5 - *000000* - FICOOL

"I still don't like this." I sigh out towards Kirin, her amicable smile growing warmer at my words.

"I understand, but this is simply us helping you get started. Investing in a business we want to support is completely normal, no?" Tch, she's very good with her words.

And the small hidden smirk on her beautiful face tells me that she knows very well her words are effective.

I sigh out again, this time through my nostrils. "Will there be a time limit to the debt?" I ask, and Kirin swiftly shakes her head with a light smile.

"You can repay us slowly at your own time once you open up shop." That's nice then.

Still, I don't like this, but I need their help if I want to get started. "Fine, you smooth-talker." Her mature response is to blow a raspberry at me.

I scrunch up my nose, then ignore the ache in my bones and body as I reach over to grab a large scrolled up paper and notebook.

My spar against Alfia told me that the Dungeon isn't completely full of weak as hell monsters.

Perhaps the beasts deep within can actively give me a challenge, seeing how incredibly strong Alfia was.

She's actually even stronger than me, and the only reason I even won is because of how us Sword Cultivator won.

Each blow contains the full power of our whole body. We don't hold anything back.

And the fact that she forced me to actively use the Martial Art I train in actually made me excited.

I want to spar with her again, so that I can test the Kunpeng Style even more.

There's so many Martial Styles, all based on mythological beasts like the Dragon, which is immense power and toughness.

The Phoenix Style, which is nimbleness and swiftness.

The Tiger Style, which is made of quick and ferocious attacks.

The Eagle Style, mostly an aerial type fighting style consisted of jumping and diving down towards the target.

And the one I picked, the Kunpeng Style. It's ferocious, powerful, quick and has immense energy consumption.

I had to ignite ten Qi Strands just to unleash that one move against Alfia, and it left my body aching.

Which is nice. I like this kind of ache.

"This is the most important thing I need." I start as I spread the paper on the table before us, showing the blueprints to a large Pill Furnace. "I want only the most competent of Blacksmiths to handle this, as any small mistake can make it blow it up during the refining process."

Kirin frowns and nods as she inspects the blueprints before her, clear interest in her eyes. "Fire and Lightning type materials?" She suddenly questions curiously.

I nod. "Every ingredient has something called 'Impurities' inside of them. Through heating, a great deal of them are purged, and bathing the final batch of Pills with lightning will purify them even more."

"If too many impurities gather inside the body, then not only will the Pill slowly lose effect, but it can lead to very bad health problems." Agnodice pauses at my words, then cutely pokes at her chin for a second before rushing towards one of the cabinets in the corner.

I came to the infirmary to see what ingredients they had on hand before Kirin approached me.

Kirin leans back and crosses her arms beneath her own large bust, nearly making those orbs bounce out of her loose kimono. "Then, do Potions also hold these impurities?"

I nod yet again. "Everything, even food, has Impurities. Hell, they can even weight you down and lower your combat capabilities." Her eyes widen at that tidbit.

And Agnodice approaches us just as I say that, placing down a small vial with a dark red liquid down before me. "Here, this is a Potion." I give the Milf a thankful smile before grabbing the vial.

I pop it open and take a sniff, then frown. This is already not good.

And taking a sip just makes things worse. "Can you tell me how Potions are usually made?"

The tall and mature Elf is the one that answers my question. "We first grind the ingredients in a pestle until they are powder, then add a bit of water and grind them some more."

"Next, we pour the mix into a cauldron of boiling water for around an hour." The grinding process is good, but adding water during it?

That fucking dilutes the effects of the ingredients.

"How many ingredients are used during the process?" I question again, and from Kirin's look, I can tell that she sensed something wrong.

"The more ingredients, the higher the grade of the Potion." The Vice Captain answers, then jabs her chin towards the vial in my hand. "That's a High Grade one…"

I lean back with a sigh and palm my face. "Who made this?"

Agnodice gulps and shares a glance with Kirin. "The Dian Cecht Familia… Why?"

I flare my nostrils and stare into the woman's beautiful eyes with barely restrained annoyance. "This is an insult to medicine."

"Not only are the ingredients they used clearly dying, or in the withering process, but they also tried to cover up the acidity that comes with it with artificial flavors and scents, which also dilutes the healing effects even more."

"And adding water during the grinding process makes thing even worse!"

I click my tongue and move my small Pill Furnace closer, which I had luckily already bought out before I got into the infirmary.

I pop the cork open and pour the Potion inside, then let the Pill Furnace heat up to great temperatures for a few seconds.

Then, I once more open it up and dip my fingers inside.

Kirin's face blanches when I bring them out coated in a sticky, foul smelling black gunk. "These are the Impurities held within that Potion. This is what they are making you drink." Her white face now goes green, and both Kirin and Agnodice nearly throw up on the spot.

I really want to grab this Dian Cecht and beat the ever loving shit out of him for letting this bullshit go on.

This literally goes against everything I follow in Alchemy, where quality is everything that matters.

"We've drank hundreds of them…" Kirin wheezes out, holding a hand over her lips and one over her stomach as I grab my notebook.

"Agnodice, I need you to find this plant as soon as possible, and as many as possible." I ask the older woman as I open the notebook I've always carried with me, bringing it to a page where the drawing of a wheat like plant resides.

"It grows near very hot places and even flowing rivers of magma." I let her grab the notebook with a frown.

Kirin takes a peek at it herself, then nods at the older woman. "Make a copy of it and send some of the girls to check our storage." She then glances at me with a raised brow. "What do you need this for?"

"To expel the impurities within your bodies." Her eyes widen at that. "It'll be a very painful process, but you'll feel a lot better afterward… But I need this to be made first." I tap the blueprints, and Kirin nod as she stands.

"I'll send someone to get the Hephaestus Familia's best Blacksmith on it." I blink at her, and she gives me an amused smile. "Our Hera Familia helped the Hephaestus Familia get settled in and grow centuries ago, so we have a massive discount with them."

"And if you were to go, they'd rip you off." Hah, I knew it.

Oh well, at least we can save on some wealth and not make the initial debt outright enormous.

Which also makes me think… "Shall I write down what Pills I can make? So that you can let me know what you want." Kirin pauses at that.

"Yes, please. That would be perfect." I nod and let the two older women leave to take care of these things while I instead swiftly clean my hand, and then my furnace.

That damn Potion was ninety-percent Impurities, for the love of all the Gods above and below.

He's supposed to be a God of medicine, no? Then can't he see how horrid and low quality the things he is selling are?

Or is he doing that on purpose just to fill his pockets with money?

If that's so, me and him are gonna have a talk in the future.

Packing my things, I leave the infirmary and go back to my room, then grab a notebook and pen to get started on an inventory list.

Healing Pills are easy to make, with Tier One Healing Pills only requiring around five or so ingredients to make them.

With a Tier Two Pill Furnace, that'll be five ingredients for a batch of a hundred Pills that will surely reach the Sky Blue Tier.

A single Sky Blue Healing Pill might as well last around two days with how potent and rich the medicinal energies within them is.

Healing Pills, Detox Pills, Temperature Resistance Pills… Hm, the Dungeon should be deep, right?

So they should take a long time to reach their current limit, which means they also require a lot of food on the way…

And I can make a Fasting Pill, which can let them go a whole month without food or water, keeps them sated, and they won't even need to go to the bathroom.

And all I need to make these Pills is… just three ingredients, with one of them being wheat. Huh.

Kirin's gonna love this, I think.

I mean, they might not even go that deep and I'm just overthinking things, but I'll write it down either way.

Speaking of simple Pills… I should really make a simpler and cheaper Healing Pill. Not for the Hera Familia or other adventurers, but of the civilians.

As far as I saw, this city is a cesspool. The Elysian Gardens are clearly well kept because of Hera, but the rest of the city, as far as I saw, is dirty as hell.

The hygiene here is beyond low, so there must also be a lot of sicknesses.

I can't really create a vaccine, but I can make Healing Pills that are cheap and will easily heal any and all sicknesses, no matter how grave or horrid.

As for Meteria and Alfia's sickness, that still leaves me perplexed.

It's like a tumor, just… somehow filled to the brim with magic, which I now know how it feels due to Alfia's Spell.

Their sickness is something that seemingly mutated with magic, and magic highly rejects Qi, which is inside the Pills.

Usually, but this is a mere assumption and theory of mine, the two would fight and grind each other away, giving me the choice of having Meteria wait it out until the battle of attrition leaves her sickness weakened and feeble.

But that doesn't happen. Her sickness is filled to the brim with magic, so much so that my Tier One Healing Pills can't even do anything to it other than pushing it back and create a defensive ward around Meteria's lungs and hearth.

The magic within her sickness is insanely dense, so maybe if I truly want to achieve something against it… I might actually need a Heavenly Healing Pill.

A Pill that impresses the very Heavens and gets baptized by Heavenly Lightning, granting it sentience and mystical might.

But can I even reach that grade with a mere Tier One Healing Pill?

Meteria might be able to handle Tier Two Pills if I give her all the Body Strengthening Pills I know, but then the new and better ones will only be achievable when I turn my Gaseous Qi into Liquid Qi.

Which… shouldn't take long, since I've already upgraded my Qi Palace a second time, and gathering Qi has become even easier.

By my estimates, I should have three-hundred strands within two days, with or without the use of a Qi Gathering Pill.

Speaking off… I exhale a heavy breath as I ignite ten strands at once, spreading the immense waves of energy through my whole body, bones and organs.

Yet once again, my body doesn't get strengthened that much. Actually, it's even lower than last time.

Even the strengthening from the Heavenly Lighting wasn't that much. If I had to compare myself to the me of before fighting Alfia, then I am… around thirty-percent stronger.

Just that little increase in strength.

As I thought, Pills for strengthening the body are a must for Cultivators, huh?

Albeit I can only take them once, it should be more than enough to increase my strength even more.

The next Heavenly Lighting baptism will very likely strengthen me by around ten-percent or less, and so will the next ones.

All the energy will be focused on my Qi Palace, so it ain't that bad.

I don't have much knowledge on how Cultivation actually works and what's normal and what isn't, so I don't know if this is something the other Cultivators also faced.

Oh well, not that I might. I'll be able to conserve my Qi like this and won't need to waste it on strengthening myself even more.

It's also probably because I've purified my body as much as I possibly could with Qi alone.

Once I'll use the Pills, I'll have basically reached the peak physical might that is possible within the first Realm.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a few gentle knocks at my door.

Is it Meteria? She did kinda chase after her sister after she ran away from me, for some reason…

I hope she doesn't hold a grudge for winning against her.

Setting down my pen, I stand and walk to the door, then blink when I open it and stare into a pair of very beautiful heterochromatic eyes.

Alfia's cheeks instantly catch on fire as she lowers her gaze, her gloved hands shyly fidgeting over her lap. "M-May I come in?" She whispers out softly, in a very cute way.

"I… Of course." Wonder what this is about… I step to the side, letting her walk into my room while I peek outside and down the hall.

My eyes land on Meteria, who gives me a massive grin and two big thumbs up, then mouths 'Make her scream!' at me.

Before turning around and 'Nyooom'-ing away.

Did she just give me the go ahead in fucking her sister?

The sweet, adorable Meteria?

What the fuck?

I just sigh and shut the door, a bit glad and a bit disappointed that when I turn around I don't find Alfia naked on my bed.

I am a man, yes… But I'd rather this doesn't become a damn thing. It feels I am making use of the girls feeling instead of actively conquering them and whatnot.

"So…" I start, turning my chair towards her as she takes a seat on my bed, still avoiding my gaze as she does so. "What can I help you with?"

Alfia remains quiet for a few quiet and, for me, awkward seconds.

But when she speaks, she does so in a low whisper. "Can you train me?" I blink and pause at that.

Of all things I expected her to say or ask me, this wasn't one of them.

"Why?" I ask right back. Rude, but eh. "Why do you seek to become stronger than you already are?"

She doesn't answer instantly, and her hands keep fidgeting with each other.

She chews on her lower lip and exhales through her nostrils, then finally, slowly lifts her gaze up to meet mine. "I don't know." Is her whispered answer.

"It's…" Alfia breathes in, and I don't even need my sharp senses to hear her hammering hearth. "Meteria… She told me about the… The 'Dao'." I blink slowly at that.

Then lean forward with slight interest. "Then, do you seek Inner Peace? Or what is it that you truly desire?" She falls silent once more.

She's a strange woman, giving me vibes of someone who has never socialized.

Who has never wanted much from life, and who never had or has dreams of grandeur and things like that.

She's… kind of like me, in a sense.

"I really don't know what I want…" She finally sighs out, sagging her shoulders in the process and earning a chuckle from me.

"Your emotions are still in turmoil, so give yourself some time." I reassure her softly with a gentle smile. "Leave your and Meteria's sickness in my hands. Don't even think about it."

"Just think about your future, go out with your sister now that you can." I shrug. "Enjoy the little things that you couldn't before."

Her eyes widen, clearly not having thought of that. And perhaps the fact that her sister is now well and truly safe hasn't fully sunk just yet.

Or maybe it has, but she's been denying it.

"I'm so confused…" Alfia sighs out softly, making me feel bad for her.

I just can't imagine how she is feeling. She lived her whole life thinking that neither her or her sister would live long, and being even tried to gain strength with that horrid sickness bearing down on her just to heal her sister.

Not herself. But her sister.

I can tell with just a look that she loves her sister very dearly and would happily give her life away for her.

I'm very jealous of that.

"If you seek Inner Peace…" I start, taking in a breath as I do. "There must be something troubling you."

"And the first step to finding peace is… knowing what it is that is troubling you, and facing it head on." Her gaze falls to her lap. "Do you know what that is?"

Alfia tilts her head and closes her eyes for a few short seconds before answering. "Noise." Yet again, her voice is a light but pleasant whisper. "It's something that has plagued me since I was young."

Noise, huh? So she is sensitive to sound? Or is there something deeper about it?

"My hate for this is so strong that… That I gained a Spell about it. One that dampens the 'Noise' I and the others make, while also weakening my own magic." So then her Spell…

"A condensed block of sound, that was your… Gospel, right?" Alfia nods, and I hum softly.

The Falna, if I remember it's name right, is somewhat sentient, turning Alfia's hate into a Spell.

"If you really hate it so much, then why are both of your Spells sound based?" I question curiously, giving her pause.

"I… Have a third one." She whispers lightly. "It has the sound of small chimes."

"Case in point." Her cheeks slightly flush at my smile. "You are very sensitive to sound, yes?" She nods, and something kind of clicks.

"Then, perhaps, you don't really hate all 'Noises', but just a certain one?" Alfia raises a brow at me, so I just give her a gentle knowing smile. "Meteria."

The sharp intake of air is very much expected, as is the widening of her beautiful eyes.

She very likely grew up while listening to her sister's harsh breathing, gasps, pained breaths, faint and strained heartbeats.

"Do you enjoy the sound of birds chirping in the morning?" I question, and Alfia slowly nods.

All the noises her sister made while bound to the bed made Alfia unable to enjoy her life.

Enjoy the world and the small beautiful things in-between.

"Do you enjoy the sound of chimes that ring when the wind blows against them?" Alfia nods yet again, this time with screwed shut eyes.

It must've really been hard living like this.

But now, for the final blow! "And finally…"

"Do you enjoy the cute and adorable little 'Nyooooom~!' sounds from Meteria?" Alfia's lips twitch lightly, then again.

A faint snort escapes her.

And finally, she laughs.

And laughs.

Her hearty, happiness filled laughter fill my room as she falls back on my bed, her screwed shut eyes now slightly teary, and a massive smile on her beautiful face.

I chuckle softly and lean back as her laughter dies down into faint chuckles and soft breaths, her eyes now opening to stare at the ceiling.

Soon, she closes her eyes again, takes in a deep breath, then whispers; "Ataraxia."

I feel something come off from her, fading away like a liquid and dispersing in the air, making her presence far more clear to my senses.

Before, she was blurry, almost like she wasn't fully there, like a murky image in the water.

But now, she's clear, and I can tell that she is fully and truly there through my senses.

That's probably the Spell that dampens the noises and her powers, and whatever else it does.

"It's all so loud now." She muses softly while still laying down on my bed.

I can't help but raise a curious brow. "Am I loud too?"

She nods without even wasting a second. "Very much so."

I deadpan. "Excuse me for existing, milady." She snorts softly, her lips pulling up into an enchanting smile once more.

My eyes never leave her form as she sits up, then stands and approaches me.

Her cheeks flush as she removes one of her gloves, then uses her bare hand to reach forward and rest it on my chest.

Yet again, her eyes fall shut, and she takes in a slow but deep breath.

Is she listening to my heartbeat?

Seconds trickle by, and her smile somehow grows warmer and warmer.

"Yeah…" She breathes out and pulls her hand away, much to my confusion.

Her seemingly sparkling eyes lock with mine the next second. "I think I found the fourth sound that l love."

I really need to know how I am doing what I am doing.

I am somehow pulling girls without even meaning to?

Is this the power of a Trap?

The door slowly creaks open, drawing our attention.

Meteria very slowly peeks in, her bright eyes landing on us as she does so.

Her smile falls into a flat, deadpan look.

"Big Sis, I told you to drop the dress, not the glove."

"Meteria!"

"So that's why I wasn't hearing any screaming… Tch."

"Meteria!"

"Yeah, like that… Just, it's Riley's name you're supposed to scream, not mine."

My lips thin as I watch the younger twin be disappointed that her older twin didn't follow her perverted advice to get laid.

Which… Might have actually worked, not gonna lie.

"See? He's thinking about you naked!"

That actually breaks Alfia, who passes out while standing.

And she's foaming at the mouth too…

Jesus Christ, Meteria is dangerous.

Her small hand pats me on the shoulder, and I lift my gaze to stare at her face as she nods with a knowing smile.

"Don't worry, my Hero!" She actively deepens her voice to make herself sound… more adorable? Somehow? "I shall help you with the Harem you came here to gather! Starting with Big Sis!"

I'm so fucking done…

xxxXXXxxx

"Haven't the Hera Familia girls been too quiet recently?" A member of the Zeus Familia suddenly points out to the rest of his team.

The eyes of another member widen at that. "Yeah, I haven't see them around much now that you mention it."

"I wonder what's up with-" Their musing was cut short by the sound of heavy and pained coughing coming from right behind them.

They turn their heads as one, staring towards the entrance gates to the Olympus Mansion, where the dirtied up, bloody and beaten stumbling form of a seemingly homeless man was.

The Adventurers instantly recognize their homeless- Their God, who crumbles face first into the ground right before their eyes.

"Lord Zeus!"

"What has happened to you!?"

"These injuries… What kind of monster could ever do this!?"

"Tell us, Lord Zeus! We shall gather everyone and avenge you with our whole might!"

The warriors passionately cried out, manly tears of pain pouring down their cheeks, their teeth gritted and fists clenched with righteous, Heroic fu-

Zeus coughs and wheezes out a few words. "It was Hera…" And suddenly he was all alone.

"So anyway, wanna go grab a bite?"

"I heard a new nice restaurant opened up, I believe they sell western food."

"Haven't had some in a while. I hope they have great alcohol too."

"And women, of course!"

"Heh, some eye-candy is always welc-"

"You bunch of fucking pussies!" Zeus bellows towards them, the right side of his face swollen and purple like weirdly colored watermelon. It even covered his whole eye.

And several of his teeth were missing too.

The mighty God… sobs with pain and despair, hammering his weak fists into the ground. "It's unfaiiiir!" He cries out righteously, only to pause and blink when two new figures stand before him.

Zald blinks flatly as he stares down at the beaten figure of his God, something that really isn't shocking.

This is almost a daily thing, after all.

Beside Zald stood a slightly taller and more muscular form with ebony like skin and bright green eyes.

"Ah, Zald, Leonidas, my boys…" The God sniffles, snot pouring down his dirty face together with copious amounts of tears.

The sight makes the two powerful executives cringe back.

"So…" Leonidas gulps and starts, hands in his pockets. "What did Hera do to you?"

Zeus sobs. "The real question should be; What did she not do?"

Both executives cringe back again. "Damn, that bad?"

"She kicked me in the nuts for a whole hour."

"Attached me to a pair of horses and watched as they dragged me around for yet another hour."

"Scattered itching powder all over me and cackled as I trashed around."

"Slid a centipede inside my ear."

"Then used my skull to hammer a nail into the wall. And she kept missing. On purpose."

"Then of course she buried me alive in the park."

With each violent act Zeus recounts, the two executives cringe back more and more, hissing and sharing pity filled glances.

Their God is truly a powerful man to remain sane after so many horrendous beatings.

And he's been suffering these for nearly a thousand years now…

Perhaps he truly is a masochist after all-

"And worst of all…" The God begins again, drawing the gazes of his two Adventurers.

"There's more?" Another pity filled look is exchanged.

Zeus hammers his weak fists onto the ground. "This… This is the worst thing she's ever done to me in all these centuries!" The God cries out, stunning the two.

What could Hera have ever done that could make Zeus look like such a sniveling child?

"She…" The God sniffles.

He raises his gaze to stare at his two adventurers. "She…!"

The two lean forward, actually interested in the vile act that reduced their God to such a state-

"She allowed a man to enter the Elysian Gardens!" Zeus cries out indignantly, righteous fury filling his belly.

"What?" Zald and Leonidas give their God a blank stare, their interest instantly having died at that.

"You heard me!" The beaten Divine whines out pathetically. "There's a man living in the Elysian Mansion, living our dream! That's why the Zeus Familia exists!"

"We exist to clear the Dungeon and protect the people-"

"And he has permission to impregnate all of the girls that want him! That fucking Trap!" Tears of blood soon start pouring down Zeus's face.

"I want that bastard dead! He's cheatin'! I tell ya, he's fuckin' cheating- Wait, where are you going?!"

"You heard about that new restaurant?"

"The one selling western food?"

"Yeah, that. Wanna go try it out?"

"Might as well. I'm famished, after all-"

"You ungrateful sons of bitches! Where's your Heroic Valor!? Our brotherhood!?"

"That Trap shall steal all the women away if we don't stop him! We must act quickly!"

"Do you hear that?"

"Listen to me, you fucks!"

"Must be an idiot that has gone senile…"

Zeus coughs up blood and passes out before his very home.

"Mama! Look! It's a pathetic homeless man!" A nearby child points out, and the mother doesn't scold him.

The passed out God coughs up blood yet again.

A.N. Bullying Zeus is very fun.

Writing Hera is even funnier.

Also, Riley's Rizz is unmatched.

You really can use anything for your Pills?" Kirin questions curiously, eyes glinting with both amusement and interest as she watched Riley just buy all the flowers in the shop.

The teen shrugs lightly, a minute smile on his lips. "Not everything, of course." He hums out, eyes twitching with amusement when a short, pink haired Pallum girl with a very pissed off expression picked up one of the boxes filled with his purchase before bolting down the road.

"Is she okay?" He whispers lightly to her, and Kirin holds back a giggle.

"That's her normal expression, don't worry." His face clearly told her that he doubted her words, so she decided to focus on something. "So, what would you need flowers for?"

The Alchemist throws an uncertain glance down the road before answering her. "Two things; The petals, once ground down, can be used to slightly improve the quality of the Pills. And they are among the main ingredients for Herbal Baths Pills." Now that's something Kirin loves.

She has experienced Herbal Baths before, of course. The nice scent, the relaxing warmth, and just the comforting bubbling of the water.

But… Riley's Pills are clearly something else. Just how good will a Herbal Bath Pill be?

"You really know how to get a lady going~!" Kirin couldn't help the teasing and sensual purr that flowed out of her lips.

Yet, even as she makes sure to show plenty of cleavage and even push up a bit against Riley… He doesn't react much, aside from a deadpan look directed her way.

No blush, no stammering, no shyness… Now her pride in her looks is just a bit hurt.

"I am simply repaying you all for your hospitality… Even if the depravity of certain members can be quite creepy." The purple haired woman snorts softly at that.

Luckily, she isn't like those crude and famished beasts. She has class and skills!

"Like you aren't enjoying sweet little Meteria at night!" Kirin teases, and Riley gives her another deadpan look.

"I really want to see you tell 'No!' to her."

"Hah! Fool! I'd rather kill myself than do that!" Riley snorts as the Vice Captain turns her nose up at him.

Who did he think she was? A God? Refuse a request from sweet Meteria?

That's a crime that none should ever dare commit.

Plus, refusing her would draw the ire of that annoying Alfia. That's a whole can of worms no one would want to open up.

Speaking of cans… Riley had shown her the list of Pills he'd be willing to sell them and everyone else, and among them, Kirin instantly locked onto the Fasting Pill.

An entire month without the need for food and water… An enormous opportunity to save up on money and space for Expeditions in the depths of the Dungeon.

Maybe even time, due to how long it usually takes to prepare the amount of food needed.

Just one Pill of his can save them Millions of Valis within the span of a year.

The body strengthening ones can help their Supporters and even the damn Executives, by granting them greater power and survival capabilities!

Riley is a golden egg that the Hera Familia managed to pick up, and cracks are already spreading all over the shell as time goes by.

And when his furnace is finally finished, the income will easily repay the debt he owes them, and the interest they'll gain isn't even cared about.

Because just his Pills alone are far more important than the money.

"I think that's most of the stuff I can expect to find on the surface, then…" Riley muses softly, bringing Kirin out of her thoughts as she watches him cross over something else from his list.

The one problem they unfortunately ran into is that quite a few of the ingredients he needs are ones that only grow inside the Dungeon.

Luckily, the only ingredients for the Fasting Pill that grows in the Dungeon is located on the 18th Floor, where there are groups that actively grow it due to being an ingredient for Antidote Potions.

Potions that she now doesn't trust anymore after seeing that vile gunk Riley produced out of them.

In fact, she'll soon pay Dian Cecht a visit and put an end to their joint agreement.

Their money will be better spent supporting Riley and buying his Pills instead of those faulty, venomous potions.

"Anything else you need?" She questions as their walk slows down.

The gazes directed towards them, mostly her, will surely spark up a great deal of rumors that will spread across the city like wild-fire… But Kirin doesn't really care.

Even if they were to reach 'His' ears. Not that it'll do much since it's easy to confuse Riley as a woman.

Riley shuts his notebook with a sniff. "Not really. Got everything that I needed and established a constant supply of it." He shrugs, and Kirin merely nods.

Just helping him get started surprisingly took insanely little money, with the thing that took the most is establishing a connection with a family of glass-workers, requesting small little glass bottles that will hold five Pills each.

The shop he'll set his operations up in is one that the Hera Familia already owns, so it just needs to get cleaned up and then it'll be ready to get used.

His furnace would have costed a great deal, but the final price came a bit short than the glass bottles supply thanks to the discount they have with the Hephaestus Familia.

It helped that they do not know what the huge object will be used for, else the price would have shot up by at least ten times. Or even a hundred.

"You didn't have to come, but thanks for the company." Riley hums, receiving a light smile from the purple haired woman in return.

Which swiftly turns into a playful, lecherous one. "I wouldn't pass the chance to spend some time alone with a cutie like you~!" And yet again, there's no reaction from him aside from another deadpan look.

Damn it! React a bit, will ya!?

"No ulterior motives, then?" His brow raises up in clear amusement, and Kirin's expression twitches just a tiny bit.

Which he catches, seeing the faint smirk that hikes up the right side of his lips.

So Kirin sighs deeply. "You are perceptive too." That she had to praise and like about him.

Among many other things.

But he merely snorts. "Just overly cautious and very paranoid." The way he says that makes her worry just a bit.

It's like he expects something to happen- Or more like, he fears for it.

"So, what is it?" He probes lightly, his calm and relaxed eyes taking in the sights of the market around him, inspecting each person as if he is looking for something.

Calmly, Kirin debates to herself whether speaking her question out loud, or if it's better to drop it.

People have their secrets, especially her, and her rule is to not probe too much. Once or twice at most.

Yet, she was far too curious, because Riley is far too unique.

The wondrous Pills he makes, the immense strength he wields without a Falna…

And that strange energy that made him split the sky asunder, cleaving apart the very clouds above.

That terrifying blackness that devoured all, the sheer chilliness that came from it…

It terrified her still.

That pure, raw might... That look in his eyes before his blade rent the clouds apart…

Kirin rarely in her life felt fear, and even more rarely has she ever been truly aroused.

And Riley managed to evoke both of those feelings with a single slash of his sword.

He is a dangerous man.

By her estimation, if allowed to grow, he'll surely surpass everyone in strength within a few years at most, but that depends on his growth.

So far, his weakness is clear and easy to see. He uses his all during a fight, and that means he won't last long.

Numbers and time are his downfall… That is, if he can't easily bring down those numbers with that weird power of his.

A single use left him pale and clearly sore, yet it terrifies her still.

"I'll get straight to the point, then." She starts while lowering her voice, her face slightly serious. "I wish to know what that power you used against Alfia is." Riley stills momentarily at her question.

It was but a split second, but he did and she saw it clear as day.

His usually calm eyes fill with a tinge of worry and anger as they meet hers, and Kirin finds herself holding back a gulp and actually grow nervous.

It's clearly not Magic, as it cleaved through Alfia's protective barrier like it was butter… And Alfia's barrier make her nigh-invincible against Magic.

So if it's not Magic, what is it?

Is he like her?

But if he is… then how is he sane?

Could his Pills be a cure then?

Riley keeps his gaze on her for a few short, yet long quiet seconds. His jaw had tensed up, his hands had clenched momentarily… But then it all fades away as he sighs.

His control over his emotions made Kirin slightly jealous.

"And why do you wish to know?" He questions right back, his gaze leaving hers as he resumes walking.

She follows suit, but lags slightly behind, her hands crossed behind her back. "Curiosity, mostly. And… Threat assessment too." Her answers is honest, yet it doesn't bring a reaction out of Riley.

No twitch of the face or hands, nor momentary pause.

He just kept walking.

Hence, she keeps going. "You are an unknown. Yes, you bring miraculous medicine that can save lives, but with that you also bring a power that allowed you to best one of the strongest people in this city."

They turn a corner, and she notices Riley's gaze fall on a nearby small park.

Distant, quiet and free. Away from prying eyes and ears.

She doesn't speak and merely follows him there, half-expecting a sudden confrontation, and half-expecting/hoping nothing happens.

And indeed, nothing does happen. Riley merely leads her to a bench in the park and sits down with a heavy sigh and a heavy face.

Worry instantly filled Kirin's heart, but she took a seat beside him either way.

A tense quiet falls between them as Riley looks down at his gloved hands, fists clenching and relaxing over and over.

Until finally, he speaks. "I'll be completely honest… But also vague." He tells her truthfully, making Kirin blink, then give him a faint smile.

"What I wield is called Qi, that's all I'll say about it for now." Qi… What does that word mean?

"The reason why I do not want to share more about Qi is because I know what people who wield it wrong can do." Kirin's stomach drops at those words. "This city seems relatively peaceful, and I do not wish to ruin that with a power that will surely swiftly corrupt those that wield it."

Things instantly clicked for Kirin.

Riley is reserved, and even when he wields that amount of power, he doesn't wish to show it off.

The only reason he even fought Alfia was to teach her a lesson and have her back off, but then it's clear that he has no wish to achieve fame.

Is it because he doesn't enjoy the spotlight, or because he fears that people will learn how to wield this Qi power just by observing him?

Other Gods will surely try and force him to reveal how to wield this power, trying to make it appear as it being capable of saving lives instead of showing their greed and desire to have it beneath their thumb.

And Kirin can't allow that to happen.

Evilus is still lurking around, biding their time and crawling around like rats.

Each time they strike, they always deal a devastating blow to Orario that'll take years to recover from.

And once Riley comes out with his Pills that can make Dungeon diving insanely more safe, they'll instantly target it.

Plus, it won't be long for everyone to learn and know about his terrifying strength due to the Minotaur situation, and that he boasts it without having a Falna.

Evilus will set their sights on him, gather his Pill through secret agents, gather further strength…

And then strike him down, taking away the one person who can save tens of thousands through the years to come thanks to his miraculous medicine.

She. Can't. Allow. That.

"Are you absolutely sure there is no one that wields this… Qi, in Orario?" Kirin questions lightly, and Riley shakes his head with a sigh.

"Unless they are far too weak at the moment, then it'd be easy to know they are around."

"They act like prideful tyrants, flaunting their wealth and power wherever they go. If you don't kneel when they walk through a street, they will have you crippled or killed, and any woman that catches their fancy is forcibly…" At that, he stops speaking, but Kirin understood all too well.

It made her sick, but the veteran in her swiftly focused on trying to bring up any people that have acted like this.

And all of them come out as Gods, majority of them being newly descended ones too.

They think that once they come down to Orario, their life will be far easier, that they will be given everything and anything.

And then they are proven horribly wrong.

So Kirin allows herself a light breath of relief, glad that no Qi wielders are seemingly within the city. Yet.

Gulping softly, she turns her gaze to Riley. "Is there any way to find them, if there are any?" If they were weak, it was best to at least assess their character and how they acted, make a note of them and follow their growth.

If they become a danger… Well, they must be erased, lest they become the people Riley is clearly so terrified off.

The shake of his head disappoints her quite a bit. "Only I can sense them." That'll make things harder.

"Then let's cooperate on this." Kirin starts, straightening herself and turning to fully face the surprised Riley. "You clearly do not wish for these people to go rampant and misuse this power, and neither do I."

"So if you find them, you tell me, and I'll have people keep track of them."

"In exchange, I'll keep this a secret that I'll only share with Lady Hera." Riley blinks slowly at her, but a gentle and thankful smile slowly spreads across his face.

Kirin didn't really want to keep it a secret between just her, Riley and her Goddess… But she knew that there were moles in her Familia.

Some connected to the Zeus Familia – mostly the side connected to 'Him' – and others that had their own motives.

Among the Executives, the only one she could fully and truly trust is Alfia.

She highly hated the fact that she couldn't fully trust the companions with whom she dives into the jaws of Death itself, but she couldn't help it.

The Zeus Familia is already divided and mentally destroyed one of their strongest Executives, making her retire far too early.

And worst of all, the Captain of said Familia is a megalomaniac obsessed with perfection.

Yes, the Zeus Familia has reached a terrifying level of strength during his rule… But it has also grown divided.

Those who wish to be heroes and save the people, and those that simply desire more power and want to rule over the townsfolk-

Oh Gods, they now sound really similar to the people Riley fears.

"I can get behind that." The teen sighs out softly, a low smile on his face. "Thanks for… trusting me with this."

Kirin gives him a kind smile right back. "Just don't feel alienated from others simply because you are… different. I know how that feels like, and it's not nice."

He blinks, then tilts his head at her. "Why would you be different from others?" The Vice Captain stomach's drops, then instantly curses herself for not thinking before speaking.

"Is it because you feel like Hera?" The only reason Kirin didn't instantly lash out with lethal force was because of how confused and cute Riley looked as he asked that question.

And that is far too unfair.

Her mouth opens and closes as words failed her, and Riley notices her struggles. The fear in her eyes, so his own eyes widen with slight shock and worry.

Before quickly calming down. "I never asked this question." He whispers softly towards her, and Kirin's feels her eyes widen even more.

Of course he wouldn't know about them. About those like her.

He is new to Orario, but it's also something very ancient by now.

"I…" Taking in a deep breath, the Vice Captain closes her eyes shut. "Thank you."

He just gives her a grin and thumbs up, then slowly stands up and stretches his back.

And now she felt like the silence was a bit awkward, so…

"Let me thank you with a big ol' smooch!"

"And we were doing so well, woman!"

xxxXXXxxx

"You really don't have to do this, you know?" Agnodice kindly and warmly says, but I just shrug lightly as I keep breaking the eggs open and separating the large yolk from the rest.

They are far bigger than the ones from my old world, or the ones I used to see in my village.

At least two or three times bigger, I'd roughly say. And also a lot better tasting, somehow.

"It's not really much, so don't worry." I drawl out as I set the bowl full of yolk aside so to quickly wash my hands. "I'm also doing this for myself, after all."

The tall elven woman regards me with a curious gaze, her hands swiftly and easily cutting through the slab of meat before her.

"It's food from home that I haven't had in years, so…" Carbonara, the greatest dish of pasta ever made within the Multiverse.

I need it so bad that it ain't even a joke. I'm like a druggie that needs his next fix.

So, since I wanted some, why not prepare enough for the whole Hera Familia to enjoy?

After all, that dish is my religion. I must spread it's might to every corner of this world.

"Still, thanks for helping!" I give her a grin as I dry my hands, then move on to swiftly grab a series of large pans to fill to fill with water and some to leave empty.

Some for cooking the pasta, and others to cook the meat and then hold the pasta.

She giggles lightly while moving the cuts of meat aside. "I know how hard it can be to prepare food for more than a hundred hungry ladies!" Now that she mentions it, we are the only two in the kitchen.

Is she the only cook here? "Do you always cook alone?" I voice out my question, barely catching the slight pause in her movements when I do.

A low hum escapes her lips. "My daughter used to help me, but… We grew apart." This time I am the one that pauses.

My hands involuntarily clench into fists for but a second. "I understand that all too well." She perks up faintly at my words. "I drifted away from my parents and siblings as well." Crash. Blood. Guilt.

Fuck off.

"Want to talk about it?" The older woman offers kindly, but I sniff and bury those negative emotions deep inside me yet again.

"Nah, but thanks for offering." Her smile couldn't get any more beautiful. "What about you?" I offer back, and Agnodice actively considers it with a cute hum.

And she finally speaks after a few seconds. "There was an accident in the Dungeon. My daughter… she got overconfident." Ah, I hope I never suffer from such a curse. "She ended up getting into danger, so I had to pull her out… And ended up losing both of my legs in the process."

I flip towards her the moment those last words left her lips, and having clearly expected that, she had already lifted her sundress with her fingers to show rough mechanical legs reaching up to her kneecaps, which were covered in clear medical gauze.

"She's blamed herself since then, and has since grown distant even when I never blamed her." Her sundress drops, but I spread my senses to take in the situation even better.

She's lost everything from right below her kneecaps, and they weren't cut off… but burned off.

Her thighs are covered in vicious burns filled with intense and hot magic, and I don't even need to examine them to know that she must be in a horrendous amount of pain.

"You couldn't asked for a Pill to alleviate the pain, you know?" I sigh out, reflexively reaching for my pouch, but I've left it in my room after I came back with my trip with Kirin.

Her smile becomes very warm and sweet at my words. "I can wait. Plus, I'm used to it by now." That doesn't make it any better.

Still, fixing that damage will require a Tier Two Pill at most, as for her legs… "I'll need some time for the Limb Regrowth Pill, though." That one requires more than a hundred ingredients to make.

The majority of the ingredients I require are things that people here have written off as useless, while for me nearly everything has a use for alchemy and Pills.

"Thank you, honey." I manage to hold back a fierce blush at how insanely sweet her voice sounded just now.

Damn Milfs and their irresistible charm.

"I should still have some Healing Pills in my pouch, so I'll go check real quick." I just can't stand the thought of her standing and moving around so much while having to deal with the pain in her legs.

I can't even imagine how much it hurts, and yet she's not even flinching or hissing!

Agnodice's face melts into a very warm and kind smile that is just lethal to my heart. "I can't convince you otherwise?"

I snort. "Nope!" She sighs deeply, her warm smile growing move fond. "Just bear with me, Miss."

Her nose scrunches up a bit at that. "No need for that. Agnodice is fine…" Then she pauses and blinks. "Or Eleria, that too is fine." I raise a confused brow at that.

Which she notices. "Eleria is my name, while Agnodice is my Alias, given to me by the Gods. Mainly Lady Hera." An Alias? Is it perhaps gained through something specific or is it given just because?

Agnodice… It doesn't really ring a bell, but it does sound Greek.

Wait, if her 'name' is an Alias, then… "Is Kirin also an Alias?" Because I do know that's another mythological beast, a Chinese one to be specific.

Agnodice- Or Eleria, nods lightly with a tin smile. "The Thunderous Beast of Heaven- Or at least, that's what the legendary beast was called back then." Huh, cool nickname.

But now I'm curious. "Then, what's Kirin's real name?"

At that, Agnodice actually shrugs, making her assets bounce wildly. "Only Lady Hera knows." Aw come on!

"Oh well, I'll bribe it out of her one day!" I leave behind those words as I leave the kitchen, smiling softly as the faint giggles from Agnodice follow after me.

She's such a sweet and kind woman. A breath of fresh air, even.

From spending time in a toxic village with barely any sort of good interaction with others to being thirsted after by dozens of ladies… Is quite a big jump that I still need to get used to.

But well, I have sweet Meteria to talk to. Kirin can be fun too, especially her teasing, mostly because not reacting to it makes her do weird and funny faces.

And Agnodice is also nice to talk to. Her voice is very soothing.

But speaking of Meteria… I haven't really seen her much today, same with Alfia… Wonder where they are-

"Nyooooooommmmmm~-!" A blur runs down the hallway before me, making me stop and blink.

"Catch that little gremlin!"

"She stole my sweets!"

"And she drew a mustache on my face!"

"Oh hi Riley!"

"Alfia's chasing us!"

"Oh shit! Run!"

O...kay?

I guess Meteria's been a little menace now that she has all the energy in the world… And Alfia is trying to beat the angered mob away from her little sister.

I'm not taking the blame for unleashing that little adorable devil upon Orario.

Pretty sure I can hear Hera's satisfied and happy cackles at Meteria's antics echoing out through the whole mansion…

Shaking my head, I swiftly move down the hallway and towards the staircase leading up to where my room floor is.

And as I do so, my thoughts fall on what I talked about with Kirin. About the possibility of there being Cultivators here.

This place must be some sort of backwater place where only mortals reside… Yet the presence of the Divine kind of confuse me.

They are clearly terrifyingly powerful, yet they stifle and seal away their power, contain it deeply within themselves.

Like they are trying to live among these mortals, for some reason.

I'm so confused, yet also so glad that I do not have to live through the horrors of a Cultivation World.

I do not mind living here for the rest of my life and not going out there to find bigger cities and stronger Cultivators. I do not want that in my life.

I'll be going in the Dungeon soon, mostly because I am extremely curious about it, especially since it's the only source of Qi that I've felt so far.

Yet, I cannot ignore the risk of them still being around, just somehow being lowkey and bearing with being weak.

After all, Qi is insanely hard to gather without Pills and without improving one's Qi Palace at least two times.

But it also makes people live for a lot longer just by improving one's body.

More time means more Qi can be gathered, and the more Qi is gathered the more a Qi Palace can be improved if they even know or find out how.

And that's when, little by little, they'll gain power through the years to come.

Only reason I am not at a higher Qi Palace level is because I spent my early years just constantly improving my body over and over again, preparing it for the future.

Then when I reached Orario, I decided that it was about time I stopped holding it back and finally upgrade my Qi Palace.

Though I mostly decided that after killing that Minotaur and noticing how little damage Qi did to my body at that point.

Funnily enough, I have actually reached the limit to how strong I can make my body within this Realm, hence any big improvement will have to wait.

The one big problem that I unfortunately realized just now is that I have invoked Heavenly Lighting twice so far.

So if there are any Cultivators hidden in the city… They'll surely know there's another one now.

Living an easy and relaxing life is never easy, huh?

Creak-

Hn?

I pause just as I am about to reach the door to my room, then turn my gaze to the room next door, which had just slightly creaked open.

My eyes meets a lone lilac one for but a split second, and that moment alone is enough to make it fill with pure terror before the door slams shut.

What the fuck was that about?

I blink and spread my senses into the room, finding a lone woman residing there and… now sitting with her back against the door while hugging her knees.

Does she have anthropophobia? Or did I scare her myself?

I hesitate for a second, but then I approach the door with a low sigh. Because sometimes I am too kind for my own good too.

So, I knock lightly on the door. "Is everything okay?" I call out softly, knowing that she can hear me from her position right in front of the door.

The knock and my voice seemingly scare her even more, as I can feel and hear her scurry away from the door. "I mean no harm?" I try to reassure, but yet again, she just draws away.

I scrunch up my nose at that. "My name's Riley. I'm new around her, if you didn't know." Actually could she be afraid of men in general?

Jesus, did Hera bring me in here knowing this girl is afraid of… well, me?!

"I'm sorry if my presence makes you uncomfortable…" Yet again, no reaction. She's still hiding her face between her knees.

I should leave, but… Let me try one more thing. "Knock on the ground once for yes, twice for no." I feel her still as I say that loud enough for her to hear me. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

A pause, then I smile as her arm moves and reaches down.

She knocks faintly on the ground, not loud enough for me to hear it, but I can sense it.

And she knocked twice.

So I am not making her uncomfortable, yet I saw all that terror in her eyes for that split second. "Are you scared?"

One knock.

"Is it because of me?"

Two knocks.

Then what the fuck is the problem?

"Is there anything I can do to help?" A pause, then two knocks, making me sigh softly.

"Then, are you hungry?" Another pause, then a single knock. "I'll bring some food up soon then."

And with that, I pull away and enter my room.

I have six Healing Pills left. Meteria takes one each day to feel good and be able to move, with Alfia still refusing to take them until I have a large supply of them for her sister.

So with the one I'll be giving Agnodice, I'll have five left… But I should get my Pill Furnace tomorrow afternoon luckily.

Hence, no worries there. I can't wait to start refining again, and with a far better Furnace than the one I currently hold.

I'm so giddy!

But now, let's go back downstairs and finish cooking for those thirsty women.

Our mod selection process has completed. Please welcome our new moderators. NSFW Creative Writing[NSFW] Selling Drugs in the Dungeon should be a profitable Business, no? (Rewrite) Thread starterMusashi-Chan Start dateJun 29, 2023 Tagsalfia cultivation danmachi danmachi precanon harem meteria reviews make author happy! rewrite wuxia xianxiaPrev 1…12…49 NextIgnoreWatchThread ToolsThreadmarksIndexExtrasReader modeJoseskywalker02My sanity disappears day after day.Aug 21, 2023Add bookmark#331Capitalist DeeDee said:...Is it weird that instead of Actual martial arts my brain went: "Motherfucker which one is Star Wars Form III Soresu?"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi's technique, also know as the path of the "Hello There". Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Dimarash, Starman25, AlexA4x and 8 othersMistrozExperienced.Aug 21, 2023Add bookmark#332Excellent chapter Like Quote ReplyReportStealthGorgon1The Abyss stares backAug 21, 2023Add bookmark#333That was an adorable scene with Alfia.

I can't wait until Hera hears that Dian has been basically poisoning her girls. I'm sure she will have a completely level headed and reasonable reaction. It's not like she would go for any kind of over the top vengeance for fucking with her.

Not Hera. She is the picture of reason, poise, and level headed responses. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Konic, Dimarash, SkyeDracon and 13 otherssperanceConnoisseur.Aug 22, 2023Add bookmark#334I mean, Zeus isn't wrong, you know. That damn trap will steal and impregnate all the pretty girls in Orario. He's a menace. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Dimarash, Baumfan, shubalala and 8 othersconwear267Experienced.Aug 22, 2023Add bookmark#335Excellent chapter, thanks for writing it. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Musashi-ChanCapitalist DeeDeeDeeOrdered A Domino's Pizza Using A Fuckin' Xbox.Aug 22, 2023Add bookmark#336Joseskywalker02 said:Master Obi-Wan Kenobi's technique, also know as the path of the "Hello There".It's truly the anti-thesis of the commonly mocked path of, "Parry This You Filthy Casual." The ability to parry nearly any projectile, 'tis astonishing. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Dimarash, Baumfan, shubalala and 9 othersThreadmarks Chapter 5 New Threadmarks Musashi-ChanWatchu lookin' at, foo'?Sep 9, 2023Add bookmark#337"You really can use anything for your Pills?" Kirin questions curiously, eyes glinting with both amusement and interest as she watched Riley just buy all the flowers in the shop.