Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 24 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! After the Pass Parade and the Shattered Shaft…Bell, Lili, and Welf are left to wander the Middle Floors, lost and disoriented. How will they escape with their lives? Lili has two options, and both could get them killed. Bell, as the leader of the Party, has to step up and make a choice. But a missing Bell and Lili will send Hestia into a frenzy, and we all know she isn’t just going to sit still!

If you’d like to become a patron and get access to these chapters earlier, just head on over to Pat re on and add a /Kairomaru after the com.

Make sure to thank the patrons that make these stories possible by checking out the Patron Plaque on my profile!

So, without further delay, please enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 24 – Rescue Mission, Safe Zone

-Dungeon ~ Fifteenth Floor-

“Haa…haa…haa…” The labored breathing of three injured and worn Adventurers was all that was heard in the silent tunnel. Damaged equipment, lost equipment, injuries, and completely lost on top of that on an unfamiliar Floor of the Dungeon; things were not looking good for Bell and his Party.

“Bell…Little Lili…if worse comes to worst, ditch me.” Welf requested, gritting his teeth, one arm over Bell’s shoulders as he hobbled forward. He was injured badly, having to drag his broken leg along as they attempted to find the path leading to the stairs that would get them back up to Floor Thirteen. Sweat was running down his face and his breathing was ragged as they trudged along.

“Why are you saying something so ridiculous?” Lili questioned, exhaling heavily and holding back a wince. That fall hadn’t been kind to any of them, and the following explosion had knocked them unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Her large pack was torn and a good number of its contents had been lost, but she’d still strapped Welf’s greatsword to the side and moved on.

“No…absolutely not.” Bell denied Welf’s request without a second of hesitation. His breathing was heavy, his body hurt, but he still helped Welf hobble forward. He wouldn’t abandoned anyone; they were all making it home. His Salamander Wool, much like Welf and Lili’s, was torn up here and there from the fall and the rocks, but it had protected them from the explosion earlier.

“…sorry.” Welf apologized for suggesting it. He tried to lighten Bell’s load a bit by using his good leg more.

‘We would’ve been wiped out by that explosion if not for Eina’s advice about the Salamander Wool.’ Bell briefly looked down at the red cloak he was wearing. ‘She told me about the ‘Shattered Shaft’ too…but how far did we fall?’ Falling for any Dungeon gimmick was bad and potentially fatal. But Bell was trying to use the knowledge he’d studied for before coming to the Middle Levels to get an idea of just what their current situation was. ‘The gimmick known as ‘Shattered Shaft’ consists of three parts…first the Dungeon will spawn a Monster Party from the ceiling, usually Bad Bats. The Bat Monsters then use their howl to paralyze the Adventurers, and finally the floor beneath their feet gives way as the rocks from the ceiling smash it, revealing the shaft to a lower floor.’ He went over what he and Eina had studied together in his head as the Party trudged forward. ‘The only question now is: did we fall one floor or two?’

“…another one.” Lili sighed in disappointment as the Party stopped walking, the tunnel they’d been traveling down stopped dead at a solid wall. “Another dead end.”

“Tsk…” Welf grunted seeing the wall. This made three in a row, it seemed like every path, corridor, and tunnel in this area led to a dead end.

‘The situation is bad. Things look bleak.’ Bell thought to himself, making sure not to voice his thoughts so that he didn’t demoralize Lili and Welf any further than the current situation already had.

“…woo.” Lili exhaled audibly, not in defeat, but just to clear her head. The Supporter breathed in slowly, before exhaling slow and long one more time. “Let’s settle down for a moment.” She offered as Bell and Welf turned to face her. “First, we should check what equipment and supplies we still have.” Lili pulled her torn up backpack off her shoulders and set it in front of her. After a few moments of looking through it the Prum nodded to herself. “Lili has four Low Potions, two Antidotes, and a bag of Morbul, the monster repellant that Miss Naaza made. For weapons she has her bowgun and a single quiver of bolts, plus her knife.”

“I’ve got nothing but that greatsword.” Welf motioned to his sword strapped to Lili pack. “But the Salamander Wool still works.” He patted the red cloak he was wearing.

“I have two Low Potions, and the single Dual Potion Naaza gave us for helping her and Miach complete the first batch.” Bell checked over his on hand supplies. “As for weapons, I still have the Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru…but I lost my spear in the rockslide…sorry, Welf.” He apologized to his friend.

“Don’t worry, Bell, when we get back to the surface, I’ll make you an even better one.” Welf chuckled through the pain in his leg, trying to liven up the dire situation a bit.

“Given our loss of equipment and supplies, we should do what we can to avoid fighting Monsters.” Lili advised, going over their meager gear in her head. “Wandering blindly like this is also extremely dangerous.” She motioned to the dead end they’d hit. “That brings Lili to a suggestion, please listen until the end…” Getting nods form Bell and Welf, she continued. “Considering how long we were falling, we likely dropped two floors.” The Supporter, even in the confusion of the ‘Shattered Shaft’, had tried to gain as much information as possible. “This could very well be Foor Fifteen. Getting to the safer Upper Floors is near impossible. Therefore, Lili suggests rather than trying to go up… going down instead…and taking shelter on the Eighteenth Floor.”

“Take shelter on the Eighteenth…?” Bell questioned Lili in confusion. He knew of the safe zone…but going down meant stronger Monsters between them and the Eighteenth Floor.

“Floor Eighteen is one of the few places in the Dungeon where Monsters don’t spawn.” Lili emphasized the safety of the Floor. “Adventurers planning to travel to the Deep Levels use it as a staging area. That being the case, we should be able to get help from other Adventurers in the safe point.”

“But Lili…if we go any further down, we have to find the stairs…and we don’t even know where we are right now.” Bell pointed out that they were completely lost and disorientated at the moment.

“We’ll use the shafts.” Lili countered with a firm look in her eyes. That made Bell blink at his girlfriend. “There are hundreds of those shafts all over the Middle Floors. We can go down floors by jumping into any one of them. Lili believes we have a much better chance of using the shafts to get to Floor Eighteen rather than wandering around trying to find the only stairs going up.”

“What about the Floor Boss?” Welf brought up the most major detriment to Lili’s idea. “It’s the Seventeenth Floor, right? That’s where that big guy is…Monster Rex, Goliath.” Everyone knew that every path leading through the Seventeenth Floor lead to the Boss Room known as the Great Wall of Sorrows.

“The day that Master Bell slew the Red Minotaur was about two weeks ago.” Lili informed Welf, since the Blacksmith didn’t know. “Loki Familia’s expedition had just left. For a large and powerful group like the Loki Familia, it would be much easier to eliminate the Goliath, rather than try to avoid it. Lili is certain they killed the Boss.” The Prum girl pointed out the logic of her hypothesis. “The Goliath’s respawn interval is two weeks. Considering the time frame, there’s a chance that the Boss hasn’t been reborn yet.”

“…are you serious?” Welf looked skeptical about leaving their fate up to the coin flip of whether or not a Monster Rex had respawned.

“This is only an option.” Lili replied, looking between Welf and Bell. “There’s no mistake that returning to the upper Floors is the more careful route. There’s also the chance that we could encounter another party along the way.” She offered the possibility of the other option.

‘But the Middle Floors are quite large, and we haven’t seen any signs of another Party since we’ve fallen down here.’ Bell mused as he thought about the options they had to try and get out of this alive.

“Master Bell, you are the leader of this Party.” Lili looked at her boyfriend. “The decision is yours.”

“I agree.” Welf nodded to Bell as he was supported by the Level Two. “It’s your call. Whatever you choose, I won’t hold it against you.”

The sudden weight of leadership pressed down on Bell, making his heart thump harshly in his chest. ‘Choose… everyone’s fate is in my hands… We’re working together as a Party, and I’m the leader.’ His rubellite eyes looked at Welf and Lili for a long moment. He saw nothing but trust in their eyes. ‘Lili and Welf have put their trust in me… I can’t run away from this responsibility…’ Bell steadied his heart, taking some confidence from Lili and Welf’s trust in him. “Let’s keep going.” He hardened his resolve to go deeper into the Dungeon.

“Yes.” Welf and Lili nodded back to him, they’d do everything in their power to get to the Eighteenth Floor.

“Your wound is mine. My wound is mine. Echoing message of midnight.” Lili chanted and used her Transformation Magic. The Prum turned into a Chienthrope, dog ears appearing atop her head and a fluffy tail appearing, but hidden by her robe. “Lili will keep track of any nearby Monsters as best she can.”

“Lili…won’t that drain your Mind over time if you keep it up?” Bell worried for her given that she was already injured from the fall earlier.

“Lili will make do, Master Bell.” Lili was firm in her response. “It’s for the best that we avoid as many Monsters as possible.”

“She’s right, Bell.” Welf backed up the Supporter. “We can’t really afford a fight right now.”

“…Okay, let’s move.” Bell agreed as the Party of three started trekking through the Floor, looking for another shaft that would take them to a lower Floor, hopefully closer to the safety of the Eighteenth Floor safe zone.

-Guild ~ Morning-

Hestia bolted into the Guild almost as soon as it opened its doors. The Goddess didn’t bother with the line of the morning rush, instead rushing to the front desk when she spotted Eina. Hestia nearly slammed into the counter from the speed she was moving.

“Eina!” Hestia slammed her palms against the countertop.

“Hestia?!” Eina blinked in shock at the sudden appearance of the Goddess.

“Did Bell and Lili come through here yesterday?!” Hestia questioned, almost sounding frantic.

“J-Just in the morning, before entering the Dungeon. I haven’t seen him since then…” Eina informed Hestia, noticing that the Goddess seemed like she probably hadn’t slept last night. Eina herself had clocked out after her shift and was planning to get a report from Bell about his first day on Floor Thirteen today.

Hestia’s face dropped, her body slumping forward on the counter. “They didn’t come home last night. I have no idea where Bell, Lili, or Welf from Hephaestus Familia are. Not since they went into the Dungeon…”

The papers in Eina’s hands fell to the floor. “I-I shall ask around!” Eina promised Hestia before rushing towards the back of the Guild to ask as many of her coworkers as possible about Bell’s Party.

Hestia trudged over to the nearest free meeting spot, slumping down on the couch as she leaned forward and held her head in her hands. She could still remember what they’d said to each other before Bell and Lili left.

-Flashback-

“Today’s the day we’re going to enter the Middle Floors!” Bell smiled at Hestia.

“You two will be careful, right?” Hestia looked at both Bell and Lili with a little worry on her face.

“Of course, Hestia.” Lili nodded with a smile. “Lili will do her best to keep Master Bell out of trouble.” The light teasing made Bell chuckle at her.

“Come straight home as soon as you get back. Got that?” Hestia instructed them, wanting to know that they were both safe as soon as possible.

“Okay!” Bell and Lili agreed with bright smiles before the three of them hugged each other tightly.

-End Flashback-

‘Bell and Lili haven’t come back since then.’ Hestia thought to herself with a heavy sigh filled with worry and anxiety. ‘I can’t just sit back casually and wait! My head, my intuition…it’s throbbing.’ She held her forehead with her palm, the feeling of her Divine Intuition still resonating within her head. ‘When Bell and his Party tried to leave the Middle Floors, something happened and they weren’t able to return.’

Eina sitting down across from her broke Hestia’s train of thought. “My apologies for the wait.” The Half-Elf was clearly worrying now as well. “I asked everyone at the Guild Exchange, but no one saw Bell last night nor has anyone seen him today.”

“Eina.” Hestia’s tone, regardless of the ocean of worry within her, was like steel. “I want to issue a Quest.” Eina perked up at the short Goddess’s words. “The mission is to ‘Find Bell Cranel and his Party’!”

Eina nearly tore across the Guild, she almost shoved three people out of the way to get behind the counter and grab the appropriate form. Everyone in the Guild gave her a wide berth as she rushed back to Hestia.

“There’s no time to hold anything back! I want Adventurers on this!” Hestia spoke firmly, her Divinity on the verge of spilling over.

“What do you propose for the reward?” Eina had already filled out the rest of the Quest form in the short time that Hestia had been speaking. Her feather pen was poised over the form on the line indicating the reward for the completion of the Quest.

“800,000 Valis, my Familia’s entire savings.” Hestia couldn’t care less about the money right now. All that mattered was getting Bell, Lili, and Welf found and brought back safely.

“Understood.” Eina’s pen blitzed across the paper before she stood up quickly. “I will ask for approval from upstairs immediately! I will do everything in my power to make sure that it’s on the board in a few minutes! Please, excuse me!” The Half-Elf Advisor nearly ran back to the counter, moved past every other Guild employee, and rushed up the stairs to the offices of the Quest Approval department. No one had ever seen Eina so frantic before as to completely toss aside her Elven decorum and propriety.

True to Eina’s words, the Half-Elf quickly descended the stairs a few minutes later before speedwalking towards the Quest Board. She placed a new Quest on the board in a prominent spot where everyone could see it. Her green eyes were filled with concern and longing as she added a stack of the same Quest paper to the tray below the board meant for Adventurers to take when they undertook a Quest. She could only hope that someone, preferably a strong and experienced Party. Would take on the Quest quickly.

Unseen by Eina, Asfi Al Andromeda spotted the Quest a few moments after Eina had put it on the board. “Something very bad has happened, Lord Hermes…” Asfi murmured to herself, her blue eyes quickly reading over the details on the Quest Form before taking a copy for herself. The Level Four Adventurer was out of the Guild and heading for her God immediately afterwards.

-Outside the Guild-

“Hestia!” Miach called out, Naaza by his side. “What did you find out about Bell and his Party?”

“No luck.” Hestia shook her head with her worry plain on her face. “It looks like they never made it out of the Dungeon.” Just saying that made Hestia want to throw up from sheer anxiety.

“Hestia…” Miach knew the worry she was going through. It was the same as the day that Naaza had her accident and nearly died. He’d cast aside everything; pride, money, none of it mattered as he’d begged his father to make Naaza her prosthetic right arm.

“I know that Bell and Lili are still alive!” Hestia declared, clenching her fists tightly. “The Falna that I gave them, my Blessings haven’t disappeared!”

“I know, Hestia.” Miach placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, a warm smile on his face. “They’re all going to be okay.”

“Lady Hestia, you’ve already put up the Quest?” Naaza asked the Goddess.

“Yes, I did everything that you advised, Naaza.” Hestia smiled at the Chienthrope woman softly. The advice had been simple, but it had vastly expedited the process of getting the Quest on the board.

“Then I suggest that we pay Hephaestus and Takemikazuchi a visit.” Miach nodded to Hestia. “We need all of the help that we can get.”

“Yes.” Hestia nodded firmly, forcing her anxiety back as they headed for Hephaestus Familia’s home.

-Dungeon ~ Floor Fifteen-

“L-Little Lili…this smell…can’t you do anything about it?” Welf nearly retched as the horrid smell continued to assault his nose. Even Bell had his free hand over his nose in a futile attempt to block the stench.

“Please tolerate it.” Lili grimaced as they continued to move forward down their current path. “Lili would like to mention that the stench is much worse for her.” The small bag around her neck was the source of the horrid odor the Party of three was suffering from and Lili’s currently Chienthrope nose was practically being burned by the smell. “This Morbul may stink to us, but it’s like breathing poison for Monsters. Therefore, none of them will come close as long as nothing happens to it.”

“It’s stronger than I thought…” Bell mentioned of the Morbul’s smell. “Even if it smells horrible though, I’m glad that we have it.” He glanced off to a group of stalagmites a good distance away, spotting a couple of Almiraj. The white rabbit Monsters would normally have attacked them already, but the two rabbits refused to get any closer to the trio with the Morbul. ‘There’s no room for any error right now. Getting attacked would be disastrous…’

Almost as if his thoughts had summoned them, three Hellhounds appeared. The black wolves growled from the distance they were keeping from the monster repellent. Flames appeared in their jaws as they prepared to launch a ranged attack against the injured and weakened Party.

“Hellhounds!” Bell called out in warning. Hopefully the Salamander Wool could protect them from the flames again.

“Looks like I’m up…” Welf spoke, raising his right hand towards the three Hellhounds.

“Huh?” Bell looked at his injured friend in surprise.

“I’ve got this.” Welf assured Bell as he waited for the right timing. Just as the three Hellhounds expelled their flames, the Smith countered. “Ignite, heretic spell! Will o’ Wisp!” Welf incanted, using his anti-magic fire spell against the Monsters.

The unleashed flames were wrapped up in the nearly transparent form of Welf’s magic and shoved back down the jaws of the wolves. The flames then exploded as Welf’s spell activated its full effect and caused an Ignis Fatuus. All three Hellhounds exploded like bombs, covering the area around them with blood, guts, and soot.

“Good…I got the timing right…” Welf panted as his head began to hurt and a fog slowly encroached on his consciousness. “The rockslide last time…threw me off…so we got caught up in the blast.” His head slumped forward, starling Bell a bit.

“Welf?!” Bell jostled the Smith to keep him from going under.

“Been a bit since I used that spell twice in one day…it took a lot out of me…” Welf panted, sweat dripping down his face.

Seeing Welf nearing Mind Down, Bell had to make a decision. Looking over his shoulder and seeing Lili’s labored breathing, he quickly made his decision. Reaching into the part of his armor that held his potions, he pulled out the sole Dual Potion that he had. He took a small sip, about a quarter of the potion, and felt the effects relieve some of his pain and also restore some of the Mind that he’d used today. “Lili…” He handed her the vial next. “Take a third.”

“Yes…Master Bell.” Lili agreed, taking her own sip, mentally enjoying the indirect kiss as it was the only comfort that she could have in this situation. Once she felt the slight relief of her pain and a bit of her Mind restored, she handed the vial back to Bell.

“Welf, have the rest.” Bell offered the rest of the Dual Potion to Welf.

“Dual Potion? Sorry to trouble you…” Welf tipped back the vial, drinking the remaining contents. “Appreciate it.” He sighed in relief as the fog in his head cleared up and the pain across his body eased noticeably. “Wow, that’s more effective than I thought.” The Smith marveled at what a little less than half of the potion had done for him.

“It’s Naaza’s creation, can’t expect anything less.” Bell chuckled as they trudged onward. With this boost, he hoped that they’d make it to the next Floor without incident.

As luck would have it, there was a shaft around the next bend.

“Found one.” Lili breathed out as they looked down the hole. “This shaft…leads to the Sixteenth, I’d say, given what we can see.” Her Chienthrope eyes were good for seeing in low-light conditions. Her Prum eyes had a similar effect, but she needed as many sharp senses as possible to try and avoid Monsters.

“Ready?” Bell looked at Lili and Welf.

“Let’s go.” Welf nodded as he and Bell tightened their grip. Welf would need the support to make a safe landing with his busted leg.

The three jumped into the shaft without hesitation, knowing that their best chance of survival lay deeper in the Dungeon.

-Hestia Familia Home-

“I must apologize, Hestia.” Takemikazuchi bowed at the waist to the short Goddess. “It appears that my children may be the reason…that yours have not yet returned.” Takemikazuchi straightened up to explain. “They saw someone fitting Bell’s description in the Middle Floors…and used him as a decoy to make their own escape.”

All six of Takemikazuchi’s ‘children’ looked utterly disgusted with themselves, unable to look into Hestia’s eyes.

Hestia had her arms crossed over her large chest, her face blank as she felt her heart in turmoil over what had happened to Bell and Lili. “If Bell and Lili never make it home…I’ll never forgive you.” Her blue eyes looked at the six members of the Takemikazuchi Familia. “But I will not hate you. That I promise. For now, would you be willing to lend me your strength?”

All of the ‘children’ of Takemikazuchi looked at Hestia in surprise, able to feel her sincerity through her barely restrained Divinity. As one, all of them kneeled and bowed their heads to the Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Family. “As you wish, Lady Hestia.”

“I second that.” Hephaestus agreed with her aunt. “If you lend us your strength, then I will not blame you for pass parading Welf and his Party.” The six Takemikazuchi Familia members bowed to Hephaestus as well, thankful that neither Goddess would hold a grudge against them for the shameful act they’d performed against their children.

Miach clapped his hands once to get everyone’s attention. “Then I suggest we proceed. Time is of the essence.” He looked to Hephaestus. “Hephaestus, can any of your children join in the search?”

“Unfortunately, most of mine are helping the Loki Familia expedition.” Hephaestus apologized that she couldn’t help much. “The one’s that I have left are mostly Level One and work in the forges and shops. They wouldn’t last long in the Middle Floors. I’m sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize.” Hestia shook her head, she understood that this was not only sudden, but that Hephaestus was waiting for a rather large number of her own children to return from the Dungeon as well.

“It looks like we’ll have to depend on your children, Také.” Hestia looked to the War God.

“That’s fine with me.” Takemikazuchi nodded to Hestia. “Ouka and Mikoto will go for sure…” He thought for a moment. “Chigusa, your injuries have healed, yes? Can you accompany them as a Supporter?”

“Yes, Takemikazuchi-sama!” Chigusa nodded to her God quickly. She felt horrible for being the cause of all of this trouble.

“These three are the only ones of mine that can handle Monsters in the Middle Floors with speed.” Takemikazuchi informed the group.

“I believe that the most important thing for a Search Party is speed.” Naaza spoke up, looking over the three Takemikazuchi Familia members.

“Naaza has a point.” Miach agreed with her. “If we add more just for the sake of numbers and lose speed, then we may lose those that’re at stake.”

“However, a Party of three in the Middle Floors may not be enough.” Hephaestus was worried about the lack of strength.

‘We don’t have enough people. Damn it, I’d go myself, if I could…’ Hestia thought to herself.

“I’ll join you, Hestia!” Hermes’s loud voice called out as he opened the front door uninvited. Asfi hung her head behind her God, embarrassed at his rudeness.

“Hermes?! Why’re you here?!” Hestia questioned her nephew in surprise.

“Hey, Auntie, long time.” Hermes waved, even though they’d seen each other at the last Denatus. The Messenger God pulled out the copy of the Quest Form that Asfi had brought to him. “You’re in trouble, aren’t you? You know that I’d pull out all the stops to help out my favorite aunt!”

“Mhmm…” Hestia deadpanned at her nephew, not believing the mischievous God for a second. She was VERY much aware of Hermes’ personality.

“Hermes, have you even talked to Hestia, outside of the last Denatus, since she descended to Gekai?” Hephaestus questioned her brother rhetorically; she already knew that he hadn’t.

“Some nephew you are.” Miach looked unimpressed, which was odd on the face of the normally jovial and kind Deity.

The Mortals in the room could only stare blankly at the conversation between the Deities. It was best to stay out of familial relations between the various Gods and Goddesses. For whatever reason, many of them didn’t seem to get along.

“Haha…aren’t we being a little harsh?” Hermes tried to laugh off the accurate call-outs against him. “My desire to help her is genuine!” He looked at Hestia with a smile. “I too, want to save young Bell…so, how about it?”

Hestia looked at her nephew searchingly, trying to puzzle out what his motives might be. “…fine then. I’ll accept your help, Hermes.” She relented with a sigh.

“Great! You can count on me!” Hermes beamed at her.

“Are you sure about this, Hestia?” Takemikazuchi whispered to Hestia.

“Rescuing Bell, Lili, and Welf takes priority.” Hestia stated, even as she watched Hermes pat Miach on the back like they were old friends (they weren’t). “We need people.”

“Including Hermes’s followers in the search…will that be enough?” Hephaestus questioned, only vaguely aware of how many members Hermes had in his Familia.

“Last I heard, most of your children were Level Two, correct?” Miach questioned the other God.

“I’m sorry to say that most of them are out on business, but I’m taking Asfi with me!” Hermes motioned to the blue-haired woman in the white cloak. “She’s my Ace, so there’s nothing to fear!”

Asfi’s stoic face suddenly shifted into one of confusion as what Hermes had said registered. “Lord Hermes…just now, you said that you’re taking me with you. Don’t tell me you’re…”

“Yep. I’m going too.” Hermes smiled at her; his eyes closed to hide the mischief within them.

“You what?!” Asfi barely restrained herself from grabbing Hermes’s ear in front of everyone. “Aren’t Deities forbidden from entering the Dungeon?!”

“That just means that I can’t be careless, right?” Hermes turned around with his arms spread wide. “What’s the problem? I’ll be back before the Guild even notices.”

“D-Don’t tell me…this was your plan all along…!” Asfi was visibly shaking at the ludicrous idea of her God.

“Hahaha! I’m counting on your protection, Asfi!” Hermes declared with a laugh. A black length of something wrapped around Hermes’s throat and jerked him backwards suddenly. “Ghah!” Turning to see what had snagged him, Hermes saw Hestia holding one of her long twin tails in her hand, the end of which was wrapped around his neck.

“I can’t just sit here and wait while others are out looking for them.” Hestia’s voice rumbled lowly before her eyes shot up to lock onto Hermes’s. “Take me with you!” It wasn’t a request. This was an order.

“Take you with me?! Have you lost your mind?!” Hermes asked Hestia, looking at the short Goddess like she was nuts. “The Dungeon is very dangerous! Without our Arcanum, one hit from a Monster and we’re done. But most of all…it’ll be bad if we’re found out.”

“I’m aware.” Hestia freed his neck from her hair and then crossed her arms over her chest; staring down her nephew firmly the whole time. “But if you’re still going, then what difference does an extra Deity make?”

“Well…” Hermes didn’t have a ready retort for his aunt’s simple logic.

“I’m coming with you! Got it?!” Hestia stated with finality, ending the discussion.

“Somehow I’m not surprised.” Hephaestus sighed heavily at Hestia’s insistence.

“Don’t do anything reckless, okay?” Miach cautioned Hestia, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to talk her out of this.

Naaza moved closer with a satchel in her hands, which she handed to Hestia. “Here, Lady Hestia, healing potions. Please take them.” The Chienthrope woman’s eyes looked down towards the floor. “I’m sorry that I can’t join you. This is all that I can do to help.” She unconsciously gripped her prosthetic arm. Her trauma was deep and it would take her quite a long time to sort it out. It was not a process that could be rushed, no matter how much she hated the fear that held her back from going to help find Bell.

“This is enough, Naaza.” Hestia accepted the potions with a smile. She knew the woman had a crippling fear of Monsters and it would take her a long time to get past it.

“I have something for you too.” Hephaestus brought forth a wrapped object about the length of a two-handed sword. She placed it into Hestia’s hands and watched her aunt hunch over from the unexpected weight of the object.

“Woah!” Hestia steadied herself. “Hephaestus…is this?” She thought that she had a pretty good idea of what she was holding.

“It’s Welf’s creation.” Hephaestus confirmed what was hidden by the wrappings. “I’ve been holding onto it for him. You may use it in a pinch but…give it to Welf if you see him.” The Goddess of the Forge crossed her arms. “And tell him to stop weighing his friend’s lives against his pride.”

“Sure.” Hestia smiled at her niece fondly.

Hermes closed off his expression, leaving his face almost blank. “This complicates things.” He murmured quietly to his Familia’s Captain. “Asfi, do you think you can protect both of us?”

“That would depend on Takemikazuchi Familia’s abilities, but…” Asfi looked over the three again and then at Hestia. “I make no guarantees if they prove to be a burden. If it was only you, then there shouldn’t be a problem, but with Lady Hestia joining us…I cannot be certain.”

Hermes sighed at her response. “Maybe I should call in a little extra help?” After a quick agreement that the Search Party would all meet up at the west gate of the central park near Babel Tower; Hermes bid everyone farewell and headed for the one place that he was sure he could get the assistance they needed.

-Hostess of Fertility-

“You wanted to speak with me?” Ryu looked at the Messenger God with a blank face.

“Yep. I have a favor to ask of you, little Ryu.” Hermes smiled at the Elf woman. “More specifically, a Quest that I’d like you to take…” He opened his eyes, looking directly into Ryu’s. “I need ‘Leon of the Gale Wind’.”

It was like a snap.

The look on Ryu’s face became cold and threatening. Likewise Anya and Chloe behind her went from relaxed to tense and ready to pounce. Both of the Cat Girls’ eyes were now slitted and aggressive, locked onto Hermes’ form to catch any movement. Lunoire, who was closer to the bar, stared at Hermes harshly, both of her hands clenching into fists as her knuckles audibly cracked. The pressure of having four Level Fours’ killing intent directed at them made Asfi involuntarily shudder and take a step back; her hands moving to her pouches beneath her cloak on instinct.

“Are you…threatening me?” Ryu asked Hermes coldly. “Are you implying, that should I refuse your request, that you’ll go public with my Title?”

“That’s not my intention.” Hermes raised both of his hands in the air, palms facing outwards to try and placate the four waitresses. “Bell Cranel, the Quest is to find Bell and his Party.” He noticed the slight lowering of tension in the Elf and in the other three waitresses as well.

“What do you mean?” Ryu questioned, looking at Hermes in slight confusion. Hermes explained the situation to the waitresses as a whole and saw the various looks that crossed the faces of the four women. “I see, so Mr. Cranel…” Ryu murmured as she processed everything.

“I don’t know enough to say for certain. But I’d like you to join the Search Party, little Ryu.” Hermes spoke, playing to the information he had about Bell Cranel and the Hostess of Fertility.

“Why did you come to me?” Ryu had to ask, it seemed odd to seek her out personally.

“There’s some ‘baggage’ that needs protection.” Hermes vaguely explained. “And I need a strong Adventurer that’s not bound by the rules of a Familia. You’re the only one that I could think of…” He laid out his reasoning. “And maybe because you and little Syr are both friends of his?”

Ryu looked over to the bar and saw Syr’s face filled with worry. In doing so, she missed the slight grin on Hermes’s face before it disappeared faster than most would notice.

“We set out tonight at eight o’ clock from the western gate of the central park near Babel.” Hermes informed Ryu as he turned and headed for the door. “Join us. We’ll be waiting for you.” He and Asfi were out the doors after that.

“Ryu…?” Syr approached Ryu and stood before the Elf. The two locked eyes and Ryu could see the worry in her friend’s eyes clearly.

“Syr…” Ryu spoke, but didn’t finish.

“Ryu, please, save Bell...” Syr requested of her friend.

“I am in your debt Syr.” Ryu smiled softly at the other girl. “I cannot refuse your request.” She closed her eyes. “Moreover, I do not want Mr. Cranel to die either.” She allowed Syr to hug her, gently returning it with one of her own.

“Save him, for Bell’s sake, and for your own.” Syr whispered into Ryu’s ear, tightening her hug ever so slightly when she felt Ryu tense up a fraction.

Ryu had told Syr about her past, about the fate of Astraea Familia. The day that she’d lost everything. The day that had scarred her heart and sent her down a path of murder and revenge. The event that had led her to being blacklisted by the Guild with a bounty of 80,000,000 Valis placed on her head.

Syr’s meaning was clear to Ryu, despite the Elf woman not believing that she deserved it. ‘You couldn’t save them…but you can save him.’ A step on the long path that Ryu would need to walk in order to forgive herself for what had happened to her Familia.

“Leave the bar to us, nya!” Anya smiled at Ryu as Syr let go of the Elf. “Don’t worry about Mama Mia, we’ll trick her somehow!”

“Irritating as it is to do as Lord Hermes requests, it can’t be helped, nya.” Chloe agreed with Anya.

“Save the boy and he’ll owe you, nya!” Anya gave Ryu a smile and thumbs up.

“My apologies…” Ryu smiled slightly to her coworkers. “Please cover for me.” She undid the string tie around her neck and headed for the stairs.

“Will do, but you better come back soon!” Lunoire smiled at Ryu brightly. It was a clear statement that her friends wanted her to come back in one piece as well.

-Eight o’ Clock -West Gate Central Park-

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Hermes apologized as he trotted over to the waiting group of Hestia, Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa. Asfi followed behind him, rolling her eyes briefly at her God’s lackadaisical attitude.

“You better be, Hermes!” Hestia snapped at him. She wanted to go and save Bell, Lili, and Welf. But Hermes was already almost ten minutes late! She reigned in her temper though. She was already suppressing her Divine Aura…letting her basically pass off as a normal Mortal, if one wasn’t looking for a Goddess at least. She wasn’t as good at it as Zeus or Odin though…both of them were able to indefinitely suppress their aura and wander the world whenever they desired with no one suspecting that they were anything more than mortal men.

“Had minor business to take care of, or maybe call it a formality,” Hermes adjusted the brim of his feathered hat. He was also suppressing his Divine Aura, just like Hestia, though he was better at it from practice. “…this and that, you know?”

“Hah…” Hestia sighed at her nephew. “Whatever. Now we’re all here, yes? It’s about time we got…”

“Lady Hestia.” Mikoto interrupted, calling attention to a figure approaching the group.

The person wore a forest green cloak with the hood pulled up. The opened cloak revealed a white shirt and green short-shorts…or perhaps bloomers? On the woman’s hips were a pair of short swords on the right and a wooden sword on the left. On her feet were sturdy brown, thigh-high boots and on her hands were matching gloves that went up to mid-bicep. As she got closer it was revealed that the woman was an Elf, her pointed ears not covered by her hood. Blonde hair and blue eyes on a beautiful face, but beauty was a common thing among Elven women.

Mikoto placed her hand on the hilt of her katana as the Elf woman continued to get closer.

“Glad you’ll be joining us!” Hermes waved at the Elf woman with a smile.

“Eh?” Hestia turned to look at Hermes in confusion. Then her eyes narrowed at him. “Hermes?”

“I asked her to come along.” Hermes explained simply. “Failed to mention that, sorry.” He pointedly looked away from Hestia’s glare. “No need to worry. Little Ryu is here to help…and she’s very strong.”

Ryu merely glanced at Hermes, a hint of annoyance in her blue eyes, before she turned away from him.

Hestia smiled at the Elf woman, feeling like their odds had just greatly increased. “All right, let’s be on our way.” The group of five Adventurers and two Deities headed for Babel Tower and the entrance of the Dungeon. “Search Party, moving out!”

-Dungeon ~ Floor Sixteen-

“Wait!” Lili brought the group to a halt.

“Lili, what’s wrong?” Bell questioned, looking over his shoulder to see what had caused her to call out like that.

“The Morbul has run out…” Lili looked at the small bag hanging from around her neck, the smell had faded away but they’d not noticed after dealing with it for so long.

“Shit.” Welf summed up all of their thoughts.

A sudden feeling hit all three Adventurers, one that any that delved into the Dungeon and survived became familiar with.

“This…” Lili looked around, her Chienthrope ears trying to pinpoint the source of the feeling. “…something murderous.”

“Where?” Welf looked around, trying to see around the various rocky obstructions around them on the wide path.

“There!” Lili pointed in front of them and slightly off to the left.

Crash

From behind one of the stone outcroppings a cloven hoof shattered the ground. The hulking, brown-furred Monster that appeared in front of the trio was very familiar to Bell and Lili.

“MINOTAUR!!!” Welf couldn’t help the exclamation from tearing out of his throat. A Level Two Monster was NOT what they needed in their condition.

“UUWWOOOOHHH!!!” The Minotaur bellowed, holding a landform weapon that was reminiscent of a halberd or war axe.

Bell’s rubellite eyes narrowed sharply, his memories with this particular type of Monster burning hot in his mind. He passed Welf to Lili, the Smith and Supporter both blinking as Bell blurred forward towards the Minotaur. Bell drew both the Hestia Knife and Ushiwakamaru as he prepared to fight. His passive Dual Wield skill boosting both his Strength and Dexterity without Bell really noticing.

“MOOOAARRGGHH!!!” The Minotaur hefted its weapon, but it was already too late.

Ushiwakamaru cut deeply into the Minotaur’s left arm. Blood went flying and the limb lost strength, making the Minotaur lose hold of its landform weapon. Bell wasn’t even close to done. He pivoted around the Monster, buried the Hestia Knife into its side and then dragged it through the flesh of the Minotaur.  A fountain of blood fell from the grievous injury as the Minotaur bellowed in pain. The sound was silenced as Bell leapt upwards and stabbed the Raging Bull Type Monster in the throat with Ushiwakamaru. In some deep recess of his mind, Bell thought it was ironic that the first Minotaur he killed after fighting for his life against the Red Minotaur, would die by the weapon made from the drop item of said Red Minotaur. He slashed the Monster’s throat and leapt back to avoid the arterial spray from the neck.

“Uwwoooaaahhh…” The Minotaur barely gurgled out, blood falling from it jaws as it fell forward onto the stone floor and died.

“UGAAAHHH!!!”

“MOOAARRGGHH!!!”

“GRAAOOHH!!!”

Three more Minotaurs came rushing towards Bell from the same direction as the first. These three seemed newly spawned, as none of them had landform weapons. Bell sheathed his knives and picked up the fallen landform halberd. He needed to finish this quickly, the bellows of the Minotaurs would undoubtedly draw other Monsters looking for food (Adventurers).

The sound of bells began to ring out as Bell’s right hand was surrounded by white, blue, and gold motes of light. The bell sound got louder, becoming similar to a church bell as the glow intensified. The three Minotaurs were almost upon Bell when he reacted. A strong leap forwards, getting into the lead Minotaur’s guard, and Bell transferred the power of Argonaut into the landform. The stone glow brightly as it was swung. The Minotaur that was hit was cleaved in half, the swing followed by a shockwave that sent both of the other Minotaurs flying as well and shattered part of the floor, throwing up rocks and dust.

“Ox…slayer…” Welf breathed out, seeing Bell dispatch four Minotaurs in under a minute singlehandedly.

Bell tossed the shattered landform aside and moved back to Welf and Lili. “Let’s go.” He threw Welf’s arm over his shoulder and started walking as fast as Welf could manage. Lili quickly following him as her Chienthrope ears picked up some distant echoing sounds that she was certain came from more Monsters heading their way.

-Later-

“Fuck!” Welf cursed, holding his hand out as a group of four Hellhounds prepared to blast the group with their fire breath. “Ignite, heretic spell! Will o’ Wisp!” The flames in the Monsters’ mouths reversed course and then detonated, turning the Hellhounds into fireballs that wiped out what he thought might’ve been a Lamia Mormos that had been hidden among the stalagmites in that area.

“Welf?” Bell checked his friend, seeing the haggard look on the Smith’s face and the sweat rolling down his skin. ‘He’s going to hit Mind Down at this rate!’ Unfortunately, Welf’s Magic was currently their only real defense from the ranged attacks of the Hellhounds.

“Damn it!” Lili swore as another bolt from her bowgun pierced the right eye of a Minotaur that had entered the range limit of her weapon. “Where are they all coming from?!” She was starting to run low on bolts, most of them being used to deal with Hellhounds, since they could be killed with a single shot to the head, even though that shot was hard to make.

“Lili!” Bell didn’t need to say anything else, Lili quickly shifted to supporting Welf while Bell rushed forward to meet the charge of the injured Minotaur.

“MOOOAARRGGHH!!!” The one-eyed Minotaur swung its right fist at Bell, only for Bell to cut a long gash straight up the limb. The Hestia Knife slashed open its stomach, then Ushiwakamaru stabbed into where the kidney would be on a human. Bell continuously moved around the staggered Minotaur, not letting it get a clear sight of him with its good eye, all the while hacking into it until if fell and died from blood loss.

“Master Bell!” Lili called out, from where she and Welf were fending off more Monsters. A small group of Almiraj, which Bell could’ve sworn Eina had taught him didn’t exist lower than Floor Fourteen. But regardless, he rushed over and stood beside his girlfriend.

“Firebolt! Firebolt!” Bell cast twice, once from each hand, blasting the rabbit Monsters back and killing any that were already dead from a bolt to the head from Lili’s bowgun.

“That…was weird…” Welf panted a bit as the group resumed their hurried pace through the wide corridor. “Thought Almiraj…stopped at…Fourteen.”

“The Guild says they do.” Lili mentioned, listening for any more Monsters in the area.

“Maybe they fell down the shafts too?” Bell guessed, helping Welf hobble forward faster than what may have been good for the Smith’s busted leg.

“Let’s not worry about it.” Lili shook her head. “What is our current count for spells and weapons?”

“I’ve got…another two…in me…maybe…” Welf answered through his heavy breaths and the pain he was clearly in.

“My knives aren’t damaged, and I should have a good number of spells left…if I ration my Mind.” Bell had been careful not to overload his Firebolts unless he needed to. But with the number of Monsters they’d been running into, he may still run out at this rate.

“Lili is running low on bolts for her bowgun.” Lili counted the number in her quiver. Bell noticed the sweat on her face and the tiredness in her eyes as the first visible symptoms of low Mind. “She still has her knife, if necessary.” The Prum (currently Chienthrope) placed her hand on the sheathed weapon.

“We just need to find another shaft…” Bell looked around, but hadn’t spotted one since they’d dropped down to the Sixteenth Floor.

“Figures…we find an out of the way shaft, and it drops us down into an area without any.” Welf let out a worn chuckle as they moved around another bend in the path.

-Even Later-

“No, damn you!” Lili drew her knife and jumped on the back of a Ligerfang, stabbing it over and over again. The massive tiger/lion Monster roared, the Superior Grade knife able to penetrate its fur and hide to draw blood, and abandoned trying to bite Welf with its huge fangs. “Die! Die! Die! Damn it!”

“Little Lili!” Welf forced himself to stand, grabbed his great sword from where it was tied to Lili’s pack, and brought it down in the best overhead swing he could muster with his busted leg. The heavy blade cracked the Ligerfang’s skull, the edge digging into the brain a bit and making the Monster collapse while twitching. “FUCK!!!” Welf swore loudly as his leg flared with renewed pain.

“Got it!” Lili stabbed her knife into the Ligerfang’s neck and sawed into it until the spray increased, letting her know she’d cut something vital.

“Firebolt!” Bell cast, blasting one of the Ligerfangs that he was fighting in the face. He couldn’t take his eyes off the two Monsters he was fighting, even as he heard Welf and Lili fighting the third that had come from behind them. “Firebolt!”

“ROOOAAARRRGGGHHH!!!” The second Ligerfang roared, staggering back from the blast of fire to the face. Bell rushed forward, dipping his body low and used the Hestia Knife to hack off the left front paw of the Monster. That should limit its speed at least.

“ROOOAAARRR!!!” The first Ligerfang attacked from behind, but Bell skipped back, barely avoiding being gutted but the claws of the large cat, and then lunged forward to stab the Monster in the face. “FIREBOLT!” Bell cast the spell into the Hestia Knife and the flames exploded from the blade inside the Ligerfang’s head. The head nearly exploded, both eyes were blown out by the trapped spell, flames erupted from the cat’s nose, and putrid smoke rose from its ears along with a burnt substance that might’ve been its brain.

“Grrrrrr…” The hobbled Ligerfang let out a threatening rumble, even as it tried to back away from Bell.

“No.” Bell wasn’t about to let this threat potentially come back later.

“ROOOOAAAARRRR!!!’ The Ligerfang roared as it saw Bell move, but its loss of a front paw meant it could only jump forward and attempt to swipe at bell with its remaining paw and claws. That made it predictable, and Bell ducked under the left forelimb, and drove the Hestia Knife into the underbelly.

“Firebolt!” Bell roared and the flames exploded inside of the massive cat. He was about to roll out from beneath the Monster, but he didn’t need to, The Ligerfang exploded into black ash, a clear sign that his spell had destroyed its Magic Stone.

“Hah…hah…” Lili and Welf staggered over to Bell, both injured more than before, but still alive.

“Let’s…keep moving…” Bell tried to smile, but he doubted it was convincing. He helped Welf along even as he felt the headache forming and the fog starting to form over his consciousness. His Mind was getting low.

It wasn’t much longer before the next Monsters found them, though thankfully they weren’t Ligerfangs or Minotaurs.

“Grrrr!”

“Bark!”

“Grrrhhh!”

Three Hellhounds kept their distance from the group, flames alighting in their jaws.

“Lili?” Bell asked without looking.

“No bolts.” Lili apologized through her labored breathing.

“I’ve got it…” Welf raised his right hand, and barely lifted his head to look at the Hellhounds. The wolves unleashed their fire breath and Welf cast. “Ignite, heretic spell! Will o’ Wisp!” The anti-magic fire enveloped the flames and triggered the Ignis Fatuus phenomenon again, blowing the three Hellhounds to pieces in the process as their magic detonated inside them. “I’m…getting a lot…of practice…” Welf nearly slurred before his head dropped and his body became dead weight, nearly making Bell stagger.

“Master Bell…” Lili looked at him, seeing spots of blood on his clothing that wasn’t covered by his armor. “There’s no more potions…Lili is…sorry…” She apologized as she staggered forward.

“It’s fine, Lili…” Bell knew he didn’t sound convincing in the least as he carried Welf along. His injuries weren’t fatal…he could carry on. He heard Lili collapse behind him and briefly closed his eyes in pain as he turned around and took the few steps necessary to pick up Lili and start carrying her too. His body screamed in agony from the added weight, but Bell didn’t care.

‘Lili prioritized keeping Welf’s injury from getting worse and keeping me able to fight. She didn’t take any potions for herself unless I forced her, and even then, she barely took a third.’ Bell knew his Prum girlfriend must’ve been running on fumes since the fight with the Ligerfangs. Not to mention the injuries she’d gotten from the various fights already. The expensive Salamander Wool that he’d bought was basically tatters now, hanging off all three of them. ‘I won’t let them die…I won’t!’ Bell repeated in his head as he continued to stagger forward, one shaky step at a time. “All of us are making it out of here alive!” He said it aloud to make it true…though how that made sense his half-addled mind didn’t know.

‘Everything feels so heavy. We kept fighting and fighting…and now there’s nothing left. I don’t know how long we’ve been wandering the Dungeon. My friends can’t help me right now. We don’t have any potions left. I have to do it alone. Did it get darker? No…the Dungeon is the same…my mind is playing tricks on me. Worry. Fear. Despair. Pain. My heart…feels heavy. My legs…refuse to move.’ Bell’s mind was awash in thoughts as the situation he was in gnawed away at his mental fortitude.

Drop them.

It was like an insidious little voice whispered from somewhere faraway and it nearly made Bell stumble.

“Don’t…FUCK WITH ME!!!” Bell forced his batter body to shout loudly against the words. He wouldn’t let the madness take him. There were plenty of tales of Adventurers in horrific situations going mad before the Dungeon eventually claimed their lives. Bell hadn’t expected his first trip into the Middle Floors to have gone so badly as to become one of them. “Huh?” He did stop as he entered a cavern and found a shaft taking up most of the space on the floors “A shaft…I found one…” He didn’t hesitate. He just jumped.

“OOF!” Bell hacked as the shaft dropped them on a slanted hill and they slid and rolled down it until hitting flat ground again. Bell wanted to scream in agony as every part of his body flared with pain, but his throat was too raw for that. He forgot when the last time he’d had any water was. As he opened his eyes, it took a moment for them to gain focus. When they finally did, he stared at one of the well-known sites in the Dungeon. “The Great Wall of Sorrows…” He forced himself to sit up. “The last part of Floor Seventeen…” Bell looked around warily now that he knew where he was. “No Boss? Lili was right, the Loki Familia must’ve killed it when they passed through.” He was thankful that at least that had been correct.

Bell picked up Welf and Lili again and started trudging towards the exit he could see on the far side of the massive room. He just needed to get there. One foot in front of the other…one step at a time. He staggered and stumbled over and over again; his body was in no condition to be carrying others…but he forced himself onwards anyway.

CRACK

“No…” Bell’s body nearly locked up at the loud noise behind him. He started shuffling forward faster, forcing his legs to move even as they burned and bled.

CRACK

“No, no, no…” Bell’s lungs were burning, his vision was blurring, but he still moved forward.

BOOM

Bell looked over his shoulder, he didn’t even know why, but his rubellite eyes caught sight of the first Boss he’d ever seen. “Monster Rex…Goliath.” He breathed out through his burning throat.

“GUUUOOOOAAAAHHHH!!!” Goliath bellowed loudly as it pulled itself from the shattered wall it had been spawned from.

Bell ran faster, not caring about anything except escaping. He felt his legs burn, his lungs felt like they were constricted, his vision was going dark, he tasted blood in his mouth. None of it mattered!

“Run, run, run, run, run…” Bell wheezed out, forcing his legs to move.

He practically felt when Goliath’s gaze touched his hobbling form. The air in the chamber shifted, Bell could think of a few reasons, but as his mind narrowed down all of his dwindling focus on running, those reason vanished.

BAM

A hammer fist barely missed Bell and his friends. The impact of Goliath’s fist hitting the stone ground shattered rock like spun sugar. The shockwave produced form the impact slammed into Bell’s back, lifted him off his feet, and flung all three of them out of the exit. The three hit the slope leading down into the Eighteenth Floor and slid painfully. Lili and Welf were blissfully unconscious for this, but Bell’s fading consciousness was viciously brought back from the edge of collapse.

“Lili…Welf…” Bell hacked out a glob of blood as he felt grass on his cheek. He opened his eyes, wondering why it was bright. Nothing made sense though…his sight was messed up. He saw a vaguely human-shaped silhouette standing nearby. A sound…muffled…he couldn’t understand…words maybe? He grasped the person’s ankle and forced himself to look up at what might’ve been a girl…if the long hair was any indication, but as his vision faded…he couldn’t be sure, he couldn’t actually see the silhouette’s features. “Please!” Bell called out as blood dribbled from his mouth a little. “Save my friends!” His vision went red and Bell vaguely realized the pain in his head wasn’t from the splitting headache…his head was actually bleeding and blood had gotten into his eyes. Then he knew nothing else as his brain finally gave up and consciousness faded.

“BELL!!!” A woman’s voice tore through the air in shock and near-panic.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

God damn…the Dungeon is a hateful fuck!

Did your Party fall into a Dungeon gimmick and get messed up pretty badly? Can you not handle fighting Monsters right now? Well…the Dungeon doesn’t give a shit! Have MORE Monsters!

Bell, Lili, and Welf have arrived at Floor Eighteen…but not in good condition.

Hopefully they get some help pretty soon, otherwise one, or all of them, may not make it.

The Search Party is on their way! Hold on, guys!

Hestia, Ryu, Hermes, Asfi, Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa are heading down the Floors as fast as possible!

What happens the next time that Bell opens his eyes?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!