"Agreed so quickly?"
Shiki Ryougi had expected this to take several more rounds.
"Wasn't it already obvious I would? I don't want to waste any more time on this matter."
"Of course, my agreeing so decisively isn't because I pity those worlds. I'm not particularly interested in involving myself in the destinies of others—or of other worlds. But this is what you're troubled by, isn't it? So I agreed."
Although Bell spoke with a trace of sadness, he felt no sympathy for the people of those worlds. It was like witnessing a group of people hit by a car. He might feel sorrow for their injuries or deaths, but ultimately, it had nothing to do with him.
His sympathy wasn't that cheap.
Why should he waste emotions on people unrelated to him? If he truly had such overflowing compassion, he wouldn't have become a bloodless, tearless adventurer.
Shiki Ryougi blinked, then laughed.
"So this is how you repay favors? Very well—if you can actually accomplish it, I'll count my debt as settled."
This was not an easy task. Worlds in such predicaments weren't few. Even the Danmachi world faced a nearly identical crisis.
Bell naturally understood how difficult this would be—bordering on creating a world.
But one cannot know the true probability until attempting it. So he still needed to give it his all.
"But before that, I need to bring you into my faction."
Bell's words made Shiki Ryougi look at him with mild surprise.
"Don't you dislike forming familias? From what your mother told me, you've always acted alone in your world. You even cut off all ties for the sake of your goddess. So why try to bring me in?"
Wasn't the answer obvious? Bell took a deep breath and explained.
"Becoming an adventurer isn't that hard. Facing Dungeon monsters is manageable. But merging two worlds into mine and carving out the path ahead—that difficulty is on another level. I can't do it alone.
"And it's not just you. I have to invite my mother as well. At this stage, the two of you have the experience—and the omniscience—that I don't. For things I can't handle alone, I need the help of my elders."
The word "elders" made Shiki Ryougi raise an eyebrow, a flash of displeasure crossing her face.
"Don't use words like 'elders' for me. I'm not that old."
"...My mistake."
Women of any age cared deeply about age. Bell had forgotten for a moment and lumped her together with his mother.
"Now about Artemis."
"…You really couldn't remove it yourself? You wore that thing even during your promotion ritual."
Shiki Ryougi had never met someone so stubborn. To cling so tightly to a belief that he even carried that thing through his ascension. If Bell hadn't ascended with it, he wouldn't have retained even the slightest flaw afterward.
But Bell didn't see it that way.
"After all, that thing is directly connected to Artemis. And you know I'm not exactly the bravest person. The moment something feels dangerous, I back off. I'm known for being a coward, remember?
"And knowing it's linked to Artemis only makes me more cautious."
"Besides, the ability to separate it only became possible after my promotion. Before that, I didn't have the strength to reach that level."
Yes—everything had become troublesome simply because he lacked the power.
Bell understood the "Type-Moon System" was tightly bound to Artemis. Acting rashly on it would affect her. So he chose not to touch it until now.
As for the slight flaw created after his Ascension—Bell didn't consider it a flaw at all, but rather a buffer, a moment to stabilize this stage.
And it wasn't irreversible. With a bit of consolidation, he could move to the next stage and continue upward.
"You really are…"
Even Shiki Ryougi found Bell's personality troublesome—especially his excessive caution. Not even she, with all her omniscience, could have predicted this behavior. She could only chalk it up to his overly cautious nature.
She hadn't placed many backdoors in the "Type-Moon System." Even if Bell destroyed it, nothing disastrous would have occurred.
But Bell clearly didn't see it that way. His mindset was… conservative.
With a sigh, Shiki Ryougi raised her hand. Particles of light drifted off Bell's body and flowed into her palm.
"…This should do, right?"
Shiki Ryougi shot him an irritated look. Any gentle image she'd tried to maintain had completely collapsed.
"It's fine."
The final flaw on him vanished completely. Bell could feel he could break into the next stage at any moment—but there was no need.
Rather than pursuing power hastily, Bell preferred moving at his own pace.
This ascension had already come too quickly. If he let himself loose now, a breakthrough would be immediate.
"And then?"
"And then? Naturally, it's time to prepare to go back."
He had accomplished everything he came here for, so returning was the next step.
"Next will be the 'If You're a Man, Conquer 100 Floors Challenge.'"
"That guy in the Dungeon is still waiting for me. There's a bond between us that can't be severed. It's time we settled things."
Shiki Ryougi understood instantly. Bell and that Black Dragon were intertwined by countless threads. Confronting it now was the correct choice.
"With your personality, you aren't planning to clear all the floors in a single day, right?"
"...No."
Conquering the entire Dungeon in one day would be absurdly difficult.
Besides, Bell wasn't going just to clear the Dungeon. He intended to use the first 99 floors to temper himself. When he finally stood before that being, he refused to be in anything less than perfect condition.