Well, for those who don't know me already, I'm SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan. Been writing for over a decade now since high school and have become a doctor in this time, but still haven't finished a story, planning to change that this year though… I'll get the obligatory boring stuff out of the way first and then move on and I will not repeat it in future chapters: I have a pat reon which will give you early access to chapters – for this story I have chapters 1-12 already up there and ready to go for patrons (as well as 30+ updates across other stories) and parts of the story for free for everyone up to about chapter 6, but not cohesive (see bottom most note for explanation). Link to pat reon is on my profile page (or you can just google my pen name). More patrons I have filling my pat reon tiers the more frequently I update, but at a minimum, I do one update a month across all my stories, but sometimes do a lot for special reasons (did 5 DxD updates over 5 days for DxDecember 2023 to try and summon season 5 of DxD). I have a discord too, link is - discord. gg/ mgAZ9GGuFG There is also a shared writer discord where I developed some of the ideas for this story, link is - Okay, that's all the boring stuff out of the way, onto this story! So, I was originally writing this story to get the harem route going for Bell. Honestly, a lot of the issues in canon could be easily fixed if Bell just takes the harem route, but it is what it is. Then I heard about a cursed what IF… then I read all the LNs and the SO manga and watched all the anime. Originally, I was thinking this would have been either a passive Hestia main with a harem, or a direct Ryuu, or Ais main, with a harem and then I wrote the story. So, the main girl isn't any of those three, but they are all in the harem. The main girl though is really the true main girl (considering that other than the first Minotaur, almost everything that happens to Bell is because of her) – Syr. This is also why I changed the name of the story, (again with thanks to P!nk/aerex) to "My Waitress Turned Me Into A Hero And Started My Harem" (MWTMIAHASMH). If I can briefly use a science reference I hope everyone will get, if Bell is a cell, Syr is the nucleus. At this stage, I'd say Ais is the mitochondria, Ryuu would be the endoplasmic reticulum and Hestia is the cell membrane. Will elaborate more on this in in my post chapter 12 note though. If you know, you know. That being said, there are no spoilers beyond what is currently known in the anime until chapter 12. Chapter 12 I pull back the veil and make the main girl very clear. If you have not read the LN and are watching the anime only, then as of now, chapter 12 of this story is a major spoiler for LN 16 (that being said, most people already suspected this for years now… but I guess it is confirmed now), so I would not read chapter 12 until either season 5 has been released, or you read the LN, (or don't mind being spoiled). As I say though, Chapter 1-11 are spoiler free. Now, this story isn't only using the main story as content. I am also making use of stuff in Sword Oratoria (otherwise Ais has the personality of a brick wall frankly) and I am planning to use some of Kamisama no Nichijou (which I highly recommend reading, it is very fun) for some extra character traits and some comedy. There are some references to things not in the main, or SO story, coming from games/various spin off LNs/manga, but I won't spoil anything, mostly just give nods to them. So back to what I've got already, the first LN, as well as some extra stuff from SO, and my own original content, is what makes up the first 12 chapters. Funnily enough, the first LN is just under 60K words and over the same story time progress I've written 70K words, but I do have some SO content and my own stuff added in too, so it is about the same in terms of pacing. For this year. I am going to be focusing largely on my first Naruto story, TTONU, which I plan to finish this year, so I will not be writing any new Danmachi content right now unless I get temporarily bored/burnt out with Naruto. Once I do start writing for Danmachi again though, I will do the same thing I mentioned below, by posting parts for free for everyone to read on there until I proofread and link everything back together while fixing any continuity errors and adding in some small scenes which don't really make up a part. Now you can just see the original note below which explains things about how this story came to fruition and then finally read the actual story. Enjoy! Original note So, I'm going to write a Danmachi story and keep it largely on pat reon for now. I will make it free for everyone though and go back to my usual update pattern new/raw chapters once I publish it on Fanfiction either once it recovers, or after I finish TTONU. I won't be writing proper full chapters at this stage, just going to write a bunch of small scenes which I will eventually split into chapters so the posts will be short, but frequent. That being said, as I am not doing them as proper chapters, I also won't be proofreading at this stage so intensely, so there may be typos. In other words, until I start posting formal chapters, consider all of this raw. I will also be naming the posts as parts for now and maybe roughly move on to another "chapter" when I feel is an appropriate time, but basically this is all one long chapter at this point and each post will keep carrying off the next. Feel free to post any feedback or comments below. Enjoy! SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
I'll also do a special thing for this story, since I do have the entirety of the first LN content done, if I get 12 new patrons from this story, I'll post a chapter for this story specifically every month to go with my regular updates. You can also follow me on pat reon for free as I do also post some special stuff for free there too, like future scenes and updates.
Originally (and for the purposes of looking at the free raw parts on pat reon – see original note below) it was going to be called "Is it wrong to want to be a hero and have a harem in a dungeon" (IIWTWTBAHAHAHIAD) and instead we came up with a better name which I will explain a bit lower down.
Also need to mention AllSlayer as the two of us have been bouncing ideas back and forth to motivate each other for our new fics and he may also use a version of my main girl because she is just so fun. Lastly, I have to mention xDoug-Dimmadome-x as I only started reading Danmachi fanfics as I saw he had come back to writing and read his fic purely because he was back and then it all escalated from there.
You won't need to have any knowledge of any of these things as the stuff you need to know I will explain in the story (SO manga might be worth a skim though, so you can understand where Ais' personality is coming from, as well as her internal dialogue and her interactions with the Loki Familia, as well as fleshing out the Loki Familia characters a bit as well).
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan
'Talking'
"Thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Magic
Chapter 1 – The adventure changes
'Bell, come on, take your shirt off and lie down, it's time to update your status.' Said a beautiful twin-tailed Goddess.
It was not an exaggeration to say the beauty was a Goddess, as she was in fact the Goddess Hestia, and was speaking to the only member of her Familia, Bell Cranel. Bell smiled at his blue-eyed Goddess and obliged, taking off his shirt, exposing his pale chest. His red eyes crinkled in amusement at his Goddess' grin, before lying down, his white-haired fringe being gently pushed up as he placed his face down.
'You said you almost died today, but you were smiling when you said it. What happened today?' Asked Hestia, as she sat her petite form on Bell's back.
Bell's expression, hidden to Hestia, become contemplative, but he retained his smile.
'I realised something very important today, Goddess.' Said Bell, feeling the Goddess squirm slightly on his back.
'Oh? What did you realise?' Asked Hestia curiously.
'That I can, and will, achieve all my dreams.' Declared Bell passionately.
'Oh, and what are these dreams?' Cooed Hestia, letting her torso drop onto Bell's back as she embraced him.
Bell smiled in amusement. His Goddess was petite in almost all ways but one. Her bust. Her bust was in stark contrast to the rest of her. Her diminutive stature coupled with her petite frame and large bust had earned her the nickname Loli Big-Boobs. Bell honestly didn't understand the first part of the nickname, as while she was shorter than him, she was not significantly shorter than average. While her boobs were also big, the rest of her frame was well developed as well. Her boobs were just her most prominent feature, but she had many other desirable features. Her beautiful hair. Her sparkling eyes. Not to forget her bottom, which every time his status was updated, made use of his back as a chair.
'It is a surprise for now. I need to do some work first before I can tell you.' Teased Bell coyly.
'Oh? Even from me?' Pressed Hestia, hugging Bell tighter.
'I promise you will be the first to know, but it is a secret for now.' Placated Bell, causing Hestia to sit up again.
'Ok, then let's do this.' Said Hestia, before she pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall on Bell's back, causing ripples to spread throughout his body.
'You went into the deeper levels of the Dungeon… to meet girls? What bizarre ideas are running through that head of yours? There is no way the ideal virgin you have in mind is going to be in such a dangerous place, now is there?' Asked Hestia in amusement.
'V-virgin? What are you talking about, that's not what I was looking for in the Dungeon. An Elf wouldn't even touch someone who doesn't meet their standards.' Protested Bell.
'Oh, have your eyes set on an Elf, do you?' Teased Hestia, even as her expression shifted into a frown, unbeknownst to Bell.
'Not exactly.' Said Bell noncommittally, but didn't expand any further.
As Hestia updated Bell's status, her finger pressing into and moving along his back, Bell remembered what had led to his change in his goal. It wasn't really fair to say that it was a change in his goal though, rather, he had reaffirmed it with a more concrete belief.
-line break-
Flashback
-line break- "Is this really the end? I haven't managed to do anything. I'm no hero, I haven't saved any beautiful girls, and I definitely don't have a harem. I haven't even met any girls really. I barely have any friends. All I have are Miss Eina and my Goddess… wait, what am I thinking? I can't accept this! This is not my end. I could never do that to my Goddess. Miss Eina might be hurt, but she would move on eventually… my Goddess though… I am all she has. She is working just as hard as I am so I can chase my dreams and I'm not even chasing them wholeheartedly. My Goddess… a literal Goddess is working like a normal person to help provide for me… my Goddess… my beautiful, adorable, supportive Goddess. I cannot let her down. I will become a hero. I will meet and save many girls. I will have my harem. I… I will become so great that even a Goddess will fall for me! I will make sure of it! I will make sure that Hestia will be a Goddess who is respected for having the greatest heroic adventurer as her Familia… I will do everything I set out to do! Hero, girls, and a harem! I will achieve it all!" Thought Bell, as the Minotaur's foot descended on him again. No longer paralysed with fear, Bell rolled out of the way, but the hoof never descended. A silver line zipped across the creature's torso. The boy and Minotaur both had an expression of confusion, neither realising what had happened. Before either could work it out, the Minotaur's body split in half. The shoulder, torso, and thigh, of one side of the burly body, separated from the other and fell to the floor with a heavy thud. A torrent of blood splashed against the wall beside Bell, barely missing him. 'Are you… okay?' Questioned a young girl clad in silver armour, her blade shining with the dark red blood of her most recent vanquished foe. "A beautiful girl saving a wannabe hero. This is so backwards I could laugh. I can't let this happen again, from now on I will be the one saving the beautiful girls, not the other way around." Resolved Bell.
Bell was running as his heart hammered in his chest, straining the very edges of his ribs. If his heart beat any faster or harder, he worried it might burst out of his chest. There was a reason his heart was eagerly getting in as many beats as it could, as there was a very real chance that it may not be able to do that for much longer. A bull-headed man-beast loomed over his form. It's curved horns reflecting the light in the Dungeon. The horns were so close that Bell could see the very centre of the horn. It looked like a drill which was about to pierce his very soul. The Minotaur, as it was called, leaned back, and raised its hoof, preparing to crush Bell's bones into paste. Bell rolled to the side, avoiding the bone crushing stomp, remaining on his hands and knees, preparing to react. The hoof was raised again and once again, Bell rolled away. One more time the same series repeated, but this time, Bell's back hit the wall.
-line break-
End Flashback
-line break-
'Hmm, this Ais Wallenstein… if she is both really pretty and insanely powerful, she probably has a lot of men already chasing after her. She's bound to have a few favourites by now.' Pointed out Hestia.
'That's okay, things can change.' Said Bell, with a confidence that Hestia couldn't quite identify.
'She is part of the Loki Familia anyway, you wouldn't be able to marry her because of that either.' Said Hestia.
'That's okay, things can change.' Repeated Bell.
'You're not planning on leaving me and running away to the Loki Familia for this girl, are you?' Asked Hestia with a pout, crossing her arms as she did so.
Bell turned his head up and to the side, so he could just see his Goddess. Her cute cheeks were puffed out with her arms crossed under her impressive bust, pushing it up slightly.
'I will never leave you, Goddess; you have my word. Trust me though, I will not let anything stop me from achieving all of my dreams. I will never give up on them.' Said Bell, before he turned his head back.
Hestia smiled, a warm feeling blooming in her chest, with a small spreading of warmth to her cheeks.
'All done.' Said Hestia, as she slinked off Bell's lower back, allowing the boy to sit up and redress.
'Here is your new status.' Said the Goddess, handing Bell a piece of paper
Bell Cranel Level One Strength: I-77 - I-82 Magic () Skills ( - )
Endurance: I-13
Dexterity: I-93 - I-99
Agility: H-148 - H-175
Magic: I-0
'Oh, it's just a smudge, nothing to worry about.' Said Hestia, waving Bell off reassuringly.
'Ok. Shall I get dinner ready? I know we will have some potato snacks, but that won't be enough to fill us up.' Offered Bell.
'Sure, I'll leave things to you, Bell.' Said Hestia with a soft smile, which Bell returned.
As Bell walked off to the kitchen, Hestia looked at the status sheet. Hestia frowned, wondering if she had made a mistake and if so, which part. Bell had acquired a new skill, but Hestia had hidden it from him. She could have left it off, especially after seeing what it was, but she also couldn't stifle him like that either. His words had reassured her, but the worry still remained. Looking at the status sheet carefully, Hestia mentally read through the skill she had omitted from the paper.
Skills – Amplified Liaris Freese
Rapid growth as long as the users desires remain strong.
The strength of the effects and the growth compounds with the degree of the user's feelings and number of desires.
The stronger the overall desire, the stronger the growth.
As a side effect, it makes the user immune to charms."I really did want to keep you all to myself… but I can't bring myself to suppress your efforts like that, Bell. Let me see your growth first though, let me see how serious your new drive is, before I help give you the key to unlocking all your dreams." Thought Hestia with a melancholic smile.
-line break-Bell woke the next morning at the crack of dawn. After the nice dinner he and his Goddess had to celebrate Bell's progress, Bell had eventually gone to bed on the sofa, leaving the bed for the Goddess. As he made to raise his hand to rub his eyes, he felt a weight on his chest. Bell blinked his eyes repeatedly to help clear the last bit of sleep from them, before finally opening them fully. As Bell looked down, he saw a head of dark hair resting comfortably on his chest.
"Goddess? What is she doing here? Did she sleepwalk during the night?" Thought Bell in confusion.
Bell took a moment to relish in the feel of his Goddess on top of him. Some Familia had money, some had rare items, but Bell doubted any of them had a Goddess as soft and cuddly as this one. Bell tentatively wrapped his arms around the diminutive Goddess and hugged her softly
"Goddess, I won't let you down." Thought Bell, inhaling the pleasant scent of his Goddess, as she gave a cute yawn of contentment and snuggled into his chest.
Bell then finally noticed the weight pressing against his abdomen.
"Actually, maybe they are too big for her. I haven't felt them this closely before… what am I saying?" Mentally shouted Bell, as he finally decided to get up.
Bell slid out from under Hestia as he broke the embrace, letting her rest softly on the couch. Bell then wrapped her in the sheet and couldn't fight the urge to place a small chaste kiss on her forehead as he caressed her hair.
'I'll make your proud, Goddess.' Whispered Bell, before sneaking out of the room quietly.
'… Bell, you dummy…' Mumbled Hestia in her sleep, even as she had a small smile on her face.
-line break-
Bell smiled to himself as he stepped out onto Main Street. This early in the morning, the streets had a different feel to them. The road seemed wider and more peaceful. There were very few people around and most shops were still shuttered closed.
"Ah, I got too distracted this morning, I forgot to eat any breakfast before leaving." Mentally groaned Bell, before his stomach gave an audible growl in discontent.
"I hear you." Thought Bell, patting his stomach mournfully.
Bell had decided yesterday that he was going to need to save up money to buy some new equipment to help his growth along, but an empty stomach meant he wouldn't be able to grow either. Bell carefully looked around, looking for a place to eat, before feeling an intense, piercing gaze on his back.
"Something is behind me!" Thought Bell, his eyes widening, before turning around and spotting nothing.
"No one is there… but I know I felt something…" Thought Bell in confusion.
Looking around, Bell spotted a few people around, a person on a café terrace setting up tables, two animal people standing on the corner of a storefront, with another person looking down from the roof of the store.
'Um, excuse me…' Said a voice, causing Bell to whirl around.
"There was no one behind me a second ago, who is this person?" Thought Bell in a panic, before realising he had his fist raised, the girl's innocent looking blue-grey eyes widened in fear.
'A-ah, I'm so sorry, I was a little surprised.' Apologised Bell, dropping his fist immediately.
'No, no! I'm sorry for startling you.' Apologised the girl just as earnestly.
'Well, sorry for all of that, anyway, can I help you with something?' Asked Bell.
'Oh… yes. Here, you dropped this.' Said the blue-grey haired girl, extending a hand with a bluish-purple crystal in her outstretched palm.
'A magic stone?' Said Bell curiously.
Bell blinked as he studied the stone. It was legitimate. Looking at his pouch, Bell knew there was nothing in it, so it wasn't possible for him to have dropped one. Bell always exchanged all of his stones as soon as he had left the Dungeon, because without the valis, they wouldn't have been able to buy dinner half the time early on. While things had slightly improved since, Bell had gotten into a habit of it and continued to exchange all of his stones as soon as possible.
Bell smiled as he accepted the magic stone.
'Thank you very much for giving this to me. I'm sure someone else might have just taken it and stayed quiet.' Said Bell.
'Oh, I could never do anything like that. Are you already off to the Dungeon this early in the morning?' Asked the girl with a smile.
'I was. I haven't gone to the Dungeon today yet, but I always like to get an early start.' Said Bell, hinting at his suspicion about the stone.
The girl didn't seem to react, making Bell wonder if he was wrong and maybe someone really had just dropped the stone innocently, before his stomach growled, causing him to blush.
'Aha-ha, are you hungry?' Asked the girl with a small laugh.
'I left without breakfast today.' Admitted Bell, looking at the ground in embarrassment.
'Please wait a moment.' Said the girl, before running off to the café and entering it through a side door.
The girl returned a few moments later with a smile and a basket in her arms.
'Sorry, the café isn't open yet, but I can offer you my morning rations if that is okay…' Said the girl uncertainly.
'What, I can't take your breakfast just because I forgot to have any myself! I can't accept that!' Refused Bell.
The girl looked slightly off to the side and bit her lip. The action was simple, but Bell felt his heart skip a beat.
"So cute." Thought Bell, his mouth opening slightly in surprise.
'I can't leave you hungry like this. It would make me very sad to do that, so please, Mr. Adventurer, accept it for my sake.' Said the girl demurely.
'Well, I can't say no to a request like that.' Relented Bell, dropping his head slightly as his shoulders sagged.
"How can this girl be so kind and innocent?" Thought Bell, as she closed her eyes with a small smile, which started to shift to a mischievous one.
She then leaned forward, her face coming close to Bell's.
"Very close." Thought Bell with a blush, at seeing her delicate face up close, but not pulling back.
'Mr. Adventurer, since I'm making this sacrifice for you… in exchange for the bread and cheese this morning…' Said the girl teasingly, causing Bell to tilt his head to the side.
'In exchange?' Commented Bell questioningly.
'You have to eat dinner tonight at the bar I work at.' Finished the girl.
Bell's eyes widened, and he blinked in surprise. Slowly, a smile bloomed on Bell's face, before he started to laugh.
'You don't play fair, do you?' Asked Bell, causing the girl to giggle as well.
'Hee-hee. Here you are then! Don't worry about it because I'm sure you are going to make a lot of valis today!' Said the girl, causing Bell to beam.
'I guess I'll be seeing you tonight then.' Said Bell, causing the girl to nod.
'Yes! I'll be waiting!' Said the girl, a pleased expression on her face.
Bell nodded to himself, before realising something.
'Oh, before I head off, my name is Bell Cranel, what is your name?' Asked Bell.
'I'm Syr Flova, Bell.' Said Syr with a smile.
'Ok then. I'll see you tonight, Syr. Oh, but a cute girl like you shouldn't need to trick people. I empty my magic stone pouch every night. If all you wanted was for me to come by, you could have just asked. I wouldn't refuse a pretty girl after all, see you later!' Said Bell, running off when he finished, leaving Syr behind with a surprised expression.
"He knew I was lying and just went along with it… what an interesting boy." Thought Syr, her mischievous smile looking even more pleased than before, as she rested her right cheek on her palm, her eyes watching his slowly shrinking back. -line break-
Down in the Dungeon once again, Bell did his best to avoid getting struck by the pack of Kobolds that had surrounded him. Kobolds were essentially a bipedal rabid dog, with a bit more bite and even sharper fangs. Bell ducked another lunge from one of the Kobolds and scored a gash on the aggressive Kobold's left side, leaving it to crash into the ground ungracefully. Its other five comrades all reacted differently. Despite being in a pack, it seemed the pack mentality was not shared. Two of the Kobolds back-pedalled a step, watching Bell carefully, while another two froze in place, surprised at the boy's reaction speed. The last one growled in anger and leapt at Bell. Bell caught the angry Kobold under the neck with his left forearm and stabbed his dagger under its jaw, right into the brain, leading to the canine going limp instantly. Thinking quickly, Bell threw the corpse at the two other Kobolds which were frozen in place. One managed to leap to the side while the other was bowled over with a sharp yelp. Bell quickly rushed the Kobold which had jumped away, trying to capitalise on its evasive manoeuvre, hoping it wouldn't have time to react. It seemed luck was on Bell's side, as the canine was unable to dodge again so quickly and found itself punted across the room, slamming into the wall with a meaty thud, sliding down the wall with streaks of blood trailing behind. It seemed the Kobold had been impaled on part of the Dungeon.
In a moment of amused irony, Bell thought of how the Dungeon had both given life to the creature and taken it away. In his moment of thought, Bell missed the two other Kobolds leaping at his unguarded back. Bell was pushed to the ground and barely kept himself from being eaten. One forearm was pressed into the neck of each canine, their glistening white fangs shining as they snapped their jaws, trying to reach Bell's face. Bell ignored the flickers of saliva landing all over him, as he twisted his right hand and pulled it across to the left quickly. The quick slash had slit the throat of the Kobold on his right, while letting him land a weak hammer fist to the one on his left, sending it rolling off his form. Bell quickly picked up the rapidly dying Kobold and hefted its form up like a sack of potatoes and slammed it down on the partially stunned Kobold. Again and again, Bell slammed the dying Kobold's body into the form of its healthier comrade, as it was slowly being smashed into the ground. As the Kobold being used as a weapon went slack, Bell threw it to the side before stabbing his dagger into the still moving Kobold's spine, before slashing down, leaving it immobile as it quickly bled out.
"Wait, where is the last one?" Thought Bell, realising there was still one Kobold unaccounted for, out of the original six which had attacked him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bell spotted the Kobold, slinking its way to the entrance to the second floor. Bell ran towards it with speed, causing the Kobold to turn its head around and snarl at him. The Kobold leapt into a side passage, hoping to escape Bell, only for his dagger to pierce its leg. The Kobold howled in pain as Bell pulled his knife out and prepared to finish it off, only to find three Goblins eyeing him curiously.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Muttered Bell, realising the dog-like creature tried to spring a trap for him in its last act.
Bell stabbed his dagger into the furry creature's head, before preparing for the Goblins who picked up their weapons. It was generous to call them weapons compared to Bell's knife, as they were rocks of varying size, one of which was large enough to pass for a small club. Bell eyed the Goblins warily as they approached him. In his youth, a Goblin had gotten the best of him and caused him a great deal of fear towards Goblins. Since then, he had cut down many stronger than that Goblin, but his nerves still pricked at him every time he encountered the green skinned monster. Monsters on the surface were much weaker than their Dungeon counterparts, so Bell knew he was stronger than he was since he was in his old village. That being said, it was the first time Bell had found himself up against three Goblins at once, and right after having already been in a tough fight.
"A hero doesn't back down though, they power through their enemies, never turning back." Thought Bell.
The three Goblins continued to approach Bell, spreading out slightly. Bell eyed the three before deciding on his tactic. Bell kicked the corpse of the Kobold at the Goblin in the centre, before going straight for the Goblin on his right, which held the club-shaped rock. Bell charged straight towards the Goblin, before feinting to the right. The Goblin, while strong, was not smart, and easily fell for the deception. Bell grinned as he pivoted and entered the surprised Goblin's guard, before plunging his dagger into its neck, causing it to let out a gurgle, clutching at its throat futilely. Bell ripped the club-shaped rock out of the dying Goblin's hand, before pivoting and throwing it at the Goblin he had thrown the Kobold at, striking it in the head and knocking it out, a trickle of purple blood leaking out of its green scalp.
"One to go." Thought Bell, before turning on his last opponent.
The Goblin's forearm trembled in anger as it clenched the rock which fit in its palm. It seemed like Bell was in for a brawl from the looks of things. Bell switched his dagger to his left hand as he clenched his right fist. Bell wasn't ambidextrous exactly, favouring his right hand more so than his left, but that wasn't to say he wasn't skilled with his left hand, he just lost some of his power and speed. The Goblin advanced on Bell slowly, with the adventurer doing the same. They kept three steps between them as they circled each other. Bell decided to strike first, shooting forward with an overhead punch. Bell's eyes widened as the Goblin ducked and buried its fist, which held the stone in it right into his gut, causing spittle to fly from his mouth. Bell's simple armour was more designed for protection against piercing and sharp blows, but it did very little to reduce the impact of the blunt force strike. Bell crumpled over the uppercut, with the Goblin grinning in satisfaction. Bell clicked his tongue in annoyance, before swinging his left hand with the dagger at the Goblin. The Goblin leaned back, avoiding the brunt of the strike, but Bell still ended up scoring a small cut on the cheek of the monster. Bell tried to capitalise on this, but the Goblin leapt back.
"What is with this thing? This is way too careful and smart for a Goblin." Thought Bell in annoyance.
Bell needed to rationalise why the Goblin was winning in their battle at the moment, as it made no sense for this to be a usual common Goblin. The fact that it could match, and in fact, be beating him, after he had taken down two similar creatures, and six other creatures of a similar power, was absurd. Bell had heard about irregularities in the Dungeon, monsters who became stronger than their base counterparts, but this didn't seem to be the case. Bell narrowed his eyes, which the Goblin mirrored.
"Maybe it had the potential to become an irregular… but I won't let it get there." Thought Bell, before he rushed the Goblin again.
The Goblin braced itself for an attack, only for Bell to stop still, pivot, and run off to the side. The Goblin's head snapped to the side, following Bell's rapid direction change, before he pivoted again, heading off in the other direction. Bell noticed the reaction time of the Goblin and after a few more pivots, did a feint. The Goblin's eyes started to track to the place Bell should have been, only to find nothing. The Goblin quickly looked back only to find a clump of dirt flying at it. The beast growled as its vision was blinded, before giving a gurgle. A knife had been plunged into the Goblin's neck before it was ripped out. The Goblin toppled like its strings had been cut, a heavy thud as its body hit the floor, echoing slightly. Bell dropped to his bottom in exhaustion. That was more than he had been expecting. Bell looked at the corpse of his last foe and gave a small nod of begrudging respect. The Goblin had taught him something important today. Never underestimate the monsters of the Dungeon on any level, as they could be just as surprising as the adventurers that hunted them. After a minute, Bell stood up and started harvesting the magic stones of the Goblins. As he expected, the Goblin that had given him the most trouble had the largest shard. Bell harvested the rest of the stones before going back to harvest the Kobolds he had beaten before. When Bell took the stone out of the second one, a claw was left behind.
"A drop item? Finally, some luck." Thought Bell, as he placed the claw in his bag.
Bell finished up the rest, scoring a second claw as well, before making his way back to the Guild. It seemed Eina was somewhere else at the moment, so Bell didn't dawdle, made his exchanges, and went home.
'I'm home.' Said Bell, only for Hestia to come bounding towards him.
'Welcome home Bell!' Greeted Hestia, before seeing the state he was in.
'What happened to you?' Asked Hestia worriedly, patting him down carefully, scoring a wince as she touched his abdomen.
'There was a strong Goblin today. I don't think it was an irregular, but it was smarter and stronger than the others that were with it.' Explained Bell.
'Well come on then, get yourself cleaned up and let's update your status so you won't get hurt next time.' Said Hestia, pulling him towards the bath.
'Okay, just give me a minute.' Huffed Bell in amusement, quickly matching pace with his energetic Goddess.
'Before that though, take off the shirt and let me see the damage.' Commanded Hestia.
Bell obliged and while initially Hestia was slightly giddy at the idea of seeing Bell shirtless, the size of the bruise made her gasp.
'Bath. Now.' Said Hestia, pushing him into the bathroom.
'Now don't keep me waiting, or I'll come in there and help you finish faster.' Teased Hestia.
'I'll be quick, just give me a minute.' Replied Bell.
Hestia sighed and slumped to the floor, resting her back against the door, her legs straight out in front of her.
"Bell… you need to be more careful… I don't know what I will do without you." Thought Hestia, before hearing the water stop.
Bell walked out dressed in a pair of shorts with a towel over his head. Hestia grasped his hand gently and made to guide him onto the bed, placing her pillow under his chest to ease the pressure on his abdomen, before she took her seat on his lower back.
Bell Cranel Level One Strength: I-82 - H-175 Magic () Skills ( - )
Endurance: I-13 - H-120
Dexterity: I-99 - G-210
Agility: H-175 - F-332
Magic: I-0
'Bell, what did you do today?' Asked Hestia in disbelief, her eyes wide.
When Hestia didn't immediately get a reply, she looked closer at Bell. It seemed he had dozed off, exhausted from his day. Hestia sighed as she swung her leg off his back and sat beside him, before lying next to him.
"Bell… you are pushing yourself so much… but this is still absurd. This… this can't all be because of Ais Wallenstein, there has to be something else." Thought Hestia, before looking at the status paper again, specifically the skill section.
Skills – Amplified Liaris Freese
Rapid growth as long as the users desires remain strong.
The strength of the effects and the growth compounds with the degree of the user's feelings and number of desires.
The stronger the overall desire, the stronger the growth.
As a side effect, it makes the user immune to charms."Desires. Plural… number of desires… so it isn't just one thing then… but I don't understand then… has Bell met another girl… am I included?" Thought Hestia, feeling herself flush at the last thought.
Hestia took a moment to place the paper down and hugged herself to Bell, enjoying the warmth of their embrace. Leaning back after a moment, Hestia settled for brushing his white locks softly. A few moments later, Bell started to rouse.
'Goddess?' Asked Bell in confusion.
'Did you have a nice nap there, Bell?' Asked Hestia.
'Yes, but the wake up was also nice.' Said Bell sleepily, causing Hestia to smile.
'I need to go and take care of something and catch up with some friends of mine. I think you also have somewhere to be tonight, so let's have dinner together tomorrow instead, okay?' Suggested Hestia.
'Sounds good. I'll make sure to get us something special.' Said Bell, causing Hestia to smile.
'Get some rest now, but remember, it isn't nice to keep someone waiting, so make sure you don't forget about your appointment.' Warned Hestia, getting a mumble of agreement from Bell, whose eyes were closed again.
"Is having more girls around going to distract him or make his growth even faster… I'm scared to find out." Thought Hestia, sliding off the bed and throwing the status sheet into the fire, before slinging a thin coat on and heading out, leaving Bell to rest.