Bell walked back towards Goddess Astraea and Ryuu. Passing through a crowd of adventurers. The limp in his step gone by the time he reached them. [Super Regeneration] for the win.
His abyssal eyes snapped to them; Goddess Astraea was cradling Ryuu while leaning weakly against a wall.
"Sigh..." A indifferent sigh was released from his mouth. His steps stopping in front of them.
Goddess Astraea's eyes turned towards him at the sigh. But, Bell ignored her blushing expression and took Ryuu from her hands.
His arm slid around the fainted elf's waist as he flipped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
.
"Gasp... Bell!?" Goddess Astraea gasped as his other hand snaked around her waist. Giving her the same treatment as Ryuu.
Bell took a firm step back to settle them both in an over the shoulder carry. His body turning towards another direction as he started to walk.
VROOOM!
A metaphysical roar resounded as [Ittou Shura] ignited. His flames of vitality ruthlessly turned into pure strength. His strength clawing skywards.
Peak Level 1— Level 2— Level 3— Mid Level 3.
His surroundings turned into a blur. His speed reaching sub sonic levels. Even with two people on his shoulders.
In mere seconds. He reached the Loki Familia camp. His steps taking him inside without a moment of delay.
Any adventurer that tried to look at him found their memories hazy as his face, hair, body and height glitched in their minds. His whole existence being wiped out of their memories a moment later.
Bell didn't care as he passed through countless members of the Loki Familia running around in panic and fear.
It only took him a moment to confirm the tent of Ais Wallenstein, The Sword Princess. He walked inside her tent with Ryuu and Goddess Astraea over his shoulder.
"C-Child... Why am I seeing two of everything?" Goddess Astraea slurred from his shoulder. Her head spinning and mind loosing focus due to Bell's earlier high speed movement.
"Little Sparkle... You should knock yourself out. Or do you want me to do the honors?" Bell questioned with an indifferent expression as he let her down on the ground. Her steps a little shaky.
"Huh? W-Why should I k-knock myself out?" Goddess Astraea asked while cutely tilting her head. Her mind still catching up to her surroundings.
Bell did not reply. Instead...His gaze landed on Ais resting on a makeshift bed. Bloodied bandages covering her whole body. Her left arm broken and out of alignment. Along with countless sword wounds on the front side of her torso under her bandages.
His abyssal black eyes did not fluctuate. His free hand coming to rest on her shoulder. [Ittou Shura] accelerating at breakneck speeds.
Life was flushed out of his pores. Directly flooding into Ais' battered and broken body.
Broken bones were healed and realigned. Sword wounds were closed and regenerated. Lost blood was replenished.
All of Ais' injuries and wounds were healed in a moment. His vitality acting like a life saving panacea.
Bell watched her for a moment longer. His eyes taking in her now relaxed breathing.
"We're even now."
He spoke while putting the fainted Ryuu besides her on the makeshift bed. His face turning towards the still dizzy Goddess Astraea.
Bell walked up to the Goddess without any expression. His abyssal eyes boring into her deep indigo ones.
His hands came up to hold her cheeks. Bringing his face closer to her lips.
!?
'Is-Is he about to kiss me!? So suddenly!?'
Bell's gaze did not give away anything. While Goddess Astraea felt her face heat up. Butterflies roaming in her stomach.
His lips came closer to her lips. Goddess Astraea felt her breath catch in her throat. Her eyes closing on their own as one of his hands slid down towards her neck.
Just as Goddess Astraea was fantasising about her first kiss. Bell chopped her neck without mercy. Directly making her faint.
Bell's eyes remained indifferent as he slipped his arm around the now limp Goddess Astraea and once again carried her over his shoulder.
He walked back towards Ryuu and carried her over his other shoulder. His gaze landing on Ais for one last time.
If someone looked closely at Bell's eyes at this moment. They would see that the abyssal black inside them was slowly being overpowered by embers of red.
Bell turned his back on her a moment later. Walking out of her tent.
But... What he didn't know,
Was that the moment he moved out of her tent. The Sword Princesses' closed eyes snapped open.
Looking at his back.
...
..
.
Bell walked out of the Loki Familia camp. Ryuu and Goddess Astraea over his shoulders.
VROOM! BOOOOM!
[Ittou Shura] was discarded. [Ittou Rasestu] blasted to life instead. Sight became worthless. Odour became dispensable. Sensation became futile. Flavour became expendable. Hearing became unrequired.
His strength dipped... And then swarmed back up, beyond conventions and possibilities. Settling deep into the territory considered impossible.
Mid Level 3— High Level 2— Low Level 2— Peak Level 1.
... Peak Level 1— Level 3— Mid Level 3— High Level 3.
60 seconds.
Bell exhaled steam. His body expelling excessive heat. His blood vessels and veins burst apart. His heart forcefully pumping blood through them.
The wheel spun. Working faster than [Super Regeneration].
*Clunk*
The broken and shredded veins repaired themselves. Their structure adapting to become more complex and strong with higher flexibility.
[Ittou Rasestu] leaped further. Reaching 20 times.
High Level 3— Half Step Level 4.
55 seconds.
The wheel didn't stop.
*Clunk*
His newly adapted veins and blood vessels were shredded apart all the same. Repairing themselves even faster. Adapting to go even further.
[Ittou Rasestu] wasn't content. It advanced without end. Reaching 25 times.
His body started to break down. Cracks spread across his physique. Pain receptors sending signals of death straight to his brain. All of his organs starting to fail.
[Super Regeneration] worked frantically to heal his failing body. Yet... [Ittou Rasestu] sucked his vitality so fast that [Super Regeneration] was left in dust.
His eyes did not even twitch as [Ittou Rasestsu] bought him closer to death with each revolution.
He should have stopped [Ittou Rasestu] right then. He should have let it go right there. He was not ready yet.
But
...Bell looked towards the artificial sky of the 18th floor and wondered.
'Won't giving up right now be...
Boring?'
The wheel agreed.
*Clunk*
Bell gave free reign to [Ittou Rasestu]. Light leaving his abyssal eyes. His mind shutting down. Vitality being devoured at a monstrous rate.
[Ittou Rasestu] finally set foot into the class of elite adventurers. Reaching 50 times.
Half Step Level 4— Level 4.
40 seconds.
*Clunk*
The structure of his very cells and genetic makeup started to adapt to the vitality drain...by increasing the ATP production of his cells. This tremendously lessened the load of [Ittou Rasestu] over his body.
But this process was barley 1% completed; with a small amount of cells having adapted at this moment. It would take continuous adaptations of his wheel over the clock in the background to reach 100% completion.
.
He was pulled back right from the gates of death once again by adaptation.
...But Bell didn't give a single fucks.
'30 seconds?... Doable.'
A barrier of [Grega] materialised ahead of him to protect the women on his shoulders.
He took a single step afterwards.
BOOOOM!
Sound barrier became mere advice. His bare body tearing though the speed of sound. His surroundings continuously dissolving like a ruined painting.
Nothing could stop him as he climbed back up from the 18th floor.
24 seconds.
Ligerfangs were bombarded to kingdom come by fire balls of [Grega].
22 seconds.
Minotaurs were nothing more than fragile paper in front of his kicks.
20 seconds.
Hellhounds, Crystal Mantis' and Almirajs were melted into sludge by the barrier of flames ahead of him.
Other monsters were not even worth mentioning.
His charge was nothing short of;
Unstoppable. Invulnerable. Indomitable.
18th floor...16th floor...13th floor...10th floor...5th floor...1st floor.
...
..
.
He was coming.
Freya...
Were you prepared?
For a monster created by God?