After that, Bell no longer fully released his aura. Instead, he let it out in stages, testing bit by bit—just enough for the Dungeon's monsters to see him directly, but not enough to be locked onto by the Valgang Dragons on the 58th floor or to trigger the Dungeon's direct targeting.
The positioning of this "valve" was incredibly delicate, like a girl shyly half-hiding behind a pipa, or a schoolgirl teasing with just enough exposure to frustrate—a balance that was maddeningly precise.
It took Bell five whole days to find the limit of this "valve."
Once he nailed that balance, what he had to deal with wasn't the Dungeon's deadly barrage of attacks or the cheat-like lock-ons from the Valgang Dragons, but rather the spiders and rhinos.
Focusing on two things was far less taxing than managing three. It saved energy and stamina and made it easier for him to enter a state of complete calm.
For nine days straight, aside from six hours of sleep and two hours for meals, Bell poured all his time into honing his techniques.
The intense and high-pressure combat helped him absorb a huge amount of battle experience in a short time.
Unlike before, when he trained in isolation or relied on brute force from his abilities, this time was purely about skill and personal growth. It was real, grounded improvement through effort.
You could say those nine days were spent entirely under the Dungeon's version of a "welcome."
The moment he loosened his aura, the Dungeon would instantly respond with a full-on "Monster Feast" right in his face—a wave of hostility cranked to the max.
Even to the naked eye, it was obvious: the Dungeon wanted Bell dead.
But each time the aura triggered a "Monster Feast," it would vanish completely until that wave ended. Until the current surge was over, his aura remained dormant.
This cycle repeated nearly every two hours.
It could've gone faster, but Bell intentionally held back, giving the Dungeon time to recover before provoking it again to start another round of "Monster Feast."
Under the constant onslaught of these monster waves, Bell's combat skills improved at a rapid pace.
His field of vision widened. Beyond what he could see ahead, he started picking up on movements in other directions through subtle sounds.
His ability to discern and read situations was sharpening quickly, forged through nonstop ambushes.
The appointed time was near, and Bell needed to gather himself and head back to the Familia.
"Fourteen days of training. One day left for recovery and rest. Yeah… should be fine this time."
After a quick cleanup, Bell returned to the temporary base on the 50th floor and used the pre-set space coordinates to teleport back to the Familia.
Passing through the spatial rift, he emerged back on the surface.
Only here, at home, could Bell feel such complete peace. This was the only place where he could fully relax—where his muscles and nerves could finally let go. That's why he needed a full day to reset.
Spending nearly half a month in the Dungeon had definitely boosted his strength, but the nonstop grind had taken a toll on his mind.
That's why Bell had formed the habit of getting six hours of sleep a day—to give his mind the best chance to recover.
But in the Dungeon, real rest was a luxury. Even during sleep, he had to stay alert, ready for the Dungeon to pull something dirty.
"...Haa…"
He took a deep breath and collapsed, drained.
Breathing in the spiritual energy from the Spirit Tree in the courtyard helped ease his mind.
After a short moment of rest, Bell stepped into the great tree house.
"When is Bell-kun coming back?"
The moment he stepped into the tree house, Bell heard Hestia's voice muttering to herself, and it made him feel a bit guilty.
'I haven't had any time to spend with Hestia or Hephaestus lately...'
But there wasn't much he could do. With so many problems hanging over his head, each more troublesome than the last, he had to deal with them one by one.
'No matter what, I'm spending my day off at home with Hestia.'
Carefully controlling the sound of his footsteps, Bell quietly made his way deeper into the tree house. He found Hestia lying on the sofa, cradling a book in her hands, clearly bored. But just a glance at her eyes was enough to tell he didn't have her full attention.
"Hestia."
"Thud!"
"Ah! That hurt!"
Startled by the sound of his voice, Hestia jerked her hand, and the book smacked right into her forehead. Wincing, she clutched her head, a pained look crossing her adorable face as moisture gathered in the corners of her eyes.
The book hit the floor—its thick leather cover marking it as an expensive one. Getting hit in the head with that had to sting.
Seeing Hestia's flustered reaction brought a smile back to Bell's face. Just looking at her was enough to chase away his boredom. Her face had a kind of magic to it—more comforting than even the feeling of home.
He walked over slowly, knelt beside her, and gently moved her hand away from her forehead. Then he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on the reddened spot. In an instant, the mark—and the pain—vanished.
"Mm... ngh..."
The warmth of his kiss made the tears in Hestia's eyes swell even more. Feeling Bell's tenderness, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Bell-kun... Bell-kun..."
"I'm home, Hestia."
Those simple words turned all the emotions building in her chest into a single sentence.
"Welcome home, Bell-kun."
After such a long time apart, all the unspoken words between them were replaced by the overflowing affection in their reunion.
...
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