"... What?"
"Yup!"
Well, that wasn't exactly what Six wanted to hear. It seemed that direct contact with the back of one's skin was necessary for a Blessing to be given and for that person to register as part of the familia. He looked at the woman, then inquired, "Is it not possible to do this by simple skin contact anywhere?" to which she shook her head, firm in her request. He sighed, then leaned his face against his open right hand. His helmet lay on the floor beside him.
Spartans were never keen on removing their precious equipment, going double for stuff like the MJOLNIR Power-Armored suit. The damn thing not only cost a lot to build, it was partially impossible to remove it without a specialized set of tools in any feasible time-frame. Now, good old Odell had gotten used to modifying his equipment on the fly when on missions and had read the basic 'manual' on MJOLNIR armor when he heard he was being provided one.
It was still going to take him over thirty minutes to remove even just the top part so Hestia could do her thing. Still, he'd agreed to be part of this little Familia of hers, if for nothing else than the idea that it'd give him a boon to survive in this new world while he figured his shit out. He'd, of course, ask a few things about the various other gods after this little ritual was done.
Sighing, he nodded, "Alright... It's going to take thirty minutes to remove the necessary parts."
"Woah, thirty minutes?" Hestia gasped, "How hard can it be to remove that armor?"
"I could tug at it until something breaks, but I'd rather have my full protective suit for when I go dungeon-diving," He remarked snidely, then stated, "You're a goddess, apparently. Have patience as you've had these past few however many years you've been around..." as he pulled a basic toolkit from his backpack and started working. Hestia huffed, then laid herself down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling while listening to the cricks and cracks and snaps and pops of tools and armor.
After a few minutes, the girl had fallen partially asleep as the noise of handiwork faded from her mind, her thoughts wandering. The man was twenty at most, from the look of his face and the seeming voice he spoke with. He had grown well, but had clearly seen enough fighting for his age to be considered a veteran and, much more, to be promoted to a rank like that of a Lieutenant.
She had seen him without his helmet and was about to see him again, she was sure. First time, she was at a distance and unable to fully make out the details, so she somewhat eagerly awaited to see what kind of hot-or-not she picked up and added to her Familia. Add to that, the man was clearly proficient in the art of fighting and that he had that strange item on his thigh that he'd pointed at her when she popped up and the 'energy shields' as he'd called them, which overlapped over the plates of his intricate armor.
She woke up with a start after feeling a firm hand wrap around her ankle and squeeze. "What the heck are you doing-" the girl started, about to protest the kind of rude wake-up the man had just given her. She froze, however, staring at the young man before her in his full glory. Jet-black hair shortened and made into a burr cut, piercing azure eyes and a handsome, seemingly chiseled young face with a five o'clock shadow for facial hair and a small scar on the top right of his head.
He was well-built, fit and lean, bearing several more scars over toned musculature. Stab wounds, impacts, bruises and burns formed on the pale skin of the young man, making him resemble something out of the Epics related to ancient heroes. Gruff, tough and unsmiling, he looked at her and raised a brow. He asked, "You good? Your face is a little... Red..."
She nodded slowly, noticing herself in the visor of his helmet. Despite the golden coloration, she could still make out that her entire face was red as a tomato and she had a hint of drool running down the sides of her mouth. She coughed, then said, "Yep! Yep, totally fine! Hahaha!" laughing awkwardly. She then quickly stated, "Let's get to it!" before jumping off the bed. She saw him sitting there, cross-legged, the lower half of his armor still on, then asked "Ain't ya... Uh... Gonna get on so I can do this?"
"What I'm wearing may weigh less than half-a-ton, but it's unpowered. Even with my augments, I can't particularly move this much weight without a little risk to myself. You're just going to have to do it while sitting behind me..." He replied, then looked at the rest of his equipment, which had been neatly and tidily set up on the floor in front of him.
She narrowed her lips, then said, "Alright..." and locked eyes with one of the two blades the man carried, the one on his breast-plate. She inquired meekly, "Can I borrow your knife, then?"
"What for?" He raised a brow, looking at her.
She blushed, then chuckled and said, "I need to poke my finger. A little bit of blood is needed for the ritual of binding to a God's Familia. Namely a bit of the blood of that God..." to which the man frowned. That was strangely a concerning custom, but if it was only a drop from one of the fingers... He sighed, stretched toward the breastplate and tugged at the knife, releasing it with a click. It was a blade with a single side and a serrated flat back and it was larger than a normal knife by some degree.
He spun it between his fingers, handing it grip-first to the girl and stating, "It's still bloody sharp. Don't nick more off your skin than you intend to for the ritual..." and he looked toward his equipment again. He'd modified his standard armor before arrival to Noble. Painted jet-black with gold accents around the wrist plates, a TACPAD attached to the right arm and an extra shrapnel-resistant plate on the left, HAZOP Knees and up-armored greaves, a secondary medkit on his thigh left, COMMANDO pouches and a ghillie cloak draped over the shoulders, one of which was a COMMANDO right while the left was EOD and, add to that, a holster for a flare gun.
Not much use, that last one, he thought as he heard a deep whoom echo from behind him and felt a warmth, like that of an open, welcoming flame course into his soul. He looked back and gasped, watching as a bubble of energy formed around the girls hands. She smiled, then said, "And it is done..." as he felt something burned into his skin. She hummed, then ran her hands across his exposed back for a couple more seconds and... Staggered. She stumbled back and doubled over, crying out, "HOLY...!"
"What?" He asked, the faintest tone of concern in his otherwise calm voice, "Did something go wrong?"
"No..." The girl stared at the man's back, wide-eyed, "Your statuses..."
He recalled she'd mentioned that Gods who get 'children' into their Familia through this ritual could utilize whatever happens to check their stats, like Agility, Strength, that kind of thing. To be quite honest, Odell found some similarities to things from his childhood that he remembered somewhat more clearly than others. Squelching thoughts of home for now, he asked warily, "How bad are they?"
"... They're not bad, you dummy..." She murmured, "They... They're... It's almost like I'm staring at a seasoned adventurer instead of a Soldier... Several S-Ranks, multiple more A-Ranks," and she swallowed nothing but air, "You sure you didn't have a Familia before? Or that you didn't gain any Levels? Or, heck, that the Guild doesn't know about you?! Because..."
"So, they're good..." The Spartan remarked, slightly slouching forward and breathing a silent sigh, before stating "And no... I didn't have any relations to Gods before this, remember...?"
"Odell... You..." She paused, then sighed too, "Yes, they're incredibly good for what is a Level One Adventurer in any and every sense of the word, seeing as you say you had no link to anyone or anything..." before she stated, "Lemme do one more thing, then you're free to put your armor on and we can go to the Guild to sign you up as part of my Familia..." and she retrieved a piece of old, brownish-colored parchment paper. Six could feel it laying on his back and the woman running her right index on his back, forming the shape of a circle in the paper. It flashed, then appeared. She narrowed her lips, eyes wide, "... Man... You could actually go up to Level 2 right now if we reported this..."
"Let's keep me as Low Profile as possible for now," The man replied pragmatically, then looked over to his armor and said, "I'm gonna get dressed..."
She nodded, sitting back down on the bed cross-legged as she read the paper. He had no actual Skills yet, unless something was hidden that even she couldn't see yet. Still, she smiled and giddily bounced up and down as the shock of the realization finally waned and the joy had time to come to her. She'd gotten the finest damn kid possible for her group and she wasn't gonna let him go.
Some thirty minutes of assembly later, the man donned the last of his armor:His helmet. Standing to his feet and feeling it fully power up, he watched as his HUD rebooted and the shield systems flashed to life, draping him in a blanket of golden light. The girl smirked, then stood to her feet and said, "Alright! Let's go getcha signed up in the Guild! We can start earning some cash if we hurry along!"
He nodded, letting her take the lead. The two climbed out of their little hidey-hole below the church and marched onto the streets of the Town of Orario, with the Spartan at the ready and tense as he watched crowds starting to form around the place. Going down the main road and passing several seemingly-important buildings, including a Restaurant, the two finally found the Guild.
Entering its halls once again, Noble Six found himself staring at the wide room where multiple adventurers picked up info on their objectives or handed in their spoils for money. Approaching one of the counters with Hestia, the man caught a glimpse of a familiar face. A young woman with knife-sharp, pointed ears, emerald eyes, straight brown hair and glasses was operating at it. She was clad, like the others in the room, in the Guild's standard attire. A white collared shirt was worn beneath a black vest, complimented by black pants and dress shoes.
She hummed a tune as she worked on some sort of paperwork, then looked up. She smiled and said, "Goddess Hestia! Long time no see!"
"Hello, Eina," She greeted, "Guess what! I got someone in my Familia!"
"Oh. I'm happy to hear that, Goddess. Who's the lucky gentleman or lady," Eina offered, then paused as the familiar shadow of a very familiar man loomed over her. She still stared at Hestia, though her gaze had grown into one of worry, rather than joy. With sweat suddenly running down her face, the woman looked up at the seven-foot-tall War Machine that had once before come into the Guild.
"... H-H-Hello..." She whimpered, "N-Nice to see you again...?"
"Hello, miss Tulle..." The Spartan greeted politely. Eina looked over to Hestia.
"... This is your new member...?" The girl asked worriedly.
"Yep!" She beamed, then paused, "Why... What did he do?" and looked to him, concerned.
She shook her head, "Oh, nothing... It's just..." She leaned over and whispered, "This is the biggest human I've ever seen, Goddess Hestia... I was and still am a bit taken aback..."
Hestia smiled, "Eh, it's fine. He's a big guy, but he's nice. Right?" She looked to him.
The Spartan gave a light shrug, then a nod. Eina seemed to become a little less tense. She breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to her patron God that she wouldn't get torn apart limb for limb, then asked, "Very well... I take it you're here to sign up for the Guild properly?" and she got a nod. She hummed, then said, "Very well. We have a few forms to complete, but it's... Really formalities. Goddess Hestia, would you like to complete them alongside him?"
"Sure!" She smiled. The two were handed two sets of three papers each. Directed to a booth to sit at, the two were also handed quills and ink by another worker in the place. Slowly, the Spartan started putting in details, with Hestia correcting him and adding more as she saw the Spartan had left stuff behind. The two had finished their respective papers rather quickly and Hestia pulled the last file needed for him to be signed up. She smiled at the Spartan, then said, "C'mon!"
The two moved in and handed the files to Eina, who gave them a quick once-over and said, "Very good!" flashing a smile to the two of them, "That'll be all. You're on the Guild's payroll henceforth and will receive money for any magical gems you retrieve after killing monsters in the Dungeon. Now..." She paused, then watched as a man approached. He leaned in, whispering into her ear, to which she jolted up, "Wait, what? Really!?" She whispered.
"Afraid so..." He nodded. He turned to Six and Hestia, then smiled and waved goodbye, whispering to Eina, "Good luck..."
"Awwh..." She sighed, arms slumped by her sides. She frowned, then turned with the most apologetic look ever toward the Spartan and Goddess and said, "I'm so very sorry... It seems there's been a mixup in regards to some of the Guild procedures... You see, all Adventurers get a personal advisor to help guide you through the process of working in the Dungeon itself and introducing you to all the rules and such... It... Seems there were no other free members of the guild beside myself, so," She bowed respectfully, "If you will allow me, I shall be your Advisor for the duration of your work with us."
The Spartan hummed, then looked to Hestia. The girl gave a thumbs up and a smirk to confirm her approval, to which he turned to Eina and said, "Suits me fine, miss Eina," calmly. She looked up at him, surprised for but a moment. Then, said surprise was replaced by relief and a warm smile. The two shook hands, then Hestia shook Eina's hand too, if a bit more tightly.
"Well..." Hestia stretched and yawned, "I'll be at home while you two go through the motions. That alright, Odell?"
He hummed, "Can't you fight?"
"Oh, me? Sadly... Not really..." She chuckled awkwardly, "See, I'm a minor goddess. I'm not like Loki or some others... Anyway, gotta go right now! Bye!" and she dashed out of the place. Odell sighed, then shook his head and turned to Eina. The girl hummed, then motioned over toward a private booth. Marching inside, the Spartan and woman were met by a table and two chairs.
Looks like an interrogation room, though the Spartan. He hummed, then said, "Apologies, but I'm gonna stand..." as he watched Eina sit down. He clarified, "Armor weighs half a ton. I sit down, that chair breaks..."
"... Incredible..." She murmured, then said, "Very well... If you're not uncomfortable. I'll make a note to get mithril chairs, perhaps, for your next visit. Anyways... Let's begin, shall we?" and she settled a dossier of sorts in front of him. She began her explanation in regards to how the Dungeon works, that monsters respawn, that the magic gems he collects are his source of income and the more he collects, the more money he earns on the trip back, but that he should stick to the areas where his skills and level would generally fit, so the upper floors for the 'Level 1s' like him and only to advance after their stats grew. He sighed, then nodded. That meant levels One through Twelve.
Best to keep a low profile, as he said. No advancing in levels too suddenly, meaning no advancing just by arriving in town...
After that briefing was over, the man had departed with full intent toward the Dungeon below Babel. He caught sights of other Adventurers both returning and entering the Dungeon as he reached the door, then began his descent, at first down to the first sublevel, then down stairs that ran around the walls of a giant borehole in the middle of the place, all of it lit by blue gem-based lamps.
Entering the first floor properly, the man paused, looking around. Lamps stood every ten feet, washing a series of winding hallways in front of him in that same azure light. A gut feeling told him he was entering the lion's den as he walked, so, he drew his knives. Looking at the Kukri he'd drawn from the sheath on his back and that he currently now brandished in his right hand, he murmured, "Guess we're not done, buddy..."
He slowly began his advance down the winding corridors, blades at the ready, his fingers tensely wrapped around the weapons. He kept one eye ahead and one eye on the Motion Tracker as he marched forth, listening to the distant sounds of slashing swords and clashing metal, presumably from other Adventurers engaged in a fight against the local Fauna.
He paused in the middle of the corridor, listening. Trampling feet, perhaps a dozen of them, coming his way. Not human, not armored. Just plopping feet and dozens of pairs of'em to boot. Coming straight ahead, from the dark, they were short, green and with big golden eyes. They charged at him, the first one jumping and pouncing. The Spartan's first kill came.
Blood splattered across the floor, followed by a cloud of black ichor and smoke that dissipated in front of the Spartan, a tiny purple magic gem dropping on the floor. He hummed, then watched the other little monsters begin their attacks. He swiped left and right in wide intersecting arcs, cutting down several with one double strike, before spinning on one foot and kicking another across and into the wall, snapping its spine.
One of them grabbed onto his armor, only to be zapped by the Energy Shield and drop to the floor, surprised. The Spartan brought down his foot, which was still raised after the kick, stomping the creature's skull and popping it like a zit. It dissipated below his boot as he continued, dancing a dance of death where his blades drew wide arcs in the air, slashing into sickly green skin and slitting throats, cutting through hearts or outright decapitating some of the creatures.
He moved, dodging to the left as one of the creatures tried to pounce on his face, plunging his Bowie knife deep into its chest while using the Kukri like a small sword with which he slashed at the other little monsters. He charged forth, shoulder-checking and kicking several of the little bastards off their feet by sheer speed alone before pummeling one of them against the wall hard enough to feel the bones liquefy beneath his strike.
He spun about and, with another horizontal slash from the Kukri, decapitated six more of the monsters. He then dodged as a projectile-a tongue of all things-snapped by him. He grabbed it before it could return to its sender and pulled. A frog-like, one-eyed cyclops monster appeared out of the shadows. He killed it by putting his Bowie clean through its gut, letting its gem drop to the floor.
From above, something dropped. Without even looking, Six gutted it and let it vanish, then he surged forth as his Motion Tracker picked up another target. Dog-headed humanoid monsters with long nails met him in the darkness, two of which immediately found themselves lacking said heads. The toe of the Spartan's boot made contact with the jaw of a third, shattering it and caving in its skull. He followed up by grabbing the fourth, snapping its neck and throwing it into its palls. His shields flickered.
A tongue had latched onto his right shoulder, He grabbed it, wrapping it around his fingers and the knives and dragging the cyclops frog out of hiding before plunging his knife into its eye. Following it up, the Spartan then slaughtered what was left of the dog-headed creatures with little remorse, his blades never dull and his moves fast and agile, almost like a Ballet of Murder. This was just too fucking easy.
Delving deeper into the First Level yielded several more monster kills. The Spartan had to take a break to collect all of the gems he'd left behind and stick them into his backpack. He returned to the slaughter of tiny creatures with a smirk on his face that he hadn't even realized he was wearing as he fought and fought against them, inch by inch, meter by meter.
The thickness of the Monsters in the place was weird, though, honestly. Weren't there supposed to be fewer monsters for the First Level? Eh, it didn't matter.
He pinned a greenskin down with his boot, then pressed down until he felt its ribcage break. Following up, he gutted a few more of those frog things with sideswipes from his knives and with thrusts and stabs, all the while utilizing his legs for anything that was close to him and lower than his knee in height, kicking, stomping and otherwise debilitating and outright killing the monsters that he met.
He'd gone so far, it seemed, that he hadn't realized when the place had changed colors. Emerald lamps lit the way this time instead of the azure ones from before, shining a light that shimmered a yellowish green around the place. He continued cutting down creatures remorselessly, his blades staining with the black magical ichor that they were made out of, not to mention their blood.
His visor displayed his motion tracker which had been filled with creatures in intervals at the start of this little run through the Dungeon, now dwindling to the last few on whatever floor he was. The Spartan had, according to an internal timer, spent over thirty minutes, damn near an hour in fact, fighting. He hadn't even broken a sweat. He grinned, watching the number of monsters drop down to zero, finally, as his boot crunched a one-eyed Frog.
He wiped his blades off the walls, then picked up the dozens of magical gems laying on the floor, turning to follow the corridors. He wasn't stupid enough to advance without memorizing where he was going, of course, so he was able to quickly return to the First Floor. He had cleared a lot. If he'd counted the number of descents right, he'd hit floor five when he got to that greenlit place, so that gave him a fair number of gems to collect.
He paused only as he saw something else. A fairly colorful bird staring at him from a distance, it in and of itself having a gem it seemed. He hummed, looking at the curious big bird as it scanned the place. He looked over to his Bowie Knife, slowly and gently removing it from the sheath. He could make the throw without a problem... But the creature seemed to be catching on. It got unnerved, clawing at the ground with one of its spindly bird legs.
The Spartan hummed, narrowed his lips and stared eye to eye with it, gently setting up the Knife throw. He eyed the creature as it, too, finally locked one eye on him... It stared and he stared back, for but a moment they themselves being the only two creatures in the whole dungeon. He settled the knife, his line of sight clear... He smirked behind the helmet, a devious, almost sadistic smile.
He threw. The creature squawked and fell.
Then it vanished, dropping a gem and a golden egg...
A good hunt for today, Six thought as he put the stuff away and sheathed his blades. The march back to the surface found the Spartan staring at a sunset in the distance as he marched down the boulevard he'd come from, watching as several dozen other Adventurers had come out as well. A few of them stared at the odd Superhuman with a bit of concern, then noticed his backpack and his weaponry.
Delivering the spoils to Eina and revealing the golden egg, the man was greeted by several surprised call-outs from Adventurers and from the girl as well. Apparently, the egg of the Jack Bird was a very rare item drop that one would find upon killing the aforementioned bird with a strike. It was also worth around A MILLION Valis according to information. With what he'd made today...
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Hestia jumped to her feet, looking at the massive coin purse that the Spartan had brought home.
"Around a million four-hundred fifty-three thousand six-hundred-seventeen Valis..." The Spartan replied calmly, setting the purse aside, "... Is it a lot?"
... The moment Hestia fainted with the most blissful look on her told the man that, yes...
It was in fact a decent amount of money.
