Danmachi: Heroic Will
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Summary: 8 Years after Bell Cranel becomes an adventurer, everything he has built as well as love has fallen after the mysterious awakening across the globe. As a final resort he managed to travel back in time to right before he started his march to the great city of Orario to become an adventurer. Follow Bell Cranel as he fights for a future where everything that he holds dear may survive and faces supposedly impossible odds to achieve his goals.
17: Intelligent Monsters
Normal POV
=Tower Wall, Dusk=
*Clang* *Wack*
Ais flew back a couple of feet before pulling herself back up. Both Bell and Ais were locked in a sparring match, fighting as if their lives depended on it. Both Ais and Bell were battered and bruised, nearly to the point of collapsing. Ais had certainly improved over the last week of sparring. Bell had taught her how to be a little less predicting, something she picked up over a couple of more years of experience in the previous timeline.
Ais decided they hadn't clashed for long enough, and rushed him and faked him out, jumping up and misleading him into thinking she was going to jab into him from above when she was actually planning to kick him. This surprised Bell as she got the drop on him, he flew back into the tower wall before getting back up and grinning.
Ais, muttered a single word as currents of wind engulfed her, she strafed to the right to dodge Bell's response 'Firebolt' before she charged. He smiled as his mouth opened and whispered "Heat Tempest".
Flames Engulfed him as he rushed right at her, knowing what the outcome would be. Once they got within 10 feet of each other the air around Ais, caught fire, right before spontaneously combusting around her causing an explosion, subsequently sending her back onto the floor, unconscious.
'Time for revenge' Bell was grinning, almost resembling Loki. He sat down on his two knees before positioning himself right in front of her head. He lifted her gently before resting her head onto his lap. Bell always loved these moments since they were so rare, at least until he surpassed her.
Before that, the very thought of him giving her a lap pillow was completely foreign for him, except for some few exceptions once or twice. He looked down at the currently unconscious Ais who was breathing heavily, probably because of the burns.
Bell took out a potion and poured it down her throat as her burns disappeared. Unfortunately this also means she will wake up soon.
Speaking of the devil, she started to stir "Ugh… what happened?" she opened her golden eyes just for gold to meet ruby red. Bell lightly blushed "Well… you passed out" Ais, as the usual airhead she is, just sat up without batting as much as an eye.
"I remember activating Ariel, and going for the finishing blow, then just flames before darkness. What happened Bell?" Ais' expression didn't change, she just had her usual half closed eyes, looking at him, waiting for an answer.
"Well… I used my new magic, Heat Tempest, and well… Burned you?" It came out more as a question than an answer.
"Burned me? But I was using Ariel, it should put out flames" Bell sighed "Well, one thing that I know is that Fire and extremely strong wind, is no good combination. From what my goddess tells me. Wind currents actually don't put out fires, they actually make them worse since somehow it feeds it (Oxygen for you who doesn't know what I'm talking about). That's what happened to you. Your wind enhanced my fire, causing it to be spread across you and blowing up since you tried to make more wind" Ais made an expression as if she had an epiphany.
"Okay, well it seems that's enough for today" Bell nodded as he got up after Ais, who was now looking at him "You want to get some late snacks before going home?" Bell shook his head, he needed to get home quickly to the abando… hearth mansion.
"Sorry, I can't today" Ais simply nodded before jumping off the wall. Bell sighed as he took the stairs like any other sane human would do.
Finn's POV
=Hearth Mansion=
"Bell-Kun you're home! You have some guests!" I heard the goddess exclaim. Currently, me, Riveria and Gareth had been sitting in the living room of the Hestia Familia for three hours waiting for Bell Cranel, It was quiet a lovely home actually.
The reason we have been here is the expedition. It's going to take place in 1 month, earlier than expected, but a welcome surprise.
"Kami-sama, what do you… mean… oh, hello there Finn, Riveria, Gareth" Bell noticed us sitting here, I noted that he didn't change his posture because he found out we were here meaning that he didn't see us as superiors but as equals.
"What can I do for the Loki Familia?" I smiled "Right to the chase huh? I like that, I wanted to discuss the possibility of you joining in on the next Loki Familia expedition?" Bell, as expected, was very surprised, but hid it so well, I almost didn't pick up on it.
"Really? And why would I be of any help to you?" Gareth laughed before commenting "Are ya serious lad? You not only defeated a black goliath on your own, but also the Apollo Familia! You would be of tremendous help!" Bell chuckled, alongside myself.
"Well, if you really want me there and it's fine with Loki, then I would gladly accept. It would be a learning experience" His words didn't reflect his eyes. They spoke a different story, one of countless battles. Almost as if he was thinking about it right now.
"Thank you young man, we will inform you within the next week of your position in the expedition" Riveria told him. I nodded in affirmation, while still thinking about what his eyes were about. He had only been adventuring for 3 weeks now, but he had the eyes of a veteran adventurer.
I shook out of my thoughts before we took our leave, once outside Riveria and Gareth looked at me as if to tell me to spit it out.
"Riveria, Gareth… somethings definitely up with him, I don't know what, but I don't think Bell Cranel is as fresh of an adventurer as he says he is"
Bell's POV
=Heath Mansion=
Damn, that was a disaster, as well as a miracle. Getting the opportunity to go down to at least the 50th floor was amazing. But also I zoned out thinking about the gruesome battles that have yet to happen. Finn definitely picked up on it since he was staring at me, as if in thought after it happened.
Well, anyway now it's best to get my status updated
"KAMI-SAMA! COULD YOU UPDATE MY STATUS?" Hestia ran through the household in a flash before appearing before me.
"Of course Bell-kun!" We walked towards my assigned room before opening the door, there was only a bed and a dresser right now since I just moved in. But it was enough for the update, we did the usual routine and as usual, Hestia made a sound that spoke her thoughts of 'Why am I not surprised'.
She got off my back before giving me the parchment with the update on it, I looked at it. Okay, Liaris Freeze is definitely on overdrive since I haven't even fought any tough opponents in the dungeon, everything was easy.
Name: Bell Cranel
Lv 3
Status:
{STR} I-0 - G-242
{VIT} I-0 - G-212
{DEX} I-0 - G-298
{AGI} I-0 - F-376
{MAG} I-0 - G-278
Magic:
Heat Tempest
Gloria Obumbratio
Skills:
Liaris Freeze: Precocious maturation. The effect is maintained so long as he maintains his feelings, and the effect is heightened depending on how strong these feelings are. Bonus effect: Unlocks the true potential of the Falna, removing all flaws as well as allowing the user to update the Falna on their own as long as the god/goddess allows it / Required Level: 5
Argonaut: Heroic strike, the possibility of turning any situation around with an overwhelming amount of force
Ox Slayer: Dramatically increases all stats (up to +750 points) while fighting raging bull type monsters, potentially allowing him to tap into the power of the next level.
Aero Mana: Increases attack power the faster the user is moving
Spiritus Venatores: Every defeated opponent improves the users reaction time for as long as the battle lasts
Development Abilities:
Mystery: F
Luck: G
Universal Resistance: I
Jumping this much in one day as a level 3? Is this seriously only the work of my Liaris Freeze? This is becoming ridiculous, even by my standards. By now, I am already in at least the mid tiers of level 4 Agility. With max boost from argonaut, I would reach the agility of a level 7. This is starting to become even more broken than I thought possible.
"Well, Bell-kun, Great work! Keep it up and you will reach the top in no time!" Hestia smiled. Seems like she may not be as irritated as I thought, maybe she is looking forward to it?
I nodded at her, then got something to eat before finally going to bed, It's been a long day, and tomorrow will be even longer.
Bell's POV
=Next Day, Dungeon Floor 19=
*Pant *Pant*
I have been running for 6 hours straight, ignoring all and every monster on the way down here. I can already hear the earful I'm going to get from Lili for going alone down here without her and Welf, but I can't include them in this just yet, not until it's necessary.
*Shiver*
Anyway, Right now I'm standing right in front of the pond that hid the first Xenos Village in the dungeon. I spotted this entrance yesterday, and now it seems to be the best time to help them since the Ikelos Familia is at its lowest guard.
I jumped into the shivering water, and began swimming. I held my breath for well over 3 minutes but thanks to my status, I barely noticed it.
Once I was through, and peeked my head through the water, there was absolutely nothing I could see. They were probably warned by the lookouts somewhere. That meant that they would probably think I'm hostile, but fighting in this dark place would not be ideal.
On that note, the entire place was pitch plack, No light came through from anywhere indicating that no light sources were present or at least active. I got out of the water and dried myself
"Heat Tempest" The Flames that encircled me lit up the entire room like a star. It even extended into the other rooms. I began walking forward while cooling the flames down so I won't hurt the Xenos once they attack me. While walking through the village I noticed this was one of the few Xenos Villages that I never visited. The one closest to the surface that I went to was on the 25th floor.
I walked forward through the tiny houses as well as a place that looked like the main campfire. Meanwhile I noticed presences following me that were increasing in number over time.
After 2 minutes of looking around, the number stopped increasing meaning everyone was watching me. I decided to announce my knowledge of their presence.
"You all can come out, I know you're watching me. I would guess there are around 26 of you" I practically felt the confusion and fear from them as they slowly came out of their hiding places, some with weapons drawn. One Xenos I did recognize, That being Lyd, with red scales and orange eyes.
Said Lizardman jumped at me and swung his singular sword, not shimtar and longsword? He may not have found them yet. I easily dodged the attack, and grabbed the hilt with the tip of my hestia knife and twirled it without hurting his hand while causing the sword to be flung into the air, getting stuck onto one of the houses roofs.
Lyd jumped back, sweat dripping from his forehead from concern.
"Look I'm sorry for that. I don't want to fight you. Do you guys want to fight me?" I knew that would get to them, The Xenos always wanted peace with the surface dwellers.
Some of the soldiers lowered their weapons in confusion while some still stood warily, aiming their weapons at me. I sighed, guess I will have to do this.
I pulled my second dagger out of it's sheet, causing the confused Xenos to prepare for battle, right before I threw both daggers across the room, landing on the ground with two loud clangs. I was not weaponless, the Xenos recognized that and all lowered their weapons.
"What is the surface dweller doing?"
"He's throwing away his weapons?"
"Is he trusting us?"
Murmurs and questions spread across the entire small village of just 26 Xenos. I chuckled at their confusion before pulling my hand above my head, showing that I surrendered and didn't want to fight.
Lyd, stood up taller before walking towards me.
"Why have you come here?"
"Well, I noticed the hole in the pond and decided to explore it. Turns out it is a village full of intelligent monsters" I smiled in a manner that I knew that people found calming.
"You know about us?" My smile faltered, There was no reason to hide anything from the Xenos. They weren't affected by the awakening.
"Yeah, I know about you Xenos. Monsters with souls of people, Intelligent enough to make individual decisions, build villages, lead people as well as have desires such as living on the surface" Lyd seemed on edge now.
"How do you know about us?" some of the guards had put their weapons up again, just to get Lyd to wave them to put them back down "We can trust him, he seems friendly"
"Well, let's just say that I know a lot of things that I'm not supposed to know, such as how Ouranos is helping you all through Fels. I also know that the Ikelos Familia is currently hunting you guys"
"Are you a part of this… Ikelos Familia or whatever?" I chuckled "No, I'm part of the Hestia Familia, much smaller. I'm the only one in it that knows about the Xenos.
Lyd nodded understanding, but still wanted some more reassurances "What is you goal?"
"To help you of course, Yesterday I found this on some of the Ikelos Familia members" I handed him the Vouivre's tear that I have yet to give to Welf "They got it from a crying Vouivre. I'm guessing that was a Xenos you guys haven't found yet" Lyd looked saddened muttering 'Another one of us… lost to those monsters' I looked down. It was sad and disheartening, the Xenos deserves better than this.
"I want to help you, Right now the Ikelos Familia is at its lowest guard. Hermes, who have been investigating him, is on business outside Orario making the Ikelos Familia more bold" Lyd nodded, still not understanding why I wanted to help them.
"Lyd, I won't be able to do something immediately but I can promise that if I find any Xenos, I will try to help them and lead them here, or if that's not possible, protect them on the surface until I can get them here" Lyd nodded, before his eyes sparkled.
"It's a deal!" He put his hand out and I noticed that every other Xenos in the room were on their high horses. I chuckled once again, before taking his hand and shaking it.
"It's a deal. I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you" Cheers rang around the Camp, echoes of 'We shook hands with a surface dweller!' were shared between everyone before the Xenos walked up to me, wanting to get to know me.
"What is your name?"
"Bell Cranel"
"How old are you"
"Twen- Fourteen"
"What do you like to do?"
"Explore, train and help others"
This line of questioning kept going all the way until it was dinner time for the Xenos which I decided to take part in.
There were delicious fruits picked between the 18th floor and the 29th floor, everything was vegetarian since everything apart from plants in the dungeon just disintegrated after getting killed.
I stayed all the way until 6 PM which was when I decided to leave. I said my goodbyes with the entire village waving me off, as I jumped into the Water and swam out. Once out, I smiled, another strong ally faction to help me in the future. Although I will most likely have to help them more. But that is not the reason I'm doing it. They are people I trust and care about, I will never abandon them.
I decided to hunt some monsters in the dungeon, before going to do that I closed my eyes and reminded myself of the words Lyd had told me a long time ago 'When faced with a monster, never hesitate. If they are a Xenos, they will tell you, If they are not, they will attack you. I don't want the knowledge of us, to be the death of the one Surface Dweller that I truly and utterly trust'
After that, within the next 2 hours I managed to clear the entire 19th and 20th floor. I looked down onto my notes, reading it trying to think of anything to add. He already added things that he knows are there from his previous experiences, but he may have missed something.
Dungeon Guide
Middle floors (Second Half)
Floor 19-24:
Structure: The walls, ground as well as ceiling are made out of thick wood, making it seem as if one is walking inside a giant tree. Instead of phosphorescent light like on other floors, this floor has radiating moss that produces a blue light across the entirety of the floor. These floors are known for having an abundant amount of unexplored areas because of the labyrinth structure. This structure is what gives this line of floors the nickname, the tree labyrinth.
Note: Having the abnormal resistance development ability is almost required for these floors because of the large amount of poisonous monsters living here.
Monsters:
Bugbear: A Bear monster that is a lot faster than it looks, it's strength and endurance is on par with a minotaur but has the added benefit of heightened speed. The best way to defeat this monster is to tire it out. It's endurance may be high but it drains extremely fast with how fast it moves. Alternatively, if you can, one can slice the tendons on its heels to get it to the ground so one could finish it off quickly. Only spawns on the 19th floor
Battleboar: A large boar monster that can reach 2 meters in height, this monster likes to charge so the best way to defeat it is to let it charge and ambush it right after while it's turned away from you. Only spawns on the 19th floor and surface
Note: The boar has a major weakness to fire
Lizardman: A humanoid lizard monster. This monster comes in a variety of different scales, indicating their attributes, Blue for resistant to water, red for fire, green for wind and so on. This monster is relatively easy to defeat, just let it slice while you dodge and counter attack. It lives on the 19th-24th floors
Note: Each Lizardman is weak to every other attribute except for the one it is resistant to
Firebird: A rare bird that attacks using a small fire breath attack, These flames are very hot so target these ones at the start of the fight since they can cause a very annoying distraction. Best way to handle it is with a bow or water magic. It lives on the 19th floor
Vouivre: A female humanoid dragon monster, they have sharp claws with small scales covering small patches of their bodies, mainly breasts, crotch, butt etc. This monster has a red gem in it's forehead that is called the vouivre's tear. It is very valuable and the monster is extremely rare, on par with unicorns. It lives on the 19th-24th floors
Mad Beetle: A medium sized beetle monster that walks on two legs. This monster attacks with it's poisonous exoskeleton horns. It is recommended to have at least 'I' in abnormal resistance against these monsters to counter the poison. The best way to counter this monster is to cut off it's horns, leaving it defenceless against any followup attacks. It lives on the 19th-24th floors
Mammoth Fool: Large 6-7 meter tall mammoth monsters with red fur and long, curved, spearlike tusks. The best way to defeat these monsters is to either overwhelm it with speed and agility or with numbers, but that is risky if they can't dodge. It lives on the 19th-24th floors
Note: Don't try to block an attack, the attacks are powerful enough to send a first tier adventurer flying into a lives on the 19th-24th floors
Dark Fungus: A walking mushroom monster that scatters poisonous spores. The only way to defeat this monster is to have a person with 'I' in Abnormal resistance walk through the spores and cut the slow mushroom at its base. It lives on the 19th-24th floors
Gun Libellula: A dragonfly monster that shoots small needles like projectiles out if it's abdomen. This monster is fast, but is easily killed if one is able to catch up to it. Just remember to dodge the projectiles. It lives on the 19th-20th floors
Note: Stops spawning after the 20th floor
Sword Stag: A stag monster that rams into adventurers to disable them. It lives on the 20th-24th floors. Use the same technique as with the Battleboar to defeat these monsters
Troll: A large Humanoid monster that has giant feet and can be up to 5 meters tall. It uses a large club as it's main form of weaponry. It's basically a stronger variant of the Orc. The best way to defeat this monster is to let it attack and dodge. Since it's attacks get it's weapon stuck in the ground because of its strength, it creates an opening for a finishing move. This monster only spawns on the 20th floors
Deadly Hornet: A large bee monster that gets its name from it's ability to use it's stinger to pierce and kill a level 2 adventurer in a single thrust. This monster is best countered by Only dodging since it's thrust can pierce heavy armor, and then slicing off its stinger to not only leave it defenceless, but also dying since it can't live without it for long just like anormal Bee. This monster spawns in between floor 20 and 24th
Bloody Hive: A seven meter long rare trap type monster that often lives with Deadly Hornets, often in holes but can also live in walls and burst through them to trap adventurers while spawning a large number of Deadly hornets to finish them off. This monster is very hard to counter since it can't be spotted since they live inside walls or the ground, the only way to escape it is to either have high enough strength or have another party member help you. This monster only spawns on the 24th floor
Green Dragon: A dragon that protects a treasure tree, this monster has the potential to be as strong as a level 4 adventurer. This spawn is so rare that only one will be spotted within a year's time. These treasure trees hold chests full of rare ores as well as loot drops such as Vouivre tears, Titanium, unicorn horns etc.
This monster is best defeated in a large party and should be handled as a floor boss because of its sheer strength. This monster only spawns on the 24th floor
Hobgoblin: A stronger version of the goblin that can reach over 2 meters. It often uses daggers or swords as weapons and can take much more damage than a regular goblin. Use the same strategy as with goblins to defeat it. This monster only spawns on the 24th floor
Moss Huge: A rare monster on the 24th floor only that is made of moss and can create duplicate copies of itself without magic stones to escape suggesting some form of intelligence. This monster is best countered by having one party member keep track of which is the real one while the others fight it.
Metal Rabbit: A rabbit that has skin made of metal and two dual horns on its head. It's fur has different metal deposits on it making its drop item 'metal rabbits fur' valuable. This monster is quite rare and always drops the drop item. It is countered the same way as the needle rabbit except that you need to use as much force as possible to kill it.
Recommended Stats:
Level 2: C-S Stats with Abnormal Resistance
Alright, seems like I haven't missed anything, I should start heading back If I want to get to the 18th floor before midnight for a good night's sleep.
I started heading back towards the eighteenth floor. Things were pretty quiet for the most part except for Lizardman or Mad Beetle here and there until I got back to the 19th floor, where I heard screams of pain, they sounded human. I naturally sprung into action and ran towards the sound with my blades drawn. As I got closer I could make out the words in the noises. Small whimpers of 'Please…' and 'Stop…'. Once I got close enough, I could also make out the two voices of people, laughing and joking, I slowed down and hid in order to find out what was going on.
"Man, this one is going to be worth a lot, don't you reckon?"
"Hah! Hell yeah! She's cute too, probably got a rich scumbags name written on her ass cheeks" A Xenos, I realized, she looked small and fragile and induced a sense of recognition in me but I couldn't exactly put it.
I jumped out of the bushes and spun my leg, kicking both of them in the head. The one that took the brunt of it was knocked out immediately while the other one was disoriented. He looked up to reveal a familiar face.
"L-little rookie? Again?" It was the damn scumbag from yesterday. Seems like he's back out here again and… wait, Is that another Vouivre? I looked at the small crying dragon girl, whimpering, trying to crawl away with two broken legs and one broken arm, it was disgusting how they treated her.
I turned around now furious, slowly walking up to him, the fear in his eyes grew so much that he was practically wetting himself.
I stomped on his head as hard as I could, cracking the wooden floor under it and creating a small hole. I grabbed his face with my palm and pulled him into the air before smashing him right back into the ground, over and over again. I kind of lost control, and at the time I had stopped, he was an inch from death. Sigh, I pulled a potion from my belt and splashed it over his wounds, healing them but still keeping the internal damage there disallowing him to wake up.
I turned around to the Vouivre, walking up and kneeling before her. She looked up with fearful amber eyes through her silver amber hair.
"Pl-ple...ase…" Her light voice came through, almost like a calming wind. I froze, those physical characteristics, that voice… don't tell me…
"Wiene?"
Sorry for the small cliffhanger at the end there. Need to keep it interesting, ya know xD. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you have anything to comment on it, Please Review. It helps me know if I'm doing something right or if I should change my writing style.
Anyway, let's dive right into the Reviews of the last chapter
Ca1piggy: it is good to see that i am not the only one clamoring to lap pillows
i understand your point for the investigation of bell, but they have already decided to ask bell on the expedition... finn needs to invite bell to the expedition. the training could be a nice way to do it? may be there could be a bet. like if finn beats bell, then bell goes on expedition as a supporter. if bell beats finn, then loki will have to be hestia's maid and ais has to cook dinner for bell...
and bete would likely be itching for a spar with bell kun. given that he will soon be mid 3rd after some training, that would easily add up to early 5th in terms of status. add some strategy and telekinesis magic, he can soon fight evenly with the doggie. imagine all the fun the amazon twins can have with doggie if he is out cold...
i think you need to do something to irk lefiya, perhaps get one of his friends to hit on her. i have never tried that in my fanfics, but maybe welf could be a good wingman and keep lefiya busy.
Author: Well, the lap pillows will be quiet Mild in the beginning but will increase in bot frequency later one, also since Ais isn't really the most emotional person right now and isn't extremely connected to Bell, she won't really react to it in the beginning before she understands the meaning of them. I can also say that Bete will eventually challenge Bell to a duel. Also about the early 5th level status, that is not correct. As a new level 3, Bell had the Agility of an average level 4, but since every level up gives 1000 points, Bell would need at least 1500 points in agility to equal a level 5. If anyone is confused on the Falna System, just ask and I can explain it in detail in the next chapter since I have modified it here and there, although it is relatively the same.
That last thing you mentioned seemed kinda fun to play around with, an unconscious doggy, being played around with the twins, lol.
1985hzq: Bell being there for the Melen event could be nice, will it follow the manga of novel? Preferbly manga.
Next up is the Xenos arc. Can't wait to see how you do it. Is Asterios born already? Pretty sure Weine isn't born yet by this time.
Author: I'm unsure If i'm going to do the Melen arc, but I do have an open slot to squeeze it in within the planning. If you all want it, just say so. That's something I can provide since it won't alter the story that much.
Yes, the next arc is the Xenos Arc but it is kind of different, I'm kind of mixing the Ishtar and Xenos arc into one, and will most likely last until chapter 25-30, maybe longer. I did this in since I came up with some fun and interesting ideas for connections between the two rouge familias (scheming behind the scenes and doing illegal business) as well as how Bell's fall from glory would impact the Ishtar arc. Personally I think it's a good Idea and I hope you all will enjoy it!
Yes, Asterios is born, he was born a day after Bell killed the minotaur.
Well, that's the end of it. I'm currently doing some planning for the prequel since all my finals are done now and I have wayyyy too much time on my hands which is the reason this was released early. I would guess I would start getting chapters out for the prequel by next month or so. I like to plan my stories from beginning to end. We will see if I will get the next chapter out by sunday but since I have so much time now, I probably won't have anything else to do! Hope you all have a nice day!