English is not my first language so you might find some mistakes in the translation of the chapter.
This chapter has been translated by various means in order to obtain the best result, so you may find some simple or normal wordings.
If you find any grammatical error or misspelled word, please feel free to correct it or write a recommendation to improve the story. Your support would be appreciated.
Enjoy the chapter.
xxxxx
"This is bullshit"
"Shut up and keep walking. Simply because you didn't beat that monster because of how slow you were"
"You didn't do it either! You tripped and the blonde had to kill him!"
"Tch, damn dog"
"Rabbit"
"You should not insult each other! We are all partners and we should support each other"
""Stay out of it, flat""
"Ugh! What was that!?"
Tiona stumbled dramatically and yelled at the wild duo in annoyance. If there was one thing Tiona was rabidly annoyed about, it was the size of her bust. Compared to her sister's, Tiona's was small.
"You three stop fighting that soon the Captain will give the next orders"
"Sure, if it's Finn's thing you're always there" Riku mentioned and sighed "Tione's right about that though. We can't fight in the dungeon if we don't want to get into an accident"
Tiona hummed with a smile and Bete snorted with the same attitude as always.
Riku looked around as she always did, she was in charge of inspecting and acting in case any monsters appeared and they had to protect the lower level ones.
She along with the others, by Finn's orders, were to take care of the stronger monsters and allow the more inexperienced ones to get their monster battle experience, the battle will be in the groups that were previously established.
"What's wrong?" Tiona asked Riku who looked depressed "Did something happen down there?"
"Well... Ais killed the monster because Bete and I got caught" Bete growled in the distance listening to the conversation "I'm still missing the monsters"
"Don't be discouraged!" Tiona patted Riku's shoulder firmly, they are level five so that strength was not normal "You will have another chance in the next expedition"
"Heh, you're right" Riku nodded with a slight smile "Comparing me to you guys, I'm level five with the least experience"
"Tehe!"
Tiona laughed and moved to another side of the expedition group, Riku saw this and shook her head as she laughed lightly.
Riku recently leveled up to level five in one of the many Loki Familia expeditions, being part of which she defeated the Udaeus. She was part of the front line in taking on the monster and fared somewhat well.
Riku was a tank, as well as a support to take him down. Her speed, endurance and dexterity were of great help in the offensive against Udaeus, and in the end Riku managed to destroy one of his arms but ended up on the ground defeated.
Thanks to that feat, the other adventurers managed to defeat the Udaeus and win the victory, while Riku celebrated from the ground with her arms broken and other bones in the same state as her arms.
Loki went crazy when she heard how Riku got permission from the falna to level up, which ended up with Riku having to obey one of Loki's many whims.
That day, Loki was in her office working with a radiant smile next to her white-haired maid who served her in everything the Deity needed. Riku never thought she would suffer such humiliation for achieving her level increase.
She took it head on and then was able to brag about whether she leveled up Bete, who gritted her teeth and went to the dungeon to train.
Riku looked around and noticed who she was looking for.
"Lefiya"
"Hii! Miss Riku!"
"Just Riku, is something wrong?"
"Hum" Lefiya looked around "No monster has appeared"
"Ah, I see you noticed" Riku mentioned making Lefiya blush "Do you know why something like that happens?"
"If I remember correctly Lady Riveria mentioned something about the dungeon and how it was being prepared"
"Right" Riku nodded "The dungeon hates us. We always take care of damaging the dungeon walls to prevent monsters from appearing and the dungeon concentrates on repairing itself"
"Oh, I understand" Lefiya nodded in understanding.
"However, this is not always effective and monsters do appear from time to time. At the moment they haven't appeared so-"
"Everyone gets ready! Get to your posts and take your weapons!"
"There it is" Riku said drawing her sword quickly "Get ready Lefiya" without looking back Riku ran to the front while the Elf was still analyzing the situation.
Lefiya took a deep breath and nodded with a look of realization. She would join them, even if she was weaker.
They must return to the surface safe and sound with their Goddess.
xxxxx
In the streets of Orario the bustle of people was always there as if it were an important ornament that warned the situation of the dungeon city, however, the situation this time was very different from the usual.
"What's going on?"
After entering Orario and walking for some time through the streets of the city aimlessly, Bell Cranel came upon a magnitude of people cheering enthusiastically.
Bell, with the innocent curiosity of a child filled with anecdotes, approached the crowd.
"Um, do you know why there are so many people gathered around here?"
"It's the Loki Familia!" without looking at Bell the person exclaimed with an admiring smile "They came back from their expedition!"
'Loki Familia? Expedition?' those thoughts crossed Bell's mind and the person who spoke looked at Bell and his face of confusion to show surprise.
"Are you new or something?" the passerby smiled wryly "Never mind. You must be from some village if you don't know the Loki Familia"
Bell knew which Familia they were referring to, but her excitement about the city clouded her thoughts a bit.
The Loki Familia was one of the best Familias in Orario. It was a super-powerful Familia with the best First-Class adventurers, of which there were only a small number in the whole world.
They were on their way back from their expedition to the dungeon, to the deepest floors that this unexplored place could offer to anyone with the courage to face the unknown.
Bell, who heard those words, pushed through the crowd looking for a better view.
The people gathered in the street opened the way for the adventurers as a sign of respect or, in the case of some, as if they were afraid to get too close. Bell poked his head into one of the spaces and contemplated what he aspired to reach.
Several people, warriors, Dwarves, Elf or High Elf mages, there were also Demi-humans. Some carried luggage, weapons and wizards' staffs that showed an unmatched quality.
For Bell it was as if the heroes were returning triumphantly from the battlefield. Bell was also fascinated as a fool, as were all the people watching the Loki Familia.
"Look at that!"
"Golden hair and golden eyes!"
"It's her! It's the [Sword princess]!"
Bell followed the sight of the people who shouted suddenly and his gaze went to that person. Long blond hair, silver armor and a high quality sword in a scabbard.
Because it was simply a sidelong glance, Bell was unable to contemplate that girl and eventually she was gone, yet Bell still followed the dazzling blonde hair among the first-class adventurers.
However, something else caught Bell's attention. Hearing the voices murmuring with intensity, Bell fixed his gaze on the other person walking among the Loki Familia adventurers.
Bell's eyes widened at what he was seeing.
That white hair was just like his. She was beautiful, as the sword princess stood out from the crowd, getting admiring looks from people, including Bell.
Long white hair like a mountain of snow and ruby eyes with a serene gaze. She walked in an unflappable manner and at her waist was a high quality sword with a normal scabbard.
At that, her gaze turned and focused on one place.
Bell and she shared glances.
It was as if time stood still for both of them. They opened their eyes as if encountering something extremely shocking and shared their gaze.
It was fate or simply a chance meeting between two people. Each got to their place through the actions they had taken in the past, but none of that mattered now.
It was simply a sidelong glance, yet that sidelong glance was enough to open up that doubt in the children's minds.
Unfortunately, for both of them, they had to go their separate ways and they kept up the pace. She walked away with her Familia and Bell just looked at her back with her hair waving with every step.
'Adventurer, eh?' Bell thought and nodded to leave the place and continue on his way.
The little hero was just getting started.
xxxxx
"This is comforting!"
"Stop pushing me" Tione said to her sister "You have all your space"
"Wah! Don't be so mean, what do you say Riku?"
"We came back from several days of the dungeon, sleeping on the floor and bland meals" Riku commented casually "We need some peace and you're affecting your sister"
"Uh, I see" Tiona nodded.
They were in the bathrooms after several days without considering their hygiene because they were in the dungeon, the place where resources were scarce and it was necessary to preserve them when needed.
The other members of the Loki Familia who had not gone on the expedition helped with the packing and the new arrivals were given priority with various things, including the shower.
"Lefiya, you don't have to be so shy" Tiona looked at her fellow Elf.
"B-But..." the Elf shrunk a little in place.
"We're all women, so it's okay" Riku mentioned rinsing her hair and removing the soap "As long as it's not another unpleasant moment or person, then you shouldn't be embarrassed"
"I-I understand" Lefiya said between shyness and watched the Amazons chatting as usual.
Riku sighed "You are an Elf, not an Amazoness. Don't think of acting like them, act as you wish"
Lefiya said nothing, but nodded and Riku smiled. The withe-haired girl remembered the process by which she had to get used to sharing a shower or other moments with other women in the Familia.
Riku made it and can now shower with her companions without embarrassment, yet she can't help but glance over from time to time for her own satisfaction.
"Grrr"
"What are you growling at?"
"They..." Tiona looked at her two swordswoman and mage companions "How envious"
Tiona looked at the bodies of Ais, Lefiya and Riku. The Amazoness lowered her gaze to her chest and grumbled silently. Tiona's body had the charm of an Amazoness, but theirs was more than just that.
Well-shaped breasts, small waist, a round, soft ass and soft thighs. They were the youthful beauty, but none of them were aware of their situation.
Ais was ignorant about that sort of thing, Lefiya was reserved about her body, and Riku didn't care to show it off or excel at that sort of thing.
Tiona looked at her sister and snorted. Tione only has her eyes on Finn and people will probably just look at her with desire, but they will never get anywhere with her.
"Are you leaving already?" Tiona asked Riku, who closed the shower and put a towel around her body.
"Yeah" she shrugged "The only baths I enjoy lasting a while in are tubs, showers aren't my thing"
"Uhu" Tione hummed "You're always like that, you're hopeless"
Riku chuckled lightly and retreated from the showers to the locker room. She changed into her everyday clothes and walked to her room to take a well-deserved rest. The depth of the dungeon was nothing like the upper floors.
Rest in the dungeon had to be quick. Adventurers needed to learn to take momentary naps and learn how to sleep quickly. Being sleepy could lead to problems in combat.
Riku pulled up the covers of her bed and crawled into them to close her eyes and quickly enter the world of dreams. She used some habits from the dungeon and implemented them in her daily life.
Fast sleep was one thing Riku appreciated and adapted it to her daily life. Fast and safe sleep was necessary for people with the adventurous career.
She had things to do after she got up.
xxxxx
Orario has become a much more peaceful place or I am strong enough not to be afraid when I go out walking in the city.
The wind is sometimes annoying for the simple fact that it causes my hair to cross my face and that interrupts my view. I have to tie my hair up and I don't really enjoy doing that.
I only tie it when I need it, but if I can have it loose I do and that's most of my time, I think only in the dungeon do I tie it to avoid certain things.
I sighed and continued my walk through the city, I am wearing a robe to hide from the sight of others. Fame brings problems and one of them is that people can't ignore you if they see you on the street.
Especially someone like me. People are always trying to get my attention and it gets tiresome to turn down dating requests, very few people call me out for that kind of thing.
Women are my main taste, but I have thought several times about dating a guy. The second thing I don't see it so feasible because there are none that call my attention unless they are part of my Familia and that's enough to say.
I'm weird.
I arrived at my destination and entered the store.
"Welcome" a bored voice greeted me.
"Naaza" I greeted her by removing my hood "How have you been?"
"Hm... normal" she replied sleepily "Your order is placed"
"Wonderful"
Naaza bent down and took out some potions from one of the compartments, a box full of high quality potions. These potions were made by the god Miach, as Naaza does not yet have the ability to create them.
I felt despicable spending valis I was making buying potions from the Dian Cecht Familia, so I looked somewhere else for potions that are at a good price and of a quality she needed.
At some point I encountered the Miach Familia. Their potions were very useful for when I was investigating the upper floors and the intermediate floors, however something unexpected happened in the Miach Familia.
The Miach Familia suffered an accident and entered into a debt that God Miach took on by raising a prosthesis for Naaza, causing the other members of the Familia to leave the Familia.
I started buying higher quality potions since I leveled up and always found them useful.
Of course the Dian Cecht Familia potions had a higher quality in some cases, but those potions could cost half a million valis each and I didn't need that much of it, it was only special or dangerous occasions.
So when I ventured alone to the dungeon I would place large orders with Miach and when the God did not have enough materials for what I needed, then I would bring them to Miach and give him my order.
I have a great friendship with the Miach Familia, Naaza and Miach are grateful to me for what I do. I actually found Miach's humility annoying, so I once insulted him for that and told him to work well.
That earned me a surprised look from the God, which I gladly accepted and Miach acknowledged his mistake and apologized to me, too bad the God continued with his unconscious humility.
Sometimes I wish I had been there that day so that I could have prevented the Miach Familia from being caught by an irregular monster and prevented Naaza from suffering a trauma that would cause her to avoid returning to the dungeon.
"Here it is"
"Thank you very much" I opened and inspected the potions with fascination for the colors they had, I always like the effect they have "In the bag is everything as usual"
I took out of my backpack and left on the bar a bag full of thousands of valis. Naaza took it and thanked me, she knows I wouldn't scam her so she always keeps the bag and gives it to Miach later.
"By the way, do you know where Lord Miach is?"
"Uh, he went out" Naaza blinked wearily "It'll be a while before he gets back"
"You should get some rest"
"I can't...I need to attend to clients"
I sighed inwardly, but outwardly I just nodded without saying anything. Naaza's life was as she wished to have it and all I could do was give her advice and not order her what to do.
"I see" I muttered thinking about where that dense god is "I have obtained certain materials from my last expedition and I want to see if Lord Miach can process it for me"
Naaza nodded with the same monotonous expression, but her tail wagged back and forth with excitement. When I asked them for certain things they earned thousands of valis for the request, but it didn't happen that often, so they would wait when I needed their help.
The Miach Familia is poor, but with me helping them for quite some time now they have improved, of course the extra days of work have been my fault, but instead of being upset they thank me.
"Then thank you very much for everything" I put the potions away in my backpack and covered myself with the hood "I'll be back later and remember not to scam the others"
"Y-Yes" Naaza replied with a stutter and with ears slightly drooping from being uncovered.
Naaza is a good person, however she needs to refrain from certain habits she does to survive, especially with the poor quality potions she might sell to low level adventurers.
Potions are of great importance for survival in the dungeon and if someone receives poor quality potions, their wounds will not heal properly, which could lead to death.
I left the Miach Familia Pharmacy and returned to my Familia's headquarters. Riveria is one of the few who support my idea of buying potions if they are for more 'peaceful' floors. The challenge for us is deep floors or irregular monsters.
It still blurs the moments when I became arrogant in some situations, I mean, I don't like to show off, but when someone insults me and tells me that I became strong because of being in the Loki Familia it's dangerous... for them.
A punch in the face would send them to the hospital, so intimidation is good. Spending time with Bete is good for learning a lot of things, but the downside is that a lot of habits rub off on you.
Orario... how I hate and love this city.
I have not left Orario many times, however, when I have done so it has been for some Guild mission trying to obtain certain things or fulfill a certain objective. I only accepted them to explore more of the world.
Priorities.
"Here you go"
"I appreciate it"
"Thank you very much for your purchase. Come back soon"
I bought a bouquet of white roses to show my gratitude and admiration for someone. Unfortunately, as you may understand, that person has passed away and all I can do is remember her.
The Orario cemetery located in the southeastern part of the city.
It was known as the adventurers' cemetery. This site was dedicated to all those adventurers who lost their lives in the dungeon. More stones were constantly being added, which led to the construction of more cemeteries.
Outside the wall, on a hill to the north in order to accommodate them all and be remembered, however there was more than just tombstones there, these were the monuments to the heroes.
They were known as the adventurers of ancient times who left their footprints. They received grander monuments in important places, which were honored and decorated. People of any race paid homage to their ancestors.
I didn't care about any of that.
They are people from the past who decided to stand up to save people, I don't want to relate to heroes. My life is mine, if I have to fight, I will fight, but I will not do it for the world.
I will do it for my Familia to keep them safe.
After some reflection I arrived at my destination and looked at the tombstone of that common person, but it reminded me how ugly this world was for those who were not blessed with talent.
'Maris Hackard'
The tomb of that adventurer who declared herself my rival several years ago. She simply walked into the dungeon one day with a smile on her face as she always did, but when she returned it was in a different way.
They only brought her body from the dungeon to give her a dignified burial.
Maris was surprised by an Infant Dragon. This is a monster of the upper floors that is born between the 11th and 12th floors. The special thing about this monster is that it is considered the unofficial floor boss of the upper floors.
For the simple reason that it is considered to be level 2 and you need a good team to take it down. The reason I was able to beat one back in the day was because of my skill and the correct use of magic.
When I received the news of her death I will not lie when I say that I did not cry, because I did not. Maris was just my dungeon friend whom I rarely saw, so our relationship was not that close.
However, I visit her tombstone because she let me know that friendship will always appear even in the strangest situations.
The person who did cry for Maris was Eina. The half-Elf suffered a shock when she saw Maris' body being rescued from the dungeon. Since then, Eina has left her naive attitude behind for a more professional attitude towards her work.
The old Eina is gone, but she still goes to great lengths to prevent adventurers from dying in the dungeon. Rose was harsh with her words that adventurers go to their deaths, however it is true.
We know we can die down there, yet every day we get up, take up our weapons and go down into the unknown.
That was the life of an adventurer in Orario.
I left the flowers and kept silent looking at Maris' grave. I used to be an atheist, I have known Gods, but I don't like to pray to them that my goals are achieved, I would rather achieve them on my own than kneel before someone else who would simply look at me as an object of entertainment.
Eventually, I took my last look and left the cemetery, there were also other people remembering their loved ones, but I didn't bother to greet them. I just come for my own and nothing more.
I returned to my Familia's headquarters and took shelter in my room. I still remember when there was nothing and now this place is filled with multiple memories.
The dungeon gives a lot to think about. Since I went up to level 5 I have entered the major leagues of Orario as a First Class adventurer.
When I had gone up to level 2 I understood that from that moment on Orario takes adventurers into account for the simple fact that it is not easy to level up.
Even going up from level 1 to 2 is enough to make you known in Orario. Continuing on the path that follows after that shows how capable these people are.
I still remember the fame I gained overnight when my level up was announced. Rose kept bugging me about the fame and how it would go to my head.
I almost told her to go fuck herself, but I put up with it and told her to stop talking about it.
I remember when I only needed to hit a monster or cut it with my sword to defeat it. Now I need tactics, superior strength, speed, dexterity, magic and so on to eliminate them.
This is not always the case, but it is understandable.
I took a quick shower and got dressed to go out to fix my sword.
I have changed my sword a few times because the tension on the sword was getting higher and higher and it ended up breaking, so I had to take it in for maintenance.
This sword is reinforced with adamantite to withstand my dungeon follies and because Tsubaki found it a waste of time to have to repair the same for the same mistakes I made in battle.
At least now it breaks less, however, it is not the only thing I wish for.
xxxxx
"Do you have the money?"
"I have this" I pulled something out of my backpack causing the blacksmith's eyes to sparkle as her hands trembled slightly "Does it serve as payment or...?"
"Pfff" Tsubaki snorted "Creating outfits with Drop Items is not my specialty, but there aren't many who are able to handle this kind of materials. I have some technique, so don't worry. This [Balor's Skin] is rare"
"You don't say" I recalled the battle "It was quite a long time to take him down, but Riveria's magic was destructive enough to finish him off. That was what I managed to salvage"
"Good!" Tsubaki nodded "What do you want with this?"
"A scarf" I explained my request "The neck is an important part of the body and some monsters are capable of damaging it with impact shock, so I need something to cover me in case I fail to defend"
"Small tank"
"Heh" I laughed impishly.
Not only did I focus on growing as a person, but also as an adventurer. My parameters were increased as much as I could and that was my best achievement. I tried to push them beyond the limit, but it was useless.
For that I asked Bete for help in increasing my endurance and dexterity.
The deal was that I would defend myself and dodge all of Bete's attacks, that's all. It should be noted that Bete enjoyed hitting me, but I benefited in my parameters.
When I noticed that my S 999 resistance did not increase any further, I was only annoyed to learn that breaking the limit set by a God would be impossible. I have always thought it is possible to take it further, but I don't know how or even if it is possible.
Just me and my theories.
"How long will that scarf take?"
"I have a lot of work lately and then you come to bother me" Tsubaki hung my sword on the wall and put the skin aside "Everything you asked me for will be in a few weeks. Your sword will be a little sooner, so you don't have to worry"
"I still have the other swords" in case I can't use my weapons, I use some spares.
"As always so cautious" Tsubaki sighed at my attitude "It's not my duty, but paranoia saves a lot, however, it also drives people a little crazy"
"Not if the madness is getting to me already"
"..."
"Tehe"
"Tch" Tsubaki gritted her teeth and smiled "It will be several million valis, however I know you will always pay for it" I nodded "See you next time"
"Thank you"
I left Tsubaki's workshop to go about my business. When we return from an expedition we are forbidden to go to the dungeon for no reason, as we have to rest after several weeks in the dungeon.
Loki is right about that. Living in an environment and then suddenly changing it can take a bit of a toll on the mind and adventurers are not the most mentally stable people to say the least.
Just mention my Familia and all the problems that each member has. Even I have some problems, but I go on without them affecting me, or so I want to believe.
Walking around the city is always fun for me and watching people do their thing reminds me of the different paths I could have chosen if I didn't want to go into the dungeon.
I could have become an alchemist or a healer because of my facility to learn these two things, but my magic would be wasted, so I decided to go for the more difficult and I liked it.
I don't enjoy coming back with my body destroyed, but the thrill of everything I can buy with the millions of valis I collect is one thing to note.
Oh, look at that.
"Raul"
"Hey" my partner turned around in surprise and his eyes recognized me "Riku, it's a coincidence to see you here"
"You don't say. As usual I went for a walk the same way I do every day" I looked at the large amount of boxes "I guess these are the items we are going to trade or sell, aren't they?"
"Yes" Raul nodded "The Captain will take care of ordering and delivering them, but I need some time. The others have taken a break, however, I think I may be a bit rushed"
Well, Raul is right about that. We always leave the materials obtained in some warehouses for exchanges in future times, but not all of them are used for that cause.
We are not close to the headquarters and Raul would end up a little late with that. Anyway no one would go near to try to steal something because Raul is a level 4 adventurer even if it doesn't look like it.
In the Familia he is well respected, but his shyness makes it difficult for him to receive praise from others.
"I'll help you" I took one of the boxes "You may not get tired because of your level, but it will take a while until the others come"
"Thank you so much" Raul bowed slightly "You always help me when I needed it most" he chuckled with amusement as he scratched the back of his neck "It's like you know when someone else needs help and you're there"
"Ah, it's no big deal" I looked away "It's not like I want to help them or anything, but the others need a guide, so you need someone else to tell them how to do their job"
"You'd think you'd be like Mr. Bete with the time you meet him" Raul mentioned making me remember certain situations with the werewolf.
"Let's put that aside. Let's concentrate on the job"
"Understood"
Raul now followed my orders and we continued with the work.
I love this tranquility.
Thanks for reading.
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