Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Center of the World, "Orario"
Bell didn’t slow down for even a moment, heading straight in the direction of Orario.
One thing struck him as odd: he’d been prepared to encounter monsters along the way, but hadn’t seen even a single one—not even a monster’s leg.
Still, that wasn’t a bad thing. If anything, it let him travel much faster.
After crossing the plains and hills, he reached a main road.
Bell noticed faint wheel tracks on the ground. They weren’t fresh, suggesting that a carriage had passed by some time ago.
Spotting this, Bell decided it was too risky to keep walking along the main road.
He was poor enough that he didn’t worry about being robbed—but trouble didn’t always come from robbery. Sometimes, seeing the wrong thing or saying the wrong words brought worse problems.
He always remembered this: don’t look at what you shouldn’t see, don’t speak about what you shouldn’t mention.
Because of that, Bell only took out his notebook to write in his diary during his midday breaks, using that time to vent his thoughts and emotions so he wouldn’t bottle everything up on the road.
Fortunately, he wasn’t talkative by nature, nor especially good at talking. In fact, sometimes staying quiet and just walking felt more relaxing than chatting.
After discovering those wheel tracks, he slowed his pace to avoid encountering others directly.
Even at a reduced pace, he still covered a good distance each day. The only difference was that now part of his attention was always focused on the road.
After several days of cautious travel, by the fourth day, Bell clearly felt his body adapting. His stamina had noticeably improved, and he found himself walking faster.
He had studied the ability description of "Personal Training" carefully. It was supposed to grant significant growth through combat, which made this physical boost a bit puzzling.
After all, he hadn’t fought anything. So where was the experience coming from?
When he examined his Craft Essence more closely, Bell realized something from the phrase "Personal Training."
"Combat" could mean a lot of things. Training was part of combat—it was a way to build strength. As long as he was doing something that helped him grow stronger, it counted as "preparing for battle," and that qualified as combat in its own right.
Understanding this helped him grasp how broken his skill, "Early Bloomer" skill really was. No wonder the protagonist who had it became so absurdly strong.
That kind of advantage couldn’t be matched with effort alone.
If "Early Bloomer" had even slightly fewer restrictions, it would be a god-tier ability for gaining experience.
And the version Bell now possessed was no weaker than "Liaris Freese" from the original story—maybe even more versatile in its applications.
Still, Bell wasn’t about to pour all his time and energy into training just because he understood the skill’s potential. At least not before reaching Orario.
He remembered hearing an old man in an anime once say, "Just surviving in the forest is hard enough—spending your energy figuring out how to stay alive is already more than enough."
Each day was already exhausting, between walking long distances and staying alert for signs of travelers. If he used his remaining energy on training, it would only slow him down—and might even delay his arrival in Orario indefinitely.
He carefully adjusted his daily routine, and the closer he got to Orario, the fresher the wheel tracks on the road became. Footprints also began to appear.
This meant passersby had started appearing nearby.
Realizing this, Bell began traveling at night instead.
Although moving along the main road at night came with its risks, daytime travel was just as dangerous. In fact, the closer he got to the forest, the safer it became—more people meant that most ordinary monsters wouldn’t dare to approach.
After several nights on the road, Bell’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. With just the faint glow of moonlight and starlight, he began to see clearly in the dark.
It wasn’t some honed skill—just a natural adaptation. As he grew used to moving in the dark, his eyes adjusted, letting him take in his surroundings like a nocturnal creature.
As his vision adapted, Bell found himself traveling for longer stretches at night, drawing ever closer to Orario.
He advanced cautiously each day, sharpening his focus. Over time, both his eyesight and hearing became noticeably keener.
Finally, after fifteen days and nights, Bell arrived less than ten kilometers outside the city of Orario. The city built atop the Dungeon now stood before him. Naturally, that meant more people were around.
"Orario is right in front of me. Next, I need to enter the city, register as an adventurer with the Guild, and find a suitable Familia."
Bell began seriously considering which Familia to join. Choosing the right one was crucial—it would directly affect his growth and future progress.
The stronger the Familia, the more support he’d receive in the early stages.
But joining a Familia wasn’t easy, especially the well-known ones. Without proving himself, trying to get in would be pointless.
Of course, given Bell’s abilities, he only needed to demonstrate his four-dimensional space power, and joining the Loki Familia would be practically guaranteed. Skills related to spatial manipulation were rare, and the ability to store an unlimited number of items was even rarer. For Familias that frequently went on expeditions, such abilities were invaluable—lightening the load meant exploring the Dungeon more easily and returning with more loot.
Still, Bell had his own thoughts. The Loki Familia was definitely a great choice, but so was the Hestia Familia.
Hestia was clearly an exceptional goddess, deeply devoted to her Familia. In the original story, she doted on her members—especially Bell.
"A god who loves her Familia deeply, and a Familia with incredible strength... this isn’t an easy choice."
Faced with the decision, Bell found himself genuinely torn.