NOVPUB
Chapter 75 - 74: Levi Ackerman
Underground City
Inside the house
Four people were in the room. Levi, Furlan, and Isobel sat on one side, while Lioro sat on the other.
Isobel stared at Lioro with stars in her eyes.
He's so good looking...
Furlan noticed and gave her a helpless look.
She was young after all.
Lioro sat comfortably, resting his head on one hand, as if the threatening atmosphere meant nothing to him.
"You came here for me?" Levi asked, staring at Lioro with his usual sharp eyes.
"Yes," Lioro replied calmly.
Levi looked him up and down. White hair, noble clothes, and an otherworldly aura.
"You look like a noble. So why the hell would someone like you come to this dump looking for me?"
"Because you're strong," Lioro answered matter-of-factly.
"Yes! Ani-ki is the strongest!" Isobel added excitedly.
Levi remained silent.
Furlan lowered his eyes, deep in thought.
Seeing she was ignored, Isobel awkwardly rubbed her cheek and looked away.
"Let's cut to the chase," Furlan said with a polite smile. "What exactly do you want?"
From Lioro's attire alone, Furlan could tell he was important. If the request wasn't too unreasonable, they could earn a fortune, which might be enough to treat their sick comrades.
"As I said, I'm here for him."
Lioro pointed directly at Levi.
"What do you mean? You want to recruit Levi?" Furlan asked, confused.
"Yes. I want Levi to become my follower."
"I refuse," Levi said flatly.
Lioro smiled, not taking the rejection seriously at all.
"You show up out of nowhere, ask to recruit our captain, and expect us to just accept that? We don't even know who you are," Furlan said calmly, trying to probe for more information.
Lioro looked at him for a moment, then turned back to Levi.
"Do you want to live down here forever?"
Boom!
It was like an instant explosion happened in all of their minds.
Lioro's words ringing in their minds.
Do you want to live down here forever?
Doesn't this mean..... he planned to take them above?
Even Levi's eyebrow twitched for a moment.
Lioro continued.
"Become my follower, Levi, and I'll take you to a much broader, much greater world."
A light flashed through Isobel's eyes.
"You can get us citizenship?" Levi asked, arms crossed.
"I'll give you something far better than a useless citizenship in a caged city," Lioro said with clear disdain.
Levi fell silent, thinking.
Furlan noticed and asked carefully, "So what's your deal? You want Levi to follow you, but for what? What's your job exactly?"
"And how much will you pay?" he added.
"You want money?" Lioro asked, surprised.
"You'll need to pay more if you want me to become your follower. Citizenship isn't enough," Levi replied plainly, arms still folded.
Lioro smiled.
"Money? You should've said so earlier."
Before any of them could respond, Lioro raised his hand and pointed to an empty corner of the room.
A moment later, a large pile of gold appeared out of thin air.
"What the hell!" Isobel jumped up from her seat, mouth wide open.
Furlan rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating.
Even Levi's eyes widened slightly.
They all turned to stare at Lioro.
"I'll fill this entire house with gold if that's what you want," Lioro said, flipping a coin in his hand.
He casually tossed it to Furlan, who caught it and examined it silently.
"The gold feels real... but I don't recognize the currency."
Furlan sighed. He wasn't an expert in judging gold, but that wasn't the real issue.
"That gold came out of nowhere. What the hell did you just do?" Levi asked, hand tightening around a hidden blade.
"That's my inventory. Think of it as magic, for simplicity."
"Magic?" Isobel asked, eyes wide.
"Yes. Magic," Lioro said, lighting a small flame in his palm.
Then he summoned a blob of water before letting it vanish.
Isobel stared in awe.
"You're a magician? Witchcraft?" Furlan asked, dazed.
"I am a magic caster. Call it that if you like."
A magician with the strongest warrior class, World Champion.
How original, Lioro thought silently, amused.
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed.
Levi, Furlan, and Isobel, all three of their eyes were filled with a hint of curiosity and disbelief.
"You want me as a follower, so I assume this isn't just about hiring a personal guard," Levi said, looking deeply at Lioro.
"You're right. Let me explain everything. So, don't interrupt, just listen."
Isobel quietly sat back down.
The three of them straightened up, ready to hear whatever insane truth Lioro was about to tell them.
"I am not from this world."
His first sentence broke straight through their mental guard
"I am from a world with magic and superhuman powers, a world where gods exist along with monsters and an underground dungeon."
Lioro continued in a calm voice, introducing them to the world of Danmachi
"The strength of a normal human is the same in both worlds, but because of the gods' blessings, mortals are able to exceed human limits and gain terrifying strength."
Lioro paused and extended his hand toward Levi
Levi looked at his hand in confusion
"The knife you are hiding, give it to me."
Levi instantly became tense
He silently looked at Lioro's calm expression, thought for a moment, and then pulled out the hidden knife and placed it on the table
Being a clean freak, he avoided touching Lioro's hand
Lioro didn't mind, he knew Levi's personality all too well
He picked up the knife from the table and showed it to the three of them
Then, under their confused eyes, he pressed the tip of the knife against his finger and pushed down
What happened next left them speechless
Instead of cutting his finger, the metal blade bent at a strange angle and compressed into a twisted piece of scrap
Furlan let out a dry laugh
"The ones who receive God's blessings are called adventurers. Their goal is to conquer the dungeon and defeat monsters."
"Are all adventurers as powerful as you?" Levi asked seriously, his eyes still fixed on the crushed knife
Lioro only smiled and gave no answer
Silence returned to the room as the three of them processed what they had just seen
Lioro looked around the place since they were still in shock
Though small, it was a clean house with a certain warmth to it
"Excuse me, can we talk for a moment?" Furlan asked in a more respectful tone than before
Strength demanded respect, no matter where you were
Lioro simply shrugged as if it didn't matter
Furlan gave him a polite nod and walked outside with Levi and Isobel
They did not dare to ask Lioro to step out instead
Once the door closed behind them, Isobel immediately spoke
"Ani-ki, I want to go to the world. It sounds so exciting."
Levi leaned against the wall, arms folded, his brows furrowed deep in thought
"You're too quick to jump in," he muttered to her, "You don't even know the guy."
"But you saw it too," she argued, her eyes still glowing." Magic, he made gold appear from thin air. He bent that knife like it was nothing."
Furlan raised his hands between them
"Both of you, calm down." He looked at Levi. "It wasn't a trick, we both saw it."
Levi didn't respond. He stared at the closed doo,r lost in thought
Furlan sighed
"We've always dreamed about going aboveground, getting citizenship, seeing the sun, living a better life. This guy he's offering more than that."
Levi was silent for a long time, then said quietly
"It's too convenient."
"Huh"
"He shows up out of nowhere, knows who I am, shows off powers we've never seen, and asks me to follow him." Levi's eyes narrowed. "People like that always have hidden motives."
"But isn't that true for everyone up there, too?" Isobel asked softly, "At least this one is offering something more."
Furlan nodded
"And don't forget if he wanted to harm us, he could've done it already, you saw that knife."
Levi didn't speak
Furlan glanced at him and added carefully
"You know he only asked for Levi."
Silence fell again
The light in Isobel's eyes dimmed
"I will not leave without you two." Levi said plainly
"What if the wizard doesn't agree?" Furlan asked
"Then he can find someone else."
Furlan smiled at him
"Levi, I want you to go with him even if he doesn't take us." 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Levi furrowed his brows
"You should've seen it as well, with our experience, we know when someone is lying, his words were sincere."
"So don't hold yourself back because of us and grab the opportunity, alright."
Levi stayed silent, his expression unreadable
Isobel took a deep breath and spoke with determination
"Ani ki brother Furlan is right, you must grab the opportunity and see that world, even if I can't go, I'll be happy if you do."
"Shut up, idiot." Levi turned his face away
"Ani ki" Isobel protested
Furlan chuckled
"Besides, didn't he promise to fill the house with gold with that money we can live like nobles aboveground."
Levi looked at them, then said
"Let's go and talk to him first."
Back inside the house, Lioro sat comfortably sipping water from a cracked cup he had found on the table
The door creaked open
Levi entered first, followed by Furlan and Isobel, all with serious expressions
Levi sat across from Lioro and looked him in the eyes
"I've thought about it." he said, "If I go with you, I want them to come too."
His tone was firm.
Lioro looked at Levi, then at the other two
Furlan stood calmly with his hands behind his back
Isobel looked nervous but hopeful
They weren't anything special
Quite weak, actually.
But they could work as porters to support their familia members
After all a familia needs more than just fighters.
After a pause, Lioro nodded
"Fine, I'll take all three of you."
Isobel gasped. Furlan blinked in surprise. Even Levi raised an eyebrow, not expecting such an easy agreement.
"Just like that?" he asked.
"You're important enough that I don't mind bringing a few extras," Lioro said as he placed the cracked cup down, "and besides, I like people who are loyal."
Levi was quiet for a moment, then gave a short nod. "There's one more thing."
Lioro tilted his head.
Levi continued, "Some of our members are sick. Probably won't survive the year. If you've got the power to take us to another world, then maybe you can save them too."
Furlan stepped in. "Please just help them live. Give them a chance."
Lioro was quiet. His fingers tapped once on the edge of the table.
"...How many?"
"Six." Levi answered, "They're in the hideout now. No money for doctors. And even if we had it the nobles wouldn't let anyone help them."
A moment of silence passed again, then Lioro stood.
"Bring them here."
Isobel's eyes widened. "R-Really?"
Lioro looked at her and smiled. "It's a cheap price for your loyalty."
Furlan's voice softened. "Thank you."
Levi gave him a deep look, then lowered his eyes, feeling relieved.
Furlan went out and quickly brought back six youngsters with bad walking posture.
One of them couldn't even stand straight and needed Isobel to act as a support.
"Have them stand together."
They followed his words.
Lioro got up from the sofa and raised his hand, casting a healing spell.
"5th tier magic Major Recover"
A soft golden light escaped from his palm before covering the six of them.
As the healing magic entered their bodies, their slanted posture instantly became normal, their deficiencies were removed, and they instantly became healthy.
"M-my leg doesn't hurt anymore"
"I-I can walk again."
The six of them exclaimed in loud voices as tears of happiness started slipping down their cheeks.
Furlan saw the scene and exhaled a sigh of relief. He looked at Lioro, and his gaze instantly became determined.
Isobel was more straightforward.
"Thank you for treating them."
She instantly went forth and held Lioro's hand and shook it, smiling widely.
Furlan and Levi wanted to stop her, but seeing Lioro's casual expression, they stayed silent.
After the six of them were treated, Furlan talked to Levi, then took out all of their savings until now.
Then he started distributing the money along with the gold Lioro randomly threw at the corner to their gang members.
"B-brother Furlan, t-this is too much," a youngster said with shaking eyes, feeling the weight of gold and cash in his hands.
"This is for all of your hard work over the years. Take it and go aboveground to live a peaceful life," Furlan said with a warm look on his face.
"B-brother, you're leaving?"
"Why?"
"Is the gang disbanded?"
All the members of the gang became agitated.
Furlan smiled, then helplessly gave them a made-up explanation.
Meanwhile, Lioro quietly came beside Levi and looked curiously at him.
"....what?" Levi asked in confusion, seeing the scene.
"Well, you're quite short, aren't you?" Lioro said with an innocent look on his face.
Levi's face darkened.
"I heard you are a clean freak, so what will happen if I were to touch you?"
"....don't do it."
"Just a finger, how about it?"
Levi instantly took a step back.
"....stay away from me."
Lioro smiled in amusement.
After Furlan sent the gang members away, the four sat down and talked more freely.
"Let me say this so you understand I am not looking for mindless servants, what I want are powerful generals," Lioro said in a calm voice.
"I won't restrict your freedom, I won't care about anything you'll do in the dungeon city."
Lioro continued in a casual tone.
"The only requirement I have from you is simple: to become as strong as you can as fast as you can by using the god's blessing to its limits."
The three of them nodded solemnly, but at the same time felt a little weird in their hearts.
If what Lioro said was true, then wouldn't it mean he was literally giving them things for free
Since when did such a selfless person appear in the world
Of course, with their limited thinking, they could never understand the actions of Lioro, who was literally just doing things for fun and his personal enjoyment.
"Remember, never underestimate the dungeon. Gods play games with mortals there. Terrible monsters hide in shadows, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Death is common and power is earned, not given."
Of course, Lioro was an exception.
He had a cheat!
Listening to Lioro's warning, Levi and Furlan remained calm, but Isobel's expression hardened a little.
After all, she was still young.
Lioro took out an arrow and added an effect on it to find his next person.
Instantly, the arrow lit up and pointed to his target.
"Then let's go."
Lioro came near them, then used teleportation to directly leave the underground.
