cannot cheat. It gives reward, not in the monetary sense of treasure gained and reaped; but of blood spilt, and hands stained. Proof that I am a man. Proof that I have lived a life." Wilt's voice whispered the last few words of his statement, clenching and unclenching his hands as he slid down the wall and sat by Diogenese once more.
Diogenese was quiet for a moment, contemplating. "You come from a place where the concept of masculinity was stripped from you? The nature of man, and the nature of women; called into question. So much so that the definition of such became muddled that there was no identity for you to attach yourself to." He mused. "How…sad. A slave, you were; to your society."
"That we were." Wilt whispered.
Diogenese sniffed, "You delve for a greater reason than most of these fools. And, you hear the temptations of the Dungeon clear. Those temptation's greatest strength is their tendency to be vague. It plays on the mind that is designed to draw conclusions and take things to their greatest ends. I do not say this to dissuade you; make that clear. But, do keep such in mind." He spat to the side, clearing his pallet.
Exercising his jaw, the old man continued, "Your issues of finding a blessing can be easily solved. If you want to join a pure exploratory familia, then you'll need to wait. They open their gates seasonally, and test fresh-blood, adding in new-blood to be thrown into the Dungeon like a filter's bloody grate."
Wilt frowned, "I have experience in smithing and crafting." He admitted.
Diogenese raised a bushy brow, "Hmm, Hephaestus and Goibniu are good Familias to join; my say is with Hephaestus over Goibniu. She's a more…grounded Goddess." He said with distaste.
"Why the dislike of Gods?" Wilt asked.
Diogenes shook his head, "Unpopular philosophy is my issue, I guess. I believe that the Gods should return to their heaven; they have a habit for making things worse down here, is all." He spoke with bitter defeat. "I long for the days when God was a sacred thing, separate from mortals."
Wilt nodded in slight agreement; he too felt disturbed by the presence of the Gods, out of fear of the unknown, if not the well worn experience of being burned. "Any tips?"
"Weasel your way into their civilian markets, if you must. If you are young enough and truthful of your skill in crafting and combat; then that should be enough."
Wilt nodded and stood. He glanced down at the old man, "Thanks for the talk, old man."
Diogenese grinned, "Yeah, yeah. Now get out of the way." A bitter frown curled onto his face, "You're in the way of my sunlight."
Wilt glanced up at the ceiling, then turned to the dungeon's pit. Wilt shook his head, "You should die in the sunlight, happy and free. Not glaring at a damned pit."
"I could say the same thing to you."
"Yeah. But one of us is an old man held down by bitter regrets, and the other is a young man looking for bitters to add to his spirits. Bi-g difference~."
Diogenese laughed, "The spice of life!" He cheered.
Wilt shook his head, walking towards the exit of the Dungeon, "Damn straight."
As Wilt walked out of Babel, an old bitter man worn down by life -his philosophies spat at by Gods and Mortals alike, and his lifestyle even more so- shut out the voices. Chewing on his beard, the old man groaned as once strong arms lifted his weight up, and pulled himself onto his feet. Using the wall as a support, Diogenes slowly walked his way out, following the kid.
He took a while to make his way out of the Dungeon, reaching Babel, and then managing to gather his strength enough to start walking out onto the streets. Each breath was laborious, and each step was difficult. The sun was high, and then it started to dip.
As the sun dipped, Diogenes sighed in ideal comfort, a stolen ceramic jar tilted on its side, filled with straw acting as his bed. Three dogs sniffed the old man who smelled like piss, his hand ruffling through their fur and divesting them of ticks and fleas.
He smiled, gazing up at the setting sun.
I want to incorporate more Christian Myth into Danmachi; the Dungeon will likely have infernal elements, limited to the deepest of floors. Likely beyond Floor 72; the deepest that Alfia and Zald reached in this AU (I think it was canonically 71 or something: too lazy to look it up, lol).
OCs will be introduced; I have ideas about unique characters, mainly because I dislike Naaza from Miach's familia, so there might be some members who didn't leave the dude's familia when they went under.
The Dungeon may or may not become a Yandere for Wilt. This trope was done by another author, I'm aware.
That shit was cringe.
The Yandere Dungeon here?
Let's get more...Eldritch Abomination/Great One vibes. Think Bloodborne Great-One relationships. Less cringe; all the Edge.
And less aborted infant gods and umbilical cords now that I'm thinking about it...