The skies high above just painted themselves with dark colors, as the clouds collided a strip of light escaped followed by the roar of the thunder. The heavy downpour washed away my blood coated body. I stood still motionless in disbelief, the disbelief of what I had done.

The rain washes away my blooded blades leading to the ground filled with pool of blood. Around me lied people in numbers who were completely bathed in their own blood. No… it was I who made them bath with their own blood.

My hands trembled at the sight, body felt colder and colder as the silent paus dragged off until I heard a voice, menacingly laughing at me. It was not only him; he was restrained by three more people whom I knew very well. A girl who leads the three looked at me sympathetically.

"Like I said… you are no different from me… no different from a murderer you murderer." His laugh was still heard by my numb ears, slowly those laughs were gone as he was taken away. I asked myself again and again… "I am no different from him?", "what have I done…"

My legs suddenly felt weak, my hand gripping the swords loosened up dropping them on the ground, followed by a thud. I was on my knees staring at the sky for few moments, after that I crawled my way towards the body of a girl. I took her by her head and gently pressed it on my chest, her red hair dipped in blood, green eyes that had already lost its luster but still had the smile on the face… the smile just for me. I gritted my teeth… my heart, mind, and throat screamed out loud in agony. I couldn't bear it, no… I will never be able to bear it. The weight of the guilt and the sin I have committed.

"Is this how Despair tastes like?"

Still being unstable I could feel eyes on me from a certain goddess who just gave me her sympathy from distance.

"No… I don't want to be seen by you… I have no right to…"

That day I cried out loud, I want to pour it out at once… all the feelings that had dwelled up in me because of this incident…

I had already decided… I will never… ever….

It was a cold breeze, I slowly opened my eyes and looked around with the corner of my eyes. I was still at the room that I took for a night stay. I sat up straight and looked outside the window, a clear daylight showed up.

"So… it was a dream after all…" I sighed and got up to get myself ready for the day. In few minutes I changed my clothes and quickly took my bag and my black iron sword. Taking my leave from the room onwards to the reception.

It was good to know that the room for night stay around here was cheaper, otherwise in Orario finding places to stay are pretty hard to get in cheaper rates. The center of the world sure does put up an impression.

Orario, this place is also called the city of adventurers and heroes who fight monsters that come from the hole. The hole is what we call the dungeon, as heard it is a place where the monsters randomly spawn depending on the level an adventurer is at.

Not necessarily all who live here are adventurers, there are common town people who just live here enjoying the land filled with adventurers. Not to mention this place holds number of festivals and trademarks where people would visit.

As for me… I am wandering here and there looking for a familia. In general, I am pretty strong already but for the safety and unnecessary suspicion, my previous god, Zeus… or simply said gramps decided to just seal off my falna. No one would dare to believe in an adventurer who has crossed being level 6 outside of Orario.

Yes, you have got that right, my actual level is 6 but I have suppressed it back to level 1. Well, if I have to be honest, it is kind of illegal to use this trick but it was for my own good. After using this the old man, himself went into hiding before he gets caught for the act, none the fact that he is still roaming around to get heroes that could make it into story books and write a page of history filled with their adventures.

As I was passing by the streets, I saw many adventurers chatting and complaining at the same time. There were two kids who were running ahead as their parents slowly caught up to them. Oh, seems like the merchant had just sold off his things at a high price, the glow in his face says it all.

Oh, another fact about this place is that all the races live here in peace. Beast humans, humans, demi-humans, elves, dwarves and half-races, live here together, venture the dungeon together. Laugh cry and eat together, they are all like a family. If I have to look at something like this then this would be not that easy outside this land.

I finally made it to a temple like structure which is supposedly called the guild, this is the place which manages everything that happens in Orario, especially the dungeon affairs and missions are also handed out here.

I quickly made my way in and asked the person at the counter for any familia that has not yet been created. Already knowing the fact that I won't bee able to join stronger familia unless I tell them about my real level and strength, but then again I hate being in a tug of war with the gods.

The attendant was a beautiful half-elf… se seemed to be similar to my age but I can't say how old she is. Elves still look young no matter how old they get… unless they are around their 200 years they might have a face of a old person.

The elf's name was Eina and she was super nice to me. She took up some records and showed me the list of gods that wanted to open up a familia. I skimmed through every single one of them but I can't just go on and make pact with anyone just like that. I just nodded and thanked her, taking note of the names I decided to look at them myself and then decide. The girl gave me a friendly bye and got back to her work.

I checked out the places where the listed gods were present at but none of them seemed capable type for me. I have to find someone who I can trust on keeping my level as a secret, to think forming a pact will be this hard. By forming pact, I meant getting the blessings of the gods to fight monsters and grow stronger quickly. We form pact as a vow to gods that we will follow them while they give us the power to fight.

After walking past soo many gods I decided to rest for some time. At this point of time my stomach grumbled, it was almost dusk.

"Ah… to think about it I haven't eaten at all today."

I looked here and there and found a stall that was selling a snack. Well might as well eat it for now. As I visited a stall I saw a little girl with enormous size of bust asking me with a smile for my order, at first it felt a bit weird… especially her aura. I asked for the snack then analyzed this girl for a bit.

I could feel some kind of divine aura from her, is she a god? I wondered.

"Excuse me but are you a goddess?" I ask without hesitation to which she nodded in agreement.

Her name is Hestia, the goddess of home and heart. Apparently, she is just living around thanks to her friend but now that friend of her is stubborn as she does not work at all. Though she had decided to work hard but at the moment she earned to create a familia. I paused for the moment and thought about it.

Maybe she would do… I wondered. I directly asked her to start a familia with me to which she jumped in joy and grabbed my hands as she started celebrating. After her shift ended, she dragged me through the alleyways finally standing up in front of a rundown church.

"This is our home now!"

"This place… is where you live?"

"Well, I can't help it, Hephaistos was generous enough to at least lend me this space."

I said nothing and went with a flow. At fist glance she might seem to be energetic, but I could easily tell that she was a loner. She quickly prepared for the ritual and tapped the surface of the bed for me to lie down, I took off my shirt and laid down. She was impressed to see my well-built body and expected that she got a strong familia member, but I knew she would be a little bit disappointed after she sees my level. Her expectations drown with her face as she squints on the level portion, but soon those squinted eyes spread out like butter on bread after seeing my abilities and skill. Confusingly she looks at me and then at the paper simultaneously for like five times. I sighed and told her about my little secret. She got a little bit afraid after I told her the truth but have to say she is strong willed and promised to keep it between us. Though one ability did bother her as it was stroked out and was highest in the point chart but she decided to not ask about that for now. And so, Hestia familia was born…

Bell Cranel

Level 1

STR: I 0

END: I 0

DEX: I 0

VIT: I 0

AGI: I 0

MAG: I 0

Developmental Abilities:-

Swordsman C

Luck B

Abnormal resistance D

Escape A

Hunter A

-Celestial Blade S--

Skills:-

Ox Slayer: Status boost increases while fighting against bull type monsters.

Argonaut: Instant charge strike, can be infused with weapons and ejected as powerful brute skill.

Liaris Freese: Rapid growth, stronger the desire, stronger the growth.

Magic:-

Flame Burst : No chant enchanted magic.

Thunderous purge: No chant triggering magic.

It has been two whole weeks since the birth of Hestia familia, both of us are working hard to earn money for the time being. I was assigned an advisor which was none other than Eina, that made me a bit happy and comfortable as she was almost same age as mine, I am just a year younger than her.

I have to admit, she is one harsh woman who is workaholic as well as a strict teacher. It is thanks to her I studied about the dungeon and was able to take over the dungeon with easy, even if it was just the earlier floors. Sometimes I just went ahead to middle floors and got good loot, but I could not fool her so whenever I cash out I make sure she won't be there to take note of it. It had been good time grinding experience which would directly add to my level 6 status board but physically shown in my suppressed board. Experience was more than enough to make me overcome the small challenges for rookie adventurers.

It was just another day at dungeon slaying the monster, but it was the time when I heard a huge roar cutting through the ends of the room, I stood still and soon a hoof appeared, then the red eyes showed up turning at me. It was a human legged and body monster with a bull head. A minotaur at this level? If I remembered, Eina said these things only show up around 16th or 17th floor. A simple guess was it was either making its way here or it was chased away. The monster looked at me and raised its axe to strike me.

I just simply stood there and pulled my sword and blocked its swing with ease, the minotaur was left surprised for the moment.

"Look little guy," I pushed away its axe and just patted its broad nose, "you are weak and you will die so… take your leave."

I turned my back and started to march off, hoping that the ones who let it here would kill it but no, the minotaur took it as a taunt and came in for a strike. It took me few seconds to take out the sword and sweep it through from its head to torso. The monster's blood splattered out and left in thin air with the dust, the magic stone dropped. I grabbed the stone and just celebrated my hunt even thought it was supposed to be someone else's prey.

As I was about to leave a blonde girl shows up asking for the minotaur. After telling her that the situation is already handled, she seemed to be a bit relieved, though she didn't seem to show it on her face. I took a quick look at her and then noticed an emblem of a clown.

"You are a Loki familia member?"

The girl nodded.

"Oh well… I am from Hestia familia… since we are gonna venture the dungeon we might bound to meet at some point."

For this she tilted her head.

I just gave an awkward smile then pulled out my hand to her, she starred at it and heard me out.

"I am Bell Cranel… nice to meet you." I gave out a normal smile to her.

She seemed to hesitate for some reason so I decided to not push it up, but at the end she shook my hand and spoke.

"Likewise… I am Ais Wallenstein."

"Ais Wallenstein eh… it's a nice name. Well then let's do our own best in this dungeon."

She didn't understand what I meant to say but she nodded. Soon after a beast human came, seeing me shaking hands with the girl made him tsk, Ais then let go of my hand.

"Ais, are you done?" the beast human asked to which the blonde responded yes but mentioning that I had already taken care of it.

"Hm… you?... well for a rookie not bad, but don't you get all cozy with the strongest adventurer."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's go Ais…"

Idk why but I kind of hate him already, also was it just me or Ais just pouted out to him.

After some time, it was a day for me to be remembered. I still remember the goal I came here for. To get stronger and protect those I care for… and to make sure I won't be worst as I was back then. With that I made my way back home and told everything to Hestia. And with that another night passes.