Silver and the others were ready to tackle the dungeon once more. By now, it was the time for the Zeus and Hera Familia expedition to Floor 58. What the guild and the rest of the city doesn't know is that they were actually going deeper to Floor 65. Now that they had more level ups since last time, they want to aim past their previous record of Floor 63. Back with Silver, he and the others were talking about what was going to happen.
Silver: Yeah, apparently they want to try and use Balor as a feat to level up. Though, since I'm told it's so strong, Alexander is going to have to team up with Zald and the Captain.
Brioche: I hope it goes well for them.
Silver: Me too. So, are we ready?
Brioche: Ready as I'll ever be.
Meteria: Let's go!!!
The girl was in even higher spirits since she was able to become strong enough to wield her new weapon. For the past 2 weeks, she's been strengthening herself as much as she could. Now that her strength stat is even higher, she is having less trouble using it.
Silver: By the way, aren't you worried about your sister? She's only level 2.
Meteria: I am, but she said she will stay with the group on Floor 18. She wants to get to level 3 and then she will take Lady Hera's offer to her.
Silver: That thing about the grimoire?
The girl nodded.
Silver: In any case, I at least want to make ourselves useful. Let's get a head start and clear the earlier floors for them.
Brioche: Well then, we got work to do!!
The three went down immediately while the executives gave their rallying speech to everyone present.
Callisto: All right people, listen up!!! We got the plan set up and ready!! The first group is going down first!! After 20 minutes, the next group and then the last one after that!! We all meet up in Rivira where the firts group will stay behind while the other two keep going!! The second group will then make camp on Floor 50 while the last group moves on to the final destination of Floor 58!! You all know where you belong, so stay with your team!!
Maxim: This is an important moment for us!! We must once more show why our Familias stand at the top of the world!!!
The groups cried out with vigor as their morale raised even higher. The executives smiled as they took their positions.
Callisto: So, Meteria told me her party would help clear the first few floors for us.
Maxim: It's considerate of them and I won't turn down their request. He came to me and told me of their decision as well.
Callisto: Then we don't have to worry about any trouble while we're starting out.
After organizing their formations, they all began to move out. Meanwhile, a cloaked trio had been watching them the entire time. The one in the middle was a woman and she bit her nail in frustration.
???: Grr, they never cease to annoy me. Mia, when is it our time?
The one next to her was a big dwarf woman.
Mia: Freya, you know we just had ours. I just got level 6 and Ottar here is a level 4.
Freya: *Pouting* But I don't get it!! What do they have that we don't?! I'm so sick of being in that bitch's shadow all this time!!!
Mia: (Ugh, I'm getting too old for this.)
Freya: I hope we can find more promising adventurers for the Familia soon. I also have to find my Odr.
Mia: (That's nice. I want to get out of this shit hole and open my pub.)
The dwarf was getting annoyed at listening to her Goddess rant. She picked up the boaz child and the three left before he could do something stupid again.
With Silver...
Meteria: HYAAAAH!!!
slash*
poof*
Brioche: And that's Floor 8 done!!
Thud*
Meteria: Phew!! I wonder when the others are coming?
Silver: It won't matter past this point. This is as far as we need to go. We even got a two hour head start on them.
After a few minutes, they finished picking the drop items up and were resting when the first group arrived. Near the front was one of the leaders along with Alfia. She gave her sister a wave and Meteria was more than happy to greet her. Once she laid eyes on Silver, the two glared at each other before the group went on their way.
Brioche: Alright, that should do for a break.
Silver: *Getting up* Back to it.
Some more monsters filled the floor once more, so they got back to work in dealing with them. As more time passed, the second group passed and then the last one with the executives arrived. Right as they arrived, Silver and the others were in the middle of dealing with a group of war shadows. The executives who came were Callisto and Europa along with Maxim. Zald and Alexander were in charge of the second group along with Io. They and those with them were watching the fight.
Callisto: Hm, this looks interesting.
Europa: Gh! That Zeus boy is with the yound lady.
Several other Hera members growled in disgust at the sight of him. They watched the battle rage on as the three were pitted against five war shadows this time. Brioche was handling two along with Meteria while Silver had to fight one on his own. After fending off its sharp claws, he eventually was able to kill it as it exploded into dust. As he caught his breath, he didn't see the other war shadow go to attack him after Meteria defeated her first one. There wasn't much time and the girl only had one idea in mind to help him.
Meteria: Look out!!!
She shoved him out of the way, but had to take the attack instead.
Slash*
Meteria: AAH!!!
The monster cut her arm up and the wound was deep. Brioche heard this and quickly killed his before jumping in to finish the last one. Meteria groaned in pain as Silver got his bearings.
Silver: Meteria!! Hold on I've got a potion!!
He poured it in her wound and let it heal before they heard footsteps come their way. The three looked up and saw the last group of the expedition team walking towards them. In that group, they saw the disappointed and angry faces of members of the Hera Familia pointing their ire at Silver who was busy treating Meteria's wounds. As they approached, they berated the boy.
Europa: You really botched that one up.
Hera Member A: Filthy man!! It's you're fault she was hurt!!
Hera Member B: You shouldn't be in his party, Meteria!! A weak supporter like him is only deadweight!
After healing her arm, Silver hung his head down in disappointment as he agreed with their words.
Silver: (They aren't wrong. I was the one who screwed this up.)
While he too was beating himself up, Meteria grew angrier and was about to yell at them to take back their words before their Captain spoke.
Callisto: Ok, enough! They cleared the path, so let's get moving!
They huffed in annoyance and walked past them, but not before glaring at the boy one last time. Maxim and the Zeus Familia members tried to give him words of encouragement. He graciously accepted them and appreciated their help, but it was easy to tell that they had little effect. The man sighed and ordered his men to keep moving.
Meteria: *Worried* Silver?
Brioche: Hey, are you-
Silver: I'm fine. Let's just go.
He cut him off and the three had an awkward climb back up. They did the usual routine, but Silver hardly said anything before parting ways with them. He didnt even follow Meteria home and just went in his own. He arrived back at the Manor and went to the training area after dropping off any unnecessary things in his room. He went to the field and trained with his sword. He did practice swings for a few minutes before stopping.
Silver: Damn it!!!
He threw the sword to the ground and punched the wall next to him, barely even leaving a mark on it.
Silver: (Is this really all I can do?)
He had a look of anguish on his face. Tears began to leak out of his eyes as he remembered their words. He couldn't register the footsteps approaching him because of how deep in his head he was.
Chiron: What's troubling you, boy?
Silver: C-Chiron?!
The man smiled and gave a wave before he was face to face with him.
Chiron: You look troubled.
Silver: I'm fine!
Chiron: Come boy, we don't need a god to know that isn't true. What's bothering you?
Silver: You sure you have the time to waste it on me? *Depressed*
Chiron: *Smirk* Hmph, of course.
And so, he told the man about what happened during the very beginning of the expedition. How he endangered his party and the ridicule he received.
Chiron: (Damn, those ladies need to calm it down. He's still a child.) I see. Well, you can be happy that your party made it out ok.
Silver: Doesn't change the fact that she got hurt because of me. Their words weren't wrong either.
Chiron: That is up for debate, but that is no excuse for the slander they've tossed your way. It's unbecoming of our Familias especially with how many times we've worked together.
Silver: Look, I appreciate the encouragement, but the fact is I let them down because of my weakness.
Chiron put his finger on his chin as he thought about how to handle this. Then, an idea came into his mind.
Chiron: How about this? Since they are going to be gone for a while, I'll train you myself until they return. Once they do, you can show them what you're really made of.
Silver: What?! I can't do that?! There are others here that need your attention!!
Chiron: They are more than capable of handling themselves. My attention is required on the young soul in front of me who needs the guidance of his superiors.
Silver: But sir-
Chiron: This isn't just for you either. You have people you want to support too, don't you?
A white haired girl came into view in his mind. If it meant being able to stand with her, he'd do it.
Silver: Fine, but I can't make any promises that I'll live up to your expectations. A talentless student won't amount to much.
Chiron: Alright, enough of that talk. I'll be the judge of whether or not your useless. The value of a student is reflected on the skill of their teacher. Worst comes to worst, I'll have to get creative, but I doubt it will come to that. I expect you here in the evening after you return from the dungeon.
Silver: O-Okay.
Chiron: *Smiling* Good! Now, I also came here because Lord Zeus wants to see you as soon as possible.
Silver: Dad? Did he say why?
Chiron: No, but he's waiting for you in the library.
Silver: Alright then. I'll see you during training tomorrow, Sir.
Chiron: *Smiling* That's going to be Master starting tomorrow.
Silver: *Smile* Right.
The boy then made his way back to the library. When he walked inside, he saw Zeus there with the book he read before.
Silver: Dad, you wanted to see me?
Zeus: Ah, finally. Good to see you looking better, my boy! No doubt Chiron helped raise your spirit.
Silver: It's flattering he thinks so highly of me, but I'm scared to disappoint him. He's training me for nearly 2 months after all.
Zeus: Oh, don't worry. You're in good hands. Onto another topic, I need your attention here.
He laid out the old book for him.
Silver: This book again? Isn't it just a story book you out together?
Zeus: Yes, but there's a bit more to it than that. You see, I may have had a little too much to drink while drawing some of these pictures, and possibly leaked some arcanum into the pages.
Silver: You what?!
Zeus: Yes, it's why this page was blank. The person you saw here isn't there anymore. If we use some of the magic items here, you can probably see them in your mind.
Silver: Why does this matter?
Zeus: Because there's no telling how this interaction could affect your falna. The arcanum from the pages at worst could cause interference and nullify its effects. The items will put your consciousness into your mind and then you can find away for remove that energy from your body.
Silver: O-Okay, but how would I do that?
Zeus: That's something you have to find out for yourself. I can't really help you beyond this point.
He got nervous as he wasn't used to his Father being this serious since it wasnt about women. He brought them to a another room that looked to be set up already.
Zeus: Now, sit in that chair while I get the other things we need.
Silver did so and Zeus gave him two things to wear: a ring and a headpiece which both had a blue gem in each.
Silver: Are both of these supposed to do what we need.
Zeus: Yes, I just need to channel lightning magic with this magic knife.
Silver: *Nervous* And you're sure this will work?
Zeus: Of course.
He grabbed the knife and prepared to swing the magic at him.
Zeus: Or it'll zap you really badly. *Swing*
Silver: Wait, what-
He was cut off once the electric current traveled all the way to the head piece. Now the gem glowed blue and the boy felt like he was falling. When he picked himself up, he looked around and saw only a white void around him.
Silver: Where is this? Is this my head?
He pinched himself and it felt very real to him. After walking around for a while, he saw another person staring off into the distance. He tried calling out to them, but they didnt hear him. He got closer and put his hand on his shoulder. The figure felt the touch and jolted a bit before turning around. Silver got a good look at him and saw he was the person he saw in the back that time.
???: Ah, there you are. We've finally made a link with each other?
Silver: A link? Wait, let's start with who you are.
Argo: The name is Argonaut, but Argo for short works.
The man, now named Argo, stared at Silver intensely.
Argo: Hm, so you're all that's left, huh? Well, better than nothing I guess. It's too bad no one else was able to be blessed by a god before they passed. Oh well, I'll make it quick.
Silver: Hold up, are you the Argonaut from the legend?
Argo: Legend? Ha! Looks like Orna's book was a hit after all!!
The man celebrated before moving behind Silver.
Silver: How are you even here? You've been dead since long ago.
Argo: I can't really say. All I know is I was contracted with the spirit Jupiter, so you could say that part of me lived in Zeus too after I died. I don't really get it either.
Silver: I guess that explains the arcanum in my body now.
Argo: Not sure what you're going on about, but I'll need you to hold still for a bit.
The man placed his hand on his back and Silver felt a light crackling. He turned and saw that Argo began to look transparent.
Silver: Your body!!
Argo: I don't have much time left, so I can't really answer all your questions. Long story short, I'm your ancestor and you're my descendant. Sharing my and Ariadne's blood makes you are the last of the lineage of Lakrios. I guess you somehow slipped away from royalty and lived commoner lives. Well, I'm giving you a blessing of my own. I've still got some of Jupiter's power, so I'll merge it with you since being related to me will make you much more compatible.
It was then that Silver felt a great burning sensation on his back.
Argo: Sorry about that, just bear with it.
When he removed his hand from his back, the energy still crackled around him before slowly dying down.
Argo: That should do it. Also, before you ask why I did that, I just want you to know that all I gave you was an opportunity to become something greater than you are right now. It'll be confusing right now, but you'll understand over time.
His body then began fading away even more.
Argo: Guess my time is up. What you do now is up to you. By the way, I added a little of my own spice in there. A guy never has enough resources when it comes to the ladies. Good luck!!
The man faded away and now it was just Silver there who couldn't utter a single word at the amount of information pounded into him. When he realized it, he then came to and saw he was in the room with Zeus again. The old god was startled when the boy gasped suddenly.
Zeus: Silver, are you Alright? Did it work? What happened?
Silver: I... I'm not sure. It all felt like a dream. I was with the person from the book, then he said he left me a gift of his own before disappearing.
Zeus: Hmm, well, if you put it like that, then it sounds like you at least got rid of the problem. Though, I'll update your status to see more closely.
They went to the boy's room and Zeus did the update. The god was shocked at what he was seeing.
Silver Cranel
Zeus Familia
Level 1
Str H-150 - H-155
End G-210 - G-218
Dex H-163 - H-169
Agl F-319 - F-325
Mag I-0
Magic
Jupiter
-Lightning enchant magic
Chant: Strike/Jupiter
The boy looked at the sheet with wide eyes like his Dad.
Silver: T-This is... real?
Zeus: The falna doesn't lie. Whatever they did gave you magic.
Silver: The person said I was the last of his lineage or something and that no one else had gotten a falna.
Zeus: Well, this has been a hectic night for us. You should get some sleep and he ready for tomorrow.
Silver: Right.
Zeus left and went to his room where he sunk into a chair and thought about what happened.
Zeus: Who would have thought he would inherit part of my spirit's power. This should be interesting, but what bloodline was he talking about?
The next day, Silver was in much higher spirits than yesterday. This was mostly because he was curious about his new magic that the humiliation and disappointment he felt had been forgotten. Brioche and Meteria were surprised to see him looking better after what happened.
Silver: Hey, guys!!
Brioche: Oh... hey.
Silver: What's with that reaction?
Brioche: Sorry, I'm just surprised. I mean, after what happened yesterday, I'm surprised to see you in a good mood.
Silver: Yesterday...
He recalled the events in the dungeon and was surprised he forgot.
Silver: Oh, right. Well, I had some stranger experiences later into that day, so I guess I forgot.
Meteria: Like what?
Silver: Well, for starters, I'm going to be training under Chiron until the expedition is over. I also want to test out the new magic I have.
Brioche: Back up a sec, THE Chiron is training you?
Silver: Yeah, a request from Dad but something he also wanted to do.
Meteria: Wow, congratulations. Wait, magic?
Silver: I'll see in the dungeon.
Brioche: Well, let's not waste anymore time! I gotte see this!!
The three hurriedly ran down and began tearing through the monsters there. They reached Floor 4 and sw a group of dungeon lizards. The monsters turned to the adventurers and were about to attack.
Silver: This should be good enough for a test.
Brioche: All yours buddy!
Meteria: Good luck!!!
Silver smirked before getting his sword out and chanting.
Silver: Strike Jupiter
Immediately after he said that, there was a faint crackling sound followed by a the sound of a thunder strike. When the two looked t their friend again, they sw he was cloaked in a veil of lightning. The was a crackling sound that constantly filled the air now. When they boy went to attack, his bodies flashed and a loud thunderclap rang in the room. When the two opened their eyes again, they were met with the rapid poofing of the dungeon lizards as they exploded into dust, dropping their magic stones.
Silver: Ugh... *Dizzy*
He released the enchantment and grabbed his head, feeling dizzy. His friends saw this and looked at him with amazement before running to him.
Brioche: By the gods, that was incredible!!
Meteria: You looked so cool!! Where did you get that spell?!
Silver: I'm, uh, not entirely sure. I never got a grimoire, but it appeared in my status after an update last night.
Brioche: *Puts his hand on Silver's shoulder* Well, those girls won't be calling you weak when they see that!
Silver: I definitely feel stronger already. Now I just need to work hard with Chiron, and I'll show everyone what I can do!!
Meteria: Yeah!!!
Brioche: We still have lot's of time, so let's keep going!!
The three did their usual thing and came back up after a few more hours. They got their money and went their separate ways as Silver went to meet his Master at the training fields.
Silver: Master!!
The man turned and saw the boy arrive.
Chiron: Good, right on time.
Silver: I'll try not to disappoint you!!
Chiron: I know you will. Now then, since it's the first day, we'll start small. Since the accident you had during the start of the expedition is still fresh in your mind, we can start with some basic combat training.
Silver: Okay, and what would that be-
Chiron: DODGE!!!
Punch*
Silver: GAH!!!
Thud*
He hardly got any time to react before he was punched in the face and fell.
Chiron: No no, you need to be able to avoid danger. Dodging is an essential skill that everyone has to master.
Silver: Gh, I understand.
Chiron: Good, then on your feet.
The boy got up once more. The punch didn't hurt as much as he initially thought. It was probably because the man was holding back, but now Silver had to be on guard before-
Chiron: DODGE!!!
Punch*
This process would repeat for a while until the boy was able to get a feel for detecting immediate danger. However, he would just get beaten up for a while.
Meanwhile...
Meteria was finished cleaning herself up and was now tending to her armor in her room. It was quiet until she heard a knock on her door.
Meteria: Yes?
June: It's me, young lady.
Meteria: Come in.
She let the maid in and June saw how the girl was tending to her gear. After cleaning her armor, she grabbed the tools to sharpen her axe.
June: We will begin your lessons on Floors 9 and 10 soon.
Meteria: Okay, I'll meet you in the library.
The maid nodded and left the room as Meteria wrapped things up on her end.
Meteria: I wonder how he's doing?
With Silver...
After nearly 2 hours of being punched, he finally had a break and moved on to sword training. A brief spar should Chiron that the boy was just below average in terms of skill which was better than he was expecting.
Chiron: Your swordsmanship could use work, but you were better than I anticipated. For now, we'll just drill some basic skills into your body. Having them as muscle memory will be useful in the future.
Silver: Yes, sir!!!
The boy would be practicing well into the night. It wouldn't be until an hour after dark that Chiron decided that would be enough.
Chiron: Good, that will do for today.
Thud*
Silver: Hah... hah...
Chiron: I think doing this for the first week or so should be sufficient. After that, we will reduce some of that time so you can spend some of it strengthening your body.
Silver: Yes... sir...
Chiron: Now, go wash up and get some rest.
The boy nodded and limped to the wash room. After changing his clothes, he went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed. He hardly had any time to reflect on the day before he was out like a light. The same could be said for Meteria. The girl was also hard at work and June did not take it easy on her. The information on the floors, the monsters that were there and strategies to combat them were drilled into her mind. She too passed out, but had to be carried by the maid back to her room. Though, the other maids were jealous that June had the privilege to princess carry the young lady as even Hera growled in jealousy. Of course, these two aren't the only ones giving their all. The expedition team would also be hard at work. Those present in the dungeon would be reminded why they stood as the strongest in the world.
AN: Done! I know Iprobablyconfused you and that this probably didn't solve that at all. That whole bit in his mind was just a way to show he was related to them. When Bell is born, I would rather there be a legitimate reason he looks like Argonaut rather than it just being coincidence. I also needed Silver to get an upgrade, but not some overpowered skill like Bell, so spirit powers it is. Next chapter, we see what happens to the expedition team.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you liked this one. Tell me what you thought about this chapter and I'll see you in the next one.