The fifteenth floor
"Hey, Bell, where is Hallownest?" Welf asked, putting his sword away.
— From the 95th, to the 100th floors.
— Have you always been level nine?"
— No, when I appeared, I looked like I was five years old, I had the fifth level and I often hit from a suspender, but now... — he smiled angrily, but did not continue. Welf hit him on the shoulder with all his strength, because he knew about Bell's skills, he didn't even hurt him. - Ah! Hey, it's not nice!
They started fooling around and poking each other, whooping from their actions.
- Mr. Bell! Mr. Welf! Lily shouted to be noticed, the guys nodded and started poking the hobbit, she started laughing.
But they didn't laugh for long, Bell turned around and saw three people injured and going to the eighteenth floor, monsters were chasing them, Bell looked closely and saw how the girl said something, he read on her lips:
"I'm sorry."
The monsters attacked them, it was wolves and minotaurs, those three had already disappeared, Bell ran up to the monsters, and jumped, using the "Descending darkness", all the creatures were fried and scattered in different directions.
- Cool, my friend!.. Welf shouted, fainting, and a moment later Lily also fell.
- LILY! WELF! Bell shouted, running up to his friends and taking them by the armpits, lifted them up.
"Oh, wow... Welf, that's the weight... oh-uh..." Bell said in a strained voice, running to the eighteenth floor.
"I found you!" — Harn's voice was heard, a moment later Bella was cut in the leg and pierced through the stomach, black blood poured out, and it turned dark in her eyes, then cuts near the thigh and chest, then the shoulder and again the stomach.
"Please, Harn! Not now! " - A big cracked vessel, stood in front of him like a wall and pulled out his big nail, a crazy smile played on Harn's face, but it fell off and he lowered the nail.
— Why don't you want to kill me?" Harn asked.
— I don't have time…
- I'm not with you, Bell!
- I'm not up to you, you bastard!
Harn stepped aside and stopped chasing Bell.
"We're still... brothers, aren't we?..RIGHT?.."
The eighteenth floor
Aiz went to the aisle and looked there, she was bored at the rest stop, besides, it was unpleasant for her to keep the secret of a guy who she hadn't even met properly. "Bell ... the fool! ..." she thought, pouting her lips.
Suddenly, Bell fell in front of her, and the only thing he said surprised her
her:
- Save... my friends!..
Half an hour later.
- Son of a bitch!.. - Bell jumped up and looked around, he was in the tent and his friends were nearby, but his mask and nail were not there.
- He heard Aiz's voice and turned in the direction of the sound, she was holding a mask and a nail in her hands, he reached for the mask, but did not calculate the tightness of the bandages and fell on her chest. - Wait!.. I'm not ready!
"Pervert..." said Bell, taking the mask and the nail, the cloak was lying on a chair, but Bell decided to walk lightly and attached the mask to his shoulder, and the nail was brought behind his back. - Thank you for your help…
Bell stood up and staggered slightly.
- Stop!.. You can't move... now.
Bell looked at her with a strange look, as if she had been rude to him.
Bell is in the tent of Finn, Riveria and Garrett
"Anyway, thank you for helping my friends," Bell bowed respectfully, Garrett crumpled, Finn smiled, and Riveria stared at him as if he had seen her in a negligee.
- You're an interesting guy! The dwarf said, clapping Bell on the shoulder, but when he noticed that the guy's shoulder was bandaged, he abruptly stopped. - Oh, I'm sorry…
— Come on, I was hit on the shoulder once, and even then not much.
— Your blood is black, why? Riveria finally asked.
- Let's do this, when my friends come to their senses and I am convinced that they are in perfect order, then I will tell you everything you ask.
- Okay, then let's sit down with us for dinner tonight, do you agree? Finn said, holding out his hand.
Bell shook it and went out with Aiz.
"Look, he's quite a nice young man without a mask," Riveria said, lost in her
thoughts.
- Maybe we can even be partners? What do you think, Garrett?
-Well, as for me, he's a little scared, but he's holding up well.
Camp
"Oh, it's Bell!" said Tiona, running up to Bell and bending down slightly. - Do you remember me?
— I am, of course, hollow, but not stupid!..
"Heh-heh-heh..." she snuggled up to him, which slightly caused a misunderstanding in the guy. — What a cutie you are without a mask!
"oh, save me!".
"Shut up, dark!"
After a short conversation with the Amazon, Bell hurried to his friends, the adventurers found his easy running cute, and the guys were annoyed by the sight alone. When he entered the tent, he saw that his friends had already woken up and were on their feet.
"Oh, thank the local clinic," Bell said, hugging first Welf, brotherly, then Lily, kneeling down and hugging her like his own daughter.
"Where are we, Bell?"
- On the eighteenth. I fucked up myself, and how did you pass out?
— Yes, someone hit me on the neck! Welf stretched his neck.
"Harn, you bastard!"
An evening surrounded by Loki's family
- Guys, there is a Hestia group at our dinner! Finn pointed to Bell, Lily and Welf, the hollow knight only nodded respectfully, glancing at the group of Loki family confidants. - Well, we're DRINKING!
- YES! — Stop it! " shouted everyone else.
In less than a minute, almost all the important faces of the Congregation were crowding around Bell, but fortunately Bethe was not among them.
- Bell! You promised! " said Tiona, sitting down opposite Bell's left shoulder, Aiz sat on the right, and everyone else sat opposite, it was clear that they would like to know his true name.
— Well... I ... - Bell sharply noticed how Welf put down a bottle with some liquid to talk to his former colleague in the family, he had a wild dryness in his throat. The flock of Hephaestus was also in the camp. Kranel quickly grabbed the bottle, despite the fact that Tiona was sitting there, and began to drink in one gulp. Turning around, as soon as he saw that Bell was drinking from his bottle, he tried to pull it out with furious jerks, but the hollow was already sucking on it like a baby to a nipple.
- Bell, for fuck's sake! GIVE IT BACK! Crozo shouted it too late, the bottle was empty. - Your mom... what's the fuck?
- Here is the first question… Do you have a high tolerance for alcohol? Garrett asked, looking at the bottle of very strong booze he had just drunk, and Bell didn't even grimace.
— I don't know, I've never tried to get drunk, and I don't want to.
"Bell-Bell! What about your age and strength? You're so strong! Tiona said with Amazonian zeal and desire, looking into his eyes, at a distance of two centimeters, Bell grabbed her head and pushed it away from him.
— I'm nine years old and I have the ninth level... - everyone started staring at him, except for Welf and Lily. — Well, I appeared... I looked like I was already five years old, so… I'm quite an adult kid... well, I'm still... ah, although fuck it.
- Your blood is black… Why? Riveria joined in after drinking a little.
- Blood defines a creature… There are four types of blood: red-ordinary creatures that are easy to kill; orange-infected with one of the mind control plagues; white-creatures with their own differences and strength, and black-from creatures ... created from darkness — that is, I am.
— Why ... the nail?" Aiz asked, looking at his weapon.
- The sword is weak, the spear is unmanageable, the axe is blunt, the staff is fragile. The nail is monstrously dangerous because of the unpredictability of the bone with which it is made… My clean nail is made from the bone of the Dungeon Lord himself... fuck knows who he is.
— And which girls do you prefer more? Tiona asked.
— I don't know, I haven't tried it yet.
Bell ate and ate and answered questions until Riveria, completely drunk, pointed her hand at his stomach.
— How long are you going to...hic... eat?" The high elf bent down hard to his stomach, then looked into his eyes. - You'll be sitting for a long time!
Bell returned Riveria to her seat. — I have no intestines and no excretory system either… Well, there is an ass, there is no hole. Food immediately turns into energy and the more of it, the more actively we kill.
— Well, is your... is he there?" Garrett asked, already in the firewood.
- yes.
Someone wanted to say something else, and Bell felt the furious look of a red-haired elf sitting not far from Aiz, someone called her Lefiya and she responded.
The girl's screams were heard coming from far away.
"Hestia!".
Bell took off and ran towards the sound, the others rushed after him. When he reached the place, he saw his patroness, next to her Ryu and some god in an odd hat.
"Hestia! - recovering, the goddess saw Bell and jumped on his neck. - Don't push!
"Mr. Cranel," Ryu adjusted the assassin's mask and came closer — " I'm glad that you're all right…
"Greetings, Bell Cranel —" the god bowed, lifting his hat. - I've always wanted to meet you.
— What are you, a jerk?
— Watch your language, - behind Bell was a girl with blue hair and red-rimmed glasses. — You're talking to the Almighty Hermes.
— I'm-clearly, another saint from the cloud…
"So that's what you are, Bell… I now understand why Freya chose you," thought Hermes, staring into the bright red eyes of the hollow knight.
"Bell, this asshole is dangerous!"
"I know, dark, I know..."
The day after Hestia's arrival
The day after Hestia's arrival
- So, where are we going? Bell asked, carrying a tired Hestia on his back, and Welf dragged Lily, as she was very aggressive.
To Rivira... Aiz said, periodically glancing at the guy.- Safe zone... where adventurers trade...
- Riveria! The city was named after you! Pha-ha!- I decided to cheer up, but no one had a special desire to have fun after drinking, even Welf was in a bad mood because of a hangover.- Fucking drunks!
The center of Rivira
Bell sat near the fountain and cleaned his nail, waiting for the others, the city seemed to him just disgusting, worse than the mantis settlement. Aiz was sitting next to him.
- Bell... and why you... didn't go?.. Aiz asked.
few minutes later, Hestia jumped up to them, happily wagging from side to side.
"That smell... Perfume?- Bell looked at the patroness, she lit up, at that moment the Hiryut sisters came up.
- Yes, do you like Bell?
-Yes, it's true that I have sensitive receptors, so don't drink too much...
"You don't like girls who smell bad, do you?"- Bell nodded, not noticing that Aiz began to sniff herself, Tione looked at it with some suspicion, Tione, seeing Finn, ran to him.
- Oh, right! Girls, let's go to the springs! Tiona said without thinking at all.
Half an hour later
"Hey, Bell! Hermes said, grabbing Bell's shoulder.
-What do you need? God of Eloquence...
- Can you go to the same place with me? Hermes smiled strangely.
"It's getting dark!"
- Where are we going? the guy asked, following the god.
- To an interesting place...
Bell was silent while Hermes looked around and wandered around.
On the sources
-What is this? Bell hissed, pointing down to where the adventurers were bathing, other girls were standing nearby so that no one would peek.
-Isn't it clear? Spying on the girls! God broke into a stupid smile, examining each of the girls ' bodies.
"Bastard!"
Bell swung and wanted to hit Hermes, but he dodged the attack and the guy, breaking a branch, flew down completely immersed in hot water, but abruptly surfaced, he raised his head and shouted furiously:
"I'LL KILL YOU!" NIT!- then he looked around, the girls blushed and covered up, Bell noticed two girls who were in yesterday's squad that he met.- Thank the water, everything is fine with you!
He heard someone finish reading the spell, Bell turned around and a ray flew into his left chest, which hit his body hard, but the guy only staggered slightly, the spell itself did not affect his body, although it made itself felt through the clothes that were burned.
- You bastard! Damn you to death! Lefiya shouted, trying to show all her anger, Bell only blinked once and his eyes changed, again black and only small circles of flame.
"So he's not susceptible to weak magic and can get angry," Riveria wrote in her notebook, sitting down in the water.
- It's unpleasant... Lefiya turned pale and her hands trembled, and Tiona swallowed and tried not to look into his eyes, but they were so mesmerizing, as if it were a deity, " I prefer clothed... AND NOT FUCKING PIECES OF MEAT AND FAT!- then they returned to normal again, he turned around and crystals grew around him, and the air swirled.- I'm out of here!
The crystal heart that was stored in his body activated and he shot away like a rocket.
He flew for a long time, but eventually stopped and decided to walk.
After a while, he went to another lake and decided to drink some water, but when he got closer, Ryu emerged from the water, shaking her bright yellow hair, but did not hear Bell, who was dumbfounded and just watched, did not even move. "Does nothing bother you?".
Bell decided to leave quietly and accidentally stepped on a branch, Ryu instantly splashed water from the lake in his direction, the tree trunk was torn apart,but the trunk still stood.
- Cranel? Bell looked away and walked away."I hope you have an excuse."..
"I don't have any excuses," Bell turned away and leaned against a tree, thereby asking Ryu to get dressed.- I just got away from some women, under whom this fucking Hermes was peeping, to some remote and quiet place, I wanted to drink at all.
- All right... I believe you, " Ryu said, coming forward, she was already dressed. "Again on you?"- Come with me, I'll show you something...
at the improvised graves
"Whose weapons are these and ... the graves?"- Bell took a closer look at the irregularities, there were as many of them as there were weapons.- Apparently, these are your former colleagues...
- Yes...- the elf said softly, laying flowers on the grave.
- Will you tell me?
- You really want to know, - Ryu looked at Bell, her eyes were sad, and her ears drooped, the guy nodded.
Ryu said that they were her former friends, that they were killed, she was taking revenge and that Sire saved her, so she is grateful to her.
-Why are you hiding under a mask?
- Elves are considered one of the most beautiful races on the planet, - " Probably too much."- That's why we didn't let anyone touch us... But we are even dirtier than the rest!.. This damn habit, "she looked at her hand," I've never allowed anyone to touch me... I'm JUST AS dirty and DISGUSTING an elf! Bell took her hand and looked at her seriously.
- Stop talking nonsense! You're a good girl, I don't care that you're an elf! Bell looked at his hand, just realizing that his hand was dusty, he wanted to remove it, but Ryu squeezed it in her hand.
-But there was a person... who dared to touch me... the one who is glad to all good people and tries to bring good, " she looked at him and smiled.- Mr. Kranel, you are a man worthy of respect.
"She's so beautiful when she smiles..."
An hour later
Loki's squad was about to leave for Orario, only the main squad of strong adventurers remained.
- Aiz, wait!- the girl turned around and saw Bell, who was running towards her, ran up, stopped and stared.
- Bell... what happened?..
- I'm sorry about today, - he held out his hand, - I hope you're not offended?
- No, - she shook his hand in return.
"That's good," he smiled. "This... not his smile!.."- Aiz noticed, for some reason she was afraid.
Suddenly, like a black lightning, someone appeared nearby and hit Bell's muzzle with his fist, he flew several meters away.
- The other one... Bell?- she looked at the attacker, it was really another Bell, but the real one, she felt it.
"Stand back," the hollow man ordered, exposing his nail, " this is a Sock."..
The other guy stood up and sharply cracked his neck, several limbs immediately came out, after which the belly, with acrid orange blood, the head stretched out and let out a terrifying roar. Bell abruptly ran up and hit a couple of times, the creature bounced off and began to jump in different directions, it was faster than the one that Bell met, Sock went around him from behind. The guy jumped back, but it was too late, the creature grabbed him and bit off a piece of flesh near his neck and shoulder, then threw him to the adventurers. Aiz wanted to help, as did Tiona, they drew their weapons.
- DON'T GET INVOLVED! Bell barked at them, jumping to his feet, Riveria was shocked by his resilience and vitality, anyone would have already died, he was bleeding, and he behaved calmly.
Bell lunged at the creature again, but it disappeared. He tried to feel it, but the Sock had an insidious plan, filling his mouth with acrid blood, he spat at Bell and hit, the flesh hissed and Bell clenched his teeth from the terrible pain of the blood he hated. The creature attacked again, but Bell was already ready, jumped back and hit the paw, damaging it, the Sock fell on his back, digging into the ground with spikes on his back. Bell rushed to him and jumped, the creature wanted to pierce him with its paws, but the hollow knight used his ability granted to him by the Abyss "Shadow Cape", in the air he rushed forward, covered with darkness for a moment, and, like a ghost, passed through the creature's attack, piercing his stomach four times.
Bell jumped away from him and landed in an assassin's pose, bringing the nail behind his back, the creature began to jump, orange steam began to pour out of it and it burst into pieces.
"Sock, defeated," he said calmly, getting up.
Welf and Ryu ran up to him.
"Holy shit, Bell! What were you thinking about?- the blacksmith slapped him on the shoulder, Bell cringed and twisted his face, - Damn, I'm sorry!
"Take off your shirt," Ryu ordered him, Bell took it off, revealing the horror and curse of his race, his entire body, which was covered with blood, was as if soaked in acid, then set on fire, Ryu took out a healing potion.
"Put it away," Riveria Ryu ordered menacingly, taking out a stronger potion," he needs something stronger."
She carefully poured on the bite, it disappeared, then watered everything else.
-Is he even a person?Lefiya asked, looking at all this madness.
"He's a hollow knight!" Tiona said proudly, " he's a good creature!
Lefia looked at Bell suspiciously. His wounds were healing, when they got to the torso, he grabbed the potion and Riveria.
- Em.. I'm there myself! Bell said, stretching his pants in the groin area and pouring water there.
After the procedure, he sat down on the trunk of a curved tree and felt better.
- So there are such people on the 95th? Finn asked Bella, as if he was afraid of something
-Nope.
-So where are they from?
-You don't need to know! Bell snapped, looking at him aggressively.
- Do you think HE was flunked by a cool one?! Finn shouted at him, not knowing why.
- BITCH! THIS IS MY FUCKING BUSINESS! NOT YOURS, LIVING ON THE FUCKING SURFACE!.. YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND!.- Bell stopped abruptly, realizing that he had started shouting for nothing. - I'm ... sorry, Finn, I just don't want to... for someone else to take on this burden... sorry.
- Um-m... you're me too ...
- Guys... can we have a drink as a sign of reconciliation?..- Welf asked uncertainly, the guys agreed.