The next morning, Hesita was checking my stats.
"How come your strength and speed stats shot up so much?" she asked, surprised.
"I mean, I did fight a lot of monsters yesterday."
Current stats:
Name: Bell Carnel
Age: 17
Level: 5
Class: Assassin/Mage
Mana: 1,000,000/1,000,000
Strength: 100,500/100,500
Speed: 100,500/100,500
Stamina: 100,000,000/100,000,500
[Skills]
- Summoning and controlling shadows
- Detoxification
- Regeneration
- Stealth
- Ruler's Authority
- Monarch Domain
- Exchange
- Inventory
- Potion Crafter
- Realis Pharaze
- Dagger Proficiency
[Magic]
- Healing Magic
- Shadow Magic
Most of my focus yesterday was on increasing my strength and speed, so I wasn't surprised that my other stats didn't budge. Still, I'll need new daggers since the ones I had broke during the dungeon run. It's strange — even though the weapons have weakened in this world, I didn't want the system anyway. So I guess I'll have to deal with unbreakable swords for now.
"Hesita, I need new daggers. The ones I had shattered yesterday," I told her.
"We'll work on that when I get back. I'll be gone for a few days, attending a festival for the gods. I'll try to figure something out," she replied, getting off my back and handing me a paper with my current stats.
"Alright, since you're leaving, I'll focus on improving my shadow magic in the dungeon. I saw some shadow monsters down there, but for some reason, they didn't bother me," I said aloud, genuinely curious.
"Maybe because it's your shadow? It's weird — I can sense life from it, but not just darkness," he remarked, eyeing my shadow with some hesitation.
"It's fine, nothing's going to hurt you," I assured him, though I knew each shadow could wipe out the entire city in an instant. Speaking of which, I probably should release them in the dungeon when I get a chance.
"Anyway, I know a blacksmith who can fix my dagger, but she doesn't work for free. It'll probably cost at least all the coins we have left," she said, pointing to the pouch of coins on the table.
"Makes sense. Before that, I should grab some food," I said, stuffing some essentials into a small bag before placing it in my inventory.
"You can take it with you if you want," I offered, then headed for the food market to pick up non-perishable items. After gathering everything, I returned to the church, then went out again with Hesita.
Using a bit of our money, she bought herself a new outfit—a sleek, all-white and blue silk robe that suited her figure.
We saw Freya, the goddess of beauty, walking on the stairs with two guards. She had silver hair adorned with ornaments, her hair flowing down her back, dressed entirely in white—an elegant, divine appearance.
She turned as Hesita was sneaking snacks into a small tray. Approaching her, Freya greeted, "Good evening, Hesita," catching her off guard.
"Freya," she replied with her mouth full of bread.
"Are you too busy?" Freya asked with a slight smile.
"I'm always too busy for you," Hesita replied, still chewing, making Freya chuckle.
"That's the kind of thing I like about you," Freya giggled.
"Well, at least you're not as unbearable as some others," Hesita muttered, noticing Loki approaching.
"It's Freya and Shrimpy," Hesita sneered, looking down at her.
"Great, what are you two doing here?" she asked sarcastically.
"Oh, you know me—I do whatever I want. I'm the great Loki," she smirked, bumping into Hesita playfully.
"You two get along so well," Freya said dryly.
"No, we don't," they replied in unison.
Freya then observed, "But I do notice you're dressed differently today. Usually, you wouldn't wear such fancy clothes."
Hesita shot back, "When I heard a little guest was coming, I wanted to look my best. We couldn't afford a proper wedding dress, but we made do."
"That's funny — my dress has some support, unlike your flat-chested look," she snapped, causing Hesita to stumble in shock.
Meanwhile, back with me:
I climbed down the stairs after clearing the eighth floor, losing touch with Wheeler's authority over monsters. Collecting some Monner stones, I encountered a few shadow monsters. I quickly dispatched them, crushing small manic crystals and transforming them into my shadows—though they didn't look any different.
No matter. I headed toward a floor large enough to hold an arena. Using my senses, I confirmed no one was there yet.
"Arise!" I commanded, extending my shadow across the entire arena. All the shadows I had gathered, or gained through reincarnation, appeared before me. At the front were Igris and beside him, Iron and Tusk. Behind them stood Kaisel, along with ants, orks, dark knights, mages, bears, and demons from the demon realm.
"How many serve you, my king?" Boru asked.
"I'm just testing how many of you are here. Iron and Tusk, start collecting monner stones. Meet me back here at this exact spot at the same time. If you fight any strong monsters, defeat them—and I want you to bring back their cores this year to revive them. Also, don't go past this floor. You can only go down, and bring the mighty bear leader with you; he'll be a big help," I ordered. They nodded and took the giant bear with glowing blue paws.
"The rest of you, return to my shadow now. I'll call you out when needed," I added, as they sank back into my shadow, with the two others heading deeper into the dungeon.
I turned to head toward the exit to turn in the stones collected today.
Back at the gods' summit:
Loki grinned mischievously, pinching Hesita's cheeks with force. "Aww, you're so cute. I could just squeeze your cheeks."
The other gods watched, some betting on what would happen next, as Hesita looked visibly annoyed, trying to keep her composure.
"I'll let you off easy today," Loki said, stomping away.
"Honestly, your chest is so fat I might mistake you for a guy next time," she added with a sly smile.
"Oh, shut your fat face," Hesita snapped, starting to cry over her perceived lack of a chest, despite her larger frame.
A red-haired goddess, dressed in red with white gloves and a flower, approached. She had a black eye patch over her right eye. "Hephaistos, I'm glad you're here. I missed you," she said, addressing her.
"You missed me? Well, let me be blunt—if it's about money or anything else, don't expect a single coin from me," Hephaistos retorted, looking her in the eye.
"Do I look like a goddess who asks for handouts from her best friend?" she puffed her cheeks.
"You had no shame, freeloading off my familia and then complaining about having none after I kicked you out. Do you wonder why I'd assume you want something?" she shot back.
"Okay, maybe I used to do that, but not anymore. I have my own familia now," the goddess responded proudly.
"Oh, really? The Bell person and the little freak? Looks like you've got yourself a special one in your familia. Well, I guess that's punishment enough for now," Freya said, as a man approached her and whispered something.
"Hephaistos, Hestia, I must be on my way," Freya declared.
"Leaving so soon?" Hestia asked.
"Yes, I need to check up on something, but there's no time now," she replied, glancing at Hestia with a sly look.
"And I bet all the men here have had plenty of time to eye me," she added, causing some men nearby to step back, caught in her gaze.
"So, what's this about? Tell me what you wanted to discuss, and keep in mind, depending on what it is, I might never talk to you again," Freya said.
"I want you to upgrade and repair Bell's weapon," she begged, her face on the ground.
Back with me:
I was wandering the streets late at night, taking in the sights and looking at blades. I had another million from the guild, so getting a new weapon wouldn't be a problem. But Hephaistos was already repairing my dagger—possibly upgrading it. Saving money for a rainy day isn't a bad idea.
Hestia was at Hephaistos's forge, dressed in her usual clothes.
"How long are you going to keep doing that? I'm busy, and honestly, your presence is just another distraction," she snapped.
Recalling the banquet:
"This is absurd. I don't mean to sound pompous, but you have no idea what I usually charge for custom work. Do you?"
"I know it's a lot to ask, but—"
"First, pay up, then we talk," she interrupted, turning to walk away.
She held up a huge bag. "There's at least a million coins in here. Please, just do it."
"Follow me," she said.
Back at the prison:
"I don't know what you're doing, but could you please stop it?" Hesita pleaded.
"It's called globaling—the ultimate way of asking for a favor," I explained.
"Hesita, why do you want this so badly? Sending so much money for one person?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"I want to help Bell. Okay? He just started venting, and he's already so strong. I haven't done much as a goddess to help him get there. I just want to thank him for choosing me as his goddess and joining my familia. He's powerful, but I worry he might get hurt. I want to give him a weapon that can save him if he's ever in real danger," she explained.
"In that case, I'll do it—if it truly means that much to you," she agreed.
"Thank you so much!" Hesita exclaimed, giving her a quick hug.
"Just a warning—the money you gave me is only one percent of what I need. You'll have to repay me even if it takes hundreds of lifetimes. I'm expecting 199 more bags of that stuff," she said seriously.
"I promise I'll pay you back, no matter how long it takes," Hesita vowed.
"By the way, judging from what I see, he prefers daggers, doesn't he?" she asked, eyeing the unusual steel.
"Yes, he even has a skill specifically for daggers. Wait—are you going to make him a new one?" Hesita asked, surprised.
"Of course. This stays between us—I don't want my familia getting involved in this," she said, grabbing a purple hammer.
"Thanks! The only divine goddess crafting weapons? That's an honor," Hesita said happily.
"Remember, we're not in heaven anymore. I don't have divine powers here, and neither do you or any other god. Keep that in mind," she reminded her.
"Since you're the one making it, it'll be incredible," Hesita cheered.
Hephaistos and Hestia headed to a bookshelf that transformed into a forge. "You're going to help me enhance and repair these blades, so be prepared to get your hands dirty."
"No problem. I'll do whatever I can," she replied.
The next morning, I was walking past a café when a cat girl from the shop came out, holding a bag.
"Can you take this to Syr? She's headed to the monster philia tournament."
"Sure, I can do that," I said, accepting the bag and heading toward the festival.
Meanwhile, Loki and Freya:
"You're going after someone else while he was already in a familia? You're one messed-up goddess," Loki snickered, hiding behind a purple hood.
"So, what's this boy like anyway?" Freya asked, genuinely curious.
"Cute face, those striking red eyes, a strong build, but not overly powerful. Ever since I've seen him, he's radiating a different kind of energy. I've seen many colors in my day, but his stand out," Loki replied.
"That's interesting, but there's got to be more to him," Freya answered before turning to leave.
Hephaistos and Hesita had just finished my blades. They looked similar to before, but thinner, more flexible—sharper and harder, with carvings down the middle. Hesita placed her hand on the blade's center, causing it to glow.
"Is it finished?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, it's done," Hephaistos confirmed.
"Thank you so much," Hesita said, slipping the daggers into a sheath.
"Can I go give these to him now?" she asked.
"I don't care what you do with them. Just pay me back," she smiled as Hesita left.
Back with me, I was near the market, watching people pass by, knowing this might be a pointless effort. Still, I had to pay my card and keep a low profile—probably best not to let the goddess stalking me realize I was here. Killing a god wouldn't be a wise move right now.
"Bell," Hesita appeared beside me.
"Hestia, good to see you. I've missed you," I said, hugging her.
"I miss you too," she replied, hugging back.
"So, I assume my blades are fixed?" I asked.
"Yes, but if you want them, you'll have to take me out on a date," she teased, tugging my arm and dragging me toward the festival.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" I said.
"Nope," she grinned.
"Just so you know, I'm only here to look for someone," I added, sensing her hands grabbing mine.
"Then we'll look for them while on our date—two birds with one stone," she said, still pulling me through the festival, trying different foods.
Suddenly, we heard a roar—the sound of massive gorillas with chains on their arms.
"Bell, maybe we should run. It looks like it's after us," Hesita warned.
"Don't worry, I've got this," I said. My right hand summoned a blue girl who crushed the creature into a tiny puff.
"See? Easy," I said, before more roars came from the same direction, and other beasts appeared.
"Alright, Hestia, stay behind me no matter what," I ordered, summoning my shadows to extend fully.
"What are those?" Hesita asked, staring at the shadow soldiers.
"My shadow soldiers. They handle monsters," I explained, as they began slaughtering the beasts. I hopped onto Kaisel's back, flying over to see Igris locked in a battle with a massive monster.
Deciding to step in, I turned to Hesita. "Can I have my daggers back real quick?" I asked, and she snapped out of her trance.
"Sure, here," she said, handing them over. I drew my blades and charged at Igris's opponent, slashing it right down the middle.
Twenty minutes later, all the monsters were piled up in a heap guarded by my shadows.
With the job done, Kaisel and Hesita landed. Kaisel returned to me, and Hesita stood nearby.
"What was that?" she asked, amazed.