Chapter: 7
Hello everyone, sorry if my posting is a little late I'm extremely sick at the moment. So I'll be held up a little bit but not by much :) hope you guys enjoy and please leave any suggestions you may like to see added.
Pa/ t reon details at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested I'll keep posting regardless.
(Apprentice)
Hestia sat on my back, updating my falna.
She casually gently ran her hands over my back while checking my status. We had arrived back home a while ago, Bell had been relatively fine with only a small bruise on his left cheek.
Hestia had of course been a bit bewildered as she had found the bodies of random adventurers strewn around. Only for that confusion to turn into anger when she saw the mark on Bell's face.
The unconscious men had found themselves waking up to Hestia's foot repeatedly smashing into their faces.
Those fuckers probably like it.
Bell all the while had gained an unhealthy hero worship of me which was pretty funny.
I felt Hestia suddenly feel her freeze on my back.
"Zeph?"
I hummed in acknowledgement.
"What did you get up to in the dungeon?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly.
I raised my head up at her. Looking at her questioningly.
"Why?"
She showed me my status.
Oh…
Zephyrion Gremory
Lv. 1
Strength: 472 (E)
Endurance: 389 (F)
Dexterity: 443 (E)
Agility: 460 (E)
Magic: 534 (D)
Demonic Energy Manipulation
The ability to manipulate the chaotic energy of demonic beings otherwise known as demonic energy.
Imagination Magic
The ability to create magic via imagination, cost is dependent on magic conjured.
Power of destruction (Mutated) [SEALED]
All-Speak
The ability to communicate with any being regardless of language. Users can communicate via any language.
Holy shit.
I knew I had gone down to lower floors since I had stopped subconsciously holding myself back with my human mindset, but this was an insane amount of growth.
Was it because I was killing stronger monsters? Did that give me such a massive boost? It was known that as you levelled up stats became harder to raise but this seemed a bit fast.
A moment later Hestia applied the power boost on me, a powerful bright yellow light washing over my body and feeding it with power. My demonic reserves grew noticeably deeper and my muscles tightened for a few moments before loosening.
My eyesight sharpened a tad more, impressive since my perception was already supernaturally enhanced with my Devil genes.
I felt Hestia's eyes burn a hole into the back of my head as I read through my status. I had told her that I was going to take it slow, which was why she had let me go without too much of a fuss.
I turned my face around and faced her and sure enough, there was some anger in her eyes.
"I may have gone a bit deeper than intended," I said with a bashful smile. She raised a delicate eyebrow. A flat look on her face.
"Oh? How deep?" Hestia asked, crossing her arms under her bust. Which my eyes instantly snapped to.
"I might have gotten a bit carried away," I admitted.
"You mean perhaps going all the way down to the tenth floor? When I expressly asked you to take it slow?" She asked.
"Maybe," I responded.
She sighed deeply, her expression morphing into sadness.
"Zeph, I may seem clingy and overprotective, and if that makes you uncomfortable then I am sorry. I don't want to hold you back, but I just can't see you hurt," Hestia said.
I wanted to say that I don't dislike that part of her but didn't interrupt her in the end.
"You know I care about you, right? I don't want you to end up leaving me alone here. I don't want to lose my familia captain." She said and her eyes looked a little moist.
Sigh, it looks like my exploration has scared her. I need to fix this.
I turned my body around so she was straddling my lap. I gave my sexy little wholesome goddess a hug. She warmly accepted my embrace. Her hands were tight around my torso.
"I am sorry for worrying you. I wasn't in any danger, I knew I could handle it after some testing on where my strength stood. And don't worry, you are the best for me as you are. I find your clinginess cute, to be honest." I tried to assure her.
"Just be careful Zeph. For me." She muttered shyly into my neck, her words soft and pleading. Her grip loosened a little, but she still didn't let go of me.
"I will, I promise," I assured her. After saying this, I rolled on the bed and now Hestia was under me. A mischievous smile on my face.
"Even so I feel sad that my Goddess doesn't trust me. I think she needs to be punished~" I said in a faux-sad voice.
"Wh-hat do you mean Z-Zeph?!" She stuttered below me, her two beautiful eyes looking up at me vulnerably.
I gently pinned her hands before her head, lowering down to stare into her eyes. Our breath tickled each other's skin, her pouty full lips parted. Anticipation lit up in her eyes as our faces practically touched each other.
"Tell me," I mumbled into her ear, making my voice extra breathy. Hestia's eyes turned half-lidded.
"How ticklish are you?" I asked and her hazy eyes looked at me in confusion. Only to widen as I suddenly tickled her. She snapped out of it and giggled uncontrollably.
"Zeph ahh stop~" She laughed and tried to stop the onslaught.
I laughed with her and rolled over, wrapping her in my arms as we calmed down.
It was too late for all of this emotional talk. Bell was already fast asleep and that talk had drained me more than my earlier dungeon run. Hestia happily snuggled into my arms.
-Scene Break-
"Uh Zephyr, are you sure we shouldn't be entering without armour?" Bell questioned nervously as we entered through the large dungeon entrance.
Adventurers around us stared at our casual attire in disapproval. Bell shrunk back from all th
eir gazes but I skillfully ignored them.
"Eh, who even needs armour? overrated in my opinion. Impedes movement. We will be fine on the higher floors." I replied casually.
Only higher-level adventurers could get away without wearing armour on the higher floors. I would probably look into some light armour when I explored the lower floors but for now, with Bell, I would be fine.
"E-everyone else is wearing a-armour." He hesitantly pointed out. Indeed everyone around us was wearing armour.
Many of them looked new, and they all seemed to be level-one adventurers in small groups, so they probably needed the extra help. I was estimated to be around level three, and we were just going down a few floors to get Bell started.
I wanted to secure a bit more money before we went spending on armour.
"Relax Bell, you're my apprentice now. I won't let anything happen and I've been down in the dungeons before so I know what to expect somewhat." I soothed his worries.
I had been in the dungeon for over twelve hours in total. Even then, I was still very much cautious of the dungeon and especially a dungeon flood. Even a second-floor dungeon flood had worn me down with sheer numbers.
When I say I was overwhelmed, I wasn't speaking about just a few hundred. I was talking about at least in the realm of nine hundred goblins. If I saw a hint of it starting I was grabbing Bell and dashing for the exit.
For now, I wanted to see if power-levelling my apprentice was plausible. I had gone up a massive amount when I had gone on my little rampage through the dungeon.
More than even the many goblins I had killed. Obviously, there was a massive disparity in power gains, there was also the fact I don't think a level one was meant to be able to do what I was able to do.
A level three adventurer doing what I had done would have probably had barely any gains, or at least I'm assuming. which was why adventurers were constantly travelling into dangerous floors to grow.
Another benefit of my enhanced devil physiology. I got to abuse the falna.
"A-apprentice?" He squeaked. Looking oddly flattered.
"Yep. If you want some armour, work hard today and show me you are deserving of it." I decided to throw him a bone. I was going to get us armour anyway but the incentive was what mattered.
I saw that fire light up in his eyes as he gave me a determined nod. He touched the basic sword strapped to his waist he had received from the guild. I had forced him to go register and funnily enough he still got Eina Tulle as his guild advisor.
The elf was hot. Extremely curvy and she had that whole nerdy thing going for her.
She had apparently advised Bell to take it slow. Naturally, I had told him after to immediately forget anything she said and like a good apprentice he took my words to heart.
I had been outside waiting for the entirety of the time as I had glimpsed Rose stalking around.
We walked down the large spiral staircase leading down into the dungeon. After a while of walking, we encountered a group of goblins as we finally made our way through the first floor.
Three of them screeched loudly while charging down the long cavish hallway.
"Alright Bell, let's see what you've got," I said and Bell nodded nervously. The fire of determination was still alight in his eyes.
He raised the short sword, getting into a stance. He had some training with Zeus if I recall correctly. So it wasn't surprising that he knew how to handle a sword somewhat.
The first goblin raised its claws and swiped down at the white-haired teen. Bell blocked and directed the wild claw swipe to the side in a spray of sparks. Performing a wide arc across the goblin's torso, sending it back crying in pain.
The next moment the second goblin came from behind the painted goblin. Bell barely avoided the downward swipe of its claws and gritted his teeth as he pushed it away.
He was forced on the back foot as the pained goblin recovered and went in again with another predictable attack. Bell this time avoided the attack completely and plunged his sword into the goblin's throat.
I was surprised that he wasn't hesitating at all. Bell pulled back his sword with some difficulty as the third goblin was on him. He locked his blade on the third goblin's claws, his eyes widening as the second goblin came from the side, forcing me to intervene.
I grabbed the goblin by the back of its neck and slammed it back into the dungeon wall, allowing Bell to focus on the goblin he was in a deadlock with. Bell let out a cry as he pushed the goblin back and cut through its torso in the next moment.
Another slash of his blade killed the third goblin as it sliced through its throat. The second goblin got up with some difficulty but ignored the pain as it charged Bell.
Bell dodged to the left of its wild charge and cut through its arm. The goblin screeched in rage. Jumping at Bell only to end up impaled on his sword. Bell let the goblin fall to the ground, breathing a bit harshly but overall looking fine.
I clapped. He was much better than I had expected. Bell blushed as I nodded proudly.
"Good job Bell, I doubt many new adventurers could so easily take down three goblins," I said.
He shook his head.
"You were forced to save me from the second goblin, I really didn't do that well." He replied a bit self-deprecatingly.
"I only stopped it from attacking you while you were busy fighting the other one, you did a good job Bell. This is your first time dealing with monsters and you did a good job. Imagine what you'll be like with more experience and power." I retorted.
He brightened up at more words and nodded.
"Once we've finished with the warm up we will start power levelling you up."
A few more screeches appeared from down the hall and two more goblins started charging towards us.
"They're all yours," I said.
Bell raised his sword.
-{Rose Fannett}-
Rose scowled as she looked down at the report she had gotten about her unruly assigned adventurer. He had been nothing but an anomaly, completely breaking her experiences with normal adventurers.
Most fresh adventurers were cocky with dreams of conquering the dungeon, about less of a percentage of them ever rise to level two.
She wasn't a bitch because she enjoyed acting that way but when everything was telling her that the person she was assigned was going to die. Rose naturally tried to prevent that by swaying them off the path.
It had worked multiple times.
When she told the new adventurers of the horrors and gave them examples of how slim the chance of them not dying was they backed away. This was her job, one she got better at.
There of course had been people who slipped past her. They had all unfortunately perished within the dungeon with a very low number of them gaining success such as Ais Wallenstein. A girl who didn't even come to her anymore.
Then came along Zephyrion Gremory, a teenager with strange eyes that seemingly held no care for whatever she advised. Something that had annoyed her.
A mere day later Zephyrion got caught in a freak dungeon flood. That should have been the end of his story like it was for many other adventurers. Even a level three would struggle against an endless onslaught of enemies there was no need to speak of a mere level one surviving.
Then again, he did survive. Later turning in hundreds of goblin stones. Meaning he hadn't just hidden away and waited for rescue. He had actively partook in a dungeon flood.
She had spent all night questioning how he had done it. Rose was very experienced and she knew how things went in the dungeon. It's why she vowed never to date an adventurer. They never lived to be old. Even the stronger ones eventually got in over their heads.
Meaning her belief in what she knew as fact was very strong. She knew everything and how it would play out or that was what she believed. To have that broken. It made her question things she didn't want to question.
Now, here she was with a sheet of paper declaring Zephyrion Gremory selling multiple monster crystals along with an infant dragon crystal to the guild. She had marched out of her room to question him on why he would do something so foolish.
Travelling so low was a death wish. There was no chance he could have stolen it from a group of adventurers who could slay an infant dragon at his level. Yet, in contrast, he shouldn't have been able to either.
There was a chance he had gone with a group but still no matter the reason it was foolish. He could have easily died with one fire breath from an infant dragon. It annoyed her that he was so reckless.
It was infuriating to her after she had given him a slither of her trust. Against her will. She had cooperated with him and halted her attempts to sway him off the path of an adventurer. Mostly since she didn't see it working after being proved wrong.
It would sound foolish to anyone else. Why give even a slither of trust for merely surviving a dungeon flood? It could have been a fluke after all. For someone like Rose who knew everything about the dungeon, it was a very big deal.
Rose took a deep breath, her full lips parting as she calmed herself. Annoyingly Zephyrion Gremory had escaped after seeing her. Meaning she hadn't been able to give him a piece of her mind.
It was fine, she would catch him eventually and she would make sure he didn't endanger himself needlessly again. That was a part of her job and even if she had given him the benefit of the doubt it was her job to keep him in line.
-{Zephyrion}-
Bell desperately dove to the ground. A large grotesque tongue dripping a strange green fluid shot past where his head had been. He barely got up and rolled away as a massive frog slammed down on the place he had previously been.
He was breathing raggedly. The sword he had been carrying flung off to the side. He ran towards it only to backpedal as the frog slammed down in front of him again.
The Frog Shooter's tongue shot out and he was barely able to drop his body to the ground. He grits his teeth in determination only for his eyes to widen as the frog jumps up and starts descending on top of him.
Just as he was about to be crushed to death I jumped and gave the Frog Shooter a nasty kick to its fat stomach. The monster was sent crashing away into some rocks.
I gave Bell a hand up, one which he happily accepted as he was barely able to stand up.
"I.. thought *huff* you meant *huff* we would be *huff* going to the second floor. *huff* when you spoke about *huff* power levelling." Bell rasped out. Leaning on me.
"It wouldn't be power levelling if I didn't put you up against ridiculously strong monsters for your level. To reach a power level you need to achieve the impossible." I explained.
I had mostly been observing and saving him when things got too much, which had been a regular occurrence when we descended past the third floor. I wasn't planning to take him past the sixth floor since I still wasn't all too experienced.
We had been at it for a good four hours and I planned to take him to the abandoned church to rest while I went in to practise on the stronger monsters. I think Bell was close to his limit.
He had done extremely well for a newbie level one adventurer. I guess there was the fact that he was the protagonist so he was bound to be special. He wielded a sword pretty well, he had even taken out a few Dungeon Lizards on the fourth floor. With only a bit of assistance.
The Shooter Frog exploded out of the rocks, descending towards us. I grabbed Bell and jumped out of the way as it landed. Sending cracks cascading on the ground.
"You up for my last try?" I asked Bell.
He looked exhausted but nonetheless, he nodded, shakily raising his sword. He charged at the beast only to fall face down as he knocked himself unconscious.
Ah, differently hit his limit then. The Shooter Frog went to devour him only to be stopped as I kicked it into a wall, raising my hand I conjured a large fireball that incinerated the obese Shooter Frog.
I picked up the unconscious body of my apprentice and future lieutenant. I would come to the dungeon later for my own dungeon dive later.
-Scene Break-
Sitting on the bed, I frowned in thought. Bell was still asleep, he would probably be for quite a while. I had done my own little dungeon run for a few hours and he was still asleep when I came back.
Hestia was still out doing whatever she did when we weren't around. Here I was alone in bed, only a bit tired from all the fighting. I had stuck to the tenth floor mainly dealing with orcs and imps.
I had a massive pouch filled with all of them sat next to the bed, similarly a small pouch sat next to it with all the monsters I had slayed with Bell. We hadn't forgotten to loot all of the monsters.
We will probably cash them in tomorrow. Seeing as I wanted Bell to cash them in to avoid Rose. I wasn't really too bothered with her but I could do without the angry rant I would be receiving. A rant that would hopefully be smaller after she cooled down.
Lifting my finger up, I summoned a small red chess piece of a rook. A brief flare of demonic power as I summoned it from wherever it had been before. I remembered that high-class devils could summon their evil pieces to them wherever they were.
This had been my first attempt to summon them, mostly since I hadn't needed them and I didn't even know if they would. The small rook piece felt warm to the touch. I hadn't told Hestia about this. I had only given her the basic outline of what had happened truthfully.
I'm not sure how well-received the information of my race being a bunch of enslaving assholes would be. I hadn't told her about my first set of memories either. I also didn't know how I had gotten here, I know it was linked to my eyes somehow but they hadn't activated since so I didn't know.
I did have to wonder how my devil family was taking my disappearance. Would they even care? I thought of a lonely twin-tailed maou I had grown close to and the two overbearing elder sisters. Along with a doting mother and father.
I didn't know how to feel about them, on one hand I knew my memories from before on one hand were more dominant. Even if parts of the true Zephyrion Gremory slipped through.
Yet, the unfamiliar memories of a loving family certainly threw me off. It was a stark contrast to my dominant memories of my childhood.
"Zeph." I heard Hestia's voice.
I shook my head, making the chess piece disappear to wherever it went when not summoned. For now, I had an overly hyperactive goddess to deal with. Just as said goddess burst into the room.
Chapter: 8
Pa/ t reon details at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested I'll keep posting regardless.
(Demonic Contacts)
Carefully using the pen I had recently purchased, I slowly drew a specific set of lines, adding to the large pentagram covered by the sigil that was widely known as the Gremory clan sigil.
Putting it down, I rubbed my hands together, using a dagger to prick a bit of blood from my finger as I dropped it onto the paper, infusing it with demonic energy.
The paper started to glow, making me grin wildly, only to stop and shred itself into hundreds of pieces a moment later. My grin faltered, and I scowled.
Damn it.
That had been my ninth attempt. Paper wasn't exactly cheap, and neither was the pen. Turns out that being in a mediaeval world made the price of paper and pens pretty expensive.
Which was why I had to ask myself how the guild produces so fucking much of it. Leaning back into my chair with a sigh, I thought about what I had been attempting.
From what you could probably tell, I was trying to create a demonic contract, which I had successfully remembered being taught how to do from my past memories.
My family may have gotten me started on training a bit late, mainly due to two overprotective sisters. Still, I had gotten into basic demonic power manipulation and elemental crafting.
My tutoring was abruptly interrupted when I was transported to another world.
Despite my efforts, I still can't master this contract business. I've observed it being done and even received instruction, but my previous self never had the chance to practise, having been kept from forming contracts in the human world.
I was supposed to follow in Rias's footsteps and leave at my age, but my unexpected relocation derailed those plans.
The process of creating a contract was quite simple: write the terms, form the pentagram, and add your crest. Sign the paper with a bit of your blood and use your demonic energy to make the contract binding.
I rubbed my temples as I stared down at the fresh piece of paper in front of me in contemplation. What was I missing?
"Zeph?" Hestia mumbled groggily.
It was currently extremely early in the morning, which meant both Bell and Hestia were asleep.
"Yeah?" I mumbled, watching Hestia rise, giving a yawn that made her large divine bust jiggle.
Oh great-great-great-grandfather, help me. Only your prudishness will save me from this herald of temptation. My mood brightened a bit as she gave me a soft smile, her blue eyes sparkling.
"What are you doing?" she asked, getting up.
"Just trying to get this contract thing down. My f-family was able to create binding contracts that granted them a tiny amount of power. I thought it would be worthwhile," I replied, hesitating at the word 'family.'
She gave me a hug, coming to sit next to me on the couch. My clingy goddess took the chance to get some skinship.
"Have you thought of going home?" she asked quietly, an unknown undertone to her voice that made me feel apprehensive.
"I don't know," I replied, shrugging helplessly.
I wasn't an idiot; I suspected the power that sent me here was linked to my suddenly rainbow-coloured eyes. Perhaps some weird Dojutsu-type power.
Maybe if I tried, I could get sent back or somewhere else. My mind hadn't really thought about it much.
Though I suppose I should start playing around with it. I had been comfortable here, growing in power in what was a rather weak world. But I couldn't ignore the limitless possibilities.
My home world is filled with monsters. Beings of power I wasn't even remotely close to dealing with, and I had no doubts that if I could travel to other worlds, there would be monsters even more powerful in some of them.
Still, I should start at the very least playing around with whatever this power is. Perhaps I'll look into it in a few days after I figure out how to create these fucking contracts.
Weirdly enough, my answer seemed to make Hestia brighten up.
"I see, have you thought about perhaps staying here?" she asked casually, although with a slight undertone of desperation that caught me off guard.
She stroked my hair gently, making me relax back into her arms with a frown. Just as I went to reply, I suddenly had an idea, making me spring up and quickly grab the pen that was sitting on the table.
Carefully, I redrew the pentagram and Gremory house mark on the paper, Hestia leaning over my shoulder with a frown at my sudden movement.
A moment later, the pentagram on the paper glowed red and turned into a binding contract.
Finally!
I jumped up in victory, picking up the surprised goddess and giving her a kiss in my excitement. Her soft, plump lips felt divine as I kissed her passionately, a moan escaping her.
I froze after a few moments, realising I had just kissed my goddess out of pure joy.
Oops.
Rapidly breaking the kiss and ignoring her delicious taste, I backed away.
"Sorry, I got caught up in the moment," I quickly apologised, which was rare considering I never apologised even if I was in the wrong.
Special privilege for a person I care about, I suppose.
Hestia's pale cheeks had a warm red hue as she brought a finger up to her lips.
"I just got caught up in the moment. I finally succeeded in creating a binding contract," I added, feeling a tad bit nervous.
She slowly met my gaze, a strange gleam in her eyes as she faintly smiled.
"I can see that," she replied. "What do you plan on using them for?"
I felt slightly weirded out by the mature aura that she suddenly possessed compared to the energetic little spitfire of a goddess.
"I'll hand them out and use them for a small power boost. I may not be in the best of situations right now, but I am still a strong adventurer on par with a level three. I'm sure I can help them out," I replied, shrugging.
I also planned to start testing out my powers and seeing if they could actually allow me to travel worlds. It would be a good test to see if they worked while I was in another world.
It would also allow me to travel quite a bit more frequently and find a way back here safely if I somehow got stuck.
I didn't wish to tell Hestia right now since I knew it would worry her. A dick move? Probably.
She beamed, reverting back to her normal demeanour.
"That's great Zeph. I'm sure plenty of adventurers would die with envy if they realised you could simply make contracts to grow in power instead of risking your life. Do you plan to stop adventuring now?" she asked, sounding hopeful.
I blinked.
"No? This merely means that my power gains will be increased past the system's limitations," I replied, making her nod even as she sported a frown. "Just be careful, okay?"
I rolled my eyes, giving her a confident smile.
"When am I not careful?"
-Scene Break-
"Uh, Zephyr sir, what are we doing?" Bell asked, in his basic leather armour, a dagger strapped to his hip.
We were both scouting out the dungeon's entrance, specifically where the Porters were selling their services.
I wanted to hire someone who could pick up the crystals for us since it was getting bothersome, and this was also the perfect opportunity to test out how binding these contracts were.
I only had five since I had run out of paper, but I could get more later when I got more valid from selling some monster crystals.
"We are going to get ourselves a Porter," I replied absentmindedly.
Bell blinked in confusion.
"Then why are we scouting them out instead of approaching them?" he asked innocently.
"To find a good one, obviously. A Porter could increase our productivity by five times and will be able to carry our loot," I replied, my eyes scanning through the bored group of Porters like a starved beast staring at its prey.
"And how will we do that?" he asked, his eyes curiously taking in the group of Porters.
"I'll smell 'em," I responded evilly. Bell backed away from me in surprise.
My eyes were taking in all the Porters; I was looking for something unique. Someone who could be a good fit for the familia.
I would probably give in and find a normal one if I didn't find anything in the next thirty minutes.
We waited for a few more minutes, Bell diligently standing next to me and waiting without a complaint. Someone new joining the depressed Porter group caught my attention.
A girl with a petite body hiding under a robe that had chestnut-coloured hair peeking through. From this distance, I could see the bruises and dirt on her body.
She wore a slightly torn red and white hooded top that exposed her midriff and a red skirt. I instantly recognized her as Liliruca Arde, the girl who stole Bell's dagger.
I stared at her in interest. Should I bother? She did eventually turn into someone important to the Familia, and she was willing to put her morals away when it came to the safety of the Familia, which I liked.
We weren't on that hero stuff.
The only problem was the work I would have to put in to get her to that point.
A part of me also felt a bit bad for her since I understood the type of abuse she suffered from. It was just the problem of her annoying thieving from the Familia and her initial hatred of all adventurers.
Eh, fuck it. Waiting here for someone else was boring.
She was slumped down, waiting for someone to pass by, only perking up whenever an adventurer seemed to glance in the Porter group's direction.
An adventurer was already there looking through the hopeful group of Porters. Swiping my hand, a wave of air tripped him over. He was getting a bit too close to my target.
I ignored the rest as I approached Lili directly with a confused Bell in tow.
Lili looked at me, and an obnoxiously fake smile spread on her face.
"Hello, adventurer sir, would you like to hire Lili as a Porter?" she cheerfully but politely asked.
I had to wonder where exactly in the timeline we were at since her acting was horrendous. Her eyes were taking in my appearance, probably trying to see if I was worth scamming.
Sure, sign this," I said, pulling out the contract.
She blinked in confusion. I provided her with a pen.
"May I know what this is, sir adventurer?" she carefully asked. Her hazel brown eyes looked at it in confusion.
"A contract about what you would be expected to do and what you would receive, which you will need to sign to join us," I replied.
The contract was made specifically for Porters; it was relatively basic. She wouldn't be able to steal and would receive twenty percent of our earnings.
A bit much? Maybe, but it was an investment. Eventually, she would join us.
"I would get twenty percent?" she asked in shock.
I nodded in confirmation. Her eyes narrowed as I got a peek at the intelligent, if not damaged, girl hiding beneath her fake persona.
She looked over it before hesitating and eventually signing, probably thinking it wasn't anything to be worried about. I gave her a grin as I felt something click in place. The contract briefly glowed, causing her to drop it out of shock.
I collected it and put it away in my small bag.
"W-what was that?" she asked.
The rest of the Porters, who were watching her with envy, looked shocked too.
"That was the contract binding the agreement," I replied casually. I wondered how the contract planned to stop her from stealing. I didn't put any specific backlash, so it shouldn't be harmful.
Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing in anger. I could practically see her affirming her belief that all adventurers are bad, even though this was purely so she didn't steal.
"Does that mean Lili won't be getting paid?" she asked, an undertone of anger lacing her voice.
I could practically feel Bell's stare; I hadn't told him about the contract business yet. Though like the good apprentice he is, he stayed silent.
"What? Of course you'll get paid. The binding goes both ways," I said, giving her a blank stare.
-{Liliruca Arde}-
The anger brewing in her heart calmed down a bit at that, even as she gave the crimson-haired teenager in front of her a cheerful smile.
She had thought the contract was some sort of Familia thing, but to hear it was binding shocked her.
Lili still planned on robbing the foolish adventurer blind; even if the percentage of pay on the contract was good, she doubted he would actually pay her the full amount.
That was just how adventurers operated; she had long since given up on any decent adventurer hiring her.
"May Lili know your name?" she asked cheerfully.
The crimson-haired teen with the weird rainbow-coloured eyes raised an eyebrow in amusement, apparently finding something funny.
"I'm Zephyrion, but you can call me Zephyr," he said, making her momentarily freeze as he patted her head.
He gestured to the white-haired boy who had been waiting for him like a puppy at its owner.
"This is Bell, the vice-captain of the Hestia Familia," he said, and the white-haired boy froze.
He recovered quickly and gave Lily a large friendly smile.
"Hi!" he greeted her.
She greeted him back with the same amount of cheerfulness, marking him as an easy target. He wouldn't be a problem. The only one she was on guard against was Zephyr.
Zephyrion clapped his hands.
"Let's get going, shall we?" Zephyrion asked.
She nodded in false excitement along with the white-haired boy Bell.
'Let's hope there's some chance to steal some monster crystals. They both seem to come from a relatively unknown Familia, so they are probably low-level, meaning this is going to be an easy dive,' Lili thought.
She still wasn't sure of what the contract's effect was, but she guessed it was some type of legal thing enforced by the guild.
Lili followed Zephyrion and Bell as they entered the dungeon. Bell looked determined as he had his hand on his weapon, surprising her with the sudden mood change of the innocent-looking boy.
'Maybe they have more experience than I thought, even if they are both barely wearing any armour,' she thought. Even the stupidest of the corrupt breed known as adventurers knew to wear armour when going down to the higher-level floors.
Lili didn't care if they died. It wouldn't be the first time an adventurer had died while she was acting as a Porter.
Usually, she simply looted their bodies and left them behind. She was good at escaping and dodging monsters.
She didn't think this would be a particularly troublesome run. With the light amount of armour, they were probably planning on only going to floor two or three at best.
-30 minutes later-
'WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE' Lili thought as she barely dodged her way from a razor-sharp claw.
Zephyrion was laughing as he beat the shit out of a war shadow with his bare hands. Bell was fighting for his life as Zephyrion was forced to save him every few minutes as he nearly died.
Lili was trying to figure out where it all went wrong as she avoided the numerous monsters trying to kill her as she picked up monster crystals along the way.
There were dozens of monsters trying to kill them as the insane person she had come to know as Zephyrion seemed to be having the time of his life.
-Scene Break-
I tried to ignore the image of Hestia staring at me flatly; she had definitely called my bluff.
I threw the beaten-up body of Bell Cranel away as he was about to get impaled, the poor white-haired boy ragdolling in the air.
It was all part of the Zephyrion Gremory training program.
Bell twisted his body in the air and landed on his feet, skidding back a distance from the force of my throw before getting back into a combat stance, barely stumbling all the while.
See? Bell was learning.
Looking back at the horrified Lili, I laughed. She was doing well at staying out of the way, which was good. Still, she did her job well, able to quickly enter and exit the fighting as she picked up any monster crystals lying around.
She was having a great time, even if she looked a moment away from calling it a day and running away from this whole situation.
A tall, dark humanoid with black claws appeared, forcing Bell to block. Two burning red eyes glared down at Bell, who was struggling under the monster's strength.
Having a Porter had really increased our pace within the dungeon by quite a bit. Bell was growing at an insane rate, both in pure skill and stats.
Always fighting stronger beings while being saved whenever he was about to be killed had made him develop at an insane rate. I wasn't sure why other adventurers didn't use this method.
Sure, it was insanely dangerous, and Bell had to be saved hundreds of times, but the sheer speed of his development made up for it. His movement had become incredibly refined, moving in a way normal adventurers didn't.
I had taught him to keep his body loose since he was more of a speed-type warrior. Being the fast learner he was, Bell picked this up and used it to easily dodge attacks.
Of course, there were some things he couldn't dodge. I had to appear and save Bell just as a War Shadow was about to decapitate him, giving him some breathing space as I kicked the War Shadow away into the dungeon wall.
Overall, I was happy with the progress. Lili had proven herself worth the effort of recruiting as she nimbly picked up another War Shadow monster crystal.
I would have to work on endearing myself to her soon, but doing it right now would seem suspicious. So, I planned to throw her off when the time was right.
-Scene Break-
Bell was barely standing as we made our way outside. Lili was drained to the point where she couldn't even keep up her false cheerful persona, and I was pretty happy with the results.
Today, we had made at least double, maybe triple, our normal dungeon dive.
We walked over to the fountain as Bell slumped over on a bench. Lili sat down to regain her breath, and I enjoyed the fresh breeze that blew over Orario.
"The monster crystals?" I asked, making Lili nod tiredly.
She put down the massive bag that looked comical on the back of her small body and opened it, showing the large number of monster crystals she had picked up.
"Is that all of them?" I asked curiously, wondering if she had stolen any.
She nodded, and just as she went to sit down, her eyes glowed red as her body moved against her will. Another massive sack of monster crystals appeared out from her as she placed it down next to her bag.
Lili looked down in shock and fear. The red glow disappeared, giving her full control of her body once more, even as she stood there in shock.
Huh, so that's how it works. Not surprising that she still went and stole a bunch of the monster crystals despite my warning.
Lili started shaking, looking ready to run despite her exhausted body. She truly hadn't expected to be caught and was completely off-guard.
I sighed, patting her on the head even as she violently flinched, staring up at me with wide eyes.
I gently pushed the bag of monster crystals back to her, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I'm sure you need it if you're willing to steal it," I said, taking out roughly twenty percent of the monster crystals she had in her bag.
This was of course a calculated move, I didn't really need it at this point and I doubt she would try stealing again.
"I'll be keeping this bag for now. I'll give it back when you meet us again tomorrow. How does that sound?" I asked. I needed the bag to carry the truly massive amount of monster crystals to the guild.
It probably would have been a better idea to cash them in first before splitting them, but I wanted to do that later. I didn't have to worry about value since we went straight down to floor seven and only picked up War Shadow and Killer Ant crystals.
Meaning no one received less due to the types of crystals shared.
I could have also gone with her, but I wanted a reason for her to join us again.
She stood there in disbelief, eventually nodding and slowly taking the large bag of monster crystals. She acted as if I would take it back if she seemed too quick to leave.
I watched her scurrying away, nodding to myself for a job well done.
The contract in my pocket suddenly warmed up, and I felt a sliver of power enter me as the contract was completed. It wasn't much, perhaps a 0.2% increase in my demonic power reserves.
I was still happy. The increase was small, but it was still an extra boost in power with no extra cost. Even if the contract had not worked, I still would have taken the same course of action, so it was a win in my book.
Bell was still slumped over on the bench. He had gone above and beyond what he normally did in the dungeons, naturally leaving him exhausted to the point of not being able to move much.
I gave him a pat on the back; I was pretty sure he was still conscious.
"Let's go get you cleaned up, buddy," I said, receiving a mumble back.
We could cash in the monster crystals later. I had yet to speak to Rose, who had taken to trying to ambush me whenever I traded in the monster crystals at the guild.
I hoped she might have calmed down a bit now since sending Bell into the guild forced me to wait for an hour as Eina tried to drill the thought that I was insane into his head.
Jokes on her—I found the very strict glare she sent my way hot.
Maybe I was being a bit childish by ignoring Rose, but I didn't want to deal with all the questioning I would inevitably receive. I didn't know why she was so stuck up on the fact that I grew stronger so fast anyway.
I lugged Bell up as he seemed intent on lying down for a few hours.
I think I will take Hestia out to the Hostess of Fertility. I had heard the food was downright divine over there and had been meaning to check it out ever since.
A grin stretched across my face. With my plan in mind, I made my way back to the abandoned church that acted as our Familia HQ.
-{Rose Fannett}-
Rose glared at the guild entrance.
Zephyrion Gremory had been hiding from her, and rather successfully. She pulled at her red, silky hair in annoyance.
Despite that, her frustration had only grown tenfold every time he slipped away.
The next time she saw him, Rose was going to capture him one way or another.
Then she was going to question him on how he was doing it. If there was some method to abuse the falna to get stronger, she needed to know.
There was also the thought that he had already possessed such strength, but considering he was listed as human and looked to be a human, she highly doubted it.
As a guild advisor she couldn't really do anything beyond pester him, but she was doing this for the good of adventurers.
Rose's sharp yellow eyes caught sight of red hair. She was up and tackling a man, glaring down as she realised it wasn't Zephyrion.
As she said, there would be no more escape for her unruly assigned adventurer.
Chapter: 9
Pa/ t reon details at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested I'll keep posting regardless.
(A date)
I flopped the unconscious Bell down onto the couch and looked around the room for my sexy, curvaceous Goddess.
"Hestia?" I called out.
Hestia peeked her head through the doorway.
"Zeph?" she replied.
"Hey," I said, and she beamed back, wrapping me in a soft hug.
"Welcome back," she smiled. "I'm guessing your trip went well?" she continued, gesturing to the exhausted Bell Cranel. I think he was going to be out for a good few hours.
"Yeah, he worked pretty hard," I replied, giving her a grin.
She giggled. "I can see that."
"I trust you to deal with him how you see fit. I'm still surprised you made him join our little family," Hestia admitted.
"Eh? Well, considering I'm the father and you're the mother in this relationship, I thought we needed a child," I teased, releasing myself from the hug.
She blushed at my words, and a smile crept across her face.
"Oh yeah, by the way, I'm going to check out a place that apparently does amazing food. It's called the Hostess of Fertility. Want to join me?" I offered.
Her blush doubled in intensity.
"Like a date?" she asked, and I thought about it for a moment.
Huh, I guess it is a date. I mean, I wouldn't mind taking such a beautiful Goddess out to eat in that type of way. How many people could say they had taken a Goddess out? Especially one as beautiful as her.
If she wasn't one of the virgin Goddesses, I might have even tried to make some moves on her. Considering I had kissed those divine lips before, even if it was by accident, I would definitely do that.
"Yeah, sure," I replied casually.
She abruptly squealed in excitement.
"I need to get changed! And I need to go to the divine baths. Wait here! I'll be back," she said quickly, rushing out of the door before I could say anything.
I didn't expect her to have such a big reaction. A smirk tugged on my lips.
Perhaps that virgin status wasn't as final as it seemed.
She had practically been my best friend since arriving here, and I would definitely treat her better than any other romantic interest, which she hadn't shown thus far.
I knew originally Bell had been that romantic interest, but I wasn't really threatened. While Bell was cool, that had been more due to the fact she hadn't been given any better options, and she had been in a rather bad state since arriving here.
It was obvious she was going to latch onto someone, and Bell's brave nature was probably an appeal too.
Some may call me stupid for adding him into our familia instead of someone else's familia was a bad idea, especially due to Hestia. But they would be insecure as fuck.
The reason I added him was because of his potential and the fact that he was loyal to a fault.
Power could be acquired in the future, especially with the help of evil pieces.
Having a truly loyal lieutenant was much more valuable than someone with power, who could very well try to stab me in the back, which would be an unneeded nuisance.
I looked down at my casual clothing, which had specks of black blood and dirt on them. I guess I should go have a shower and put on some new clothing too.
Then I'll probably play around with my magic until Hestia comes back. It never hurts to add to the painfully slow process of improving my demonic energy control without a magical focus.
I was glad I had gone shopping for clothes with all the income coming in from my dungeon diving. After I get the eventual meeting with Rose out of the way, I will start looking for bigger places to live.
Even if I planned on testing if I could truly travel worlds, I would probably use this world as my home base of sorts. Since it's relatively low power level, I kind of liked its simplicity.
The thought of other worlds, while slightly intimidating, was exciting. Could I harness the powers from there too? My power-hungry devil instincts loved the sound of that.
I would have to be careful though; the possibility of running into a world with stronger beings than me was a certainty.
I cleared my thoughts as I started making my way over to the shower.
There was no point thinking about it further until I proved I could actually travel worlds or if my weird arrival here was a random event.
I gave Bell a pat on the leg and received a groan in response.
"There's some food in the fridge, buddy. Me and Hestia are going out, so you'll need to make yourself something to eat."
The fridge was powered by a small monster crystal that kept the inside cool. They weren't as expensive as you'd think they would be. It was strange. In some ways, Orario was pretty modern.
Bell nodded, his face buried into the couch. I heard a muffled "Okay."
Scene Break-
I lazily played around with a ball of fire as I sat on the couch next to the still-sleeping Bell. The ball formed into a shape vaguely reminiscent of a small bird. Its form flickered and twisted before returning to the shape of a ball.
My control was getting much better. Every time I even gained an iota more control, I found my reserves draining at a much slower rate. I guess this was the advantage compared to having virtually no control over my demonic power.
I grinned as I looked down at my own clothing. I had to admit, I dressed up nicely.
A deep blue tunic, tailored to fit my frame with precision. The fabric was wool and it draped elegantly over my shoulders and down to my knees, suggesting both refinement and strength. The tunic was adorned with subtle embroidery along the edges, intricate patterns in silver thread.
My trousers were made of sturdy material, tucked neatly into high leather boots, polished to a shine. A leather belt cinched my waist, adding a touch of practicality to my attire. My outfit was completed with a cloak of matching blue, worn casually over one shoulder, its lining hinting at a finer fabric.
Unfortunately, being stuck in a mediaeval world meant no modern clothing, but it still looked pretty cool. My crimson hair contrasted well with the blue, and my rainbow eyes still made me look as unique as ever.
I was growing to like them. Even if they got me a lot of weird stares.
"Hey, Zeph," Hestia called out softly, entering the room somewhat shyly.
I turned to her and let out a whistle of appreciation.
There, standing in the doorway somewhat shyly, stood Hestia wearing a gown with a fitted bodice, buttoned at the front, made of rich blue velvet or satin.
The sleeves were long and flowing, lined with a lighter blue silk. The neckline was modestly cut, adorned with delicate lace or pearls. Most of all, it showed her divine curves in a way that was so sinful I was surprised I hadn't sprouted horns.
Her large breasts and thick wide hips gave her an easy hourglass figure.
I had to admit, I was briefly stunned.
She blushed as I whistled, her beaming smile still remaining as the ball of energy that was Hestia jumped up towards me.
"Do you like it?" she excitedly asked.
"You could say that. I'll have a harder-than-usual time fighting away all the men pining for your attention," I laughed.
Though it may sound like an overreaction, it was completely true. I don't know why the anime didn't show it, maybe due to Hestia or Bell's cluelessness to the fact, but many men leered at Hestia. Which she didn't seem to notice, funnily enough.
It had to be on purpose since it wasn't just a few people but a surprising amount of them. Like dozens every day. While I didn't really care since I understood, I would beat them to death if they actually tried anything.
She giggled at my remark, slapping my arm playfully.
"You know, I think we are going to draw more attention than we probably should. After all, many people go to the Hostess in more casual clothing, I believe," I said, as I gave her my arm to hold onto. Which she did so readily.
"I know, it's not my normal style—"
I nearly snorted at that.
"But I think for this occasion it's okay to indulge." She said, and she faintly mumbled something I could have sworn sounded like "and also let everyone know you're mine."
"We will be back in a few hours, Bell," I called over my shoulder as we left, receiving no reply.
We made our way down; luckily the sun was setting, so the number of people out was reduced, but we still drew a lot of attention. Contrasting with our rather poor-looking residential neighbourhood.
Hestia did what she normally did and seemingly didn't acknowledge the people staring as if it wasn't happening, while I mostly didn't care.
Had I been my old human self, I would have probably been more nervous about the possibility of being mugged. Eventually, we came up to The Hostess Of Fertility.
We had been lightly chatting like we mostly do for the most part.
The Hostess of Fertility was a two-story stone building with the charm and depth of a well-kept inn. It sat on a brick-lined street along Western Main Street.
The front entrance had a set of double doors adorned with intricate wood carvings decorating the frame. Similar carvings embellished various parts of the doors.
The Hostess of Fertility sign was displayed to the left of the entrance and also hung overhead, featuring a crossed fork and knife. It seemed to be filled with adventurers partying.
Despite being dressed rather formally, we both strolled in without a care. We both made our way into one of the booths. Instantly, we were greeted by a certain beautiful silver-haired woman that made my eyes narrow slightly.
Her bluish-grey hair was tied in a small knot, styled in a ponytail, and her eyes were the same colour as her hair. Her smooth skin had a light peachy tone.
She wore a white blouse with a leaf-coloured knee-length skirt. A slightly long half apron was tied around her waist, and she completed her outfit with brown boots over black stockings.
Syr Flova.
Wasn't she that alter ego of that crazy yandere goddess obsessed with Bell?
"Hello, can I get you any drinks?" she asked, a kind smile on her face, laying down two menus onto the table.
Hestia smiled back.
She quickly looked over the menu while Syr and I had a mini stare-down: my flat gaze met her cheerful smile.
"Can I have the fruit punch, please?" Hestia asked, looking up from the menu.
I finally glanced down at my own menu, noticing Syr tilting her head slightly at me, her smile unwavering.
"Sure thing, and what would you like, sir?" she asked cheerfully.
"I'll have a mixed juice drink, thanks," I replied with a nod.
Syr noted our orders with a cute nod of her own. "I'll get those for you," she said, heading off to prepare our drinks.
Hestia looked at me curiously. Her eyes only slightly thinned out. The cheerful smile on her beautiful face never wavering.
"Do you know her?" she asked, propping her head up with her slender arms.
Nope," I responded, staring back into her sapphire blue eyes.
She frowned thoughtfully.
"Your eyes tell a different story," she said, not in an accusatory tone but more as a fact.
"Trust me, I don't know her, but she does remind me of someone," I deflected, technically telling the truth since Grayfia did have some similarities. Telling anyone about my true life before getting reborn wasn't happening.
"Oh? I'm assuming it's from before you… came to Orario?" she questioned curiously.
I gave her a nod.
"Do you think about your home place a lot?" She carefully worded her question.
Despite what many would probably think, Hestia was smart. It comes with being a virgin goddess, I assumed.
"A bit," I admitted, testing the waters on that particular subject. The harsh frown that appeared nearly made me wince.
"That makes sense, after all, you have family there," Hestia said with a conflicted tone.
"Well, I mean. You're technically a part of that family now," I pointed out to ease her worries.
Hestia was extremely overprotective from what I had gathered. Despite her rather cheerful demeanour, she had been willing to break godly law and jump into the dungeon to save Bell originally.
I liked to think our bond was much closer than it had been between them, and I had to remember she was a goddess. Even if her powers were sealed.
As a relatively new goddess from Tenkai, she wasn't used to the concept of loss.
My cute but sexy goddess brightened up.
"Have you figured out how you got here?" she asked, her tone not giving anything away.
"Not yet," I admitted.
She leaned forward.
"Yet?" she probed.
Syr saved the day by walking over and placing our drinks down on the table.
"Are you ready to order?" Syr asked with her little notepad in hand.
"Yes. I'll have the spicy pea noodles and boar steak soup," I said, watching as she scribbled it down.
I caught a glance at a gorgeous lady behind her with two elven ears and green hair. Ryun Lion. She cleared a table with a bored expression on her face, her ears twitching slightly as she met my gaze.
Averting my eyes subtly, I smiled at Syr.
From what I knew, she was supposed to be a level six adventurer, right? Actually, weren't most waiters here level four and above? I wondered if I could take a level four adventurer. Surely, I wasn't far off.
My magic would certainly give me an edge. It grew more versatile and allowed me to do more than basic elemental magic the more my control grew.
"I'll have potato soup and salad," Hestia's voice interrupted my thoughts.
Syr jotted it down happily.
"Okay, I'll get that started for you right away," Syr replied.
She walked away and left us to our conversation.
"Zeph," Hestia said. "What do you mean by 'yet'?"
I had intentionally phrased it that way, hoping she would ask for more details. I realised that I didn't like keeping secrets like that from her and that being honest now was better than hiding the truth.
I was normally quite a secretive person, even before merging with my devil side, who had also been quite introverted.
That's why I had found myself purposefully choosing my words so she would question me.
It probably sounded pretty weird, but I was a bit unconventional like that.
"I think the way I got here is linked to my eyes, and I think there might be a way to replicate it," I admitted, and I could already see the hurt entering her eyes.
I hated being a mood killer, but this was probably the best place to tell her.
"And you plan on testing this out?" she asked.
"I do."
I quickly took hold of her hand as the hurt in her eyes magnified.
"But I won't leave you, Hestia," I quickly tried to assure her.
She stayed silent for a moment, staring at me carefully before smiling.
"Okay."
I found myself confused as she seemed to regain her cheerfulness, ignoring everything that had just been discussed as we went back to our normal chatter.
The night passed uneventfully after that. We resumed our usual chatter, with the only odd thing being that Hestia was a bit more handsy than usual.
Syr was our main waitress for the night, and I only caught a few glimpses of Ryu in the background, who mostly seemed to clean tables and deliver food.
The food was, as expected, delicious and relatively cheaper than I anticipated. Still expensive, but not as much as I had thought.
Now, we were walking back to the abandoned church in comfortable silence. I was glad the mood had been salvaged. It would have been awkward if we had to sit there in that tension for hours.
We arrived back home and got dressed for bed.
As I flopped down and yawned, I paused, noticing Hestia crawling towards me. Her eyes were glowing, and I found myself pulled into a deep kiss. Her soft lips once again pressed against mine as she moaned lightly.
Grinding into me, I stared at her dumbfoundedly. Her tongue poked out, and I soon found myself accepting her tongue.
She tasted delicious. She broke the kiss a moment later, a string of saliva connecting us.
"I won't let you leave me," she said, nuzzling her face into my neck. Just like that, she got comfortable and closed her eyes.
I sat there blinking in shock.
What had just happened?
-Scene Break-
I stared at the inconspicuous-looking guild centre with a frown. Adventurers entered and exited the building continuously. Some laughed as they held filled pouches, others looked blankly at the floor with small pouches barely filled with anything held loosely in their hands.
This place was a building where both wealth and poverty could be found. Fame and ruin—it was funny how one place could both ascend and ruin anyone ambitious enough to try becoming an adventurer.
This didn't apply to me, of course. I was a cheat.
The dungeon was no doubt dangerous, but unlike many who had to truly be cautious or risk dying, I could perform acts that no new adventurer could for years to come.
It was interesting to see; everyone who came here showed an obvious story. Like the man with blood on his face, blankly staring at the ground. A small pouch dropped next to him.
For him, he had just experienced a life-changing event. One of the many ambitious adventurers who had their adventure cut short. He probably had a team who had given their life to allow him to escape.
Now he sat looking at the bag of vali in disbelief. All that just for some money.
Then there was another woman laughing with her friends. A massive pouch gripped tightly in her hand as she walked with her party to presumably get wasted.
Some people simply adapted better, which allowed them to enjoy the benefits of becoming an adventurer. It was a double-edged sword.
Which the guild didn't help with their very generous pay. That puts normal jobs to shame.
Temptation.
Something I, as a devil, could instinctively understand. I saw how the guild worked, which made me admire them just a bit. They were cold, and I didn't feel bad for the people who were left ruined by them.
If they didn't do it, it would be someone else. At least they tried to help with guild advisors.
I didn't know how I had ended up here, merged with a devil boy, but I had found myself adapting to the situation quickly. I had always been good at making the best of what I was given.
One of my better traits.
Plus, I couldn't say this was bad at all. I wouldn't complain about being stuffed into a magical world with super strength and magic, which I improved with every passing day.
My days of running out of magic became further away as I improved my demonic power control. It was slow, but the results were easily seen. The sight of being able to create more powerful attacks drove me in a way that I couldn't explain.
I was certain I hadn't been this awed by power before my change in race, but then again, the most powerful people I had seen before my rebirth were a bunch of old men in the government, telling me that the taxes they took from my hard-earned money were going to a good cause.
Which I had yet to see.
I sighed. Okay, enough of that. I should probably stop stalling with my internal monologue and go see the feisty crimson-haired wolf girl who seemed to be oddly interested in my life.
Running a hand through my crimson hair, I strolled into the guild entrance calmly.
She should have calmed down by now, right? I mean, I wasn't avoiding her out of fear; it was more so I could avoid the lecture she was sure to give me.
I know it was her own way of trying to help me overcome the fate of a normal adventurer, which I appreciated, but I didn't need it. Even now, with my supernatural abilities realised, I kept cautious when I entered new floors.
I blinked as a flash of long red hair whipped through the crowd of adventurers. I blinked as a flash of long red hair whipped through the crowd of adventurers. The next thing I knew, a delicate-looking but strong hand clasped onto my shoulder, making me turn to meet two furious, narrowed yellow slits.
The sneering visage of an angry Rose Fannett made me realise that my attempt to remain unnoticed had the opposite of its intended effect.
"Got you," she hissed.
"Hey," I greeted her.
Her eyes seemed to practically glow. The normally apathetic yellow eyes were alight with anger.
"Hey…?" she repeated. "HEY?!"
Was she going through some sort of menopause or something? She was acting just a tad bit unhinged. No, she wasn't old enough. Wait… does her species even have periods? Things to ponder on later. Right now, I have more urgent things to worry about.
She pulled me towards the familiar conference room. She turned, locking the door behind her and forcing me to sit down. Instead of sitting across from me, she paced around.
"You… I tell you to be careful, I give you my trust, and you decide to recklessly go fighting monsters above your calibre. Then you proceed to ignore me for ages, only to stroll in like you own the place and act as if this is normal," she growled.
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.
"Don't you think you're overreacting a bit? I get you wanting to help me out and stop me from dying a useless death like most adventurers, but I'm fine," I replied.
She glared but stayed silent, leaning back.
"What's the secret? Are you truly human? Or do you have some sort of skill that allows you to grow at such an unheard-of rate? Perhaps a magical bloodline? Either way, you're letting it get to your head. Killing an infant dragon? As a newbie? The reports of the monsters you kill are completely out of the range for a new adventurer," she ranted.
I stayed silent.
"You think you're the only adventurer to get some sort of amazing enhanced physical boosting skill that allows them to grow fast? You aren't. The reason you haven't heard of them is because they are dead," she continued, crossing her arms and unintentionally pushing up her bust.
I took this time to admire her. She was incredibly beautiful. An easy hourglass figure along with two large breasts, perfect skin, and lush hair. No wonder so many adventurers tried their hand with her. The cold aura she gave off had its own appeal.
"Can't you see I'm trying to keep you safe? Despite my experience, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. A gift I've given very few other adventurers. I have seen so many of you idiots die that I actively use my job as a guild advisor to stop as many of you as I can."
I tilted my head. "Really? The cold Rose Fannett secretly caring? Why bother, it's their choice after all," I jokingly replied, a bit more serious at the end.
It seemed to piss her off even more. Her perfectly healthy nails were sharpening.
"I used to be exactly like you, and it got everyone I loved killed when I tried to bring them along for the adventure. How dare you question me. You have no right," she growled.
I felt sympathy for her. I was starting to understand why she was so intent on either making adventurers quit or making them follow her advice now.
That was some high-level trauma. No wonder she is so cold. Losing everything to the dungeon would be quite the motivation to make others not follow her mistake.
"The dungeon is a trap. People spend their time admiring the very small percent who succeed and ignore all the deaths that occur on a daily basis. I am not blinded; I see it perfectly," she mumbled at the end.
I went to speak only to be cut off by the furious Rose.
"You have shown me you can't be trusted, and I won't let you make the same mistakes I made. I am considered a harsh cold bitch by many, but the truth is I care too much to let you continue," she growled.
"Hold on, Rose, I think you're going a bit overboard with this. I assure you I haven't been as reckless as you think I have been. I've made sure I'm capable of the floors I go through," I tried to calm her down, realising now she was absolutely livid.
I had underestimated the extent of her trauma over this. Her radical views on adventurers had been unnatural but I had thought it was kind of cool to have someone care so much.
"Prepare yourself," Rose announced.
Her perfect lips twisted as her teeth seemed to grow sharper.
Yeah, maybe I should have taken this conversation a little more seriously.