Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 1 (Danmachi Story) (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a brand-new story! This is my first foray into Danmachi, but I’ve loved the series for quite a while! While I don’t agree with everything that has been written or how it’s been written, it’s still a very enjoyable read! This story is my take on a more proactive Bell, one that listens, learns, and has another year of life under his belt! Expect for things to change a bit!

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So without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 1 – The Boy That Wanted to be a Hero

When Bell Cranel came to Orario after his grandfather passed away, his head was filled with dreams. Dreams of meeting cute girls, saving them, knowing ladies of all the various races. He blamed his grandpa! He’d been raised on the Dungeon Oratoria, one of the largest collections of Hero stories in the world. Growing up with his grandfather in their quiet mountain village had been a simple life. They had to occasionally deal with monsters, but nothing too strong ever appeared, mostly weak Goblins. He still remembered his last birthday before his grandfather had passed away.

-Flashback-

“Happy Birthday Bell!” The old man smiled brightly at his grandson. He had white hair, tanned skin from working in the fields, and could usually be seen wearing workman’s clothes or loose robe-like clothing when he wasn’t working. “How’s it feel to be a man?”

It was Bell’s fifteenth birthday today, the age at which children were recognized as adults in their country. The teen had woken up only expecting a small gift and maybe something sweet from the older ladies in the village. He wasn’t expecting his grandfather to have two cups set up with a bottle between them!

“Grandpa, I know I’m allowed to drink now, but isn’t it too early in the morning for that?” Bell chuckled at his grandfather.

“Nonsense!” His grandfather laughed off. “This is the only bit of this drink in the world! I want to share it with my beloved grandson for his first drink!” He motioned Bell over to the table and the two sat down. A full cup was pushed towards Bell and he smiled as he picked it up. The drink looked to be a red color, or was it a dark-orange? The simple wooden cups obscured the color and even the bottle was opaque.

“To my grandson becoming a man!” His grandfather laughed and the two tapped their glasses against each other.

“Smells pretty good,” Bell noted as he brought the cup to his lips. He drank and his eyes widened at the flavor. It was astounding, easily the best drink he’d ever had! He couldn’t place the flavors, but the drink filled him to the core. His whole body was rejoicing and Bell felt like he was walking on air for a few moments. “What is this?!” He asked his grandfather with a smile.

“I’ve had it stashed away for years,” His grandpa laughed at Bell’s happy face. “Can’t remember the name that used to be on the label, but it was said to be as good as the Ambrosia of the Gods!”

“Thanks for sharing it with me, grandpa!” Bell thanked his grandfather with a beaming smile. The old man simply smiled happily at his grandson and wished him a happy birthday again.

-End Flashback-

That had been less than a year ago, it seemed longer though. His grandfather had died. There was no way to recover his body either. With a broken heart, Bell had simply moved listlessly through their house for almost a week. It was only when he’d stumbled across the Dungeon Oratoria book that a fire had ignited in his heart once more. His grandpa had always loved Hero stories and had encouraged Bell to follow his dream to be a Hero. The fact the old man was a bit of a pervert and had even encouraged his young grandson to love many women and have a harem was better left unsaid. Being told tales like that and encouraged to follow his desires since the time he was old enough to remember and through his development into a man might have colored his goals and dreams, just little a bit.

With his decision made, Bell had gathered all of the Valis that they’d saved up. He packed his things, sold off the useable tools and goods in the village to make some extra money and then bought passage on a merchant convoy headed for the Dungeon City of Orario.

The massive city had been everything that Bell had imagined and more. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Chienthropes, Cat People, Amazons, Hume Bunnies, Boaz, Werewolves, Weretigers, Raccoon People, Prums, every Race that could be thought of by the young man was here in Orario! He’d headed for the Guild first thing. They were in charge of all Dungeon activities and you had to register with them to become an Adventurer.

Only that was a little harder than he’d initially thought.

To become an Adventurer, you needed a Falna, a God or Goddess’ Blessing. The monsters in the Dungeon, the literal source of all monsters in the world, were far stronger than the monsters found on the surface. Being that most surface monsters were mere offshoots -descendants for a different term- of monsters that had escaped the Dungeon before Orario was built over it that was understandable. The Guild wouldn’t let just anyone delve into the Dungeon and throw their life away.

So Bell had set out to join a Familia. He of course tried all the big names first! Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Ganesha Familia, and a few others had turned him away at the door. They were large Familias and required new members to have something to offer the Familia first. Skills, Magic, Combat Experience, none of which a simple mountain villager like Bell possessed at all. He stayed away from certain Familias at the suggestion of the nice Guild Lady he spoke with. She was a very beautiful Half-Elf named Eina. Familias like Apollo, Ishtar, Soma, Goibniu, Hephaestus, and a few others. He understood why though. He was neither a blacksmith nor a craftsman, so both Hephaestus and Goibniu wouldn’t take him in. Apollo Familia and Soma Familia both had reputations and not in the best way. Ishtar only accepted Amazons or beautiful people into her Familia

For over a week Bell had circled Orario looking for any Familia that would have him. He was denied time and time again. A few had literally slammed the door in his face! He was running out of Valis and would soon be unable to afford the cheap room he was renting. Once he ended up on the streets he was certain that would be the end of his dreams to become an Adventurer, to become a Hero as his grandfather had always encouraged him.

Bell was sitting on the ground in an alleyway after having just been rejected by another Familia. He wouldn’t be able to stay another two days in his rented room. His time was running out to find a Familia. He’d even started asking small Familia that only had maybe a dozen members and still he was rejected. The laughter and mocking had taken their toll on the young man after more than a week.

That was when he met her.

“Hello, young man.” A kind voice had called out to the white-haired teen. She was beautiful, with long, jet-black hair in twin-tails, brilliant blue-eyes, a soft face with no blemish upon it. She was wearing a white dress that went to mid-thigh, a breast window for a pair of large boobs that could only be described as divine, a blue bow around her neck and a blue ribbon that went around her body and under said breasts. A pair of white gloves adorned her hands ending mid-forearm and she wore simple flip-flops on her feet. She was short, even shorter than he was. “Are you looking for a Familia?”

This was a Goddess, Bell could literally feel it. The Gods and Goddesses exuded a natural Divine Aura at all times, unless they chose to hide it. All of the children -that is to say Mortals- could pick up on this aura. There was no faking being a God.

And then that Goddess graced him with a beautiful smile as he stared up at her from his place on the ground. She held out a hand to him and after a moment, Bell grasped it. Her other hand came to clasp over his and he placed his other hand atop hers. Bell felt the instant that warmth bloomed in his chest as they smiled at each other.

My Goddess.

That was how Bell became the very first member of the Hestia Familia.

Hestia had led him to a rundown church in the abandoned district of Orario. Showing him the hidden basement that she lived in had been a shock to the teen, but he accepted it easily. Gods and Goddesses were taken care of by their Familia. Without a Familia of her own, Hestia had to do her own work or she would have nothing to eat. She’d mentioned that she’d been staying with another Goddess from her Pantheon since she descended to Gekai, the Lower World. Apparently she’d overstayed her welcome and her somewhat lazy habits had gotten on her niece’s nerves. The abandoned church and the plot of land it sat on had been the last act of charity from the same Goddess niece.

“Now, Bell, let’s give you a Blessing.” Hestia smiled at the teen.

“Yes!” Bell beamed back and Hestia felt her heart thump in her chest at that smile.

“Alright, take off your shirt and lay on the bed.” Hestia instructed making Bell blink at the Goddess.

“What?” Bell questioned confused.

“You need to lie down on your stomach with your back fully exposed so that I can write the hieroglyphs of the Falna into your back.” Hestia explained simply as she pointed at the only bed in the basement.

“Alright…” Bell didn’t know that was the process of receiving a Falna, but she was the Goddess here. He removed his shirt, revealing semi-pale skin and a body that was used to farm work. He lay down on his stomach and waited for the process to begin. He wasn’t expecting Hestia to straddle him and then sit on him! “G-Goddess?!”

“Hmm? Are you okay, Bell?” Hestia questioned him curiously. “I’m about to draw the hieroglyphs of your Falna, so try not to move too much, alright?”

“Y-Yes, Goddess.” Bell could feel his cheeks burning but held still as he felt Hestia’s bare hands on his back. ‘She must’ve taken off her gloves.’ He noted before he felt a drop of something hit his back. A glowing light appeared in his peripheral vision, emanating from his own back as the Goddess worked.

For almost a full minute Hestia’s hands ran over his back. Her soft skin against his own was like nothing Bell had ever experienced before. He was a teenager with a beautiful Goddess straddling him and running her hands over his back. He could be forgiven for the dopey smile he had on his face! The light faded away and a piece of paper was placed on his back for a few seconds. When Hestia moved off of him she took the paper with her. Bell sat up a moment later and saw Hestia looking over the paper. With a nod of satisfaction she handed the paper to Bell.

“Welcome to my Familia, Bell!” Hestia beamed at him and Bell took the paper into his hands.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0

Defense – I 0

Utility – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

-

-Status-

“My Status…” Bell’s hands shook slightly as he finished reading the paper. “My own Blessing.” He felt the tears of joy well up in the corners of his eyes.

“Bell?” Hestia looked concerned only to blush when Bell wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “Bell?!”

“Thank you, Goddess Hestia! Thank you so much!” Bell hugged his Goddess warmly, but gently so as not to hurt her.

“Thank you, Bell, for becoming my first Familia member.” Hestia smiled as she returned the hug.

Bell spent the rest of the day getting familiar with his new home and bringing over the small amount of things he had from his rented room in the cheap inn. He’d sleep on one of the two couches while Hestia slept in the only bed. That had been at his insistence as she was the Goddess. The very next morning, after a simple breakfast of roasted potatoes, bread, and water, Bell made his way back to the Guild to register as an Adventurer.

“Miss Eina! I did it!” Bell smiled brightly at the Half-Elf woman. “I joined a Familia and got a Falna!”

“Finally found one, Bell?” Eina smiled at the young man. Her long, pointed ears drew Bell’s eyes for but a moment, as they always did. Then he looked into her clear, emerald-green eyes. Her mid-length brown hair seemed to shine in the light and the Guild uniform, black jacket and matching pants over a white button-up shirt, hugged her generous curves. She was known as quite the beauty in the Guild. “Which Familia did you join?”

“Goddess Hestia accepted me,” Bell’s smile was practically shining. “I’m the first member of the Hestia Familia!”

“Oh?” Eina raised a delicate eyebrow even as she got out the proper registration forms. “Well then, since you don’t have any experienced Familia members to teach you or support you in the Dungeon, you’re required to go through a course that’ll teach you everything you need to know about the Dungeon, especially the upper levels where new Adventurers stay until they get stronger.”

“Oh, um, yes ma’am.” Bell agreed easily as a blank registration form was put in front of him. For the next few minutes he filled out the paperwork under Eina’s guidance. After that was done he was told to wait for an hour so that she could gather the proper materials to start his course.

“Alright, Bell, let’s begin.” Eina smiled as they were in a private room for Bell’s instruction in the life of an Adventurer. She set down a small stack of books and diagrams which made Bell blink. “Something wrong, Bell?”

“Do you have any paper I could take notes on? I don’t think I’ll remember all of this otherwise.” Bell admitted with a sheepish smile.

“Of course,” Eina gave him a bright grin. Most new Adventurers practically ignored this course and delved into the Dungeon with half or less of the information they needed. That was Eina’s opinion anyway. To see a completely new Adventurer willing to take notes and actually pay attention was refreshing.

Several hours later and a mentally exhausted Bell sat at the table with a stack of notes he’d taken in front of him. Eina had left to fetch his starter gear a little while ago. The Guild provided all of the new Adventurers with a piece of armor and a new weapon so that they wouldn’t die instantly in the Dungeon. They were only of the Average Grade for equipment, but it was better than relying on second-hand, used gear.

“Here we are Bell,” Eina entered the room again with a piece of armor under her left arm and a sheathed knife in her opposite hand. “A light-armor breastplate and an Orario-made knife as you requested on your forms.”

“Thank you, Miss Eina!” Bell stood up excitedly as he took the gear from the Half-Elf.

“The armor should fit over your regular clothing easily enough.” Eina nodded to the young man.

Bell was wearing a hip-length brown coat with a small black patch on the right side above his chest along with a long-sleeved black shirt underneath. He also wore black pants, a beige belt with a silver buckle, and brown shin-high boots. He was able to place the light-armor over his chest and fit it to him without assistance. It completely covered his upper torso to protect his heart, lungs, and ribcage. It gave him complete freedom of movement, even though that also came at the cost of the rest of his body being unarmored. He strapped the knife to his belt and smiled as he looked at himself in a mirror on the back wall of the room.

“Thank you again, Miss Eina.” Bell gave her a short bow. “Now I’ll be able to start going into the Dungeon.”

“Make sure you go over your notes, Bell.” Eina pointed at the stack of papers he’d written. “As your Dungeon Advisor and your acquaintance, I’d feel horrible if you ignored all that you learned and got killed in the Dungeon.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Bell nodded as he picked up the stack of notes. “I’ll go to the first floor tomorrow morning after studying everything tonight!”

“Good luck, Bell!” Eina waved as the red-eyed young man left the Guild building. Maybe she’d finally have a new Adventurer that didn’t ignore her only to be saved by another Familia member. That would be nice, especially since Bell didn’t have any other Familia members.

“Goddess, I’m back!” Bell announced and was greeted with a brilliant smile by Hestia.

“Welcome home, Bell!” Hestia looked at his new armor and the stack of papers in his hand with approval. “Preparing to head into the Dungeon soon, I see.”

“Yes, tomorrow morning after I go over everything my Dungeon Advisor taught me today.” Bell nodded as he held out his notes.

“I’ll go over them with you, Bell.” Hestia decided to do what she could to help. After a simple dinner of bread and some vegetables that had been on sale at the market not too far from the abandoned district, the two spent the rest of the night going over Bell’s notes and reaffirming the new information for him.

-Dungeon ~ Next Morning-

“Wow, it’s massive, and there are so many Adventurers.” Bell walked along with the crowd as he headed for the Dungeon entrance for the first time. Heading down a long spiraling staircase with the huge crowd of Adventurers, the white-haired teen took a deep breath to settle his nerves. With his dream of being an Adventurer in mind, along with his desire to become a Hero in his heart, Bell entered the Dungeon for the first time.

He broke off from the majority of the Adventurers that were heading for deeper levels and headed off on his own. The first floor was well-mapped and Bell had hand-drawn his own copy just yesterday in his notes. He had a fairly good idea of where he was going. As he was walking he took two turns through the corridors and entered into a much larger area. It was there he spotted his first Dungeon monster.

“A Goblin!” Bell noted of the green creature. It was short, maybe half of Bell’s height, had clawed hands, sharp teeth, and deep-red eyes with no pupil. A Goblin being his first monster almost seemed fitting to Bell. Not only were they the weakest monsters in the Dungeon, but he’d almost been killed by one when he was just a little boy. His grandpa had saved him back then, but now Bell was an Adventurer and he’d take out this Goblin himself!

‘Remember what Miss Eina taught you yesterday.’ Bell thought to himself as the green-skinned monster noticed him and started growling. ‘A Goblin’s Magic Stone is in the center of its chest. If worse comes to worst, a single stab in that area will instantly kill it by destroying the stone. Their other weak points are the same as any humanoid creature, the head, the neck, and the stomach area.’ He drew his knife and held it at the ready.

The Goblin snarled as it rushed at him with claws raised to strike. Bell answered its charge with his own and the shorter creature quickly lost out. The new Adventurer only had to pivot out of the Goblin’s line of attack and slam his knife into its head. The blade stabbed through the thin skin and bone and directly into a vital area. Bell yanked his knife out of the monster and let it fall to the ground.

Taking a moment to breathe and collect himself, Bell smiled at his first successful kill in the Dungeon. Sure it was only a Goblin, the weakest of the weak, but it was the start of his journey to be a Hero! Now all he had to do was retrieve the Magic Stone. It was a shame that Goblin Fangs, the Drop Item of Goblins, didn’t drop too often; the fledgling Hestia Familia could use the extra Valis. A quick slice with his knife opened up the Goblin’s chest and there, right next to the heart, was the tiny purple Magic Stone. It wasn’t anything impressive at all, you couldn’t even see the swirling magic energy inside like you could with larger Magic Stones, but to Bell it was the start of something great! He popped the stone out of the corpse with the tip of his knife and placed the fragment into a small leather pouch on his hip.

“I want one of those nice leather backpacks.” Bell sighed as he thought about the small shop he’d seen across the street from the Guild building. He’d be able to store an extra weapon, potions, and some food in one of those sleek backpacks. But the one that had caught his eye was 800 Valis. He didn’t have that anymore. With only 200 Valis to his name and all of Hestia’s paycheck going to their food budget, Bell would need to succeed in the Dungeon if he wanted better equipment.

‘That’s what a Familia does though, right?’ Bell thought to himself as he briefly watched the Goblin’s body disperse into an ash-like dust and fade away now that its Magic Stone had been removed. ‘A Familia takes care of their Goddess or God and works to enrich their lives and expand their holdings!’ Sure he was taking part of that from the stories of Heroes of old that served the Gods in ancient times before the Gods had actually descended to Gekai, but Bell still thought it was appropriate.

A cracking sound broke Bell from his musings and he watched as another Goblin emerged from the Dungeon wall. The new Goblin’s eyes snapped open and it pulled itself free of the wall and faced Bell. The Adventurer and Goblin stared at each other for a moment before the Goblin charged at Bell with a growl. The same pivot and stab tactic that had felled the first goblin worked again and the new Goblin was stabbed in the head. Bell removed his knife, marveling that such a basic weapon was so well-made in Orario. He set about extracting the tiny Magic Stone just like before and then continued on his way through the Dungeon.

His leisurely stroll didn’t last long as he was blindsided by a Dungeon Lizard dropping down on him from the ceiling. The large lizard and the teenager rolled around on the ground, fighting against each other and trying to maintain the position of control. Bell bridged his body and grabbed his knife. A quick stab made the lizard hiss in pain before Bell yanked the blade sideways. He threw the flailing lizard off of him, noting its dark-red blood was splattered on his clothes and armor. Bell finished the monster off with a stab to the head and it went still. He was scuffed up from the tussle, but he’d won fairly quickly.

“Now, where was a Dungeon Lizards’ Magic Stone located again?” Bell thought over his notes before remembering the location. He sliced through the skin and freed the stone with his knife. That was another small, purple stone for his little pouch and some more Valis for the Hestia Familia.

In this way, Bell spent his first day in the Dungeon working on his skills and collecting Magic Stones. Unfortunately not many monsters on the upper levels had Drop Items. Once he felt ready, then he’d descend into the second floor. He was going to listen to Eina and her advice. She was a Dungeon Advisor and had already taught him so much. It would be foolish not to listen to her.

-Guild Exchange-

“Miss Eina, I’m back!” Bell smiled to the Half-Elf. He’d done his best to wipe the blood of the various monsters he’d slain off at the entrance to the Dungeon. The Guild had a cleaning station set up there for Adventurers to wash off any excess grime or gore they got on them while in the Dungeon.

“Good to see you back safely, Bell.” Eina grinned at the young man.

“I’m here to turn in my Magic Stones.” Bell informed his Advisor with a happy grin.

“Right over there, Bell.” Eina pointed to a long set of windows that had Adventurers in front of them.

“Thank you.” Bell nodded as he walked over to a free window. Seeing the tray pushed out onto his side, Bell untied the pouch at his waist and carefully dumped the various stones into the tray.

“Hmm?” The man on the other side of the exchange noted the amount of small and tiny Magic Stones. “Aren’t you Eina’s newbie? You collected this many Magic Stones on your first day?”

“Uh, yes sir.” Bell nodded with a slightly confused look on his face.

“Not bad, kid.” The man behind the glass chuckled as he placed the collection of Magic Stones on a scale to weigh. The man noted the weight, checked another piece of paper, and then wrote something down in the ledger in front of him. “All total these’re worth 4,600 Valis. Not bad for your very first day, kid. Keep it up!” The man encouraged the newbie as he placed the various Valis coins into the tray and pushed it back onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you very much, sir.” Bell nodded to the man as he happily took the Valis from the tray and put them in the small pouch. He couldn’t wait to tell Hestia about how much money he’d made today!

-Abandoned Church ~ Evening-

“Goddess, I’m home!” Bell called out as he descended the stairs into the hidden basement.

“Bell!” Hestia smiled brightly at him. “Are you okay? I was worried because it was your first day in the Dungeon.”

“I’m fine, Goddess.” Bell smiled back at her. “I followed Miss Eina’s advice and stayed on the first floor. There were plenty of weaker monsters to fight and get Magic Stones from, so I didn’t have to worry about going to the second floor.”

“That’s great, Bell.” Hestia congratulated her only Familia member. “How much did you make?”

“4,600 Valis!” Bell grinned proudly as he handed the small pouch to Hestia.

“Really!” Hestia gasped as she opened the small pouch and saw the coins inside. “You’re amazing Bell!”

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell couldn’t help the smile on his face. He was just too happy! He also felt some pride at successfully making it through the Dungeon today. If he kept up like this, then he and Hestia would be much better off in time.

“Let’s update your Status, Bell!” Hestia grinned as she placed the pouch on the table. “As your Goddess I have to do everything I can to support you too!”

“Okay!” Bell removed his armor and then took off his jacket. He was so excited to see how his stats had increased after a full day of dungeon crawling. Removing his black shirt he laid on the bed and felt Hestia straddle him again. Knowing that this was just how Hestia worked on his Falna helped ease the heat in his cheeks, but he still had a dopey smile on his face about it.

“Alright, here we go.” Hestia removed her gloves and then took a needle out. She pricked her right index finger and let a single drop of her blood fall onto Bell’s hieroglyph-covered back. The glowing light appeared and Hestia looked through Bell’s experiences, his Excelia, to determine his growth and how much his Falna would grow. “Hmm, not bad, I think. You’ve made your first improvements, Bell.”

“Thank you, Goddess.” Bell smiled into the pillow as he felt Hestia’s hands on his back. In just a few moments the process was complete and Hestia moved off him with a paper in her hands again. “Everything went up a bit this time, but as a newly Blessed Adventurer, that’s supposed to be normal.” She handed him the paper to let him see his updated Status.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0 > I 6

Defense – I 0 > I 3

Utility – I 0 > I 7

Agility – I 0 > I 11

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

-

-Status-

“Wow, my Agility is already over ten points.” Bell hadn’t expected to make it into the double digits on any of his Basic Abilities after only one day.

“You used mostly dodge and counter tactics on the majority of your foes.” Hestia remarked with a soft smile. “It’s no wonder that both Agility and Utility increased the most.”

“Thank you, Goddess. I’ll keep doing my best!” Bell promised as the two sat down at the small table for another simple meal.

-The Next Morning-

“Thank you, sir.” Bell took his new black leather backpack after handing over the 800 Valis for it.

“It looks good on ya, Adventurer!” The older man gave Bell thumbs up and a grin.

Bell left the shop and headed towards the Dungeon. With the sleek backpack on his back, he’d be able to carry more Magic Stones and even extra equipment once he earned enough Valis to buy it. With the thought of what he’d like to get for his new backpack, Bell descended into the first floor and started looking for monsters.

His first monster discovered was the dog-headed Kobold. The grey-furred, humanoid beast snarled and let out a threatening growl before rushing him. Bell found out the difference between the Goblins and the Kobolds quickly with how fast the monster moved. He ducked and weaved around a few swipes, then had to block one with his arm. The claws of the Kobold bit into his skin and he lunged forward with a stab. The kobold yipped as the knife pierced just below its sternum. With a drop of his weight onto the knife, Bell sliced the Kobold open from chest to what would be the groin if Dungeon Monsters had such things. Blood flew through the air as the Kobold fell to the ground and lay still.

“Kobolds are much faster than Goblins. They’ve got sharp claws too.” Bell noted his lightly bleeding arm. He extracted the Magic Stone in the Kobold’s chest and placed it in his new backpack. As the monster’s body began to disperse, Bell quickly wrapped a clean cloth around his injury. It would serve as a good bandage until he was done for the day.

With his injury wrapped up, Bell moved on down the corridor.

In total that day, and only because Bell wanted to try and keep count, the newbie Adventurer ended up slaying twenty-two monsters. They were mostly Goblins and a couple more Kobolds since those two were some of the most common monsters on the first floor.

-Dungeon Exchange-

“You’re injured, Bell!” Eina exclaimed as she checked over her new Adventurer.

“Just a Kobold scratch, Miss Eina, I’m fine.” Bell assured her even as she was taking off the bandage to check the injury.

“Well, it doesn’t look too bad.” Eina admitted of the injury as she looked it over. “Even a Level 1 Adventurer will probably have this healed up by tomorrow morning.”

“This’ll heal that quickly?” Bell blinked at the already scabbed over injury.

“It’s a part of the Gods’ Blessing, you’re a bit stronger and your body recovers faster than an unblessed person.” Eina explained the faster healing.

“Huh,” Bell looked over his partially healed injury. “I’ll have to make sure to thank the Goddess tonight.”

“I take it you did alright for yourself again today?” Eina asked as Bell removed his backpack. “You stayed on the first floor, right?”

“Yes, Miss Eina.” Bell nodded as he opened the backpack and showed her the small Magic Stones he’d collected.

“That’s good Bell,” Eina gave him a smile. “There’s plenty of Valis to be made on the upper floors. You don’t need to rush to the lower levels to try and earn money.”

“I’m going to go exchange the Magic Stones, see you tomorrow, Miss Eina.” Bell smiled and waved as he headed over to the windows.

He had to wait in a short line this time. While waiting he looked over the other Adventurers in the Guild at the time. Quite a few men of various Races, but the teenaged Bell was more interested in the women. He saw a lovely Elf woman placing a few Magic Stones the size of apples into a special drawer at an exchange window further down. There were a couple of Chienthrope girls chatting as they waited for what appeared to be some kind of Drop Item to be appraised. There was even an Amazon walking away from one of the windows with a rather large bag filled with Valis. Apparently the lovely warrior woman had a lucrative day in the Dungeon too.

“Next!” The woman behind the window Bell was at called out.

“Huh?” Bell shook himself and noticed that the short line he’d been in was gone. With a few quick steps he reached the window and the Guild worker behind it gave him a knowing look. He looked away after placing the Magic Stones into the tray.

“These come out to 4,700 Valis, not bad, young man.” The lady gave him a nod. “Eina must have beaten some good information into your head. Most of the newbies make very little because they wind up injured and have to spend their money on potions.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” Bell smiled at the woman and picked up the Valis from the tray. The coins went into the leather pouch he kept with him. The filled pouch then went into his backpack for safe keeping.

-Hestia Familia Home ~ Evening-

“You got injured!” Hestia was looking all over Bell for any other injuries besides the obvious one on his arm.

“It was just a scratch Goddess, I’m fine.” Bell assured her with a soft smile. “With your Blessing I’ve already healed quite a bit. Eina says that it’ll be gone by tomorrow morning.”

“Well, that is part of the Falna. But still, try not to get hurt, Bell.” Hestia’s worried gaze made Bell’s heart thump in his chest.

“I promise, Goddess Hestia, I’ll try to be more careful.” Bell took her right hand in both of his. “I won’t leave you alone.”

“Thank you, Bell.” Hestia gave him that radiant smile that made him feel like he was lighter than air and he returned it.

“So, what’s for dinner tonight?” Bell changed the subject.

“You’ll love this, Bell!” Hestia grinned as she revealed grilled meat, vegetables, and bread on two plates. “With the money you made, I did a little grocery shopping and got us some good food tonight!”

“It smells great, Goddess!” Bell praised her and Hestia giggled happily.

“Well my Domain is the Hearth, Home, and Family,” Hestia grinned at her only Familia member. “So cooking is something I’m pretty good at, if I do say so myself.”

“I’m ready to eat!” Bell declared only to be pushed towards the sink.

“Wash your hands first, Mister!” Hestia chided him and Bell chuckled as he did so.

After dinner, Hestia once again updated Bell’s Status. The white-haired youth couldn’t help but enjoy it. Once again he’d get to see his growth! The fact that Hestia, a beautiful Goddess, straddled him while doing so was just a very nice bonus.

“You’re growing well; at least I think so, Bell.” Hestia really didn’t have much of a frame of reference for this as she’d never given her Blessing to anyone before and wasn’t 100% on the full workings of it. Maybe she’d ask Hephaestus about it to make sure she was doing the very best she could for Bell. She placed the paper onto Bell’s back and copied over the newly updated information.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 6 > I 12

Defense – I 3 > I 8

Utility – I 7 > I 14

Agility – I 11 > I 21

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

-

-Status-

“Hey, my Defense went up a bit more this time.” Bell noted of his lowest stat.

“Taking damage will make your Defense increase to protect you in the future, Bell.” Hestia explained the increased stat to the teen. “You’re tactics for dealing with the monsters is a mix of Agility, Utility, and Strength, so you can expect those three stats to grow the fastest.”

“Do you think I’ll get a Skill or maybe even Magic soon, Goddess?” Bell asked with excitement in his red-eyes.

“Skills are supposed to come in time, based on your desires and your actions.” Hestia answered the first part of his question. “Magic is trickier, because anyone with a Falna can utilize Magic, but only those who study hard can acquire Spells of their choice. Humans don’t have congenital Magic, so they have to rely on acquired Magic from their Falna and their own efforts. If you spent a lot of time reading and studying, then you might be able to learn some of the lower tier stat-boosting Magic, maybe.” She saw some of the excitement leave his eyes and moved over to give him a side-hug.

“I guess I’ll just have to see what happens, huh?” Bell shrugged and leaned into Hestia’s hug.

“I’ll do everything I can to help you, Bell, I promise.” Hestia leaned into him.

-Miach Familia Home ~ Blue Pharmacy-

“Are you God Miach?” Bell asked on what would be his fourth day of being an Adventurer.

“Indeed I am. I take it you’re Hestia’s first Familia member, Bell?” The God known as Miach smiled at the white-haired and red-eyed young man. Hestia was right; he did look a bit like a rabbit. Miach had long dark-blue hair and matching dark-blue eyes. He wore a simple black robe; a tan stole that reached down past his shoulders, and sturdy brown shoes. He spoke with an accent that Bell had never heard before, yet the friendly tone in the God’s voice made it pleasant.

“Yes,” Bell gave the God a short bow. “Hestia told me of the Gods and Goddesses she was friends with and said I might want to meet you to get some potions for emergencies since I’ve been making money in the Dungeon.”

“A good idea,” Miach nodded with a gentle smile. “You never know what could happen in the Dungeon. A potion to heal injuries at the right time can make all the difference. Not to mention things like antidotes and elixirs for getting rid of poison or helping to restore mind.”

“Hmm, how much are the cheapest potions?” Bell asked as he looked over the various stoppered vials on display.

“500 Valis for one, if you buy five the fifth one is free.” Miach informed the new Adventurer.

“I’ll take two then.” Bell handed the God the Valis. A cute Chienthrope woman picked out two light-blue potions and handed them over.

“Thank you for your business, Bell.” Miach grinned at the boy. “This is Naaza Erisuis, the Captain of my Familia. She works the front desk while I work in the back usually. I hope you two will get along.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Naaza.” Bell shook the woman’s hand with a smile.

“Likewise, Bell, I hope you’ll continue to buy potions from us in the future.” Naaza gave him a soft smile. The white-haired teen thought her dog-like ears were fluffy and cute. He really hoped she didn’t notice his cheeks going pink. That would just be embarrassing.

Bell left the Pharmacy with his two potions safely stored in his backpack. He felt like he’d made a good first impression on Miach and his Familia. Now he’d just have to make time to try and meet Hephaestus if he could. At the very least he could check out her shop near the Guild. It was on the street he took to and from the Dungeon every day, so it wasn’t as if he had to go out of his way to visit. He did a little window shopping, as he was want to do, and balked at the price of one of the daggers in the window display!

“80,000 Valis! That’s nuts!” Bell nearly fell backwards at the price of a single weapon. He’d really like to have that weapon in the display window, but it would take him weeks to save up enough for it! That was assuming that they didn’t spend a single Valis in that time too, which simply wasn’t possible for the tiny Hestia Familia. Still…it didn’t hurt to look. Looking was free after all. Bell didn’t get to even see Hephaestus, much less meet the Goddess, but he figured he had plenty of time.

-Dungeon ~ Second Floor-

“Take that!” Bell spun and buried his knife deep into the throat of a Kobold. The monster let out a gurgle before dropping to the ground dead. With some experience under his belt now, Bell easily removed the Magic Stone from the slain monster’s chest and watched it disperse. He blinked when he noticed something was left behind.

The item in question was one of the Kobold’s sharp claws. It was a curved, black nail that Bell had already experienced biting into his flesh.

“A Drop Item! My first Drop Item!” Bell cheered as he picked up the Kobold Nail as it was called and placed it into his backpack. Drop Items were harder to come by without a good Supporter. They could take some time to carefully extract Drop Items before removing Magic Stones. If someone inexperienced tried the same thing, they would more than likely break the item in question. Skilled Supporters were respected for the profit they could bring in. Bell wondered what happened to those that were less skilled Supporters for a moment before he heard the telltale cracking of the Dungeon walls.

Three Kobolds emerged at the same time, all of them looked identical and Bell’s eyes gazed at each one. He readjusted his grip on his knife and took a stance. Sure it wasn’t properly taught, but it felt comfortable to Bell at least. With a bark all three Kobolds rushed forward. The new Adventurer pivoted to the side and slashed the Kobold on the far right. The monster yowled in pain and rage. The other two Kobolds had to go around the injured one to get to him. Bell blocked the one on the left with his arm, gritting his teeth as the claws slashed him. His knife however, was able to slice the fingers off of the Kobold coming from the right. The beast reeled back in pain as its right hand was rendered mostly harmless.

“Damn, this is tough.” Bell grimaced as the first Kobold he attacked lunged at him. The monster’s swipe knocked him off balance, but his armor had taken the blow for him. Stumbling backwards and trying not to fall down, Bell lashed out with his knife. He buried the blade into the head of the uninjured Kobold that had just tried to snap its jaws on him. “It would be easier if I had a second knife.”

Bell used the dead Kobold as a meat shield against the other two for a moment as he pulled his knife from the corpse. The one-handed Kobold soon found Bell’s knife passing across its throat. The white-haired teen having moved around the dead Kobold and striking from the monster’s blind spot. The beast couldn’t make a sound with its slashed throat and simply fell to the ground as its blood left it. The final Kobold snarled, holding its bleeding side but still clearly in the fight.

The two lunged at each other.

Bell grimaced as his cheek was slashed by the Kobold’s claws. But his knife had found purchase between the Kobold’s ribs and into its heart. The dog-headed monster collapsed to the stone floor and didn’t move.

“Ow, ow, ow…” Bell hissed as he felt his bleeding injury. He pulled out one of his two potions and uncorked it. A quick dousing with the first half directly onto his face and the claw marks healed completely. Bell felt his smooth skin with something akin to wonder. He drank the second half of the potion and watched as his cuts and other bruises healed up quickly. “Potions are crazy.” He murmured before placing the used vial and cork back into his bag. He had Magic Stones to retrieve.

-Dungeon Exchange-

“Congratulations, Bell, you got your first Drop Item.” Eina praised the young man with a smile. “I’m glad you’re taking this slowly. The second floor is much like the first, third, and the fourth, but the lower you go the more often you get multiple monsters spawning at the same time. It becomes very unsafe, very quickly for a solo Adventurer.”

“I’m just taking your advice and guidance, Miss Eina.” Bell smiled and Eina couldn’t help but like his humble nature. “You’ve already helped me a lot.”

“I’m glad, Bell, I’m glad.” Eina smiled happily at the white-haired teen. The two parted ways with Bell heading over to trade in his Magic Stones and his Drop Item.

“The Magic Stones come out to 4,400 Valis and the Kobold Nail is 900 Valis. So your total is 5,300 Valis.” The Guild worker nodded to the newbie that was becoming a bit of a conversation topic within the Guild. He watched the red-eyed teen collect his money from the tray. The young man was doing incredibly well for a newbie all on his lonesome. He was making money, coming back either uninjured or barely injured, and all in all was respectful and easy to work with. Eina lit up when anyone mentioned the guy and many of the other Dungeon Advisors had asked her about how to get the same results from their newbie Adventurers.

Bell Cranel was quickly becoming a model for what new Adventurers should be like and he didn’t even know it.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“You’re doing great so far, Bell.” Hestia wore a radiant smile as she updated his status. Her first Familia member was so sweet, respectful, and he was doing very well in the Dungeon. If he kept making money like this, she might be able to afford to start fixing up their home. The old, abandoned church could certainly use it.

“Did I get a Skill this time, Goddess?” Bell questioned as she copied his updated Status onto a piece of paper and then got off him.

“Not this time, Bell, sorry.” Hestia lamented that she couldn’t just give him a Skill. But Skills only came about from experience, actions, and time. If they could just be handed out, then the Gods and Goddesses of the bigger Familias would hand out incredibly powerful Skills to their children one after the other! Hestia clenched her fist at the thought of certain Gods and Goddesses that had large, powerful Familias.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 18 > I 25

Defense – I 10 > I 17

Utility – I 22 > I 29

Agility – I 33 > I 39

Magic – I 0

Magic

-

Skills

-

-Status-

“Well, at least my Basic Abilities are all growing steadily.” Bell looked for the silver-lining in his lack of Skills or Magic.

“You’ll get there in time, Bell, I know it.” Hestia hugged him. Bell returned the hug and the two started to prepare for bed.

-Main Street ~ Bell’s Seventh Day of Adventuring-

“Bell?” Hestia blinked as she saw her only Familia member gazing longingly into the window of a shop. When he walked away she made her way over to the shop and noted it was Hephaestus’ shop. One of the many the Goddess of the Forge had in Orario, but the one closest to the Guild without being on one of the floors of Babel Tower. “Oh, he wants to get better equipment!” She smiled at the thought of surprising Bell with a new knife. Glancing at the one she thought he’d been staring at she nearly collapsed at the price tag.

‘80,000 Valis!’ Hestia screamed internally. ‘I’m so sorry, Bell…we’re not even close to being able to afford something like that.’ She physically drooped as she drudged her way towards her part-time food stall job. On the way she spotted a cute boutique and admired some of the clothing in the window. She especially liked those two hair ties with the flower designs and the little bells! But seeing the price tag made her shake her head. She couldn’t be going around buying accessories when Bell was working so hard! The cost of his equipment repairs, keeping both his knife and his armor in the best shape, took a good chunk out of the Valis that Bell made. Their Familia was saving up, but they’d still be a relatively poor Familia for a while yet.

Unbeknownst to Hestia, Bell had come back down Main Street. The young man had seen her looking in the boutique’s window longingly. He approached the window and noted what he thought she’d probably been looking at. He smiled at the accessories and vowed to work harder in the Dungeon. The only thing he needed to spend money on now was one last thing to complete his kit.

“I know I saw it down this way.” Bell murmured to himself before he spotted the shop he was looking for. He quickly entered the business and the bell over the door rang.

“Ah, welcome young Adventurer, how can I help you today?” The older male Gnome behind the counter asked. He was wrinkled, and both his hair and beard where as white as Bell’s own locks.

“I was looking for a decent second-hand weapon, a knife or dagger if you have any.” Bell explained to the owner of the second-hand weapon shop.

“Of course, but you do know all second-hand weapons are of the Inferior Grade, correct?” The old Gnome man cautioned the teen. “They’re good for a back-up weapon in a pinch, but if you use them too much or push them as hard as an Average Grade weapon, they’ll break.”

“Yes sir, I’m a new Adventurer on the first four floors, and I’ve found a few times where having a weapon in each hand would’ve been preferable.” Bell informed the shopkeeper.

“Well if it’s only the first few floors then you should be fine with anything in my shop.” The Gnome nodded to the boy as he gestured him over to the section with knives and daggers. “Just bring over whichever you like best and I’ll sell it to you for the price on the tag. No haggling in my shop, I’m in the second-hand business, I can’t afford to haggle.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bell gave a short bow to the old Gnome as he perused the selection. He found a knife of similar design to the one the Guild had provided him. He picked it up and got a feel for its weight in his left hand. Deciding it felt right, Bell took the knife up to the counter.

“A good choice, lad.” The old Gnome remarked on the knife that Bell had picked out. “One of the better knives that I’ve got right now, it should last a while if you take care of it. That’ll be 1,800 Valis.”

“Yes sir, thank you.” Bell handed over the money and took the second-hand knife with him.

-Dungeon ~ Third Floor-

“Okay, let’s test this out.” Bell drew both knives and held them at the ready. Before him was a group of Goblins, eight of the green-skinned monsters. The group charged toward him with shrieks and growls and Bell rushed to meet them.

A flash of his regular knife opened the throat of the first Goblin to come in range. The second-hand knife went into the eye of the second Goblin. The monster slumped to the ground and didn’t move when Bell pulled his second blade back out. He back-stepped to dodge the third Goblin’s attack, pivoted on his left heel to avoid the fourth’s attack and slashed the back of its neck. The fifth and sixth Goblins met the same fate as the first and second. The third tried to attack from behind only to eat a mule kick to the face that sent it sprawling. The seventh and eighth Goblins hesitated as they saw their brethren being dispatched. That hesitation cost them as Bell blitzed forward and both of the Goblins had a knife stabbed through their skulls. Bell saw the third Goblin stagger to its feet and try to run. He left his second-hand knife in the one Goblin’s skull and chased down the runner. That one died as Bell’s knife entered its back and exploded out of its chest.

“Yeah…two knives helps…” Bell panted as he looked at his handy work. “I just need to get better at using a knife in both hands so that I don’t have to leave one behind next time.” He dragged the dead Goblin behind him, leaving a trail of blood, and then carefully removed the second-hand knife from the one Goblin’s skull. Once both weapons were cleaned off and the second-hand knife was back in its sheath, Bell used his better knife to harvest the Magic Stones from the Goblins.

“Now, if I can just keep up this pace for a bit, I’ll have the Valis I need.” Bell grinned to himself as he sheathed his better knife and made his way further into the third floor.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“Bell…” Hestia looked at her only Familia member suspiciously. “Why have you been getting home later than usual?”

“I’m just working a little longer in the Dungeon the last couple of days is all.” Bell nervously replied to his Goddesses’ inquiry.

“Uh huh…” Hestia clearly didn’t believe him. “Well, let’s update your Status.”

“Right.” Bell agreed and slipped his shirt off. He laid face-down on the bed and felt Hestia straddle his back as normal.

Hestia began the update, seeing Bell’s experiences in his Excelia and using it to increase the power of his Falna. She placed the paper on his back and copied the updated numbers down. She put the paper aside and then fell forward onto Bell’s back with a grin.

“G-Goddess?!” Bell yelped as he felt all of Hestia’s body against his back!

“Bell, are you hiding something from me~?” Hestia questioned right beside his ear. Bell couldn’t stop the pleasant shiver that travelled down his spine. She was so close!

“N-No, of course not!” Bell stumbled over the first word and Hestia tightened her hold on him.

“Denying it to the end, eh?” Hestia remarked with a gleam in her eyes. “If that’s how you want to play it…then I’ll snuggle it out of you!” She pressed herself against him fully while wrapping her arms around him. She even nuzzled her face into his fluffy, white hair.

“Goddess!” Bell felt his cheeks burn and tried to sit up. “I’m not hiding anything! Nothing at all!”

“Stubborn, aren’t you, Bell?!” Hestia wasn’t having it and continued her snuggles.

Bell didn’t break and eventually the two fell asleep late into the night. He didn’t even get to see his new updated Status until morning.

-The Next Afternoon-

“Geez, that Bell…he didn’t tell me even after all that.” Hestia was still curious about what he was hiding. The young man couldn’t lie to save his life! She knew he was up to something!

As she approached the Guild on her way home from her part-time job, she caught a glimpse of Bell standing outside the Guild. What stopped her dead in her tracks was the smiling Half-Elf young woman standing across from him. In Bell’s hands was an ornate-looking box with a ribbon.

“What…what does this mean…Bell?” Hestia felt her heart clench in her chest. In a sad daze she walked in the opposite direction from the Guild and what she’d just seen.

It was almost an hour later when Hestia walked into the abandoned church she and Bell called home. She was still confused and downtrodden as she opened the hidden door to the basement. She descended the short staircase and stepped into the basement proper.

“I’m home…” Hestia announced to the empty room. Or at least she thought it was empty until a response came.

“Welcome home, Goddess!” Bell beamed at her from where he was setting the table with soup, bread, and fresh salad. “Thank you for your hard work.”

“Bell…did you make all of this?” Hestia asked while looking over the food. When Bell nodded to confirm that he had, she couldn’t help but smile at him. “Thank you.”

Then the memory of what she’d seen earlier came crashing back into the forefront of her mind and ruined her mood.

“You’re back earlier than usual, Bell, did something happen?” Hestia questioned as she sat on the couch against the wall. She couldn’t let the hurt in her chest show, so she tried taking a professional tone instead.

“Well…yes, um…” Bell scratched his cheek nervously.

‘Why is he acting all shy?’ Hestia wondered only for her heart to drop into her stomach. ‘He wants to tell me about that Half-Elf girl, doesn’t he?’ She tried not to let her emotions show on her face. If it was for Bell’s happiness, then she’d offer nothing but her support! He deserved nothing less than to be happy. ‘But I didn’t think it would hurt like this…’

“Goddess, please accept this…” Bell got her attention from her melancholic thoughts. Seeing the same ornate box with the bow in his hand, her eyes widened.

“Bell, is this…?” Hestia looked up, her blue-eyes meeting his ruby-red. She took the box into her hands.

“Well, um, it’s a gift, for you…” Bell was trying not to stumble over his words. “I noticed the hair ties you’re using are worn out and…well, I asked a friend for advice…she thought these would be a good fit.”

‘That’s what it was?’ Hestia smiled softly as what she’d seen was explained. She opened the box and saw the hairpins that she’d admired in the boutique window. “You kept staying in the Dungeon late to buy them?”

“Well, I mean, yes…” Bell rubbed the back of his head nervously. “I didn’t mean to hide it, but I thought a surprise would be nice…”

‘He went through all that trouble…for me?’ Hestia felt happy tears form in the corners of her eyes. “Bell, put them on for me.” She smiled warmly at him.

“B-But, I’ve never tied up a girl’s hair before!” Bell shook his head at her request even as she removed her old hair ties.

“It’s a gift from you to me,” Hestia placed the box in his hands. “So I want you to put them on me.” Seeing that Bell was still indecisive as she ran her fingers through her silky, jet-black locks, she gave him a wink. “It just takes a little practice, Bell~”

“Okay, Goddess.” Bell smiled as he gently gathered her hair together on one side. In short order the pretty hair ties with the flower design and the small bells were holding her hair in her preferred twin-tails.

“Thank you so much, Bell,” Hestia’s smile filled Bell’s heart with more warmth than the sun. “I’m so glad I met you and that you became my first Familia member.”

“I’m glad I met you too, Hestia.” Bell smiled back and Hestia felt her heart beat powerfully in her chest.

Dinner was a warm affair where smiles and laughter were shared. Hestia was in her element as the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family. It wasn’t until after dinner that her feelings couldn’t be contained anymore. As they were preparing for bed, she walked up to a shirtless Bell and wrapped her arms around him. Bell blinked at the sudden hug, but was quick to return it.

“Bell…” Hestia looked up into his eyes, her own were pools of emotion and Bell felt his heart thunder in his chest. “I love you.” She stood on her tip-toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

‘Goddess…no, Hestia…Hestia loves me?’ Bell couldn’t believe it, but her eyes and her lips told him the truth. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her close as he gently returned her kiss.

“Hestia…” Bell looked into her pools of sapphire-blue as he gently leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you too.”

Those words, the sincere and genuine emotion in them, nearly made Hestia lose control over her Divinity. Her heart was bursting with joy as she wrapped her arms even tighter around Bell. When he placed the next kiss on her lips, Hestia would’ve sworn she could see Tenkai again.

Neither of them was sure when it happened, but clothing was removed after that and they were in the bed together not long afterwards.

“Hestia…I’ve never…” Bell attempted to explain between kisses.

“It’s okay, Bell~” Hestia smiled beautifully at him. “I haven’t either.”

The two fell into each other from there.

Bell didn’t know why he wasn’t freaking out or panicking. But something about this felt right, no…Hestia made it feel right. The two pressed their bodies together, Hestia’s soft skin and curves melded against Bell’s more defined muscles. Heat bloomed between them at the contact and passion took over. They became one and made love that night, only falling asleep in each other’s arms near midnight.

-Next Morning-

“Bell,” Hestia snuggled into his arms with a happy murmur.

“Hestia,” Bell smiled at the Goddess with her face buried in his chest.

“Love you.” Hestia mumbled still half asleep.

“Love you too.” Bell returned as he gently ran his hand through her soft hair.

Once Hestia had fully woken up, and then nearly kissed Bell senseless, the two both took the day off to talk about what this meant for them. Bell was happy to learn that nothing was wrong with a God and a Mortal expressing their love for one another. Many Gods and Goddesses did so throughout the various Pantheons.

Hestia had giggled about how the other Goddesses would be shocked that one of the Three Virgin Goddesses had found love. Bell didn’t know what she meant until she explained how she, Artemis, and Athena were known as the Three Virgin Goddesses. None of them had any interest in any of the Gods in Tenkai, leading to their moniker. The real shocker had come up, at least for Bell, when she mentioned having children.

“B-But Hestia…” Bell had gotten out after a moment. “Isn’t it too soon for that?!”

“Hmm?” Hestia tilted her head cutely. “Bell, you’re so adorable and innocent.” Bell flushed but listened as she continued. “I’m a Goddess, Bell. I can’t just have children like the Mortals of Gekai. It would take a Mortal with an incredibly high amount of Divinity within them to successfully have a child with a God or Goddess. They’d have to be an Adventurer with a High Level Falna to reach that state though. In the millennia that we Gods have been living in Gekai, I’ve only heard of two Demi-Gods ever being born and that was many centuries ago.” She gently took his hand in hers with a smile. “Family and the Home are part of my Domain, Bell. I long for a Family to make a Home with, and a warm Hearth to gather them all around.”

“Hestia,” Bell couldn’t keep the smile from his face. He leaned forward and kissed her lips again. “Whatever you want.” He promised her with that kiss.

“Bell~” Hestia returned the kiss and quickly pulled him onto one of the couches to snuggle.

-Dungeon Fifth Floor ~ Two Weeks of Bell Adventuring-

“How is this thing here?!” Bell demanded as he ducked and weaved around the wild swings of the Minotaur chasing him. It was the first day he’d decided to test out the fifth floor. He’d warmed himself up on the trip through the first four floors, killing any monsters he encountered and collecting their Magic Stones. He’d only been in the fifth floor for about an hour when he’d heard the loud noise. The cracking of the stone ground under the powerful hooves of the Minotaur. He’d been on the run ever since.

‘Minotaurs aren’t supposed to appear above the fifteenth floor! Why is there one on the fifth?!’ Bell screamed in his own head as he dashed around a corner. The Minotaur was hot on his heels and Bell was already unsure if he could outrun it long enough to get back to the stairs. It was midday, this was the time the fewest Adventuring Parties returned to the surface or entered the Dungeon! Even if he got to the stairs, he may not encounter any other Adventurers to help him.

“Shit!” Bell cursed as he ducked under a punch that cracked the stone wall of the Dungeon. He kicked off the same wall to dodge the follow up swing and then bolted again.

The Minotaur’s roar reverberated through the corridors as it charged after him. Hoping to stall the monster’s charge, Bell took out his second-hand knife. He waited until another turn in the corridor came up before spinning to face the charging bull monster. He tossed the knife at the beast as hard as he could. It spun through the air towards the Minotaur as Bell prepared to rush around the corner. The Minotaur barely slowed down at all. With a mere tilt of its head, the thrown knife shattered against one of its curved horns. Bell’s eyes widened as he tried to run even faster down the corridor.

“On no…” Bell skidded to a stop as he came to a small, square room. It was a dead end. “It was left at the last fork…not right…” He was trapped. He heard the Minotaur smash its way into the room and he grabbed his good knife. He knew it wouldn’t make a difference. None of his weapons could pierce a Minotaur’s hide. Not to mention he was a Level 1 with average stats. He didn’t even have a single stat in the D Rank yet! Minotaurs were classed as Level Two monsters. It would take some kind of miracle for a Level 1 Adventurer to beat one.

“MOOOAAARRGGHHH!!!” The Minotaur roared powerfully. It rushed towards Bell with a fist cocked back ready to end his life.

‘No! I made a promise to my Goddess!’ Bell yelled into his own mind. He threw himself to the side and let the Minotaur’s swing go wide. ‘I promised I wouldn’t leave her alone! I’m not breaking it!’ He knew it was pointless to fight, the Minotaur was blocking the only way out and his weapons and strength meant nothing to the monster. Still he dragged his blade along the beast’s arm as he pivoted out of the way of another rock-breaking punch.

“I’m not dying here, do you hear me?!” Bell roared out his defiance to the Minotaur. He noted that his attack hadn’t even scratched the Minotaur’s skin.

‘Left. Right. Headbutt!’ Bell tried to keep up with the Minotaur’s attacks. He dropped down into a crouch and then leapt to the side just as the bull monster’s head cratered the wall. He tried to run towards the exit only to have to limbo under a wild backhand from the beast’s fist. He panted for breath as all of his running began to catch up with him. The fighting was wearing him down now. Another punch was avoided and Bell leapt backwards with all his strength to avoid a powerful stomp from the hooved foot of the Minotaur. The stone where he’d been a fraction of a second ago shattered like glass.

“Damn it…” Bell cursed again as he realized his back was against the far wall of the room again. The Minotaur had pinned him in.

Then, in a flash too fast for Bell to follow, the Minotaur lost its left arm. The beast took a second to register the loss of its limb. Before it could roar, the same flashed passed through it again and again. Bell watched the Minotaur fall to pieces and barely had the forethought to close his eyes and mouth when the monster was split in half. The blood spray covered him from head to waist. With so much of its body destroyed, the Minotaur gave off a muted roar before its body exploded into black ash-like dust. A fist-sized Magic Stone lay on the Dungeon floor between Bell and his savior.

“Are you okay?” A female voice asked Bell.

“Huh?” Bell wiped the Minotaur blood off his face as best he could before he opened his eyes. He recognized the young woman that stood before him. Anyone in Orario would.

A lithe body, clad in a white dress, even in armor her beauty shown through, radiating a quiet strength, with a rather impressive set of breasts held by her breastplate. The golden-eyes that gazed upon him with her equally golden hair hanging down her back like a soft curtain, only further confirmed who she was. Blue, thigh-high boots covered her feet and legs, long black gloves and sleeves covered her arms, and silvery armor covered the sleeves up to her shoulders. Her sword was quickly cleaned of blood with a single flick of the blade. She sheathed the blade before speaking again.

“Are you…okay?” Ais Wallenstein asked him again.

“Y-Yeah…” Bell blinked at the girl that wasn’t much older than he was. “I’m not injured.”

“Good,” Ais nods to him, her face still mostly blank. “You did very well to dodge the Minotaur for so long. Most Level 1’s wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

“Thank you…” Bell barely stopped himself from making that sound like a question.

“Do you need any assistance leaving the Dungeon?” Ais questioned him curiously.

“No…no, I can manage.” Bell slowly shakes his head. First being chased by a Minotaur and having to dodge for his life. Now he was being talked to by the Level 5, Ais Wallenstein, the Kenki herself! This day couldn’t get any weirder, could it?

It was only as Ais began to leave with a parting nod that Bell snaps back to reality.

‘I want to be strong like that someday.’ Bell thought to himself as his fists clenched tightly. ‘A High Level Adventurer!’ He nodded to himself. ‘I WILL be that strong!’ He decided as his thoughts went to Hestia and his promise to her. To his love for his Goddess. ‘I'LL BE THE STRONGEST ADVENTURER EVER!!!’ The young man declared with an unshakeable will that would defy Fate itself if necessary! His mind briefly flashed to the golden eyes of Ais, the look of approval she’d given him when complimenting his ability to out maneuver the Minotaur.

He didn’t know it at that moment, but his declaration would change his life forever.

His unshakeable will and powerful emotions had earned him his very first Skill.

Liaris Freese had been acquired

-End Chapter-

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Well damn! Here I go again, breaking Canon over my knee!

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!

Things have been set in motion! Things have changed!

A more Proactive Bell that actually listens and learns! Simply taking Eina’s advice and lessons to heart has made Bell more successful!

How far will our rabbit-like Hero go now that he’s acquired his signature Skill?

With his unbreakable will and desire to grow stronger for not only his own sake, but Hestia’s too, just how powerful will Bell become?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!