"Come back when you're not so pathetic pipsqueak!" the angry werewolf's voice was harsh as I was yet again shown the door.

Standing here in front of the gates of the building that contained my last hope, once again having been completely shut down, I wanted to cry. That was the last one, the last familia in the city.

As I shuffled my feet almost catatonic through the busy streets of the city known as the center of the world, Orario, I frequently caught my eyes turning to the piece of paper in my hand. The smiling face of an admittedly scrawny boy with white hair and red eyes stared back at me, mocking me for my failure.

Bell Cranell

Age: 15

A dedicated worker with experience setting traps and snares to hunt small game in a mountain village.

Dream: To be a hero.

Only a few days ago I had gotten this photo and familia application form filled out. I applied to every familia I could find but not a single one would take in a complete newbie with no real experience with weapons or some other feature that stands out.

Every single time I was shown the door moments after showing my application, sometimes forcibly ejected from the building always being laughed at. I suppose it must been hilarious to them, seeing someone as pathetic as I am approach their familia halls. A few of them humored me, only so they could mock me the moment I felt a bit of hope returning when I shared my desire to be a hero with them.

No, I can't really call it a desire, my grandpa told me I've never been good at lying and that includes lying to myself. To call my wish to be a desire would be underselling it. It's my dream, the thing that's kept me going for the last year since my grandpa died and I was left alone, what gave me hope the last week.

The heroes of the stories I read and was told about always faced hard times. From my grandpa's Dungeon Oratorio to the legendary tales of the ancient past like the tales of Beowulf, Arthur Pendragon, Achilles, Cu Chulainn, Theseus and so many more they always stepped up to the plate in their darkest hours, never giving up until they draw their final breath.

I want to be a hero, with all my heart, but I can't even join a familia. Adventurers of the dungeon are the closest thing out there to modern day heroes, but to be an adventurer, you need the blessing of a god or goddess, a falna, to grant you the strength and ability to grow stronger by slaying the monsters of the dungeon.

A loud growl distracted me from my sorrow. I'm hungry again. Great. If I wasn't sad enough having the final familia in the city reject me, now I was reminded of my financial situation.

Simply put, I'm completely broke. Out of Valis, spent the last one today at a crummy inn and haven't so much as eaten since. All I have is the clothes on my back and the knife on my hip. Honestly, I think I'm going to die here. On the streets, never having taken even the first step to achieving my dream. I can't even get a job, every place I checked refused me.

I… I failed… I'm going to die alone on the streets… I've already spent a year alone ignored by the people in my village after my grandfather died and now I'm going to die the same way. I never even had a chance I guess.

"Ack!" I shouted as I tripped on the first stair leading up to Babel, the tower above the Dungeon, I guess I've been wondering longer than expected…

I climbed the stairs and caught a glimpse of the long dark stone path that led into the den of monsters. In the middle of the night like this, even with all the lights surrounding the darkness beyond the stairs downwards, it looks more like a gateway into the abyss, waiting to devour anyone foolish enough to enter it.

I couldn't help noticing the beautiful receptionist talking to her friend at the counter Adventurers use to exchange their magic stones for Valis. A beautiful werewolf with long crimson hair. I couldn't see her figure or face but it would be clear to anyone that she's gorgeous- and distracted…

This is a horrible idea. I know it is. Even as my feet carry me to the ominous stairs into the abyss though I know it's the right one though. It's the only option left to me. If I'm going to die either way, at least I can take what little time I have left into my own hands and pursue my dream. Even if I take out a single goblin with me, it will have been worth it.

I snuck passed the distracted receptionists looking as confident as I possibly could as I walked past the guards, I doubt they remember the faces of all the adventurers that pass through and if I look like I know what I'm doing I'm sure that they won't bat an eye.

Sure enough I was able to walk straight passed them.

Thump Thump Thump Thump

I can hear my heart beating in my chest with every single step I take into the Dungeon. I can tell though… I'm not afraid, I'm excited? I should be terrified, what I'm doing is tantamount to suicide. Am I excited to die? No, that's not it. I'm excited to be seizing my own destiny. To slay monsters, explore the unknown and maybe even find love in the dungeon by saving a pretty girl.

Heh, I doubt that'll happen but I cant deny the feeling in my heart that is so enraptured by stories of love found in moments of despair. To me it's a truly beautiful thing. To protect and be protected? Who wouldn't want to experience something so lovely.

I stopped at the last step. All it will take for me to begin what will surely be a short legend, is for me to step onto the floor in front of me.

My heart is beating violently, like it wants to leap from my chest from the excitement, so I take a breath, still my heart, and step out of the pan and into the fire.

I can feel the cold, damp air around as I walk through the floor, knife in hand. I had heard that the Dungeon's air felt suffocating to all who enter it and yet it feels almost welcoming to me. Like this is where I have always been meant to be.

The walk itself was quiet, the only sounds being my steady breathing and the sound of my feet on the stone. The glowing crystals in the walls serving to light the floor as I made my way deeper while hugging the left wall. Like hell I was getting lost in here.

I don't know how long I've been walking at this point, nor how far I've gone considering the all the twists, turns and forks, but my legs are getting tired and I'm starving. I need to find a monster and get a magic stone soon or even if I somehow survive I'm just going to starve to death anyways.

I guess the Dungeon must have heard my thoughts because I started hearing shuffled footsteps coming my way from around the corner, the heavy breathing and inhuman sounds that I guess must have been communication made me certain that this must be a monster of some sort.

I know that there will be more than one of them, they wouldn't be communicating otherwise, and I have no chance to defeat whatever monster is coming head on so I quickly, but quietly, made my way behind a nearby boulder.

I've only got one chance at this. If I'm going to even have a chance at surviving, I need to get the drop on them. I know they're heading this way, their footsteps sound like their right next to me now.

I took a deep breath, then stopped. Just like when I went hunting with Grandpa. "Don't breathe" He said "If they hear you they'll get away", or in this case kill me I suppose. My grip on my knife was almost painful but I kept myself from moving.

The sound of the shuffling feet only grew until finally, walking into view from my hiding place was a trio of gangly green creatures with sickening, beady yellow eyes. Goblins.

They walked right by me, not even turning for a second. Undetected, thank the gods. I almost jumped the one at the back after they were passed me, but I stopped when I saw it.

In the grungy grip of the middle goblin was a short, crude weapon mixed between a short sword and a cleaver. It was obviously nothing special, hell, its barely even shaped like one! However its still better than the knife in my hand that suddenly felt significantly smaller. My chances of survival would be a lot better with that in hand…

I have to go for it. It will be a lot harder, not to mention I'll be surrounded, but I need that cleaver if I'm going to take out the other two.

Trying to make as little noise as possible I crept towards the now stationary goblins at a fork in the tunnel. It seems they're arguing about which path to take.

What a fantastic stroke of luck! All three of them turned away from me. "Okay Bell. This is your chance." I psyched myself up and got just a little closer. And then I made my move.

Leaping forward, I plunged my dagger straight into the back of my targets neck with both hands. The monster's cleaver fell to the ground as it grabbed its throat trying to stop the black blood from spilling out of the wound.

I did it… I killed a dungeon monster without a falna… I desperately want to celebrate my success but I don't have the time to stop, the other two know I'm here now.

Abandoning my knife I grabbed the crude cleaver from the stone floor and swung it around with all my might. By sheer luck the blade trailed towards the monster's neck. It felt slow, but the weight of the weapon was enough to take off the head of the next goblin.

Unfortunately the wild swing carried me with it, straight into the waiting claws of the third goblin. This is going to hurt.

I desperately tried to turn my body to avoid being gored by the sharp claws, only partially succeeding.

"Urk!" I screamed as the claws tore through my chest, the single moment feeling like an hour as my nerves caught fire and blood spilled out covering the Dungeon's floor in a crimson red.

I see… this is what they mean when people say their life flashes before their eyes near death…

I can see all of them, my inspirations. My grand father who raised me and told me stories, the villagers who laughed with me as a child, the parents I never knew who loved me enough to let me exist and most importantly, the legendary heroes in the books that made my dream. The strong shoulders that carried the hopes of the people and destroyed evils.

I can't die yet. I haven't even saved a single person yet. I'm no hero, but I will be! It's not a question anymore. It's not an option. I will accomplish my dream!

And that starts with killing the monster in front of me!

Instead of flying into the wall from the force of the goblin's strike I stood my ground. My chest burning as desperately planted my feet on the rough ground, finding a foothold in the first goblin's corpse.

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" I shouted as I heaved the cleaver over my head and severed the monster's left arm. There was more resistance there than the neck but I don't have the luxury of really aiming with this thing. It weighed too much and my physically exhausted state left me barely able to swing it at all.

I guess the goblin was mad that I took off its arm because it lashed out even faster than before. But in my desperation I was faster and ducked the swing by a hair's breadth and swung the cleaver into the goblin's torso.

My muscles burned as I forced the strength I have into splitting the monster in two.

Blood spilled out as its chest was separated from its legs. I fell back against the wall, covered in blood, both my own and that of the goblins I couldn't help the broad smile as I caught my breath.

I can feel it in my heart! This was what I was meant to do! The rush of fighting a monster, the planning of my attack, the thrill of improvising my strategy, of putting my life on the line! I can do this! I can actually be a hero!

When I finally caught my breath I forced my body to stand up. My limbs felt like lead, but I pushed forward. I collected the cleaver and my knife before I removed the magic stones from the chests of the goblins. They were small, but from what I heard, just one of these things is worth enough Valis for a meal in Orario.

With the magic stones removed, the bodies disintegrated leaving behind three fangs.

Drop items… I got drop items from all three goblins. I might even be able to afford to eat properly now! I can survive!

Collecting the fangs and putting them in my satchel with the magic stones I put my hand on the right wall of the dungeon and started the trek back.

My thoughts consumed by a conversation I had once with my grandfather.

"Grandpa, in all the stories you've told me the hero was always someone blessed by the gods. Do you need to be a god's friend to be a hero?" I asked him.

The old man with stark gray hair and bulging muscles laughed uproariously "HAHAHA! Of course not Bell!" he'd said "It's true most heroes end up blessed by the gods eventually, but most of them start as completely normal people!"

"What do you mean?"

"Bell, most of the heroes I've told you about were just brave people who got lucky at first!" he said.

"WHATTTT?!" I learned later on that my shout that day woke up the entire village.

The memory ended as I started climbing the stairs out of the dungeon. Heh, guess you were right Grandpa, all it takes is courage and a bit of bravery to start the path of a hero.

As I crested the top of the staircase I was briefly blinded by the light of the rising sun.

That's right, this is the dawn of my journey. I can do this. I'll become a hero on my own strength. I'll make it as far as I can on my own before I try again with the gods.

With my personal vow and determination renewed I made my way to the exchange counter to get my hard earned Valis.


I hope the fight wasn't too terrible, it was my first time writing one with that kind of vibe. This Bell is obviously slightly different than cannon. Mostly that he spent an extra year surviving on his own after his Grand Father died and that he's a little smarter because of it. I fully plan on adding a pairing or two into this story but as it stands it will likely be Bell x Ryuu because I love Ryuu's character. There's a chance it will end up being a small harem though. Absolutely no more than three. See ya next time.