Chapter 98
Returning to Hephaestus' office from the bathroom, I felt a wave of enlightenment wash over me. What Bahamut had done to me earlier was nothing short of evil, and I was going to find a way to get her back.
As I opened the office door, I was greeted with a peculiar sight. Bahamut appeared to be teaching Hephaestus something, using her tail to make a familiar hand-to-mouth motion. While part of me wanted to find it cute, I couldn't shake the feeling that Bahamut was corrupting Hephaestus.
Clearing my throat to announce my presence, I interrupted their interaction. "Ahem," I coughed. Bahamut turned her nonchalant gaze towards me and remarked, "Oh, it's Draco." Hephaestus, still holding onto Bahamut's tail, tried to explain, "It's not what you think."
I found myself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond to such an odd scene. Deciding to change the subject, I asked, "Where is Tsubaki?" It only occurred to me at that moment that she hadn't been in the room. I had intended to tease Bahamut and Hephaestus about their relationship, but I could tell that Hephaestus had already experienced enough excitement for one day.
"She went to work and said you should come see her when you're free," Bahamut answered, while Hephaestus continued to avoid my gaze.
"I see," I muttered, glancing out the window. Suddenly, I remembered that I had left our familia members at home yesterday and had failed to inform them how long I would be gone. They were so eager to update their status, too.
"Ugh, I think we should go home," I said to Bahamut, realizing the importance of attending to our responsibilities at the familia headquarters.
"Already?" Hephaestus exclaimed, clearly disappointed. I walked up to her, gently cupping her face in my hands.
"Don't worry, we'll come back from time to time. Besides, we have a date, but I just have to make a few plans," I reassured her. I mentioned "we" because I wasn't entirely sure how to navigate spending alone time with Hephaestus yet. She was a sensitive person, after all.
However, I intended to work on that during our date.
"Hmmm," Hephaestus replied, surprising me by meeting my gaze without embarrassment. It was a good sign. We held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Bahamut interrupted, saying, "Alright, enough of you two. Wasn't it time to go home?"
"Ahem, see you later, Hephi," I replied, finally snapping out of my trance. "Hmm, later," she responded, as Bahamut hugged her and bid her goodbye as well. Together, Bahamut and I left the Hephaestus familia area, making our way back home.
"You really do need some alone time with Hephi," Bahamut commented during our journey.
"Yea, I'll work on that during our date. But for now, we have to deal with some angry familia members. They were really excited when they returned from the dungeon," I said, imagining a furious Vasiliki. Despite her cute exterior, she had quite a feisty personality.
Finally, we arrived at our manor, only to find the Gofannon familia still hard at work. "Lysander!" I called out to him while Bahamut walked ahead and entered our familia manor.
With more resources at my disposal, I planned to make significant upgrades to the familia manor's defenses and other daily essentials. I had intended to discuss it with Lysander the previous day, but things took an unexpected turn.
"Draco, my friend, you're back!" Lysander exclaimed with an exuberant voice that caught the attention of the entire familia. "Ugh, stop that," I replied, feeling both uncomfortable and embarrassed by the sudden attention.
I couldn't help but wonder, "Is this his way of getting back at me for yesterday?" I thought to myself. Despite my suspicions, I remained composed as I turned to face Lysander and said, "Follow me, I've got more work for you," gesturing for him to come inside.
"Whatever you say, my friend," Lysander replied casually. His response only fueled my frustrations, and I muttered under my breath, "Sigh, I might really hire someone else."
"Draco-sama, I was wrong," Lysander exaggeratedly performed a sliding Dogeza, a Japanese gesture of deep apology. I raised an eyebrow at his dramatic display but said nothing.
"Hmmf, it's good that you know who your boss is," I retorted, taking a slight jab at his over-the-top apology.
"Boss?" Lysander asked, clearly puzzled.
"Sigh, employer," I clarified, realizing that my choice of words may have been confusing.
"Oh, that's a cool term," Lysander remarked, seemingly satisfied with the clarification. We proceeded to my office on the third floor, and on the way, I noticed the absence of my familia members from their usual spots. They were probably inside Bahamut's room, I surmised.
Upon entering my office, I motioned for Lysander to take a seat, and we began discussing the upgrades my familia needed. Lysander provided estimates and suggestions that could work. Over time, we managed to finalize the plans.
"Why don't you just make us the official construction workers for your familia?" Lysander proposed, seemingly confident in his suggestion.
"Are you sure about that? We're still a small familia, and despite your familia's current situation, you're quite famous," I questioned, wanting to ensure that he had truly thought this through.
"No worries, you were the first one to offer help when we were in need. That is something I'll never forget," Lysander said, his words touching me on a deeper level.
"Friend," Lysander paused, emphasizing the word, and in that moment, he lost my sympathy. It was clear that he wasn't going to let this end. Nevertheless, we continued our conversation and eventually signed a contract.
Alone in my office now, I knew I needed to meet with Bahamut and update my status. The upcoming denatus required me to level up, and it was time for me to prepare for the challenges that lay ahead.
............
Name: Bahamut familia
Familia type: Exploration
Familia ranking: I
Patron Goddess: Bahamut
Current members:
Name: Liliruca Arde
Level: 1
Strength: E 411 -> D 599
Endurance: D 578 -> C 657
Dexterity: D 566 -> C 632
Agility: E 401 -> D 559
Magic: D 583 -> C 681
Magic:
Slot 1: Atlas: Gravity magic that forces the targets weight to increase along a with secondary effects.
Chant: The weight of the world is in my hands.
Slot 2: ???
Slot 3: ???
Skill:
Artel Defence:
Passive effect 1:. Increase toughness and resilience.
Passive effect 2: Increase the amount of weight the owner can carry.
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Name: Michalis Black
Level: 1
Strength: F 345 -> E 478
Endurance: F 354 -> E 465
Dexterity: E 455 -> D 593
Agility: E 472 -> D 587
Magic: I 75 -> G 225
Magic:
Slot 1: Blade storm: the spell allows you to summon and control a swarm of ethereal daggers that strikes at your command. Upon casting, the daggers whirl around the caster, creating a tempest of blades that can be directed towards opponents, cutting them to shreds before they even get close.
Spell chant: I summon forth the blades of chaos, forged in the fires of the underworld. With their wicked edges gleaming, I command them to unleash a thousand cuts upon my foes, leaving them trembling in fear and defeat. May the chaos reign and my enemies be vanquished!
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Unforgiving: Your daggers blur, in a dance of deathly pain. Each strike adds to your critical hit chance. After a critical attack, your chain resets as you begin another dance.
Development abilities:
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Name: Nikolaos Black
Level: 1
Strength: E 411 -> D 581
Endurance: E 435 -> D 592
Dexterity: F 359 -> E 471
Agility: G 285 -> F 391
Magic: I 0
Magic:
Slot 1:???
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Tempering Expertise: increase chances of improving item quality when tempering. Scales on users level of smithing.
Development abilities:
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Name: Vasileios Black
Level: 1
Strength: E 417 -> D 581
Endurance: E 478 -> D 586
Dexterity: F 304 -> E 447
Agility: G 291 -> F 394
Magic: I 0
Magic:
Slot 1:???
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Adamant trust of steel: You know how to make the most of your equipment, gaining bonus defence based on the quality of Amour.
Sacrifice: Activate to absorb a certain amount of damage from members bearing the same falna during battle. Also regain 10% stamina for every 10% absorbed damage.
Development abilities
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Name: Eleni Black
Level: 1
Strength: F 377 -> E 482
Endurance: F 321 -> E 477
Dexterity: F 396 -> D 511
Agility: F 322 -> D 509
Magic: I 0
Magic:
Slot 1:???
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Killers alchemy: Allows the craft of elixirs that give an uncanny edge in battle. You do bonus damage with all attacks for a short time whenever you use an elixir or potion.
Development abilities:
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Name: Dimitra Black
Level: 1
Strength: F 320 -> E 489
Endurance: F 311 -> E 492
Dexterity: E 401 -> D 573
Agility: F 391 -> D 531
Magic: I 78 -> G 277
Magic:
Slot 1: Chain lightning: This spectacular spell transforms your arrow into a conduit for chain lightning. Upon impact, the target and nearby enemies are struck by powerful, branching lightning bolts. An excellent option for dealing with multiple foes and showing off your magical prowess.
Spell Chant: In the midst of tempestuous storms, where thunderous roars echo through the night, My arrow is drawn, ready to take flight. With a flick of my wrist, a chain of lightning is set alight, Bathing the darkness in an electrifying light.
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Pincushion: If the first blow doesn't kill them, the tenth might. Each consecutive hit with a bow attack does progressively more damage to the target.
Development abilities:
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Name: Vasiliki Black
Level: 1
Strength: G 278 -> F 388
Endurance: G 286 -> F 399
Dexterity: G 279 -> F 381
Agility: G 293 -> F 399
Magic: E 455 -> C 671
Magic:
Slot 1: Blizzard: You summon a domain with a freezing blizzard to chill and damage enemies inside it. Has secondary effects of slow and other ice spells may be cast inside domain.
Chant: The stride of the wild hunt leads to the domain of permafrost, come furiously the winds of seven Blizzards to return the world to absolute Zero.
Slot 2:???
Slot3: ???
Skills:
Ice amour: You draw on cold magic near you to protect you from all attacks. Standing near a frozen enemy or a persistent cold spell reduces all damage you take and applies a slow debuff when hit.
Spell Derivative: You use spells derivatives of the same element of a current and previously cast spell.
Development abilities:
A/N: Will add mc status next chapter. Still thinking of a development ability for him.
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