Bell left the dungeon just as the sun fell behind Orario's walls.
The ruby-eyed boy felt excited, yet anxious, as he made it out from underneath the tower of Babel. There was just so much in his head right now, from what had already happened to what would happen not far into the future.
Not only was he feeling less sweaty than all the other times going into the dungeon, but he also didn't feel as exhausted! Sure, some tiredness was there, but nothing as bad as how he tended to feel after his usual dungeon runs!
This has to be because of those daily quests the system is giving him. It'll make slaying monsters and collecting magic stones so much easier! He's already collected more stones than he usually gets, with all of it even on his person rather than in his inventory, yet it didn't seem to hinder his movements at all!
Not only that, but after initially discovering the food-preserving aspect of the system yesterday, Hestia had given Bell a few fresh jagamarukuns to store and take with him on today's dungeon run, which he had taken out during lunch. And sure enough, those potato treats had come out as warm and fresh as the day Hestia had given them to him.
The system is amazing!
And yet... it's also terrifying if what Bell held in his inventory was real.
A key to create an instant dungeon.
He could only hope Hestia wouldn't immediately pass out after hearing about this. They already had other things to worry about, mainly going to the guild and asking Miss Eina about letting him go to lower floors; hence, he was running down Orario's streets to meet his goddess at the jagamarukun stand where she works. He'll probably tell her about the key after meeting with his elf advisor; there's no point in giving Hestia stress before it.
And speaking of his goddess, he conveniently found her just finished cleaning up and getting paid as she waved goodbye to her old boss, turning around just as he was showing up.
"Bell!" Hestia ran over and gave him a big hug, as she usually did, before pulling away and looking up at him with a bit of worry. "Nothing happened, right!?"
The boy chuckled as he shook his head. "No, everything went fine today. Even better than fine! Those potato treats were a blessing."
Hestia gasped. "So... it works?" She asked, hinting at the system preserving food.
Bell nodded happily, bringing an excited squeal from the goddess.
"I'll make sure to get you as many jagamarukuns as possible so you never grow hungry in the dungeon, Bell!"
"Eh? You don't have to-"
"I will!"
"...okay."
Bell knew better than to argue with his goddess about something involving his well-being.
"Now, c'mon, we gotta go talk to that half-elf advisory of yours..." Hestia said, huffing a bit in annoyance at the last part.
"Her name is Miss Eina, Hestia. If you want me to use your name, then you should at least call others by theirs. I don't even know why you don't like her. She's only ever been helpful to me." Bell said in absolute seriousness.
That did bring a bit of guilt to the goddess, especially remembering what Eina had done for her...
"He hasn't come home yet..." Hestia had mumbled to herself, waiting nervously in the basement for her only child to return for the day.
He was an hour late from when he'd usually get home, and the longer Hestia waited, the more unease pooled in her stomach.
Maybe he had gone somewhere for the night and had forgotten to tell her?
Or maybe he was just getting held up at the guild?
Because there's no way... There's no way her only child...
...
...!?
A cold dread unlike any other abruptly hit the goddess in her chest, eyes widening with her blood turning to ice.
She felt it; she felt the small part of her arcanum left with her only child's falna suddenly flicker out of existence. It was so sudden, so out of nowhere.
All deities knew what it meant.
Hestia couldn't breathe.
She all but collapsed to the floor, choking on nothing as her hand clenched her chest tightly. She didn't know when she started crying, nor could she hear her own wails that suffocated the room, but she couldn't stop it as it all exploded out at once. It was as if a knife had plunged into her chest and twisted; no, even that couldn't hurt as much as she felt at this current moment.
Her Bell. Her precious Bell.
Her only reason for being here.
Gone.
"Hestia!? Goddess Hestia!?"
Hestia didn't even register the voice of Bell's half-elf advisory already in the church. Her own screams and sobs were the only thing in her head as the basement doors opened, and someone ran in.
"H-Hestia!? Are you okay!?"
It wasn't until she felt two hands on her curled body that she flinched and looked up at the tired, panicked, and desperate face of Bell's advisor.
She knew what it meant.
"B-B-Bell... I-I-I felt..." Hestia couldn't even speak, her starting words stopping by yet another sob as her hands found themself tightly gripping the half-elf's shirt.
"What? Have you already heard!?" Eina gasped.
How could she ask that!? Doesn't she know how a deity's connection works!? Does she really think she wouldn't know that-
"I know it's worrying, b-but you can't just stay here! He unconscious, but you should be there when he wakes up!"
Hestia all but froze.
Unconscious. Only unconscious. Bell was unconscious.
Unconscious meant alive.
"Where is he?" Hestia's voice came out cold and demanding as she bore a hole into Eina's eyes, her tear-stained face and hardened eyes making the half-elf feel a chill as she squeaked.
"H-He should be getting treatment at the Dian Cecht Familia pharmacy!"
Hestia didn't hesitate to run past the elf and out the door as fast as she could.
She had to see Bell.
Bell's advisory hadn't hesitated to run out and find her after learning that her precious child had been found in a dark room all alone. She could've just made the report and waited until there was an official notice to have someone sent to tell her what happened, but instead, the woman had personally gone to make sure she knew that something had happened to Bell and where to find him.
Now that she thought about it... she hadn't even thanked her for that...
So yeah, Hestia owes the guild member a bit. She showed that she cared about Bell and went above and beyond what a person at the guild would typically do. She can respect her for that.
So... it would only be fair to at least show that respect.
But that doesn't mean she's letting her have Bell! Not even close!
"Fine, let's go see Miss Tuile!" Hestia huffed, purposely using her last name.
Bell's expression lit up.
"Right! I also have to sell my magic stones; I got a lot today!"
"Oo! Really?"
Mortal and goddess happily walked together as the sky darkened, enjoying each other's precious company as they walked to the guild.
Soon, they entered the iconic Pantheon building of Orario before splitting off for a little, with Bell going to the exchange counter to sell his magic stones while Hestia went to Eina's booth to ask for one of the back rooms to talk to her privately.
Bell didn't think much as he poured in all his magic stones in the space of the exchange, but suffice to say, he was quite surprised at the total value.
"I-Is this right?" He uttered, staring at the total valis before him.
"Yup! Nine-thousand, two-hundred, and thirty-four Valis. Seems like you've had a really great day today, Bell!" The pink-haired friend and coworker of Eina, Misha Flott, beamed at the boy. "Most solo level one adventurers can only make around five thousand valis a day at most, but look at you!"
"I'm surprised too... I stayed longer than usual in the dungeon today, but I didn't think I'd end up with this much." Bell replied honestly as he stared at the coins.
"Heh, maybe you're getting a bit of luck to balance out what happened to you in the dungeon?" Misha joked.
Bell flinched at that. Right, the guild did know his story of the fifth floor since he had told it to the Ganesha Familia... Excluding anything about the system. He'd have to be careful not to accidentally reveal more than he already had.
For the most part, Misha saw his reaction and winced with guilt.
"Ah, sorry... That was too soon."
Bell blinked in surprise.
"You... actually believe the report?"
Misha chuckled.
"It was confirmed by a god, rookie. Besides, Eina and the rest of us all know you enough to tell that you're not really crazy, just reckless. Speaking of Eina, she's been a little antsy lately, most likely worrying about a little rabbit's return to the dungeon after almost dying, so check up with her and help calm her down a little, would ya?" She winked.
"Y-Yes? I'm actually going to talk to her right now." Bell told her, earning a flash of relief.
"Good! Treat her well, Bell!" Misha smiled ominously, but Bell just accepted his hard-earned money and walked away.
Eina and Hestia waited for him just past the counter, the former smiling softly as their eyes made contact while the latter pouted, seemingly trying to size her up.
"Good evening, Miss Eina!" Bell chirped as he made it over to them.
"Hello Bell, it's good to see you so chipper." The guild employee said. "Did you have a good day in the dungeon?"
"Mhm!" Bell nodded happily as the three entered the private room, with Eina locking the door behind them. "The best I've ever done, actually!"
"Really? That's good to hear." Eina said genuinely, moving a lock of hair behind her ear as she and the two took seats across from each other. "Now, your goddess told me that the two of you wished to speak to me?"
That brought a touch of tension on the boy as he fiddled with his fingers while looking down nervously.
"Y-Yeah... Um, about that..."
Eina raised an eyebrow while Hestia deadpanned, deciding not to waste any time with this.
"Bell wants to be able to go deeper into the dungeon and to choose whenever he wants to." She said, pain and simple.
Eina's reaction was instantaneous: a gasp of disbelief mixed with concern and a hint of outrage.
"Absolutely not! Bell, you've only just started going down to the fifth floor! You almost died there, remember!? I thought you were done making light of the dungeon after that experience! I know you got lucky before, but that doesn't mean you can go deeper whenever you want and believe everything will be fine! I know you want to get stronger, but you have to be smart about this! War Shadows start showing up on the sixth floor, and you know they're newbie killers! You shouldn't be there until you've spent at least a few weeks on the fifth floor! You-"
"Miss Eina."
The half-elf paused at the complete seriousness on Bell's face.
"I know this seems sudden, but I need you to trust me. I promise that I won't be going to lower floors when I'm not ready and I'll always be sure to tell you whenever I plan on doing so."
It was completely different from all the other times he's asked to go lower, where he would shrink in on himself as soon as she started reprimanding him for being so reckless. This time, he seemed absolutely sure that this was what he wanted to do, to be able to decide whenever he could head deeper.
"Miss Tuile." Eina turned her head to the boy's goddess, who had an equally serious look on her face as Bell's, maybe even more. "I know you're worried about Bell, and under normal circumstances, I'd even completely agree that he should never be able to choose when to go lower in the dungeon, especially with how dumb he can sometimes about recklessly rushing forward."
"Hey..." Bell's serious expression fell as he hung his head, yet he didn't argue.
Hestia merely carried on. "But Bell... Bell is special. He'll be going deeper into the dungeon faster than anyone else, with growth just as quick. I can't explain to you why or how, but he will. You know that I wouldn't just send him to make life-determining for the dungeon unless I believe he has the proper judgment to do so. We're not asking you to stop teaching Bell or be more lax on his studies; they've been helping him stay alive so far."
Hestia bowed to the half-elf.
"Thank you for being there for him so far, for caring for him and making sure he survived. We hope you'll keep teaching him after this, but we just ask you to trust Bell and understand when he wishes to move lower."
Eina was left flabbergasted. She knew how much Hestia cared about Bell despite not having spoken with the goddess much, but... she'd never think she'd actually want Bell to choose whenever to go deeper! She should know how impulsive the boy is!
What prompted this change!? It didn't make sense! Why was she so sure Bell would be moving so fast when it was not long ago when he ended up...
Ended up...
Eina's eyes widened in stunned understanding, recalling the day Bell had been found unconscious.
"Something else happened in the fifth floor that day, didn't it?" She asked in almost a whisper.
Hestia narrowed her eyes, but Bell's wince told her everything she needed to know.
Was it a skill? It had to be, didn't it? A skill for growing faster?
A growth skill... That was probably the rarest skill to ever show up in Orario. Did Bell get such a thing from surviving the fifth floor? It'd make sense... But it didn't feel like that'd be why Hestia would let him hold such a responsibility that could quickly turn into fatal recklessness.
Eina knows that she can't stop Bell from entering deeper floors in any legal way. Nor could she demand that he present his secret skills or abilities to prove to her that he should be going lower. The best she could do was verbally demanding him not to go, and even then, he could just ignore her warnings.
As so many others had done before...
"I-I can't stop you from going even if I tried, you know...?" She ended up saying, shaky hands tightly gripping her lap. "You didn't even have to tell me... You don't even need my permission. You could've just lied each time and gone deeper or just go and file a request to the guild not to have an advisor anymore..."
It hurt Eina to say this, to simply point out how Bell could leave her if he was really that desperate to go deeper, to go and risk getting himself killed. She knows that out of all the advisors, she's the one who's had the most people run from her because of her overbearing workload and expectations, even if they were only meant to make sure she'd never have anyone else die under her watch.
Bell... Eina has only known the boy for a few weeks, but out of anyone, he's easily shown the most enthusiasm to learn while following her demands, even when they can be considered a hassle to any aspiring adventurer.
She supposed it had only been a matter of time before he got tired of her too...
"No, Miss Eina. I'm not going to leave you."
Eina blinked rapidly at those words and the conviction in them, looking forward and finding the boy's eyes matching his tone.
"You're one of the reasons I've been able to stay alive for this long. You always took me seriously and made sure I was always ready for each floor."
Bell's eyes hardened in earnest.
"I still need you, Miss Eina."
The half-elf gasped, not even realizing her heart had skipped a beat over the relief she felt. Hestia's eye twitched, but she didn't say anything as the half-elf stared at Bell with an open mouth and watery eyes.
"Y-You do?"
Bell nodded.
"Everything you've taught me so far has helped me survive, I doubt I would've made it far in the dungeon without it. I want to keep learning from you, Miss Eina. We can even keep things the same if it makes you feel better, for me to only go down a floor whenever you say it's okay. I... I just want you to be more open to letting me go deeper sooner, even if it might seem like I'm going too fast at times."
"I know how much you worry about me, and I haven't helped ease that with some of my choices, but I know that my limits will be completely different from everyone else's. And I know I'm going to have to adjust to them quickly. But I promise to never take them for granted, never again."
"I promise I'll never go to a lower floor without studying it first, and I'll always come back from the dungeon each time I go! So..."
Bell bowed earnestly.
"Please believe in me to survive!"
Eina stared at Bell with wide eyes at the end of his plea.
He genuinely believes that there's something different about him from everyone else, and Eina knows Bell enough to see that it isn't coming from arrogance.
The responsibility of keeping an adventurer alive falls on their advisor and the adventurer themselves, but there is also an equal responsibility in both to make sure the adventurer can grow and progress to the best of their abilities.
As Bell's advisor, Eina has to decide what's best for him while considering his needs and interests for venturing into the dungeon. But she was worried; even if Bell gets as strong as he thinks he will, that didn't make up for experience. It was always through an adventurer's own ambitions, impulsive decisions, and lack of experience that got them killed, and from Eina getting to know Bell, he had seemed full of these things.
And yet, that look in his eyes... it's one she's never seen from him before. They still held ambition... but no optimism; they were the eyes of a boy who was absolutely sure of what he wanted to do, who had clearly put deep thought into this choice rather than impulsively decided. He had to have seen something to make him so sure of this.
He was different, Eina could tell, yet he was also the same Bell that wanted to get stronger. A part of her was still afraid to give him the leeway he was asking, afraid to ever see Bell end up in one of the many body bags brought out of the dungeon, but...
He took the time to bring his goddess and talk to her rather than just leave her.
He clearly put a lot of thought into this and seemed to understand the stakes while having the right attitude for them.
He won't ever be going down another floor without telling her first.
Both he and his goddess were so sure about this.
Eina gulped down her nerves.
He promised to always come back alive.
"Bell, are you... Are you absolutely sure about this?"
He better not be lying.
The boy raised his head and didn't even hesitate.
"I am!"
Or she'd never forgive him.
Eina didn't like this at all but came to a decision.
Or herself.
"Fine..."
Bell's eyes lit up like the sun as his mouth opened joyfully.
"Thank you, Miss Eina!"
Suddenly, Eina's glasses menacingly flashed as she adjusted them.
"Don't thank me, buster! If you want to go down that fast, then you'll have to work for it!"
That had Bell's smile freeze as she went on.
"I'll make sure you never go down a floor unless you score at least a ninety-eight on the exams I give you for them! Alright!?"
Bell paled. Sure, he tended to have pretty good scores in the tests Eina gave him to prepare for their affiliated floors, but now he'll have to go that high each time!?
He'll have to spend so much time studying!
"Why not just make it a hundred at that point?" Hestia asked in sarcasm.
The advisor sharply turned to her with glaring eyes.
"You're right! It'd be better for him to know absolutely everything if he wants to move down and survive, right!?"
Bell slowly turned to his goddess with a flat look, the short woman looking away with an awkward whistle of nonchalance.
He then sighed before turning back to Eina, deciding not to be annoyed and simply glad they had come to an understanding.
"Thank you, Miss Eina. I promise not to let you down."
Then he gave her that smile.
That damn smile.
That smile so pure and innocent, yet so earnest and promising.
Eina's cheeks reddened, but she tried to hide them by turning her head away while crossing her arms.
"Please don't make me regret this, Bell..."
As Bell immediately started giving words of reassurance, Hestia narrowed her eyes at the half-elf.
Hands off!
"That went well." Bell smiled happily as he and his goddess left the Pantheon, passing by several adventurers. "We didn't even have to tell her anything about... you know."
Hestia held his hand as they walked, looking satisfied yet having a slight wrinkle of unease between her eyes.
"But now she knows you have something that's helping you get stronger..."
Bell looked down at her with a reassuring smile.
"But she won't ever have any reason to think more of it, right? She probably thinks it's a skill, so you don't have to worry about her ever saying anything to Ouranos, right?"
"I guess..." Hestia grumbled before then looking up at him. "I'm just worried, Bell. I know you trust your advisor, and even I think she might be better than I thought, but... we're in a really scary position right now."
Bell nodded understandingly at that. He holds a power that completely violates every piece of common sense in Orario, and while it can help him get strong enough to be the hero he's always wanted to be, it can also have others view him as simply dangerous.
Especially if anyone learned he has a key that makes an instant dungeon.
...
Ah, he knew he had forgotten something.
"Er... Hestia?"
"Hm?"
"...actually, this is probably better to say back home."
"Bell, why does that sentence fill me with overwhelming dread?"
"Maybe because you're saving us time by giving your reaction early?"
"Uuuuuuuugh!" Hestia's free hand clasped her face as she groaned. "I thought we were done with all the crazy things!?"
"That's probably our first problem, assuming they'd stop so soon," Bell awkwardly chuckled.
"Yeah..." It said a lot that Hestia simply expected to hear something insane again. It made the rest of the pair's walk home to be calm, albeit with the goddess looking as if she had just aged several years.
Along the way, Bell took them through a shortcut in an alleyway between a few buildings, not wanting to pass in front of the restaurant with the scary maid girls.
At the same time, an elf carrying groceries just missed them as she walked out of a different alleyway, a somewhat solemn expression as she wondered if she'd ever get a chance to apologize to the boy she had held at knifepoint.
The moment Bell and Hestia made it back to the church's basement, the latter turned around and plopped herself on the end of the bed, crossing her arms under her bust.
"Alright, Bell, lay it on me." She deadpanned. "What sort of crazy thing did the system give you this time?"
Bell gulped nervously before reaching into his inventory, pulling out the unique green key he had been given, and presenting it before his goddess.
"I got this key from my random item box after my daily quest this morning..."
Hestia raised an eyebrow.
"Really? What does it go to?"
"Well... According to the system, it makes..." He scratched his cheek as his voice went timid. "...a dungeon."
Bell saw the exact moment Hestia's rebuilt reality of chipped glass once more shattered, this time turning into thousands of pieces as it became an irreparable mess of dust.
The horror in her eyes didn't even last long, and Bell witnessed his goddess go through each stage of grief in just under a minute.
"You're joking Bell, right!? You have to be!"
"Oh, who am I kidding? OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT!"
"M-Maybe we could do something so this all goes away? Maybe leave Orario and hope the system leaves us alone, too?"
"This is my life now, isn't it? Why is it like this? I just didn't want to be alone..."
"Yup, this is happening. This is a thing now. Alright then."
It was honestly impressive to Bell how fast Hestia went through all those negative emotions before ending up as calm as she looked now, standing with crossed arms once again while giving him a nod of understanding.
You almost couldn't tell she had just gone through a mental breakdown if not for the fact that her eyes had completely dulled as she looked back up at him.
"Okay, so you're telling me that you got a key that can make another dungeon? As in, another of the world's deepest and most dangerous labyrinths? With landscapes, crystals, and unspeakable monsters aiming to wipe out humanity?"
The dead-eyed stare she was giving him brought shivers to Bell's spine.
"A-Actually-!" He cleared his throat, trying to look more confident to help call her down. "Actually, Hestia, I don't think it's like that at all."
Her expression didn't change.
"I-It has an D-rank rating to it!"
That finally made her blink, the light returning to her eyes while bringing a mixture of confusion and curiosity with it.
"D rank?"
Bell frantically nodded, feeling relieved.
"Uh-huh! My equipment has the same ranking and it's only basic, so the dungeon the key makes should be like that, too! A-And the system says I can only use it at a sewer in a place called Daedalus street, so it can't be as big as the actual dungeon!"
Hestia blinked several times as she processed this information.
"Daedalus street?"
"Yes! I don't know where that is, though..."
The goddess looked down with one arm, her bust, while the other was raised to put a finger under her chin in pensive thought.
"It's one of the districts in Orario, between the East and Southeast main streets. It's a residential area where a lot of the poor live. It's actually known in Orario for being compared to a labyrinth because of how complex it was built with all its paths. Sometimes people call it the... other dungeon."
"I guess that explains why the key goes there then?" Bell joked, hoping to further ease Hestia's fears.
Instead, the goddess groaned as she pinched her brow.
"Okay, so it's not an apocalypse-level dungeon, but creating a dungeon in the city is still pretty bad..."
Bell couldn't really argue with that.
"And you're gonna have to go there, aren't you?" Hestia looked up at her child-in-name again, concern in her eyes.
For a moment, Bell thought about never using the key to not worry his goddess or risk causing a mass panic in the city.
But then the image of giant centipede monsters flashed through his mind, making him shiver.
"I-I doubt the system would just let me ignore it for too long..." He admitted, bringing a pained expression of understanding from Hestia.
"Oh Bell..."
"It's okay." He put on a smile for her. "It'll most likely be just another test."
That only brought a look of dread.
"I-I'll be fine! Really!" He quickly reassured. "What I'm really worried about is anyone else seeing whatever happens or getting hurt because of it..."
Hestia frowned; that would be super bad.
Then, her eyes lit up with a realization.
"That's right! Bell! The Monster Feria should be happening near there in three days!"
Bell merely blinked in confusion.
"Monster... Feria?"
She nodded. "It's something my boss talked about! It's a yearly thing in Orario where the Ganesha Familia brings monsters to the surface-"
"They bring monsters to the surface!?"
"Let me finish!" Hestia pouted. "They bring them up in cages and use them for public battles or some kind of fancy performances. They always host it in the large colosseum near the end of East Main Street! It's not too far from Daedalus Street! You should go use the key on that day!"
"Hestia, I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding you, but you want me to create a dungeon when there's gonna be a festival full of hundreds of people nearby!?" Bell asked in dread.
"No! Well, I mean... kinda?" Hestia did a so-so gesture. "Look, Bell, festivals are always popular, which means there should be a decent amount of adventurers there, including the Ganesha Familia, right?"
Bell nodded, wondering where she was going with this.
"And my boss told me that the Monster Feria is one of the most popular festivals for Orario! Funny enough, it's not really because of the monsters. It's because of how available it is for anyone to come, especially those who don't have much money and can't really go to exciting events, like people in Daedalus street!"
The boy's eyes widened.
"So they'll be away from there on the day of the festival, bringing less of a chance of anyone getting mixed up with me and the system."
Hestia nodded with a smile.
"Exactly! But not just that; the entrances for the sewers of any district in the city should be near the walls, including the one on Daedalus Street! That should be far enough away from the festival that if something does go wrong there, then there should be plenty of time for adventurers to react and assemble, especially if Ganesha's children are guarding the area."
It made sense to Bell, and while he still didn't like going somewhere and making a dungeon that could possibly cause residents harm in the long run, it was probably better to implement it on a day when most, if not all, would be gone.
"I'll go on that day then. I just hope nothing too bad happens..." Bell tiredly sat on the bed, which Hestia joined while scooting close. "Um... Were you planning on going to the festival that day, Hestia?"
She sighed, flailing her legs a bit in disappointment.
"I was honestly gonna beg my boss for the day off so we could spend it together, but I guess I'll just work that day instead."
Guilt appeared on Bell, "I-I can try and wait another day to deal with the system so we could-!"
He was cut off by a finger to his lips, with Hestia looking sternly at him.
"No, Bell! What you have to do is more important! You don't want people to get hurt, right!? That day is your best bet!"
She lowered her finger, and Bell's head dropped into puppy-like sadness.
"I know, it's just... It would've been a nice day to treat you..."
Hestia felt her heart squeeze.
This was a chance!
"Let's go on a date after that day, then!" She blurted with stars in her eyes, face becoming much closer than before.
Bell blinked in surprise from the sudden enthusiasm before then softly smiling.
"I'd love to, Hestia." He responded, not thinking much of it.
After all, he only truly wished to show his goddess how much he loved her for saving him in his hardest times.
His answer brought a squeal from the deity as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
She'd be going on a date with Bell!
Maybe the system was actually a secret wingman after all?
The days leading up to the Monster Feria hardly felt like anything for Bell.
He followed the same routine for each of them; he'd wake up early and head to Orario's wall, finish the daily quest and accept the rewards, and then finally dive into the dungeon where he'd slash away for hours.
However... there was one notable thing that happened during one of those days; just yesterday while he was heading towards the dungeon, actually.
A message had appeared.
(!)ALERT
[An unauthorized force has attempted to peer too deep into the PLAYER's being. Rejecting unauthorized force.]
It was the same message Bell had seen when he had passed by that restaurant with the cute waitresses, one he had completely forgotten about because of... what happened.
Sadly, Bell hadn't figured out who the unauthorized force was or what was meant by 'peering into his being.' He had told Hestia about it, but besides frantic crying from the goddess about someone 'stalking my precious Bell!' she couldn't offer any insight. She had just told him to be careful and try changing his routes now and then to try and throw the person off.
However, besides that, everything else about the last few days had been the same. Today was no different for Bell as he jogged across the walls back to his starting point, lightly breathing with sweat trailing down from his hair to his bare torso, for he was shirtless.
The idea to finish his exercises without his upper clothing came from the day he had gotten the dungeon key. It had merely been a spare thought after finishing the daily quest with his shirt stuck to him from sweat again, a feeling he didn't enjoy.
The day after that, he elected to put the idea into practice, ending up enjoying it. The cool morning wind blowing against his uncovered skin as he ran was quite a heavenly feeling for Bell, one he would love to keep experiencing in the future.
So he decided to take the habit from now on. Might as well make himself a little more comfortable when exercising.
*Ring!*
(!)Alarm
[Complete] Running (10/10km)
Bell stopped with a bit of a slide, having been going somewhat fast, before straightening up with his hands on his hips, pacing his breathing. It was incredible; compared to the previous days when he'd finished his daily exercises on the brink of collapsing, today he only felt as tired as he felt on some of his harder dungeon runs, not necessarily close to passing out, but clear that it was a good time to stop.
"*Phew* Status recovery."
As the glow cleared all signs of exercising, Bell looked down at himself, his tiredness erasing while being replaced by giddiness.
"I wasn't imagining it!"
The 'it' mentioned was Bell's own body. More specifically, it was the more defined muscles on his arms and abdomen, with the latter clearly starting to form six shapes.
"I'm gonna grow a six-pack!"
The results were already undoubtedly visible despite Bell only having started fulfilling these daily quests a few days ago, and he couldn't wait until he had the physique of a true hero.
Bell grinned before reaching down to the ground, picking up his shirt and brown jacket next to where he had conveniently stopped, having learned to measure his running to know he'd finish here.
Putting his clothing and equipment back on, he got to the critical portion of the rewards.
"Stats."
{STR}: G-221
{VIT}: G-201
{DEX}: G-232
{AGI}: D-562
{MAG}: H-125
{SEN}: H-160
Remaining Points: 55
Bell looked over the stats built over the last few days. They had risen a good margin, especially since he had passed Eina's test to go to the sixth floor, where he had learned to hunt Frog Shooters and War Shadows, though once again, it didn't feel like that much of a struggle, surprisingly.
His magic stat still hadn't risen at all, but Bell hadn't put any of his bonus stat points into it after last time. Instead, he had opted to use a giant portion of his accumulating points into his Vitality, which had been his lowest stat for a time since he tended to quickly kill monsters while avoiding getting hit with his high Agility and Sprint skill.
So yeah... he should probably learn how to block. After all, he doesn't want to always rely on the bonus stat points to increase his Vitality.
But now his Sense stat was his lowest, a stat Bell still didn't completely understand... However, he couldn't dismiss it. He knew it had to do with his senses and was smart enough to conclude it'd help him a lot. Besides, he knows that he should probably work on keeping his stats evened out in the first place.
"Forty stats in Sense and fifteen in Magic."
{STR}: G-221
{VIT}: G-201
{DEX}: G-232
{AGI}: D-562
{MAG}: H-125 - H-140
{SEN}: H-160 - G-200
Remaining Points: 0
Done with that, he moved on to the last thing.
"Random item box."
The present appeared, bringing a smile to the boy. His last two random boxes had been okay: a fancy-looking pen, then a brand new canteen; he was also looking forward to this one. It was just fun to guess what he'd get next.
He quickly opened the present and pulled out... a bottle?
[Infernus Vinum]
[The highest quality wine created by the demon clans.]
Created by the what now?
Bell blinked several times at the fancy black bottle with gold and blood-red labeling.
What's a demon?
...
Meh, he'll probably learn that in the long run.
Bell slid the bottle into his inventory before turning his head to look outward at Orario. Even from so high above, he could see crowds of people heading to the East, where the colosseum is.
He took a deep breath of the cool air; it was time.
"I'll make sure to come back home, Hestia."
Freya smiled as she held a cup of tea, her silver eyes gazing out an open window while her fingers thrummed on the wooden table in the cafe where she was seated. It was a simple place, with wooden floors and a relatively calm atmosphere, partly thanks to Freya using a dark cloak to hide her full appearance. There were still stares from practically the entire room, but she was using just enough of her charm to make sure they could only stare dumbly in place rather than throw themselves at her feet.
She stared outside at the bustling crowds on East Main Street, recalling that today was Ganesha's yearly Monster Feria. Personally, she's never been interested in such a thing; to see the dungeon's monsters used in extravagant performances where they'd be simply slain a little more fancily than in the dungeon. Monsters simply didn't interest her.
Unless...
Purple eyes flashed through her mind.
Freya shivered. Once again, there were equal parts fear as there was excitement in what she was feeling, the threat of being ravished that had her loins quivering at the thought.
"Yo, Freya! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Ah, she'd best calm herself.
Freya elegantly set her tea down as she turned to the fellow goddess who had invited her here in the first place, Loki.
"Not at all. I just arrived myself."
The trickster took the seat across from Freya while the beautiful blonde she recognized as the Sword Princess stood right behind her, still as a statue.
"Hm, I heard that you received quite the scolding from your children after the banquet the other day, Loki," Freya said with mirth.
"Urk!" The redhead recoiled. "Where did you hear that!?"
Indeed, as Freya stated, Loki was admonished by many of her children (mainly Riveria) for suddenly leaving Ganehsa's banquet without any information on Bell's whereabouts. It wasn't necessarily the goddess not finding information about him that was the issue; it was more how her tunnel vision for Ais had caused her to rush out after having half-assed her search for Hestia or her residence.
The saddest part was her children weren't even surprised by this.
"I overheard some of your cute children speaking about it. Seems that you're looking for someone, no?" Freya chuckled as she rested her head in her hand.
"None of your business, sex-for-brains!" Loki huffed, although with no real bite behind the insult.
Freya hummed before eyeing the Sword Princess, who was surprisingly pouting at Loki, such a rare and surprising expression to see on the previously named 'Doll Princess.' It appears she has her own reasons for wishing to find this mysterious person.
"So when are you going to introduce her?"
"Hah? Ya need introducing?"
"This is our first time officially meeting, after all."
Loki lazily waved her hand to present her favorite child.
"This is my cutie patootie Ais, that good enough for ya?"
"Nice to meet you." Ais politely bowed, but despite no change to her expression, there were still small blushes on her cheeks from Freya's charm.
"How cute, I can see why you've taken a liking to her. But why bring her with you here?"
Loki laughed as she started affectionally patting Ais's back, much to the blonde's discomfort.
"Fufufu! Today's the Monster Feria, so what better time to have a lovey-dovey date with my cute Ais, you know? And if I leave her alone, my little princess will go straight back into the dungeon, so somebody's gotta help her relax!"
Freya admired how surprisingly soft Loki looked with her child, but this was hardly her true character.
"Well then, why don't you tell me the reason you've called me out here?"
"Hm? Just wanted to have a little chat; it's been a long time." Loki beamed.
But Freya wasn't fooled, as shown by her smile getting more pronounced.
"You're lying again."
At this moment, the peaceful, 'friendly' atmosphere between the two grew dark, with both goddess's smiles turning frosty as their auras brought tension to the room.
"Hmph, fine then." Loki's slightly leaned forward in her seat, elbows on the table. "What are you up to?"
"Oh? Whatever could you mean, Loki?" Just like Freya did, Loki could immediately smell the bullshit from her smile.
The redhead's eyes finally opened to reveal serious orbs of the same color.
"You know exactly what I mean. You suddenly poked your head in at the banquet even though you never attend those without reason, and I heard you've been gathering information lately. What are you scheming this time?"
"Scheming? Oh how it woes me to hear you make it sound so evil." Freya giggled.
The two had a silent standoff for nearly a minute, with Freya innocently smiling while Loki glared with only partially open eyes now.
...
"It's a man, isn't it?"
Freya's smile widened the smallest of margins.
Loki finally broke the staredown with a sigh, clearly having seen this before. She leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head.
"So you already have an eye on a child in another Familia? Geez, you sex-crazed goddess, is that all you ever think about? You act like you're in heat all the time, ready to jump any guy you see!"
"How rude. I do have standards."
"You could have fooled me with how you flirt with all the male gods."
"Keeping them under my thumb has perks."
Loki shrugged in a 'fair enough' gesture before putting an arm on the table as she leaned forward again.
"So who's your target this time? Spill it, I just gotta make sure there won't be any trouble between us."
Freya could tell that while Loki had a reasonable claim asking this, what she really wanted were some juicy details.
But jokes on her.
"I don't know."
"Eh!?" That threw the trickster goddess off, and she nearly dropped from her chair. "Are you serious? Didn't you go on a whole scavenger hunt looking for information on him!?"
Freya chuckled, always enjoying whenever Loki's composure broke.
"I met him by mere coincidence... He simply walked across my line of sight and I was immediately entranced. He isn't that strong compared to the children in our own Familia's; that much I knew just by looking at him. But..."
Freya's smile became smitten as small blushes came to her cheeks.
"He was beautiful... Clear, transparent, pure. That child had a color I'd never seen before."
Her rival for the top nodded her head. She was vaguely aware of Freya's ability to see the colors and luminance of a person's soul. So for her to say that someone's soul has a color she's never seen before? It was no wonder why she ended up so horny again.
"And yet, to think it holds something so dangerous."
Loki froze mid-nod.
She felt the change in Freya's composure with that last word. She saw how the beauty's ever-lasting smile dropped as she stared at the flowing river of people outside, so much conflict visible in her eyes.
"Dangerous?" Loki inquired, suddenly feeling super nervous. Not even her preciously Ais cutely tilting her head curiously helped to ease her.
Freya nodded, yet she seemed inattentive, as if all her attention on Loki had waned, treating her as an afterthought as she became lost in the memory of what she had seen.
"If I had to compare it... It was like staring at death itself."
Those violet flames flaring with burning eyes of the same color, its large armored figure black as night, its whimsical cloak flowing as if made from darkness itself...
The overwhelming power that threatened to consume her whole.
"It was the first time in existence that I've felt true caution for my very being."
Loki's eyes shot open the widest they could be.
Did Freya just admit that she had basically been afraid? Of what!?
What the hell had she seen in some random guy's soul!?
"It left me so overwhelmed that I had lost sight of the child without even getting his name." Freya moved on as if she hadn't said something so concerning. "Ever since then, I actually haven't been able to find anything about him. With others before, they at least had something to their names, but it seems like that child is not well-known at all, and the banquet didn't get me anything about him."
She sighed.
"And the one time I've managed to find him again..."
She had been up on the highest floor of the tower of Babel, watching the general public of Orario with her Divine Mirror as she so intensely searched for the soul that had shaken her core not long ago.
It was at some point in that morning when Freya's effort gave success, for she gasped as she found that familiar set of snow-white hair rushing down the streets with a bright smile accompanying it.
Freya had felt overjoyed at finding the boy and had instinctively tried to once again peer at his soul, watching him closely for a few minutes while in the safety of her home.
But out of nowhere, the child stopped running, nearly tripping as he came to a stop. He suddenly had a panicked look in his eyes, looking around frantically as if searching for someone out to get him.
Just like... Just like when 'Syr' had seen him.
Did he sense an ability to sense the gazes of others? Was it perhaps on for divinity? Or was it just her? How many secrets did this precious child hold? But before Freya could even think to start to explore her ideas...
It came back.
One moment, she had been staring at the child she so dearly wished to have, but the next thing she knew, the entire surface of her mirror had been filled with the monster and his imposing figure.
Violet eyes of violence glared at her, leaving Freya breathless once more as her body instinctively started shaking.
This was it. The feeling of fear and excitement she had missed.
But she wasn't able to relish it for long, for a pulse of power erupted from the figure, to which her mirror shattered into hundreds of pieces, erasing the overwhelming pressure she had been feeling from it.
And at the worst time, too... she had been so close!
Loki once again felt uncomfortable, this time by the flushed cheeks and dopey smile Freya had, especially since she was showing teeth while giggling.
"Oi, why are you turned on!?"
Freya blinked out of her trance before coughing into her fist, regaining her composure; she turned back to Loki with her blush gone and an innocent, close-eyed smile on her face.
"Ara? Whatever could you mean, Loki?"
Suddenly a snow white hair passes by her vision down the balcony that Immediately took Freya's attention.
Along with the same purple eyes that gave shiver down her spine.
"If you're gonna lie again, then at least don't use the same line you did moments ago!"
But Loki paused and took notice of Freya's face, It was the first time in millennia she saw it filled with fear and excitement.
But most of all MADNESS .
Ais slightly turned to look outside at the influx of people traveling in the same direction.
She had seen Loki's shocked reaction to Freya's admission, an alarm that was rare to ever see on the goddess, which meant this was serious. One of the top goddesses in Orario, scared...
Scared of what?
Ais wondered what the answer could be as she absentmindedly stared at the people walking along the ground below her. Different assortments of hair passed by her eyes: black, red, gold, white-
"Ah."
Her eyes widened the tiniest fraction as she caught sight of the familiar white hair belonging to the boy she had found in the dungeon. His ruby-red eyes were bright, and Ais realized now that it was her first time actually seeing them since he had been unconscious when he'd been found.
"Hm? What's up, Ais?"
Ever sensitive to her 'Ais senses, ' Loki stopped bickering with Freya and glanced back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I saw him," Ais answered, trying to keep sight of the boy but struggling to do so as he went through the crowds. "He's going to the colosseum."
For a second, Loki was close to wailing at the thought that her precious Ais had her attention on a boy, but funny enough, it was that exact thought that had her realize who the 'him' referred to.
Her eyes lit up at the realization, to which she formed a predatory grin.
"Well, I'll be damned! Guess he likes festivals too!"
Loki abruptly stood up, Same time as Freya much to her confusion .
"Sorry but I need to go"
Freya Quickly left out both of their sight.
"Huh? Why the hurry, wait! you left the bill to me Damnit!"
"Anyways After him, Ais! I'll catch up!"
Not even looking at her goddess, Ais nodded before jumping on top of the windowsill of the second floor, then leaping out of it. As for Loki, she turned around and dashed down the stairs so fast that she comedically left a cloud of dust behind.
Tiona Hiyrute, level 5 Amazon, alias... Amazon, of the Loki Familia, declared this as she stood on one of the large cubed stones holding one of the many giant pillars of the colosseum. The dark-skinned, short-haired beauty had a hand flat over her eyes as she scanned the gathering of people heading into the structure, looking for her friend and goddess, only to fail to find them.
"They should have passed through here if they're coming to the colosseum from East Main Street. I wonder if something happened..." Tiona's sister, Tione Hiyrute, alias Jormungand, crossed her arms as she said this. Like her sister, she was an Amazon of beauty, but unlike Tiona, she had hair past her shoulders and a considerably larger chest, much to her sister's dismay.
"Uwa, I'm sorry... It's because I was selfish and wanted to wait for Miss Ais..."
The apologetic elf was Lefiya Viridis, alias Thousand Elf, a mage with orange hair done in a ponytail. She stood just to the side of the base of the pillar Tiona stood on, holding her hands together while staring down at the ground in shame.
The three friends had shown up to the Monster Feria to enjoy it like anyone else but were missing their main fourth, Ais, due to their goddess demanding the blonde to accompany her for the festival as 'punishment' for going back into the dungeon so soon after their most recent expedition had ended.
The expedition where they had found that mysterious room coming back...
Lefiya remembered that day rather bitterly. It wasn't because of her Familia's mistake scaring a herd of minotaurs to the upper floors, nor was it from the concern of what a sudden room in the dungeon could mean.
No... what brought about such negative feelings was Ais returning with a human male on her back.
The Thousand Elf remembered being utterly outraged that the human had been treated to such a blessing! To have been carried by the wonderful Sword Princess she admired so much!
"It should've been me! Not him! It's not fair!" Lefiya comedically cried to herself in jealousy. "I want Miss Ais to carry me!"
That in itself had been bad enough, but then days later Ais returned with Bete and the executives from gaining an official report of what had happened to the boy in the dungeon. After Tiona and Tione's insistent questioning, Ais had told them the official story the boy had given, provided to them by the captain of the Ganesha Familia.
Giant statues? Following commandments? Losing an arm? Yet he somehow still has it now?
Suspicious! Too suspicious!
Even when Ais told them that the human, Bell's, story had been verified by two deities, it was still too suspicious!
Especially since it was bringing too much of Miss Ais's attention to him!
This had to be a trick! A plot from the human to make Ais guilty so she'd go to him even though it was her fault! Was being carried by her not enough!? Was he using the minotaur incident against her to be pushy for even more!?
H-How blasphemous! What that his plan all along!? To trick her with his vile ways and guilt her into doing wh-whatever he wanted with her!? L-Like holding her hand!? Hugging her!?
Would he try to ki-ki-ki-!
"Er, Lefiya? Are you alright?" Tione asked beside her.
"Uwa...?" The elf hadn't even realized her face had gone beet red with steam coming from her head.
She quickly shook her head of those scandalous thoughts.
"Y-Yes! I'm sorry..."
"You're still feeling bad about this? Don't worry, Lefiya! It's fine!" Tiona resasured from above. "I wanted to wait for Ais, too! We'll enjoy the festival together, alright?"
"R-Right!" Lefiya nodded, before looking forward at the crowds of the festival.
She won't let that human get his hands on Miss Ais, no matter what! And if he ever shows up like how he's currently heading towards them, then she'll make sure to give him a piece of her mind!
...
Wait, what?
Sure enough, Lefiya saw the source of her conflict running through openings in the crowd, seemingly heading towards the colosseum where she was, only to stop a considerable distance away and look side-to-side with a slight frown, seemingly unsure of where to go next.
But Lefiya didn't care about that.
"YOU!"
She hadn't meant to yell as loud as she did, but she had already been in a complicated state of mind. Her voice bellowed over the noisy crowds, enough that the boy yelped with a jump as he looked in her direction. Several other pairs of eyes had joined to look at her in shock, but Lefiya hardly cared about them at the moment due to her tunnel vision.
"Whoa! What's up Lefiya!? Eh, Lefiya?"
Tiona's words were left ignored as the Thousand Elf zeroed in on her target, stomping towards him with flames in her eyes and hands into fists while the human wilted back in a mixture of fear and confusion.
"I don't know what spell you used to make Miss Ais want to meet you, but it won't work! I'm on to you!"
"Huh-!? What-!?" The boy backed up with growing confusion as Lefiya got closer.
"I'll make sure to stop you! I-I won't let you get your way! You stay away from Miss Ais, you-!"
"I'M SORRY! I-I really don't have time for this! I hope you get the help you need, Miss Elf!"
"Eh?"
Lefiya blinked, momentarily stopping in confusion, especially since the boy had suddenly taken off on the street perpendicular to the colosseum to her left, his right. She watched him go for a few seconds, still processing his words.
Then, she fully registered what he said.
'I hope you get the help you need, Miss Elf!'
Lefiya's face burned with embarrassed red as angry tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
"D-Did he just call me CRAZY!? Wh-Why that... that... HUMAN!"
"Uuuuum... Lefiya? What was that?"
The young elf suddenly froze in place, finally recalling where she was. She slowly turned her head and saw not only the Amazon sisters giving her weird looks, but also the large crowd of people she had attracted from her initial yell.
"I-I-I...!"
Shame like no other burned through Lefiya as she covered her face with her hands, her head once more turning red as steam leaked out.
"I-I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking straight!"
"I'm not mad, but do consider how your actions would reflect our captain and the Familia." Tione frowned. "But I don't think I've ever seen you so mad at someone. Who even was that?"
"Didn't he look kinda familiar?" Tiona added, staring in the direction the boy had left with her face scrunched, trying to remember where she had seen him.
Suddenly, another voice called out from afar.
"OIIIIIIIIII!"
The three females blinked before turning their heads to oncoming clouds of dust, finding Ais running towards them with their goddess trailing right behind her, a hand happily waving at them.
"Hey, it's Ais and Loki!" Tiona cheered.
"M-Miss Ais!" Lefiya gasped happily, eyes and mouth open.
Ais came to a stop in front of her peers, expression still neutral as always.
"Tiona, Tione, Lefiya." She greeted them each.
"We were waiting for you two! Now we could watch the monster fights together!" Tiona smiled.
"No time for that, my sister in surfaces!" Loki cut in, wrapping an arm around Tiona's shoulders while her head craned around them. "We caught sight of itty-bitty's brat around here!"
"Who?" Tione asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The adventurer I found in the dungeon. The one with the white hair." Ais answered, also looking around for any sign of him.
"Eh!? The one who went through... you know?" Tiona asked hesitantly, remembering what Ais told them of his story.
"Yup! Wanted to talk to him about a few things, remember? To hear it all from his little mouth. You see where he went?" Loki asked.
"Ah/Oh."
Both Amazons responded in unison as their heads slowly turned to Lefiya, who froze in place with a look of horror.
"Er... Lefiya kinda just scared him away." Tiona bluntly admitted.
Ais turned to the elf as if she had just kicked a puppy, lips quivering in sadness.
It sucker-punched Lefiya in the gut.
"ACK! I-I-I'M SORRY!" The elf rapidly bowed up and down apologetically.
"Seriously!? Why'd you go and do that!?" Loki scratched her head in annoyance. "Whatever, so which way he go? I've had mama on my ass already about getting him! I ain't resting until I finally do!"
"He ran off in that direction." Tione pointed to a road South East.
"Then cmon, ladies! Let's go rabbit hunting!" Loki didn't even wait for arguments as she and Ais took off.
"Ah! He really did look like an Almiraj, didn't he!? That's so cute!" Tiona laughed as she and Tione followed not a moment later.
"Eh? Eh!? W-Wait for me!" Lefiya cried out, running after them.
The group went to Bell's general direction while guessing his path based on where they thought a person would most likely go during the festival, ending up in a large, open plaza with shops lining the borders.
That was when the shaking began.
And it wasn't long until plant-like monsters burst from the ground all around them.
Bell wasn't exactly proud of his decision to run away from the crazy girl that had been approaching him. But could you really blame him? The last time an angry, attractive elf had gotten ahold of him, he ended up on a wall with a blade to his throat, so excuse him for running away.
Are... Are all elves just that scary?
Thinking about it now... the only elf Bell knew personally was Miss Eina, and even she was outright terrifying whenever she got angry at him for being reckless in the dungeon.
Is it an elf thing? They are a much prouder, stiffer race from what Gramp had told him...
Wait, no. He has more important things to think about right now.
After running away from the pretty elf, he went through a series of alleyways and other passages before making it to another street near Orario's walls, passing by many buildings that seemed to be hotels or inns in one way or another, probably to accommodate tourists.
Bell followed the path until the beautiful brick buildings turned into cheaper wooden inns, signaling him that he had finally entered the poor district that was Daedelus Street, to which he stopped.
He looked around him, finding the destitute area barren of people, no doubt because of the Monster Feria like Hestia had expected they'd attend.
"Here we are."
The level one adventurer reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded paper, extending it to reveal a map of Orario that he had made sure to buy. On it, there was a circle he had marked where the sewer entrance for Daedalus Street should be, which had been easy to find since there was one in each district shown on the map.
"Okay, I should be here," Bell began, walking forward as he followed the map to the best of his ability. "So if I just walk this way for a bit, the sewer entrance should be..."
As Bell trailed off, he looked to the left, finding a narrow alleyway between four buildings that seemed to be leading towards some sort of open area.
He grinned.
"Found it."
He took a quick look around him as he started sneakily inching towards the alleyway, and once Bell was sure no eyes were on him, he jumped into the narrow path and into the opening at the other end.
Bell came to a square clearing surrounded by brick and stone walls. There was hardly anything in the area besides dusty older crates in a corner, but the only thing that needed to be here was the metal door in a Greek-like archway right across from him.
"Is that it?"
The aspiring hero put his map into his inventory as he walked across the clearing, warily looking around for any traps from the system, before making it to the evidently old door. After another few looks around him, Bell faced forward and nervously grabbed the rusting handle. Part of him expected the door to be locked, but to his surprise, it opened easily, albeit with loud creaking from its hinges.
He was met with stone stairs spiraling underground into darkness, making him nervously gulp down saliva.
"Th-That sure looks ominous... But I'm not just supposed to enter here, am I?"
Bell reached into his inventory, this time pulling out the green key.
[Item: Dungeon Key]
Item Class: D
Type: Key
A key that allows you to create an instant dungeon. You may use this at the sewer entrance on Daedalus Street.
"The entrance," He muttered to himself. "It says at the entrance... Do I just use it here?"
He unsurely held the key in his right hand as you would when planning to insert it into a door.
To his surprise, the tip of the key flashed gold before blue lightning sparked and covered the entire doorway he had been about to step in, making him gasp as he jumped back with the key disintegrating from his palm.
What was left was some sort of glowing blue entrance in front of him.
"I-Is this a portal!?"
Bell had no idea where the portal would go or how to prepare for it. Sure, he brought a few potions and some Jagamarukun in his inventory, but he didn't have any information about what he'd face, unlike whenever he went into the dungeon.
Taking a moment to think, a look of determination formed on the boy.
"The most important thing for me right now is to know what I'm getting into first. If I can't handle it, then I'll just run away and prepare as needed."
Plan in mind, Bell confidentially marched right into the doorway, sparks of blue flashing around him as he fully stepped to the other side.
Only...
"Eh? Isn't this the same stairway I saw?" He blinked, finding nothing different about where he had walked in.
(!)ALARM
[You have entered an instant dungeon.]
Then came the sound of crumbling behind Bell, to which he turned around and cried in alarm to see the gateway of blue seemingly transfiguring into a barrier of dark blue crystal, trapping him.
"H-HEY! WAIT!"
Bell's hands felt the wall in front of him, fear and panic conveyed through his increasing rate of breathing. He started banging the crystal a few times with his fist before trying to slam through it with his shoulder, producing no results.
"Nonono! I'm really trapped!? Why!? How do I-?"
*Ring!*
(!)ALARM
[You cannot leave the dungeon. Either kill the boss or use a return crystal.]
Bell paled.
"K-Kill the boss? There's a boss!?"
A boss... The only thing Bell could affiliate with the word would be a monster at the end of the dungeon, a final opponent of great strength leading the rest.
The boy robotically turned his head down at the smokey stairs below.
ゴゴゴゴゴ
...
"Fuck."