Hi everyone, it's AnthosW and welcome to the second chapter of Hunt Beyond The Dream. Simple reminder: I am not of English origin which is my second or even third language in many cases. So if there are any errors you wish to point out, I would be happy to correct them. I accept all the criticisms built helping me to improve myself but refuse the one aimed at purely bringing me down and insulting me for free. Simple information, I will take a lot of liberties with the Lore of Bloodborne and Danmachi (which is the point of the fanfiction). If things are not clear they will certainly be later. Finally I publish a chapter every two weeks until I have nothing more to publish. Sorry for the inconvenience and happy reading!
If anyone is willing to sacrifice themselves to become a beta reader, I wouldn't say no and be especially grateful.
Chapter 1 : A Stranger In The Shadow.
It should have been and should have been an ordinary day for the citizens of Orario. But people soon realized that things weren't quite right when the earth started to shake.
It was not a classic earthquake. It was ... different. An aura of rage and revulsion came from the ground beneath their feet followed by an intense thirst for blood that came straight from deep within the earth. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the dungeon was involved in the recent development.
The shaking hadn't stopped, getting stronger every moment. A low, moaning sound echoed from the still unknown underground caverns, sending waves of despair and agony to the surface.
An incomprehensible murmur crossed the halls and echoed at the entrance to the dungeon, sending a shiver to the adventurers present.
The citizens had started to panic and even the most seasoned adventurers seemed worried. The dungeon had always been known to be a living, self-aware entity, but such behaviour was more than unprecedented.
The thirst for blood that came from the deepest floors did not even seem to come from the earth but from an independent creature. The whisper that had sounded the first time grew faster and more understandable before choking off as if it never existed.
It was like this the dungeon was expressing its feelings and asking for help in getting rid of an unknown parasite within it.
At the top of a huge tower, a queen seated on her throne overlooking the city felt a draft of cold air. She looked down towards the dungeon and began to understand the true nature of the power that emanated from the depths of the dungeon. She basked in the warm aura that leaked from the core of the sensation of death and blood before letting out a sensual moan.
A red-haired goddess sitting at her desk froze in laughter as she felt the faint scent of death wafting through the city and the cheerful facade that animated it tore to give way to supernatural fear before calming down upon discovering the city. heat that seemed to stalk death. A whisper escaped him.
"Something has happened ..."
A goddess of home and family was busy in front of a food stall serving customers when the shaking started. Like all the others before them, she stopped moving, suffocating under the evil aura before calming down. But unlike the others, she felt a certain familiarity in the heat that she did not recognize.
"I hope Bell is doing well. She wondered, looking in the direction of the dungeon.
A white-haired boy fell to the ground destabilized by the sudden earthquake. The monster he was facing looked around in panic before escaping to a hole in the wall, moaning.
The shaking intensified and a stone slipped off the ceiling falling just in front of it followed by more stony projectiles. The boy widened his eyes and picked up his gun before running to the surface. He shouldn't stay here.
A cheerful god laughed as he felt death, another scoffing felt fear engulf him. The vilest froze, not knowing if any of them had decided to act without the consent of the others.
One thing was certain, no God in Orario had failed to feel the unexpected surge of energy. No God had underestimated its significance. The sudden onset of an evil energy chased by a noble power was reminiscent of the arcana of a god. Their use was considered an extremely serious crime, and no one wanted to be sent back to heaven. What's more, in the absence of concrete evidence about the event.
A week had passed and nothing of note had happened.
A Denatus had been hastily called and every God had appeared, even those who did not really care about their divine counterparts. Everyone knew to what extent their absences could be a sign of guilt and held up as evidence for an immediate banishment.
The debate had started calmly before going into an endless exchange of hurtful remark and spurious accusation. Finally, two conclusions came out of this gathering.
Someone had entered the dungeon, used their arcana, and returned without anyone noticing. This was unlikely mainly due to the surveillance around the dungeon.
Where something new had taken place in the dungeon and a god or something close was responsible for it.
Neither answer was particularly appreciated, but these were the only two possibilities that could be unanimously recognized.
No one knew what had happened and an expedition to the lower floors was already being prepared by the Loki Familia to investigate the source of the supernatural power that had sprung from the dungeon
Eventually it was decided to wait until the expedition took place to obtain information on the strange phenomenon that had taken place.
Many people had quickly started to put the quake behind them, blaming it only as a dungeon mystery. But the adventurers knew better than anyone that something had happened underground.
The monsters seemed to behave differently. They were suddenly more docile, fleeing whenever they could and hiding in holes or crevices seeking to flee from something.
The worst was when they were stuck, they became more aggressive than before launching into reckless and devastating attacks charging into suicide attacks in greater numbers than before as if they were looking to eliminate the threat as quickly as possible so that they could. go back to hide.
Uneasiness began to build further when he was discovered in the lower floors of areas completely void of his monsters. Entire floors had been decimated, leaving only stones and the rare items that the monsters dropped.
The words in the taverns reported the presence of a shadow that seemed to watch from the corners the adventurers who descended the following ones to the upper floors.
This strange form seemed to rise inexorably towards the surface, using the adventurers as an unwitting guide.
An adventurer had testified to having met a man in mysterious gray and black outfit walking behind her. A headband covered her face, and a strange hat hid his hair. He was gone in a cloud of white smoke barely had she turned to attack him.
Fear took hold in everyone's mind, and more and more Familias began to lend their own members to the Loki Expedition in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the mystery and getting rid of the monster known as the Silent Crow.
And then the day of the expedition's departure arrived.
Nearly fifty adventurers from a dozen Familias were lined up and ready to go. Loki was there, proud to see such a massive task force under his command. She is the only goddess to have decided to descend with her Familia. Although other gods were present, it was more out of concern for their members.
The expedition started early in the morning and the first floors were quickly overtaken. The monsters hid in furious fear and did not even seek to approach the adventurers in any way.
The first nine floors were easily passed in a few hours of walking. It was on the tenth floors that things got more problematic. The once peaceful monsters had started to turn violent, wave attacking the adventurer lines.
Something was noted, the monsters kept looking behind them and fleeing the eleventh floor.
"We are approaching the source. Loki mumbled to Aiz who was standing next to her. The blonde nodded.
The expedition carefully descended to the eleventh floor. No sooner had they stepped into the new floor when monster cries reached their ears. The beastly howls of the most dangerous creatures echoed throughout the walls before being cut off as if nothing had happened.
At first, no one reacted.
An order from Loki silenced the crowd, and the goddess ordered them to advance upstairs. The group walked towards the source of the noise. The further they went, the more the green grass became coloured with a multitude of shades of blood. The corpses of monsters had been left there without even touching them. It seemed that what was happening here had no interest in robbing the monsters.
The screams of the SilverBacks started again. Princess of Swords Aiz led a small group and moved faster. The scene she saw when she arrived was worthy of a legendary saga.
A single man stood in the center of five SilverBacks that had surrounded him. Aiz and the other adventurers tried to intervene but stopped when the man drew a sharp-toothed saw. The weapon was covered in monster blood, and part of the blade's teeth were still soiled with blood and pieces of flesh torn from its enemies.
The man quickly moved his arm and the saw followed suit. The weapon slipped through the throat of one of the monkeys who howled in pain falling back choking in his own blood. One of the SilverBacks attempted to attack him, but the man turned and threw himself to the side in an expert rolling motion before spinning his body swinging his full weight into the weapon and stabbing the beast's belly with a mastery gesture. As he was about to stop his movement, the man seemed to notice the backward movement of the other monsters and took advantage of the cine energy.
tick produced by his previous attack to move towards one of the three surviving monkeys who were frozen in intense fear by the death of their two congeners.
The saw unsheathed from its scabbard, transforming into a massive chopper that in one movement slaughtered two of the monkeys instead of its first and only target.
The last monster looked at the man as if he saw the devil and turned to flee. The hunter didn't give him the chance and drew his pistol, putting a bullet directly into the fugitive's head.
A spur of blood burst in the air and flowed in an endless stream.
No one was moving, Aiz was unable to understand what had happened. The fight lasted just under a minute. In the midst of the silence, the man was breathing heavily as if he had finished a workout and not as if he had emerged from a fight to the death.
Loki arrived at this exact moment with the rest of the expedition. She looked at Aiz then turned to the man she was staring at. The corpses of SilverBacks slowly disappeared into the thick haze upstairs.
Finally, he seemed to notice them and turned to them.
Aiz and then examine it in its entirety.
The man wore an outfit similar to that described by the testimony. A long trench coat that covered his entire body, every part of the fabric covered in blood and traces of combat. The long saw blade he had used sat proudly in his hand and she could see a kind of sword beneath the folds of his outfit. A wide-brimmed hat covered his scalp, partly hiding his shoulder-length blonde hair while a scarf hid his face, revealing only his bright blue eyes.
Even from a distance, it was easy to tell that the man was relatively young. He couldn't have been more than seventeen. However, you could tell he had fought a lot.
"Are you allies or enemies ..." the man growled exhaustedly.
His eyes were covered with a sort of bloody veil and he only moved instinctively. A wrong word meant he would attack. Loki who hadn't seen the fight replied.
"We are allies. "
The man seemed to have a sigh of relief and he muttered a single incomprehensible sentence before collapsing to the ground.
At first, no one reacted. And then, suddenly, everyone did it, slowly approaching the man on the ground.
When they surrounded him, they noticed he was unconscious.
An order from Loki silenced the crowd, and the goddess chose her vice-captain to heal the injured. The green-haired elf rushed forward, and her hand glowed with mystical energy as she hovered over the man's reclining body. For a minute, nothing happened.
The elf frowned, muttering in concentration as she repositioned her palm dozens of times. She suddenly stopped the curse, resorting to a physical check of the man's body using her fingers and eyes. Finally, she stood up and said simply.
"I can't cure him. "
A muffled silence descended on the crowd.
The elf shook his head.
"It doesn't work because he's not injured at all. It is exhaustion. He only needs rest. "
Whispers broke out. Even Loki was too stunned to calm them down. Was a man who seemed to be in such a sorry state completely unharmed?
Loki stopped and came to his thoughts. They had found something in the dungeon where the monster corpses were found dead. He partially matched the information and was likely human.
Should they continue the expedition? Was the arrival of this strange new human related to the strange incident a week ago?
No God had claimed him as one of their own, and no adventurer recognized his face.
After much thought, it was decided that the expedition would ascend with the new foreign element. Any information that humans might have could potentially save lives and save them a lot of time. More importantly, he may have been the person behind it all.
Deep gashes on his left arm, broken ribs, crooked right feet and probably a good half of his right eye sinking into his skull. At that, burns all over the body and the lungs on fire.
Now the wounds were severe enough to merit the use of a vial of blood.
The worst part was not the pain that came in uninterrupted waves. No, he had been used to it long enough not to feel it anymore.
It was mental fatigue. Sometimes the hunts lasted for days but there was always a moment of pause where he could let his mind wander in the hunter's dream.
But not here. No rest. A moment of inattention was death. Especially if there weren't any possible returns.
The burnt down walls were gone. The creatures had changed, becoming slower and clumsy.
Where was he? Was this then the world to awaken?
Aiz was on call the day the man woke up. She had been sitting for hours and would have continued to sit for hours longer, but his patient put his hand on face and groggily opened his eyes.
"You're awake," she said, tilting her head.
The man blinked at her voice, straightening up and looking at her with a blank expression. She saw his eyes fall on the sword on her hip for a few moments before looking up again.
"Am I dead? He asked with quite ironically the same empty face as his interlocutor.
"No" Aiz said shaking his head. "We found you beating you in the dungeon and brought you back. "
The man frowned and noticed that he no longer had his weapons. He looked around the room before asking.
"Where are my cleaver and my bag." "
"Here," Aiz indicated with a finger, pointing to a package in the corner of the room. The man got up quickly and checked his weapons before sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Finally, he turned his head to look out the window, blinking several times as he recorded the scenery beyond the glass. He put his hand in front of his eyes shielding his face from the rays of the sun hitting the room.
" Where am I? "
"Orario. We brought you back from the dungeon. "
The man narrowed his eyes and Aiz could hear him say the word "Orario" to himself in confusion.
" Who are you? "
"Aiz Wallenstein. And you? "
"Ashton Warden ..."
Several minutes passed in total silence. It would have been inconvenient for many, but neither of them was in the way. Ashton was busy checking his gun as Aiz watched him with some interest.
A slight noise echoed. By the time the doorknob turned, Ashton had already sharpened his senses, knowing that whoever stood on the other side was a potential threat. By the time the newcomer entered, the hunter had already acted. In the blink of an eye, he had stood up and pointed his fully unfolded ax at the newcomer's throat.
The terrified cry of a young girl, however, made him immediately pull back.
"Eek! What's your problem, you bastard?! Are you going to point guns at everyone you meet? "
Ashton still looked at her suspiciously. The person had a human form, but it was easy to see immense power under it.
The hunter had not let his guard down and despite his weapon lowered still stood ready to act. The presence reminded him of Amygdala and other Old Ones he had had the honor, or rather the despair of feeling. Creatures as close to divinity but still mortal as his human spirit had been able to glimpse.
Here, however, stood a true god, one who had overstepped the bounds of the Old Ones. Her aura was much more dazzling than Amygdala's.
"You are a God. He said almost accusingly.
If she was surprised, the goddess did not show it.
" Yes I am. Why? Keen senses you have, my boy. I am Loki. "
Ashton growled apprehensively as he looked at the young woman before putting his saw aside. Either way, even though he fought her he knew he didn't have a chance of winning.
Although these powers are hidden, if she unleashed them, it would be carnage. Especially with the reinforcement of the young woman behind his back. He turned his head in Aiz's direction.
"You can put your blade away. I'm not going to attack her." He said noticing Aiz's stunned eyes who nodded briefly before releasing the hilt of his sword.
"Are you really a God?" He asked doubtfully looking him up and down. His stoic face made it hard to know what he was really thinking.
The goddess rolled her eyes.
"Of course, I am a Goddess. I am Loki. You can ask her." she said pointing to Aiz. "She is part of my Familia.
In fact, that short statement had raised many more questions for the hunter.
"What is a Familia? "
Loki narrowed his eyes at him, and his eyes turned into thin lines.
"Are you an adventurer and you don't know what a Familia is?" "
"Adventurer? Ashton repeated, still more surprised. His tone although surprised did not correlate with his face which remained expressionless. "I ... don't know what it is either." "
"You were found in the bloodstained dungeon and you don't know what an adventurer and a Familia are? "
"I am a hunter of hunter." The young man replied simply.
The goddess sank into an empty chair, put a hand to her face and sighed deeply.
"You don't know what the Dungeon is either, do you?" "
Ashton nodded. Nothing of what Loki had said so far didn't make sense to him. The redhead began to make a bunch of weird hand gestures.
"A dark, labyrinth-like place. Lots of monsters? Blood and fighting? "
Ashton blinked in surprise before remembering what had happened to him when he came out of the dream. It had to be where he landed and where he had fought.
"Not a good place," Ashton hissed, remaining neutral. "No worse than the Dream or the Hunt but still tiring… Well thought I was going to die once or twice. "
Loki leaned over him, looking at him like he was a piece of meat.
"Yet you are here. How can you be so uninformed and still alive? "
"Training, skills and luck. Ashton replied simply.
Loki didn't even seem convinced at all.
"But you have a Falna, don't you? "
"No idea what the Falna is ..."
"A Falna is a blessing from God. It grants mortals abilities and boosts their stats. In exchange, the mortal joins the Familia of his god. "
"Blessed by a god? Ashton asked with amusement. "The only gods I know were more of the type who sought to kill us… So, give us a blessing and make us join a Familia?" Madness that I never even thought I would hear one day. "
His face, still neutral, had let pass a slight moment of fatigue that Loki did not miss. Despite his young age, it seemed like he had lived through it a lot. His eyes seemed haunted by visions of horror that no one should see. It reminded her of the other person in the room. The boy could see a pained expression cross Loki's features when he stopped.
"I don't know where you are from but here it is quite normal for the gods to bless the adventurers. "
"I would like to see that…" he declared.
A predatory gleam shone in Loki's eye.
" You have? That's great! So, I can totally show you by giving you my Falna! Loki announced, raising her arms, victorious. "I am the best Goddess in Orario. "
"I don't want to join a Familia," Ashton announced immediately cutting her off in her rant.
If he had learned anything from his time in Yharnam it was that mingling with the gods was always a disaster waiting to happen. The proof had been made with the Remedy Church and the students of Byrgenwerth.
Loki looked more bored than disappointed. A soft smile adorned his lips.
"I want to know where you are from. She asked.
"You don't need to know that. He said cutting short all questions.
His time in the dream was to stay in the dream and what he had discovered too. The Old Ones, the madness of blood. Everything was to remain lost forever.
"You know I can force you.
Ashton's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Try me," he growled.
"Tell me a lie and I'll see if it's true. She said confidently.
"I am a demon in human form. "
As he moved his lips, he felt something shoot in his mind and force him to speak the truth.
Since he had discovered the existence of the great ancients but especially after his first real encounter with the strange powers of illusions and telepathy of some of the beasts of Yharnam, he had made a point of never seeing his mind. affect by magic.
The blood circulating in his veins certainly gave him a welcome resistance, but far from sufficient.
Ashton knew of this type of mental spell that affected the spirit and was not immune to it by hard mental training and sure investment of his blood echoes with Doll.
The wire that pulled the information snapped sharply causing a slight snap in his mind.
The goddess blinked at him in surprise. Then she started poking him with a stick she had summoned from no one knows where.
"You are ... not really a demon ... are you?" "
" No. He said categorically. "Don't I look like it? He asked, turning to Aiz who seemed to be suppressing a chuckle.
" Excuse me. She said, running towards the door.
Ashton turned again to Aiz, who was still as emotionless as ever, but whose face showed his slight amusement. The two impassive looked at each other for a few moments before the hunter spoke.
"Um… are all gods like that, or is Loki particularly weird?" "
Aiz shrugged before looking at the half-open door.
"Coming from someone like you is pretty ironic. Said the blonde.
Loki returned quickly, but not alone. She had brought three other women with her, each ridiculously beautiful, and then told her to lie to their faces. Ashton knew she was powerful. He felt it to the depths of his being. He therefore deduced that just like Lo ki they were goddesses.
When he managed to do this successfully, they all had bewildered looks on their faces, except for Loki, who sported a triumphant expression that the hunter had only seen in some of the younger hunters.
"You are all goddesses, aren't you?" He asked calmly.
His face, still impassive, betrayed no emotion.
They nodded.
"I am Lady Hestia" declared the one with the black hair tied in two braids. "Goddess of Home and Family. "
"Hephaestus. Goddess of the Forge. Said the one with red hair cut short and wearing an eye patch.
"Freya" said the last one.
Ashton felt a kind of charm. Unfortunately for her, the faith prevented the spell from taking effect on him. He couldn't see ill will in them and most importantly, they were not shapeless and violent like the Old Ones had been.
For the first time in ages, the hunter felt relief wash over him. The gods here were not harbingers of destruction bringing with them the madness of dreaming, nightmare, and hunting.
"So, Ashton," Freya said, her voice soft and calm. "If you're done with your questions, we have a few of ours we'd love to ask you." "
He shrugged indifferently still sitting on the side of the bed with his weapons within reach.
" Where are you from? Hephaestus asked.
"From the Dungeon. The hunter replied simply.
"I mean before entering the dungeon." She added, noticing the amused glint in the hunter's eyes.
Ashton's face turned dark and cold.
"Yharnam, the dead city. Or more commonly known as the city of fools…" he replied venomously.
He knew that the outside world and even the hunters of other cities and nations regarded those of Yharnam as fools and he had to admit himself that this was the case. When he arrived, he had had every opportunity to witness the lowest of humanity.
"I had never heard of this place before" replied the goddess of the forge followed by the denial of each goddess present.
This time Ashton looked confused.
" What are you talking about? Although it is not world famous, it remains a city to be remembered ... "
"I may not be the best informed in world geography ... But I've never heard of a place called Yharnam," Loki replied.
He thinks for a few moments. There was a hint of fear in the man after they said this, but he had to confirm it.
"Yharnam may have disappeared at the end of my hunt… What other countries were there…" he muttered under his breath.
He didn't know they heard him. The advantage of being a goddess was a certain experience of age that the boy was not.
" Hunt? Freya wondered inwardly.
"So… England?" Ireland? "
The woman shook her head, making his heartbeat faster, he hoped something good would come out of it.
" Great Old Ones? Hunter's den?" He asked again.
The woman shook her head again.
"Never heard of it" they replied.
He sighed in relief. It was as if death no longer followed him. He asked one last question.
"Gerhman the First Hunter?" "
As one, the four goddesses shook their heads. His heart sank a little. A touch of sadness and remorse was heard by the goddesses. Finally, he finished answering the question.
"I don't think it's anywhere near here. I was fighting against monsters," he lied. "And the next thing I knew was that I was in the Dungeon, surrounded by more of them than I had ever seen ..."
"So… have you been summoned to the dungeon?" How long did you stay there? Loki asked next. "What kind of monster have you fought. "
He shook his head.
"I can't say for sure about the weather. But the first monsters I encountered were some sort of black obsidian armour and skeletal sheep. When I started to go back upstairs, I came across a sort of huge room with a white wall. I fought a huge lizard which I killed with difficulty because it was blocking the way back. After that I just went back up, killing the monsters on each floor looking for an exit. When I started to lack healing, I fled the bigger monsters and faced only what was necessary. "
The goddesses exchanged looks, as if they had confirmed something they suspected.
"Did you see anyone else there?" Hephaestus asked.
He shook his head.
"I didn't see anyone for a long time. About twenty floors I think ... I saw a few people after that, but I avoided them at first because I didn't know if they were going to attack me.
r. On one floor there was some sort of city around a huge tree, but I didn't try to approach it. I was afraid he would hurt me. "
For a moment, the childish side of Ashton came out and was not missed by Hestia who smiled sadly.
"The only time I got near humans, they ran away. So, I just ended up giving up and following them to the nearest staircase. "
A revelation came to Ashton again. If he was no longer in the nightmare and the dream ... It meant he no longer had second chances. That death was final, that he no longer had to hunt monsters. Mostly…
Ignoring the goddesses, he rolled up his sleeve and checked the veins in his arm. Although they were still a blackish blue colour, there was no longer the red colour that signified the disease.
He then looked at the back of his hand and saw it empty of all traces. The mark… It was gone. He… He was indeed free!
A smile graced his lips. He was no longer affected by the disease, but he still had the old blood in him.
" Oh? What makes you so happy? Loki asked.
"Nothing… I just don't seem to be hit by an old enemy anymore." He said before putting his sleeve back on.
The four goddesses entered the giant meeting room. Every God, at least the most important, was present.
" Therefore? Hermes asked. "Have you discovered something? "
"He was probably the one causing the disturbances. Declared the goddess of thieves. "He was transported from a town called Yharnam"
"We suspect that a God used his arcana to transport him to the Dungeon and leave like death. From what he did not describe he was dropped off near the fortieth floor. "
"Why would anyone does this? Ganesha asked.
Loki shrugged.
" Who knows? But you must think that he was separated from everything he knew before he was brought here ... From the little he talks about it seems to be from another world. "
"Poor…" Hestia said looking at the ground.
"Most importantly, we confirmed that the boy really has the ability to lie to us," Loki said.
"So everything you think you know about him could be a lie?" Hermes asked.
"It's an interesting ability that feels passive. Freya said. "I looked at his soul and she is an incomprehensible mixture even to me. "
Freya stood up quickly.
"I'm going to go check something with him." She said calmly before leaving.
None of the gods reacted.
There was a brief discussion between the gods before a particularly important question arose.
"How strong is he?" "
Loki felt his face contract.
"He's very responsive and put his blade under my throat when I got home, and he was able to climb back up from the deepest floors of the dungeon on his own and without injury other than fatigue." I would say he was teleported to the 38th floor when he saw Obsidian soldiers.
One thing is certain, he is more powerful than Aiz when he must be his age ... And above all, he looks a lot like her in terms of his behavior ... "
"It must be a common thing for all very powerful adventurers!" » Ganesha said with a smile.
" I see. Hermes nodded thoughtfully. "We have an unattached, exceedingly strong unknown adventurer who is not in any Familia ..."
"That's right." said Hephaestus. "And… wait… Freya didn't go see him ?! "
Hestia and the other gods' eyes widened.
" My God! "
"We must catch up with her! Hestia said, hopping off her chair and running for the door.
Far too late, everyone had realized what was going on. It was a mad dash out of the boardroom, with each God rushing to stop the other from claiming Ashton Warden in the hopes of taking him for himself.
As they reached the door, they saw a supernatural scene of Hestia and Loki trying to break down the bedroom door.
"Freya! Open that door! "
"We arrived too late. Loki growled. "He's at least level six if he kills black monsters!" "
The door swung open, and Hestia fell forward into the room. Each God held his breath in anticipation.
Freya walked out, a forced smile on her face.
" Oh my God. What a crowd. What are you doing here? Are you coming to visit? "
"It was a low blow." said Hephaestus. "You failed to recruit him, did you?" "
She chuckled in amusement when she saw the defeated face of the white-haired goddess.
Freya's cheek twitched a bit.
" No. I didn't make him join my Familia." she said, just as Aiz left the room.
Loki nodded to his sword princess.
"Did you prevent from recruiting him?! Well done, Aiz! Plus ten Loki points! "
Hestia succeeds in sneaking up behind Freya and had a cry.
" He is not there! "
Loki blinked. Like everyone.
"What do you mean by he's not here?! Loki yelled.
She ran to the door and passed too, only to be greeted by an empty room and an open window. Hestia was bent over, trying to peek under the bed.
"Aiz, where has he gone? Loki asked.
The blonde girl pointed to the open window and waved down.
"You mean he went through the window?! Hestia asked. "Didn't you stop his suicide ?! "
"He was too fast. I could not do anything. "
The red-haired goddess felt her eyelids twitch.
"Aiz… do you know where we are?" "
"Yes, Lady Loki. We are on the seventh floor. "
An understanding seemed to take hold of the young blonde woman's face. The Princess of Swords looked at her. Then she walked over to the window and looked at her head over the sill. She turned and gave Loki a nudge.
"He does not appear to be dead ... There is no corpse or blood. "
Loki rubbed his eyes.
"Sometimes I wonder who taught her common sense. "
"It's you Lady Loki." Aiz answered innocently.
"Ho! Shut up! "
The gods moved away from the door starting to disperse.
"I can't believe we let such a luck pass…" one of the gods muttered.
"He must be hanging out somewhere in town. We can always find him!" Another retorted.
Loki turned to Aiz.
"Did he tell you why he jumped? "
Aiz shrugged.
" No. He said nothing. "
Loki could tell his signet ring was lying but didn't want to question her further with so many people around.
She suppressed an annoyed moan and walked through the door towards her Familia.
So this concludes the first real chapter of Hunter Beyond The Dream. Chapter with little `` real '' fight. Useful for introducing Ashton to the world of Danmachi while familiarizing him with the Gods. BloodBorne tending to remind men of their littleness compared to elders. It will take time for him to truly accept and regard the gods with more than fierce and mocking contempt. I was inspired by another Danmachi fanfiction for this chapter (Is It Wrong For A Godslayer To Have A Harem Of Goddesses?). Although I made my own version. Hope this to you more. Chapter 2 is written and being corrected. I will post it again in two weeks, on Sunday May 16th. In the meantime, take care of yourself and your family.
If anyone is willing to sacrifice themselves to become a beta reader, I wouldn't say no and be especially grateful.AnthosW Out!