I will be getting a lot of writing done in the next 3 months, as the internet speeds I've got where I am now make gaming truly painful.
At least we are starting to get some Heith in the anime, but I'm still a little gutted about the hair colour.
Also this story passed 1K followers which is nice. Glad so many of you are enjoying the story so far.
Not much else to say, so enjoy the chapter!
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Previously:
Bell and Ryuu would make plans to enter the Dungeon later, planning to get some training out of sight, before Syr would arrive and express her disappointment at Ryuu's relationship with Bell not developing, causing the Elf to leave, even though her thoughts would continue to swirl around the topic. Bell and Syr would make a cake together before Eina arrived and gave the pair a lecture on the upper and middle floors. Elsewhere, on the middle floors, the Loki Familia would make their way to the town of Rivira, where they came across a murder scene. Back in Orario, Loki would task Bete as her chaperone, as she searched for the source of the monstrous flowers which had attacked at Monsterphilia. Later that day at the Guild, Eina would discuss with Misha her concern about Bell's faster rate of learning, fearing he would start to venture deeper into the Dungeon unprepared.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Danmachi light novel/anime/manga/games. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Magic
Chapter 14 – Endearing an Elf
As the dinner rush wound to a close, the crew made idle chatter the soundtrack of their task.
'What do you think, Bell, want to join us on the ground floor one of these days?' Asked Syr, as she wiped down a table.
'But that would make things harder for the kitchen.' Pointed out Bell, gathering a stack of dishes.
'Well if that's the case, I could switch for you every now and again, I do need to keep my skills sharp.' Offered Syr, causing Anya's tail to stand up straight.
'The only thing that will be kept sharp will be the knives in our stomach from trying to digest Syr's cooking.' Mumbled Anya, sending a sidelong glance at the pair.
'I think it would be best to leave the forward-facing roles to us, Syr.' Suggested Ryuu.
'I don't know, Bell in our uniform could serve as a bit of an attraction. I know I'd pay to see that.' Chimed in Chloe.
'You would need to work too, not slack off and stare.' Pointed out Lunoire, causing Chloe to let out a small hiss of dissatisfaction.
'Wouldn't it make more sense for me to work even harder in the kitchen, then you could have May here as well?' Asked Bell.
'Hey, I'm no waitress!' Chimed in May from the kitchen.
'That's right, plus, we don't want to oversaturate with the same gimmick, we already have the energetic Cat-girl and the cool Cat-girl, if we add in the cute Cat-girl too, we'll have three Cat-girls, poor Ryuu will be outnumbered. If anything, we need another Elf now.' Appraised Syr.
'I'm afraid you will be disappointed then, Syr, most Elves would be far too prideful to work in such a role.' Interjected Ryuu.
'Oh come now, Ryuu, Miss Eina is quite nice.' Countered Syr.
Ryuu thought of saying something to that but bit her tongue. Her instinctual response to say that she was a half-Elf and therefore not a real Elf to rationalise her kinder personality, played into two prejudices she wanted no part in. Ryuu frowned at realising that no matter how hard she tried, she was still tainted. Maybe there was nothing wrong with being in a relationship with both Syr and Bell after all.
Ryuu's eyes widened, while her face reddened slightly at where her thoughts had gone, before seeing Syr smiling at her, almost as though she knew what the Elf was thinking.
'I will go help wash up. Bell, please be ready to leave when we finish closing.' Spoke Ryuu quickly, before walking off, not able to meet either Syr or Bell's eyes at the moment.
'That Ryuu sure is stubborn, I hope you can help get through her shell with more success than I have, Bell.' Commented Syr, raising a finger to her chin, momentarily pausing in her duties, her tone becoming contemplative.
Bell stopped in the middle of wiping down the rectangular table and balled the washcloth up in his hand, wringing it gently.
'I don't think it is such a bad thing, I'm sure Ryuu just likes to keep to herself and not bother others.' Said Bell softly, causing Syr to pout.
'That makes it sound like you want to go into a shell as well, Bell.' Chided Syr, wagging her finger at the boy admonishingly, causing him to smile weakly.
'Well, it is safer… but it means you won't meet anyone new. Maybe Ryuu is just making her choices carefully. Not everyone can be as comfortable around all sorts of people like you, Syr.' Pointed out Bell, giving a small shrug.
'I can see I'm fighting a losing battle, but I won't let you run into a shell as well, I'll drag you out of it every time.' Teased Syr, giving a soft shake of her head.
'I know you will, but maybe Ryuu doesn't like that. I can handle it though, so that's fine, I trust you after all.' Rationalised Bell, causing Syr to beam.
'Okay then, I will leave Ryuu to you for now, but if you start hiding away, I always know where to find you.' Teased Syr, with a small wink.
The girls and Bell finished up packing things away for the night, before Bell and Ryuu set out for the Dungeon under the cover of darkness. Ryuu had changed out of her uniform and her form was hidden by a green cloak. Bell was also largely hidden, wearing a borrowed black top of Chloe's which had a hood with pointed cat ears, over his long brown coat. The streets were bathed an eerie grey, with the occasional warm amber breaking it up, from the few streetlights which were still lit. Ryuu led Bell through the back alleys with speed, causing the boy to nearly lose track of her a few times. Virtually a few seconds later to Bell's notice, the pair emerged near the central fountain nearest the Dungeon. Squinting her eyes, Ryuu spotted the two guards on duty, one was seated and fiddling with a small puzzle box, their spear resting between their legs, while the other leaned their back against a wall, eyes closed, with their sword pointed downwards and being used as a makeshift walking stick. Ryuu looked to Bell and gave a nod, before the two made their way around the fountain, disappearing into the shadows again. The pair passed by silently and with such speed, that before the dozing man could open his eyes, the two were already descending the staircase.
'I apologise for the unnecessary precautions.' Whispered Ryuu, her eyes looking into the darkness.
'That's okay, I still can't believe you're giving up your time for me like this, it makes me feel like I need to do something to make it up to you.' Admitted Bell, looking off to the side as he scratched his cheek anxiously.
'As I said before, Bell, you are important to all of us at the Hostess of Fertility, you can be sure all of us will do our best to keep you safe.' Responded Ryuu quickly, turning to face Bell.
'I know, but I still feel like I should do something in return, since I'm not really worth that much to be taking up your time like this.' Confessed Bell with a sigh, looking at his feet.
Ryuu stopped walking, causing Bell to look up.
'I'm sure Syr has told you this already, but you should not be so self-depreciating. Syr is a special person and if she believes you are very special, you should take this to heart. You are not ordinary by any means.' Retorted Ryuu, giving Bell a small smile.
The boy felt the sincerity in the words of the Elf and returned a smile at her kind words, causing the Elf to nod, before continuing her descent downwards. Bell followed quickly, before the two touched down on the ground of the first floor.
'Once you become even stronger, you will be capable of emitting a presence of sorts which will scare off the weaker of monsters. It is the same instinct a person has when they come across someone clearly stronger than them. Unfortunately, much in the same way we would have a fight or flight response, monsters default to the fight option, unless it is clear they are outmatched. You may not even realise it, but you are already doing so now, which is why those Goblins in the corner are eying us warily, sensing you are stronger, but still believing they can ambush you.' Lectured Ryuu, gesturing with her eyes to a pair of Goblins on the edge of their vision, watching the pair.
Bell's eyes swivelled to the Goblins, locking eyes with them, before the pair seemed to flinch, turning to Ryuu momentarily, before running off.
'But with experience and more power, you will be able to control this at will and can focus it on the monsters directly to scare them off if you so wish.' Finished Ryuu, Bell only now realising the air seemed heavier around Ryuu for a moment, before it faded away.
'Does this mean you are even stronger than a level three, Ryuu?' Asked Bell innocently.
'It is not the level which determines the strength of an individual. Do not focus on your level too much. With enough time, I believe you will become one of the strongest adventurers around, irrespective of level, even when facing an equally levelled adventurer, and perhaps even one above you.' Explained Ryuu, not breaking her stride, causing the boy to watch her back curiously.
'Why do you say that?' Asked Bell, raising his eyebrows, as his eyes swivelled around, looking for any further monsters.
'You can go beyond your limits. Even if that was only for one level, the fact that you reached S rank in all of your abilities, already sets you apart from most adventurers. Most people only achieve S rank in one, or perhaps two areas, before levelling up. If you achieve S rank in ever ability before every level up, not to even speak of SS, or SSS rank, you will be a perfect all-rounder. Most Elves focus on magic, a Dwarf usually focuses on endurance, Humans typically focus on strength, a Prum focuses on dexterity, and an Animal-person focuses on speed. If you encompass all of these skills and push them to your limits and beyond, you will be unmatched by all.' Finished Ryuu, as she spotted the staircase to the second floor, before shifting towards it, her old muscle memory from prowling the Dungeon coming back to her easily.
Bell felt a cold sweat go down his neck, feeling his mouth involuntarily open in surprise, before picking up his pace and following closely behind Ryuu.
'Does this mean you focus on magic, Ryuu?' Asked Bell curiously, coming to walk beside the stoic Elf as they emerged on the second floor.
Ryuu gave a sardonic smile as her thoughts shifted.
'That would be the most obvious choice, an Elf using magic… and while I do have some magic, it is not my focus. Speed and dexterity were always my best skills. Likely due to not wanting to be touched, I unconsciously developed an absurd reaction time and speed. Yes, I wanted to experience others in this world, who were not bound by foolish pride, but even now it is difficult.' Confessed Ryuu softly, before feeling a hand on her shoulder, causing her eyes to widen.
'Well, you have Syr, and now you have me too, and I don't know about Syr, but other than my cooking, I really don't have pride in anything I can do.' Whispered Bell softly.
Ryuu let her gaze linger on the inconspicuous hand on her shoulder. Her face broke out into a smile, as the words she had once heard and thought would never come true, came back to the forefront of her mind. Ryuu, lifted her fingers to her shoulder, placing them softly over Bell's before shifting his hand off her shoulder.
'You are too modest, Bell, it is a negative trait to continually view yourself as inferior, not a virtue. If you continue to do so, I will become mad at you. You are one of the only people I have allowed to touch me, and the first man, so unless you believe both Syr and I are poor at evaluating others, you should accept that you are in fact special and should take pride in this fact.' Said Ryuu warmly, giving Bell a small smile.
Bell felt his heart flutter, the heat from Ryuu's touch lingering even as her hand relinquished his. Bell felt his hand close, almost as if trying to contain the kind words of his friend and taking them to heart.
'Now then, while it is very likely the Goblins and Kobolds will avoid you, the Dungeon Lizards may try to attack you, unless you let your presence out in a consistent and controlled manner. The way to do this is to focus as you would when you are about to face an enemy. That sense of readiness and danger will deter monsters from attacking you.' Instructed Ryuu, before doing as she said, focusing herself.
Belt felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, as he felt a small pulse of adrenaline. Bell blinked and then it was gone. Ryuu looked at Bell curiously, still exuding her presence around her, but noting Bell seemed comfortable after a momentary stiffening.
'Is something wrong, Bell? You seem calm.' Asked Ryuu curiously, causing Bell to look at her in confusion.
'What do you mean? You stopped your presence, didn't you?' Countered Bell, getting the Elf to stop walking.
'No, I am still putting it out now.' Refuted Ryuu.
'Hmm… I mean, I felt it for a moment, but then it was gone… maybe it's because I know you wouldn't really try to hurt me, so I'm not scared of your presence.' Postulated Bell, causing the Elf to blink as her presence vanished.
Ryuu looked at Bell in confusion, before feeling his own presence flare, as he suddenly lunged past her. Bell's fist splattered a Dungeon Lizard into chunks of flesh, the magic stone dropping to the ground, with Bell quickly picking it up and pocketing it.
'Did you realise what you did there?' Asked Ryuu, focusing back on her task.
'N-No, what did I do?' Asked Bell.
'In that moment you flared your presence. It was so sharply focused though. What were you thinking of?' Asked Ryuu quietly.
'Something was attacking you, so I had to stop it. I mean, I guess a Dungeon Lizard probably wouldn't be able to hurt you anyway, but my body moved on its own…' Recalled Bell, his eyes drifting to the ceiling and missing Ryuu's small blush.
'I see. Then perhaps you should spend some days in the Dungeon with others. If you can only focus yourself due to wanting to protect someone right now, you will need to practice until it becomes automatic.' Suggested Ryuu.
'Well, I was thinking about going back in at some point, but since I'm level two now, won't it be harder to find people to join me?' Asked Bell, before the pair resumed their downwards journey.
'Yes, but you don't need a team, you need a partner, someone to come with you. You would be able to handle almost everything by yourself down to the middle floors, so perhaps a supporter may be more useful. Someone to help you gather drops while you defeat the monsters.' Advised Ryuu.
'Oh, that's right, Miss Eina also suggested I get a supporter. I don't know though; I won't be going in everyday and don't supporters rely on other people. I wouldn't want to hold someone back.' Explained Bell thoughtfully, causing Ryuu to smile.
'You truly are kind, Bell. You might not even realise it, but supporters are viewed as almost second-class people, looked down on by others in the same way that most Prum are, with a few exceptions. I think if you do find a supporter, they would be happy to work with you, even if they need to supplement their work with others.' Explained Ryuu, before they walked down the staircase to the third floor.
Bell lost himself in thought as he mulled this over, wondering why someone would look down on a supporter when they risked their lives going into the Dungeon, venturing far beyond what they could safely manage themselves to ease the burden on other adventurers. Bell was brought out of his thoughts, when he noticed the walls had turned green.
'When did we get down to the fifth floor?' Asked Bell, causing Ryuu to look at him curiously.
'Have you not been paying attention?' Questioned Ryuu.
'Uh, sorry, I got lost in my thoughts there… actually, what floor have you been down to before, Ryuu?' Asked Bell.
It was now Ryuu's turn to lose herself in thought, recalling the last time she had gone to the deep floors. The furthest she had ever gone was the forty-first floor. The last time she had gone into the Dungeon, she did not go that deep, but the threat she faced was far beyond the level of the floor. Ryuu came out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Considering she didn't lash out, she correctly deduced it was Bell, which became apparent when she turned her head to the side.
'Sorry, I didn't mean to ask you something that would upset you.' Apologised Bell softly, pulling his hand away, only for Ryuu to catch it again.
'I apologise, I too lost myself in my thoughts, I have been down no further than the forty-first floor, but it has been some time now.' Admitted Ryuu, her delicate fingers trailing down Bell's own, before she let her arm fall to her side again.
'So does that mean you've beaten the Goliath before already?' Asked Bell, getting a nod from Ryuu.
'Yes… I was part of a group that beat the Goliath many times. It is not an impossible feat for a few level fours, the Goliath is large, but much like a tree, cutting its base causes it to topple.' Elaborated Ryuu.
'What about other monsters like the Goliath?' Asked Bell.
'The Goliath is a Monster Rex. I'm sure you will hear about them in time from your Guild Adviser, but the Monster Rex is a monster which appears only on certain floors and is significantly stronger than the surrounding monsters. While there are also what can be considered a pseudo–Monster Rex out there, like the Infant Dragon, the first one is the Goliath on floor seventeen. Beyond that there is the Amphisbaena on the twenty-seventh floor and the Udaeus on the thirty-seventh. Those are the ones I have faced. There are others further down, such as Balor on the forty-ninth floor, but I have never seen it. Other than the Loki and Freya Familia, perhaps only the Ganesha Familia would be able to reach it, although I doubt, they would have the time to go down there often, similarly for the Ishtar Familia.' Explained Ryuu, before coming to a stop at the top of a staircase.
'Below here is the eighth floor. The monsters are stronger, so your presence may not be enough to deter them anymore, especially if they are in groups of three or more. Please stick close to me, if you lose yourself in thought, they may try to attack you, but I will not let any harm befall you.' Cautioned Ryuu, getting a nod from Bell.
Ryuu returned the nod, before heading down, Bell two steps behind her. As they touched down on the grassy plain, Bell spared a quick glance up and saw he couldn't see the roof, but the sky seemed to shine with a light. Bell quickly looked back at Ryuu and followed her closely. Bell kept his eyes peeled and saw a Goblin which caused his eyes to widen. It looked much more vicious than its docile counterpart with curved yellow spines coming out of its elbows, with three spikes forming a crown on its head. Bell's shoulders squared up as he looked at the Goblin and glared at it. The monster snarled, its lips pulling back and showing its sharp teeth. Ryuu watched as Bell seemed to react strongly to the Goblin, more so than would have been expected for a fresh level two. The two walked forward, Ryuu leading the way forward, while Bell kept his gaze on the Goblin. Once the two were out of sight of the Goblin, Ryuu felt Bell relax.
'Is everything okay?' Asked Ryuu softly, causing Bell to blink.
'Sorry, I've had a bad experience with Goblins before. Seeing a Goblin like that set me on edge.' Admitted Bell, causing Ryuu to nod.
'That's understandable, the monsters on these levels do appear more vicious than their counterparts.' Explained Ryuu, before a Kobold appeared in front of them, its form being scarred across its face and torso, with sharp spikes around its body.
Ryuu spared a look at Bell only to see while he was on guard, he was almost calm, in comparison to how tense he looked when seeing the Goblin. The pair walked past the Kobold, before finally running into the first batch of enemies that they couldn't walk past… two dozen Killer Ants, which made their brethren on the floors higher up look like literal ants. Ryuu raised a hand to the side, causing Bell to stop in place.
'I know you have thought about experimenting with your magic and this is a good opportunity to show you… my magic.' Said Ryuu, before she started to glow a light green.
'In the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky. Respond to my foolish voice, give me now divine protection of starfire. Give the mercy of light to the one that abandoned you. Come, wandering wind, the wandering traveller. Cross the sky and run through the wilderness, run faster than anything else. Imbue the light of stardust and destroy the enemy, Luminous Wind.' Chanted Ryuu, as several green orbs levitated around her form, even as the mass of Killer Ants clicked their mandibles viciously.
Bell was awed at Ryuu's appearance, feeling as though the vision of the magical forest fairy he had read about in the stories written by his grandfather, had now manifested in front of him. Almost as if to snap Bell out of his trance, the orbs blasted forward with a pulse of speed, each sphere slamming into an ant and causing an explosion which took out any other enemy which was nearby. Within seconds, the swarm had been wiped out. Ryuu looked back at Bell, only to see he seemed to be in a daze.
'Are you okay, Bell?' Asked Ryuu, only for Bell's next word to leave her speechless.
'Beautiful.' Muttered Bell, causing the Elf to stare at him in surprise.
Ryuu looked at the carnage and then back to Bell, only to see he wasn't looking at the aftermath of her attack, but rather, the Elf herself.
'W-we should pick up the magic stones, if we leave them behind, others will consume them and may become irregulars.' Instructed Ryuu, quickly turning away from Bell, as she looted the magic stones left behind.
Bell quickly snapped out of his daze when he saw what Ryuu was doing. Joining her moments later, Bell also helped pick up the stones, the bodies being vaporised by Ryuu's attack, making their job that much easier. Almost as though the Dungeon had conceded to Ryuu's superior status, the pair were then able to make their way down to the ninth floor unobstructed. Landing on the ninth floor, Bell noticed an isolated Frog Shooter. Ryuu noticed Bell pausing, before stopping beside him. Bell lifted an arm up and aimed for the bulbous eye in the centre which didn't seem to have spotted them yet.
'Firebolt.' Called Bell, launching his ruffled beam of fire and electricity at the monster.
The Frog Shooter wasn't vaporised completely, like its weaker counterparts had been, but a hole was punched through its head, defeating it all the same. Ryuu nodded at this outcome as the pair approached the defeated monster, before Ryuu spoke.
'As expected, your magic will have likely gotten stronger due to your status, but its power lies not in its attack power, but rather, its speed and the element of surprise.' Advised Ryuu, causing Bell to give a small laugh.
'Miss Ais said the same thing actually. The two of you are more similar than I would have thought originally.' Admitted Bell.
'What do you mean?' Asked Ryuu, as Bell harvested the stone from the smouldering body he had created.
'Both of you are very direct, but also reserved. You're both very kind and giving up your time for me.' Elaborated Bell, as he extracted the stone with a pop, the body dissolving to ash seconds after that.
'I do not think I am a kind person.' Countered Ryuu, causing Bell to smile as he stood up and turned to face the Elf.
'Miss Ais said the same thing. Like I said, the two of you are very similar. So, I suppose I will need to tell you the same thing I said to her, please don't think badly of yourself, even if it is you, I won't let you say bad things about a hero. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to beat the Silverback and I wouldn't have been able to protect Syr and my Goddess from the Troll and Sword Stag.' Said Bell kindly.
Ryuu couldn't meet Bell's eyes and turned away, a light dusting on her cheeks. Ryuu cleared her throat after a minute, before leading Bell to the next staircase.
'The next floor is a completely different environment, so please keep your wits about you. We should take some time for you to examine the Imps, Orcs, and Bad Bats. I think combat at the current moment should be avoided, but if it is inevitable, I will beat them quickly so we can advance deeper. We will make our way to the twelfth floor and then find a spot to train. You will find it is easier to find empty spaces in the deeper floors, but certain precautions need to be taken to ensure the environment is safe.' Explained Ryuu, before starting her descent.
Bell followed a step behind until the pair emerged onto a misty terrain. The air even seemed a bit heavier, as though the mist itself made it harder to breath. The vast unknown was hidden behind the pale mist, hiding the possible terrors that lurked within. Monsters which had yet to be encountered lurked in the hidden spaces, dealing significant mental damage to those who ventured down here alone. Bell blinked, before looking to Ryuu's back and all those feelings faded. He was with Ryuu, he would be fine, and he couldn't let himself be caught up in fear, as it was also his role to cover Ryuu's back. Ryuu spared a glance back, having felt Bell tense up as they entered the floor, but before she had a chance to reassure him, he had calmed down, surprising Ryuu.
'Bell, are you okay?' Asked Ryuu nonetheless, only for the boy to smile.
'Of course, I have you with me.' Replied Bell, causing Ryuu to turn her face forward again to prevent him from seeing the colour bloom on her cheeks.
"Would it really be so bad…" Thought Ryuu, before shaking her head softly.
Now wasn't the time for this, thought Ryuu, deciding prioritising Bell's safety and training right now was the most important thing for Bell. Training to make sure that the next time he faced a Troll, or a Sword Stag, or even a Goliath, that he would have the skills to beat it without hurting himself. That could be her only focus right now. Perhaps later on though, Ryuu could consider the feelings blooming in her chest on a different occasion in a calmer scenario. Ryuu looked up as she spotted a brutish visage. It wasn't unfair to say this, since the Orc standing before them had the face of a deformed pig, looking as ugly as one would expect. Ryuu stopped walking, causing Bell to stop as well, standing beside her.
'This is the Orc. As you can see, it is very tall and robust. It is a good practice monster for those who plan to face the Goliath. It is slow, but powerful, and has a robust defense. That is not to say there are not monsters that exceed it in these domains, such as the Hard Armoured for Defense or the Ligerfang for speed, but it carries a similar distribution between size, strength, and speed that the Goliath does.' Explained Ryuu.
'How would you think to approach a monster like this?' Asked Ryuu.
'Well, I guess like the Troll, I would go for the legs.' Answered Bell, getting a nod from Ryuu before she vanished.
A few seconds later, the Orc stumbled forward, crashing to its knees before its head was kicked clean off. Ryuu appeared beside Bell a few seconds later, a magic stone in hand. Bell looked at Ryuu in awe, before the Elf spoke.
'Much like the Goliath, for those larger monsters, the head and legs remain their main weak points. It is pointless trying to fight against its strength or size, as even for a level two, matching the brute force of an Orc requires an excessive amount of power, the use of which would be inefficient. Your goal in the Dungeon is never the monster in front of you, it is safety. Don't overexert yourself if you don't need to.' Explained Ryuu, before moving on.
Bell nodded outside of her peripheral vision, following behind her closely. Bell felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, before whipping around and launching a bolt of fire, catching what looked like a skeleton in mid-air.
'That was an Imp, they rely on ambush tactics like the Dungeon Lizard, but they are much stronger, and generally more resistant to weapons, but not so to magic, as you saw.' Lectured Ryuu, as Bell picked up the magic stone.
Bell felt a rush of air pass him, as Ryuu suddenly teleported to his side, two magic stones in her grasp.
'They also attack in groups, never expect there is only just one Imp.' Finished Ryuu, causing Bell to nod at his sloppy mistake.
'Sorry about that.' Apologised Bell, causing Ryuu to shake her head.
'You are here to learn, and I am here to make sure you remain unharmed. I would rather you make the mistakes with me at your side than when you are alone.' Said Ryuu simply, causing Bell to nod.
As the pair made their way to the next staircase, Ryuu frowned slightly.
'I suspect the Bad Bats are hiding after our display. They do prefer to ambush when there is already a battle occurring. Keep your eyes out for anything above us, especially if we should encounter some of the stronger monsters on the next floor.' Cautioned Ryuu, getting another nod from Bell.
The pair didn't stop to chat, as they located the next staircase and simply made their way down. Bell felt the air thickening around him, but exhaled after a moment, taking a step closer to Ryuu. Bell smiled despite himself, imagining the scolding he would get if Eina ever found out he was down on the eleventh floor with no armour or weapons. She would likely have a fit before doing everything in her power to stop him from ever going down in the Dungeon again.
'Something on your mind?' Asked Ryuu, seeing Bell seemed distracted.
'I was just thinking of what Miss Eina would say if she knew I was down here with no armour and weapons.' Replied Bell.
'Your Guild Adviser seems to be very good at her job.' Nodded Ryuu.
'Yeah, I probably wouldn't have made it through my first few days without her, especially before I met the Minotaur that one time.' Admitted Bell, causing Ryuu to look at him curiously.
'Ah… yes, that night… you are forced to face a Minotaur and get made fun of… truly adding insult to injury. Do not worry though, I will make sure that a Minotaur will be only a passing annoyance to you soon enough.' Consoled Ryuu, causing Bell to give a soft smile.
'Thanks Ryuu.' Muttered Bell quietly, causing Ryuu's ears to twitch.
The Elf spared an inquisitive look backwards, only to see Bell seemed to have a contemplative expression on his face. Before Ryuu could think on the implications of his expression any further, the sound of grinding could be heard.
'Bell, stay close to me and jump when I jump.' Spoke Ryuu sharply, causing the boy to look up and sharpen his gaze.
A spinning ball of yellow and brown was tearing through the ground towards them, chunks of rock being sent flying off to the side intermittently. Ryuu's lithe legs tensed, catching Bell's notice, before she leapt off to the side, Bell following a second later. The spinning disc of death thundered past, before slowing down and opening up.
'There!' Shouted Ryuu, before her leg shot through the air like an arrow and pierced the creature's soft underbelly, pushing it into the wall of the Dungeon, crushing its strong exoskeleton into broken fragments of bone.
Ryuu kicked off with her other foot, letting the monster slump ungracefully to the ground.
'The Hard Armoured is strong on the outside, but very weak on the inside. Trying to attack it while it is in movement is foolish, even for a Second-Class adventurer. Once it stops however, even a fresh level two would be able to beat it with minimal difficulty. The Dungeon has many gimmicks and if you know the weaknesses of the monsters you face, you should have no trouble beating even a monster which outmatches you.' Explained Ryuu, prying the magic stone out of the pile of ash the monster left behind.
The pair then moved on, until they came across a pale furred monkey. Bell narrowed his eyes, causing Ryuu to stop in place.
'Would you like to test your magic against the Silverback now before we move on, to see the progress you have made already?' Asked Ryuu, getting a nod from Bell.
Ryuu felt the tension in the air shift, watching as Bell prepared himself, Ryuu couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Not that she had seen much of Bell in combat before other than that incident, but purely from seeing how he tried to focus himself. It was a skill that was almost exclusive to First-Class adventurers and the occasional skilled Second-Class adventurer. The ability to be calm in battle. It was counterintuitive to a point, during the heat of battle, you wanted adrenaline pumping through all of your limbs, helping you move that little bit faster. Making your attacks that little bit stronger. Numbing the pain just a little bit more. This was the trade-off though. Your focus tunnelled. You left more blind spots. You became more impulsive. Your magic became less efficient. Most importantly, you made mistakes. Ryuu observed as Bell shifted into the blind spot of the Silverback and slowly edged closer, once Bell was close enough, he dashed forward, causing the Silverback to turn around. The sharp eyes of the simian monster swivelled trying to find the boy who seemed to blur before its eyes, moving in a zig-zag pattern. The monster raised its arms, preparing to swing them at Bell, only for the boy to leap into the air and land on its left forearm, before he pushed off, unbalancing the monster. The sharp eyes widened to round orbs of disbelief, as a small mass of red appeared in the centre of the palm of the boy whose hand was nearing the stunned expression of the Silverback.
'Firebolt!' Cried Bell, as the mass of electrified fire washed over the face of the monster.
Ryuu raised an eyebrow in surprise. That attack was even stronger than the last she had seen from Bell. Did that mean he was self-regulating the amount of mind he put into his attacks? That was something even a skilled mage had trouble doing, but it did raise other questions. Did Bell do it intentionally, or was it an accident? Ryuu focused her thoughts back to the present and looked at the aftermath of Bell's attack. The Silverback was defeated, that much was clear, but to what extent? There was still a head on a set of shoulders, but they were charred beyond recognition, the long hair of the creature incinerated, while angry looking red skin made up most of the torso. The monster dissolved into ash a few seconds later, leaving behind a stone. Bell picked up the stone and walked over to Ryuu.
'How did you make your attack stronger, Bell?' Asked Ryuu.
'I just used more mind like I did last time but didn't use it all.' Explained Bell.
'Do you know how much you used, or were you just guessing?' Asked Ryuu curiously.
'Uh, I was just guessing.' Admitted Bell, causing Ryuu to smile.
'I see, maybe that can be the first thing we work on then, let's head down to the twelfth floor now.' Suggested Ryuu, with Bell giving a small nod of agreement.
"Maybe I won't have to do much at all if he can instinctually pull off advanced skills like this, but I'll make sure he is the best he can be." Thought Ryuu, a quiet sense of satisfaction are having such a promising pupil.