Ottar pov

From my lady, I was given a task. Find a suitable monster that can grow. For now, I was testing an ogre. It had swung its club but shattered on impact.

To weak. I slew it in a single blow before moving on. It has been a full week and no monster had the potential to grow. All were just bloodthirsty beasts fighting on instinct alone.

This proccess had repeated several times already. Until I found an oddity. A monster that can grow for sure. But its blows felt like it was hungering for something more than blood.

It felt like it called for a challenge. And I answered.

Rimuru pov

There was one main reason why I wanted to have Bell team up is to be a leader. I'm not going to be here forever after all!

But anyways... I'm just going to watch them fight for a little while and head back up to the surface. There wasn't much to see here except them slowly getting used to fighting as a pair.

Bell had adjusted to Lili's support almost immediatley. He was able to fight more recklessly and he didn't have to watch his back constantly either. It did lead to a few mistakes where he was surrounded, but I pulled him out.

Regardless, Bell was improving fast and was more adaptable than before. He's gaining plenty of combat experience, but hasn't pushed his limits. Yet.

Well, he'll eventually get there. Maybe give him a full year and he can unlock the hero's egg. But that's another matter altogether. What Bell needs the most is a new set of gear.

The things he has right now were almost broken by the silverback. They were repaired and he got a new supporter, but that was it.

There is a place for adventurers to get new equipment in Babe. Bell hasn't gone there yet so I'll have him buy fresh equipment. To bad the good stuff is all expensive. I guess bell could gain the money later on and pay for something new.

Freya pov

For hundreds of years, I have looked into the dungeon. And it, has looked into me.

Only a small handful of gods are aware of the dungeons sentient nature. The very heart of the dungeon however, is in a place where mortals can't reach. Alive that is.

It is a place bordering this lower world and the upper world. It blurs the line as it accrues emotions such as hatred and jealousy. All wrapped up in a disgusting package called monsters.

All the emotions of those who died has burn gathering in the deepest parts of the Labrynth. And the vessel that contains them is Babel itself. Ouranous, the god who designed Babel to seal the dungeon and is still managing it to this day, was clever disguising a seal within a seal. What he didn't expect however, was another god draining the emotions trapped within. A kind of taproot to release the suppressed emotion.

The negative emotions trapped within Babel have two major uses: one is to suppress the dungeon. The other, however, was to resonate with it. If I could resonate with the dungeon, I may be able to take control of it's power. However, that carries it's own risks.

It is only a theory but if I try and resonate within the dungeon and fail, then I would cease to exist in the lower world. Nor could I try and reach the upper world. I would be trapped in the ethereal void between our realms.

But if it is successful, then I would be an existence similar to the supreme god. A power deeply rooted and engrained within the laws of the world. And with absolute authority over them.

The only problem is how to distract Ouranous. He won't sit by quietly if I do resonate with the dungeon. And getting rid of him would alert the rest of the gods of my actions.

What a troublesome situation. Even if I redirect his attention elsewhere, he will always prioritize the dungeon regardless.

Oh... That may be a good idea. If he is aware at all times, then I wonder if I can bind that awareness.

All I need is for someone to take the fall in my place. And that would be a rather simple matter. All I need is the right pawns.

Bell pov

After today's dungeon crawl, Rimuru had split the rewards for today between me and Loli at 50:50. Something that actually shocked Lili. She had expected at most an 80:20 or even a 90:10 split at most.

It was actually something I asked her to do. Rimuru didn't understand why I asked but... It didn't feel right taking most of the rewards.

Afterwards, Rimuru had took me up Babel. Where we ended up however... Was an equipment shop run by the Hepheastus Familia. And one of the higher class shops as well.

It really wasn't really where we were going. We only stopped because we ran into a familiar face.

"Err.. Hestia-sama. What are you doing here?" What Hestia was doing was working as a store clerk. Something nearly impossible given her time in the lower world. (Lazing around under Heaphestus' care. Until she got kicked out)

"W-well..." Hestia was shaking in her boots. At this point, she might as well be completely honest.

"Hey Hestia. How much did Bell's knife cost?" The minute those words left Rimuru's mouth, Hestia's fate was sealed.

What followed was a dogeza like no other. It was both pathetic, yet awe-inspiring at the same time.

"So. How much did that knife cost you?" That knife could only be referring to one thing.

A blade made of mithril and the blood of a god making it indestructible and powerful.

"XXX" Hestia had muttered something.

"What was that?" Rimuru and I couldn't hear a word.

"200 million" You could hear a pin drop at that figure as silence permeated the room.

I had pulled my knife out and inspected it. Or more specifically, the runes. Runework was rather famous as it requires a top class blacksmiths or gods to properly utilize.

And thinking back, Hestia had to attune the weapon to my Falna. Attunement was complicated job only the gods and a handful of blacksmiths could accomplish.

Speaking of which... When I compared the weapons in the shop to my knife, there quality was practically the same. Only the (you get the point by now).

I felt a chill down my spine and as I look up ,Rimuru seemed to be cloaked in a black aura. The kind of aura you see on dragons.

"So, how badly did you get scammed?" Captain looked more demon than human.