Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 10 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Bell is giving his all in his training. He and Lili are also slowly, but surely, delving deeper and deeper into the Dungeon. How will things change as Bell’s growth and development continue? Certain events may very well have different outcomes or consequences.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 10 – Spear, Level Six, Plot

It was early morning once again and Bell was training hard. He parried Tione’s spear thrust and went for a slashing sweep with his own spear. As expected, his strike was blocked and he had to back step to avoid the butt of Tione’s spear from slamming into his chin from below. The Amazon pressed her advantage by using the butt of the spear that was already raised to perform a thrust. Bell staggered as the blow jarred his shoulder, but he managed to use one of the guards on his spear to catch Tione’s spear.

“That’s it…” Tione grinned at him, clearly enjoying their little spar. Well, little by her standards anyway. “But what are you going to do with it?” She applied her strength and Bell could only struggle briefly before she yanked his spear out of his hands and the weapon fell to the stones a few meters away. Bell dropped into a crouch and drew his knives. He bolted forward while Tione’s spear was off to the side and she looked slightly unbalanced.

“Grkh!” Bell hacked as the Amazon’s leg caught him in the stomach. He hadn’t even seen the kick coming! He briefly left the ground and crashed to the floor on his back.

“Not bad, kid.” Tione praised him as she walked over. “You remembered that the spar isn’t over just because you were disarmed.” She looked down at him with a grin. “You alright?”

“I…I’ll live…” Bell was trying to get his breath back as he sat up. Tione nodded approvingly at his tenacity.

“Once you’ve caught your breath then it’s my turn!” Tiona smiled brightly, already starting to stretch.

“Yes, Miss Tiona.” Bell agreed while still sitting on the floor. He was thrilled to be receiving instruction from three of Orario’s top Adventurers, but the training was tough to put it mildly. All three of the young women taught through active sparring, rather than typical instruction. But Bell couldn’t deny that it had been effective over the last few days. His last Status Update had proven that much. He still vividly remembered his progress.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – C 687 > B 731

Defense – C 679 > B 722

Dexterity – B 701 > B 746

Agility – B 763 > B 789

Magic – H 188 > G 224

Magic

-Firebolt-

Skills

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Dexterity when wielding a weapon in each hand.

-Status-

His growth was absolutely astronomical, but with the way he was still getting tossed around by the three Adventurers, it didn’t seem like much.

“Ready?” Tiona was all smiles as she took a stance.

Bell exhaled as he stood up and took his own stance. “I’m ready!”

Tiona rushed forward and Bell brought up his guard. That turned out to be the incorrect move as Tiona pivoted around him, grabbed his right arm while kicking out his right leg, and then tossed him onto the stone floor. Bell coughed as his back forcefully met the bricks that made up the large wall around Orario once again.

“Sorry, about that.” Tiona apologized while rubbing the back of her head. “I thought you said you were ready.”

“I thought…I was…” Bell managed to get out.

“…Are you okay?” Ais walked over to check on him.

“Yes…I can keep going.” Bell wouldn’t give up. He refused to waste their time and the opportunity they’d given him. He would take every lesson they gave him. He’d learn everything they were willing to teach. He would be the Strongest Adventurer! He would be a Hero!

Unbeknownst to Bell, all three women saw the raging fire of determination in his ruby red eyes. All three unknowingly had the same thought as well. ‘Yes…that’s good.’ The young man’s tenacity and determination was making him very endearing to Ais, Tiona, and Tione.

“Let’s go again!” Tiona grinned brightly as Ais and Tione moved to the side to watch. She dropped into her stance as Bell stood and took up his stance again too.

-Dungeon ~ Floor Nine-

“I didn’t think we’d clear Floor Eight so quickly, Master Bell.” Lili mentioned as the duo trekked into the Ninth Floor for the second day in a row. Bell’s growth and increase in experience was boggling Lili’s mind. She’d been a Supporter for veteran teams of Level 1 Adventurers that still treated Floors Ten through Twelve as ‘no go’ zones. But at the rate that Bell was progressing, even solo, she’d be surprised if they didn’t clear Floor Nine in the next day or two.

“I’m surprised too, Lili.” Bell admitted as he looked around for Monsters or any potential ambushes. His black spear was in his right hand, leaning against his shoulder. He’d started taking it into the Dungeon just two days ago, but Tione’s lessons had proven to be effective. He’d made even quicker work of the Eighth Floor Monsters than before.

“Well, Lili can’t say she’s unhappy about that, Master Bell.” Lili grinned at him. “We’re making even more money than before. With your weird luck with Drop Items, we’re making more than the veteran Level 1 teams that hunt the Upper Floors.”

“Hey, Lili?” Bell had been trying to find a time to broach the subject of Lili possibly converting to Hestia Familia. He didn’t want to put any pressure on her, but Hestia had told him of her visit to Soma Familia’s Home. How they’d refused to even talk to her unless she had some direct business with their Familia. Conversion was direct business if Lili wanted to do so. They could then use Lili’s potential conversion to speak with Soma directly.

“Yes, Master Bell?” Lili looked at him curiously.

“My Goddess, Hestia, she wanted to meet you.” Bell decided to be as careful with the conversion proposal as possible.

“Huh? She wants to meet Lili?” Lili blinked at the information. No Deity had ever asked to meet Lili when she’d been a Supporter for a member of their Familia before. “Can Lili ask why?”

“She wants to get to know you.” Bell gave her a reassuring smile. Lili looked hesitant, fiddling with the straps of her large backpack. “You don’t have to make a decision right away. Hestia will wait until you’re ready.”

The sudden movement from up on the wall caught Bell’s attention. The surprise attack of a large Dungeon Lizard. The reptile Monster leapt down at the duo with a hiss. Bell quickly had his spear in both hands and a single, strong thrust upwards saw the falling lizard impaled.

“Shhhrrrrreee!” The Dungeon Lizard cried out as blood fell from both the entry wound and exit wound. The long rapier-like blade had gone straight through the Monster with ease.

“Yah!” Bell swung his spear and launched the dying lizard off of the blade. The half-dead Monster hit the nearby wall with a splattering sound and fell to the floor. A blood splatter was left on the rocky moss-covered wall from the impact.

“That was impressive, Master Bell.” Lili praised as she’d seen how quickly and efficiently Bell had dealt with the surprise attack. “I didn’t even know you could use a spear a few days ago. But now you seem to be experienced with one.” She handed him a cloth to clean the blood from the spearhead.

“I just have a very thorough teacher.” Bell gave a strained chuckle as he accepted the cloth. He had the bruises to prove just how thorough Miss Tione could be. He watched over Lili as she quickly extracted the large Dungeon Lizard’s Magic Stone and added it to her pack. The Ninth Floor stones were starting to get large enough to see some of the magical energy swirling within them.

The duo didn’t have to wait long to find more Monsters. Only a few minutes after dealing with the Dungeon Lizard sneak attack, they were met with a small group of six Wall Shadows. Bell immediately stepped between Lili and the Monsters. He brandished his spear as the golem-like Wall Shadows rushed him.

“Hyaaah!” Bell swung the spear in a wide arc as the first two Monster got within the reach of his spear. The sharp blade passed through the ‘neck’ area of the Wall Shadows and barely slowed down. The two decapitated Monsters fell to the ground as Bell quickly reset himself and thrust his spear through the glowing circle of a ‘face’ of the third Wall Shadow. The glowing cylindrical mass shattered like glass from the force of the strike.

“Gugugugugh!” The fourth Wall Shadow’s artificial noises were loud as it lashed out with its claws. Bell parried the blow with the shaft of his spear. He backed up, removing the blade from the dead Wall Shadow in the process, and knocked aside the follow-up strike. A swing of his spear and the blade bisected the Wall Shadow at the waist.

“There!” Bell declared as the top half of the Wall Shadow was still technically ‘alive’. He jammed the butt of his spear into the glowing circle on the back of the Monster’s head. It shattered and the golem-like creature went still.

“Gugugugh!” Both of the remaining Wall Shadows had pincered him. They rushed close to slice him apart with their knife-like fingers.

“Take this!” Bell shifted his hold on the spear and swung it in a two-hundred-seventy-degree arc. He didn’t have much practice with this move, but Tione had shown it to him before. Both lunging Wall Shadows had part of their heads removed as Bell’s spear gave him more reach than their long arms. The two Monsters fell dead and lay unmoving on the grassy floor. “Hoo…glad that worked.” Bell exhaled at the short fight.

“You took on six Wall Shadows and didn’t even get a scratch…that’s impressive, Master Bell.” Lili looked surprised at the total victory. Even more experienced Adventurers, or the Level 1’s that she was used to working with, didn’t usually make it out completely unscathed from encounters with groups of Wall Shadows.

“Thanks, Lili, but I’ve still got a long way to go.” Bell gave her a smile, but the look in his eyes told her that he wasn’t satisfied with his performance.

“I’ll collect the Magic Stones; it won’t take long.” Lili nodded as she headed over to the bodies of the pitch-black Monsters. She pulled out her knife and opened the first Wall Shadow. After extracting the Magic Stone, the body dispersed into black dust instantly. The second and third Wall Shadows were harvested just as quickly. The fourth left behind a Drop Item and Lili couldn’t help the little snort she let out. She picked up the Wall Shadow’s Finger Blade and carefully placed it into her pack. The last two didn’t yield any Drop Items, but Lili would’ve just rolled with it if they had. Bell seemingly had very good luck when it came to Drop Items.

-Guild Exchange-

After giving his report to Eina, both sharing warm smiles the whole time. Bell and Lili had headed over to the Exchange to cash in their loot for the day. A few more Drop Items than normal, mostly because Bell continued to slay more and more Monsters the deeper they went into the Dungeon, and a large amount of Magic Stones as well. While waiting for the clerk to inspect and total up their items, Bell thought about taking Eina on another date soon. Hestia’s job made it harder to have dates, but they’d managed one on her day off. Just a simple evening out together, but both had enjoyed it.

“Your Drop Items are worth 26,460 Valis and the Magic Stones come to 49,380 Valis. Your total for this exchange is 75,840 Valis.” The clerk pushed the large drawer back over to their side. “Keep it up Ideal Rookie!”

“Ideal Rookie?” Bell blinked as he picked up the sack of Valis.

“You have a nickname?” Lili also looked confused as they left the exchange window.

“Not that I was aware of, no.” Bell shook his head as they sat at a free table. He started counting out the Valis to split with Lili.

“It does kind of fit you though, Master Bell.” Lili grinned a little. “Your progress in the Dungeon is amazing and you just keep getting better at being an Adventurer. That’s not even counting how much money you’re making.”

“I wouldn’t be able to slay as many Monsters or make as much money without your help, Lili.” Bell shook his head. “You’re an amazing Supporter and I’m lucky to have you with me every day. Thank you, Lili.” He praised her with a bright smile and Lili felt her heart thump in her chest.

“Y-You’re welcome, Master Bell.” Lili ducked her head to hide her flushed cheeks.

“Alright…all done.” Bell chuckled a little bit later. “37,920 Valis for Lili,” He pushed the bag containing her share of the money towards her. “And 37,920 Valis for me and Hestia.” He smiled at the second sack as he stuffed it into his leather backpack, making it bulge noticeably.

“Thank you, Master Bell.” Lili happily accepted the Valis and placed the sack into her huge backpack. She’d have to make sure to hide this in one of her stashes so it wouldn’t get stolen from her by other members of her Familia.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“Mmm~” Hestia hummed pleasantly as Bell massaged her back. She’d been working hard at Hephaestus’ shop again today. Some of those Second-Class and First-Class Adventurers had annoying attitudes. Getting a relaxing massage from Bell after a day of dealing with that was like heaven.

“I told Lili that you wanted to meet her.” Bell informed her as his hands moved down to her lower back. “She seems hesitant, but I think she’ll agree in a few days.”

“That’s good, those Soma Familia jerks wouldn’t even tell Soma I wanted to speak to him.” Hestia huffed a little at the dismissive treatment she’d gotten. “That Captain of theirs is also suspicious. Something about him just screams ‘scumbag’ to my Divine Intuition.”

“All the more reason to hope Lili will want to convert to our Familia.” Bell smiled as his hands playfully groped Hestia’s plentiful bottom before moving down to begin massaging her legs.

“Mmm…Bell~” Hestia looked over her shoulder at him. “Naughty boy, I’ll take care of you after the massage.” She promised, her blue eyes lidded with desire. Bell chuckled as he set to work on her wonderful thighs and Hestia cooed.

It was only after the couple had finished playing later that evening that Bell got his Status updated.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – B 731 > B 769

Defense – B 722 > B 756

Dexterity – B 746 > B 784

Agility – B 789 > A 809

Magic – G 224 > G 255

Magic

-Firebolt-

Skills

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Dexterity when wielding a weapon in each hand.

-Status-

Needless to say, Bell went to sleep that evening with his arms around Hestia and a smile on his lips.

-Next Morning ~ Atop the City Wall-

‘Where am I?’ Bell wondered as he opened his eyes and was greeted by the blue sky and some wispy clouds. The soreness of his body quickly jogged his memory. ‘...Oh yeah, I couldn’t defend against Miss Ais’ attack again. Completely overwhelmed…how many times does that make it now?’ His thoughts were interrupted when Ais’ face appeared over him. “Miss Ais?”

“Are you okay?” Ais asked softly as her hand gently ran through his hair. He quickly realized he was getting a lap pillow again. Bell would admit that getting knocked out had at least one bright side.

“I’m alright.” Bell answered as he let her continue to play with his hair for a bit. Ais stopped a few moments later and Bell sat upright with a heavy sigh.

“Tired?” Ais looked at him gently and patted her thighs to invite him to lay down again. Bell felt his cheeks warm just a little at the tempting offer. “Your body looks okay.” She commented as he sat beside her after she patted the spot next to her.

“…Thank you so much for this training.” Bell had no idea how many times he’d thanked Ais, Tione, and Tiona already. It never seemed like enough though. All three of them were First-Class Adventurers and they were spending their time to train him, a regular Level 1.

“Sure.” Ais gave a small nod. She’d come to very much enjoy training with Bell in the early mornings. As today was his day off from Dungeon exploration, they had until noon. It was also the first day that Tione and Tiona had taken off since they started training with Bell. That left Ais as his sole partner for the day.

“Am I…getting any better at all?” Bell asked the golden-eyed woman next to him. Even seeing his growth from his Status Updates didn’t seem real when he seemingly couldn’t improve during training.

“…Why do you ask?” Ais looked at him, curious as to why he’d need to ask about his improvement.

“Well, I seem to be getting knocked out a lot lately…” Bell looked down at the bricks that made up the floor.

“You’re improving quite a bit. Enough to surprise me.” Ais admitted with a thoughtful look on her features. “You’re only getting knocked out because I forget my own strength…”

“N-No way…” Bell waved off the times she’d accidentally knocked him out. He stopped when he saw the look on her face change. ‘Ah, she looks pretty disappointed. Her expression doesn’t change much…but I know this is how she looks when she’s sad.’ Bell didn’t like to see Ais feeling down at all. ‘She’s the beautiful, sublime Sword Princess, the Kenki. A lovely flower far out of reach. That hasn’t changed at all…’ He watched as the breeze moved her long blonde locks gently. ‘But she seems like a normal girl…when I see her like this.’

“…Can I ask you a question?” Ais suddenly spoke up and Bell nearly jolted.

“W-What’s that?” Bell almost stumbled over the first word.

“How are you getting this strong…so quickly?” Ais’ golden gaze looked at him gently.

“Strong?” Bell almost stared at her in confusion. “I’ve still got a long way to go…” He looked down, his arms resting on his knees. “But…there’s people that I want to catch up to…and a promise I refuse to break. I’ve focused solely on closing that distance so that I can keep my promise…and now I’m like this.” He looked forward without really looking at anything. “There’s a height I have to reach, no matter what. I think that’s why.” He didn’t see her eyes widen at his words and certainly couldn’t hear her heart beat increase. He did hear her draw in a breath though.

“…I know that feeling.” Ais looked up into the sky. “I too…” The loud ringing of the noon bells cut her off. Both Adventurers blinked at the sudden noise, only now realizing the time. “The noon bells…we’ve been training all morning.”

“We have…?” Bell blinked at not noticing the sun’s position in the sky earlier.

Ais yawned cutely before she spoke again. “Now…shall we practice napping?” She looked at him questioningly.

“Huh?” Bell was legitimately confused by the question.

“You have to be able to sleep…at any time or place in the Dungeon…” She wasn’t looking at him and Bell felt a small grin tug at the corner of his lips.

“Um…are you sleepy?” Bell asked the swordswoman curiously.

“…” The look on Ais’ face was adorable, almost a pout with her cheeks lightly pink. She leaned forward and Bell felt his own cheeks start to burn at her closeness. “This is training.” She stated with the same adorable look.

“R-Right…” Bell instantly agreed with her. “So…do we sleep right here?”

“Yes.” Ais began removing her armor. “See, like this…” In a short time, both had removed all of their armor and were lying side by side. Ais, her eyes already closed, was lying on her side on the brick floor. Bell, in contrast, was staring up at the sky wondering how he’d ended up with a chance to sleep next to Ais.

‘This feels like it got a little awkward…’ Bell thought as he chanced a glance at Ais. The Kenki was already asleep and Bell blinked. ‘I guess that’s what I should expect of a First-Class Adventurer.’ Seeing Ais’ sleeping face, Bell couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was again. With a slight shake of his head, Bell closed his eyes and let the tiredness from training drag him into slumber.

-Babel Tower ~ Freya’s Floor-

“Well, well, now…isn’t this interesting?” Freya mused as she’d watched Ais and Bell’s training all morning. “How much stronger are you getting?” The Goddess wondered as she watched the two lie next to each other and doze off. She tapped her index finger on the table a few times. She watched the two of them sleep side-by-side for a bit longer before realizing that she was twirling her hair around her index finger. “Ah! Am I jealous?” She giggled at the feeling she hadn’t experienced in so long.

“Lady Freya?” Ottar questioned after Freya’s bout of giggles.

“Do you feel nothing, Ottar?” Freya gave him a grin. “My mind is filled with thoughts of that boy. I’ve been ignoring my own Familia, even you.” She leaned back in her chair with a light giggle. “Suppose he became stronger than you. What would you do?” Her eyes were mischievous as she asked the question.

“…” Ottar wasn’t sure what to answer to the posed hypothetical.

“In time, I might even come to treasure him even more than you.” Freya’s divine eyes were half-lidded as she rested her head against the chair. “That spot you’re standing in now…might belong to him instead of you.”

“As your heart desires.” Ottar replied simply as he looked into his Goddess’ eyes.

Freya perked up, lifting her head from the back of the chair. “What? No jealousy?”

“Your love is equal to all.” Ottar answered with his normal, calm voice. “Some may be special, but no one receives more than another.” Freya interlaced her fingers and rested her hand against her trim stomach as she listened. “Even if I were to disappear from this post…I believe your love for me would not.” The Boaz warrior seemed to realize how much he’d spoken and bowed to his Goddess. “…I’ve said too much.”

“I don’t mind.” Freya beckoned him to approach with a smile. “In fact, my love for you has grown~” Her right hand cupped his cheek as he leaned down. She captured his lips softly and reveled in the love she could feel from Ottar. He was one of so very few that truly understood her. It was why she loved him, after all. She pulled back from their kiss and Ottar stood back to his full height again. “The boy has gotten stronger. I don’t just mean his Status either. Just by gaining Magic his soul shines even brighter.” She picked up the saucer and tea cup from the table and took a sip. “But there’s still one thing that keeps it from shining through. Any ideas, Ottar?”

“Ties, perhaps?” Ottar suggested after a moment of thought. “As you’ve mentioned before…that boy and a Minotaur…he may not even realize it himself, but his ties to his past may have become a thorn…tormenting him from within.”

“If that’s true…” Freya looked at the tea in her teacup. “How can we free him from these ties?”

“A person must use their own hands to break free from the chains of their past. There is no other way.” Ottar stated plainly, as if speaking a simple fact. “Those that do not try will never achieve. That is the way of things.”

‘If his tie to the Minotaur is casting a shadow over him…then it’s only a matter of time.’ Freya thought as she sipped her tea. ‘He will grow strong enough to clear this hurdle on his own. However, that might mean giving up on the boy’s unknown potential. There is a height that those who do not go on adventures will never reach…yes?’ She set her finished teacup and saucer on the table. “Ottar.” Freya looked at him with a small smile. “I leave his development in your hands.”

“What caused this change in the wind?” Ottar questioned the freedom he was being given to assure that Bell Cranel conquered his trauma against Minotaurs.

“You understand the boy better than I do right now.” Freya gave him a look filled with desire. “It’s enough to make me jealous~” She stood up and took his arm, gently leading him from the large room to somewhere more…intimate.

-Atop the Wall-

Bell slowly opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure exactly how long he’d been asleep. Before he could think about turning his head to check the sun’s position, he felt a familiar sensation pressed against his left side. This was followed by a second familiar sensation of a warm breath against his neck. Feeling his face start to heat up, Bell slightly turned his head. Sure enough, Ais Wallenstein was cuddled up against his side and had her face almost buried against his neck.

‘Just calm down…’ Bell thought as he tried to rationalize the situation. ‘She’s the one that moved closer…I’m still right where I was.’ Another warm breath ghosting over his neck sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. ‘Maybe I can just pretend to be asleep until Miss Ais wakes up? That would be less awkward, right?’

That plan was dashed as he heard what sounded like a paper bag being rifled through. With wide eyes, Bell turned his head to the right and found the Hyrute Sisters sitting between two of the merlons and eating Jagamarukun together while watching over him and Ais. Both noticed him looking at them and gave off teasing waves with wide grins on their pretty faces. Bell was sure that if his face got any hotter it would literally catch fire.

“Well~” Tiona giggled and Bell felt his body lock up. “Don’t you two look cozy?”

“I didn’t realize that Ais would move so quickly.” Tione’s naughty grin was accompanied by a teasing purr.

“Hmm?” Ais made a cute noise as she woke up. Bell felt like he might die if this got any more embarrassing. “…Oh.” Ais seemed to realize where she was and her cheeks took on a dark pink color. The blonde slowly pulled herself from Bell’s side with one of the cutest embarrassed looks he had ever seen. “…Sorry, Bell.”

“N-No…it’s…it’s fine.” Bell shook his head slowly as he also sat up. “You just moved in your sleep. That’s not a problem.”

“…Thank you.” Ais looked at him and both of them had flushed cheeks.

“If you two are done being adorably embarrassed, we brought your favorite Ais.” Tiona laughed warmly and held up a Jagamarukun with Azuki Cream on it.

“They’re still hot too.” Tione grinned teasingly at the two as they stood up.

“Thank you, Tiona, Tione.” Ais accepted her favorite Jagamarukun and took a bite. It seemed she wanted to stall the inevitable teasing that she knew was coming.

“Thank you…” Bell refused to meet anyone’s eyes as he took the Jagamarukun that Tione handed him.

The Amazon Sisters only grinned at both of them. They’d wait until after the two had eaten before teasing them both. Not like they were going anywhere. Making the rabbit-like Bell blush was fun, but it was rare to ever have such material to tease Ais with! Their unofficial third sister could use some playful sisterly teasing; it would be good for her!

-Next Morning ~ Guild Building-

“L-Level Six…” Bell gaped at the notice that was up on the large bulletin board. “Miss Ais is…Level Six now?”

“It was very recently posted.” Eina stood beside him, offering her emotional support and comfort. “Goddess Loki didn’t update Miss Wallenstein’s Status until late in the evening the day it happened. Since it’s a First-Class Adventurer leveling up, it takes longer to check everything and confirm the situation and cause.”

“How did she…?” Bell didn’t finish the question as he trailed off.

“A Floor Boss…” Eina answered anyway. “She slew a Monster Rex on her own. Not in the Lower Levels either.” The Half-Elf shook her head, sending her brunette locks swaying a little. “Further down, in the deep zone. It was Floor Thirty-Seven’s Boss, Udaeus, she took it down single-handedly.”

‘Monster Rex…it should take a huge Battle Party to take one down normally. They’re the kings of their Floor. But Miss Ais won by herself?’ Bell thought as he realized that the Top he was chasing after had just moved even further away.

“Are you going to be alright, Bell?” Eina aske her boyfriend in a quiet tone.

“I’ll be fine, Eina.” Bell gave her a gentle smile. “This just means that I have to work harder to reach my goals.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and Eina returned it.

As Bell and Lili entered the Dungeon a short time later, Bell refused to be discouraged. Ais’ success wouldn’t dampen his drive and desire to get stronger, no, it would, in fact, spur him on even more! He was going to get stronger! He was going to be the Strongest Adventurer! He was going to be a Hero! A miniature sun of determination and desire exploded in Bell’s chest as he and Lili descended deeper into the Dungeon, heading for the Ninth Floor.

Liaris Freese was empowered greatly by this raging star of desire. Growth could be greatly enhanced by the Skill as long as the desire was great enough. With Bell’s determination and desire at an all time high, something new was ‘grown’ from it via Liaris Freese.

-Hestia Familia Home ~ Evening-

‘WHAT THE HELL?!’ Hestia nearly reeled back in shock as she was updating Bell’s Status. She’d never expected Bell to develop Magic, but the Grimoire he’d read had solved that. But what she saw before her was beyond shocking.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – B 769 > A 816

Defense – B 756 > B 799

Dexterity – B 784 > A 833

Agility – A 809 > A 857

Magic – G 255 > F 310

Magic

-Firebolt-

-Vesta Enhance-

Enchant Magic – Incantation: ‘Rise’

(Increases all Basic Abilities for five minutes. Then can’t be cast for five minutes after the increase wears off. Effect rises based on the Magic Stat.)

Skills

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Dual Wield – Significantly increases Strength and Dexterity when wielding a weapon in each hand.

-Status-

‘I knew acquiring Magic made it more likely to unlock another spell, but so soon?’ Hestia mused as she looked at Liaris Freese. Was it possible for the Rare Skill to even ‘grow’ new Magic for Bell? It sounded crazy…but this Skill had never been seen before. Deciding to just take the boon, the Goddess finished the update and placed a blank paper on Bell’s back. The updated information was copied onto the paper with a simple circle of her index finger. She slid off of Bell and sat next to him on the bed.

“Congratulations, Bell…you’ve grown in more ways than one this time.” Hestia smiled happily at her lover. Bell took the paper from her with curious eyes.

“I GOT ANOTHER SPELL?!” Bell exclaimed as he looked at his Status Update. After reading over it a couple of times he beamed at his new Magic.

“Vesta Enhance, huh?” Hestia smiled lovingly at Bell. The names of an Adventurer’s Spells and Skills were heavily dependent on their desires and personalities. For her other name to become the name of Bell’s new spell showed the depths of his love and attachment to Hestia.

“I keep you in my heart all the time Hestia, especially in the Dungeon.” Bell smiled even as his cheeks went a little red. “Now I have you watching over me even more.” He chuckled and Hestia wrapped him in a warm hug, just holding him close.

“I’ll always be with you Bell, no matter what.” Hestia promised with a beautiful smile. She held him closer when she felt his arms wrap around her and return her embrace.

The two fell asleep like that, just holding each other closely in a loving embrace. Not caring about anything else except being close to each other.

-Dungeon ~ Ninth Floor-

“You got another spell?” Lili blinked at Bell in surprise.

“Yeah, both Goddess and I were really shocked.” Bell admitted though the tinge of excitement in his voice was unmistakable. “I’m going to try it out since it’s an Enchant Magic with no side-effects or kickback.”

“Lili swears you have to have some kind of divine luck, Master Bell.” Lili just shook her head at him. “Are you sure your Goddess doesn’t have ‘luck’ as one of her Domains?”

“Just the Hearth, Home, and Family as far as I know.” Bell replied to his Supporter.

“Skreee!” A pack of Killer Ants was waiting for the duo as soon as they entered the large open area. These were bigger than the ones from the upper floors, but the looked identical beyond their size.

“Well, there’s your chance, Master Bell.” Lili motioned towards the charging horde of at least a dozen ants.

“Alright, stay behind me, just like always!” Bell turned to smile at Lili as he put himself between her and the Monsters. Lili nodded and backed up slightly, trying not to let the redness on her cheeks show. “Rise!” Bell chanted the single word incantation. He felt the boost take effect and readied his spear. He blitzed the charging ants and quickly decapitated the first with a swing of his spear.

“Whoa…” Lili blinked at the noticeable increase in Bell’s speed. He’d always been fast, but he’d cleared the distance between the Monsters and himself faster than she’d ever seen him move before. Agility had definitely increased and as she watched Bell massacre the Killer Ants, she was pretty sure this was a ‘Full Enchant’ Magic that buffed all Basic Abilities.

The second Killer Ant was impaled by a thrust, only for Bell to yank the spear sideways and split it open. In the same move he bisected the third ant with the blade, pivoted and smashed the fourth ant’s head in with the butt of the spear, and then skipped back to avoid being surrounded. The fifth and sixth Killer Ants were close enough together that a single swipe of Bell’s spear decapitated both. A thrust through the head dropped the seventh ant. The eighth slashed at Bell but the Adventurer blocked with his green vambrace.

‘I barely felt that.’ Bell noticed before he side-stepped the next strike and split the Killer Ant in half where thorax connected to abdomen.

“Skreee!” The last four Killer Ants charged him all at once, hoping to overwhelm him no doubt.

“Let’s try this out.” Bell took his left had off his spear and held his palm out towards the Monsters. “Firebolt!” The normal flames that gathered in his palm were a good deal larger than normal. Bell guessed around a quarter bigger, give or take. The fire rushed the insect Monsters and a blast went off. A section of the grassy floor was torched and four charred ant carcasses were all that remained.

“That’s an impressive spell, Master Bell.” Lili congratulated him as she approached now that the Killer Ants were wiped out.

“It didn’t take five minutes though…” Bell noticed his spell was still going. “I wonder if I can turn it off before the time limit?” The sudden loss of the slight rush he’d been feeling seemed to answer his question pretty clearly. “Oh, I guess I can.” He looked over himself and didn’t see anything different, but the feeling of using the spell had passed. “I wonder how this affects my amount of Firebolt shots though?” He murmured even as he watched out for any new Monsters appearing so Lili could collect the Magic Stones safely.

A few minutes later and Lili placed the last of the Magic Stones into her backpack. “Ready to go, Master Bell!” She announced and the pair headed deeper into the Ninth Floor.

-Guild Exchange-

“We had a good day again, Lili.” Bell smiled happily as he held up the large sack of Valis they’d gotten for their loot.

“You were amazing today, Master Bell, we even made it to the stairs down to the Tenth Floor.” Lili praised him while Bell was counting out the Valis as always.

“Your Supporting makes it a lot easier, Lili, don’t sell yourself short.” Bell chuckled and Lili gave him a small smile, a real smile at that. When Bell was done separating the Valis into even shares, he handed Lili her half. The petite Supporter placed the bag into her pack with a grin. Another large deposit to one of her hidden stashes and one more small step closer to buying her way out of Soma Familia.

Unbeknownst to the duo, the eyes of someone were watching. A middle-aged Raccoon Man by the name of Kanu had a hard look on his face and a greedy glint in his eyes as he watched Lili. He was a member of Soma Familia and a diehard addict for the wine his God produced. He and his two cohorts threatened, extorted, stole, and whatever else they had to do to meet their monthly quota and get their share of the good Soma Wine.

“Well, well, well, it seems Arde has been lying to us.” Kanu’s following chuckle lacked any mirth. “It would seem she’s been making a good amount of Valis and not sharing it with her Familia.” He tsked even as his two cohorts smirked darkly. “How selfish can she be? We’ll have to teach her to share it seems.”

“Should we tell that Ged guy that we’ll accept his offer to team up?” The slightly younger of his accomplices questioned.

“Yes, I’m sure that with Master Ged’s help, we’ll be able to separate Arde from her current partner.” Kanu eyed the white-haired teen carefully.

For a solo Adventurer to make that much money and go down to the Ninth Floor practically alone meant he was strong. Kanu knew his strengths; he wasn’t a fool. He’d never set foot on the Tenth Floor if he could help it. Large Category Monsters would be the death of him with his stats. Ged was stronger, even if they were both only Level 1. Ged probably had stats in the D to E range. Kanu’s single best stat was only D Rank. His accomplices weren’t any better than him either. If they weren’t careful and Ged got greedy himself, then he could probably kill them.

“We’ll have to make sure to get some insurance just incase Ged gets a little too greedy.” Kanu mentioned and the older of his cohorts nodded in agreement. A sudden swarm of Killer Ants was quite the reason to toss one’s things and run, after all.

Tomorrow would be an immensely important day for Lili and Bell and they didn’t have any idea.

-End Chapter-

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More training for Bell and he’s improving a good amount already. He can now wield his spear in the Dungeon effectively! He now has all ranges of combat covered; short, mid, and long!

Deeper and deeper Bell and Lili delve into the Dungeon and the more and more Monsters that Bell slays. That means more Excelia, more Drop Items, more Magic Stones, and more Valis!

Ais cuddles in her sleep! So cute~! Tiona and Tione aren’t gonna let that pass freely! Time for sisterly teasing!

Bell gets a second spell! Holy shit! Vesta Enhance is Enchant Type Magic that gets stronger as the User’s Magic Stat goes up! It’s like a Hero’s ‘Super Form’ and even has a time limit! Bell, you Hero Story Nerd! But it did lead to a sweet little moment between Hestia and Bell, so it’s good!

Now a certain set of jackasses is plotting against Lili!

Well, that’s definitely NOT gonna be okay with Bell! Protect Da Bean!

What’s next for the rabbit-like Adventurer that wants to be a Hero?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!