~ 3rd Person POV ~
Monstrous screams and roars filled the 5th floor of the dungeon. Limbs flying, blood painting the ground crimson as a single person moved through the horde. The blades of his single-sided axes glinted in the darkness, each swing cutting down another monster.
Dozens of Killer Ant corpses littered the dungeon floor. The ants swarmed the person, most dying, but some got lucky hits, slicing through the figure's already tattered leather armor.
But none of these injuries fazed the person—in fact, they seemed to get stronger with each injury dealt and received. The person kept cutting and hacking away at the horde, their brown hair drenched in so much blood that the original color couldn't be identified.
Eventually, the screams of the injured ants no longer attracted more comrades, and the horde began to thin. The figure looked to be on death's door as they finished off the last monster.
"I guess that's all of them," Agnar muttered. He looked down at his axes and grimaced at all the chips and cracks.
"Just three days and most of my weapons are useless..." He lamented before getting to work gathering all the magic stones.
About an hour later, and a couple more monsters killed, the boy had filled up all his bags with loot. "Guess it's time to head back." He coughed into his hand, splattering it with blood.
"Heal."
A wave of warmth rushed through Agnar's body, mending his internal bleeding and the various wounds covering his chest. They disappeared like they weren't even there, not leaving a mark.
"Guess I won't be gathering any more scars..."
~ Agnar's POV, 30 Minutes Later ~
I looked at the floor as I walked through the guild doors, getting in line to exchange all the magic stones I collected. I had three full sacks of stones, and that's not counting all the ones I accidentally destroyed.
I kept staring at my feet, trying to ignore all the whispers and stares directed at me. I mean, I can't really blame them; I did look like crap. Three days in the dungeon does that to ya.
I didn't have to endure long, as it was finally my turn to exchange my loot. I looked up to see a familiar werewolf.
"Hello, Miss Fannett." I said casually as I put my bags on the counter. After a moment of silence, I looked back up, just to see her looking at me with wide eyes.
What's with her? I decided to voice my concerns, "You okay?"
She stated for another second before the emotions left her face. She didn't say a word as she collected my bags. Okay, I was a bit lost.
She pushed my bags back towards me, now filled with valis instead of magic stones. "32,500 valis." She said, not even looking at me.
"Uh," I started to say, but the woman interrupted me, "Next."
"Okay..." I sighed, picked up my bag, and left. The other employees also sent me disapproving stares as I exited.
What did I do? Uee, please don't look at me like that.
I walked back to the Twilight Manor with haste. I walked through the front doors, running into a group of adventurers who were geared up for the dungeon, all with serious expressions.
Their grim faces turned to surprise when they saw me, though. "Are you... Agnar?" One of them asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, that's me. Why?"
The man looked to be at a loss for words. "Well, I guess we can call this off." I tilted my head, confused. The man sighed, "Just... Go check in with the goddess. As soon as you can."
I nodded and walked past them. I was going to see Loki anyway, but I wonder what she wanted with me?
I made my way to the double doors leading to Loki's office, knocking three times. I heard a muffled "Come in", so I swung them open.
"What do ya..." She paused, a myriad of emotions flying across her face that I couldn't understand. Her usually narrowed eyes opened a bit and I straightened up. "Where have ya been, brat?"
"The dungeon...?"
She crossed her arms, "For three days?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes widened a little further, "Yer not lyin'..."
"Why would I?" I asked. She was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Do ya have any idea how worried we were?"
"Uh, I don't understand. Why would you guys be worried?"
"You really don't get it?" I shook my head, "We thought you were dead, brat."
My jaw dropped, "Eh!?"
She slammed a hand on her desk, "Don't 'Eh' me! Newbies don't just disappear for three days on their first dungeon dive! Yer advisor filed a report when you didn't show up yesterday."
I think I'm starting to get it...
"What the hell were ya thinkin'!? Ya look like you've been through hell!"
I looked down at my feet, "Sorry..."
"Sorry ain't enough, brat. Why'd you stay for so long without tellin' anyone?" She questioned me.
"It just... Slipped my mind." She looked like she was going to yell at me again, but stopped at the last second. "Yer not lyin'." She deflated, "What kinda life have you been livin', to forget something like that?"
I grimaced. I guess it's sob story time...
"Back when I was a kid, I lived in an orphanage." I paused, and she waited for me to continue. "I was 11 when monsters attacked," she grimaced, "I was out chopping wood when it happened, and when I got back..."
I shuddered at the memory. Calm down...
"The goblins were feasting on what was left of 'em."
"Kid..." She began, but I shook my head, "It's fine; I owe you an explanation." I took a deep breath. "I don't remember what happened next very well, but I took my axe and killed them all. I took a couple of days to grieve and bury them before setting off."
"For the next four years, I traveled alone. Killin' monsters till I reached here. I guess what I'm trying to say... No one really worried about me when I left. I watched my own back, and that was that."
I looked down at my feet. "I know it doesn't excuse it, but that's why. I didn't mean to make you worry..."
Loki heaved a sigh, "Well, I can't stay mad after a story like that. But don't think yer off the hook, brat."
I bowed, "Sorry."
"One month," she said, "Yer not allowed in the dungeon for a month." I grimaced, but the goddess wasn't done. "Second, yer gonna apologize to the search party we organized for ya, Finn, and yer guild advisor."
"Okay..." I muttered.
"Lastly, when the month's up, yer gonna have to go into the dungeon with at least one other person."
"But—"
She raised a hand, "That's non-negotiable. I gave ya a chance to adventure solo, but it was a mistake. You'll have to regain that trust with time."
"Right..."
"Now, with that outta the way," she started, "How the hell did ya survive down there for three days?!"
"Oh, that's because of my magic." She glared at me, "Uh, it lets me heal my wounds and mental fatigue, so I didn't need to sleep or return as long as I had enough food and water."
She put her head in her hands, "Yer gonna be the death of me, brat. Now, get over here; I'll update yer status."
I laid down on the bed as Loki did her thing. Soon, she was looking over the paper my status had been copied on.
She handed it to me, "Yer a freak, brat. An absolute freak."
I looked at my status.
Level: 1
STR: I-0 - H-150
END: I-0 - G-232
DEX: I-0 - H-94
AGI: I-0 - H-113
MAG: I-0 - G-201
"Is that good?" I asked.
Loki stared, "Brat, most people see an increase of 30-50 points overall when they're just starting out. You just got an increase of almost 800..."
Oh. Ooooh.
"Don't go tellin' anyone outside of the Familia, yeah?" I nodded. "Now scram. You've got some apologizin' to do."
"Yeah." I got up and walked to the doors. I turned back before I left. "Sorry again for the trouble, goddess." She waved me off, "Just don't do it again, ya hear?"
I smiled, "Yes!"
~ 30 Minutes Later ~
I moved through the streets nervously. I apologized to the group that was going to retrieve my body, but they didn't really mind since we were pretty much strangers. Finn, on the other hand... Well, I got chewed out for a long time. The less said about that the better.
Now, I was going to apologize for causing trouble for Miss Fannett. It was probably a hassle, having to inform my Familia about my "passing".
I walked through the guild's open doors, scanning the area for Miss Fannett. I spotted her behind a desk. Thankfully, she wasn't at the exchange counter, so I didn't have to wait in line.
"Miss Fannett!" I called out to her. Her ears perked up at her name. She turned to me with familiar cold eyes. I stamped down the awkwardness in my stomach and bowed. "I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused. I won't do it again."
"..."
After an awkward silence, I lifted my head and met her cold gaze. We had a staring contest for the next few seconds before she sighed and looked away. "It's fine. It was just a bit of paperwork."
I shook my head, "Still, I should've thought ahead a bit. I'm really sorry."
"It's fine." Her eyes seemed a little less cold, but I could've been imagining things. "Did you need anything else?" She asked.
I scratched my head, "Well, I've been banned from the dungeon for the next month, so I was hoping you could teach me more about the dungeon?"
"You want me to be your advisor?" She asked, slightly surprised. I nodded, "Yes."
She sighed again, "Alright then." She sat down and looked through her schedule. "We can meet twice a week on the weekends. Be here at 12 pm sharp; I won't wait on you if you're late."
I smiled, "Thanks, Miss Fannett! I'll see you then!"
She nodded, the corners of her lips upturning faintly. Only for a second, though—she quickly went back to her default cold expression. I'll count that as a win.
I left the guild shortly after and was out on the busy streets again.
I've got a lot of time on my hands with the ban on the dungeon...
I guess I'm just gonna have to have a training montage in the meantime.
I clenched my fist and smirked. With my healing magic, I could train until mind down. On top of that, my magic stat was way higher than last time, so I could last even longer.
I might not be allowed in the dungeon, but I sure as hell wasn't going to sit on my hands for a month.
I arrived at the Twilight Manor, greeting other Familia members on my way to the training grounds. It was still early in the afternoon, so the training grounds were pretty empty.
I claimed an empty spot and cracked my neck.
It's time to get to work.
~ 1 Month Later ~
"Heh, lookin' good!" I muttered to myself. I had always been muscular, but only as much as a 15-year-old could. Now, however...
I flexed my arms in the mirror. I was absolutely sculpted now. I was quite literally bigger, which was crazy considering I started my training routine a month ago. My Heal magic might be more powerful than I first thought.
Not to say it wasn't absolute hell, training all day every day—to the point that some of the Familia got sick watching—but the results were clear.
I am going stir-crazy, though. I mean, the closest I've been to the dungeon was on the weekends at the guild, learning about each floor with Miss Rose. Speaking of Miss Rose, she finally doesn't stare at me coldly when I come by; just complete indifference.
Yay...
Well, it's time to stop daydreaming.
I walked away from the mirror and geared up. I was going to be meeting with a level 4 adventurer today! They were only there because the goddess didn't trust me... But I'll take what I can get.
They were supposed to be waiting for me in the lobby, but that damn goddess didn't tell me what they looked like. I secured my axes to my hips and my two knives on the back. I put on my repaired leather armor and some sturdy boots as well before heading out.
The main lobby was busy, most of the Familia getting ready to enter the dungeon early. I looked around to see if someone was waiting by themselves but had no such luck.
"Agnar, right?" A distinctly feminine voice spoke up from behind me. "That's me," I replied and turned around. It was a pretty elf, with gold hair and hazel eyes. She smiled kindly, "I'm Alicia Forestlight. I'll be looking after you for the next week."
"Well, you already know who I am, so nice to meet you, Miss Forestlight."
She giggled, "You can call me Alicia; no need for formality with family, right?" I smiled, "Yeah, you've got a point." I looked up and down, noting that she was fully equipped, "Are you ready to leave?" I asked.
"I'm ready when you are."
"Great! I've been itching for some action, anyway," I said. As we walked to the dungeon, I learned a bit more about her. She was an ice mage mainly but was also good with a bow.
Did I mention she was level 4? Because she is, and that's still super cool.
I also told her about my Heal magic, so she wouldn't be worried if I got injured. She looked concerned about my lack of self-preservation but eventually relented.
It was kind of sweet; she was like a big sister that I never had, even though we were meeting for the first time. Perks of the Familia, I guess?
We bypassed the guild and reached the staircase into the dungeon. I was shaking with energy by the time we reached the first floor.
Crack!
I grinned as some goblins emerged from the walls. I unhooked my axes from my belt as they drew closer.
Schlick!
I dodged the spray of blood as the corpse hit the ground in two pieces. I spun around, holding my momentum, and de-armed the next goblin. Its howl of pain was cut off via a split skull.
The last goblin jumped at me and was split in half horizontally for its trouble. I blinked and looked down at my hands.
Goblins were pretty easy monsters, but I sliced through them much easier than last time.
"I guess that training is paying off," I muttered.
"You really know what you're doing, huh?" Alicia commented while I was cutting out the magic stones. I shrugged, "I hunted monsters before coming here."
She sighed, "I'm not going to have much to do, am I?" I chuckled, "We'll see."
We moved down to the 5th floor quickly after that. As Alicia had thought, she didn't have to step in a single time, allowing me to hunt down monsters to my heart's content. By the time we reached the 6th floor, I was exhausted and covered in blood—some of it my own.
Alicia cleared her throat, "We should probably head back for today. You look exhausted..." I grinned and shrugged off her concern, "Heal." The same warmth that's grown so familiar rushed through my veins. Cuts and scrapes healed, muscle soreness lessened, and my mind was refreshed.
I stood up straighter, "What were you saying?" She stared for a second before rubbing her head, "That is so unfair." She paused before speaking again, "Alright, we can stay for another hour or so, but you're not allowed to go deeper."
I pouted, "Aw." She giggled, "We'll see about going further tomorrow. For now, it's better not to rush things."
I nodded. The monsters on the 7th floor were tough for my current abilities, but it wasn't life-threatening.
Guess I need to wait till the end of the week before throwing caution to the wind.
I heard the familiar sound of monsters spawning and lifted up my axes, "Well, let's make the most of it then!"
I dove into the fray once again, blades flashing.
~ 1 week later ~
"Brat... How far did ya go again?" Loki asked as she looked over my status.
"9th floor," I replied, sitting up and putting my shirt back on. She handed me the paper, exhaling deeply. "Yer gonna be a monster soon."
I read my status, my eyes widening further the more I read.
Level: 1
STR: H-150 - D-534
END: G-232 - C-620
DEX: H-94 - E-411
AGI: H-113 - F-398
MAG: G-201 - D-581
"Over 1500 points..." I mumbled. I knew I trained like hell for a month, but this...? This was crazy.
Loki nodded along, "Yep. Absolutely insane." She fixed me with a stare, unusually serious.
"Agnar."
I gulped, "Yes?"
"Don't go yappin' about this until I say so, 'kay?"
I nodded, not really understanding. Loki could tell. "Trust me on this; it'd be bad to reveal this before you're strong enough. I'll be telling Finn and the other executives, but that's it."
"Yes, goddess."
She nodded in satisfaction, "Alright then, you can go, so shoo!"
I chuckled as she broke through the tension in the room. I can't go to the dungeon again today, so I guess it's training time!
~ Another Week Later ~
"Alright, brat. You can go back to the dungeon on yer own under one condition."
I leaned forward in anticipation, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes!?"
Loki grumbled something under her breath before replying, "Ya gotta tell someone how long yer gonna be in there for. No more disappearing acts." She scratched her chin, "Also, tell yer advisor as well, 'cause if I get another visit from the guild about a dead child..."
I nodded frantically, "I'll be on my best behavior! Promise!"
"So ya aren't gonna risk yer life recklessly, right?"
I started to sweat, "Uh... Maybe?"
She gazed at me with narrowed eyes. I thought she was going to say something, but instead she let out a deep breath and handed me my status paper.
I mentally sighed in relief. Guess I'm off the hook for now.
I took a look at my stats.
Level: 1
STR: D-534 - C-602
END: C-620 - C-688
DEX: E-411 - D-531
AGI: F-398 - E-490
MAG: D-581 - C-617
It was a bit disappointing—especially my magic stat—but it was a given, considering I was never in danger with Alicia nearby. And I was only able to stay in the dungeon for 6-8 hours a day...
I groaned and was slapped on the head for my trouble. I looked at the goddess resentfully, "What was that for?!"
She glared at me, "I know what yer thinkin', and that's stupid. Do ya know how many would kill to get more than 100 points in just a week of exploring?!"
I looked away, "I guess it's alright..."
I had to dodge another smack and left the office with haste, leaving behind an irate goddess grumbling about "monsters".
I poked my head back in for a second, "Oh, I'm also going into the dungeon for three days. Thanks in advance!"
"Oi—" But I was already gone.
~ Sometime Later ~
"Three days? Are you crazy?"
I nodded solemnly, "Yes."
Rose facepalmed, "Don't say that so honestly..." I shrugged, "I already told the goddess, so I figured I'd let you know as well—you know, so you don't think I died an early death."
She glared at me, "You are the most exhausting newbie I've ever had to work with."
I laughed and walked away, "Love you too!"
After meeting with Rose, I went to pay a visit to Babel. My axes were in pretty bad shape, so I commissioned new ones a couple of days ago. They should be ready for pickup.
Though my heart bled, spending 40,000 valis on new axes, it was worth it to have reliable gear. I met with the strangely polite dwarf—part of the Hephaestus Familia—and picked up my brand-new weapons.
They were super shiny and looked way sharper than my last pair. I guess being an adventurer is pretty lucrative...
I gave the dwarf my thanks and left for the dungeon with enough dried meat to last three days. I think.
Alicia was great, but descending into the dungeon by myself for the first time in over a month was euphoric. I only had to wander down the first floor for a couple of minutes before running into a group of five goblins.
I cut through them like butter with my updated status and new weapons. "That's such a lame welcoming party, dungeon," I lamented sarcastically. "No biggie. I'll be here for a long while."
Adventurers would later leave reports of evil laughter echoing through the lower floors.
Rose stared at me blankly as I plopped down a giant backpack of magic stones on the counter. "You don't do things by half, do you?"
I grinned and thumped my chest, which was barely covered by my tattered armor. My axes were in better shape at least since I brought stuff to clean and sharpen them down with me. Rose heaved a sigh and called over her shoulder, "Eina! Come help me count these magic stones!"
I left the guild 50,000 valis richer 20 minutes later, though I did buy more leather armor.
~ Back at Twilight Manor ~
"What in the hell did ya get into down there, brat?!"
I shrugged and started to sit up, taking the paper from Loki. "I fought a couple of Silverbacks."
She glared at me and I started to sweat, "Uh, I might have also fought an Infant Dragon?"
She gaped at me. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure. "Well, I guess that explains it..."
I tilted my head, "Explain what?" She rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Just take a look at yer status..."
I did as she told me, and my eyes bugged out.
Level: 1 (?)
STR: C-602 - A-813
END: C-688 - S-989
DEX: D-531 - B-702
AGI: E-490 - C-690
MAG: C-617 - A-867
"This..."
"Congratulations, brat; you can level up." Loki said, "Ya beat the record Ais set by 10 months. Probably even sooner if I didn't ban ya for a month..."
"Let's do it!" I almost couldn't believe it, but killing that Infant Dragon cost me a pound of flesh, so I would take it. Loki shook her head as I jumped back onto the bed. She dripped some more blood onto my back. "Let's see what ya got for developmental abilities."
I waited patiently as she looked through them, "Well, ya got four choices; Hunter, Abnormal Resistance, Strong Body, and Mage."
Loki sighed again, "Honestly, all of these are rare outside of Abnormal Resistance. Hunter can also only be obtained at Level 2."
I frowned, "What about Strong Body?" I felt Loki shrug, "The only person who has it is the sole Level 7 in Orario, so it's probably pretty rare."
"Should I just take it, then?" I asked.
"It depends on how ya fight. I can't answer for ya," she said, "Though I wouldn't take Abnormal Resistance out of these. It's pretty easy to get at any level."
I thought for a minute. I didn't really need Hunter because my Berserker skill already strengthened me significantly as long as I took or dealt damage. I'd listen to Loki about Abnormal Resistance, so it was between Mage and Strong Body.
I was tempted to take Mage—with how much I used Heal, I would probably get pretty good use out of it. But Heal didn't make me stronger, necessarily. It just allowed me to fight longer.
"I think I'll go with Strong Body," I said, my decision made. And a few seconds later, I was given my new status sheet.
Level: 2
STR: A-813 - I-0
END: S-989 - I-0
DEX: B-702 - I-0
AGI: C-690 - I-0
MAG: A-867 - I-0
Strong Body - H
Magic:
Heal
Skills:
Berserker: "Gains temporary strength through sustaining and dealing damage. Grows faster the more dangerous the battle."
"Shouldn't my developmental ability be at I?" I asked in confusion. Loki scratched her head, "I don't know, brat; I've pretty much given up on normalcy when it comes to you."
I guess that's fair.
"Now that that's outta the way," Loki said, hopping up from the bed. "It's time to party! Finn!" She yelled so loud my ears hurt. A minute later, an exasperated Finn entered the office, "Yes, Loki?"
She grinned, "Tell the others to prepare for a feast. This brat just leveled up!" Finn raised an eyebrow, "Really? That fast?" The goddess nodded and Finn smiled, "Well, that's as good a reason as any. I'll let the others know."
Loki turned back to me, "Now scram, brat. And put on some better clothes! Ya look like a bum!"
My head spun at the recent events. It looks like the next few days were going to be busy.