Sorry about the first time this was posted, FF is formatting my uploaded chapters weird.
Just posting an extra chapter as thanks to Poptart for filling my Ultra Instinct tier.
I'll still post another chapter this month as part of my regular 2 updates a month, but this is a bonus one.
Also, I've finally gotten through the lead up to the Apollo Familia war game and it is going to be a major change for the story and going forward. Up to chapter 54 now and I've only got maybe another chapter or two before I get to the fight, and I can't wait.
Enjoy!
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Previously:
Bell would finish up his shopping trip with Eina, seeing Lili along the way and making plans to go into the Dungeon tomorrow, picking up his new blades from Tsubaki at the end of his outing with Eina. Bell would later meet up with Hestia and embark on their "date", while Loki would request help from a few Goddesses at the same time, including Freya. In the Dungeon, Ais would make a request to stay behind, with Riveria joining her, the girl planning to face Udaeus alone in order to grow stronger. Ais would manage to dismember Udaeus, lopping off its right arm and destroying its left hand, but not without suffering a crushing blow to her right arm as well.
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 19 – Dichotomy
The morning after Bell's outing with Hestia, the boy left their abode quietly, not wanting to wake Hestia. The poor Goddess seemed exhausted, and Bell could tell, as she hadn't moved from the position he put her in last night, with Hestia being well known to Bell for her sleep wandering. The fact that she hadn't moved at all was a testament to how fatigued she must have been. As Bell equipped his new armour and weapons, he took a moment to glance at the shin guard and spotted a small stylised "TC". Bell blinked in confusion, before trying to remember what Eina had called Tsubaki.
'Wait… did Tsubaki make these?' Mumbled Bell in surprise, deciding he could ask her tomorrow at dinner, before making his way to the Hostess of Fertility.
As Bell entered the restaurant, Lunoire was the only one around at the moment.
'Looks like you are going into the Dungeon today.' Commented Lunoire, setting a chair down and pushing it under a table.
'Yes, I was hoping to see if Mama Mia was here to let her know.' Explained Bell, only for Lunoire to smile.
'You know, you aren't really Mama Mia's employee like the rest of us. We like having you around, but you don't need to report to us. Either way, I'll pass on the message. You better get going soon though.' Suggested Lunoire, only for her to internally laugh at what happened next.
'Bell! I made you lunch, don't leave yet.' Called Syr from the kitchen.
'Well, I tried, good luck today, Bell.' Whispered Lunoire with a smile.
'Morning Syr!' Called Bell happily, causing Lunoire to shake her head.
'Ah, you're always so brave, Bell. Facing Syr's cooking head onya.' Muttered Anya, walking past Bell, carrying a box of supplies.
'What are you planning to do today, Bell?' Asked Ryuu, also carrying a box.
'Well, Goddess told me apparently someone from the Freya Familia was going to join me in the Dungeon today.' Started Bell, only for the brown-haired Cat-girl to stumble.
Luckily for Anya, Mama Mia had just stepped around the corner and caught the box.
'You sure you'll be okay today?' Asked Mama Mia.
'Why wouldn't I be? I don't think Goddess Freya would send someone to hurt me.' Questioned Bell.
Mia pursed her lips slightly, before shrugging.
'Just look after yourself. Not everyone is as nice as you are.' Cautioned Mia, before Syr exited the kitchen with a wrapped lunch box.
'Here you go, Bell, I made something special this time, have fun today.' Greeted Syr, handing Bell the box, which he gratefully took.
'Thanks Syr, sorry I won't be around today.' Apologised Bell, causing Syr to look off to the side.
'Well, why don't you come back for dinner and let me serve you like before? You can tell me all about the Dungeon today. You can do that, can't you?' Asked Syr bashfully, raising her finger to her lips.
'Of course! I'll take my leave then.' Agreed Bell easily, before heading off.
Bell walked quickly but carefully, making his way to the fountain near the dungeon, before pausing to put his lunch in his backpack carefully. Bell sat down on the stone edge of the fountain while he waited for his party for the day. He didn't know who would be coming to join him, which he realised was a glaring detail he probably should have asked about.
'Master adventurer, how do you do?' Greeted Lili as she approached Bell.
'Oh, hello Lili. I hope you don't mind, but I was told there was someone else who wanted to join me in the Dungeon today.' Greeted Bell, his words causing Lili to pause.
'Are they from the Loki Familia?' Asked Lili curiously.
'Hmm? No, Freya Familia.' Replied Bell in confusion, causing the girl to look at him in incredulity.
"Who is this person?" Thought Lili in disbelief, before feeling a chill run up her spine, causing her to turn her head sharply.
A grey haired beauty was walking towards them. A single black eye was visible in her left eye-socket, matching the long black dress she wore. A small crescent of skin was visible over the left breast, most of it being covered by black, lacy lingerie, but showing just a hint of the creamy white skin beneath. Her appearance fit the description of a witch's apprentice, only lacking a conical hat, instead, a small headband of black with white frills on top of her head, holding her hair in place, allowing the curtain of hair to cover her right eye.
'Bell Cranel.' Spoke the figure once she reached the pair.
'Um, yes, that's me.' Replied Bell, watching the woman.
'I am Horn, of the Freya Familia, may I accompany you into the Dungeon to fulfil a personal request of my Goddess?' Requested Horn, her voice even and measured.
Lili felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, feeling a coldness that chilled her to her bones.
'Oh, so you are the one Goddess Freya wanted to join me today. Sure! I just didn't know who to expect. You can just call me Bell, it's nice to meet you.' Spoke Bell, politely introducing himself.
Lili and Horn both stared at Bell in confusion.
Did he not feel unnerved at all?
Horn was barely hiding her disdain, but it seemed like the boy didn't notice it at all.
'Oh, Lili, I forgot to check with you. Is it okay if Horn joins us today as well?' Asked Bell, turning to the small Elf.
Lili hated Bell in that moment. Horn's gaze swivelled on Lili. The coldness was like an ice chip. Why did Bell have to put her on the spot like that? Of course she couldn't refuse! She wanted to with all her heart and soul! She couldn't though.
'It makes no sense to seek the approval of this supporter, Master adventurer, but of course Lili accepts.' Muttered Lili quietly.
'Well, I just wanted to check, this means we will have to split our earnings between the three of us instead of two now.' Elaborated Bell.
'That will not be necessary. I only require one drop item.' Interjected Horn.
'Are you sure? That's not very fair on you.' Commented Bell in concern.
Horn looked at Bell with an indiscernible expression. Was he serious?
'Freya Familia is very well off. We do not require the regular replenishment of funds through Dungeon exploration.' Explained Horn, causing Bell to hum, before nodding.
'Okay I guess, how far do you want to go then?' Asked Bell.
'The fifteenth floor.' Replied Horn quickly.
Bell's lips twitched for a moment, before they firmed up.
'Is that okay with you as well, Lili?' Asked Bell, confusing the pair again.
'Of course. This one will do their job as a supporter. This one will follow your lead.' Nodded Lili easily.
Bell seemed to exhale loudly, before deciding to head towards the Dungeon. The two girls followed after him.
'Miss Horn, is it okay if I ask you what level you are?' Asked Bell, as the pair walked to the entrance of the Dungeon.
'I am level two.' Replied Horn simply, getting a nod from Bell, while Lili twitched.
"Now what am I supposed to do. I can't possibly do something with a level two around!" Cursed Lili internally.
The moment Bell's foot hit the ground of the Dungeon, the two with him felt it. A chill. A warm chill. As contradictory as that sounded, the pair felt both comforted and unnerved at the same time. Lili had noticed something last time she had ventured into the Dungeon with Bell, but it was far more pronounced this time. Horn didn't know what to make of the feeling. Was he going to attack them? Horn's senses were a mess, not recognising it for what it was. The closest thing she could relate it to, was the presence her Familia exuded when anyone tried to proclaim they were more important to their Goddess in any way. It was an oppressive feeling of possessiveness, but also carried a threat. The trio advanced through the Dungeon without issue. The upper floors were bypassed almost entirely without encounter. Even the Killer Ants which spotted Bell scuttled away nervously, rather than swarming him, even those enhanced ones from the eighth and ninth floors. Stepping on to the tenth floor, the atmosphere shifted. Multiple Orcs moved through the mist, heading straight for Bell. Bell pulled out both of his knives in preparation.
Lili questioned if the monsters recognised Bell had massacred many of their kind only a few days ago, only to shake her head.
Monsters didn't remember things like that. It was a truly silly thought.
Horn pulled out a short knife and prepared to attack, only for Bell to rush forward. Orc after Orc was felled before her eyes, surprising the attendant of Freya. This was not a great feat by any stretch of the imagination, not when Horn knew of the exploits of the likes of Ottar or Hedin… but this boy shouldn't be able to pull such a thing off. He was nothing, a nobody. A nobody who happened to catch the fancy of her Goddess. An insignificant pest who occupied her thoughts. Nothing special.
So why?
Why?
Why did Horn find herself feeling a hint of awe as he defeated Orc after Orc?
The boy suddenly charged at Horn, causing her lone visible eye to widen, before the sound of cracking bones was heard. An Imp had just been pulverised. Horn's heart raced, before she mentally scowled.
The battle was over.
Lili quickly started harvesting magic stones and drop items, while Bell sat down, resting his brown knife against his knee, the two-toned knife sheathed again. Bell's eyes swivelled between Lili and the immobile Horn. Horn stood in place like a statue. Willing herself to start thinking rationally again.
It had been too long since she had been in the Dungeon. That was it.
It had nothing to do with who she was in the Dungeon with.
Not at all.
Once Lili had finished harvesting their loot, the girl stood back up.
'I forgot to ask, do either of you have clothing made out of Salamander Wool?' Asked Bell.
'This one does have a small robe.' Revealed Lili, getting a nod from Bell, before both turned to Horn.
'I do not.' Admitted Horn, causing Bell to nod.
'Then I will need to thank Miss Eina after this. I have both a robe and a shirt. You should take the robe. I wouldn't want you to get hurt either. I wouldn't be able to look Goddess Freya in the eye if I let one of her Familia members get hurt under my watch.' Declared Bell, taking his robe off and holding it out to Horn.
Horn mumbled something that Bell didn't catch.
'Is something wrong?' Asked Bell curiously.
'…No.' Mumbled Horn quietly, taking the robe and throwing it over her shoulders, causing her body to be shrouded in warmth.
"Disgusting." Thought Horn viciously, before Bell started walking again.
'We should get going then.' Called Bell over his shoulder.
Lili quickly followed, with Horn a step behind her.
'Master adventurer, are those the weapons you mentioned? You did not have them last time.' Commented Lili, as the pair headed for the next staircase to the eleventh floor.
'Yeah, Miss Tsubaki made them for me. This one is from that Infant Dragon Fang from before.' Replied Bell, holding his brown blade out to the side.
'What of the other blade?' Asked Lili curiously, her eyes never leaving the brown one.
'Ah, this is the blade Tsubaki made for me using the ones Syr and Ryuu got for me from before.' Answered Bell, causing Horn to twitch.
'You received a blade from two people and fused it into one?' Asked Horn curiously.
'Yes. I know Miss Tsubaki said it probably wouldn't be as strong, but I couldn't just get rid of it either. They are important to me.' Explained Bell, not noticing Horn's expression hardening behind him.
Bell heard the burrowing the second they set foot on the eleventh floor. Hard Armoured. It was an unmistakeable sound. Stone being pulverised into dust, as a pair of them approached the group.
Bell waited for the monsters to appear, before he ran forward and off to the side. The spinning discs followed him, before Bell leapt to the side, causing them to crash into the Dungeon walls. Bell ran forward and stabbed one in the throat. The second one prepared to escape, only to turn to dust, its magic stone pierced by a thrown dagger. Horn walked over to the disappearing ash and picked up her knife.
'Wow, that was amazing and from so far away!' Complimented Bell in surprise, confusing Horn.
'… we should move on.' Intoned Horn quietly, taking the lead this time.
The trio moved through the next few hallways quickly. Aside from a pair of unlucky Silverbacks, which tried to ambush them; their plot foiled as Bell kicked one into the other and followed up with a hammer fisted stab with his brown blade, puncturing the necks of both monkeys, the group found little resistance. On the twelfth floor, the tension thickened. Bell moved to stand beside Horn, with the stoic girl tensing up slightly as well.
A roar was heard.
It was an Infant Dragon.
'I thought Infant Dragons are supposed to be rare.' Mumbled Bell, confusing the pair.
'What do you mean?' Asked Horn in a clipped tone.
'This is my third one this week already.' Revealed Bell, stunning the other two.
'Leave this to me.' Whispered Bell, before shooting forward.
The orange reptile emerged from the shadows and charged at Bell. Lili watched in confusion as Bell charged it with his knives. It made no sense to her why he didn't use his magic like last time. A loud roar was heard as Bell's brown blade opened the hide with ease. It seemed a knife formed from the monster itself was extremely effective. Super effective in fact, as the dragon hide was shredded again and again, with each slash of the dragon fang. Bell was suddenly in front of the beast's eye, having worn it down to the point that it was stumbling around, before his brown blade pierced its eye, straight through to the brain. The monster crumbled apart into ash, leaving behind only a magic stone, confusing Bell, who looked through the ash in confusion, as his two partners approached him.
'Where is the hide?' Asked Bell.
'What do you mean?' Questioned Lili.
'The last two dropped a hide, why didn't this one?' Asked Bell, causing Lili to laugh softly at the absurd question.
'A hide dropping from an Infant Dragon is rare, not an expected outcome. The fact that you had two consecutive drops is the most baffling fact.' Explained Lili, causing Bell to stop searching.
'Oh, I didn't know that.' Admitted Bell, getting the two to look at him in disbelief, before Bell turned to Horn.
'What drop item do you need from the fifteenth floor?' Asked Bell to the Freya Familia member.
'Ligerfang Fur.' Replied Horn instantly.
Bell seemed to nod, while Lili blanched.
"Ligerfang Fur? So not only do we need to beat a Ligerfang, but multiple, assuming standard drop rates!" Thought Lili in angst, regretting ever associating with this adventurer again.
The group then moved on, Bell and Horn side by side, while Lili remained two steps behind.
These two were nothing but trouble in Lili's opinion. Level one adventurers may not acquire the best drops, but they would never make absurd requests like, "I need Ligerfang Fur" or "I wanted an Infant Dragon Fang" as casually as asking for a drink of water. Lili knew she needed to distance herself and escape immediately, but also needed to confirm one thing first.
'Master adventurer, did you say a blacksmith named Tsubaki made those blades for you?' Asked Lili carefully.
'Huh, oh yeah, why, have you got any requests for weapons?' Asked Bell.
'This one could never commission a weapon from the Hephaestus Familia Captain.' Retorted Lili leadingly, wanting to see his response.
'Oh, I didn't realise Miss Tsubaki was so famous.' Admitted Bell, causing Lili to mentally scream.
'Master adventurer certainly has interesting friends.' Muttered Lili quietly, before her eyes spotted it.
"Hephaestus… that should surely be enough." Thought Lili noticing the brand marking on the blade, before feeling a chill.
Her ears twitched as she felt a pressure. Her eyes swivelled and found a silver eye glaring at her within a curtain of grey hair.
"It's her!" Thought Lili nervously, recognising the figure which had scared her half to death yesterday, was in fact Horn of the Freya Familia.
Did she know what Lili was thinking?
Why did she even care?
Radiating disdain so openly, why would Horn care if Lili planned to make use of the boy she seemed to hate?
Lili averted her gaze, feeling the pressure fade away.
The group reached the stairs to the thirteenth floor quickly after that. Stepping on to the thirteenth floor for the first time, Bell felt slightly awed. Gone were the smooth rocky walls, now the entire area looked like subterranean bedrock. The stone was a dull grey and the light seemed to decrease as well, giving a sense of one being in a damp basement or cave. It was fair to say so, considering the Dungeon was in fact underground, but it became more apparent on this level. Horn took the first step forward, with Bell following shortly after, Lili a step behind. As the group walked forwards, a trio of white rabbits appeared.
'Almiraj.' Muttered Lili.
Bell raised his blade, ready to fight, only for three daggers to pierce the throats of the rabbits, killing them swiftly.
Bell blinked as Horn moved on. Leaving her knives behind.
'Uh, don't you want to pick up your weapons?' Asked Bell, moving to follow Horn.
'They are expendable mass-produced weapons. Feel free to take them yourselves.' Replied Horn uncaringly.
Lili heard the exchange as she harvested the magic stones, pocketing the knives for herself, causing Horn to close her eyes knowingly.
This supporter wanted money. As they all did. She would need to keep an eye on her.
Although Horn devalued her blades with her words, she knew, as would the supporter, that each one was worth ten thousand valis alone. The floor decided to bare its fangs shortly after that. As the trio emerged into a large clearing, Hellhounds poured out of all the paths leading to it.
'… this is insane.' Mumbled Bell, seeing two dozen black furred creatures with glowing red eyes glaring at them.
Their mouths lit up and Bell's eyes widened, there was absolutely no way to dodge. Bell felt his shirt tugged backwards before a veil of red covered his eyes. Horn had pulled Bell back, before her robe, or rather, his robe, covered them. Lili, a step behind them had also pulled a robe out of her pack and covered herself, including her bag, as the waves of fire surrounded them. The fire eventually dissipated, and Bell looked up, feeling Horn breathing heavily.
'Thanks for that.' Whispered Bell, causing Horn's form to tremble.
Her breathing was heavy at this close proximity. Was she hurt?
'Are you okay?' Asked Bell worriedly, causing her breath to still.
'I'm fine.' Muttered Horn, before feeling it again, that chilling warmth.
Bell stood up, escaping the woven shield, before he blasted away. Horn looked up, had he just run away? Was the one who attracted the eye of her Goddess a coward?
Horn pulled back the robe and saw numerous forms crumbling into ash.
Lili did the same and was left speechless.
'Sorry, I won't let something like that happen again.' Apologised Bell, his two blades drawn.
Horn felt it again. That look. Why was he looking at them with such care? They were strangers.
Lili quickly moved into action, picking up the stones and the occasional Hellhound Fang. As Lili picked up the last few fangs, she felt it. The ground rumbled beneath her.
'Lili!' Cried Bell, before a worm emerged from the ground.
It was a wriggling mass. No head or limbs to speak of, only a segmented body and serrated teeth.
Four daggers impaled it to the wall of the Dungeon, before Bell was upon it, ripping it open with a long slash from mouth to tail.
'Pay attention to your surroundings!' Growled Horn, although it was unclear who it was directed to.
'Thanks for that, Horn. I just said I wouldn't let something like that happen again.' Said Bell self-disparagingly, causing Horn to twitch in anger.
'We are a team for now. It is not only your responsibility to protect it.' Intoned Horn in annoyance, a small scowl on her face.
Horn turned off to the side, watching their surroundings, as the supporter gathered the last of the drop items.
Why did she feel annoyance when that useless boy spoke negatively about himself?
The group moved on shortly after that. Lili proved her worth, helping to direct the two, being the only one of the trio who had been down to this floor within the past few years. The group avoided any further ambushes after that, with Lili's keen eyes spotting the clusters of monsters as they tried to gather, with Bell breaking up the packs of Hellhounds, while Horn skewered the Almiraj with ferocity. Lili led them directly to the staircase to the fourteenth floor, with the group moving on quickly. The ground assault was particularly worse on this floor, Dungeon Worms popping out of the earth so frequently that even Lili had to leave some of Horn's daggers behind, from the sheer number that were felled.
It took almost an hour to make it through the floor. Lili was truly starting to feel her nerves fraying. These two were vicious. A mixed sense of protection and fear exuded from the pair in differing levels. Lili's shoulders had clenched up on the thirteenth floor and the tension persisted as they made it through the fourteenth, until reaching the stairs leading to the fifteenth floor at last. She had never felt so tense before in her entire life.
'Maybe we should stop for a bit of lunch before going on.' Suggested Bell.
Horn gave a small nod, before throwing numerous daggers into the walls around them.
Bell set his backpack down, before taking out the lunch Syr had packed him. Horn stiffened, trying to hold herself back from fleeing in terror. Bell opened the box, and it was separated into four sections. Grilled vegetables and meat in one, fried rice in the second, and scrambled eggs in the third, with the last having some cut up pieces of a grilled cheese sandwich. Bell took a small piece of sandwich and popped it in his mouth, taking a moment to chew it, before swallowing.
'What is that?' Asked Horn hesitantly.
It's my lunch, Syr made it for me.' Replied Bell, before looking to the two who had what looked like dried rations.
'Do you want some?' Asked Bell, causing Horn to blink.
'You should not give away food that was personally made for you by another, no matter what it may taste like.' Reprimanded Horn, as Bell took a piece of egg.
'Taste? It tastes good, what do you mean?' Countered Bell, causing Horn's eye to widen.
Looking at the food, it looked surprisingly normal… but Horn of all people knew looks could be deceiving.
'So is your girlfriend making you lunches, Master adventurer?' Asked Lili.
'Is there something wrong with that?' Asked Bell curiously, taking a piece of carrot into his mouth, making him look so much like a rabbit that Horn had to forcefully stop her hand from reaching for a blade.
"What about all those Goddesses then?" Screamed Lili internally.
"How can he so easily say… that she is his girlfriend… and what magic is he using to eat that?" Questioned Horn in disbelief.
'You're not just trying to give away the food that you don't like?' Asked Horn, changing tact.
'But I like all of Syr's food. It's surprising sometimes, but she is getting better at it, and we can make things together for practice.' Explained Bell, after finishing his current mouthful.
Horn was speechless. She had no words. No response. No biting comments. No inquisitive question.
Her mind couldn't process the reality in front of her. As someone who loved her goddess with all her heart and was rendered bed-bound after consuming her food… she couldn't accept this boy being superior to her in any way concerning her love for her goddess.
'May I try a piece of vegetable?' Asked Horn, only for Bell to nod and hold out the bento to Horn.
Horn took her right glove off and picked a piece of carrot. Bringing it slowly to her lips, Horn took a bite.
It was hard. It was undercooked. It had too much salt. It had so many flaws.
Yet he kept eating it without complaint.
Horn's pride wouldn't let her concede this battle, so she swallowed her mouthful, before putting the rest of it in her mouth, chewing, swallowing, and following up with a large drink of water.
'Is this something you enjoy eating?' Asked Horn.
'I mean, sort of. Like I said, I like everything Syr makes, because she is making it for me. Sure, they needed to be cooked longer and maybe some herbs would help reduce the intensity of the saltiness, but Syr is getting better, and I have to try her new food to help her improve her cooking. You can't learn if no one offers tips for improvement.' Explained Bell and Horn felt something inside her stir.
"It was bad. He knows it is bad. He keeps eating it. For Syr…" Thought Horn sourly, disliking that she felt a modicum of respect for the boy who dared to taint the jewel of the Freya Familia.
The two girls finished their rations quickly enough, while Bell took his time to try each piece of food individually, before pairing some things up.
Horn couldn't stand it.
He was not superior to her. He could never hope to match her devotion.
So why did she hate how he so easily ate food which was clearly bad with a smile on his face, a thoughtful expression as he tried new combinations?
Horn felt an intense jealousy she could no longer bear and stood up to retrieve her knives, slipping her glove back on as she stood, seeing the boy was almost done eating. Bell packed up his box and put it back in his bag, before the three got ready to move on.
The fifteenth floor was a place Lili had visited only a dozen or so times before. Her thoughts on it hadn't changed.
A false sense of security.
The floors were usually empty, but turn the wrong corner and you'd be met with a monster party. The difference today though, was Lili had never been down with a party so small before. The last time she had been down to this floor, she was with a group of half a dozen, including four level two adventurers.
Now, there wasn't even four adventurers total.
A growl was heard. It was a Ligerfang. A mane of black fur, with a sleek, light-purple body, with dark purple accents, came into view. A set of white paws tipped with black claws pawed the ground, moving the monster closer to the group. Two more growls were heard. Three Ligerfang now stood before them in a triangle formation. Bell raised his dual blades to chest level, ready to fight. Lili backed up a step, as the two adventurers prepared to fight three monsters. Lili wanted to run. She had been down to this level before, that was true, but not with odds as poor as this.
The combatants charged, Bell against the pack of Ligerfang, with Horn throwing dagger after dagger, both providing cover and pinning the group of ferocious felines in place. Bell's brown blade made contact with the pelt of the Ligerfang, only for Bell to frown. It cut, but not deeply.
Was it Bell lacking strength, or was the monster too strong?
A small part in the back of Bell's mind spoke up.
Isn't a Ligerfang as strong as a Minotaur?
Bell stiffened up and one of the Ligerfang noticed this and pounced. Bell was tackled to the floor, but held his blades against the fangs of the Ligerfang. Bell struggled to push it off, only for a knife to thud into the neck of the monster. Bell quickly pushed it off and stabbed both blades into its throat, before pulling them to the side, ripping open the Ligerfang. Bell looked over his shoulder, a frenzied expression on his face as he saw the Ligerfang pair advancing on Horn. Lili blinked; her eyes didn't catch it. Bell moved impossibly fast for even her keen sight to follow. One of the Ligerfang roared as Bell impaled it.
'Firebolt!' Roared Bell, as the Ligerfang exploded from the inside.
Bell moved on to the remaining one, not noticing his brown blade was now glowing a warm amber, until he reached the Ligerfang. A literal hot knife carved through the Ligerfang as though it was butter. Even Bell was surprised, looking at his blade in curiosity. Lili's eyes gleamed at this, only to shiver a moment later. A silver eye was glaring at her.
Bell's breathing started to calm down slowly.
The boy took a moment to look around, only to find nothing was left behind, only three stones.
'Sorry, maybe that was my fault they didn't drop anything.' Apologised Bell, causing Horn to visibly bristle.
'Stop apologising for stupid reasons! Monsters don't typically drop items anyway.' Reprimanded Horn harshly, causing Bell to wince.
'S-sorry.' Apologised Bell again, causing Horn to involuntarily raise her hand, before she clenched her fist.
"What was that lapse? Comfort? Him?" Thought Horn in irritation, before moving further on, her face returning to a stoic mask.
The pair of Bell and Lili followed after Horn, looking for more Ligerfang to fight, hoping to secure the drop item Horn needed.
A loud howl resounded from further down the path. Bell stopped walking, Horn and Lili only noticing this when they didn't hear an extra pair of feet moving.
'What's wrong?' Asked Horn, a slight frown marring her features.
Bell didn't reply, a cold sweat going down his back. Four figures emerged from the darkness. Another three Ligerfang, but now accompanying them, a Minotaur. Bell felt his grip on his knife tighten. The Ligerfang circled, surrounding the sides of the party, two on the left, one on the right. The tan skinned cow-headed monster advanced forward as well, holding a landform axe of stone. The Ligerfang on the right leapt for Horn, only for her to throw a pair of knives at it, puncturing its paw and hide. The Ligerfang roared in anger, causing the two on the other side to attack.
Bell suddenly seemed to wake.
Why was he just standing there?
Bell gave a roar of his own and charged launching an uppercut with his right hand, blade still in hand, causing the brown blade to land a small cut, while the punch launched it into its comrade. The Minotaur huffed and took a step forward, causing Bell to freeze again. His two companions noticed it this time.
It was the Minotaur.
The impaled Ligerfang regrouped and leapt at Lili this time, only for Bell to appear alongside it, before launching a kick with his left leg, the black steel smashing into the feline and cracking a rib, as the beast thudded to the ground. The Minotaur took another step and Bell hesitated, causing Horn to leap back to stand in front of him and launch two knives forward. The Minotaur raised its axe in front of it, deflecting both attacks, causing it to miss the third which had been thrown a few seconds after, which thudded into its thigh. The Minotaur grunted, before its red eyes focused on the taller female.
Horn glared back at the beast. This monster was scaring that pathetic boy. It had no right to do that! Horn unleashed a dozen knives in quick succession. Knife after knife met flesh or stone, as the Minotaur tried to block. As though they seemed to understand, the Ligerfang regrouped and focused on Horn. The three pounced as one, before their target was pulled away. Bell had grabbed Horn around the waist and leapt back.
The girl wanted to shout. The boy had touched her, but the look in his eyes made her pause. There was a firm resolve in them. The boy started to glow, and Horn thought she was hallucinating for a moment, before the boy charged forward again. Blade met fang or claw, as Bell pushed the three beasts back, a wary eye on the Minotaur. Horn quickly regrouped and provided cover for Bell, forcing the Ligerfang back, while keeping the Minotaur as far back as she could, feeling the nervousness of the white-haired adventurer as it advanced. Bell's form continued to glow, a chime ringing out from the white lights covering his left hand.
Lili had seen this before and still didn't understand how, but she could feel the climax coming. Horn continued to provide cover, not knowing what would come next, but preventing Bell from being overwhelmed. Bell put his two-toned knife away and kicked one Ligerfang into the Minotaur, staggering it.
Four in a row, Bell saw it.
'FIREBOLT!' Roared Bell, a beam of electrified fire passing through his left hand and ripping through the monsters.
The glow of orange faded away, letting the cave dim slowly.
Horn stared in disbelief. That attack was even more abnormal than the boy was. It was an attack that wiped out four level two equivalent monsters in one hit. Of course they had been hurt prior, numerous puncture words and bleeds, but they had been annihilated, not just beaten. Luckily, a single pelt of Ligerfang Fur had survived. Bell sat himself down on the floor. Bell breathed out deeply, looking out into the darkness, before taking out one of his mind potions from his metal pouch and draining it completely.
'Is that enough?' Asked Bell after a minute, prompting the two.
'Yes, I only needed the one.' Replied Horn, walking over to Bell.
Lili quickly moved to pick up the pelt, folding it up and placing it on the top of her bag's contents, shutting it tightly.
'Do you know how we can get out of here the quickest, Lili?' Asked Bell.
'Yes, leave it to this one.' Nodded Lili, once she had picked up the remaining magic stones.
'Are you able to stand?' Asked Horn, causing Bell to sigh before he laughed.
'Yeah… I'll be fine.' Replied Bell, shifting to stand.
Horn thought about offering a hand, before finding herself repulsed, clenching her fist again.
'Then come along.' Ordered Horn, before following after Lili.
Bell sighed and stood, before following after the pair. Lili led them through a largely desolate route, not retracing their steps. A few Bad Bat tried to swoop the group, only for six well placed knife throws to fell them quickly. Stepping back onto the misty terrain of the twelfth floor, another group of Orc rushed them, only for Horn to drop them to their knees with her knives, with Bell beheading them with little fanfare. Beyond that, the Dungeon was empty. The trio exited the Dungeon and made their way to the Guild. Horn separated from them after a moment, looking at the young Elf expectantly. Lili removed the Ligerfang Fur and handed it to Horn.
'Thank you for your assistance today.' Said Horn curtly, before walking off.
'Master adventurer… I do not appreciate surprises. Please let this one know in advance if you plan to expand your party.' Intoned Lili quietly, the Freya Familia member still in her eyeline.
'Thanks for today, Lili. Come on, let's go trade everything in.' Sighed Bell, before walking off.
Lili's eyes swivelled and locked on to the brown blade on his waist, before feeling a chill. A silver eye was looking at her. Horn had stopped and turned around to glare at the girl. Lili quickly moved to catch up with Bell, pointedly ignoring the visual daggers being sent her way. Entering the Guild, Bell noticed Eina was working today.
'Miss Eina!' Called Bell happily, causing the half-Elf to look up.
'Bell? You're back so late, where have you been?' Asked Eina, as the boy approached her.
'We went down to the fifteenth floor today.' Shared Bell honestly, causing Eina to sigh.
'I see. Where is your robe then? Don't tell me you forgot it!' Threatened Eina.
'Ah, I forgot to get it back from Horn. I'll have to get it another day.' Sighed Bell, causing Eina to look at him curiously.
'Horn?' Asked Eina in confusion.
'Of the Freya Familia.' Added Lili from beside Bell, having come to join him.
'I see. Well, at least it was not just the two of you on the fifteenth floor. Will she be another member of your party?' Asked Eina curiously.
'No, it was just for today. I think I will take a break tomorrow as well.' Admitted Bell, causing Eina to look at him curiously.
'Then I will come find you at lunch time for a recollection of your day. It is far too late to get into that now, the sun will be setting in an hour.' Advised Eina, getting a nod from Bell.
'Sure. We better go exchange everything now though and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.' Agreed Bell easily.
The pair of adventurer and supporter moved to the exchange, a red furred Werewolf manning the station at the moment, a person who frequently choose twilight and night shifts. The redhead looked at the items with a scrutinising glance, seeing materials from middle floors in the mass of items.
'You are Eina's newest adventurer, aren't you?' Asked the woman, getting a nod from Bell.
'Then why do you have items from the middle floors?' Asked the woman.
'Because we went there.' Replied Bell simply, causing the woman to blink.
'What's going on, Rose?' Asked Misha, walking over to the group.
'Eina's newest adventurer has magic stones and drop items from the middle floors.' Answered Rose, causing Misha to gasp.
'Just the two of you? Wow, that's impressive!' Exclaimed Misha, causing Rose's eyebrows to furrow.
'It wasn't just the two of us, Horn also joined us.' Admitted Bell, surprising the two.
Bell was confused at the change in their expressions, before Rose spoke up again.
'Even with one level two adventurer, this does not seem like a proportionate amount for a day's work.' Pressed Rose, only for Bell to speak up and derail her thoughts before she could continue.
'There were two level two adventurers though, not one.' Interjected Bell.
'Master adventurer, is this jest?' Asked Lili tiredly.
'N-No, are you level two as well, Lili?' Asked Bell, stunning the young Elf into silence.
'Wow, I didn't know you were level two already Bell! That Eina, always keeping the best gossip to herself.' Pouted Misha, causing Rose to look at her incredulously.
'You believe him?' Asked Rose.
'Of course, Bell wouldn't lie, would you?' Countered Misha, looking to Bell, who shook his head.
'See.' Finished Misha.
Rose sighed, done with this mess of a conversation and processed the items.
'One hundred thousand valis.' Stated Rose, placing four small satchels on the counter.
Bell took two and placed them in his bag, before shouldering it again. Bell then picked up the other two and handed them to Lili, causing Rose's eyes to blink repeatedly.
'Thanks again, Lili. See you next time, Misha.' Said Bell, before heading to leave, giving Eina a wave on the way out.
Lili gave the pair of Guild members a curt nod, before leaving as well.
'Who is that boy?' Asked Rose.
'What do you mean, that's Bell, Eina's newest student. He's a pretty good cook too from what I hear.' Answered Misha, causing Rose to look at her perplexed.
'Cook?' Questioned Rose.
'Yeah, he works at the Hostess of Fertility some days when he doesn't go into the Dungeon.' Explained Misha, before seeing a gaggle of new adventurers enter, causing her to leave Rose at the exchange, the Werewolf being left with far too many questions.
-line break-
Horn walked through the gates of Folkvangr almost in a trance. She made her way directly to Lady Freya's chamber and knocked on the door.
'Enter.' Called an elegant voice from within.
Horn entered the room and knelt, her gaze on the floor.
'Well Horn, how was your day?' Asked Freya in amusement.
'I humbly request to not have to do something like this again, if it pleases you, Lady Freya.' Requested Horn immediately, causing Freya to smile.
'Oh, did something happen?' Asked Freya teasingly, knowing full well she would hear all about it later tonight, but wanting an outside perspective.
'The first few floors were unremarkable, of note, some monsters fled at the sight of the boy.' Started Horn, only for Freya to let out a hum of amusement.
'Monsters fled from him? I didn't think him to be particularly intimidating in appearance.' Commented Freya.
'He gave off a feeling… a presence of sorts, it forced them back.' Elaborated Horn.
'I see, and then?' Asked Freya.
'He fights in contrast to his appearance. He is… rather ferocious.' Continued Horn.
Freya didn't make a sound, letting Horn continue on.
'When we made it to the thirteenth floor, he froze for a moment, and I had to save him, or he may have died. He was naïve and ill-prepared.' Continued Horn, pausing for a moment, as she heard Freya's nails clink on the glass.
She was upset.
'We stopped to have lunch after that. He offered his food to me and his supporter. He found the food was undercooked and needed to be prepared better.' Recalled Horn, hoping to feel something from her Goddess, only for her to say something unexpected.
'Did he finish it?' Asked Freya.
Horn blinked. That was not the question she was expecting.
'I had a piece of vegetable… but yes he finished it.' Admitted Horn, hating herself for saying it and hating herself even more when Freya let out a pleased hum.
'And then?' Asked Freya.
'He froze when we faced a minotaur.' Recalled Horn, feeling a sense of tension as she finished.
'Oh? What happened?' Asked Freya, an edge in her voice.
'I protected him from the Minotaur while we fought the Ligerfang until he was able to use a magical attack to defeat them all.' Finished Horn, only for the tension to lighten.
'Was the attack a ball of fire with electricity?' Asked Freya, a hint of eagerness in her tone.
'It was… not exactly a ball though, more a wave of fire and electricity.' Admitted Horn.
'Splendid.' Commented Freya and Horn felt it.
Freya was pleased. She was happy. She was happy because of that boy.
'However, I note you are wearing another piece of clothing that you were not this morning, could you explain that?' Asked Freya, causing Horn's heart to drop.
The robe. The warm robe. The robe she had been given by that boy so she would not be hurt.
She was still wearing it.
Horn cursed anything and everything in that moment, especially the boy and even herself.
'It is his.' Admitted Horn quietly.
'And why do you have it, what did he say when he gave it to you?' Asked Freya.
'He said he wouldn't be able to look you in the eye if he let a member of Freya Familia be hurt on his watch.' Muttered Horn quietly.
'I see, and how do you plan to return it?' Asked Freya.
Horn was silent. She hadn't thought this through. What could she say?
'Well, perhaps you could return it to someone who could take it back to the Hostess of Fertility for him. Would that be helpful?' Offered Freya.
'Yes.' Muttered Horn, standing to her feet and taking the robe off, folding it gently, before placing it on the floor on front of Freya.
'Well, that is all then. Thank you very much for your efforts today, Horn. I will expect you when I return tonight. I will have you return to your previous role. Would you like your status updated? It has been some time since your last update.' Spoke Freya calmly.
Horn felt her skin burn, longing for the touch of her Goddess, but knowing she needed some time.
'Perhaps another time, Lady Freya, you are busy tonight.' Refused Horn, causing Freya to smile.
'I always have time for my beautiful children, especially those who have pleased me. Do think it over, Horn.' Finished Freya, dismissing Horn from her room.
The girl made her way to her room, sitting down on her bed. She reached into her bag and pulled out the Ligerfang Fur. What did she do with it now? Did she even want it? Horn exhaled in frustration, moving to place it in the corner of her room, before deciding to go and take a shower. She wanted to wash away the memory of this day, but she knew that wouldn't be enough. She noticed it now. She smelled like that boy. Horn moved to the shower as quickly as she could.