The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

A Invadet has subscribed on patreon as Shibai - The Divine Reader, therefore I will publish 5 bonus chapters.

1/5

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As Yoru walked, thoughts continued to swirl in his head—until something ahead caught his attention.

Large cargo crates.

Several of them, outfitted with wheels at their bases, were positioned a bit away from the dungeon's central pit. They looked like storage boxes used for transporting goods.

Ordinary adventurers wouldn't use these. Only large Familia brought out such containers—usually when preparing for expeditions.

Typically, they were used to store food, spare equipment, or large quantities of drop items.

As Yoru pondered this, one of the crates suddenly jolted.

That's when he realized—these weren't normal transport crates.

Well, they were technically for transport... but not for ordinary goods.

They were for moving monsters—from inside the dungeon.

Monsters in the dungeon weren't restricted to specific floors. For instance, that Minotaur, which should've been on the 15th floor, had somehow appeared on the 9th.

Back in ancient times—before the descent of the gods—the dungeon had already been a source of disaster. Monsters would frequently escape from it, attacking the surface. There had even been full-blown invasions of the world.

But after the gods descended, Babel Tower was constructed—a literal lid on top of the dungeon.

The tower's very purpose was to ensure that no monsters could escape to the surface.

Nowadays, with adventurers empowered by divine blessings actively hunting monsters inside the dungeon, large-scale monster invasions were no longer a threat.

Even so, the Guild, which now oversaw Babel, remained vigilant. They used the tower as their base to monitor the dungeon daily and continued working on strategies to prevent any potential damage to the city.

In theory, no monster should ever leave the dungeon.

So… why were they being brought up in boxes like this?

Just as Yoru was wondering, another group came up the spiral stairway from the dungeon, hauling more cargo crates. They chatted casually as they worked.

"So they're holding that event again this year?"

"You mean Monsterphilia?"

"What's even the point of that crap every year?"

"Bread and circuses, that's all. So boring."

"Ganesha's people have it rough. The Guild just dumps this stuff on them, making them entertain the public every single year."

"You just don't get it. After all, we're talking about Lord Ganesha, the crowd-lord! Hahaha!"

Monsterphilia?

The unfamiliar word piqued Yoru's curiosity.

The massive crates blocked the pathway, and Familia members wearing equipment marked with an elephant-head insignia bustled around them.

Like the other adventurers waiting nearby, Yoru simply watched them haul the crates, both big and small.

At the exit, Yoru spotted a familiar face.

Shoulder-length brown hair, and those signature long ears—an elf.

That familiar back belonged to his advisor, Eina.

She was in the middle of a serious conversation with another Guild staff member. Her sharp, refined features looked more serious than usual.

"She looks pretty busy... Guess I won't bother her today."

A rare break from her nagging—Yoru welcomed it.

His routine over the past two weeks had become fairly predictable: head into the dungeon, then report his progress to his advisor at the Guild.

He'd gotten used to it, but Eina always managed to turn it into a long lecture.

To be fair, Yoru still hadn't completed his beginner's quest, which meant Eina couldn't provide him with further guidance.

It was frustrating for both of them.

With Hestia still away, there wasn't much point in heading home early.

He didn't have enough money to stop by the Hostess of Fertility, either.

Feeling aimless, Yoru decided to just wander the streets for a bit.

"Ohoho! Found you at last, Yoru!"

Just a few steps into the cobblestone road, a voice called out from ahead.

A woman approached him, her red ponytail swinging behind her.

Her ever-narrowed eyes gave off a mischievous, almost untrustworthy vibe.

Even though she was clearly a goddess, her whole demeanor screamed "unreliable."

Loki.

"…Loki? What do you want?"

Yoru looked at her curiously. His impression of her wasn't exactly stellar, but since she was Riveria's goddess, he showed the appropriate respect.

"Meh, nothing major. I just came to tell you something."

Clearing her throat, Loki put on an unusually serious expression.

"Tomorrow—go study magic with Riveria."

"Eh?!"

Yoru was stunned into silence. When he finally found his voice, he stared at Loki in utter confusion.

"But… you were against me being near Riveria. Why?"

"Well, I was pretty against letting one of my kids get involved with some other Familia's brat, sure. But that dumb little goddess of yours kept begging me nonstop. What could I do? I gave in."

Loki shrugged, feigning exasperation.

"…Hestia…"

"She really loves you, y'know. She's been working so hard, giving up a lot for you… I gotta admit, she earned a bit of my respect."

Loki sighed softly as she spoke.

To be willing to sacrifice pride and endure humiliation just for her child—Hestia's actions had touched her.

"…Where is Lady Hestia now?"

After a moment of silence, Yoru raised his head and asked.

There was a dignity in his voice that made Loki pause, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Well… I'm the easy one to deal with. Hestia's still negotiating with someone else. But that one… she's not so easy to convince."

Loki's tone turned a bit more serious.

If she agreed to help Hestia forge a custom weapon for Yoru, then word would spread like wildfire—and all the other gods would line up asking for the same thing. That'd be a nightmare.

It wasn't about being cold—it was just practical.

"…I just want to know who she is."

"Eh…? Oh, that's Hephaestus. You've heard of her, right? Wait—Yoru, where are you going?!"

The moment he heard the name, Yoru turned and walked away.

Loki blinked, then shouted after him, hurrying to catch up.

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