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Elias and Dee walked hand-in-hand through the bright green forest. The sun was shining warmly through the leaves.
It was a very nice, peaceful day.
"This is really nice,"
Elias said, looking up at the clear blue sky.
"Usually, when I am in a forest, someone is trying to shoot magic at me or a crazy monster is chasing me. This just feels like a normal walk in the park."
Dee giggled, swinging their connected hands back and forth.
"See?"
Dee smiled.
"I told you this would be a fun date. We are just a normal boyfriend and girlfriend going on a little hike."
Elias squeezed her hand. He really loved seeing her this happy.
Suddenly, the bushes in front of them started to shake.
Elias stopped walking. He didn't have his super magical senses from his old world, but his body was still naturally sharp and fast.
He listened closely to the heavy, clumsy footsteps hiding in the leaves.
Three small, ugly green creatures jumped out onto the dirt path. They had sharp teeth, pointy ears, and they were holding broken wooden clubs.
Dee pointed at them and gasped happily.
"Goblins!"
Dee cheered, jumping up and down a little bit.
"The classic beginner monster! Every great video game adventure starts with goblins!"
The goblins growled. They looked at Elias and Dee with hungry, angry eyes.
Elias calmly stepped in front of Dee to protect her.
"Stay behind me,"
Elias told her gently.
Dee peeked out from behind his back.
"Eli, you know I am Death, right?"
Dee teased him softly.
"A little goblin with a stick cannot hurt me."
"I know,"
Elias smiled back at her, not taking his eyes off the monsters.
"But we are on a date. It is my job to be the cool hero and protect my beautiful girlfriend. Just let me show off a little bit."
Dee's pale cheeks turned a tiny bit pink. She smiled warmly and nodded.
"Okay, my hero,"
Dee whispered.
"Show me what you can do."
The first goblin yelled and charged forward, swinging its wooden club at Elias's head.
He just simply stepped to the side, dodging the club easily. He pulled his fist back and punched the goblin right in the chest.
*Bam!*
Because his body was still naturally tough from his Adaptivity, the punch hit incredibly hard.
The goblin flew backward and crashed into a tree.
The other two goblins attacked at the same time.
Elias ducked under one club, grabbed the second goblin by the arm, and flipped it over his shoulder, slamming it hard into the dirt. Then, he spun around and kicked the last goblin right in the face.
The fight was completely over in less than ten seconds.
Elias stood up and dusted off his hands. He didn't even break a sweat.
"Well, that was easy,"
Elias said.
But then, something very strange happened.
The bodies of the three dead goblins suddenly turned to gray ash. The wind blew the ash away, leaving absolutely no bodies behind.
Instead, lying in the dirt where the goblins used to be, were three small, glowing purple stones.
Elias walked over and picked one up. He looked at it with deep curiosity.
"They didn't leave bodies,"
Elias said, turning the stone in his hand.
"What are these?"
Dee walked up beside him and looked at the stones.
"Those are Magic Stones!"
Dee explained happily.
"In this world, monsters are not born like normal animals. The Dungeon makes them. When you kill them, they turn to ash and leave their core behind."
Dee picked up the other two stones and handed them to him.
"Adventurers collect these stones and carry them back to the city,"
Dee continued.
"The city uses them for energy, like batteries. If we take these to the Guild in Orario, they will give us real money for them!"
Elias tossed the purple stone in the air and caught it, a big smile growing on his face.
"So, we just earned our very first pocket money?"
Elias asked.
"Yep!"
Dee cheered, hugging his arm tightly.
"You did great, Eli! You are already a fantastic beginner adventurer!"
Elias laughed warmly. He put the three small stones into his pocket.
"Come on,"
Elias smiled, holding his hand out to her again.
"Let's go find some more monsters. We need to save up if I am going to buy you a nice dinner in the big city."
After walking for a few more hours, Elias and Dee finally stepped out of the thick green forest.
Along the way, Elias had fought a few more goblins and small monsters.
His pockets were now happily jingling with a good handful of glowing purple magic stones.
But as they cleared the trees, Elias stopped completely. He stared straight ahead, his dark eyes wide with surprise.
"Wow,"
Elias breathed out softly.
Standing in the distance was a massive, beautiful city surrounded by giant white stone walls.
And right in the very center of the city was an incredibly tall, pure white tower that pierced straight up into the clouds.
"Is that it?"
Elias asked, amazed by the view.
"Yes!"
Dee cheered, pointing happily at the giant tower.
"That is Orario! The Labyrinth City! And that super tall building in the middle is the Tower of Babel. It sits right on top of the giant Dungeon hole."
"It looks amazing,"
Elias smiled.
"It really feels like a completely different world. It is so bright and full of life."
They walked down the dirt road and joined a line of people waiting to get inside the huge city gates.
Elias looked around. He saw normal humans, but he also saw people with long pointy ears, short muscular men with huge beards, and people with animal ears and tails just like Kuroka and Kunou.
"There are so many different types of people here,"
Elias noted quietly.
"Those are elves, dwarves, and beastmen!"
Dee whispered excitedly, holding onto his arm.
"They all come to Orario to find glory, get rich, and become famous adventurers."
When it was their turn at the gate, a heavily armored guard looked down at them.
Elias was just wearing his normal, casual clothes.
Dee was in her simple black dress. Neither of them had armor, giant swords, or magic staff. They just looked like a normal, sweet young couple on a walk.
"State your business in Orario,"
The guard said in a bored, gruff voice.
Dee gave the guard her brightest, most innocent smile.
"We are here to become adventurers!"
Dee announced proudly.
The guard blinked. He looked at Elias's empty hands, then back at Dee.
He let out a loud, amused laugh.
"Adventurers, huh?"
The guard chuckled, waving his hand to let them pass.
"Alright, kids. Just don't get yourselves eaten by a goblin on your first day. Go straight to the Guild to register. It is a big building down the main street."
"Thank you, sir!"
Dee giggled, pulling Elias through the gates.
"I think he felt sorry for us,"
Elias laughed, walking beside her.
"He thinks we are completely defenseless."
"That is the best part!"
Dee smiled mischievously.
"No one knows how strong you really are. We can just enjoy being regular beginners. It is so much more fun this way."
They walked onto the busy main street of Orario.
The city was incredibly loud and energetic.
Shopkeepers were yelling out prices for fresh food, blacksmiths were hammering hot metal, and large groups of armored adventurers were laughing and drinking outside of taverns.
Elias took a deep breath. He didn't sense any hidden terrorists. He didn't feel any arrogant gods looking down at him with bad intentions. He just felt normal, everyday city life.
"You were right, Dee,"
Elias said, looking down at her with a gentle, loving smile.
"This really is the perfect place for a date. I love it already."
Dee's pale cheeks turned a little pink. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked through the crowd.
"I am glad you like it, Eli,"
Dee whispered sweetly.
"Now, let's go to the Guild and trade your magic stones for some money! I am getting hungry, and I want to try the food in this world!"
"Right,"
Elias nodded, patting his heavy pockets.
"First we get paid, and then we feast. Lead the way, my expert otaku guide."