Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Devour Monsters In The Dungeon - Chapter 7.1 (Patreon)

Extracting the magic stones from all of the dead killer ants, took longer for me than drawing them in and slaughtering them.

I mean, I'm totally new to all this and just rip the corpses apart with my hands, so it's not exactly optimal, and I've only been doing this for five days, so my inexperience shows quite a bit in this regard.

But still, adding up all the time I spent looting magic stones from my kills, from the first floor down to the seventh floor pantry was well over two hours, possibly closing in, or surpassing three hours.

When taking into account my trek all the way down here and time spent fighting, I've probably spent a good six or so hours down here.

I hadn't worn my watch before I ended up in this place I'd forgotten it before heading out that very morning, and I wasn't exactly going to bring my precious phone down here, now was I?

So keeping track of time was a pain.

Sighing to myself, I crunched down on the last magic stone I ripped out of the final killer ant corpse remaining, and decided to head on up back to the surface.

'Considering how nasty I must smell right now because of all this blood, I'll need a shower before meeting up with Hestia.' I mused. I'd left rough at nine in the morning to come here, so if my estimates were right, it was somewhere around three in the afternoon.

I was meeting up with my goddess not far from where she worked at a jagamarukun stall, some kind of fried potato snack stall, at around half five.

So I had roughly two and a half hours to get topside, have a shower and make myself presentable for my date with her. I know there's a shopping district over there, and quite a few clothing shops as well according to Hestia.

And her favourite book store was on the same street.

'Good thing the guild has showers for adventurers.' I mused.

Though I'm not sure what I'll do with my armour.

Well, I'll think of something. I can probably just jump back home and leave it at the church if I'm quick enough anyway.

I trekked back through the seventh floor towards the staircase leading back up to the sixth floor.

Along the way, very few monsters spawned. Much less than I was used to, just a few needle rabbits that were simple and easy to kill.

The last one I killed, had tried to burst out of the way right beside the staircase.

Its corpse now hung half inside the wall, half out, dangling pitifully. A single punch to the face had crunched its little furry skull.

Just as I pulled its chest open and retrieved its magic stone, forcing the corpse to turn to dust, I heard voices echoing from behind me.

"Heh, sure is quiet today on the way back up," a male laughed, "Good thing for you, huh useless? Can't imagine a little weakling like you can handle walking for long."

"Lili is grateful for your concern Mr. Ged, Lili will make sure to not disappoint you." A small, light voice replied submissively.

I stopped, my eyes blinking once in surprise.

I recognise that voice, a female voice specifically, and one referring to themselves in the third person.

"See that you don't," The now named Ged scoffed, "Honestly, I don't even know why I bother with a piece of shit like you. All you're good for is carrying my crap, as if that's worth even five percent of my loot, never mind ten!"

"Lili apologises for stepping out of t-"

"Ugh, just shut the fuck up you stupid little bitch, that annoying little voice of yours is so grating." Ged cut Lili's apology off, and I heard him grumbling a moment later as foot steps began to echo louder and louder.

I turned around and watched as two figures approached out of the passage I'd just came from myself.

I hadn't seen them anywhere in the seventh floor. So it's safe to assume they were at least down at the eighth before coming back up.

My eyes fell on a man a few inches taller than me, with a slim build, wearing a dark red overcoat and the black handle of a longsword hanging over his shoulder, a red tassel dangling from the tip.

He froze as soon as he saw me, hand reaching up to the handle of his weapon.

I ignored him, my eyes locking onto the small figure standing just slightly behind him. She was tiny, little more than three and a half feet tall, clad in a full body white cloak that covered everything but her face, dim, almost dead looking chestnut eyes peered out from beneath the cloaks hood, while on her back she carried a massive backpack that was nearly twice her height.

Liliruca Arde.

Just the girl I wanted to find.

"Hey, who the fuck are you!" Ged unsheathed his sword and pointed it at me, his eyes were wild and wary.

"Mr. Ged…maybe it would be better to be po-" Lili spoke up, only for him to backhand her, shutting her up.

She didn't make a sound, even as she fell to her backside, a red welt on her face from the blow.

"Didn't I tell you to shut the fuck up?" he spat at her, before turning his attention to me again, "Hey, I asked you who you were buddy!"

I stared at him for a moment, taking in what he just did, before scoffing, "Who the hell are you calling buddy?" I growled, "Don't associate yourself with me at all you piece of trash."

Fucking revolting, having someone like this call me buddy. This guy is an utter clown.

Who the hell brought out his weapon and made demands like that after seeing a fellow adventurer in the dungeon?

Especially if they were scared.

His arm trembled noticeably at my reply, the longsword that seemed to be of some rather nice make shook in his grip.

"Trash!? Do you know who you're speaking to you piece of shit?!" despite his apparent fear, Ged's eyes widened in outrage, "I'm the captain of the Coalemus familia!" he boasted.

…As if that was supposed to scare me or something.

Who the fuck was Coalemus? I've never heard of any god like that.

"Yeah, well I'm the Captain of the Hestia Familia." I crossed my arms. Now that was something to boast about. The oldest of the Greek Gods, one of the twelve Olympians and one of the strongest at that, the goddess that ruled over the eternal flame.

Hestia the Bestia.

"Hestia Familia? The hell is that? I've never heard of any familia named that!" Ged scoffed and began to relax, the fear leaving him as he cottoned on to something, "A new familia?"

"Not like anyone's ever heard of a Coalemus familia either," I snorted, "And yeah, a totally new familia what of it?"

In contrast to his earlier fear, Ged's face split into a wide grin, "That's some nice armour you've got there for a baby rookie," he pointed out, "Guess you were a noble or something before becoming an adventurer. How about you hand it over and I'll let you live?"

…Is this fucker a moron? Can't he see I'm down here on the seventh floor, alone? Granted, considering the way he was looking down on Lili just a minute ago, despite how fucking useful a supporter clearly is, evidenced by the time I lost pilfering monster magic stones earlier…I'm inclined to believe he is.

"How about you hand over all your shit instead, get on your knees, call me master and beg for mercy and I might let you live, you twat." I uncrossed my arms and raised one hand up, giving him the middle finger.

His grip on his blade tightened and his teeth audibly ground together at my reply, "…See, here I was trying to be nice, now I'm gonna gut you kid." he spat, raising his blade up above his head and launching towards me.

He was fast.

Faster than the frog shooters whipping tongues and faster even than the needle rabbits on foot.

He was very nearly as fast as me even.

Almost.

But not quite.

A moment later, his blade scythed down in a flash from above, coming down at where the joint in my armour should be at my neck. One of the typical weak spots of a full body set of armour.

Not mine though.

The blade clanged audibly against my shoulder, and sparks burst into existence from sheer friction as his blade ground against my armour.

And left naught a scratch.

And he left himself completely open, so arrogant in his victory.

My hands flared into a claw shape, my clawed gauntlets glinting in the dim light of the dungeon and I thrust out.

Ged screamed in pain as my clawed gauntlet finger tips pierced into his stomach and I squeezed, tightening my grip into his puncture wounds.

Then I pulled him towards me and delivered a wall shaking headbutt to the bridge of his nose with my helmet clad head.

Crunch went his nose, and I ripped my fingers free of his gut, arcs of blood spurting through the air.

He screamed, rolling across the ground back and forth, clutching at his stomach and nose with his hands.

I kicked him in the head a second later and his lights went out, eyes rolling up into the back of his head as he fell unconscious.

If he doesn't get medical treatment, it's likely he'll bleed out. As I look over his unconscious body, it's kinda surprising how little I care about that fact.

I don't give a shit if he dies.

I looked at him for a moment, and now that I did, I noticed how high quality that cloak of his is. If I'm not wrong, isn't that coat made of Salamander Wool?

I think at least.

I heard the cocking sound of some kind of mechanism and looked over to find Lili, eyes now much more alert and staring at me warily, her tiny shoulders tensed and one arm pointed at me, a small crossbow mounted on her wrist pointing at me.

It's funny, she's way more of a threat than he was. From what I know she has a bunch of things prepared to escape from others like smoke bombs and shit, and I know she has a magic sword tucked away.

Unlike Ged, that might actually hurt me through my armour.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you miss supporter," I held my hands up in surrender, "I wouldn't have even bothered with you both if this clown didn't start shit with me first."

"Mr. Ged definitely started it, but forgive Lili if she's wary, after all, Mr. Ged is strong and you beat him easily," Lili replied, voice level, none of the fear apparent that Ged had, "If Lili let's you get close and you attack, then Lili will die."

Was he strong? Relatively, for a level one he might have been. But, my armour alone is at the pinnacle of level two, a durability beyond a minotaur even.

And I remember Lefiya stating she couldn't hurt a minotaur solo until she was level three. Which was why Bell beating what amounted to an enhanced minotaur at level one so amazing. And Bell right after levelling up, was actually faster than the level three Lefiya.

Which was all I needed to know, to understand how bullshit my crystal armour is right now at the upper floors.

Wearing a full set of this armour, means I'm pretty much immune to damage from anything below around the eleventh floor or twelfth floor where some big fuckers like orcs, silverbacks and Infant dragons begin spawning.

Unless Lili pulls out her magic sword, she doesn't really have a way of hurting me.

But, I need to reassure her I'm not gonna hurt her.

So I sat down on the unconscious form of Ged, making my form smaller and less threatening, "You're not wrong, though I've got no beef with you," I shrugged, "I mean, I heard what this guy was saying to you on the way here, he was treating you like shit."

"Lili is just a leech supporter, not a powerful honoured adventurer," the small girl shrugged, "A useless person like that, is obviously treated badly."

"Except, that's wrong," I shrugged and refuted, "This guy I'm sitting on and most of the others, probably like feeling strong bullying weaklings to make themselves feel better about being weaklings themselves. I can say that with confidence after my time down here, that supporters are in no way useless."

Lili's eyes narrowed at me as she stared at me oddly, but she never once lowered her crossbow.

"I've been down here over six hours," I shrugged, continuing my explanation, "More than half of that was looting monster corpses. If I had a supporter to take cake of that for me, I'd have been done in a fraction of the time and got to hunt even more. The fact a few clowns high on his tiny amount of strength thinks otherwise just make them bigger clowns. There's a reason why bigger familia's like the Loki familia have designated supporters, hell, one of their supporters Protagonista is a level four, now that guy must be hella useful."

She was quiet for a moment before replying, "…Lili admits she see's your point in a way, but Lili also doesn't understand why you're trying to make it," the small prum girl said, "If you meant no harm, it would make more sense to leave."

"You're a smart one," I shrugged, reaching up and pulling off my helmet so I could smile at her, she looked surprise, giving me an odd look again, before recovering her passive look, "I just said, didn't I? I wasted a ton of time myself, I'm looking for a supporter. And I like the looks of you, how about it?"

"You…wish to hire Lili?" the surprise look returned.

"Yup," I confirmed with a nod, "It's a pretty good deal I think, I mean, I'm pretty impressive I think, considering I've only been an adventurer for five days and I'll give you an equal share, fifty-fifty, with an experienced supporter I should be able to kill easily double or more the amount I usually would."

"Five days…?" the prum girl trailed off, the surprises just seeming to shock her one after another, "Mr. Adventurer is so young looking, and is right to think he is impressive, it usually takes others at least a year to reach this low alone."

"Caelan, that's my name," I introduced myself, "Fourteen years old, first child of Hestia and the de-facto captain of the familia, you?"

"…Liliruca, but you can call Lili, Lili," she finally replied after a moment, "Fifteen years old, supporter of the Soma Familia."

My smile transitioned into a grin, "So, you up for it then?"

This time she smiled back, though it was definitely fake, It would be a while before I could get the genuine article, "Lili would be a fool to not accept Mr. Caelan's generous offer." she replied.

"Good stuff," I stood up off of the unconscious body, and yanked the coat right off of him, hanging it over my shoulder, "We can start tomorrow if you want." I added, reaching down and grabbing up Geb's longsword, and tossed it over to Lili.

She fumbled as she caught it, "…You're giving me Mr. Ged's sword?" she goggled.

"He won't need it much longer," I shrugged, "Unless you plan on hauling him out, because I'm not gonna. And since you were his supporter, well I figure that stuff is all yours now, though I like the jacket, so I'm gonna keep it."

"…It's made of Salamander Wool, Mr. Ged bragged about it quite a bit," she explained, "It cost a lot, but this sword was made by the Hephaestus familia, it is worth a lot more, are you sure you want to give this to Lili?"

"Considering how crappy he was treating you and how little of the loot cut he was gonna give you, I'm guessing you're strapped for valis," I pointed out, "You keep it, alongside whatever loot you guys earned today to yourself, honestly I'd give you this jacket as well, but I need a new one, so this will have to do."

"…Mr. Caelan is generous." Lili mused after a moment, walking over to me and looking up at me with that big, cute and totally fake smile.

I laughed and threw my arm around her small shoulders, she blinked, a surprised sound leaving her mouth as I pulled her flush against my side, "Not really, I'm a selfish bad guy at heart," I said as I began walking, "But even bad guys are allowed to take care of things and people they like, right?"

Lili looked completely lost.