Is It Wrong To Skitter In A Dungeon? Chapter 50: Siege Breaker (Patreon)

Chapter 50: Siege Breaker

“…and after Rakia’s siege engines are destroyed, we launch an attack on the south-west camp to destroy their supplies,” Finn said, laying out his idea for dealing with the army outside their walls.

The war meeting regarding the city’s protection had run long into the evening for a number of reasons, some of which being a few deities thinking they could interrupt and give their ‘advice’ no matter how unwanted and unnecessary it was. But, after the gods had finally gotten bored and wandered out of the conference room around dinner time, Finn had finally been able to get the captains of the most important Familias organized and discussing the siege.

“That should destroy their morale and force them to act more cautiously,” Ottar said, nodding slowly as he went over the Braver’s plan. The Boaz could admit that the pallum was a better tactician than him, and this seemed like it would work quite well.

“Airmid, will you and the other healers be ready to receive any and all injured people?” Finn asked the Dian Cecht Captain, and she nodded confidently.

“Our potion stockpile is ready to accommodate the casualties,” she confirmed. “We’re working with the Miach and Serket Familias to help bolster production, and the Ganesha Familia is selling us Purple Moth and Blue Papillion powder at a cheap price.”

“Good. And with the Ganesha Familia stepping up patrols to keep public unease low, I don’t think we’ll have to worry about any problems regarding the civilian populace,” Finn said. “Though just to be sure… Persephone, how are the granaries and food cellars doing?”

“Nice and full,” the captain of the Demeter Familia assured the Level 7. “If necessary, we can last for half a year without having to worry about rationing.”

“That’s excellent!” Finn said, pleased. “Keep a close eye on them to make sure nobody tries to steal anything or attempts to raise prices beyond the pale in the marketplace.”

Before the meeting could continue, a knock at the door disturbed them.

“Uh, Captain Finn?” a rabbit-man called out as he stepped inside the war room.

“Yes, what is it?” Finn asked, a touch impatiently as he turned to look at the adventurer, a Level 2 from his own Familia.

“Rakia just tried to abduct Lady Hestia and Welf Crozzo and allied with Evilus to do so,” the rabbit-eared adventurer explained.

Finn stared at him, while Ottar sighed. The rest of the captains all shared nervous looks. After a tense moment the pallum angrily swept the stack of papers he’d painstakingly spent all night working on off the table and plopping down into his chair with what somebody with a death wish would have called a pout.

“Err, is everything alright, Finn?” Persephone asked nervously.

“Oh, everything is fine!” Finn said, sounding a little manic. “The siege is about to be lifted and the war with Rakia will be over before the week is out! And all of my carefully laid and prepared plans won’t need to be used at all!”

“What do you mean by… oh,” Sophia Flores uttered, blinking as the Serket Familia’s captain realized with growing horror what was about to happen.

“Shit, this is gonna be another incident like the Entertainment District, isn’t it?” Nernatti, the Dark Elf captain of the Hathor Familia, wondered aloud.

It was a rhetorical question. They all knew that trying to touch her Familia was the easiest way to get Weaver mad at you. And when the captain of the Hestia Familia was mad, she tended to destroy entire Familias.

“Do you think she’s going to end up sending Ares back to Tenkai?” somebody asked nervously.

Everyone in the room knew that the crazy bug-controlling woman had been responsible for Ishtar’s removal from the city. They were just smart enough not to mention it. Who wanted to piss off someone unafraid of committing the ultimate taboo?

“I don’t know, but I have to go tell my Familia to update the betting pool odds,” the captain of the Tyche Familia said with a sigh before he walked out.

“Gods damn it, Taylor. One week without causing some sort of trouble! Just one!” Shakti groaned. “Was that so hard?”

Ottar snorted and began to walk towards the door, causing the rest of the adventurers to look over.

“Where are you going?” Finn demanded.

“To the western walls,” he replied easily. “I want front-row seats for what’s about to happen.”

Everyone blinked at that before Finn sighed and hopped to his feet, joining Ottar.

“Yeah, alright, I’m coming with ya.”

After a moment the rest of the captains filed out. Some followed the Level 7s, the others went to find some place to hide. Regardless of what they were going to do, it’d be a night to remember.

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Taylor did not immediately make her way to the Rakian army. First, she drank a Mind potion. Then, she flew into the air and began to travel back and forth across the city, adding as many bugs as she could to her swarm.

When she’d amassed a truly massive collection, large enough to fill several blocks with a seething tide of chitin, Taylor finally flew out towards the besieging army.

For the Rakian soldiers on sentry duty, the first sign that something was wrong was when the moon disappeared behind a cloud. To be fair to them, this wasn’t unusual. Clouds came and went.

But when the second indicator was a droning buzz that filled their ears and echoed throughout their camp, followed by an eerie green and gold glow, then the sentries started to get a little worried.

As the sentries looked up towards the noise, several of them couldn’t help but blink and wonder if they were actually asleep and dreaming. How else could they explain the presence of a black-haired woman with a golden arm, held aloft by green and gold moth wings who was floating above the center of their army while a second moon made of writhing, shadowy masses loomed over everything and blocked the moonlight?

A moment later the screaming started as the shadow-moon broke apart, tendrils of inky blackness descending upon the war-camp like an Eldritch God.

Roaches and flies swarmed the supply wagons, befouling the food, while termites were airdropped by wasps onto the siege engines so they could devour the wooden frames. Spiders descended on silk parachutes and entered the tents of the officers alongside scorpions, biting and stinging until screams of pain joined those of terror.

The soldiers tried to put on armor but found their equipment infested with fleas, ticks, and other creepy-crawlies. One unfortunate man tried to put on his helmet, only for a bunch of centipedes to spill out and then crawl into his clothes. Another had his toes attacked by roaches when he attempted to put on a boot.

Trying to use weapons didn’t go any better. Spears and bows were ruined by termites and other critters chewing them up. Any time a man tried to grab a sword or shield hidden spiders would leap out and bite their hands. Heavier weapons ended up swarmed with masses of venomous insects. And of course the combat mages couldn’t even cast any spells because of all the bugs crawling over them and making it nigh impossible to concentrate or chant.

It was pure chaos. Madness gripped the soldiers and they tried to scramble into some semblance of order but every time they tried, bugs would assault them and the discipline would break down. The horses were absolute terrified, and many broke free of their hitches and temporarily stables, running rampant through the camp causing even more panic.

Some tents ended up catching fire as candles were knocked over, but Taylor was quick to put them out before they spread. She did so by simply smothering the burgeoning blazes with so many insect bodies that the flames had no choice but to go out. This, of course, did not help the Rakians’ terror, as seeing swarms of bugs throw themselves into fires only added to the unnaturalness of the situation.

Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. Chris appeared out of the darkness, his blades flashing, and the Level 2s who’d been able to put up a slightly better defense fell, weapons and armor ruined. And then he would retreat back into the shadows, hunting down another victim.

There may have been five thousand people with the Falna within the army, but wherever the Crystal Mantis went, warriors fell in droves, unable to overwhelm a monster who was currently on par with a Level 4 adventurer. None of them were hurt badly enough to die, either. Taylor made sure of that, sprinkling potions and Blue Papillion powder onto the worst of the injuries. Just enough to heal them, but not fully.

Meanwhile, the two generals of Rakia were busy protecting Ares’ tent alongside the bodyguards, but it was clear to Taylor as she eavesdropped that they wouldn’t be able to reestablish order anytime soon.

“Stop running around like headless chickens!” the Level 3 general shouted at the soldiers outside the tent, while the blond Level 2 was trying to escort Ares away.

“Lord Ares, please!” the blond pleaded. “It’s not safe here!”

“Nonsense!” Ares laughed, though there was a tinge of mania in his voice. “This is just a setback! We can outlast this crazy adventurer!”

“My lord, I was only out there for a minute, and even I can tell that the siege is lost. Our only chance is to retreat!”

“You would flee, Prince Marius?!” the general exclaimed, turning towards the young man who was apparently royalty. “How pathetic! Your father would be ashamed to know he raised a coward!”

“My father is not here,” Prince Marius retorted. “And bravery does not exactly matter when you are surrounded and attacked on all sides by a foe you cannot easily counter!”

“We cannot flee! Not until Umber completes his mission!” Ares commanded.

“Lord Ares, I highly doubt the Shadow Troupe were able to capture Lady Hestia or the Crozzo. Odds are they were killed,” Marius said, turning back to the War God. “And do you not think it is odd that this tent is currently the only place in the entire camp not be assaulted by legions of bugs?”

“Bah! She is a mortal! She would never attack a god!” Ares scoffed dismissively.

“My lord, the rumors from Orario state she personally sent Lord Apollo and Lady Ishtar back to Tenkai,” Marius hissed out. “I highly doubt she fears you at all.”

“Lies and propaganda!” the general snorted, and Ares nodded in agreement.

“Hestia was always a weakling and crybaby back in the heavens but she is still a goddess. She would never allow a child of hers to harm a fellow deity!”

“Indeed, Hestia can be kinda weepy at times. However, it’s that kindness that makes her a far better person, let alone a goddess, than you,” Taylor said, speaking through a bug clone she formed in the middle of the tent, causing the general to cry out and attack it with an axe.

Marius shot the man a look that screamed ‘are you an idiot?!’ before turning back to Weaver’s clone.

“So, you finally show yourself,” Ares said, folding his arms and trying to seem like an imposing figure with his height and cape. “I admit, you’ve managed to inconvenience my army, but you cannot defeat them all!”

“I already have, though,” Taylor replied. “Or at least, I’ve devastated their capacity for war. Your siege engines are gone, your ranged weapons are gone, your supplies are gone, your Falna-equipped soldiers have been thrashed and reduced to weeping messes… quite simply, Ares, your army is broken and a single deed away from routing completely.”

“You haven’t won!” Ares declared pompously. “Surrender now and I will be lenient!”

Taylor just laughed before dispersing her clone. Ares looked around while Marius and the general tensed up, but after a moment nothing happened, and the latter relaxed while the god laughed mockingly.

“Ha! I knew it-!” he began, only to be cut off when Debbie exploded out of the ground right below Ares’ tent, sowing even more chaos as she gobbled up the god in front of the entire army before spitting him out into the Venenthes that was attached to its back.

“You’ll be staying in there until I’ve decided what to do with you,” Taylor said as she dropped the god into the Venenthes where he was soon joined by his generals and bodyguards that were tossed inside by Chris and the Gun Libellula.

The pitcher plant monster was strong enough to contain Level 4 adventurers, it would be more than capable of keeping the stunned and injured Rakians trapped. Taylor did make sure that it didn’t make any acid, though. That would ruin her plans if they got digested by accident.

“SURRENDER!” Taylor commanded, her order emanating from her swarm throughout the camp.

Thousands of Level 1 and 2 Rakians did not hesitate to throw down their weapons and fall to their knees after watching their god get devoured by monsters. They knew he was alive since their Falnas were still there, but that could change in a heartbeat.

And as the superpowered members of the army surrendered, this caused a ripple effect to go through the rest of the camp. Soon, the unpowered soldiers followed their example and began to give up in droves.

“Do you see now?” Taylor asked imperiously, staring down at Ares as he watched from within the pitcher plant monster as his soldiers surrendered to save his life. “I do not think you are worthy of such loyalty. Perhaps someday you will be. But for now… you are my prisoner. And if you want your freedom again, you will accept the terms of the peace treaty Orario shall present to you.”

She then began to move back towards the city with her swarm, escorting her collection of captured Rakians to the gates while ignoring the god’s shouted demands.

“Can one of you come down here and take them off my hands?” Taylor asked, waving a hand up at the walls, and after a moment a pair of figures leapt down from the gatehouse and landed in front of her with a thump, the ground crackling beneath them but suffering no damage themselves.

“Of course,” Finn said, giving the Hestia Familia’s captain a fake smile. “We’ll take them to Babel and ensure they are treated as proper prisoners of war.”

Ottar just nodded his head silently in agreement, though his gaze was locked onto Taylor, who was still hovering.

“Wonderful,” Taylor said, looking between the two Level 7s. “Did you all enjoy the show?”

She could sense the dozens of adventurers and gods standing up on the walls who’d been watching as she tore apart the besieging army, and couldn’t keep a smirk off her face at the dumbfounded expressions they wore.

“It was quite the sight,” Finn praised, keeping his true thoughts and feelings hidden behind a mask that even Taylor couldn’t quite see through. “Though I’m unsure of how many others were … appreciative of your display.”

“You’d think that after I took down two other Familias all but single-handedly they’d stop being so surprised every time I do something like this,” she mused aloud, causing Ottar to snort in amusement.

“You’d think so,” he agreed.

“Oh, before I forget, there are three members of the Shadow Troupe unconscious in a warehouse nearby. They tried to kidnap Welf. Not sure if they’re still there, but if you could swing by and pick them up, that would be appreciated,” Taylor added.

“I see. And what about your manor?” Finn asked. He did not mention Evilus, but she knew what he was referring to.

“If somebody could take a look at the damaged street and get started on repairing it in the morning, that would be appreciated,” Taylor said. “There’s also seven dead Shadow Troupe members inside my manor, so send a corpse wagon along to pick them up.”

“I’ll do so,” Finn promised.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go home. My goddess just had a bit of a scare, and the Familia needs some time to rest and decompress. Please don’t bother us for the next twenty-four hours unless it’s an emergency,” Taylor instructed before flying off with her Tamed monsters back into the city. After she ordered the Venenthes to spit up the captured god and his lackies, of course.

When she returned to the Hearth Manor, she found her Familia waiting for her on the lawn, Hestia at forefront of the group.

“You big dummy!” Hestia said as she stomped over to Taylor when the captain landed. “Do you have any idea how worried I was?!”

“Sorry. But it had to be done,” she replied, though she quickly wrapped the tiny goddess in a hug. Although surprised at first, Hestia reciprocated, happily grinning.

“So! Did you kick Ares’ butt?” Hestia asked after breaking from the hug.

“I captured him and his generals and handed them over to the city. Finn and Ottar should be escorting them to Babel as we speak,” Taylor replied as she walked back to the rest of her Familia with goddess.

“Congrats, boss! I think you’ve gone and singlehandedly ended the Sixth Rakian Invasion, and did so the quickest, too!” Welf said with a laugh.

“That makes three Familias that have been defeated by the Hestia Familia, and two of them were done by you alone,” Bell commented as they all walked back inside. “Do you think you’ll earn some sort of reward for that?”

“Lili can see the Guild doing that,” Lili admitted. “Though Lili thinks it would be less a reward and more a bribe to never do so again.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Aisha snorted.

“I wish I could have seen it,” Oriana said with a sigh. “It must have been incredible! One woman against an army and winning… just like the stories of old!”

“Yeah, we could all see that big orb of bugs you made. Must have made quite a few people pee themselves in fear,” Gina giggled.

“They did,” Taylor confirmed, which caused a fresh wave of snickers.

The captain then turned to Wiene, the Xenos having stayed behind while the rest of the Familia had crowded around her.

“Are you alright, Wiene?” Taylor inquired, and the young Dungeon-born girl nodded.

“Yes. Miss Hestia was very nice,” she said softly.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” the parahuman said, patting the girl on the head, and she smiled up at her. “Now let’s get you back inside before anyone sees you.”

That would raise questions Taylor didn’t particularly feel like answering at the moment.

“Come on Wiene! Let’s get you some warm milk!” Hestia suggested, taking the young monsters by the hand. It seemed the little goddess had taken a shine to the Xenos.

Which while surprising, wasn’t as odd as seemed. Hestia was a truly welcoming and kind individual, and although Taylor had only gotten to know Wiene for a short time, knew the Xenos was just as kind and full of curiosity that Hestia was happy to sate.

“Drag the bodies out of the ballroom,” Taylor ordered as she led Hestia and Wiene back inside. “And collect what you can from the battlefield and the Evilus members. There might be clues on them.”

Everyone nodded and got to work trying to make their home look a little bit more presentable for when the Guild came by to drag the dead away and start fixing the hole in the road.

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Taylor woke up the next morning as the filling in a cuddle sandwich. On her left was Wiene, and on her right was Hestia. She snorted a little, though there was fondness in her gaze as she looked over the two.

Hestia hadn’t wanted to say it aloud, but she had been scared last night. Not for herself, but for her Familia, her children. They had gotten lucky that the Evilus members had not been there to kill them all, instead only aiming to take back the key to Knossos Tammuz had stolen away during the collapse of the Ishtar Familia.

As for Wiene… the Xenos was a child. She was young, and had also been afraid from the attack on the Hestia Familia. Add in the fact that Taylor apparently ‘smelled’ like the Dungeon, and it was no surprise Wiene had felt safer in her presence.

It had taken a while to convince her to call her ‘Auntie Taylor’ instead of ‘Other-Mama,’ though. And it was still odd to be called that… but the parahuman found she actually kinda liked it.

Both goddess and Xenos had crawled into her bed last night, unable to sleep. Not wanting to make a fuss, she let them, and so the trio had drifted off to dreamland together.

After lying in bed for a bit and letting the morning sun trickle in through a crack in the curtains, she slowly peeled herself away from her bedmates, sitting up and eventually leaving the sheet behind.

She did some stretches to wake herself up before reattaching her prosthetic. Taylor didn’t like sleeping with it on and took it off at night. Unless she slept on her back, the metal arm would always end up pressing against her ribs and that was a bit uncomfortable.

Then, when that was done, the parahuman doubled checked her Status Update from late last night. Her stats had gone up a bit thanks to running roughshod over the Rakian army, but her biggest change was a brand-new Skill: Armyslayer, A Skill to boost her effectiveness when fighting large numbers of foes.

It was a fitting Skill for her. For any adventurer, really, since in the Dungeon you were almost always outnumbered by monsters.

'And speaking of monsters,' she thought as she pulled an object out of the nightstand next to her bed and took a close look at it.

Taylor carefully examined the Magic Stone that had been dropped by one of the Violas – the Virgas’ acid had destroyed their cores upon death – and she probed it with her magical senses.

Taylor was just starting to understand the nuances of magic, but she could tell that something was off about this crystal. The Magic Stones taken from monsters in the Dungeon were… pure, if she had to assign a word to them. They were raw magic, untouched by any external elements. This purity was why they could be used to power magic tools and Spells.

However, the off-color Magic Stones from the foreign monsters were tainted, for lack of a better term. There were outside elements she could not identify that were mixed in with the crystals which contributed to their odd color, but also the fact that monsters in the Dungeon despised them.

None of Taylor’s Tamed monsters wanted them. Chris refused to eat any, and Debbie had spit them out after accidentally consuming a few due to gobbling up a few monsters during the fight. The newer monsters also had the same aversions.

Curiosity struck her, and Taylor poked the Magic Stone with a finger, letting a bit of her own Mind seep in. She pulled her finger away, and a thin thread of magical energy came with it, connecting her digit to the crystal. The magic was thick, almost sticky, and Taylor pushed it back inside after a moment of study.

‘Strange,’ she mused to herself. ‘The energy within these altered Magic Stones feels similar to the spirits.’

Taylor had met a couple of them in Orario. A Gnome, or earth spirit, ran the largest library in the city while another ran a ‘discrete’ cough black market! cough pawn shop that bought and sold everything, no questions asked. A Salamander lived with the Hephaestus Familia, providing its fire to the smiths, and rumors of Undines living near Melen abounded.

Compared to gods, a spirit’s magical essence felt more solid. Worldly, if that made sense. They were embodiments of nature given form, and their magic reflected this. The crystal in her hand had magic that felt muddy, like several spirits had become mixed up and blended together to create something new.

‘Could a spirit be producing these Magic Stones?’ Taylor wondered. ‘Or perhaps… are these made from spirits?’

None of those filled her with confidence, and she dearly hoped she was wrong about where Evilus’s Magic Stones were coming from.

“Nnnn… stop… bad…” Wiene mumbled, rolling over in her bed.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Taylor asked, glancing at Wiene as she sat up, glaring sleepily at the Magic Stone the parahuman had been examining.

“It’s bad,” she said with a frown.

“I see,” Taylor said slowly. “Do you know why?”

“It smells funny,” Wiene said, wrinkling her nose. She didn’t seem able to articulate further than that, and Taylor shrugged.

“Well, whatever it is, we’ll hopefully be able to destroy the source,” she replied.

“Um, are we… when can I see my friends again, Auntie Taylor?” Wiene asked softly. “It’s been a while.”

“Don’t worry. As soon as Rakia withdraws, we’ll head down into the Dungeon and bring you back to your friends,” Taylor promised. “And then, we’ll all destroy the smugglers and Evilus, so no more Xenos will be taken.”

“…You promise?” Wiene whispered.

“Yes,” Taylor confirmed.

“…What if I don’t wanna go back?” Wiene asked, her voice growing even softer. “What if I wanna stay here with you and papa and mama?”

 “You mean Bell and Haruhime?” Taylor asked.

“Yeah,” Wiene nodded. Hiding her amusement at Bell being called ‘papa’ Taylor gave the Xenos a one-armed hug.

“Even if I have to fight the Guild and every Familia in Orario, I will do so if you want to stay up here with us,” she vowed.

“That’s right!” a sleepy Hestia declared, having been woken up by their conversation.

The goddess pumped her fist weakly into the air before rolling over and grabbing Wiene, snuggling into the Xenos who let out a cute little “Eep!” as the tiny ‘woman’ used her as a body pillow.

“You might be a monster, but you’re cute and nicer than a lot of adventurers and gods out there,” Hestia stated, nuzzling Wiene’s blue hair.

The monster girl blushed, and Taylor chuckled a little at the sight.

“I like the sun,” Wiene murmured after a moment, not even bothering to try to escape from Hestia’s grasp. “I like grass and flowers and birds… I love the surface. It’s beautiful. It’s alive. I never wanna leave.”

That simple, innocent joy almost made both women’s heart break, knowing how terribly she’d be treated due to her existence, and Taylor and Hestia both patted Wiene’s head fondly, silently vowing to protect that innocence.

When that was done, Taylor got dressed, and then she went out into the backyard to visit the Spider Shed and the rest of her swarm and get them breakfast.

“Morning, Chris,” Taylor said, greeting her oldest monster. “Excellent work last night.”

He chittered in response, and she could sense his pleasure at being praised. His mind was growing in leaps and bounds and was definitely as smart as a dog now. Maybe even a dolphin.

She left him his breakfast – dog food mixed with crushed Magic Stones – and went to Debbie’s spot. She lay beneath the ground, and Taylor poured the Dungeon Worm’s breakfast into a hole. She sent mental waves of gratitude to Debbie for her help against Evilus, and Taylor felt the dirt shake a little in response.

The Gun Libellula – which now bore the name ‘Militia’ after the gun-toting heroine with that moniker – was resting and recovering from the fight and was still too ‘young’ to have many thoughts. She did perk up when Taylor brought her food, though.

Next came the Venenthes, which was rather simple to take care of. Water and Magic Stones were all it needed, though she tossed in other things like table scraps from dinner every so often. Since it could dissolve and digest anything organic it made for a good trash disposal.

Azure’s food was a bit more expensive than any of the other monsters she owned, as fruit juice, sugar water, and honey weren’t easy to get in the city, driving the price up. The Blue Papilio couldn’t really eat Magic Stones either, not without grinding them up first. But regardless of the cost, Taylor paid it, and she refilled Azure’s feeders with freshly squeezed apple juice spiked with powdered Magic Stones.

Last but not least was Annette, the Killer Ant being kept in her own special shed. She was small now, but would grow rapidly and needed the space all to herself. Already, she had quintupled in size since hatching and was the size of a bulldog, and quite voracious.

“Here you go,” Taylor said, dropping a steak in front of the larva. Annette happily attacked the food, gobbling it up. A few Magic Stones were also given to her for extra energy.

“Dang, you’re getting big,” Taylor mused, peering down at the growing baby ant. Annette made a clicking noise and rolled over before running in circles, acting like a puppy. A furless, milk-white, many-legged puppy, but a puppy all the same.

“Well, at least you seem happy,” the parahuman snorted. “And almost as smart as Chris.”

Which was weird, and more than a little interesting. Was the fact Annette was a naturally born creature affecting her mental growth somehow? Perhaps Queen Administrator was nudging things along through their link. Whatever was happening, Taylor gave it a less than a month before Annette entered her pupa stage and metamorphized into her adult form.

After double-checking Annette’s living quarters to make sure it was intact after last night, Taylor went back to the manor and made herself a late breakfast.

“I miss cereal,” she murmured as she prepared some toast and jam.

Oh, don’t get her wrong, she liked fresh eggs and bacon with some toast and muffins, but sometimes you just wanted a bowl of milk and cereal. Even corn flakes would be good!

‘Actually, maybe I could make that,’ Taylor mused to herself thoughtfully. Corn flakes were just ground up corn pressed flat into a sheet, baked in an oven, and then broken up. Simple, right?

‘The problem would be getting corn for it… haven’t seen any since arriving,’ Taylor mused. ‘Hm. I suppose I could just go for bran flakes instead, but corn… that was a superfood.’

‘Come to think of it, how are there potatoes in Orario, but no corn? They are both New World foods,’ the parahuman continued to wonder as she made her food. Being able to multi-task was purely the greatest.

Mysteries of this world aside, right now it was time to eat, and she sat down with her food to enjoy a slow morning.

“Good morning, Taylor-Sama,” Haruhime said in greeting as she entered the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?”

“Morning,” Taylor replied. “And I did. Everything go alright last night? No issues crop up?”

“No, the Guild assessed the damage and assigned a construction Familia to begin repairs. And they removed the bodies,” the renard informed her. “We’ll have to take care of the damage to our yard ourselves, though.”

“That’s fine,” Taylor said. “I’ll shop around later, see who has the best price. Though if you could tell everyone that we’re having a meeting after lunch?”

“Of course, Taylor-Sama,” Haruhime replied.

“Oh, and wake up Hestia and Wiene. Don’t let them sleep all day,” Taylor requested. “Give them another hour, but make sure they’re up and about afterwards.”

The renard bowed again before walking out, leaving Taylor alone with her breakfast.

A few hours and a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches later, and the Hestia Familia convened in the living room.

“Thank you all for gathering for the Familia meeting,” Taylor said, giving a nod towards the group who’d gathered.

“Are we going to discuss what happened last night?” Mikoto asked.

“Correct. I saw a lot that made me proud, but I also spotted some spots where we could do better,” the captain stated. “Though I want to first state that regardless of what I’m saying… you all did amazing.”

Everything grinned happily at that. They had done an incredible job.

“First off: the teamwork was incredible. You all did well. Karen, your team up with Haruhime was well thought out and you leveraged your Skills quite well. Haruhime, your chanting has gotten faster as well.”

“Thank you,” Karen said, and Haruhime smiled and bowed.

“Emma, Leo… I’m afraid I have a few notes for you,” Taylor said, her tone shifting to a reprimanding one. “While your trick worked, it nearly cost Leo her life. Emma, you need to find a way to use your Skills better. The ability to swap stats between Familia members is impressive, but make sure your partner can handle it when you do so.”

“Yes, captain,” Emma said, looking down at her feet while Leo nodded solemnly.

“We will do better,” the blue-haired swordswoman vowed.

“Of course you will,” Taylor replied, as if it was obvious, before looking towards her next victim.

“Next up, Bell, you need a sword,” Taylor declared, causing her brother to blink in surprise.

“I do?”

“Yes. While I was watching you fight the Violas last night, I noticed that while sharp and more than capable of cutting through their flesh, the Hestia Knife was too short to do all that much damage,” Taylor informed him. “Against monster that are below a Minotaur in size, it’s perfectly fine. But larger targets need larger tools.”

“What do you suggest, then?” Bell inquired.

“I’d consult with Welf, but I’d go with a hand-and-half arming sword,” Taylor suggested. “Maybe even a straight-up long or bastard sword.”

“Alright, that makes sense,” Bell replied, nodding slowly.

“Additionally, try to experiment with dual wielding,” the Familia captain continued. “Use the Hestia Knife as a parrying dagger to deflect attacks while striking with the longer weapon.”

“Yeah… I can see that,” the Lucky Rabbit mused to himself, eyes filled with a gleam as he was already going over ways to use her advice in his head.

Taylor nodded, glad he was taking her words seriously. She then turned to Primo, Aisha and Gina.

“Now, for you two. You both did incredible jobs last night. You especially, Gina. Your coordination with Primo was suburb. And Primo, while you need to work on increasing your chanting speed and work on concurrent chanting, the combination you two had worked well, so keep at it.”

“Thanks!” the littlest Amazon said, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish grin while the elf blushed.

“However, you both are not dressed properly,” Taylor declared, giving the Amazons' attire disappointed looks. “You can wear what you like when off-duty, but in the Dungeon, not having some defensive layer is a liability.”

“Not wearing armor makes sense, though,” Aisha began, but was cut off with a raised hand.

“I’ve heard all the arguments, and I disagree completely. Yes, speed and evasiveness are perfectly valid tactics in the Dungeon, and honestly good sense. But there are times you can’t avoid something and have to take a hit. And when that happens, a little bit of armor between you and whatever struck you can save your life.”

Taylor then pointed at the dark-skinned duo. “Additionally, the argument that armor slows you down might be true for people without the Falna, but even a brand-new Level 1 can easily wear heavy armor that a non-augmented person would struggle with. And at higher levels, weight effectively becomes a non-issue. Not to mention the Falna specifically has a stat called ‘Dexterity’ that lets you retain your mobility even in clunky, awkward full plate armor.”

“So, you want us to wear some sort of protection, then?” Gina asked, and Taylor nodded.

“It doesn’t have to be as heavy as Lili’s or Oriana’s, but it needs to be more than the cloth you currently go into battle with. I do plan on weaving the rear-line fighters some special outfits from modified silk Lucia and I are experimenting with, though, so if you still want something light, just ask.”

“Huh, really? How are you doing that?” Silva asked curiously.

“Lucia had the idea to feed the spiders potions to see if their silk would take on certain properties. So far, it seems it is a success, so we’ll be feeding some new concoctions to see if we can’t alter the properties of the silk further,” Taylor explained.

Really, the experiment had been a bigger success than any of them had thought. The Healing Silk turned out to be the best, able to slowly heal wounds when wrapped around an injury, and bandages made of it could mend all manners of cuts, burns, and dermal injuries. Not broken bones, sadly. Still, very impressive all the same.

‘Our next experiment will be seeing what happens when I mixed crushed Magic Stones, ground up Killer Ant carapaces, and powdered Crystal Mantis crystals into their feed,’ Taylor mused to herself. She had big expectations for the outcomes!

“Now, Welf and Lili,” Taylor said, shaking her head to dismiss the thoughts of silk that filled her head. “You managed to team up to take down a Level 3. For recent Level 2s, that is an incredible achievement. Lili, you used your Cinder Ella and Hade’s Head to maneuver around the battlefield and Welf, while you didn’t get a chance to use your new Skill, you showed off your improved handling of a war hammer in a combat situation. It’s improved compared to last time.”

“Thanks, boss!” Welf said, shooting her a thumbs up, while Lili blushed and looked away.

“I-it was nothing!”

“Also, well done with the ballista. Lili, you handled it well. Welf, you made a damn fine weapon,” Taylor went on, before glancing at the dark-skinned man in the room. “Tammuz, you handled Valetta well but you were too soft and there were several times you could have pressed the advantage that might have greatly injured her. Since you did the same with me… I believe you might have been conditioned to not fight against women with your full might by Ishtar.”

“I see… I never thought of that before,” Tammuz admitted thoughtfully. “I shall work on this weakness.”

“Ryuu… you need to get your anger under control,” Taylor informed the elf. “I understand the hate you feel for Evilus, but do not let it control you.”

She nodded curtly, clenching her fists tightly.

“Mikoto, Oriana, Silva, Gita, no notes. You used your Skills and combat experience to the best of your ability,” Taylor said, finishing up the overview of the fight.

“Now, if you want, get your stats updated,” Taylor suggested, and Hestia perked up.

“That’s right! You all probably got really strong!” the goddess said cheerfully. At her side, Wiene winced from the way everyone’s attention was now on them.

Taylor shot the Xenos a reassuring look, before adding something else.

“One final thing: We will be facing down against Evilus soon. We must defeat them, and we’ll be working together with other Familias to do so, so don’t slack off on your teamwork training!” she ordered, and everyone nodded, determination burning in their eyes.

The peace would not last. But Taylor would make sure her Familia would be prepared for the day conflict returned to Orario.

111 &&& 111

Taylor's Falna Update:

Taylor Hebert “Weaver”

Level 3

POWER – B 781 - - > S 999

ENDURANCE – C 623 - - > B 802

DEXTERITY – A 840 - - > SS 1122

AGILITY – B 733 - - > S 933

MAGIC – SS 1144 - - > SSS 1448

Skills –

Queen of Escalation: Grants dominion over all invertebrates. Gain Excelia through dominated beings. Immunity to foreign mental effects, charms, and illusions. Limit Breaker. (SHARD)

God Slayer: wHaT iS A gOd To A nOnBeLieVeR? Consume the Essence of a god and usurp their Arcanum. Surpass all mortal limits. Bestow Shards onto the worthy. (SHARD)

Kheiron Excelsior: Boost the rate of growth for all who fall under your aegis. The results of training show sooner. Impart knowledge easier.

Giantslayer: Boost damage done to and Excelia gained from targets larger than oneself.

Armyslayer: Boost damage dealt and Excelia gained when fighting against large numbers of foes. The more numerous, the greater the boost. (NEW!)

Spell –

Geas Immulatio: By sacrificing a part of yourself, seal away the corresponding aspect of another being. Costs Mind to maintain.

Incantation: I love you. I hate you. I will kill for you. I will die for you. Let my madness bind the world. Curse of Sacrifice!

Iaetitia Icari: Blessed by the sky, the user may summon wings of magical wind to stay aloft and fly. Costs Mind to maintain.

Incantation: Fly, Joy of Icarus!

Developmental Ability

Hunter E

Chain Attack F

Bell Cranel “Lucky Rabbit”

Level 3

POWER – SS 1111

ENDURANCE – SS 1111

DEXTERITY – SSS 1354

AGILITY – SSS 1468

MAGIC – S 997

Skills –

Liaris Freese: Increase the speed of growth so long as the user is in love. Strength of this Skill’s effects are proportional to the strength of the user’s feelings. Limit Breaker.

Argonaut: Allows a charge for an active action. It requires three minutes for a full charge and can either sound like a small chime or a grand bell depending on the power needed. It can be used for any type of attack but the effects will dissipate when the user is attacked or they lose focus.

Jupiter Ascendant: Create clones of lightning based on the user that have power equal to the user’s stats divided by number of clones created. Upon destruction, the clones will explode. Clones obey the creator. (SHARD)

Developmental Ability

Luck F

Abnormal Resistance G

Ryuu Lion “The Gale”

Level 5

POWER – F 396

ENDURANCE – F 331

DEXTERITY – D 504

AGILITY – C 643

MAGIC – D 528

Skill –

Fairy Serenade: Increase the effect of magic at night.

Mind Load: Increase Power stat when attacking with magic.

Aero Mana: Increase attack power the faster the user is running.

Astrae Varmas: Passively boost the stats of those within the same Familia. Grants medium resistance to mental attacks to all who bear Falna.

Spell –

Luminous Wind: Conjure winds of glowing stardust that gather into orbs and can explode.

Noah Heal: Slowly heal wounds and restore stamina. Effect changes depending on the environment.

Astraea Record: Memories of the fallen, immortalized in the ichor of Justice. Call upon the spells known by those who bear the mark of the Astraea Familia.

Developmental Ability

Hunter F

Abnormal Resistance G

Magic Resistance G

Mage I

Welf Crozzo “Ignis”

Level 2

POWER – E 441

ENDURANCE – E 422

DEXTERITY – G 202

AGILITY – G 202

MAGIC – F 321

Skills –

Crozzo Blood: Proof that the wielder is loved by the Spirits of the world and is descended of the original bearer of the blood of Crozzo.

Veritas Burn: Vastly increases resistance to fire and heat and increases attack power when using fire-based attacks.

Vulcan Drive: Freely manipulate existing forms of heat and flame. (SHARD)

Spell –

Will-o-Wisp: Anti-Magic flaming projectile that forces an Ignis Fatuus on targets trying to use magic.

Chant: Burn! Will-o-Wisp!

Developmental Ability

Blacksmith H

Liliruca Arde “Littlefoot”

Level 2

POWER – G 299

ENDURANCE – F 319

DEXTERITY – E 414

AGILITY – E 431

MAGIC – E 402

Skill –

Artel Assist: Compensates for the user’s ability to carry and wear a certain amount of weight.

Command Call: Increases the range of the user’s voice when giving orders. Range based on user’s Level and number of Familia members nearby.

Hobbit Hole: Generate a sub-space pocket capable of containing a set amount of weight and volume. Current limit: 2 tons. Time continues to pass normally for all objects within. Cannot put in living things larger than 1 square centimeter. Costs Mind to open and close the sub-space pocket, but does not cost Mind to maintain. (SHARD)

Spell –

Cinder Ella: Transformative Magic that allows the user to alter their appearance and transform into a different form. Can borrow the senses, traits, and abilities of the transformed target. Cannot exceed the user’s physical dimensions.

Chant: None

Developmental Ability

Abnormal Resistance H

Mikoto Yamato “Absolute Shadow”

Level 2

POWER – E 425

ENDURANCE – F 309

DEXTERITY – E 444

AGILITY – E 444

MAGIC – H 148

Skill –

Yatanokurogasu: Enables the user to search for enemies within a set range. Only works on targets the user has encountered before.

Yatanoshirogasu: Enables the user to search for other people within a set range. Only works on those who share a Falna with the user.

Spell –

Futsunomitama: Form a cage of Gravity Magic that crushes the target. Backlash causes damage to the user.

Developmental Ability

Abnormal Resistance H

Oriana Drake “Purekiki”

Level 2

POWER – E 452

ENDURANCE – D 555

DEXTERITY – G 221

AGILITY – G 245

MAGIC – I 25

Skill –

Knight Wall: Boost Endurance based on the number of people the user is trying to protect.

Development Ability –

Spearman H

Lucia Ramirez

Level 1

POWER – G 202

ENDURANCE – H 189

DEXTERITY – F 337

AGILITY – F 352

MAGIC – G 211

Skill

Blitz Blink: Teleport short distances. When teleporting, inertia and momentum can be redirected as a burst of kinetic energy centered on the user. Costs Mind to use. (SHARD)

Iris Bennett

Level 1

POWER – G 377

ENDURANCE – G 388

DEXTERITY – H 101

AGILITY – H 118

MAGIC – F 304

Skill –

Bronze Bull: Creates a bronze-colored aura around the body that doubles Power and Endurance for a while and emits heat. Drains stamina and Mind while active. (SHARD)

Emma Flores

Level 1

POWER – G 202

ENDURANCE – G 201

DEXTERITY – G 233

AGILITY – G 266

MAGIC – H 111

Skills –

Rein Amur: Borrow stats from Familia members to share them amongst others sharing the same Falna. This reduces the stats by an equal amount and induces fatigue in both the user and the Familia members upon the Skill ending.

Rein Veritas: Borrow and distribute Skills from other Familia members amongst others sharing the same Falna. Skills cannot be used by the original user while this Skill is active.

Spell –

Rein Occult – Borrow the ability to cast Spells other Familia members know. Borrowed Spells cannot be used by the original user while this spell is active.

Incantation: All for One, and One for All! Let magic bloom as the Hearth is kindled! Rein Occult!

Leo Valdez

Level 1

POWER – G 271

ENDURANCE – G 282

DEXTERITY – H 101

AGILITY – I 99

MAGIC – I 0

Love Silva

Level 1

POWER – H 164

ENDURANCE – H 134

DEXTERITY – I 75

AGILITY – I 77

MAGIC – I 0

Gita Meyers

Level 1

POWER – E 469

ENDURANCE – F 340

DEXTERITY – G 255

AGILITY – E 488

MAGIC – I 0

Primo Libera

Level 1

POWER – I 24

ENDURANCE – I 26

DEXTERITY – I 44

AGILITY – I 44

MAGIC – H 157

Spell –

Lumine Pleiades: Create beams of light that rain down upon the target.

Chant: Oh seven maiden stars, rain devastation upon mine foes! Lumine Pleiades!

Gina Gwen

Level 1

POWER – H 114

ENDURANCE – H 119

DEXTERITY – I 98

AGILITY – H 101

MAGIC – I 0

Karen Morris

Level 1

POWER – F 337

ENDURANCE – G 241

DEXTERITY – G 277

AGILITY – F 331

MAGIC – I 0

Skill –

Never Retreat: Boost stats while fighting one-on-one.

Noblesse Oblige: Boost Power and Agility when attacking an opponent head on.

Tammuz Belili “Dumuzid”

Level 4

POWER – D 521

ENDURANCE – D 533

DEXTERITY – E 412

AGILITY – E 441

MAGIC – H 160

Skill –

Artel Assist: Compensates for the user’s ability to carry and wear a certain amount of weight.

Spell –

Allalu’s Wing: Unleash razor-sharp blades of wind.

Chant: Soar, Unbroken Wing!

Development Ability –

Hunter H

Abnormal Resistance H

Crush H

Aisha Belka “Antianeira”

Level 3

POWER – B 785

ENDURANCE – B 721

DEXTERITY – D 546

AGILITY – D 569

MAGIC – G 234

Spell –

Hell Kaios: Unleash a shockwave of blood-red magic.

Chant: Seek and Destroy! Hell Kaios!

Development Ability –

Hunter H

Abnormal Resistance G

Sanjouno Haruhime

Level 1

POWER – I 45

ENDURANCE – I 39

DEXTERITY – I 65

AGILITY – I 71

MAGIC – D 542

Skill –

Renard Reborn: Bestowed onto one who has returned from a fate worse than death. Duration of all Buffs doubled. Grants immunity to Curses. Spirits adore you.

Mikuzumenohou: Improve the effect of magic and reduce the cost of casting spells.

Spell –

Uchide no Kozuchi: Bless a target with immense power equal to a Level Up. Target gains halved Excelia while under the effects of the spell.

Kokonoe: Grow up to nine additional tails that can contain magic and bestow multiple blessings onto others.