It has been a full day since the laborious meeting with the humans. Following the conversation between the buzzing bees, they left the room to pursue their individual tasks. Since I and that fool Isaac are now members of Dungeon Squadron, we had to rise from our lodgings early and travel to the other fool's guild headquarters. I was able to find a place to stay without any money or items of worth, thanks to the top guilds in this region who were able to supply their members with the necessities and a place of residence near the guild headquarters. Being a Dungeon Conqueror, which is the highest level, grants many rewards, such as financial stability, safety, and security. For how I know all of this information, it is because my foolish guild master is sitting right in front of me, staring at Isaac and I.
We were in a spacious office that smelled of jasmine. On the peach-colored walls were rows of spears and spoils of battle, such as the heads of various creatures. Above Darion was the head of a chieftain demogre, its eyes wide and snout bashed in. The room had the atmosphere of a hunter who liked to show their guests their game and whatnot. On the vinyl floorboards was a circular carpet with the image of a proud lion, its brilliant gold man tussled. Darion shuffled in his office chair, surveying the two seated guild members with expectant eyes.
"I don't like to beat around the bush, so I'll just say this outright. I was told your number one in the world. Is that true?"
"So? Is information about a meager rank so important these days?" I scoffed.
"It's a yes or no question."
"Is it not obvious?"
Darion furrowed his brow at my difficultness and turned his attention to Isaac. "Hey. Are you number two in the rankings?"
Isaac glanced in my direction and said, "Sadly, yes. When I finally got out of the First Stage, I quickly found out I dropped a spot. Now that you've confirmed my suspicions, the culprit is seated right next to me."
The boy turned to face me. "First off, how the hell did you surpass me? You don't look like you came from Athiens unless you were transported there from Earth alongside me and my sister, albeit in a different location."
…How annoying. If I answer discreetly, their suspicions of me will only grow. Spouting a false tale is clearly not the best approach, as they will disprove my statements. From the information Demos has given me, I have some idea how technologically advanced these humans are. They can enter databases to look up family history and many records, which I have none of. I'm like a phantom that appeared from thin air, and I'm certain Mr. Reed is aware of my predicament.
"You could say I was transported to Athiens," I began carefully. "My place of origin was Earth, however I was transferred to Athiens when there was a bright light in the sky. Eventually, I got a communication that I was being relocated, and just as anticipated I ended up in a place with a ruddy atmosphere and air that was challenging to breathe, as if I was ingesting poisonous fumes."
A flash of recognizability appeared in Isaac's eyes. "That description… did you end up in the Forbidden Area?!"
"The Forbidden Area?" Darion repeated slowly.
"Yep. I heard from The Grand Elder that the Forbidden Area is the one place no one ventures towards! A place infested with powerful creatures and fauna. Man-eating plants that can gobble a wyvern in one bite, boars as powerful as a semi-truck, and pools and rivers so acidic that just being near them will melt your skin! It's the most dangerous place in Athiens and Earth. Laila and I were told to steer clear of it if we valued our lives."
"…And Lana supposedly survived in that hellscape?" Darion said skeptically.
"How else would I have gotten this strong?" I sneered. "Do you think twiddling your thumbs and looking at roses and sunshine did the trick? News flash, it didn't. I had to fight many foes to get where I am at."
What I said is technically the truth. As a god that was surrounded by many other powerful gods a long time ago, staying weak was a choice; a choice I refused to take. A god's strength was tied to the number of believers and what they were the god of. If you had been appointed a deity of something minor, such as birds or animals, you would strive to gain many adherents. The other option was to condition one's body, but that was a social taboo.
"I guess we're the same!" Isaac said happily. "Me and Laila had to fight a lot of strong people when we were in Athiens. We mostly got our butts kicked, but we survived anyway. Once I get strong enough, I'm going after that little bastard Luna. She's on the top of my hitlist."
Hm? Why is this human's hatred for Luna so vast for a mortal who hasn't met- Oh… I see how it is. He and his sister are the ones that escaped Luna's clutches. Artoic mentioned that two humans were running amok in Athiens and dispatched Luna to deal with them, yet they escaped unharmed. To think I would meet those two here, of all places!
"Well Isaac. With you here, I'll make sure that you'll receive plenty of benefits that can assist you in your goal," said Darion, leaning back.
Isaac raised one of his eyebrows at Darion. "Really now? How will you accomplish that?"
"What's a better way of defeating a so-called god than to train?" Darion grinned. "With us three who are one of the strongest superhumans, our growth will rise exponentially. Speaking of training…"
Darion pointed a grubby finger at me. "First, we'll see what you're made of. I want you and Isaac to spar with each other."