The Will to Grow

As the sun slowly made its way up, Ad woke up in a huge bed, with Hestia comfortably sleeping on top of him. As much as he liked the sight, he thought of how she still chose to sleep with him, having enough rooms for at least twenty people.

Still, with enough clarity to not attack the innocent Goddess, Ad caressed her cheek until she woke up. As it had happened the days before, she opened her eyes, looked at him, smiled brightly and hugged him tighter. Then, she got up, allowing him to do the same.

After they had gotten ready, they had a sumptuous breakfast while marveling at the beauty of their new home. A couple minutes later, Ad and Natsuki waved Hestia goodbye, as they made their way to the Dungeon.

*

Once inside, they quickly made their way through the first four floors. Today, Ad had decided to attack the fifth floor and see where they stood. Surprisingly, they didn't have a really hard time in it. As long as Ad was careful, and didn't aggro more monsters than he could take, Natsuki's shooting with him as a frontline was more than enough to deal with the Killer Ants.

They soon got into a grindy mood, and didn't notice that the Ants were spawning slower every time. Ad made quick time of the casual Kobold that lurked in the floor, totally oblivious to the big threat that lay close to him.

???: AAAAHH! *agonizing scream*

Natsuki: What was that?!

Adalwulf: Let's go see, perhaps someone needs help!

What Ad found, was a weird scene. The Killer Ants had gathered at a different place and were attacking a small party of Adventurers, who seemed to be having a hard time dealing with them. He, as the meddlesome guy he was, had to help them. So he rushed into the fray without even thinking of a plan.

Natsuki, being the more cold-headed of the pair, prepared her bow and quickly shot the Ants that were closer to the group. Ad took the opening made by her, and slashed one ant after the other. But their numbers proved to be bigger than they could handle. Ad chose to create an opening for the other party to escape, while he acted as a distraction. Hence, he did the craziest thing possible.

Jumping on top of one ant, he sliced its head off, after which he entered into a state many would call "hack 'n slash". Ad took one Ant after the other, clearing a path. Natsuki took the chance to give instructions to the other party to run, which they readily followed.

Their saviour was, unluckily, surrounded by the monsters, being bitten in the right arm in the process. With a hurt arm, Ad was wielding his sword one-handed, still slicing the Ants with his left. He understood the situation was as hopeless as it could get, so he made a gamble.

Adalwulf: Natsuki! Go with them and get help, now!

Natsuki: I can't leave you here!

Adalwulf: Go! Right now I can't protect you if they attack!

Natsuki, as much as she disliked the idea, knew that he was right. At this moment, she would be more of a burden than help. She ran with the other party, vowing to grow strong enough to be able to stay by his side the next time something like that happened.

Only when her figure left his sight did Ad relax. He then faced the Ants as the warrior in his heart asked him to. He was scared. Surrounded by an entire colony of the monster that worked best in teams. He received a few bites, which he returned by slaying a dozen ants.

But it didn't matter how many he killed, two more would spawn. Soon, he was surrounded by at least a hundred ants. His mind drifting into his unconcious. He was about to give in. To simply let go. He felt tired. His muscles ached, his eyes losing their light. And he then remembered how he felt in his old life.

The helplessness. The lack of motivation. The thought of living without the drive of ever achieving something. Going through life as if it was something he had to do, more than something he wanted to do. Flirting with girls just because, no actual interest attached.

Ad had a second chance. He now had a life worth living. He had people to care for and who cared for him. He had to live, because he wanted to, and because he had already vowed to give his everything in this world. He was no longer the poor orphan. He was Adalwulf Blågrønn, Captain of the Hestia Familia, and a man with the will to never give up.

Adalwulf: I will not be beaten by a bunch of stupid Ants! I am the one who will live his life the way he pleases!

Something inside his soul clicked, and he felt a sudden rush of energy into his body. His clothes turned into shadows, before changing into a tight fit black armour of sorts. Around the waist, it turned into a black cloak. The entire thing shined in teal when hit by the light. His silvery hair turned completely white, his sclera black, and his teal eyes shone brighter than ever before. His sword transformed into a gunblade of sorts, following the colour scheme of the armour. Finally, a fiery crown of horns grew from behind his ears, which turned ponty.

Ad suddenly oozed an aura of confidence, and his eyes narrowed, staring at the monsters that now seemed to be like actual ants in front of him.

With a dash that totally surpassed his previous speed, Ad jumped above the Ants and reached the outside of the encirclement. He once again entered in a state of hack and slash, but this time his movements were more refined. The biggest surprise for him, was the connection he felt with the shadows of the Dungeon.

Deciding to make the experiment, Ad willed his body to enter the shadows, and it did. He reappeared below an Ant, piercing its abdomen.

Adalwulf: This... is how my story truly begins.