Disclaimer: I don't own anything from God Of War or Dungeon Ni Deai

As the sun reached its peak, signaling that half of the day's duration had gone by, its rays showered the city bellow. This was no common city, despite its rather ordinary looking houses and small buildings; there was one extremely important thing this city housed that made it unique. Right in its center, there stood a tower that if one were to try and look to its top, it would come as no surprise if the thought that ancient looking construct was able to touch the burning star in the sky occurred. Although the Babel tower surely was an attraction that helped to draw the massive amount of people that roamed the streets, it wasn't the main factor to do so. No, what made the Labyrinth City of Orario known as far as peoples whispers could reach was about what was directly bellow Babel, something linked to Orario's many marvels and mysteries.

\\

"What was that Arnya?"

"There's a man at the front looking for you, Mia-san." Arnya repeated. "He sounds really impatient too."

"Does he now?"

Mia Grand lowered the barrel of the batch she was checking to see if its contents hadn't soured and glanced at the waitress that stood by the storage room door.

"Did he give you his name?" Mia asked

The cat-girl shook her head, puffing her cheeks afterwards. "He was so mean to me, just ordering me to find you, not even a pretty please. So rude!"

Mia watched with some amusement Arnya's indignant rant. "Then why didn't you say that to him?"

It wouldn't be the first time Arnya's airhead behavior reared its head. Actually, the fact that the girl hadn't complained of the man's supposed poor behavior to his face was quite surprising, a welcome one since it meant one less headache, but still.

Arnya's expression deflated, her furry ears lowering until pressing against the white headband she wore. "Ah, well, it's just that … he's kind of scary."

Mia's lips were pulled into a thin line, skepticism marred in her features. That reaction shouldn't have happened. Her pub have more than its fare share of intimidating folks, hell, Mia was sure that more than half of the town's population have passed the double doors at the entrance. And it was still way too soon for an adventurer to have stopped by. In theory, they should be still working where the sun can't reach.

"I guess then I should go and see what our esteemed customer wants." The pub's owner huffed

Arnya gave a very much cat-like smile. "Please do!"

Mia sighed and before walking out of the room, pinched the waitress cheek. "Cheeky brat."

The pub wasn't nowhere as packed as it is known to be during night hours, having only a few tables occupied by either Orario's native citizens or some traveling merchants. Since it was close to lunch hour, the number of customers was bound to double but even then, it wouldn't be any closer to the Hostess of Fertility nightly clientele's numbers.

"Alright who's the one looking for me?" Mia asked out loud

Some clattering noises followed her sudden question, as most eyes in the pub fell on her. Some of the customers already familiar with Mia Grand's reputation gagged on their beverages and food while others simply looked on curiously as to what was the fuss was all about.

"I am." A gruff and heavy voice replied.

Mia turned just in time to see the man standing up from one of the stools in front of the bar counter.

"So, what's so urgent that you need me fo- oh."

Mia's brash sentence died halfway when the man stood at his full height. Now, Mia Grand, more commonly known as Mama Mia, may be a Dwarf, but she stood at an impressive and certainly terrifying, when needed, five feet and some inches and took full advantage of this fact to keep order around her place. That wasn't a card available now, as the person facing her was at least one head taller than her.

"Now this is what I call a surprise." The brown-haired dwarf said, a small smirk pulling her lips, as she walked inside the counter.

A hood covered most of the man's face, only showing a groomed beard and his steely eyes peering from the shadow casted by the article of clothing. Along with it, he had a cloak draped over his shoulders and covering most of his mid section. Despite all that, it was still possible to see underneath it the man's ashen colored skin.

And there was only one person with those characteristics that have ever walked in Orario.

"I know it's been at least a few years since the last time you were here, so I'm sure you miss my pub and all that, but did you need to treat one of my girls like that?" Mia teased the man

A very dangerous game, but one she enjoyed to partake wholeheartedly in whenever possible.

The man's only answer was a low growl that was certain to cause even wild beasts to back off. On the other hand, to the bar owner, it served as a reason to laugh, something she did without fail.

"What can I do for you?" She asked, wiping away a stray tear.

A strong pale arm rose from within the cloak, his fist hovering over the counter. He opened it, showing his callous fingers, resulting from rigorous and unrelenting training, and dropped a small purse.

"A vacant room."

Mia snatched the purse and calmly rummaged through the money there was saved inside. After having counted the last coin, she placed the purse back where it was.

"I'm afraid you're short on Valis here. This amount would have been enough a few years ago, but since then the price has been raised, so no can do." Grand explained

The cloaked man grunted, though if out of understanding or irritation was unknown, and dropped the bag hanging on his back to the floor. He turned on his heel and stalked to the double doors, leaving both his bags behind.

"He really does as he pleases."Mia sighed, both in amusement and exasperation. "Arnya!"

She had a feeling that the curious girl was listening in to the small talk instead of properly working, and the squeak that followed after calling the cat girl only proved her right.

Arnya meekly came out of the kitchen door, embarrassed for being caught red handed. "Y-yes Mia-san?"

"Take that to one of the rooms upstairs." She jabbed a finger to bag that rested near the counter

The waitress hurried over from her spot to comply, but not before voicing her thoughts. "But he didn't have enough right?"

Mia gave a knowing grin. "True. But you should know well enough that for those that have the means, money can be very easy to obtain in Orario. And differently from Valis, that is something he has covered just fine."

The grin quickly gave place to a strict expression. "Now get your ass back to work!"

(…)

The moment he stepped outside from the establishment, the disparity in lighting made itself known, as the brightness that showered the town irritated his eyes momentarily, even if his hood helped to diminish this occurrence.

He glanced at his surroundings, trying to find the trademark indication to the place he aimed to visit.

"Crap crap crap, I'm sooo late! Ah! Watch out sir! Please move out of the way, si-"

*BAM*

The owner of the squeaky cries hit his side but the impact didn't even budge the man from his place. The man cranked his head to the source of the noise, his mood taking a nosedive due to the unwanted distraction. His glassy eyes blinked in surprise at what he saw.

Or rather, at whom he saw.

A boy with hair as white as his own skin, yet different at the same time. When the boy's pained grimace lessened, softening his features and clearly showing how young he was, and his squinted eyes slowly opened, revealing curious ruby like eyes peering at him.

When the boy fully realized the mountain of a person he had bumped into, he hastily rose from the ground and profusely bowed while walking by the hooded man.

"I am very sorry sir! I got distracted because of my mistakes, so, uh, please don't murder me! I'm already late as it is for the Dungeon!"

Not hearing any angry retort and with the man standing as static as when he was spewing apologies, the white haired boy took it as his cue to leave.

"I-I really have to go! Aw crap, I can't believe I lost half a day's worth of exploring, Kami-sama will give me an earful tonight for sure!"

The man watched as the boy dashed through the crowded and lively streets in the direction that lead to Babel. When the boy's voice had finally stopped reaching his ears, the man looked up at the skies, as if searching for something, before taking a deep breath. A moment passed by and he heaved a sigh.

"You were right." He admitted to the winds, each word rasping to come out

He then walked in Babel's direction.

\\

(Hours later)

"Haah it's so tiny."

Bell couldn't help but whine as he stared at one of the many magical stones that dropped from the latest mob of Kobolds that he had just destroyed. While he was happy by the quantity of the purple stones, he couldn't help but feel disheartened at the small size of each one of them. It meant that he would have to try to compensate with quantity over quality if he wanted a good sum of Valis by the end of the day.

"Starting out as an adventurer really is rough." The boy sighed

He carefully collected the rest of his reward for slaying the pack of dog headed monsters, putting them in a small purse. After tucking away his means of income, he grabbed the small handle of his dagger that was attached on the back of his waist. Once he felt the tip of the blade out of its sheath, he brought his weapon to eye level.

As Bell observed the dagger's condition under the dim blue light from the small stones embedded in the Dungeon's walls that resembled a cave, his earlier discouragement reared its ugly head again. While his weapon of choice was in a near perfect state, it's simple and basic looks only drove further the point of how much of a novice he really was.

Bell was really thankful to the Guild for providing him with his starter gear, composed of his dagger and chest plate that he currently wore over his everyday clothing. But when you passed by the streets of Orario as much as he did; the ones that overflowed with shops and workshops that had both ornate swords and gear with special attributes in abundance, it was hard to overlook the gap between his equipment and the more ostentatious ones.

The boy's eyes shifted to stare at the way in front of him, staring at the darkness in the distance. He was sure that soon enough, he would be reaching the end of this floor. He was now at the fourth floor, the furthest that he had explored of the Dungeon and despite wanting nothing more than to advance more, he had been warned to not step foot on the fifth floor.

His grip on the handle tightened. He wanted to be strong, and for that he had to face stronger monsters. He wanted to become someone his Kami-sama could he rely on. But perhaps, just as important as helping the one who helped him, he wanted to experience the things his grandfather used to say to him.

For now, the only way that could happen is if he ventured to the fifth floor.

A small smile appeared on the boy's face. One saying his grandfather loved to say surely fitted well right now; nothing ventured, nothing gained.

With new found determination, Bell advanced through the barely lit pathway. Each step purposeful, matching his new look.

(…)

Carefully, Bell peeked around the corner, feeling more eager than nervous. His shoulders slumped as hard as his expectations when he was met with an empty path.

Like he had predicted, after what he assumed to be close to twenty minutes of walking and dealing with some mobs of either Kobolds or Goblins along the way, he reached the fifth floor. What had immediately caught the boy's attention was the overall difference that the floor had. While the previous floors were illuminated by blue stones, the fifth one had green stones, although even with said stones, it was just as poorly illuminated as the others.

Bell found that he liked the small change, it gave him the feeling that he was truly progressing and that from there on, various novel encounters awaited him. Although. his faith on the latter assumption is slowly wavering.

"(sigh) Nothing again. What's going on here?"

A good amount of time had passed since he entered the new floor and yet, oddly enough, not a single monster had popped up from either the walls or ground. He may have only started two weeks ago, but he was fairly certain that having no enemies appear on his way was a rare occurrence, if an occurrence at all.

"So much for there being stronger monsters." He groaned

By now Bell had already lowered his guard and sheathed his dagger. For the boy, the major factor that he associated to the Dungeon was the need to stay vigilant due to the constant assaults from the mobs. However, due to this unexpected breather, he was slowly growing less careful.

But what Bell had no way of knowing because of his lack of experience, is that when the Dungeon gives you any respite, it is just so for you to hit the ground harder when the rug is pulled out from under you.

"HEEEAAAAH!"

The hair on the back of Bell's neck stood on end. He instinctively took a step back while a hand shot for his dagger, his heartbeat increasing by the second. That holler definitely didn't come from another adventurer and no monster that he had faced so far had the lungs necessary to do it.

Now that he was focused, the boy could hear stomping sounds, one interrupting the other, and getting louder each time. Whatever it was, it wasn't alone and would shortly reach him.

"HEEAAHH!" To the boy's horror, he wasn't able to pinpoint from which direction the roar was coming from.

Remaining rooted, his gaze kept darting around looking for any sign of the owners of the frightening roar. The stomping sounds now matched his heartbeat, both in frequency and intensity. Being overwhelmed by the growing tension and anxiety, he chewed his lower lip. He wanted so badly to bolt from there, yet the doubt that in doing so he would commit a deadly mistake won over him.

As Bell fussed over what to do, the repercussion of standing still arrived, quite literally. A large figure suddenly shot forward from the turn on the right ahead of Bell at the end of the pathway and fumbled on its feet until it hit the wall.

Bell's jaw started to tremble along with his legs, his ruby eyes full of terror. He unconsciously let go of the blade's handle, the option of fighting for his life being erased from his mind.

"T-this can't be happening. I thought they only appeared on the Mid Floors."

As the monster dislodged itself from the wall, its appearance became clearer. It was tall, way taller than any of the other monsters he had seen before. It was also pure muscle; even with the reddish fur that covered his body, the boy could still make out its massive bulging muscles. But that wasn't what scared Bell, no those two features were easy to see, many adventurers had them. What filled the boy with fear was the features on its head.

Horns.

Very long and sharp looking horns, one at each side of its head. It had glowing red eyes that could probably be seen even amidst darkness. Its animalistic face, contorted with pure rage while baring its teeth to the world. Bell never wanted more than now to be wrong, but he knew that there was no mistaking it. A cow headed humanoid monster could only be one thing.

A Minotaur. A monster that was sighted only at the fifteen floor. A monster Bell had no hope of facing it. No, he could consider himself lucky if he even managed to put a scratch on that hide. He had no choice, he had to flee. Fortunately, the beast had yet to notice him.

Unfortunately, Bell's loss of focus once again cost him. He was so lost in his terror filled musing that he hadn't noticed that the stomping reverberating throughout the floor hadn't ceased.

Much to Bell's surprise and horror, a second Minotaur appeared in similar fashion to the first one, the two bull beasts bumping into each other. As if two weren't enough, another one showed up.

And another, and another, and another and, finally, another.

Bell's knees almost buckled under his own weight. He had to get out of there as fast as possible. Otherwise he would soon find himself facing a very painful demise. He slowly moved back, keeping his eyes focused on the monsters fighting amongst themselves.

Unfortunately, luck, or rather his lack of it according to his stats, seemed to have other plans. One of the Minotaurs stopped contributing to the scuffle between its kin. Its head perking up as it started sniffing the air. It continued to do so until its snout pointed in Bell's direction.

Bell felt the Minotaur's gaze upon him, scrutinizing him. Its red orbs grew larger, its expression twisted into a scowl as it slowly turned the rest of its body towards the boy. The white-haired boy could see the utter rage leaking off in waves from the beast as it filled its chest with air.

"HEEEAAHHH!" And without wasting a second, it charged towards him.

The shout ended the other beast's fight, their heads snapping towards their kin. Snarls soon followed as they eyed their natural enemy and prepared to rush forward in a manner similar to the first Minotaur.

Bell thought that he was already dead. That was the only possible reason he could come up with for him not managing to move his body as he merely watched as the Minotaur closed in. Its snarling visage growing more menacing with each step it took. Once it was within arm's reach, it cocked its massive fist and aimed it straight at him.

"HEEAAH!" The Minotaur shouted again as he threw his massive arm.

A jolt ran through Bell's body at the monster's roar, as if breaking the spell he was under. Luckily, his agility was high enough to dodge the fatal blow with a roll, though at a hair's breath. Chunks of stone flew all over the place after the monster's fist connected with the ground.

Bell's back hit the ground roughly, but he paid it no mind and hastily crawled away to put as much distance as possible between him and his attacker. The back of his head felt hot, he must have hit it when he clumsily evaded. He was thankful that the rush of adrenaline he was feeling allowed him to ignore any feelings of pain for the moment. He was certain that come tomorrow; his head would surely throb as if he was being struck with a hammer. That is, if he made it out of the Dungeon alive.

Using his hands to support himself, the boy tried to stand up only to nearly lose his balance as he felt lightheaded. He could see out of the corner of his sight the Minotaur approaching him. He looked up and saw its red eyes bearing down at him. Those orbs held no rationality, only the primal urge to kill what lay before it.

Bell watched as the monster raised its hand, readying itself to deal the final blow. When the fist descended, Bell's eyes clamped. This was it! This was the price that he was going to pay for not listening to the various warnings he had been given. He was going to die here alone, without fulfilling his grandfather's words. But worst of all, he would leave his Kami-sama all alone again.

He waited for it, wondering if it would be painful. As the waiting stretched itself through time, Bell's only wish was for it to be quick, not caring anymore if there would be pain.

"Stand up boy." Demanded a rough voice

Bell held his breath. This wasn't the Minotaur. Monsters couldn't talk. Despite his hesitation, he slowly opened his eyes, fearing that he was hearing the voice due to his fear. However, Bell gasped when he saw his savior.

Standing between the boy and the monster was the man he had bumped into by accident earlier in the day. He had one of his arms outstretched, his palm resting against the Minotaur's knuckles as he held back its punch with little effort. He was surprised to see that he wasn't the only one shocked, as the Minotaur stared at the man with what he assumed was an expression of shock and disbelief.

Utterly baffled by the man's feat, Bell voiced his surprise. "Wha- how?... who are yo-?"

"Do not make me repeat myself." The man warned.

The stern tone was incentive enough to make Bell stand on his two feet. The hooded figure's presence was so strong, that even the other monsters stopped their advance. After what they had just witnessed, they chose to cautiously watch the situation unfold before them.

"Get out of here boy." The man ordered. "I will handle this."

Before Bell had the chance to say anything, the Minotaur broke out of its stupor and tried to take shot at the man with its other arm.

"HEEAA-KUH!"

The monster was unable to complete its action, as a fist buried itself into its chest. With the wind knocked out of its lungs, the beast flew back before crashing onto the floor, howling in pain while clutching its injury. Within seconds, its pained howls filled the pathway and echoed throughout the floor of the dungeon.

"W-wow." Bell muttered

"Why are you still here boy?" The man inquired

"Eh? Y-you're going to fight them all?! But how? There's too-"

"That does not concern you." His voice now was clearly irritated. "Focus on getting out here."

Even while dismissing Bell, the man's focus never left the group of Minotaurs that had grown restless from waiting, and had gotten even angrier at the sight of their injured kin.

"I will try and get help for you!" Bell shouted as he turned to leave.

"Don't. I have no need of it." Was the simple reply.

As Bell ran, his curiosity got the better of him and he spared a glance back to the ensuing fight. He looked just in time to see one of the man's hands on his back, disappearing under his cloak. His eyes grew wide the moment he brought the hand back out and within his grasp was an axe. It had a rustic appearance, but as the axe's head reflected the dim green light of its surroundings, several runes began to glow.

At that site, Bell was inclined to believe that the man was far more than he may appear to be.

Multiple shouts followed when Bell focused back to what was ahead of him. All he could do now for his savior was pray for his safety.

A/N: Surprise surprise, a new story. I had no intention of posting another one on the site for now, since I've got my hands full with the ones currently posted, especially Unsung Hero. But this just popped in my mind as I was playing the new God Of War (fantastic game btw) and the idea came to me. From there on, story arcs, plot lines and all that came flooding scaringly easy. I'm actually curious to see how this chapter will fare, since this will be the first crossover story between this fandoms. Anyways, to whoever reads this, I hope the chapter was to your liking and that it gave you some enjoyment. If possible, consider leaving a review so that I can read your thoughts on it. Until next time, have a great day.