Fels guided me through secret passages inside the dungeon, which were the quickest and safest way to travel. Only Fels knew about these passages, so they were pretty empty as we moved through.
We didn't talk much, aside from my asking him general questions about the dungeon. From what he said, these safe passages seemed to have been made for some unknown purpose. They extended from floor 1 all the way to floor 50, where the safe zone was located.
It's strange that no one has discovered these secret trails yet, but Fels had some sort of artifact that revealed the hidden entrances. I didn't pay much attention to it, but it looked like some kind of flower—odd, to say the least.
After a few hours of travel, we finally reached the first floor. Traveling without monsters in the way was much faster. Once we got to the end of the passage, Fels opened a secret door, which brought us near the stairs leading to the surface.
The area where the secret passage was hidden was well-concealed. A small, secluded chamber greeted us upon our exit, filled with moss and small vegetation that gave the place a bit of life.
"How has no one discovered this chamber yet?" I asked as we walked toward the exit. "Hundreds of adventurers pass by this spot every day. How has no one found it?"
Fels continued walking, his long, skeletal legs moving effortlessly through the dungeon's climate.
"A few people have discovered this place, but no one pays attention to it. No monsters spawn here, so adventurers don't find it interesting. The entrance is hidden by rocks, and only those who climb over them and look closely will notice it," he explained.
His words proved true when we reached the exit. It was a narrow gap that only slender adventurers could pass through. It wasn't a problem for me or Fels, but larger or taller adventurers might have struggled.
We were lucky to find the area empty of other adventurers. Fels quickly proceeded to exit the dungeon. As we climbed the stairs, Fels suddenly turned invisible, completely vanishing from my sight. Even my heat vision couldn't detect him—typical for a spooky, scary skeleton like him.
"Meet me behind the guild building," Fels said as his voice lingered. "I'm under orders to keep myself hidden, so you'll need to return alone."
With that, his presence faded away, leaving me alone. I decided to hurry and climbed the stairs at a fast pace. The stairway wasn't crowded, likely because most adventurers were already deep within the dungeon.
Upon returning to the surface, I was greeted by the warmth of the sun on my face. Around me, adventurers went about their usual business.
One adventurer caught my eye, staring at me with a somewhat uncertain look. Judging by his body language, he seemed to be debating whether or not to approach me. He looked like a newbie, wearing the lowest-grade armor and carrying a simple steel sword.
"Excuse me," he finally said, stepping forward. "Have you seen an adventurer group with a blonde woman leading them? They went down there six hours ago but haven't come back yet. Have you seen them anywhere?"
His brown hair swayed in the breeze, and he had the typical appearance of an NPC from any fantasy game, anime, or similar story.
"I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone matching that description," I replied. "Why do you ask? Are they family or just friends?"
His eyes flickered with regret and sadness, confirming my suspicion. It seemed they were his familia members, who had left him behind.
"They're my familia members," he admitted. "But because of my weakness, they refused to bring me with them. My god barely accepted me into the familia."
His words confirmed my guess. Orario was full of gods and adventurers like that. While I didn't have time to concern myself with his familia, the least I could do was wish him luck and move on.
"Don't chase them if they refuse to get along with you. The best advice I can give is to venture solo between the safest floors for your skill level. The best way to grind Excelia is to challenge stronger opponents, but don't go overboard, or you'll end up as monster food."
The moody look in his eyes faded a little, and a spark of hope ignited. "Thank you so much! I'll keep your advice in mind!"
I waved him off and went about my own business. If he got himself killed by his own ambition, it wouldn't be my problem. But if he was smart, he'd grind steadily.
It took me less than 20 minutes to reach the guild. Moving stealthily, I slipped behind the building, where the tall skeleton awaited me.
He led me inside the guild through a backdoor, and we descended the stairs until we reached a door. We stopped for a moment before Fels looked at me and opened it, revealing a dark room beyond.
Fels guided me through the room, which was surrounded by darkness and lit only by torches. The torches gave me a strange feeling of immersion I couldn't quite describe.
But past all those torches lay a throne, where a tall man with grey hair sat. Fels guided me to a certain point before leaving me alone. He went to stand behind his master while I faced Ouranos.
"Why have you been spying on me? And don't worry about your owl; it's safe and fed at my home."
Ouranos looked down at me with his blue eyes. He scanned me for a moment before letting out a tired sigh.
"We know you are responsible for the Aeshma Familia massacre. My owl has been following you for a month now. I must commend your abilities; they are some of the most unique I've seen a mortal possess."
"Why didn't you imprison me then?" I cut him off.
Ouranos opened his eyes and paused for a moment before answering. His gaze held the firm, strong stance of a primordial god who had lived for eons.
"That was my initial thought, but I don't have firm evidence to present to the other gods, even if my word is absolute. However, I believe your abilities could help me shape Orario, maintaining its place in the mortal world for years to come."
He looked up at the ceiling before focusing directly on my green eyes, his expression a mix of emotions.
"But first, you need to tell me what happened to Aeshma. We haven't been able to track him. I doubt you would go to the lengths of killing a god, despite your criminal record."
"Criminal record?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"Yes, a criminal record. Even though you haven't been imprisoned, Royman has written a record of your crimes. But don't worry; only I, Fels, and Royman know about it. Your deeds are kept in the archives."
So that's how Ouranos wanted to play it. Even though he had no solid evidence of me killing the Aeshma Familia, he still had the power to make it stick.
"I didn't see Aeshma there. As for why I killed the Aeshma Familia, it was because they were part of Evilus. So far, I've only killed Evilus members—no innocents."
Ouranos listened intently, his posture relaxing somewhat. "I see. Then it's possible that Aeshma left Orario and slipped under our radar. Evilus has posed a significant threat to Orario ever since Zeus and Hera fell from grace. But we haven't had much information on them until you appeared."
Fels stepped forward from the shadows, holding a small box. When he opened it, I saw a small red sphere that resembled a pearl.
"For the greater future of this city, I need people like you to cooperate with us. With that gadget, we'll be able to communicate anytime, anywhere. I thank you for your efforts against Evilus, but you need to move more carefully. Do you have any information that could be useful to us?"
I picked up the communication device—similar to the one Bell had in the anime—and stored it in my pouch. Fels backed away, leaving me alone with Ouranos once again.
"I have information about their whereabouts, but I don't know how to get inside. My strength isn't enough yet to challenge them alone, so keep that in mind. From what I know, Morana is hiding somewhere in the dungeon, and the Ikelos Familia, who works for Evilus, is also involved."
Ouranos looked momentarily surprised, his eyes widening slightly. It seemed like he wasn't aware of Evilus's continued influence in Orario. Or maybe he did know, but Evilus still troubled him either way.
"Fels, give Niall the key to the safe passages. He'll need it for future endeavors and better coordination inside the dungeon. As for you, Niall, stay quiet for now until you find more information on Evilus's whereabouts."
Ouranos closed his eyes, and Fels guided me toward the exit. It seemed Ouranos needed time to think about everything. I didn't blame him; he had to form a perfect plan to counter Evilus. But in the end, I would be the one doing the dirty work since Ouranos adhered to his neutrality policy.