Chapter 37: Skulking

The next day, Hit woke up, not feeling at all well rested, and dived upwards for a short dungeon raid, before coming back down. Sadly, he was not feeling in the mood for it today.

Hit was currently in the dilapidated town of Rivira, watching out for any more ne'er-do-wells. Hit, reluctantly, had tasked himself with purchasing a backpack today; however, he was putting the large transaction off. The midday artificial sun shone down on his perch, illuminating a rather bored boy.

"..." "..." "..."

His ears twitched as a group of familiar footsteps walked past the gateway into the city. Soundlessly, he used the fragile buildings as platforms, and made his way to the other end of the region. Expectedly, he saw a recognisable group wandering around, consisting of the Hiryute sisters, Ais, and the Hestia familia. The lower-level adventurers had starry eyes as they glanced at everything and anything; however, this quickly rotted into affront as they read the prices for various items. The Hiryute sisters looked quite pleased, happy to lead new faces around the relatively boring place. Hit made sure to hide himself well, since the two tanned girls' spatial awareness was monstrous.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man bumped into Bell, exiting a shop. This caused the innocent boy to apologise, even though he obviously was not at fault. "Oh! Sorry about that."

The man grunted, apparently recognising Bell. He wore a green shirt, and fur straps around his waist and neck, which showed off his muscular body. His armour consisted solely of shoulder guards, which went down to his lower arms. The burly individual wore no headgear, allowing a mop of short brown hair to waft in the breeze. Two scars on his forehead and cheek gained definition as he scowled at the short boy. Two other mercenaries exited behind him: a shorter, rat-like man, and a muscular warrior, whose wild mane of blond hair, and red tattoos, were quite striking.

The rat-like man spoke first. "Well, if it isn't little wussy again..." Apparently Bell and these men had history.

The leader of the group grinded his teeth and marched up to Bell. "Yeah... I owe you for what you did at the hostess." He held Bell's face in a strong grip, causing the boy to become quite confused. However, Bell's cute, squishy face made the man hold back most of his strength.

The blond warrior grasped his leader's shoulder, worry clear on his face. "I wouldn't do that, Mord." The now named 'Mord' glanced over to his subordinate; however, followed his clearly frightened gaze. Mord was met with harsh stares from a group of incredibly powerful first-class adventurers: Ais, Tiona, and Tione of the influential Loki familia. Ais' stare was particularly icy and froze the three idiots in place.

Mord released Bell's face, as if it was diseased. "This tool's with the sword princess!? Let's go, guys." With that, the mercenaries stuck their tails between their legs and marched away, defeated.

Tiona rose a brow at the unprovoked attack. "What a bunch of losers..."

Above, Hit made sure to memorise their faces. 'Hostess? Did they have an altercation on the surface?'

The proceeding tour went relatively uneventfully, since there really was not much to do in this run-down dump. The group members separated to frequent individual shops, despite previously desponding at the prices. Hit watched them, shaking his head.

'Foolish. This is not the place to buy supplies, particularly not something as useless as perfume.'

Hit's eyes zipped to the goddess Hestia, who was bartering with a scantily dressed woman over a vial of scented liquid. Hit had seen the shopkeeper adjust the prices, as soon as she saw the ditzy girl waltz down the street. 'These people are all thieving rats.' Hit was no stranger to these tactics, having frequented many slums on overpopulated planets. He disliked these honourless tactics, but couldn't bring himself to hate them. Desperate times called for desperate measures. However, these people were not in such a dire situation; what was stopping them adventuring on the surface? Anyone of level 2 strength could live a relatively lavish life in that manner.

Hit then focused on the other shorty of the group: Lili. She was biting her thumb and peering into a shop peddling large backpacks. The apprehensive girl picked one up, looking for any tears or holes; the shoddy items was covered in patches and stitches. 'At least the cat girl's purchase is a necessity. Hm... Perhaps I can use this to my advantage.'

Hit dropped down, light as a feather, and walked up to the stall. A fat, balding salesman was lying on a stained bean cushion chair and was getting quite annoyed with the girl. "Either buy somethin' or quit touching the damned merchandise!"

Lili growled slightly, nearly tearing the fabric of her potential purchase. Fear of having to pay such a needless fine stayed her hand. "Okay, okay! You don't have to keep yelling! I'll take thi..."

"Hold it." Hit had appeared beside her, unnoticed by the pair. He glared down at the pathetic layabout, behind the counter, who nearly soiled themselves at Hit's sudden arrival.

Lili jumped up, dropping the backpack back onto the counter. "Gah! Wh...Huh!? Hit? What do you want?" She distanced herself from the tall boy, still not trusting him.

Hit did not stop glaring down, keeping up the psychological attack. The salesman began to sweat, as Hit refused to blink. Time skip could have unexpected boons, such as allowing the user to cheat at staring contests. "I am here to purchase a rucksack as well; however, I am well aware of the horrendous prices."

The imposing adventurer marched right up to the counter, casting a shadow over the interior of the shack. The fat pig backed away, but only managed to ruffle his cushion. Hit paused for a moment, like an executioner, holding their axe at its apex. "I am going to make you an offer, my final offer. 26,000 valis for two backpacks. We both know that is a more than a fair offer. I know how much these are worth. I know where they are made. I know how their quality is purposefully poor. Your sewing is beyond abysmal...

ゴ "...Shaun." ゴ

The man, Shaun, looked utterly terrified, and fell back onto the ground, teeth chattering. Lili gazed up at Hit, eyes wide; she put a foot back, readying herself.

This was incredibly harsh treatment from Hit; however, it was warranted. Initially, Hit had done some introspection. Perhaps he was wrong. Maybe these people worked tooth and nail to get the materials needed to fabricate their supplies. Therefore, Hit had traipsed after the man, since he had stock that Hit desired, to judge whether the backpacks were truly so valuable. If it turned out the man worked hard, and provided an uncharged price, then he would have gladly paid for them. However, this was not the case.

No, this bastard spent the nights collecting rags from the ground, and nearby stalls. He then sewed them together, in a purposefully shoddy fashion. Hit had followed someone who was unfortunate enough to buy one of the monstrosities. Unfortunately, their pack tore on the 14th floor, spraying the grey stones below with ropes, potions, and other dungeon accessories. Luckily, his party quickly scooped up most of the items, and evaded a swarm of monsters.

Shaun had changed the location of his shop every day, likely renting different stalls to confuse anyone seeking vengeance. A small number of people had appeared, demanding compensation; however, they were turned away by the current stall holder. In this way, Shaun never faced the consequences of his actions. There were relatively few people who returned, since what kind of madman would descend several floors through hell, just to get a refund? The minority who returned were either particularly determined, or had purchased the worst of Shaun's stock. In this way, Shaun gained the maximum profit possible, whilst putting in very little effort. Additionally, if certain members of Rivira recovered the fallen materials, Shaun would get a cut; it was a network of scum, straddling the loose laws that existed down here.

All in all, it was an excellent undercover operation by Hit. The alien had spent hundreds of years delving through the networks of countless planets' underworlds; carrying out espionage and detective work was a difficult habit to break out of. He would not say that he did it out of enjoyment or sense of duty, rather it was out of familiarity. One does not simply change their way of life, without holding on to some ghosts.

Hit gave Shaun the most murderous look he could muster, well defined face appearing like a gargoyle in the enclosed space. "Sooner or later, you will have to face the consequences of your actions. It is your choice whether that day is today."

Sweat drenched the miscreants face; Shaun was about to have a heart attack. This boy... no, demon had stalked him and figured out his entire scheme. Shaun had already been on edge, as had all the other residents of Rivira. The villagers swore they could feel an eerie presence in the town these past few days, always just outside their field of vision.

Shaun crawled across the ground, hyperventilating. He rummaged around the back and rose to a standing position, although he had a pronounced hunch. He pushed two far superior rucksacks forwards, and onto the counter. These were from a separate stock, that Hit had also found, which were sold to notable figures, who would easily discern the fragility of his other products. "T-take these. P-please d-don't kill me!" The man's eyes were wide and unblinking, and his mouth was fixed in a terrified grimace.

Hit took out the necessary coins and slid them across the counter, to a surprised shopkeeper. "Hmph. You're not worthy as a target." He then studied the packs for any defects and handed the brownish one to the skittish cat girl below. Hit narrowed his eyes slightly at Lili; her feline ears were slightly translucent, as if they were a mirage. "This one is yours." Hit then slung a single strap of the grey rucksack around his arm and walked away.

Lili was agape and stood for a few moments in awe. She then gasped and ran after Hit, leaving Shaun to reevaluate his poor life choices.

...

Lili ran, trying to catch Hit, who moved uncharacteristically quickly. "W-wait!"

Hit halted his marching and turned around to face Lili, who skidded to a stop, panting. Once she recovered, she spoke in a confused voice. "W-why did you buy this for me? Let me pay you!" Lili did not trust the man, and certainly did not want to be indebted to him.

Hit studied her physique. She was rather strong and looked quite accustomed to carrying her pack. The brown bag that Hit had just offered her, was the larger out of the two, which he noticed was the one that her beady eyes darted to first. "You lost your supplies, didn't you?"

Lili's eyes widened. "H-how do you know that?"

Hit recalled his findings a few hours ago, during the short trip upwards. He had found a few pieces of familiar fabric, behind a newly collapsed wall, which had not been present the day before. Any valuables had already been pilfered or lost, leaving only ropes and maps. Principally, the maps only detailed rooms up to floor 13, whilst the scraps were on floor 14, suggesting that whoever had lost them, had not planned on delving so deep. "I encountered the remains of your pack further up. When I fond you, your cloak was singed in a similar manner, and had torn pieces of matching material in the lining."

Lili gaped at Hit's detective work and covered her body. "Y-you undressed me!?"

Hit scowled down in disgust. "I have no interest in a child's anatomy. My eyes simply see all."

Lili nearly fell over in indignation. If the insult had come from someone less intimidating, she would have marched right up to him and lashed him, both verbally and physically. She was not a child; she was gorgeous, dammit! Lili gritted her teeth and shook, utterly enraged, yet calmed herself down by breathing deeply.

Hit narrowed his eyes at the girl, while she was panting; he finally saw her true nature. The girl's cat ears faded away in Hit's vision, leaving behind an unmarred mop of brown hair. 'She's a pallum? Was she using magic, or perhaps a skill, to hide her identity? If so, how am I able to see past it?'

Hit had just seen past Liliruca Arde's magic: Cinder Ella. This transformation magic allows the user to transform into anything around their size. Hit was becoming an absolute genius at magic, beyond mortal measure, and was already subconsciously analysing the spells he was faced with. He did not pay any attention to her yesterday; however, now that they were having an actual conversation, Hit had peered past her veil. The same phenomena had already occurred during Hit's discovery of the witch's shop, and Asfi's veil. The witch's shop's barrier only served to dissuade common folk, so was not hard for someone of Hit's intellect to peer past.

Lili cocked her head at Hit's penetrating gaze. He decided to end their talk. "I did it to ensure the least possible amount of money goes to these wretches, and to teach that leech a lesson. Besides, little prum, I had to purchase one as well." Hit then continued his march, and rounded a corner, out of sight.

Lili opened her mouth in shock. "H-how? He knows I'm a pallum?"

Prum was another word for Pallum in this world, used to highlight their cuteness. However, Lili was not a fan of the descriptor. She sweated and walked back to the meeting place, glancing back several times. "Why does Master Bell have to be so trusting..."

Hit was about to return to his base, when he spotted Hermes walking around. Hit quickly places him arm through the other strap of his new pack and darted to a nearby rooftop. The bird's eye view allowed him to quickly see that they, along with a swiftly walking Lili, were converging to a central point: Bell Cranel, who was staring at a large white crystal, embedded in the ground. Hit made sure to keep an eye on all the moving pawns, and soon made it to the group's meeting point. Tiona and Tione were both sitting to the side, whilst the Takemikazuchi familia members were huddled together. Hit's eyes were quickly drawn to Ais Wallenstein, who had raised the collar of her dress slightly, and was looking down.

Hit scrunched his face at the odd activity. "Why is Ais sniffing herself?"

The group conversed for a while and seemed to be planning to bathe. Most began to set off back to their camp site to change; however, Hestia seemed to become angry and marched over to Lili. "Hold on, you got that for free!? Why do you get special treatment? I'm a goddess, don't I get anything!?"

Lili's rage boomed, which seemed to occur during every conversion with the small deity. However, she soon became serious, and a little embarrassed. "I didn't get any special treatment! It was...Huff. Mister Hit bought it for me..."

Hestia's twin tails shot up in shock, an action that Hit found quite impossible. Maybe this was her divine power? "Huh!? Why would he do that? He seems like a bad guy, to me."

Bell huffed and walked over to the bickering pair. "Don't say that, Goddess. He's been really nice to us. Also, did he really buy you that expensive-looking backpack? We should pay him back!"

Lili nodded her head, gravely. "Yeah, but I think it was mostly out of a grudge..." Her colleagues looked quite confused, so the pallum continued. "He managed to buy two backpacks, each worth 20,000 valis, for only 26,000 valis. It wasn't really haggling, more like intimidation. Somehow, he knew things. He knew the guy's name, and where the packs were made... Apparently the salesman was making them purposefully low quality, for some reason..."

Bell cupped his chin trying to think of why the shopkeeper would do such a thing. Welf had been listening and chimed in with his opinion. "There's definitely something shady about this place. I say good on the guy for standing up to these bastards. He saved us a lot of money too, at least down here where we can't make any..."

Lili did not look as hopeful. "It wasn't just that... he knew that I lost my pack, just based on some torn pieces of fabric."

Bell nodded, not seeing the problem. "Well, he did say to analyse the environment, right? He was trying to help us out!"

Lili carried on, rubbing her ears to ensure they were truly there. "Also, he could tell that I was a pallum. He saw through my magic, like it was nothing... How is that even possible!? It's like he could see right through me, into my soul."

Bell and Welf gasped, not understanding how such a feat could be accomplished either. Welf scratched his hair. "Okay, that is pretty creepy... Maybe a skill? He does seem like the calculating type."

Bell crossed his arms, realising just how little he knew about Hit. "I'll ask him later. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm, and we owe him for the pack."

A short distance away, Hit's eyes sparkled. "So, it is magic. Now, how did I see past it?'

Realising how empty the courtyard had become, the Hestia familia followed the others towards the camp; however, Bell was accosted by Hermes, who slung an arm around the boy's shoulder.

Bell cried out in surprise; Hit watched the god closely. "Lord Hermes? Don't scare me like that!"

Hermes held a palm over his mouth, ensuring that his words were not overheard. "Say Bell, when we get to the campsite, can I talk with you for a bit?"

Bell was rather flustered, but decided to comply with the deity. "Sure...". With that, the two men followed their companions back to camp.

...

Hit watched as Hermes walked away, curious at what the God wanted with Bell. He had obviously overheard their conversation, and was jumping to conclusions in his head, thanks to his negative experience with Champa. He supposed the God of destruction had mellowed in the tournament of power, but he was still wary. Bell was garbed in his light armour, crafted from a white metal of some kind; he was taking this journey seriously. Hermes' smile was rather wide, and he chuckled at times. There was definitely something off about this Hermes god, who bordered between mischievous and malicious.

Hit continued to hunt the adventurers and followed, completely unseen. His 'training' with Tione and Tiona had aided him immensely.

On the way, the duo had passed Bete Loga, who had just returned with a heavy pack, full to the brim with antidotes. The werewolf looked absolutely mortified to see the 'tomato turd' walk past and took his anger out on Finn. The pallum simply laughed as Bete picked him up, shaking him for answers.

Hit began to grow more and more suspicious as Hermes led Bell deeper and deeper into the forest, seemingly with no destination. He looked down on them from the thick canopy; Bell seemed to be getting aggravated as well.

"Lord Hermes, I know you wanted to speak to me alone, but..." The god grabbed a tree branch and hoisted himself up, causing Bell to freeze in place. "Why do we have to climb a tree!?"

Hermes tapped the woody appendage and assuaged his companion's fears. "Don't worry, you'll find out in just a few moments."

Bell huffed and climbed after him, hoping he'd be able to take a relaxing swim soon. Hermes rested on a thinner branch and shushed him. "We're here for a very good reason." The god glanced down, and Bell followed his gaze…

…Girls.

….Naked girls met Bell's virgin eyes.

The enchantresses faced away from him, thus hiding most of their precious features. Tione was watching her sister swim back and forth, whilst Chigusa and Mikoto, the two Takemikazuchi familia girls, were conversing. Lili stood next to an extremely proud Hestia, whose flowing black locks were untied and left free. She giggled to herself. "I am clearly the winner!"

Lili crossed her arms, looking nonplussed. "You haven't told us what the contest is, Goddess Hestia..."

Above, Bell's eyes became saucers, and his mouth was agape. Hermes looked uncharacteristically serious, as if they were on a deadly mission. Hermes covered Bell's mouth with a gloved hand, preventing any ensuing noises of embarrassment from flooding out. "When women are naked, it's a man's responsibility to try and sneak a peek, little man."

Bell pulled back, aghast at the words. "This is why you brought me here!? That is so many levels of not okay!"

Hermes patted Bell's head, silencing him. "Listen, kid. Spying on chicks is how a man expresses his feelings!". These words seemed to send Bell into a trance as he stood still for a few moments. To the side, Hit closed his eyes and huffed, realising that he had wasted an entire hour with this nonsense.

Bell recovered from his reveries, with a shake of his head. The innocent boy then attempted to pull Hermes away from the lovely sights. "Let's just go back to camp, alright?". Unfortunately, the crafty god chuckled and rotated his body, causing Bell to lose his grasp on the god, and footing on the thin branch. The boy had used very little strength, as Gods were often no stronger than an unblessed human; however, this tactic backfired here.

Bell cried out in horror as he plumetted down to the forbidden paradise below. His last sight was Hermes, who did not look at all regretful.

*KERSPLASH*

The girls shouted as something crashed into their bathing site. They were quite shocked to see Bell, who resurfaced, gasping for air.

Strangely, the Hiryute sisters were not offended at all, and offered Bell a perfect view of their curvaceous bodies, covering nothing. Tiona giggled and bent down. "Heyyyy, it's mister Argonaut! Did you want to take a bath with us, as well?"

Tione's predatory smile widened at the cute meal that dropped from the heavens. "Wow, and there I was thinking he was the cute and innocent type..."

Mikoto and Chigusa had quickly hidden behind a rock, whilst Asfi studied the trees above. Expectedly, a feather bobbed up and down, slightly out of view.

Bell raised his arms to shield his face, yet they seemed to refuse his order to cover his eyes. "I-I didn't mean to... really! I..."

"You shouldn't be in here, master Bell!" A flustered shout from Lili drew Bell's eyes to the side. The red-faced girl became obstructed from view, as someone emerged from beneath the water. "Well, well! Aren't you a naughty boy!" Goddess Hestia held her hands on her hips and bent down to gaze at her child. Her disproportionately large breasts swung from side to side, which were eagerly followed by Bell's red pupils. Bell shut his eyes firmly and backed off. However, he turned around, shakily, to face the greatest beauty of all.

Ais stood, one hand held over her bountiful chest, and the other covering her privates. Her face was flushed and held a slightly embarrassed expression. Bell gasped, soul drenched in agonising shame, and he ran off, screaming. "I'M SO SORRY!"

Somehow, the boy walked on water, becoming the first person to do so in this world.

The Hiryute sisters burst out in fits of laughter, whilst Ais reached out to the boy's retreating form. Asfi had gone to clothe herself, whilst Chigusa and Mikoto finally relaxed.

Hermes giggled on the opposite branch, one that was hidden behind a layer of foliage; his feathered hat was just barely visible to someone observing from below.

*Shing*

His giggles stopped abruptly, as a familiar boy somehow materialised into place in front of him. Hit had jumped up from the branch below, using time skip, and was now staring at the deity, sternly. "So, you're more of a trickster, rather than a demon. Even so, how about you get a taste of your own medicine." Before Hermes could plead his case, Hit skipped time again, freezing the god into a state of desperation.

*Shing*

The boy stomped down on the fragile branch and jumped away. As Hit's skill ran out, the force was transferred to the wooden limb. Hermes blinked as the branch he was resting on splintered, leaving no presence of the vanishing boy. Hermes shouted in panic and confusion as he joined Bell's fate. "WHAAAT!?"

*BOOM*

Another guiser roared upwards, forcing poor Mikoto and Chigusa to hide once more. This time, they were accompanied by Hestia and Lili, who were prepared this time. Tiona danced in the rain, jovially, while her sister watched on, curious who the other peeping tom was.

Asfi ran to the scene, this time wearing her cloak. She watched the waterline, hoping it wasn't who she thought it was. Unfortunately, the waters settled to reveal a damp Hermes, who coughed in place. "How dare he do that to a god!?"

Creaking leather brought the God's attention to Asfi, who was tightening her gloved fists, to a painful degree.

"Uh-oh."

Asfi waded through the water, grinding her teeth. Hermes brought his arms up to shield himself, knowing what was coming. "W-wait! Asfi, dear, please! Don't...!"

*BAM!*

Birds fled from their perches as the violent slap reverberated throughout the floor. The sound was accompanied by a girlish scream.

Hit smiled at the sounds and slowed in his running, pleased to have done his good deed for the year.

…

Day fell to night, and the perturbed women finally managed to settle down. Hit knew that the camp would likely be in quite an awkward state, so decided to frequent the local tavern to relax. It was also the day before the Loki familia returned to Orario, and Hit did not want to get dumped with any pointless tasks.

It seems that he made the correct choice, as his beady eyes spied a group of familar individuals. Hit was sat to the side of the oval tavern building, nursing his drink. His eyelids were closed, but his attuned ears were focused on the three men sitting on the adjacent table. They were the trio who accosted Bell earlier that day. He could now find out what their relation was to Bell. So far, Mord had been wailing on and on about how Bell had embarrassed him in the hostess of fertility, by not sharing his apparent harem of barmaids. According to him, the little brat had grown too quickly for it to be believable and needed to be taught a lesson. Most people had vacated the establishment, vexed by Mord's tantrum. The drunk man placed his mug down with a bang. "God Dammit".

The few remaining adventurers were getting even more annoyed, rather than amused, and attempted to shut him up. "Come on, give it a rest, Mord!"

"Shut yer face!" Mord only became further enraged and knocked over his empty tankard and plate. "Punk bastard must have used some trick to get this far... That little shit bag."

The heckler continued, not intimidated. "You jealous, bro?"

Mord tightened his lips and glared at him. "You think this doesn't affect you too? That little wuss made it all the way down here, as soon as he ranked up! He's making a mockery of us. All of us! We've been breaking our backs for years doing this job!"

This comment seemed to finally rally the surrounding adventurers, who also began to nurture a grudge against the little rookie. Hit's eyes peeped open from the sidelines. 'I wonder what they would make of my progress?'

Mord clutched his chin, pondering how to get back at the brat. "Us adventurers follow a certain code... Yeah, someone'll have to teach him that. We just need to get him alone."

"…"

Hit's eyes shot open, recognising an approaching set of footsteps. He quickly got up and slunk out of the tent; his drinks were already paid for upfront. Adventurers would not trust tabs or someone's word down here. Hit kept his back to the fabric, and listened closely, as a deity entered the mortal watering hole.

Hermes approached Mord, who did not seem to recognise him. Perhaps the god was cloaked, or was simply not notable enough, Hit could not tell. However, he seemed to limp a little and breathed wheezily, likely from his prior beating. "Gentlemen, I *cough* hear you are looking to hand out judgement. I might be of assistance here."

Mord answered, in a suspicious voice. "And why the hell would you want ta help? Out of the good of your heart?"

A chair creaked, suggesting Hermes sat down next to the band of mercenaries. *cough* "I am actually of the same belief and would be glad to help in the upstart's education. He has grown far too quickly, and I want to send a message. I refuse to let a little boy overshadow my years of hard labour and item crafting."

Some rustling accompanied these false words, followed by a thump. Hermes continued his explanation. "This is a tool of mine. Wear it during your battle, and you will remain undetected. *Cough* Crushing that rookie will be child's play. I would use it myself, but I believe my creation would be more suitable for someone of your strength."

Gruff laughter echoed throughout the room as Mord gained some joviality, appeased by Hermes' honeyed words. "See, this is what I'm talking about! We've got to stick together against little cheaters like this. Get us another round of drinks!"

Hit tightened his fists, embers of anger beginning to burn. 'I will not deprive the boy of this battle; however, I will intervene if his death is imminent. These gods must learn their place.' Hit's grey cloak disappeared into the winding streets of Rivira, as he too turned in for the night.

Author's Notes

Hit's lesser-known title: the undisputed master of staring contests!

There's nothing in the rules that says you can't blink in a different dimension, so it's not cheating!