Rum (DanMachi - FGO Reincarnation Chapter 2)
Hint-Pint was a shit adventurer.
Honestly, I gave her every potion I had to keep her upright and ready to fight, and she keeps crying and whining. We were in a room on the 7th floor the size of a stadium, and wall to wall, and every inch on the ground was covered with Killer Ants for only the tenth time and she was calling it quits.
For someone acting like she's all about survival she had pretty shit stamina.
"Please, stop. Have mercy Lord Adventurer. I can't fight anymore!" Liliruca cried out, and was actually crying, while on her hands and knees, having puked for the nth time, sweat dripping off of her, and her limps were shaking.
The Killer Ants were closing in, or rather a few where on her back, and the rest about to dig their fangs in her.
Just moved to Lili's side threw a few of the monsters back. One swing, and the ants around and on Lili died. A second swing and a wide ring was open around us, as any Killer Ant close by died, or were blown away.
"Stop whining, you nearly died only nine times out of ten. You succeeded once, now do it again." I said, to which the pallum just cried louder and tried to crawl away.
"Please, just let me go!"
I rolled my eyes. God, what a drama queen.
I grabbed Half-Pint by the back of her hood like she was a cat, pulled her up. She weighed like nothing. I stuff the last elixir down her throat, and after she drank it, threw the bottle through the eye of the nearest monster.
Half-Pint coughed and whizzed but I could tell she was right as rain again. I let go and she dropped standing on her feet.
"Fine, fine." I sighed, and projected a few spears. "This will be the last one."
"Please, Lord Adventurer, let Lili go and she'll never bother you again. She'll spend the rest of her life buying you Soma, if you just let her go."
"No." I threw the spears one by one, causing a boom each time.
They hit above all the entrances to the room except one leading to out to the higher floors. The room was now seal, so only the exit to head to the 6th floor was left.
Half-Pint was covering her ears. She looked and saw no more Dungeon Monster entering the area. I projected a fresh new sword in front of her, given the current one was pretty battered. I dispersed the worn out one.
Lili picked up the new sword with despair and resignation.
"You're a monster." She whined.
"No, these are the monsters. I'm an Adventurer." I said as if speaking to a child, to which Half-Pint just glared at me. Then with a roar and threw herself back into the fight, empowered by the sentiment that she only has to survive the Monster Party one more time.
I found myself laughing at my own joke. It's stupid but Mordred would have found it funny.
"Tsk, I getting too sober." I messaged my forehead, my throat feeling parched. If I'm thinking about Chaldea, then I definitely need some Soma.
The haul from this excursion should definitely be worth a few bottles.
Then the walls started cracking. A few more monster were about to join the fray soon.
"D-Dungeon Spawn!" Half-Pint shouted in terror. Given the number already present, it's bound to be a lot.
"Yep. See? Even the Dungeon is cheering you on, so get to it!" I summoned a spear and slashed the few Killer Ants that got close.
"FUCK YOU!"
Woah, Half-Pint lost her politeness. I chuckled at the brat's progress.
There was some dust in the air and I started coughing. Looking up, I saw a few dozen Purple Moths, and even handful of Blue Papilio.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Sure, Purge Engine wouldn't let me die of poison since I can't turn it off, but given that I have it on the lowest setting so I can actually get drunk, it had its limits. Unless I turn up the dial on the Skill a few notches. Which I really don't want to do.
"Half-Pint." I said getting her attention, and projecting a fully loaded gatling crossbow in front of her. She instantly grabbed it, and jumped away, shooting at everything. "No, no, shoot at the flying fishes in a barrel up top." I butchered that metaphor.
Half-Pint shouted and swore, but followed my directions. After all, the Blue Papilio around would keep healing everything, and Lili didn't have any antidote around for the Purple Moths. I already gave her the ones in her bag last round. I used Structural Grasp on her bag, that I was carrying one more times, and nope, no more potions.
The gatling crossbow clicked empty, and I had to give her two more so she could finish all the flying monsters. After that she focused some more on the Killer Ants, and whatever Needle Rabbits were around. There were some War Shadow around. No idea what the fuck they were doing down here.
Either way, regardless of how mentally tired she was, Half-Pint was giving it all she got, and even more than what she got. That's how adventurers grow really. You don't need some epic adventure, or to defeat some big symbolic enemy. Just tire yourself out against a few hundred monsters a few times, and you'll eventually Level Up through sheer quantity of excelia.
Then one of the openings to the room was blown in. I frowned. Well, more than usual. From years of scowling, I now have a constant resting bitch face for a neutral expression.
Either way, someone crashed the training session, and Half-Pint was so close to the finish line. Yeah, there's still an army of monsters around us, but she already finished up the first tenth of it.
"Freya dammit it! This must have been the source of all the Monster Parties outside."
A quartet of pallum stood at the new opening in the room.
"Fuck, it's those..." I struggled to remember their name. I lightly snapped my fingers trying to jog my memory. "Gully Folk!" I muttered to myself.
Naturally they heard me.
=====
Lili had never felt hope and dread at the same time before. There were a group of pissed off First Class Adventurers, and she had never been happier.
Exhaustion had become a part of herself over the last...I can't even remember how many hours she had been fighting. It honestly could be half a day. No, a bit more over that.
All the horrible stories about Michael Chaser were true. If she survives, she'll make sure to never be in the same room with him again.
Right now, all Lili cared about was that the situation she was in, would change.
She held her sword with shaking hands in front of her. There were no more monsters in her range. Almost all of them focused on the newcomers as the bigger threat. Lili knew who they were. First Class Adventurers were known by stories if nothing else. Those of the Freya Familia more so. The Gulliver Brothers, the Bringar.
Michael muttered something she couldn't hear. Almost as one, they snapped toward him, and their expression changed to varies degrees of distain, if not outright disgust.
"Orpheus." The leader, Alfrigg said, the alias like bile on his tongue.
"Hey, um..." Michael seemed out of it. "You...guys." Lili wasn't sure if Michael recognized who he was talking to.
"So you're still alive, Orpheus." One of the brothers spat out, before slashing with the giant axe a group of Killer Ants that came near. The wind from his slice cut down the group behind the first attacking monsters.
"Did you finally crawl out of a bottle, to be an adventurer again, Orpheus?" Asked another brother, this one using his greatsword to cut down the number of monsters around them.
"Not really." Michael scowled at how the training session was now ruined. "Also, whose 'Orpheus'?" He asked in confusion.
The Gulliver Brothers almost seemed struck back by his question. Then Lili could feel the killing intent rolling off of them in waves. She felt herself choke from the bloodlust, even if it wasn't intended for her.
"You dare be ignorant of Lady Freya's last gift to you, you worthless-" The one with the hammer spat out, before the eldest place a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.
"Enough, Dvalinn." Said Alfrigg. "Let's just move on." Alfrigg glared back at Michael. "Remember our Goddess's word. We are to forget him. Even this much attention to this carouser, is an unworthy gift." He turned away from the confused Michael. "We must clean up this room, so no more ants can gather. This has caused enough distribution as is."
"Wha, no guys, just go around, and leave them..."
Of course, Michael's words went on deaf ears, and in a matter of minutes, all Killer Ants were slain to the last.
Lili was on her knees profoundly thanking the Bringar.
"So, tormenting Low Class Adventurers now?" Asked the greatsword carrying Gulliver, standing closest to Lili.
"We all need our hobbies." Michael shrugged.
"The depth you have fallen to are beyond an eye sour. If I could I wish I clawed my eyes out to forget having seen you today, Orpheus." With that parting shot, Alfrigg passed by Michael and left to the upper floors with his brothers next to him.
Lili let out a breath in relief, and pushed herself to stand on her shaking legs. She looked toward Michael with trepidation, as she realized that even if Michael didn't redo the "training session" because it was interrupted, they still need to climb six floors to leave the Dungeon.
She wasn't sure if she had the strength to run away on her own. But if it looked like Michael would have her fight again, she would run away and damn the consequences.
Yet Michael had his hands on his chin, this thoughts worlds away.
"Orpheus, Orpheus...why 'Orpheus'?" Michael seemed to be deep in thought at his own alias. Lili was astonished that someone could be such a drunkard as to not know their own God-given title. "Ah..." Michael looked up, his eyes lighting in recognition. "Wow, dick move, Freya."
Lili blinked at that exclamation. "Lili doesn't think you should slander the Goddess of the strongest Familia, Mr. Chaser." She said before she could help herself. Wow, she really must be more tired than she thought to run her mouth.
"Trust me. They don't give a shit about unimportant people." With that, Michael turned, spear in hand, and slayed a War Shadow that was creeping up on them. "Come on, we're done for the day."
Lili caught her thrown supporter backpack, and almost cried in joy at seeing Michael be the one to fight the monsters.
"All the magic stones, don't forget them." He called back.
"Yes sir!" Lili shouted with all her heart.