The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

This day seemed exceptionally long and eerie for the guild members guarding the entrance to the Tower of Babel.

From early morning, a large number of new adventurers fled the dungeon in a near-collapse.

Their faces bore the terror of surviving a disaster, and many bore obvious injuries—some had their arms and cheeks burned red and blistered, while others had eerie frost on their equipment and their lips turned purple from the cold.

What shocked the guild members even more was the tattered weapons in their hands.

Those blades that should have been sharp now looked as if they had been thrown into a furnace and given a bath, covered with burn marks and pitted nicks, almost completely ruined.

"The monster... is a new type of monster."

"A red slime that breathes fire—it melts the moment my sword hits it!"

"And there are blue slimes that can shoot ice bullets, oh my god, how can there be something like this on the first floor?"

Panic spread like a plague through the entrance plaza.

News of a new type of monster appearing in the dungeon spread at an astonishing speed with these defeated new adventurers, reaching the guild's ears almost immediately.

The entire Pantheon was shaken.

Over the years, although there have been occasional anomalies in the dungeon, they have all been changes within a controllable range.

Such a situation of a completely new species emerging out of thin air is unheard of.

If it were just one or two, it might be treated as a special incident, but judging from the reports from the scene, the number of new monsters is overwhelming, almost covering the entire shallow area.

"Quickly, report this matter immediately!"

"The upper level entrance is sealed off; Lv.1 adventurers are temporarily prohibited from entering!"

"All advisors should immediately reassure the adventurers under their charge and gather intelligence."

The guild headquarters was in an unprecedented state of busyness and tension.

Ultimately, this urgent report was passed up the chain of command, reaching the deepest part of the guild, and presented to the guild's god—the great god Uranus—who had never left since the Age of Gods.

Guild headquarters, the prayer altar deep underground.

There are no ornate decorations here, only ancient stone walls and ever-burning candlelight.

The air was filled with an ancient and sacred atmosphere, completely different from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

On the throne in the center of the altar, an old man wearing a hood slowly opened his eyes, which seemed to see through the ages.

"Uranus, the underground city has changed... was this within your expectations?"

A neutral voice echoed in the empty altar.

The sage Fels, dressed in a long black robe and with his face also covered by a hood, appeared silently beside the throne.

"Unexpected."

Uranus's voice was old and calm, devoid of any emotion.

"But this is a good thing. The 'appointed time' is approaching, and any 'changes' are not necessarily a bad thing for us."

A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but more than that, there was anticipation.

With Orario's current strength, it is completely unable to cope with the impending moment.

Changes in the dungeon mean increased challenges, and these challenges, in turn, will lead to faster growth.

Perhaps... the hero the gods have been waiting for, the one who can create miracles, will soon emerge in this transformation.

"Fels".

Uranus issued the order.

"Tell them there's no need to panic. My prayers are perfectly fine. Have the guild members immediately begin investigating the newly appeared monster, gathering intelligence, and calming down the frightened children."

"Yes."

Fels bowed respectfully, and his figure disappeared back into the shadows.

Upon receiving the "oracle" from the great god Uranus, the entire guild leadership breathed a long sigh of relief.

They blindly trusted the guardian deity's unending prayers.

The guild leader, Royman Mader, even wiped the cold sweat from his fat cheeks with a handkerchief.

With such an unprecedented upheaval occurring in the underground city, he, as the person in charge of daily operations, was under the greatest pressure. Just now, he even felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Now that the expert has spoken, the next step is to carry it out.

Since guilds are neutral organizations and do not have private armed forces, they usually entrust the investigation of dungeons to powerful and reputable clans.

Soon, a mission request marked "urgent" and "high priority" was sent to the Loki Familia in the Eighth District.

District 8, bustling street.

The headquarters of the Loki Familia, the "Twilight Mansion," is a magnificent complex consisting of several towers.

At the center stands the thickest and largest main tower, surrounded by seven slightly thinner spires. The whole structure resembles a fantastical castle standing in the city, serving as both a home and a fortress.

At this moment, in the main tower's lounge, the red-haired god Loki was sprawled on the sofa without any regard for his image, holding an empty wine bottle in his arms and humming an off-key Kansai tune.

She had fiery red hair and a slender figure, and her pretty face carried a hint of drunkenness.

"Huh? A new monster has appeared in the dungeon?"

Upon hearing the guild members' purpose for coming, the drunken Loki suddenly sat up straight, his narrow eyes instantly regaining their clarity.

"Oh? This is such an interesting task, we'll take it!"

Upon learning that the guild had come to commission a mission—an investigation into an unknown new monster—Loki immediately made the decision without hesitation, his eyes gleaming with an excited light that seemed to thrive on chaos.

Gods inherently crave the unknown and entertainment.

With the dungeon undergoing unprecedented changes, how could Loki not be interested?

Finn Dem, the leader of the dwarf tribe who was sitting to the side wiping his spear, had no objection to this.

He subconsciously licked his thumb, feeling a barely perceptible stinging sensation at his fingertip, and a look of seriousness flashed in his wise blue eyes.

His intuition told him that the appearance of this new monster was no accident; it meant that the dungeon was becoming increasingly dangerous.

"Hey, Finn," Loki said, dangling the commission in front of Finn, "who should we send this time for fun?"

Just then, with a "bang," the hall door was suddenly pushed open.

Several core members of the Loki Familia, including Tiona, Tione, Ais Wallenstein, and Rafia, and even Bert, who usually keeps to himself, all rushed in.

"I'm sorry, Commander, I couldn't stop them."

Tiony apologized to Finn with a slight blush, but her eyes shone as she looked at him.

"Guild leader, guild leader, I heard there's a guild commission. Is it about a new monster? Let me go, let me go!"

Tiona completely ignored her sister, who was "in heat" towards the leader, and raised her hand excitedly.