Long, long ago, there was a great hole in the world.
It was a hole that could spawn endless monsters, truly a den of demons.
From this great hole emerged countless bizarre and varied monsters that once wreaked havoc on the surface, sweeping through forests, mountain ranges, and even desolate valleys, oceans, and skies, covering every corner of the world.
Humanity suffered greatly from their scourge, horribly ravaged until, ultimately, to reclaim their dignity and peace, and to avenge their afflicted kin, they broke through racial barriers and united to fight back against the monsters.
After countless years of struggle, led and animated by those whom later generations would call "heroes," humans drove the monsters back into the hole from which they came and built a fortress on top of it.
This fortress is Maze City Orario.
That great hole is the underground city.
The underground city is a maze.
Inside, there is another world different from the surface.
In this world, there are countless floors.
No one knows exactly how many floors there are.
People only know that each floor of the underground city has a different environment and terrain, and the types of monsters are also complex and ever-changing. The deeper the floor, the more complex the environment and terrain, and the monsters also become increasingly terrifying and powerful.
This means that those lacking strength, even if they enter the underground city, won't be able to get very far.
Even the first floor, closest to the surface and recognized as the safest with the weakest monsters, poses a life-threatening danger to an ordinary person entering it.
Even those who have received blessings and possess ability values need a certain amount of courage and like-minded teammates to venture into the underground city.
Therefore, during the day, the square in front of the Tower of Babel gathers many adventurers from various clans who have received blessings and registered with the "Guild" that manages Maze City, with their main duty being to explore the maze.
They form teams to venture into the underground city together, seeking great wealth, fame, and prestige in this domain of the unknown.
As for the night, it is usually rare for adventurers to enter the underground city.
However, on this pitch-black night, one man entered the Tower of Babel, passed through the decorative doors of the first-floor hall, and made his way down the staircase along the edge of a large hole into the first floor of the underground city.
The one who recklessly entered the underground city at night wore not a single piece of proper armor or equipment but simply dressed in everyday clothes with zero protective capability, holding a short sword as he entered.
"————"
An endless silence filled the air.
Reiger then lifted his eyelids, peering forward, and immediately saw the paths stretching out in all directions, like tunnels underground.
The walls and ceiling were uniformly pale blue.
Forked paths, crossroads, gentle slopes, and other terrains formed neatly spaced roads.
There was no sign of anyone else around.
At this moment, Reiger literally, as the saying goes, stepped into a demonic nest, an underground maze.
"Feels a bit like those times I did survival training in the forest and accidentally wandered into a cave inhabited by bears."
Reiger was unnaturally calm, casually strolling through the tunnel, his footsteps echoing clearly in the silent environment.
"Hmm..."
"Hmm..."
It was unclear if they were attracted by Reiger's unmasked footsteps, but grumbling roars began to emerge from the darkness.
Reiger's gaze shifted, his steps never stopping, his eyes set straight ahead, looking toward the end of the tunnel.
There, at a junction, pairs of blood-red eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Lurking in the shadows, monsters waiting for prey stealthily appeared.
It wasn't until Reiger had walked a bit closer that he could clearly see the form of the monster.
It was a labyrinthine monster with a dog's head and sharp fangs— a "Gnoll."
"Hmm..."
With a breathy and chaotic panting, one Gnoll, seemingly unable to wait, broke away from the group and stepped out of the darkness.
The figure, smaller than Reiger and uglier than a human but brimming with malevolence, was definitely a shocking sight for Reiger, who was seeing an "alien" for the first time.
Yet, Reiger did not stop.
"Gah!"
The Gnoll, as if spotting prey that had delivered itself, let out a sharp growl and leapt towards Reiger.
The vicious alien figure grew larger in Reiger's pupils, drawing ever closer.
"Huh..."
Exhaling a breath, Reiger struggled to control his wildly beating heart.
This feeling—
"It's been a while."
The corners of Reiger's mouth naturally curled up.
Despite facing danger, Reiger not only felt no fear, but he also fell into an inexplicably excited state.
Reminiscent of those early days, the first time he left home, ventured beyond his family's sight, and sought extreme thrills outside, Reiger felt the same way; not only was there no trepidation, but there was also an unexplainable excitement.
Perhaps he was too numb for too long.
Perhaps he was too accustomed to it.
The constantly suppressed and constrained Reiger, like a recoil after hitting rock bottom, whenever faced with highly stimulating situations, would suddenly switch from being calm and steady to intensely excited.
With this inexplicable excitement, as he watched the Gnoll pounce towards him, Reiger's never-halting steps quickened even more.
From walking to sprinting.
From speeding to sprinting.
——— Running.
Reiger then launched a fearless charge toward the "unknown" he had never seen before.
"Ga!"
The goblin immediately showed a fierce light in its eyes and reached out with its sharp claws towards Reiger's head.
The next second, accompanied by a "clang," the goblin's claws landed on a flamboyantly decorated short sword.
As Reiger approached the goblin to the limit, he boldly set up his short sword, blocking the claw strike aimed at his head.
"Bang!"
The next moment, a dull sound exploded.
It was Reiger, who had blocked the goblin's attack with the short sword and used his free hand to clench a fist and punch into the hideous goblin's head.
"Ga!"
The goblin let out a cry of pain, its small frame unable to withstand the impact of the punch and was directly knocked to the ground.
"Heh!"
"Ga!"
Seeing their companion had a bad start, being punched over by the prey they had waited for, the rest of the goblins hidden in the darkness could not sit still and all rushed out towards Reiger.
Seeing this, Reiger's heartbeat quickened even more, the excitement in his heart not only remained but increased, feeling his entire body filled with strength and energy.
This was a phenomenon caused by the stimulation of adrenaline.
The scene before him made Reiger once again recall the times he had survived in the forest outdoors.
At that time, there was an instance when Reiger was ambushed by a pack of wolves at night, just like now, attacked by multiple fierce wolves.
Recalling that time, Reiger's body naturally moved.
Although coming from a world with no mystique or extraordinary powers, since he had already experienced outdoor survival and extreme sports, Reiger's original physique was naturally good.
The original owner, although an ignorant fellow, was a farmer's child who had worked in the countryside, and just in terms of physical strength and physique, was likewise not bad.
This let Reiger make use of the combat skills he once learned for self-defense and the knowledge he learned in self-defense courses.
So, facing the head-on attack of several goblins, Reiger chose the most appropriate action for the moment.
"Ga?"
The goblin that had been struggled and knocked to the ground found itself being picked up.
Reiger grabbed the goblin lying on the ground by the legs, swung it violently, and threw it powerfully towards the group of charging goblins.
"Bang!"
Another dull sound, amid the goblins' screams, the two front goblins were struck by their companion flying at them head-on.
The group of goblins immediately fell into chaos.
The front goblins were knocked down one after another.
The goblins behind stumbled over those in front, and for a moment, they too lost their momentum to charge.
And at this moment, Reiger moved again.
He automatically charged forward, reaching the nearest goblin, and while it was disoriented and in chaos, his short sword suddenly thrust forward, stabbing it into its head.
"Gaahhhh!"
In a shrill scream, the goblin, with blood splashing all over, fell to the ground.
Reiger's face also got splattered with a drop of blood, which, reflecting in his cold, shimmering eyes, made him look like a ruthless demon.
"Ga!"
"Heh!"
The goblins seemed enraged, stepping on their fallen companions and charging towards Reiger.
In response, Reiger just grabbed the goblin that had died on the ground, lifting its small body and swinging it like a meteor hammer, whirling it fiercely with a whooshing sound, sending other goblins flying one by one.
In his hands, the short sword was rarely used, only when the goblins' claws and sharp teeth were near would Reiger use it to block, otherwise, he would only use it when he needed to deliver a deadly strike, stabbing the sharp blade toward the enemy's vital spot.
This kind of fight, it was unclear how long it lasted.
"Pfft!"
Not long after, Reiger stabbed the last goblin in the chest with his short sword, piercing its heart.
The last goblin fell, declaring the end of the battle.
The underground city became silent once again.
Reiger stood among the corpses of the goblins, looking at the blood and remnants of monsters all over the ground, then glanced at his blood-soaked hands and short sword, the bright red blood stain on his cheek particularly striking.
"Not enough..."
Reiger suddenly murmured.
"Not quite enough..."
The beating heart could not calm down.
The surging blood could not cease.
The excited emotions surged in his chest, making Reiger feel as if he was expelling all the oppression of his past lack of freedom, murmuring from his heart.
"It could get even more intense..."
Following the whisper of his heart, Reiger completely abandoned his usual politeness and, like a berserker searching for some unseen thing, stepped deeper into the underground maze.