Susano'o Familia Premise Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a new chapter! Bell has a powerful weapon, new Magic, and has new armor coming! With his kit expanding so well, he’s really starting to look like an Adventurer! But if he wants to reach his dream and become a Hero, he’ll have to gain experience and strength. The path of the warrior is long, but many a great thing can be found on the journey: friends, adventure, riches, love, and family. Bell still has a long way to go!

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 2 – A Warrior of Black Clouds

Bell marveled at the fit of his new armor as he looked himself over in the full-length mirror in one corner of Welf’s smithy. The armor was just as Welf had sketched out: a solid breastplate and back plate that covered his vitals without hampering his movement, overlapping plates made up the spaulders on his shoulders, his forearms were protected by strong vambraces, around his waist were faulds to protects his hips and upper legs, and finally a pair of greaves made of the same style of overlapping plates as the spaulders protected his shins and knees while maintaining flexibility. The armor was white in color, mostly because of the Light Metal and White Wood combination that it was made of, and held together with scarlet red ties that even Bell could tell weren’t normal cloth or leather but something much stronger.

Welf had a big grin on his face as he watched Bell looking over his new armor. “How’s the fit, Bell?”

Bell turned to smile at Welf brightly. “It’s amazing, Mr. Welf!” He moved around in his armor to get more of a feel for it. “I can still move just like I want to and it’s not heavy enough to throw off my balance or weigh me down.”

“Glad you like it!” Welf smiled back, over the moon at the praise for his work. “We got lucky that the materials were available and we didn’t have to wait. Whenever you need maintenance on your armor, bring it here and I’ll give you a good deal on the price.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Welf!” Bell said with a short bow to the blacksmith for his kindness. Now that he was satisfied with his new armor, Bell took out his leather money pouch and opened it. “60,000 Valis, right?”

Welf nodded once. “That’s the price that we agreed on.”

Bell counted out the money, leaving his pouch nearly empty, but it was a worthwhile investment in his eyes. “60,000…that’s everything.” He let Welf count the money a second time, not feeling offended that the blacksmith wanted to make sure of the amount. Quality work like his new armor deserved the price spent, in Bell’s opinion, but there would always be those people in the world that would try to scam, cheapen, or outright steal to get what they wanted.

“Happy to do business with you, Bell.” Welf smiled and shook Bell’s hand after confirming the payment in full. “If you ever need a backup weapon or anything, feel free to come to me!”

“Sure thing, Mr. Welf!” Bell shook Welf’s hand with a smile and a nod.

Only a minute later and Bell was happily heading for the Dungeon in his new armor, Shūri Saiketsu resting over his shoulder with its silvery-white cutting edge gleaming in the morning sunlight.

-Dungeon ~ Fourth Floor-

“Grrraaawwr!” A Kobold snarled as it rushed at Bell, looking to tear the Adventurer apart with its claws and fangs.

Bell’s large blade cut the Kobold in half in a shower of blood and a few bone fragments. “Twenty-three!” He added his newest kill to his total for the day. “Pretty lively today. I might be able to beat my personal record again!” He pulled out his knife to open the Kobold’s chest and retrieve its Magic Stone. Once he placed the stone into his pouch and watched the Kobold’s body disintegrate into a pile of white ashes, Bell continued on his way.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Bell stopped the instant he heard the telltale sound of the Dungeon walls cracking to spawn more Monsters. He was in the middle of semi-large cavern that the previous corridor had led to, and as he turned his head he saw multiple spots all over the walls break and let out a new Monster.

“Grawr!”

“Bark!”

“Rrrrrr!”

“Graauh!”

“Raaawr!”

Goblins and Kobolds spawned all at once and Bell was right in the middle of the new Monsters.

“One, two, three, four…” Bell quickly counted off the number of Monsters as he held Shūri Saiketsu at the ready. “Twenty-four…” That was a lot all at once, especially for the Fourth Floor. “But it gives me a chance to use my Magic.” Bell grinned as he focused and began to chant. “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds. Ran’un!”

Thick black clouds began to form around Bell as he cast his spell. The dark clouds seemed harmless enough even as they moved under Bell’s will and intent, forming a large circle around him as the horde of Monsters charged. A crackling sound was heard before the ring of thick black clouds lit up with the glow of lightning and then rumbled out with a low thunder.

The charging Monsters didn’t slow down, still rushing towards Bell from every direction.

Bell unleashed his Magic as soon as the Monsters got closer to his ring of black clouds. Lightning lanced out and devastated the Kobolds and Goblins. Bolt after bolt hit the Monsters one after another. Even as the Goblins died to the lightning, some of the Kobolds managed to stay on their feet, even as their fur sparked with static electricity.

“Still alive, huh?” Bell noticed as he controlled his spell, the black clouds beginning to swirl around him and pick up speed. “I am still new to Magic, so maybe it’s not that strong yet when I spread it out like this?” He could only guess and then go through trial and error to learn the complete abilities of his one and only spell. The Kobolds that were left standing started to move again, the shock they’d received wearing off.

They should’ve run away, but Monsters on the Upper Floors rarely had the instinct to do so.

From the rapidly swirling ring of storm clouds surrounding Bell, a nearly invisible blade of wind was launched in a wide circle. The Kobolds didn’t even see what had killed them as they fell to pieces a second after the wind blade had cut cleanly through all of them.

“That worked well.” Bell smiled as he stopped feeding Mind into his spell and the black clouds thinned and then dispersed. “I bet none of them would’ve survived if it was one-on-one.” He mused as he pulled out his knife again to start harvesting the horde of Monsters. “But I got to test out both lightning and wind in the Dungeon, so that’s progress.”

Susano’o had made Bell practice with his Magic in the grassy lot that their home sat on for most of the day after he’d manifested it. While neither of them knew who had paid Hermes to deliver the Grimoire that had awakened his Magic, it was a great boon for Bell as an Adventurer. Learning about its various facets and abilities was still ongoing, but Bell liked to think he at least had some real experience now.

Bell blinked as one of the Goblins left behind a fang. “Drop Item, nice!” He quickly put the Goblin Fang into his pouch for safekeeping. “With this many, I instantly doubled my current total.” That put Bell at forty-seven Monster slain today, so far, and it was still morning.

-Later-

“Hyah!” Bell cut through three Kobolds with a single swing of his sword. The blood flew through the air along with some gore and painted the nearby wall red. “Back off!” He directed his swirling black cloud between him and four approaching Goblins. The howling wind was accompanied by fast-moving, sharp shards of ice. The hail tore through the Goblins, one of them even bursting apart into black ashes as its Magic Stone was destroyed.

“Bark!” Another Kobold lunged at Bell with it jaws wide for a bite.

Bell brought his zanbato down on the Kobold, splitting it in two in a gory mess. “Come on!”  His heart was thundering in his ears as he took a strong step forward and swung Shūri Saiketsu in a wide arc. The Goblins in the blade’s path didn’t stand a chance. Their heads went flying, and their blood coated the huge blade, only to disappear a few seconds later as sword’s innate ability consumed the red liquid and repaired small nicks along the cutting edge that weren’t even noticeable yet.

A Kobold rushed forward with its claws to slash at Bell. The claws did nothing to Bell’s new armor, as he raised his left arm to block with his vambrace. The last thing the Kobold saw was Bell’s fist coming at its face.

“Grah!” More Goblins charged at Bell, having been attracted to the loud sounds of battle and entered the cavern where the lone Adventurer was fighting.

“More?” Bell noticed the newcomers as he directed his larger storm cloud to move between him and the approaching Goblins. With a bit of concentration, Bell used another aspect of his Storm Magic.

“Guh!” A goblin’s face split as something fast hit it. The Monster staggered, only to be hit again. “Grah!”

In seconds a horizontal deluge of rain was peppering the Goblins with water ‘bullets’ that tore through their green skin from the speed alone. Blood flew into the air, only to be washed away just as quickly by the water. In only a few seconds the newly arrived Goblins were nothing more than wet corpses on the ground, their skin looking almost flayed from how many hits they’d taken from the high-speed water.

“Hup!” Bell decapitated one Kobold, cut through the chest of the second, the stomach of the third, and the waist of the fourth from his powerful swing. The four dog-headed Monsters fell to pieces and covered the floor in a mess of blood. Bell charged forward and swung Shūri Saiketsu into an upward slash, cleaving a Goblin in two from groin to head, and then shifted his stance to slash through three more with his heavy blade, pulverizing the small Monsters from the force.

“Sssshhhrraaa!” Two Dungeon Lizards dropped down from the ceiling only a second after being spawned.

Bell already had his rumbling storm cloud move above him.

Bzzzztttt

The Dungeon Lizards fell into the black clouds and were instantly electrocuted, their corpses hitting the stone floor and smoking slightly only a second later.

Bell charged the final Monster in the cavern and impaled it with Shūri Saiketsu. The Kobold hacked out a mouthful of blood before going still. Bell swung his zanbato and threw the Kobold’s corpse off to the side. “Hah…hah…hah… Is that all of them?” He looked around, but only saw the bodies of the Monsters that he’d killed. “I can’t be the only one going off the beaten path, right? Surely others are cleaning out these corridors and caverns too?” Deciding not to wonder about what other Adventurers did right now, Bell mentally tallied up his new total for the day. “Adding in all of these puts me at…one-hundred-fifty-two…” No wonder he was getting a bit worn out.

“Woo…” Bell breathed out slowly and activated the secondary function of his Vigor Skill. His head felt a little fuzzy a moment later, but his breathing had evened out and his body felt refreshed as his stamina rapidly recovered. “I’m gonna have to ration Magic use for the last part of the day.” Bell said to himself as he set Shūri Saiketsu against the nearby wall and stretched his arms above his head. “But I feel better, physically, now at the very least.” The soreness that came from using his muscles all day would only be noticed on his way back home, but the strain would only make him stronger.

At least according to Susano’o.

Bell pulled out his knife and set to work harvesting the large number of Monster corpses.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

“Your Magic Stones come out to 13,124 Valis, and the Drop Items are worth 3,100 Valis, so you’re total exchange today is 16,224 Valis.” The man behind the glass of the exchange gave Bell a nod while pushing the tray back onto his side.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell added his new earnings to his hip pouch and secured it tightly. “Just need to give my report to Misha and then I can head home.” He made his way over to the meeting area to see his Advisor and finish up his day.

-Susano’o Familia Home-

Susano’o watched Bell’s Excelia, seeing his time in the Dungeon today through it, and picked out a few things for Bell to improve on. “You’re not doing too bad, Bell. A little slow when shifting from offense to defense, but we can work on that. Your Magic is still new, so the fact that it’s already as strong as it is should mean that you have above average Mind reserves…at least for a human.”

“You think so, Lord Susano’o?” Bell hummed thoughtfully. He knew that his Magic stat correlated to how much power his spell had when he used it, and that using his Magic was the only way to make his Mind reserves grow. “I just assumed I was average.”

“You’re no Elf, blessed with innate magical aptitude and large Mind reserves, but from what I’ve seen, you have more than just average in comparison to most humans.” Susano’o said as he moved the Excelia and watched the Falna grow stronger. A blank paper and a swipe of his finger copied over the new Status. “Take a look, Bell.”

Bell accepted the paper as Susano’o locked up his Falna. “Thank you, Lord Susano’o.”

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 61 > I 83

Endurance – I 57 > I 79

Dexterity – I 60 > I 82

Agility – I 48 > I 64

Magic – I 12 > I 36

-Magic-

Ran’un – Storm Magic – Incantation: “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds.” Magic that allows the user to conjure thick black clouds. The size of the clouds is proportional to how much Mind is used to form them. They can be small, or as large as the user’s Mind reserves can make them. Within these storm clouds, any storm-related Magic can be conjured and imbued. Lightning Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, and Ice Magic are all possibilities.

-Skills-

Vigor – Healing over time. Healing speed greatly increases while resting or sleeping. Passive. Stamina Boost and Stamina Recovery at the cost of Mind, effect increases based on the Endurance and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“My Basic Abilities went up more than usual today.” Bell said as he saw the increased growth.

“Hard work pays off, Bell.” Susano’o replied with a smile. “If you keep it up, you’ll have a few stats in the ‘H’ Rank soon enough.”

Bell smiled at the first milestone that he’d reach on his path to becoming a Hero. “I’ll keep doing my best!” He promised his God with determination.

Susano’o smirked. “And I’ll help you, Bell.”

A few minutes later and Bell was struggling to pull himself onto the rooftop of a nearby building.

“Come on, Bell, you can’t be tired from just a little climb like this.” Susano’o said as he watched Bell finally get onto the rooftop.

“Little…?” Bell breathed out. “This is a four-story building, Lord Susano’o!”

Susano’o waved off Bell’s words. “You’re on the path of the warrior, aiming to become a Hero, right?”

Bell nodded once. “Yes.”

“Then you have to surpass all of your limits, Bell. Physical, mental, and magical!” Susano’o declared as he watched Bell stand up. “Any questions?”

“What does climbing up the side of a four-story building without a ladder have to do with…” Bell’s question was cut off as Susano’o shoved him over the edge. “AAAAHHHH!!!” He yelled out as he fell.

A thud announced Bell’s return to the ground below.

Susano’o looked over the edge of the roof. “Enjoy the climb back up, Bell!”

“Lord Susano’o!” Bell yelled up at Susano’o in exasperation. At least he was more durable ever since being blessed. Bell still started to climb though, looking for the tiny imperfections in the wall of the building to use as handholds and footholds.

He still silently called his God a taskmaster in the privacy of his mind.

-Next Morning-

Bell yawned as he woke up, right at 5am, as always. Having grown up in a farming village, Bell’s internal clock was still set to the rising of the sun. As he got out of bed and stretched, he once more felt grateful to his Vigor Skill for helping him heal so quickly while he was asleep. He’d be a mess of bruises and strained muscles right now without it. “Let’s eat and then head for the Dungeon.”

-Dungeon ~ Fourth Floor-

Krakboom

Lightning crackled and thunder rumbled in the Dungeon as Bell unleashed his spell on a group of Kobolds. The black clouds hung in the air above Bell, covering a large portion of the cavern as Bell continued to fight below.

“Hyah!” Bell swung Shūri Saiketsu through two Goblins, nearly tearing them apart from the force of the blow. “It’s a little easier now.” He noticed that the weight of his sword seemed like a little less than it had even yesterday. “I wonder…” He took his left hand off of the handle of Shūri Saiketsu and wielded it with one hand to hack through a snarling Kobold. “Not yet.” Bell shook his head, easily noticing the loss of power behind his swing while only using his right hand.

There was still a long way to go for Bell to gain the strength that he sought on the path to his dream. But the burning desire within him continued to grow everyday as he worked towards it.

“Graaah!” A Goblin tried to claw Bell from behind, only for a kick to send it sprawling.

“I just have to keep working as hard as I can!” Bell declared as he brought his boot down on the Goblin’s head, crushing it. “Let’s see if I can make a full circle around the outer edges of the Fourth Floor today!” Bell set himself a challenge before charging back into battle with the Kobolds and Goblins in the out of the way cavern near the edge of the Fourth Floor.

-Later-

The wind howled as Bell’s black clouds spun through the air. The strong gale hid cutting vacuum blades that cleanly separated the thin limbs of Goblins from the rest of their bodies. The Kobolds weren’t spared deep lacerations either as they were hit by the wind blades.

“Yipe!” A Kobold yelped in pain as it lost an ear to the sharp wind.

“Yah!” Bell ended its pain as he cut the Kobold in two with his zanbato…along with the other Kobold next to it. “Next one!” He didn’t stay still for more than a second or two as he charged forward and stomped powerfully on the ground, Bell swung Shūri Saiketsu in a wide arc, tearing through another group of Goblins. The blood flew through the air and was quickly sprayed across the wall by the wind.

Bell, without realizing it, was slowly learning how to control an entire battlefield with his Magic and his melee combat.

-Guild Exchange ~ Late Afternoon-

Bell waited patiently as the employee behind the glass weighed his Magic Stones and examined his Drop Items. He’d love to have a weapon made from a Drop Item that he’d earned, but Kobold Nails and Goblin Fangs weren’t very good material for weapon forging, according to Welf. ‘But the story of Lord Susano’o taking the Kusanagi sword from the tail of the Yamata no Orochi was so cool! I want to do that as well!’ It was certainly heroic to slay a Monster and gain a powerful weapon from it, at least in Bell’s opinion.

“Sorry for the wait, sir.” The Sheep woman behind the glass apologized with a small bow. “Your Magic Stones are worth 14,635 Valis, and your Drop Items are worth 3,600 Valis. You’re total exchange for today is 18,235 Valis.” The woman smiled at Bell as she pushed the tray onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell returned her smile as he collected his money. Once his earnings were safely in his hip pouch, Bell headed over to the meeting area to give his daily report to Misha.

Misha smiled at Bell when she sat down across from him a short time later. “So, Bell, how did you do today?” She set down a blank report form and readied her quill pen.

“Well, I stayed on the Fourth Floor…” Bell began to recount his day for Misha.

-Guild Advisor Offices ~ Later-

“Woohoo!” Misha cheered after closing the door behind her. “Bell did it!” She held up Bell’s newest report. “Confirmed by the Exchange, a new record of two-hundred-thirty-seven Monsters slain in one day!”

“Yeah!” Half of the Advisors cheered.

The other half grumbled or sighed as they pulled out money to pay their bets.

Bell had not only broken his own personal record today, but he’d also broken the all-time record for hitting the 1,000 Kills mark in the Dungeon. The previous record was three weeks and four days; but Bell had shattered it by reaching the same amount in only eight days! He’d even taken a day off, so the total time was actually about seven days!

Misha accepted her share of the winnings with a bright smile. As Bell’s Advisor, she was absolutely certain that he’d break the record!

-Susano’o Familia Home-

Bell blinked at his new Status Update. “Lord Susano’o…is this right?”

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 83 > H 110

Endurance – I 79 > H 107

Dexterity – I 82 > H 111

Agility – I 64 > I 96

Magic – I 36 > I 72

-Magic-

Ran’un – Storm Magic – Incantation: “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds.” Magic that allows the user to conjure thick black clouds. The size of the clouds is proportional to how much Mind is used to form them. They can be small, or as large as the user’s Mind reserves can make them. Within these storm clouds, any storm-related Magic can be conjured and imbued. Lightning Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, and Ice Magic are all possibilities.

-Skills-

Vigor – Healing over time. Healing speed greatly increases while resting or sleeping. Passive. Stamina Boost and Stamina Recovery at the cost of Mind, effect increases based on the Endurance and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“The Falna doesn’t lie, Bell.” Susano’o chuckled as he poured himself some sake. “You set one heck of a personal goal and managed to complete it against all odds, given that you’re a solo Adventurer.” The Storm God mentioned Bell’s full circle trip around the outer edges of the Fourth Floor today. “Going to such lengths, surpassing your limits, it all adds up to your growth and the strengthening of your Falna.”

That wasn’t mentioning that when the Blessed pushed beyond what was normal for their Status, Quality Excelia could be gathered, pushing them closer to Leveling Up. For those without stats in the ‘D’ Rank, the excess bled over into an increase in their Basic Abilities.

Bell looked over his update again before a small smile spread across his face. “I see.” The Falna really did bring out potential…and when that potential was met, even more was brought out. “I’ll put my all into getting stronger, Lord Susano’o!”

“That’s great, Bell, because we’ll be working on your legs and your balance today.” Susano’o said before sipping some sake. “You ever heard of an exercise called the ‘Duck Walk’ before?”

“No, I haven’t.” Bell shook his head once.

A short time later and Bell not only learned what ‘Duck Walking’ was…but also that it was murder on the legs.

“Keep your balance, Bell!” Susano’o said as he poked Bell with a stick that he’d found beneath one of the trees on the grassy lot that their Familia owned.

“Guh!” Bell struggled not to fall over, knowing that Susano’o would make him start over from the beginning if he did.

-Six Days Later-

Bell smiled as he looked at his newest Status Update again.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – G 218 > G 245

Endurance – G 212 > G 240

Dexterity – G 216 > G 244

Agility – H 194 > G 226

Magic – H 199 > G 232

-Magic-

Ran’un – Storm Magic – Incantation: “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds.” Magic that allows the user to conjure thick black clouds. The size of the clouds is proportional to how much Mind is used to form them. They can be small, or as large as the user’s Mind reserves can make them. Within these storm clouds, any storm-related Magic can be conjured and imbued. Lightning Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, and Ice Magic are all possibilities.

-Skills-

Vigor – Healing over time. Healing speed greatly increases while resting or sleeping. Passive. Stamina Boost and Stamina Recovery at the cost of Mind, effect increases based on the Endurance and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“Now that all of my Basic Abilities are ‘G’ Rank, Miss Misha will let me go down to the Fifth Floor.” Bell said to himself as he lay on his bed. He’d been working as hard as he could over the last six days to reach this goal after Misha had told him that he needed Basic Abilities in the ‘G’ Rank to start exploring the Fifth through Seventh Floors where the Dungeon got larger and stronger Monsters started to appear.

Unbeknownst to Bell, the ‘requirement’ was to have Basic Abilities at ‘G’ Rank…which meant more than one. Bell, however, had taken Misha’s words to mean that ALL of his Basic Abilities had to be at ‘G’ Rank before she’d let him progress deeper into the Dungeon.

This simple misunderstanding would be the quirk of Fate that would propel Bell further than anyone imagined.

-Guild ~ Early Morning-

“Wha?!” Misha gaped at the Status before her eyes. She certainly hadn’t expected to see Bell first thing in the morning today. But to see this Status…with Bell having only been an Adventurer for roughly two weeks…it was absolutely absurd. “G…Rank…in everything?!”

Bell smiled at Misha. “Yes, just like you said, Miss Misha. I needed ‘G’ Rank Basic Abilities for permission to go down to the Fifth Floor, right?”

Misha took a deep breath to calm herself down. ‘The highest ‘normal’ growth for an Adventurer after two weeks is ‘H’…and that’s only if they’re talented or have worked themselves to the bone every single day. ‘G’ is way too fast for the same amount of time, even if Bell is the new record holder for the 1,000 Kills mark!’ But despite her thoughts and what was ‘normal’…the Status in her hand (with the Skill and Magic areas blacked out) showed ‘G’ Rank in all five Basic Abilities. “Hah…” Misha exhaled slowly before giving Bell a smile. “Bell, when I said you needed Basic Abilities in ‘G’ Rank, I meant at least two…not all five.”

“Eh?” Bell blinked in surprise. “Really?” That meant that he could’ve gone down to the Fifth Floor yesterday if he’d known!

Misha giggled behind her hand. “Yes…’G’ Rank in everything already is…honestly I don’t think anyone’s done that in two weeks before.” Bell rubbed the back of his head for misinterpreting her words. “Anyway, with a Status like this, I have no reason to keep you from entering the Fifth Floor.”

Bell’s rubellite eyes lit up. “Thank you, Miss Misha!”

“However…” Misha held up her hand and nearly laughed when she saw the ‘sparkles’ die down a bit. “Before you go, I’d like to give you a quick refresher on the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Floors.”

“Okay…” Bell agreed, even though it was clear that he wanted to head to the Dungeon immediately.

Misha playfully rolled her eyes at Bell. “I’m not going to keep you here for too long, Bell. I just want to make sure you know what to expect down there.”

Bell smiled at Misha’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Miss Misha.”

-Dungeon ~ Fifth Floor ~ Morning-

Bell had expected faster Monster spawn rates on the Fifth Floor.

Shing

But to be attacked within two minutes of entering was a bit much!

Clang

A War Shadow, one of the ‘newbie killers’ of the Fifth Floor, was a golem-like Monster with a solid black body, aside from a circular ‘face’ made of a crystal like substance that shone with a faint glow when they attacked. It was humanoid in shape and about the height of an average adult human, with only their abnormally long arms and their clawed hands being different. Said claws were as sharp as knives and had been the death of a great number of newbie adventurers over the years.

Ching

Bell was currently fighting one that had emerged from a corridor that branched off the main path.

“Gugugu!” The War Shadow didn’t growl or snarl like Goblins and Kobolds. Instead they made a strange sound, artificial and unnatural, that made some people uncomfortable when they heard it.

“Hyah!” Bell blocked another of the fast swipes of the War Shadow’s claws with the wide flat side of his zanbato. With a deft swing, he knocked the claws high, opening up the War Shadow’s guard. A shift of his arms and Bell brought Shūri Saiketsu down on the War Shadow with all of his strength. The heavy blade tore straight through the black body, shattering the ‘face’ as soon as the sword hit the head. As the two sides fell in opposite directions, Bell smiled widely at managing to take down a War Shadow single-handedly.

After carefully looking around, listening for the telltale sound of the Dungeon walls cracking to spawn more Monsters, Bell got to work on harvesting the War Shadow. His knife quickly opened up the right side of the chest and Bell plucked out the Magic Stone. It wasn’t especially large, but it was the biggest Magic Stone that he’d ever gotten in the Dungeon. He stashed it into his leather pouch while the War Shadow’s body crumbled away to white ashes.

“Mm?” Bell noticed something black among the white ashes. Where the right hand had been a moment ago, now there was white ash and a single, sharp black blade. “No way! A Drop Item?!” Bell quickly, but carefully, picked it up and looked it over. “A War Shadow’s Finger Blade…” Bell only knew what it was called because of the overview that Misha had done with him before letting him enter the Dungeon today. “This could be made into a knife pretty easily, couldn’t it?” He put it into his thin backpack as he thought about that. ‘Maybe I’ll get my first weapon made from a Drop Item sooner than I thought!’

-Later-

Bell was doing well on the Fifth Floor, at least he thought so. He’d not gotten injured just yet, aside from a small cut on his cheek from a second War Shadow encounter, but that hadn’t been deep and was already partially healed. He’d killed a couple of Frog Shooters a little while ago too, and his hip pouch was slowly filling up for the day.

As he continued on his way through the various corridors and caverns, Bell heard what he thought was a scream. He stopped moving and listened closely, wondering if it was real or if his ears were playing tricks on him. “Was that a person…or a Monster?”

The answer revealed itself as a three-man Party sprinted into the small cavern that Bell was in.

“Minotaur!” The woman running in front yelled in warning.

“Run!” The Chienthrope man, a Supporter judging by his large backpack, yelled at Bell as he rushed past him.

The last man, a Pallum, sprinted past Bell as fast as his stature would let him. “Get moving!”

The three were out of the cavern and into the only other corridor that connected to it, the one that Bell had just come from, not even three seconds later.

“Minotaur?” Bell was confused. “But Minotaurs only spawn in the Middle Levels…” Even with only two weeks of experience as an Adventurer, Bell knew that much.

The loud footfalls coming from the corridor that the three-man Party had sprinted from quickly made Bell rethink his ‘knowledge’ of the Dungeon.

“MOOOOAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!” A Minotaur bellowed as it burst into the cavern, shattering the left side of the passageway like it was glass instead of hard stone.

Bell jerked back instinctively. He turned to run and saw the corridor that he’d come from. He knew the other Adventurers were down that corridor. They definitely hadn’t gotten away yet. Bell didn’t think, couldn’t explain why he did what he did with any logic, but he took Shūri Saiketsu into both hands and turned to face the Minotaur to protect people that he didn’t even know.

“Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds. Ran’un!” Bell chanted faster than he ever had since obtaining his Magic. Pitch-black clouds rapidly formed around him and rumbled with thunder.

“MOOOAARRGGHH!!!” The Minotaur rushed straight towards Bell in fury.

Bell didn’t stay in one place though. The storm clouds twisted, swirled, and roiled as they got bigger and bigger while rising into the air. Bell had poured a large amount of his Mind into his spell right off the bat.

Ssssshhhhhh

Rain fell like buckets from the thundering black clouds. The Minotaur was drenched and pelted by the fast-moving projectiles, but aside from a few small wounds that barely bled in the slightest, the Level 2 Monster was unfazed by the attack.

“MOOAARRGGHH!!!” Aside from getting angrier, that is.

The Raging Bull Monster charged straight through the rain without a care, barreling towards Bell like an out of control carriage. Bell juked to the side at the last second (and not because it was part of his strategy…the Minotaur was just that fast while charging) and managed to swing Shūri Saiketsu into the Minotaur’s exposed side.

Thud

Bell grimaced as his hands and arms were jarred by the sudden stop of his sword. ‘Its body is like armor!’ He moved back just before the Minotaur’s fist would’ve taken his head off, the sharp wind from the barely dodged punch made Bell’s hair whip around. His swing had only left a light cut on the Minotaur’s side.

Wooooo

A whistle of wind and the Minotaur flinched.

“MOOAARRH!!!” The Minotaur whipped its fist around in a wild backfist to try and kill whoever had attacked it from behind and left a shallow cut in its thick hide.

But there was no one there.

Bell used the distraction from his Magic to make some distance and reset his stance. The Minotaur saw the movement and followed it, charging after Bell with its fist cocked back for a punch. Bell raised his zanbato, holding the handle with his right hand and the bracing the back of the blade with his left hand, the edge facing the Minotaur’s incoming punch.

Bam

The punch nearly made Bell crack a tooth as his arms nearly gave out and he was sent skidding back before his feet caught on the rocky ground and he tripped backwards, falling on his ass.

Splat

Bell looked at the sound and saw the Minotaur looking at its bleeding fist. Punching Shūri Saiketsu had turned out badly for the Monster, its hand was now split between the index and middle finger by a deep laceration. The Minotaur locked its eyes on Bell with rage.

“MOOOAAAHHH!!!” The Minotaur bellowed and charged the down Adventurer.

Krakboom

Lightning fell from the storm clouds above and struck the Minotaur. The Level 2 Monster staggered two steps from the bolt, but continued to charge.

Bell only needed that brief moment to get back onto his feet and move. “Shit!” He threw himself to the side as the Minotaur charged through the space that he’d just been in.

Sssshhh

Sharp hail fell from the clouds, raining down on the Minotaur. The ice shattered on its thick fur and hide, not leaving any damage, but infuriating the Minotaur as it threw punches towards the black clouds above. But even the Minotaur’s great strength couldn’t do anything to clouds. They may have slightly moved form the air displaced by its wild swings, but they were just clouds with little physical form.

“MOOAARR?!” The Minotaur saw Bell heading for the corridor and charged straight at him, its head lowered to gore him with its incredibly tough horns.

The black clouds dropped from the ceiling to blanket the floor, blinding the Minotaur as it charged.

BOOM

The Minotaur’s head slammed into the stone wall and shattered it like spun sugar. Tiny pebbles and chunks of gravel fell to the floor as the Minotaur pulled its head from the wall. The storm clouds surrounding it were so thick that the Monster was practically swimming in them.

BZZZTTTT

Lightning exploded within the clouds, shocking the Minotaur as its muscles spasmed from the electrical overload.

“MOOOAAARRRHHH!!!” The Minotaur proved why it was a Level 2 Monster as it forced its way out of the storm clouds with barely any difficulty. The instant it spotted Bell, it was charging again.

Bell had taken up a strong swinging stance the instant he realized that the Minotaur had broken free of his spell. Black clouds wrapped around Shūri Saiketsu’s blade before alighting on the spine of the zanbato. Wind wrapped around the heavy blade with a howl and then became a hiss before turning into a sharp keening sound that made even Bell flinch at the assault on his ears.

Krakboom

A single bolt of lightning left the remaining black clouds behind the Minotaur and struck it in the back.

The Minotaur’s charge staggered a step, veering off to the right.

Bell adjusted his footing, like Susano’o had shown him, and moved to his right. The Minotaur’s charge went wide by almost half a meter. Bell swung his nearly screaming sword with all of his might and every last bit of torque that his body could produce.

Swsh

Blood flew through the air as Shūri Saiketsu managed to cut open the side of the Minotaur with the vacuum blade along its large cutting edge. Even as his arms were jarred, Bell just forced himself through the pain and completed his huge swing.

“MOOOAAAUUGGHH!!!” The Minotaur let out a pained bellow as it stomped on the floor, shattering the stone beneath its cloven hooves, and turned to face Bell again with rage in its red eyes.

‘Damn it… I was hoping…that would’ve been…enough…’ Bell felt his Mind tanking as the storm clouds in the cavern shrank and then dispersed entirely. His head felt fuzzy, the edges of his vision had black creeping into them. “No!” Bell stomped powerfully on the ground. “I will not die here!” he raised his sword, even as his arms shook from the strain, and leveled it at the Minotaur. “I have a goal to reach! A promise to keep!” Bell was breathing heavily now. “I will be a Hero that saves those in need!” Shūri Saiketsu stopped shaking as Bell reaffirmed his grip and forced his arms to hold his sword steady. “I’ll keep advancing forward no matter what!”

“MOOOAAARRRHHH!!!” The Minotaur bellowed as it dropped onto all fours, entering the most powerful charging stance that its kind possessed, one they only used when they felt threatened and were going for a sure-kill.

“COME ON!!!” Bell bellowed just as loudly, forcing himself to raise his zanbato over his head for the strongest overhead swing that he could manage, even if it took every last bit of strength he had.

The Minotaur shattered the ground as it launched itself forward.

Bell swung Shūri Saiketsu downward, his legs unable to move as he gave this final swing everything he had.

CRACK

Bell barely saw the instant that his sword met the Minotaur’s head. The large blade cracked at the point of impact, the entire cutting edge where blade met skull shattered into tiny metal shards and the cracks traveled along the body of the sword, nearly snapping it in two. He felt the force of the impact, saw blood fly into the air as he went flying backwards, and then his back hit the ground hard. In his pain and near loss of consciousness, Bell didn’t even realize that he’d let go of Shūri Saiketsu.

“MOOOAAAUUHH!!!” The Minotaur’s pained bellow was ear-shattering as blood flowed from the injury on its head. The skull was visible among all of the blood and a tiny crack could be seen in the bone.

Bell saw the Minotaur reeling and tried to force himself to his feet, but his body wouldn’t respond. His vision went in and out of focus, but it was sharp as he saw a blur move towards the Minotaur. The sight of the damaged Shūri Saiketsu swinging through the air faster than Bell had ever managed to swing it himself forced him to focus. The damaged blade passed through the Minotaur’s neck, decapitating the Level 2 Monster cleanly. The bull head fell and was snatched out of the air by the one that had killed it. The person turned to look at Bell, but his mind had just about given up on consciousness at this point.

“Hey… Hey…” A voice called out to Bell as liquid coated his tongue. “Come on…”

Bell’s eyes opened, his vision a bit fuzzy, as he saw someone looking at him.

“Hey.” The person turned out to be a young woman, an Amazon, with semi-short black hair and two bangs framing her face, each held together with golden bronze hair ornaments. Her dark green eyes brightened up as they met Bell’s rubellite gaze.

“Beautiful…” Bell said without a thought.

The smile that the Amazon woman gave Bell was like the warmest sunshine. “Thanks!” She giggled at Bell’s compliment brightly.

Bell managed to sit up with a bit of help from the Amazon woman.

“Are you…okay?”

Bell looked at who had spoken to him.

It was a lovely blonde young woman in a white battle dress with silvery armor over her chest, at her hips, and on her thigh-high blue boots. She was a beauty, her golden eyes matching the gold of her hair. Her skin clear and fair, looking untouched and pure, as if even the sun could not make it tan. She was lithe, with a rather nice pair of breasts held by her breastplate, a toned waist, and wider hips. She had caught the eyes of many men over the years and her face was well-known throughout Orario. This was Ais Wallenstein, also known as the Kenki or Sword Princess, a Level 5 Adventurer from the powerful Loki Familia.

“He called me beautiful when he saw me, so I think he’s okay.” The Amazon at Bell’s side beamed at Ais.

Now that Bell was fully cognizant he realized not only who had been helping him, but who had used his sword to kill the Minotaur in a single swing.

Aside from her semi-short black hair and her cute face, she had multiple golden-colored neckbands around her slim neck, the largest of which sported three blue gems. Her chest was covered by a white breast wrap that left just enough to the imagination. She wasn’t very busty, but it certainly didn’t detract from her beauty at all. Her smooth and toned stomach was left fully on display like many Amazons preferred. She wore a golden armband on each forearm and had golden anklets similar to her neckbands adorned her ankles. The pareo around her waist was a dark-yellow color with a thick band of green along the hem. The garment partially covered her legs and the brown loincloth that hung down to her shins. A thick, brown and white belt with a golden buckle that had a stylized sun on it sat around her hips, over the tied-off pareo. This was another of Orario’s top Adventurers; Tiona Hyrute, also Level 5, and known by her Title The Slasher.

“Damn…look at this.” The third woman with Tiona and Ais spoke as she examined the dead Minotaur. “He actually cracked its skull.” She was also an Amazon, with the darker skin tone shared among the all-woman Race, and had dark green eyes that matched Tiona’s along with long black hair that stopped just past her nice bottom. She had blue earrings, and wore a rather revealing outfit. A red bikini-like top that was tied behind her neck and kept secure by a round, silver charm depicting the crescent moon just above her large breasts. She had a yellow pareo with green lines along the hem that was folded and tied around her waist, matching Tiona’s. Beneath that was a red bikini bottom and a matching red garter belt holding up solid red leggings. Around her neck and ankles were rings of silver, and on her wrists were silver armbands. She had two braided locks of her hair on either side of her face, held together by a small silver band near the ends. She was also a well-known Adventurer of the Loki Familia, this was Tione Hyrute, older twin sister of Tiona, and widely known by her Title Jörmungandr.

“Th-Thank you for saving me.” Bell bowed to the three women with respect and gratitude. He was also just a little starstruck at the moment, being in the presence of three incredibly well-known Adventurers in Orario would do that though. “My name is Bell Cranel, Captain of the Susano’o Familia.”

“I’m Tiona Hyrute!” Tiona introduced herself with the same sunny smile as before.

Ais bowed at the waist slightly. “Ais Wallenstein, nice to meet you.”

“Tione Hyrute, a pleasure.” Tione gave Bell a smile.

Bell took a step forward, but wobbled slightly. Tiona was at his side and helping to steady him instantly. “Hey, you should take it easy. Mind Potions will help you clear your head and all, but they don’t work on injuries.”

Tione nodded in agreement with her sister. “Not to mention that you’re probably exhausted after fighting a Minotaur and using both Magic and melee at the same time.” That was a skill that a lot of people didn’t have and from what they’d seen of Bell’s Magic it had been rather widespread, meaning that it probably took up an equally large amount of Mind.

“I’ll be alright, now that I have enough Mind.” Bell assured them both as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

“Mm?” Ais blinked once as she saw Bell’s sagging shoulders, his unsteady posture, and even his worn out expression change right before her eyes.

Bell let out a sigh. “That’s better.” Even his voice suddenly sounded livelier!

Tione cocked her head just slightly as she looked at Bell seemingly come back from exhaustion near instantly. “A Skill?”

“That would be telling.” Bell smiled at Tione. No one outside of an Adventurer’s Patron Deity and their closest Familia members should know about their Status. But as Tione was going out of her way to help him, Bell answered her question indirectly. “Do you three know where my sword went?”

Tiona looked sheepish as she rubbed the back of her head. “Well… My weapon got destroyed on our expedition…and I saw that Minotaur still standing when you collapsed, so I grabbed your sword from the floor and finished it off.”

Ais picked up the damaged Shūri Saiketsu form where it been lying nearby, having been brought over when Tiona had rushed over to check on Bell. “It’s here, but…”

Tione winced as she saw the damage to the weapon. “I think it’s about done…” The large chunk missing from the cutting edge and the cracks through almost half the body of the blade were unrepairable damage.

“I saw it happen, but it looks really rough.” Bell took his sword back from Ais and looked it over. “Still not as bad as when I first got it though.” His smile confused all three of the women.

Bell walked over to the decapitated Minotaur, seeing blood still pouring out of its neck, though the large puddle indicated that the arterial spray had significantly died down already. He placed Shūri Saiketsu into the puddle of red liquid and made sure the still flowing blood covered the damaged blade as much as possible.

“What’cha doing?” Tiona asked curiously as she stood next to Bell.

“Just need to give it some time.” Bell answered without answering, making Tiona grin at him.

Tione and Ais moved closer as well, both curious as to what Bell was doing with his severely damaged sword.

“You know, we saw the last bit of your fight with this this big cow.” Tiona smiled at Bell. “You took it on all alone, even knowing that you might not win! You reminded me of a Hero from one of the old tales that I liked a lot as a child!”

Bell felt his face heat up a bit at being compared to a Hero by Tiona. “Thank you…but which Hero?” There were more than a couple that had slain Monsters that they should’ve had no chance of defeating, after all.

“Argonaut!” Tiona beamed at Bell, nearly lighting up the cavern with her smile.

Tione sighed at her sister. “Isn’t that one considered a comical Hero?” She’d listened to various stories from Tiona as they’d grown up and knew a few of them fairly well, especially Tiona’s favorite.

“Argonaut’s tale, huh?” Bell had a small smile at that. “He was one of grandpa’s favorites too.” It brought up some nostalgic memories for Bell, back when his grandpa would read to him as a little boy.

A short time later and Bell picked up Shūri Saiketsu from the pool of blood. It was only now that Ais, Tione, and Tiona noticed that the puddle had greatly reduced in size. All three of them looked at Bell’s sword as the last of the blood vanished from the blade and the multitude of cracks had disappeared from Shūri Saiketsu. The edge was still missing a large portion where it had collided with the Minotaur’s charge, but the damage to the rest of the sword was gone.

“A Magic Sword?” Tione blinked at the oddity of a weapon.

Bell smiled. “Not really, it’s just uniquely made.”

Ais looked between the partially fixed zanbato and then at Bell. “Your last attack, it was Wind Magic.”

“Yes.” Bell nodded to confirm. “It doesn’t come from the sword either.” He assured Ais with a chuckle.

“But you used lightning too…right?” Tiona recalled the bolt that had struck the Minotaur from behind.

Bell shrugged, but didn’t want to seem rude to the one’s that had saved him. “It’s all the same, sort of.”

Ais’s golden eyes looked at Bell with some interest. Wind Magic wasn’t unheard of, but it wasn’t very common either. Yet Bell’s was somehow different than her own.

“I’ll get the Magic Stone for you.” Tione offered after a moment of silence had fallen over the group. In a flash of silver, one of the kukri knives was unsheathed and sliced the Minotaur’s chest open. Tione deftly snatched the fist-sized Magic Stone out of its chest with ease before presenting it to Bell.

“Sh-Shouldn’t you keep it?” Bell asked, confused as to why Tione would give it to him.

“Nah, you did all the work, it’s yours!” Tiona said with a bright smile.

Ais nodded once to Bell. “You fought the Minotaur… We didn’t do anything to earn its Magic Stone.”

Bell caught the Magic Stone as Tione tossed it to him. “Thank you…” He placed the Magic Stone into his slim backpack, his mind still trying to process the new acquisition.

“Can we help you back to the surface?” Ais offered Bell politely. He’d just been attacked by a Minotaur, after all. The fact that she was curious about Bell and his Magic played no part in it. ‘Maybe a small part…’ Ais admitted as she looked at Bell again.

“You don’t have to.” Bell shook his head once. “You three probably have more important things to do besides looking after a Level 1 Adventurer.”

Bell almost swore he heard a ‘snap’ sound as all three women stopped suddenly.

Tiona leaned closer to Bell, getting into his personal space as she looked at him closely. “Level 1?”

Bell leaned back a little, but Tiona followed him by leaning forward more. “Yes?”

“There’s no way.” Tione said as she took a step closer to Bell, her dark green eyes searching Bell’s rubellite gaze for any hint of deception.

Ais spoke after a second to collect her thoughts. “It’s impossible…for a Level 1 to defeat a Minotaur.”

“But I didn’t defeat it.” Bell said even with both Tiona and Tione so close to him.

“Close enough!” Tiona smiled at Bell. “If you were just a bit stronger, your swing would’ve split that Minotaur’s head open!”

Tione leaned back, standing upright again as she looked at Bell in surprise. “You’re not lying…” Most Adventurers developed a knack for spotting liars after a few years, given that the Dungeon was a place where anything could happen, it was a necessary skill to develop. To Tione’s eyes, Bell was not only honest, she wasn’t sure that he’d be able to lie convincingly if he tried.

“How’re you…Level 1?” Ais asked, her curiosity getting the better of her now. What Bell had done shouldn’t have been possible if he was only a Level 1 Adventurer.

Bell took a second to think about how to answer that question. “Well, I’ve only been an Adventurer for about two weeks now…today was my first day on the Fifth Floor.”

“Eh?!” Tiona and Tione both exclaimed in shock at what Bell had just said.

Even the normally reserved Ais looked stunned at Bell’s admission.

-Later-

Bell sighed as he sat at one of the meeting areas, waiting for Misha. After Tiona, Tione, and Ais had escorted him back to the surface, the four of them had chatted for a bit while waiting for the first half of the Loki Familia’s expedition Party to return. He’d learned a little about each of the three young women, though Ais was clearly the least talkative. But it was during their conversation that Bell learned just why a Minotaur had been on the Fifth Floor.

‘How unlucky do I have to be to end up in the path of the only Minotaur that escaped from a horde on the Seventeenth Floor and made it all the way up to the Fifth Floor?’ Bell wondered to himself. ‘It wasn’t all bad though…’ Tiona and Tione had both seemed rather impressed by his fight with the Minotaur. He could still feel their warmth against him from where they’d wrapped their arms around his as they walked too.

“Bell, I didn’t expect to see you back so early.” Misha greeted hi as she sat down across form him and placed a blank report on the table between them. “Did something happen?”

“Well…” Bell began to tell Misha about his short day in the Dungeon.

About a minute later and the normal calm of the Guild was shattered.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN A MINOTAUR?!” Misha exclaimed loudly.

Bell knew he was in for a lecture just by the way Misha’s eyes were practically drilling holes into him.

-Susano’o Familia Home ~ Afternoon-

Bell had nearly flopped down onto the small old couch in the living room when he’d gotten home. He needed the break after spending such a long time answering all of Misha’s questions about the Minotaur and what he’d learned from the Loki Familia about it and how it had gotten to the Fifth Floor.

The front door opening alerted Bell that Susano’o was home from his parttime job.

“You’re back early, Bell. That’s not like you.” Susano’o said as he looked at Bell lying face down on the couch.

A few minutes later and Bell had his bare back facing his God while Susano’o updated hi Status and watched the day’s events through Bell’s Excelia.

“There’s a difference between surpassing your limits and dying, Bell.” Susano’o said as he finished watching Bell’s battle with the Minotaur. “It may not always seem like it, but there is a difference.” He smiled as he saw Bell nodding in agreement. It was best that Bell didn’t develop any dangerous ideas about fighting Monsters above his Level solo. “That being said, that was a splendid battle.”

Bell looked over his shoulder at Susano’o, only to see the proud smile that his God was giving him. “Th-Thank you, Lord Susano’o.”

Seeing the look in Bell’s eyes, Susano’o spoke with confidence and firmness. “You pushed far beyond what anyone of your Level and experience could be expected to do…all for the safety of three people you didn’t even know. That’s the Hero in you, Bell.” He saw the way that Bell straightened up a little from his previously slumped over position. “But the kind of Hero that you want to be can’t fall the first time that he saves someone, right?” Bell shook his head. “I thought so… Then we’ll have to continue your training and have you buildup more experience! The path of the warrior will not end so early for you!”

“Yes, Lord Susano’o!” Bell declared strongly, his desire, determination, and dreams burning within like a star.

“Just as you said when you faced down the Minotaur, Bell…” Susano’o moved his finger across Bell’s back as he wrote into Bell’s Falna what his ‘child’s’ relentless and unending drive had manifested as. “You’ll keep advancing forward no matter what!”

“Yes!” Bell nearly yelled.

Susano’o moved the Excelia into Bell’s Falna and could only laugh powerfully as he watched the numbers rise. He placed the blank paper onto Bell’s back and swiped his finger across it to copy the new Status onto it. “Hahahaha! Never change, Bell! One day you’ll shake the heavens!”

Bell accepted his Status Update and looked at it quickly, wondering what had made Susano’o laughed so strongly.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – G 245 > E 408

Endurance – G 240 > E 402

Dexterity – G 244 > E 406

Agility – G 226 > F 389

Magic – G 232 > E 400

-Magic-

Ran’un – Storm Magic – Incantation: “Dark veil of the sky, the approaching calamity. Resounding throughout the heavens, descending upon the earth, raising violent seas. Embodiment of the sky’s fury, come forth from the pitch-black clouds.” Magic that allows the user to conjure thick black clouds. The size of the clouds is proportional to how much Mind is used to form them. They can be small, or as large as the user’s Mind reserves can make them. Within these storm clouds, any storm-related Magic can be conjured and imbued. Lightning Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, and Ice Magic are all possibilities.

-Skills-

Vigor – Healing over time. Healing speed greatly increases while resting or sleeping. Passive. Stamina Boost and Stamina Recovery at the cost of Mind, effect increases based on the Endurance and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

Take Susumu (To advance bravely) – Removal of limits of growth. Stronger desire results in faster growth. Greater effort results in larger growth. Effects that would inhibit the user’s advancement, like Charms or Curses, are dispelled.

-Status-

“I HAVE A NEW SKILL?!” Bell exclaimed in surprise at seeing the new Skill on his Status Update. He’d nearly choked on his breath just from seeing the MASSIVE jump in his Basic Abilities!

Susano’o only laughed more as he answered. “Indeed, you do, Bell! Everything that you desire and dream of, everything that you’ve thrown your entire being into becoming through any trial, tribulation, or hardship, has manifested as that Skill!”

“Faster growth… Larger growth… Desire and effort…” Bell read over his new Skill again. “Is this why I had such a large jump today?”

Susano’o nodded to Bell. “Everything that you do in pursuit of your goals and desires will now be maximized in your Excelia. If you slack off, nothing will change…but if you continue to strive for your goals and your dream…you will surpass your limits and advance ever further!”

Bell felt his heart thundering in his chest. “Do I just keep going into the Dungeon and training with you, Lord Susano’o?”

“That will be part of it, Bell. But a warrior grows more when he takes experiences and knowledge from multiple sources!” Susano’o said as he looked at Bell with a grin. “I’ll get in touch with Také and ask him for a small favor. A sparring partner that’s stronger and more experienced than you will surely help you surpass your limits!”

“I’ll do my best, Lord Susano’o!” Bell promised his God with a powerful, burning determination in his rubellite eyes.

Bell couldn’t know just how important his future sparring partner would become to him.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Boom!

Bell continues to advance, both as an Adventurer and on the path to his dream!

Constant hard work, both in the Dungeon and outside of it, makes Bell grow! His Magic is versatile and powerful too! Enough that he could put up a fight against the Minotaur, using both Magic and melee simultaneously!

Concurrent chanting? Bell only needs to chant BEFORE the battle! Then the battlefield will become his! Kek!

Susano’o is going to make another warrior that shakes the heavens!

Just how far will Bell grow?

Who is his future sparring partner?

Will Susano’o continue to laugh his ass off while Bell shakes up Orario?

Keep reading to find out!

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!