DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
After Ottar left the Dragon's Nest, the rest of the day went on without issue. In fact, the rest of the week passed without issue. Though Tatsuo's team, consisting of Tatsuo, Elicia, Akatsuki, and Zelretch, faced an Irregular Situation every day. But that was pretty much par for the course at this point.
"And you say it's not your fault, huh?" Tatsuo said while he and the other members of the Aislynn Familia walked through the streets of Orario towards the Dragon's Nest. "You're the only one who said something about not facing any Irregular Situations, yet we've faced one every day this week since you said it."
"It's just a coincidence." Elicia replied while pouting hard. "I have absolutely no say whether something like that happens. Besides, I haven't even said anything while we were in the Dungeon for the past five days. So, how could it be my fault?"
"Because you said we wouldn't face any this week," Akatsuki pointed out. "So, it's still happening retroactively."
"Hey! Whose side are you on, Akatsuki?" Elicia cried out indignantly.
"The side that doesn't make me do extra work," Akatsuki replied in a deadpan.
"Alright, alright, there's no need to fight," Zelretch said, stepping in before the argument could grow. "Let's look at it positively. There's a good chance that all our attributes will grow by a lot, right?"
"Look! Zelly gets it!" Elicia cheered. "We're speeding up our growth. So, why are you all complaining?"
"Seriously, Lici?" Alfonzo asked in an incredulous tone. "Even if we're all stronger than what our stats suggest, no one wants to go through shit like that every day."
"Traitor! Fonzie's a traitor!" Elicia shouted while pointing an accusing finger in Alfonzo's direction.
{Pic}
"Either way, there's a good chance that the four of you will be able to go down to the next section of the Upper Floors next week," James said in an envious tone. "You know, I'd be willing to face Irregular Situations every day if I could get an actual challenge."
"Then, you can team up with Lici from now on." Tatsuo said while rolling his eyes. "Oh, and the rule about her not being able to talk will be retracted, too."
"Hold on!" James said while throwing his hands up in surrender. "I said I wanted a challenge. You know, like Hard-Mode. I'm not looking for Hell-Mode every day."
"I'm not talking to any of you anymore," Elicia said with a huff as she crossed her arms under her chest and refused to look at anyone. "Only Zelretch ever says anything nice."
With that, the whole group burst into laughter at Elicia's expense. Before long, even Elicia could not help joining the happy atmosphere, laughing alongside them, despite being the butt of everyone's joke.
"By the way, I'm surprised Freya hasn't come by yet." Momo said after getting her laughter under control. "Based on how you all have described her as obsessive, I thought she would show up the very next day."
"*Sigh* I'm glad Lici-San wasn't the one to say that." Sakura said in a rare playful tone. "Otherwise, there's a good chance she would be waiting for us at home."
"Well, there's still a chance she might," James said with a shrug. "I mean, she watches us enter and leave the Dungeon from the top of Babel Tower every day."
"Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby!" Alfonzo said in a faux-mortified tone.
Apparently, the movie "Talladega Nights" was popular enough that everyone knew the quote. As a result, the entire group once again burst into laughter as they made their way back to the Dragon's Nest with the spoils from their Dungeon dive in hand after a stop at the Pantheon.
As for the goddess in question, Freya was standing in the middle of her chamber at the top of Babel Tower while several seamstresses took her measurements and worked together to make an outfit she deemed acceptable to wear when she went to visit the Dragon's Nest.
{Pic}
Before long, the members of the Aislynn Familia returned to the Dragon's Nest. And from there, it was business as usual. The first thing everyone did was get cleaned up. Then, after bathing, Tatsuo and Alfonzo headed to the kitchen to get dinner started while everyone else lounged around and did the things they enjoyed.
Then, after about two and a half hours, dinner had been cooked and eaten. And now, it was time for everyone to get their Falna updated. So, they all gathered in the villa's main hall. And this time, they went by team. The first up was the team of James, Momo, and Aletia.
Status
Name: James Alaverus
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I44 -> I84
Endurance: I33 -> I61
Dexterity: I75 -> H142
Agility: I77 -> H147
Magic: I56 -> H108
-Magic-
Senbonzakura
-A bladed weapon in hand breaks down into a thousand cherry blossom-shaped blades that the user can control with their Mind. Movement speed, sharpness, and distance scale with Mind usage.
-Chant: Scatter, Senbonzakura.
Flash Step
-A movement spell that uses magical energy to bridge the gap between two points. Distance scales with Mind usage while speed scales with the Agility Stat.
-Chant: Chantless
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Yaoyorozu Momo
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I61 -> H111
Endurance: I67 H122
Dexterity: I59 -> H107
Agility: I65 -> H120
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Material Creation
-Using the lipids in the body, the user is able to create any inorganic materials or items they have sufficient knowledge of.
Status
Name: Aletia Galdea Vesperitio Avatari
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I11 -> I20
Endurance: I10 -> I19
Dexterity: I29 -> I45
Agility: I36 -> I65
Magic: I81 -> H156
-Magic-
Dragon of the Five Elements
-Allows the user to conjure a dragon of one of the five elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, and Wind to attack a target. The size and power of the spell scale with the Magic Stat and Mind usage.
-Chant: Oh, [Insert Element Here], I beseech thee. Gather at my call and smite mine enemies. [Insert Element Here] Dragon.
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Super Regeneration
-As long as the user has remaining magic power and Mind, injuries will heal automatically.
"That's about what we expected." Alfonzo said while looking at the three Status sheets. "Without any Irregular Situations, those numbers look pretty normal."
"Yeah, it just makes me wonder what Tatsuo's team is gonna look like." James said while shaking his head. "It's not fair that they grow so fast. Then, there's Tatsuo with his Protagonist Skill. I swear, there's no justice."
"That sounds pretty ironic coming from a Devil King." Momo said absent-mindedly while looking down at her Status sheet. "*Sigh* I wonder if I'll get any Magic when I Level Up."
"What kind of Magic would you even want, Yaomomo?" Akatsuki asked curiously.
"I have no idea." Momo replied while shaking her head. "But everyone has dreamed of using magic before, right?"
"You actually don't have to know." Aislynn said with a smile. "Whether it be the Falna or a Grimoire, it will give you the magic that you desire most in your heart. For now, let's just continue with the overview. I'm sure you must all be tired after a week of Dungeon diving. You should get some rest early so you can enjoy your day off properly."
Receiving nods from the others, Aislynn turned her attention to the Status sheets for the next team which consisted of Alfonzo, Violet, and Sakura.
Status
Name: Minami Violet Sumire
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I8 -> H110
Endurance: I11 -> H143
Dexterity: I7 -> H101
Agility: I5 -> I68
Magic: I5 -> I70
-Magic-
Arx Custos
-The user gains increased Endurance and Defense for the duration of the spell. Spell time and power scales with Mind usage.
-Chant: Blessing of Steel. Wisdom's guardian. With strengthened will and the desire to overcome, Arx Custos.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Matou Sakura
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I3 -> I41
Endurance: I2 -> I20
Dexterity: I5 -> I71
Agility: I5 -> I69
Magic: I15 -> G227
-Magic-
Kage Sosa
-The user gains the ability to stretch their shadow to connect with other shadows in the surroundings and control the shadows saturated with their magic power.
-Chant: Bind, trap, restrain, and skewer. Oh shadows, follow my will and do my bidding. Kage Sosa.
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Shadow Space
-The user has the ability to store all manner of things inside their shadow. However, the user will be subjected to 100th of the weight stored inside. Also, living beings can be kept in the shadow. However, without oxygen, it is not recommended to stay there for long.
Status
Name: Alfonzo Marcus
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I67 -> H128
Endurance: I40 -> I75
Dexterity: I69 -> H135
Agility: I74 -> H142
Magic: I66 -> H130
-Magic-
Corpus Fulmineum
-A spell that enhances the user's body with Lightning Magic. Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Agility increase with Mind usage.
-Chant: Oh lightning. Descend into this body and grant the power to vanquish my enemies. Corpus Fulmineum
Analysis Materiae
-A spell that allows the user to pulse magic power into an object to learn specific details about its makeup.
-Chant: Open your secrets to me. Analysis Materiae
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
"Sakura's already at G for Magic." Elicia said excitedly. "Sakura, you're amazing!"
"Well, the only thing I can really do is use magic." Sakura said calmly. "So, it makes sense that my Magic Attribute was the only thing to really go up."
"That won't do." Zelretch said while shaking his head. "We'll need to start a training program for you. Being so one-dimensional is never a good thing."
After reaching that point, Zelretch started to stroke his beard while looking at Violet's and Sakura's Status sheets.
"Actually, now that I think about it, I really don't have any recollection of Violet's and Sakura's last update." Zelretch said in a somewhat confused tone.
"That's actually my fault." Aislynn said with a shrug. "Last week when we did this, Tatsuo was cooking, Alfonzo, and Elicia were busy in their room, and Violet and Sakura were both helping Tatsuo cook. So, we did not get to them. But I pulled them to update their Falna in the middle of the night when I remembered. Then, I dragged Tatsuo, Alfonzo, and Elicia out of bed first thing in the morning the next day to update theirs."
"I don't know which one is worse." Alfonzo grumbled. "Being pulled out of bed an hour before I usually get up, or getting dragged out of bed in the middle of the night."
"It wasn't fun for us, either." Violet said while smiling wryly.
Sakura nodded along with Violet.
"Anyway, let's get to the real nitty gritty." James said. "Honestly, I feel like I'm going to need a drink after seeing updates for Tatsuo's team."
"And you have Lici-San to thank for that." Akatsuki said sarcastically.
"Akatsuki, I don't know how long we can be friends if you keep framing me like that." Elicia said in a sad tone, though it was obviously fake.
"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Akatsuki asked playfully.
"You two can play around later." Aislynn said. "I want to get this done quickly. I'm looking forward to Tatsuo's crafting tomorrow."
"Huh? What are you making tomorrow, Tatsuo?" Elicia asked, completely forgetting her back-and-forth with Akatsuki.
"Just a little something I couldn't bring with me from home." Tatsuo replied with a shrug and a smile.
Then, without saying another word, Tatsuo looked at the Status sheets for his team, leaving the others annoyed while Aislynn giggled at their expense.
Status
Name: Hanekura Shizuka
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I28 -> I82
Endurance: I30 -> I87
Dexterity: I69 -> H160
Agility: I79 -> H172
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Silent Step
-A Skill that allows the user to move in relative silence. Silence scales to Dexterity while movement speed to Agility.
Sneak
-A skill that allows the user to lower their presence at the cost of movement speed. Level of presence concealment scales with Dexterity. Movement speed can be increased with higher Agility.
Status
Name: Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I30 -> I88
Endurance: I15 -> II60
Dexterity: I44 -> H117
Agility: I50 -> H112
Magic: I75 -> H185
-Magic-
Kaleidoscope
-Allows the wielder to create a passage glowing with kaleidoscopic colors to anywhere the user has been before. However, this spell cannot move between separate spaces.
-Chant: Pierce a hole to the Root, and show me all of the world's mysteries. Kaleidoscope.
Jewel Magic
-Allows the user to seal magic energy into jewels or magic stones to cast one time spells. Different jewels and the magic stones of different monsters have different effects.
-Chant: Chantless.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Elicia Marcus Taylor
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I38 -> H101
Endurance: I24 -> I75
Dexterity: I73 -> H165
Agility: I64 -> H150
Magic: I58 -> H141
-Magic-
Administratio Filorum
-A spell that allows the user to create threads with magic and manipulate the conjured threads. Length, duration, and minute control of the threads scales with Magic Stat and Mind usage
-Mend the Seams of Reality. Administratio Filorum
Implicatio Filorum
-The user conjures a large amount of magical thread before spreading it through the area. Then, at the user's command, the threads converge to immobilize a target. The scale and strength of the spell scale with the Magic Stat.
-Chant: Set the trap and reel in the net. Implicatio Filorum
[Empty]
Status
Name: Soramoto Tatsuo
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I96 -> G220
Endurance: I42 -> H118
Dexterity: H119 -> G263
Agility: H135 -> G293
Magic: H105 -> G246
-Magic-
Blink
-Allows the user to use short range teleportation.
-Chant: Chantless
Transmutation
-With adequate understanding, materials can be deconstructed and reconstructed into a form of the user's choosing.
-Chant: Mankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is known as the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Transmutation.
[Empty]
-Skills-
Magic Circle Creation
-The user is able to create magic circles of any attribute. And with a corresponding Mind cost, the user is able to cast the circle's magic.
Void Destiny
-As one destined for greatness, the speed of Excelia gain will be greatly increased.
"Yeah, this guy has all his hacks on." James said while throwing his hands up in defeat. "How are normal guys like us supposed to live when there's a protagonist running around?"
"Seriously, I don't' wanna play anymore." Alfonzo added in the same tone. "I'm going to bed."
Then, without giving anyone else a chance to say anything, Alfonzo stood up, picked up Elicia, threw her over his shoulder, and marched upstairs towards their bedroom.
"Huh? Wait, Fonzie, what are you doing?" Elicia asked in a confused tone while kicking her legs.
*Smack!*
"You know exactly what I'm about to do, Lici." Alfonzo replied after slapping Elicia on the butt.
"Oh, okay." Elicia said with a smile. "You know, all you had to do was ask. I would have dragged you up here if you did."
With Alfonzo's and Elicia's conversation fading as they walked up the stairs, the rest of the room fell into an awkward silence. But with the gathering of personalities living in the villa, it was only natural that the silence did not last very long.
"Hey! I thought you said you didn't wanna play anymore, Alfonzo!" James shouted after a moment of silence at the table. Then, he continued with a lecherous smile on his face. "It turns out you're just going to play another kind of game, huh?"
"Pervert." Akatsuki muttered in an annoyed tone before getting up and heading upstairs to her own bedroom.