Here we go. Another chapter. I'm pretty much doing alot of time skips to further the story so we can get to the good parts. Bells party is still super small and will remain small until... Well I'm thinking until after Goliath. Not sure yet as I haven't decided too much on things. I think the 18th floor thing will fast forward the timelines of the canon events with a certain woman.
Anyways. Enjoy!
Loki and Bell separated once they got home, with Loki returning to her room to brood about the events of the party. She wasn't mad at Bell, in fact she respected him for what he tried to do, but it opened up a whole new can of worms that she wasn't sure what would happen. Would Freya retaliate against the Familia when the other members were all gone? That's what worried her. Bell, on the other hand, retired to his own room. He had stripped down to his underwear and laid down on his bed, looking straight up at the ceiling, contemplating.
'I hope Freya isn't mad…' He thought, before shutting his eyes and drifting to sleep.
The next morning came early, since Bell had went to bed at an earlier hour. He woke up before the sun would rise. With a sigh, he sat up and rubbed his hair a few times before looking at the ceiling. 'What am I going to do…? I… I wonder if Freya will want to see me again…?' Bell wondered before shaking his head. 'Maybe I'll just avoid her for now… I need to get ready for the dungeon. I haven't had my status updated yet… but I don't think Loki wants to see me right now either… and it's not like I got much better stats with the small run yesterday… Maybe later then.' Bell thought, before getting up off the bed. He got dressed in his dungeon clothes, before donning his armor. He placed arm bands around his forearms before attaching his knife to the arm guard slot. He stretched his body and looked at himself in the mirror.
'I'm going to get stronger… I'm going to get faster. I won't ever be needing a rescue again. Ever. I will not be the embarrassment anymore.' Bell thought firmly, pumping his right fist in front of him, before he left. As he walked down the stairs, he didn't catch Loki above him from her floor, watching.
'So much more confidence from him. I hope you can continue to grow Bell.' Loki thought, before returning to her room.
Up on top of Babel, the Goddess of Beauty stood in front of the one way window. Her eyes shifted when she spotted the pure soul of the boy that had captured her attention. Her eyes narrowed as she took her bottom lip with her teeth, nibbling on it.
'That boy…' She thought, placing a hand over her heart. 'Perhaps I have lost who I was…'
Bell stood before Babel, looking up at the top floor as he felt those eyes on him again. He stared right to where the feeling was, knowing that Freya was up there staring at him. Bell would lift his right hand up, giving her a slight wave before he turned around, heading off towards the Hephaestus Familia. He was going to go into the dungeon for a little bit, but decided against it as he wanted to wait for Welf.
Freya watched with interest, seeing as Bell had approached the guild only to stare up at her. She could see his eyes boring into her own, despite the window in front of them. She placed her right hand onto the window, before he lifted his own in a wave. Freya felt a blush creep up on her face as her heart thrummed in her chest. 'He's so… brave.' She thought with a flush. It was then Ottar entered the room, grunting from having to duck down thanks to being larger than the door.
"My Lady." Ottar greeted. Freya had her head kept on the window, her eyes closed as she felt her heart race. Ottar looked a little concerned, but said nothing. He knew she would tell him if there was a problem.
"Ottar… You know my story. You know that I could never love you the way you all want me to."
"I'm aware My Lady. I've made my peace about that long ago."
"The others don't understand… but you always did." Freya said with a small smile without looking at Ottar. She kept her eyes closed and her forehead on the glass. "I suppose that is why I made you my captain. You were always understanding… I do hope you can find someone to give you the love you desire."
"In time My Lady, but you are my priority."
"Thank you…"
"So, that… Bell. Are you upset with him from last night?"
"No. Nothing of that sort. I've come to the conclusion that he is the one for me… No one has made my heart beat like that in centuries."
"I see. Shall we take him then?" He asked, prepared for war. Freya shook her head.
"I don't think I will steal him away after all… He showed me something last night. His pureness… I cannot taint that. If I stole him away… I'd make him lose that pure bright light…"
"Then what do you want to do?" Ottar asked. Freya hummed.
"I want him and I will get him… but it must be mutual." Freya stated, before smiling. "Hmm. Perhaps a peace offering will be a good start?"
"If that is what you wish."
"I think our little hero could use some help… Would you be up for training someone?"
"I see no harm in it. How do you suggest we proceed?"
"No need to make it hidden… perhaps we invite him to the mansion for some training."
"If that is what the Lady wishes." Ottar replied, bowing his head.
"Thank you Ottar… for all you do." The Goddess muttered, before looking back at the window. She watched Bell's aura, seeing him head in the direction of the Hephaestus mansion.
Bell arrived at the front door after being let through the gate. When he knocked, once again Hephaestus was the one who answered since most of her Familia was out with the Loki Familia's dungeon crawl.
"Ah, hello again. Last night was interesting." She commented, getting Bell to nod.
"Yes… Is Welf up? He said we'd go to the dungeon if he was ready… and I was hoping he might be?"
"Ah, sorry about that. He actually isn't going to be going to the dungeon today or tomorrow, though you can blame me for that. I apologize. I actually sent a letter to your home to let you know, but guess it's too late for that." She said, giving him a nod. "He'll be in the forge for today and tomorrow, making a few things for you. After tomorrow, you can meet up with him and get your new gear." Hephaestus explained. Bell nodded.
"Oh… well tell him I said thank you! He didn't have to do any of that!" Bell exclaimed, getting the Goddess of the Forge to smile.
"I'll be sure to tell him that. You be safe in the dungeon now you hear?" Hephaestus said, before closing the door behind her. Bell left the mansion porch, sighing.
'Well, that blows… Well, guess I can try to see how far I can go without him. Hmm.' Bell thought, before grinning. 'A challenge!' Bell began to run now, rushing off towards the manor in order to prepare.
It took him three hours but Bell had reached floor twelve, where he and Welf at last reached together. Upon arriving, Bell immediately found the cliff, taking a bit of respite. He had went back home to gather supplies, including lunch and a few potions. Taking a seat on the rock face of the cliff, he took out a potion and drank it down, feeling the multiple cuts and bruises start to clear away. 'Man… Those Hard Armored's hit almost as hard as that Silverback.' Bell cursed before pulling out his lunch. He had packed a total of three sandwich's as he didn't know how long he would stay down today. Each sandwich was a typical ham and cheese with mustard. He also got an apple, a small mason jar of pickle juice and several containers of water.
"This is the last floor to the middle floors. I remember reading that there are Hellhounds on the next floor starting… and they breathe a fire magic type of deal. Might need to plan for that." Bell commented aloud.
"You read ahead of time of what the future floors may have. That'll serve you well." Spoke a deep voice, which terrified Bell, making him yelp and jump in place, almost falling off but he caught himself. He turned his head and his eyes went wide. It was the giant Boaz, Ottar!
"U-U-Uh." Bell stuttered, staring down the highest level adventurer in all of Orario, as well as Freya's captain.
"You are stronger than expected. Level 2 within a month is impressive." Ottar stated, before approaching to sit next to Bell. He held his hand out, staring down at Bell's lunch. Bell gulped, nodding before handing one of his two remaining sandwich's over to the massive Boaz. Ottar stared at the ham, humming at the irony, before eating the sandwich.
"You… are going to kill me here where no one can see?" Bell asked quietly, which got the attention of Ottar who glanced over. He finished his sandwich a minute later, before shaking his head.
"No. I'm here to actually see if you would like to train with me."
"Train with you…?"
"Yes. The Lady agreed to not try and steal you away… and as a peace offering, suggested I go see if I can help you get stronger."
"I… she's not mad?" Bell asked. Ottar shook his head in the negative.
"Not at all. I do not speak ill of my lady, but, what you said to her. I think it was beneficial to her. She admitted to things I already knew, apologizing and thanking me. I believe you are a good influence on her." Ottar admitted.
"Oh. I… well I am glad that you think so…"
"She's in love with you. Or at least, shes infatuated." Ottar admitted, looking out at the misty dungeon floor. "To her, you are her Odr. Alot of people are going to be very jealous to know that you gained her affections."
"I… I can't say I love her myself… I think shes very pretty and if my Grandpa was right with the stories.. then she is a wonderful person. I just think maybe her loneliness corrupted her…"
"It's a possibility. I cannot confirm nor deny as she was always like this. Just know, she takes love seriously, so be sure to give it your all if you chose to pursue her."
"I… I will." Bell said, sighing softly.
"Now then. Let's get started with some training. I want to see what you can do." Ottar said, getting up before leaping down from the cliff, making a large cloud of dust when he collided with the floor below. "I won't attack. I want to see how you fight." Bell stood up and grabbed his knife, staring Ottar down before leaping off the cliff with a yell, aiming for Ottar's blade who raised it to block. Bell's training would now begin.
Loki sighed in pleasure as she exited the bathhouse in a cloud of steam. She had a big smile on her face as she just got back from a stress relief bath. She had turned the heat up a few degrees and just soaked, relaxing away all of the stress she had been dealing with ever since the party. Of course, her name was Loki, not Lucky… for the stress was about to return full force. When she entered her room, she noticed an envelope had been placed on her night stand. She noted that one of her other members, a butler or maid, had gotten something in the mail for her. She removed her towel and began to get dressed in her normal attire, having multiple sets obviously. She took a seat on the bed before grabbing the letter, opening it up. A frown filled her face and her eyebrows scrunched as she read the letter.
'This can't be good… damnit. Of course, Freya is making her move.' Loki cursed. 'Want's to just talk… yea right. More like declare war… Damnit!' Loki cursed, again before getting her shoes on. She didn't have anyone to escort her, but she was in Orario and most people knew better than to mess with her so she wasn't too concerned. She left the mansion after letting the lead butler and maid know where she was heading, just in case there was an emergency. She took a carriage, due to the Freya Familia living on the other side of the city.
It took about thirty minutes to get across the city, giving the trickster Goddess plenty of time to mull over the possibilities. Each ending in all out war, or one of them being sent back to heaven. Considering she was sure Freya's Familia was not in the dungeon, it was most likely going to be herself. She dreaded the coming confrontation, but she knew not answering the invitation was going to be an even bigger problem. She didn't have any choice, especially with her Familia out of the city.
When she arrived, the gates opened up even before she stepped out of the carriage. She was expected after all. With a scowl on her face, she walked through the large ivory gates. She walked down the long pathway, feeling eyes on her from all over. From roof tops, from the windows, from the gardens, from behind her at the gates. She was being watched and it unnerved the Goddess. With a sigh, she walked up to the doors which also opened up as soon as she stepped up onto the top step, once more making the Goddess feeling even more unnerved. She hated this feeling, hated being trapped, but she had to try. There was someone there waiting, the level six adventurer, Allen Fromel. He stared down Loki with disgust, not even trying to hide it. He was -not- a fan of Loki or her Familia, let alone the newest member who had stolen his Goddesses love and attention.
"She's expecting you. Let's go." He said, turning to escort the trickster towards the dining room which was located directly across from the entrance, through a set of double doors. Loki glared at the back of Allen's head, hating the way he looked at her, but she didn't say anything. She wanted to get this over with so she could go home. Allen opened up the doors before slamming them shut once Loki was inside, barely missing her by an inch. Loki scowled behind her at the doors, before turning to face Freya who was sitting in the large throne like chair at the head of the table. She was already drinking from a wine glass. Freya looked over at Loki and gave a small smile.
"Greetings Loki. You look wonderful today." Freya said, trying to be friendly.
"Cut the shit." Loki intervened, not wanting any small talk. "What did you want? We both know you didn't invite me over here for anything other than the topic of Bell. You can't have him." Loki said vehemently, clenching her fists. Freya stared at Loki intensely for half a minute, before sighing.
"Yes. I suppose that's true. If it might temper your anger, I want to say, I won't be trying to steal Bell anymore." Freya said calmly. Loki looked a bit startled before her face returned to a scowl. She crossed her arms.
"Uh huh. Right and rainbows shoot out of my ass. You have been after him and that is why you threw the party."
"You are right. I threw that party in order to meet him and attempt to bring him to my side… but I am not going to try and steal him anymore." Freya stated, looking at Loki seriously. "I do not lie. I may stretch the truth, but I do not lie." Freya stated firmly.
"So, let's say you aren't going to steal Bell away… why the sudden change? What do you plan on doing?"
"Hmmm… What do I plan to do? I still want him… but I don't need him in my Familia to have him." Freya replied.
"We both know inter Familiar relationships are very much problematic." Loki pointed out, moving from her spot in front of the door to go take the seat that was pulled out near Freya. It was obvious it was meant for her.
"Oh true… but why should it be for us?" Freya asked. "We are the strongest Familia's here in Orario. I don't think we have much to worry about."
"And what makes you think our Familia's would accept that? Let alone Bell?"
"I'm not too concerned about mine. They won't do a damn thing without my say so." Freya said seriously. "They know better. It might be rocky at first, but I am confident that Bell and I can make it work." Freya nodded. "As for Bell? I can be pretty convincing." Freya said, giving a lustful smirk. Loki narrowed her eyes.
"I'm going to say this now. Even if this is all true, Bell isn't going to be Monogamous." Loki stated, which got Freya to raise her eyebrow.
"Oh? And you think that it's a concern?" Freya questioned.
"Is that a threat…? Are you threatening to get rid of any of his other women?!" Loki demanded, clenching her fists.
"Mmmm. Tempting idea… but no. That would be no good. I have no issue with the idea of him having a harem. I've been around the block through my years. I've done things that'll make Ishtar blush. As long as love is there, I am alright." Freya stated. "Do we have a deal?"
"A deal…. What exactly are you wanting?"
"I want… I want to go out with Bell Cranel and I won't attempt to steal him or harm your Familia. I will even go as far as to say, maybe a truce or an alliance down the line."
"I won't make any deals… but… If you are going to be truthful…" Loki trailed off before sighing. "I will allow you to try for Bell. I won't get in your way, but you will not steal him away in any form. I'm sure you noticed he's immune to your charms." Loki stated, before smirking.
"I noticed." Freya said, closing her eyes. "Splendid. Glad that we could come to an agreement." Loki grunted as she stood up from her chair.
"If that is all, I'm going to get going." Loki stated, staring Freya down. "You've changed."
"He opened my eyes, that is all." Freya replied.
"Hmm." Loki hummed before leaving the dining room, leaving Freya to drink and think. Loki left the home while under escort by the cat man Allen. She got into the carriage that was waiting for her outside, before sighing. 'What the fuck… WHAT THE FUCK!?'
Down deep on floor 12, Bell and Ottar were standing across from each other. Ottar looked perfectly fine, his breathing fine and not a scratch. Bell, on the other hand, was inhaling oxygen as if he had just got revived from drowning. He had multiple scratches all over his face, hands, arms, legs but he was still standing. His right eye was swollen shut, but Bell had a big grin on his face. This was fun! This was the strength of Ottar, the only level seven adventurer in all of Orario.
"Always go for the kill shot. The monsters down here do not care if you are brand new or experienced. They don't care if you are a high level or a low level. They will kill you without hesitation. You must not hesitate or you will lose your life. Your greatest attribute is going to be your speed and reaction. You don't have overwhelming strength like myself or Gareth. You don't have a plethora of magic like your Nine Hells elf. You don't have thick armor like Gareth. You are small and fast. Use it to your advantage. While stronger opponents may be able to keep up, you can still use it to your advantage. Even I would have trouble catching up to your Sword Princess who has one of the fastest speeds I've seen. Another thing you have going for you is technique. You have ranged capability due to your cables. Use these to your advantage as well. You don't even need to use them on your opponent. Traverse the battlefield with them. Throw objects with them. Use the battlefield to your advantage. Loose sand or dirt? Throw them in the eyes. Sharp rocks? Force your opponent into them. Loose rocks on the ceiling? Knock them free." Ottar said, before putting his blade away. "Remember all of this and you will be stronger than other people of your level. Skill is a great way to shorten the distance between you and your opponent. Just because you are level 2, doesn't mean you can't defeat a level 3."
"Y-yes sir! I appreciate all of the advice!" Bell said, only to catch a potion that Ottar had tossed over to him.
"Let's get out of here. It's getting late. I will find you again when its time for your next session." Ottar stated, before starting to walk off towards the entrance, leaving Bell behind for a few seconds before he ran to catch up.
They both split up after exiting the dungeon together, sending rumors through the guild and soon the city. Bell waved bye to Ottar who merely nodded slightly at him, before Bell ran off to head home. The sun had set, casting an orange glow across the skyline. Bell arrived home in twenty minutes, since he jogged home. Bell entered, running up the stairs with a big grin. He had to see Loki to get his status updated! He needed to see how much stronger he got after training with Ottar! Bell ran up to Loki's bedroom, knocking loudly three times.
"AH!" Loki yelped, surprised. "Who is it?!" Loki demanded, glaring at the door. She had been taking a nap and having a loud knock as a wake up call is NOT pleasant.
"Goddess! Goddess! Can you update my status please?!" Bell begged, his voice filled with excitement. Loki rolled off the bed with a sigh, opening the door to her bedroom. She fixed Bell with a glare.
"What is it so important about your status update that you need it done tonight…?" Loki asked, grumpily. Bell immediately flushed, freezing up as he realized that he didn't need it done right this minute. He could have waited for the morning. Bell's face turned apologetic as he ducked down to make himself smaller.
"S-sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"I know that but you don't have to knock so loud either…" Loki said, sighing before gesturing for Bell to enter. "Well, I'm awake now so might as well." Loki relented, watching as Bell walked into her bedroom and began removing his armor, as well as his shirt, revealing his back. Bell climbed onto her bed and laid on his stomach, sighing softly with a big goofy smile at how soft her bed was as well as how good it smelled. Loki climbed up onto Bell's back with a grunt.
Child: Bell Cranel.
Familia: Loki
Level: 2
Strength: 0-I → 218-G
Endurance: 0-I → 285-G
Dexterity: 0-I → 228-G
Agility: 0-I → 350-F
Magic: 150-H → 450-E
Skills:
Liaris Freese: Fast growth as long as the user is in love. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user's feelings. As a side effect it makes the user immune to charms. Ability update. Growth increases exponentially for each love interest. Current interests: 4.
Rabbits foot: Increased Luck. Experience gain and increased Monster drops as well as increased probability.
History's Greatest Loser: Every hit taken. Every scratch. Every bite. Every loss. The user gains knowledge, skill, foresight to fight stronger opponents.
Senju Musō(Thousand Image Defense): Allows user's skill of History's Greatest Loser to help memorize and analyze the opponents constitution, gait, breathing, blinking, slight tics and other attributes to formulate a simulation. Ability increases in strength along with History's Greatest Loser.
Argonaut: Allows for a powerful ability by consuming stamina and mind when in dire need. The greater the danger, the more powerful this ability becomes.
Temporary Update: When in dire need, stats may be temporarily updated to give a boost to user.
Magic:
Lightning Bolt Instant Cast
Loki stared at Bell's back, her jaw slightly open as she stared in shock. 'This kid is a monster!' She thought, before copying Bell's status. She removed all of the information of his skills, before presenting it to him. He was laying on his back, kicking his legs before he grinned.
"OH YEAH! Goddess! Do you see! I'm getting stronger and stronger! This is awesome!"
"Yes yes, I can see it. I'm the one who updated your status you know." Loki said before shaking her head. 'Multiple new skills, a skill update and an enormous stat increase. What the actual fuck is this kid?!' Loki thought, before getting off of Bell. She watched as Bell slowly sat up, grinning as he looked down at his paper. He was like a child during Christmas which only got Loki to smile. 'Yea… I think I have fallen for this one. Who knew it would be to a man and not one of my big breasted girls.' She thought, leaning back against her hands. 'I have to wait… Tiona gets to have him first.' She smiled at that, before humming. 'Doesn't mean I can't sleep with him in the same bed~' She cooed to herself.
"Goddess. Thank you so much! You don't know how much it means to me that you took me in! I hope to make you proud! I'm going to get even stronger than this!" Bell exclaimed, looking at her with a beaming smile.
"I know you will. Now go take a bath. You reek." Loki said, shooing Bell away. Bell flushed before nodding, rushing out of her room to get take a much needed hot bath. Loki smiled as she watched him leave, knowing just how much better her Familia was with him in it. 'Yea. Everything will be alright. Freya won't start any wars, Bell's getting stronger. My Familia is diving deep into the dungeon to go as far as they can. Ais got to level six. Yeah… everything is going to be amazing.' Loki thought with a smile.
That night, Loki dragged Bell out of his own bed before pulling him into her room. She silenced any hesitation when she pulled him down and made him her teddy bear, being his big spoon. This was becoming a common occurrence within the walls of the Twilight Manor.
Read. Review. Moo.
If things go according to plan. The next chapter will be covering Pass Parade, 18th floor and possibly the first lemon as well. It wont cover all of the 18th floor, but the arrival. Goliath chapter comes probabvly chapter after next.
As for the harem. I've been talking with my beta and I have been wishy washy with the harem. I was allowing you guys to help me decide when it is my story. he doesn't want me to just ruin my idea for the story, so I do appreciate my Beta. So the harem is as follows and will no longer change unless -I- decide to for some reason, and I have no reason to do so right at this moment.
Harem is: Tiona. Loki. Ryuu. Freya. Wiene. Riveria.
Bells party will be: Bell, Welf, Ryuu as the main fighters. Wiene is a supporter as well as a dungeon guide, though she'll be a bit more proactive in the fights. She will be the one to carry the monster crystals and other gear, but hey. She got some nasty claws to put to use! I did say that Cassandra would be the other supporter, but I may change that and put Mikoto in as another fighter to put on the front lines. I have yet to decide on that. Mikoto being in the party may be a good thing for the story regading the pass parade.