Charlie was unaware of how many people disliked him, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
Since setting foot in Orario, he had prepared himself to become the enemy of everyone. His background didn't allow him to keep a low profile, even if he wanted to.
The world always despises what is different. This was an expensive lesson Charlie learned in his previous life from being a good person.
In a circle of hypocrites, the villain is the good man.
*WHOOSH* *WHOOSH* *WHOOSH*
On top of Orario's wall, Charlie kept swinging his sword, repeating the same motion hundreds of times.
After leveling up to Level 2, Charlie felt extraordinary changes in his body.
His body felt lighter, as if gravity around him had lessened. His breathing became more controlled, and his physical endurance increased significantly.
However, alongside his newfound strength came new challenges. His body was now stronger and faster, but it was out of sync with his old reflexes. Movements that were once calculated now felt too quick, too strong, and uncontrolled. He had to train hard to master the new power he had acquired.
After a few hours of training, sweat dripped from his face, but a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Good, my control is improving. Let's test my strength in the Dungeon."
Sheathing the Sword of Damocles, Charlie leaped from the towering wall.
A few meters before he touched the ground, a gust of wind swirled around him, significantly reducing the impact of his fall, and he landed as lightly as a feather.
"Oh right. I need to go to the Guild to report my promotion."
Before heading to the Dungeon, Charlie went to the Guild first.
Every time an adventurer levels up, they are required to report the promotion to the Guild. If adventurers are found hiding their true level, the Guild would impose heavy penalties, including banishment from Orario.
Upon arriving at the Guild, Charlie pretended not to hear the surrounding adventurers gossiping about him and headed straight for an empty counter.
"Hey, Rose. Looks like you're not as popular as the other staff."
Standing in front of the counter manned by the red-haired Demi-Human girl, Charlie started a casual conversation.
"That's none of your business. Unlike you, I didn't manage to get the Sword Princess to share a room with me shortly after arriving in Orario."
"Wow, that's surprising. I didn't know you liked to gossip."
"It's the hottest topic in Orario. Be careful, some hot-headed guys might cause trouble for you."
Rose's words sounded harsh, but she was genuinely concerned and didn't want anything bad to happen to him.
"Thanks for the concern, I'll be careful." Charlie smiled softly.
"Hmph, who cares about you? I just don't want a newbie adventurer dying too soon from fooling around with women."
"You know, Rose, tsundere attitudes are out of fashion."
"Even though I don't know what tsundere means coming from your mouth, I feel like you're mocking me."
"That's just your imagination."
Now that he had gotten his revenge, Charlie felt more relaxed. Since deciding to start his second life, he wanted to build good relationships with those who cared about him. Moreover, his increased strength gave him more confidence that the tragedy of his previous life wouldn't repeat itself in this one.
"Just state your business. I don't want people gossiping that I'm in some ambiguous relationship with you."
Her animal ears stood straight and her tail wagged from side to side. Rose could already hear adventurers starting to spread false rumors about her relationship with Charlie.
Orario might have many beautiful women, but there were few handsome men.
Rose had to admit Charlie was the most handsome man she had encountered during her time in Orario. Of course, she wouldn't fall for him just because of that, but at most, she had a good impression of him.
"Alright, I don't want to bother you at work either. Nothing major, I just want to report my promotion to Level 2."
"Oh, that's it. Wait a moment, I'll update your information."
Rose's reaction was very flat as she grabbed a book, flipped through the pages, found Charlie's information, and audited it.
Unaware of the fact that Charlie had leveled up to Level 2 in just eleven days, she showed no reaction at all.
In fact, if Charlie revealed his rapid level-up speed, it would certainly cause a sensation in Orario, drawing attention from everyone, including the gods.
It's worth noting that the current record for the fastest level-up to Level 2 is held by Aiz Wallenstein, at one year. Because of this, Aiz is considered the most brilliant genius, admired and envied by many.
"All done. Anything else? If not, please leave."
Closing the book, Rose waved her hand dismissively, showing no trace of the hospitality expected from a Guild staff member.
"Until next time. Have a nice day, Rose."
Not wanting to brag about his leveling speed, Charlie left the Guild headquarters and headed toward Babel Tower.
"Hm?"
As he entered Babel Tower, his sixth sense gave a warning. Charlie frowned and looked around cautiously.
'Above!'
After observing for a moment, he pinpointed the source of the sharp gaze he felt.
'Could it be Goddess Freya...?' Charlie speculated.
Before coming to Orario, Hera had warned him to be cautious of Hermes and Freya.
Hermes was a sly manipulator, using others without the victims even realizing it.
As for Freya, she had a personal grudge against Hera.
In the past, after the main forces of the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia were lost, at Zeus's request, Hera asked for Freya's help in their mission to save the world. Hearing this, Freya decided to challenge Hera, agreeing to help only if Hera won. Hera triumphed and forced Freya to stay in Orario as part of the deal.
So it was no surprise that Freya despised Charlie, a member of the Hera Familia.
'Let's hope Freya doesn't send a First-Class Adventurer to target me.'
If it was outside the Dungeon, Charlie was confident he could escape the pursuit of a First-Class Adventurer, even the current strongest, Ottar, a Level 7 adventurer with the alias King.
No matter how strong Ottar and the other members of the Freya Familia were, they couldn't fly. Even if they could hurl their attacks into the sky, could those attacks reach thousands or tens of thousands of meters?
However, inside the Dungeon was different. Charlie would struggle to maneuver in the air due to the Dungeon's narrow environment, especially in the Upper Floors.
"Whatever, Goddess Freya wouldn't be petty enough to send Ottar after me, right?"
Although Charlie said that, deep down, he was already planning a countermeasure in case the worst-case scenario actually occurred.
Never judge gods by human logic. Especially not a dangerous goddess of beauty like Freya, who was even feared by other gods.
That's what Charlie believed.
With caution, he entered the Dungeon.