Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 13 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Now that Lili is a member of Hestia Familia, what will she do with the large amount of Valis that she’s been saving up? The Hestia Familia is about to get another windfall. Bell’s training time with Ais, Tione, and Tiona is almost over too. The Loki Familia is once more preparing for an expedition! Bell wonders if he’ll ever catch up at this rate.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 13 – Familia Growth and Leveling Up

“You look great, Lili.” Bell complimented when Lili came down to the living area in her new clothes and gear.

The Prum was decked out in new clothing, very similar in style to her previous outfit, but now without the ragged hems and tears. The shirt fit better and still left her midriff exposed, and the skirt was now worn properly both closed and belted while being a little longer, going passed mid-thigh. Lili’s black thigh-high stockings had been replaced with new ones, now lacking any of the tears and holes of her old worn-out pair. She even had new sturdy shoes on her feet that were a big step up from the old ones she’d been wearing. Over her new shirt was a new piece of armor in the form of a chainmail shirt that covered her from neck to hip. Her old beige cloak had been tossed and she now had a new one that was padded for some extra protection.

“Thank you, Master Bell.” Lili blushed happily as she hugged him. She stood on her toes to kiss his lips a moment later. “The chainmail and the cloak are both Superior Grade too!” She ran her hands over the gear with a smile. “Lili never thought she’d wear such nice equipment.”

“Is that a new knife too?” Bell noticed the nicer blade sheathed at her hip.

“Yes,” Lili drew it partially to show off the blade. “It’s also Superior Grade, with a minor enchantment for durability.” Hidden by the long-sleeves of her cloak, her bowgun was strapped to her right forearm and a quiver of bolts was securely strapped to her left hip. The Supporter was more than ready to crawl the Dungeon with Bell now, Lili was honestly looking forward to it.

“I’m glad you’re safer now, Lili.” Bell kissed the top of her head fondly and Lili nearly cooed as she enjoyed the simple affection.

“Thank you, Master Bell.” Lili beamed at him as she went to fetch her large backpack.

“I see you spared no expense, Hestia.” Bell smiled warmly at his Goddess lover.

“Of course not, Lili is family, she gets the best we can afford to protect her.” Hestia stated with a nod and her arms crossed. She giggled when Bell pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips gently. “Bell~”

“I love you, Hestia.” Bell gently leaned his forehead against hers with a warm look in his red eyes.

“Love you too, Bell.” Hestia pecked his lips with a loving smile. The two separated after a long moment and Lili rejoined them a few seconds later with a grin.

“Let’s head for the Dungeon, Master Bell.” Lili was ready to go and try out her new gear and her new Skill.

“We’ll see you tonight, Hestia.” Bell grinned as the trio stood at the front door.

“Take care of each other.” Hestia hugged Lili close, getting a hug from the Prum in return.

“We will.” Lili promised with a warm feeling inside of her. She’d only been a member of the Hestia Familia for two days and already it felt more like home than anywhere else she’d ever stayed before.

“Do your best.” Hestia beamed at her Familia as they headed off for the day.

Once they were out of sight, Hestia headed back into their home with a smile. She picked up a piece of paper and the key to Lili’s gnome storage unit in the eastern ward. The Prum had made the decision last night that she wanted to give the contents to her new Familia, her family. The amount would facilitate a good expansion for the Hestia Familia and the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family couldn’t wait to set it into motion. “I’m gonna have to spoil Lili rotten for this.” Hestia giggled as she read over the paper to make sure that she could find the correct unit. The buxom Goddess slipped on her flipflops and locked the front door behind her as she headed out to get the Valis and start the plan.

-Dungeon ~ Tenth Floor-

“Buuuhhhaaaa!” An Orc bellowed as it swung at Bell with the large landform in its hands. A crossbow bolt piercing its right eye made it bellow in pain and stagger backwards.

“Hya!” Bell’s black spear stabbed through the thick neck of the green Monster easily. A pull to the side split the neck open in a fountain of blood. The Monster collapsed with a large thud a second later as it died.

“That was great, Master Bell.” Lili smiled happily as she moved forward to harvest the Magic Stone from the dead Orc.

“You made it easy with your shot, Lili.” Bell thanked her with a grin. “You know, you don’t have to keep calling me ‘Master’ anymore, we’re Familia now.”

“Oh?” Lili stopped just in front of Bell and turned to face him with a little grin. “But…” She moved until she was much closer to him. “What if I like calling you ‘Master Bell’?” Lili’s grin turned teasing and mischievous as she looked Bell in the eye.

“Then it’s fine…” Bell refused to admit that his face was getting a little warm. But Lili’s giggle as she turned and practically skipped over to the fallen Orc said otherwise.

“Okay, Orc Hide is the Drop Item of the Orc, so let’s see if Lili’s new Skill helps us get a good amount of it.” Lili pulled her new knife from her waist and slowly pierced the green skin of the dead Monster. Bell watched on, still checking their surroundings just in case, and hoped that Lili succeeded.

Lili moved the knife through the thick skin slowly and carefully. Trying not to further damage the body should increase her chances. She slowly peeled the hide off the Orc’s back and smiled when the whole piece lifted away. A few seconds later and the Orc Hide hadn’t started disintegrating, meaning that the Drop Item was safe. It was a much larger piece than what was normally left behind to her knowledge, meaning her Skill must’ve helped out.

“Success!” Lili smiled at Bell and gave a ‘peace’ sign.

“Great job, Lili!” Bell praised her with a chuckle. He was happy that her new Skill was already helping her out with Supporting. The Hestia Familia was small and had a massive debt over their head right now, so any increase in Valis was a great help.

“I wonder…” Lili eyed the two large tusks jutting from the dead Orc’s mouth. She rooted through her large pack for a moment before pulling out a new tool she’d bought on her shopping trip with Hestia and Eina, a pair of pliers. “Good thing I thought about this possibility.” The Prum girl nodded to herself before kneeling down next to the Orc. She clamped the pliers onto the first tusk and pulled as hard as she could. A few seconds later and the tusk was torn free, nearly making Lili fall on her ass. “Aww, damn…” Lili pouted as the tusk disintegrated into the familiar white-gray ash.

“Lili?” Bell moved closer, keeping his eyes on the fog of the tenth floor for any movement.

“I’m trying to see if I can harvest extra parts from this Orc, Master Bell.” Lili explained while moving over to clamp the pliers onto the other tusk. “Materials like this could potentially sell for even more than Drop Items.” She pulled hard, wiggling the tusk a bit this time to try and work it free of the jaw.

“Hey, you did it.” Bell smiled as Lili pulled the tusk from the Orc’s mouth.

“Great…” Lili’s cheer trailed off when the second tusk also dissolved into the ash dust. “This isn’t gonna be easy, huh?”

“I’m sure you’ll get it soon, Lili.” Bell had full confidence in Lili’s Skill and her own abilities.

“Right.” Lili stood up with a nod. “Let’s get the Magic Stone then.” In just a moment, Lili’s new knife had separated the flesh of the Orc from behind and her gloved hands reached in to pluck out the purple stone. The Orc dissolved away as Lili hopped off of the carcass. The Magic Stone was added to her large backpack and then the extra large Orc Hide item was rolled up and stuffed into the pack as well. “Ready to go, Master Bell?”

“Let’s go.” Bell nodded as the duo made their way deeper through the fog of the tenth floor. It wasn’t long before they met their next Monsters.

“Gii!”

“Gehee!”

“Giikee!”

“Imps.” Lili noted and Bell took the lead position to draw their attention. With spear in hand, the white-haired Adventurer tracked the shadowed forms in the fog.

“Gii!” Two Imps launched themselves out of the fog from both right and left. A split second later and two more Imps rushed forward from the front. The small little Monsters were known for their use of group tactics.

“Got you!” Bell rushed the two Imps charging from the front first. The closest one was impaled on the long blade of his black spear. A quick sidestep dodged the second Imp and Bell slammed the butt of the spear into the back of its small head with a sharp crack. The winged-demon dropped to the ground and didn’t move. Bell yanked the spear blade out of the dead, impaled Imp just in time to toss the spear at an Imp that had emerged from the fog behind Lili.

“Gek!” The suddenly impaled Imp hacked up blood as it hit the ground with the spear lodged through its body.

“Thank you, Master Bell!” Lili shot the two Imps that had tried to pincer Bell originally. They’d come after her while Bell was preoccupied with the others. Her bowgun had dealt with them swiftly enough. A single bolt into each of their heads had dropped the small Monsters.

“You’re really good with that bowgun.” Bell praised the girl with a smile.

“It’s no big deal, Master Bell, they’re just Imps, barely stronger than Goblins, really.” Lili flushed cutely, inwardly thrilled at the praise. She quickly gathered the four bodies in a pile as Bell retrieved his spear and pulled it free of the fifth and final Imp. “I bet I can collect these.” She held up the axe-like tail tip of the first Imp with a thoughtful look. Imps weren’t known to have Drop Items, but surely these axe tails could be useful for something.

Lili’s new knife quickly sliced off the tip of the first Imp’s tail. Giving it several moments, Lili smiled when the small axe blade didn’t disappear. She cut off the other four tail tips in succession, but three of them disintegrated into dust. Still, two rare Monster Parts should pay a nice amount of Valis at the exchange. The Magic Stones were harvested, reducing the Imp corpses to dust, and Lili was even able to collect her used bolts since they hadn’t been damaged. That just increased her mood even more since it meant she wouldn’t have to pay to replace them this time.

-Guild Exchange ~ Later-

“Imp tail tips?” The lady behind the exchange window looked over the two axe-like Monster parts curiously. “I don’t think those are on the list.” Her eyes scanned the Drop Items list for a moment before she shook her head. “Surely, they’ve been turned in before though?” The woman reached under the desk and pulled out a binder and began flipping through.

“I hope they’re worth something.” Lili murmured quietly to Bell.

“I’m sure we’ll get something for them.” Bell gave her a reassuring smile.

“Yes, there they are.” The lady tapped her finger on one of the documents in the binder. “Imp Tail, Monster Part, now how much…?” She perused the document to try and determine the value of the two parts. “Huh, the exchange rate for them is 5,000 Valis apiece.” She seemed surprised at the amount.

“Wow.” Bell smiled at the amount they’d get for the tails.

“I wonder what they’re used for to be so pricey?” Lili wondered since they were too small to be made into anything like a battle axe.

“Hatchets, apparently.” The Guild woman smiled as she answered the question. “They make good blades for hatchets for the jobs that use those kinds of tools.”

“Works for me.” Lili smiled as she noticed a different Guild worker handing a note to the woman behind the window.

“Oh, you turned in a large Drop Item too?” The woman read over the note that had been handed to her. “A roll of Orc Hide? Usually only a small section is left behind…” She looked between Bell and Lili before shaking her head with a sigh. “I guess that’s to be expected from the Ideal Rookie and his Supporter.”

“Heh…” Bell rubbed the back of his head at the praise. Lili just looked pleased with their work, a smile on her face.

“Okay, so the Magic Stones were worth 52,743 Valis and the Drop Items, including Monster Parts, are 40,285 Valis. Your total for this exchange is 93,028 Valis.” The Guild worker nodded to them as the lower drawer was pushed onto their side with a good-sized sack of Valis coins sitting in it. Bell picked it up while Lili turned to let him place it into her large backpack. Once their earnings for the day were secured, they made their way over to Eina to give their report.

“I can tell just by looking that you both had a good day.” Eina smiled at her boyfriend and pseudo-sister. Now that Lili had converted to the Hestia Familia, Eina had taken over as Lili’s Advisor. Even if the Prum was a Supporter, Eina would treat her with the same respect as any other Adventurer. That meant taking down reports and offering advice and guidance as best she could.

“We’re getting close to making 100,000 Valis per day.” Lili leaned in to whisper to the Half-Elf with a smile.

“Oh my, that’s four times more than what the average Party of Adventurers makes per day on the upper floors.” Eina was truly surprised and impressed by just how well Bell and Lili were doing. “Once you earn that much in a day, perhaps we should celebrate?” The lovely Half-Elf suggested with a beautiful smile at the two.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Bell considered thoughtfully. “We could splurge a bit and eat something pricey maybe?”

“That sounds good.” Lili nodded in agreement. Hestia’s food was the best that Lili had ever eaten before, imagining some pricey ingredients cooked by their Goddess nearly had the brunette drooling.

“All in good time, I’m sure.” Eina giggled at them both. “Now, let’s get your report for the day done. I’m sure there’s a story to that roll of Orc Hide you two brought in.” Her green eyes looked between the two knowingly.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“Hmm?” Bell noticed someone bowing to Hestia as he and Lili approached home. “I wonder who that man is?”

“I’ve never seen him before.” Lili shook her head as they got closer and closer.

The man walked in the opposite direction and took hold of a small cart with a large beige sack in it. With a wave to Hestia, he began pushing the cart away while whistling a tune. It was clear the older man was in a good mood. By the time that Bell and Lili had gotten Hestia’s attention, the man had rounded the corner and was lost to their sight.

“Who was that, Hestia?” Bell questioned his lover curiously.

“He owns most of the lots in this district, or his family does at any rate.” Hestia motioned to the abandoned district around them that was filled with broken down buildings.

“Was he here to collect rent or something?” Lili guessed, having already assumed the large sack in the cart had been filled with Valis.

“Not quite.” Hestia grinned while pulling a folded up paper from between her large breasts. Bell’s eyes widened while watching her do it, and Lili blinked at the surprising place to keep something. “The Hestia Familia is expanding our holdings!” The Goddess unfolded the paper to show them a deed of sale that was signed and stamped.

“You bought more of the lots?” Bell asked after reading over some of the document.

“Yep!” Hestia beamed as she looked at the ones that she’d purchased. The four on either side of the two lots they already owned, plus the one directly across from the lot that the old dilapidated church had originally sat on. “That man’s family has been trying to sell them for years since this place was torn up. But no one wanted the lots with all the ruined buildings still standing everywhere. So, I got them for a steal at 50,000 Valis a piece, as-is.”

“50,000 Valis for a lot? That’s so cheap!” Lili exclaimed in shock.

“Right?” Hestia laughed happily. “With the money you’ve given to the Familia, we have enough to not only buy the lots, but get them cleared and things built on them too!” The happy Goddess pulled Lili into a warm hug.

“Was it really that much?” Bell didn’t know the exact figure that Lili had saved up over the years to try and escape Soma Familia.

“It was just over 2,000,000 Valis, Bell.” Hestia snuggled Lili close, making the Prum blush adorably. “I slapped a pile of Valis onto Hephaestus’ desk today too!” She looked smug about shocking her niece with the money. “I’m still going to work part-time, of course, but man it felt good to payoff another little chunk of our debt.”

“What’re you going to have built?” Bell was curious and getting excited now too.

“Let’s go inside first.” Hestia laughed beautifully as she nearly dragged her Familia inside their home.

Plans for what to build on the lots that Hestia had bought were talked about over dinner. Lili had suggested an attached boarding house for one of the lots, for when the Familia eventually had more members. Bell suggested turning one of the lots into a garden area so they could grow some of their own food and save a little on their grocery bill. He’d been raised in a farming village and knew how to plant crops and stuff, so it wouldn’t be too hard to take care of them after coming back from the Dungeon in the afternoons.

“Hmm, I wonder if we could do that too?” Bell murmured with a thoughtful look.

“What’re you thinking about, Master Bell?” Lili questioned him.

“Hestia,” Bell looked into his lover’s deep blue eyes. “Do you think we could give some space in the garden area to the Miach Familia?”

“We could, but why?” Hestia had no problem helping out her friend and fellow debt-ridden Deity.

“Well, I’ve seen the Blue Pharmacy, and it’s only the shop. They must have to buy all of their ingredients for potions, right?”

“I’d suspect so, without anywhere to grow ingredients they’d…have to…buy them…” Hestia trailed off as she realized where Bell was going with his idea. “Bell, you’re amazing!” She beamed at him and nearly launched herself across the table to hug him.

“What’s going on?” Lili was very confused. She’d never met the people that Hestia and Bell were talking about. After a short explanation of who Miach and Naaza were, Lili quickly understood the situation the other Familia was in, at least a bit. “That’s so kind of you, Master Bell.” Lili leaned over to hug Bell with a warm smile.

“I just figured if they could grow some of their own ingredients, then their profits would go up and maybe we could get a discount on potions and stuff when we shop there.” Bell hugged both of them back, just enjoying being close to Lili and Hestia.

“I’ll talk to Miach about it tomorrow before I go to work.” Hestia promised as she kissed Bell’s cheek. “I’m sure he’ll be all for the idea.”

After dinner, the trio separated for bed. Now that she had her new wardrobe and her small amount of items from the room she was previously renting, Lili needed to set up her own bedroom. Having her own room was a first for the Prum girl, and she was kind of looking forward to having a space all her own for once. Since Bell and Hestia had the Master Bedroom to themselves for the night, things got a little steamy.

“Bell, Bell, Bell…yes!” Hestia moaned loudly as she rode her lover passionately. Bell never failed to impress during their lovemaking. She was completely naked, her flawless body shiny in the moonlight coming in through the window.

“Hestia…” Bell took hold of her hips and began to thrust up to meet her bounces. Hestia cried out in pleasure as her tits bounced even more from the increased pace. Unexpectedly, Bell flipped their positions and pushed her legs up before increasing the speed and power of his thrusts into her soaked pussy.

“Bell!” Hestia nearly came undone right then and there. She loved it when Bell surprised her like that! The way he was driving into her so completely made her vision blur from the pleasure.

“Goddess.” Bell captured her lips in a deep kiss. Hestia could only moan into it happily as she was racing towards her first climax of the night.

“Bell~” Hestia’s moan was damn near sinful as she came. Bell followed right behind her, the feeling of her orgasm coaxing him into his own. He flooded his lover’s womb with his seed, making Hestia grab onto him tightly in euphoria. The two lay curled up together for several moments, just coming down from their high and enjoying the afterglow.

“Hestia, love you…” Bell panted a bit, kissing her lips, then her cheek, and then her neck.

“Love you, Bell…” Hestia giggled when Bell captured her left breast with his mouth and began to lick and suck on her nipple. “Mmm~ You just love my tits, don’t you?” She ran her fingers through his hair while enjoying his experienced lips.

“I love every part of you, Hestia.” Bell looked into her eyes and Hestia shivered at the passion in his gaze. Bell was quick to capture her other tit with his mouth and lavish it with the same treatment.

“Mhmm…” Hestia relaxed and let Bell pleasure her for a while. With a grin she moved him onto his back again and slid down his torso. “My turn, Bell~” She wrapped her large tits, still wet from his saliva, around his cock and began to move them.

“Hestia, yes…” Bell adored Hestia’s tits, they were large, soft, and felt amazing when she let him tit fuck her. “Holy!” He groaned as Hestia took his cockhead into her mouth and started sucking, still smothering the rest of his length with her breasts.

“Do you like that, Bell…” Hestia purred up at him, still moving her girls up and down along his cock. “You love my magnificent massive mammaries wrapped around your cock?” She teased him, already knowing the answer and loving how his hips bucked up slightly. Hestia quickly took the tip back into her mouth and began to suck and swirl her tongue around it.

“More…” Bell rumbled out, threading his fingers through Hestia’s silky raven locks, free of her normal twin-tails.

“Mmph!” Hestia gagged slightly as Bell pushed her head down a bit and touched her throat. “Hah…Bell, you naughty boy~” She purred at him after pulling back. “Are my boobs not enough?” She licked her lips and took him back into her mouth, letting Bell set the pace this time. “Mph…mmm…gagkh…gakh…mmph…” Hestia sucked and bobbed her head in time with Bell’s pace. There was just something about letting him take control sometimes that made their lovemaking all the hotter.

“Hestia…” Bell nearly buried himself into her mouth and throat as he hit his peak. For her part, Hestia only moaned and swallowed repeatedly to coax more of Bell’s seed from him. When she pulled back, she took a deep breath before happily showing off that she’d swallowed everything.

“You look so cute afterwards.” Hestia smiled lovingly at Bell as her lover slowly came down from the afterglow.

“Again?” Bell smiled back at her, making Hestia giggle as she lay on top of him with a smile.

“Maybe another round…or two.” Hestia kissed him as her soft skin molded against his developing musculature. Bell was fast becoming an Adventurer with the body of a warrior.

Bell was almost late for his morning training the next day.

-Atop the Wall ~ Next Morning-

“This is our last day, I’m afraid.” Ais informed Bell with a slight frown on her lips. “Our Familia is preparing for our next expedition.”

“It sucks that we won’t get to train you until whenever we get back, but that’s the life of an Adventurer.” Tiona shrugged with a smile for Bell.

“If you want to train again, just ask, we’ve all enjoyed it.” Tione grinned at him, her spear in hand.

“Thank you for this, I can’t begin to say how much our time together has meant to me.” Bell gave a short bow to the three young women.

“Show us what you’ve learned, Bell.” Ais smiled at him as she took up her scabbard like she always did.

“Yes!” Bell nodded as he drew both of his knives. This time, it was him that launched the first strike.

“Hm.” Ais parried the first strike, sidestepped to dodged the follow-up, and counterattacked the instant she saw an opening.

“Ngh.” Bell blocked, even though it was still a shock from Ais’ strength. The Level 1 went with the blow instead of fighting it, letting some of Ais’ power carry him along into his next attack.

“He’s gotten way better.” Tiona commented on the spar.

“Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out how he got so strong in just the time we’ve been training him.” Tione’s eyes never left Bell and Ais. “His growth is unheard of.”

“Maybe he’s just special like that?” Tiona shrugged, not bothered by Bell’s growth, in fact, she rather liked it.

“His speed has definitely improved the most.” Tione noticed as Bell’s flurry of strikes kept Ais’ scabbard occupied. “Ais could end it easily, of course, but the fact that he can keep her right arm busy is still impressive for his Level.”

“He’s learned how to turn anything that he can’t block or dodge into a parry, or a glancing blow, at least.” Tione winced as Ais broke the barrage of knife attacks to lash out at Bell. The white-haired Adventurer turned his body to let the scabbard glance off his armor, even though the power behind the strike still almost broke his guard entirely.

Ais didn’t let up, taking the staggered form as the opportunity that it was, the blonde girl struck at Bell multiple times. Her golden eyes widened slightly when Bell recovered faster than expected and managed to parry the scabbard with both of his knives, knocking it off-course. He pushed against the blue sheath with his left hand knife, opening up Ais’ defense and swung the Hestia Knife towards her face. Ais, proving that this entire spar was nothing compared to what she was used to, easily freed her scabbard from the lock of the left knife. The Hestia Knife was stopped cold when the sheath appeared in front of it to block.

“Hah…hah…woo…managed, to get in…a counter.” Bell was breathing heavily as opposed to Ais who didn’t even appear fazed by the short, but intense, spar.

“That concludes…the lessons.” Ais looked into his red eyes approvingly.

“Thank you so much, Ais, for everything up to now.” Bell pulled back and bowed to the Level 6 Adventurer.

“No, thank you.” Ais smiled softly at him. “…I had fun.” Her golden eyes were filled with happiness and pride at Bell’s progress. “Keep doing your best, Bell.”

“I will!” Bell gave her a bright smile and Ais felt a warmth in her chest.

“Our turn, Bell.” Tione tossed the young man his black spear while readying her own spear. “Can you impress me like you impressed Ais just now?”

“I’ll give it everything I’ve got!” Bell declared as he brandished his spear to match Tione’s stance.

The spar began in two blurring thrusts, spear met spear with a spark. Tione was quick to slash down, looking to strike Bell’s extended arm. Bell, proving he’d learned well, pulled back to catch her spear with one of the hooked guards of his own. Tione grinned as Bell pulled her spear to the side and then slid the haft of his spear down hers to try and slash her.

“Not gonna work!” Tione exclaimed as she shifted her footing, pushing Bell’s spear away, and went for another thrust.

“Guh!” Bell whipped the butt of his spear around to block the thrust, still sliding back a little from the force. Using the spear like a lever, Bell let Tione’s force propel the long blade of his spearhead towards her at speed, aiming to slash her legs.

“Heh.” Tione’s grin turned into a smile as the butt of her own spear stopped Bell’s swing in its tracks. “That’s good, use your opponent’s force against them.” The black spear was knocked upwards, and it was all Bell could do to use the haft to block the follow up thrust towards his chest.

Bell staggered back from the block, but managed to catch his footing in time to sidestep Tione’s next thrust and lash out with a swing aimed to decapitate the Amazon. His attack was stopped once more by the butt of Tione’s spear. His spear blade was so close to her neck though! This was the closest he’d ever gotten to actually landing a hit on Tione. He blinked when he felt the blade of the Amazon’s spear touching his side. She had him in a stalemate and he hadn’t realized it.

“You’re something else, Bell.” Tione smiled at him approvingly, her eyes bright with excitement. “If I move my spear, you’re getting your side slashed open. But I open myself up to getting my throat cut if I do that.”

“Maybe, but I’d be surprised if you actually got injured at all.” Bell knew enough about the spear now to realize that the stalemate was much more in Tione’s favor. “My strike to your neck won’t have any momentum behind it from such a short distance. A Level 5 Adventurer probably wouldn’t get a scratch from that. But your blade would have all of your strength behind it when you pulled it back, meaning I’d be cut deeply, maybe even fatally.”

“And that concludes basic spearmanship.” Tione moved her spear away from Bell’s side with a warm laugh. “You’ve learned well, I’m impressed how far you’ve come in these last weeks.”

“You’re an excellent teacher, Tione.” Bell bowed with a smile to his spear instructor and friend. “I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“Let’s go, Bell!” Tiona was practically bouncing on her heels. “I want to see what you’ve learned about hand-to-hand now!”

“Yes, Tiona.” Bell couldn’t help but laugh a bit at her energetic nature. “Ais, can you hold my spear?”

“Yes.” Ais accepted the weapon with a nod and moved to stand next to Tione.

“Are you ready?” Tiona’s smile was full of excitement and joy. It was still kinda terrifying though, especially for Bell who’d been on the receiving end of her training.

“Ready.” Bell took his stance, one that Tiona had helped him develop, and prepared for the spar that would definitely leave him with bruises.

He wasn’t kept waiting as Tiona nearly blurred across the space separating them. A roundhouse kick was aimed at Bell’s head and the red-eyed Adventurer ducked to let it sail over his head. He lunged forward, a jab aiming at Tiona’s face, only to grimace when she caught the punch and her raised leg came back down onto his opposite shoulder.

“Grkh!” Bell grit his teeth, even as he was forced to take a knee from the weight of the axe kick. He threw his right arm over Tiona’s leg, trapping it between his shoulder and arm.

“There you go!” Tiona smiled brightly at him. “But I have another fist!” Her left fist was aimed square at his head for a knockout blow.

“Hngh!” Bell worked with what leverage he had. He dropped his left knee and pushed off with his right, he twisted his body, dodging Tiona’s fist and upsetting her balance. With a grin, Tiona landed back first on the brick floor without even a wince.

“Nice, but you know I’m good at grappling too!” Tiona proved her words when her left leg slammed into Bell’s stomach, making him loosen his hold on her leg as he gasped for the air that had just been knocked out of him. With the hold on her leg loosened, the Amazon pulled free before wrapping her legs around Bell’s waist. With her hands planted on the ground, a twist of her hips had their positions reversed. Now Bell was on his back and Tiona was in the dominant position. “Got ya!” She began to rain down punches and Bell had to raise both arms to guard.

Each of the heavy blows made Bell’s arms shake, but he couldn’t move them or he’d risk taking a potential knockout blow to the face. It only took a second for Bell to remember what to do in this situation. He bridged his body, raising his hips upwards suddenly with all the power of his legs.

“Whoa!” Tiona’s barrage stopped as she was nearly thrown forward off of Bell. She stopped her fall with her hands easily, but Bell had begun his counter already. To be fair, if it hadn’t been for adrenaline flowing through his veins, Bell likely would’ve locked up a bit when his escape maneuver almost had Tiona’s thighs on either side of his head. He was suddenly very close to her sex, but his adrenaline-fueled mind ignored it in favor of trying to win their spar.

With a quick slide, Bell was out from beneath Tiona. A spin to get to his knees and he had her back. The Level 1 wasted no time in throwing his full weight on top of Tiona. His left arm went around her waist to grab her right arm, while trapping her left with his own. His right hand was quick to wrap around the Amazon’s neck in an attempt to choke her out.

“Oh…” Tione stifled a laugh at the position Bell and Tiona were in, but it was a close thing. “He’s practically mounted her like a beast.”

“…Yes.” Ais agreed that it did look like that, but she also didn’t know why Tione had brought it up. This was a spar, not something of that nature.

“Hnngh!” Bell tried his best to get his choke to Tiona’s neck, but the Amazon had lowered her chin before he’d succeeded, his hold was much less effective because of it.

“That’s great.” Tiona praised Bell’s much-improved skills. “But my hand is still able to grab.” She proved this with her trapped left arm as her hand found his thigh and squeezed so strongly that Bell would’ve believed it if someone had told him it was a bear trap. He ground his teeth against the pain, and Tiona mentally applauded his tenacity. With a little effort from their positioning, the Amazon managed to stand up straight and Bell, following his experience, tried to trap her legs with his to take her back down to the ground.

“I’ve got it…” Bell’s breathing was getting heavy as he struggled against Tiona’s strength. He continued to tighten his hold around her neck, trying to break through her guard while his other arm kept both of hers pinned.

“Upsy-daisy!” Tiona jumped before Bell could entangle their legs and try to trip her up. Clearing three meters was child’s play for a Level 5 Adventurer and Bell realized what was about to happen when Tiona went horizontal as they began to fall.

“Gak!” Bell hacked as his back slammed into the brick floor with the momentum of a three meter drop and Tiona’s weight on top of him. He didn’t let go of her neck, but his left arm lost its grip, letting Tiona free herself without using much of her strength. A strong grip pried his arm from around Tiona’s neck, and with a quick flip, his arms were pinned as Tiona lay on top of him with a bright smile.

“That was great, you’ve really improved!” Tiona praised him happily. If Bell wasn’t still trying to breathe properly, he’d probably be a little flustered by their current position. Tiona continued to smile as she released Bell’s arms and sat up, straddling his waist and making Tione snicker behind her hand off to the side.

“I…think I still have…improvements…to make.” Bell was slowly regaining his breath from the last several moments.

“Yeah, but you only get better with experience.” Tiona grinned at him her arms raised above her head as she stretched. “I’ll definitely give you a pass on basic hand-to-hand now!”

“Thank you…Tiona.” Bell relaxed a bit, just breathing to get air back into his poor, abused lungs.

“You seem comfortable there, Tiona.” Tione mentioned as she and Ais approached.

“Hmm?” Tiona cocked her head to the side for a second. “Oh, yeah!” She laughed as she realized that she was still straddling Bell. “Sorry about that.” She stood up and offered Bell a hand.

“It’s fine.” Bell was sure that he would’ve been flustered if he hadn’t just been in a spar. He accepted her hand and let Tiona pull him to his feet. “Thank you very much for all of your help and instruction, Tiona.” Bell gave her a short bow in respect and appreciation.

“Don’t worry about it, this has been a lot of fun!” Tiona wrapped her arms around his left arm with a laugh. “You’re gonna be great if you keep it up, Bell, I know it.”

“Thank you…” Bell was now starting to lose his battle against his nerves. Tiona and Tione were very forward women that had no issue with physical affection. The fact that they were both beautiful only made things more difficult for Bell.

“We’ll see you again, Bell.” Ais smiled softly as she handed him back his spear.

“If you ever want more training, feel free to ask.” Tione reminded the young man with a grin.

“I can’t wait to see how much you’ve improved next time.” Tiona smiled brightly with a laugh.

“Thank you all again.” Bell gave them a bright smile of his own.

“It was fun.” Ais nodded as she and the Amazon Sisters headed for the stairs.

“Uhhhh…” Bell stretched a bit to loosen up his body. Feeling the soreness, he debated on taking a potion, but decided against it. “Walk it off, Bell, walk it off.” He rested his spear against his right shoulder and headed towards the stairs himself. “Breakfast, and then into the Dungeon for the day with Lili.” He breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the breeze just before he started descending the stairs. Hopefully, by the time he made it back to the Hestia Familia home, he wouldn’t be so sore.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“I’m back.” Bell announced as he closed the front door behind him. He wasn’t as sore anymore after the walk at the very least.

“Bell, breakfast will be ready soon!” Hestia called out from the kitchen; he could hear the smile in her voice. She was always happy and energetic after a night of lovemaking.

“Hestia says she’ll update out Status before we head for the Dungeon today, Master Bell.” Lili smiled at him when he entered the dining room.

“That sounds good.” Bell grinned and pulled Lili into a gentle hug. Lili returned the embrace with a happy sigh as she practically snuggled into Bell’s chest.

“Alright, time to eat!” Hestia was nearly glowing as she brought in the food with a big smile. Today was omelets and Bell marveled at the size of the egg-based dish, it took up almost his entire plate by itself!

After breakfast, Lili was the first to get her Status Update. She had slightly red cheeks as she sat with her back facing Bell. Her arms were crossed over her girls to cover them, but she was still topless in front of Bell for the first time.

“All done, you’ve improved a little bit already, Lili.” Hestia smiled as she handed the paper with the updated Status on it to Lili.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1

Strength – I 83

Defense – H 124

Dexterity – G 238

Agility – F 389

Magic – E 407

Magic

-Cinder Ella-

Transformation Magic – Incantation: ‘Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.’

(Enables the user to transform into anything around their own size.)

Skills

Artel Assist – When the user is carrying a certain amount of weight, this skill will help compensate in abilities. The amount compensated depends on the weight.

Harvester - When breaking down monsters the user is more likely to acquire a Drop Item and higher quality ones too. Also enables the harvesting of other monster parts for material.

-Status-

“Thank you, Hestia.” Lili smiled at being able to get regular Status Updates without having to turn in an exorbitant amount of money beforehand. A few points of improvement here and there was about what she’d expected.

“Since my morning training is done now, we can spar a bit to help your Basic Abilities grow, if you want to, Lili.” Bell offered as the brunette put her shirt back on.

“Lili would like that, Master Bell.” Lili smiled brightly at him once she was properly clothed again. It wouldn’t hurt to train up her stats a bit more, plus it was more time to spend with Bell. Training with Adventurers stronger than him had done wonders for Bell’s growth after all.

“Your turn Bell.” Hestia patted the couch beside her. Bell pulled off his shirt, much to the appreciative gazes of Lili and Hestia, and sat down with his back to them both. The single drop of Hestia’s blood fell onto his Falna and the hieroglyphs began to glow. “Those three girls put you through the ringer for so long, Bell.” The Goddess looked through his Excelia and watched his Falna grow stronger. ‘He’s going to hit the cap at this rate!’ Hestia thought to herself in shock at seeing Bell’s growth.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – A 881 > S 972

Defense – A 874 > S 960

Dexterity – A 896 > S 981

Agility – S 910 > S 994

Magic – E 403 > D 500

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’m…my stats…” Bell couldn’t quite form words at what he was seeing. All of his Basic Abilities, besides Magic, were ‘S’ now. After giving his all to get stronger during his training with Ais, Tiona, and Tione, plus his Dungeon crawling, he’d grown so much and so fast that even Veteran Level 1 Adventurers probably couldn’t hold a candle to his total stats anymore.

“That’s incredible, Master Bell!” Lili gasped as she saw his Status. “You’re so strong!”

“You’re going to hit the cap soon, Bell.” Hestia informed him as she pressed herself against his back and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, Hestia.” Bell couldn’t help but smile and enjoy the embrace. He may not understand why he was able to grow so much and so fast, but he’d keep going. He had a dream, a desire, and a promise to keep. ‘I will be a Hero, and the strongest Adventurer!’ He reaffirmed his goals to himself once more.

“After we’re done in the Dungeon today, Lili would like to go pick up all of her hidden stashes of Valis, if that’s okay?” Lili asked while looking between Hestia and Bell. “Lili doesn’t think they’ll be found, but since she doesn’t have to worry about her money being stolen anymore, it seems foolish to just leave it laying around Orario.”

“Of course, you can, Lili, that’s your money.” Hestia smiled at the Prum warmly. “Keep it all too, you’ve given more than enough to the Familia.”

“Thank you, Hestia.” Lili leaned forward for a hug and Hestia happily gave her one.

“Do you need any help with that, Lili?” Bell asked his girlfriend, wanting to be helpful if he could.

“It’s fine, Master Bell.” Lili shook her head, but was happy that he offered. “None of the locations are dangerous, and it shouldn’t take too long anyway.”

“Alright, we’ll see you once you get back home then.” Bell chuckled at seeing Lili’s independent side. It was good that her spirit hadn’t been broken by what she’d had to go through in her years as a Soma Familia Supporter. Hestia and Bell both wanted to nurture Lili and see her grow beyond her past. This was already a good sign that Lili was starting to move on.

“Unfortunately, I’m working a later shift today.” Hestia sighed with a little grumble. “So, I’ll be home a little later than normal tonight. I should be back in time to make dinner though.”

“I’ll help you with it, if you want.” Lili offered with a smile to her Goddess.

“Thank you, Lili.” Hestia returned her smile with a bright grin.

“We should probably get going soon,” Bell noticed the time on the clock. “It’s about the usual time that we start making our way to the Dungeon.”

“Right.” Lili left the couch to go get her gear and her large backpack. Bell just sat beside Hestia, his arm around her waist as she leaned against him, while he waited. All he needed to do was strap his light breastplate on along with both pauldrons and he’d be ready to go.

-Afternoon-

“Hah…” Bell sighed as he wandered down the street. Sitting at home alone didn’t seem productive, but he didn’t have any idea of what to do either. Without thinking, his feet took him towards a familiar location and someone snapped him out of his musings.

“Bell!” Syr took his hand in both of hers and smiled brightly at the Adventurer. “I wanted to see you!”

“Miss Syr?” Bell blinked at the sudden appearance of the waitress, only now realizing that he was in front of the Hostess of Fertility. It what seemed like a blur, Bell was practically dragged into the tavern and then into the back. He found himself in front of a sink and a small mountain of dirty dishes.

“Thanks! I appreciate you helping me out like this!” Syr smiled as she picked up two trays of food and headed towards the front.

“You pretty much made me!” Bell called back in shock.

“Nya, get to work, white hair!” Anya, the brunette Cat Girl teased him as she walked passed with another order.

“Boy enslaved by Syr, get used to it, nya~!” Chloe, the raven-haired Cat Girl, giggled as she also carried out another tray of food.

“Well…Miss Syr does make me lunch…” Bell sighed in defeat as he rolled up his sleeves and took a rag and the first plate in hand. “I suppose I can do this much in exchange.” He started washing the dishes as his mind wandered.

“This amount is daunting, I’ll assist you, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu spoke up a few moments later as she rolled up her own sleeves.

“Miss Ryu, you’ll help me?” Bell was surprised given how busy the Hostess of Fertility seemed to be right now.

“This was our problem to begin with. You have our apologies, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu nodded to the red-eyed young man.

“Thank you, Miss Ryu.” Bell gently clasped her hand with both of his, a thankful smile on his face.

“Mr. Cranel…this is a little awkward…” Ryu flushed slightly and looked to the side. “It is not I that you should be touching, but Syr…”

“Ah!” Bell realized his mistake with Ryu. Elves were a very proud Race and rarely let others touch them. Miss Ryu was very kind to him, but he’d just committed a faux pas by taking her hand like that. “I’m sorry, Miss Ryu.”

“It’s fine…Mr. Cranel.” Ryu shook her head and they both started washing the dishes together. In the privacy of her own thoughts, Ryu was incredibly surprised that she’d allowed Bell to hold her hand like that. He was only the third person she’d let touch her without a thought. Some advice she’d gotten from her late friend about not letting go of a man that was able to take her hand passed through her mind and made her cheeks warm. She’d already been following him with her eyes whenever he was around the Hostess. That was bad enough considering the obvious interest Syr seemed to have for the young man.

“Hmm…” Bell seemed lost in thought as they continued to wash the pile of dishes together.

“Has something happened?” Ryu spoke up after noticing Bell’s distractedness.

“Eh?” Bell turned to face the Elf woman in surprise.

“I don’t mean to pry, but you appear dispirited.” Ryu mentioned as gently as she could with her normally blunt nature. “If you consider me worthy, I’ll listen.” She offered her ear to him.

“…” Bell stayed silent for a short moment before speaking. “Miss Ryu…were you an Adventurer?”

“…Yes. A long time ago.” Ryu looked towards him with a cool gaze in her blue eyes. “What about it?”

“Leveling up…how do I rank up to a higher level?” Bell didn’t look at her when he asked, looking down at the plate in his hands instead.

Ryu looked at the Level 1 Adventurer quietly for a moment before she spoke again. “You must do something great.” The Elf explained as she turned her gaze back to the dishes. “Something so grand that even the Gods cannot ignore it.” Bell turned to look at her curiously. “Defeat an enemy stronger than yourself and acquire an incredible amount of Excelia all at once.” Ryu turned to face him her blue eyes meeting his red. “That is the requirement.” Seeing that Bell looked uncertain of her words, Ryu continued on. “Leveling Up is strengthening the soul. Increasing the size of the container. The Falna, the Blessing of a Deity, allows the soul to grow, but only for those that have proven themselves worthy.”

“Then my Basic Abilities?” Bell questioned, wondering what the purpose of the numbers were if they had nothing to do with leveling up.

“Yes.” Ryu gave him an understanding look. “In short, they help prepare you to do something great. Nothing more.”

“But…won’t I lose if I try to fight something stronger than me?” Bell asked the more experienced Elf. That was the first lesson that Eina had taught him about being an Adventurer.

“Overcoming that disadvantage is part technique and part strategy…most form a Battle Party to do so.” Ryu explained as she sat the plate in her hands to the side to dry. “A Battle Party is necessary if you’re serious about becoming stronger. Please keep this in mind.”

“I see…” Bell looked back down at the dishes they were washing.

“This may be unwanted advice but…” Ryu looked over to Bell again. “Mr. Cranel, every adventure has a meaning. Don’t lose sight of their purpose.” Bell looked at Ryu, feeling like the much more experienced Adventurer was trying to impart important wisdom to him. “You are an Adventurer. Most likely, what you seek cannot be obtained without pressing forward.”

“Um…” Bell didn’t know what to say to her words as he mulled them over.

“…But no…please think nothing of it.” Ryu shook her head slowly. “My intuition is often wrong.”

But Bell wouldn’t forget it. If anything, he took Ryu’s words to heart and internalized them. If he wanted to progress as an Adventurer, then he needed to take in all of the wisdom and experience he could and put it into practice.

“A Grand Feat, huh?” Bell murmured to himself while he headed home as the sun set and night began. “Every adventure has a meaning…” He wondered about everything he’d learned in the Dungeon and what other experiences he could have to grow further as an Adventurer.

The white-haired young man couldn’t have known that a new experience would soon find him instead.

-End Chapter-

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Bell’s basic instruction from Ais, Tione, and Tiona is complete.

He’s grown phenomenally from their teaching, his effort and desire, and Liaris Freese. He’s already hit ‘S’ in every stat aside from Magic! Can he get any stronger before a certain someone forces an encounter?

Lili’s new Skill ‘Harvester’ is already starting to show its merits. It’s not a guarantee, but it certainly helps with acquiring items from the Monsters.

We’ve also given Lili new clothes and new gear! We’re protecting our precious Bean! Superior Grade items to protect our favorite Supporter and make her job easier! With some sparring with Bell, how much will Lili improve? The difference in their Stats is significant after all, so the Excelia for Lili should match her effort against such a superior opponent, right?

What is the new experience on the horizon for Bell?

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!