AROUND HOUR LATER
VESTA
The first floor of the dungeon was exactly as I remembered from my brief mortal reconnaissance: damp stone, faint magical hums, and the occasional groan of monsters in the distance. Adventurers darted from room to room, swords clashing, spells flying, and no one noticed me, not that I cared. I gripped my knife, letting its weight settle comfortably in my hand. Small, sharp, and precise, perfect for a quiet goddess who didn't want a crowd. I moved lightly, slipping past a group of goblins arguing over scraps of rotten meat. They hissed and lunged, but I was already stepping to the side, twisting my knife between my fingers. A swift cut, a feint, and one goblin crumpled to the floor. The others hesitated. Good. I gave a quick kick, knocking another off balance, and with a flick of my wrist, it went down.
From the corner of my eye, a young swordsman was struggling against a pair of goblins, clearly inexperienced. I tossed a small loaf of herb infused bread near him. He grabbed it mid fight, bit down, and the faint divine magic of my cooking surged into his body. Bruises faded, stamina returned, and he lunged forward with renewed vigour, cutting down a goblin with a cry of surprise. I shrugged.
"Bread helps." I muttered, ducking under a swinging club.
The adventurers around me barely noticed. They were too busy shouting and swinging their swords, trying to coordinate attacks.
"What the hell, why are they so strong all of a sudden?"One of them asked.
I stepped onto a higher ledge, flicked my knife through the air, and disarmed a goblin mid leap. It fell with a groan, completely neutralized without anyone thinking twice about it. Another adventurer took the opportunity to finish it off, none the wiser.
I grinned slightly. Perfect. Invisible, yet indispensable. A group of goblins charged again, larger this time. I dodged one, slid under another, and slashed cleanly across its back. Meanwhile, I tossed another small loaf to a struggling archer nearby. The moment he bit down, his breathing steadied, his arm healed, and arrows flew faster and straighter. He blinked at me, confused, then went back to fighting without a word. I exhaled, moving down the corridor. Monsters fell, adventurers grew stronger, chaos continued… and nobody noticed me. Just as I liked it.
"Let's keep working."I muttered.
By the time I reached a small chamber at the end of the first floor, only a few goblins remained. I twirled my knife between my fingers, crouched, and smiled. Alright, little guys, time to end this quietly. A few swift, precise movements later, they were down. No flashy magic, no shouting, just skill, precision, and a little divine seasoning. I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. Adventurers passed me, completely oblivious, muttering about how 'the floor was easier than expected' or 'we somehow got stronger mid-fight'. I smirked.
"They'll figure it out eventually… maybe."I whispered.
For now, I was forgotten. Invisible. And perfectly capable of handling anything the dungeon threw at me.
I stepped over the last goblin, brushing dust off my hands. The first floor was quieter now, though the faint rustle of monsters reminded me not to relax too much. Adventurers were picking themselves up, muttering about how lucky they'd been… completely unaware of the reason they weren't bruised or exhausted. I wiped my knife clean and glanced at the walls. Something glimmered faintly in a dark corner. Curious, I crouched down and picked up a small, smooth stone, glowing faintly with blue light. Hmm, a magical stone.
My fingers tingled the moment I touched it. A minor mana stone, I realized enough to enhance spells, craft potions, or even subtly boost my food's effects. I pocketed it carefully and stood, eyes scanning for more. Another glimmer caught my attention near a pile of rubble. One, two, three tiny stones, each humming softly with magical energy. Perfect. I stuffed them into a hidden pocket of my satchel. These would come in handy later: healing bread, stamina buns, maybe even something stronger. A goddess didn't need luck, she just needed the right ingredients. Just then, I heard shouting ahead. A group of adventurers was cornered by a small horde of goblins five, maybe six and they were clearly struggling.
"Alright." I muttered, drawing my knife and tightening my grip. "Time to help… quietly, of course."
I dashed forward, moving almost like a shadow. One goblin lunged at a young swordsman. I sidestepped and slashed cleanly across its legs. It yelped and collapsed. Another swung a club at an archer. I flicked my wrist, knocking it off balance just long enough for him to regain control.
Meanwhile, I tossed a handful of herb-infused bread near the cornered group. One bite, and their breathing steadied, minor cuts healed, stamina surged. They straightened and fought back with renewed vigor, completely oblivious to me standing nearby. The horde fell faster than expected.
"We… didn't even get hit that bad… what happened?"Another adventurer asked.
I smirked behind a pillar. Bread, herbs… divine seasoning. Nothing they'll ever notice. As the last goblin crumpled, I crouched to pick up another faintly glowing stone near the rubble where it had fallen. Another one! Each stone seemed to hum in harmony with my own divine energy. The dungeon was generous tonight.
I slid the stones carefully into my satchel, making a mental note: these would enhance my cooking, my knives, maybe even heal more adventurers faster. Invisibility doesn't mean useless. I stood and stretched, glancing at the adventurers. They were now walking toward the staircase to the second floor, chatting and completely unaware of the goddess who had silently ensured their survival.
I sighed. Being ignored has its perks but as I glanced at the shadows along the dungeon walls, I felt it: a stronger presence ahead. Something was waiting deeper in the first floor, something bigger, something… not quite human. I tightened my grip on my knife, feeling the weight of the magical stones in my satchel. Looks like this floor isn't quite finished yet.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt a thrill I hadn't felt in centuries. Forgotten? Yes. Ignored? Absolutely. But still dangerous and still alive.