Familia Myth: Journey to Hero Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Familia Myth: Journey to Hero! Bell, Lili, and Welf are beaten, battered, bruised, and bleeding, but they made it to the Eighteenth Floor alive! Meanwhile, Hestia and the Rescue Party are pushing through Floors to track them down as fast as possible! Will things play out the same, or will they change further?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 25 – Floor Eighteen, Under Resort

-Dungeon ~ Floor Eighteen-

In a tent among the Loki Familia’s camp, two people looked over the unconscious forms of Bell, Lili, and Welf. The three had been treated and bandaged, now all that was left was to let the Party rest and recover.

“There’s definitely a story behind this.” Finn spoke up after a long moment of silence. Ais had been kneeling next to Bell’s sleeping form since Riveria had finished her treatment of the three Adventurers. “Of the three injured, one is Bell Cranel, the other is his Supporter that we met previously,” Finn didn’t show it, but his heart went out to the young Prum woman for her hardship. “And, according to Tsubaki, the other man is Welf, a member of her Familia that always went into the Dungeon solo.” Looking over the three of them, Finn quickly pieced together the situation, or at least a working hypothesis. “Seems to me they’re a three-man Party. There’s no need to look for anyone left behind on higher levels. Not that we could find them on Floors that big anyway.” He turned to the side after still not getting any response from Ais. “The other noteworthy surprise is that two of them are only Level One.” Finn saw Ais just barely react to that fact. “Ais, I’m sure you’ve noticed, but he’s Level Two now.”

Both of the Loki Familia Adventurers looked at the sleeping Bell, and what they could feel from the young man. Some Adventurers were naturally more sensitive to the Divinity within the Falna, be it the one on their own backs or the Falna of others. Other Adventurers developed a sense for it as they gained experience over years of dungeon crawling. Neither Finn nor Ais needed to be able to see the Status on Bell’s back to feel the increased Divinity within his Falna that marked him as a Level Two.

The Captain of Loki Familia departed, leaving Ais to watch over Bell and his Party alone.

“You already made it all this way?” Ais asked softly, a small smile on her lips as she looked at the sleeping Bell. ‘Even though Riveria and the other healers were able to heal him, Mind Down hit him so hard that he’s still asleep.’ Ais had completely agreed with Finn’s guess of Bell and his Party’s situation. That they’d encountered a problem on the Middle Floors and been forced to descend lower in hopes of making it to the Safe Zone. “You wanted to save them, didn’t you?” Ais smiled at Bell, her left hand moving to gently brush a stray lock of his white hair away from his face. “But you shouldn’t push yourself so.”

Bell’s eyes snapped open, momentarily stunning Ais. “Lili! Welf!” Bell panicked, sitting up far to quickly, a fact his body expressed as soreness and small shocks of pain flared all over him from the movement. “Agh!” He gingerly wrapped his arms around himself and grimaced at the remnants of pain.

“Are you alright?” Ais asked, leaning forward to check on him.

“Huh?” Bell blinked as he turned to face the familiar voice. “Ais…?” He’d never mistake those golden eyes, her soft features, nor her long golden-blonde hair. “Why are you here…? Where’s here?” Bell looked around, noticing he was in a tent of some kind.

“You’re in our camp…Loki Familia’s.” Ais answered him, a gentle smile on her face that he seemed to be okay. “We stopped to rest here, on Floor Eighteen on the way back from our expedition.” She explained calmly, tension that had built up from worry and concern leaving her body now. “I found you three collapsed at the Floor entrance from the Boss Room. Your injuries were terrible…” She trailed off a little, the turmoil in her heart had been immense when she’d seen Bell fall out of the Boss Room in such a condition. Had it not been for her concern and fear for the condition of Bell and his Party, she’d have charged into Goliath’s lair and torn the Monster Rex apart for what it had done to Bell.

“My friends!” Bell’s rubellite eyes widened in panic again. “Where are they…?” Bell tried to get to his feet but a bout of lightheadedness hit him as his sense of balance failed. He fell forward, straight into the softness of Ais’s chest. Just as he was about to pull away and rapidly beg for her forgiveness, Bell felt her arms wrap around his shoulders and lightly rest on his back.

“You’re friends are fine.” Ais assured him, looking into his rubellite eyes with her golden ones. Having his face pressed into her chest like this was making her cheeks a little warm, but after talking with Tione and Tiona last night, she realized it was because she enjoyed it. “Their injuries were as bad as yours, but Riveria and the other healers took care of them.” She let go of Bell…reluctantly…and pointed behind him.

“Lili! Welf!” Bell felt a weight fall off his shoulders at seeing both of them sleeping soundly, a few bandages still on them, but both were clearly okay. “Thank goodness…” He sighed in relief. Then he felt Ais’s hand gently move his hair and rest on his forehead, as if checking his temperature. ‘Soft…” Bell thought as Ais’s palm rested against his skin. He could feel the toughened skin from years of wielding a sword too…but his mind clearly chose to focus on the feminine softness more.

“You were hurt very badly too.” Ais reminded him, she wondered why his face was getting a bit red. “Are you feeling, okay?”

“Th-Thank you for saving us!” Bell thanked her, hoping he didn’t sound like he was enjoying her attention too much.

“Do you think you can move?” Ais asked his gently, removing her hand from his forehead.

“…I think so?” Bell answered after a moment of checking himself over.

“Finn, our Captain, needs a report on your condition.” Ais informed him as she stood up. “Can you come with me?”

“One moment, please.” Bell moved over to Lili’s bedroll next to his. Rubellite eyes softened as he looked at her sleeping soundly. He gently brushed her chestnut hair away from her forehead and left a light kiss there. “I’ll be back, Lili, so get all the rest that you need.” He whispered to her lowly, his voice warm with love for her.

Ais felt a small smile form on her lips at seeing how much Bell cared for the Prum girl. She clearly meant a great deal to him, and the gentleness and love she could both see and feel from his actions spoke volumes. ‘She’s one that we’ll need to speak with about Bell.’ Ais made a mental note to tell Tiona and Tione later. Bell was indeed in a relationship and if they wanted to further their own with him, then things needed to be worked out between all of the women that held feelings for him.

Bell exited the tent with Ais, emerging into the Loki Familia’s camp. Light shown down from above, through the various trees, and Bell had to admit to being a little confused. He was used to the Dungeon either being barely lit, or having a light that was more reminiscent of early morning. This was more like midday sunlight falling through the canopy of trees.

‘So, this is Loki Familia’s expedition Party, said to be the best in Orario.’ Bell noticed all of the upper-tier Adventurers around the camp. The pressure of dozens and dozens of eyes glaring at him put an almost physical pressure on Bell’s body. ‘What’s with all of these death glares? It…it couldn’t be because Ais was taking care of me…could it?’

“Hm?” Ais looked around, a few of her Familia members looking away when she did so, averting their glares from Bell.

The two walked a bit further before Bell had to shield his eyes as the light from above shone through a gap in the trees, right into his face.

“What’s wrong?” Ais looked at him curiously.

“Oh, nothing, I was just confused.” Bell admitted as he looked at her and motioned to the area around them. “This is the Eighteenth Floor, right? We’re in the Dungeon. Why is it so bright?”

“…shall we take a detour?” Ais offered with a smile, motioning for Bell to follow her as she led him in a different direction.

Bell followed her without hesitation, walking towards the edge of the camp. He spotted odd crystals growing from the ground, looking like clusters of quartz. Some of them were small, while others were much larger, reaching up to his waist or higher.

The two walked up a slope that overlooked the Loki Familia camp. Ais waved down to Lefiya when the Elf girl waved at her. Bell followed her through a path between the trees and then stood in awe at what he was seeing. Trees, grassy flatlands, rivers and streams, and an absolutely TOWERING tree in the center of the Floor; larger than any building that Bell had ever seen, aside from Babel Tower.

“Wow…amazing.” Bell breathed out at seeing the Eighteenth Floor for the first time. Looking up at what was providing the faux sunlight, he couldn’t help but nearly gape. “Th-This is…?”

“Yes…” Ais nearly giggled at Bell’s amazement. “All crystal.” She stood next to him and looked up at the crystal ceiling too. “The light fades from the crystals over time and ‘night’ comes. The Eighteenth Floor is a world of its own, filled with crystals and nature.”

“We’re saved…” Bell continued to stare at the wide expanse of nature that existed in the Dungeon. To think such a Floor could exist in a place that spawned Monsters with the sole purpose of killing all who entered.

Ais could only watch Bell with a warm smile, seeing him relax a bit more. She let him take in the Eighteenth Floor for a while longer before gently taking his hand and having him follow her.

“A-Ais?” Bell stared at their hands, feeling slightly flustered by the affectionate action.

“Hm?” Ais looked at him curiously as they walked back towards the camp.

“Nothing.” Bell shook his head. ‘I’m already getting death glares…might as well earn them, I guess.’ He gently squeezed her hand back, making Ais smile as they headed for the tent that Finn, Riveria, and Gareth were in.

-Loki Familia Camp-

“What? Argonaut is awake?!” Tiona set down the supplies that she’d been carrying with a bright smile.

“Ar-Argonaut?” Lefiya blinked at the name. Wasn’t the white-haired human’s name, Bell?

“Did ya hear that, Tione?!” Tiona’s excitement was growing rapidly. “Argonaut woke up already! We can go see him now!”

Riveria had forced everyone to leave the tent that they’d treated the three-man Party in. Only Ais and Finn had been allowed to stay while the healing was being done. Tione and Tiona did have to admit they wouldn’t have been much help, given that neither had anything more than basic first-aid knowledge. So, they’d gone about their assigned tasks as normal for the day, just waiting for Bell to wake up.

“Can you believe that he’s already made it this far?!” Tiona marveled at Bell’s progress into the Dungeon since the last time they’d seen him fighting the Red Minotaur. “That fight was, like, yesterday!”

“Quiet down. I heard you the first time.” Tione rolled her eyes at her sister. “And it’s been two weeks since that fight.” She corrected Tiona’s hyperbole. “What’s with that ‘Argonaut’ nickname?”

“Heh-heh! From that one Hero Tale! Perfect, don’t ya think?” Tiona giggled at the nickname that she’d given Bell.

“You’re a moron.” Tione grinned at Tiona. “True, though…” She brushed her hand against her left hair braid. “It really does get your blood pumping, knowing he’s here and awake now.”

“Hey, hey, Lefiya!” Tiona looked back at the cute Elf girl. “Where’s Argonaut at?”

“I believe he’s speaking with the Captain, Riveria and Gareth right now.” Lefiya answered the excited ball of sunshine that was Tiona.

“Let’s go see him when he’s done!” Tiona quickly took off with a big smile on her face.

“Well, we did finish what we were assigned to do.” Tione looked at the supplies they’d brought over. “See you later, Lefiya.” She waved to the Elf before heading in the same direction as Tiona with a happy little grin on her lips.

“First Ais, then Tiona and Tione too.” Lefiya thought aloud as she picked up the basket of food supplies that she was sent to retrieve. Her sensitive Elven ears caught the words of a group of her Familia members hounding Raul Nord, the leader of the second team.

“Who is that white-haired human, Raul?!”

“Miss Ais is taking care of him herself! Is he some upper-class Adventurer?!”

“I’ve never even seen that guy before!”

“How am I supposed to know?” Raul held up both hands to ward off the constant questions. “Chill out guys, geez!”

“I saw Ais holding hands with him on the way to the Captain’s tent!”

“EH?!” The entire group, and even Lefiya from afar, exclaimed in absolute shock. The orangette Elf even dropped the basket of food supplies…thankfully it didn’t fall over and spill them everywhere.

“White-haired brat! Stealing our Miss Ais!”

“She’s never taken care of any of us like that!”

“Our beautiful Sword Princess is supposed to watch over us from the shadows!”

-Captain’s Tent-

“Th-Thank you for everything you’ve done!” Bell bowed to the three top Adventurers of Loki Familia. “I-I really can’t thank you enough for your help!”

He was slightly intimidated by the presence of three of the Top Adventurers in Orario! Anyone would cut him some slack for being a bit nervous!

“Don’t be so tense. Take it easy. In times like these, Adventurers help each other out.” Finn smiled at Bell, hoping to ease the young man’s nerves. “And considering that you’re Ais’s friend, she’d hold a grudge if we turned you away. If we didn’t do everything in our power to help, none of us would be able to sleep at night.” That was laying it on a bit thick, but the humor in his tone wasn’t lost on anyone in the tent.

“Please don’t say weird things…” Ais deadpanned at Finn’s words.

‘Braver, Finn Deimne…’ Bell knew just about what everyone in Orario did of the Captain of the Loki Familia.

“Gahaha! It’s your first day in the Middle Levels and you made it to Floor Eighteen already!” Gareth laughed loudly at Bell’s unintended speed down into the Dungeon.

‘Elgarm, Gareth Landrock…’ Bell could easily recognize the most famous Dwarf in the city. Gareth was also the Dwarf with the highest Level in Orario too.

“Gareth, we have a guest. Please restrain yourself.” Riveria very much believed that meetings should have the proper decorum, especially between different Familia.

‘Nine Hell, Riveria Ljos Alf …’ Bell marveled at the High Elf’s beauty for a moment. ‘These are Orario’s Top-Class Adventurers! The best of the best!’ Bell was a little starstruck, his rubellite eyes sparkling as he got to meet the Top Three of Loki Familia face-to-face.

“We’re on our way back from an expedition. We’ll be leaving soon, tomorrow at the earliest.” Finn informed Bell of the Loki Familia’s current situation.

Gareth spoke up, looking at Finn. “I’d say day after tomorrow, given the time it’ll take to have the meds brought back. Plus the time we’ll need to get everyone back on their feet and ready to go afterwards.”

“Hmm, fair point.” Finn agreed after a second to think. “If we rush the injured before they’re ready, Riveria may be upset with us for ruining all the work she put in to healing everyone.” The Prum chuckled, Gareth joined in on the laugh while Riveria simply ignored both of them with practiced ease.

“It’s just for a short while, but we’ll treat you as guests.” Riveria nodded to Bell, speaking politely and with grace as easily as she breathed.

“Feel free to use that tent you’re in. I’ll let everybody know myself.” Finn promised with a smile.

“Really, I’m so grateful for everything. Thank you very much!” Bell bowed at the waist to the Loki Familia leaders.

“Hahaha. Think nothing of it.” Finn waved off the thanks. “But you owe us one.” He offered a future favor to them in lieu of any monetary compensation.

-Loki Familia Camp-

“Whew…” Bell exhaled as they left the Captain’s tent. “Being face-to-face with Orario’s best is kind of nerve-wracking.” He blinked when he noticed Ais looking at him curiously.

“Floor Eighteen…you’ve already made it so far.” Ais commented on the speed that Bell had moved through the Dungeon. Even if it hadn’t been intentional, the Party had survived all the way down to the Eighteenth Floor in one shot.

“Um…well, it was more like a series of accidents. We nearly died a few times.” Bell knew it had been quite a bit of luck that had gotten his Party to the Eighteenth Floor alive. They’d had multiple brushes with death on the way down, and it was probably a combination of teamwork, pure luck, and maybe even a minor miracle that they’d survived to reach the safety zone.

“Did slaying that Red Minotaur make you Level Two?” Ais asked for confirmation, leaning forward a little as if she was trying to see something on Bell.

“Y-Yes…thank you for taking Lili and I back to the surface, by the way.” Bell had nearly forgotten to thank Ais for doing that. ‘Ah, I should thank Miss Riveria too.’ He made a mental note to do so later.

“There you are, Argonaut!” Tiona called out and Bell felt a pair of arms wrap around his left arm as a warm Amazon body pressed against him. “You got carried in, but you’re already out and about! That’s great, Argonaut!”

“Come now, sister…it’s rude not share.” Tione smirked at Tiona, before her eyes landed on Bell’s. “You being down here means you’re Level Two, right?” Tione grinned at him; her eyes looked at Bell like a fox watched a rabbit. “Going down this far into the Middle Floors is even more impressive than slaying a Minotaur~” She leaned forward, her breasts bouncing in her red top, giving Bell a little show with a knowing smirk on her lips.

“Tione, Tiona.” Ais greeted the sisters, all three women locking eyes briefly, recalling their talk from the previous evening.

“Um, Tiona, why do you keep calling me Argonaut?” Bell questioned the Amazon curiously. Also to keep his mind off of how nice her body felt against his arm.

“We saw your whole fight against that Red Minotaur!” Tiona beamed at Bell, her excitement clear in her voice and the way she bounced on her heels. “It reminded me of the Heroic Tale of Argonaut! It was my favorite story when I was a little girl! You were amazing!” She giggled as she pressed herself into his side more. “So, I gave you ‘Argonaut’ as a nickname!”

“Ah, I get it.” Bell replied, not hating being equated with a Hero, but also knowing that Argonaut was known as the ‘Comical Man’s Heroic Tale’ for a reason. His mind could only be distracted for so long though with both Hyrute Sisters so close to him. Tiona’s physical affection, Tione’s knowing smirk as she flaunted her body for him; it was getting to him, for sure. ‘I thought I’d built up some resistance to all of the exposed skin…’ Bell thought to himself. Apparently, the two weeks of not seeing them had weakened his resistance substantially, as he started to feel his face get hot.

“Aww, look at him blush.” Tiona cooed at Bell, eagerly nuzzling against Bell’s shoulder and neck. “So cute~”

“Be nice, Tiona.” Ais smiled, seeing that Bell wasn’t running away, but was instead trying to remain stalwart in the face of her friends’ affections. It was cute, and Ais felt her own cheeks warm up a little at the sight.

“We’re being very nice.” Tione commented sidling up to Bell’s right side with a teasing grin. “We’re helping Bell with his Amazon Fever~, right, Bell?” She nearly purred to the man that had so thoroughly captured the three’s affections.

‘Too much!’ Bell knew he was losing this battle. ‘Is…Is Ais cocking her hip to the side on purpose?!’ The little pose emphasized the blonde’s curves and looked like something Tione or Tiona would do. Maybe the two Amazons had taught it to Ais?

“If not for everyone watching, I’d snu-snu you until I turned this entire Floor into a crumbling wasteland~” Tiona whispered into Bell’s ear from her position pressed against him, her Amazon blood had been on fire for far too long because of this expedition. A pleasant tremor went up Bell’s spine at her words, and he only had a guess as to what ‘snu-snu’ meant.

The sudden feeling of death glares and animosity from earlier slammed into Bell’s back. The Captain of the Hestia Familia could swear what had to be dozens of eyes were trying to burn holes through him all at once. He tensed up a bit, clearly noticed by the girls. Bell glanced over his shoulder and could swear an aura of blackness was pouring off the Loki Familia members, especially the men.

Don’t get any ideas

Unspoken message received; Bell decided it was time to bolt. “I-I’m going to go check on my friends! I’ll see you three soon!” He was off like a shot, back towards the tent that Lili and Welf were sleeping in. Tiona blinked that he’d slipped out of her hold before she’d realized it.

“You little shits…” Tione nearly growled at the men of her Familia.

“Why’d you do that?” Tiona questioned, her normally cheerful face now growing wrathful.

“Mm…” Even Ais was showing her displeasure with a frown, her golden eyes narrowed.

“Eh?” The men that had been glaring death at Bell blinked, now faced with the wrath of three of their Familia’s Executives. “We…uh…just thought…”

They didn’t get to finish before the Hyrute Sisters leapt at them angrily, both for being interrupted and Bell having been chased off.

-Dungeon ~ Floor Thirteen-

An Almiraj threw its hatchet-like landform at a group of Adventurers. The weapon spun through the air, only to be snatched and then throw back at even greater speed. The Almiraj’s head was split by its own weapon as the rabbit Monster fell to the rocky ground, dead.

Ryu looked on impassively at the large horde of Monsters that they’d found. According to Takemikazuchi’s three children, this was most likely the same horde that they’d run from while trying to protect the near-fatally injured Chigusa. That meant this was the start of the trail to finding Bell and his Party.

“I shall remain here to guard Lord Hermes and Lady Hestia, they’re all yours.” Asfi spoke to Ryu, the two Level Four’s easily deciding on who took rearguard and who would be vanguard.

“Understood.” Ryu drew her wooden sword and was a green blur that blitzed the horde of Monsters.

A single swing of her wooden sword and six Monsters were reduced to a chunky wave of blood and gore. The Elf woman never stopped moving after her first strike. If anything, she only got faster. Every swing of the wooden sword sliced cleanly through the Monsters, regardless of their species. Almiraj, Hellhound, and even Hard Armoreds, they were all equally cut down with a ruthless efficiency. Body parts went flying through the air while the rest of the group could only watch on.

“That’s…a wooden sword, right?” Mikoto couldn’t help but ask. As a swordswoman, she aspired to be so skilled that she could make cuts even with a wooden blade.

“She’s so fast…” Chigusa couldn’t even keep up with Ryu’s speed, only seeing the green of her hooded cloak moving, followed by sprays of deep red blood as more Monsters were killed.

“Well, less work for me.” Asfi nodded at Ryu’s efficiency. Having another Level Four to clear the way was very helpful. “She should be fine on her own as the vanguard.”

Crack

A Dungeon Worm burst from the wall behind Hestia and Hermes. Asfi had already turned to face the Monster the instant the wall had cracked. The circular maw of the Dungeon Worm was filled with sharp fangs, and it had no eyes or nose, relying on vibration to find its prey. The Monster never got the chance though, as three glass vials shattered against its writhing body. The strange substance that now coated the Dungeon Worm stuck it to the wall, revealing it to be a powerful, instant adhesive. Asfi’s dagger slashed the trapped Monster lengthwise, splitting it in two in a shower of blood.

“Eh?” Hestia and Hermes hadn’t even had time to express their shock at the sudden appearance before the Monster was dead.

“I should be enough for the rearguard.” Asfi mentioned as she flicked the blood off her dagger and sheathed it.

“Th-They’re both…so strong…” Ouka couldn’t believe the sheer speed and power the two women possessed. He was reminded of the vast difference that a Level or two could make between Adventurers once more.

“…Hermes.” Hestia looked over at her nephew. “Aren’t your followers Level Two, on average?”

“Hahaha! Now that you mention it, I forgot to report her Level Up!” Hermes laughed it off, even though it was literally lying to the Guild and Tax Evasion against them as well.

“Hah…” Hestia sighed at Hermes’ antics. “Well, at least we shouldn’t have to worry about anything while we search.” She looked at Asfi and then Ryu, the Elf woman having already finished off the entire horde of Monsters. “Hm? Did I step on something?” Hestia looked down at feeling something under her foot. “EGH!”

A broken axe and a dead Hellhound were lying on the ground, the old weapon being what Hestia had stepped on. The dead Monster only scaring her for not having seen it in the darkness.

“Easy, Hestia…” Hermes looked at the ragged corpse of the Hellhound. “This one is already dead.”

“I-I see…” Hestia put her hand over her heart to calm herself down.

“Judging by its condition, this one has been dead a while.” Hermes looked over the dead Monster. “The Adventurer that killed it probably didn’t have time to take its Magic Stone.” The corpses of Monsters would linger for a long time if their Magic Stones weren’t removed. For several Adventurers in the Middle Levels ‘scavenging’ said corpses proved to be a lucrative side-hustle. “The Middle Levels really are different form the Upper Levels, it seems.”

‘Please stay safe, Bell, Lili…’ Hestia hoped for their safety with all of her heart.

“Asfi, where should we start looking?” Hermes aske his Familia’s Captain. “Searching haphazardly won’t get us anywhere.”

“True…” Asfi agreed and began a rundown of all the information that the group had of the situation. “They entered the Dungeon lightly equipped, but have now spent over a day in the Middle Levels. That wouldn’t make any sense, normally.” She looked over the area carefully. “Perhaps they fell into one of the shafts? The ‘Shattered Shaft’ is a well-known Dungeon gimmick that happens to be spread across the Thirteen, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Floors.” Asfi pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her blue eyes sharp. “Options for Parties that fall are limited. Abandoning thoughts of returning to the surface and trying to reach the safety of Floor Eighteen… I believe that thought process has merit.”

“…would they really do that?” Ouka questioned the option. “A decision like that takes serious guts.”

“I would.” Ryu spoke up, looking at the group over her shoulder. “He has already overcome one adventure. I believe he would press forward without looking back.”

The group searched the area for any clues as to where Bell’s Party had gone after escaping the Monster horde. It was Chigusa that called everyone over to her location a few minutes later.

“This shaft…the edges are jagged and irregular, like they were broken off.” Chigusa pointed out the fractured edges to the group.

“It does look like the remains of a ‘Shattered Shaft’.” Ryu agreed, kneeling down to examine the cracked stone. “The rock around the edge is thin enough that a strong strike could shatter it easily.”

“It looks like it goes down two Floors.” Asfi looked down the shaft. “There’s quite a bit of rubble down there from what I can see.”

“This must be it!” Hestia declared, looking for a way down the shaft. “We need to get down there!”

“Please calm yourself, Lady Hestia.” Asfi requested of the Goddess. “We’ll check out the shaft before having everyone jump down.” It only made sense to her. This may be an older gimmick that simply hadn’t ‘reset’ yet. There was no guarantee that this was the shaft that Bell’s Party had fallen down.

“I’ll go.” Ryu jumped down easily, landing with barely a sound at the bottom of the shaft. The Elf looked around the pile of rubble, seeing burn marks on several of the large rocks as well. “Something definitely happened here recently.” Ryu murmured to herself. It was then that she spotted something on the floor. It had almost escaped her sight do to the object being all black in color. “Is this…Mr. Cranel’s?” The solid black spear matched what Bell had described to her at the Hostess before.

Ryu took the spear and easily scaled the shaft with a few well-placed jumps.

“That’s Bell’s!” Hestia was at Ryu’s side the second she saw the black spear in the Elf’s hands.

“I thought it might have been.” Ryu handed the weapon over to Hestia.

Hestia handled the spear carefully, her worry for Bell and Lili only growing. “That proves it. Bell’s Party fell down this shaft.”

“That’s good news…” Mikoto spoke up, only to freeze when all eyes looked at her suddenly. “I-it means that we’re on the right path…” The swordswoman finished her sentence slowly.

“She’s not wrong.” Asfi agreed after a second of thought. “If they lost weapons and supplies in the fall of a ‘Shattered Shaft’ then we should only have to follow the signs of battle and a trail of dead Monsters that still have their Magic Stones.”

“Please lead the way, Asfi.” Hermes smiled at her, placing his arm over her shoulders.

“Touch anywhere inappropriate and I drop you.” Asfi threatened her God with steely eyes.

“W-Wouldn’t dream of it, Asfi! Heh…heh…” Hermes held up his hands in front of him.

Asfi narrowed her eyes at Hermes, but eventually relented with a sigh. “Talaria.” The little wings on her gladiator sandals glowed before growing much, much larger. “I can take only one person at a time.”

The rest of the group, minus Ryu, could only stare in awe at one of the Magic Items made by ‘Perseus’, Asfi Al Andromeda.

-Loki Familia Camp ~ Bell Party’s Tent-

“It really did get dark…” Bell marveled as he activated a Magic Stone lamp and lit up the inside of the tent while the crystals above lost their luminosity, bringing ‘night’ to the Eighteenth Floor.

“Mmngh?” Welf groaned, slowly opening his eyes. “Where are we?”

“Master Bell?” Lili blinked, looking around without sitting up just yet.

Bell was at their sides in a split-second. “I’m right here, you two.” He felt relieved even more now that they were awake. “Are you alright?”

“Well…I’m not dead.” Welf replied, the blanket near his feet moving. “And I still have both legs…can even wiggle my toes.” He chuckled and gave Bell a smile. “I must be doing okay then.

“Lili is just a little sore, Master Bell.” Lili slowly sat up, Bell helping to ease her into an upright position before placing a gentle, chaste kiss on her lips. “If Master Bell is here and okay, then nothing is wrong with Lili.”

“Good, I’m so glad.” Bell smiled brightly at both of them, glad that they had all made it out of the incident alive and well despite all of the close calls with death.

“It seems like we’re safe…but where are we?” Welf asked after looking around the tent they were in.

“We managed to make it to the Great Wall of Sorrows on the Seventeenth Floor…Goliath was reborn and nearly got us, but it’s attack knocked us out of the Boss Room and into the Eighteenth Floor.” Bell gave them a brief rundown of what had happened after they’d both collapsed. “After that, Loki Familia helped us when we needed it most.” He motioned around them. “They even lent us this tent.”

Welf looked down at the blanket covering his legs. “…I see. Held you back there, didn’t I? Sorry, man.” He apologized with a bow of his head.

“Lili has no excuse, Master Bell…if only she were stronger.” Lili wouldn’t meet Bell’s eyes, something he refused to let stand.

“What’re you talking about?!” Bell’s raised voice made both Lili and Welf look at him in shock. “If it wasn’t for you, Lili, we wouldn’t have even known to use the shafts to make it down to the Eighteenth Floor!” He turned his sharp gaze on Welf. “If it wasn’t for you Welf, we would’ve fallen to the Hellhounds’ fire breath way before we got here!” Bell’s rubellite eyes seemed to burn with emotion as he looked at them both. “If any of us hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have made it! Don’t you see that? We only survived as a team!”

“Well said.” Welf smiled at Bell’s words after a moment.

“Everyone played their part, Lili agrees.” Lili accepted Bell’s words with a warm smile for her boyfriend.

“Dinner is ready…” Ais moved the cloth aside just enough to look into the tent. “If you’re okay to move, we welcome you come and to eat.” She looked at Lili and Welf as she spoke.

“Sword Princess!” Welf gasped at seeing Ais in-person for the first time.

“Ais Wallenstein…” Lili looked at the blonde woman for a long moment.

“Thank you for sharing your food with us.” Bell thanked Ais with a smile.

“It’s no problem.” Ais shook her head and led the three towards where the Loki Familia was gathered for dinner.

Bell sat down where Ais showed them, Lili immediately taking the seat to his right. Welf sat on Lili’s right, the Smith looking around at all of the Adventurers and even seeing several members of his own Familia here and there that had gone on the expedition with Loki Familia.

‘Right next to me?’ Bell blinked when Ais sat beside him on his left side. He wasn’t complaining, of course. Ais flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, drawing Bell’s gaze to the motion and her face lit by the firelight. ‘Beautiful.’

Across the circle, Tiona and Tione shared a look together, having seen what Ais had done and Bell’s reaction to it.

“You think she realizes what she did?” Tiona giggled.

“That was pure instinct, she has no idea.” Tione grinned at Ais catching Bell’s attention without even trying. Every woman had her own wiles, after all.

Finn clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “All right everyone, listen up! We have guests with us tonight! They risked their lives to save one another in the face of danger and made it all the way here! Truly brave Adventurers!” He motioned to Bell, Lili, and Welf. “I’m not asking you to become close friends. However, I’d like you to respect them as fellow Adventurers while they’re with us.” He raised his drink into the air. “Let’s have a fresh start!”

“Yeah!” The entire gathering called back, raising their own drinks into the air.

Lili examined how Finn had easily used his position and the great respect that his Familia had for him to defuse any potential problems that might’ve arisen. “He’s good at this.”

Food was passed around to everyone; some simple soup, bread, whatever preserved meat was left over from the expedition, and Dungeon Fruit from the Eighteenth Floor. Welf, Lili, and Bell gratefully thanked the Loki Familia for the food before digging in.

“What’s this?” Bell looked at the yellow fruit curiously.

Ais looked at what he’d picked up from his plate. “That’s called Honey Cloud, it’s a fruit that grows here on the Eighteenth Floor.”

“Honey Cloud, huh?” Bell took a small bite and his face scrunched up. ‘Sweet! Too sweet! I think I’m gonna be sick!’ He’d never been a fan of overly sweet things like this.

“Master Bell, if it doesn’t suit your palate, Lili can finish it for you.” Lili offered with a smile.

“Sure, you can have it.” Bell smiled back at her, only to blink at what Lili did next.

“Aaah…” Lili closed her eyes and opened her mouth in the classic ‘feed me’ move.

Bell chuckled quietly and moved to feed Lili the Honey Cloud, he pulled the fruit away as Welf tried to take it, the blacksmith snickering slightly when Bell wouldn’t let him play his harmless prank.

“Mmm!” Lili perked up when the Honey Cloud was gently fed to her. She giggled happily and chewed the sweet fruit. Being fed by Bell was always an enjoyable little game back home!

Across the circle, near where Tiona and Tione were sitting, the Top Three of Loki Familia looked at the small three-man Party led by Bell Cranel.

“That was very well said.” Riveria gave Finn praise for his words at the start of dinner.

“At least now, our own people will avoid starting any trouble.” Finn replied after taking a drink. That was the last thing they needed after the debacle this expedition had turned into.

“I gotta say, those youngsters are havin’ a good time, despite what they went through.” Gareth mentioned, watching Lili, Welf, and Bell laugh with each other as they ate.

“It’s a good thing.” Riveria nodded in agreement. It was always better to help one’s fellow Adventurers if possible.

“Mmph! Tione!” Tiona spoke with her mouth full. “Lesh go sit wiff Argonaut!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full! Finish eating first! You’re acting like a child!” Tione snapped at her little sister’s lack of basic manners.

“H-Hey… Miss Tsubaki…g-give me a break.” Raul nearly collapsed after his sixth drink.

“What’s wrong? C’mon you puppy!” Tsubaki Collbrande laughed at him. The Captain of the Hephaestus Familia had long black hair that she kept tied into a ponytail that fell down her back. She had a darker complexion, reminiscent of an Amazon, but was, in fact, a Half-Dwarf; the result of a Dwarf and a Human having a child together. She wore a white, short-sleeved top with pink hems that exposed her midriff. On her legs were red hakama. She wore an eyepatch over her left eye, though it was in reverence to her Goddess, not from an actual need. “Oy, Gareth, show ‘em how it’s done!” She looked at the Dwarf man with a smile.

“Another time lass; I’ve got my position to consider.” Gareth had to turn Tsubaki down. “No need for the eyes Riveria, I know!” He shot a look at the High Elf, seeing her jade green eyes looking at him expectantly.

Elves and Dwarves had once had bad blood between them, wars having been fought between them on multiple occasions. But the ever-encroaching Monsters upon the world had brought that to an end. The lingering enmity between the two Races was now merely occasional dislike and some mostly harmless name-calling during arguments that sprang up from the two cultures clashing. But even by modern standards, Riveria and Gareth’s friendship was considered progressive, the two only needling each other as a friendly form of encouragement.

“Tsubaki, I heard that one of the three carried in is from your Familia?” Riveria looked at the Level Five blacksmith. “Is that young man there…?” She motioned towards Welf.

“Yep! Sure is!” Tsubaki confirmed with a grin. “Heh heh… Now that he’s up and about, it’s about time for me to have some fun!” She stood up and headed over to where Welf, Lili, and Bell were sitting.

“I’m coming too!” Tiona stood up and followed after Tsubaki.

“Not without me, you’re not!” Tione was hot on her sister’s heels.

“Tsubaki?!” Welf cried out, seeing the Captain of his Familia walking towards him.

“What’s with the face, Welfy?” Tsubaki demanded with a laugh. “After I came all the way over to check on you!” She looked at Bell for a second before smiling at him. “I know you! You’re that Bell Cranel, fella!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am?” Bell blinked at Tsubaki Collbrande of all people knowing his name without ever meeting her before.

Tsubaki quickly had Welf under one arm while drinking from a flagon held in the opposite hand, the Half-Dwarf woman cheerful at the pleasant evening. The fact that one of her favorites to mess with was here only made it better! Truly, Tsubaki was much like an older sister to Welf, including the over-the-top teasing she put him through.

This left Bell to be quickly surrounded by Tiona and Tione. The Amazon Sisters sidling up to the man that had caught their affections with warm smiles.

“Argonaut~” Tiona smiled at him, kneeling next to Bell and placing both of her hands on his right thigh. “You’ve got to tell us how you got all of your stats to ‘S’…” The ball of sunshine playfully requested.

“Yeah, give us all the juicy details~” Tione kneeled on Bell’s left side, between him and Ais, leaning into his side with a grin.

“Uh…” Bell didn’t know if he should bring it up, but Tione’s right hand was resting on his butt, while Tiona’s hands were dangerously close to his crotch. If he even twitched below the belt, Tiona would feel it without a doubt. “Your hands are…”

“Nothing we can do about that…” Tiona giggled at him, gently squeezing his thigh.

“We’re just curious about your stats~” Tione leaned against him, pressing her tits against Bell’s arm, while her hand on his butt copped a feel.

Bell glanced over at Ais, but the blonde merely pushed her hair behind her ear to hear whatever he said better. If he wanted to share how he’d grown so fast, she was more than willing to listen.

“Hey…” Lili’s unamused tone grabbed the attention of all four of them instantly. “What’re you doing to Master Bell?” She narrowed her eyes at Tione and Tiona. She didn’t care if they were First Class Adventurers, no one broke into the relationship that their little family had!

“Just showing him our interest…” Tiona answered simply, a little smile on her face.

“We’d very much like to discuss it with you and any other lovers that Bell might have.” Tione also smiled at Lili, making their intentions clear. There would be no lying, only open honesty in hopes of making this work between them.

“We’re not trying to…homewreck.” Ais assured her, after having to recall the term that she’d only heard in passing a couple of times.

“Lili trusts that Master Bell hasn’t done anything.” Lili knew that just by looking into Bell’s rubellite eyes. He was a terrible liar and couldn’t hide anything if he tried. Lili sat in Bell’s lap, forcing Tiona to move her hands off his thigh. Bell’s arms wrapped around her waist a second later, pulling her back into his chest. “Hmm~” She hummed happily. “Master Bell…you’ve certainly complicated things this time.”

“B-But I didn’t…I wasn’t trying to…” Bell didn’t know how to respond to Lili’s comment.

“Three women from a different Familia, and all of them are First Class Adventurers…” Lili looked over her shoulder at her boyfriend. “That’s definitely going to cause some issues.”

“We’re willing to try.” Ais spoke up, her golden eyes meeting Bell’s when he turned to look at her. The smile that she graced him with made Bell’s heart thump in his chest. Even Lili lightly blushed at the beautiful smile on the Kenki’s face.

“Bell is actually the first man that me and Tiona have ever felt this way about.” Tione admitted to both Lili and Bell, an almost adorably shy look on the Amazon’s face.

“Bell is special.” Tiona nodded, the smile on her face like warm sunlight.

“He is.” Lili agreed, happy that the three other women thought the same way she did about Bell.

“Ais… Tiona… Tione…” Bell didn’t know where to start; it was like he couldn’t string words together to form a sentence. His heart was beating strongly and he felt like he might burst from happiness that the feelings which had been growing within him for the last couple of months were actually returned by such amazing women.

“Why don’t we all go to Rivira together?” Tiona offered with a grin.

“Rivira?” Bell blinked, before the name clicked. “The world’s deepest town?!” Eina had told him about Rivira in passing, but not in detail, since Bell was only originally planning on trying out the Thirteenth Floor and slowly working his way down over time.

“Yeah, it’s run entirely by Adventurers.” Tione shrugged since the Loki Familia had been dozens and dozens of times. “They take advantage of the safe zone, using the ‘Under Resort’ to sell stuff at exorbitant prices.”

“Lili wants to see it.” Lili smiled at Bell over her shoulder. “Plus…we do need to replace some things.” Her large backpack was beyond saving at this point, so she’d need something to carry back some supplies on their return trip to the surface.

“Sure, we’d love to go with you.” Bell agreed to go with the four girls, a warm smile on his face. Even if they went as a group, it could still be a little ‘Dungeon Date’ which was common between Adventurers.

“It might be more fun…with you, Bell.” Ais smiled at him, her heart thumping in her chest that she was about to have a ‘date’ for the first time with a man she liked.

“GUAHUAHUAH!!!” A loud cry was heard from a good distance away.

“Huh?!” Bell perked up, swearing that the voice was familiar. He looked at Lili, her eyes wide as well. “Was that?”

“Lili thinks so!” Lili nodded as she quickly stood up from his lap.

Lili and Bell bolted towards the entrance that led to the Boss Room. When they arrived, they saw a familiar sight, but not one that they ever expected to see in the Dungeon.

“Oooh…why didn’t anyone tell me that giant was going to be there?” Hestia questioned, her breathing labored after she’d basically rolled down the slope from the Goliath’s chamber and onto the grass of Floor Eighteen.

“Hahaha… Thought we were goners for sure.” Hermes’ chuckled, though it was hollow, while he adjusted his feathered hat on his head.

“Hestia?” Bell called out to his Goddess lover.

Hestia’s head snapped around to look at Bell. Her blue eyes filled with unshed tears as she rushed towards him and nearly tackled him to the ground as she hugged him tightly. “BELL!!!” She buried her face into his chest. “My Bell! You’re alive!” She breathed in his scent, felt his heartbeat, and finally let all the tension and anxiety that had built up over the last day fall from her shoulders.

“Hestia.” Lili smiled at her Goddess. “Whoa!” Only to be pulled into the hug as well as Hestia squeezed her close.

“Lili!” Hestia kissed the top of Lili’s head repeatedly, before cuddling the other girl close. “I was so worried about you two! When you didn’t come back… I asked Eina… and I went to our friends…” Hestia was nearly bawling as she held them both.

“We’re so sorry, Hestia.” Bell and Lili apologized before hugging her between them. Hestia’s tears of relief slowly faded as she reveled in the warmth and love of her Familia.

“Mr. Cranel, are you injured?” Ryu asked, pulling down her mask so that he could see her face.

“Miss Ryu?” Bell blinked at seeing the waitress here. “Why’re you here too?”

“A certain Deity was rather insistent that I accept a Quest.” Ryu explained, looking over at Hermes. “He wanted me to join the search to find you.” She put her mask back on as Hermes walked closer to meet Bell.

“Hi there! The name’s Hermes. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.” Hermes smiled and greeted Bell politely. “So, you’re Bell Cranel?”

“Y-yes.” Bell nodded to the Deity.

“Ah, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” Hermes smiled, the look in his eyes calculating, though he hid it well.

“Lord Hermes, thank you for coming to help save us.” Bell shook the God’s hand politely.

Hermes waved it off with smile. “All I did was help out my favorite aunt, Hestia.” He motioned to Asfi, Ryu, Ouka, Mikoto, and Chigusa. “You should be thanking them. Without them we wouldn’t have known what was going on nor have gotten this far.”

All three of Takemikazuchi’s children looked at Bell with regret, though Ouka tried to keep his face stern. However, the tall man’s eyes did still show his remorse for his actions.

“Master Bell…” Lili glared at the three other Adventurers.

“Yeah…” Bell recalled their faces too. ‘They’re the ones that performed the Pass Parade on us.’

-Loki Familia Camp ~ Bell Party’s Tent-

“Our most sincere apologies!” Mikoto was in full dogeza before Hestia Familia and Welf.

“No apology would be enough for Lili to forgive you.” Lili denied the other woman. “We almost died.”

“Yeah. This isn’t about to just go away.” Welf agreed, glaring at the three that had Pass Paraded them.

Chigusa bowed in dogeza next to Mikoto. “You see, we really are very sorry.” The shorter girl didn’t look up from her position as she begged for forgiveness.

“You may berate us as you wish.” Mikoto resigned herself to whatever chastisement and anger that Bell, Lili, and Welf would subject them to.

Ouka stepped forward in front of Mikoto and Chigusa. “I was the one that gave the order.” He stated clearly, looking at Welf, Bell, and Lili. “Even now, I believe it was the correct decision.” Ouka had decided to that only he should take responsibility for his orders; not his Familia.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that to our faces, big guy!” Welf stomped on the ground, glaring fiercely at Ouka.

“Enough.” Bell’s voice didn’t rise…but the tone was more than able to kill any rising hostility.

“Master Bell…?” Lili looked at her boyfriend curiously.

“Bell?” Welf looked over at his friend, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

Bell gave them both a lopsided smile. “We have every right to be angry.” He stated plainly, looking over at the three from Takemikazuchi Familia made them flinch slightly. “But in the same situation…if Lili or Welf were going to die…I probably would’ve made the same decision.” He admitted, knowing that he’d do damn near anything to prevent them from dying.

Lili and Welf looked at Bell and both nodded after a long moment to calm down and think it over. Lili leaned into his side, hugging him warmly. Welf smiled and placed his hand on Bell’s shoulder.

“If you want to make up for what you did, then you owe us a large favor in the future. Agreed?” Bell laid out the terms for putting this whole mess behind them all.

“Of course.” Ouka bowed at the waist, both Mikoto and Chigusa once more bowing with their heads nearly pressed into the floor in dogeza. “We will assist you at any time. For whatever purpose you may require of us.”

“Thank you.” Bell smiled at the three of them, though it was more out of relief, rather than any geniality.

“Oh my…that was quite impressive.” Hermes mentioned to Hestia, having entered the tent right as Bell stopped the potential escalation.

“That’s my Bell.” Hestia beamed proudly about her lover.

“Well, if things are settled for now, then I have good news!” Hermes declared with a smile. “I’ve taken care of things with Loki Familia, so we’re all set there. As for our plan going forward, Asfi?” He passed the explanation onto his Familia’s Captain.

“First, concerning our return to the surface…” Asfi withheld the sigh that she wanted to let out at Hermes making her explain when he could’ve done it just as easily. “We will depart this Floor once the Loki Familia has slain the Goliath.” All of them instantly agreed that it was a good idea. Best to leave the Monster Rex to the much more powerful Familia. “However, Loki Familia is not planning to set out until the day after tomorrow at the earliest.”

“That means we have an entire day to kill!” Hermes took over with a smile. “Since we’re down here, we might as well do some sightseeing!”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Hestia beamed, quickly wrapping her arms around Bell’s left arm, her large tits enveloping it and making Bell smile reflexively.

“Well, until tomorrow then!” Hermes chuckled before motioning for the three from Takemikazuchi Familia to follow him. “Come along, you three! Loki Familia has a storage tent that they’ll let us use for the night!”

“Once the four were alone in the tent, Hestia perked up as she recalled the item that Hephaestus had given her. “Welf, I have something for you from Hephaestus!” She went over to the stuff in the corner of the tent and pulled out the wrapped bundle. “She also wanted me to deliver a message.” Hestia placed the wrapped object into Welf’s hands. “Stop weighing your friends’ lives against your pride.”

Welf’s eyes widened at his Goddess’s words before he tightened his grip on the wrapped object. The blacksmith looked at the bundle wrapped in white cloth for a long moment. He knew what it was as soon as Hestia put it into his hands…but he’d left it with Hephaestus as a sign of his refusal to create any more of them. “Thank you, Lady Hestia.” He walked towards the entrance of the tent. “I’m going to think for a bit…” He exited before anyone could say something.

“Welf…” Bell was pretty sure he knew what that bundled object had been. His friend was probably trying to come to terms with his past decisions. If what he’d heard about Crozzo’s Magic Swords were true…a single swing of the one that Welf had made would’ve probably wiped out the Monster horde that they’d been forced to run from on Floor Thirteen, preventing this entire incident altogether.

“He needs time, Bell.” Hestia smiled at her lover softly. “Let him think on his own choices and decide how he wants to proceed in the future.”

“…alright.” Bell agreed it wasn’t his place to decide anything for Welf when it came to this situation.

“How about I update your Statuses?” Hestia offered to them, a warm smile full of love directed at Lili and Bell. “I’m sure you’ve both grown after all of this.”

In short order Bell’s shirt was off as Hestia straddled his lower back, her bloodied finger tracing over his Falna. The blue-white light filled the tent as she watched his Excelia, seeing the battles, the pain, the lost wandering, and all other negative emotions that Bell had gone through since the last time she’d updated his Status. Hestia felt tears fall from her eyes at what her Bell had to go through, but the relief that he was alive and well stymied them after a moment.

“You’re all done, Bell.” Hestia smiled as she copied over his Status to a blank paper and slid off of him.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 2

Strength – G 202 > F 311

Defense – H 100 > G 219

Dexterity – G 206 > F 318

Agility – G 264 > F 376

Magic – G 231 > F 343

-Magic-

Firebolt

Vesta Enhance

Enchant Magic – Incantation: ‘Rise’

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

Thunderbolt

-Skills-

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

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

Argonaut – Executes automatically after charging from active actions.

Heroic Will – Raises Stats when the user refuses to give up in the face of adversity. Those with lower Stats see the user as near unassailable.

-Developmental Abilities-

Luck – I

Hunter – I

-Status-

“I kinda expected this much, honestly.” Bell remarked about the over one-hundred point boost to all of his Basic Ability stats. Without his Skills and his Magic, he doubted that he’d have been able to make it down here with Lili and Welf alive.

“You went through so many Monsters and multiple brushes with death.” Hestia hugged him close, kissing his cheek softly. “It’s only natural that you’d have a big leap like that, even as a Level Two.” She looked over at Lili with a smile before patting the spot in front of her. “Your turn, Lili.”

Lili removed her shirt, letting Hestia and Bell see her tits with a smile. After the shit that they’d just gone through, Lili would welcome all of their affections tonight. Or just sleep snuggled up with Bell and Hestia…either option sounded absolutely wonderful at this point.

Hestia let a single drop of her blood fall onto Lili’s back, making her Falna appear in the normal blue-white glow. Hestia watched Lili’s Excelia and nearly hugged the Prum tightly to herself as she saw Lili do everything in her power to keep Welf’s leg injury from getting worse, and to keep Bell in fighting shape as they trudged through the Dungeon. One brush with death after another passed by her eyes, fight after fight as Monsters continued to appear. But Hestia watched on with pride as Lili jumped on the back of a Ligerfang, stabbing it over and over again, to protect Welf from the Monster; ending with Lili cutting the large, Level 2, Monster’s throat open with her knife.

“You did so amazing, Lili.” Hestia gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. “You more than earned it.”

“Hm?” Lili blinked and wondered what Hestia meant by that.

Hestia moved the Excelia into the Basic Abilities and watched the numbers rise. She wrote something new into the Falna as well with a smile before finishing the update. Copying the new Status over to a blank paper, Hestia handed it to Lili with a proud and loving smile.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 1 (2)

Strength – H 160 > G 212

Defense – H199 > G 289

Dexterity – F 321 > E 448

Agility – E 476 > C 670

Magic – D 528 > B 700

-Magic-

Cinder Ella

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

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

-Skills-

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

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

Merídio Range – User’s attacks with projectiles increase in both power and accuracy. The increase is proportional to how many of their Familia are with them.

(Developmental Ability)

(Abnormal Resistance)

-Status-

“L-Lili…Lili can…can...” Lili looked at the immense jump in her stats with tears in her eyes, but they were tears of joy. “Lili can Level Up?” She turned around quickly and hugged Hestia, bawling her eyes out into her Goddess’s chest in joy. After spending most of her life being called useless, worthless, and no good…she finally found a home with the Hestia Familia. Now…now she even had proof that she wasn’t any of the things that she’d been called for so long. The once lonely and broken little Prum had pushed beyond her old tormentors entirely, breaking through the wall that fifty percent of all Adventurers never could.

“Congratulations, Lili.” Hestia murmured to her softly, holding the crying Prum close and running her fingers through the girl’s soft chestnut hair.

“You’re amazing, Lili.” Bell wrapped his arms around both Hestia and Lili, pouring his love for them into his embrace. He kissed the top of Lili’s head and smiled warmly at Hestia as they held Lili in the most loving embrace that they could provide.

“Are you ready to Level Up, Lili?” Hestia asked a few minutes later, once Lili’s tears had stopped.

“Yes, Hestia.” Lili beamed at her Goddess with a smile that could’ve lit up the entire Eighteenth Floor. She turned around again once Bell let them both out of his arms.

Hestia let another drop of her blood touch Lili’s back as the Falna glowed brightly. She advanced the Falna to Level Two with a smile, and then wrote in the Developmental Ability that Lili had available. The Basic Ability stats returned to zero, now keeping track of Lili’s new Level Two stats. “All done.” Hestia placed a paper over the new Status and copied it over with a twirl of her fingertip.

Lili accepted the new Update with slightly shaking hands.

-Status-

Liliruca Arde

Level 2

Strength – I 0

Defense – I 0

Dexterity – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

Cinder Ella

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

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

-Skills-

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

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

Merídio Range – User’s attacks with projectiles increase in both power and accuracy. The increase is proportional to how many of their Familia are with them.

-Developmental Ability-

Abnormal Resistance – I

-Status-

“Lili…is really Level Two…” Lili breathed out. It was almost surreal to her still. But the proof was in her hands as she read over it. Liliruca Arde was Level Two now. The ‘worthless Supporter’ was now far and away more powerful than all of her past ‘employers’. All of the Level One Adventurers that had mistreated her, worked her to the bone, and then denied her of her share of the loot by falsely accusing her of things she hadn’t done; she was the one that had grown…she was the one that had broken through the wall that they still languished behind to this day. “Lili is Level Two!” The Prum cheered loudly, as if to force the Dungeon and the entire damn world to recognize that fact!

“Whoa!” Bell was nearly tackled as Lili leapt at him, pressing her topless form against him as she captured his lips in a deep French kiss.

“Hey…” Hestia pouted playfully. “No fair.” She giggled, since Lili was clearly in her own little world as she and Bell continued to kiss.

The two would actually fall asleep just like that, Lili sleeping on Bell as he held her. Hestia could only smile lovingly as she cuddled up with them both, finally able to sleep now that she knew they were okay. Her loves were alive, well, and now stronger from this horrible experience. She couldn’t ask for more as she pulled the blanket over the three of them and drifted off to sleep with her head on Bell’s shoulder.

-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-

ALL OF THE FLUFF!!!

Progress abounds!

Relationships are going to be discussed!

LILI IS LEVEL TWO!!! WOOHOO!!!

Da Bean deserves it and anyone that doesn’t think so can SHUT UP!

Things continue to change, bit by bit!

How will the ‘Free Day’ on the Eighteenth Floor play out tomorrow?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you think with a review!

Until next time, later!