Hephaestus Familia Premise Chapter 3 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a third chapter! Don’t know why the Muse is so interested in this story right now, but I’ll write it so that I can get to other works too. Now that Bell has done the impossible once…how will he progress? He’s already caught the eye of three of Loki Familia’s top Adventurers. I’m sure he’ll continue to attract attention throughout Orario. Perhaps our Fire Rabbit needs a place to relax and enjoy a drink and a meal?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 3 – A Heroic Flame Grows

“Well…what’s gone is gone…” Tsubaki hummed as she looked at the remaining parts of Bell’s armor and the hilt and broken blade that was left of Bell’s katana.

“I’m so sorry, Tsubaki.” Bell bowed his head to his Familia’s Captain. She had forged all of his starting gear herself and he’d gone and destroyed it in two weeks. Sure, there were extenuating circumstances, but he still felt bad about destroying her work.

“I’m just glad it fulfilled its purpose and you came back alive, little bunny.” Tsubaki waved off his concern with a smile. “I can remake armor and weapons. But nothing can bring a person back to life.”

“I…well…thank you, Tsubaki.” Bell returned her smile with one of his own. He was happy that she cared about him like that.

“Don’t worry about it, Bell.” Tsubaki fondly ruffled his hair, enjoying the softness. “But it’s gonna be a few days before I can replace your gear, so you’ll have to take a bit of time off from the Dungeon.”

“Right.” Bell agreed, knowing that even a master Smith like Tsubaki needed time to create quality equipment. “I’ve made some decent money over the last two weeks…I could explore more of Orario, maybe?”

“There you go, you’ve got a plan already.” Tsubaki chuckled at him. “Just stay out of the Red Light District and you’ll be fine.” The Half-Dwarf teased him with a grin.

“Tsu-Tsubaki!” Bell stumbled over her name, flustered by her bringing up such a topic unexpectedly.

“Hahahahaha!” Tsubaki laughed brightly at Bell’s reaction to her little joke. “Ah…you’re so innocent, Bell.” She took a breath to settle her bout of laughter. “But you’re at that age…no point in not thinking about it, even if it’s just for the future.” Tsubaki shrugged at the simple fact.

“Maybe…” Bell looked away a bit, his face a little red. It wasn’t like he didn’t think about things like that. He was sixteen…it was normal.

“From what I hear, you had the Hyrute Sisters all over you when you came back from the Dungeon.” Tsubaki teased him with a big grin.

“I, that was, I didn’t…Tsubaki!” Bell tried to explain the situation, but it was exactly as Tsubaki had described it. Tione and Tiona had been very insistent on holding onto him until the rest of their Familia had come from the Dungeon and they’d had to leave.

“Hehehe…” Tsubaki puffed out her chest, drawing Bell’s eyes to her large tits for a second. “But you’ll have to keep on growing and getting stronger if you want to keep the attention of Level 5 Amazons, like those two.” She leaned forward with a teasing smirk. “Even the Kenki seemed interested in you, according to some rumors.” Seeing Bell turn even more red in the face made her snicker. “Is my little bunny trying to make himself a harem?”

“No!” Bell blurted out instantly, the memories of the MANY times his grandfather had spoken of harems were all flooding his mind at the same time. “I’m not! Really! It’s not like that!” He shook his head side to side.

“Pwahahahaha!” Tsubaki laughed loudly at his reaction, throwing her arm around his shoulders and pulling him into a side hug. “You’re too cute, Bell!”

“Tsubaki…come on…” Bell sighed out at the teasing. His cheek being pressed up against her sarashi, her large breasts pushing against his face, was becoming a rather familiar feeling. Not that he would ever get tired of it or anything.

“Alright, alright…” Tsubaki let him go with a grin. “Go explore Orario and familiarize yourself with the city a bit more. I should have all of your stuff replaced in three days.”

“Thank you, Tsubaki!” Bell beamed at her and Tsubaki ruffled his hair one more time before he was out the door.

-Orario ~ West of Babel Tower-

“It’s really amazing how big Orario is.” Bell mumbled to himself as he walked the streets and took in the sights. He hadn’t explored much of the city yet and felt that a few days off from the Dungeon would help remedy that.

Grumble

The sudden rumbling of his stomach reminded Bell that he’d been exploring for a few hours now. He’d gone to see a few of the biggest attractions in Orario first and that had taken him across the sprawling city. He’d seen the colosseum, Saint Fulland’s Cathedral, and he’d checked out a few of the market areas around the city. Honestly, he’d almost made a full circle of the city over the course of the morning.

“I guess I should find a place to get some food.” Bell decided as he walked down the street.

“Are you hungry?” A soft female voice asked.

“Huh?” Bell turned to where the voice came from and was met with a girl close to his age if not a year or so older.

The young woman had dark silvery hair that she kept tied with a small knot in a ponytail style. Her eyes were the same color as her hair and she had light colored smooth skin. She wore a white blouse and a leaf-colored knee-length long skirt. She also wore a slightly long half apron around her waist. Her legs were covered by black stockings and on her feet were simple brown boots.

“You wanted a place to get some food, right?” The girl asked, a small smile on her lips.

“Oh, uh, yes.” Bell focused on the conversation again.

“You can eat here, if you’d like.” The girl motioned towards the building behind her, a large two-story building of wood and stone. The sign above the double doors named it the ‘Hostess of Fertility’. “It’s where I work.”

“A tavern?” Bell blinked at not having noticed that he was standing in front of such an establishment when his hunger had made itself known.

“Yep!” The woman smiled at Bell. “We’re well-known and a favorite of locals and Adventurers alike! The booze is good and so is the food.” She gave a perfect, short presentation of the business to a potential customer, with a cute smile and all.

“Okay.” Bell decided to go along with it. He was hungry and standing in front of a place that sold food, so why not?

“Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility. My name is Syr, and I’ll be taking care of you today.” Syr introduced herself with a bright smile as she led Bell inside the tavern. “One, now seating!” She called out and led Bell over to the corner of the bar to the only seat on the short end that was near the stairs leading up to the second floor.

“Thank you.” Bell sat down and accepted the menu that Syr handed to him.

“No problem,” Syr smiled at him. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Uh…” Bell quickly looked over the menu for the selection. “What’s gourdberry juice?”

“Gourdberry is a fruit from the Dungeon.” Syr explained with a small smile. “If you ferment it, then it becomes a smooth and soothing alcoholic beverage. But the juice by itself is tasty with a hint of sweetness.”

“I’ll try that.” Bell decided with a nod.

“Sure thing.” Syr gave him a grin before trotting off to the back to get his requested drink.

Bell’s eyes wandered over the inside of the tavern between looking at the menu. It was a fairly cozy space with a large hearth at one end, multiple tables, and a long bar. What his eyes followed most of all though, were the waitresses. Two Cat Girls, one brunette and the other a ravenette, a cute brunette human girl, and the one that caught his eye the most was the beautiful Elf with the dark green hair and blue eyes. He vaguely wondered if that was her natural hair color, but didn’t know why he even considered that it wouldn’t be.

“Here you are, Bell.” Syr set his drink down with a smile.

“Thank you, Miss Syr.” Bell returned the smile and then pointed to the menu. “I’d like the pork roast, if possible, the potatoes and greens come with it, right?”

“Yes, they do. That’s a very popular dish with the locals around here.” Syr confirmed and complimented his choice before taking the menu back from him and heading towards the kitchen to place his order.

Bell sipped the gourdberry juice and tasted it for a moment. “Sweet, but not sweet enough that I dislike it.” He had never been one for very sweet foods or drinks. The gourdberry juice was just about perfect for his tolerance of sweetness.

-Kitchen-

“I think you have an admirer, Ryu.” Syr giggled as she spoke to her Elf friend.

“Syr…” Ryu sighed at the other girl.

“This one is a good one.” Syr spoke softly, her own cheeks taking on a light pink color. “A pure flame…warm and comforting.”

“Flame?” Ryu felt her heart ache for a brief moment as she remembered her late Familia, and especially her Captain, Alise. But Syr’s eyes were never wrong. She could see people much differently than others. “I don’t recognize that young man.”

“If I’m right,” Syr usually was when it came to rumors and gossip. “That is Lady Hephaestus’s newest child and the only Adventurer in her Familia. The one that slayed a Minotaur at Level 1.”

“I see.” Ryu’s face only showed the barest hint of emotion as she looked towards the doorway leading out to the main room. If that was the case, then that young man was the one that had sent Orario into its current uproar. Deities and Adventurers alike were all talking about the sheer impossibility of what had happened. But with three of Loki Familia’s Executives all claiming to have witnessed the feat, no one could deny the validity of the incident.

“Want me to introduce you?” Syr grinned at Ryu playfully.

“I can introduce myself when the time comes.” Ryu denied her friend, a soft smile on her lips. “I don’t recall ever seeing you so interested in a person so soon after meeting.”

“Like I said,” Syr looked towards the doorway of the kitchen. “He’s a good one.” Her silvery eyes seemed to have a faint glow in them.

-Bell-

“So, you’re the one the whole city is going crazy over, huh?” The woman behind the bar grinned at Bell. “I’m Mia Grand, I own this place.” She introduced herself to him.

Mia had brown eyes and long brown hair. She wore the Hostess of Fertility uniform just like the other waitresses, but hers was a blue color instead of green, most likely to denote her position as owner. If Bell wasn’t mistaking it, the woman was either a, rather tall, Dwarf or perhaps a Half-Dwarf like Tsubaki.

“Uh, yes…I guess?” Bell looked down at the bar top sheepishly. He hadn’t meant for his fighting of a Minotaur to become such a big deal.

“No need to be so modest, boy.” Mia chuckled at Bell. “Defeating a Minotaur singlehandedly is praiseworthy, especially at Level 1.” She set a flagon of ale in front of Bell. “On the house. You keep coming back alive, and I’ll fill you full of good food and booze. You’ll be a winner!” Mia smiled at the young man, giving her own brand of encouragement to him.

“Y-Yes! Thank you, ma’am.” Bell couldn’t help but smile brightly at the woman.

“That’s more like it!” Mia nodded to Bell. She preferred her patrons smiling and happy. A young man should be proud of his accomplishments, and an Adventurer even more so when they pulled off the impossible.

“Here’s your order, Bell!” Syr had returned with the pork roast and sides on a platter, all of the food still steaming and fresh. “Ryu will refill your drink.” She motioned to the beautiful Elf woman that Bell’s eyes had been drawn to earlier.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Ryu.” Bell gave a nod and a smile to the Elf.

“It is nice to meet you as well, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu refilled his drink while giving him a small nod. She’d just let Syr introduce her, seeing as her friend hadn’t given her much choice.

“Let the boy enjoy his food, you both still have other customers to take care of.” Mia waved the two waitresses away as Bell dug into his meal.

“This is great.” Bell blinked at the flavor of the pork as he chewed it.

“Of course, it is, it came from my kitchen.” Mia chuckled at Bell’s obvious enjoyment of the food before heading down the bar to refill another customer’s drink.

After Bell had finished his meal and paid, he headed for the door only to be met by Syr and Ryu.

“We hope you enjoyed your meal, Bell.” Syr gave him a smile and a small bow.

“It was delicious, Miss Syr.” Bell smiled back.

“We look forward to serving you again, Mr. Cranel.” Ryu gave him a small bow as well.

“I’ll definitely be back, Miss Ryu.” Bell nodded to her with a bright grin.

Syr and Ryu watched Bell walk down the street for a moment before heading back inside to continue their work. Syr had a cute little smile on her face the whole time. Ryu’s face was the same calm look that she always had, but to those that knew her, there was a hint of curiosity in her blue eyes.

-Hephaestus Familia Home-

“Oh…you look beautiful, Lady Hephaestus.” Bell complimented his Goddess as she walked towards a waiting carriage.

“Thank you, Bell.” Hephaestus smiled at her child. The Goddess of the Forge was wearing a lovely red dress, a single strap went over her right shoulder with a large flower ornament adorning it. The dress emphasized her bust and thin waist until just past her hips, where it had thick layers of ruffs, and then continued to flow down to around her ankles similar to a gown. Her long red hair was even done up in a flowing ponytail for the evening. “I’ll be going to the Banquet of the Gods this evening, so I’ll be back late.”

“I hope you have a good time.” Bell smiled at her, happy that she was taking a night for herself. “Can I help you?” He offered his hand to help her up into the carriage.

“Thank you.” Hephaestus accepted and stepped up into the carriage. “Don’t do anything crazy or dangerous while I’m gone.” She grinned at him.

“I didn’t plan on anything.” Bell rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

The carriage moved away, heading down the street and Bell waved until it rounded the corner. With a day off well spent, Bell headed inside the Hephaestus Familia Home to relax. It would be another two days before his new gear was ready, so he had time to kill.

-Ganesha Familia Home ~ Aiam Ganesha ~ Banquet of the Gods-

“Just as lively as ever.” Hephaestus shook her head as she entered the massive home of the Ganesha Familia. It seemed like most of the Deities within Orario were here for the festivities. She took a glass of wine from a passing waiter and sipped it as she walked around.

“Oh my…dear sister…what a coincidence, running into you here.” A smooth voice spoke up from behind Hephaestus.

“Hah…” Hephaestus felt her eyebrow twitch. “What do you want, Hermes?” She turned to look at her half-brother.

Hermes was a thin man, lean and handsome. He had blonde hair and orange eyes, and was known to have quite the charisma. For the Banquet he was wearing a tailored suit and a black hat with a large white plume. The little smile on his face and the look in his eyes were all the information Hephaestus needed to know exactly what he wanted.

“Oh, you wound me, dear sister!” Hermes placed his hand over his heart dramatically. “I merely wanted to say hello and see how you’ve been.”

“Uh huh…” Hephaestus didn’t believe that for a second. “I’m not telling you anything.”

“But I haven’t said I wanted to know anything?” Hermes’s grin widened a bit.

“Good. Don’t.” Hephaestus sipped her wine with a little smirk hidden by the glass.

“Ow…” Hermes gripped his chest in faux pain. “Words can hurt you know, sister.”

“I hope they do.” Hephaestus wouldn’t pull any punches with Hermes. The nosy God would take any scrap of information he could get.

“I will admit to being curious about your newest child…” Hermes’s eyes sparkled a little as he brought up the current hottest topic in Orario.

“Yes, he slayed a Minotaur at Level 1. That’s all you’re getting.” Hephaestus shot down any further inquiry.

“Aww, come on, Hephaestus…we’re family, you can tell me more, right?” Hermes sidled up to his sister with a winning smile.

“If I had one of my hammers right now, it would be striking you in the face already.” Hephaestus told Hermes flatly, her expression blank and uncaring.

“So, mean!” Hermes backed a large step away from Hephaestus. He wouldn’t put it past his sister to get physically violent with him if he pushed too hard.

“Go get you’re your gossip from someone else, brother.” Hephaestus shooed him away and turned to start strolling around the Banquet. She didn’t even try to hide the little smirk on her face as she walked away, leaving Hermes behind with no new information.

“Oh my, I see Hermes is being his usual self.” A lilting female voice spoke up a moment later.

“Good evening, Freya.” Hephaestus turned to the Norse Goddess of Beauty, Desire, Love, and a few other Domains. “I hope that you’re enjoying yourself. It’s rare to see you at a Banquet.”

Freya had a beauty that was superior and outstanding even among the Deities. She had long silver hair, silver eyes with a hint of purple in them, and white skin reminiscent of fresh snow. She also possessed a perfect golden ratio, enough to think that the idea of the golden ratio originated from her. This evening she wore a long, flowing, silver dress with a plunging neckline, showing off her ample cleavage. A black fur neckband covered her slender throat, and she had her signature flower-like ornaments in her hair.

“Oh, I thought I could kill some time.” Freya giggled lightly, waving off her rare appearance at such events.

“Same here.” Hephaestus admitted to being here to just kill some time while enjoying her evening.

“I heard the news about your newest child. He sounds most impressive.” Freya complimented the Goddess of the Forge with a smile.

“He got very lucky.” Hephaestus sighed, remembering how she’d worried about Bell until she’d been able to make sure that he was okay. “I swear, he’s going to give me gray hairs.”

“Fufufu…” Freya giggled behind her hand. “From what I understand, he possesses powerful Fire Magic, going beyond what a Level 1 should be capable of.” The silvery eyes of the Goddess sparkled with amusement. “You wouldn’t have happened to have a Demi-God child of your own, did you?”

“I think I’d remember meeting a Level 8 Adventurer, romancing them, sleeping with them, getting pregnant, and giving birth, Freya.” Hephaestus deadpanned at the other Goddess.

The higher an Adventurer’s Level, the more Divinity they had within them. But for a Deity and a Mortal to make a child together, the Mortal would need to be at least Level 8 to even have a small chance. Seeing as the only known Level 8’s of the current era had died when the Zeus and Hera Familias had tried to slay the One-Eyed Black Dragon, there simply weren’t anymore around to attempt such a thing with. In the distant past, a few Demi-Gods had been born, lived, and died. But none had been born in the last six hundred years or so. Such births quickly spread around the world as exciting news amongst the Deities after all.

“Yes, I suppose that is true.” Freya sighed wistfully before sipping her own wine.

“If anyone is close to having a chance to conceive a Demi-God, it’s you.” Hephaestus remarked with a teasing grin. “Your Familia’s Captain is at the limit of Level 7, if I recall. He just needs a Grand Feat to give him the final push to Level 8.”

“Yes…my Ottar is plateaued at the moment.” Freya grinned as she thought about her lover. “But it’s very difficult to find anything that can challenge him enough to qualify as a Grand Feat nowadays.” The Goddess of Beauty sighed with a little pout. “I might actually have to give in to Ouranos’s little requests and send my children on an expedition into the deepest floors of the Dungeon.”

“A Dungeon Exploration Familia actually exploring the Dungeon…how tragic. What crazy demands will old Ouranos make after that?” Hephaestus joked with a small chuckle at the lightly pouting Freya. Her great-grandfather spent all of his time using his prayers to keep the Dungeon sealed beneath Babel Tower. He rarely interacted with anyone except through the Guild in the form of Quests to be carried out.

“But an expedition will keep them away from me for so long.” Freya sighed heavily, clearly unhappy with the idea of being separated from her children for such a length of time.

“That’s the same thing all of us go through when our children go off into the Dungeon on expeditions.” Hephaestus reminded Freya as they walked through the banquet together.

“Phai-tan! Freya!” Loki zoomed over from across the room, clearly having spotted them only a moment ago. “How’re you two doing this evening?” She grinned at the other two Goddesses.

“Well enough, it’s nice to see you again, Loki.” Hephaestus greeted the Trickster Goddess.

“It has been a while since we’ve had a chat, Loki.” Freya had a little smile on her lips.

“Got some business to talk about with you later, if that’s alright, Phai-tan.” Loki asked Hephaestus with a smile.

“Of course, come by any time.” Hephaestus nodded to her fellow redhead. “I heard that your Familia was forced back on Floor Fifty this time?”

“Fifty?” Freya looked mildly interested. “I do believe that your Familia made it down to Floor Fifty-Six before, did they not?”

“They ran into some weird kinda new species of Monster.” Loki shrugged with a sigh. “The weird bugs spewed acid that melted weapons, shields, armor…they couldn’t do much against that. My kids were forced to turn back with the loss of equipment and the number of injuries they had.” She looked at Hephaestus seriously. “That’s what the business I want to talk to you is about. We’re gonna need some things that can handle this new species. Not to mention some extra firepower on top of that.”

“I’m sure my Familia can meet all of your needs, Loki.” Hephaestus nodded confidently. She believed in her children and their skills. Whatever Loki wanted to order, they would get it made and to the highest quality. The Loki Familia would have to pay for such quality, of course.

“Ah, but I DID have one other thing to talk to you about, Phai-tan.” Loki leaned into Hephaestus’s personal space. “That new boy of yours, the one that slayed the Minotaur. He’s got two of my girls all fired up! Even my Ais is showing interest in him!” Loki had crocodile tears pouring from her eyes. “It’s not fair! Tell him to stop seducing my adorable girls!”

“Bell isn’t seducing your girls.” Hephaestus deadpanned at Loki’s words. “Your girls saw him take down that Minotaur and got interested in him. The Hyrute Sisters should’ve been expected, Amazons love strong men. It’s literally part of their warrior culture.”

“Ah, yes, if I recall correctly the Amazons call their sudden and intense attraction to their chosen males something specific…I think it was ‘their blood is on fire’ or something similar?” Freya had her left hand cupping her cheek with a fond smile on her face. As a Goddess of Love and Desire, such traits of the Mortal Races intrigued her as they fell within her Domains.

“It’s not fair!” Loki pouted loudly. “They’re my adorable girls!” She made a grabbing motion with her hands, like she was squeezing something. “I should be the one that gets to revel in their love and affection!”

Both Freya and Hephaestus could only look at Loki with flat expressions.

-Dungeon ~ Sixth Floor ~ Two Days Later-

“Seriously, Bell…Lili leaves for one day, and you get attacked by a Minotaur?” Lili looked at Bell with a sigh. “Does Lili have to keep watch over you all the time to make sure you don’t end up dead?”

“Well, there were extenuating circumstances.” Bell reminded Lili with a light chuckle. “I am glad to have you back with me though, Lili.” He smiled at the Prum brightly.

“You’re easy to work with. So, Lili doesn’t mind helping you out.” Lili grinned back at Bell as they walked. “Lili heard you got some admirers out of your little encounter too.” She teased with a snicker.

“Lili…it’s not like that…” Bell really wished people would stop saying that. He hadn’t even seen Tione, Tiona, or Ais since that day. Not that he would’ve minded seeing the three of them or anything.

“You’re blushing, Bell.” Lili’s giggling laughter made Bell sputter as he turned away from her.

“I am hoping to try out my new strength today. Thanks for agreeing to take me down to the Sixth Floor, Lili.” Bell thanked Lili with a small grin.

“With how powerful your Magic is, we would’ve had to drop down fairly soon anyway. So, it’s not a problem.” Lili waved off, even though she did appreciate the thanks.

Crack

The wall a little further ahead of them broke apart.

Crack

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More of the wall in front and behind them began to crack as War Shadows emerged from all of them. The black shadowy monsters all turned to face Bell and Lili at almost the same moment. Bell drew his new katana and held it at the ready. It looked nearly identical to his first sword, the only difference being that this one’s hilt wrap felt slightly different to the touch. Tsubaki had guaranteed that it was a bit stronger than his first one and should last longer even as the power of his Magic grew.

“Guguguh.” One of the War Shadows made the odd sound the Monster was known for before the entire group rushed at Bell and Lili in a pincer maneuver.

“Monster Party!” Lili raised her right arm, revealing a bowgun secured to her forearm. In a second three bolts had been loosed and shattered the ‘faces’ of the War Shadows coming from behind. The Monsters dropped to the ground dead from the instant kill shots.

“Hyah!” Bell moved forward to meet the charge of the three War Shadows in front. “Ignite!” His blade was wrapped in flames and he swung it through the closest War Shadow’s waist. The golem-like Monster was split in two and engulfed in flames. The second and third fared no better as Bell unleashed a torrent of fire upon them, blasting both backwards and to the ground. The burning War Shadows thrashed around for a bit before going still. The flames died out a few moments later leaving behind three charred corpses.

“That was easy enough.” Lili mentioned as she started harvesting the Magic Stones. “You didn’t panic at all. Most new Adventurers try and retreat the first time they experience a Monster Party.”

“Well, it wasn’t much compared to that pathway that led to the Fifth Floor Pantry.” Bell shrugged, watching Lili’s back as she worked. “Six Monsters isn’t much compared to that day.” Bell was still going over the fight in his head though. He didn’t want to become complacent. ‘Could I have taken out all three at the same time?’ He mused as he replayed the battle in his head.

“All done!” Lili announced as she hefted her large green backpack onto her shoulders again. “Are you ready to go, Bell?”

“Yeah, let’s continue!” Bell nodded, eager to further put his new strength to the test.

The day was going pretty normal for the two overall. Lili led the way and Bell killed whatever Monsters appeared. Frog Shooters, War Shadows, Purple Moths, Dungeon Lizards…all were consumed by his flames. It wasn’t until after they’d eaten lunch in a cleared out area that the day had taken an odd turn.

“That’s odd.” Lili remarked, looking into a large rectangular cavern that they’d come across at the end of the corridor they’d been walking down.

“What’s wrong, Lili?” Bell asked, only seeing the cavern as a dead end.

“Lili is familiar with the Upper Floors, but she doesn’t recall this corridor leading to a dead end like this.” Lili shook her head, examining the cavern without stepping into it. “This pathway should’ve led us to a wider corridor that connected to a cavern that is known for spawning Killer Ants.”

“Did the Dungeon layout change?” Bell questioned, knowing that on certain occasions, and under specific conditions, the Dungeon did alter its pathways temporarily.

“Lili thinks we should avoid this.” Lili took a step back from the large rectangular cavern.

“Is it a Dungeon gimmick?” Bell could only think of the natural traps that existed within the Dungeon. Gimmicks were ways that the Dungeon could eliminate the Adventurers that entered it. They were often terrain hazards, like collapsing floors and deep shafts that dropped unsuspecting parties down an entire floor, or sometimes two floors. But could also be things like thick fog that hid Monsters, or deep waters with powerful currents. The Dungeon was not a safe place outside of some very select areas, and even then, the Monsters could still invade those areas if they desired.

“Lili thinks this is what’s known as a Monster House.” Lili eyed the cavern warily. “It’s like a Monster Party on steroids. Forget five or even fifteen Monsters spawning all at once. A Monster House can produce Monsters constantly until the Adventurers inside are dead or it runs out of energy. How much energy it has is based on how long it’s been since it formed.”

“Is there a way to tell how long this one has been here?” Bell looked around for anything, but all he saw was smooth stone in the cavern.

“There’s not, unfortunately.” Lili shook her head. “Lili hasn’t heard of a Monster House being cleared on the Sixth Floor in a while though. We should assume it’s been here for a good amount of time.”

“What happens if you step inside?” Bell questioned his Supporter curiously.

“If you make it far enough in, Monsters will begin to spawn rapidly. They’ll trap you inside and just keep coming until you’re dead.” Lili answered before she blinked at the look on Bell’s face. “No…Bell…Lili thinks this is a very bad idea!”

“But Lili…nothing today has really been a challenge.” Bell already had his hand on the hilt of his katana. “If I fight inside the room and you support me from the corridor, then we could probably clear this out ourselves.”

“Lili can’t believe what she’s hearing.” Lili shook her head with a put upon sigh. “The bad thing is…Lili thinks you might be right.” The Supporter smiled up at Bell and puled back her sleeve to reveal her bowgun. “Let’s do it, Bell.”

“Thanks, Lili!” Bell grinned brightly before drawing his sword and stepping into the rectangular cavern. He made it about a third of the way into the large open space before the gimmick reacted to his presence.

Crack

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Monsters shattered their way through the walls and even the ceiling. War Shadows, Frog Shooters, Kobolds, Goblins, Dungeon Lizards, Purple Moths, and Killer Ants all zeroed in on Bell.

“Grrrrr!”

“Grah!”

“Skreee!”

“Kero!”

“Guguguh!”

“Ssshhhrraaahhh!”

The various cries of the Monsters surrounded Bell as he hardened his rubellite gaze and focused. “Ignite!” The flames appeared around Bell like a cloak. A snap was heard and condensed flames surrounded his katana, which he held at the ready. “Bring it on!”

The Monsters attacked all at once. Frog Shooters launched their tongues from a distance while the other Monsters tried to bum rush Bell.

“Yipe!”

“Gah!”

Two pained cries came from behind Bell, and he grinned knowing that Lili was doing her part to keep some of the Monsters off of him. He swung his sword and unleashed a massive wall of flames. As the Monsters directly in front of him burned, Bell pivoted to face the right and charged the incoming Monsters.

“Guguguh!” Three War Shadows swiped at Bell with their knife-like fingers. Bell backstepped out of their range to avoid the attack. With a swing of his blade the shadowy Monsters were engulfed in fire.

“Yah!” Bell skipped to the side to avoid a Kobold pouncing on him and slammed an Ikkotsu into its head for the Monster’s trouble. The flaming fist caved in the Kobold’s skull and sent its body colliding with more approaching Monsters. A downward swing of his katana and the staggered group were torched in an intense wave of fire.

“Kero!” A Frog Shooter tongue slammed into Bell’s back, making him slam his right foot down to prevent falling forward. Thankfully his armor absorbed the real damage from the blow. “KERRROOO!!!” The Frog Shooter croaked loudly in pain as it retracted its burnt tongue. The tip that had touched Bell’s blazing body was blackened.

“Haah!” Bell moved his body in a two-hundred-seventy degree spin, slicing through a Goblin in the process, and unleashed another wave of fire towards the injured Frog Shooter. The amphibian Monster, as well as all of the ones in its general direction, cried out in pain for a few seconds as they burned to death.

“He’s doing well so far.” Lili remarked to herself, still firing bolts into the horde of Monsters to kill the ones she could. Lightening Bell’s load was her task for this battle. Any Monster that tried to charge at her quickly met their end at the Level 2 Supporter’s bowgun.

“Burn!” Bell exclaimed as he swung his sword towards the Purple Moths that were flying above the battle, raining down their toxic powder. The insect Monsters had no chance, all of them burst into flames like they were made of tinder. Their charred husks fell to the stone floor one after another.

“Grah!” A Goblin tried to leap onto Bell’s back.

“Hup!” Bell easily adjusted his stance, like Mikoto had shown him, and bisected the Goblin. The two halves of the Monster burst into flames and hit the floor behind Bell. He didn’t have time to be happy about his growing skill with his blade though.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

The Monster House was far from done with him yet.

“GRRRR!!!” A group of Kobolds rushed him together.

The flames surrounding Bell roared as he rushed forward to meet the dog-headed Monsters. A slash killed the lead Kobold, a wave of fire torched the second, and a stab finished off the third. The remaining two Kobolds tried to pincer Bell but didn’t seem to realize that Bell’s flames were all under his control and that he didn’t need to swing his sword to move them. Fire burst from Bell’s body and blasted the two Kobolds away as he pulled his blade from the charred flesh of the Kobold that he’d stabbed.

“Ikkotsu!” Bell slammed his left fist into a War Shadow as he dodged its lashing claws, the tips bouncing off his armor and leaving tiny marks on the metal. The force of the punch seemed to be too much as the War Shadow burst apart into black ash, a clear sign that it’s Magic Stone had been destroyed. “Yah!” Bell didn’t let the destruction stop him, his katana was already in motion, cleaving through a Dungeon Lizard that had dropped down from above. The blaze he unleashed as he completed his swing consumed a group of Goblins, Frog Shooters, and Kobolds that had been to his left before he’d turned to face them.

“Guguguh!” Bell grimaced as he felt a sharp pain across his side. A War Shadow had caught him from his blind spot.

“Hah!” Bell decapitated the golem Monster, its severed head bursting into flames as it sailed into the horde of Monsters. He quickly checked his injury visually, it stung, but it wasn’t as bad as he initially thought. Just some superficial cuts. He could still fight!

“Kero!” A Frog Shooter launched its tongue at Bell, looking to capture him and drag him into its mouth. Bell slashed its tongue in half for the attempt.

“Like Miss Mikoto…” Bell remembered how Mikoto had shown him to move while wielding his katana. The blade was an extension of his arms. His body motions would determine its path. If he was fluid in motion, his speed with the blade would increase. A Kobold lost an arm to a swing. A Goblin lost its head. The Frog Shooter that had attacked him was cleaved almost in two vertically. A Dungeon Lizard was nearly bisected as it leapt at him.

“Is he getting faster?!” Lili blinked as Bell’s movements became a bit quicker and he reacted to changes in the battle as they happened. Every Monster cut by Bell’s sword burned, but now the blasts of flames were narrower, more controlled. “He’s refining his technique mid-battle.” The Supporter realized, even as she shot a Kobold through the face and dropped the Monster a dozen meters from her position.

When the Monster House finally ran out of energy, Bell was surrounded by a floor of charred corpses. Piles had built up here and there, and even Lili had made a rather widespread pile from the various Monsters that had tried to rush her and get into the corridor. The floor was blackened, as were most of the walls. With a rumble, the far wall on the opposite side from the corridor collapsed revealing the path that Lili remembered being there in the first place.

“Hah…hah…that was…more than…I thought there would be.” Bell breathed heavily as the temperature in the cavern began to decrease. He sheathed his katana, noticing it still didn’t have a mark on it from his Magic, though its edge might need a little maintenance after this ordeal.

“That was impressive, Bell.” Lili congratulated him as she stepped over the various bodies all over the floor. “Do you need a Low Potion for those injuries?” She asked, pointing out his side, and a few other places that had been injured during the free-for-all battle.

“Yeah…that would help.” Bell nodded and Lili handed him a vial with the light blue Potion in it. “Thank you.” He popped the cork off and drank down the medicine. With a sigh of relief, the pain faded as his injuries healed up.

“What about a Mind Potion?” Lili had seen how much Magic had been used during that drawn out battle. She was kind of surprised that Bell wasn’t swaying on his feet.

“I think I’m okay.” Bell relaxed himself and focused on his Mind. It was a trick that Mikoto had shown him to help determine how close he was to a Mind Down. “Yeah, I should be fine as long as we don’t run into a bunch of Monsters on the way back.”

“Then Lili will try and take the easiest way back once we’re done here.” Lili nodded as she pulled out her knife and kneeled down next to the dead Goblin that was at her feet already. She had a lot of work to do.

-Basement of Babel Tower ~ Later-

Bell and Lili finally reached the top of the massive spiraling staircase that led down to the Dungeon. It was a bit crowded this afternoon, so there walking speed was slowed as they had to keep pace with the rest of the crowd. It was because of this slowed speed that Bell noticed several large crates on wheels off to the side near the wall.

“What’s that?” Bell wondered, trying to recall if he’d ever seen or heard about such a thing. “Are those cargo containers for expeditions? I wonder which Familia is using them?”

The crate rattled and a distinctive growl was heard from within.

“What the?” Bell blinked at the container as he continued to walk along with the crowd. ‘Is there a Monster in there?’

“It’s about that time again.” Lili spoke up, seeing the confusion on Bell’s face. “Ganesha Familia is holding Monsterphilia.”

“Monsterphilia?” Bell questioned Lili as they approached the exit.

“A big festival where the members of the Ganesha Familia make Monsters that they’ve captured from the Dungeon preform tricks and obey commands.” Lili explained to him. “It’s a big event each year. Even people from outside of Orario come to see it.”

“So, they tame Monsters, like a circus or something?” Bell could barely wrap his mind around the thought.

“Sort of.” Lili shrugged since it was kind of close. “Ganesha Familia has a few members with the Taming Skill, and their crowning achievement was the Xenos.”

“Xenos?” Bell noticed several Guild employees among the members of the Ganesha Familia as the cargo crates were moved towards a secondary exit.

“Tamed Monsters that have gained enough intelligence to speak.” Lili replied and cracked a grin at seeing the shock on Bell’s face. “Yeah, that’s most people’s reaction to hearing about them. But about ten years ago, Ganesha Familia showed off the first few Xenos and everyone was amazed. They can talk, think, and even share ideas. It was practically considered a Miracle. Lord Ouranos and the Guild have granted the Xenos under Ganesha Familia the right to live on the surface so long as they don’t cause trouble.”

“So, these Xenos are members of Ganesha Familia?” Bell wondered why he’d never seen one of them since he’d been in Orario.

“Honorary Members, yes. Monsters can’t have a Falna placed on them.” Lili told Bell what she knew. “But if you attack a Xenos that’s wearing the Ganesha Familia emblem, it’s considered an attack on Ganesha Familia.”

“Do the Xenos ever revert back to regular Monsters?” Bell worried about what would happen if a Monster went wild on the surface.

“Not that anyone has ever seen.” Lili shook her head. “If they’re separated from a Tamer for long enough, especially in the Dungeon, they can supposedly become confused and lost. If you find a Xenos like that in the Dungeon, you can take them back to the Ganesha Familia for a hefty reward. A lot of time and work goes into training up a Monster into a Xenos, so the Ganesha Familia is willing to pay to keep from losing them.”

“All of that from a Skill…” Bell marveled at what the Blessing of the Gods could allow the people of the world to accomplish. ‘Monsterphilia, huh? Maybe I should find out when it is and go see it for myself?’

-Guild Exchange-

“Y-You’re total is 116,048 Valis.” The man behind the exchange window had finally finished going through all of the Magic Stones that Lili and Bell had brought back from their haul today. They’d had to use the big drawer on the side of the exchange three times to get all of them onto the other side of the counter.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell smiled at the man as he accepted the large sack from the big drawer. “Time to split the loot.” He grinned at Lili, seeing his friend eyeing the sack with a gleam in her eyes.

It took a bit, but Bell had counted out exactly 58,024 Valis for the fifty percent that made up Lili’s share. She’d happily stashed it into her large backpack and told him that she’d meet him tomorrow morning at the same time. Lili also planned on getting a Status Update tonight, since she’d done a good bit of Monster slaying today with Bell.

“Hello, Miss Misha!” Bell smiled at his Advisor as he sat down across from her, the sack of Valis safely at his side.

“You look a little roughed up today, Bell, are you alright?” Misha questioned him while laying out a blank report form along with her quill and ink.

“Yeah, nothing a Low Potion couldn’t fix.” Bell assured her that he was fine.

Alright then, let’s get your report taken care of.” Misha nodded for him to begin and Bell began to recount his day in the Dungeon.

“When Lili said it was probably a Monster House, I thought that it might be a good challenge and help me grow my Basic Abilities more.” Bell continued on, not noticing that Misha’s writing was slowing down. “Lili agreed after a little convincing and promised to support me from the corridor. So, I stepped into the Monster House and the walls all burst open with Monsters. I used my Magic to fight them, but I don’t know how long the battle lasted, just that it was quite a while.” Bell patted the sack of Valis beside him. “But we killed all three-hundred-ninety-eight Monsters before the Monster House ran out of energy and fell apart.” He stopped talking when he noticed that Misha had stopped writing. “Um…Miss Misha?”

“Bell…” Misha rolled up a small stack of papers that she had brought with her and then smacked him atop the head with it. “WHY WOULD YOU PURPOSEFULLY GO INTO A MONSTER HOUSE?!” She swatted him again, even as he raised his arms to block the impromptu paper bludgeon. “Why would your Supporter let you go in?! Are you insane?!” Another swat from the rolled up papers landed on his arms.

“But it worked out, Miss Misha!” Bell tried to defend himself with words.

“You’ve got to be the craziest Adventurer that I’ve ever advised…” Misha sighed heavily before resuming her writing to get down the last of what Bell had said. “Seriously, you’re a newbie with barely over two weeks of dungeon crawling experience…how can you have already defeated a Minotaur and now cleared out a Sixth Floor Monster House?” Misha, in the privacy of her own mind, made a mental note to increase her bet on Bell leveling up within a year. As long as he survived, there was no way he wasn’t going to do something Grand Feat worthy sooner or later.

“I just want to get stronger.” Bell admitted quietly.

“Strength can come over time, Bell.” Misha sighed and shook her head. “What you’re doing is practically suicidal, even if the results are incredible. Adventurers that try the high-risk/high-reward lifestyle don’t last very long.”

“I see.” Bell thought about what Misha had said. “Maybe it would be better to build up a strong foundation first?” He hummed to himself as he mentally went over how he’d build up his own foundation of skills. ‘Maybe training with Miss Mikoto and Lord Takemikazuchi will give me an idea?’ Surely the War God and Miss Mikoto would have some ideas. The techniques that he was learning from them had already proven effective. “Techniques…” Bell nodded to himself.

“Gain experience and advance diligently, Bell.” Misha finished off his report. “Instead of throwing yourself headlong into insane situations, try setting a goal instead. Make the Twelfth Floor your goal for now and work your way through the Upper Floors until you can say for certain that you’ve conquered them all.” The pinkette offered with a smile. She might be a little lazy when it came to paperwork, but she wasn’t dumb! She could properly advise an Adventurer! Whether the said Adventurer would actually listen to her or not was a different thing altogether though.

“Yes, Miss Misha, I’ll take what you’ve said to heart.” Bell promised her as he picked up his sack of Valis and stood up. “Thank you for looking out for me.” He smiled at his Advisor.

“That’s my job, Bell.” Misha chuckled. “To help keep you alive. Now, go on, you have other places to be, right?” She playfully shooed him out of the Guild.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Misha!” Bell waved over his shoulder as he headed out. The trek back home was becoming more and more familiar nowadays.

-Hephaestus Familia Home ~ Hephaestus’s Office-

“Do I have to ban you from the Dungeon?” Hephaestus was not amused by what she saw in Bell’s Excelia. “I’m going to have to have a talk with Lili about keeping you out of trouble.” The Goddess of the Forge pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Actually, Lady Hephaestus, Miss Misha told be that I should set a goal and work diligently towards achieving it, rather than throw myself into situations like this. I think I understand better now, and I’m going to work on building up a strong foundation of skills while going through the Upper Levels.” Bell told his Goddess with a determined look on his face.

“At least you know when to take advice.” Hephaestus sighed, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders release. “Your Advisor is right, Bell. Focus on a goal and work towards it step by step. Rushing only leads to mistakes. And mistakes in the Dungeon can be fatal.” She finished his Status Update and was impressed by the growth. “It’s far more important that you come back home safely, than to end up dead because you tried to rush things.”

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell agreed with her, vowing that he’d create a rock solid foundation for all of his future skills and abilities to be built upon.

“Good.” Hephaestus smiled and handed him his updated Status.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – E 430 > D 502

Defense – F 383 > E 476

Dexterity – E 428 > D 511

Agility – E 416 > E 493

Magic – E 497 > D 589

-Magic-

Kindle – Fire Magic – Enchantment

Incantation: ‘Ignite’

-Skills-

Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.

Íroas Forge – Fast growth. The greater the effort towards the user's goal, the greater the effect. Removes ‘impurities’ from the user, such as Charms or Curses.

-Status-

“Is this from Íroas Forge’s effect?” Bell blinked at his growth…it was beyond incredible, even without being the ridiculous jump he’d gotten after slaying the Minotaur on the Fifth Floor.

“Yep.” Hephaestus chuckled, gently pulling him back against her chest as she softly brushed his hair with her fingers. “You put in a ton of effort today, so the growth was equally impressive.”

“It almost doesn’t seem real.” Bell murmured softly as he looked at his Status. Sure, he knew why he was growing so much, and he was putting in his absolute best to reach his goal, but it was still surreal to see the proof in front of his eyes.

“Don’t worry too much about your numbers, Bell.” Hephaestus spoke to him gently. “You just focus on becoming the best Adventurer that you can be. The numbers will come in response to your hard work. So, focusing on self-improvement of your foundation is a smart move.” If it stopped her child from throwing himself headfirst into danger, then that was just a very large and happy bonus.

“Yes, Goddess.” Bell nodded as he enjoyed her gentle embrace. He still wondered if this was what having a mother felt like. In his mind it had to be close.

-End Chapter-

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Bell gets his gear replaced, that’s good!

He met the ladies of the Hostess of Fertility too! Ryu is Best Elf! Syr is a heccin’ Bean!

The Banquet of the Gods at the Ganesha Familia home was a bit calmer this time around. Though Loki is demanding that Bell stop seducing ‘her’ girls! lol

Lili and Bell take on the Sixth Floor and find a Dungeon gimmick, a Monster House! Bell burns his way through it, and makes a revelation in the process. With Misha’s advice, Bell is going to start working towards building up a strong foundation for his skills to grow from!

That seems like a path to success as an Adventurer if you ask me!

What kind of foundation will Bell build up for himself? What types of techniques could he learn or create from that foundation?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!