(A/N: Hello once again to any return readers for chapter 2 of my debut story! I appreciate you for coming back and hope to be able to keep you entertained. This chapter will again be a bit of a info dump and time skippy-ish as I am still trying my best to build up to the actual story via giving a quick run down of Bell's upbringing and informing any potential new readers who are not fully informed of the series power system. Also at the same time giving small bits here and there about Bell's goal and character until I feel comfortable enough to catapult into the real story! Anyway, hope you all enjoy the chapter and you can expect chapter 3 to come within the next few days!)

The farm became a place of both physical and intellectual growth for Bell over the course of the next 3 years, a place for where he learned not just the lessons of strength and responsibility but also academics that would help pave the way of his future and eventually get him out in the world on his own two feet. With his grandfather's guidance, Bell balanced his training with the rigorous academics he needed to succeed beyond the quiet hills of the farm.

Each morning before the sun broke the horizon, Bell was out training with Zeus. They would run sprints up the steep hills behind the farmhouse, Bell pushing his legs harder each time, striving to match his grandfather's endurance. Zeus was always ahead, his long strides and steady pace impossible for Bell to match. But the old god didn't rush. He waited, watching, teaching patience as much as strength.

"You're getting there," Zeus would say, after Bell finally caught up, "but true power comes from the mind, not just the body. If you want to lead, you must learn to think as much as you fight."

After the morning workout, Bell would head inside and shower and freshen back up to then get to his morning cooking lessons so that he could know how to prepare warm food for himself. Then, a quick break before he began his studies. While the farm work continued with chores such as feeding the animals, mending fences, and tending to the crops, Bell's academic lessons became more intense as time flew by. He worked with online textbooks, online courses, and his grandfather's stories, blending them together to create a unique and strenuous curriculum. Science, history, philosophy, Bell dove into each subject with the same dedication he applied to his training.

Zeus, when he wasn't coaching Bell and training him or explaining the complexities of heroism, would speak of ancient cultures and heroes from myth and legend. "The Greeks," Zeus would say, "they were a great people Bell, but they knew that intellect and strength were two sides of the same coin. You cannot be a true hero without understanding the world you protect. You must learn strategy, learn how to plan, and learn how to think with the wisdom of the gods."

Math and science were the most challenging for Bell. He hated them like any typical child would. So he made his mind sharp, even if the formulas and numbers didn't come as easily as combat. This way he could solve and get the problems out of the way as quickly and effectively as possible. Also with Zeus by his side, explaining physics in ways that mirrored the laws of nature like how lightning struck from the sky with immense power or how it could jump from one point to another due to charge transfer. Bell began to understand the connections. He learned the mechanics of the world, the same way he had learned the discipline to hold his breath before leaping into a fight.

He would often find himself studying late into the night, a notebook full of math on one side, his comic books on the other. The comics, once his only escape, were now a source of inspiration, reminding him of the hero he aimed to become. The night was when Bell felt his thinking and feeling of self most clearly. He felt the pull of something beyond just being strong or fast, beyond simply defeating enemies. He would find himself questioning not only what kind of hero he wanted to be, but what type of person in general.

"I want to save people, Grandpa," Bell said one night, looking up from his desk at the news broadcast reporting on a dungeon break that led to a second class magical beast being let loose on the seaside city of Melen. Thankfully it happened in a harbor so no civilians' lives were lost. Sadly a few workers were still gravely injured, but they were saved by the Poseidon familia who were known for being one of the largest familias in the world as they were primarily always focused on coastal security at the coasts and even acted as a naval police force around other parts of the world . Bell then continued, "I want to make sure no one suffers. I want to protect the world." Zeus, who had been silently observing, nodded slowly. "Good. But to do that, you'll need more than powers. You'll need knowledge. You'll need wisdom to know when to act and when to wait."

The boy then thought about it further, he recalled how hero's needed to form groups to compensate for certain weakness or lack of ability. One of the best best groups that were comprised of the worlds finest included a man in blue who symbolized great power and hope, a red blur who's speed was unmatched, a caped crusader with unrivaled intellect and skill, a ring bearer with an unbreakable will, and an amazonian who defined what it meant to be a warrior. "Grandpa…do you think it's possible to be all at once? To be strong, fast, strong, smart, skilled, strong willed and a true warrior? Like the hero's in the comics?" Bell questioned the possibility of such a lofty goal as his interest and determination grew. "Hm…well impossible? No. But likely? Not so much. If you want to be all those things at once then you must truly be willing to go not just the one extra mile but several extra." The old god explained the ordeal in the simplest and most straightforward way possible while still maintaining the absolute weight of the meaning.

"Then I'll do it! As long as it's possible I'll be the best possible version of a hero one can be!" Bell preached his new found goal. "I want to make sure that no one else has to get hurt, and that I can be ready for any situation to protect and help anyone!" His mind was set, Bell would not simply become a hero but the best one possible for the entire world. Such a clear declaration brought a big toothy smile to the face of Zeus. He was truly the one worthy of a bit of a "jump start" one could say. "Well then my dear boy, let's kick it into overdrive!" Zeus had decided it. This boy, his grandson, would be the one to have his blessing. Zeus gets up and then beckons Bell to follow him back to his room. In it Zeus moves to the drawer of his dresser and pulls out a small but long and black box that had golden embroidered lightning bolts going along the sides and a fist holding lightning in its clutches on the cover top.

Zeus removed the top to reveal a golden needle. "What's that?" The young boy asked with a quite embezzled expression that was flooded with innocent curiosity and awe. "This here is my dear Bell is the key to unlock the door to your dream. Each god is capable of bestowing a certain special power." The old god explained with delight, finally having the chance to use it himself on the one he deemed worthy for it, even if it was only temporary. For this child would be the one he would train to be the next hero the world needs.

"What exactly does it do though?" The boy inquired as his eyes left the needle for a moment to look at his grandfather with a puzzled smile, his eyes sparkling full of awe. "The needle itself isn't all that relevant, it will simply serve for me to draw a bit of blood and give you what adventurers use to grow their strength, that being a falna. A "system" you can say that was developed by us gods that would allow mortals the ability to access power beyond their typical limitations in order to combat the dungeon system right on the spot, even children would be strong enough to take on adults if granted a falna. Also, speaking of the dungeon no one actually knows where the dungeons came from, I have a theory on this but want to wait till you're more prepared down the line. But, like I said just now, essentially mortals usually rely upon a god who gives said mortal something called a grace or blessing and brings them into their familia to dive into dungeons and get stronger and build themselves up."

Zeus then began to pick up the needle as he set the box off to the side back in the dresser. He then raises the needle to eye level by the eye. "What you manage to do using this is entirely up to how much work you put in as you are your own limit. In order to get stronger you need to gather excelia, which I guess you can call experience points or "EXP" like in video games. This can be gathered through relentless training, fighting, or general practice of a specific field to boost your stats and gain certain development abilities that can be chosen to be obtained when you level up as well as receive special traits called skills that also usually center around a person's experience and beliefs.

Which leads to me my next point, there is also the second type of excelia, where rather than the usual boosting of stats and creation of development abilities like the regular type, there is the more "valuable" type called high-rank excelia, this is used by us Gods to effectively level up their familia members after enough normal excelia has been built up. High-rank excelia is something obtained through grand feats like taking down a stronger opponent or surviving overwhelming odds. If not updated the excelia thankfully isn't lost and forever stays waiting to be finally added."

"How much normal EXP do I need before I can do a big feat grandpa?"

"Oh right! That slipped my mind, I suppose I should explain basic abilities a bit more. Essentially, the basic abilities are strength, endurance, dexterity, agility, and magic. Each one is shown with a grade letter rank that each has its own set range inside the window of 0-999. 0-99 is I, 100-199 is H, 200-299 is G, 300-399 is F, 400-499 is E, 500-599 is D, 600-699 is C, 700-799 is B, 800-899 is A, and 900-999 is S."

"So should I try to get them all to S?" Bell asked with wonder, he always liked the idea of not simply being a jack of all trades but a master of all trades.

"I suppose it's possible, but it is very difficult for anyone to do so because not everyone is so capable. Everyone has where they exceed and where they fall short of. For instance, a mage and especially an elven one can most likely reach S rank in their magic stat, but would likely struggle to make much leeway in raising their strength and endurance stats; meanwhile say a dwarven vanguard could make it to S rank strength and endurance but little to nothing in magic. Beastkin can make it as a jack of all trades among every physical stat but odds are wont be able to surpass said dwarf. Pallums exceed in agility and dexterity typically and humans are more so adaptable to all roles but typically never exceeding the dominant race of said field. Finally there are amazons who like beastkin can advance all across physical fields but likely never surpass a dwarf in strength or Pallums in agility.

Elves also have the ability to add in speed to their arsenal and sacrifice a bit of magic potential to be essentially a more hit and run combatant. To sum it up, maxing out every stat is near impossible and what one tends to max out is usually dictated by their race, role and their own hard work and effort.

Even then it's not often that adventurers manage to max out their respective field. Most when they manage to level up, their last status usually has Ds, Cs or Bs if they're lucky at best. Almost no one reaches the highest rank S, with the only ones ever reaching as such usually being the best of the best like the high elven princess, captain pallum and dwarven vanguard of Loki familia. Also unlike games where your character naturally levels after gaining enough excelia, you need said familia god to do it manually." Zeus now moved to some of the downsides, while the poor Bell does his best to keep up with the information dump as much as he could handle.

"Another flaw of the falna also is that it relies on the presence of the god to remain here on the lower world. Otherwise the power granted by the falna disappears and leaves the mortal vulnerable and back to their state before getting blessed. Another thing is that there are certain devices made nowadays that are capable of nullifying said falna as well, which again would turn them back into the state before the falna until said nullifier is taken down."

The more Zeus explained it the more Bell realized just how tedious and arguably risky the falna operated. It would give him a power that exceeded fully grown men at the moment of being blessed even at his young age. But at the same time it required him to need to be almost supervised by a god should he want to constantly get stronger. It would also require him to watch over said god to ensure they aren't fatally wounded or sent back to heaven another way. On top of all of that he wouldn't even be able to make new spells or magic unless he was updated to receive them even after fulfilling the condition for them in the first place.

"Yep, it may be easier than gaining strength through natural processes but it's also very inconvenient at certain times." Zeus indicated as he noticed Bell's disappointed expression. At the moment he was nearing the final stages fine tuning the needle and its ether for its intended process that will be revealed shortly.

"Yea, and on top of that it doesn't feel right with me." The boy pointed out as he also seemed almost "disgusted" in how that aspect of the system worked. "The power I gain just wouldn't feel like my own. Especially if I could simply lose it under some horrible circumstances. Something that I brought up and grew can just disappear and leave me weak and helpless in a desperate situation."

Zeus listened, he was curious at this new side of Bell that showed what appeared to be a sign of pride, a dangerous thing to hold and wield. Something he knew all too well the risks and repercussions of. "If I worked for something, and it could simply be taken from me that easily, was it ever truly mine in the first place? Or was it simply a loan that I invested in that wouldn't even be guaranteed to be cashed out on? If so then that's not something I want. It's not something I can take pride in and wield in myself proudly."

Zeus could understand where the boy was coming from. Power that you could easily get, but just as easily lose was hardly your power at all. However, this mindset was still a dangerous one to have for the goals that Bell wanted to achieve. Because Bell wanted to be a hero who could save and protect everyone from evil and monsters. Something he failed to notice was that even the hero's in the comics he read had required the use of powers that were not theirs in order to save everyone.

"Bell, I know what you mean, and I agree. However this isn't the right mindset you should have with the type of role you are inspiring to fulfill. There are going to be times where just your power alone will not be enough to protect and save everyone or even yourself." It was the truth, one should not put the lives of others at risk for the sake of pride in oneself. Such a thing was not only unbecoming of a hero, but the signs of a villain or at least an individual not worthy of respect.

As Bell nodded to indicate he understood, Zeus had begun to continue his long awaited explanation of the second method. "Now, with all of that out of the way, are you ready?"

The old god said as he then returned Bell's gaze who then nodded in affirmation.

"Alright then, take off your shirt and turn around." Zeus said as he pricked his finger with the needle, drawing a drop of blood. Bell nods and does as he's told.

Zeus then places his finger on Bell's back, an instant later a glow of divine light shines and a large tattoo of a fist clenching a lightning bolt penetrating through clouds with additional smaller bolts surrounding it begins to take form. After which hieroglyphic runes started to take form. After a few more moments the glow dissipates and the full status is formed, thus the young boy now takes his first steps to accomplish his dream.

"Hold on, just one last step…" Zeus says as he grabs a piece of blank paper from his drawer and places it on Bell's back. With it in place he motions a circle and from there a faint circle of translucent light ripples across the paper, transcribing the runes onto the page to now form a translated copy of Bell's status. However, there was something that caught Zeus's eye. Something that should have been impossible.
Name: Bell Cranel
Level: 1

Str: 0-I

End: 0 - I

Dex: 0 - I

Agi: 0 - I

Mag: 0 - I

Magic:

Skill: Heroic Desire - Wielder's stats and experience gain are increased exponentially with their feelings, the stronger the wielder's desire the faster and more exponential the growth. Passive effects include: immunity to charms and heightened pain tolerance.

He has a skill right off the back? I never knew such a thing was possible!

"Well I'll be… you surprise me once again dear boy!" Zeus shouted out loud, making the young boy jump, startled from the sudden exclamation.

"Huh?!" Bell questioned, confused at the outburst.

"You remember what I told you about skills right?"

"That you can't get them until an update?"

"Correct! But it would seem…" Zeus then turns the paper to Bell, finger pointing to the subject in question. "You have one right off the back!"

"Eh?!" The boy's face filled with shock and awe as he grabbed the paper and read the phenomena on page. Then upon further inspection, a blush of embarrassment spread across his face at the reading of said skill. He wouldn't be one to hide his dreams exactly, but having such an affirmative declaration was a bit much for him.

"Trying to shout out your ambitions to the world, are you dear boy?" The old god asked with a smirk, giving a slight teasing tone.

"I-I-I…" Bell stammered, his cheeks burning as he clutched the paper, eyes wide with embarrassment. His very first skill that he thought he shouldn't have yet was one that practically shouted out to the world that he wanted to be a hero.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about Bell, in fact you should be proud," Zeus says as he places a hand on Bell's shoulder, grabbing the boy's attention for a serious message. "In this world nowadays there's no shortage of people who give up on their dreams and those who try to dismiss the dreams of others. You having a will so strong that it instantly manifests a skill is a sign that you won't be like them. The road you're on is going to require you to give it everything you have and not back down. So make sure you stick to your beliefs, and…when you're fully secure and confident enough, you should say them out loud. Shout it to the world yourself with everything you got, and if some don't want to listen, then don't waste your time telling them, just show them. Show them who you are and what matters to you! You understand me, my dear boy?"

"Yes, I understand, and I promise you I'll be a hero who can make you proud and save and protect everyone!"

"Excellent! Now how about we get to bed early tonight? From now on we're going to have to wake up way earlier."

"Why's that grandpa?"

"Simple, we need to get you prepared for when you go to Orario! To do that we're gonna sign you up the guild and get you started on completing quests and dungeon raids. This will help you get stronger, good money set up so you have a place ready to stay when you move and also, hopefully at least, get you in a good familia!"

"Yessir!" Bell says with a sharp salute with the biggest and brightest smile on his face. Zeus would do everything he could to help his beloved grandson make his forward. Things were going to be tough, extremely tough. But he would undoubtedly succeed no matter what.