(Riven POV – Dungeon, Floor 17)
"So that's the Big Wall of Grief…"
My voice echoes faintly as I step into the expansive chamber. The whole place feels empty, wide enough to fit a small town square, and dim enough that the ceiling disappears into darkness. On the left side, smooth, unbroken bedrock stretches from end to end, concealing a monster within.
That's where Goliath is born.
Or reborn, I guess.
"Seeing as it's not here…" I mutter with a disappointed sigh. "It either hasn't spawned yet… or someone beat me to it."
That annoys me quite a bit. I don't even know whether I would've fought Goliath today if it was here, but not having the choice irritates me.
I walk up to the wall, dragging my palm across the cool, opaque surface. It's smooth, unnaturally so, almost like a mirror.
'I wonder when Goliath will spawn next?' I think. 'If I knew, I could be here before anyone else.'
Even if they respawn in fixed intervals, I wouldn't be able to guess without knowing when it died.
[Answer: The Monster Rex Goliath will be spawned in approximately 3 days and 2 hours. More data will be required for a more accurate estimate.]
I blink.
'…How the hell do you know that?'
[Answer: The magic buildup within the wall, along with its accumulation rate, can be used to calculate an estimate for the formation of Goliath's magic stone based on the projected size.]
"…That's amazing." I smile. "Looks like I'm still underestimated you."
I rest my hand on the wall again. "Any chance you could, I dunno… speed up the process?"
[Answer: Negative. Not with my current abilities.]
'So you're saying one day you can?'
[Answer: Yes.]
A grin spreads across my face. "That's good enough for me. Farming dungeon bosses sounds great."
But another problem creeps in.
After sweeping through Floors 15 and 16… even if the monsters weren't anything dramatic… the Exelia I've accumulated should be more than enough to max my Status.
'So… should I level up before fighting Goliath?'
It's not just about fighting it, even if it'd be quite fun… It's about what I get from it.
If I kill a level 4 monster as a level 1… the Exelia payoff would be absurd.
'GS, what about Exelia itself? Is the Exelia from higher-level monsters actually different?'
[Answer: Correct. Using Minotaurs as reference, the Exelia produced by higher-level monsters possesses greater density and overall potency. Difficulty of the feat increases the quantity and tier, but Exelia from higher level monsters is inherently better.]
I mull over that.
So there is such a thing as "level 1 Exelia," "level 2 Exelia," etc.
And within each level, there is high-quality quality Exelia depending on the difficulty of the achievement.
"So Goliath would give me high-quality level 4 Exelia?"
[Answer: Affirmative.]
A slow, hungry smile spreads across my lips.
"Well, that settles that. It's definitely better to take it down before leveling up. If I play this right, I might max my level 2 stats immediately and get a double rank-up."
'That'd save me so much effort.' I think, stretching my arms above my head.
Even if I don't yet know how different Exelia levels will influence my stats growing, it ought to be beneficial.
My gaze drifts to the opposite end of the chamber, and see the massive passageway leading down to Floor 18's safe zone.
'I don't really have a reason to go down there.' I decide.
There are no monsters, the shops are overpriced, and the quality is worse.
I've already got everything I need on Stomach.
"I might as well head back. Today was extremely productive." I shrug and turn away from the wall. "GS, what time is it?"
[Answer: It is currently 3:21 PM.]
I freeze.
'…Shit. Hestia finishes work at four.'
I can already picture it, her sitting outside the door, hugging her knees like a lost child waiting for her parents to return. The image is so pitiful, it almost brings a tear to my eye, before remembering the burning fury that'll quickly replace it.
If I arrive late, she'll begin questioning me, find out I went deeper than I said I would…
'And then she'll start nagging me.' I groan.
But the thought makes me smile despite myself. After all, who wouldn't want a tiny, but cute Goddess fussing over them?
Still… I'd rather not worry her unnecessarily.
'Alright. I need to rush back.'
I inhale slowly, Sun Breathing filling my body with warm energy and providing nearly infinite stamina.
My boots dig into the bedrock—
—and I launch forward.
A crack splinters beneath my foot as I propel myself down the cavern, wind exploding around me.
Thirty-eight minutes to make a trip that takes normal adventurers a day?
'Child's play.' I grin as air whips against my face. 'I can't even call it a challenge.'
The route back is effortless because GS already mapped out the dungeon. Monsters still appear, but I'm not in the mood to play with them.
Minotaurs for their skills smashed in as I passed by, Almiraj get roasted by my Fire Breath, and any airborne monsters are hit with the unsurprisingly lethal combo of Sonic Scream and Howl, which knock them out of the sky for a quick death.
I show no mercy, and without distraction, I kill every monster in a single hit.
Whenever I meet groups, I use Sword, making wide, sweeping cuts and cleaving through monsters as though they're paper silhouettes. Magic stones and drops… everything is absorbed into Stomach as soon as I make the kill, leaving the path spotless behind me.
As I climb toward the upper floors, the atmosphere shifts, become brighter and less menacing as more voices begin to appear. Adventurers begin appearing around corners or in the middle of fights, turning at the sound of my footsteps.
I slow down to a more normal pace so as not to arouse too much attention, avoiding other Adventurers and minding my own business.
I soon exit the dungeon, finally free of the as I'm met with the bustling Babel.
'And with ten minutes to spare.' I smirk to myself, weaving around another party. 'She's got no reason to suspect I did anything.'
That smug thought carries me all the way to the street until I reach the shop.
My triumphant jog becomes a confused walk. Then a halt.
"…Huh?"
I double check the sign, and confirm I'm at the right shop, but the inside…
Empty. Completely barren. Racks stripped bare. Tables cleared. All the clothes on sale have disappeared.
'What the hell?' I think, stepping inside slowly. 'Did we get robbed?'
Impossible. In broad daylight with people constantly walking past?
My stomach tightens.
"Hestia?" I call out, my voice spreading throughout the store.
And then I see movement. Hestia emerging from the back room, looking… deflated. Shoulders drooped, eyes dull.
My heart drops.
I rush to her immediately. "Hestia, are you okay? Who robbed us?" My hands hover over her arms, checking for any injuries.
She's unharmed, and relief washes through me, only to fade as her expression sinks even lower.
She clenches her fists, trembling.
'Whoever it was… I'll make sure they don't live to see tomorr—'
My thought stops dead as she snaps her head up, eyes blazing.
"THAT BASTARD LOKI TOOK EVERYTHING!"
I blink. "…What?"
(Hestia POV – Hearth of Threads)
"Okay… I'm calm now." I exhale and nod, proud of myself. Really. I'm calm, and totally composed.
Mostly.
After my little… outburst, Riven just walked forward and wrapped me in a hug. The next thing I knew, we were sitting on the floor, his arms looped around me from behind, his cheek resting lightly against my hair as he comforted me with his annoyingly soft and gentle voice, like he was placating a child.
Even now, I'm still perched on his lap, my back pressed against his chest.
'This is so embarrassing… but it's nice too.'
My face burns. 'Maybe I should get upset more often? Technically Loki finally did something useful.'
"So…" Riven speaks near my ear. "Can you tell me what happened now?"
I make the mistake of looking up at him.
Our faces are too close. Our eyes meet, and he tilts his head, smiling, and my heart tries to punch its way out of my chest. I whip my gaze away before I combust.
"O-okay…" I mumble, twirling a strand of my hair to hide the tremble in my hands as I begin recounting everything.
"When you left this morning, it was quiet for a while. But after an hour, people started coming in. It was mostly normal folk looking for everyday clothes. I greeted everyone with a smile, showed them the new pieces…"
I straighten proudly, my arms crossed. "Once they touched the fabrics and tried things on, they were hooked. Obviously!"
"Of course." Riven says, amusement curling in his voice. "With such a cute salesperson, who could resist coming in for a look?"
"W–Wh—!" My entire face burns red, and I glare at him with all the strength I can muster. "Y-you can't just say things like that randomly!"
"Why shouldn't I speak the truth?" He counters calmly.
He's enjoying this. I can tell.
Thankfully , he doesn't make me melt in shame, as he continues. "So what happened next?"
I swallow, trying to regain control. "As more people came in, they attracted even more customers. The normal clothes sold fast. Then some adventurers started coming by too—asking about materials, custom sizes, all that."
My mood lifts again… until I remember.
"And just as things were going perfectly…" I pout, crossing my arms. "That stupid washboard walked in. That woman has the nose of a Hellhound, I swear."
Riven raises a brow. "Loki came here? With who?"
"Ais and Riveria." I grumble. "Riveria gave me the five million Valis for Ais's training, and asked when you're free for another session. But Loki… ugh."
I rub my temples, still mortified.
"She sniffed out the alcohol you told me to give big-spenders. She literally sniffed it out even when it was still sealed! She demanded some, and I had to explain the process like a good salesperson…" I frown deeply. "Then she bought a dress and demanded her glass. And once she had one sip…"
My voice trembles with trauma. "She bought everything else. Everything. And then she stole the rest of the alcohol too! I didn't even have anything left for other customers and had to close the shop early!"
I slump against his chest, defeated. "And she said she'll be back…" I say in a hollow voice.
A heavy moment of silence hangs in the air.
Then…
Riven bursts out laughing.
"Is that all?" He chokes out between breaths, head falling back slightly as he tries to catch himself. "Hestia… you nearly gave me a heart attack. We made a lot of money off her, shouldn't you be celebrating?"
I glare up at him, offended on multiple levels.
"You don't understand." My voice drops. "That wasn't Loki."
He pauses mid-laugh. "…Huh?"
I shiver as the memory crawls up my spine. "She wasn't loud or rude like normal. She wasn't making stupid comments. She didn't annoy me. She didn't even look at my chest! I even called her a washboard, and she just accepted it!" I clutch his shirt desperately. "Riven, she smiled. Sweetly. Sweetly. Loki wouldn't smile at me like that."
He blinks.
I nod vigorously, believing he's finally getting it. "And then she said she'll be back. Oh no… oh no, oh no. We need to go. We need to leave before she returns." Panic surges through me, and I try to shoot up from his lap.
But Riven just tightens his arms, holding me firmly in place. "Seems like it's too late for that."
My breath freezes. "W-what do you mean it's too la—"
He tilts his head toward the entrance.
I follow his gaze.
And my stomach drops straight into the floor.
No…
'No, no, no, anything but this…'
"Hestiaaaa, my bestest friend and absolutely adorable Goddess~! Are you in there?" Loki's voice floats in from outside, dripping with sweetness and joy.
A horrible shiver races down my spine.
She's never sounded so… pleasant.
"That tone…" I whisper, horrified. "That's not the Loki I know. That's not even a Loki I want to know." I grab Riven's sleeve. "She's completely shameless now. She's abandoned all her pride as a Goddess. She'll do anything for more alcohol. Alcoholics are insane!"
Even Riven looks unsettled. One eyebrow climbs slowly, like he's trying to understand the physics behind this.
"You know…" He says thoughtfully. "I think you might actually be right."
"RIGHT?! Then we need to run!" I insist, squirming in his grip like my life depends on it. "Riven, let me go! We can escape through the back! Anything would be better than this!"
But his arms remain solid around me.
Then I see it.
A spark.
A slow, dangerous, mischievous grin crawls onto his face, and my heart sinks.
'Oh no… no no no… please, anything but that expression…' I think, tears welling up in my eyes.
He leans closer, voice low with amusement.
"But don't you think this makes things a little more…"
He pauses.
"…fun?"
I stare at him in pure betrayal.
'My fate…' I realize. 'Is sealed.'
**********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all doing? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, this chapter gives a break form all the action. And seems like we'll be fighting Goliath soon. To be fair, I hope the reasoning is valid. I see lots of stories where the MC does things for plot reasons without logical reasons, so I try to be logical, and hopefully I'm doing that well.
Next... Hestia is cute. Didn't expect her to fear Loki, and to be fair... Understandable. Alcoholics like her are insane🤣. I mean, it's a bit weird for her character, but she tried to marry Soma for alcohol, and that was before she had the real stuff in the mortal world (my assumption). So, this ain't too much.
To be fair, I'm thinking of the next chap being Loki POV as she deals with Hestia while listing for alcohol. I find contrasts between thought and action super entertaining. Well, I'm not good at comedy, so apologies if the Hestia/Loki stuff isn't actually funny🫠. I hoped it was, but I don't know.
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
Actually, a lot of super fun and plot relavant things are gonna occur around Goliath, but no spoilers for now. So yeah, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and that you all have a good rest of your day/night 🌃!