Susano'o Familia Premise Chapter 1 (Patreon)

I apologize...the Muse wouldn't let me work on anything but this. *Heavy sigh*

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you a brand-new story! It’s Danmachi again! Since the Series seems to have a freaking stranglehold on my Muse’s throat. Once again, we’re REALLY changing things up! Breaking Canon over my knee! The same change as before applies, Hestia never descended to Gekai! So, who takes in Bell this time? Well, a bit of a change in Bell’s upbringing makes him more fit and stronger, but it takes more than that to join a Familia in Orario! Perhaps Bell needs to meet a Deity that’s new to the city too?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 1 – A Dreamer and a Storm God

Bell Cranel grew up on the tales of Heroes, learning from the lessons of their trials and tribulations. His grandfather made sure of it, unbeknownst to the young boy. Bell happily listened to the stories, taking in the lessons and warnings within them as he grew up enough to actually understand them. At a fairly young age, after a close call with a Goblin that his grandpa saved him from, he’d asked if he could become a Hero, like in the stories.

“Would you be happy if I became a Hero like them?” Bell looked up at his grandpa, the tears in his rubellite eyes had stopped for now.

“But of course!” His grandpa knelt down to be at eye level with the boy. “You’re my pride and joy and always will be,” He gently ruffled the boy’s white hair. “So, don’t worry about making these old bones happy.” That same wide grin, filled with both cheer and a bit of mischief, smiled at the child. “Real men chase after ladies’ butts! Rescue the damsels in distress! Show off! Always face forward!” He chuckled at the bright smile that appeared on Bell’s face. “If it’s for the women that you fall in love with, whether it’s becoming a Hero or whatever else…you can do anything. After all, you’re my grandson that I’m so proud of.”

“Yes!” Bell cheered, hugging his grandpa. The old man hugged him back, giving full support to the boy’s dream. “But…how do I become a Hero? The ones in the stories are strong and smart, they’re warriors and stuff.”

“Then we’ll have to train you up so that you can be strong, right?” His grandpa chuckled, only to burst into laughter at Bell’s excited nodding.

Bell’s ‘training’ consisted of helping more around the farming village they lived in. Tending the fields, helping with the animals, carrying water, gathering firewood, and helping with the harvest in the autumn. The only thing different from what the other children were doing was the sheer amount of what Bell was carrying, hauling, chopping, and tending to. When the daily labor was done, Bell would learn the basics of fighting from his grandpa. Well…it started more as play-fighting with the two wrestling around, Bell learned from the roughhousing, rather than formal instruction. But, as he got older, his grandpa made sure that the basics were properly drilled into him.

“Come on, Bell…surely this old man isn’t getting the best of you, right?” The old man laughed, pushing his young grandson backwards with his superior weight. His greater height and heavier build made Bell’s struggles all the harder.

“Hah!” Bell pushed his grandpa back again. Leveraging the strength of his legs, Bell managed to push his grandpa back enough to make some distance between them. He then lashed out with a kick, but his grandpa easily backstepped to avoid it, before coming in with a straight punch that nearly staggered Bell.

“Giving up, Bell?” The old man questioned with a knowing grin. His grandson was already about as strong as a Human could get without a Falna, and he still had a few years of growing to do. Bell was well on the path to his dream without even realizing it.

“Heroes don’t give up!” Bell declared, steadying his feet and then charging his grandfather again.

“That’s the spirit, Bell!” The old man laughed as he met Bell’s charge and locked him into another grapple. ‘We’ll make you a real Hero. I know you can do it, Bell.’

-Dungeon City Orario ~ Five Years Later-

“I made it, grandpa.” Bell looked down the wide street as he walked through one of the gates of Orario. It had taken a few weeks by wagon to get here from their remote mountain village, but he was here. “I’ll become a Hero, grandpa, just like I said I would.”

-Flashback-

It had happened a few months back. His grandfather and several of the village men were going hunting. It should’ve been a simple thing, the men would be gone a couple of days, and then they’d return with whatever beast they’d managed to hunt. Meat would be shared among the villagers, and everyone would be happy. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and there was an accident. Bell’s grandfather had fallen from a cliff as a section of the mountain had fallen into a small landslide. A few of the other men were injured, but only Bell’s grandpa was lost.

Bell had gone numb when he’d received the news. He’d cried himself to sleep every night for a week. After he had no more tears to shed, he’d simply gone through the motions of day-to-day life. In that grief-stricken state he’d languished for weeks. But one evening, as he started the fire in the fireplace for warmth, the light had illuminated the small bookshelf against the wall. Bell had listlessly wandered over to it and pulled one of the books his grandfather had written and illustrated down. It was as he read through it that a small smile had found its way back to his face. By the end of the book, life had returned to Bell’s ruby eyes. He’d made his decision then and there, he’d go to Orario and become the Hero he’d decided to be! He’d make his grandfather proud!

-End Flashback-

“Come on, Bell. You’re a man now. Grandpa wouldn’t want you to be sad forever.” Bell shook his head. It seemed like a different life now, his last birthday, the day he’d become a man, his grandfather had celebrated it with him by sharing his first drink. It had been a good day. But now, Bell was on his own, and he needed to make his own way in the world.

“And chase after ladies butts!” His grandfather’s voice spoke from within Bell’s memory. It made the young man chuckle just a little, even after what had happened.

“Now, I just head down this street and I’ll see the Guild Building, right?” Bell recalled what the gate guard that had processed his entry into the sprawling city had said. He made his way down the street, marveling at all of the different Races that inhabited Orario. Humans, Cat People, Elves, Chienthropes, Dwarves, Hume Bunnies, Prums, Raccoon People, Amazons, and Beastmen of more types than Bell knew existed! It wasn’t hard to find the Guild Building, given the size of the building and the banners on it. “Okay…” Bell exhaled and then took a fortifying breath. “I can do this.” He walked in and went to the first available counter with someone behind it that he saw.

“Hello, how may I help you today?” The lady behind the counter asked politely.

“Hello, I’m new to Orario and I wanted to become an Adventurer.” Bell informed the woman.

“Ah, I see, well you certainly look strong enough to try.” She complimented him with a smile.

“Oh, thank you.” Bell felt his cheeks warm slightly. His grandpa had liked teasing him about how many of the village girls seemed to have their eyes on him as he grew up. He was definitely toned from years of rigorous farm work and he at least knew the basics of how to fight, thanks to his grandpa.

“Well, we’ll need you to fill out some paperwork first, do you have a Familia yet?” The pink-haired guild woman gathered some forms from beneath the counter.

“No, ma’am, I was told it was better to register and then fill in the Familia part afterwards.” Bell spoked up as he accepted a pen from the woman.

“Hmm, either way works, but if you’re new this might be easier.” She nodded and then helped him fill out his paperwork for the Guild. Several minutes later, and Bell was finished, the only part left blank being what Familia he was part of.

“Thank you very much, Miss…” Bell realized that he didn’t know the woman’s name.

“Flott, Misha Flott.” The pink-haired young woman smiled at him. “You may call me Misha, if you’d like.”

“Thank you, Miss Misha.” Bell returned her smile. “Can I get a map of Orario, please?” He pulled out a bit of the money he had on him.

“Of course, that’ll be 10 Valis.” Misha handed him the map of the city and collected the small coin from him.

“I’ll be back once I find a Familia.” Bell waved over his shoulder as he headed for the exit. Once he was outside, he looked at the map and noted the location of several of the Familias that he’d heard were the best. “I wonder which one I’ll get into?”

-One Week Later-

“Not one…” Bell lamented, sitting on a crate in one of the many alleyways of Orario.

He thought it would be easy to find a Familia to take him on. But his first day had seen him rejected by all of the biggest Familias in the city. His second day in Orario he’d tried to apply at some smaller Familias, but even the mid-tier Familias hadn’t wanted him. The third day was the same, as was the fourth. On the fifth day, Bell started looking at the smallest Familia’s, the ones that had less than a dozen members. He was met with more rejection. The smaller Familia’s usually giving the reason for their refusal as Bell being someone the Familia would have to take care of, rather than an asset.

He’d had doors closed in his face, he had been laughed at until he left, and just a bit ago he had been physically shoved out the door. A full week of rejections, mockery, and ridicule had started to show their marks as the light in Bell’s eyes began to dull. He was starting to run low on money…maybe another few days at the cheap inn he was renting. Perhaps if he only ate one meal a day then he could make that last another week? He was already down to one average meal and a small meal in the evening, what was a little hunger compared to being out on the streets?

“Come on, Bell, think.” Bell exhaled heavily and closed his eyes. “Why won’t they accept you?” He played back the last week in his head.

The big Familia took in talented people and the ones with experience, the kind of people that would be an immediate help to the Familia. Bell didn’t fit into that category. He had no experience and no Magic. The mid-sized Familia were the same, all of them wanting at least a person that showed promise and had something to offer to the Familia upon joining. Bell was just a guy from a remote mountain farming village, he had nothing to offer them. The small Familia needed their new members to at least bring their own equipment, it seemed. They simply didn’t have the resources to take care of someone that wasn’t able to contribute right away.

“Well, I can’t suddenly gain experience that I don’t have. I also can’t just gain Magic to make myself more appealing to a Familia either. That only leaves one thing I can do.” Bell nodded to himself as he looked at his lack of equipment. “I’ll have to at least have my own weapon.” His hand went to his pocket where his pouch of Valis was kept. He didn’t have much left. Certainly not enough to afford a decent weapon.

That left only a single option.

“I’ll have to scrounge through the trash and scrap and hope to find something thrown away.” Bell sighed, seeing this ‘dumpster diving’ as necessary if he had any hope of following his dream. Luckily, Orario ‘The Center of the World’ was filled with Adventurers, Blacksmiths, and even retired Adventurers, so the odds of finding a disused, worn, or broken weapon being tossed out was fairly high.

With his plan in mind, Bell set off to try and salvage a weapon from whatever trash heap or dumpster he happened to find one in. It was probably a good thing that he was near the Merchant District. Many of the businesses dealt with Orario’s wares, like weapon and metal manufacturing. Orario was known to produce some of the best blades in the world, and even things like kitchen knives were exported from the Dungeon City for great profits by various merchants.

It was sunset in Orario when Bell finally felt like he had found something with potential. A dumpster that was marked as ‘scrap metal’ on the front gave him some hope. If the merchants were tossing all of the defective metalware into this dumpster, then surely a few knives or something similar would be in it too. Even if they weren’t great, they’d still be weapons that Bell could arm himself with, and hopefully having them would make him a more attractive prospect to a potential Familia.

“Let’s see.” Bell stood on the edge of the dumpster and peered inside. Piles of metal were in the dumpster waiting to be taken away. Most of it looked like broken parts from various objects; barrels, wagons, crates, and the like. But one thing did catch Bell’s eye more than the rest of the junk. “Is that a handle?” He reached for the straight piece that was wrapped in what looked to be white cloth or leather. “Come on…come out of there, you…” Bell struggled for a bit to free the object, and when he finally managed to pull it out he looked at what the handle belonged to. “Is this…an axe?”

Looking it over, Bell couldn’t think of what else it could be, given its design. A straight handle of roughly 38cm, and a metal blade of black with a silvery-white edge that had a ‘beard’ that extended over the top part of the handle.

“Looks like the top part broke off.” Bell noted the break at the top and wondered if the axe originally had a protrusion on top to match the ‘beard’ that would give the weapon a larger cutting edge. “It still looks like it’ll work though, and the handle is in good enough shape.” Bell smiled at the axe in his hands. He had experience with an axe from all of the woodcutting that he’d done growing up. It might take a bit to get used to using it as a weapon, but Bell would manage.

With his new weapon acquired, Bell headed back for the inn that he was staying at. Tomorrow would be a new day for him, and he knew that he’d finally find a Familia to accept him. He at least had his own equipment now!

-The Next Morning-

“So, no one wants to take you in, eh?” A man with long black hair past his shoulders, a matching trimmed mustache and goatee, spoke to Bell. He wore a navy blue hitatare with a white sash holding the top closed, and had wooden geta on his feet. Not that Bell actually knew the names of the man’s garments, being that they were all normally found in the Far East.

“Sir?” Bell blinked at the Deity, easily able to feel his Divine Aura.

“I’ve seen you walk up and down this street for the last week, yet you always return with the same miserable look on your face.” The God spoke to Bell flatly. “No one wants you, because you have nothing to offer. That’s the harsh reality of this city.” The God exuded a pressure into the air and Bell felt as though he was getting a glimpse at what the Deities were really like. “Yet, even after a week of rejection, you still keep trying. Why is that?”

“I want to be an Adventurer, sir.” Bell looked at the God firmly.

“Can you still say that after a week of being rejected by every Familia you’ve ever spoken to?” The God’s dark eyes drilled into Bell’s own.

“I will fulfill my dream and the promise that I made with my grandpa!” Bell declared to the Deity that was challenging his resolve and conviction.

“Hahahahaha!” The God laughed loudly for a moment before clapping his right hand onto Bell’s shoulder. “You…are definitely interesting!” He chuckled at Bell. “Join my Familia!”

“Eh?!” Bell nearly gaped at the sudden invitation.

“By the way, you don’t have the right to refuse.” The God looked at Bell seriously, his face seemingly shadowed out of nowhere.

“What?” Bell uttered confused.

“I’ll put you through training, make a real warrior out of you!” The Deity’s hand tightened on Bell’s shoulder. The white-haired young man suddenly wondered if this was a good idea or not. “And one day…prove that all of the Familias that rejected you were wrong.” The God grinned at Bell, a look of understanding in his dark eyes.

“Yes!” Bell beamed at the Deity before him. Finally having acceptance made it feel like the weight of the world was off his shoulders.

“I’m Susano’o-no-Mikoto, kid. Storm God of the Shinto Pantheon.” Susano’o introduced himself with a laugh. “You can just call me Susano’o, or Lord Susano’o, or Susano’o-sama. Whichever you’re comfortable with.”

“I’m Bell Cranel, Lord Susano’o.” Bell bowed to the Far East God. “I’ll gladly join your Familia!”

“Great,” Susano’o laughed, having Bell follow behind him. “Let’s head back to my shack and I’ll give you my Falna.”

“Shack?” Bell questioned as he followed after his new God.

-Susano’o Familia Home-

“I thought you were kidding.” Bell blinked at the small building sitting on a plot of land that had apparently been cleared out for some reason. The shack was a little, mostly wood, building with a stone foundation that Bell imagined had probably been a small shop or something at one point. The cleared out area around it had become overgrown with grass and weeds, and Bell even noticed a few young trees had grown and were casting large swathes of shade over the plot of land; meaning this cleared space might be as old as he was.

“Nope.” Susano’o shrugged as they walked through a path in the grass and weeds that had been worn away with constant use. “When I first got to Orario, I didn’t have much to my name. I bummed off the only other Deity from my Pantheon in the whole city for a bit until I could get this place. Stung my pride and honor something fierce having to do that. But now I have my first ‘child’ and can work on building up our Familia.”

“I’m the first?” Bell looked at Susano’o in surprise.

“Yep! That makes you the Captain by default too, lucky, huh?” Susano’o laughed as he unlocked the door and had Bell follow him inside.

The interior of the small building was…cozy, to be polite. It had a stone floor with a few small, old rugs here and there. The front area where the biggest window was had a small couch and a cushioned chair, both also clearly old. The curtains at least looked in moderately good condition to cover the window. Past the front room was a kitchen area, also small, but it had everything they would need. There was counterspace, if not a lot, a sink, a wooden table with two matching chairs, and an old icebox-style refrigerator powered by a refined Magic Stone. Bell was definitely noticing that everything that his new Deity owned was rather old, but it was much better than being on the streets.

“It’s small, but we’ll make do for now, the grassy plot of land around it is all ours too, so we can do with it what we want.” Susano’o shrugged at their current living space. “You’ll be happy to know that the bathroom works well. Shower, toilet, sink, the tub is a little small, but you can soak if you try. There’s two bedrooms as well.” He showed Bell the three rooms down the short hallway. The two bedrooms were roughly the same size, but each of them only had enough space for a twin bed and a chest of drawers inside.

“It’s enough.” Bell agreed, having grown up in a cabin, and was used to a smaller living space as a result.

“Good to hear.” Susano’o chuckled and patted Bell on the back. “Let’s give you my Blessing, and then you’re going to show me what you can do physically, and with your broken axe there.” He pointed at the weapon strapped to Bell’s hip with a thin rope.

“Yes, sir!” Bell nodded and the two headed back out to the front room.

“I’ll need to see your back.” Susano’o mentioned as he sat on the cushioned arm chair.

“Okay.” Bell removed his brown jacket with the black square over the right shoulder, followed by his black undershirt. He turned his bare back towards Susano’o as he sat on the small couch.

“This shouldn’t take too long, I know the basics and my friend let me watch how updates and locking the Falna are done with one of his ‘children’ once.” Susano’o lightly jabbed his thumb with a small knife that he kept on him.

Letting a single drop of his blood touch Bell’s back began the process as a glowing blue-white light shone from the young man. Susano’o, with steady hand, began to write the hieroglyphs of the Falna into Bell’s back with his blood. His name, Level, the area for his Basic Abilities to be tracked, a slot for Magic, then a space for Skills, and finally a space for any Developmental Abilities that Bell might manifest in the future when he leveled up.

‘Hmm…what would be a good emblem for my Falna?’ Susano’o pondered as he got to the last part of giving his first ever Blessing. Once he decided on an emblem, all of his Falna from this point forward would automatically have the image appear on the backs of any future ‘children’ that he took into his Familia. ‘Yeah…that should be perfect.’ Susano’o nodded to himself after a second of thought.

With his blood, he painted his emblem upon Bell’s back. Clouds, waves, and lightning, all representing his Domains of the Storms and the Sea, which were his oldest associations. The sumi-e style emblem was complete and when Susano’o pushed the tiniest fragment of his Divinity into the new Falna, the lines instantly turned black and sharpened into a distinct image, as if done by a master tattoo artist. “One last thing, Bell.” Susano’o picked up a blank paper from the floor. He didn’t recall what this had come from, but was sure he’d gotten it from his friend when he moved into this shack. He pressed the paper onto the newly completed Falna and copied it over. “Here, you’re officially my first ‘child’ now, Bell.”

“Thank you very much, Lord Susano’o!” Bell was ecstatic as he took the paper showing his new Blessing.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0

Defense – I 0

Dexterity – I 0

Agility – I 0

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“My own Blessing.” Bell couldn’t keep the grin off of his face.

“Everyone starts at the bottom, Bell.” Susano’o stood up with a grin. “But training will make you grow! And I’ll put you through plenty of it!”

“Yes, sir!” Bell stood up as well, eager to prove that Susano’o hadn’t made a mistake in taking him in.

“That’s the spirit! Now let’s head outside and you can show me what you know in terms of combat.” Susano’o laughed and headed for the door.

“Are you a Warrior, or War Deity too, Lord Susano’o?” Bell asked after quickly pulling his black shirt over his head and following the Deity outside.

“I’m a warrior, even slayed the Yamato no Orochi with nothing but my wits and my sword way back when.” Susano’o informed Bell with a bark of laughter. “But my Domains are Storms, the Sea, the Fields, the Harvest, Marriage, and Love.”

“Marriage and Love?’ Bell mused and after a moment nodded along. The Domain of Marriage was probably tied to the Domain of Love. Even Bell could admit that Susano’o had a roguish charm to him that would probably make many a woman swoon. “Maybe I’ll wield the power of storms if I ever gain Magic, huh, Lord Susano’o?” He chuckled and Susano’o joined him.

“It’s possible.” Susano’o nodded along. “If you do manifest Magic related to storms, I can at least help you learn how to use it a bit. I know just about everything there is to know when it comes to storms, after all.” He stretched a bit and made Bell do the same to loosen them both up.

Once Bell felt ready, he and Susano’o made a bit of distance between them to start a spar.

“Come at me.” Susano’o beckoned Bell forth.

The newly blessed young man would soon learn that just because his Deity wasn’t a Warrior or War God, didn’t mean he had even a small chance of besting Susano’o as a warrior.

-Guild-

“Ow…” Bell grimaced, his bruises still aching a bit from the sparring he’d done to show how much he knew about fighting. “Lord Susano’o is a taskmaster.”

“Bell?” Misha called out to him from the counter upon seeing him. “I haven’t seen you in a week.”

“It took a while to find a Familia, Miss Misha.” Bell gave her a smile, hiding the slight pain echoing across his body. “But Lord Susano’o accepted me and made me the first of his Familia.”

“Congratulations, Bell.” Misha gave him a smile before placing an odd item on the counter. “Please place your hand on this so that we may confirm.” She motioned to the flat wooden tablet with what looked like a crystal set into it.

“What’s that?” Bell looked at the device curiously.

“A Divinity Sensor.” Misha explained patiently. “If you place your hand on it without having a Falna, nothing happens. If you do have a Falna, the crystal lights up for a few moments. We can’t let unblessed people enter the Dungeon, because it’s basically suicide, see?” That particular rule had been put in place after several hundred deaths over the years of unblessed people filling the role of Supporter.

“That makes sense.” Bell nodded and placed his hand on the device. A second later and the crystal lit up with a light blue glow for several seconds.

“Falna, confirmed.” Misha nodded and went to retrieve Bell’s mostly finished paperwork. She returned a minute later and Bell happily wrote ‘Susano’o Familia’ onto the blank line of the form.

Bell had already confirmed with Susano’o that he was going to go into the Dungeon after finishing his paperwork. So, before heading into the Dungeon, he asked Misha to purchase a map of the Upper Floors and a piece of armor. The Guild sold Average Grade light armor for 5,000 Valis, and Bell could just barely afford that thanks to some money that Susano’o had been able to give him. Misha easily made the sale to him and Bell took his map and then strapped the small breastplate to his chest.

‘It leaves my stomach and back completely unguarded, but it’s better than nothing.’ Bell noticed of the light armor as he hefted his axe and rested it against his shoulder. It was time to head into the Dungeon!

-Dungeon-

“Wow, it’s massive, and there are so many Adventurers.” Bell walked along with the crowd as he headed for the Dungeon entrance for the first time. Heading down a long spiraling staircase with the huge crowd of Adventurers, the white-haired young man took a deep breath to settle his nerves, his right hand gripped the hilt of his broken axe tightly while he did so. With his dream of being an Adventurer in mind, along with his desire to become a Hero in his heart, Bell entered the Dungeon for the first time.

He quickly broke off from the majority of the Adventurers that were heading for deeper levels and headed off on his own. The first floor was well-mapped and Bell had his own map now, so he could find his way. Following the map he made his way toward a cavern a little off the beaten path. As he was walking, he took two turns through the corridors and entered into the cavern that was on his map. It was there he spotted his first Dungeon monster.

“A Goblin!” Bell noted the green creature. It was short, not even half of Bell’s height, had clawed hands, sharp teeth, and deep-red eyes with no pupil. A Goblin being his first Monster almost seemed fitting to Bell. Not only were they the weakest Monsters in the Dungeon, but he’d almost been killed by one when he was just a little boy. His grandpa had saved him back then, but now Bell was an Adventurer and he’d take out this Goblin himself!

“Grrrr…” The Goblin snarled at the human, making an aggressive step forward.

“Come on.” Bell stashed his map away and took hold of the broken axe with both hands.

“Grah!” The Goblin charged at Bell with a shriek, claws raised to strike.

Unfortunately for the Monster, Bell was a young man, and had quite a bit of height on the Monster. That also meant he had more reach, and his axe extended that even further.

“Hup!” Bell brought the broken axe down on the Goblin’s head just like he’d done hundreds of thousands of times while chopping firewood back in the village.

Thunk

The dull sound as the axe split the Goblin’s head was different form the sound of splitting wood, Bell noticed. The little green Monster hit the stone floor of the Dungeon, dead, and its blood began to pool below its head.

“That was easy.” Bell blinked at the ease he’d killed the Goblin with. Putting that aside for now, he smiled brightly at his first kill in the Dungeon as he pulled out the small knife that Susano’o had given him. “The Magic Stone is in the chest.” Bell recalled from the papers he’d gone over with Misha before she let him go into the Dungeon. Bell rolled the dead Goblin over and cut into its chest carefully. Seeing the sliver of purple crystal among the flesh, Bell used the tip of his knife to extract it. “My first Magic Stone.” He smiled at the small thing. It wasn’t much, but it was his first step on the path to reach his dream.

The Goblin corpse quickly broke down into white ashes after the Magic Stone had been removed. Bell watched the process in a kind of morbid fascination before shaking his head and continuing onward. He placed the Magic Stone into his hip pouch with a grin and entered the corridor on the other side of the cavern. He was ready to continue, one day Orario would know his name and the name of Susano’o Familia!

“Gah!”

Thunk

“Grrr!”

Thunk

“Grah!”

Thunk

“Grrssh!”

Thunk

The shrieks of attacking Goblins were silenced with a dull thud, one after another, on the path that Bell was making through the first floor. The green Monsters saw Bell, charged Bell, and ended up with their heads split for their attempt.

“These guys aren’t very bright, huh?” Bell shook his head as he extracted his newest Magic Stone. “Oh well, more Magic Stones for me!” He added the newest stone to his hip pouch.

“Grrrggghhh!” A new Monster growled threateningly at Bell in the corridor as he rounded a corner. It was a bipedal, gray-furred, dog-headed Monster known as a Kobold. Aside from Goblins, they were the only Monster known to spawn on the First Floor. Though the occasional Dungeon Lizard might crawl its way up from the Second Floor every now and then.

“Yah!” Bell lunged at the Kobold, bringing the broken axe down on the Monster. He grimaced as the sharp claws of the Kobold nicked his arms and drew blood. The Kobold was taller than the Goblins and had more reach because of it. Nevertheless, the axe blade crashed into the Kobold’s head and knocked it onto its knees as blood gushed from the wound. “These aren’t too bad.” Bell looked over his small injuries after yanking his weapon out of the Kobold’s head.

It took a moment to recall where the Kobold’s Magic Stone was located, and Bell cut open the Monster to retrieve it a moment later. After securing the stone and watching the body crumble into ash, Bell continued on his way.

“It would’ve been nice to get a Drop Item though.” Bell mumbled to himself. Drop Items were parts of Monsters that stayed behind after the rest of the body turned to ash. Not all Monsters would leave one behind, but the items could be sold for a nice amount at the Exchange in the Guild or to Mercantile Familias. The rarer the Drop Item, the more it was worth, so Kobold Nails and Goblin Fangs weren’t worth a ton, but they were worth more than any single Goblin or Kobold Magic Stone.

“Geh?”

“Hn?”

“Gkh.”

“Grr.”

“Four Goblins?” Bell blinked at seeing the small group as soon as he rounded the corner into the next decent-sized cavern. The four green Monsters spotted him at the same time and after a second of confusion, all four rushed towards him with snarls. “Bring it on!” Bell roared back, taking up his broken axe and charging at the short Monsters.

The first Goblin died like all of the rest, its head split by Bell’s weapon. The second tried to jump at Bell, but the young man wasn’t an idiot, he let go of his weapon and punched the airborne Monster as hard as he could. Given that Bell had been toughened up through intense labor and sparring for most of his life, he had a very strong punch. The second Goblin’s face nearly cave in under the blow, and it crashed into the ground unmoving.

“Grah!” The third Goblin lashed out with its claws, managing to score a light wound on Bell’s leg.

“You little!” Bell growled and grabbed the back of the Goblin’s head before slamming his knee into the Monster’s face. The Goblin fell to the ground dazed and with blood gushing from its nose and mouth.

“Grrr!” The fourth Goblin clawed at Bell, and the young man was forced away from the third goblin before he could finish it off.

“Take this!” Bell’s boot-clad foot slammed into the Goblin’s head with force, an audible ‘crack’ heard upon impact as the Monster collapsed dead. “Now, you.” He reached the third Goblin still lying injured on the floor. He raised his foot and brought it down with a powerful stomp, crushing the Goblin’s head beneath his boot. “Hah…” Bell hissed a little at the stinging scratches he’d gotten from the fight. “Four on one is a lot harder than I thought.” Seeing that the bleeding had already stopped, a little perk of having a Falna was being able to heal slightly faster than an unblessed person, Bell retrieved his weapon and then started harvesting the Magic Stones from the four Goblins. “That brings me up to…” He counted in his head for a second. “…fifteen Monsters total today.” It was a good start and he still had hours left to hunt before returning to the surface.

“Grrrrggghhh!” A Kobold had entered the cavern from the opposite corridor that Bell had come through.

“Back to work.” Bell hefted the broken axe with determination blazing in his rubellite eyes.

“Grrrooaaawwwrrr!” The Kobold rushed at Bell. It’s first swipe was dodged. The second swipe was blocked with the axe. It went for a bite, aiming for Bell’s face.

“Yah!” Bell swung the axe and nearly decapitated the Kobold as the blade cleaved into its furry neck. The Monster crumpled to the stone floor as its blood sprayed out from the gaping wound. “Whew…you were a little faster than the last one.” He commented, using his boot to roll the Kobold over so he could harvest the Magic Stone easier.

-Later-

Bell was all smiles, despite the various rips and tears in his clothing, as he ascended the stairs out of the Dungeon. Why was he smiling? Because of the fat pouch tied to his waist, of course! He’d filled the pouch to the limit with tiny Magic Stones from Kobolds and Goblins. So many in fact that he’d even had to stuff some into his pockets! No Drop Item today, but with how many Magic Stones he had, Bell wasn’t complaining.

“Someone had a good day.” One older Adventurer commented to his Party.

“Obviously.” One of the other men replied with a snort.

Bell happily made his way to the Guild Exchange to turn in his Magic Stones and get his money. He didn’t even have to wait in line as there had been a free window when he’d arrived. He upended the pouch and then emptied his pockets of the little purple crystals with a smile. The tray nearly filled to the brim by the time he was done.

“Hmm,” The man behind the window made a brief noise before moving the Magic Stones onto a set of scales and weighing them. He made a few marks in his ledger, and then opened a drawer below the counter. The jiggling of coins was heard and Bell could only watch happily as the Valis were placed into the tray. “You’re Magic Stones were worth 10,740 Valis. Have a nice day.” The tray was pushed back onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell smiled as he collected the coins and placed them into the pouch on his waist. He left the window and made his way over to the meeting area to give his report. Misha had been appointed as his Advisor, so Bell smiled at the young woman as he sat down on the couch across from her and gave his report about his first day in the Dungeon.

-Dungeon Advisor Area ~ Back of the Guild-

“Lookit my newbie!” Misha puffed up with a bright smile, holding up Bell’s first report. “153 Monsters slain on his first day!”

“Eh? Really”

“That’s so many!”

“Is that a record? Someone, check if that’s a record!”

“Did he clear out the First Floor by himself or something?”

The Advisors in the back were all curious about Bell Cranel now. Sure, the young man had looked decent enough to try his hand at being an Adventurer, but most newbies killed a dozen or so Monsters on their first day and came back with a few injuries. Bell had some light injuries, but had killed close to ten times the usual first day numbers.

“Is the First Floor more active than usual?” One of the Advisors questioned after thinking about it for a bit.

“You’ve got a point…over one-hundred just on the First Floor does seem like a lot.” Another agreed with the first.

“Bell went off the beaten path, where most Adventurers don’t bother going.” Misha explained with a grin as she read off the report. “He bought a map of the Upper Floors and used it to head to the less hunted areas. Monsters can build up in those places since they’re kind of out of the way.”

“So, a newbie that can use his head, will wonders never cease.” Rose Fannet, a red-haired Werewolf woman, drawled as she worked on paperwork at her desk. The Senior Advisor had seen plenty of gung-ho newbie Adventurers in her time with the Guild. Many of them died in the Dungeon and she’d become a bit jaded because of it.

“Aww, don’t be like that, Rose!” Misha pouted at the other woman. “Bell did good!”

-Susano’o Familia Home-

“Lord Susano’o?” Bell looked over his shoulder, where his God was updating his Status after his first day in the Dungeon.

“Yeah?” Susano’o paused what he was doing to look at Bell.

“I noticed something kind of odd about my weapon when I was leaving the Dungeon.” Bell spoke as he looked over at the broken axe.

“How do you mean?” Susano’o questioned curiously.

“Well, its broken on top, but on my way back up, I noticed that there was a curve at the top that wasn’t there before.” Bell explained as best as he could. “It was also completely clean of blood, even though I hadn’t wiped it off yet.”

“A curve?” Susano’o raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying your axe grew while you were in the Dungeon?”

“I think so?” Bell was honestly confused, but he knew the top of the broken axe was mostly flat when he’d gone into the Dungeon in the morning.

“Well, let me finish your update and then I’ll look at it for you.” Susano’o offered as he resumed looking through Bell’s Excelia and seeing his time in the Dungeon today.

“Thank you, Lord Susano’o.” Bell smiled as he turned to face forward again. A few moments later and Bell felt a piece of paper against his back. The same paper was then handed to him by a grinning Susano’o a second later.

“You went at the Dungeon pretty hard for your first day, Bell.” Susano’o laughed, praising his ‘child’ for his enthusiasm. “Everything went up a good amount.”

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 0 > I 12

Defense – I 0 > I 10

Dexterity – I 0 > I 11

Agility – I 0 > I 8

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“That’s forty-one points just on my first day!” Bell smiled at his new Status.

“You’re just starting out, Bell.” Susano’o chuckled at him. “The first bit of growth is easy. The stronger you get, the longer it takes to grow. You need more and more Excelia as you get stronger and especially as you level up. It’s a long and difficult path to be a warrior, after all.”

“Yes, sir.” Bell nodded at the God’s words. This was just his first day on a path that would take years or decades. ‘But I’ll see it through! I will be a Hero!’

“Alright, show me your weapon.” Susano’o held out his hand for the broken axe.

“Here.” Bell handed it over and watched as Susano’o inspected it.

“Yeah, I see what you mean.” Susano’o looked at the longer axe head. There was definitely more material to it than when Bell had left this morning. ‘It’s almost like the axe head is lengthening. But why? And why does it curve back slightly? The beard of the axe is straight, but the top of the axe head curves slightly and has a flat top? It’s an odd design if that’s the case, but the biggest question is where did the new metal come from?’ The Storm God looked over the curious broken axe for a bit longer before speaking up. “Well, I can’t figure out how it seems to have gained a few centimeters of size, but I know a God that could probably figure it out.”

“You do?” Bell looked interested in possibly getting an answer to this mystery.

“Yeah, We can head over there now, they don’t close until just a bit before dinner time.” Susano’o stood up and handed Bell his weapon back. “Besides,” He grinned and tossed the pouch full of Valis that Bell had earned into the air before catching it again. “You earned a good amount of cash on your first day. We can buy a few things we need here, have a good dinner to celebrate the formation of our Familia and your first day as an Adventurer too.”

“Right!” Bell agreed with a smile. A good dinner sounded nice, plus the whole point of earning money in the Dungeon was to be able to buy the things the Familia needed. “Where are we headed?”

“To see the Smithing God, Goibniu.” Susano’o answered as they left the shack behind and headed north towards the Goibniu Familia Shop and Home.

-Three Hammers Forge ~ Goibniu Familia Shop and Home-

“You need to see Lord Goibniu?” One of the burly Smiths questioned Susano’o curiously. “What for?”

“I’ve got a weapon I need inspected by him.” Susano’o gave the Smith a grin.

“Well, I think he’s done for the day, so he’ll probably spare you a minute of his time.” The Smith shrugged and led them towards a room in the back of the large working area. “Lord Goibniu, another Deity would like to speak with you, sir.”

“Who is it?” Goibniu questioned, looking at his ‘child’.

Goibniu was a God that had the look of an old man with long straight white hair and a sliver beard. He was somewhat short, but had a strong and healthy build. Said build was shown off by the fact that the God of Smithing and Architecture was shirtless.

“Hey, Goibniu, been a long time.” Susano’o created the other Deity casually.

“Susano’o.” Goibniu greeted the Storm God with a slight nod of his head. “We’re about to close up, what did you need from me?”

“My first child, bell, found what he thought was a broken axe recently and decided to use it in the Dungeon since he didn’t have any weapon of his own.” Susano’o began, motioning to Bell when he mentioned him. “But, after his first day in the Dungeon, the axe seems to have grown a bit.”

“Grown?” Goibniu raised an eyebrow, the only indication that his interest had increased at all. “How do you mean?”

“Show him, Bell.” Susano’o nodded at Bell.

“Here it is, Lord Goibniu.” Bell handed over the broken axe. “When I found it in a scrap metal dumpster, it was shorter on the head and didn’t have this curve to it.” He pointed to the curve at the top of the axe head.

“Hmm?” Goibniu looked at the weapon for a long moment, moving it with his hands to look at it from every angle. “You said that you found this in a dumpster?”

“Yes, sir.” Bell nodded in confirmation and felt Goibniu’s eyes on him, like the God was looking into his soul for a moment.

“Haah…” Goibniu exhaled heavily as he held the weapon, his eyes taking on a look of reminiscing. “How quickly sentimentality fades.” The Smithing God looked at Bell and Susano’o. “This is not an axe, it’s a sword.”

“Eh?” Susano’o and Bell both blinked at Goibniu, looking between the broken weapon and the Smithing God.

“This sword was forged here in this smithy, in fact.” Goibniu revealed while holding the weapon. “It’s original owner that commissioned it is long dead, and even my child that forged it has already passed on.”

“My condolences, Goibniu.” Susano’o bowed his head to the other God, mimicked by Bell a second later.

“It is the way of the ‘children’ to grow old and pass on, we can only make their time more fulfilling.” Goibniu remarked as he held the weapon up a bit more. “Many decades ago, an Adventurer from a small Familia saved up enough money to commission my Familia to forge him a sword that could repair itself with the blood of those cut by it. This is that same blade.” The God revealed to Bell and Susano’o. “One of my children took it as a personal challenge to forge the weapon to the exact specifications of the Adventurer. He was one of the few children that have ever joined my Familia from the Far East.” Goibniu looked at Susano’o with a chuckle. “It was my child’s Magnum Opus when he completed it. Using all of his talent and skill, as well as many forging techniques from both the Far East and ones that he learned here, he made an alloy of Mithril, Dir Adamantite, and Valmarth, and imparted the ability into the sword with his Blacksmith Developmental Ability.”

“What’s the sword’s name?” Susano’o knew that such a creation would be given a name.

“Shūri Saiketsu.” Goibniu answered easily, still remembering this specific sword even after many decades of not seeing it.

“Repair Blood Draw…” Susano’o hummed in thought before a grin crossed his lips. “It’s an appropriate name for its ability.”

“If it’s that amazing, why would anyone throw it away?!” Bell looked at the broken sword in awe.

“As I said, sentimentality fades.” Goibniu looked at the sword with a sigh. “It’s been many decades since the original owner passed. And from what I heard back then, he retired and married a merchant woman after his last expedition into the Deep Floors. That’s probably how the sword ended up in this shape as well.” The Smith God nodded at the greatly shortened blade. “I don’t believe any of their children became Adventurers or received Falna…after this long, it was probably just a broken memento from the great grandfather of the one that threw it away. No attachment nor sentimentality left for the sword.”

“Should I give it back?” Bell questioned, wanting to do the right thing.

“Of course not, boy.” Goibniu looked at Bell sternly. “You saved my child’s Magnum Opus from being destroyed along with the rest of the scrap. This sword has a history of adventure, and now it has found its way into the hands of a new Adventurer.” He placed the broken sword into Bell’s hands. “The more blood it is covered in, the faster it repairs itself. When you’ve fully restored the blade, bring it back here.” Goibniu’s eyes softened slightly. “When you do, the first sharpening and maintenance for the sword will be free.”

“Yes, sir!” Bell bowed his head to the Smithing God, a smile on his face at getting to keep such an impressive blade. “I swear, I’ll become a great Adventurer with this sword! I won’t let its legacy die!”

“Well said, boy.” Goibniu nodded to Bell, his face stern but his eyes warm. “Once it’s restored, bring it to me. I will perform all maintenance on Shūri Saiketsu personally.”

“Yes, sir, thank you.” Bell rapidly agreed to the God’s request. Having a Smithing God like Goibniu himself maintaining his weapon was a great boon!

“You have my thanks as well, Goibniu.” Susano’o bowed his head to the other God gratefully.

“Don’t worry about it.” Goibniu waved them off. “Now, we’re closed, so you’ll both need to leave.”

“I’ll be back with Shūri Saiketsu fully restored as soon as I can, sir.” Bell promised as he followed Susano’o out of the smithy.

-Streets-

“Well…can’t say that I saw that coming.” Susano’o chuckled as he and Bell walked down the street.

“I can’t believe such an amazing sword was just tossed out like garbage.” Bell shook his head as he patted the broken sword.

“We still have some time, lets get some quick shopping done and then get a big dinner to celebrate this too!” Susano’o laughed, patting Bell’s shoulder as they made their way towards the shops before they closed.

-Susano’o Familia Home ~ Later-

“Feels good to have the pantry and refrigerator stocked up.” Susano’o nodded with a grin.

“What should we do until we head for bed?” Bell questioned, not really tired yet, even after his day in the Dungeon.

“We can chat or tell stories or something.” Susano’o offered, not feeling ready for bed himself.

“I do like Heroic Tales.” Bell nodded to his God with a smile.

“Heroic Tales, eh?” Susano’o laughed brightly. “Alright then, I’ve got plenty of those from the Far East that I’ve bet you’ve never heard before!”

“Like what?” Bell leaned forward a bit, eager to hear tales of Heroes that he’d never heard before.

“How about I tell you about the time I killed the Yamata no Orochi?” Susano’o offered and saw the interest in Bell’s rubellite eyes.

“Yes, please!” Bell nodded and wondered what his God had to do in this tale.

“Alright, so I had just had a fight with my sister, Amaterasu, right?” Susano’o began the tale, making Bell’s eyes widen at how it started.

-Next Day ~ Dungeon ~ Second Floor-

“Gyah!” A Goblin screeched as Bell’s blade stabbed deep into its guts. The Monster flailed for a second before going still and Bell slowly pulled the blade free.

“Making progress.” Bell smiled at the slowly reforming sword. Already it had gained a few more centimeters in length. He was sort of wondering just how long Shūri Saiketsu was in total, having forgotten to ask Goibniu about that last night.

Bell opened up the dead Goblin’s chest and extracted its Magic Stone to add to his pouch. Watching the corpse turn to white ash, Bell moved on and continued to hunt. If he wanted to restore his sword, then he needed to kill as many Monsters as possible. As that would also help him grow stronger and net the tiny Susano’o Familia much needed Valis, it was like three birds with one stone.

“Shraaahhh!” A Dungeon Lizard dropped down from the ceiling towards Bell. In free fall it wasn’t maneuverable though. Bell simply raised his sword at an angle and nearly bisected the falling Monster with the blade. “Shaaaaa!” The Dungeon Lizard let out a hiss as it hit the floor with a wet splat. Blood coated the floor and the blade of Shūri Saiketsu.

“Huh…it’s still so odd to see.” Bell noted as he watched the blood on the sword slowly disappear, as if it was being sucked into the metal. With that much blood, the blade slowly grew roughly another centimeter. “Dungeon Lizard…where was its Magic Stone?” Bell racked his brain for a moment before recalling the location and easily extracting it from the almost bisected lizard.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 11,550 Valis, have a nice day.” The Cat Girl behind the glass smiled at Bell as he collected his money.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell smiled back before heading over to the meeting area to give his report to Misha.

-Dungeon Advisor Office-

“Two days in a row!” Misha was practically bouncing on her heels as she showed off Bell’s second report. “Even more Monsters killed than yesterday!”

“That was the same weapon that he was using yesterday, right?”

“I thought he had an axe?”

“Yeah, he had a cleaver-like sword today.”

“Anybody want to put a bet on if he levels up?”

“I’ll take that bet!” Misha pointed at the one who asked. “10,000 Valis says he levels up within a year and a half!”

“I’ll take some of that action!”

“Me too!”

More Advisors got in on the betting pool, even as some of the others sighed in annoyance at them.

-Dungeon ~ Third Floor-

“Hyah!” Bell sliced two Goblins with one swing, bifurcating them at the gut and dousing his slowly growing sword in their blood. “Whew…what is that now?” He counted off in his head as the blood was absorbed by his sword. “Seventy-one? I think?” Bell smiled at the now clean blade. It was much faster to hunt when he could take out two enemies with one swing! “Greatswords look Heroic too.” The young man grinned to himself as he held his sword aloft.

Shūri Saiketsu still wasn’t done growing yet. The blade had yet to taper into a point at all. Bell could only imagine how tall the sword would be once it was done.

‘Maybe around 200cm? A little over that?’ Bell hummed in thought as he set about harvesting the two Goblins for their Magic Stones.

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

Crack

“Hm?” Bell quickly stood up and held his sword at the ready. Every Adventurer quickly became aware of that sound. The cracking of the Dungeon walls signally that a Monster was being born. This would be Bell’s first time seeing a multiple spawning. They were uncommon above the Fifth Floor after all.

“Grrrrr!”

“Bark!

“Grraah!”

“Rrrraaahhh!”

“Bark!”

“Five Kobolds…this is going to be tricky.” Bell grimaced as the dog-headed Monsters caught sight of him.

All five of the Monsters rushed at Bell. The new Adventurer moved his sword behind his right shoulder, ready to swing it with all his might. The first two Kobolds were about the same speed, reaching Bell’s range at the same time while the other three lagged behind a little.

“Grrraaah!”

“Raawwrr!”

“Yah!” Bell swung and his sword bisected the two Kobolds in one swing. Using his strength, Bell didn’t let the sword’s weight drag him along. He stopped its momentum and stepped back to keep distance between himself and the three approaching Kobolds.

“Gaaarrr!” The third Kobold lunged forward, its claws impacted Shūri Saiketsu but did nothing to the blade of the sword as Bell used it like a pseudo shield. The two other Kobolds tried to flank Bell, using pack tactics to surround him.

“Grrrr!”

“Rrraaawr!”

“Brraarr!”

“Got you!” Bell shoved back against the Kobold he was clashing with, staggering the Monster slightly with the force. He planted his feet and swung his sword through the air in a wide arc. The staggered Kobold was cut in half at the waist, the second that lunged at Bell was bisected at mid torso. The third and final Kobold was closer, but that only got it decapitated as Bell’s swing had been on an upward path through the arc.

Blood splattered the stone floor like someone had opened a paint bucket and slung it around. Plenty of the red stuff stuck to Shūri Saiketsu’s blade and was slowly absorbed by the sword until the blade was clean again. Bell smiled at having taken down five Kobolds without getting hit.

“I get hit enough every morning while sparring with Lord Susano’o.” Bell chuckled to himself as he crouched down and pulled out his new knife that he’d bought with some of the money he earned. The Guild sold this Average Grade weapon for only 3,600 Valis, so it hadn’t set the Familia back too much. “Hey! A Drop Item!” Bell cheered as from the five Kobolds; a single Kobold Nail had been left behind. It was his first Drop Item and he happily added it to the pouch along with the five Magic Stones.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones were worth 11,612 Valis and the Kobold Nail was worth 900 Valis. Your total exchange today is 12,512 Valis, have a nice day.” The Hume Bunny man nodded to Bell as he pushed the tray back onto Bell’s side.

“Thank you, sir.” Bell took the Valis and added them to his pouch. “Lord Susano’o is going to be happy that I made even more today.” He smiled and headed over to give his report to Misha before he left.

-Dungeon Advisor Offices-

“Misha! Your new Adventurer is going too far too fast!” A lovely Half-Elf Advisor b the name of Eina Tulle shook the pink-haired woman. “Are you even warning him about the dangers of doing that?”

“He’s doing great though, Eina.” Misha reminded her best friend, showing Bell’s report to the Half-Elf. “Everyday he kills somewhere north of one-hundred-fifty Monsters. He’s only had very minor injuries too.”

Eina sighed at Misha for a second. “At least tell me that you’re following the guidelines for recommended stats? You’re not thinking of letting him go down to the Fifth Floor, are you?”

“Of course not.” Misha denied with a shake of her head. “He’ll need to prove to me that he has the appropriate stats in his Basic Abilities first.”

“Good.” Eina let out a relieved sigh. “No matter how well he’s doing, the Fifth Floor is the first cut off point for a reason.”

“Honestly, it might be good to try and hook him up with a good Supporter soon.” Misha touched her chin with her index finger, looking thoughtful. “With how many Monsters he kills each day, I can only imagine how long he must spend harvesting Magic Stones.”

-Susano’o Familia Home-

“You’re growing well with all the hard work you’re putting in, Bell.” Susano’o praised his first child with a chuckle as he watched Bell’s Excelia.

“Thank you, Lord Susano’o.” Bell was happy with the praise. He was doing his best everyday in the Dungeon, hunting down as many Monsters as he could. Bell was going to keep his promise to his grandfather, and the promise he made to himself. One day, he would be a Hero, no matter how long it took! He would always advance forward on his chosen path, no matter what stood in his way.

“Even your Defense is growing well enough, but you only get small injuries in the Dungeon…I wonder that is?” Susano’o finished updating Bell’s Status and copied the numbers over to the blank paper on Bell’s back.

“I wonder…” Bell deadpanned at his God. He vividly remembered why his Defense was still growing like his other Basic Abilities! Every morning was a sparring session against Susano’o and Bell never came close to even stalemating with the Storm God.

“Surpass your limits, Bell!” Susano’o looked at his child firmly.

“You sure like that saying, Lord Susano’o.” Bell accepted the paper with a blank look on his face. Susano’o only grinned at Bell in return.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 25 > I 37

Defense – I 22 > I 34

Dexterity – I 23 > I 36

Agility – I 18 > I 29

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-Skills-

-

-Status-

“I feel like this is a good amount of growth for just a few days as an Adventurer.” Bell looked over his Status. “But not having anyone to ask about it without giving away my status, I can’t be sure.”

“I’m fairly certain that you’re growing well, Bell.” Susano’o poured himself a saucer of sake. They could afford some non-necessities with how much Bell was earning from the Dungeon each day. “But I could always ask Také about it to be sure.” He offered before taking a sip and enjoying the alcohol.

“I wouldn’t mind knowing.” Bell admitted, accepting the offer without demanding anything.

“I’ll ask about it then.” Susano’o nodded to Bell with a chuckle. “You can finally take your sword in for that free maintenance that Goibniu offered now.” His eyes went to the massive zanbato of a sword that the Shūri Saiketsu had turned out to be.

It had a long, straight, single-edged blade that was black on the body with a silvery-white cutting edge. What they’d once thought was the ‘beard’ of an axe, had turned out to be an extension of the blade acting as a pseudo guard over the upper part of the hilt. Its total length was a little over 210cm, making it taller than Bell by a bit. The young man’s hard forged strength that he’d built while growing up was the only reason he could wield the sword as well as he did.

“Yeah, I’m grateful to Lord Goibniu for doing it himself.” Bell smiled at his fully restored sword.

-Three Hammers Forge-

“Hmm, you seem sharper than the last time I saw you.” Goibniu mentioned after accepting Shūri Saiketsu from Bell and looking the large sword over. “Has it really only been two days?”

“Yes, sir.” Bell nodded to the Smithing God.

“Hmm, in just two days you managed to fully restore the blade…you must’ve been going hard in the Dungeon.” Goibniu set the zanbato on his largest anvil. “The edge is massive, so I’ll need at least a full day to restore it. If this sword didn’t repair itself, I’m sure it would take me three or four days at least.” The God let out a sigh. He already had another customer that was too hard on her weapon. “No matter what ability a weapon may possess, if not maintained, it’ll lose its edge. Make sure you remember that.”

“Yes, Lord Goibniu.” Bell bowed to the Deity. “I’ll return to pick it up tomorrow.”

“Come by after lunch, it’ll be ready by then.” Goibniu nodded as he moved to start gathering the supplies that he’d need to give the Shūri Saiketsu proper maintenance.

-Guild-

“Miss Misha!” Bell called out for his Advisor as he entered the lobby. He saw that she was with another Adventurer and stopped his approach.

The Adventurer that his Advisor was helping was a beautiful young woman with long, waist-length blue hair and light green colored eyes. She wore a long black outfit that covered her from her neck to just above her ankles, and had a yellow tie around her neck. Bell noticed a Familia Emblem on the shoulder, but didn’t know which Familia it belonged to.

“Thank you for your time.” The beautiful blue-haired woman gave Misha a slight bow, her voice sounding somewhat melancholic. She turned away from Misha and nearly came face-to-face with Bell. Rubellite eyes met green and both Adventurers stared at each other for a second. “Ex-Excuse me.” The woman walked around Bell and headed for the entrance of the Guild to leave. With her long hair covering her part of her face, it was hard to tell that her cheeks were turning pink.

“Huh…” Bell’s eyes followed the retreating woman until she vanished outside.

“Oh?” Misha giggled behind her hand. “Do I spy Bell interested in a young woman?” She teased him lightly.

“What? No!” Bell shook his head. He refused to blush at Misha’s teasing!

“Are you sure? Cassandra is a cutie~” Misha needled him a bit more, a smirk on her lips.

“Cassandra, huh?” Bell murmured, now having a name to go with the face. “Actually!” He raised his voice a bit to refocus the conversation. “I wanted to ask you where I could buy some armor?”

“What kind of armor?” Misha asked for clarification.

“Preferably something that covers all of my vitals and my back.” Bell patted his stomach, his sides, and then his back to show where his current light armor didn’t protect him. “I keep getting clawed by Goblins and Kobolds when there’s more than two of them. If I have to replace my clothing too often, it’s really going to cut into my earnings from the Dungeon.” As the only member of his Familia, earning money fell to him, though Susano’o did work part-time at a shop where he helped make and sell traditional umbrellas called Kasa that originated from the Far East.

“So, like full plate armor?” Misha questioned, knowing that most Adventurers that wore full plate armor tended to favor the ‘Tank’ role and pair it with a strong shield.

“No, no, nothing like that.” Bell shook his head. “To best use my sword, I need both hands, so I can’t carry a shield around too. I’m not trying to be a Tank by myself. I just want armor that’s a mix of light armor, but with full protection for my body.” Bell realized that he was probably asking for a balancing act of armor, but Misha was the only one that he could ask.

“Hmm, I see…” Misha looked thoughtful. “You could try the Hephaestus Familia shop on the eight floor of Babel Tower. They sell full armor that you could probably afford with how much you earn every day.”

“Eight floor of Babel…got it.” Bell took a moment to make sure he memorized the location. “Thank you, Miss Misha.”

“No problem, Bell.” Misha waved to him since the young man was already hurrying out of the Guild.

-Eighth Floor of Babel Tower ~ Hephaestus Familia Shop-

“Hmm, not really what I’m looking for.” Bell hummed, looking over the various sets of armor on display. Most of it was plate armor, and the stuff that wasn’t was varying levels of actual coverage.

“None of these strike your fancy, huh?” A red-haired man that looked a bit older than Bell asked. He wore a black yukata-style robe held closed with a brown belt and he had matching brown boots on his feet. Around his neck was a blue scarf.

“They’re great armor, just not what I’m looking for.” Bell smiled at the other young man. “I’m trying to find a balance between light armor and full coverage.”

“Hmm…” The redhead hummed; his gaze pensive as he thought about what Bell said for a long moment. “There is a style of armor from the Far East that might fit what you’re looking for, though I’m not sure that anyone currently makes it in Orario.”

“Really?” Bell looked surprised that what he wanted make actually exist. “Maybe I can ask Lord Susano’o about it?”

“If you have the Valis to pay for it, I can forge you a set.” The young man offered with a smile. “The name’s Welf Crozzo, currently a low-ranking Smith in the Hephaestus Familia.”

“I’m Bell Cranel, I’m currently the Captain and only child of Susano’o Familia.” Bell introduced himself. “Can you really forge a set of full covering light armor?”

“If I replicate the style that I’m thinking of, then yeah, its shouldn’t be impossible.” Welf nodded to Bell, inwardly the Smith was amazed that Bell hadn’t reacted to his Family Name. Not to mention that he might be about to get his first commission work ever! “Any requests? I can sketch something up real quick to give you and idea of what I’m saying.”

“That would be great, Mister Welf.” Bell agreed with a nod.

“Come on over to my smithy and I’ll get your measurements for the armor then.” Welf invited Bell over with a wide smile. “Once I have your measurements and we make a final plan for the armor, I’ll be able to give you an accurate price on it.”

“Ideally I would like it to last for a long time.” Bell walked with Welf as they left the shop. “But that probably involves higher quality materials, which would increase the price.”

“Yeah, material costs and what I charge for my Smithing will add up to the final total. But I’m fairly reasonable on my prices.” Welf assured Bell as they walked. “As long as you give me time to get the materials together and the time to properly forge the armor, I guarantee that there won’t be much of anything on the Upper Levels that’ll break my work.”

“Sounds good to me.” Bell chuckled as they got into the elevator and descended to the ground floor.

-Welf’s Smithy-

“Okay…that’s your measurements done.” Welf wrote down the last number that he’d just measured. “So, let me sketch out something for you, and then we can go over things like materials final color of the armor and stuff like that.”

“Right.” Bell sat on a stool next to Welf and watched the Smith start sketching.

The armor that Welf was sketching out was made of a solid breastplate and backplate, but the armor over the shoulders and upper arms, around the waist, and over the shins, was all overlapping plates that were clearly meant to provide some flexibility while letting strikes glance off them. The forearm guards also covered the back of the hand as well to protect them and allows for strikes.

“Whoa.” Bell marveled at the armor on the paper.

“Yeah, it’ll be my first time making armor like this, but I always like a challenge.” Welf grinned at Bell, happy to see him so amazed. “Now, what’re you thinking about for material? If you’re focusing on still being mobile, then we can’t go with heavier metals like Adamantite and such.”

“Hmm, what kind of materials would you recommend, Mister Welf?” Bell honestly didn’t know the properties of most materials yet. He’d only been an Adventurer for a few days after all.

Welf’s eyes nearly lit up at not only having his first commission client, but that said client was willing to listen to his suggestions. The fact that Bell hadn’t asked for a Magic Sword either was the cherry on top for Welf. This was a real client! He could see himself working well with Bell.

“Well, if time isn’t a huge constraint, there are a few materials I could recommend to keep things light, but provide good protection. The only problem is getting them is going to days or possibly a week or more, depending on current availability.” Welf offered his expertise to Bell and began to write a small list of materials out, and then wrote the pros and cons next to each one so that Bell could follow along and understand. “First up is a material called Light Metal, it’s light weight but still pretty durable…if we paired it with some White Wood, I think we’d have a pretty good base to start working from.”

-Dungeon ~ Fourth Floor-

“Whoa…” Bell mumbled quietly to himself. He’d gone pretty far off the beaten path today, but he hadn’t expected to see such a large group of Monsters. There had to be dozens of Goblins, Kobolds, and even a few Dungeon Lizards here and there in this large cavern. “Maybe I can go around?”

“Grah!” A Goblin screeched from behind Bell, startling him. He jumped forward and spun, bringing his large sword around and hacking the Goblin in half almost reflexively.

“Grrrr!”

“Grraaahh!”

“Shhhrrraah!”

“Bark!”

“Geehrrr!”

Bell turned to face the various cries of the Monsters, now noticing that he’d nearly jumped into the cavern when he’d been startled by the Goblin.

“Oh…shit.” Bell cursed as the horde of Monsters came rushing at him. Not being given much choice, Bell grimaced and set his stance. “Come on!” He roared, ready to fight with everything he had.

“Gra-”

“Grrkh!”

“Shhraa-”

“Greeee!”

“Waarrr-”

The first five Monster that came into Bell’s range were all brutally hacked into separate pieces by the powerful swing of Bell’s zanbato. Blood splattered all over the stone floor, and Bell went with the motion, pivoting his feet to continue his first swing with a full three-hundred-sixty degree spin.

“Grk!”

“Gah!”

“Raarr!”

“Hakk!”

Four more Monsters were hacked apart as the second swing came in, building on the speed of the first with centrifugal force. Bell let the weight of his sword drag him as he leapt out of the path of the charging horde of Monsters, barely avoiding the claws of Goblins and Kobolds.

“Hack and slash, rip and tear, until it’s done…” Bell recalled hearing something like that at one of the bars that he’d gone to with Susano’o. He just hadn’t thought that he’d be in a situation where it was applicable so soon! “Yah!” He brought his sword down on a lunging Kobold, splitting the Monster in half vertically in a splash of blood. The next Kobold didn’t fair any better, its claws bouncing off Shūri Saiketsu’s blade, only to be brutally cut down when Bell swung the sword through the dog-headed Monster.

“Grah!” A Goblin slashed at Bell’s back with its claws.

“Son of a!” Bell lashed out with a mule kick, launching the green Monster away with a sickening crack as his boot impacted the Goblin’s face.

“Growr!” Two more Kobolds were lunging at Bell, but he pointed his greatsword forward and ran them both through. With a pivot and the use of his strength, Bell swung his sword and threw the Kobold corpses off of it and into three attacking Goblins. The Monsters crashed together into a heap, and before they could get their bearings back, Bell appeared over them and brought Shūri Saiketsu down in an overhead swing to decapitate all three Goblins.

“Shhhraaa!” A Dungeon Lizard leapt at Bell from the side.

“Grah!” Bell roared and swung his blade in an upward slash. The Dungeon Lizard was split in two, dousing the sword, Bell, and the stone floor in blood. “Ack!” Bell stumbled forward as the sharp claws of a Kobold raked across his back. “Die!” He spun and the Kobold’s head split apart in a spray of blood and bone as the zanbato tore through it.

“Rooaaarh!” The last Kobold lunged forward at Bell, it’s clawed hands impacted Bell’s sword and the Monster used its body weight to push the blade downwards, before lunging forward with its jaws wide to bite Bell’s face.

“Grrryaaaahh!” Bell’s war cry resounded throughout the cavern as he heaved with all of his strength and overpowered the Kobold. The newly sharpened blade of Shūri Saiketsu cut through the Kobold’s hands, up its arms, and then through its upper torso near the collarbone. The snapping jaws of the beast went limp as its body fell to pieces with a wet splat on the Dungeon floor.

“Gee?!” One of the last Goblins recoiled in hesitation.

“Hah!” Bell charged forward before the Monster could try and retreat. The zanbato hacked straight through the short Monster’s neck, sending its head flying.

“Raaahhh!” The remaining six Goblins all charged at Bell at the same time, looking to overwhelm him with numbers.

“Hnngh!” Bell took a strong step forward, closing the distance faster between them, only to swing his zanbato in a near blur that more tore the Goblins in half, rather than sliced them in half. Blood once more splattered the floor and covered Shūri Saiketsu’s blade, but at least the horde was wiped out now and Bell had a moment to breathe.

Bell went around to each corpse to harvest the Magic Stones. Some were very easy, as the way that he’d cut them down practically exposed their Magic Stones to the open air. Other he still had to use his knife to cut into so that he could retrieve the small purple crystal inside. He was pleasantly surprised to acquire three Drop Items though.

“Two Goblin Fangs and a Kobold Nail, nice.” Bell smiled at his extra loot before stashing them away with the Magic Stones that he’d already collected throughout the day. “I wonder if other new Adventurers go through this kind of stuff?” He rested Shūri Saiketsu over his shoulder and continued on his way. Hunting far off the beaten path could be difficult, but it was certainly proving lucrative. Both in Valis and in the increase to his stats from all of the Monsters he found this far from the main areas. “Still…” Bell breathed in and out in a controlled manner like Susano’o had shown him. “Even I can get winded.” The young man chuckled at the effort needed for a newbie like him to take on two dozen Monsters singlehandedly.

-Guild Exchange-

“Your Magic Stones come out to 12,078 Valis, and the Drop Items are 2,400 Valis, so you’re total exchange today is 14,478 Valis.” The woman behind the glass of the exchange smiled at Bell, pushing the tray back onto his side.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Bell added today’s haul to his hip pouch and secured it tightly. He then made his way over to the meeting area to give his report to Misha.

-Susano’o Familia Home-

“You had a real battle today, huh?” Susano’o remarked as he watched Bell’s fight against the horde of Monsters on the Fourth Floor. “And you pulled through with only a few wounds. Well done.” He praised his child as he moved the Excelia into the Falna to make it grow. Left unsaid was the fact that Bell returned from the Dungeon covered in various small injuries basically every day.”

“I’m just doing my best, Lord Susano’o.” Bell smiled over his shoulder at his God. “I need to save up to afford the armor I commissioned from Mister Welf too.” 60,000 Valis shouldn’t take too long, but a chunk of Bell’s earnings went to the Familia, so that they could save up and grow as well. It was necessary if they wanted to attract more members in the future. They only had just enough space for the two of them right now as it was.

“Hm?” Susano’o looked at Bell’s Falna as something appeared within it. A grin made its way onto the Storm God’s face as he quickly wrote the new addition into Bell’s Falna and finished the update. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” He chuckled while handing Bell the paper.

“Surprised about what?” Bell took his new update curiously and looked it over.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 37 > I 55

Defense – I 34 > I 51

Dexterity – I 36 > I 53

Agility – I 29 > I 42

Magic – I 0

-Magic-

-

-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 Defense and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“I’VE GOT A SKILL?!” Bell shot up from the couch with that loud exclamation.

“Yep.” Susano’o laughed at Bell’s reaction. “Like I said, I’m not surprised. You take injuries and then let them heal day after day in the Dungeon. Not to mention all the work and training you put in to grow and strengthen your body as you grew up.” The God motioned for Bell to sit down. “The things you do in life before getting a Blessing still affect you and how your Falna will develop, because the Falna reflects your ‘story’ in the Excelia. People that were fighters, rogues, mercenaries, miners, lumberjacks, soldiers, and other such physically demanding tasks before being Blessed, will often have an easier time gaining Skills related to those years of experience.”

“So, all of those years of hard farmwork and sparring led to this Skill?” Bell looked at his Skill on the paper again with a smile. “Thanks, grandpa.” He mumbled a quiet prayer to his grandfather for all the help he’d given him over the years.

“This calls for a celebration!” Susano’o declared with a booming laugh. “Let’s go out and have a good meal and some drinks!”

“Sure!” Bell agreed readily, way too happy right now to mention that they’d just had a celebration the other day.

-The Hostess of Fertility-

“This place is really lively.” Bell mentioned of the packed pub.

“It’s great, right?” Susano’o chuckled and pointed out that only women worked here.

“Wow…” Bell did indeed admire all of the lovely ladies working as waitresses. Two Cat Girls, two Humans, and even an Elf! ‘Who knew that the garden of beautiful women from my dreams really existed?’

The two were sat at a table and had a round of drinks brought to them quickly. Susano’o could only laugh and enjoy the evening with his first child. Bell wasn’t much of a drinker, but he was an honest young man, and Susano’o respected that. Seeing that the waitresses were distracting Bell was also good for a chuckle.

It was just as Bell and Susano’o were about to leave the Hostess that something happened. Susano’o noticed a certain someone subtly beckoning him over to them. “I’m gonna go take care of the bill.” He patted Bell on the shoulder as the white-haired young man finished up the last of his food.

“Can I help you?” Susano’o questioned the man sitting at the bar.

Said man had blonde hair and orange eyes. He wore a feathered hat and was slender, with a medium height with soft, somewhat effeminate looks and possessed an overwhelming charm, though said charm was the opposite of Susano’o who prided himself on his roguish good looks.

“Hey now, I’m just saying hello.” The man spoke up just enough to be heard over the din of the bar. His rather plain clothing was different from his normal wear, and any Deity that was even remotely familiar with this man knew he was trying to keep a low profile.

“I’m sure.” Susano’o nearly scoffed. The Storm God paid Mama Mia (the owner of the Hostess of Fertility) with a smile. “What do you want, Hermes?”

“I’m just making a delivery.” Hermes set a wrapped package on the bar between the two of them. “A certain someone, who wishes to remain anonymous, has asked me to deliver this to you for the sake of your first child.”

“Uh huh…” Susano’o hadn’t had too much interaction with Hermes in the past, not even when they’d all been in Tenkai. But he did know that the Messenger God took his ‘tasks’ seriously. If he said the person wanted to remain anonymous, then it was unlikely that he’d ever spill the identity of the sender. “What is it?”

“I couldn’t possibly know.” Hermes shrugged with a grin. “All I was told is that it would be a great boon to your child.”

“Fine.” Susano’o let out a long sigh. “You’re more troublesome to deal with than I’d heard.”

“Hahaha…I’m quite the nice guy, once you get to know me.” Hermes chuckled before taking a drink from the flagon in front of him.

“Just know, that if this delivery of yours causes any problems for Bell…I will send you back to Tenkai, even if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming.” Susano’o warned the Hermes, a raging storm behind his eyes and he stared the Messenger God down.

“Of course…heh heh…” Hermes leaned away from the Storm God as much as he could without drawing attention. Leave it to a Deity like Susano’o to threaten to drag Hermes back to Tenkai, regardless of what it cost.

Susano’o picked up the package and walked back over to Bell. Both men left the Hostess a few moments later to return home. Mia had yet to stop side-eyeing Hermes, clearly wanting the God out of her pub.

‘The things that I do for family.’ Hermes shook his head with a sigh, downing the last of his drink. He paid what he owed and left the pub. “I’ll just have my adorable Asfi cheer me up!” He laughed as he headed towards home.

A lovely blue-haired young woman at said home suddenly felt a cold chill down her back. With a sigh, she prepared to deal with her annoying God when he returned home. She already had enough work on her shoulders; she didn’t have time to entertain his shenanigans too.

-Susano’o Familia Home-

“So, this is for me?” Bell blinked at the package after Susano’o had explained where he’d gotten it and who from. “That seems weird.”

“Hermes is an odd one, to be sure.” Susano’o nodded in agreement. “But I doubt what he’s delivered will be bad.”

“Alright…let’s see…” Bell unwrapped the package and blinked at the book in his hands. “A book?” He looked it over, but it seemed pretty plain. Just a standard blank cover in gray leather.

‘Okay, now I’m more curious about who this mysterious benefactor is.’ Susano’o narrowed his eyes at the book in Bell’s hands. That book was Grimoire! Those things could easily cost over 100,000,000 Valis a piece. Just who had something like that to send as a gift?

“There’s no title or author?” Bell couldn’t glean any information from the book. “I wonder who would send me a book?” He opened it under the watchful eyes of Susano’o and began to read.

“There it goes.” Susano’o sighed as he saw Bell slump forward as the Grimoire took effect. “I’ll update his Status in the morning to see what he got.”

-Bell’s Mind-

“If you desire, answer. If you desire, break. If you desire, focus.” The strange text in the book merged and began to form an image.

‘Th-This book…it’s drawing me in…’ Bell felt like his consciousness was wavering under the strange book’s effect.

“A terrible mirror of truth lies before you.” The voice spoke and Bell saw the image of his own face looking back at him from the book. “Now, here I am you and you are me. Let’s begin…”

“What is Magic to me?”

‘I don’t know. Something great and mysterious. What I’ve always wanted to have, just once. What I’ve been yearning for.’ Bell replied, holding out his hand in his mind. Ever since he was a child, he’d wanted to wield Magic, even though he knew it was unlikely.

“What does Magic mean to me?”

‘Power. A great weapon that will defeat anything. A heroic power that clears away everything in my path.’ Bell imagined clenching his fist as he spoke.

“What kind of thing is Magic to me?”

‘A force of nature. Unstoppable, unchangeable, powerful beyond measure. A power that encompasses everything...a storm.’ Bell’s imagined fist was surrounded by black clouds, storm clouds filled with power.

“What do you seek in Magic?”

‘To become strong, like the Heroes that I’ve always looked up to. To reach that impossible goal that I’ve set for myself. To keep my promise!’ Bell expressed his desire without hesitation.

“Is that all?”

‘If I can…if I can…if I can. I want to be a Hero. For the ones that believe in me. For the ones that need someone to save them! I want to be heroic enough that I can save anyone that needs me!’ Bell screamed his deepest desire into the void.

“Such a child.” Bell got the distinct image of his face from the book looking amused at his answer. “But that too is us…”

-Next Morning-

“Ugh…my head.” Bell blinked his eyes open and blearily looked around. Seeing his small room he sat up in his bed. “What a weird dream.” He shook his head and started his normal routine of getting ready for the day.

“Morning, Bell.” Susano’o greeted him. “Sit down, I’ll update your Status.”

“Huh?” Bell looked confused at Susano’o. “But you just updated my Status last night?”

“Yeah, but that was before you read a Grimoire.” Susano’o stated plainly. In his head he counted down from three.

“WHAT?!” Bell exclaimed in shock. “What do you mean a Grimoire?!” Even he’d heard about them before! How could he not? A book that granted Magic just by reading it! Who wouldn’t want one? Unfortunately…he’d then heard about the price of one and his hope had faded.

“The book from last night.” Susano’o pointed at the couch, where the used Grimoire lay. “That was Grimoire and you read it.”

“So…so…that means I have Magic now?” Bell’s hope and excitement was building in his voice and Susano’o couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sit down and let me update your Status and we’ll find out.” Susano’o chuckled as Bell quickly pulled off his shirt and sat on the couch with his back facing the Storm God.

The update began as normal. Susano’o drew a little blood and placed it on Bell’s back. The blue-white light glowed as his Falna appeared. It didn’t even take more than a few seconds before Susano’o found the new Magic within Bell’s Falna.

“There it is.” Susano’o grinned as he wrote the Magic into Bell’s only Magic Slot. “One second.” A blank paper was placed against Bell’s back while the new update was copied over. “Well, it looks like you got your wish.” Susano’o chuckled as he handed the paper to Bell and watched the young man zero in on the Magic section.

-Status-

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength – I 55

Defense – I 51

Dexterity – I 53

Agility – I 42

Magic – I 0

-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 Defense and Magic stats. Active Trigger.

-Status-

“Lord Susano’o…I have Storm Magic…” Bell couldn’t believe it. Not only did he have Magic now; but it was the Storm Magic that he’d joked about having after learning about Susano’o and his Domains.

“Indeed you do.” Susano’o nodded to Bell. “And I promised you that I’d help you learn how to use Storms if you ever manifested such a Magic.”

“Yes, thank you very much, Lord Susano’o!” Bell bowed happily to his God.

“Don’t worry about it.” Susano’o smirked and Bell suddenly had a feeling of impending doom. “We’ll just add Magic training into our morning spars too!”

“Eh?” Bell refused to admit that he’d squeaked.

“Surpass your limits right now, Bell.” Susano’o grabbed Bell by the back of his neck and marched him outside to begin training.

“I’m gonna die!” Bell cried out, just before being tossed on his ass in the long grass that made up the plot of land their small shack sat on.

It was a good thing that their home was far enough away from the nearest neighbors to not wake them up so early in the morning.

-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-

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this pilot chapter. Once more a world in which Hestia never descended to Gekai. But this time around, a Storm God takes Bell in!

Bell saved an interesting weapon from becoming scrap and now seeks to keep its legacy alive! For a goof idea of what it looks like, just Google: ‘Asuna Kagurazaka’s Sword’ and you’ll see what the sword is based off of!

Bell met Welf early?! You don’t see that often!

Bell’s life before Orario and his actions after receiving the Falna earned him a Skill! A rather useful one at that!

Now, with the delivery of a gift from an unknown benefactor, Bell has manifested Storm Magic!

Susano’o can teach him all about that! You know, IF Bell survives the training. Kek!

How will this Bell grow and develop on his path to become a Hero?

Let me know what you thought!

Until next time, later!