Training!

Sorry for the delay on the chapter, I was focused on some assignments in real life and I was also lazy, but at the very least it's a pretty big one so it covers for both Sunday and today as well.

Peace!

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—-------------

/Chatter…/

'Behind the Manor in the training grounds where the girls did their morning jogs and sparred with one another, the area had already been thoroughly cleaned, so much so it was impossible to even tell a party had been held there just an hour or two before.'

'The large wooden stage had vanished, the many rolls of chairs had been moved somewhere out of sight, and even the ground had been smoothed and cleaned out.'

'All signs of their existence had been erased.'

/Chatter.../

'In this same area, a large crowd gathered, composed mostly of the newcomers wearing the basic Uniform of the Hestia Familia, given to them just moments prior when their rooms were chosen.'

'They were clean and they smelled good, they had been taken care of extensively.'

'This was because just a day before, Silver spent a few minutes cleaning every single one of those uniforms by hand as a way to leave an even stronger first impression on all of them while also taking some of the load from the others.'

'Each piece of clothing had been carefully made to be both comfortable and practical...

'But it was time to destroy all of them completely.'

'Although they didn't know of that yet.'

…

/At the same time, back in the Manor…/

/Whispers... Bla bla.../

"Hum?... What's happening? Why is everyone gathering in the training grounds?" The youngest of the triplets asked as he saw his brothers look outside through the window, whispering something to each other

"Biro?... Sigh, I have no idea."

"And no one seems to know either."

"We can't even ask Vice Captain Daphne since she's in her own room, and you know how boys are prohibited from passing through the Right Wing."

"We asked Igva since she was around, and she told us the Captain was going to teach the recruits how training is going to work, since theirs is going to be different from ours." Piro, the eldest, replied as he turned his head to look at his brother

"Just like how he did to us?" Biro asked as he approached the window

""Exactly like that."" The siblings replied at the same time

"Don't forget, we're invited to participate, and honestly, I had a little bit of an inkling to show off, there are some pretty girls in there." Firo replied with a chuckle as he looked outside

"We need to show our strength else they'll think we're pushovers, We need to cement our ranks!" He added as he patted his chest

"That's a bit much, brother…"

"No, he's right." The eldest suddenly said, shocking the youngest

"Huh?!"

'Biro did not expect the eldest to agree with the ridiculous idea of the middleborn!'

"It's important for us to show what we can do so they may understand how much they can improve if they put in the effort while also showing them that we're not weak despite our size."

"Of course, I wouldn't go as extreme as Firo said, but he has some right, we have something to show, and I bet the Captain is expecting one of us to step forward."

"It's a tactic to better control them." He said as he thought deeply

""...""

'The two younger brothers looked at each other... "Look at their older brother try to act cool as if he understood what was actually going on"...'

"S-So what are we doing here?" Biro asked as he scratched his head

They seem to be about to start.

""...""

'The older brothers looked at each other in silence before one of them said, his face pale:'

"I ate... Too much sweet bread, I can barely move…" He said as he trembled a little

'He had been trying to hold his discomfort as he talked, but now that Biro brought the subject up, pressure suddenly began to pile up in his rear region...'

"I... I'm worse."

"During the party I... I sneaked with a whole cake, and I ate it all."

"My stomach… Is about to burst..." Firo replied as he rested his head on the wall

/Growl…/

"..."

How do you eat a whole cake?...

'The youngest looked at his two elder brothers, his expression dark.'

'This was the first time he had ever been more mature than the two of them, and it had to be in such a situation…'

/F-FRAP!/

/Fart…/

"Who did it?!" Biro asked out loud as jumped back in both fear and shock, closing his nose in desperation 

"Arg… I need to go to the bathroom…" Piro said as he touched his belly

/DASH!/

'But before he could do so, the middleborn, Firo, ran forward like a bolt of lightning.'

"?! Come back here!"

'Each dorm room only had one bathroom that they could use for simple necessities, while each wing had a community shower, the bathhouse.'

'Because they were the only males in the Familia, so far, those showers had been exclusively theirs, and they enjoyed it while they could.'

'Each bathhouse was set very far from each other, meaning that it would be impossible for one side to "accidentally" sneak into the other.'

'However, none of the brothers wanted to use the community bathroom…'

'It would make things too obvious, and the last thing they wanted was to show this side of themselves to the newcomers... And to cause rumors to spread.'

'Imagine being remembered for the destruction they caused in the toilet on the day of the recruitment celebration and not for their achievements and progress...'

'They would rather be called small than anything of the sort.'

'So they ran, only one of them would be getting that bathroom… The other would have to improvise or hold it until the other was done... Maybe even invade one of the unoccupied rooms and do the deed there.'

"..."

'And Biro... Watched it all unfold.'

Brothers… While I do agree the food was incredible, you two should've just listened to Captain's advice and held yourself.

Or just hide the food for later, I myself stole a small piece of the strawberry cake... It was very good, but I'm keeping it for later.

'Looking outside with a heavy gaze, Biro hesitated before going to the door, determined.'

'For the first time in his life, he took a step as his own person making his own decisions, alone, and without his brothers.'

…

/Meanwhile…/

"Is everyone here? Good." Silver asked with a smile as he looked at the crowd in front of him

39... 72... 121... Yeah, seems like everyone's here.

Looks like we also have a few of the Veterans around, but no signs of the ones I actually wanted to be here...

Tsk! I knew I said it was optional, but did you all really need to skip it?

You're making things harder for me...

Either way, I'll jump the boring talks about the training regimen, that can come after…

I want to try something more dynamic.

/Snap!/

Silver snapped his fingers, and the ground beneath their feet changed, and a large circle formed on the dirt.

"Alright everyone, choose where you wish to stand, just don't cross the line."

""Yes!"" They replied in unison

"..."

They sure are eager...

It seems my Reputation is putting some pressure on them, it's similar to how some members of the Loki Familia see Finn and the other Executives.

To be looked up to... It's not that bad to be seen like this, as long as that doesn't cloud their judgment.

Or mine…

Or if it gets tiresome, guess that's why I have Daphne.

...

/SNEEZE!/

"Sniff... That bastard... He's cursing me." Daphne exclaimed as she took a shower in the bathroom

...

/Back at the training area.../

'The circle Silver made was massive, and even with all of them side by side, barely a third of it had been covered, so it was easy for him to talk and look at them at the same time.'

'Once everyone managed to fit in, Silver continued:'

"I hope you're all well rested since we'll be moving quite a bit today."

/THUD!/

""!""

'He raised his foot and tapped it against the ground, causing it to crack and to startle some of the less attentive members.'

'To some of them, this may very well be their first time witnessing magic, much less something of this scale!'

'Silver's magic had already reached the point where he could influence the entire environment of the Manor and beyond.'

'Even if some of them witnessed magic, how strong would it really have been?'

'Level 2? Level 3 at most...'

'Magic isn't allowed on the streets of Orario, and to witness it outside would likely not be a good sign...'

'So unless it's someone doing street performances or someone with a license, you'll rarely see Magic being employed in the city.'

'Which was ironic for the city at the center of the world, but it made sense, they needed control more than anything else, and they needed the people to feel safe.'

'This wasn't Altena, a city of Mages made for Mages, this was Orario, a city of mortals made to seal the Dungeon through the power of Adventurers and the Gods.'

'Magic items were everywhere of course, but Mages using magic?'

'How many Mages actually had Magic that could be used around civilians?'

/Crawl…/

'While they all wondered what Silver was going to do, the crack on the ground slowly widened, and a hand rose from within!'

""AHH?!""

'Some of the weaker-minded ones took a step back in shock and even a bit of fear, but Silver was ready for this, saying:'

"Everyone, don't fear, this is… Uh... Rodrigo!" He added after a bit of thought

"KUKU!"

/Tap.../

"Rodrigo is your average, run-of-the-mill goblin, the kind you'll meet on the very first floor as your very first enemy." He said as he tapped the goblin's head

"They aren't very strong, but don't misunderstand me, that's on a Dungeon scale, a goblin like this is stronger than your average adult, and what I mean by average is a muscular farmer that works all day long with heavy items."

"Although Rodrigo has no weapon, his claws are sharp enough to cause significant damage even to Level 1 adventurers, so don't let them get their hands on you."

"Above that, a goblin will usually possess a weapon after a few floors, coming in groups as well, they can swing their broken and dirty blades with surprising swiftness so don't let their frail appearance misguide you."

"Today's exercise is simple, you'll all fight against it at least once, Is anyone willing to give it a try?"

"Volunteers?"

""...""

/Silence.../

'Most were still relatively shocked by the goblin's dramatic entrance, still, many in there weren't afraid of the Goblin, having taken out many before.'

'Yet, before anyone could reply, a girl raised her hand, asking:'

"Excuse me, Captain! I have a question!" She asked out loud

"Perfect! Tell me, what's on your mind?"

Phew, someone finally broke the silence.

I was getting a bit afraid I took this a bit far for a first show, despite my desire to shock them at first.

"So, um… Is that a Dungeon Goblin? How did you bring it up?"

/Nod…/

'As she said that, many nodded, they were all in agreement, wanting answers as well.'

'Technically speaking, only the Ganesha Familia can do such a thing, as bringing in a monster from the surface is nearly impossible.'

'There are dozens of mechanisms to prevent such a thing from taking place, not to say the legality of it even if he could…'

'Safe to say, most weren't happy with seeing it here, even if it was under controlled grounds.'

"Ohh… That's simple to answer." Silver replied with a chuckle as he turned to the goblin

/FWOOOSH!/

/BAAAAAAM!/

'With a carefree swipe of his right hand, Silver pulverized the goblin's head, causing a powerful wind pressure to hit the forest around them.'

/WIND!/

""Kyya!""

'The turbulence was so strong that it caused some trees to lose their leaves and almost pushed some of them back, and when things calmed down, Silver added:'

"This isn't a Dungeon Goblin, it's merely a creation of mine through my Magic."

'As he said so, he raised his right hand, the sand on the ground gathered together to form a goblin just like the one before, it even had weapons.'

/Clap…/

'Silver then clapped his hands lightly, and the goblin turned to dust.'

"It looks like a real Goblin and will act like one too, but it isn't one."

"Don't worry though, because in the situations things get ugly, I can make it stop."

A little lie, because in truth, I'm controlling it.

I want them to think the goblin acts on its own so I can push them to the edge without them getting angry or growing resentment against me.

This would also make them on edge since they'll treat this as a Goblin and not as a Puppet.

So I'll deny I'm in control at all times, or at least say I can stop it with simple commands, at least this way they'll believe this goblin's actions are genuine.

"Haha… I'm a law-abiding citizen, I wouldn't go out of my way to capture a monster." Silver said with a laugh as he once again created another goblin

""...""

'Meanwhile, some of the veterans that heard him say that had their expressions turn dark, especially the ones that knew the truth.'

'He was really lying with a smile on his face! How shameless!'

'Law-Abidding? You mean breaking a tower in half and causing it to collapse in itself to be a law-abiding action?'

"So? I hope that answered your question… And also, would anyone be willing to…"

"ME!"

/Step…/

'From within the cloud, a red-haired girl with an equally fiery expression stepped out from the crowd, cracking her knuckles as she looked at Silver.'

"Oh?"

She's one of the Level 2 who joined, Suu Lotti if I'm not mistaken.

A goblin like this won't do if it's her… A shame, I wanted to teach them more about it with actual examples.

But it wouldn't be bad to have a strong figure show how it's done first.

"Heh!"

'While she smiled at the chance of facing a monster from the Dungeon, her 'friend' behind her paled, though her reasons for such were a mystery only hers...'

'As for Silver, he took a step back, raising his arm.'

"Whenever you're ready..." He said with a chuckle

"Though do take it easy, at least let the others..."

"HA!"

/DASH!/

/SMASH!/

'Like an arrow being released from the bow, she dashed forward, delivering a fatal strike right to the goblin's face, blowing it to pieces.'

/Fall… Drip…/

'And while the pieces of the goblin's skull fell back, staining the ground, she smiled, looking at Silver.'

"..."

"This wasn't everything, was it?" She said as she shook her hand, cleaning it of the gore

"..."

'Although Silver maintained his light smile, his thoughts were running wild:'

What a daring girl... Just what we needed, the Familia was rather passive.

Of course, I don't want a powder keg in my home, but I need some pepper around to make these girls move around more.

She has courage, I like that, just who I needed for this little event.

Though I would've preferred if some of the veterans stepped out… Especially Daphne, I was even ready to cheat a little bit to show her best sides to all...

I can see some people in the crowd... Keeping an eye on things huh?

Bummer.

Doesn't matter either way, better if we show the strength of our Level 2s to all.

/Snap!/

'With a snap of his fingers, the dirt on the ground gathered into a large pile, taking the shape of a large creature, and then, a dragon.'

/ROAR!/

'Four arms with long claws framed within a bulky body covered in thick, orange leather like that of a Rhino.'

'The strongest monster of the Upper floors, an Infant dragon!'

"This one is called… Hum…"

""...""

'Everyone was in silence as Silver chose a name for the Infant Dragon.'

"This is Ronaldo, the wingless Dragon."

"How about it, can you take it down?" He asked with a smile as he patted the beast

The Infant Dragon is as rare in the surface as it is rare in the Dungeon.

It would've been very unlikely for her to have ever met one.

But given how she's Level 2, she must've had an intense fight at some point.

/Smirk…/

/BAM!/

'Suu smiled widely, smashing her fists against each other, creating sparks.'

"I won't even sweat!"

"Confidence is good to have, it's all yours…"

"Rip it apart, if you can." He said coldly

/ROAR!/

/DASH!/

…

/Moments later../

"..."

My idea with this training method was to get everyone first used to how the Dungeon is before proceeding with introducing them to it.

I can't really give Excelia to them, but whatever they learn from fighting it won't really go away, an artificial experience is still one, because if people can get Excelia from lifting rocks, how come they can't from facing a dummy?

With a little bit more tuning, I can perfectly mimic the Dungeon environment right here on the Manor.

This may be inconsequential to those already used to it, but to the rest, it'll be an invaluable experience.

Later on, I can even use this to teach them about lower floors they never stepped on before, kind of like a simulation before the real thing or to even evaluate them on their decision-making abilities and other things.

It should help them at the very least.

After all, Excelia is given if someone surpasses a hard challenge, no matter how artificial it is.

If there is real danger, and if the person believes their life is on the line, then they will fight like it.

Just like when I captured goblins and threw them at the newbies to force them into a shitty situation...

They will receive Excelia as per normal, or at least, they should.

If it doesn't help as I wished I can still easily capture the monsters and drag them here for them to fight.

How will they tell if the monster is an illusion or real if I remove the Magic stone the moment it dies?

I just have to get them used to my illusions turning into black powder, then everything will be in place.

There is no way to fail... Well, there is.

Ouranos can tell when monsters move in the Dungeon, so I would have to see if he can feel me moving monsters between floors.

Otherwise, I'll likely be getting a scold... Or worse... Could he put me in detention?

Haha...

/SPLURT!/

'Just a moment after he finished with his thoughts, Suu delivered a fatal punch to the dragon's head, killing it.'

"HA!"

'Laughing loudly, she stepped on it proudly, and everyone clapped in awe.'

'She liked the attention, although it made her a bit embarrassed…'

'Meanwhile, Silver thought about what to do next.'

"So? Do you want to continue?"

That was a bit fast, but Suu is a Level 2 adventurer with an average of F rank Stats with her main Stats being over E on average, more than enough for her to go all the way down to Rivira Solo, maybe even hunt on the 19th floor alone.

Though she has no Abnormal resistance... Tsk tsk, looks like she needs some training in that area.

"YES!" She exclaimed, excited

This is everything I ever wanted!

'Suu had joined the Familia for one reason only… To fight strong people.'

'She had tried to join the Loki Familia, but they weren't recruiting, and she didn't know any other Familias worth of her and didn't have the patience to bother doing any research, so she just waited for the Hestia Familia recruitment day because she came to learn of it by chance...'

'Although it was true that they were the talk of the town.'

'She did clash with a few Familias during her wait, but none of them managed to get her attention.'

'She may be just a surface world mercenary, but she was proud of her strength!'

'And Silver had already recognized that, but unfortunately, he couldn't allow it to continue.'

'He needed to dismantle her confidence just so she could build it anew with the monsters of the Dungeon.'

'She wasn't facing the same goblins and kobolds of the surface, these were much stronger, fiercer, and prone to changes… Not to say the Dungeons changes whenever something big happens.'

'It wasn't the same to hunt a goblin on the surface as it was to hunt one in the Dungeon, and that wasn't even accounting for the biggest danger of them all…'

'Adventurers.'

'What always ended up killing adventurers on the surface upon entering the Dungeon was their overconfidence.'

'A Wyvern on the surface can't be that different from one in the Dungeon, in fact, it should be easier to hunt it due to limited air space! Or something along those lines.'

'An adventurer's lack of experience ends up killing them more then their lack of ability to deal with a given situation.'

'There's a reason why you hear none brag about the monsters they defeated on the surface, because they are either dead, or they realized the misconception within their own words.'

"... Look at her go, she's all excited." Said an Amazon on the circle as she looked at her friend proudly showing off

I should've gone myself… Had I done so, all of these boys would be fawning over me right now!

Humph, it's just a big lizard, what's good in bashing its head?!

'While she scorned her friend for being a brute, her reasons for joining the Hestia Familia were no less pure…'

'She wanted to make a Harem of boys! A very Amazonesque dream.'

'The problem was… She didn't know how to talk with men!'

'She wasn't an Amazon that grew to be brutal, she was a normal girl that grew up in a rather peaceful town, though she definitely did not have that peaceful of a childhood by the fact she was Level 2 by the tender age of 16.'

'Her personality and desires came from her first Goddess, who had quite the unique personality… Like most Gods honestly.'

I regret it… Urg!

It should've been me!

…

"That does it, congratulations." Silver said as he clapped his hands

"The Infant Dragon is the strongest standard monster you can face on the Upper floors… If you can face it alone and this easily, there is little the Upper floors can do to you."

"But please, the Dungeon is no garden, never drop your guard."

"Either way... How about we jump a Level?" Silver asked with a chuckle

/Snap!/

'He snapped his fingers, and a creature feared by many formed from the sand.'

'Massive muscles hidden by thick fur, a pair of large sharp horns linked to a bovine head…'

'A monster that was half man and half beast, holding a clever and that it would not hesitate to use it to kill at sight.'

/ROOOOAAAAR!/

'A Minotaur!'

""?!""

/Fall.../

'The minotaur's roar was so strong and violent that it forced all Level 1 adventurers to fall down to their knees, some more than others.'

'Fear overwhelmed them, causing them to forget this was a mere creation and not a beast of the Dungeon.'

'They saw its red eyes stare down at them from afar, its slow and rhythmic breathing as its cleaver moved in the wind… Up and down.'

'Only a few of the stronger Level 1 adventurers managed to maintain their focus, and even then, its howl caused their eardrums to hurt.'

'It caused many to panic, this was the reason why the Middle floors were not recommended for those without the proper ability.'

'Suppression.'

"..."

A Minotaur is one of the many Dungeon checks...

If you're not ready, then you either die or leave with your tail between your legs.

They're not the kind of monster you can defeat by merely keeping yourself calm-headed, they're true beasts of those caverns.

Despite their strength, they grow in number rather quickly and are known to hunt in groups.

They are pretty violent and incessant in their pursuit of prey, and their ire is so immense adventurers affirm they can feel the bloodlust of a Minotaur from dozens of meters away.

If they put their mind to it, A Minotaur can even cross floors to go after someone, and although any monster can do so as well, they take the spot for being the easiest to be compelled into doing so.

You just need to provoke them.

They are one of the monsters known for being slayers of adventurers, together with Killer Ants and War Shadows.

'Still, despite its otherwise fearsome appearance, Suu was… Excited.'

'In front of her was a legendary monster, one she could only hear of during her time as a mercenary.'

'Something rarely seen on the surface,'

'It was finally her time to slay one!'

/ROAR!/

'The beast cried in anger, dashing forward with powerful momentum.'

'It approached Suu in no time at all, slashing its cleaver down!'

/CLANG!/

"HAHA! Your muscles aren't for show!"

'Suu laughed loudly as she blocked the cleaver, much to many's awe.'

'Blocking a Minotaur head-on wasn't easy, especially while wearing metal knuckles.'

'In fact, her trusty knuckles were already left with dents... So was the weakness of the surface against monsters.'

'To face them, they needed to adventure into the depts and forge weapons with their own materials.'

'Without them, they're as good as being empty-handed, as seen by how Suu's Steal gauntlets were dented by just a singular attack.'

'Nevertheless, due to her brave act, the others were already starting to respect her.'

'The rise of a leading figure?'

/KICK!/

'Showing her agility and strength, she kicked the beast in the stomach, sending it sliding down.'

/ROAR!/

'But a Minotaur was known for its Vitality and will to fight, so despite bleeding from its mouth due to the difference in their strengths, it crouched, getting into its famed skill.'

'The charge.'

"Hm..."

How will she react to this?

Even a Level 2 adventurer has to pay attention to the charge of a Minotaur, no one wants those sharp horns pointing at them.

Well then, enough prep time.

/CRACK!/

/DASH!/

'With an incredible burst of speed, the Minotaur dashed forward, its sharp horns facing forward towards Suu.'

"!"

'Even with her strength, she knew she couldn't just risk facing it head-on, so she was ready to move… When she noticed the fact that there were people behind her.'

'Level 1 adventurers and children that had just started their journeys…'

'She may be a rude girl, but she was no heartless human being.'

/Clench!/

'So she clenched her teeth and fists, stepping down on the ground.'

'Her fist started to burn a little, the initial stages of her Skill, Punisher.

"HAaaa!"

'She waited for the right moment, right when the beast was a few steps from her.'

'She couldn't miss, doing so would only be condemning her to a whole reap of pain and even possibly something wrong.'

'To die to a single Minotaur despite her Strength… How laughable!'

'She never thought about that!'

/PUNCH!/

/BAM!/

'Like a bullet being released from a chamber, the fist impacted the Minotaur's head, crushing it as its neck caved due to the recoil.'

/THUD!/

'With one hand, Suu successfully pushed the beast away, it did not move after that.'

"Haa… Haaa…"

I think I fractured my wrist… It's getting red.

/Clap clap clap!/

"Eh?"

'Just when she took a breather to relax, everyone started clapping, cheering her on for her brave act!'

'And while she became extremely flustered, Silver smiled.'

"..."

Well, things didn't go as I wished, but this is just as good.

The people are not as afraid as before and Suu doesn't look as arrogant, though it would be better to show her how scary the Dungeon truly is.

Though maybe not today.

Nevertheless, I'm concerned this will turn into bad advice... You don't punch a Minotaur mid-charge, it's stupid.

I'll have to cement that in their head.

"Would you like to continue?" Silver asked as the Minotaur turned to sand

"I definitely would, but my hand…"

Tsk! Just when I was having fun.

This will take a few months to heal... Shit...

'For surface dwellers, injuries were way more intolerable than they were in Orario.'

'Potions were harder to make due to lack of materials, more expensive due to that and the lack of alchemists as well.'

'So even a Level 2 adventurer like her would often see herself waiting for her injuries to heal naturally over long periods of time, while a Level 2 adventurer in Orario would see himself receiving some degree of treatment..'

'Everything was harder on the surface, and it was impressive anyone leveled at all.'

"Hum… That is indeed quite a problem."

"In the Dungeon, you won't have the chance to heal yourself often if at all, so next time, try to consider another approach." He said with a sharp gaze as walked to her

"There is always another way, but if you can't think about it... Well... Then you need to find someone that can do that for you."

"You won't be given a second chance."

"Protecting your allies is what you should aspire to do as a Vanguard, but you have to consider the way back as well."

"You must protect them just as much you must protect yourself, because if you fall, what should they do?"

"Be more careful with your own body."

"... Good work, either way." He said as his hand started to shine in green light

"Hum?"

Before Suu realized it, the pain in her wrist had vanished.

She was healed.

"How about now? Are you willing to test your limits?" Silver asked with a small smile

"..."

'Suu did not know what to say.'

.

.

.

Notes

A simpler chapter about interactions.

Sorry for the delay again.

Peace!