Bell and Elfy sat atop the Twilight manor. They basked in the sun's warm glow as it began to set. Bell's hand rested atop Elfy's, and she rested her head on his shoulder. The two were enjoying each other's company after a long time apart.

"It's hard to believe it's over," Bell said.

Elfy smiled and leaned in. "Yeah, it is, but I'm glad you're back. I'm glad you came back to me."

Bell looked down at her and smiled. "It hurt so much being away from you. But I'm back, and everyone's safe now."

"Yeah, they are," Elfy added.

A moment of tranquility passed between the two before Bell leaned down and captured Elfy's lips with his own. Elfy was surprised but started kissing him back.

After a few seconds, the two broke apart and smiled at each other while blushing.

"I love you, Elfy. I always have."

"I love you too, Bell."

"So, does this make us official?" He nervously asked.

Elfy turned, and the smile faded from her lips. "No, Bell, you need to wake up."

Bell quickly shot awake before grabbing his chest in pain. He let out a groan as he bought a potion from the shop. He quickly drank it, feeling the pain dull.

"Good, you're awake, thanks for your help."

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Past

Bell arrived at the address Ishtar gave him. Inside the building was an Evilus stronghold run by the Ikelos familia. Smuggling monsters out of the city for whatever reason.

Bell didn't really care much for the reason. He just knew there were people in there he had to kill. People who stood in the way of him reuniting with his family. People that were going to die tonight.

You ready, kid?

"Yeah, sooner these people die, sooner I get to go home."

Bell summoned his M4 and looked at it. He knew guns were extremely loud. He didn't want to draw attention to himself by using it. As it could bring Evilus reinforcements or Ganesha familia.

"Have anything I can use to make this quieter?"

Check the attachments section.

Bell opened the shop and scrolled down, landing on the attachments section. He opened it, and his eyes widened slightly, seeing all that was available.

Choose a silencer.

Bell listened and scrolled down until he reached it. He opened the tab and read the description.

Silencer: 1,500 gold

An attachment made to silence your gunshot, and like actually silence it like in the movies. So, if you want your guy silent, buy this. Cause it's a silencer.

Bell paid for it and watched as it suddenly appeared on the barrel of his gun. Bell, now having his gun silent, raised it as he approached the door.

He equipped his thermal goggles and looked through, seeing no one on the other side. He tried to open it, but the door was locked.

"Figures."

Here, use this.

Lock picking kit deposited

"Thank you."

Bell slung his rifle down his hip and started picking the lock. After a minute of doing so, he heard a click and opened the door.

He put the lock-picking equipment back in his inventory before raising his rifle once more. Stepping inside the building, he shut the door behind him before slowly moving forward.

Using his thermal goggles, he saw two people coming from his right. He crouched and waited for them to appear in his line of sight.

"Yo, you seem some of the new ones we caught?"

"Oh, you mean that lizard man and vouvire? They don't seem all that much."

"Nah, that vouvire looks like a little girl. I know some sick fucks will pay a pretty valis for her."

"Eh, whatever, as long as we get paid, I don't care what happens to these monsters."

They rounded the corner, and Bell pulled the trigger twice. Their bodies dropped to the ground dead as blood leaked out from the hole in their heads.

Bell moved up and checked for a pulse, just in case. Feeling none, he continued moving. Taking the hallway, the two guards had come from.

He kept his legs bent as he continued moving in the compound. His rifle raised and ready. His thermal goggles picked up heat signatures in cages 100 feet to his left.

Bell glanced behind him and saw no one, so he kept going forward. Step by step, he slowly moved closer and closer to the room with the cages.

He stopped and crouched, hearing a door open behind him 200 feet away. He looked down that way and saw four men coming his way.

Bell waited until they were closer each step they took let him line up his shots with their heads.

Once they were 100 feet away, he pulled the trigger, and bullet met flesh.

"Shit, where did that come from?!"

Bell pulled the trigger again, and another dropped dead.

"Fuck what the hell is happening!"

Another dead. One left

"No, no, no, no, no-

Last dead.

Bell stood up and looked down the dimly lit corridor at his work. Six bullets, six dead. His aim had gotten better.

He let out a breath and turned back around. He was only 50 feet away from the room now. He could see a mess of heat signatures all cramped into cages.

If there was anybody else in there, he couldn't tell because of how closely back together everything was. Bell took his goggles off and placed them back in his inventory.

He then aimed his rifle at the door as he grabbed the doorknob. His heartbeat was calm and steady, as well as his breathing.

He knew monsters would be locked in cages on the other side of this door. Why, he didn't know, but he was going to end their little trafficking ring they operated down here.

He took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping inside. Only for a spear to impale his shoulder and pin him to the wall.

"Ah, shit." He yelled, caught off guard, causing him to drop his M4.

"Look at me, I got a lucky shot. You know it's pretty easy to hear your guys yelling in panic in the hallway. You're not all that good at this stealth thing, are ya?" A black-haired man asked.

The man was tall and muscular, wearing a brown jacket that was open and had a white shirt under it. He wore goggles over his eyes with translucent murky lenses that made it hard for Bell to see his eyes. Attached to his hip was a large battle knife that could pass off as a short sword. He also wielded the spear that was currently buried in Bell's shoulder.

Bell didn't respond, instead glaring at the man. He used observation on the man to find out who he was.

Dix Peridix

Level five

A descendant of Daedalus Dix is hounded by a curse that calls for him to keep extending the labyrinth known as Knossos.

"Hmm, cat got your tongue? Nothing you wanna say?"

Bell gave the man a pained smirk as Dix walked closer. "Must suck being cursed by your dead ancestor Dix."

Dix's eyes widened in shock as he stopped in his tracks. But he quickly recomposed himself, letting out a chuckle as he did so.

"Well, shit, I see you've done your homework. But your little name game ain't gonna work on me." Dix said as he reached down and grabbed Bell's M4

"Now I do wonder what this is. It's like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Hand it to me, and I'll give you a full demonstration." Bell taunted.

Dix smirked as he walked in front of Bell, waving the gun. "Hmm, nope, I'm not that dumb. Sucks you don't have another one. But hey, you just hang out here while I go get some Evilus buddies, and they'll put you back in your cell."

Dix had a cocky smirk on his face. One that was quickly wiped away when Bell shot him in the face with his Colt Python.

"Who said I didn't have another one," Bell said.

He grabbed the spear lodged in his shoulder and ripped it out, putting it in his inventory.

Warning bleeding status effect is activated.

-1hp every two minutes

"Huh, never seen that before." Bell thought.

He grabbed a potion out of his inventory and drank it.

"Hmm, last one, should buy more soon."

Bell drank the potion, but the status didn't go away.

"Huh, that's odd, let me take a look at that weapon."

Bell took the spear out of his inventory and used Observation on it.

Cursed Spear

Weapon rank: C

A spear imbued with a curse that makes it to where the wounds it inflicts can't be healed by potions or magic

"Well shit, looks like I'm solving this the old fashion way."

Bell opened the store again and bought some bandages, costing him about 300 gold. He wrapped them tightly around his shoulder but watched as they started to turn red.

"Well, hopefully, that'll hold me until I can better take care of it."

Bell put the spear back in his inventory and used callback on his M4 before placing it in his inventory as well.

He still kept his Colt Python in his hand as he started examining the cages. What he saw made him feel a strange sense of anger at how these monsters were treated.

Multiple stuffed in dirty cages, all cramped together. The monsters, in turn, looked at him with apprehension, and was that fear?

Why was this monster feeling fear?

Bell's attention was drawn to a Vouvire walking toward him. Bell's eyes slightly widened in shock. By all intents and purposes, this was a monster. But she looked more like a little girl than a bloodthirsty monster.

"H-h-help u-u-u-us."

"What the hell?" Bell said quickly, backing up.

Did that monster just talk? How is that possible monsters weren't supposed to talk? Just what did he stumble upon, and is this why these monsters were being trafficked?

"Please let us out of these cages." A harpy asked.

One by one, the monsters began to talk. Some didn't, however, which Bell noted. However, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to let them out, but they were monsters and could pounce on him if he did.

Sure, he'd be able to take them, but not without getting hurt badly.

"How do I know you won't attack me if I do?" Bell asked, pulling the hammer back on his python.

"Because your enemies seem to be ours." A lizard man answered.

Bell turned his attention to the lizard man whose face was cut up. "I can see that, but that doesn't necessarily make us friends."

"That's true, but you either kill us, or we'll starve to death. All we're asking is that you let us go, after that, we never have to see each other again."

Bell was conflicted about what to do. He didn't really need to kill them. They hadn't done anything to harm him. Even if they were locked in cages. None swatted at him.

But if he left them behind, they would die slow, painful deaths. Locked away and forced to starve and eat their own.

Quest Issued: Free the Xenos and take them to safety.

"How do I know they can be trusted?"

Do you trust me?

"I do."

Then save them, I know you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you left them behind.

"Why do you think that?"

Because you're kind

Bell let out a sigh as he put his Python away. "Fine, I'll let you out, but you try and jump me, and five of you will be dead before I go down. That I can promise you."

Bell walked over to Dix's corpse and took the keys off his body. He walked over to the cage with the lizard man and inserted the key.

"I'm trusting you here, don't make me regret it."

Bell turned the key and heard the lock click. He opened the cage, and the lizard man stepped out, standing to his full height and easily towering over Bell.

Bell kept his gaze steady and cool as he stared down the lizard man. The lizard man stretched and then held out his hand to Bell.

Bell nearly drew his Python, thinking it was an attack, but stopped.

"My name's Lyd, what's yours."

Bell looked at the lizard man's hand before hesitantly taking it.

"Bell, my name's Bell."

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After a few minutes, the rest of the Xenos were freed and tending to their wounds. Thanks to some potions Bell provided to them.

He made a mental note to look for some healing magic in the shop. It would be very useful, and he wouldn't have to spend so much on potions.

But then again, if he kept a reasonable stockpile, he would be fine. But he'd manage that problem later. Right now, he had to deal with the Xenos.

"Alright, how many of you can fight?" Bell asked.

Lyd and a few other Xenos stepped forward. "We can, the others need to help escort our really injured to our haven."

Bell nodded and took the cursed spear from his inventory. He handed it to Lyd, to which the lizard man looked at it with apprehension.

"That was his weapon," Lyd said, referring to Dix.

"Well, now it's yours. Trust me, I won't be needing it, and neither will he." Bell said.

Lyd glanced at it again before taking it. "Thank you, for helping us."

"Don't thank me yet. Your people are injured, and with the amount of fighters you have, you won't make it far."

"Our people?" Lyd asked, looking around.

"It's a saying." Bell clarified.

Lyd nodded and looked back at the Xenos. "We'll manage somehow."

Bell rolled his eyes. "No, you won't, which is why I'll escort you."

"But you're a human, why help us?"

"Well, like you said. We have the same enemies."

"Ah, I see what's that human saying? The friend of my enemy is my enemy?"

Bell lightly chuckled. "No, it's the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Hmm, I see, it doesn't make much sense. I like mine better."

Bell rolled his eyes again. "Alright, well, let's go. I'll have to sneak you into the dungeon. After that is surprisingly the easy part."

"Wait, we're on the surface?" Lyd asked.

"Yeah, what did these people drug you or something?"

Lyd nodded. Bell had a surprised look on his face.

"Huh, didn't know monster could be drugged. Color me surprised."

"Wait, if we're on the surface, does that mean we can see the sun?" Lyd asked.

Bell shook his head. "No, it's nighttime, but we're gonna have to move quickly."

"You're right, sorry it's just a dream of ours to be able to see the sun."

"Well, maybe someday, but right now, we need to go. There's about six more dead bodies out in the hallway. Have your fighters grab their weapons on our way out."

Aw, look at you taking command of this ragtag group of misfits

"Shut up."

Lyd then turned to the rest of the Xenos and called out.

"Alright, everyone listen up. Bellchi here is gonna lead us to the dungeon and get us to safety. We stay with him, and we'll all be home soon."

The Xenos all nodded in agreement before Bell turned to Lyd.

"Bellchi?"

"Wanted to give you a nickname."

Bell chucked before turning around. But when he did, he felt a pair of tiny arms wrap around his back.

Extremely confused, he turned and saw the Vouvire hugging him.

"T-t-thank you." She said her speech broken.

When Bell looked down at her, he didn't see a monster hugging him. He saw a little girl who was scared.

He saw Fena.

He knocked himself out of his stupor and hesitantly patted her on the head. "Uh, don't worry, you'll be safe with me."

A harpy then came up and pulled the Vouvire off him.

"Come along now, Wiene, we need to leave."

Bell then looked back to Lyd. "Ready to go?"

"Yup, it's time we get the hell out of here."

"Alright, wait for me by the exit. There's something I need to do first."

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After a few minutes of waiting, Bell arrived at the entrance where the Xenos were waiting.

"Everything taken care of?" Lyd asked.

Bell nodded. "Yup, once we're out, this place will cause us a nice distraction. Just stick close to me. I know this city like the back of my hand."

Lyd nodded, and Bell pushed the door open. He ushered the Xenos out and shut the door once they were all out. He immediately took the lead position while Lyd covered the back.

Bell led them through back alleys until they arrived at Main Street. He signaled for everyone to stop as he could see multiple people out in the street.

"Alright, things are about to get loud. Once they do, we move quickly. Don't stop for anything."

The Xenos signaled they were ready, and Bell pulled out his detonator. He pressed it, and not a second later, a massive explosion rocked the street.

"Holy shit, that was only a pound! How big are the other 19 gonna be?!" Bell wondered.

Main Street erupted into a panic, with people screaming and running everywhere. Once Bell saw an opening, he took it.

"Alright, everyone move! Move!" He yelled.

He and the Xenos began running through the street through the panicking crowd. The inured Xenos being carried on the backs of others.

Thanks to the crowd's hysterics and panic, they didn't notice the literal monsters running through the street. Neither did the Ganesha familia as they tried to calm the crowd and escort them to safety.

Bell and the Xenos were nearly to the dungeon. Bell could see its entrance up ahead. Just a few more steps and they would-

Bang

A bullet hit Bell in the shoulder, causing him to stumble. He lost his balance and fell forward, dropping his Python and rolling forward.

"Bellchi!" Lyd yelled.

"Just go! I'll hold them off!"

Bell grabbed his M4 and returned fire in all directions. He pushed himself to his feet and, moved into cover and watched as Lyd and the rest of the Xenos made it into the dungeon.

"Damnit, why'd it have to be in the same shoulder?" Bell wondered.

He used callback on his Python and stored it. He looked at his shoulder and saw the bullet didn't go through. Meaning it was still stuck in his shoulder.

Bell let out some pained breaths before peeking around the corner. He quickly pulled his head back as a bullet impacted the wall.

Bell took a few more deep breaths to calm himself. Before feeling the hairs on his right arm, stand up.

He quickly spun on his heel and shot a man in the face. The man dropped dead, and Bell saw a gun next to him.

Bell didn't have any more time to examine him before another bullet hit him in the leg. Bell stumbled slightly before turning around and pulling the trigger three times.

Two shots missed, but the third hit the man in the stomach. Bell got a better look at the uniform the man was wearing.

Grey trench coats and a grey bulletproof vest. With a brow shirt under the vest and brown pants. Attached to their bulletproof vest were knife holsters with said weapons in them.

The man laid on the ground, groaning in pain as well as Bell.

"Wolves! Cease Fire!" A man ordered.

The gunfire stopped, and Bell stayed where he was. He looked over to the dungeon entrance and judged the distance.

It wasn't too far, he had taken cover behind a building close to it. Only 20 yards.

"Alright, come on out kid. Let's get this over with." The man called out.

"Oh, and let you shoot me. Yeah, fuck that!"

"Come on, kid, I have you surrounded. There's no way out of this."

"Already dropped two of your guys. Can't be many left, can there?" Bell taunted.

"You willing to bet your life on that kid? Sure, you might kill a couple more, but this is the first time you've fought against an organized group, isn't it?"

Smoke grenade deposited.

Bell summoned it out of his inventory and pulled the pin. He kept the release mechanism down and waited.

"Oh, and what makes you think that?"

"Because I've done some information gathering this backward-ass world. Gotten a little history, ya know. Seems to me you people can't figure out how to conquer this here dungeon. Even though these so-called gods have been down here for a millennium. Means you lack organization and critical thinking skills."

"Oh, so you think you can do better?"

"I know I can."

Bell let out a chuckle. "Yeah, maybe you can, turns out the top dogs here aren't all that smart. Or so I've recently found out."

"Seems that way, now come out, kid. I won't ask again."

Bell let go of the release mechanism, and smoke slowly started coming out. "Alright, I'm coming out. I'll let ya shoot me some more."

Bell waited a second for more smoke to come out, and once a reasonable amount did, he tossed it and started hobbling his way to the dungeon.

"Little shit, open fire!" The man yelled.

A hail of bullets started flying back at Bell. Hitting the walls, ground and nipping at his feet. But he kept moving.

Only 10 yards now. 5 yards.

Bell made it to the entrance but stopped when he saw Wiene cowering behind a wall. He took a bullet to the hip, but his Kevlar stopped it. He let out a groan and hobbled to Wiene.

"Wiene, come on, we need to go!" Bell urged.

"Scared." She said.

"Don't be. I'll protect you. But right now, I need you to run into the dungeon."

Bell peeked out and returned fire before ducking back in. "Alright, when I tell you to run, just run. I'll cover you, ok."

Wiene looked at Bell in fear but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright, run!" Bell yelled.

He popped back over the corner and started firing back. He fired in every direction the bullets were coming from as Wiene ran into the dungeon.

Bell grunted as a bullet hit him in the thigh.

Health: 15,000/30,000

"Was wondering when that would show up."

Before Bell could dash into the dungeon, four bullets hit him in the best. His Kevlar stopped it from piercing, but the force was enough to knock Bell down.

He struggled to catch his breath, and the smoke started dissipating. He could make out the silhouettes of the men trying to kill him.

But before the smoke entirely cleared, Bell felt something grab his collar and drag him. He looked out and saw Lyd carrying him.

"Don't worry, Bellchi, I gotcha."

Bell couldn't thank him cause two more bullets hit him in the thigh again.

Health: 7,500/30,000

Bell let out a yell as Lyd threw him over his shoulder. He began running down the halls as Bell's blood coated his body.

Bell summoned a potion and drank it. It wouldn't fully heal him as the bullets were still in there. But it would give him some health back so he wouldn't bleed out.

After an hour or so, Lyd and the others arrived at the 18th floor.

"Set me down." Bell wheezed.

"It's alright, Bellchi. I can carry you."

"Not for that, I need to get the bullets out."

Lyd had no idea what Bell was talking about but set him against a tree anyway. Bell looked down at his legs and took a deep breath.

"Alright, all four at once, this is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch."

Bell held his hand above his leg and used callback. He grunted and groaned in pain, feeling the pieces of lead tear through his body and out his skin.

Once they were out, he threw them away and felt dizzy and loopy. He was quick to buy another potion and chug it down before passing out from the blood loss.

"Let's get him to the haven. He can rest there." Lyd ordered, throwing Bell over his shoulder. He also grabbed his weird weapon and held it as well.

The Xenos then kept moving and, after a few hours, eventually made it to the safe haven.

Well, another chapter written and done with hope you enjoyed. Looks like an other made an appearance, if you can guess who good job.

Anyway, most of this chapter took place in the past, so next chapter will be the present and going forward.