A/N: Sup guys, wiErD here. Back with a new chapter for you all.

Have fun and Happy Reading ^^

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- A Glance at One's Eyes -

A streak of uninterrupted silence flew past the two as Natsu stared at the golden-haired girl in shock. A certain flashback went from the corner of his memories, catching the glimpse of the same golden hair during the Monsterphilia event. It was also the same when he met her during that time also with the minotaur incident as well.

It flowed gracefully into the night as if the wind danced around her figure. Her golden gaze pierced onto him as if the lights on the background vain in comparison to it.

He felt captivated by her presence though as if he was caught in a trance. A spell if he would imagine it but he betrayed the thought knowing that there was no such thing as something as a charm spell.

Still, it left him standing there wordlessly until a few seconds had gone past before he started to realize his current situation.

The fact that he stumbled onto one of the most powerful adventurers in Orario spelled trouble for him, especially that he bumped into her by accident. As far as he knew, most of the people wouldn't dare stand in the way of the Loki Familia which also happens to be one of the most powerful familias around Orario. They were basically like the top dogs of Orario in terms of familia influence and strength.

There's also the Freya familia that was on par with them but they've been inactive as of late.

Moreover, it was also because of their status and recognition that made everyone look at them in awe and wonder.

At the same time, an invisible barrier separated them from the others, making them quite special in the eyes of the people. Like diamonds amongst the rubble.

Natsu was no exception.

Fearing of getting called out in the open, he tried to step out of the way and made his way in the other direction.

"Wait." The girl spoke soothingly yet firm as the pinkette was forced to stop and look back at her questioningly. Why was he called out just now?

Natsu was told not to engage with the Loki Familia by his Goddess for reasons unknown. Though right now, it seemed like he wasn't getting away any further now since one of them got his attention.

He looked back and saw her conflicting on the inside as if racking up the words she wanted to say to him.

Still, he never knew the girl more so even acquainted with her once. Whether it was some kind of mistake, he couldn't prevent himself to stand out now that a few eyes had glanced in their direction.

Natsu grew nervous. He didn't like being looked at without any reason whatsoever since it unsettled him. Although he failed to realize the reason for the multiple glances due to the fact of the girl standing in front of him.

After a few moments, another group of people appeared behind the girl, presumably members of the same familia. They stopped at their tracks, seeing that the girl in front of them had stopped for some reason.

"Ais. What's up?" A person peered over her back, spotting an Amazoness with short hair wearing a rather revealing set of clothes. Her dark skin revealed a prominent trait of her race. At the same time, she also noticed the pinkette right in front of them.

"Tiona…" The blond girl called Ais, muttered, glancing at her companion.

"Oh! Aren't you the one from that Monsterphilia?!" The short-haired Amazoness voiced in delight. "The one who defeated those monsters alone! Is it true? How are you? Are you okay?"

Natsu, having not met the other girl could only mutter in confusion. "U-Umm… I'm sorry?"

"Ah, we haven't met yet, aren't we? You were like awesome back there even though we didn't see much of what's happened. Riveria told us about it." Tiona smiled but not after long a few more people appeared from behind the two, relinquishing any chance for Natsu to reply in the process.

"What's the problem Tiona? Have you been mistaking people again? I told you not to snoop into someone else's business. You're causing them trouble, you know." Another woman joined the group. This time, she had long hair and was of the same race as Tiona. Looking at their facial expressions and appearance, it almost looked like they're identical. The only contrast they have with each other is their hairstyles as well as the chest region. A really large contrast, you see.

"I'm not wrong this time, Tione. He's the real deal. You know, the one Ais saved back then." She paused, turning her gaze away from her fellow Amazoness and back to the pinkette in glee. "I haven't gotten your name by the way."

Though as Natsu was about to introduce himself, another voice emanated from behind as a slim male figure appeared and walked next to the group. A look similar to that of a chienthrope, a race of demi-human with dog ears and tail but different due to the rather protruding fur appearance unlike that of chienthropes which are mostly smooth and pleasant in contrast.

Instead, his heritage came that of the lycanthropes or what is called as the werewolves, a race of demi-humans that had the appearance of a wolf.

Like in the old legends, they are the wilder variants and are more unfriendly when provoked. One noticeable key describing them is their hostility and sharp tone and personality.

His fur dyed in silver grey, almost shiny enough to reflect its colors from the bright moonlight if not for the vibrant colors of the town shining in the background.

"What's holding you guys?! Hmm?" He paused in his sentence as he spotted the pinkette who was in front of them. "What's a small fry have to do anything with the Loki Familia? Get lost, you weakling. You're in the way."

Normally, anyone who encountered and recognized the man would just obey and back away but Natsu hadn't known him nor his alias so his initial response was obvious.

"Bete! You're being rude! You're always scaring people whenever your mouth blabbers out." Tiona came to his defense.

"Haaaaaaaah?! What's wrong with talking down with weaklings? They're weak and can't do for shit! A small fry should just set aside and go home if they can't become stronger on their own." Bete snapped back. Clearly, he wasn't going anywhere with this conversation.

Tiona gave him a cold look as he walked in front of Ais and looked at Natsu. "I say this one more time. Get lost. You're in the way."

Natsu clearly saw the strength of the man in front of him. It was undeniable to see who's stronger between them and while he saw his confidence at the recent improvements of his abilities, it paled in comparison against that man.

After all, this was a First Class Adventurer.

An adventurer who ranked highest from the rest of the adventurers.

Unfortunately for Natsu, that thought didn't give him an option to back away, and stood firmly on his own in front of the man despite the difference.

"Hey, I don't know who or what you're talking about but I don't like being talked down by someone I haven't met." He retaliated which took the man by surprise as well as the two Amazonesses.

"Hoh? Aren't you a little confident for a weakling?" Bete sounded amused yet still maintaining his somewhat arrogant attitude towards him.

"I'm surprised. To think there would be someone who isn't scared of you, Bete." Tione muttered.

"Riiiiiiggghhht? He didn't even know you which means you're not that popular compared to us." Tiona mocked comically, snapping the werewolf in anger.

"What did you say, you little bitch?! He didn't even know you either?!"

The two soon got themselves under a head-butt struggle which momentarily left their previous attention from the pinkette.

On the other hand, Natsu merely tilted his head in confusion as he watched the Bete and Tiona create a scene as more people began looking in their direction. He was about to speak when a familiar voice resounded from behind.

Glancing over his back, he saw his Hestia running towards him at full speed.

"Natsu~"

The petite goddess ran to his side, effectively stopping him any further from getting involved. "What were you doing? I thought we're going to eat together! I got so tired of waiting and tried to find you. What have you gotten yourself into now, huh?"

"I-I'm sorry, Goddess. I got held back on my way back." He reasoned.

Hestia was solely focused on the boy that she didn't even notice or recognize the group standing beside him. Seconds after, she grabbed his arm and began pulling him alongside with her. "Come on, let's have our dinner! We don't want to get late for dinner now, aren't we?"

"Y-Yes, sure thing." A slight stammer escaped from his lips as his voice shrinks in silence. The two went on, eventually leading away from the group.

At the same time, Tiona who had been at odds with the werewolf soon took notice of the scene and merely pouted in disappointment. "Ahhh, there he goes again..."

"Tch. What a waste of time." Bete clicked his tongue in irritation, walking ahead of the group.

"Muoo. It's Bete every time that messes things up!" Tiona puffed heatedly before calming down. "Well, there's always a next time."

Meanwhile, Ais stared at the two figures in the distance as countless figures concealed them from afar. Despite her doll-like expression, she was left in a wondering gaze. She never had the chance to speak to him.

"What's wrong, Ais?" Tiona's voice called out to her, prompting her to look back. Her face leaning across her in curiosity.

"It's nothing. Finn and the others are waiting." Ais shook her head. Eventually, they turned their path in the other direction.

...

Morning came by and Natsu was already sitting on the couch where he had to check his status. It'd been days since he saw his abilities and yesterday's chance was also ignored due to his excitement in having his first experience as a party member with Wendy. He had a lot of things to think about right now which caused his somewhat silent approach when his goddess greeted him.

The events last night was one of them.

True enough, he can't deny the words of the werewolf about him being weak despite his significant improvements. However, no one has ever improved this much at a level where adventurers are at their starting points.

Natsu would've been proud of this improvement, his goddess included. Unfortunately, this didn't matter to the ones with levels higher than him.

Unlike him, these people ventured into the dungeon far longer than him and worked longer than him. Their achievements and improvements didn't happen in just a day to get them where they were now. The path of an adventurer didn't have any shortcuts. Each and every one of them had to go on a journey to test their mettle in great dangers far more dangerous than themselves in order to level up. It was the requirement needed for the gods to acknowledge their worth as they trek level by level.

Natsu didn't care about the requirements until he received lessons from Eina. The more he looked at it, the more complicated the system of the leveling was to him.

The way to level up is strange. One must go out and challenge stronger opponents and face his own adventure no matter how treacherous it is. It's a trial for those who wanted to break away from their limits and strive for the infinite domain of their potential.

Natsu had faced a lot of dangers and challenged monsters stronger than him in the brief 5 months of becoming an adventurer but even then, his level didn't change. And this what made him conflicted after realizing the gap between him and those people.

"I'm ready, Goddess." He said. His upper clothes now removed as he waited for Hestia to start the process.

Hestia nodded as she proceeded to take a small drop of her blood from her finger and into the markings on his back which glowed as it began to show the changes of the numbers that were written yesterday. While low-level adventurers experience a constant change of their status numbers every day, higher-level adventurers rarely have any significant changes as their experience grew exponentially higher. No matter how many monsters one could defeat in the single day, the result wouldn't differ much compared to what they had been when they were low-level adventurers.

It's a basic go-to-go system of higher-level means more experience to level up.

"Alright, done!" Hestia bubbly spoke as she closed the status back, placing a sheet of paper, and copied the results.

"Let me see." Natsu grabbed the paper after she handed it to him. A wave of perplexion occupied his face before slowly turning back to his goddess for affirmation.

Hestia could recall the first time he had the same look after giving him the very same paper that night. While she expected him to be livelier about it, she didn't expect the complicated expression that drew afterward.

...

Natsu Dragneel

Level 1

Strength: B756 – A821

Endurance: C699 - B788

Dexterity: C652 – B741

Agility: C677 – B770

Magic: S905 – S944

- Magic -

[Fire Dragon's Flames]

- Skill -

[Flames of Emotion]

[Draconic Aspect]

...

This was the second time Natsu had checked his status ever since his recovery. While he grew used to the drastic change of his abilities, the insurmountable increase of each of his status still made him surprised. Most of his stats were nearing in between B to A status with the exception of his magic which had surpassed the process a long time ago. Even a normal mage would've been delighted enough to reach S Class.

He wondered if this was the result of his continuous use of the new power he acquired a couple of days back.

Because of his overwhelming spells, monsters in his usual dungeon floor level are easily made short work for him. However, even the experience he earned from them will not be enough as he grows. This constant leap of improvement may not last long as he progresses further.

He was starting to think that the deeper floors might be a good place to continue getting good experiences.

"I got another skill." His eyes squinted, reading the words carefully as he read it out loud. "Draconic... Aspect? What the hell does that mean?"

"Who knows? It's the first time I heard of it so it must be something new." Hestia shrugged her shoulders.

"So what does it do?" He asked. Hestia placed a hand on her chin for a moment before looking back at the pinkette.

"Well, it says that this ability gives you a boost of your physical prowess, judging from what it says on paper. Basically, it's another skill where it increases your abilities not just from the god's blessing alone." She explained.

"Woah. That's awesome!"

"It is! Falna aside, it is rare to have someone having a trait that increases your power. Most of these cases come from the heritage they inherited from their parents.

"I see."

"So how do you feel?"

"Well, not that different actually. I was hoping I might feel stronger." Natsu replied discouragingly.

"Well, judging from its effects, it might be a passive skill. You can always figure it out once you head into the dungeon." She said in reassurance.

Natsu smiled happily, turning over to his clothes as he quickly made his way back to the stairs with his small baggage hoisted around his back. "Then, I'll be off, Goddess!"

"Keep safe and be careful, alright?"

"Will do!"

"Oh, and one more thing, Natsu."

"Yes?"

"Keep your status a secret, okay? I know it's natural for adventurers to always keep their status private but I want you to keep it as close to you from anyone, especially from other familias."

"Sure thing!" Despite how slightly serious her tone of voice was, Natsu only answered with a joyful reply.

With that, he eventually walked outside as he made his way to the West Main, leading through the center where the dungeon was located.

Today is another day of an exciting adventure.

...

The 9th floor echoed with the sound of monsters as they emerged from the walls, spawning their numbers after being disposed of within a matter of time from adventurers a few days prior. Now having to reach the time interval needed to fill the dungeon again, they appeared as if born anew with fresh bodies of their own along with the magic stones that sustain their form.

This particular phenomenon often gave some adventurers a rather morbid name for the dungeon itself, The Monster's Womb. No one knows how it was able to produce monsters but over time, its only reason was to fill itself up with a certain amount of monsters depending on each floor. And while this was considered a danger for those who travel within, the quality of item drops and magic stones made it all worth for a living.

The new monsters walked the halls but only then, their instincts to attack come around when something walks into their territory. That of which, mostly comprised of adventurers that came from the surface.

A group of War Shadows closed in within Natsu's sights as he spun his body towards their direction after dealing with a few other monsters which are easily disposed of with a dose of fire magic. The pinkette charged in but right before he dodged an attack from a War Shadow which stretched its arms to reach out to him. He regained his momentum and dashed towards it, seeing a huge opening.

He clasped his right hand ablaze as he swung it right into its belly, shattering the monster's form with ease. Three more War Shadows closed in but Natsu had superior senses to know his surroundings.

In response, he went for the nearest War Shadow, catching its face barehanded and set it aflame. He then flung its body towards another same monster before releasing another fire spell with his hand still clamped to its head.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

In a swirling fashion, Natsu spun his hand, releasing a torrent of flames that both hit the monsters at point-blank range, sending them flying.

"Wendy, now!" A shout escaped from his mouth as his body leaned away from the remaining War Shadow, seemingly giving a clear path as Wendy stood behind a few meters back, glowing with her hands stretched in front of her.

"Let the skies guide me in eliminating my enemy. I pray to the heavens as I'm entrusted with the power of the wind,"

"... From the guidance of the Queen of the Skies, Sky Burst!"

With a shout at the end of her chant, she released all her magic in a form of a compressed wind ball from her hands, sending it straight to the monster as it smashed right through its chest. The force of the wind was powerful that it obliterated the War Shadow on impact before slamming into the wall with the rest of its power still evident.

With that kind of force, it might probably enough to knock out a Level 1 adventurer in just a single strike if unguarded.

Unlike Natsu who was able to bypass any sort of chant from his spells, Wendy had to activate her own spell through an incantation much like other mages that amplified its power. The longer the chant, the powerful the spell could become. It was the reason why mages are often being protected as their firepower could be the game-changer of the tide of battle. However, they were not always limited to being powerless without protection. Some skilled mages develop enough training to protect themselves and simultaneously use their magic.

The blue-haired girl sighed in relief as soon as no monsters approached them. At the same time, Natsu smiled as he slowly approached her after witnessing the spectacle.

"That was awesome, Wendy! I didn't know you could do magic too!" He praised, earning the girl's embarrassment. This was his first time seeing her able to do magic. As far as he knew, not many would think about a supporter becoming that of a mage at the same time.

"I-It's not that strong. This is actually the first time I was able to use it too. I could only do so with little help." Wendy said so while twiddling her fingers cutely.

"Well, it's a big deal now. You can practically handle yourself with monsters using magic too. Thanks, Wendy."

"Ehehe..." Wendy sheepishly muttered. She could only accept his praise with a flustered look.

"Even so, I'm surprised that you have an aptitude for magic, Wendy." Natsu pondered. "I didn't know you have one."

He drew a curious look as Wendy began to explain behind her somewhat hidden powers.

"Well, it began when I received a god's blessing from Robaul-sama. Turns out I had developed an innate ability which enabled me to use magic."

"So then why you didn't become a magic-user? It's natural for someone like you to become one rather than a supporter, right?" He asked confusingly.

"Well, at first, I considered to become one but I couldn't figure out how to use it back then. I didn't know what to do with it and eventually, Robaul insisted me to become a supporter instead. Since then, I've been only working on improving my skills as a supporter and left from becoming a mage."

"Then how're you able to use it now?"

"I didn't know... I think it has something to do with my status check recently. Robaul didn't give me the full result and just told me personally. It was weird."

Natsu soon recalled a particular scene back with his Goddess. While he hadn't any knowledge about Wendy and her familia, her circumstance somehow made him a bit skeptical about what also happened back then although in his case, Hestia merely told him to keep it a secret from anyone while still able to give him the results of his status wholeheartedly.

"Did you try asking him?" He questioned. Wendy pondered for a moment, putting a finger under her chin as she stared away for a few seconds before looking back at him.

"Well, I did try but he reassured me and said it's nothing to worry about."

The pinkette hadn't thought of prying into someone's business, even when it comes to someone he's close with. Nevertheless, he was worried for some reason.

"That looks suspicious though. He might be hiding something." He couldn't help bluntly say it out loud.

Even Wendy seemed convinced by his speculation but she lived long with the god and she trusted him way back when she became one of his familia members. "It might be the case but I'm sure Robaul-sama had a reason for not telling me. I trust his decisions so I'll just have to wait until he tells me everything."

Natsu couldn't deny her reply for that matter. He smiled wholeheartedly. "If that's what you believe then I guess I have nothing to worry about."

"Hnn…" She nodded. "Anyways, we should start collecting. We don't want to catch ourselves off guard when the next wave comes."

"Oh, right."

Wendy quickly collected magic stones in her vicinity in a matter of minutes while Natsu steadily collected on his end as well.

"Say, Wendy. Do you want to go to the deeper floors?" A sudden question from the pinkette made the girl look up in question.

"Huh? You mean, down the 10th floor?" Natsu nodded. "Isn't that bit dangerous? I mean, we're still a two-man party. I don't have any experience beyond this floor."

"Well, it's a first for both of us! This will be my first time going to the 10th floor. I wanted to see what's down there. Plus, the monsters there are pretty full of interesting loot."

"I don't know. I mean, we didn't have any preparations for going beyond the 9th floor-" Wendy worried for a moment but not before long she was cut off by Natsu who was gearing up for a try.

"Come on! It's gonna be fun! Don't worry about anything. When it comes down to it, I'll protect you." Natsu grinned, pointing a thumbs-up. Of course, Wendy couldn't resist accepting his proposal after being talked like that. Not after seeing that fired up confidence he had right now.

The supporter released a soft smile, hoisting her giant bag around her back. "If you say so, Natsu-san!"

"Yosh! We're off to the 10th floor! I'm all fired up!"

...

The dungeon had many floors to accommodate adventurers according to their levels. For reasons unknown, staircases are seen to guide one floor over to the other. When the first adventurers went down the dungeon, these staircases were already built as if they were part of the dungeon itself.

No one knew for sure how they were built but it had become a useless debate that many historians eventually glossed over their origins as well as the dungeon, leaving it in mystery.

The two arrived a couple of minutes later as soon as they found themselves stunned at the new landscape. Unlike those from the 9th floor, the 10th floor was filled with mist, making it hard to see through the other end of the floor. Light from above becomes reminiscent of mist, adding a rather stale and dull color. Natsu had heard from Eina's lectures about how floors change as they go deeper but he didn't fully expect it to be so true in his own eyes.

"W-Woah... This is quite amazing. But seriously, I can't see a damn thing!" Natsu surveyed the area a few distances away, catching almost nothing but empty ground with thick mist. Even with his enhanced senses, the mist surrounding the floor was thick enough to blur a few places from his sight.

Wendy, on the other hand, was faring rather worse at her own visions as she could practically see nothing beyond twenty feet before her. This might be a bit difficult for her who was trained to work at doing long-range supports, though it was not all hopeless for her.

"Does this floor always filled with mist?" She asked.

"Maybe. It looks like we'll have to be more careful on this one." Natsu advised, earning the girl a nod in response as they began to trudge the floor grounds.

A sudden burst in the ground alerted the duo as several Imps appeared from below. They resemble almost like a Goblin from the top floors but their stature is smaller and their movements are quicker, making them a dangerous bunch.

Natsu stomped his foot, showing an intimidating presence as ten Imps surrounded them – six from the front and four from the back. He raised his hand in front of Wendy, making sure that the monsters won't make any reckless attempts to attack. He could feel the slight tremble from the girl's body as she tried not to stare too much at the monsters for too long.

"Stay behind me. Don't panic. These monsters always sense our fears, making them more tempted to attack. Take a deep breath and calm down." He calmly said, surprising her at first before complying with his request and did the procedure.

After calming down, Natsu lightly smiled. "Good. Now then, I'll take care of these monsters in front of us. You'll take care of those from the back."

"E-Eh? M-Me? Alone?!" Wendy almost forgot she was on a battlefield that she let out a shriek in the process.

"Of course, you still have your crossbow under your arm, right? Using your spell would be useless if you were interrupted midway. Trust me on this, okay? Now, get ready to shoot two bolts on them when I signal then duck, alright?"

"W-Wait! I don't think I'm ready for this-"

"NOW!" When she heard his signal, Wendy panicked and adrenaline rushed through her body, working them like almost immediately as she readied her crossbow fully loaded.

Four Imps leaped from behind as soon as they noticed their move. Wendy rose quickly at her feet, aiming at two Imps closer to her. In terms of speed, a bolt is much faster so dodging it would be near impossible for a monster of this level. Wendy didn't have the time to think about what was happening behind her where the pinkette was currently at and let go of the first bolt.

A sharp sound echoed as the bolt pierced easily at the Imp's head, causing it to fall in mid-air and crash past her. Wendy didn't turn around to see the dead monster and proceeded in aiming at the next Imp. She shot the next bolt, easily hitting the monster dead in seconds as it crashed on the ground before vanishing.

With two bolts fired, Wendy thought about the next move. She immediately collapsed her feet below her and ducked as she was ordered.

The next thing she heard was an explosion of flames around her. Looking up, she noticed a couple of Imps being scorched away by the intense heat. The grass around her wasn't also spared from the incineration as it immediately turned into a scorching area, leaving only a portion where she rested unharmed.

A few seconds afterward, a couple of thuds were heard from her ears as the monsters fell back a few distances away. Some emerged despite the heat but it was clear for Wendy to notice what happened.

"Not over yet! Get ready, Wendy!" She heard him shouting a few feet from her. In their current situation, they were no monsters behind them which means that the surviving Imps all stood in front of the pinkette.

Several ground openings occurred in front of the duo as Orcs and Hard Armored joined the fray. Natsu easily recognized them from the Monsterphilia, causing him to smirk in response.

"We meet again, you monsters." As if inviting a rematch the other day, Natsu clasped his fists as glared at the monsters in front of him.

"Natsu-san! I'll support you!" Wendy shouted in the distance, readying her crossbow on her arm once again.

"Thanks! Let's do this, Wendy!"

With her being a few meters away from the monster and with Natsu being the center between them, it was a perfect formation in securing the former's safety from the monsters. At the same time, it gave her the freedom to use her magic and her bow to support him from behind.

This was their first serious team battle and both of the two were already working well enough in their chemistry as party members.

Natsu and Wendy never felt more pumped up as they faced their enemies with determination.

"Come, monsters!"

...

A few minutes passed and the battle ended in the victory of the two as Natsu and Wendy rested on a safe area where they put all their things just beside a stone slab. The battle was fairly challenging but none of them suffered any injuries. The monsters were easily eliminated and the area was finally safe from any monster attack.

Wendy huffed wearily as she sat next to her baggage. Natsu, on the other hand, wasn't feeling any tired at all since it only lasted for about a few minutes but was satisfied with the overall fight. He didn't even feel the slightest effect of a mind down despite using a lot of magic.

"We got enough stones for today. I guess this will be our stop for now." She said, looking at the number of stones they collected from the last fight.

"Sure thing. But still, this was quite amazing. To think that the dungeon changes. I thought they were all the same no matter how you go down further." Natsu rested next to her, his eyes staring at the ceilings of the dungeon in wonder.

"Me too. I've never gotten this far below so I didn't really know about it."

"Yeah but it's more interesting to see it for yourself, right? I guess I kinda understand why adventurers keep venturing into this dungeon."

"Even if it's dangerous?"

"Well, it's part of the risk when you go adventuring. That I can't deny but that's the reason why we have companions to protect themselves side by side, don't you think?"

"I guess so." Wendy smiled.

A few more minutes went by as the two finally gotten their rest and decided to return back to the surface. Natsu and Wendy packed their things and was about to make their way to the passage leading above when they heard a scream.

"AAAAaaah!"

"That sounded like help. Let's go!"

"E-Eh but Natsu-san―" Wendy wanted to call out but her words were drowned in mid-air as the adventurer immediately went to the direction where the scream originated.

The girl knew better than letting themselves get separated especially in an equally challenged dungeon environment they're in right now so she too, made a sprint to follow the pinkette into danger.

...

They arrived at the scene and not before long they spotted a lone male figure standing in between monsters. They were numbered 10 to 1 against him which puts the latter at a huge disadvantage. Not mentioning the type of adventurer he is, it's hard to say if he's really troubled or not, considering that he stumbled unto a horde of monsters alone.

Natsu shook his head. There's no time to be thinking about such things.

"Wendy, I'll be going on ahead. Let's help him!"

"Right behind you, Natsu-san!"

The duo lightly nodded at each other as they begin to join the fray. Natsu sprinted to the fight as the male adventurer clashed with an Orc in a power struggle. Other monsters moved in to overwhelm him while being occupied in the process. Two bolts were shot from the distance, flying past the pinkette and hit two other Orcs in the eye, causing them to stagger.

'Nice shooting, Wendy!'

Natsu blazed his body as he charged at the stunned monsters with his right fist raised behind his shoulder. Flames left his body and swirled at the right arm as he slammed it towards them viciously.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

The monsters were taken by surprise by the explosion that came afterward. This gave them time to momentarily shift their attention away from the man. After a few seconds, they locked their sights on the pinkette who only gave them a toothy remark.

"Well, aren't you all a bit lively today? I'm all fired up!" Clasping his hands together, he stood in front of them fearlessly.

The monsters swarmed him in response, offering no second chances to someone who interrupted their hunt for their prey.

"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Another spell was thrown at the group as Natsu recklessly charged in, grabbing two heads of monsters from both hands respectively before setting them ablaze and sent them flying.

Wendy's chanting resounded from the distance, indicating her magic support.

Three monsters came from behind but the pinkette paid no heed as they were blown away by the ball of wind and simply took on the next one in his sights. He slammed another fist right unto another monster's head, sending it flying before vanishing. Clasping his right foot in flames, he leaped out to the orc trying to cut down the man. His feet smashed right into his head, causing it to fly to the side before vanishing.

The man finally freed from the struggle, turned his attention to the next monster behind the pinkette, and stabbed it with his sword. The monster gave slight convulsion before death took over it and vanished as well, leaving its magic stone behind.

It didn't take long before they were able to take care of the rest with sheer teamwork. Wendy eventually reunited with the pinkette as they wrapped up their battle. It seemed like they came in just in time. Eliminating the monsters meant saving the man's life in the process.

Who knows what would happen if they didn't intervene.

"That's the last of them." Wendy muttered.

"Yeah, looks like it's clear over here. That person should be probably finished there as well." Natsu spoke, looking in the direction where they last saw the man.

The two returned back, seeing the aftermath of the battle that took place. The man seemed fine and he looked like he had seen better days. A few magic stones lay on the ground which was the only thing left on the defeated monsters. It seemed he handled his own pretty well.

"Heeeeeeeey! Are you alright?" Natsu waved, catching the man's attention as he put something from his hand – which probably his weapon – to his back.

Because the fog was thick to describe the man's features, the two took a few moments to see his appearance as he approached them.

He's a tall and lean person, wearing some sort of black kimono that hid a dark blue undershirt. He had spiky red hair and blue eyes. His facial features look around that of a young man similar to Natsu due to having somewhat similar traits such as spiky hair and scarves that were both wrapped around their necks.

The man expressed his thanks for the rescue.

"Yeah. somewhat. I almost got myself killed there. Thanks for saving me. I owe you one."

"What are you doing here? Isn't it dangerous to wander on this floor alone?" Natsu asked. The man simply scratched his head sheepishly.

"Well. I kinda wanted to advance a bit further to the dungeon. You know, for the experience. I didn't expect it to be this different from above though. You know the rest."

Natsu and Wendy merely looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the man.

"It's a good thing we happen to be around here. We were just about heading back to the surface and call it day when we heard you from here." Natsu smiled in relief.

"Yeah, I was saved. Thanks again, you two. Are you two by chance, party members?" He asked, noticing their relationship with each other.

"Well, yeah. We partied just a few days ago. I'm Natsu Dragneel, from the Hestia Familia." He introduced himself.

"W-Wendy Marvell, from the Robaul Familia." Wendy followed soon after.

The man smiled after having introduced their names to him. "Name's Welf. I'm from the Hephaestus Familia."

...

A/N: And there you go. Next chapter will feature the plot progression and we hope to see bigger action than this. Thank you all and I'll see you in the next chapter ^^

- The wiErDos send their regards.