After the long fight was finally over, everyone got their moments of rest, and opportunity to ask questions. There was, of course, a large meal to be had as well. There had to be, everyone worked up an appetite after all.
At one table, Bell was attempting to eat his food in peace, however, there was currently a not so small bickering between two girls…
"For the last time, no! He's mine! You can't have him!" Meda shouted, standing her ground.
"I just wanna pet mister bunny!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!!!"
"YES!"
"NOO!"
The two girls were almost ready to go to blows when a third person intervened, picking Bell up, and sitting him down on her lap.
"Sorry girls, but he's my son, I'm claiming this time." Meteria noted, with a rather intense look hidden behind her smiling expression.
"Mother Meteria, this girl Ais, she keeps getting in the way."
"I just wanna pet the bunny!" Ais pouted, and stared right at Meteria.
"Bell, are you going to let this go on?" Meteria asked, in a half scolding tone.
"There's something to stop?" Bell asked, mid munch… It made him look like a bunny stuffing his mouth. "I thought they were playing, and Meda knows nothing can split us apart."
Ais didn't hear Bell's words, she was too enthralled by the sight of the bunny stuffing his face to listen to anything. She even made motions like she was petting his head.
Meda did hear Bell's words, she stopped fighting with Ais, and sat right down next to Meteria, leaned up against her, and thus also Bell.
Those who'd been watching the show unfold with great interest, sighed, and turned away after they realized the fun was over. All returning to their own conversations, younger, and lower level members asking for tips, and seniors giving them readily. No one wanted to fall out of the massive battle as early as they had the first time, anymore. The new goal was to last longer, and potentially stay in the game longer than those at a higher level than themselves. The enthusiasm, and eagerness to grow stronger was everywhere.
At the table where Shurry sat, with his wives, and a mixture of those from across the levels, a means for people to get direct advice from him, everyone would get a chance, however, Zald had a half worried look on his face.
"Uncle Zald, what's wrong?" Shurry asked, stopping his advice after completing the latest one.
"Oh, it's nothing much, I was just trying to remember what it was like when I saw the One Eyed Black Dragon… Well, I wonder, are you close in power to it yet, or not? I feel like you are." He spoke, not realizing the gravity of such a statement.
"Zald, that's too much." Alfia retorted. "You know better than I, that the dragon can't be defeated with maybes. It also isn't the only threat out there."
"I know that, I'm just curious if he's nearing the thing's strength. I feel like he is comparable."
Shurry sighed, and thought about it for a moment, recalling the vision of the dragon. He was silent for quite some time. His silence caused others to grow silent with the anticipation of his next words.
"If I were to have a 1 on 1 fight, with absolutely no interference from the dragon's thunder, and had no one nearby that could be used against me, I'd say I win 4 times, every 10 fights." He said, then paused for a moment. "The odds could be higher, or lower, I don't know much about the thing myself. Seeing a fight, and being in the fight are two different things after all."
"I knew it, you're getting closer." Zald said, then took a massive bite, chewed, and swallowed. "I thought they were crazy to leave it up to you if we were to fail. Now, I see why they chose this path."
"Doesn't mean it hurts any less, Uncle Zald. I still struggle when I think of them."
"I know… I'm sorry, if I hadn't been knocked out, I-"
"Stop, there's no longer a need to worry about things like that again. You're here, so deal with it. Get strong enough to keep that damn thunder off of me and everything will be fine."
Arcs, a former member of the Loki familia, one who had been so upset ever since he found out just how badly he'd been played, finally spoke up, his question hadn't been asked yet, so he just went for it.
"Origin Wolf, are you saying that we could do it now?" Arcs asked, with a bit more eagerness than almost everyone else.
"No, we can not do it now. We would still get wiped out. As things are now, all we'd do is weaken the seal that my Uncle Gale gave his life, body, and a sizable portion of his soul to strengthen. I do not intend on wasting any of the time he has granted us. We only have one shot at it, and I want to really punish that dragon for all of the hell it's wrought upon the world."
"And for that you need strong allies, no wonder you wanted to train everyone."
"Yes."
"No wasting time… Hmm." Zald finished his meal, and stood up. "I'm going dragon hunting. Everyone who wants to come, hurry it up. We're going to slaughter some monsters."
Zald left with a new expression on his face, drawing with him many other people. Shurry watched as the souls of these people began lighting up with power, the power of growth. He smirked.
"Zald's going to flip once he levels up." Shurry chuckled.
"Is what you see that incredible?"
"Yes, Arcs, it is. A whole new world opens up to us at level 10. It really shows that leveling up isn't nearly as hard as originally thought. I had a feeling it wasn't given the training, but this sight confirms it."
Shurry's expedition continued for many, many more weeks, eventually it began to be counted in months… and then the final person in need of the level up, gained the signature glow of their soul… They returned to the surface shortly after.