Hey everyone, hope your having a good day.
The streets of Orario are blooming, being filled with people, Adventurers and normal people alike, are very wide, allowing for tens, maybe even hundreds of people to walk by without needing to hit each other.
I never really noticed how wide the streets were before, hell you could fit a parade here and still have some room left. A myriad of smells and noises fills the air like no other; herbs, hot coals, meals of all kinds and the background chatter filling in the gaps. Sometimes it's someone haggling for weapons or potions, sometimes it's a pair of housewives gossiping about stuff, just to pass the day.
First day here with my heightened senses was nearly unbearable, whispering could be heard casually while talking was like someone yelling in my ear, the amount of smells nearly killed me. Without Terssa, walking through the street would be impossible.
"This place can get pretty noisy, huh?" I say to Bell who nods his head, looking around just the same as I do, seemingly taking in the scenery around us. Though I wonder if he knew that I had just never been so patient when entering the Dungeon, only waiting for him to wake up, cleaning the place up just to pass the time.
"It was pretty scary when I first came here," Bell admits to me, letting out a hum as he glances up at me,
"What about you, Magus? You said that you came from a village like me, right?" Bell asked,
"Born and raised," I answer with no shame whatsoever, "But I've been in cities before, so it wasn't a major shock. Living in it though? That's another story altogether, I like the peace and quiet from a village though" I explained as we kept walking.
"So…" Bell trails off somewhat uncomfortably and I glance down at the kid as he twiddles his gloved fingers in awkwardness,
"Just why did you become an Adventurer, Magnus?" Bell asked nervously,
To be fair I expect this question sooner than later. The fact that I just said that I prefer peace and quiet when diving headfirst into the deep end as an Adventurer is anything but concerning.
"Why don't we start with you? Why did you become an Adventurer?" I ask Bell instead and just like that, his face flares up once again,
"You said that your Grandfather used to tell you stories, right?" I recalled as a deflection to him asking me, not willing to tell him everything. I just met him.
Not that the kid either didn't notice or choose not to notice.
"Uhm...it's a bit embarrassing…" Bell let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head again, I let out a snort, but I didn't dig any deeper into it.
"So kid, I have a question for you; How have you been handling the money so far?" I asked to see if he has any issues.
"Eh?" He says as the shadow of Babel starts to loom over us, its eclipsing structure standing tall and mighty. Why the old ones made it so damn tall is beyond me.
"Like how have you been splitting the Valis you've been getting? 50 to you, 50 to Hestia?" I ask Bell, quite curious on how our Familia economics work around here.
"Uhm, 50%?" Bell asks I and I nod, which he frowns thoughtfully at, muttering under his breath numbers that range from 1,200 to 2,000 Valis and he looks back up at me.
"I guess it's a bit more than that? I usually use the Valis to repair my weapons and armour, pay off my loans to the Guild, stuff like that. Anything leftover, I give to our Goddess for safekeeping." He explains as I begin thinking over the numbers in my head.
He has a loan to the Guild, but it doesn't seem that urgent if he just mentions it like that. Still though, that's going to be paid off today, no matter what. Maybe around 5,000 Valis for now.
I usually earn 10,000 to 25,000 Valis a day, fighting lots of monsters in the 10 floors gets me lots of Valis and spamming my Sorcerers' works when they group up.
Little Bell here earns, let's say 1,500 Valis on average, before food and other essentials, he would need to work for about 3 days in the Dungeon to pay off his loans as well. Take into account weapon and armour maintenance, food, drink, taxes and every other shit.
Bell must keep about 700 to 1000 Valis on him, at minimum for himself. Maybe a bit less, maybe a bit more but at this rate, it'll take him and Hestia months to live somewhat comfortably. Reaching to a stable life is hard when you start with so little.
"Bell, how much more do you have to pay back to the Guild? For your loans?" I ask the kid and he blinks up at me with those wide eyes, he tilts his head to the side, a confused look on his face.
"Uhhh, about 3,000 Valis? I think?" Bell guessed as I nod, good that's better than what I thought it was. I already have an idea on how to split the Valis between the three of us, but to make sure he actually pays off the loan and keeps the money he keeps.
"15,000," I speak up out of nowhere, making Bell tilt his head at me and I nod to myself,
"15,000 Valis. That's how much you and I are going to make today." I declared, having a goal in mind now.
"...Eh?" Bell let out a confused noise as if he didn't hear me say anything and before I knew it, he started to sputter out, regardless of the fact that we're in public.
"W-Wait, 15,000?!" He screams which cause me to whine a little, loud noises, ears hear too good.
"It's the only way for us to make a positive income," I tell him as my frown deepens, lost in my thoughts as my body goes on autopilot
"The 5,000 will be used to pay your loans, so that leaves 10,000 between you and me. But because we're part of the same Familia and we have to pay taxes to the Guild, we have to give a cut to Hestia, a large cut to be used both in taxes and to save up a rainy day fund." I explain how we are doing this as Bell stays silent during my little lecture on basic economics, a weird glint in his ruby-red eyes, but my focus was on the future, even as a flash of lime-green caught my eye.
"So, that leaves us with one option; We split the total into half, one half going to Hestia and the Familia as a whole while you and I take the other half and split it again in half, effectively giving you and I 25% of what we earn totally." I explain that Bell has an uneasy look.
"Uhmm, Magnus?" he asked but I didn't stop.
"That means if we earn 10,000 Valis, both of us make 2,500 Valis each while we give 5,000 to Hestia. She pays off the taxes with the Guild and stores up the rest, but we could probably take a bit if we need it for an emergency like a new weapon or armor. Potions are probably a good idea as well, I know a guy that can give us affordable stuff but that can wait until we reach a later time, actually should get you checked up before that." I said out loud, seeing if Bell needs a check-up with Paracelsus before anything.
"Magnus," Something in Bell's voice makes me stop for a moment and I look down at my companion as he gives me a worried, almost ashamed look,
"Y-You don't have to worry about my loans. I've almost paid them off and it's my own fault for not having enough money in the first plac-" I stop the poor bugger.
"They're your responsibility, yes," I tell Bell, a look of confusion coming over his worried expression as I talk,
"But loans are something you don't want to stick around, kid. Even if we don't make 15,000 today, we'll make enough to pay them off. Help you become a free man" Magus said, willing to give some of my own money to help out Bell.
Bell gives me a funny look as we walk down the filled roads of the Labyrinth City, a look that I couldn't decipher until I realised what I was exactly doing.
"Er, that is if you're alright with all that," I say to Bell, somewhat embarrassedly as he blinks up at me and I see the small confusion in his wide eyes, not really used to taking others to consider action.
"The whole tirade I just went on. Sorry If I took over there, normally do take others into consideration until now so if you want to handle the money differently, let me know." I said, forgetting it was Bell's life and own money, and he had a right to choose.
"O-Oh! No, I'm fine with what you said," Bell shakes his head, but my frown turns from thoughtful to worried though he smiles widely at me,
"I'm just surprised that you thought up all of that just now. Though 15,000 is a bit…" Bell said,
"Have some faith, kid. We'll make it," I say confidently, holding my hands of my head.
"And don't be so surprised, it's just some simple number crunching. With the four of us, it's easy to figure out now but if more people join, we'll either need to earn more or work out a different system." I said, I can easily get more in the mid floors but Bell, still a rookie, will farm the higher floors for now and get his level up.
Bell gives me a look that borders dangerously on wonderment for some reason, but I simply ignore it for now,
"With that being said, are you sure you're fine with this? Considering that I'm the newbie to the Familia, it would only make sense that the older member gets a higher cut." I said with some irony there, calling Bell an 'older' member, which is true.
I can't switch Familia's for about a year, but when you're a new member of an organisation, you have to work your way up. It's just how things are and as the newest member of Hestia's Familia, it wouldn't shock me if the split between me and Bell becomes 60-40 rather than 50-50. It means I would get less Valis, but besides maybe some stuff for my runes and potions, I can't think of anything worth spending money on.
"But then you wouldn't get as much," Bell says to me honestly, as if it was an argument, a frown on his delicate face as he shakes his head,
"I don't know how other Familia's handle it, but I think Goddess would be fine with what you said." Bell gives me an insuring smile.
"If you say so, kid but if you're sure I'll make sure to tell Hestia," I say with a firm nod which he smiles at though I don't know why. Probably excited that he'll finally pay off his loans, which I honestly can't blame him for.
He's been lucky. The Guild doesn't seem like the type to stain their reputation by acting as loan sharks, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be brutal or conniving with their money.
It wouldn't be smart though. When you have a place where Adventurers can just disappear to where only fellow Adventurers delve and are the sole providers of Magic Stones, driving them away with predatory business practices is probably the last thing you want to do.
Still though, loans are loans. Paying them off takes a weight off your back.
"...Magnus?" The voice of a young woman makes me freeze in my tracks and Bell turns around sharply when my name is spoken aloud by the stranger that had snuck up on us. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bell's confused look blush slightly and I simply let out a small sigh under my breath before turning around.
Syr looks up at me, a bit taller than Bell and older as well, wearing her light green maid outfit, its edges frilly. The look in her argent eyes is a bit of a weird thing to figure out. Shock, hurt and maybe something akin to gladness flashes through them and for some reason, I find myself looking past them, focusing on her frilly headdress.
"Eh?" Bell says stupidly, looking rapidly between the silver-haired waitress and me, "Magnus? Do you know her?"
"I have never seen this girl in my lif-" I try to say.
"Magnus!"
Almost as if to shut me up, I'm subject to Syr's tackle and all I can think is that the Dungeon is probably the lesser of two evils right now.
No sooner had Syr all but thrown herself at me did I realise how devious this little girl really was.
She probably knew I would deny knowing her. I wonder if this is revenge for all those times I refused service from her.
Or maybe paying for her to dig through rubbish for Pebble? Actually, that's a dick move on me.
"Syr, Get off me. You're making a scene," I grumble out, uncaring about the stares that I got from this girl acting all emotional. Keyword being acting, of course.
I would push her off, but I might hurt her. As annoying as Syr can get, I don't want to hurt the poor girl.
Bell's head swishes between the two of us, a look of complete confusion on his face and the scowl on my face burns as I glance down at him. Other people are starting to look now, but I don't take any notice of them.
"Magnus, how could you be so heartless?!" Syr suddenly shouts out as I contemplate using my shield to pry her off of me and I meet her puffed up glare with a blank, bored look of my own.
"You just left without warning! No one knew where you went! Ryu was really upset, you know!" She cries at me as I sign.
"I think she is more upset for Pebble than me, but honestly I don't know you could tell she was feeling anything at all" I tell Syr as she looks around me.
"And where's Pebble, did you lose him? How could you?" Syr gets angry as she looks for my little friend.
"Pebble fine, he is with my goddess who promised to take care of him" I said to her as she looked at me in a strange look.
"Your Goddess?" Syr says with a strange tone in her voice and her argent eyes peer up at me with a keen interest that I found disquieting if anything.
Letting out a sigh, I look over to the very confused Bell and nod towards the waitress,
"Bell, this is Syr Flova. She's a waitress at the pub I used to sleep in on occasion." I explained,
"So cold, Magnus! Without me, you would've been sleeping in the streets!" She in trump as I sign.
"At least it would've been quieter." I complained as my lips twitch up as Syr glares cutely up at me before she swiftly turns to Bell and like a switch, she's all smiles and sunshine, making Bell blink owlishly at her before a slight blush creeps on his face.
Oh. God no.
"My condolences for dealing with Magnus here," Syr says smoothly while I just snort out a huff of air,
"He can be quite rude, most of the time." Syr said to my twitching eye.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean.
"I-It's fine," Bell says with a stammer and a blush while I stare at the two of them with a cocked brow,
"And Magnus isn't that rude. A-At least to me and our Goddess." He explains as Syr as a weird look at her
"...Our Goddess?" Syr says with a strange tone in her voice and her argent eyes peer up at me with a keen interest, what the hell is wrong with her.
Just as I was about to clear my throat, another sound was heard from the depths of something dark and deep. It almost makes the earth rumble with the noise that was unleashed.
Syr lets out a small giggle and I just look down at the furiously blushing Bell, his hands clasped around his stomach as if that would stop the noise that came within.
"S-Sorry! I only ate that cooked bread this morning! I-I was kinda in a hurry and I just didn't have the time to finish it!" Bell said as I looked at him.
"Idiot," I say without any real heat in my voice, shaking my head at a shameful looking Bell,
"When I make you food at least have some courtesy to finish it off, Did you plan to go into the Dungeon with an empty stomach or something?" I ask him, I mean come on at least finish your toast, hell, take it with you when you leave, it is not hard to eat.
I ignored the surprisingly pointed, poignant stare of Syr and I frowned down at Bell, though the look of embarrassment on his face told me he knew how badly he screwed up.
The Dungeon isn't a joke and I'm sure Bell knows that. The thing with Hestia must've scared him more than I thought. Stupid,
He should've told me. If he did, I would've bought him something quick to eat.
Well, at least Hestia will have a nice breakfast when she wakes up. I'll have to see what budget we're going to be working with for food though. We have running water from my magic and a metal stove I clean, but that's hardly a kitchen. I could probably buy a few more things, maybe Mama mia knows where to buy them.
"Dungeon? Then you're an Adventurer, Mr Bell?" Syr asks innocently and Bell gives her a flustered nod, his cheeks blazing at his name being spoken.
I don't say anything, but...Mr? Really?
"I am, b-but you don't have to call me Mr. Just B-Bell is fine, really," Bell stammers out, making Syr smile brightly at the kid.
"Then you can call me Syr! Nice to meet you, Bell!" She giggles to his blush
"Smooth," I say under my breath so Bell wouldn't hear me but the quick glance that Syr gave me, her silver eyes almost glinting makes me smirk, at least.
"N-Nice to meet you, Syr."
Poor Bell, weak to a pretty face.
Syr isn't gonna have any mercy on the poor kid.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Magnus, Bell?" Syr asks innocently enough and just like that, Bell's eyes light up and a goofy smile graces his blushing face. I look down at Syr with a dubious look and she simply gives me an innocent-looking smile.
"We're part of the same Familia! Magnus joined just last night and we're going to the Dungeon together," Bell says it so proudly and so happily, I can only sigh as I rub the bridge of my nose, watching as Bell sealed our fates.
"Hmmm...and you didn't eat a full breakfast, right?" Syr asks Bell who shakes his head, embarrassedly.
"In that case, here. Take these," Syr says with a bright smile, holding out her basket to Bell who blinked owlishly at the offered honey trap before his blush burned bright again.
"Eh? I-I can't do that!"
"So...you don't want it?" Syr says, lightly biting her bottom lip and Bell's red face turns crimson as he snaps his head to look at me with a pleading look. I could practically see the begging in his wide round red eyes.
Why are you looking at me?
I shrug my shoulders at him, but I couldn't resist the twitch of my lips as Bell stammers to Syr and me.
"Please, Bell. I wouldn't want you to go hungry in the Dungeon. It would make me sad," Syr says with a soft worried voice and I could see the fight in Bell's eyes die at those words.
Meekly, he accepted the basket and I let out a snort.
It's coming soon now and Bell isn't going to be able to say no. Poor kid, this is exactly the type of thing I tried to warn him about.
Oh well. Being 'scammed' by paying for a meal is hardly a sordid affair and what he does with his money is his own choice.
"T-Thank you, Syr," Bell says with a bow of his head, holding the basket in his hands. A quick glance told me that there is enough for two people if it was rationed. Bread, cheese and fruits, mostly. Not bad.
"You know, Bell, if you would like to make it up to me…" Syr says with a smooth voice, a smile that combines devious and cheeriness in equal measure,
"Would you and Magnus like to eat dinner at my workplace tonight? The Hostess of Fertility?"
Took her longer with Bell than it did with me, Maybe she's just waiting for me to speak up or something. It's hard to tell with this girl.
Bell's expression of shame, giddiness and hunger all merge into a brief look of shock and as he glances down at the basket in hand, he lets out a sigh of resignation, smiling slightly.
"Honestly, is everything a game to you?" I asked her, Syr just giggles cutely and the two of them look at me for my answer, Syr's smile turning eager while Bell just seems more or less resigned to what just happened. He doesn't seem that upset by it though, which doesn't shock me.
"I'll think about it," I say simply to Syr whose smile simply widens a little at my words,
"Now, if you're done guilt-tripping Bell?"
"I'll see you two tonight and don't forget Pebble~ I'll tell Mama Mia to prepare a big meal Magnus!"
"Don't single me out?" I said Syr who just waves us goodbye as Bell does the same, a somewhat happy yet ashamed look on his face. I gave Syr a single wave and before we knew it, she disappeared into the crowd of people.
Bell and I walk silently side by side, the Tower of Babel looming over us with each step taken. Like a constant river, people of all races, types and builds filter in and out of the towering monument.
I glanced down at Bell who couldn't meet my eye, his gaze fixed solidly on the cobblestone pavement and his cheeks flushed.
I let out an amused snort, a cheeky grin on my face as I shook my head,
"She had you wrapped around her little finger." I couldn't help but say, Bell mumbled something out that made me crack a grin before looking up at me,
"You two seemed close. Are you friends?" Bell asked, I shrug my shoulders.
"I wouldn't go that far. She helped me out when I was looking for a place then helped me rent a room but that's about it. Got a discount thanks to Pebble but beyond that, we're only acquaintances, nothing more." Magnus said, Bell gives me a little frown and he glances down at the basket of food in his hand, his eyes eating the foods held within.
"Make sure to eat before we go in," I remind Bell gently,
"And don't feel too bad about what Syr did. The food in the Hostess is delicious and there are more cute girls working there. I'm sure you'll have a fun time." I tease him,
"Magnus, please," Bell's voice almost shakes from embarrassment as he picks up a slice of cheese, nibbling on it meekly as his cheeks flare up,
"I-I couldn't just say no to her!" Bell ties to say,
"Oh you could, but as I've discovered, you can't say no to a cute face," I say without a hint of irony or malice, but Bell just looks like a kicked puppy as I spoke, a chuckle escapes my lips and I give a slight nudge on Bell's shoulder with my elbow, making him swallow.
"Take this as a lesson, Bell; keep an eye out for strangers, they'll always have ulterior motives." I give Bell a lesson, Bell gives me a strange look, but doesn't say anything. Reaching into the basket, he wordlessly holds out an apple to me, an innocent smile on his face.
"You have it, I've already eaten my breakfast," I said to Bell smoothly and he frowns at me,
"Overeating can just be as bad as undereating, you know? Plus, we can save the rest for later in the Dungeon." I said to him,
"Alright, if you say so," Bell says uncertainly, but he puts the apple back and takes some bread instead, eagerly biting into that.
And so it was, with Bell stuffing his face because he didn't finish his breakfast, that I went back into the Dungeon, but not with Pebble but with a small, albino child who is the senior of my Familia.
Funny how life works out sometimes.
LINE
A skull of a Goblin is cracked wide open from my Stone Gauntlet fist, caked and dripping with blood, drops down upon it and the light in its bulging red eyes fade as it falls back, dead.
Something with fur flashes in the corner of my eye and I bring up my Frost Gauntlet. Not a moment sooner, I let out a grunt as a Kobold bites on the Gauntlet, its claws scratching me as I grunted, but I don't budge. With a swing of Stone Gauntlet,
Shockwave
A power up fist makes a fleshy impact and it lets out a pathetic yelp and its neck bursts in a river of sticky crimson.
Using my arm, a word escapes my lips as I last out again with Stone Gauntlet, droplets of scarlet blood splaying out as the Kobold's head snaps sharply in a way it wasn't supposed to, a terrible cracking noise echoing out. It slumps on the floor, dead with its body facing forward and its head snapped back. Seeing two Goblins and a Kobold trying to gang up on Bell and I aim my Frost Gauntlet.
Ice Lance
A lance of ice shoots towards one Goblin, killing it and leaving ice on the floor wearing the other goblin and Kobold was as they tried to gang up on Bell as they slipped on the ice.
The kid dodges the swipes of the one goblin and he crosses his arms as the sharp claws of the fur fiend swipe out, a grimace on his face. The Goblin slips back and The Kobold manages to dodge the attack but is now sliding on the ice. Bell's Knife slashes the Goblin in the chest, killing it and jumping on the Kobold and stabbing it in the head.
It lets out a howl of agony, before silenced by the knife in the head.
Despite the carnage and our current situation, my breath is steady and calm. My limbs, full of energy and strength, as I look at my status.
Max Health: 100/100
Max Armour: 140+80
Max Mana: 115 / 130+30
Not bad, seeing how we have been doing this for a while now. Fighting our way down with my Ice Gauntlet taking out a strong target and Bell finishing a few off from my Stone Gauntlet.
In the lower levels of the Upper Floors, the halls are wide enough to let a party of 10 people at least, shoulder to shoulder. You could have a whole caravan carted through if you wanted.
It made for somewhat wild fighting, however, as you could easily get surrounded. But nothing me and Bell can handle.
It was going well at first, if a little slow. He and I noticed it pretty much straight away, but we fought more monsters together than we did alone. Where we might've fought one or two become four or five. It wasn't that big of a deal, especially with my spells and sorceress, but it was starting to noticeably increase.
I thought it was a stroke of good luck. More monsters equal more Magic Stones which equals more Valis. We can hit our goal of 15,000 marks early, and get some left over Valis.
We might be getting a bit too cocky.
Almost like a string of bad luck and as if to punish me for being too greedy, we found ourselves surrounded by eighteen monsters, a mix of Goblins and Kobolds. Well, twelve now but beside the point.
It started small. A couple of them would pop out the walls behind us while others charged at us in front. As we pushed further down, more and more came until we found ourselves the centre of attention for these slavering beasts.
God, I hate how smart this place can be sometimes.
I move to Bell and he goes near me, his bloody dagger held in a reverse grip. His long coat has some scratches in it and his laboured breathing could be heard over the snarls and growls of the monsters that prowl around us like a juicy bit of meat.
"We need a plan. Otherwise, they'll swarm us at this rate. I have an idea, kid?" I say to Bell as I keep my arms up, our backs practically touching as the monsters circle us, their maws dripping with spittle and their claws sharp and ready.
"Bell, remember that goblin knight?" I asked him as Bell nodded and recalled the goblin in armour.
"It's the same plan but the spell is an area, run at me and I'll give you a boost to jump" I said to him as I get on my knees as Bell looks confused at me until I closed up hands and give a lifting position with my hands, Bell nods as the monster gather closer.
Bell runs to me as he jumps into my hand, I lift my arms up and give Bell a lift for him to jump high in the air, away from my sorcerers. I clap my hands and channel mana to the Frost Gantlet
FLASH FREEZE
A wave of frost circles around me as the monster charging starts to slow down, feeling the cold slowing the movement as I grab by Typhon Dagger and slash at once side, killing the slow monster as they start to freeze.
Bell looks in awe at the spell freezing all the monster, getting an idea that as he lets his body fall down he lands on the slow monster, Bell had a little shiver but it didn't stop him from landing on a goblin and stabbing the Kobold beside it. Each monster starts to freeze as Bell lets out a cold breath before finishing off the frozen monsters.
I wasn't far behind as each monster died quickly with a slash from the Typhon Dagger and Reinforcement making quick work of each monster, stabbing their heads and kicking them hard enough to break their bones.
Each monster dies in red dust and frost as Bell and I look around to see the frost floor and all the Magic stone surround us.
"Good combo Bell," I said to Bell as he shivered a bit.
"Thatttt was cooooll" Bell said with a shivering smile as I looked at him before getting my Enchanted Canteen setting it hot to help him out.
"Shit sorry Bell, hear some hot water, it should help but be careful" I warned giving him the hot water as he nodded in gratitude.
Taking a sip he starts to feel better.
"Thank you Magnus for helping," Bell said, handing it back as I took it before looking at his belt.
"We get you a belt to hold your own canteen, need to stay hydrated" I said, taking a sip of water as we both turned to hear more monsters coming our way. And from the sound of it, it sounds like a lot of them.
"Looks like more are coming, Bell, do you have a plan for our next group?" Magnus asked as Bell looked quiet as he looked around.
Bell goes silent at my question and I wonder if he was relying on me for an idea. I had one, but I want to see if Bell can take the initiative.
"Should we run away?" Bell tells me, but it comes out like a question. Not a bad start, put him on the spot there but he learn, if we run back to where we come from it'll put us in a better position to ambush them.
"We came from over there," Bell said, jerking his head down a hallway that looks the same as the rest of the floor, "But…"
Bell trails off and I can see why, even without sensing it, more and more monsters start to close in and cluster against where we came from, preventing us from barging through.
Not bad but not good enough.
"We better start running Bell" I said as Bell nodded. No words passed between me and him as we both sprinted through the cave.
Both Bell and I are sprinting down from where we came, with beast-man and Goblins following our path. The roars and chittering sounds that came not too far behind us told me as much.
And as I expected, Bell is soon running ahead of me, leaving me behind in the dust. First thing I noticed about Bell when we're fighting is that the kid is fast.
Either the shoes are better than mine or he was getting way faster. As I push forward in order to catch up.
"How are those boots doing you?" I asked Bell beside him as he smiled despite the running monster.
"They're great, I'm running faster than before" Bell smiles at his new shoes and I chuckle.
He turns his head back forward, noticing the two passageways that split off to the left and right side, just like the ones we came down.
Bell looks back at me, his red eyes wide but I merely jerk my head forward and with seeming reluctance; he forces himself forward and goes round to the left, a small tuft of white hair that peeks out of the corner tells me all I want to know.
I look back behind me and I count 10 monsters chasing after us, about 4 Kobolds and 6 Goblins. The Kobolds are catching up faster, running on all fours like a pack of rabid mutts.
Perfect time for our ambush.
When I reached the end of the hallway, I skidded to a stop and turned around. I see Bell staring at me as I stand in clear view of the chasing monsters.
I glanced at him and gave him a wink. Without a word, I turn my gaze to the monsters and speak:
BOULDERFALL
A giant boulder as I throw it into the group of monsters, then aiming my Frost Gauntlet.
Ice Lance
The boulder turns into ice as it hits the group of monsters, the boulder hits them and breaks into icy mist, making them call chill and slow. They were still charging at us but much slower as I grinned.
Unable to resist, I smash both gauntlets together. The loud clanging sound is accompanied by the sight of blood dripping down both of them. As I get into a fighting stance, getting ready to charge.
Bell grimaced as he waited, readying himself, I smiled at him in reassurance as Bell smiled back as we both nod and charge at the slow monsters.
The first to hit me was a Kobold with frosted fur.
It tries to jump me, trying to claw open my face but I punch it in the head, hearing a sickening crunch, but I ignore it. In motion, I grab the dying Kobold and throw it at another Kobold.
The Kobold , letting out a howl after getting hit with an exploding buddy which is cut short as Bell springs forward, stabbing it in the throat. Without skipping a beat, Bell swings his foot high and hits the other Kobold in the cheek, twisting it in a way that spelt death.
The last Kobold, finally noticing Bell, tries to cut him down widely, but it was too little too late. The rather obvious ambush was a success and Bell weaves in close, shoving his blood under the chin of the monster, killing it instantly.
The Goblins both jump at Bell, their claws ready and poised to rip him apart.
I take a single step and swing my Stone Gauntlet, splitting open its skull like a ripe fruit. Using the momentum to turn my body and stab my dagger in the second Goblin in the throat, dousing him in blood.
Both Goblins fall dead and now, it's just me and Bell, drenched in blood and surrounded by the bodies of monsters.
A moment of silence passes, only punctured by the laboured breathing of Bell. I looked over the corpses of the monsters one last time before looking towards Bell.
"Well, that was fun," I say rather calmly and Bell, despite himself, lets out a little laugh at my words.
As I give him a smile, he lets out a slight wince and absentmindedly, his free hand goes to his side, clutching it.
"Shit you hurt?" I ask as my smile dips into a frown and though Bell feebly shakes his head, his hand doesn't move from clutching at his side.
"I think one of the Goblins got me when they circled, but it's nothing to worry about," Bell says to me rather weakly and I simply shake my head. I walk over to the sheepish looking Bell and motion him to remove his hand.
"Top tip, Bell," I say to him as I kneel down and look at him at eye level for once, though he averts his gaze from me and he slowly removes his hand, tinged with blood. I noticed that the claws seemed to have ripped through his leather coat but it didn't seem too deep.
"When an apothecary is nearby and you're hurt, you tell them straight away." I said grabbing the Hydro Water from the Canteen.
The look on Bell's face was one I wore myself many times when I had to drench myself in this spell. It was a cringing grimace of gritted teeth and dread-filled realisation. I felt sympathy for the lad,
It was still funny to look at though.
Bell's cringe turns into an endearing look of childish wonder as he gently pats down the now smooth cut, the blood slowly disappearing into the magical water. In a matter of moments, it was dry.
"Wow…" Bell says to me, looking down at his wound before looking back up at me, eyes full of wonder which made me for some reason.
"Don't act so impressed. Just some simple healing water in a bottle, this is probably simple stuff compared to other mages," I say to the wide-eyed kid with an uncaring shrug, but he simply shook his head.
"No, it really is impressive! Having a spell like that in a canteen is amazing and super useful!" Bell said in awe as I gave the boy a shrug.
"Well, let's hope this is all the healing I have to do. If either of us ends up with a missing limb or a hole in our guts" I went off thinking about that Magic Regeneration Potion.
"I have a potion that could help with that but, I rather not test it out yet, might kill us if we drink without any preparation" I think about it, the potion has dangerous side effects with the great pain.
"Ehehehe, You can say some scary jokes sometimes, Magnus." Bell laughs sheepish as I look at him.
"I'm not joking Bell?" I didn't have to force the small cocked smirk, but Bell just meekly laughed some more as I stood up,
"Come on, kid. Time for the fun part of this job." I said, it pretty much our job down here,
If you ignore all the fantasy stuff, all the Elves, all the animal people and all the magic that I was flinging around, but when you really get down to it, me and Bell were co-workers doing a job for a paycheck.
Of course, there is a world of difference between Bell and other co-workers I've worked with in the past, mostly due to the nature of dungeon crawling itself, but the key difference is that I actually like Bell as a person instead of someone I just tolerate.
And now, I watched in morbid fascination as this small kid, no older than 14, plunged his bloody knife straight into the chest of a dead Kobold, blood spurting out as he extracts the magic stone in its chest. The body itself soon turned into black ash which faded out of existence entirely and Bell caught me looking, tilting his blood-splashed face at me.
"Is something wrong?" He ask with a normal face as I stare at him,
Everything about this is wrong.
"Nothing," I shake my head at Bell, getting to work on my own corpses, the sound of ripping and tearing of wet flesh soon filling the air.
"So what does Hestia do while we're here?" I speak up while a Goblin's body turns into ash in front of me,
"Does she go out and look for new members or something?" I ask him, seeing about what Hestia and Pebble are doing.
"Not...exactly?" Bell's voice speaks up behind me, sounding a bit uncertain,
"She works at a Jagamarukun stall during the day. She's usually home when I get back though." Bell said as I blinked once as I stopped cutting open a Dungeon Lizard we killed before we got mobbed, turning to look at a sheepish Bell,
"She...runs a stall? Selling finger food?" I asked him Bell gives me an almost shameful nod, but I shook my head at him,
" I'm not judging here. But she's a Goddess. She has worshippers or something that makes offerings?" I was confused about this. Do all gods work like this, working out of boredment is one thing but it looks like Hestia needs a job in order to stay afloat. Which is weird.
"Uhhm...She doesn't really have any?" Bell tells me awkwardly,
"That's what Familia's are for. I've never heard of a God getting money from people who worship them like that."
"But she's still a Goddess," I say dumbly, shaking my head at Bell who shakes his head at me.
"I don't think any of the other Gods have that kind of thing. If Goddess had something like, I...don't think they would like it." Bell said as I got an understanding look.
"Point," I say with a nod, getting back to work with a frown as I thought over Bell's words.
It's odd. Seeing the Gods are both figureheads and yet they're more than that. I could see it in the way Bell treated Hestia, a figure to be respected, but not someone to be worshipped.
Then again, knowing how Hestia looks, it would be pretty hard to take her seriously. If I remember correctly, the worship of Hestia consists of sacrificing an animal or something, but considering everything, I doubt Hestia would actually condone any of that.
I shook my head and reached in to take the small magic stone from the soon evaporating Dungeon Lizard. I should really stop worrying about this, the legends about the god aren't the same as his one.
"Hey, Magnus, can I ask you something? I-If you don't want-"
"Go ahead," I say without turning around, standing up and cutting open a Goblin with a smashed head.
"Depending on the question I might not answer." I said to him,
"W-Well, it's just...Do you enjoy being an Adventurer?" Bell asked and I just stopped just as I pocketed another magic stone, drenched in blood as I frowned at a somewhat nervous looking Bell.
I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again, frowning a bit.
"I never really thought about it, honestly," I admit to Bell who tilts his head at me, a curious expression on his face,
"I'll admit, this wasn't my idea for a job but I came to sort of enjoy this experience. Why do you ask anyway?" I answer honestly, turning to him with a question.
"N-No reason," Bell says unconvincingly, but I don't force the issue.
"What about you, Bell?" I ask the kid, who gives me a cute, thoughtful frown,
"You're young in this whole fiasco; you're not forced to come down here or anything." I asked him
"I'm not that young," Bell mutters weakly and my lips twitch into a coy smirk.
"Wait till you hit puberty then we'll talk." I chuckle as Bell gives me a glare that would've worked on old ladies who would ruffle his snow-white hair, but didn't say anything, instead peering back at the Goblin corpse slowly turns into black ash in front of him.
"I think...it's the only way for me to be where I want to be," Bell says to me rather slowly and mysteriously. Despite myself, I find myself nodding slightly at his answer.
I understood, this life is the best way forward to my goal and find out who sent me here and why.
"I understand that, but you know that doesn't really tell me if you enjoyed it?," I say to Bell who blinks at me before his cheeks slightly colour with a different shade of red.
"W-Well, you didn't really tell me either."
"Good point" I chuckle at Bell before jerking my head at the trail of corpses we left behind,
"Come on, kid. We got a lot of work ahead of us." I said gather more magic stones
"Right!"
With that, me and Bell carried on, cutting up all the monsters we killed. Even with both of us, it still took more time than I would've liked. It wasn't uncommon for monsters to pop out while we're harvesting our magic stones.
Luckily, I think after that massive group, the Dungeon stops spawning monsters. One thing I've noticed about this place, each floor has limits to the amount of monsters. The larger monster that spawn is less compared to the amount of smaller monster it can spawn.
It's usually either one of two ways the monsters spawn:
A sudden flood or a steady stream. Some days, more monsters spawn than the days before, but those are rare. Making these monsters and by proxy, these magic stones have to take energy, their rest period with the Dungeon gathering is energy to spawn monsters the next day.
But when that energy is expanded, it either saves what little it has for more Adventurers or for the lower Floors.
At least that's my theory on it. This place is alive somehow. Whether the place is sapient or not is still something I'm figuring out.
It's for this reason that I felt somewhat safe harvesting our magic stones here, where most of the monsters spawned. I don't exactly know how long until the Dungeon is finished 'recharging' but I'm sure we'll be fine for now.
And after what must've been a good 5 minutes of non-stop carving, we looked over our reward.
And what a reward it was.
"Wow...I don't think I've seen so many items drop before." Bell looks at the amount of magic stones and items.
"You be surprised what you get if you work for it," I say mildly as Bell looked down in wonder at the small pile of claws, fangs and a single tattered hide of a Dungeon Lizard laid out beneath them, the pearly white scales shining in the dim light.
"Good work, kid. You're probably the best good luck charm I've ever had." I said to him, Bell's cheeks flushed with a tinge of dark red as I gave him a pat on the back. He scratched his cheek, a silly little grin on his face, full of embarrassment,
"W-Well, I only jumped off you and ambushed them at the end." Bell said as I nodded.
"And what a smart thing you did," I tell him bluntly,
"Takes two to tango and all that." I smile as Bell looks at me.
"Tan...go?" Bell asks me with eyes full of innocence, but I shake my head.
"I'll tell you when you're older," I repeat a phrase that every kid heard at least once and he frowns up at me while I look down at our loot, counting and adding up our magic stones and items prior to the big fight we just had.
"Considering the magic stones and the few drops from before," I let out a low hum in my throat, scratching my chin in thought,
"This is probably enough to hit our 15,000 goal, maybe more to boot." I counted what we had.
"Really?!" Bell asks, hope and excitement plainly evident in his twinkling ruby eyes.
"Possibly," I try not to grin as Bell's expression of hope turns into a dejected sigh,
"Come on, don't be like that. If we want to make sure, we just have to find more monsters." I said, Bell gave me a determined nod, packing up our drops into his backpack before hefting it up and putting it back on. He stood back up with a small grunt and as we walked through the Fourth Floor, I could feel him taking glances at me.
"Hey, Magnus. Where do you put your magic stones? I don't see a pouch or anything on you," Bell asks me and I simply pat the pockets on my hoodie once, smirking down at him.
"Magic," I tell him simply and he frowns at my answer, making me chuckle,
"Don't worry, kid. I won't loss it" I said, but
Still though, I'll make sure to buy a bag or something. I would use my inventory for all of our magic stones and drops, but that's not feasible really. How can I even explain to Bell the concept, let alone prove to him the truth?
Maybe it's magic or something.
"We're getting closer to the Fifth Floor now," I glance down at Bell as I started to recognize the twisting hallways, having walked through it countless times before now,
"Are you up for it, Bell?" I asked to make sure he was ready.
The question was in part because the Fifth Floor monsters are stronger and more numerous than the Floors we just went through and because this is where Bell and I met.
After he almost died yesterday due to the whole Minotaur business.
Good times.
I could see it in his ruby-red eyes, the way they darted to the end of the stone hallway as if expecting the bull-man to suddenly appear from nowhere, to charge us down.
Of course, nothing came. It was as empty and still as ever. Whether he knew it or not, Bell's stride came to a cold stop for a moment and I could hear him take a deep, sharp intake of air.
I would've stopped as well, but just as quick as it came, Bell walked to my side and gave me a firm yet slow nod, his big eyes peeled back as we carried on walking towards the Fifth Floor.
I felt my lips twitching before I forced them into a stern look, though that didn't diminish the warm feeling I felt.
Normally I run through the dungeon, spamming spells and setting traps. But with Bell I have to keep an eye out with him.
But why should we stop there? Why should Bell and I not go for more? I can take care of Bell under we both level up.
I didn't know what it was that Bell wanted or why he had to be an Adventurer to get it. It is not for riches, that much I know.
He didn't seem like the selfish sort and they're always the hardest to read, but if I had to guess, Bell probably wants fame. It's the way he said that being an Adventurer is the only way for him to 'be where he wants to be'.
He wanted to be famous, for whatever reason. And while I didn't understand why someone would want that, it was his choice and I respected it.
And it was heartening to see that, despite the whole kerfuffle yesterday, Bell was still gunning for it.
If you're not hungry for something, you'll never take it for yourself after all.
"Bell, hand me your bag. I'll carry it from now on," I tell the kid as soon as we stumble upon the stairway to the Fifth Floor.
"Are you sure, Magnus? I can carry-"
"I know you can but that thing's heavy and you have to drop it to fight, right?" I look down at Bell, my brow arched in question as he gives me a shallow nod,
"So let me carry it, at least for the Fifth Floor. I'm more long range anyway" I explain, it is not the full truth.
Simply put, I didn't want Bell to get hurt. He kid that's stupidly trusting and fragile, if he meet one of the monster downstairs, he would see it as a 'good' monster not seeing it true nature.
But I won't coddle him or anything. The kid can fight against monsters, I've seen how surprisingly brutal he can be.
It boiled down to the Falna and his Basic Abilities in the end and how it functioned.
The more Bell and I fight, the more excellia we earn. When his Falna is updated, the excellia he accumulated will be spread amongst his Basic Abilities. I have no doubt his Agility stat will go up the highest, fast little bugger that he is. But that also leaves a glaring weakness:
If he's avoiding all of the attacks thrown at him, what about his Endurance? There was an argument to be made that avoiding attacks was better than taking them head-on, but that only worked until your opponent was faster than you.
Being fast for matter if you get killed in one hit.
Maybe it doesn't work like that and I'm going about this the wrong way. But on the off chance that it does, I'll have Bell carry a heavy bag rather than getting gutted by a Goblin or a Kobold. Sure, it might not be as effective, but if you naturally gain excella by doing stuff and lifting it should make you stronger.
Hopefully.
But at this point, I was willing to shoulder the burden of carrying the bag for this floor.
Holding out my hand, I waited for Bell to unhook the bag from his back and drop it in my hand. My arm started to carry the weight on my shoulder, it was pretty heavy. Like a shopping bag holding soft drinks, heavy but luckily this world is slowly changing me to become stronger.
"You were carrying this?" I said as I place the strap around my shoulders
"I'm impressed, is it full of magic stones?" I asked, seeing if it had all the magic tones.
"Eheheh…Just the item drops that we got today and a few essentials really," Bell tells me with an apologetic grin, but I noticed he doesn't seem very keen on hiding his relief as he stretched his arms up high, a sigh of sweet relief matching his motion bit for bit.
Thought so.
Settling the hefty backpack on my back, I could feel it ever so slightly weighing down on my spine but either I got used to the weight fairly quickly or the Gamer garbage must've changed something. I didn't really care one way or the other, but I didn't think it would be an issue in a fight now anyway.
"So what's this thing made out of anyway?" I ask Bell, curious as to why it was exactly magic. The Guild didn't offer me anything like this and I'm sure even if they did, it would be expensive as all hell. Can't it be added to other stuff, pockets even?
"I don't know actually, but I was told it was made with magic. It can hold more items than it should, but that doesn't really solve the weight issue…"
"Tell me about it," I grouse out, rolling my shoulders. With nothing else left to say, I nod down to the pathway deeper into the Dungeon, wetting my dry lips as I spoke:
"Come on, kid. Daylight's burning."
LINE
This day was a day of firsts for Bell.
It was the first day he's ever been in the Dungeon with someone else and it was the first day he's ever fought with a fellow Familia member.
It might also be the first day he would earn over 10,000 Valis. He tried not to think about that just yet though, not wanting to be let down by his high expectations.
Despite that, his thoughts kept going back to the number. Despite that, he found himself looking forward to when both he and Magnus go back to the Guild to hand in their loot for today.
With the thought of his new Familia member in mind, Bell found his gaze looking upon the –shoulders of the spell caster, Magnus has taken the lead ever since they set foot in the Dungeon.
It shocked Bell how natural Magnus was in the Dungeon. Never once did they end up in a dead-end or trapped. Never once did Magnus even have to take a minute to think of where to go when leading both of them deeper and deeper into the Dungeon.
Faintly, Bell realised that Magnus knew these Floors like the back of his hand. He knew where to go to reach the lower Floors and he knew where to go so they could force a fight with the monsters for more Magic Stones.
Bell knew that Magnus went into the Dungeon before they met. That meant he came into the Dungeon without a Falna, a secret only he and Hestia knew.
A mixture of awe and worry filled Bell's mind. He looked at the tall man in front, a silent figure as he and Bell walked to the Fifth Floor. Ignoring the jolt of cold that ran up his spine and thoughts of a raging bull-man, the young Adventurer found himself baffled by his new Familia member.
He could never imagine fighting without a Falna, let alone becoming an Adventurer without one. He wanted to know what drove Magnus on so violently.
But he had to accept he may never know.
Bell considered himself ignorant, but not a fool. Magnus was a person who held his privacy and secrets, that much was obvious. Asking him would do nothing more than accomplish unless he get Magnus full trust, something he didn't want to push
It frustrated Bell to no end. He could understand the reasons behind it, but that didn't mean he didn't want to know more about Magnus.
Such as when he asked if he enjoyed being an Adventurer. Though he couldn't see his face now, Bell found himself imagining him frowning as he marched onwards.
But when they fought monsters that the Dungeon birthed, Bell would catch a glimpse of Magnus smiling.
It wasn't the deranged wide-eyed smile of a mad man. It was more like the smile of someone having fun playing a game like catch or tag. At first, Bell thought he was seeing things.
But when they ran away from that horde of monsters, Magnus led them to a choke point where he threw his magic at them. Magnus has more experience than he ever has.
It didn't disturb Bell as much as he thought it would, but it made him wonder what sort of expression Magnus wore when he came into the Dungeon by himself. Well not alone, he made Pebble to keep him company.
How alone are you that you have to make a friend to talk to Bell wonders, when either of them answers each other's question.
In truth, Bell didn't know what to say other than what he told Magnus. It wasn't a lie, but it didn't really answer the question either. It was Bell's dream to become an Adventurer, but...
"Head's up, kid," The voice of Magnus broke Bell out of his thoughts, the sound of stone cracking and prying open filling the still air,
"The party is about to start." Bell swears he can hear Magnus grin.
In front of them, the walls of the Dungeon birthed a mixed group of Kobolds and Goblins, slightly larger than the ones on the Fourth Floor above them. Their red eyes and sharp claws glinted with malevolence and hunger in the light of the Dungeon.
And then the same stone shattering sounds could be heard from behind them.
Readying his dagger, Bell calmed down his heavy breathing and ignored the slight tightness in his lungs. He turned to face the second group of monsters behind them, a group just like the first.
"And now the fun begins," Magnus says in grim humour, making Bell smile awkwardly at his words,
"The front is mine. You got those bastards behind us?" Magnus asked Bell,
"Leave it to me!" Bell found himself getting eager and ready to prove himself, all thoughts of the Minotaur pushed out of his mind. He came down here alone once. But he wasn't alone and neither was Magnus.
They're a Familia, after all. While Magnus might not trust Bell with his secrets, he trusted him enough to cover his back. It was a good feeling to be relied upon, Bell thought to himself.
Growing used to seeing the stakes of stone fly off of the Dungeon walls, the noises of crunching bones and sliced flesh began to fill the air. Bell fought as he always did, never stopping in place and always moving. As soon as his blood-caked knife slit the throat of an angry Goblin, it was already flashing towards its next target before the body hit the ground.
Magnus fought in a similar way, but to Bell it looked more controlled, as Magnus moved with purpose and each move wasn't wasted.
He not only dodged attacks, he blocked, pulled and counter attacked with his dagger, fists, and kicks while peppering monsters with his spells as appropriate.
The sickening sound of a skull crunching made Bell turn around, just in time to see a Goblin with a crushed head fall to the ground. The gruesome indent in the bulbous head of the Goblin made Bell grimace internally, but he was glad to see that Magnus didn't suffer any injuries, even if he fought with the backpack on.
"You alright, Bell?" Magnus turned around, looking down at Bell with dark green eyes.
"I'm fine, Magnus. What about you? Fighting with the backpack on is a bit dangerous." Bell shook his head tiredly,
"Don't worry about me, I'm as fit as a fiddle," Magnus once again strings together curious words that all Bell could respond with was an awkward chuckle.
After making sure that the monsters were dead, Bell and Magnus got to work. It didn't take as long as when they butchered the group on the Floor above, but as Bell worked, he felt his limbs grow heavy and his breath laboured.
Not wanting Magnus to see him faltering and tired, Bell forced himself to move faster to gather the Magic Stones, finishing just as Magnus took care of his own group.
"Kid?" You okay?" Magnus' voice made Bell look up to the older Adventurer and he hurriedly nodded his head, ignoring the heavy feeling in his limbs.
"I-I'm fine," Bell told the smallest of white lies to Magnus who simply frowned, grabbing a canteen on his belt.
"Drink up Bell, you look like you need it" Magnus said handing him the canteen as he get back to work,
Bell looks at the canteen in surprise, and shock of not thinking about bring water down here. Opening the Canteen he gups down the cool refreshing water as he left out a sign of relief. His arms no longer feel as heavy.
With the Magic Stones gathered, the two Adventurers of the Hestia Familia set off once again, deeper into the belly of the Dungeon.
The silence around the two was thick with tension. As if he never handed Magnus the backpack in the first place, Bell found himself straining just not to buckle under the imaginary pressure.
Maybe it was because this was the deepest he's ever been. Maybe it was because of the memory of the Minotaur or maybe it was because of Magnus's silence, but Bell couldn't find the words to break the tension that had enveloped the both of them.
It was a stark contrast on the Upper Floors. That is not to say that there wasn't tension, but up there, it wasn't suffocating. Here, he could barely breathe.
And yet Magnus strode on. Taking the lead in front, Magnus walked as if seeking something in the Dungeon far beyond what Bell could see.
It frustrated the young Adventurer to no end and he didn't know what to do. So he followed as the Dungeon tried to stop them.
The battles felt as if they became longer and longer for Bell. Each monster he killed put up just that bit more of a fight. What would require a single stroke of his knife became two which became four and finally six, the knife in his hand like a lead brick.
It was inevitable that Bell finally became too slow. They hadn't rested for a while.
The rock wall he was thrown against bit deep into his back and a grunt of pain escaped his lips. His ribs yelled out in throbbing pain and his ears rang with a high pitched tone.
The Goblin that knocked him down to the ground almost seemed to loom over him despite its size. Bell threw up his unarmoured arms to protect himself as the Goblin launched itself at him, claws at the ready.
Ignoring the throbbing pain and the low pitching ring in his ears, Bell threw himself to the side, deftly dodging the fatal blow. With a wrench of his limbs, he brought the Goblin to its knees by shoving his knife deep into its thigh, warm blood covering his dirty hand. When he removed it, he barely managed to slit the Goblin's throat before it tried to lunge and bite out his throat in turn.
"Bell!" The sudden yell from Magnus made Bell's head snap, just in time to see Magnus run over to Bell to help him.
A rabid Kobold tried to jump up on his back, but Magnus spun around holding a blue ball of magic and smashed it on the Kobold head.
Rasengan
Unable to move from his spot, Magnus held his arm up as a Goblin tried to charge at him, catching the blow. The sound of more monsters could be heard, just behind Magnus.
By that point, Bell was already on his feet and moving, the pain wracking his body overtaken by worry. But Magnus grabbed the Goblin arm and used it to throw the goblin at the monsters behind him.
BOULDERFALL
A boulder came flying towards the group of monsters and hitting four of them, though the roars and snarls of monsters could still be heard approaching.
Having turned the tide, Bell and John managed to dispatch the rest of the monsters, made even easier by the fact that John became far more liberal with the use of his spells. In a matter of moments, what would've become a deadly scenario was reversed.
When it was over, Bell's legs gave way from under him. Exhaustion had more than caught up to him by now and he couldn't take a single step forward, despite how much he wanted to.
"Bell, are you okay? You took a pretty nasty hit back there," Magnus had knelt down, looking over Bell, with worried eyes.
"It's f-fine, Magnus," Bell lied badly to such an extent that he even he knew it was a poor lie, but he still pressed on,
"I can still keep going." He tried to say, Magnus sighed, unconvinced and without a word, placed his canteen just above Bell's head.
Hydro Water
Bell sucked in air when the bone-chilling waters splashed over him, quickly replacing the dull throbbing in his head. The dried and wet blood that covered him disappeared into nothing along with his pain and injuries.
"Take a break Bell, I'll get the stones." Magnus said Bell wanted to object, but Magnus had already stood up. He even tried to stand up, but Magnus simply spoke once more:
"I'm serious, boy, A concussion is no joke and my magic water can't fix everything. Just take five, will ya?" Magnus said, a Bell let himself sign.
"...Okay."
With a mix of relief and shame, Bell took the time to rest, no longer in pain thanks to Magnus healing magic. With a frown, he touched the once wet parts of his clothes as if expecting them to still be cold.
Magnus said his magic was weak compared to other mages and while Bell had no other frame of reference to compare, he felt that Magnus was being too hard on himself, putting the healing water in the canteen is smart.
Magnus has many spells that do elemental damage, support and even heal, he can take out a group of monsters and heal most injuries on the fly.
Had Magnus used his spells more often, most of the fights they had fought today would've been ended easily but Magnus himself said he didn't want to rely on his spells. He wanted Bell to gather excellia and wanted to conserve his 'Mind' so he could heal if need be.
Bell was thankful for that, in part. But now Bell had to face the truth:
Bell was holding Magnus back.
Even now, he was the one resting while Magnus was the one working. In the time they had been here, it was Bell who had to be healed more and more while Magnus never healed himself. He never got injured, even when blocking an attack.
He never got tired, no matter how much he fought. He never looked like he was in need of a break and Bell didn't want to be more of a burden he already was, so he tried to keep up with Magnus through it all.
He was willing to go through it all. But his body could not keep up any longer.
To him, it was nothing short of humiliating.
"That's all of it," Magnus suddenly spoke up, placing the Magic Stones in the bulging backpack and making his way to Bell.
"Don't be so down in the dumps, Bell. For our first time together, I feel as if we did pretty good," Magnus' voice made Bell look up and he saw the older Adventurer holding out his hand to him, a cocked smile on his lips.
"Shit happens, Bell. Just learn from it and you can do better next time" Magnus said, Bell found himself smiling embarrassedly at Magnus, taking his outstretched hand to pull himself up,
"Magnus, you shouldn't swear so much. It's not really...polite?" Bell tries to say.
"Swearing is fun. It the best way to express what you feel" Magnus defended himself and Bell couldn't find it in himself to disagree despite wanting to,
"But don't worry, I won't swear around Hestia. Hearing swears coming out of her mouth would give me a heart attack." Magnus said, Bell laughed at the thought, standing on shaky legs as Magnus pulled him up to his feet.
"...We've done good work today, Bell. Let's head home, alright?"
There was something in the way Magnus said those words that made Bell frown,
"I can keep going-"
"Absolutely not," Magnus said swiftly and decisively, his smile wiped out and replaced with a grim look before it softened.
"Look, Bell. We did good work today, really. But too much greed would lead to us getting injured or worst" Magnus said
Like what happened, Bell thought to himself.
With that said, Bell gave a nod filled with slight shame but mostly relief and the two Familia members started to make their way back.
The silence wasn't like before. Rather than a natural, somewhat awkward yet comfortable silence between the two, it was heavy. Repressive.
Bell didn't know what the cause was or how it even became like this. It wasn't until they got to the passageway leading up to the Fourth Floor that it came to a head.
Bell started walking up until he noticed something out of place.
He looked behind to see Magnus, stopped in place. A foot was planted on the stairway leading up, but he had turned around to look behind him. His face was hidden as he looked down the hallway they just walked from.
"Hey, Bell," Magnus says slowly and purposefully, turning to look at Bell with a blank expression, "How about you head on without me?"
"What?"
"Other Adventurers have probably cleared out the Floors above, so I doubt it'll be dangerous," Magnus carried on as if he didn't hear Bell,
"But you know, just to be sure we hit our goal, I think I'll spend some time down here."
Without waiting for Bell to respond, Magnus took the backpack off and handed it to Bell who dumbly took as he looked at Magnus with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open as thoughts ran through his head. Magnus flashed Bell a smile that didn't reach his eyes,
"Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be fine. I just want to try something"
Unable to push through Magnus forceful words, Bell could only ask him one thing:
"Are you sure?" He asked uncertainty, unable to keep the apprehension out of his voice and words.
"I am," Magnus said and Bell knew he couldn't do anything to actually stop John.
"Well...if you say so," Bell tried to keep his words steady as he grabbed the bulging backpack from Magnus, shuffling it as he tried to ignore the spine-bending weight.
"Take care, kid."
Bell gave a solemn nod to Magnus and with that, Magnus turned and started to walk away. Bell couldn't find it himself to move up the stairs and as the seconds ticked away, the more and more the situation seemed...unfair to him.
"Magnus," Bell called out and the older Adventurer looked behind him to see Bell biting his lip and his ruby-red eyes staring right through him.
"Be careful. Please?" Bell didn't know what else to say or do. He knew he had to do something, but the words that came out sounded hollow and weak to his ears.
"Always am, Bell. See you upstairs."
And with those words, Magnus didn't even look back to see that Bell didn't move from his spot until he was out of view.
And at that moment, Bell felt as if he had made a terrible, terrible mistake.