Yo! Workloadcoming here!
Introducing a new fanfiction! As mentioned in my other fanfiction "The Return of Labyrinth City" this is my next story that I had planned out, which was for a while now as I had this idea stuck inside my head during the production of the "TRoLC" and knew that I had to start writing about this sooner or later.
So yeah, new story with an interesting concept that as far as I know is rarely used or is mostly found in the crossover section, but correct me I'm wrong haha. Anyways will be focusing on this story in the meantime as I want to take a break from "TRoLC" until I have time and energy again in writing it, so don't expect any updates for it, unless it may be a special short chapter.
As for this story, I'm not sure how long I will make it, but I will see on how the story will unfold so look foward to it and as always comment any spelling mistakes or improvements for the story!
Until Next time!
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Outside the walls of Orario City, a medium-sized carriage had just arrived at the west gate. "Alright! We're here! You guys can disembark now!" shouted the male driver, turning to inform his passengers inside the carriage.
One by one, people started getting down from the carriage. After several seconds, the last person stepped off. The final person was draped in a hooded cloak that concealed their entire body, making it challenging for anyone to discern their features, except for a hint of white hair peeking out from the hood.
The hooded figure gazed upwards at the towering tower that seemed to reach the sky and muttered to themselves, "So that's the Tower of Babel, huh? And below it should be the infamous Orario Dungeon," speaking in a clear tone and continuing to stare at the tower for several more seconds.
The figure then proceeded toward the gate entrance, preparing to enter the renowned city. In front of the gate stood two guards from the Ganesha Familia, questioning and checking those attempting to enter the city, as well as collecting the required entrance fee.
"Alright! Next one!" One of the Ganesha guards shouted as they ushered in the next person for inspection. Both guards then noticed the hooded figure approaching, and understandably, they grew suspicious. Among all those entering, the figure in front of them was the only one wearing a hooded cloak.
The figure then halted in front of the two guards, indicating compliance. Both guards mentally sighed in relief, recognizing that the figure seemed cooperative and unlikely to cause trouble or stir up any drama.
The guard's authoritative voice rang out as he addressed the hooded figure, "Before we proceed, may I ask you to remove your hood so that we can see your face?"
Upon the guard's request, the figure complied and raised the hood, revealing their identity to the vigilant guards. With the hood now lifted, the guards could finally discern the features of the individual standing before them.
The hooded figure unveiled a boy, seemingly around 14 to 15 years old, his appearance characterized by striking white hair and piercing ruby red eyes. To the guards, he bore a semblance to the Almiraj creatures found in the dungeon.
"Rabbit?" One of the guards couldn't help but entertain the thought as he continued to observe the white-haired boy before him. Meanwhile, his colleague got straight to business and inquired, "Name?"
The boy responded to the guards' inquiry in a calm, clear tone of voice, "Bell Cranel."
Hearing this, the guard nodded and continued to inquire, "Purpose of coming here?" as he looked towards the boy.
Bell immediately replied, "Seeking permanent residency here," explaining clearly to the guards with a calm expression.
"I see," the guard replied before asking again, "So are you trying to become an adventurer then?" The guard inquired curiously, as it was a common reason for outsiders coming to Orario.
Upon hearing the guard's question, Bell's eyes slightly widened as he was suddenly flooded with rapid flashbacks. Images of a wooden house and a younger version of himself laughing joyfully with an old bearded man played vividly in his mind.
After several seconds of silence, Bell responded to the guard's inquiry with a smile. "Maybe. To be honest, I'm not sure myself. I came here to seek new opportunities that may be available, but if it all fails, that would be my last option," he explained in a clear tone of voice.
Both guards widened their eyes, surprised by the unconventional answer the young boy gave them. Typically, newcomers would express their intention to become adventurers. The boy's response stood out, leaving the guards intrigued and curious.
One of the guards responded to Bell, "Wow, it's been a while since we had a response like that. Nice one, kid. It seems you're at least smarter than most young folks who come here without a plan," the guard admitted with a smile, clearly impressed by the boy's thoughtful response.
The other guard then said to the young boy, "Well, everything seems to be in order. All that's left is the required 50 valis entrance fee, and you're good to go," the guard stated in a clear and distinct tone of voice.
Bell nodded and reached into one of his pants pockets, retrieving a small leather pouch that he handed over to the guards. After carefully counting the contents, the guards nodded, confirming that the amount was correct.
One of the guards then said, "Alright, you're free to go in. Welcome, kid, to Orario City—the center of the world," the guard explained with a friendly smile.
Bell thanked the two guards and began walking into the city. However, just before he got too far, a curious thought occurred to him. He turned around and asked the guards, "Actually, I do have a question for you guys."
The two guards looked at Bell with curious expressions, wondering what the young boy was going to ask them.
Seeing that the two guards were now focusing on him, Bell proceeded to ask the question that had popped into his mind. "Do you guys know a good place where I can get some good food? I'm quite starving from the trip," Bell said as he rubbed his stomach, indicating that he was quite hungry at the moment.
The boy, having asked for recommendations, watched attentively as one of the guards responded, "Hmmm, There are several affordable restaurants nearby. However, if you have valis to spare there's a pub I highly recommend," he said with a considerate expression.
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HOSTESS OF FERTILITY
In a two-story stone building along Western Main Street, even though it was well past lunchtime, a considerable number of patrons still occupied the space, indulging in a diverse array of dishes served within.
The establishment in question is the Hostess of Fertility, a renowned pub that enjoys popularity among both adventurers and the general populace. Known for its diverse menu and offering some of the finest fruit liquors at reasonable prices, it has become a favored haunt for many.
"Nyaa! Nyaa! An order of Fish and Chips and one Onion Soup for Table 5, please! Nyaa!" a female cat waitress with brown-haired and brown-eyed eyes called out. She sported a green dress with long puffed sleeves and a white collar as she relayed the incoming orders.
"Here are your orders: one Beef Caldereta with a cup of rice and two Carbonaras," announced by a brown-haired, brown-eyed waitress as she efficiently served the dishes to a table of three adventurers.
"Hey! Nyaa! Are the orders for table 7 not ready yet? Nyaa!" shouted a black-haired, green-eyed female cat waitress, checking on the progress of the food for that particular table.
The atmosphere in the Hostess of Fertility was lively, with patrons engaged in laughter and conversations about their daily lives. The waitresses moved about with diligence, catering to the needs of the customers.
Ring Ring
A small bell chimed indicating that the doors were opened, prompting all the waitresses to turn toward the sound and greet the newcomer in unison with cheerful smiles, "Welcome!" Their attention was drawn to a young white-haired boy who had just entered the pub through the door.
Observing the young boy, the waitresses quickly identified him as a newcomer rather than a regular patron. A female elven waitress with green hair and sky blue eyes stepped forward and greeted him, saying, "Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility. How many are we serving today?" She asked with politeness but maintained a neutral expression.
Upon being addressed by the elven waitress, the boy responded with a smile, "Ah, just for one, please."
The elven waitress nodded and asked, "Understood. Is it alright for you to eat at the counter, sir?" Since the boy was dining alone, it seemed like a suitable option.
The boy nodded with a smile, indicating his approval. The elven waitress then led him towards the counter where he would be dining.
Following the elven waitress, Bell took a seat at the counter. She handed him the menu and politely added, "Here is the menu, and your complimentary water will be served shortly." Her words were delivered in a clear and courteous manner.
She grabbed a nearby wooden chalkboard with 'Today's Special' boldly written in white chalk. She showed it to the boy and said, "We also offer today's special, which consists of Fried chicken tenders with honey mustard, crinkle-cut fries, and lemon iced tea, all for only 699 valis."
Upon seeing the elven waitress tempting him with the special offer of the day, Bell simply smiled at her and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I'll first browse the menu to see my choices." He explained in a clear tone of voice.
The elven waitress nodded before putting away the wooden chalkboard. She then said, "Understood, please call any of us when you are ready to order." Her tone remained polite, and she gave Bell a small bow before continuing with her duties.
Observing that the elven waitress had left, Bell opened the menu to explore the variety of food options available. However, he couldn't help but flinch slightly as he took note of the prices. He thought, "Wow, they were not joking about the prices of the food here," recalling the words of the guards who recommended the pub.
Bell perused the menu, primarily seeking an affordable meal from its extensive offerings. As he continued to browse, a voice interrupted his thoughts, asking, "You're new to Orario City, aren't ya, boy?"
Bell looked up to find the source of the voice and saw a large, muscular woman with brown hair and eyes. She wore a blue dress that reached above her knees, and she looked at him with a friendly smile, her arms casually crossed.
The young boy responded to the woman's inquiry, saying, "Is it that obvious?" with a smile. The woman chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Definitely. Besides, with your unique looks, even if you're not a frequent patron, how can one not notice you?" she explained, pointing at Bell's distinctive white hair and red eyes.
Hearing the woman's explanation, Bell let out a short chuckle before saying, "Haha! Well, you got me there. Yeah, I just arrived a few minutes ago, came to this place after a few suggestions that I got," he explained in a clear tone of voice as he continued to smile.
The woman's smile widened before letting out a laugh of her own and said, "Well, those suggestions aren't wrong, kid! I can guarantee you that my pub serves the best food in all of Orario!" She said proudly with a confident smile.
The woman then extended her right arm towards Bell and said, "Name's Mia Grand, but you can call me Mama Mia, owner of this grand establishment. What's yours, kid?" She asked the young boy with a smile.
Seeing the woman named Mama Mia offering a handshake, Bell obliged to the offered handshake and said, "Nice to meet you, Mama Mia. I'm Bell Cranel," shaking her hand and continuing to smile.
Finishing their handshake, Mama Mia then told the boy, "Since this is your first time eating here, I'll be generous and give you a 10% percent discount for your first order, kid!" She offered a deal with a friendly business smile.
Bell, of course, took the deal and said, "Then don't mind if I do take that deal." He quickly browsed the menu until he found one that he liked before saying, "I'll take the spaghetti with meatballs." He closed the menu and handed it over to Mama Mia.
Mama Mia nodded as she received the menu before turning her head behind and said in a loud tone of voice, "One order of spaghetti with meatballs, front counter!"
A chorus of responses echoed from the bustling kitchen behind Mama Mia, assuring her that they had taken note of the order. Mama Mia then turned her attention back to Bell and inquired with a curious tone, "So, kid, planning to dive into the adventurer's life after this?"
Bell, with a thoughtful expression, responded to Mama Mia's question, "Well, I'm not entirely sure. I came here seeking new opportunities, and if that leads to the life of an adventurer, then why not?" He smiled as he pondered the possibilities.
Mama Mia was taken aback by Bell's response. In her long tenure at the Hostess of Fertility, she had witnessed countless youths entering Orario with grand dreams of becoming famous and wealthy adventurers. However, reality often proved harsh, and she had seen too many of them leave with shattered dreams and broken spirits. Some had disappeared entirely, leaving behind only the echoes of unfulfilled aspirations.
Being the former captain of one of Orario's strongest familias, was well-acquainted with the challenges of the adventurer's life. She understood that the path of an adventurer was a demanding one, requiring resilience and strength. Recognizing the hardships and dangers, Mama Mia was aware that this lifestyle wasn't suitable for everyone.
That is why she found it surprising that Bell wasn't immediately inclined toward the adventurer lifestyle and seemed to be exploring alternative options first. While she wouldn't vocalize it directly to the boy, she couldn't help but sense that Bell might not be well-suited for the challenges and dangers that came with the life of an adventurer.
In Mama Mia's eyes, the boy sitting before her appeared frail and lacking in combat experience. Her extensive background in the field gave her a strong intuition, and she trusted her gut feeling about Bell's capabilities in battle.
Mama Mia then let out a laugh that echoed through the pub, drawing the attention of everyone, including her employees, who wondered about the cause. After the hearty laughter subsided, Mama Mia turned her attention to the boy and said, "If ya can't find any work outside, I can offer you a part-time job here." Her words rang out in a clear and inviting tone.
Mama Mia's unexpected job offer took the nearby employees by surprise, particularly the elven and black cat waitresses. However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that the black cat waitress's eyes were gleaming as she focused on the boy….specifically on his butt.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the boy was unaware of the inappropriate gaze from the black cat waitress. He asked Mama Mia with a curious expression, "Really? Thanks for that. But what type of work are you offering?"
Before replying to the boy, Mama Mia shot a quick glare toward the black cat waitress, silently instructing the waitress to return to her work and refrain from eyeing the patrons.
Or else…
The cat waitress, sensing the intimidating aura emitted by her boss through that glare, immediately had her tail and a few strands of hair stand up in fear before swiftly returning to her work.
Mama Mia then looked towards the boy, swiftly changing her expression, and said, "Well, ya can be a dishwasher or an assistant in the kitchen, or ya can help serve the tables" she explained as she pointed towards the kitchen and then towards the tables.
Bell nodded in understanding, grasping the basic details of the potential part-time job Mama Mia was offering. Continuing her explanation, Mama Mia added, "If ya do decide to take this offer, I can have Syr show you the ropes and help you adjust to this place."
Bell then replied, "Thanks for that, but I'll explore other options before making a decision. However, I'd like to talk to this 'Syr' to get a better picture of the job." He glanced around the establishment curiously.
"Ah, unfortunately, she's ain't here at the moment," Mama Mia explained in a clear tone of voice and continued her explanation, "Ya actually missed her. A few moments ago, she left early to attend to personal matters."
"Oh, really? That's a shame." Bell simply replied with a neutral expression
Ding Ding
As the two of them continued their conversation, the sudden chime of dining bells rang out behind Mama Mia. She turned her head towards the source of the sound and saw a steaming bowl of spaghetti with meatballs being presented.
With natural ease, Mama Mia approached the steaming bowl, lifting it gently before making her way back to where Bell was seated. As she placed the dish in front of him, she offered a warm smile and said, "Here's your order, kid. Oh and before I forget - welcome to Orario city." as she looked towards the young boy
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
ON THE STREETS OF ORAIO
As Bell wandered the streets of Orario, his thoughts lingered on the delicious meal he had just enjoyed at the pub. Rubbing his contented stomach, he couldn't help but agree with the praises he had heard about the food.
"I have to admit, they were right about the food in the pub, it was quite delicious"
Bell continued to roam the bustling streets, his gaze wandering over the diverse array of stalls lining the roads and the eclectic mix of shops nestled within the buildings. The streets bustled with life as people of various species walked, ran, talked, and laughed amidst the vibrant cityscape.
"This is completely different from my village," Bell thought, struck by the vast disparity between Orario city and his hometown.
The boy continued to walk, his expression a mix of curiosity and neutrality, clearly betraying his newcomer status to the city.
But as the boy continued to walk on the streets of Orario…
[Ṁ̵͎̪̘͛̆̌̆͜ͅɒ̶̯̣̳͕̭̑̅͆̑̚ƨ̴̥̥̖̪͉͑̓̈́̈̕Ɉ̵̨̲̬̩̼́͂̀͘͝ɘ̸̦̬̺̯̩̈̐͛̅͝ɿ̴̡̛͕̞̰̺̎͋͆͝,̵̡̯̤̣͍̈́͑̔͂͝ ̷̺̳̳̼̫̅͗͑̿̔w̷̫̰͖̖͉͌̏̇̑͠ʜ̴̘̻̣̫̥̅̔̉̈́̀ɘ̷͉̻̙̪̠̿̅̀̇̾ń̴̜̯̖͖̀͗̀͊͜ ̷̨͚̤͎̳́͗̉̍͝w̵̢͖̰̝̞̓͋̏̈́͠i̸̲̺̹͕̝̒̊̌̓͝l̸̨̧̨̼͖̄̎̓̀͝l̵̡̟̩͙̻̂̀̔̀̓ ̵̡͉͚̦̳̎͊̈͊͠γ̴̨̰̜̼͓͗̐̓̀̑ơ̸̮̻̦̮̞͑̑̀͂υ̷͕̤̬̮̹̇́̿͗͒ ̸̡̧̫͔͗͋̎̃́͜ϱ̶̨̛̭̙̮̺̍́̎̑ɿ̶̨̥̦̠̺̈́́̅̎͝ɒ̵̻̲̹͈͗̔̃̊͗ͅɔ̴̩̞̘̝̀̉͒̀̂ͅɘ̴̢̛̖͖͙͙́̓̽́ ̶̰̤̥̠̞̈́̀̾̈́͒υ̶̡͇̘̦͚͗̎̉̕͠ƨ̴͔̼̼̬̍̓̔̓͝ͅ ̴̧̩͇̞̘̈́̈́̈́̓̚w̷̡̛͕̼̳͗̓̍̚͜i̶̢͇͉̞̋̀̎͘̚ͅɈ̸̳̟͎̲̏̍͊̅̕ͅʜ̵̯̺̣̙̺̏̈͋̅̕ ̴̣̤͖̹͋̀̊̉̀ͅγ̵̜͖͇̜̫͒͐͒̚͠o̷̫̠͖̦̟̍̈́̊͛̚ὐ̵̨͍͖̝͓̏͆̌͝ɿ̸̪̙͇̘̘̈́̒̅͋͠ ̵͍̝̺̥͙͐̈́̓̔̅q̶̛̣̹̰̦̭͑́̒́ɿ̵̠̼͎̜̿͂͐̾̔ͅɘ̷̻͇̟̲̊͗̍̍̑͜ƨ̶̧̖͓͈̦̓̍͋̈́̅ɘ̴̢̳̩̩̜̋̈́̿̑̋n̵̗̪̝̣̻̈̅͋̚͝ɔ̸̨̮̣͇̹͂́̓̚͝ɘ̶̛̠̦̭̝͉̎̑͗͂?̵̰̦͉̬̫̾͛̀́̚]
A sudden voice echoed in his ears, a blend of masculine, feminine, youthful, and aged tones, impossible to discern its origin.
This caused Bell to momentarily stopped in his tracks for a few seconds
If a typical person or even an adventurer had heard such a voice, it would undoubtedly stir concern and caution within them, likely prompting them to report the peculiar occurrence to others.
However, Bell was not an ordinary individual. After a brief moment of stillness, he resumed his stride as if the unusual voice were of no consequence. His expression remained neutral and composed, betraying no hint of alarm or surprise.
"Be patient," Bell thought, his mental voice projecting a sense of reassurance. "I will be there shortly. If everything goes to plan, I should be able to head in by tonight."
[Ì̸̛̖͍̟̗̺̀̈́̓ƨ̷̡̨̗͕͍̎̾͗̚͝ ̵̥͍̩̤͈͌͑̎̄̋í̴̢̛̠̳̣̫̾͝͠Ɉ̵̟͔̗̲̝̿́͒͘͝ ̷̹̩͍̯̗̽̏̂̃̀Ɉ̷̱̻̤̳̹̐̐̋̊̓ɿ̶͇̭̯̗̽̍̍͌͂͜υ̶̧̛͚͈̲͋͑͐͘͜l̴̡͚͓̄̊́̓̚͜͜γ̵̨̻̖͙̥̓̽͊̊͘ ̶̛̮̜̱͓̳̅̈́͒͝ń̷̯͕͖̱̩̊̎̿̂ɘ̸̘̥͚̖̣̇̋͑́̒ɔ̴̛̖͕̹̠̭̈́͊̇͘ɘ̶̻̪̝͕̏̔̄̏͊͜ƨ̵̛̤̗̠̭͕̑̓̕͝ƨ̸̰͈͉̼̮̏̈́͋̕͝ɒ̴̧̫̯͖̑̑̓͋̿ͅɿ̶̻͕̯̠̤̋̎̌̓͝γ̶͍͕̗͉̬̽͋̓̚͠ ̷̖̼̩̠͍̔̈́͆̏̕Ɉ̷͎̻̻̱̯̾̽̐̔̃ơ̴̡̜̖̲̪͊̈́͋͘ ̶̲̟̭̜̟̉̒̎̽͝ϱ̷̛͈̰̖̗̼͘͘͝͠o̷̺̘̼̘̤̊̑̅͆͂ ̵̢͇̭͔̬̇͗͒͒͝Ɉ̸̛͚͚̻̱͙̎͋̏̈́o̶̦͈̪͉̥͛͒̈̅͂ ̴͓̘̦̥̓̇̆̓̾͜ƨ̸̯͖̜̘͊̉́͝͝ͅυ̶͚̣͔̦͇̋̋̈̌̅ɔ̴̨̞̫̘̜̆̎̒̐̄ʜ̴̖̬̘͕̟͛̃̈́͘̕ ̴̨͚͔̜̱̈̊̈̆̉l̶̤̘͔̤̩̃̔̅̈́͌ɘ̵̡̢͙̻͚̈́̽̌͐̅ṋ̶̢̨̭͚̀̑̄̊̚ϱ̶̧͕͈̺̲̑̑͊̇̀Ɉ̸̛̥̜̞̱̘̓̑͛͑ʜ̵͖̻͙̩̼̌̀̔͊̈ƨ̶̥͇̬̲̮́̐̎̓̕ ̵̮̩̠̠̀͋̏͊̈́͜υ̷̡̝̣͎̖̃̑̄͋̕q̸̛̼̖͇̞͉̈́̀̓̄õ̸̰̳̥̫͍̅̋͘͝ņ̸̭̟͉͚̅̔̓̈́͘ ̵̢̯͈̜͛̍̿̾̕͜γ̴̻̦̬̜̮̾̀͌̀͝ǫ̴̥͇̦̺̉̋̈̏̈υ̴͉͙̻͔̟̏̽̔̍͝ɿ̶̖̝̩̘̈́̍͗̚̚͜ ̵̡̨̠͎̝̀̃̉͗͠ɒ̶̻̱̫̘͚̅̋̃̓̚ɿ̷̡̙̮̫̗̂̈́͌͋́ɿ̵̛̭̩̭̘̜̀̋̊͊i̸̟͓̭͖͎̇͂̊̈́͝v̷̜̞̞̭͇̂̎̽́̚ɒ̷͚͍͇̫̞͊̆̉͂͠ļ̴͙͇̯̳̒͗͒͂͠,̶̳̯̯̝̠̔͋̔̿͠ ̴͈͕͈̿͂̽̿̇ͅͅM̴̡̡̬̱͈͌͆̒͂̚ɒ̷̺̪͎̺̰̀̊̂͠͝ƨ̵̧͙͓̙͍̉̏͒͂̐Ɉ̴̺͉̜̼̍̃͋̓͌ͅɘ̷̡̮͉̺̮͌͗̾̎̚ɿ̴̝̺̙̖̗͗̆̑̇̐?̷̧̨̡̛̗̯̈́̃̇̏]
"Of course it is, after all if I'm able to form connections on the surface we should be able to gather plenty of information from various sources" Bell continued his mental conversation with the mysterious voice.
Bell continued his internal dialogue, contemplating, "At least until we find a new method of gathering information in the future," as he strategized his next moves.
[Í̵̢̬͙͉̮̈́̅̌͘ƨ̵̣̜͚̩̙̾̽̈̊͐ ̵͔̩̮̺̗̓̂͛̋͋Ɉ̴̧̰̪̬̩̉́̓̏̉ʜ̸̨̬͉̜͓̌̍̊͊̕ĭ̷̡̳̝̱̩̇̋̈́̓ƨ̵̦̲̼̻͎̑͑̈̾͝ ̸̧̭̖̠̗̂̽̆̀͘ɒ̶̼͓͔̼̋̌̀̐͋ͅl̶̨͕̞̥̼̂̇͆̃͘ƨ̴̼̖͔̳̗̅̆̇̂̑o̵̯͉͇̗̼̓͌̉̃̐ ̷͉̙̣͔̲̆̅͐͐͝ɿ̴̡̝̝̬̙̅͒̂̈͑ɘ̸̛̫̻̲͔͑̏̐̄ͅl̶̳̮̤̀̓̔́̃͜ͅɒ̴͙̠͓͙̘̆̑͊͐͝Ɉ̶̧̘̥̣͉̓͋̀̒͗ɘ̶̨̢̟̝̣́̾̃̕͝b̶̲͚̠̮̥̑͒́̇͝ ̵̣̭̮̘̀̀̽̋̀ͅɈ̴͙̮͉̝̳̒̋͗́̑ö̷̠̳̹̼̥́̍̂̐̚ ̷͚̺͔͓̥̓̅̆͒̑Ɉ̸̢͇̣̙̝̉͒̂̐̈́ʜ̶̗̪̱̱̯̓͗́̐͝ɘ̸̯͙͚͈̫̇͊͗͆͌ ̷̲͔̪̳̞̅̐͂͆͝ɿ̷̧̤̭̩̙̍̔̈́̈́͝ɘ̶̨͔͕̜̠͐̔̀̂͗ɒ̴̭̙̺̱̗̓̂̿͒͆ƨ̶͖̮̖̺̭̽̆̆́̒o̵̜̰͕̺͊͌̋͊̃͜ň̷̜̪̼̪̠̃̓̆̽ ̶̥͕̪̝͓̈͐̍́͝ŵ̵̨̞̺̮̟̈́̃͊͑ʜ̴̝̥̱̪͈͗̎̃̅͘γ̷̧̝͚̣̦̀̂͊͆̆ ̵̛͓͇̝̫͇̐̽͒̔γ̷̨̫̞̼͕̂̽̒̑͘ơ̴̡̩͓̗̙̎͊͌̆ῦ̶͚̻̙̹̫͛̎̅͠ ̶͔̪͉̤̼͌͆̅̆̃ɒ̵͓̹̼̘̞̑̑͗̅̚ɿ̷̧̭̱̣̥͊͐̉̊̚ɘ̷̢̩̝̜̣͒̾̎͋͆ ̵̣̦͕̺̔͗̇͂͝ͅƨ̴̠̖̠͙͙̿͑͐̀͠ɘ̴̛̰̜̗̼͒̌͑͂͜ɘ̸̢̱̤̬̰̋̓̏͛͒ʞ̵̧̙͓̘̣͆̆̏̈́̂i̸͙͚̟̩͖̎̿̈́̋͋n̴̹͔̗̩͎̾̏͌̈́́ϱ̵̢̢̫͓͍̓̉̏̓̂ ̷͕̱͎̻̩͋̈͗̾̒ɘ̵̡̢̙̙̗̓̆̈̚͝m̶̨̢̼̳̺̂̃̋̿̆q̶͕͉̯̬͐͂͌͠͝ͅl̴̜̯̠̣̓̃̅͒̍ͅö̶͉͇̳͈̹́͐̈̆͘γ̴̡̨̳̗̙̐̑͗̏͝m̴̬̯̟̺̟͌̀̐́͠ɘ̷̢̧͙͈͇̽̒́͒͝ṉ̴͇͍̰̀͋̿̒̉͜Ɉ̷̛̦̦͔͙̦̄͂̓̑?̴̡̡̯̱̥̋͒̍̀̓]
Hearing the voice pose another question, Bell pondered, "Partially, yes. But primarily, it's to avoid drawing attention to myself," he responded internally.
[A̷̛̲̰͕̪̳͑̇͋̇v̷̲̜̤̱͈̇̑̀̀̕ö̴̙͓̜̭̙́̅̄͌̀i̴͉͈̗̗̜͒̎́̀̑b̷̧̟̬̱̄͆̊̏̐ͅi̵̡̧̘̜̅͒̃͘͝ͅn̷̼̞̻͖̺͗̋̀̋̕ϱ̷͙͇͈̙̲̇̎̔̀̆ ̵͙̯̘̝͕̄́̎̆̚Ã̷̧̦̝̺̥̅̒̇͝Ɉ̴̦̼̤̦̓̀͛̿̈́͜Ɉ̷̧̢̬̳͙́͒̈́͋̚ɘ̶̤̗͈̯̜̓̑͗̈́̈ń̴̡̻̦̞̬̂́͛͘Ɉ̶͖̩̱͖̠͛̓̒̄̅ḯ̴̲̞͉͕̖̉̈́̉̾o̴͈̰̰̠̯͐̐̾́̋n̴̫̯͔̝̣̍̅̄̀̚?̶̨̮͓̙̞̓͐̆̆̈́]
"Exactly," Bell thought, further elaborating on his rationale. "Given the capabilities of Orario's familias, we should not underestimate their reach. Securing a job will provide me with an alibi and serve as a diversion if needed in the future."
As he strolled through the bustling streets, Bell maintained his observant demeanor, scanning the surroundings as if searching for something amidst the throngs of buildings. "Moreover," he mused, deep in thought, "a job would afford me the opportunity to earn Valis through proper channels, minimizing any undue attention or suspicion."
The boy's keen eyes darted across the lively streets until they settled on something that piqued his interest. With a sudden halt, a smile crept onto his face as he silently exclaimed, "Bingo."
[M̷̨̧͕͕͖̈̎͆͗͘ɒ̵̛̠̘̰͕͑̓̉̂͜ƨ̵̡̛̪͎̬̭̇̾̊͠Ɉ̶̖̠͖̞̝̆̇̔̈́̒ɘ̶̛͉̺͉̺̻̾̌̋̚ɿ̴̲̤͓̳̪̒̄͑͌͂?̶̢̧̺̯̫͑̒̑̾̕]
"Looks like, I've found one that is quite suitable" Bell responded internally to the mysterious voice as he directed his attention towards a two-story building. Its wooden sign prominently displayed white-painted, bold words:
HELP WANTED:
BOOK STORE ASSISTANT
NEGOTIABLE SALARY
Observing the sign from a distance, Bell proceeded with purpose, calmly striding toward the building. Upon reaching the entrance, he swung the door open with a gentle push, causing the small bells attached to it to chime softly, signaling the door opening
Ring Ring
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
GUILD HEADQUARTERS BASEMENT
-ROOM OF PRAYER-
In the dimly lit chamber, torches cast flickering shadows across the expansive space, their flames dancing against the darkness. At the heart of the room, a solitary throne stood, its imposing presence emphasized by the absence of any other furniture. Seated upon the throne was a solitary figure, their silhouette shrouded in the gloom.
It was Ouranos, the first deity to descend to the mortal realm, the architect behind the creation of Orario city, and is one of the oldest of Gods in heaven, his presence carried the weight of eons.
He was also the one who sealed away the crater that endlessly spawned the heinous monsters that once wreaked havoc a long time ago, now known among the people as the singular dungeon in the world.
However, his current expression betrayed a mix of concern and deep contemplation, a rare sight for those who knew him, if not one that he rarely expresses.
The old God continued to gaze into the void of the room, lost in contemplation, until a new voice echoed through the chamber, breaking the silence that had enveloped it.
"Lord Ouranos"
As the voice beckoned, Ouranos directed his gaze downward, wherefrom the shadows emerged a cloaked figure. In the dim light of a torch mounted on a nearby pillar, revealed a person covered with a cloak covering their entire body
Observing the cloaked figure Ouranos opened his mouth and said "Fels, you've returned, I assume you've accomplished the tasks I entrusted to you?" he questions the figure with a curious and friendly tone of voice
The cloaked figure, known as Fels, inclined their head respectfully before speaking. "Yes, Lord Ouranos," he affirmed, his voice steady and composed. "I've relayed the recent developments to the Xenos and dispatched my 'Golem' to assist and safeguard them until further notice."
Ouranos nodded approvingly. "Excellent. With your Golem's protection, they should be well defended. Now, have you concluded your investigations on your end?" he inquired, his tone betraying a hint of anticipation.
Fels sighed, a weight evident in his tone as he shook his head side to side and explained. "Despite my thorough investigations, I regret to report that I've found no evidence or correlations that would shed light on the changes in the Dungeon's mood," he confessed somberly to the old God.
Ouranos's disappointment was palpable as he absorbed Fels's report. "I see," he murmured, his expression clouded with concern. "It's unfortunate. Even my attempts to communicate with the Dungeon have been met with increasing difficulty of late," he admitted, his tone laced with wariness.
The source of Ouranos and Fels's concern stemmed from the dungeon's recent shift in mood, which they first noticed three weeks prior. It was a subtle but distinct alteration that had unsettled them both.
However, what truly troubled them was the nature of the dungeon's mood.
Which was…
Pure Ecstatic Excitement
A mood Ouranos had never sensed emanating from the dungeon, one filled with a sense of ecstatic fervor, was deeply troubling. He found himself at a loss, unable to comprehend why the dungeon was experiencing such emotion.
In response to the alarming possibility of sudden changes within the dungeon, Ouranos swiftly ordered the Guild to heighten security measures. Concurrently, he mandated the temporary closure of the dungeon entrance, deploying multiple familia groups to thoroughly investigate the situation.
To his surprise, however, the investigation revealed no significant changes within the dungeon itself. Everything appeared to be in order, with the monsters behaving as they typically would. This absence of anomalies puzzled Ouranos, leaving him without a clear explanation for the dungeon's unusual mood.
Despite his efforts, even consulting the Xenos for any unusual findings, Ouranos found no substantial leads. Consequently, he decided to reopen the dungeon the following day, seeing no reason to keep the entrance closed without evidence of imminent danger or change.
Despite reopening the dungeon, Ouranos and Fels remained vigilant, conducting their own discreet investigations in an attempt to uncover the reason behind the dungeon's shift in mood. However, despite their efforts, they had yet to uncover any leads or explanations for this strange phenomenon.
In addition the dungeon's excitement had been steadily growing over the past weeks. This escalating fervor hinted at an impending event of significant magnitude, amplifying their sense of urgency and apprehension.
Ouranos had already briefed Ganesha on the situation and entrusted him with the responsibility of bolstering security measures around the walls and the dungeon's vicinity. However, lacking concrete evidence and wary of inciting panic among the residents, their response was limited to increasing patrol numbers.
Observing the unchanging status quo, Ouranos couldn't suppress a sigh of concern, his frustration evident at their inability to uncover the root cause and his worry for the future of Orario city.
"Just what is going on?" Ouranos pondered deeply, his concerned gaze drifting downward toward the ground, where the dungeon lay several floors beneath.
However, unbeknownst to Ouranos during this moment,
That tonight...
The dungeon would undergo a transformation that would alter its very essence forever...
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
INSIDE THE GUILD
-DUNGEON ENTRANCE-
As night descended upon the Labyrinth City, the Guild closed its doors, signaling the end of another day's tasks for its members. However, this left the entrance to the dungeon wide open, inviting anyone to venture inside at their own risk.
Of course, all adventurers within the city were well aware of the inherent risks, so it was rare to see much activity around the dungeon entrance at night. However, there were a few exceptions, including seasoned adventurers seeking further experience or simply newbie adventurers who are acting reckless
In any case, the Guild made it clear that they bore no responsibility for any accidents or incidents that occurred to adventurers during this time.
In the dimly lit and deserted reception hall of the Guild, silence reigned supreme, broken only by the faint sounds of footsteps filtering in from the world beyond its walls. Ganesha familia members and Guild guards conducted their patrols outside, adhering diligently to the directives handed down by their leaders and deities.
Periodically, they would also inspect the entrance to the dungeon, vigilant in their efforts to detect any anomalies or disturbances that might be found inside. If anything were discovered, it would promptly be reported to the higher-ups.
However, after several weeks since the orders were issued, nothing untoward had been discovered. As a result, the Guild and Ganesha Familia Guards had slightly relaxed their vigilance, since so far nothing has happened.
Unfortunately for them, tonight would prove to be slightly different.
In the dimly lit reception hall of the Guild, the closed doors creaked open slightly, allowing enough space for a hooded figure to slip inside before carefully shutting them behind.
The figure glanced around the empty room, ensuring it was deserted before sighing in relief. With a swift motion, they pulled back the hood, revealing the face of Bell Cranel, the newcomer to Orario city.
The boy muttered to himself as he strode forward. "So, this is the famous Guild, huh?" he remarked softly, his voice barely audible. "I'll be honest, I was expecting it to be more... guarded." He scanned the surroundings with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
[M̴̢̛̗͕͕̯̓͒̾͒ɒ̵͇̙̜͉͓̿̔́̉̚ƨ̴̳̘̪̰̣͑͌͒͊̉Ɉ̸̥͍͇̪͎̋̒̄͋̌ɘ̷̧̢̛̗̩̣́́͌̚ɿ̶̘̟͎̖̄̏̎͛̒ͅ!̷͎̯̩̰̖̃̑͂̉̍ ̸̺̱̖̜̖̍͂͆̑̚Ŏ̷̮̗͎̮̫̑̎̋͝v̴̦̬̯̯̻̀̅̂̒͆ɘ̷̠̱̻̻̓̎̈́̇͜͝ɿ̵̢̬͇͎͍̋̿̿̃̄ ̴̖̪̙͓͎̒͛̕͝͝H̸̯͙̟̩̮͂̏̀͝͝ɘ̵̗͈͎̜̞̾́̀͂͠ɿ̶̬̩̭͖̻̃̑̄͌͝ɘ̴̨̜͚̘̳̓̈̂͊͠]
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Bell assured the mysterious voice, his tone calm and resolute as he hastened his steps toward the entrance to the dungeon.
As the boy approached the entrance to the dungeon, his steps gradually slowed until he came to a halt just a few centimeters from the threshold. He stood there in silence, his gaze fixed on the descending staircase leading into the depths below.
Soon, flashes of memories began to flicker in his mind, transporting him back to a cozy cabin where an old man sat beside a younger version of himself. In this memory, the old man was animatedly reading a story, and the young Bell listened intently, his eyes filled with wonder and innocence.
Bell remembered this moment vividly, a cherished memory from simpler times, before his grandfather's passing and the incident that changed everything.
Then, with a bright smile and eyes full of innocent excitement and conviction, the younger Bell stood up from his seat, ready to proclaim something to his grandfather.
Until…
[M̴̙̻̙̘͉̑̀̃̎͝ɒ̶̯̥̞̘͕̑͂̀̐͝ƨ̴̭̜̘͔̍̽̉̿͜͝Ɉ̷̠̖̖̯̩̈́̀̔̕͠ɘ̵̡̯̙͚̦͂̃͛͒́ɿ̵͚̰̤̩̜͒̅̅̊̇?̷̨̧͇̲̩̈́̎͌͌̽]
Upon hearing the mysterious voice, Bell immediately snapped out of his trance, bringing him back to the present moment. He covered his face with his hand and let out a tired sigh as he realized what had happened.
[M̴̞̪͉̤͕̅͂̑̍̇ɒ̷̢͈̟̝̪͐̽̎̌̈́ƨ̷̦̺̤̼̾͊͗̀̀͜Ɉ̶͔̥̬̮̜̄͛͋̿̚ɘ̸̳̬̦̤͖͌̄̈́́͝ɿ̴̛͙̤̹̥̭͐̌̈́̉?̵̭̞͚͍̜̏̽͆̃͂ ̵̜̦̲̟̟͒̓͌͐͝A̷̪̟̼̠̅́͑̕̕ͅɿ̷̮̙͎̪͕̾̓̊͑̊ɘ̶̨͇̝͚͉̎͐̈́̃̍ ̷̻̰̮͒̏͂̂͜͠ͅỲ̷͙̬̹̫̤̀̓͆͠ô̷̮̫̹̖͔̆̂̉͝υ̶̢̙͖̮͚̒̾̌̏̈ ̶̲͉̹̟̱̓̄͘͠͠Ā̵͙͕̣͔̜̂̉̆̀ḽ̷̨̰͕̙̊͐̌͘͠ɿ̷̞͍̻̹̦̌͆̽̈́̚i̴̫̺̪̯̫͌͌͐̀͝ϱ̸̛͚̘̥̰̖̈̃̓͝ʜ̴͚̩̤͚̥̀̎̂̽͠Ɉ̴̥͙͍̭̺͆̉̈́̽͝?̸̧̹͎̜̟͌́́̌̈]
"I'm fine," he murmured softly to the voice, "just a slight headache." He explained with a small smile as he refocused his attention on what lay ahead.
[Ū̸̡̢̩̗̖́̒́̄ņ̶̺̣̮̫̈̇̓̐͝b̴͎̟͖̰͉̿̇̿͗̇ɘ̵̧͎͉̩͙̎̆͌͋͘ɿ̸̳̪̮̰̜̉̽̽̓͠ƨ̴̦̤̜̥͚́̽̑̓͛Ɉ̵̡̙͎̥̈́̏͐̓́ͅö̵̭͕͚͎̥́̉̓́͝o̶̺̺̝̩͍̾́̄̇͛b̷̘̘͎̩̳̽͆̒̍̚,̶̘̼̘͎̙̂̓̏̓͂ ̷̜̗͔̖̈̒̍̏̿͜Ɉ̶̭̘̜̪̙̈͆̈́̎͝ʜ̷̢̣̺̘͓́̐̀̎̈́ɘ̷̢̦̦̦̭̆̽͐͒̏n̸͕̠͇̩̻̈́̒̈́̈́̽ ̷̢͙̣̺̝̈͌̂̐̆ƨ̶̯̙̘̖̺̾̓́̅̋ʜ̸̧̯̙̳̘̈̓̀̓͋ɒ̴̟͙̞̳̦̓́́̿̽l̶̨̲͉̠̯͌̀̒̍͘l̷̢̰̟͓͛̎̏̿̚͜ ̴̣̣̥̩͇͑̃͌̆͝Ĭ̸̥̥͕̙̦͗͛̀͆ ̶̮̪̦̬̙͆̽͐̄͊o̶̠͓̜̭̰͐̈́͋̾̚q̷̞̦̠͔͛̊̈́̀̉͜ɘ̷̘̪͉̹͚͆̔̽̽̄ṇ̸̥̥̟͚̀̀́̂͠ ̷̧̦̬͈̮̎͒̅͂̀Ɉ̶͎͙͈͓͐͌́͘̚ͅʜ̶͚̣̠̪̼̑͆̓͊̐ɘ̸̙̰̝̲̲̽͛͐̃̄ ̷̬̩̪͈̬͗̔͋͊͠ƨ̴̡͇̗̬͔̈́̉͊̀̕ʜ̸̱̣̹̫̠̽̀̽̈̅ő̵͚͎̱̮̝̇̉̈́̽ɿ̷̧͇̲̙͓̈́̂̒̎͠Ɉ̴̦͉̲̟̻̅͋̽̓͘ɔ̵̺̩̥̩̠́̐̈́̅͝ΰ̷̝̪̬̭̘͌̂̇̕Ɉ̴̯̮͎̋̀̈́̄̉͜͜?̶̢̛̻̦͚̼͋͛̈́̒]
Hearing this, Bell nodded, a calm smile formed on his face as he folded his arms in anticipation.
Rumble
As if responding to Bell's silent request, the entrance to the dungeon began to tremble, and within moments, the ground in front of him caved in, revealing a gaping hole leading into the abyss below.
[M̸̛̮̘̜̖̔̾̾͗ͅɒ̵̘̬͈͇̗̔̏͂͝͝ƨ̸͎̘̗͈͙̋̌̓̔͐Ɉ̴͇̲͎̰̲̅̏̾̚͠ɘ̸̭̞̩̘͖͗̽͒͘͝ɿ̶̢͈̗̻̺̀͊̀̑̈,̵̧͓̗͇͙̐͗̾̕͝ ̶̱͓̹̻͓́̊̓͊̍q̸̱̞̻͍͖̓̑͗͝͝l̵̡̠̻̩̦͂͋̓̀̕ɘ̵͉͔̮̥̙̾̀͋͠͝ɒ̴̨̼͓̰͍̈͐͊̃̚ƨ̷̲̟̲͓̠͆̈́̄́͠ɘ̷͇͎͉̗̣̆̍̍͘͝ ̸̰͎͓̱͊̅̾̿͑ͅʜ̶͖͔̟͕̟̿̂̌͒͆υ̴̟͓͈̤̞̾͑̽́͘ɿ̷̡̨̻̪̘̈́̌̔̾̕ɿ̸̨̛͔͙̤̀̀͊̂͜γ̵̧͇̣̩̤̒̅͛̀͌ ̸͙̪̣̺̪̒̅̃̎̈́ɒ̷̧̟̖̬̟̓́̊̕̚n̴͎̲̥̼̪͌̾̐̈́͝b̵̤̳̼̞̽̔̋̈̇ͅ ̷̮̪̜̱͛͑͐̐͘ͅį̷̧̟̫̪̘́͋́͆͆υ̷͍̥̪̯̮͒͑̐͘̚m̸̖̥̘̻̻̑̽̈́̚q̴̣̗̼̥̺̌͛̋̈́̃ ̸̛͇͎̲̲̳̏̅͒͛ì̶͙̙͔̦͚̓̽͋͝n̴̢̡̪̬̬̑̃̾͊͝ƨ̵̡͚͕͓͍̃̅̒̍͘i̵̡̦͖̠̍̒̐͘͝ͅb̸̡̢͚̥͚̀̔̍̑̍ɘ̴̧͕̱̀̋̎͗̎͜ͅ ̵̥̗̯̗̦̿̐̆͝͝ɒ̶̝̪̮̤̣̈́͐͊͐̔ƨ̴̟̟̰͕͔̀͂̾͐͐ ̵͈̣͚̠̠̆̑̂̿́ṅ̶̢̡̩̮̻̄͂́͊ŏ̷͔͚͇̩̩̀̊́̔ ̷̼͖͚̃̀̀͑͋͜͜ḃ̵̨̜͔̲̦͊̓̄͠o̷͉̰̘̺̥̽̓͛̓̄υ̸̥͚̤̺̃̎̈́̐̔͜ḏ̷͕̭̰͉́͑̈̕͠Ɉ̸̡͉̫̠̖̀̔̈́̎͝ ̸̛̺̱̫̻̽̐̊̐͜Ɉ̸̧̖̰͓͎̉̋̄̈́̈́ʜ̴̣͉̲͙͎̓̂͗͋̚ɘ̶͚̰̭̳̂̐̊͊͊͜γ̵̼͉̹͇̪̎͌͐͘͘ ̷̱̮̬͕̐͒̇̚͜͝ʜ̸̨̯̹̱̠̔́̈́͗̈́ɒ̷̛̩̙̗̘͎̇͋̄̇v̶̯̱̣̖̮̈͌͐̎͘ɘ̵̡͈̹͈͋̎̍̕̚ͅ ̸̹͕͖̟̟̏̍̾̽̆ň̶̝̯̮̹͂̃̏͊͜o̸̡͓͕̠̠͋̆̄̏̕Ɉ̴̪͓̼̜̮̑̃̋̚̕i̶̺̹̲̘̹͒͌̅̀͘ɔ̴̝̰̘̗͙͑̒͗̓̽ɘ̴̢͓͍͔͇͂͐́͋́b̵̡̙̜̻̣̀͆̑̑̔ ̵̛̛̜̦̜̲̠̒̅̎i̵̧̟͍͓̭̅̑͐̄́Ɉ̷̨̻̯̞̣̈́̉̆̽̔]
The voice urgently implored Bell to swiftly jump into the deep hole, as the rumbling of the dungeon would no doubt draw attention from those nearby.
Without uttering another word, Bell stepped forward. As he prepared to drop into the hole, he closed his eyes, and for a brief moment, he saw an image of his Grandfather once more.
A bittersweet smile graced Bell's lips as he opened his eyes. In his heart, he whispered, "Sorry, Grandpa. It seems fate has different plans for me, so I may never be able to fulfill your dreams after all."
With that resolve in mind, Bell descended into the darkness below. As he dropped, the ground around the hole shifted and reshaped itself, seamlessly sealing the opening. Within moments, it appeared as if there had never been a human-size hole in the first place, leaving no trace behind.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
? FLOOR OF THE DUNGEON
In a vast expanse of darkness, devoid of any discernible features, eerily silent. Not a whisper of sound, nor a hint of movement disrupted the stillness of this desolate space.
Then suddenly, the entire room quivered and convulsed, as though awakening from a deep slumber. Across the ceiling, colossal crystals sprouted with remarkable speed and in a brilliant burst, the crystals erupted into radiant light, casting a glow that bathed the entire chamber
The room unveiled itself to be impeccably smooth, devoid of any rugged formations or protrusions. Not a single stalagmite nor mound of solid rock marred the flawless surfaces of the walls and floor, presenting instead an unbroken expanse of emptiness that seemed to extend endlessly in every direction.
However, much like the transformation that occurred above, the ground below started to shift. Mounds of earth began to take shape and morph, swiftly converging towards a single point on the floor. With surprising speed, they ascended to the ceiling, coalescing into a towering pillar.
The earth pillar continued its metamorphosis, one side rippling and tearing outward, forming a hole large enough for a human to pass through. In a swift motion, the pillar solidified, its surface now as strong as stone.
Moments later
Fwoooosh
Gusts of wind billowed out from the formed pillar as Bell descended, landing firmly on the ground within. The boy dusted off his cloak with his hands before carefully emerging from the solidified pillar.
Once Bell emerged from the solidified pillar, he surveyed his surroundings with a whistle of what he was seeing. *whistle* "I'm guessing this is the last floor, huh?" he mused aloud, crouching down to touch the smooth surface beneath him.
[Ƨ̶̢̻̣̠͚͌͐̎̌̇q̶̧̡̖͓̙̌̋̽͐͘ɘ̵̨̜͖͎̰̂́̂͝͠ɔ̷͕͎̼̩̔̾̄̂͜͠i̴̱̭̳͕͈̒͗́̽̀ʇ̷̡͉̥̩̜̒̍̂̑̅i̶̯̬̝͙̻͒̑̎͆͐ɔ̴̭̱̣̲̠̏̔̏̅̚ɒ̴̧͉̖̱̗́͆͑̆̕l̵̨̼͎͓͗̇̆́̓ͅl̶̥̰̻̳͎̽͊͗̆͝γ̵̛̼̦̟̖̦̂̀̎̕,̵̨͔̣̪́̐̈̀̿ͅ ̶̲̟̜̗̺̀̊̾͊͠M̸͚̘̠̣̹̎̐̾͋̋ɒ̶͖̪̝͖̮̽̅̏͘͝ƨ̴̭͍͔̓̑̈́̔͛͜ͅɈ̵̱̞̰̥̦͊̐͗̕͠ɘ̵̙̥̩̗͎̋̾̎͊̑ɿ̸̨̪͖͍̝̏̂̒̓͠,̵̢͓͈͈̘̔̿̂̑̎ ̴̨̬̦̲͉́̈́̀͐̂ẘ̵̦͍̬͍̠͊̽͊͝ɘ̸̧̢̘̞̉̐̎͐̍ͅ ̶̗͚̝̖̟̉͑̽̒̕ɒ̶̢̗͓̲̳͒͆͑̕̕ɿ̷̧̡͓̯̯͆̈́́͂͝ɘ̴͚̳̠̞̳̉̄̕͠͠ ̶̢̭̝̘̹͗̉̾̑̐d̴̛̞͚̝͚͛̐̏͗͜ɘ̷̜̱͕̘̳̆̃͂̅͐ṇ̶̫̟͙̟̈̓̈́̏̌ɘ̴̲̹̲̹̥̽̀͂̆̑ɒ̵̧̭̤̠̜͑̋͐̾͝Ɉ̷̮͙͈̣́͐̃́͝ͅʜ̴̨̹̼̯̰̏̒̈́͝͝ ̴͇̯̭͍͇͆̍͌̅͝Ɉ̸̢̧̢̛̣̙̎̒͝͝ʜ̷̘̼̜͚̖̔̀͛̊͛ɘ̶̮͍̪̠̬̃̓̊̅͝ ̴̳̯̥̮̒̄̈̅̚͜ó̶̬̼͍̣̣̈́͐̑̑n̸̛̹̭̼̙̏̅̎͛ͅɘ̶̥̣̰̝̀̆̆̌͜͠ ̶̩̭͉̠̺̾̀͗̒̏ʜ̴̨̭̖͕͐̈́͗̄͜͝υ̶̡̳̥͇͙̌́́͊͋n̵̗͔͕̘̑̍̌̄̕͜b̴͎̹͚͓̦͐̇̉̏̄ɿ̵̤̰̫̥̩̑̓̔́͠ɘ̸͓̟̲̖̼̃̒̔͌̚b̸̘̯̗́̀͒̓̅͜ͅɈ̶̨̭̟̻̈́̈́͐̈́́ͅʜ̷̛̰̜͈̘̟̈́͛̅͝ ̷̪̥̩̝̮̀̆̓̿͘ʇ̶͍̯̥͇̙̆̍͘͝͝l̷͕͉̪̺̘̂̿́̕͝ȍ̴̟̮͉͓̯͋̐̆͘ọ̵͔͚̞̞͆̄͂͛͠ɿ̵̛͎̥̙͕̤̓̇͆̏]
"Heeeh, so we're that deep inside, huh?" Bell replied to the voice, his eyes slightly widened in surprise at the realization of just how many floors existed within the dungeon.
Bell then stood up from his crouched position and inquired, "So, how will this be done?" as he scanned the floor as far as his eyes could reach.
As Bell inquired, the ground in front of him trembled slightly, prompting a crystal-like object to emerge. It ascended steadily, unveiling itself to be a crystal ball atop a podium that rose from the ground, halting at Bell's waist level.
[Ƨ̵̹̺͓̘͓͂́̅̈́̚ḭ̶͇͕͎̭̅͂͐̍͝m̸̖͓͉̯̖̒̋̋́̕q̴̻̩̪̀̈́͛̂͘ͅͅl̷̥̪̩͎̈́̋̈́̈́̚ͅɘ̸̛̭̯͇̗̒́̀͜͝.̸͙͇̪̤̻͊͒̎̓̃ ̶̡͈̟͖͑̍̾͌̋͜υ̴̼̭̤̱͎͒͗̋͑͌ƨ̸̨̤͔̲̰̅͒̂̑̕Ɉ̶̗͈͇͍̪̍͑̽̓͘ ̵̧̢͈͎̀͗̀͑͘͜Ɉ̴̨̼̬͙̹͗̀͆̎̕o̸̻̟̼̖͊̓̇͊̕͜υ̶̤̜͙͌̇͒̚̚ͅͅɔ̸̙̝̪͓̰͗̓̋̕͠ʜ̶͖̠̯͙͙̐̐̔͑̚ ̷̮̬̝͇̪̆̈́͒̓̀Ɉ̸̣̝̟̮͖́͑̍̇̀ʜ̵̺̠̦̻̻͛̽͑̐͝ɘ̷͙̭͉̤̥̅̓̽̄̚ ̶̛͓̲̳̼̦͌́̃̚ɔ̵̢̻̙̦̎̀̑̽́ͅɿ̷̘̙̺͉͚̊̓̾̎̇γ̷͎̦̝̬̩͛̒͛͐̏ƨ̶̩͖͈͈̫͛̽́͛͂Ɉ̶͚̤̬̘̠̈̾̈́̄̌ɒ̵̨̫̠̹́̏̍͑͝ͅl̷̥͚̖̭͂̽̄̉̒͜ ̵̧̛̳̲͚̃́͘͘ͅd̵͖͚̠̗̬͋̓̈́̋̕ɒ̷̧̢͖̲̪͑̎̓̍̽l̷͖͚̤͉͕̊̂̀̐͆l̷̳̪̮̺͔̃̿͐͊̀,̴̨̺̳̮̪͛́͐̇͝ ̶̘̯͎͍͒̓̃̔̉͜ɒ̴͓̰̪̩̺̀̽́̅͝ņ̶̻͇̮̭̆̊̑̕͠b̴̛̺̝̩̘̈͊͑͆ͅ ̵͓̤̬͓̰̇̐͐̋̕ɘ̵̨͔̺͓͎̅̊͆͘͠v̷̹̝͉̘̖̆̈́̐̓͘ɘ̷̟̦̖̹̬͗̍̾̓͠ɿ̵̜̣͖̻̙̄͋͆̐̌γ̴̱͖̣͍̝͋̈̾͗͂Ɉ̸̢̹̜̬͍̆̔̉̊̀ʜ̸̨̧͓͙͕̋͑̆̅̒ǐ̴̧̘͖̞͇̈͌̊̀ṉ̸̢̹̙͍͗̆̌̀̽ϱ̶̢̢̨̯̟̈́̓̾̈́̈ ̷̢͈͚͈͇͂́̔͊̕ɘ̶̢̥̱̩̥̿͛͌̕͝l̷̢̝̹̜͓̾̋̾̎̂ƨ̸̨̩͉͍̮̆̈́̿͂͠ɘ̷͔͍̯̬̹̋̾͋̆͌ ̴͔͓̝͙̞͑̈̿̋͘ƨ̸̡̳͓͍̇̌̋̿͘͜ʜ̴̡͚͇̟̘̇̂̿͘͠ɒ̸͙̳̦̪̱͗̇̚͝͝ļ̷̛͇̲̙̼̀́͛̈́l̶͇̼̞̥͓̓̉̈͊̓ ̷̗̙͉̦̳̏͛̒̐̊d̸̗͖̘͈̣͂͑̉̈́͐ɘ̴̺̥̯̘͂̍̅̈́͐͜ ̸̨̲̥͔̭͊͊͂̕͝ʜ̷̧̭̙̰͖͂͛̎͒̿ɒ̴̢̥̤̯͍͐̈́̽̆́n̸̢͖͔͇̝̄̑̈̽̂b̸̪̯̖͔̲̀̎̓͗͗l̶͉̯̠̮̰͒͑́̆̿ɘ̵̛̺͇̮͖͎̋͒̂͂ḅ̴̧̢̖̾́͛̏͒͜ ̶̡̜͎̻̹͂̋̾̇̉ḑ̵̮̬̝̯́̽̋̄͛γ̸̼͈̜̦͕̐̑̒̈̉ ̵͈͈͈̭̺̇̄̉̚͘m̶̩̙̻̩̣͊͐͂̈͂ɘ̴̧͎̫̲̪̓̈́́̀͆]
Understanding the voice's instruction, Bell nodded and placed his right palm on the crystal ball without hesitation. As soon as he made contact, the crystal ball glowed brightly with a radiant red light.
Bell remained fixated on the glowing crystal ball, his gaze unwavering despite the intensity of the bright red light. Yet, simultaneously, he couldn't ignore the prickling sensation spreading through his right palm, akin to the constant prick of needles against his skin.
After a few moments, Bell's palm began to feel a searing sensation, spreading like wildfire up his arm. He watched in awe as crimson lines raced across his skin, snaking their way up his arm until they converged around his chest, intensifying the burning sensation.
Despite the burning sensation coursing through his veins, Bell remained remarkably composed. While he couldn't deny his surprise at the unexpected turn of events, he kept his focus fixed on the glowing crystal ball, his demeanor unwavering.
As the burning sensation persisted, Bell's body underwent a transformation. From the top of his palm, a small red diamond-shaped crystal emerged, glowing with the same intensity as the crystal ball. Simultaneously, another radiant red light emanated from Bell's chest.
Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that an outline of a diamond-like object was etched into Bell's chest, mirroring the size of the crystal that emerged from the top of his palm.
The room soon became enveloped in the combined brightness of the red light, and suddenly, Bell felt an intense pain coursing through his head, causing his pupils to dilate from the agony.
He clenched his teeth tightly, steeling himself against the escalating agony as his head became inundated with a deluge of information. It felt as though millennia-worth of knowledge were being crammed into his brain without respite, overwhelming his senses with its sheer volume and velocity.
Despite the excruciating torment, Bell refrained from letting out piercing screams, instead bearing the agony in stoic silence, with only faint, muted groans of discomfort escaping his lips. Each passing moment felt like an eternity, dragging on at a sluggish pace, amplifying the difficulty of his endurance.
In reality however, barely a minute had elapsed, and after several more tense seconds, the intense red glare began to wane until it eventually extinguished entirely. Likewise, the crimson lines tracing his right arm and encircling his chest gradually receded, fading away into nothingness.
Struggling to maintain his balance, Bell felt a wave of weakness wash over him, threatening to send him sprawling to the ground. With a strained groan, he managed to steady himself, though the effort left him visibly shaken.
Clutching half of his tired and pained face with his right hand, he squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to make sense of the overwhelming torrent of information that had just assailed him.
Simultaneously, the two crystals that had emerged from Bell's body began to change color, shifting from their brilliant red hue to a pure white. Slowly, they recede back into his skin, disappearing without a trace as if they had never been there in the first place.
Bell struggled to catch his breath, his chest heaving as he attempted to organize the overwhelming surge of information that had flooded his mind. Realizing the magnitude of what he had just received, would take months or even years to fully comprehend.
[Master, are you alright?]
As a crisp female voice echoed through his head, Bell's mind paused for a few seconds before recognition dawned upon him.
[Master?]
Hearing the female voice once more, Bell calmly smiled and remarked, "A warning about the pain would have been appreciated, you know?" his tone was laced with sarcasm.
[My Apologies]
"It's alright," Bell reassured, his voice calm and composed. "It's been a while since you've done this, hasn't it? And in the end, it was successful." He adjusted his posture and refocused his gaze
"With this, the connection between you and me should now be fully established," Bell remarked, his gaze shifting to the crystal ball on the podium.
[That is correct Master, You now have complete authority over me]
Upon hearing this, a dark smile crept onto the boy's face. Without hesitation, he inquired, "I see. Then can we begin?"
[Of course, my master. Everything inside is now at your command]
The female voice responded with unwavering loyalty.
Bell's smile widened as he placed both hands on the crystal ball, igniting a grayish glow from within.
"Excellent. Let us now unveil the true might of the dungeon"
It was on this night
That the Dungeon had forever changed
One that would forever leave an indelible mark on the Labyrinth City and the world beyond.