Chapter 4: You Are My Child Now

It seemed to be a coincidence, but this world was also in the midst of summer, just like the original world.

The bustling of the metropolis added a bit more heat to the summer here, making it seem slightly hotter than in the original world.

Walking down the busy street, with vendors constantly calling out to attract customers, Li Ge strolled leisurely, brushing past one native after another.

"It seems that the language barrier is not an issue for me."

Listening to the sounds around him and looking at the signs and nameplates on the shops and stalls, Li Ge confirmed this.

Whether it was the original world or this one, the language and script used were different from what Li Ge had learned in his previous life.

However, Li Ge could naturally understand the language of the people in this world and read the script, which he found quite astonishing.

In the original world, it was understandable that he could understand the language and read the script, as he had inherited the memories of the original host.

But being able to do so in this world raised suspicions about the reasons behind it.

"Is it the influence of the dimensional cube?"

Li Ge could only think of this possibility.

The dimensional cube, which could freely convert power between different worlds, making its owner understand the languages of different worlds, seemed not so difficult when thought about carefully.

Thanks to this, after a brief stroll and some interactions with the natives, Li Ge had a general idea of where he was.

"As expected, this is the Labyrinth City, Orario."

Labyrinth City, Orario.

This was the main stage of the original story and a city of extremely special and important status.

Built above an underground labyrinth, it suppressed the "Dungeon" beneath, acting like a fortress or a lid, preventing the monsters inside from escaping.

Due to the existence of the Dungeon and the monsters, countless races seeking adventure and the unknown gathered here, making this Labyrinth City the most prosperous city on the surface.

Thus, it was regarded as the center of the world, where adventure, trade, entertainment, and conflict were all considered the best in the world, attracting many powerful individuals, merchants, and gods.

"Perfect."

Li Ge nodded.

"With the Dungeon here, there are many monsters to slay, and after receiving the blessings, I can grow at the fastest speed."

Moreover, this was the main stage of the original story, where many familiar people, events, and things were present, allowing Li Ge, who knew the plot, to gain a preemptive advantage and receive tangible or intangible help.

"The current priority should be to quickly find a Familia to join."

Li Ge began to ponder.

A Familia was a nurturing institution and family force established by a god for themselves.

The gods bestowed the power of "Blessings" to humans, allowing them to transcend the ordinary and possess abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.

Those who received the "Blessings" would join the Familia (force) established by the god as "children of the gods," following the Familia's guidelines and providing the resources and power needed for the Familia and the gods to function and survive.

Strictly speaking, it was a mutually beneficial and interdependent relationship.

Of course, human forces varied in quality and strength, and so did the families of the gods.

Although the blessings received from any god were essentially the same, the strength, influence, and positioning of the various Familias differed due to differences in management philosophy and operational methods.

Some Familias were newly established or had fallen into decline, making them relatively weak.

Some Familias developed smoothly with many members, making them much stronger, gathering various powerful individuals and resources.

Some Familias were primarily established for business, with members lacking in combat strength, and some even existed and operated as countries outside of Orario, which was quite magical.

These were the most basic differences.

If one delved deeper, one had to consider the character of the god who established the Familia, the internal environment of the Familia, and whether there were any negative influences, among other aspects.

If one accidentally joined a Familia that treated it as a cash cow or used the children as entertainment, it would be a disaster.

After all, the gods in this world had sealed their powers and descended to the mortal realm to play with humans and entertain themselves, and most of them were pleasure-seeking and mischievous.

Choosing which Familia to join required serious thought and careful selection.

"If I remember correctly, the strongest Familias in Labyrinth City Orario seem to be the Loki Familia, the Freya Familia, and the Ganesha Familia?"

The prefix of a Familia referred to the god who established it.

For example, the Loki Familia was founded by the famous trickster god from Norse mythology, "Loki."

Li Ge recalled the original story as he strolled down the street.

As he walked, he suddenly realized he had come to a place that seemed familiar.

Just outside the bustling street, a building much taller and larger than the surrounding structures appeared.

Inside the mansion, several high-rise towers overlapped, resembling a mountain of swords, with the tallest central tower flying a flag in the wind.

The flag depicted a clown, as if grinning at the people below, drawing much attention.

The familiar building and flag made Li Ge stop in his tracks.

"The Loki Familia?"

The clown flag was the symbol of the Loki Familia, one of the two kings of Orario.

He hadn't expected that the Familia he had just recalled in his thoughts would lead him right to their headquarters.

Was this fate?

As the sun set, Orario was enveloped in a sunset glow.

People who had finished their day's work and adventurers returning from the Dungeon walked the streets with slightly weary but relaxed expressions, gradually turning the Labyrinth City into its nighttime appearance.

"Humming~"

In a corner of the street bathed in the twilight, a woman with long, dark red hair tied loosely at the back, eyes squinted, and a somewhat unkempt and frivolous appearance, walked while humming a tune.

But as she hummed, she lost interest.

"Ah, so boring, I wandered all day and found nothing entertaining."

She muttered in a strangely down-to-earth tone.

"The children are on an expedition, and only a few are left to guard the house, all saying they have work and don't want to come out and play with me."

"Not to mention, I came out to find some fun, but those who usually complain about being bored and want to have a party every day haven't shown up at all recently."

"Boring, so boring."

"Ah, I really want to play with cute girls and be intimate with Ais."

As she walked with a waddling gait and sighed, the words she spoke made the surrounding pedestrians keep their distance.

But she seemed oblivious to this and continued to sigh.

"Maybe I'll just go home and drink. If I calculate the time, everyone should be back soon, and I'll just endure for a few more days."

Saying this, the woman turned into the street outside the bustling area and arrived at the mansion shaped like a mountain of swords—the "Twilight Hall."

The flag depicting a clown on the tallest tower in the center of the complex still fluttered in the wind.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, the frivolous woman stopped.

The reason was simple.

Beside the mansion's main gate, a person was standing.

"Human?"

The woman recognized the race of the person, and her squinted eyes opened slightly.

A glint of interest, not common in ordinary people, flashed in her eyes.

Especially when she saw that the person, upon noticing her, did not move and stared back at her without any hesitation, her interest was immediately piqued.

"I see, you were waiting for me here."

The woman almost instantly saw through the person's intentions and chuckled.

Her smile, similar to the clown's grin on the flag at the top of the Twilight Hall, was peculiar.

"Interesting."

When this feeling arose, there was no doubt about what action to take next.

Seeing something interesting and wanting to get involved was a natural trait of the gods.

The gods, who had grown tired of life in the heavens and had sealed their powers to descend to the mortal realm for entertainment, were self-indulgent and transcendent beings.

The goddess here fully embodied this trait and walked straight toward the human youth.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing here all alone?"

The Norse goddess Loki, at the entrance of her headquarters, greeted the traveler who had just arrived in this world in a casual manner.

In response, the human youth merely smiled calmly and steadily.

"I have no home."

The youth said this.

Despite the unglamorous nature of his situation, he spoke about it with a calmness that made it seem like a minor inconvenience.

But the goddess knew he wasn't lying.

Although her powers were sealed, as a god who had lived for countless years, her insight and discernment were enough to see through many things that mortals considered profound.

Based on this, it was almost impossible for the children of the mortal realm to hide anything from a god.

So—

"Do you want me to take you in?"

The goddess's grin seemed to grow wider.

"Yes."

The youth nodded frankly.

"Alright!" The goddess did not hesitate, laughing pleasantly as she said, "From today on, you are my child!"

Was this a whim of the goddess or did it have deeper meaning?

No one knew.

One thing was certain.

Li Ge had successfully joined the Loki Familia.

In just a few words.

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(End of Chapter)