Chapter 10

Normal people usually shied away from repeating actions that previously led to a near death experience, turns out adventurers made a habit of going back for more despite that. These people practically lived and breathed the adage what didn't kill you, you ought to grind away at and get as much exilia as you could from. Aiz wanted to drag me all the way down to the thirty-seventh floor just so I could see her kick some giant skeleton guy's bony ass, not to give me any experience at seeing such a monster, but more to serve like a charm for boosted experience points or something. Seeing how I only slowed them down though, Finn had me sit it out instead.

So, there they went, down to god knows where all just so Aiz could see whether she was badass enough to solo a suitable floor boss for real. With Finn's blessing. Sorta.

And me, well, I had something to take care of.

At least Tiona dug me out of the ground before they left.

We were sitting around the living room with a few others just lounging about before everyone else went down the Dungeon. It was the so-called after-breakfast-lull where people were too lazy and too full to not make fools of themselves while running for their lives. Granted that last one really only applied to my level one ass. Everyone else preferred the less risky route of taking baby steps, not like those grand leaps of faith and logic Gareth so lovingly never forgot to remind me about.

"Tom," Loki said, "I'm not all that willing to spend a grimoire on you." She pursed her lips and hugged the books tighter against her chest.

"But you gave Lili one!"

The girl in question gave me the stink eye.

"Lili gets a free pass since she's a fine loli." Loki nodded sagely.

"What's a loli?" Lili wasn't smiling.

"Don't mind what she said." I stared at my goddess. "I might finally get some ranged magic for once!"

"That won't solve your blue balls, Tom." Loki clicked her tongue. "If any, you need to solve your own problems first."

"What problems? I don't have any problems."

Rakta, Narvi, Raul, Alicia, Lili, okay a whole bunch of people just stared. Bete too. I looked back at him. "What's your deal?"

"What are you yammering about? We've never made any deals in the first place, idiot."

Loki shook her head. "You're really just making yourself suffer."

"Was that about the language thing or the magic thing?"

"Both." Loki took a blue bound book covered in fine suede. "You already have three slots, Tom. You'll just end up wasting one of these fine and expensive pieces on a dud." She tossed the book to Narvi. "Congratulations! You get a spell!" She tossed a shiny grey one to Daffyd. "You get a spell." Then she picked out a scaly mustard yellow one. "And you, Rakta, also get a spell!"

The three lucky pricks all had open mouths as they held the books with reverence.

"One last book."

"And really, I like you a lot Tom." Some of the girls whistled at that. Loki sighed. "But you've already got a plenty strong spell."

"I do?"

"Screaming minotaurs," Lili supplied.

"Surviving a one-on-one with an infant dragon with low stats," Rakta added.

"Screaming. Minotaurs." Narvi repeated. "The only other time that happened wasn't even two weeks ago when Tione went on a rampage after our expedition."

"There's a precedent, it can't be that uncommon."

"Yes, by level fives who did that through a sheer difference in power," Narvi said.

"I used magic, there's a difference."

The people around me rolled their eyes.

"Okay, but wouldn't it make more sense to get me a ranged spell so I don't have to put myself in harm's way?"

Loki's face puckered up. "Tom, your skills more than speak for themselves."

"Yeah but that's because I didn't have a choice."

"No, Tom," Loki said, "you always had a choice. You could've chosen to wield a spear like Finn does or explored the possibility of charging arrows with your magic, hell, I kind of expected you to ask about magic guns!" She threw her arms up.

"What's a gun?" Lili asked.

"And yet you didn't do that," Loki continued, "and you even went out of your way to get weapons custom made for you to be more effective at what you did."

"It never occurred to me that I'd end up without any ranged magics."

"And instead of trying to develop towards that direction by preparing for it, you instead embraced the up close and personal route."

"Don't you mean Gareth's stuff made me develop that way?"

"No," Loki said. "That was all you. You could've chosen a hit and run style, strike and evade, you know. Sting like a butterfly?" She pointed at me. "But no, you just went ahead and started wrestling things and getting all bloody and crap."

"Yeah Tom," Rakta said. "No one in their right mind would willingly bathe in monster blood just to make their Dungeon raiding faster and last longer."

"I feel so attacked right now."

"It's called an intervention," Loki said. "I even prepared a tarp for it." She pointed towards the kitchen.

Raul and Cruz went out wielding two spears, a banner tied to either end with the word intervention written on it in big red letters. Riine and Alicia pulled against the cones in their hands and out came confetti and smoke with a pop. Loki blew on a party horn that unrolled up to my face.

"Dude."

"The least you can do is look remorseful," Loki said. She leaned in closer. "Come on, a little frown at least?"

"No dice."

Raul and Cruz put the crap away and in came Arcs with a broomstick and dust pan and cleaned up the mess left behind. They cleared it all as fast as Loki pulled the stunt out of nowhere, and the practiced movements implied they'd done this at least a few times before. Then again, it was Loki. So, yeah.

I scratched my cheek. "Okay, fine, so what if I was good at hitting back."

"That's just the thing." Loki was fiddling with the bloody red book in hand. "You don't even bother dodging. That won't work anymore once you go lower, and that merman was just the start."

Memories of my gut rising to my stomach as my vision blurred came to mind, my knees buckling as my strength left. It was the first time I was ever brought down low. And it wasn't pretty. It was mortifying to feel so helpless, and now that I could look back at it, all I could feel from the fact was a gnawing rage at how helpless I was. How the fuck was I supposed to earn godhood from being this… weak? And okay, I was growing fast, but even this still felt too slow. Aiz and the others wouldn't even be bothered by a merman stabbing them assuming it even could, and here I was crumpling from a hit from some nameless mob.

Loki snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Tom?"

The ringing in my ears subsided, my jaw relaxing in place. "Mmm?"

"You kinda left me there for a second."

"Err, sorry." I took a deep breath.

"Were you listening?"

"Yeah, and I already know my current style wasn't gonna cut it anymore once I started running away from those Violas." I ran because I couldn't beat them as I was, went without saying. I paced towards the window.

"I couldn't beat them either," Narvi said with a frown.

"It doesn't make me any less weaker." The day had just started and yet I was already so tired.

"And what does that make me?" Narvi said.

I turned back to look her in the eyes. "That's besides the point."

"No, it isn't, Tom," Loki said. "It's the exact same point. You don't get to hold yourself to a higher standard just because. Everyone started where you are, minus a few perks. But it's all the same in the end."

I turned away. "And yet we both know that's not true."

"You're not wrong," Loki said, "but you're not right either."

"So, should I pick up a spear now?" A tinny din filled my ears. "There's no difference between a blade with a handle and a blade on a stick, in the end, its all about how effective you are at using it." Was doing all this really leading me towards what I needed to do? What was it that I really needed to do to get what I wanted anyway? To get stronger and level up wasn't even the real crux of what I needed to solve.

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Loki said. "Whatever happened to having to fight from range?"

"It's the results that matter in the end." I needed to dive in the Dungeon to get stronger, and in turn to get better magic, or to reach godhood. But, was that what I really needed to do? Wasn't looking for the how I got here in the first place the thing I should've been looking for from the start?

"No, Tom, it's all about coming back in one piece." Loki stared straight into my soul.

We shared so much and still so little really came through. I was seeing into her more and more with each passing day, the doubts and uncertainties, and even then underneath it all there was this unshakeable current of something, hope? Pride? It gave her something alien to me, determination maybe? Optimism?

All I had to show for the past few days was a few spells and a few nice numbers, but none really pointed me any closer to my goals. Was I really having so much fun that I forgot what it is that drove me to dive in the first place?

"Tom?" Loki said.

"I… need to clear my head."

"Don't dive alone," Loki said, "alright?"

Narvi, Rakta, and Lili all looked at me as I went out the manor, the others following me as I ventured out into the city's streets.

#

The others stopped tailing me when I promised I wouldn't go down the Dungeon.

Loki told me to take a step back and take in the scenery, so here I was at the twenty-fifth floor of the tower overlooking the city from high enough. The main streets divided the circular city into eight slices with the cardinal directions marked as North, South, East, and West Main streets, and their secondary directions following the normal schemes, Northeast Main, Southwest Main, to name a few. The business district was in South Main, while our home was on the end of North Main.

I saw the restaurant we first went to was at the end of Southwest Main where we met Freya and Ottar.

The window was warm against my fingertips, and the cold sweat down my back contrasted against the bright morning. Knowing the gods to exist and what we'd thought of so far, it stood to reason that someone or something was hoping to use me in whatever plan they had in store. The clues were already there, my status and the unexpected blessings, the connection to Loki, the strange happenings down by the fiftieth floor, and now these attacks and unexpected developments in the otherwise static Dungeon. Things were changing and if the recent events were anything to go by, none of it was good.

I was so preoccupied with asking how to get home despite all the happenings that I'd forgotten to ask why I got here in the first place. We were yet to discover any legends or stories of people coming from elsewhere, but we already had a prime example right here: me. From what I knew, I just suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the street, like I just slipped in time and space. There were no portals or anything, one second I was in Tulley, and the next thing I knew I was in the middle of Orario's streets. Perhaps returning to where I ended up in might reveal some clue?

On second thought, Loki didn't seem to know much about what happened but neither did anyone in the familia seem to be too surprised… which should've struck me strange. There ought to have been more panicking, and yet all I got was some suspicions barring the endorsement of Loki. Maybe that tipped the scale? Then again, Finn believed in a goddess other than the gods. And if what little we'd talked about was anything to go by, he hadn't lost that faith either.

Which means, the gods weren't as absolute with their powers sealed. Which Loki hadn't really hidden, just never fully explained. Everything I'd thought of here she'd see later once I got my status updated, but so what? These were my feelings.

Also, they'd repeatedly mentioned I had a way of denying the gods? Did that mean a compulsion or an effect of their power? Too many questions needed answers and an experiment was in order, but perhaps taking it on alone wouldn't be too smart.

The polished floor reflected a face I almost didn't recognize. I sighed. Loki wasn't wrong with the things she said, and it simply didn't occur to me at the time to factor those in. A spear! Of all things I could've missed, why didn't I try to see what else my magic could engulf? Shooting arrows charged with Despair would be an effective workaround to my problem with range, and yet why didn't I stop to think things through first? I was confused, I guess? Too Eager too.

Frustration, annoyance, I wanted to go back into the Dungeon and vent.

Looking at it now, I'd been doing just that all this while. I'd go down and exhaust myself to drown out that nagging at the back of my mind… that maybe, I couldn't come back anymore. That day Gareth pulled me out of the fires made me remember the way my flesh melted into my vambraces, of the sticky burning feeling of my tongue against a roof of iron. I was hurt bad enough to get rushed to the closest thing we had to a hospital here. Was I weak? Everyone keeps telling me I'm not and yet I feel it all the same.

"Oh?" a lady said.

I turned back and saw Freya.

"Thomas?" She smiled. "Strange to see you without my sister."

I scratched the back of my head. "We sort of got into a fight."

She raised a finger to her lips. "Is that so?" Freya tilted her head. "Something bothering you?"

I shrugged. "Quite a few things, honestly." I shook my head. "Ottar isn't with you?"

"He's back at the manor."

"I always figured he was your bodyguard."

"He's free to do as he pleases." Freya chuckled. "It's also rather interesting to see you so focused on me for once." Her voice had a sultry hint to it. She stared into my eyes.

"Well, keeping the mind link on after having that thing earlier would be in bad taste, I believe."

Freya leaned in closer. She hummed as she inspected my face from different angles, her cleavage rather amply in clear view. "Nothing?"

"I'm sorry?"

She held a hand to my cheek, her eyes seeming to glow in the light. "Thomas?"

I frowned. "Err, yes Freya?"

The lady raised an eyebrow. "Very interesting." She hummed as she straightened herself out and walked to face the window. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"Shouldn't you have said a Varis?"

She waved a hand in front of her. "Don't mind the details, Tom. Now, what's bothering my little sister's boyfriend?"

"For the record, I'm not her boyfriend."

"Sure you're not." She turned back with a smirk.

"I haven't levelled up yet."

Freya narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said I haven't levelled up yet."

The goddess puffed one cheek up, her eyebrows knitted together and crowning a stare. "What did you expect?"

"That after that last fight I'd already be good for one."

Freya put her wrists up to her hips, her lips pursed. "What the hell has Loki been telling you?"

"That my stats were high enough for a level."

She rubbed her chin with one hand. "If Loki says so then I'll take your word for it." Freya clapped her hands. "Alright, go to Ottar."

"Err, Ottar?"

"Yes, ask him how he levelled up."

"Really? Just like that?"

She nodded. "Just like that."

"Why would you help me out?"

Freya walked over and gave me a pat on the head. "Because you're like a black cat who thinks he's got it all figured out but hasn't the slightest clue how cute he really is."

"Err, you're hot, but I'm not really willing to go anywhere further than pointing it out."

She pinched my cheek. "Go on, Tom. Do what you must."

#

It was with the barest wisp of a plan that I strode up to the one place I knew had the answer to my question. Though how I'd go about asking for it or even just voicing it out was beyond me.

I made my way through Orario's streets alone, dodging people and carts along the way. The bustle of the city never really died down even during the wee hours of the night, and they were only encouraged by the judicious use of the magic stone lamps dotting the streets every two meters or so.

During the day, it was utter chaos.

Cobblestones clacked against my boots, one foot in front of the other in a trance that led me to the very end of the business district and standing in front of something I wasn't hoping of seeing again anytime soon: Folkvangr, the Freya Familia home. And with the lady's blessing too. The sun bore down on its majestic marble masonry and dear lord how much dough did these bastards rake in just to pull that off? Granted Freya might've also had some other sources of funds…

I pressed the unlikely button by the main gate and was rewarded by a soothing bell ringing off somewhere beyond.

The grand double doors from the mansion inside opened and an elf wearing a butler suit complete with coat tails greeted me a few seconds later after crossing the garden for a good few seconds.

"May I help you?" he said. His platinum blond hair glowed under the light, and his clear blue eyes looked almost transparent.

As crazy as Freya was, she had good taste. "Would it help if I said Freya sent me to meet with Ottar?"

The elf nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the large wrought iron gates opened with a silent grace. "You may follow me."

I stepped through the arch with trepidation, and it took three more steps before I realized I was holding my breath. We walked through the same garden, but it was to a different scene as opposed to just a few days ago. Before there were warriors and such, and today there were birds and animals and… a fairy?

"We avail of the services of Demeter familia gardeners every week," the butler supplied with the hint of a smile.

He opened the doors with his fingertips and they swung open with well-oiled hinges not a squeak out of place. I was led to a small cubby hole of a room that had a large window as the obvious center piece, and on either side of it were two long lounge benches in pristine white.

I took a seat by the window and it had a view of a small row of trees.

"I will inform him first" the butler said.

"Please and thank you."

The elf excused himself and came back a few minutes later.

"You may follow me to his study."

I was led up to the second floor and past more polished marble and came upon a gilded door with intricate patterns. The butler opened the door and let me in. There was Ottar seated on a large enough desk to accommodate his gigantic frame. The elf left us shortly.

"Thomas," he said with a nod. "Please." He indicated a seat in front of his desk.

I took a seat as offered, and it wasn't as horrible as I imagined it. For now.

"The lady had you speak with me?"

"Yes."

"Go on then."

"Honestly, I want to know how you got so strong?" I asked the giant.

"I see," he said. "Was there anything particular that happened lately?"

"None except I didn't level up."

"I see," he said.

"Please?"

"Very well." He nodded. "There is no secret to my strength, I simply did as I saw fit, always moving forward." Ottar's face was serene, devoid of any lingering sentiments or hidden hurts. "I went further than anyone had ever gone and then some, sometimes by the skin of my teeth for the simple fact that I could, and sometimes because I knew it would please the lady." His shoulders were firm and his eyes stared at me straight and true. "It was the only thing that mattered, so that I could give back the love she bore."

"So, you dove into the Dungeon over and over again and eventually you found yourself standing on top?"

"More or less," he said with a nod.

"No special artifacts to help you? Or any lessons from anyone?"

"All that mattered was Freya's love for me, and my love for her." He said it all with a straight face. "My first level I received after proving myself in the Dungeon, I stayed there for as long as I could with only my love to guide me and lead me home. When I felt my stay long enough, I returned and thus I was able to make her smile."

I nodded.

"The second level I received when I fought the Goliath on my own and won, and the third with the Amphisbaena. Admittedly, it was the most troublesome to fight given its tendency to move between floors." He rubbed his chin. "But I did it all alone anyway."

"But why'd you have to do it alone?"

"Because I wanted to be stronger than everyone else, my lady's love is large enough for everyone, but even I can be selfish. I wanted her to notice me more, so I did more." He closed his eyes. "The fourth level I obtained when I defeated the Blood Smeared Troll, an aberrant monster that had grown too strong in the lower middle levels, it had skill and strength beyond those floors, and it was a wonderful fight that brought great joy to my lady."

"How was it that a monster like that came to be?"

"You are not aware of monsters who feed on other's stones?"

"No, and I take it when they take in the stones of other monsters the magic contained within adds to theirs?"

He nodded.

Well, wasn't that an interesting bit of news.

"But I advise you against doing so on your own, uncontrolled, the beast could easily rise above your own strength."

"I take it you've done so yourself before?"

"It is no matter," Ottar said. "My fifth level I received from defeating Udaeus, and the sword I use now is from the shard of his blade I'd won. Though you can only obtain it if you fight him alone."

"Of course."

"The sixth level is my shame. I was only able to half-kill Balor, though after that I had to run with my tail between my legs. It pains me that I am hailed for my strength, and yet I know inside that this praise is empty in spite of it. That is why, your captain reaching this same realm fills me with joy, I know from that that I may still redeem myself."

"And what did Freya say about it?"

"She praised me anyway, but I couldn't accept it. I needed to prove myself not to her, but to myself."

"I see." This was the secret to his strength: a single-minded devotion to the only thing that mattered.

"I believe you ask this, so you too could achieve a rank up?"

I nodded.

His lips hinted at the smallest hint of a smile—or a smirk at least. "You are close, yes?"

I nodded.

He hummed. "Then all that you lack now is a feat, something large enough that anyone can recognize it as above and beyond, so much so that even the gods would have to acknowledge it no matter how small it may seem."

I frowned. It was in the same spirit as what Loki said before.

"Does that answer not satisfy you?" He closed his eyes and nodded. "The simplest of feats is achieved by defeating a great challenge, usually from the Dungeon, though it doesn't necessarily always have to be so." He grunted. "Your captain, Finn, he has achieved this realm as well from a different path than mine."

It was a start at least. "Something that would be worth telling a story for, yes?"

He nodded the slightest bit. "You may say that."

What happened then was not the universe aligning into revealing some secret knowledge, or the sudden clicking into place of the puzzle pieces to form a picture. It was instead the acknowledgement that perhaps something repeated enough times and with the evidence behind it was close enough to the truth that it may as well be.

At the end of the day, this all could just as easily have been a story on the pages of a book.

And the only ending that truly mattered was that I got home. Was it then that levels were like the chapters of a book and this gathering of exilia was like writing out the words one by one until enough was made into a coherent paragraph after paragraph of deeds? And this thing that Ottar and Loki had both described, was it not like how the plot would rise and rise only to ultimately release the tension in some manner? Catharsis, I believe.

Conflict and its resolution: man versus himself, versus another, versus society, and versus nature; Ottar defeated some great monster, and Finn overcame his doubts. Just like Loki said, it was in the fleshing out of a legend, of the story of Thomas. And what was it that my story had been so far? Some random guy got thrown into the thick of things and swept off his feet only to be told a convenient fact to get him what he wanted? Was the world really that simple? Yes, I did tell Lili to simply accept her good graces, but could I do the same for me?

As someone who knew better than to believe in things too good to be true, it was a hard no. Reach level ten, become a god, was it really so simple?

"Ottar?"

"Yes, Thomas?"

"Why do you wish to be a god?"

He tilted his head at that. "I do not understand."

"To reach level ten and ascend, isn't that everyone's goal?"

"We've yet to reach any legends as high as ten, Thomas. At best, there was a hero of the sword and carried by the wind that was hailed as a level nine, but that's all we have. Never anything about a mythical ten."

"I see." I extended a hand for shaking.

His palm eclipsed mine. "A pleasure then."

"I have something to take care of."

"I believe you've found your adventure?"

"It will be after this." I shook my head. "I just hope I make it out alive."

#

Level 2

Strength = I 0

Endurance = I 0

Dexterity = I 0

Agility = I 0

Magic = I 0

Madness Spectrum = I -> H

= Grants magic affinity and empowers the user's status, increases magic damage received, requirements for recognition of feats, and susceptibility to mental status effects.

Tranquil Intervention = I -> H

= Increases resistance against mental status effects

World Walker = I -> H

= Increases magic parameters

Fated Actor = I -> H

= Promotes growth of basic abilities

Butcher = I

= Increases abilities and item drop rate when attacking monsters the user has gained exilia from before.

Magic

Answered Prayer = Allows two-way communication with one's patron god or goddess with Mind consumption based on distance. Chantless Magic.

Despair = An enchant magic that steeps the user's attacks with the chaos of the World Boundary and enfeebles targets when attacked. Has a chance to inflict madness, fear, or confusion. Chant: "Madness"

Saudade = An area of effect drain spell that takes the magic and life force contained in all within range and transfers it to the user. Targets stronger than the user are able to resist having their magic and life stolen. Has a five-meter radius, and a chance to inflict madness, fear, or confusion. Chant: "Taken from the peace of home / I now stand beyond the veil / The aberrant demands reparation"

Skill

Babel Jack = Allows automatic translation of written and verbal information to some understandable form to the user.

Enabler = Increases magic by an exceptional amount in a pinch and causes magic damage to siphon life force.

Mania = Increases endurance the longer one stays in battle and gradually wears off after.

Lævateinn = Adds a fire element to all attack magics.

Vindicta = Momentarily increases strength when retaliating against an attacker, the higher the damage received, the stronger the effect.

#

Four people surrounded a crystal, a small girl hidden within slept. Flashes of uncertainty, alarm, wonder, and awe cycled through the small gathering, questions were passed, guesses made, and no conclusions drawn.

The crystal cracked.

Panic.

Then warmth, patience, frustration, and pride followed joy.

#

I sat across Loki atop her bed, the paper detailing the change I should've felt ecstatic about lying between us. I got what I wanted alright, but at what cost?

"The godhood thing was a lie."

"Yes," she said, her red eyes did not waver.

"Why?"

She inched closer and placed her hand on top of mine, her pale skin aglow against the dark covers. "Because you needed me to."

I didn't pull away. "You could've said it sometime after things had calmed down."

"Did they though?" she said. "I'd been looking for every chance to tell you, Tom. But you were too busy drowning your sorrows out in the Dungeon." Loki squeezed. "You and I both know that."

I took my hand back. "Hence why I'm not blowing up right now."

"You're not like that," she said with a smile. "And you'd already doubted the godhood thing anyway."

"I still believed in it anyway."

"Its not like you to have such convictions, wasn't it that evidence was king?"

"I'm only human."

"And I'm not omniscient right now either." Loki stood from the bed and walked over to her bookshelves. "I was saving it in case we found you could handle more than three spells." She gave the grimoire to me.

"Bribery won't make me forget."

"But it would endear me to you anyway."

I sighed. "Can you at least tell me the truth?"

She took a deep breath. "Which one would you like to hear?"

"Whether I can get back."

Loki scratched her head. "You're all over the place Tom, one day you'd say we shouldn't rush, another you'd say it's the only thing that matters."

"The surprise is still fresh to me, of course I'd be confused."

"Then why can't you listen to your own excuses?"

"Because regardless of what, whatever I think of at the time will always make sense to me." I flipped the book over in my hands but did not open it, it had an indentation on it that looked like a cat head. "I… haven't been thinking too straight these last few days."

Loki put her hand on my forehead. "Do you have a fever or something?"

I held her hand and moved it away. "You still haven't answered my question."

She sat beside me. "I've been telling more truths than lies, Tom. And I've said it before, but no, I don't know how to get you back, but if you've gotten here one way, then its not impossible to go the other."

"Then why'd you say something about reaching godhood?"

"Because it was the easiest explanation to make you accept."

"Fair enough."

"Any other lingering doubts?"

"Wouldn't you know?"

"A little, but I'm not sure if they count. About Freya calling you a pitch black, its probably because of how muddy your desires and intentions are. And the thing about you being a pawn in some grand plan, I can't confirm that either. About your magic and your status, this thing about the World Boundary, it at least confirms there's a reality other than here."

I shook my head. "Then my guesses are as good as yours."

"Which is what I've been trying to tell you all this while." Loki massaged her temples. "I swear, it's a lot harder to make you listen to me than anyone else."

"What was that again that Finn said about me and the gods?"

"That you don't seem to be affected by our godliness," Loki said. "That thing Freya was trying with you before was her charm. Her powers, basically."

"And they didn't work on me?"

"For some reason, yeah," she said. "But you'd already come from a different world anyway, so why should that surprise me?"

"Oh, I don't know, other than the fact that it might be important?"

Loki shrugged "You can probably lie to a god, but unless you're any good then it won't do you any good."

"Gee, that's a lot of faith."

"Seriously, Tom. Art gallery?"

"Dude, that was one time."

She raised an eyebrow.

"And that image I saw just now, the girl… that was you, Gareth, Finn, and Riveria looking at someone… was it Aiz?"

Loki smirked. "That's quite a leap of logic Tom, could've been anyone."

"I doubt you'd have left them alone, it would've been out of character for you, and if any, it's because Aiz is maybe even more absurd than me? That magic of hers, you never really answered my question on it yesterday.

"You never asked."

"But I did." I frowned. "I asked how she got it, but we went on a tangent and broke off… from there… What are you hiding about her?"

"You talk too much Tom."

"It's about her magic, right? Hers I wouldn't hesitate to call stronger than a proper mage's like Lefiya, but definitely not Riveria, and yet Aiz is so strong physically, and I'd never seen her use anything other than that magic and her sword."

Loki scratched her cheek. "Please promise me you'll never go into one of these tirades of yours without talking to me first?"

"You're not saying no to any of what I'm saying."

"Because replying would indicate I acknowledge something."

"And silence is just as damning."

"You'll latch onto anything if you're fixated on finding a connection no matter how insignificant."

"Why is Aiz so desperate?"

Loki was unreadable.

"Of all the executives though, Aiz seems to be the most driven. And is her secret any graver than mine?"

She raised a brow.

"Perhaps you don't know her reason either?"

Loki raised her shoulders. "We can do this all day, Tom."

"Whatever, so… what do I do now? I just lost my reason for wanting to get stronger, should I try and reconcile with the fact that I was probably already dead to my old life?"

Loki looked away. "That's one way of doing it, and another is to just keep going at it."

"Would it solve anything?"

"I don't know but doing nothing won't solve anything that's for sure." She poked my nose. "And I still need you down there with the others to keep them safe." Loki shrugged. "Who knows, whatever lies at the bottom of the Dungeon might hold the answers you seek."

"I guess you don't know what lies at the end of it all?"

"No one does, and us gods can't enter the Dungeon either because it gets… frisky."

"That is so not suspicious at all."

"It's how it's always been Tom; the gods aren't as perfect as you mortals might make us out to be."

The sound of my breathing filled the room. Sure, I was totally fine with losing that hope. That all my efforts of the past few days was essentially for a lie told for my benefit, I get it. I really did. It's just, it still sucked anyway. Oh hey, Tom, sorry, but there's no proper solution to your problem and we'll just have to take a crack at it and hope for the best. Yeah, that's exactly what I expected from the start anyway. Just, having it all laid out was… just so heavy.

Loki cradled my face. "You're making that weird thing with your lips again."

"What weird thing?"

"You pucker your lips to the side whenever you're pissed," she said.

"You've been watching me that closely?"

Loki knit her brows. "Well yeah, haven't we been… you know?"

"Flirting?"

Her eyes widened. "And?"

I looked away.

"Tom," Loki said, "what are we?"

I didn't know what to say to that. "A goddess and her child, according to your system."

Her face came so close. "And what am I to you?"

I couldn't look away. My blood started pounding against my ears. "You…"

She inched even closer.

"…are important to me."

"And?" her voice was barely a whisper now.

"I shouldn't."

She rested her hands over mine. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to have to choose in the end."

#

Finn and the others weren't scheduled to get back until three more days or so, so holding a celebration for my rank up was put on hold for now. Assuming we could even announce it.

"I can't believe it," Gareth said. "Telling you to level up in a month was just to motivate you… but this… this is too much." Dumbfounded and more than a little alarmed, the dwarf held the sheet with great care.

Narvi, Rakta, Bete, and Daffyd were together with us and Loki. We were in Finn's study and discussing the elephant in the room.

"Thomas is strong but stupid, that's what matters," Bete said.

"But it's too fast," Narvi said. Gareth passed her the sheet. "Aiz set the record in a year to reach level two and you did it all in what, eleven days?"

No one in the room was smiling or congratulating me. Hell, I couldn't congratulate me. "And yet it is what it is."

"Your basic abilities and skills aside," Rakta said, "what was it that brought you over?"

"Thomas found out about a little white lie," Loki said.

"Aye, the godhood," Gareth said.

I looked at him.

"Sorry, Tom," he said, "I knew."

"I'll be fine."

Loki crossed her arms.

"Godhood?" Rakta asked.

"Loki told me I could reach godhood somehow if I reached level ten."

Narvi and Daffyd tilted their heads at that.

"Can you?" Bete asked.

"No," Loki said. "I just needed to have him focusing on something before he gave himself a panic attack."

I shook my head before saying, "And about levelling up in a month?"

"It was to distract you," Loki said with a sigh. "We don't exactly have therapists here Tom, I needed your mind on something else fast."

"So that explains Loki celebrating Thomas as not a crazed demon…" Daffyd said.

"The others didn't know?"

"About?" Narvi said.

"Me coming from a different world?"

"Like a different country?" Rakta said.

"Not even close."

"A different continent then?" Daffyd said.

"He means like another Lower World," Loki said. "Sorta like Tom here came from the Upper World."

"Thomas is a god?" Narvi shrank back, her mouth twitching.

"Now that's just mean."

"Kinda, sorta, no," Loki said. "Maybe closer to an angel?"

The three new executives' faces contorted into something unkind.

"Not an angel then," Loki said.

"So why tell us?" Narvi said.

"Because you deserved to know."

Gareth pursed his lips.

"I didn't mean it like that, just that they needed to know what they were dealing with with me."

"I really just filed it all under Thomas is getting freaky with Loki and that was that," Rakta said.

"I agree," Narvi added.

"Same here," Daffyd said.

"Gee, thanks guys."

"Any changes to the plan?" Gareth said.

"Right now, not really, besides maybe I should consider I could end up staying here far longer than I initially expected."

"Aye," he said. "It might take some getting used to."

I nodded.

"Will we let the guild know?" Narvi said.

"We shouldn't," Loki said. "Not yet at least. The next Denatus isn't until two weeks from now anyway, we have time."

"This would paint a target on Thomas's back," Rakta said.

"And have some idiots risk the Loki and Freya familias go after their necks?" Loki said with a chuckle. "I'm not letting Tom go, even if he seems too reluctant to finally give in."

Narvi fanned herself, Gareth scratched his beard, and Bete cringed.

"Good lad," Daffyd said.

"Hmph, Raul's too meek…" Rakta said.

Loki gave her a pat on the back. "Our men should really take a hint and make a move already, no?" she said. "Too bad Bete's irredeemable already…"

"I'm right here!" the werewolf said.

"At least this makes taking Thomas with us down deep a bit easier on my nerves," Gareth said.

"And I guess my next goal can only be to reach the end of the Dungeon and maybe get some answers… either that or get some kind of magic for travelling worlds… which would probably solve the need for choosing anyway." I mean, why was I on the either-or route anyway? I'm a goddamn materialistic bastard, why wouldn't I want it all if I could? And if I couldn't, then nothing was stopping me from trying anyway, heck, what's one more impossible thing to add to my already impossible task? The least I could do was be true to my desires.

"Thomas?" Rakta said.

"Oh, nothing, just maybe realized something."

"Oh?" Loki said. "Spill."

"That greed seems like a better driver than hope."

"That's unhealthy," Gareth said.

"Eh, if it works, it works."

Narvi raised her hand. "So… does that mean Thomas will be striving for level three now?"

"Why the hell not! Ah, and did you guys gain any useful spells?"

"I received a short chant lightning spell," she said. "It'll take some getting used to, but it should be useful when I'm part of the vanguard."

Daffyd tilted his head. "It's a bit strange, but I got a long chant type, not a pretty sight, it's earth based however, so it's not too bad."

Rakta nodded. "I got a healing spell."

"That's reassuring," Loki said. Then she smiled like an old man. "I'm guessing Raul was the first to find out?"

"That's not even remotely lewd, Loki."

"Who said anything about it being lewd, it was probably her affection for him that brought it out."

The bunny girl went red up to her ears.

"I thought Grimoires were like skill books?"

"They don't contain a specific spell, Tom," Loki said. "Instead they draw out any latent talent for magic, call it lucky everyone and Lili gained a spell, there have been cases where the darn thing got spent without anything to show for it."

"Hence the hesitation with mine?"

She nodded.

"We all knew Thomas was getting the last grimoire anyway," Narvi said.

"No doubts at all," Rakta added.

"Loki does like to spoil you a lot, Tom," Daffyd said.

"Aye, she does," Gareth said.

"Don't cramp my style you guys!" Loki said.

I sighed. "Thanks Loki."

"Ah, you know me, I try." Her eyes turned serious. "Really though, don't use it yet, alright? Let's see first if you can develop magic on your own after three slots, that book could end up saving someone's life down the line."

I was yet to see anyone die here, but the fact of the matter remained. The Dungeon was dangerous, and I was only lucky enough to have gotten a head start. "I know."

"Now then," Loki said, "to business. I was putting it off for a while, but we should take a crack at that mission Fels gave us, to check the pantries from the twenty-fifth floor and below. Once Finn and the others come back, we'll send the executives together minus Gareth to investigate."

We all nodded.

"I'm not too happy about this," Loki continued. "But it's too good of a lead to pass up on with what's been happening so far, and Thomas is more than likely to be connected."

"Right."

"We've got a few more days before the start of our expedition, and if things prove too dangerous to continue, we'll put it on hold in favor of clearing out the floors. If those monsters are anything to go by, then nothing less than level fives would be needed to properly clear the pantries."

"For now, Bete, I want you to take Narvi, Daffyd, Rakta, and Thomas to scout out the pantries in the first through twenty-third floors. It's unlikely we'll find anything, but it's still better to be safe than sorry. If you all find anything, you are not to engage, understood?"

"Yes," our team answered.

"Gareth will stay here to guard the place, while the others who can't participate in this mission will focus on training and or preparing for the expedition."

#

Lunch time came around, and for the second time ever I was about to eat something other than the bland rations we usually brought with us down the Dungeon. Loki wanted to come with me, but I needed some more time alone.

I wasn't done sorting things out just yet, and maybe I was still feeling the hurt from what had happened.

With my purse in hand, I set about just like earlier but with a slightly lighter heart. I feel like the clouds on my eyes have finally cleared, and that even if I couldn't see the bottom of the cliff I was standing on, that the fear was at least a bit more manageable now. I could look into the abyss and see the foot holds where before there was only the drop.

I also ought to send something to Freya and Ottar for what they did. Maybe some flowers? Women loved flowers even here, I think?

I went along North Main street and eventually reached Babel before I took a right towards West Main. The entirety of West Main was called Adventurer's Way because the place had all the shops you needed to go down a proper route. There were pharmacies selling potions, some diners selling rations, and even some repair shops for those who couldn't afford to have a smith look their weapons over for real.

It was the young and upcoming adventurer's go to place for the consumables for their trade, whereas the third through eighth floors of Babel were for the upcoming smith's. On that note, it just occurred to me that I ought to search for some better armor later on once I could dive deep enough. Gareth's leather jacket was strong by virtue of its materials, but what if good design could be incorporated? A textile-based armor that was padded and whose parts could more easily be patched up was more useful than a tough leather jacket that couldn't be repaired once it was damaged.

I was thinking something like one of those padded bomb defusal suits optimized for movement of course. But the idea was there, metal plates were heavy and prone to deformation and heavy, but a textile would be significantly lighter and more easily repaired, not to mention it'd help cushion some blows. Or better yet, have this textile armor beneath the plates for even better protection, or at least reduce the weight.

That'd be something I should watch out for in the future.

I eventually found myself sitting in an open-air restaurant and gazing up at the clouds. It was already a little late for lunch, but I had time. A waitress in a bright pink uniform came by and handed me a menu and I ordered for some roasted chicken and a side of bread. A simple meal like this was like a godsend in the Dungeon, and days of eating nothing but shortbread and dried bacons and cheese paled by a long shot compared to something freshly cooked.

The meal wasn't too expensive since I still had a sizeable purse from the last few days in the Dungeon.

I finished my meal and went back to wandering.

That grimoire… it wouldn't be a stretch to say that once we've completed this next mission, we'd receive some more. To bring together five of those probably meant Fels and the Guild had access to a source if they didn't produce it themselves. Hmm, I did forget to ask how those things were made… Right, whatever. Should I try it out anyway? I wanted to, but my conscience was nagging at me.

I also needed to see what had changed in me after my level up, since Gareth mentioned I should take some time to get used to my new body for a while. I didn't feel any different though, but I ought to trust the guy who'd done this thing five times before.

I went up to some of the shops along adventurer's way and browsed their various potions, clothes, and ration types. There was an eclectic mix of biscuits and hard breads, some potions of unusual colors, and thick sturdy jackets, pants, and vests and the like in assorted colors.

As for what my role was in all this, it was definitely connected to the Dungeon somehow. I was yet to notice anything different, and at most there was the infant dragon doing something out of the ordinary when I faced it. Gareth said it wasn't supposed to breathe out continuous streams of fire, but from what I learned with Ottar, Udaeus the floor boss only brought out his sword if you fought him alone, so maybe the infant dragon only did that with those same conditions?

And now I really really wanted to go down and test out this theory. Maybe if I fought the monsters alone there'd be some extra bonuses or something.

There were other stores here too in the side alleys, but they were rather sketchy looking, and I remember this sort of place was where we'd met Fels before. It was unlikely I'd encounter him again, and well, a sense of adventure was there still. I went into the side street.

The sun filtered in from the few gaps above, between the laundry and the wooden planks bridging houses together, it was a labyrinth of sorts more modern and minus the monsters. There were some shops here too, with signs showing the names of the stalls every now and then. I checked through some of the stores, some were selling some slightly rusted weapons, some were selling some not as brilliantly glowing potions, and there were also a few restaurants with simple stools and tables.

It wasn't as glorious as the main street, but here was lively too, though not as crowded. I checked the stores one by one, and one particular shop took my notice, it was called the Witch's Secret Shop. I looked into the place and found stairs leading down, so like any curious cat, I went to where it lead.

Inside the place was a musty wooden shop filled to the brim with all the stereotypical crap a witch was usually seen with: vials of organs and animals, different sorts of plants hanging from baskets and hooks, as well as gnarled samples of wood and a huge ass cauldron at the back of the place boiling over a fire. It even had a self-stirring thing, probably a spoon keeping its contents moving.

"Yes?" an old lady said. "How may I help you?"

"I was just looking around."

"Not too many find this place," she said. The lady came out from behind one of the shelves and she had the black robe, witch's hat and crooked nose set. "I suppose I might interest you in some wares?"

"Depends if I can afford them." Shops this hidden away usually meant a scam in the works or some sort of secret stash.

"Oh," she said, "you're from the Loki familia?" She was pointing at the small clown patch I had on my pants. Loki sewed it on when I bought this pair, and I never bothered to have it removed.

"Does it mean I get a discount?"

"No," she said. "But I might be interested in an exchange. I doubt Riveria would tell you of this shop if she didn't find you interesting enough."

Riveria, eh? Interesting. "Anything you have for enhancing an enchant magic?"

The old lady walked up to me while rubbing her chin. "What sort of enchant, child?"

"The kind that inflicts confusion on monsters." That was innocuous enough of an explanation, perhaps the madness part would be too much.

She grabbed my hand and looked it over. "And you can only use this from a melee range?"

"Sadly."

She grabbed my face and looked me in the eye, her grey pupil took up my view. "How far can you move it?"

"I can cover myself in it?"

"Poor child," she said. "Rather unfortunate spell you have, and you can extend them to weapons?"

"Yes."

"There's hope for you yet," she said. "But no, I can't give you anything." The old lady flicked me back. "I only deal with casters, child, your sort won't find any use for my wares."

"I see." I sighed, then found a book by a shelf marked with an absurd price—probably a grimoire, and… it had a mark that looked like a cat by the spine. "I don't suppose you have any magic text books though?"

"I have a few, but Riveria would be the better person to ask." She turned back with a crooked smile. "Unless she's been denying you this knowledge?" She chuckled.

"I don't think so, but it'd be nice if you knew something about teleportation or warp magic."

The old lady laughed at that. "Wishful thinking, child, and you're quite something to ask about such whimsical powers."

"So… do you know something?"

"I don't," she said. "Though if you go to the magic city of Altena you might find something."

"Huh, that'd take a while." Not that I knew where the place was, but it was a lead nonetheless. "What about any stories of having more than three spell slots?"

"Child, that Thousand Elf and Nine Hell are more than enough to answer your questions, and yet you ask this old lady?" she said. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Well for one, they're down in the Dungeon and I can't exactly magically talk to them."

She chuckled at that.

Since Loki didn't know either, and this old lady called Lefiya something amazing… "Besides, even if they could use more than one spell, they still only have three slots in their Falna."

"It would be nice if a little something could jog my memory," she said.

It was worth a gamble. "Eh, maybe I'll just ask Fels when we meet again."

"I may not be the most powerful mage, but you won't find anyone more knowledgeable than me when it comes to magic here in Orario," she said with a powdery white brow. "Good luck with that, child."

"Oh, but his grimoire's right there." I pointed at the book with the cat mark. "I was rather sure you wouldn't disappoint."

Her wrinkled face betrayed nothing. "You speak madness, child." She shook her head. "I suppose spending time with that trickster has made your head loose."

I got kicked out of the shop after that and I didn't even have anything good to show for it. At best though, I at least knew there was some connection between Altena, Fels, and maybe this shop if I were willing to stretch it out. Not bad for an incidental find, all things considered.

Perhaps skulking around these back streets might yield some more good stuff?

#

I was prowling around the back streets and asking around every magic store I got into, though I made sure to conceal the clown emblem on my pants. They all had the same things to say about Altena, but none dared call Riveria by name or mention their titles. No one also knew of a person named Fels, though I guess this ought to get the ball rolling. Almost no one but the fanciest shops in Babel's first floor also had grimoires, and none had that same cat mark. I was getting somewhere, maybe.

Imagine then my surprise when the one person I was hoping to meet showed up in front of me on the same day I started spreading his name.

"Hello, Thomas," Fels said from the shadow of one building. "Fancy meeting you here."

I stopped walking. "We still have that last mission you guys from the Guild gave us, don't you think this is a bit much?"

The guy stepped out into the light. "The Guild?" That blank mask of his was getting in the way. "Making guesses to my affiliations?"

"Actually, yes. You seem to be working towards the best interests of Orario, so I figured you hopefully aren't too evil."

He chuckled, but the sound came out like something from a jukebox. "What an interesting person," he said.

"You didn't say no."

"I didn't say yes either."

"So, what do you want?"

"A trade of favors, perhaps," he said. "I'd heard you've been asking around for teleportation magic?"

"Yes, I have."

"It so happens I might have a lead on that," he said.

"And what would you like in exchange?"

"Straight to the point, I see." He took out a piece of paper. "I'd like to hear your account of the incident of the twenty-fourth floor. I believe you might already know why I need you?"

"Because Finn and the others are too strong to let you get away." Which meant this Fels guy was somewhere in the realm of above level one but less than five, and the safest guess would be at four.

He clapped softly. "Keep it up and I might just sweeten the deal."

"Well, I've got nothing to lose." And if he really did plan on killing me then he could've already done so. It seems spreading his name like this wasn't something to him… or that he had these establishments under his thumb? How big did his influence extend?

Regardless, a fair exchange was in order. I told him everything about what I'd seen as well as the details on the new monsters, how they fought, and how they behaved, not leaving anything out about their abilities or anything. I probably should've told Loki all of this before I spilled anything, but eh, she'll find out later anyway—assuming I wasn't killed off. There was still that possibility of someone else doing Fels's dirty work after all, or that I'd stir up some other enemies related to Fels.

With someone who could dish out that much dough for a wild goose chase, he was bound to have a few people out for his head.

"This is not very good," he said.

And now that I got a better look at him, his proportions were all wrong, his arms were too long, and his hips and shoulders weren't right for either a male or female frame, granted it could be a quirk of the multiple races here. But assuming he was an adventurer, that also meant that some divine magic was at work at sculpting his body, and I'd already seen the transformation first hand with myself, and I was yet to see an adventurer who didn't have an ideal shape.

"And from what I know of the history of the Dungeon, its never happened that a monster had evolved. And those differently colored stones are something else too."

"Yes…" Fels said. "Might I bother you to prevent this from spreading any further? I believe you'd already know what a widespread kind of panic this would incite?"

"You could also offer to buy my silence?"

"I was hoping you'd be a better person than that." Fels rested his face on his hand. "Though I suppose that meeting you called with the other gods at least speaks of your character."

Was he baiting me into revealing something? "That was Loki's idea."

"Please, Thomas," Fels said. "A god wouldn't take a level one to such an important meeting if he wasn't important enough."

"And I suppose someone who isn't a normal person either would indeed have their ways of knowing."

Fels tossed me a round sapphire crystal. I caught it. "That charm amplifies magic power, you might find it useful."

"I'm not so sure it'll work for me." I walked up to him and passed it back before stepping backward. "Madness." I engulfed myself in my black flames. Let him think what we would from this. "If it can resist getting destroyed by my magic, then it'd be nice, but otherwise it'd be a waste instead."

Fels tossed me the crystal anyway. I caught it again. "My wares aren't so fragile to crack from a few flames."

The crystal didn't give me any odd sensations, though I clearly felt a something pointing towards Fels. I guess that's one interesting I'd gotten after levelling up. The mana, I believe, was connected somehow. "It's not doing anything for me, Fels. What is this, really?"

"Please, why would I trick a valued ally?"

"Not necessarily for something sinister, but you might just want to keep me in the dark, for one." I held the crystal up. "And besides, there's a thread of mana connecting this to you."

Fels hummed. "I sure hope the Loki familia isn't planning on destroying Orario."

"It's not worth the effort, and it'd be a waste of all this magitech."

"Excuse me?"

Ah shit. "Magic is too wonderful to destroy, isn't that right, Mr. Grimoire-maker?"

"Hmm?"

"You shouldn't be marking your wares with a distinct symbol, Fels, it becomes too easy to track who made what."

"Ah," he said, "that. Sadly, the Mystery ability forces these marks on the items I make, I was hoping I'd never have to have this conversation."

"Does that mean you'll kill me now?" I started rousing my magic power to as best as I could.

"What? Oh please, no, you're much too useful for me to do that," he said. "I can just as easily buy your loyalty anyway, it seems." Fels took out another crystal and tossed it to me, and I felt the mana connection shrink. "That's one of my best works, a way to communicate from a distance. I can see and hear though the other crystal, and the holder of the other can do the same."

"Holy shit, this is good!"

"I'm sorry?"

I cleared my throat. "I mean, why would you give me something so valuable?"

"Haven't we established that I was trying to bribe you?" he said. "Or are you going to try and extort me for more?"

"I could, yeah."

"By then I won't have a choice anymore." Fels took on a stance.

I tossed him back the crystal. "Actually, we don't need the other one, and I'd prefer to keep an open channel with you instead."

He relaxed his posture. "I suppose you already have your own means of communication then?"

"That's not how you probe for information, Fels."

"You didn't say no," he said.

"Ah, but I didn't say yes, either."

"A fair assessment," Fels said. "I suppose this means we are working together for now?"

I extended a hand as I retracted my magic. "I guess we are."

#

I went back to the manor right after and had Loki update my status to share what I'd learned so far. Though I also took care not to reveal too much to the crystal Fels gave. He was even nice enough to introduce himself once I'd arrived to Loki, though I guess that was to be expected since the guy practically already revealed his hand. He didn't confirm any relations to the Guild however, nor did he give any hints to knowing anything more about the issue at hand than we did, but that was fine. We both knew we were hiding stuff from each other, and better the devil you knew.

The piece of paper Fels gave me earlier for my story also contained some mention of a story called Dungeon Oratoria, and Riine was nice enough to point me towards a copy in our library. It was a fantastic retelling of some hero who wielded a sword and was loved by a wind spirit, and it sounded too close to what Ottar told me about this mythical level nine. There were no mentions of any levels in the book, and there wasn't anything exceptional either about teleportation. Though I guess this meant there were other variations of the story given the difference between Ottar's and this one.

I was still nowhere, but it felt like a proper step towards the right direction.

Dinner was a quiet affair with me sitting next to Loki and the other executives at the table. Lili also joined as after a long training session with the other usual squads.

"You had a long and eventful day, eh, Tom?" Loki said. She was fiddling with Fels's crystal in hand.

"Very." I took a long and deep drink from the warm beef soup.

"You even got to hound out that Fels guy," Rakta said. She was sitting next to Raul and the two had he same dish for dinner, some steamed vegetables and some grilled chicken breast.

"I don't care," Bete said.

"Of course," Narvi said.

"What was that?" the werewolf said.

"Don't mind him," Gareth said. "But to reveal so much, and to bother Lenoa too, did you at least learn something from your troubles?"

"Yeah." I took a bite from the roasted beef. "The city of Altena and the story Dungeon Oratoria."

Gareth twitched.

Oh? Well, ain't that interesting after all. "It wasn't much, but it's still something." Hmm, wind, eh? And that vision too… perhaps?

"Is Fels a threat?" Daffyd asked.

"Nah, I still think he's connected to the Guild though." I polished off the rest of the soup. "We're in a mutually beneficial relationship for now."

"And you say Fels was the one to make the grimoire Lili used?" the girl asked.

"The cat emblem is his, but sadly he didn't know anything about having more than three spells either."

Loki massaged her temples. "Huh, having someone else pull the strings sure sucks…"

"I know right?" A piece of potato disappeared into my stomach. "Sucks to be kept in the dark too."

The lady narrowed her eyes at me.

"Are you two having another thing?" Narvi asked. "Didn't we already resolve this?"

"But taking jabs at each other is plenty of fun!"

"Not if you're at the receiving end." Loki pinched my cheek.

"You two need to talk this out," Gareth said.

"Yeah," Bete said, "it's getting annoying getting put in between you two like this. Just make out already or something."

"Lili would prefer you two did it in private."

"Same here," Narvi added.

"I don't mind if you tell," Rakta said, though Raul seemed bothered by it.

"Can't we call a truce already?" Loki said. "I already feel bad enough for keeping the ruse up for so long, and to think you'd hear from someone else too…"

"I'm trying too, you know, not exactly easy to have the rug pulled out from under you and be expected to run a marathon."

"What's it gonna take you to forgive me?" Loki stood up. "Do I need to give you something else? Admit to something?"

"It's not that, Loki." I shook my head. "I've already forgiven you, I just need to get around to acting like I already have."

"Lili thinks this might not have been the best idea."

"No, Lili, they needed to," Rakta said. "Things were just gonna get worse the longer they kept at it."

"I get what you're saying, Rakta, but I can't just flip my feelings from sad to not sad."

"But you could at least stop being so bitter about it," Narvi said. "You'd been giving Loki such a hard time all this while, Tom. Yes, she did something wrong, but that doesn't mean you get to lord it over her time and again."

"Aye," Gareth said, "it won't solve your problems, and it only ends up hurting the both of you more."

"Like I said, just have these two idiots make out already!" Bete threw his arms up.

"She only did what she thought what was best for you Tom," Gareth said. "You were a mess when she first brought you here, and you might not remember much of it, but those times we sent you to the Dungeon you really looked like you were ready to die every time. She was the one patient enough to convince Finn to give you a chance day after day."

"Shush, Gareth!" she said.

"No, my lady," he said. "He needs to hear this. We didn't give you a room with someone because she figured you'd want some sense of normal from getting thrown into here, she also didn't want you to end up accidentally killing yourself while we waited for you to come to your senses hence why I lent my you own armor. Those are the ones I use during expeditions, and that's why they were so tough. I even had to tell Tsubaki the truth of why you were using the armor she made for me."

"You weren't right in the head at all Tom," he continued. "We were throwing those parties left and right to get you to open up too and slow down, and now that you seem lucid enough to hear what I'm telling you, it's about time you finally heard what Loki has to say."

I faced Loki, her eyes were puffy now that I had a proper look. "I've been a total dick these last few days."

"Yes you were, Tom," Narvi said.

Gareth glared at her.

"I'm sorry, Loki."

She smiled. "I didn't really know what to do either," she said. "But you've calmed down at least, and that's good to see."

"Was I really that bad?"

"Yes, Tom," Rakta said. "Why'd you think everyone else was avoiding you?"

"They were?"

"Yes we were," Lara said from another table. She was another elf whom I'd never talked to before.

"You always had this crazed look in your eyes," Hector said from the same table. He was a guy with dog ears.

"You forgot to say he looked so pale all the time," Aaron said from a different table. He was… another beastkin whose animal I didn't recognize.

"He's a tanuki," Loki supplied.

"Ah, thank you."

"Thomas isn't crazy anymore?" Helki said passing by with a plate of food. She was an amazoness.

"Can we finally stop all the partying now?" Sybil said, she had the same ears as Ottar. "I don't think I can take anymore hangovers."

I stood up from where I sat. "I'm sorry for these past few days, everyone. I uhh, had a lot of stuff to deal with."

"Just make out with Loki already!" Una, another amazoness said from one of the tables at the very back.

I turned to Loki. "Thank you, Loki."

"Ah," she said, scratching the back of her head. "Whoever said I wasn't a benevolent goddess, eh?"

"Probably the many gods you screwed with, like Baldr, for one."

"Eh, he got better," she said.