LinkOnScepter
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Reading through Volume 8 and got to this part as said by Hephaestus:
Oh they're gonna love Simon.
Oh they're gonna love Simon.
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It Is Alright To Use Spiral Power In A Dungeon (TTGL X Danmachi Crossover)
- Thread starter LinkOnScepter
- Start date
Chapter 4.1
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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"And that's how it all works!" Hestia finished, holding up a finger for all to see.
Simon, his arms crossed and right leg over his knee, nodded at Hestia, "Ah, I see. So, if I were to join you guys, I'd get a blessing from you. And I'd be a part of your Familia. Which would let me register at the Guild, make money, and get any other benefits from being in your Familia."
"Pretty much," Bell shrugged, an expecting smile on his face.
Simon nodded to the goddess, "Thanks for the rundown, Hestia."
"Don't mention it," Hestia said with pride. Then she leaned forward, the same expecting smile that Bell had on her face, "Sooooo, what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"About joining our Familia. Before, you said you wouldn't join because you didn't really get how it worked," Hestia explains, her ponytails pointing toward Simon.
"Right," Simon nodded again.
"Well, now you know. So, are you gonna-"
Simon held up a hand, "Sorry, but my answer's still no."
"What?!" Hestia's hands hit the table, while her ponytails shot toward the ceiling. Her face clearly showed the surprise she felt, "But why?"
"Hmm, two main reasons. The first is that I don't think I'm gonna need it. I'm already plenty tough myself," Simon tap a fist against his chest to emphasize, "and I don't need a God's blessing to get stronger."
"But that was one minotaur. And you caught it off guard. You do know there are stronger monsters in the Dungeon than that, right? Do you really think you can handle them too?" Hestia pointed out, Bell nodding along with all of her words.
Simon's expression turned grateful, "Thanks for worrying about me. But, seriously. I'll be fine. Like I said, I've fought tougher things than that before."
He leaned back in his seat, eyes not leaving Hestia's gaze, "Second, if I got a blessing I would essentially be beholden to the God who gave it to me, right?"
Confusion came over Bell's face while Hestia started to frown. She nodded in response to Simon's question, which made the older man hum in understanding. He stared Hestia down before he spoke again, "Thought so. In which case, I don't think I'll ever get a blessing. I wouldn't accept having a God tell me what I can and can't do with my life."
"What?" Bell shook his head in surprise. Confusion and shock clear on his face, Bell spoke up, "But Hestia's a great Goddess! She'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do."
Simon turned to Bell and shrugged, "I don't doubt that. But it's not about whether the God I get the blessing from is a good one. I've never been one to let others dictate my path in life for me. The only one who gets to decide that is me and me alone."
His words were firm and filled with confidence, but there was no malice to them. Nor any in the kind gaze he gave Bell and Hestia. Bell didn't know what to say to that. He wanted Simon to join their Familia, but he didn't want to seem like he was trying to force him into it. This was Simon's decision to make, after all. But if he didn't have a Familia then what would he do for a living? He looked toward his Goddess and waited for her to say something. She had remained silent and was simply staring at Simon, a frown marring her cute face. A part of him hoped that she would say something that would convince Simon otherwise. That with a few magical words he would see that his worries were unfounded.
But the rest of him knew Hestia. And he knew what she would say.
Instead, Hestia sighed and then fell back into the sofa. Her eyes were closed as she lowered her head, "Fine. If you're certain about it."
"I am," Simon nodded, "Thanks for understanding."
Hestia waved his words off and put her hands on her knees. She put up the face of a professional Goddess. One who was barely affected by Simon's refusal to join her Familia. But Bell only needed to look at the way her hands balled into fists on her knees. And the way her arms shook as she spoke, "It would reflect poorly on my Familia if I pushed joining onto you. I'm not one of those other deities who can't no for an answer. And besides, I can see why you wouldn't want to join besides your own personal reasons. We're a small Familia that has to rely on a single member just to make ends meet. Who's Goddess has to work a part-time job to supplement income from the Dungeon."
The longer her speech went on, the more and more Hestia's mood started to drop. She started to withdraw into the sofa, her voice turning from confident to pathetic. Simon's smile fade as he watched the Goddess hold back tears. He prepared to stand up and encourage her, but Bell beat him to it. The white-haired boy jumped to his feet and turned to stare at his Goddess. His eyes were ablaze as he pumped his fists, "Don't get discouraged, Goddess! Our Familia may be small now, but that's because we just started. Once we get through this first part and save up enough money, all our troubles will be over! People will be lining up to join us! Just you wait and see!"
Hestia stood up at Bell's words, her original despair replaced by hope. Her expression got brighter the longer she stared at Bell's smiling face. Simon found himself smiling at the, as Hestia shouted her agreement with Bell. She pumped her own fist while saying how lucky she was to have met someone like Bell. The two shouted as their spirits rose which only made Simon's smile get wider. Watching the two of them get so pumped up...well, it made him glad he decided to pick Bell as his guide to this new world. The boy might not look like much now, but he could sense that he had the spirit and the heart to become a great man. Now if only he had a bit more confidence in him...
"Now, for our future, let's update your status! To the bed and off with your shirt!"
"Alright!"
Bell ran to a door near the back of the room, Hestia following him soon after. She looked back at Simon with a beaming smile on her face, "Make yourself at home, Simon! Don't worry about the Familia stuff and just rest up. And don't leave too soon. Bell will be making dinner later!"
With that, she disappeared around the corner.
Simon waved goodbye to the Goddess and the young boy.
Simon, his arms crossed and right leg over his knee, nodded at Hestia, "Ah, I see. So, if I were to join you guys, I'd get a blessing from you. And I'd be a part of your Familia. Which would let me register at the Guild, make money, and get any other benefits from being in your Familia."
"Pretty much," Bell shrugged, an expecting smile on his face.
Simon nodded to the goddess, "Thanks for the rundown, Hestia."
"Don't mention it," Hestia said with pride. Then she leaned forward, the same expecting smile that Bell had on her face, "Sooooo, what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"About joining our Familia. Before, you said you wouldn't join because you didn't really get how it worked," Hestia explains, her ponytails pointing toward Simon.
"Right," Simon nodded again.
"Well, now you know. So, are you gonna-"
Simon held up a hand, "Sorry, but my answer's still no."
"What?!" Hestia's hands hit the table, while her ponytails shot toward the ceiling. Her face clearly showed the surprise she felt, "But why?"
"Hmm, two main reasons. The first is that I don't think I'm gonna need it. I'm already plenty tough myself," Simon tap a fist against his chest to emphasize, "and I don't need a God's blessing to get stronger."
"But that was one minotaur. And you caught it off guard. You do know there are stronger monsters in the Dungeon than that, right? Do you really think you can handle them too?" Hestia pointed out, Bell nodding along with all of her words.
Simon's expression turned grateful, "Thanks for worrying about me. But, seriously. I'll be fine. Like I said, I've fought tougher things than that before."
He leaned back in his seat, eyes not leaving Hestia's gaze, "Second, if I got a blessing I would essentially be beholden to the God who gave it to me, right?"
Confusion came over Bell's face while Hestia started to frown. She nodded in response to Simon's question, which made the older man hum in understanding. He stared Hestia down before he spoke again, "Thought so. In which case, I don't think I'll ever get a blessing. I wouldn't accept having a God tell me what I can and can't do with my life."
"What?" Bell shook his head in surprise. Confusion and shock clear on his face, Bell spoke up, "But Hestia's a great Goddess! She'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do."
Simon turned to Bell and shrugged, "I don't doubt that. But it's not about whether the God I get the blessing from is a good one. I've never been one to let others dictate my path in life for me. The only one who gets to decide that is me and me alone."
His words were firm and filled with confidence, but there was no malice to them. Nor any in the kind gaze he gave Bell and Hestia. Bell didn't know what to say to that. He wanted Simon to join their Familia, but he didn't want to seem like he was trying to force him into it. This was Simon's decision to make, after all. But if he didn't have a Familia then what would he do for a living? He looked toward his Goddess and waited for her to say something. She had remained silent and was simply staring at Simon, a frown marring her cute face. A part of him hoped that she would say something that would convince Simon otherwise. That with a few magical words he would see that his worries were unfounded.
But the rest of him knew Hestia. And he knew what she would say.
Instead, Hestia sighed and then fell back into the sofa. Her eyes were closed as she lowered her head, "Fine. If you're certain about it."
"I am," Simon nodded, "Thanks for understanding."
Hestia waved his words off and put her hands on her knees. She put up the face of a professional Goddess. One who was barely affected by Simon's refusal to join her Familia. But Bell only needed to look at the way her hands balled into fists on her knees. And the way her arms shook as she spoke, "It would reflect poorly on my Familia if I pushed joining onto you. I'm not one of those other deities who can't no for an answer. And besides, I can see why you wouldn't want to join besides your own personal reasons. We're a small Familia that has to rely on a single member just to make ends meet. Who's Goddess has to work a part-time job to supplement income from the Dungeon."
The longer her speech went on, the more and more Hestia's mood started to drop. She started to withdraw into the sofa, her voice turning from confident to pathetic. Simon's smile fade as he watched the Goddess hold back tears. He prepared to stand up and encourage her, but Bell beat him to it. The white-haired boy jumped to his feet and turned to stare at his Goddess. His eyes were ablaze as he pumped his fists, "Don't get discouraged, Goddess! Our Familia may be small now, but that's because we just started. Once we get through this first part and save up enough money, all our troubles will be over! People will be lining up to join us! Just you wait and see!"
Hestia stood up at Bell's words, her original despair replaced by hope. Her expression got brighter the longer she stared at Bell's smiling face. Simon found himself smiling at the, as Hestia shouted her agreement with Bell. She pumped her own fist while saying how lucky she was to have met someone like Bell. The two shouted as their spirits rose which only made Simon's smile get wider. Watching the two of them get so pumped up...well, it made him glad he decided to pick Bell as his guide to this new world. The boy might not look like much now, but he could sense that he had the spirit and the heart to become a great man. Now if only he had a bit more confidence in him...
"Now, for our future, let's update your status! To the bed and off with your shirt!"
"Alright!"
Bell ran to a door near the back of the room, Hestia following him soon after. She looked back at Simon with a beaming smile on her face, "Make yourself at home, Simon! Don't worry about the Familia stuff and just rest up. And don't leave too soon. Bell will be making dinner later!"
With that, she disappeared around the corner.
Simon waved goodbye to the Goddess and the young boy.
ThunderBasilisk
Well Worn Bastion
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Figured he wouldn't join. Cause when you can tank a Big Bang you dont really need more power.
Shadowlier
Know what you're doing yet?
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I'm not sure if any of the gods will ever be able to properly appreciate that Simon is more or less equivalent to one of the gods if they had easy access to their arcanum.
Xodarap
Versed in the lewd.
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Huh having never read Danmachi LN's or manga I'm curious how badly Bell will do with cooking? as it always seemed like he being a Protagonist was being fed by other people constantly.
Hestia seems to be too despairing from Simon rejecting her to follow his own path.
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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I am mostly following the LN. In Vol 1, after Bell got back from the Guild, Hestia starts to apologize for him being stuck in a crappy Familia with her, saying the same things as in the chapter. Here, I figured she'd be even more distraught cause they literally have someone as nice as Simon right in front of them, and he still won't join their Familia. Even if Hestia understands why, it has to hurt knowing you failed to recruit someone. Especially in front of Bell.
And Bell was the one who offered to make dinner before the potato snack party. Never told how his cooking is though.
MoonyNightShade
Quickest Gun on the Other Side
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Love DanMachi, but I gotta watch TTGL before reading this. Will come back later.
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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You will not regret it.
Chapter 4.2
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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Simon waved goodbye to the Goddess and the young boy. Though he did think that the part about Bell taking off his shirt was weird. Curious, he got up and planned to follow the two but thought better of it. If it was something they wanted him to know about, they wouldn't have left the room to do it. And he can just ask Bell about it all later. Instead, he put his hand in his coat pockets and started to walk around the room. There wasn't much to say about it. It had the two sofas, a table, and a dresser. He leaning around the corner he could see another hallway with a second dresser on it and some stairs leading up. He supposed that was where Bell and Hestia went.
Simon hummed as the started to pace around the room. His thoughts started to go to his current circumstances. Which, to be honest, wasn't the strangest situation he ever found himself in. When he finally kicked the bucket back home, he figured he'd go to wherever Nia, Kamina, Kittan, and everyone else who died was. Get to see them all again without needing to use any Spiral Power to bring them back. But instead, he somehow ended up in this world. A place that doesn't seem to have any Spiral Power or even know what it is. Where humans rely on "Gods" to get strong enough to defeat monsters.
He looked toward the ground and thought about that word.
Gods.
Eina and Bell had given him the simplest run down. Put simply, there was another world above this one where the Gods lived. However, they got bored with their lives up there and decided to come down here to "play" with mortals. When he first heard that he felt his rebellious spirit start to rise. The only "God" that he had ever met was the Anti-Spiral. His experience with them wasn't exactly a good one. But Bell assured him that the Gods weren't "bad" and were actually responsible for a lot of the good things that humans have nowadays. Especially when it concerns that "Dungeon".
"Dungeon," Simon tested the word, a hand going to his chin in thought. He knew the place was a central part of Orario. He could tell that much from how Bell and Eina talked about it, how many people he saw come and go from within where he met the half-elf, and how the magic stones they got from monsters were exchanged for money. His eyes roamed the white walls of the basement room around him. He stopped pacing in the middle of the room and stared up at the white ceiling.
His eyes curled inward as he frowned, thinking back to his conversation with Hestia and Bell. He didn't regret what he said. His life since reaching the surface back home had been a tooth-and-nail fight to command his own destiny. Decide fate for himself and allow others to do the same. Even if the Gods of this world weren't as bad as the Anti-Spiral, he still didn't like the idea of being beholden to one of them. Especially not if it came down to a choice between what was right for the Familia and what was the right thing to do. That part of him hadn't changed, even now. If he saw something was wrong, and he knew he could do something to make it right, he'd do it. Whatever consequences came of that, he'd deal with later. In his own way. He didn't think many Gods would be happy if he said something like that to their faces.
But he couldn't deny the fact that he did need some way to take care of himself. No one knew him here, he wasn't a "registered adventurer", and he didn't have any of this world's currency. His options for ensuring his survival were slim. A part of him brought up the fact that he could take care of all his needs with just a little Spiral Power.
He quickly snuffed that part of himself out. He wasn't a God. He was Simon The Digger. That wouldn't change. Not even in this world where Gods walked among mortals.
His troubled thoughts made him sigh. He moved back to the sofa and laid down on it. He kept his boots off the upholstery, turned so he was looking at the ceiling, and put his left hand behind his head. Thoughts began to drift back to the subject of his friends. He knew none of them were here with him. If they were, he would've known. Their souls were bound together by Spiral Power, after all. If any of them were alive and in Orario, he would've felt them by now. But, so far, he had felt nothing.
Though them not being here physically didn't mean they weren't with him.
His right hand continued to rummage in his pocket until he felt his fingers brush over something. Blinking, he pulled his hand out and held it up to the light. The moment he caught sight of it, all his worries went away. His frown became a content smile as he stared at the small, white ring held in his fingers. The bright green crystal in its center seemed to shine in the light of the small room. Smile still on his face, he brought the ring toward his chest where his new Core Drill sat. When the crystal met the tip of the drill, the sound of wind chimes echoed through the room. For the briefest of moments, Simon swore he could feel two hands on his shoulders. One was firm and gripped his shoulder with hard, calloused hands. The other was soft and dainty, laying on his shoulder more than holding it.
It only lasted for a second.
Then the feeling disappeared.
Simon's only reaction was to smile even wider. He pulled the ring away from the Core Drill and placed it on his right ring finger. He held his hand up to the light then curled it into a fist. His smile turned into a determined grin as he pushed himself up and off the sofa.
He wasn't alone.
No matter how much time passed, no matter where they were, he knew that every one of his friends was always with him. Even if they weren't here in body, they were with him in spirit.
New world or not, it didn't change who and what he was. Whatever the future may hold, he'd face it with open arms and a waiting fist. He'd make his way through Orario the same way he had back home.
With an open heart, hard work, dedication to his ideals, and never wavering fighting spirit.
He nodded confidently to himself. He stretched his arms toward the ceiling, feeling refreshed and relieved after all of that. As he shook his arms out, he heard footsteps coming down the stair. Bell soon came around the corner, holding a sheet of paper in his hand with his normal clothes back on. His face was clouded with doubt, eyes furrowed in thought, to the point where he almost walked right passed Simon without a word. He stopped before reaching another door and turned to look at the taller man. His eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, Simon! Sorry, I forgot you were there. Not that I meant to, it's just-"
Simon waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Though, I do want to ask what's up. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."
Bell turned his eyes away from Simon as he spoke, "Well, I do. Mainly my updated status."
"Status? Is that what you and Hestia went to take care of upstairs?"
Bell nodded, "Yes. All the experiences we gain in life are gathered up as excelia. The Gods then use that excelia to improve our status. Which represents things like our strength and speed and such."
"Huh. So, they take your life experiences and turn them into power?"
"That's the simplest way to explain it, yes. Though, you can also gain stuff like Magic and Skills when Gods update your status," Bell's eyes twinkled when he mentioned Magic and Skills. But it was swiftly covered by a dark cloud a moment later. The white-haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he shook his head, "Though not everyone gets them."
Simon hummed and nodded his head, "And that's why you're so down in the dumps?" Bell flinched but nodded in confirmation. Simon waved a hand at him, "And, what was up with her telling you to take off your shirt?"
Bell's face turned a light shade of pink as he shook his head, "I-I-It's just how the Gods update our status'! They write on our backs with their blood! We weren't doing anything...uh...we just weren't doing anything else in there! I swear!"
"Never said you were."
Bell's embarrassment only got worse. His eyes darted around the room, trying to look at anything but Simon. They fell onto the door he was in front of and Bell took his chance. He swiftly opened the door, then ran inside while calling back to Simon, "An-An-Anyway, I need to make us dinner! I'll try to make something for you too, Simon! Hope you don't mind potatoes!"
Before Simon could reply, the door slammed shut behind Bell. He stared at the door for a few moments. Then he shrugged and sat down to wait for Bell to cook dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hestia walking around the corner. He waved hello to the Goddess and smiled at her. But his smile fell as he saw the pensive expression on her face. She moved on auto-pilot, sitting on the sofa across from Simon and crossing her legs. Her ponytails were pointed toward the floor and her lips pursed at some errant dark thought.
Worried, Simon called out to Hestia and asked what was wrong. The Goddess, slowly, turned her head up until she was gazing at Simon. After a few moments of silence, she spoke with an eerie calmness to her voice, "Simon. What did you do after you rescued Bell again?"
Confused but not intimidated, Simon replied casually, "I helped him get the minotaur's magic stone."
"And, how did you do that?"
"I gave him one of these," Simon tapped the Core Drill laying on his chest, "and helped him drill through its hide."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Hestia's eyes moved from Simon's to the drill hanging from his neck. She glared at the object as if she was trying to break it down to its base components with her gaze alone. Simon just sat there, wondering what she was trying to do. Or why she suddenly started asking him about his Core Drill. Before she could say anymore, the door to the kitchen opened up. Hestia's serious mood changed to one of giddiness as she saw Bell come into the room with three bowls of potato soup.
Simon stared at the Goddess, wondering what all that had been about. But then he smelled the soup. Any thoughts about the previous encounter were blown away by his sudden and furious hunger.
Expect chapters for all my stories to take longer than usual.
Cause I'm gonna be upping my Minimum Word Count for chapters from 3k Words to 5k Words.
Simon hummed as the started to pace around the room. His thoughts started to go to his current circumstances. Which, to be honest, wasn't the strangest situation he ever found himself in. When he finally kicked the bucket back home, he figured he'd go to wherever Nia, Kamina, Kittan, and everyone else who died was. Get to see them all again without needing to use any Spiral Power to bring them back. But instead, he somehow ended up in this world. A place that doesn't seem to have any Spiral Power or even know what it is. Where humans rely on "Gods" to get strong enough to defeat monsters.
He looked toward the ground and thought about that word.
Gods.
Eina and Bell had given him the simplest run down. Put simply, there was another world above this one where the Gods lived. However, they got bored with their lives up there and decided to come down here to "play" with mortals. When he first heard that he felt his rebellious spirit start to rise. The only "God" that he had ever met was the Anti-Spiral. His experience with them wasn't exactly a good one. But Bell assured him that the Gods weren't "bad" and were actually responsible for a lot of the good things that humans have nowadays. Especially when it concerns that "Dungeon".
"Dungeon," Simon tested the word, a hand going to his chin in thought. He knew the place was a central part of Orario. He could tell that much from how Bell and Eina talked about it, how many people he saw come and go from within where he met the half-elf, and how the magic stones they got from monsters were exchanged for money. His eyes roamed the white walls of the basement room around him. He stopped pacing in the middle of the room and stared up at the white ceiling.
His eyes curled inward as he frowned, thinking back to his conversation with Hestia and Bell. He didn't regret what he said. His life since reaching the surface back home had been a tooth-and-nail fight to command his own destiny. Decide fate for himself and allow others to do the same. Even if the Gods of this world weren't as bad as the Anti-Spiral, he still didn't like the idea of being beholden to one of them. Especially not if it came down to a choice between what was right for the Familia and what was the right thing to do. That part of him hadn't changed, even now. If he saw something was wrong, and he knew he could do something to make it right, he'd do it. Whatever consequences came of that, he'd deal with later. In his own way. He didn't think many Gods would be happy if he said something like that to their faces.
But he couldn't deny the fact that he did need some way to take care of himself. No one knew him here, he wasn't a "registered adventurer", and he didn't have any of this world's currency. His options for ensuring his survival were slim. A part of him brought up the fact that he could take care of all his needs with just a little Spiral Power.
He quickly snuffed that part of himself out. He wasn't a God. He was Simon The Digger. That wouldn't change. Not even in this world where Gods walked among mortals.
His troubled thoughts made him sigh. He moved back to the sofa and laid down on it. He kept his boots off the upholstery, turned so he was looking at the ceiling, and put his left hand behind his head. Thoughts began to drift back to the subject of his friends. He knew none of them were here with him. If they were, he would've known. Their souls were bound together by Spiral Power, after all. If any of them were alive and in Orario, he would've felt them by now. But, so far, he had felt nothing.
Though them not being here physically didn't mean they weren't with him.
His right hand continued to rummage in his pocket until he felt his fingers brush over something. Blinking, he pulled his hand out and held it up to the light. The moment he caught sight of it, all his worries went away. His frown became a content smile as he stared at the small, white ring held in his fingers. The bright green crystal in its center seemed to shine in the light of the small room. Smile still on his face, he brought the ring toward his chest where his new Core Drill sat. When the crystal met the tip of the drill, the sound of wind chimes echoed through the room. For the briefest of moments, Simon swore he could feel two hands on his shoulders. One was firm and gripped his shoulder with hard, calloused hands. The other was soft and dainty, laying on his shoulder more than holding it.
It only lasted for a second.
Then the feeling disappeared.
Simon's only reaction was to smile even wider. He pulled the ring away from the Core Drill and placed it on his right ring finger. He held his hand up to the light then curled it into a fist. His smile turned into a determined grin as he pushed himself up and off the sofa.
He wasn't alone.
No matter how much time passed, no matter where they were, he knew that every one of his friends was always with him. Even if they weren't here in body, they were with him in spirit.
New world or not, it didn't change who and what he was. Whatever the future may hold, he'd face it with open arms and a waiting fist. He'd make his way through Orario the same way he had back home.
With an open heart, hard work, dedication to his ideals, and never wavering fighting spirit.
He nodded confidently to himself. He stretched his arms toward the ceiling, feeling refreshed and relieved after all of that. As he shook his arms out, he heard footsteps coming down the stair. Bell soon came around the corner, holding a sheet of paper in his hand with his normal clothes back on. His face was clouded with doubt, eyes furrowed in thought, to the point where he almost walked right passed Simon without a word. He stopped before reaching another door and turned to look at the taller man. His eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, Simon! Sorry, I forgot you were there. Not that I meant to, it's just-"
Simon waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Though, I do want to ask what's up. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."
Bell turned his eyes away from Simon as he spoke, "Well, I do. Mainly my updated status."
"Status? Is that what you and Hestia went to take care of upstairs?"
Bell nodded, "Yes. All the experiences we gain in life are gathered up as excelia. The Gods then use that excelia to improve our status. Which represents things like our strength and speed and such."
"Huh. So, they take your life experiences and turn them into power?"
"That's the simplest way to explain it, yes. Though, you can also gain stuff like Magic and Skills when Gods update your status," Bell's eyes twinkled when he mentioned Magic and Skills. But it was swiftly covered by a dark cloud a moment later. The white-haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he shook his head, "Though not everyone gets them."
Simon hummed and nodded his head, "And that's why you're so down in the dumps?" Bell flinched but nodded in confirmation. Simon waved a hand at him, "And, what was up with her telling you to take off your shirt?"
Bell's face turned a light shade of pink as he shook his head, "I-I-It's just how the Gods update our status'! They write on our backs with their blood! We weren't doing anything...uh...we just weren't doing anything else in there! I swear!"
"Never said you were."
Bell's embarrassment only got worse. His eyes darted around the room, trying to look at anything but Simon. They fell onto the door he was in front of and Bell took his chance. He swiftly opened the door, then ran inside while calling back to Simon, "An-An-Anyway, I need to make us dinner! I'll try to make something for you too, Simon! Hope you don't mind potatoes!"
Before Simon could reply, the door slammed shut behind Bell. He stared at the door for a few moments. Then he shrugged and sat down to wait for Bell to cook dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hestia walking around the corner. He waved hello to the Goddess and smiled at her. But his smile fell as he saw the pensive expression on her face. She moved on auto-pilot, sitting on the sofa across from Simon and crossing her legs. Her ponytails were pointed toward the floor and her lips pursed at some errant dark thought.
Worried, Simon called out to Hestia and asked what was wrong. The Goddess, slowly, turned her head up until she was gazing at Simon. After a few moments of silence, she spoke with an eerie calmness to her voice, "Simon. What did you do after you rescued Bell again?"
Confused but not intimidated, Simon replied casually, "I helped him get the minotaur's magic stone."
"And, how did you do that?"
"I gave him one of these," Simon tapped the Core Drill laying on his chest, "and helped him drill through its hide."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Hestia's eyes moved from Simon's to the drill hanging from his neck. She glared at the object as if she was trying to break it down to its base components with her gaze alone. Simon just sat there, wondering what she was trying to do. Or why she suddenly started asking him about his Core Drill. Before she could say anymore, the door to the kitchen opened up. Hestia's serious mood changed to one of giddiness as she saw Bell come into the room with three bowls of potato soup.
Simon stared at the Goddess, wondering what all that had been about. But then he smelled the soup. Any thoughts about the previous encounter were blown away by his sudden and furious hunger.
Expect chapters for all my stories to take longer than usual.
Cause I'm gonna be upping my Minimum Word Count for chapters from 3k Words to 5k Words.
ogami-kun
Tenno
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AHAHAHAHAH Drill Skill, Getto!
SharkCultist
The Kamen Rider Of Depression
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This wasn't the kinda drilling Hestia wanted.
ThunderBasilisk
Well Worn Bastion
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Something skill related to Willpower maybe?
Spelloyal
Verified yuri lover
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I'm enjoying this fic, but the differences between the final and partial versions of the chapters are huge and this makes it hard to follow unless you decide to wait exclusively for the final versions. The jump between 3.1 and 4.1 for example makes it feel like something is missing and as 4.1 is written as a continuation of 3 instead of 3.1 and it still doesn't seem exactly right I was completely lost.
He probably awakened the potential to use spiral power, it shouldn't even be difficult if you have someone to teach since humans are a spiral race. Failing to make things easier, it is very likely that Bell received a Spiral-related Skill.
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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I mean, if that's the case, you could just stick with the actual full on Chapters. That'll give you a straight line through the whole thing.
The Extra Sub Chapters are there for those who really want to see sneak peeks of upcoming Chapters. The changes made are mostly to either add something for those who have been sticking with the Sub Chapters, and fixing typos where I can.
Chapter 4: A Night With Hestia Familia
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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"And that's how it all works!" Hestia finished, holding up a finger for all to see.
Simon, his arms crossed and right leg over his knee, nodded at Hestia, "Ah, I see. So, if I were to join you guys, I'd get a blessing from you. And I'd be a part of your Familia. Which would let me register at the Guild, make money, and get any other benefits from being in your Familia."
"Pretty much," Bell shrugged, an expecting smile on his face.
Simon nodded to the goddess, "Thanks for the rundown, Hestia."
"Don't mention it," Hestia said with pride. Then she leaned forward, the same expecting smile that Bell had on her face, "Sooooo, what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"About joining our Familia. Before, you said you wouldn't join because you didn't really get how it worked," Hestia explains, her ponytails pointing toward Simon.
"Right," Simon nodded again.
"Well, now you know. So, are you gonna-"
Simon held up a hand, "Sorry, but my answer's still no."
"What?!" Hestia's hands hit the table, while her ponytails shot toward the ceiling. Her face clearly showed the surprise she felt, "But why?"
"Hmm, two main reasons. The first is that I don't think I'm gonna need it. I'm already plenty tough myself," Simon tap a fist against his chest to emphasize, "and I don't need a God's blessing to get stronger."
"But that was one minotaur. And you caught it off guard. You do know there are stronger monsters in the Dungeon than that, right? Do you really think you can handle them too?" Hestia pointed out, Bell nodding along with all of her words.
Simon's expression turned grateful, "Thanks for worrying about me. But, seriously. I'll be fine. Like I said, I've fought tougher things than that before."
He leaned back in his seat, eyes not leaving Hestia's gaze, "Second, if I got a blessing I would essentially be beholden to the God who gave it to me, right?"
Confusion came over Bell's face while Hestia started to frown. She nodded in response to Simon's question, which made the older man hum in understanding. He stared Hestia down before he spoke again, "Thought so. In which case, I don't think I'll ever get a blessing. I wouldn't accept having a God tell me what I can and can't do with my life."
"What?" Bell shook his head in surprise. Confusion and shock clear on his face, Bell spoke up, "But Hestia's a great Goddess! She'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do."
Simon turned to Bell and shrugged, "I don't doubt that. But it's not about whether the God I get the blessing from is a good one. I've never been one to let others dictate my path in life for me. The only one who gets to decide that is me and me alone."
His words were firm and filled with confidence, but there was no malice to them. Nor any in the kind gaze he gave Bell and Hestia. Bell didn't know what to say to that. He wanted Simon to join their Familia, but he didn't want to seem like he was trying to force him into it. This was Simon's decision to make, after all. But if he didn't have a Familia then what would he do for a living? He looked toward his Goddess and waited for her to say something. She had remained silent and was simply staring at Simon, a frown marring her cute face. A part of him hoped that she would say something that would convince Simon otherwise. That with a few magical words he would see that his worries were unfounded.
But the rest of him knew Hestia. And he knew what she would say.
Instead, Hestia sighed and then fell back into the sofa. Her eyes were closed as she lowered her head, "Fine. If you're certain about it."
"I am," Simon nodded, "Thanks for understanding."
Hestia waved his words off and put her hands on her knees. She put up the face of a professional Goddess. One who was barely affected by Simon's refusal to join her Familia. But Bell only needed to look at the way her hands balled into fists on her knees. And the way her arms shook as she spoke, "It would reflect poorly on my Familia if I pushed joining onto you. I'm not one of those other deities who can't no for an answer. And besides, I can see why you wouldn't want to join besides your own personal reasons. We're a small Familia that has to rely on a single member just to make ends meet. Who's Goddess has to work a part-time job to supplement income from the Dungeon."
The longer her speech went on, the more and more Hestia's mood started to drop. She started to withdraw into the sofa, her voice turning from confident to pathetic. Simon's smile fade as he watched the Goddess hold back tears. He prepared to stand up and encourage her, but Bell beat him to it. The white-haired boy jumped to his feet and turned to stare at his Goddess. His eyes were ablaze as he pumped his fists, "Don't get discouraged, Goddess! Our Familia may be small now, but that's because we just started. Once we get through this first part and save up enough money, all our troubles will be over! People will be lining up to join us! Just you wait and see!"
Hestia stood up at Bell's words, her original despair replaced by hope. Her expression got brighter the longer she stared at Bell's smiling face. Simon found himself smiling at the, as Hestia shouted her agreement with Bell. She pumped her own fist while saying how lucky she was to have met someone like Bell. The two shouted as their spirits rose which only made Simon's smile get wider. Watching the two of them get so pumped up...well, it made him glad he decided to pick Bell as his guide to this new world. The boy might not look like much now, but he could sense that he had the spirit and the heart to become a great man. Now if only he had a bit more confidence in him...
"Now, for our future, let's update your status! To the bed and off with your shirt!"
"Alright!"
Bell ran to a door near the back of the room, Hestia following him soon after. She looked back at Simon with a beaming smile on her face, "Make yourself at home, Simon! Don't worry about the Familia stuff and just rest up. And don't leave too soon. Bell will be making dinner later!"
With that, she disappeared around the corner.
Simon waved goodbye to the Goddess and the young boy. Though he did think that the part about Bell taking off his shirt was weird. Curious, he got up and planned to follow the two but thought better of it. If it was something they wanted him to know about, they wouldn't have left the room to do it. And he can just ask Bell about it all later. Instead, he put his hand in his coat pockets and started to walk around the room. There wasn't much to say about it. It had the two sofas, a table, and a dresser. He leaning around the corner he could see another hallway with a second dresser on it and some stairs leading up. He supposed that was where Bell and Hestia went.
Simon hummed as the started to pace around the room. His thoughts started to go to his current circumstances. Which, to be honest, wasn't the strangest situation he ever found himself in. When he finally kicked the bucket back home, he figured he'd go to wherever Nia, Kamina, Kittan, and everyone else who died was. Get to see them all again without needing to use any Spiral Power to bring them back. But instead, he somehow ended up in this world. A place that doesn't seem to have any Spiral Power or even know what it is. Where humans rely on "Gods" to get strong enough to defeat monsters.
He looked toward the ground and thought about that word.
Gods.
Eina and Bell had given him the simplest run down. Put simply, there was another world above this one where the Gods lived. However, they got bored with their lives up there and decided to come down here to "play" with mortals. When he first heard that he felt his rebellious spirit start to rise. The only "God" that he had ever met was the Anti-Spiral. His experience with them wasn't exactly a good one. But Bell assured him that the Gods weren't "bad" and were actually responsible for a lot of the good things that humans have nowadays. Especially when it concerns that "Dungeon".
"Dungeon," Simon tested the word, a hand going to his chin in thought. He knew the place was a central part of Orario. He could tell that much from how Bell and Eina talked about it, how many people he saw come and go from within where he met the half-elf, and how the magic stones they got from monsters were exchanged for money. His eyes roamed the white walls of the basement room around him. He stopped pacing in the middle of the room and stared up at the white ceiling.
His eyes curled inward as he frowned, thinking back to his conversation with Hestia and Bell. He didn't regret what he said. His life since reaching the surface back home had been a tooth-and-nail fight to command his own destiny. Decide fate for himself and allow others to do the same. Even if the Gods of this world weren't as bad as the Anti-Spiral, he still didn't like the idea of being beholden to one of them. Especially not if it came down to a choice between what was right for the Familia and what was the right thing to do. That part of him hadn't changed, even now. If he saw something was wrong, and he knew he could do something to make it right, he'd do it. Whatever consequences came of that, he'd deal with later. In his own way. He didn't think many Gods would be happy if he said something like that to their faces.
But he couldn't deny the fact that he did need some way to take care of himself. No one knew him here, he wasn't a "registered adventurer", and he didn't have any of this world's currency. His options for ensuring his survival were slim. A part of him brought up the fact that he could take care of all his needs with just a little Spiral Power.
He quickly snuffed that part of himself out. He wasn't a God. He was Simon The Digger. That wouldn't change. Not even in this world where Gods walked among mortals.
His troubled thoughts made him sigh. He moved back to the sofa and laid down on it. He kept his boots off the upholstery, turned so he was looking at the ceiling, and put his left hand behind his head. Thoughts began to drift back to the subject of his friends. He knew none of them were here with him. If they were, he would've known. Their souls were bound together by Spiral Power, after all. If any of them were alive and in Orario, he would've felt them by now. But, so far, he had felt nothing.
Though them not being here physically didn't mean they weren't with him.
His right hand continued to rummage in his pocket until he felt his fingers brush over something. Blinking, he pulled his hand out and held it up to the light. The moment he caught sight of it, all his worries went away. His frown became a content smile as he stared at the small, white ring held in his fingers. The bright green crystal in its center seemed to shine in the light of the small room. Smile still on his face, he brought the ring toward his chest where his new Core Drill sat. When the crystal met the tip of the drill, the sound of wind chimes echoed through the room. For the briefest of moments, Simon swore he could feel two hands on his shoulders. One was firm and gripped his shoulder with hard, calloused hands. The other was soft and dainty, laying on his shoulder more than holding it.
It only lasted for a second.
Then the feeling disappeared.
Simon's only reaction was to smile even wider. He pulled the ring away from the Core Drill and placed it on his right ring finger. He held his hand up to the light then curled it into a fist. His smile turned into a determined grin as he pushed himself up and off the sofa.
He wasn't alone.
No matter how much time passed, no matter where they were, he knew that every one of his friends was always with him. Even if they weren't here in body, they were with him in spirit.
New world or not, it didn't change who and what he was. Whatever the future may hold, he'd face it with open arms and a waiting fist. He'd make his way through Orario the same way he had back home.
With an open heart, hard work, dedication to his ideals, and never wavering fighting spirit.
He nodded confidently to himself. He stretched his arms toward the ceiling, feeling refreshed and relieved after all of that. As he shook his arms out, he heard footsteps coming down the stair. Bell soon came around the corner, holding a sheet of paper in his hand with his normal clothes back on. His face was clouded with doubt, eyes furrowed in thought, to the point where he almost walked right passed Simon without a word. He stopped before reaching another door and turned to look at the taller man. His eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, Simon! Sorry, I forgot you were there. Not that I meant to, it's just-"
Simon waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Though, I do want to ask what's up. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."
Bell turned his eyes away from Simon as he spoke, "Well, I do. Mainly my updated status."
"Status? Is that what you and Hestia went to take care of upstairs?"
Bell nodded, "Yes. All the experiences we gain in life are gathered up as excelia. The Gods then use that excelia to improve our status. Which represents things like our strength and speed and such."
"Huh. So, they take your life experiences and turn them into power?"
"That's the simplest way to explain it, yes. Though, you can also gain stuff like Magic and Skills when Gods update your status," Bell's eyes twinkled when he mentioned Magic and Skills. But it was swiftly covered by a dark cloud a moment later. The white-haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he shook his head, "Though not everyone gets them."
Simon hummed and nodded his head, "And that's why you're so down in the dumps?" Bell flinched but nodded in confirmation. Simon waved a hand at him, "And, what was up with her telling you to take off your shirt?"
Bell's face turned a light shade of pink as he shook his head, "I-I-It's just how the Gods update our status'! They write on our backs with their blood! We weren't doing anything...uh...we just weren't doing anything else in there! I swear!"
"Never said you were."
Bell's embarrassment only got worse. His eyes darted around the room, trying to look at anything but Simon. They fell onto the door he was in front of and Bell took his chance. He swiftly opened the door, then ran inside while calling back to Simon, "An-An-Anyway, I need to make us dinner! I'll try to make something for you too, Simon! Hope you don't mind potatoes!"
Before Simon could reply, the door slammed shut behind Bell. He stared at the door for a few moments. Then he shrugged and sat down to wait for Bell to cook dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hestia walking around the corner. He waved hello to the Goddess and smiled at her. But his smile fell as he saw the pensive expression on her face. She moved on auto-pilot, sitting on the sofa across from Simon and crossing her legs. Her ponytails were pointed toward the floor and her lips pursed at some errant dark thought.
Worried, Simon called out to Hestia and asked what was wrong. The Goddess, slowly, turned her head up until she was gazing at Simon. After a few moments of silence, she spoke with an eerie calmness to her voice, "Simon. What did you do after you rescued Bell again?"
Confused but not intimidated, Simon replied casually, "I helped him get the minotaur's magic stone."
"And, how did you do that?"
"I gave him one of these," Simon tapped the Core Drill laying on his chest, "and helped him drill through its hide."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Hestia's eyes moved from Simon's to the drill hanging from his neck. She glared at the object as if she was trying to break it down to its base components with her gaze alone. Simon just sat there, wondering what she was trying to do. Or why she suddenly started asking him about his Core Drill. Before she could say anymore, the door to the kitchen opened up. Hestia's serious mood changed to one of giddiness as she saw Bell come into the room with three bowls of potato soup.
Simon stared at the Goddess, wondering what all that had been about. But then he smelled the soup. Any thoughts about the previous encounter were blown away by his sudden and furious hunger.
Simon flinched, eyes blinking open as the morning sunlight shined down onto his face. He put a hand over his left eye to protect it from the light shining directly through a hole in the church's roof. With a short grunt of annoyance, he pushed himself to a sitting position atop the partially intact pew he was using as a bed. He stretched his arms out to the sky as a yawn left his mouth.
After dinner was over last night, where everyone would be sleeping became an issue. Hestia would take the bed while Bell insisted on sleeping on one of the sofas. The two offered Simon a place on the other Sofa but he declined. He didn't want to impose on them more than he already had. Even if they did say it was fine, he wouldn't feel right if he slept in the space they called home. So, he chose to leave the basement and catch some Z's in the dilapidated church's main hall. It wasn't that bad. He had slept on pure sand and inside Lagann before, so a mostly destroyed wood pew wasn't much of a difference.
He stood up and started to perform some early morning stretches, waking up the rest of his body alongside his mind. He felt his bones pop into place, back a bit sore from sleeping on the pew. The sound of a door opening made him look toward the door to the basement in the back of the church. A few moments later, he saw Bell walking up the stairs and into the main part of the church. The boy's cheeks were a light shade of pink as he came to a stop a good distance away from the basement door. He shook his head before looking up at Simon. Then he smiled before waving to his savior, "Good Morning, Simon."
"Mornin', Bell," Simon said, another yawn leaving his mouth as he walked over to the young man, "How'd you sleep?"
"I slept fine. But shouldn't I be asking you that?" Bell's eyes went to the destroyed pew behind Simon.
Simon jerked his thumb behind him, "Eh, I've slept on worse. Don't worry 'bout me. What about Hestia? You say bye to her before you left?"
Bell's cheeks got even pinker at Simon's question. He looked away from the man and nodded, "Uh, no! She-She was still asleep. I didn't want to wake her up."
Nodding in understanding, Simon turned toward the church's open front door. He jerked his head toward the bright sun beyond, "That so? Well then, what's the plan for today? We goin' back in the Dungeon or you gonna take a break?"
"H-Huh? You...you're gonna come into the Dungeon with me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"But...you're not part of my Familia. I don't think the Guild will let you in."
"Pfft. I'll just tell them what I said last time. Everything I get in the Dungeon'll go to you. Got nothing to worry about if that's the case, right?"
"I...I suppose," Bell looked toward the ground, not sure what to say. Simon seemed confident, but he wasn't sure if the Guild would let someone not registered go into the Dungeon. Even if they could fight against the monsters down there.
Seeing Bell's uncertainty, Simon leaned forward and placed a hand on the boy's head. Bell "squeaked" and went rigid as Simon's fingers tousled his hair. The boy's red eyes looked up into the sharp black ones of his savior. For a second, he swore he could see a bright green spiral forming in one of the older man's eyes. He swore he could see himself reflected in the strange energy. But as soon as it came, it disappeared when Simon closed his eyes.
His smile was warm and confident as he spoke, "Don't you worry about me, Bell. I've been through my fair share of trouble and I'm still kicking. So, how about instead of constantly worrying over whether or not I can do something, you do something else for me? As a favor?"
"I...I guess. What do you want me to do?"
Simon stood up, his hand leaving Bell's head. When he was at his full height he opened his eyes and pointed a thumb at his chest, "Believe in me. Believe that I'll do what I say I will. Can you do that for me?"
An errant wind blew through one of the broken windows, causing Simon's cape to flap in the breeze. Bell's mouth hung open as he stared at Simon. His eye started to shine with an awe he hadn't felt since he was a child. A familiar feeling began filling his chest. A burning admiration that he always got whenever his Grandfather would tell him stories from the Dungeon Oratoria. A feeling that would come whenever one of the Heroes in the book went to fight a great enemy, and promised everyone they would come back alive and well. All they had to do was-
"-Believe in the Hero."
"What was that, Bell?"
Bell shook his head to clear it. He shot a beaming smile up at Simon, "Uh, I said, sure. I can do that. I hope we can be good friends, Simon."
"You know it, Bell," Simon pats the young man on the back. Then he points toward the exit to the church, "Now how about you lead us to the Dungeon?"
Bell nodded and started to walk out of the church. Simon followed him, standing at his right the entire way out.
Hestia stared at Bell's status sheet with a grimace on her face. She sat in the upstairs bedroom, one hand on her chin while her other held the paper against the bed. Her eyes repeatedly went over the hieroglyphs written on the sheet multiple times. Yet, no matter how many times she did it, the same thing kept happening.
Bell's stats themselves weren't that impressive. Other than his Agility increasing by twenty-four points, his growth was relatively normal for a Level One Solo Adventurer.
No, the strange thing was the Skill that she had written into his back.
Liaris Freese.
A Skill that gave him Rapid Growth that increased with a strong desire for some kind of goal.
When she had written that Skill into his back, she had grown to hate it. The idea that Bell would only start growing more because he felt a desire for something other than her made her heart ache. That was without factoring in how the other deities, always looking for something new to slake their insatiable curiosity, would pounce on him the moment they found out he had that Skill. Or who knows what else might befall her sweet little rabbit if anyone ever discovered how powerful that Skill truly was. It was why she had kept the Skill a secret. Especially from Bell. That boy couldn't keep a secret if his life was on the line.
But that wasn't what was bothering her. The thought of the Skill had always brought her some measure of unease, sure, but she had made some semblance of peace with it. She took comfort in the fact that the Skill would make Bell stronger at a faster rate than other adventurers. Meaning he'd be far safer in the Dungeon than most Level Ones.
No, what was bothering her was what was happening to Bell's Skill.
She had noticed it while she was updating his status. And seeing it occur made her pause in her writing to stare at it with confusion and awe. Bell hadn't noticed because he was too busy talking about Simon. He kept going on and on about how cool the newcomer was. How strong he looked. How awesome he was when he took out the minotaur. At any other time, Hestia would've joked about how Bell sounded like he had a crush on Simon. But what she saw then had left her speechless.
And it was happening right in front of her.
Liaris Freese....changed.
One moment, it was the same Skill that she had written into Bell's back not so long ago.
The next-
Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength: I-77 → I-82
Defense: I-13
Utility: I-93 → I-96
Agility H-148 → H-172
Magic: I-0
Magic
( )
Skills
Spiral Power
Fighting Spirit
User can Manifest their Willpower and Fighting Spirit as Physical Power
User will Evolve at a rapid rate
-It was this.
Hestia didn't know what was happening. She hadn't seen anything like this before. There have been plenty of instances of childrens' Skills improving or mutating into something new. But this was the first time she had ever seen a Skill get replaced by another one.
And the only real clue she had...was that newcomer.
"Simon," the tiniest bit of malice entered her voice as she said the man's name. She took her eyes off the page to look up at the magic lamb on the ceiling, face contorted into a frown, "What did you do to my Bell?"
She looked back at the page on the bed...then did a double take.
The Skill, "Spiral Power", had changed back into Liaris Freese. The original Skill was back in its proper place, with its description still saying the same thing.
But what drew the Goddess' attention was Bell's status:
Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength: I-82 → I-83
Defense: I-13 → I-14
Utility: I-96 → I-97
Agility H-172 → H-173
Magic: I-0
"It updated on its own!?" Hestia shouted into the empty room. Her arms started to tremble as she turned toward the door that led downstairs.
This was impossible.
What...what did that man do to Bell?
Got this done. Oh, and I finished Volume 8 today.
Simon, his arms crossed and right leg over his knee, nodded at Hestia, "Ah, I see. So, if I were to join you guys, I'd get a blessing from you. And I'd be a part of your Familia. Which would let me register at the Guild, make money, and get any other benefits from being in your Familia."
"Pretty much," Bell shrugged, an expecting smile on his face.
Simon nodded to the goddess, "Thanks for the rundown, Hestia."
"Don't mention it," Hestia said with pride. Then she leaned forward, the same expecting smile that Bell had on her face, "Sooooo, what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"About joining our Familia. Before, you said you wouldn't join because you didn't really get how it worked," Hestia explains, her ponytails pointing toward Simon.
"Right," Simon nodded again.
"Well, now you know. So, are you gonna-"
Simon held up a hand, "Sorry, but my answer's still no."
"What?!" Hestia's hands hit the table, while her ponytails shot toward the ceiling. Her face clearly showed the surprise she felt, "But why?"
"Hmm, two main reasons. The first is that I don't think I'm gonna need it. I'm already plenty tough myself," Simon tap a fist against his chest to emphasize, "and I don't need a God's blessing to get stronger."
"But that was one minotaur. And you caught it off guard. You do know there are stronger monsters in the Dungeon than that, right? Do you really think you can handle them too?" Hestia pointed out, Bell nodding along with all of her words.
Simon's expression turned grateful, "Thanks for worrying about me. But, seriously. I'll be fine. Like I said, I've fought tougher things than that before."
He leaned back in his seat, eyes not leaving Hestia's gaze, "Second, if I got a blessing I would essentially be beholden to the God who gave it to me, right?"
Confusion came over Bell's face while Hestia started to frown. She nodded in response to Simon's question, which made the older man hum in understanding. He stared Hestia down before he spoke again, "Thought so. In which case, I don't think I'll ever get a blessing. I wouldn't accept having a God tell me what I can and can't do with my life."
"What?" Bell shook his head in surprise. Confusion and shock clear on his face, Bell spoke up, "But Hestia's a great Goddess! She'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do."
Simon turned to Bell and shrugged, "I don't doubt that. But it's not about whether the God I get the blessing from is a good one. I've never been one to let others dictate my path in life for me. The only one who gets to decide that is me and me alone."
His words were firm and filled with confidence, but there was no malice to them. Nor any in the kind gaze he gave Bell and Hestia. Bell didn't know what to say to that. He wanted Simon to join their Familia, but he didn't want to seem like he was trying to force him into it. This was Simon's decision to make, after all. But if he didn't have a Familia then what would he do for a living? He looked toward his Goddess and waited for her to say something. She had remained silent and was simply staring at Simon, a frown marring her cute face. A part of him hoped that she would say something that would convince Simon otherwise. That with a few magical words he would see that his worries were unfounded.
But the rest of him knew Hestia. And he knew what she would say.
Instead, Hestia sighed and then fell back into the sofa. Her eyes were closed as she lowered her head, "Fine. If you're certain about it."
"I am," Simon nodded, "Thanks for understanding."
Hestia waved his words off and put her hands on her knees. She put up the face of a professional Goddess. One who was barely affected by Simon's refusal to join her Familia. But Bell only needed to look at the way her hands balled into fists on her knees. And the way her arms shook as she spoke, "It would reflect poorly on my Familia if I pushed joining onto you. I'm not one of those other deities who can't no for an answer. And besides, I can see why you wouldn't want to join besides your own personal reasons. We're a small Familia that has to rely on a single member just to make ends meet. Who's Goddess has to work a part-time job to supplement income from the Dungeon."
The longer her speech went on, the more and more Hestia's mood started to drop. She started to withdraw into the sofa, her voice turning from confident to pathetic. Simon's smile fade as he watched the Goddess hold back tears. He prepared to stand up and encourage her, but Bell beat him to it. The white-haired boy jumped to his feet and turned to stare at his Goddess. His eyes were ablaze as he pumped his fists, "Don't get discouraged, Goddess! Our Familia may be small now, but that's because we just started. Once we get through this first part and save up enough money, all our troubles will be over! People will be lining up to join us! Just you wait and see!"
Hestia stood up at Bell's words, her original despair replaced by hope. Her expression got brighter the longer she stared at Bell's smiling face. Simon found himself smiling at the, as Hestia shouted her agreement with Bell. She pumped her own fist while saying how lucky she was to have met someone like Bell. The two shouted as their spirits rose which only made Simon's smile get wider. Watching the two of them get so pumped up...well, it made him glad he decided to pick Bell as his guide to this new world. The boy might not look like much now, but he could sense that he had the spirit and the heart to become a great man. Now if only he had a bit more confidence in him...
"Now, for our future, let's update your status! To the bed and off with your shirt!"
"Alright!"
Bell ran to a door near the back of the room, Hestia following him soon after. She looked back at Simon with a beaming smile on her face, "Make yourself at home, Simon! Don't worry about the Familia stuff and just rest up. And don't leave too soon. Bell will be making dinner later!"
With that, she disappeared around the corner.
Simon waved goodbye to the Goddess and the young boy. Though he did think that the part about Bell taking off his shirt was weird. Curious, he got up and planned to follow the two but thought better of it. If it was something they wanted him to know about, they wouldn't have left the room to do it. And he can just ask Bell about it all later. Instead, he put his hand in his coat pockets and started to walk around the room. There wasn't much to say about it. It had the two sofas, a table, and a dresser. He leaning around the corner he could see another hallway with a second dresser on it and some stairs leading up. He supposed that was where Bell and Hestia went.
Simon hummed as the started to pace around the room. His thoughts started to go to his current circumstances. Which, to be honest, wasn't the strangest situation he ever found himself in. When he finally kicked the bucket back home, he figured he'd go to wherever Nia, Kamina, Kittan, and everyone else who died was. Get to see them all again without needing to use any Spiral Power to bring them back. But instead, he somehow ended up in this world. A place that doesn't seem to have any Spiral Power or even know what it is. Where humans rely on "Gods" to get strong enough to defeat monsters.
He looked toward the ground and thought about that word.
Gods.
Eina and Bell had given him the simplest run down. Put simply, there was another world above this one where the Gods lived. However, they got bored with their lives up there and decided to come down here to "play" with mortals. When he first heard that he felt his rebellious spirit start to rise. The only "God" that he had ever met was the Anti-Spiral. His experience with them wasn't exactly a good one. But Bell assured him that the Gods weren't "bad" and were actually responsible for a lot of the good things that humans have nowadays. Especially when it concerns that "Dungeon".
"Dungeon," Simon tested the word, a hand going to his chin in thought. He knew the place was a central part of Orario. He could tell that much from how Bell and Eina talked about it, how many people he saw come and go from within where he met the half-elf, and how the magic stones they got from monsters were exchanged for money. His eyes roamed the white walls of the basement room around him. He stopped pacing in the middle of the room and stared up at the white ceiling.
His eyes curled inward as he frowned, thinking back to his conversation with Hestia and Bell. He didn't regret what he said. His life since reaching the surface back home had been a tooth-and-nail fight to command his own destiny. Decide fate for himself and allow others to do the same. Even if the Gods of this world weren't as bad as the Anti-Spiral, he still didn't like the idea of being beholden to one of them. Especially not if it came down to a choice between what was right for the Familia and what was the right thing to do. That part of him hadn't changed, even now. If he saw something was wrong, and he knew he could do something to make it right, he'd do it. Whatever consequences came of that, he'd deal with later. In his own way. He didn't think many Gods would be happy if he said something like that to their faces.
But he couldn't deny the fact that he did need some way to take care of himself. No one knew him here, he wasn't a "registered adventurer", and he didn't have any of this world's currency. His options for ensuring his survival were slim. A part of him brought up the fact that he could take care of all his needs with just a little Spiral Power.
He quickly snuffed that part of himself out. He wasn't a God. He was Simon The Digger. That wouldn't change. Not even in this world where Gods walked among mortals.
His troubled thoughts made him sigh. He moved back to the sofa and laid down on it. He kept his boots off the upholstery, turned so he was looking at the ceiling, and put his left hand behind his head. Thoughts began to drift back to the subject of his friends. He knew none of them were here with him. If they were, he would've known. Their souls were bound together by Spiral Power, after all. If any of them were alive and in Orario, he would've felt them by now. But, so far, he had felt nothing.
Though them not being here physically didn't mean they weren't with him.
His right hand continued to rummage in his pocket until he felt his fingers brush over something. Blinking, he pulled his hand out and held it up to the light. The moment he caught sight of it, all his worries went away. His frown became a content smile as he stared at the small, white ring held in his fingers. The bright green crystal in its center seemed to shine in the light of the small room. Smile still on his face, he brought the ring toward his chest where his new Core Drill sat. When the crystal met the tip of the drill, the sound of wind chimes echoed through the room. For the briefest of moments, Simon swore he could feel two hands on his shoulders. One was firm and gripped his shoulder with hard, calloused hands. The other was soft and dainty, laying on his shoulder more than holding it.
It only lasted for a second.
Then the feeling disappeared.
Simon's only reaction was to smile even wider. He pulled the ring away from the Core Drill and placed it on his right ring finger. He held his hand up to the light then curled it into a fist. His smile turned into a determined grin as he pushed himself up and off the sofa.
He wasn't alone.
No matter how much time passed, no matter where they were, he knew that every one of his friends was always with him. Even if they weren't here in body, they were with him in spirit.
New world or not, it didn't change who and what he was. Whatever the future may hold, he'd face it with open arms and a waiting fist. He'd make his way through Orario the same way he had back home.
With an open heart, hard work, dedication to his ideals, and never wavering fighting spirit.
He nodded confidently to himself. He stretched his arms toward the ceiling, feeling refreshed and relieved after all of that. As he shook his arms out, he heard footsteps coming down the stair. Bell soon came around the corner, holding a sheet of paper in his hand with his normal clothes back on. His face was clouded with doubt, eyes furrowed in thought, to the point where he almost walked right passed Simon without a word. He stopped before reaching another door and turned to look at the taller man. His eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, Simon! Sorry, I forgot you were there. Not that I meant to, it's just-"
Simon waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Though, I do want to ask what's up. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."
Bell turned his eyes away from Simon as he spoke, "Well, I do. Mainly my updated status."
"Status? Is that what you and Hestia went to take care of upstairs?"
Bell nodded, "Yes. All the experiences we gain in life are gathered up as excelia. The Gods then use that excelia to improve our status. Which represents things like our strength and speed and such."
"Huh. So, they take your life experiences and turn them into power?"
"That's the simplest way to explain it, yes. Though, you can also gain stuff like Magic and Skills when Gods update your status," Bell's eyes twinkled when he mentioned Magic and Skills. But it was swiftly covered by a dark cloud a moment later. The white-haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he shook his head, "Though not everyone gets them."
Simon hummed and nodded his head, "And that's why you're so down in the dumps?" Bell flinched but nodded in confirmation. Simon waved a hand at him, "And, what was up with her telling you to take off your shirt?"
Bell's face turned a light shade of pink as he shook his head, "I-I-It's just how the Gods update our status'! They write on our backs with their blood! We weren't doing anything...uh...we just weren't doing anything else in there! I swear!"
"Never said you were."
Bell's embarrassment only got worse. His eyes darted around the room, trying to look at anything but Simon. They fell onto the door he was in front of and Bell took his chance. He swiftly opened the door, then ran inside while calling back to Simon, "An-An-Anyway, I need to make us dinner! I'll try to make something for you too, Simon! Hope you don't mind potatoes!"
Before Simon could reply, the door slammed shut behind Bell. He stared at the door for a few moments. Then he shrugged and sat down to wait for Bell to cook dinner. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Hestia walking around the corner. He waved hello to the Goddess and smiled at her. But his smile fell as he saw the pensive expression on her face. She moved on auto-pilot, sitting on the sofa across from Simon and crossing her legs. Her ponytails were pointed toward the floor and her lips pursed at some errant dark thought.
Worried, Simon called out to Hestia and asked what was wrong. The Goddess, slowly, turned her head up until she was gazing at Simon. After a few moments of silence, she spoke with an eerie calmness to her voice, "Simon. What did you do after you rescued Bell again?"
Confused but not intimidated, Simon replied casually, "I helped him get the minotaur's magic stone."
"And, how did you do that?"
"I gave him one of these," Simon tapped the Core Drill laying on his chest, "and helped him drill through its hide."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Hestia's eyes moved from Simon's to the drill hanging from his neck. She glared at the object as if she was trying to break it down to its base components with her gaze alone. Simon just sat there, wondering what she was trying to do. Or why she suddenly started asking him about his Core Drill. Before she could say anymore, the door to the kitchen opened up. Hestia's serious mood changed to one of giddiness as she saw Bell come into the room with three bowls of potato soup.
Simon stared at the Goddess, wondering what all that had been about. But then he smelled the soup. Any thoughts about the previous encounter were blown away by his sudden and furious hunger.
Simon flinched, eyes blinking open as the morning sunlight shined down onto his face. He put a hand over his left eye to protect it from the light shining directly through a hole in the church's roof. With a short grunt of annoyance, he pushed himself to a sitting position atop the partially intact pew he was using as a bed. He stretched his arms out to the sky as a yawn left his mouth.
After dinner was over last night, where everyone would be sleeping became an issue. Hestia would take the bed while Bell insisted on sleeping on one of the sofas. The two offered Simon a place on the other Sofa but he declined. He didn't want to impose on them more than he already had. Even if they did say it was fine, he wouldn't feel right if he slept in the space they called home. So, he chose to leave the basement and catch some Z's in the dilapidated church's main hall. It wasn't that bad. He had slept on pure sand and inside Lagann before, so a mostly destroyed wood pew wasn't much of a difference.
He stood up and started to perform some early morning stretches, waking up the rest of his body alongside his mind. He felt his bones pop into place, back a bit sore from sleeping on the pew. The sound of a door opening made him look toward the door to the basement in the back of the church. A few moments later, he saw Bell walking up the stairs and into the main part of the church. The boy's cheeks were a light shade of pink as he came to a stop a good distance away from the basement door. He shook his head before looking up at Simon. Then he smiled before waving to his savior, "Good Morning, Simon."
"Mornin', Bell," Simon said, another yawn leaving his mouth as he walked over to the young man, "How'd you sleep?"
"I slept fine. But shouldn't I be asking you that?" Bell's eyes went to the destroyed pew behind Simon.
Simon jerked his thumb behind him, "Eh, I've slept on worse. Don't worry 'bout me. What about Hestia? You say bye to her before you left?"
Bell's cheeks got even pinker at Simon's question. He looked away from the man and nodded, "Uh, no! She-She was still asleep. I didn't want to wake her up."
Nodding in understanding, Simon turned toward the church's open front door. He jerked his head toward the bright sun beyond, "That so? Well then, what's the plan for today? We goin' back in the Dungeon or you gonna take a break?"
"H-Huh? You...you're gonna come into the Dungeon with me?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
"But...you're not part of my Familia. I don't think the Guild will let you in."
"Pfft. I'll just tell them what I said last time. Everything I get in the Dungeon'll go to you. Got nothing to worry about if that's the case, right?"
"I...I suppose," Bell looked toward the ground, not sure what to say. Simon seemed confident, but he wasn't sure if the Guild would let someone not registered go into the Dungeon. Even if they could fight against the monsters down there.
Seeing Bell's uncertainty, Simon leaned forward and placed a hand on the boy's head. Bell "squeaked" and went rigid as Simon's fingers tousled his hair. The boy's red eyes looked up into the sharp black ones of his savior. For a second, he swore he could see a bright green spiral forming in one of the older man's eyes. He swore he could see himself reflected in the strange energy. But as soon as it came, it disappeared when Simon closed his eyes.
His smile was warm and confident as he spoke, "Don't you worry about me, Bell. I've been through my fair share of trouble and I'm still kicking. So, how about instead of constantly worrying over whether or not I can do something, you do something else for me? As a favor?"
"I...I guess. What do you want me to do?"
Simon stood up, his hand leaving Bell's head. When he was at his full height he opened his eyes and pointed a thumb at his chest, "Believe in me. Believe that I'll do what I say I will. Can you do that for me?"
An errant wind blew through one of the broken windows, causing Simon's cape to flap in the breeze. Bell's mouth hung open as he stared at Simon. His eye started to shine with an awe he hadn't felt since he was a child. A familiar feeling began filling his chest. A burning admiration that he always got whenever his Grandfather would tell him stories from the Dungeon Oratoria. A feeling that would come whenever one of the Heroes in the book went to fight a great enemy, and promised everyone they would come back alive and well. All they had to do was-
"-Believe in the Hero."
"What was that, Bell?"
Bell shook his head to clear it. He shot a beaming smile up at Simon, "Uh, I said, sure. I can do that. I hope we can be good friends, Simon."
"You know it, Bell," Simon pats the young man on the back. Then he points toward the exit to the church, "Now how about you lead us to the Dungeon?"
Bell nodded and started to walk out of the church. Simon followed him, standing at his right the entire way out.
Hestia stared at Bell's status sheet with a grimace on her face. She sat in the upstairs bedroom, one hand on her chin while her other held the paper against the bed. Her eyes repeatedly went over the hieroglyphs written on the sheet multiple times. Yet, no matter how many times she did it, the same thing kept happening.
Bell's stats themselves weren't that impressive. Other than his Agility increasing by twenty-four points, his growth was relatively normal for a Level One Solo Adventurer.
No, the strange thing was the Skill that she had written into his back.
Liaris Freese.
A Skill that gave him Rapid Growth that increased with a strong desire for some kind of goal.
When she had written that Skill into his back, she had grown to hate it. The idea that Bell would only start growing more because he felt a desire for something other than her made her heart ache. That was without factoring in how the other deities, always looking for something new to slake their insatiable curiosity, would pounce on him the moment they found out he had that Skill. Or who knows what else might befall her sweet little rabbit if anyone ever discovered how powerful that Skill truly was. It was why she had kept the Skill a secret. Especially from Bell. That boy couldn't keep a secret if his life was on the line.
But that wasn't what was bothering her. The thought of the Skill had always brought her some measure of unease, sure, but she had made some semblance of peace with it. She took comfort in the fact that the Skill would make Bell stronger at a faster rate than other adventurers. Meaning he'd be far safer in the Dungeon than most Level Ones.
No, what was bothering her was what was happening to Bell's Skill.
She had noticed it while she was updating his status. And seeing it occur made her pause in her writing to stare at it with confusion and awe. Bell hadn't noticed because he was too busy talking about Simon. He kept going on and on about how cool the newcomer was. How strong he looked. How awesome he was when he took out the minotaur. At any other time, Hestia would've joked about how Bell sounded like he had a crush on Simon. But what she saw then had left her speechless.
And it was happening right in front of her.
Liaris Freese....changed.
One moment, it was the same Skill that she had written into Bell's back not so long ago.
The next-
Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength: I-77 → I-82
Defense: I-13
Utility: I-93 → I-96
Agility H-148 → H-172
Magic: I-0
Magic
( )
Skills
Spiral Power
Fighting Spirit
User can Manifest their Willpower and Fighting Spirit as Physical Power
User will Evolve at a rapid rate
-It was this.
Hestia didn't know what was happening. She hadn't seen anything like this before. There have been plenty of instances of childrens' Skills improving or mutating into something new. But this was the first time she had ever seen a Skill get replaced by another one.
And the only real clue she had...was that newcomer.
"Simon," the tiniest bit of malice entered her voice as she said the man's name. She took her eyes off the page to look up at the magic lamb on the ceiling, face contorted into a frown, "What did you do to my Bell?"
She looked back at the page on the bed...then did a double take.
The Skill, "Spiral Power", had changed back into Liaris Freese. The original Skill was back in its proper place, with its description still saying the same thing.
But what drew the Goddess' attention was Bell's status:
Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength: I-82 → I-83
Defense: I-13 → I-14
Utility: I-96 → I-97
Agility H-172 → H-173
Magic: I-0
"It updated on its own!?" Hestia shouted into the empty room. Her arms started to tremble as she turned toward the door that led downstairs.
This was impossible.
What...what did that man do to Bell?
Got this done. Oh, and I finished Volume 8 today.
ThunderBasilisk
Well Worn Bastion
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Kek this is gonna drive Hestia up the wall till she just asks.
SharkCultist
The Kamen Rider Of Depression
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I wonder if this'll effect Bell's eventual spell. After all what if he gets flame propulsion instead?
Pair that up with spiral power and we got us a giga drill break.
Pair that up with spiral power and we got us a giga drill break.
Qwazzy
Making the rounds.
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oh now that's gonna be interesting.
I also really enjoy the distinction between "growth" in Liaris Freeze and "Evolve" with the spiral power. I really love this crossover man. Spiral energy is just such a cool power interaction with the falna
Man, scenes like this make me really wanna see Simon get into a bare knuckle fight and use that to give Bell some motivational speech
On a different note, are there going to be gunmen in this story? Or is Simon not going to escalate like that?
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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I am not far enough to say whether or not Danmachi has anything he can thrust his drill into to make it a gunmen.
If it turns out there is, Simon will probably get it eventually.
If it turn out there isn't, I have other ideas.
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Xodarap
Versed in the lewd.
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Who the hell do you Think We Are?
Yep Bell is getting tutoring on how to be a hero from the greatest hero in the Universe.
Hahaha this will probably be insanely frustrating for her as the Falna is meant for a Deity to live the Story of a person's Soul and now the story is skipping past her bookmark.
Edit
I'm confused about Hestia's section on Bell having Liaris Freeze from his first Falna update did it happen that way in the LN's cause it didn't in the Anime.
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Wivk
Know what you're doing yet?
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If she owed him one Hephastus could make something close enough to stab with a drill and convert just based on his description, they understand golems and articulate joints well enough.
He also has enough power to manifest one from nothing, which if you think about it is also enough power to not really need to.
I think he should do whatever is the most fucking hype at the moment, because that is how team Gurren rolls.
Toguro
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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LinkOnScepter
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He had it before now. But Hestia does mention how she wrote it into his back with her Falna. Which suggests it was there when Bell joined.
Oh so golems are a thing here.
Wivk
Know what you're doing yet?
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Yes and no. Golems are technically Jewish mythology but we tend to use their word for any automated animated guardian these days even though they may not be clay and may not have souls artificially bound into them. Since orario holds all the pantheons there can be bleed over and cross polination just like there is in real life.
One of the Hephastus crew only has a hammer for a replacement hand so the ash vs army of darkness articulating hand might be pretty troublesome if you could not go straight to the top.
Clockwork owls seem to be allowed in greek myth.
kinglugia
A Randy Avian
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LinkOnScepter, Gnomes are actually Spirits, not mortals. Specifically, Earth Spirits.
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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Just started Volume 9. Oh boy, this is gonna be a heavy one.
Chapter 5.1
LinkOnScepter
Versed in the lewd.
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Along West Main Street was a certain cafe.
Within the second floor of this cafe, at a table next to a glass window looking out at the street below, sat a lone woman. She wore a navy blue cloak that hid the majority of her snowy-white skin. Yet every set of eyes in the cafe was locked onto her. None could catch but a glimpse of her true features, but they all stared slack jawed at the lone figure. Every movement made their breath hitch within their throats. Even simply tracing the surface of her table with a finger was enough to make all in attendance hold their tongues in anticipation.
The Goddess Of Beauty, Freya, paid them no heed.
She merely sat at her table as her silver eyes watched the children of Gekai below. Humans, dwarves, elves. A few adventurers here and there. Some animal people trying to sell their wares to anyone who walked by.
Freya thoroughly examined them all with her sharp eyes. Never once did the leave the window, even a waiter came by to take her order. She didn't even turn to look at the boy but he was immediately captivated by her beauty. Her request for tea was short and simple, and the waiter moved to fulfill it as soon as possible.
Freya kept her eyes on the street below.
And it's thanks to that, that she caught sight of them.
It was by complete chance. Her gaze just so happened to move to the other side of the street. In the fresh early morning sunlight, the eyes of the Goddess of beauty fell upon a white haired boy and a blue haired man.
And within that instant she fell in love with the white haired boy.
His soul sung to her. A pure, white light that burned with a fire that had to blaze. A soul completely untainted by the cruelties of the world. A young man filled with the innocence of a babe, but with the potential be be so much more. This flame...this will burning within him...it was like a soprano. One that captivated her the moment she heard it.
However, the soul that walked beside him it was somehow the same...yet different.
Where the boy's soul had captured her heart, this man's soul did something else. It confused her.
For one thing, it wasn't like anyone else's soul. It wasn't an orb with a distinct color that detailed the life experiences of its owner. Rather...it was...she wasn't sure. It was green in color but that was where similarities with other souls like it ended.
Because this soul...it was spinning.
That was the best way Freya could describe it. The young man's soul was spinning. Non-stop. Without any input whatsoever. It spun in place, the green light around it flowing with it. The force made the soul transform from just a color into...a...a drill?
Yes, that felt right. Freya didn't know why but calling that soul a drill felt right. And as she examined it further she found her confusion and curiosity growing by the second. For the soul was much like the boy's. Pure, radiant, full of potential. But in some places she could tell it was tempered. Like it had clashed with the realities of the world around it. But, rather than allow the flames within it to sputter and die, it continued to nurture them. To use them to fuel its fire.
A contradiction.
Yet it existed nonetheless.
As the two walked down West Main, Freya noticed something else. Something that, once she was aware of it, made her frown.
The green light of the young man's soul...some it had taken root within the white haired boy's soul.
Was gonna have this be longer...but decided to just post it now. I am actually rather proud of it.
Within the second floor of this cafe, at a table next to a glass window looking out at the street below, sat a lone woman. She wore a navy blue cloak that hid the majority of her snowy-white skin. Yet every set of eyes in the cafe was locked onto her. None could catch but a glimpse of her true features, but they all stared slack jawed at the lone figure. Every movement made their breath hitch within their throats. Even simply tracing the surface of her table with a finger was enough to make all in attendance hold their tongues in anticipation.
The Goddess Of Beauty, Freya, paid them no heed.
She merely sat at her table as her silver eyes watched the children of Gekai below. Humans, dwarves, elves. A few adventurers here and there. Some animal people trying to sell their wares to anyone who walked by.
Freya thoroughly examined them all with her sharp eyes. Never once did the leave the window, even a waiter came by to take her order. She didn't even turn to look at the boy but he was immediately captivated by her beauty. Her request for tea was short and simple, and the waiter moved to fulfill it as soon as possible.
Freya kept her eyes on the street below.
And it's thanks to that, that she caught sight of them.
It was by complete chance. Her gaze just so happened to move to the other side of the street. In the fresh early morning sunlight, the eyes of the Goddess of beauty fell upon a white haired boy and a blue haired man.
And within that instant she fell in love with the white haired boy.
His soul sung to her. A pure, white light that burned with a fire that had to blaze. A soul completely untainted by the cruelties of the world. A young man filled with the innocence of a babe, but with the potential be be so much more. This flame...this will burning within him...it was like a soprano. One that captivated her the moment she heard it.
However, the soul that walked beside him it was somehow the same...yet different.
Where the boy's soul had captured her heart, this man's soul did something else. It confused her.
For one thing, it wasn't like anyone else's soul. It wasn't an orb with a distinct color that detailed the life experiences of its owner. Rather...it was...she wasn't sure. It was green in color but that was where similarities with other souls like it ended.
Because this soul...it was spinning.
That was the best way Freya could describe it. The young man's soul was spinning. Non-stop. Without any input whatsoever. It spun in place, the green light around it flowing with it. The force made the soul transform from just a color into...a...a drill?
Yes, that felt right. Freya didn't know why but calling that soul a drill felt right. And as she examined it further she found her confusion and curiosity growing by the second. For the soul was much like the boy's. Pure, radiant, full of potential. But in some places she could tell it was tempered. Like it had clashed with the realities of the world around it. But, rather than allow the flames within it to sputter and die, it continued to nurture them. To use them to fuel its fire.
A contradiction.
Yet it existed nonetheless.
As the two walked down West Main, Freya noticed something else. Something that, once she was aware of it, made her frown.
The green light of the young man's soul...some it had taken root within the white haired boy's soul.
Was gonna have this be longer...but decided to just post it now. I am actually rather proud of it.
ThunderBasilisk
Well Worn Bastion
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- Mar 23, 2020
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Man looks like Simon is gonna have some people sent after him cause to Freya he tainted Bell.