one_eye Black dragon

Chapter Thirty-Six: Kakkitekina Kekka

Musashi had collapsed after the battle, but was carried out by Aedan, while Ottar kept an eye out for Bell since Nobunaga was unable to do so as they rushed back up to the 50th floor to rest.

Rejoining the others, they relayed their success and everyone basked in the feeling that they had all succeeded, at least in the challenge; now it just needed to prove successful in pushing them higher. Once Musashi had regained consciousness, they moved back up to regroup with the others and they all took a long rest on the 18th floor, before finally and once more returning to the surface together.

This time the trip to the Guild Exchange was much easier, and within a short time they were all heading home once more, though it was already fairly late.

"We'll meet again the day after tomorrow" Aedan said before they separated, "Hopefully this was enough, and then we can plan for the next step"

It may have been seen as a great risk, growing so greatly and so quickly. Ouranos certainly thought so, though he also acknowledged the need that existed, and to one extent or another, all of the gods and goddesses involved in the quest knew the same.

Everyone was contributing to this effort as much as they could; rather, they were at least allowing their children the choice to do so freely. So when the results of their recent training and challenges came out, practically everyone celebrated with mad glee.

"I-I can't believe it…" Rose muttered as she, Eina, Misha, and numerous other Guild employees stared wide-eyed at the raft of level-up notifications that had arrived at the same time that morning. Unknown to them, the pile didn't even include those who had levelled up that were not under Orario's jurisdiction.

"It's like the whole of Orario's elite advanced a level simultaneously" Eina added, moving through the stack of paperwork.

The were-wolf woman sighed, "First the Warlord and Loki executives, now this? Well, it isn't a bad thing, but I wish it was more spread out"

"I think we can expect quite some rowdy days for the next week or two; not only the familia, but the people are going to go nuts over this" Misha thought out loud, putting a finger to her chin.

Meanwhile, the group had gathered at the Hestia Familia home for what was essentially a pre-celebration. Aedan had worried that the group against Balor wouldn't be challenged enough, but it all worked out: everyone had earned the right to level up. What was more, his new skill Paragon, and Bell's skill had seen them in a position to go ahead with those level-ups; most had status ranges averaging A, so it was more than enough.

He sat in contentment as the festivity continued, happy to see that the whole of Hestia Familia was throwing themselves into it with gusto, too. He had been worried when he sat down with them after they returned, to speak privately before all the others came together again that day.

"Everyone, I'm sure it has probably occurred to you, but with this quest, we cannot afford to bring anyone less than level 5 along with us"

"Master Aedan, but wouldn't that…" Lili started, but couldn't seem to form the words.

"I'm afraid so; not only would it be too dangerous to bring you on the expedition to the depths of the Dungeon, but to face the Dragon itself; I did want to strengthen you all though, so that if you didn't rise to the level needed by the time we go, Orario would not be left without any strength in our absence. The other familia will be leaving their lower level members behind, too"

"We get that… it's just the idea of not going with Bell and Ryu. Every adventure we haven't intentionally gone separately" Welf muttered a bit dejectedly.

"I know. That is part of the reason I've pushed you all to get experience so deep into the Dungeon. Between having so many at level 3, and the fact that I know you still want to investigate what happened with the girls' former goddess, there is no shortage of work to be done here, still. Of course, anyone who rises to that level would be welcome to come; I won't turn you away then, but I also cannot make exception for you unless you do"

"We understand, Lord Haroeris" Haruhime stated serenely, "We will not cease in our own efforts, and if need be, we will support you in whatever way is most helpful to our overall success"

"She is right" Mikoto nodded, "With Master Bell's skill, we could still grow to that level with the time we have, but if we don't, we'll continue on just like you and the others!"

"We've grown stronger, and perhaps we could bring justice to Lady Nyarla now, but it makes sense to do things in the proper order first" Karen said, Emma nodding beside her.

"We can't be too hasty; if anything, we need to hold until the Guild concludes their own investigation, then take things from there"

Everyone had been so mature and level-headed about it, it was almost hard to believe they were so young. The thought drew a sigh from him; he couldn't really remember when he was nearly their age.

"That was a big one" he glanced to the side as Riveria sat next to him, a graceful smile on her face to match the rest of her bearing, "Something on your mind?"

"A few things" he admitted, "yet nothing troubling, thankfully. I even had enough time to craft a few things yesterday; it's always been good stress relief for me"

"Hm… those void satchels are useful; I'd say your crafting is better than just for stress relief, though such benefits shouldn't be overlooked"

He smiled, "I'm glad to know that; I hope they serve you all well beyond this quest, too. I've been in touch with a contact in Altena to think up new ideas, but my most recent project is actually an alchemical concoction"

"Alchemy? What are you pursuing in that vein?"

He leaned close to her, ignoring her fluster as he lowered his voice, "A little medicine that I hope shall cure Silence of her ailment"

"Truly!?" she whisper shouted, keeping her own voice quiet, "I had thought it was irreversible"

"For all intents and purposes of what they tried, yes. However, water from the purified Fountain of Life in Beltane, a small bundle of Amaranth Dianthus from Dedine, phoenix tears, Unicorn horn, and a small branch from the first Holy Tree of the Alf's Royal Forest" he grinned at her shocked look, "I suspect it will succeed, given how well a single branch of an elven holy tree eased her symptoms"

"I cannot believe they actually gave you one…"

"Don't be too harsh on them. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and though I did promise not to return for a certain reason, they gave me all that I asked for"

"I suppose I cannot argue with the results, but I don't feel the need to return, all the same" she averted her eyes from the man, silently telling him not to pursue the matter.

They were interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared, and glanced to see their guest, "Did you two think I would not notice you talking of me, despite how loud you were being?" Alfia asked, matter-of-factly.

"No, I intended for you to hear" he added cheekily, "The medicine is finished and waiting for you in your room"

"I appreciate it, and hope it works, but may I ask why? Being level 8 will grant me a longer life than an unblessed person regardless of my disease"

"I would have done it anyway, but I also know you don't intend to stay put when we descend into the Dungeon, nor go to face the Dragon; so I wanted to at least ensure you were unhampered by your sickness"

"You already saw through me so easily?"

"As if you were going to let Bell go on such adventures with only myself and Belisarius to watch over him"

"I trust you a good deal to watch over Bell, Aedan" she spoke softly, surprising Riveria with the sincere emotion in her voice, "though you are right about that man; I still intend to join the mission. I would never be able to face Meteria nor Bell in the afterlife if I allowed anything to happen to him"

"… I know, and I understand; for me, if by my life or death I can protect him, I will" he said, seeing the women show their own shock to him, "Enough of that for now, though, let us relax for a bit and then review where we stand for planning the expedition"

In the end, the only ones who did not level up were the late arrivals from Odin and Frigg Familia, as well as all those at level 7 save Musashi, though they marveled at the great boost they did receive to their statuses. Truly, Nobunaga could level up, too, but was held back by Aedan to get more out of his advancement, and he agreed to do so.

Everyone else who had gone on their adventure had earned the right to advance, and were cleared by Aedan to do so as their statuses were high enough by his reckoning.

"Everyone, I want you to listen to me well; with this- as we are now- I think we have the strength to more than equal Zeus and Hera when they left to challenge the One-Eyed Black Dragon" as he scanned the group, he noted that even Bete and the Freya Familia members had pleased looks on their faces.

"So now, we will plan an expedition where I will take you all down to the depths of the Dungeon: the 100th floor" he let the statement sink in before moving on.

"After this last challenge you all took on, I can state four basic, main goals which we should aim for and keep in mind the whole time: first, we will obviously be going for as much excellia as we can get, perhaps even this trip in itself will grant many more level-ups.

"Next, we need to work on coordinating our large group, and polishing the teamwork we will need to complete our quest. On the whole, that is at a level that fails evaluation; by the time we are done with this adventure, we need to be as coordinated as a singular familia in order to challenge the Black Dragon.

"Third, we will be collecting Dungeon materials and monster drops from the depths, which will fund and supply our equipment needs for the final battle against the Dragon, as well as the Harbingers if we manage them.

"The last goal is simple: don't die. We all need to survive this expedition and come back stronger, anything less is unacceptable; consider this trip my own special brand of intensive Hell Training. What I've set you to up until now might as well be considered a vacation in comparison.

"You spent some five months in the Dungeon working toward your goals before, but I fully expect this trip to take nearly a year, so steel yourselves" he took a small bit of satisfaction as they seemed to come to terms with the seriousness of what was going on now.

"We will depart in one week; prepare well, but bear in mind that it is very possible that we end up living off the Dungeon regardless. Relying on the entity which despises us for food, weapons, and even clothing; it will be your greatest challenge in life up to now" the mood was somber after he finished, yet determined.

Little could chip away the afterglow of a Dungeon High, let alone a collective Dungeon High resulting from such a mass level-up event as they had experienced. The group dispersed as they needed to, and the lower level members of Hestia Familia gathered to plan another minor expedition on their own, perhaps in conjunction with lower level members of some of the other familia, and Alfia took her leave to her room.

Sure enough- as he had said- there was a small cup with a green-blue liquid next to a large cup of water. With no hesitation, she downed the smaller cup first followed by the larger, the strong herbal flavor of the medicine watering down and fading quickly as she sat.

'Well, it isn't as if it will be effective instantly; I'll sleep for now, and goddess Hestia can give me an update tomorrow'

Bell Cranel "Rabbit Foot"

Level: 5}6

Strength: X-1897} XX-2087 (I-0)

Endurance: X-1602} X-1995 (I-0)

Dexterity: X-1771} XX-2010 (I-0)

Agility: X-2000} XX-2313 (I-0)

Magic: X-1709} XX-2001 (I-0)

Magic Spell Slots:

1.) Firebolt: short-chant magic that hits the target with a blast of electric flame. (Chant: Firebolt)

2.) Caelum Veil: enchantment magic which coats the user in a cloak of lightning. This boosts the agility and dexterity of the user, while imbuing additional damage to their attacks, as well as their defense; meaning that those who land attacks will be hurt by the lightning. A secondary chant can be used to launch the electricity in all directions as an attack. (Primary Chant: Rage, wrath of Heaven; secondary chant: Distel)

*There is an additional quality to the user's Caelum Veil that is currently unavailable.

Skills:

[Liaris Freese Familia]: Fast growth as long as feelings last. The strength of the effects corresponds with the level of the user's feelings. As a side effect it makes the user immune to charms. The effect of growth is extended to those viewed by Bell as family and close friends.

[Argonaut]: Allows a charge for a counterattack. It requires six minutes (formerly five) for a full charge and can either sound like a small chime or a grand bell depending on the power stored. It can be used for any type of attack but the effects will dissipate when the user attacks or they lose focus.

[Ox Slayer]: Heavily increases all abilities when fighting raging bull type monsters, potentially making the user stronger than their actual level when fighting them.

[Dragon's Bane]: increases damage dealt to all dragon-type monsters, and reduces damage taken from them. Makes finding dragon-type monsters easier.

Development Abilities:

Luck C} B

Abnormal Resistance D} D

Escape F} D

Mage E} D

Available Abilities:

*Chain Attack I*

Strong Body I

For the first time, Bell looked at his true, full status, soaking in the fresh level-up.

'I'm one step closer now, even though Aiz is a level 7 now, Mr. Aedan has set a goal even further beyond for me; if my growth is expected to be faster than everyone else's, then I can't let everyone down. He thinks that I can stand beside him, so I need to reach level 10 as fast as I can!'

Elsewhere in Hearthfire Manor, Belisarius sat musing with Achelous at his side, quietly giving each other company. After some uncounted time, she spoke, "The captain of the Hestia Familia~" she took note of the slight twitch in the muscles of his face, "Bell is your son, yes?"

"Yes, he is" her commander responded as if commenting on an ordinary matter, with no hesitation or stutter.

"You have not engaged with him much, but many will learn of your relation, even by your resemblance alone"

"Perhaps, but why are you telling me this?"

"Do you not wish to have a connection with him? To know him, and give him the chance to know you? If you might, it would be wise to be the first to tell him of your relation to him, instead of another"

Then for the first time she had seen, his courage flickered in front of her eyes, yet he still answered honestly and immediately, "I'm afraid"

"… I understand you in that, Commander. You know well I have yet to speak to Riveria, after all; or any of the elves here in Orario. Still, it is a special connection to let wither, the bond between a parent and child; please don't allow that to come to pass"

"I will… consider what I might do, and build my courage to try it"

"Don't try, Belisarius. Just do it, or don't do it; think of it in that way"

"I… yes, you're right"