Selling Drugs in the Dungeon should be a profitable business, no? Chapter 17 (Patreon)

A.N. I fuckin’ lied, this chappy just kept getting bigger. Hope y’all enjoy a late 12k long present for Christmas!

Quiet steps resound through a dark hall, together with the end of an aged wooden staff clicking upon squared marble.

Torches set in a line upon the walls lead the way down the hall, casting a semblance of light around them, yet not enough to fully ward away the intense darkness.

At the end of the long corridor lay a set of massive doors, and before them stand two masked kids.

Silent and still, like statues. Their hair as black as the darkness around them, and their outfit both black and white.

The left side of their mask is white, while the right side of their form fitting clothing is white.

And where the holes for the eyes should lay, are instead two dark-red ‘X’s, seemingly drawn there with blood.

A pair of feet and a staff come to a half before them, and their heads raise to regard the newcomer. “She awaits you.” They announce in unison, their voices and tones mixing perfectly together.

And together they turn to push the large doors open, showing impressive strength for their small statures.

The doors groan and creak, showing their age as they are pushed open enough for the wielder of the staff to walk inside.

A dark room – much darker than the corridor – greets him. But unlike with the corridor, this room has a single source of light, resting upon the wooden circular table right in the middle of it, just a few meters away from the door.

Steps and the clicking of a staff resounds. A chair is pulled back, and an elderly man slowly sits himself before a lone figure.

Aged eyes turn to regard the darkness, seeing what others with far less experience will easily mix.

Hundreds of eyes, dozens of masks, all set up the faces of children and teens. All hidden in the dark, gazing upon him like wolves gazing upon their next meal.

“You have trained them well.” Socrates praises, a hidden smile beneath his full beard.

“Get to the point, or leave.” But the figure before him swiftly and curtly answers, ignoring his praise.

This only draws a chuckle from the Zeus Familia Vice-Captain. “Not one to accept compliments, are we?” He drawls out, earning a scoff from the woman before him, her hands expertly sharpening a pitch black knife with a blade.

Sparks fly, lighting up her white and black hair. Blood-red ‘X’ shaped pupils flick up to stare at Socrates with no emotions within them. “You complimented them thinking of them as assassins. They are not meant to be them.”

A full gray brow rises in confusion, “Then why train them at all in the first place?”

“Why waste time diving into the Dungeon?” The woman questions right back without even waiting a second. “For strength. So that they may protect themselves.”

Socrates hums, then moves his robes aside and hefts up a large bag full of money, which shakes the whole wooden table once settled down. “I have a job for you.”

The woman doesn’t even bat an eye at the bag filled with money. A bag far bigger than her own head. “I stopped taking jobs a long time ago, Socrates.”

The centuries-old Elf chuckles softly, “We both know that’s a lie, Arlecchino.” The woman’s hands come to a pause, “Why not hear me out first?”

Emotionless eyes stare at the older Elf for a few quiet seconds before lowering back to the knife in her hands. Socrates took that as his cue to continue, “Have you heard about the new star of Orario?”

Arlecchino sniffs, “The man who nearly felled the Leviathan? How could I have not heard of such news.” They arrived just the day before, with proof of the Leviathan enormous cut fins as proof of it nearly being slain by only three people.

Leonidas and Zald of the Zeus Familia, and a newcomer to Orario, already known due to the Hera Familia picking his new medicines over Dian Cecht’s Familia.

Said newcomer having been the one to deal the greatest damage to the Leviathan, and having nearly felled the beast before it decided to run away.

A recount given by Atalanta from the Hera Familia, and confirmed by both Socrates and even Nemea of the Zeus Familia.

Those news caused an immense uproar through Orario, and surely will cause one through all the other settlements.

An unknown, new to Orario and confirmed by Hera herself to not have a Falna… Nearly took down one of the Great Beasts, the Overlord of the Water itself.

The city still had to quieten down from the news, having thrown an enormous celebration even for such a simple victory. It was a defeat, not a kill, but that still filled the population with joy and hope.

After all, this was the first victory in entire centuries. The first victory ever.

A sharpened knife is stabbed into the table. “So, what is your request?” The woman questions, “You want him dead?”

Once more, Socrates chuckles. “Oh Heavens, no!” His lone free hand waves in the air, “I want him protected.” A tinge of emotion finally flashes by Arlecchino’s eyes.

Shock and surprise fill them before she regathers herself. “Protected? The man who nearly felled the Leviathan?”

Socrates hums and strokes his beard in thought, thinking on how to perfectly phrase his words. “His style of fighting is perfect for one on one battles. When it comes to that regard, I fear no one is a match for that kid.” It was high praise from someone with his many years of experience.

“Even you, in fact.” Arlecchino doesn’t let the comment get to her, but her fingers to tense lightly above the table.

“You hold him quite highly.” Socrates shrugs, a thin hidden smile on his face. “If he is so strong, then why would he need protection?”

“Not all fights are fair, are they?” Socrates drawls out, and Arlecchino grunts in agreement “Fighting a large group of assailants is exactly that kid’s weakness. I can tell.”

Leaning back against her seat, the white and black themed woman kept her emotionless gaze on Socrates for several long and quiet seconds. “You know of my affiliation, yet still seek to hire me… Why?”

Socrates nods, “I know that you have done away with being part of their ranks. I seek to hire you because you know how Evilus operates better than anyone else.”

“And you think I’ll turn my back on them?”

“Haven’t you already, God-Killer?” The elderly elf sneers, and Arlecchino narrows her eyes at the mention of that stain of a title. “Their fiercest fighter, one who doesn’t even flinch at killing Gods to end their whole Familias.”

“Such fierce brutality that they, Evilus themselves, tossed you away even though you are and will always be their greatest weapon.”

A full gray beard stretches to reveal the playful and dark grin on Socrates’s face. “I really wish to see their faces when they try to take out the new rising star, only to have their efforts foiled by one of their own.”

Arlecchino narrows her eyes dangerously, nails digging trenches through the wood of the table with incredible ease. “What damn game are you playing at now?”

Socrates had the gall to place his free hand on his chest, looking faux-offended, “Me, play games? I am a bit too old for such things, my dear.” Even those hidden in the shadow could feel the pure bullshit within those words.

His free hand then moves to push the large bag of money across the table, right before Arlecchino’s narrowed eyes, as if already knowing that she’ll accept the money and mission given.

Then, without saying further words, the man stands and turns, the sheer assurance in his gait and form making a flash of annoyance cross Arlecchino’s eyes.

“Why pick me?” Her cold voice echoes through dark and barely lit room, a snap of her fingers making one of the hidden shadows flash by and stow away the sack of money.

Socrates pauses and tilts his head, not turning to regard the woman with a look as he raises his free hand, then three fingers. “Three reasons; First, you are the only one I can trust with this important task.” One fingers comes down.

“The second reason is one I’ve already stated. You know how Evilus works and plans better than me, who has been squabbling with them for centuries now.” A second finger comes down.

Then, the third one comes down. And this time Socrates does turn his head to send a glance back towards “And finally…”

“Because the only one who can protect that monster, can only be the one who defeated the Monster of Talent herself.”

                                                                                 xxxXXXxxx

I breathe in, then out. Quite harshly, but I can’t help it.

I’m pissed off.

I absolutely hatewhen people do something so absolutely fucking dumbthat it makes no damn sense.

My Qi rumbles within me due to my emotive state, but I forcefully quieten it down as my feet rush ahead.

“Are we sure she managed to rush ahead of us?!” Leonidas calls from the back, running just as fast as all of us, Zald right beside him, both with deep frowns on their faces.

The moment we realized Calypso was missing and Calydonia smelled her scent going towards the entrance to the next floor we pretty much instantly mobilized to prevent a disaster in the making.

Juno and Kirin stayed back, while me and Calydonia rushed forward, joining up with Zald and Leonidas, who were making their way down to fight the Monster Rex Balor.

“I caught her trail!” Calydonia shouts from up ahead, running on all fours and being much faster than all of us, the world around us blurring from how fast we were running.

“How the fuck did we miss her then?” Zald curses beneath his breath, quietly enough that even I barely hear him over the rushing sound of the air around us.

I hope they won’t blame themselves if something does happen. I do not know how she managed to escape their notice, but it had to do with the fact that she left a bit before them. Probably.

I can probably go faster than all of them if I started using my Qi Strands without care like when I fought the Leviathan, but I’d only end up wasting them.

Plus, I might just get lost in this damn place, even thought it’s all open since we entered the massive ‘Volcano-like’ area.

Seemingly scorched walls that go high and a deep, flaming red sand that is actually quite hot to the touch.

No bush, no twig or anything living in sight aside from snarling monsters trying and failing to catch up to us.

It’s a hot and arid place, perfect for that exact plant to grow and germinate even without nutrients. Yet… Maybe it’s because it’s in the Dungeon- No, that wouldn’t explain how I found good ingredients in the floors above.

This is so stupid.

That dumb girl could be throwing her life away for no fucking reason if the plant doesn’t even grow here.

I shake away those thoughts and put some of my focus on following the rushing Calydonia, the entrance to the 47thfloor right before us. If I counted right.

I breathe in and feel more Qi Strands fill my Qi Palace, now nearly fully repaired and fully upgraded, making it insanely easy to gather dozens of Qi Strands with each breath when within the Dungeon.

So much so that I’ve been stocking up since my fight with Nemea and have already gathered several thousand, though I feel that my limit is nine-thousand.

Or, well, it will be once I get struck by lighting one last time so to fully baptize it.

Yet, I can start on my Realm. Or well, the foundation of it. Might as well abuse the fact that I can absorb so many Qi Strands within this Gods forsaken hellhole.

Why? Just a mere what if that has me a bit worried.

What if the Leviathan comes back for a round two, and go as wild as possible from the very beginning?

I know for a fact that beast has already healed from all the damaged we have done to it, thought I doubt it has regrown the fins and the eye. But still, no one knows if the fucker has some form of regenerative factor while in the water.

Hence, what if it healed and comes back? It now knows not to underestimate us, treating us like vermin, so it’ll go all out from the very beginning, and I do not know how much Qi that creature has accumulated over the centuries.

So in order to not push myself in case I have to fight it again and nearly break my Qi Palace once more, entering the Qi Veins Realm is a must.

It’s also a Realm that I really want to settle down in since it’ll allow me to not waste nearly fifty percent of the energies released from igniting a Qi Strand.

My explosive strength comes from that overflowing strength, which makes my attacks less sharp and more blunt. Just pure force. Which… doesn’t really fit with a sword.

Qi Vein Realm is easy for me to start with, and laying the initial foundation won’t take long, I’ve just been… plotting to go a bit overboard.

Basically, the Qi Vein Realm is about creating Qi Pathways through the body, connected to my Qi Palace, by using Qi Strands as sort of ‘Veins’ and a ‘Muscular System’.

And me going overboard is basically me making the Qi Strands within my arms and legs spin akin to springs instead of having them be in a straight line.

Why? Because more power. Duh.

If I can’t kill something, I just gotta hit it harder and swing Bladey with even greater force. Simple math, really.

Sometimes my genius terrifies me.

And this little genius idea of mine will just cost me around five-hundred Qi Strands. Nothing much, or nothing that totally won’t bite me in the ass later. Totally not.

It’s not like I’ll need ten times that amount to upgrade the Qi Veins once. And it’s not like the amount will double when I gotta upgrade them a third and final time.

Nah. Totally fine. It’s all perfectly planned and totally not an issue for ‘future me’ to deal with.

And so the Qi Strands flow forth in great quantities, attaching themselves to my Qi Palace like leeches and creating a pathway down my stomach and up my chest, then splitting up towards both of my legs and arms.

Before they start spinning like springs. Around and around they go. More and more Qi Strands will flow in, attaching themselves to one another like a rope and weaving around and down my arms and legs.

Until finally, after roughly five-hundred-and-fifty-seven Qi Strands, my Qi Veins are prepared!

Now I just gotta get struck by lighting to have ‘em get baptized and fully settled in.

Still… I ignite a single Qi Strand out of curiosity. Immense energy flows forth and into the created pathways, instead of rampaging and flowing out of my body in berserk waves due to having no way of containing them.

Now instead all of that energy constantly flows through my Qi Veins, with barely any going to waste as it constantly circulates, empowering me over and over, a constant well of energy for me to call upon until it’s dried up.

This brings a smile on my face and makes me relax a great deal. No more energy wasted, and no more risk of destroying my Qi Palace due to my idiocy.

With this I should also be able to use Blade a lot better. Which might come in handy soon, if Zald and Leonidas need help with the Monster Rex we might run into soon.

I blink when we breach into another enormous caldera, with this one actually being taller but tighter than the other ones. And much, much hotter too.

I can actually feel my feet sting from the heat and sweat gather on my brow from the intense heat warping the air.

This fucking place can mimic entire ecosystems too. Just what the hell is it?

“Fuck!” A guttural but short scream of fury released by Atalanta makes me snap out of my thoughts and focus on her, her eyes and slitted eyes instantly locking with mine, pure fear and worry in them. “I smell blood! Far ahead!”

In unison, me, Leonidas and Zald stop holding back and surge forward, pulverizing the ground beneath our feet and taking off like missiles.

And it doesn’t take long for us to zero in on our target, a sight that fills me with fury.

A downed woman, blood covering the heated ground all around her, clear vicious wounds covering her form.

I feel Zald speed up, so I give the big guy a bit of help as my gaze flicks to the other figure. The humanoid Monster Rex, Balor.

Over two meters tall, covered in pitch black carapace, and resembling a humanoid ant with wings.

It’s body stiffens and compound eyes flick towards us as I flare my Sword Will, causing it’s instincts to flare up and focus upon me.

And allowing Zald to slide to a halt right beside the Monster Rex, before he back-hands the absolute shit out of it’s skull, hurling the large creates across the whole floor with enough force and speed that a distant boom resounds and kicks up dust and heated sand.

He had the fucker break the sound with a punch. Goddamn.

The pitch black body hammers into the distant wall of the Dungeon with a resounding impact that shakes the ground below my feet as I slide to a halt, only for my eyes to widen and my instincts to flare when a pitch black figure appears right beside Zald.

Deadly sharp claws outstretched and reaching for his scarred face.

What the fuck-

Only for Balor to get drop kicked across the floor by Leonidas, who receives a thankful grunt from his friend.

Jesus fuck, how did he move so fast without breaching the sound barrier?

That is just horrendously fast!

Zald exhales and rolls his shoulders, then flicks his gaze to me and nods.

Leonidas grins over his shoulder and sends me a thumbs up, “Leave the fucker to us, brother!” I nod and turn away as they rush forward, zoning out the instant booming and floor-shaking impacts from their clash against that Monster Rex.

I bury my own desire to test my blade and instincts against it and instead turn my gaze to the downed elf, and one thing instantly sticks out at first glance.

Balor was toying with her.

No weapon in view, dozens of cuts all over her body meant to bleed her out… And one final one over her belly, which disemboweled in a rather gory fashion.

“Fuck!” Calydonia screams again as she grinds to a halt beside the body, while I lower myself to rest my fingers on her neck. “Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-Fuck!” Wide slitted eyes filled with panic and horror start to overflow with tears. “R-Riley, can you-!?”

“She’s still alive.” I cut her off sharply, not really needing her to have a panic attack or something of the sort at the moment. “We must move quickly, I doubt she has much time left.” Fingers move below her bloodied mouth and nostrils. No breathing.

“Tell me what to do.” Calydonia swiftly regathers herself and kneels down, and I hold back a tin smile. Not the time.

“Start with CPR. One of her lungs is perforated-” I point to a puncture wound above her right breast, clearly having done intentionally to further torture her. What a sick fuckin’ monster. “-Simply keep giving her air. I need to fix this mess down here.”

Despite my disgust, I remove my gloves and glance at the at least intact guts strewn out of her stomach from a perfectly precise cut.

Calydonia nods, breathes in, then lowers herself down and starts going through with the CPR. Quite perfectly too. “Don’t compress her chest. Just keep the oxygen going in.” I instruct before using my hand to open the cut on her belly.

I don’t need to it perfectly or well. I just need to put them back in and keep them in. The Healing Pill will do the rest, as long as we can even make her swallow it.

So that’s what I do, and I gently and carefully shove the guts back in, using my Qi to at least wash away the scorching sand sticking to the blood coated bowels.

Once back inside I slide further up the unconscious body even as the battle behind me rages on, growing far more intense with each passing second.

“That’s enough.” I call out, and Calydonia pulls back instantly. My hand lands between Calypso’s breasts, and I releases a burst of Qi.

Her whole body jerks violently before a jet of blood is forcefully puked out of her mouth and nostrils.

A harsh breath finally echoes out from the blood coated girl, and I use that chance to instantly slap a Pill into her mouth, uncaring of getting the blood on her guts onto it.

The Pill dissolves and it’s energies flow down into her body. Small cuts close, the wound on her stomach scabs over, her organs are rearranged, her light concussion is fixed, her left lung is sealed up, and the remaining blood within them is forcefully expelled out through her mouth and nostrils once more.

Then, she finally goes limp and Calydonia releases a breath, eyes wide and disbelieving. “You did it…” She whispers, watching as Calypso’s chest rises and falls very slowly, each breath still being rough and harsh.

Slitted eyes flick up to rest on my face even as I keep my focus on my current patient. “You… just bought someone back from certain death.” There’s a look of horrified amazement in her eyes, and I just raise a brow at her. “The only other thing I know can do this is an Elixir made with a God’s Ichor, and yet…”

I sniff, then scrunch up my nose at the foul stench of blood. “Potions aren’t that great.” Something I’ll never be convinced otherwise.

Well, I’ll be convinced otherwise when I meet a true God of Alchemy and their potions aren’t foul, diluted creations that should be thrown down the drain. Or used to fucking drown the Dungeon.

“I…” Calydonia’s shoulders slump, her high of emotions slowly coming down together with her sudden burst of adrenaline at the sight of a nearly dead comrade.

“Calydonia.” I call out sharply, and she straightens up on her knees, ears and tails perking up. “Breathe.” I advise gently and warmly, and her stiff form slowly melts and reacts as her chest rises. “She won’t die with me here. It’s okay.”

Sharp canines bite at her lower lip before she nods thankfully.

I breathe in and rest my palm on Calypso’s stomach once more, running yet another check on her situation.

Bones fixed. Lungs fixed and empty of blood. Light damage to the liver also healed, probably due to excessive alcohol intake.

Minor cuts and injuries fixed and purified. Only problem that persists and is slowly being fixed are her guts being rearranged the right way.

It would have been a lot more dire if they were torn apart, but maybe she’d have directly died from shock before we got here if that happened.

“She’s stable, but let’s not move her yet.” I advise before turning my head towards the storm of battle in the distance, Calydonia tilting to the side to follow my gaze. “Will they be alright?”

The way they are fighting… It’s weird. They are exchanging even blows with the beast barehanded, delivering precise blows in certain places by taking advantage of their experience in fighting together.

Yet the more I watch, the more I feel like they are losing that advantage, and that Balor is catching up with them, predicting their tricks and attack patterns more than once every few seconds.

“They are letting Balor ramp up before going all out and finishing the battle in one minute or less.” Calydonia explains softly, crawling around Calypso’s downed form so to kneel beside me. “They are seeking a challenge, but also wish to end the battle before Balor adapts to them.”

Adapt? “That thing can learn?” Now that’s horrifying.

Calydonia nods grimly. “All monsters can, actually. But for the others it takes time. Centuries of accumulated deaths to come up with ambush tactics and other attack methods.” Her furred claw raises to wave at the battle ahead.

“Balor instead takes seconds to adapt to it’s opponents fighting styles, then breaks it down and can easily overwhelm them in a fight.”

“It’s why it’s the Monster Rex that, even thought only appears once a year, must be hunted down as soon as it does. Fucker moves in-between floors, and it’s how Zald got his scar years ago.” Damn, now I really want to test myself against the damn creature.

But oh well, that can wait, even if it’s an entire year. I’d rather refine my skills in fighting people than monsters right now, after all.

I blink when Calydonia suddenly stirs and leans close, sniffing the air, then me. She gets on all fours and sniffs my chest and neck, then crawls past my lap as she keeps on sniffing, letting me drink in the rather good view of her curvaceous body clad in… well, near nothing.

Still, I turn my head to see what is it that suddenly caught her senses, and watch as her claws pry open one of Calypso’s clenched hands.

Revealing a small messed up bundle of red leaves with a pink stem, resembling a flower a bundle of yellow colored blades of grass with red leaves on them.

“Riley…” Wide slitted eyes flick to me with hope inside them, “Is this…?”

I sigh softly and reach out, taking the messed up herb in my hand very carefully. “It is.” Calydonia’s gaze lights up, but my next words make her slump, “It’s in horrid conditions thought. Either due to her grip, her bad way to extract it, or due to the ‘battle’.” Or all three put together.

Still, I can get at least two uses at most out of this, so… At least it’s a victory. One that pisses me the fuck off.

“Where’s her weapon?” I ask, perhaps a bit too harshly due to how Calydonia flinches faintly.

“...Back at the camp. Alfia checked and found it there before we departed.” I’m glad I convinced Alfia to stay behind, else she’d have finished Balor’s job herself.

I sniff and glance coldly at the unconscious body. She’ll probably remain asleep for a long while. A week at most.

So Agnodice will worry a great deal over her unconscious and near comatose daughter once we get back. Fantastic.

“Has she always been like this?”

My furred companion makes a so-so gesture with her claws. “She was a former Executive, but got demoted after her overconfidence led to Agnodice getting crippled.” Right, where her mother had to save her and nearly died trying, but ended up losing both of her legs and getting a horrifyingly painful scar in return.

A scar she tried not to show that it hurt her a great deal.

“So, from overconfidence to absolute idiocy fueled by guilt.” I drawl out, then scowl, my hand clenching into a fist so tight that my bones creak and pop audibly.

Calydonia gives me a nervous look as I exhale heavily, “Riley?” I relax my shoulders and shake my head to clear away the anger clouding my thoughts.

“No parent should ever have to bury their own child.” Her eyes widen momentarily at my words before I turn my gaze away.

This was supposed to be a simple expedition meant to just help me gather ingredients, and if possible, also heal Agnodice too.

Instead it just keeps getting worse and worse. First the Zeus Familia worst group joins up for some unknown reason, not doing anything other than just watching and observing like creeps.

Then the fucking Leviathan pulls up, and that could have gone so much worse.

Now, this. This idiot nearly got herself killed, and for some reason I feel like it’s also my fault, but this expedition is meant for me.

An expedition meant to help Agnodice instead nearly took her daughter from her.

“Did Agnodice ever hate Calypso for what she did?” I ask Calydonia, but I already know the answer from the memory of that day in the hall. When I watched Agnodice try and approach Calypso, only for her daughter to instantly leave without a word, leaving behind a teary mother.

It reminds me of how me and my own mother parted ways. How idiotic.

Calydonia’s brows furrow, “Never. I’ve never even seen Agnodice angry. I don’t think that woman is even capable of being angry.” I chuckle softly at that. I can’t fault those words.

I may not know Agnodice well, and I may not have spent a great deal of time with her, but that woman is a cinnamon roll. She just radiates kindness, warmth and love constantly.

I breathe in, then breathe out. Whatever, I’ll deal with this idiot when she wakes up. Whenever that will be.

So I instead focus on the still raging battle far ahead, with Balor having now gained an advantage against it’s two opponents.

Leonidas has some bloodstains on him, but the wounds have already closed thanks to his insane healing abilities. Zald instead has some additional scratches and broken pieces on his dark and heavy armor, but no visible injuries.

I narrow my eyes at the sight… Why does it feel like this is all planned by them? It’s like they are leading Balor on, or that’s the feeling I am getting.

And that’s when it happens. Zald rears his right arm back, then locks up, pulling a faint against Balor.

A faint the Monster Rex saw coming, it’s pitch black body whirling around, it’s claws rending through the air with speed that actually gives me chills.

Only to hit naught but air, as Leonidas doesn’t pull through with the coordinated attack they have done several times now.

I can instantly notice the realization hit Balor, which makes it whirl around at horrifying speed once more, arm swinging wildly to- Only for it to be cut in half as Zald finally draws and brings down his greatsword, smashing it down like a meteor falling from the skies.

Fearsome claws fly through the air, and Balor locks up at the damage, at the sudden switch of attack pattern, and at the sudden turn of events.

Ah, I see now. Once it fully adapts and masters a certain fighting style, suddenly switching to another will grant a massive advantage.

Balor ‘recovers’, moving to jump back so to gain some breathing room, but a spear impales one of its large clawed feet into the ground.

A shield then bashes against its skull, knocking it back and stunning the Monster Rex for a split second, long enough for Leonidas to twist his spear and wrench it out brutally, ripping the whole front of the black carapace-clad foot off from the rest.

This instantly further debilitates the stunned and taken aback Balor, unable to perfectly keep its footing and stand straight, thus also affecting its horrendous speed.

Hence it tries to take flight, four pairs of cicada-like wings spreading behind its back- Only for them to me severed by Zald, the wide and forceful swing of his greatsword sending an enormous storm of scorching sand and dust through the air.

“Fighting it in close quarters was on purpose, huh?” I muse as Balor is downed, a spear stabbing it’s remaining claw into the ground and pinning it into the scorching sand below.

My furred partner nods, “It being capable to adapt is a rather horrendous advantage, coupled with its terrifying speed, makes Balor a powerful Monster Rex… But that advantage is also its weakness.”

“When you switch fighting styles, Balor always locks up for a split second. It’s a telltale sign that it will start to adapt and copy to that style too. It’s a weakness we’ve grown to capitalize on.” A strange weakness to have, that’s for sure.

Maybe it’s less of a sign that it goes ‘I will start copying this too’, and more of a momentary pause where Balor thinks ‘Is this a new style?’. After all, it has to make sure it doesn’t mix wrong movements with a specific fighting style it copied, lest it ruins it.

The Dungeon truly creates some weird, but smart and fascinating abominations.

Still… “Is Brynhildr as fast as that thing?” I still remember how that girl left my room, went downstairs, grabbed some water, and came back to the top of the mansion and back into my room in less than two seconds.

Calydonia blinks, then chuckles softly at me. “Oh, no.” Huh, guess my assessment is wro- “She’s way faster.” I pause, blink, then gape at Calydonia, who openly laughs at my expression.

“She isn’t the fastest Adventurer in History for nothing, you know?” I am starting to fear that the speed feat I witnessed from Brynhildr that day is nothing compared to what she can truly pull off.

I’ll have to tease the girl into showing me how fast she can truly be. I’m sure I can ally with Kirin to do this. The vixen will jump at the opportunity to tease her beast friend into a crying mess.

I perk up when I notice the approaching forms of Zald and Leonidas, and I’m actually surprised to see them looking very tired despite the way they perfectly led and handled the battle.

Balor played right into their hands, yet they look tired.

Ah, they held back, didn’t they?

A lot too, by their clearly tired gait. Suddenly holding back is a big no-no in fights in Cultivation stories, mostly because it leads to fierce backlashes that can debilitate or outright cripple the fighter.

But having natural immense strength like Zald and Leonidas do saves them from such a horrid backlash, and instead only use much more stamina to actively hold back their strength.

It’s annoying, but it’s something these guys apparently had to master. After all, Juno and Kirin admonished me after my fight with Nemea due to the excessive destruction I caused to the Dungeon Floor.

Apparently, if too much of the floor is destroyed, the Dungeon spawns a very powerful monster called Juggernaut to ‘clean up’ the floor. It’s also a big secret that only the Zeus and Hera Familia know, and it’s not shared with the others, unlike with all their other knowledge.

Probably to not have ill meaning morons make use of this monster to cause chaos, ‘cause I highly doubt everyone in this city is on the ‘save the world from the Dungeon’ train.

There’s always assholes and psychopaths everywhere one goes. Always.

“Was it satisfying?” I call out with a grin, only to get a deadpan look from both Zald and Leonidas.

“As satisfying as bullying a kid.” Ouch. Now that’s a shitty comparison.

“I gotta ask though…” I grunt and sit up, dusting off my legs as Calydonia hops on her feet too. “Does Balor resets each time it dies, or does it keep the skills it learned?” I have a feeling it’s the second option, else this Monster Rex would have long since become unbeatable.

Still, Zald’s answer does surprise me. “Depends. If it masters multiple styles while it’s alive, it comes back with some left-over knowledge of one of them. If it masters a single one, it comes back with a good amount of mastery over it.” Huh… So taking it out quickly is both good and bad, depending on who ends up facing it next.

So, fighting it as a group is the better choice I presume. Many different styles, forcing Balor to constantly try and adapt to them while constantly under attack and pressure.

Thus it rakes up injuries, is unable to fully and constantly adapt to several fighters all using different styles, and ends up falling and dying exactly because of that weakness.

It’s a monster with terrifying potential, and is marked for death whenever it reappears exactly because of this dangerous potential.

Next year I’ll surely come down to test my blade against it’s adaptive capabilities and see how far we can push each other.

But now…

Leonidas comes to a stop and breathes in, muscular arm moving to rest his spear against his shoulder as his eyes stare down at Calypso’s downed form. “She’s just a damn kid…” He sighs out softly, seemingly aging several years at the sight before him.

“She’s stable and will survive… for now.” I do not know what the girls of her Familia will do to her once she wakes up. Especially Alfia.

Alfia wanted to come down with us just to finish Calypso off with her own bare hands. I could tell from the furious look on her face.

“That’s good…” Leonidas squats down, the hand with the leather strap of his shield coming up to run over his face and hair. “One never gets used to losing a comrade. Especially one so young.” I can only imagine the pain you all went through.

“This is what you all have been trying to end, huh?” I muse softly under my breath, eyes gazing at the unconscious girl with tamed anger and disappointment.

“Not just us.” Zald whispers softly, and I get the meaning behind his word after a second.

Just how many years has this been going on? And how many lives has this damnable hellhole claimed?

I sigh softly and shake my head, “Come on, let us go back.” Zald pockets a large crystal, and Calydonia swiftly helps me put Calypso on my back.

The woman stirs and grunts, but doesn’t wake up even as we start to move and run.

I’m temped to stick around for a bit more, to maybe try and find another herb that is actually in a good state, but I’d rather not force the guys to just hang around for a bit and protect the unconscious idiot from the monsters here.

They are tired, and I doubt that Calydonia will be able to help much with the stench of blood hanging around. Plus, I don’t want to spend more time here than I have to.

The more time I spend in this Dungeon, the more I grow to hate it and realize that deep down… It terrifies me.

Because in the future, the girls will have to dive into it’s bowels once more, over and over again, to try and quell it’s depths and slay whatever is controlling this damn thing.

And they can fall during this Quest of theirs. I could lose Kirin, someone I am growing to care more and more for. I can lose Alfia, someone who I have growing feelings for and is the sister of Meteria.

Someone who, the more time I spend apart from her, the more I find myself realizing that I really love her, and that I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms.

I mean, it’s Meteria. I had no chance against that gremlin.

Plus, I’ve become friends with Juno, Zald and Leonidas. I’d hate to see them fall too. And I’d hate to see them sad if their comrade falls.

I do not really wish to attract attention to myself, but I believe that is already far too late since I fought the Leviathan and nearly felled it, so putting in some more work shouldn’t hurt.

I also should really sit down and learn the history of this world, or just this city at least.

Our way back takes a lot longer due to me being unable to go faster due to the… ‘added weight’ I am carrying.

I’m pissed, but I’m not an asshole and I am still a would-be doctor, so I won’t do things that might worsen or bother the unconscious girl.

At least a single Pill was more than enough to fully stabilize and heal her. Thankfully Balor merely played around with her instead of going straight for the kill.

He probably didn’t see a threat in an unharmed opponent like her. And just the thought of her going ahead of us without her weapon pisses me off so much more.

Our arrival back to camp is quiet and tense, and the gazes of all the girls are harsh and heated as they stare at Calypso’s form on my back. They all looked ready to pounce and just wail on her, but were holding themselves back as best as they could.

Though, as if sensing the foul atmosphere and deciding to pick the worst possible timing ever, I feel Calypso stir and actively start to wake up.

Much sooner than I thought, but whatever.

“She’s waking up.” I call out, then nod with a smile towards Leonidas and Zald’s departing form. They have their own camp to worry about, and have to oversee the preparations to depart.

The Hera Familia camp is also bare, with only a single tent having been left standing. And Juno motions me towards said tent. “Put her in there.” She advises through clearly gritted teeth, and I breathe out softly.

Never before have I seen someone fuck up so horrendously to piss over more than a hundred people and push them into a nigh-murderous rage.

A lone bed made out of wheat and leather resides in the tent, and I drop Calypso’s form onto the bed. The action fully wakes her up, aquamarine eyes blinking open with a low grunt, then faint groan.

I turn and ignore the waking girl as one of Supporters of the Hera Familia approaches me with a smile and wet cloth, making me give her a smile back as I grab it to swiftly clean up my bloodied hands.

“Thanks.” I murmur softly, receiving a beaming smile before she darts away to smugly smirk and flaunt her actions to her comrades.

“Where-?” Those words barely leave Calypso’s lips before she jolts up, eyes wide and fully awake and swiftly looking down at her hands.

Then they widen in panic, flick up- And freeze when they meet downright glacial stare, and that of Juno standing by the entrance of the tent together with Kirin, neither of them having warm or kind looks on their faces.

Still, props on Calypso. She clearly doesn’t give two fucks about them and instead zeroes in on me. “I got the medicine!” She stands up, wobbling in place like a child learning to walk for a second before her hands reach out to grasp my shoulder, desperation on her face and in her wide eyes. “Please, tell me you managed to retrieve it!”

I feel like I should be happy to see someone so active in making sure they can help their mothers, but… I can see it. This isn’t about her mother.

This isn’t about Agnodice one bit. It’s all about her, and her guilt. She did all of this bullshit – nearly dying and getting disemboweled by Balor– all so to put down her guilt for her failure.

I can see it so clearly that it pisses me the fuck off.

“That’s it?” I start, my voice oddly… calm and contained. Calypso blinks but also flinches back, perhaps due to the look I am giving her. “That’s what you decide to ask first?” She flinches back once more, as if physically struck.

“No apology to your friends and comrades for nearly getting yourself?” My hands clench into fists, and my bones audibly creak and pop.

“No apology for being an absolute fucking moronand going ahead for absolutely no fucking reason when you could have, oh I don’t know, waited half an hour for everyone to gather so we could have gone ahead and done exactly what your dumbass nearly diedto do, but with safety in numbers?”

I flare my nostrils, and Calypso nearly falls back on her bad from how many steps back she took. I try and fail to reign in my growing and burning anger as I turn away from her.

“Your incompetence nearly caused your death, you nearly fully ruined the important ingredient needed to help your mother, and nearly left Agnodice without her child.” I fix my robes and sigh out all of my anger, then toss the trembling girl a disgusted look. “You deserve every last bit of the punishments coming your way.”

I go to leave and let the Hera Familia handle their idiot, but Calypso speaks up before I can leave the tent. “What would you know?!” She screams at me, seemingly having grown a temporary back-bone to talk back, I’m the one that made the mistake! So I have to be the one to fix it!”

You know what is it that I find more disgusting in all of this? The fact that I see myself in her.

I came here so to deal with my guilt for having taken a life, as dumb as that is, hence I decided to become a doctor when inspiration hit.

It’s not a choice I made because I wantedto, but because I hadto.

“Oh? Then go ahead and prepare the Pill yourself.” I shrug at her without a care, and her face instantly blanches, looking like she tried to chew and eat a lemon.

Now, to strike the final blow. “And what mistake? The one where you injured your mother due to your overconfidence, or the mistake that led to the loss of your Executive status?” They are the same thing, but worded in ways that have different meanings.

And the sharp pause and further blanching of her face instantly give me the answer I needed.

And everyone else instantly catches on.

“You ungrateful bitch-” Juno starts, uncrossing her arms with a restrained growl of growing fury, only to quieten down when Alfia quietly steps past her and the seething Kirin, silencing any outrage.

The hair on the back of my neck stands on end when my girlfriend walks in, eyes open and lacking any emotion.

Calypso shrinks back and tries to make herself look small before Alfia seemingly normal stare.

Then, heterochromatic eyes slowly turn to regard me, a silent question within them.

I breathe in, cross my arms, then close my eyes and breathe out. “She can handle it.” That’s all Alfia needed.

Her head turns, and her left arm swings through the air like a flail, instantly striking Calypso on her cheek.

A resounding blast and shock-wave tears the tent and ground below us apart as the rescued girl is hurled across the clearing and through several massive trees.

Turning on her heels, Alfia stalks forth slowly, like a calm predator following it’s injured prey to it’s resting place. Each of her steps cracks and pulverizes the ground below her though, showing the extent of her contained and barely visible rage.

Giant trees groan and fall down, and the downed form of Calypso slowly and shakily stands up, the side of her face that was struck now sporting a dark purple bruise while also being quite swollen.

No anger flashes in her eyes though. Just pure terror, which makes her crawl back and away from the approaching Alfia.

“Meteria asked me to give you a chance back then. For Miss Agnodice.” Her words quietly ring in the air as she approaches her target, hands relaxed by her side. “I didn’t want to. I wanted to rip you apart with my bare hands when I received news of how you nearly made someone important to me die.”

“She took care of me and Meteria since we were taken in. Fussed over us for hours on end and made sure to always keep me updated on Meteria’s condition.”

“She cooked for us. Bathed us. Lovedus. She made clothes for Meteria to keep her happy, assisted me in my training to keep me happy, read stories for us to help us sleep.” Relaxed hands clench into fists, and Alfia’s impassive face slowly twitches.

Then morphs into the most furious scowl she could ever see. “Your idiocy nearly took that beloved person away from us… And then what did you do when she easily forgave you?”

“You turned your back on her. You gave her the cold shoulder. She gives you nothing but love, yet you spit on that.” Calypso is downright shaking like a leaf right now as Alfia looms over her downed form, “I should just kill you now. It’ll hurt Miss Agnodice, but that at least will spare her from further suffering at your hands.”

“And there is no Meteria here to convince me otherwise.” A chilly quiet settles as Alfia’s words come to an end.

No one speaks or even moves, all watching with bated breaths as Alfia stares down Calypso, the fury on her face not diminishing one bit.

I haven’t known her for long, but I can tell that Alfia isn’t very expressive, unlike Meteria. She prefers keeping things bottled up, and only shows a modicum of emotions when it gets too much.

It’s clear from how everyone is always shocked at how easily I can make her blush, smile or even keep her eyes open.

I flick my gaze around, taking in the angry yet conflicting emotions on the girl’s faces. The anger and disgust on Juno’s face. The fury and disapproval in Kirin’s eyes.

All because this girl cares more about her status than her own mother.

This can’t stand.

Guess it times I take up my Father’s teachings and be the rough and mean hand Agnodice’s family requires.

So I sniff and speak up, “I’ll take her under my wing.” All eyes turn to me as I step forward, fishing out my gloves and slowly sliding them on.

“Riley?” Kirin blinks out of confusion, “What do you mean?” I grin as I draw closer to the bruised and trembling Calypso.

“My Father had a proverb he took up; ‘Manners maketh man.’” I drawl out, flexing my fingers within my gloves as I stare down at Calypso, her fear-filled eyes meeting mine, “Politeness and good manners are essential to humanity.”

“Used to beat that into me, quite literally, while I was growing up and kept fucking up. And man did I fuck up a lot.” I crack my knuckles and breathe in, then cross my hands behind my back, “Can you guess what the meaning of that proverb is?”

The target to my question keeps trembling, and seeing that I am waiting she doesn’t even bother to try and think for a few seconds. Instead, she just quickly shakes her head.

I sigh in disappointment at the sight, “Manners stands for being polite. Minding your words and thinking before speaking, so to not come out as an asshole or an idiot.”

“Manners are constantly a part of our lives. They are in how we speak, our tone of voice, our words, our gestures and actions, and even our facial expressions.”

I raise a hand, then a lone finger, “You mess up once, and you can fuck up your whole life.” Then I wave that hand around the clearing, to the whole watching Hera Familia, “Just like how you did now. Again.”

My shoulders sag, and a sigh leaves my nostrils, “I shall take the role of the adult that should have beaten some manners into you long ago. It will hurt, you will cry a lot, and I’ll take pleasure in it.”

Her trembling resumes, and I glare coldly down at the downed elf, “So God help me, I will force some manners into you, even if I have to spank you.” And with that, I turn and walk away.

I cannot use the same methods Father used with me, so I’ll have to come up with some of my own. And I am unsure if I am capable of doing just that, but… Something to think about later.

“Now, can we get a move on? I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we are having Meteria Withdrawal Symptoms.”

And would you look at that. They are all moving faster than even Balor.

                                                                                   ….

Hundreds of eyes stare at Orario through the opening in the Tower of Babel that marks the entrance to the Dungeon.

More specifically, hundreds of eyes are staring at the loud, pitch black and rumbling clouds up above, casting a dark and permanent shadow down on the city below.

Then, as if on cue, all those eyes slowly move to stare at me when purple lighting flickers between the clouds.

“Son of a bitch.” A collective snort goes through everyone while Zald and Leonidas look around in confusion.

“What?” Leonidas asks, curiosity and confusion prevailing on his face, “What am I missing?”

I chuckle softly, a sound filled with despair, and jab a thumb at my chest, “This guy is about to get struck by lighting!”

Eyebrows raise in further confusion and amusement, “Now why the fuck would that-” His words come to a halt, and his eyes slowly widen, “You’re the poor fucker that has been getting struck by lighting for the past month, aren’t you?”

I give him the dumbest grin and thumbs up combo I could muster, receiving a pat of encouragement on the back from the big man.

“Is that why Lady Hera has been beating the absolute shit out of Lord Zeus recently?” Zald whispers to himself, his words causing a look of horror to flash past Leonidas’s face.

“Our God would never do tha-” He pauses yet again. Azure eyes look at me, then at the Hera Familia as a whole. “Ah.” A look is shared between him and Zald.

And as one, they decide to not protect their God.

You know, this misunderstanding is quite fun. I can probably clear it – probably– but why should I?

“Well, let’s go get struck by lighting.” My shoulders sag as I step forward, the girls all cheering me on.

Might as well use this chance to further put the blame on Zeus. Just for fun, of course.

Slowly, I step outside and under the enormous dark clouds that cover the skies as far as I can see.

This isn’t like the small clouds from my previous tribulations. These ones are enormous, and… I actually feel threatened.

This one is actually gonna hurt me quite a bit, I think.

I breathe in as purple lighting starts gathering in the clouds right above me, then spread my hands wide and bellow, “Strike me if you dare, Zeus!”

And what comes down isn’t a measly lighting bolt. Oh no, what comes down is a giant fucking pillar of lighting.

It crushes down like a nail being hammered into wood, and it actually forces a grunt out of me as it smashes into me.

Pain flows through my whole body as my Qi Palace is fully upgraded and refined, and my Qi Veins are purified and perfected, enough so that I can probably already upgrade them again despite the immense cost that will come from that.

But I hold back from that and instead switch my attention to Bladey, a flash of pain coming from it through our connection, yet I can also feel it’s aura growing more stable and vast.

Ah, so I wasn’t the only one that was going through the tribulation. This explains why it’s so bad.

Four whole tribulations packed together would do that.

I stand and pat my scorched robes in annoyance, the dark clouds above still present and rumbling, but the lighting within them having lost the purple hue to it.

I turn around and raise a thumbs up in the air, “I’m alright!” I announce, getting a cheer in return as the girls and Leonidas’s group start pouring out of the Dungeon.

Well, the Heavenly Tribulation has been quelled… So then why the hell are my instincts still screaming at me?

I have goosebumps all over, but I can’t pinpoint what exactly is giving me this feeling.

But my attention is drawn away when I feel a familiar presence approach.

I turn my head to see Hera approach us, having clearly been waiting for all of us, with Atalanta and some other girls standing right behind her.

No Meteria? The little gremlin must’ve fallen asleep then. I can’t tell what hour it is with these dark clouds, but I can bet on the fact that it’s late.

“First thing you do when you get back is get struck by lighting.” Hera sniffs, giving me an amused smirk as I shrug, “Always amusing to see.” Glad to know that my misfortune brings you joy, lady Goddess.

“Well, at least now you can rest.” The Goddess sighs, her gaze growing fond and gentle as she stares at her whole Familia-

“Run!” And that’s when a scream reaches us from the distance, instantly making me straighten myself as I recognize that voice.

My eyes flick down the same direction Hera came from just in time to see a pale and afraid Meteria run towards us, a worried and confused Brynhildr right behind her.

I narrow my eyes at the sight while everyone tenses up.

Panting, Meteria jabs her finger towards the dark clouds above. “He’s above us!”She screams in pure fear, “The Black Dragon is above us!”

And my quelled instincts now start howling-

The dark clouds above are sheared open by an immense claw, and a devastating roar hammers down upon the whole of Orario together with a black meteor the size of the Hera Familia mansion.

“Move!” I shout, tossing myself forward and grabbing the closest person to me – them being Hera– and tossing myself away with as much strength as I could muster to dodge the descending claw.

A claw falls, gouging a hole deep within the bowels of the square before the Tower of Babel.

And I look up and through the wall of dust raised by the blow, once more locking eyes with the enormous beast that set me on the road to Orario.

Guess Leviathan had to call the Big Brother, huh?

                                                                              xxxXXXxxx

Dark clouds cover the Heavens.

A rumble of lighting. A roar wielding unquestionable might. A claw that sunders the very dome of the sky.

The earth is torn asunder.

A Dragon. A Nightmare. A God.

It rises towards the shrouded Heavens.

A lone, small figure rests above it’s jaws.

A blade cleaves the Heavens in half.

A roaring Dragon falls from the Heavens, together with a sword wielding human.

Meteria jerks awake with a gasp, eyes wide and filled with disbelief. “It changed?” She breathes out, skin caked in sweat as she swiftly rolls off her bed.

“Why? How?!” With gritted teeth, her hands dig beneath her bed to produce a notebook.

Flicking through it, dozens of nigh-perfect drawings flash by, all drawn by her hand. All of them scenes she saw.

All of them scenes waiting to happen.

The death of Kirin. The fall of Leviathan. The fall of Behemoth. The fall of the Zeus and Hera Familia.

A baby with white hair and red eyes. Her own death.

Orario in flames. Gods being sent back to Heaven. Her sister letting herself become a stain upon the history of the city.

More and more drawing flash by with each flick of the page. More and more events meant to happen.

Some due to her doing and planning, others things she could never hope to try and change no matter how much she tries.

The notebook falls on the bed, and Meteria breathes out, “All of this… It’s gone?” She truly couldn’t understand the why, or the how.

But she shakes her head and flicks to a new page and grabs her pencil, thoughts going back on the last scenes she saw.

Clouds, a Dragon, a sword, a human… Instantly, her stomach falls and her thoughts fall on her beloved, for he is the first one she’ll ever think of when someone mentions a Swordsman.

He wields a sword, he is a human, and he is someone who has met the Dragon already.

Is it going to happen once more? Soon?

But when? Can she hope to stop it?

Her teeth nibble on her nails, and her gaze turns towards the window of her room and on the dark clouds above.

Lighting flashes, and she sees it. An unfathomable shape, stirring behind the dark clouds.

Hiding. Waiting.

“Riley will come back soon…” Thunder rumbles, and a purple flash lights up her room as a pillar of lighting smashes down right before the Tower of Babel.

Her eyes redden with pure fear, “Brynhildr!” And she screams, rushing for the door, just in time for it to be ripped off the hinges by her sky-blue haired friend, whose eyes are filled with panic.

“Meteira, what’s wro-” The former Executives words halt in her throat when the desperate girl grasps her shoulders.

“Please!” Meteria chokes out, tears starting to fall down her cheeks, “You have to bring me before the Tower of Babel! Quickly!” Brynhildr frowns in further confusion and worry, but swiftly makes her decision and nods.

One of her thin yet strong arms wraps around Meteria’s waists, and soon the whole world blurs around them.

They are outside the Hera Mansion before Meteria could blink, and Brynhildr grinds to a stop before Meteria’s brain could catch up with the fact that she was moving.

“W-We’re here, so what’s-” Standing on shaky feet, Meteria rushes forward and into the square before Brynhildr worried eyes, the woman swiftly moving to follow after her.

Her eyes flick past her and towards the Tower of Babel, then widen when she notices the group standing before the entrance. A group containing Riley.

Ah, perhaps she wanted to see-

“Run!” But the scream from Meteria makes Brynhildr toss away those thoughts.

One hand points towards the skies above. “He’s above us!”

“The Black Dragon is above us!”

The skies are torn open- A claw of titanic size- And the world slows down for Brynhildr.

The ground is pulverized as she moves, her arms reaching out to grasp a Supporter who stumbled back and lost her footing. The girl is promptly dropped far outside the square.

And so is another. And another. And a dozen more. Then three dozen more.

She doesn’t bother to grasp the Executives, all of them moving and jumping away fast enough to be able to get out of the impact zone.

She also doesn’t bother going for Riley, no matter how much she wanted to, and is glad to see him grab and move away with her Lady Goddess.

So instead Brynhildr puts all of her focus on helping the rest of the Zeus Familia, not willing to watch such young boys be turned into bloody smears by the Dragon.

And as she moves, her gaze flicks up to stare at the slowly descending Dragon, it’s enormous form dragging the very clouds down with it.

And then it’s lone, glowing eye flicks towards her.

No matter how fast she moved and ran, the eye easily tracked her even thought the rest of the body was moving at a snail pace to her vision.

The beast is holding back. Massively so.

The speed she is so proud of is nothing compared to the strongest being the Dungeon ever created.

Then the claw fully descends, and the square is utterly pulverized before her eyes as she grabs and pulls back the screaming and crying Meteria.

Deep and hidden within the cloud of dust raised by the Dragon, Hera stirrs and blinks her eyes open, finding herself within Riley’s strong arms, his tense gaze focused on something else.

It flicks back to her, and his shoulders sag with relief as he pulls back, “Good, you aren’t injured.” He sighs softly, then tosses a glance back over his shoulder, “Get to safety, I’ll try and distract it.” He whispers out softly, and her eyes widen at those preposterous words.

So her hands surge forward to grasp and yank at his robes, a furious snarl crossing her flawless face as she pulls the dumbass back before he could launch himself forward. “Are you fucking stupid?!”

She nearly screams into his ears, utter fear and worry gripping at her pounding heart.

His head turns to gaze at her with those wonderful eyes of his, a scowl on his face. But not one out of anger towards her, but out of fear and worry for her and the others.

Hera hated how that made her heart throb and her cheeks burn. She was no fucking maiden.

“Hera-” His rough voice starts, and the Goddess did everything in her power not to bite at her lower lip or outright moan at the way her name rolled off his lips, even during this highly dangerous situation.

His nostrils flare, and his eyes glance back towards the enormous cloud of dust hiding the goddamn Apocalypse in the form of a Dragon.

A low rumble echoes forth, one that causes their very bones and organs to shake in place. The sound of a mere growl.

His eyes flick back to her, the hand holding her hip tightening, fingers sinking into her flesh out of pure worry. He’s shaking.“He’s after me.” He whispers lowly, a guilty light flashing past his eyes. “I can drag him away.”

But will you survive?

She hated it. She hated this. She hated this fucking game that kept on going for centuries, on and on, with absolutely no fucking change.

She hated having to bury the bodies of her beloved girls, or having to accept the fact that the fucking Dungeon ate their corpses.

She hated watching them grow and toss themselves towards death, hoping to achieve strength capable of felling the Great Beasts, putting an end to what their ancestors started.

Putting an end to this sick fucking game she is beyond done with.

An image of another man flashes in her eyes, one that superimposes with the man before her.

The only other man who moved her heart. The one man she decided to be her last.

The one man she thought was going to finally put an end to everything.

But he didn’t. She lost him. She lost what he gave her. She lost her desire to keep on going but simple did out of pure spite and hate.

Until Riley appeared, and fucked up the goddamn Leviathanuntil the little bitch ran away out of fear.

He bought so many changes with so little effort.

Her little Meteria, healthy and lively. Her Alfia now open and acting like a maiden. Her Kirin, now holding hopes for a future where she won’t have to kill herself to save the others.

Medicines to greatly raise the survival of her girls in the Dungeon and to even strengthen them.

And battle prowess so great that he nearly felled the Leviathan without a Falna.

She didn’t want to lose him too now. She wants to cling upon the burning flame of hope the handsome bastard brings with him without even realizing.

And she wanted to help him. Make him stronger and bless him with her Falna, uncaring that he is a male, all so that even in death, she’ll at least still have him with her.

So that a piece of her will still go with him during reincarnation, and she’ll be able to find him again and again.

But deep down she knows he’ll refuse that.

Her eyes drink in the sight of his handsome face for a second longer before they flick down to his weapon. She could feel it with ease. A Soul within a sword. Hephaestus would go bonkers for this.“Give me your sword.”

Riley blinks, then gently lets her go so to draw his sword. It looked perfect now, compared to the rough and clearly messy craftsmanship it sported before the Dungeon Dive.

Something happened in the Dungeon – perhaps the Leviathan fight– that led to this strange sword evolving, somehow. This kid is just wrapped in fascinating mysteries.

The sparkling blade glowing with a sky-blue light purred as her fingers traced the flat end. “This will do.” Having made her decision, Hera cuts the tip of her index finger along the insanely sharp edge of the blade.

Then let her glowing Ichor fall upon it under Riley’s confused but watchful gaze.

Her Soul opened to the blade, and the blade opened its Soul to her, seemingly understanding and accepting her intentions.

And so, the mark appeared. The drawing of a crowned, long-haired woman appeared upon the flat side of the blade, right above the guard.

The Falna flowed out of it, numbers rushing by her jubilant eyes, a grin on her face as the blade purred and glowed with greater strength.

She confirmed the changes with but a thought and pushed the glowing sphere that is the Falna back into the glowing blade, leaving her Familia Mark upon it together with it’s Status.

The first ever sword of it’s kind, with a Falna to boot.

Her gaze lifts to stare at a wide-eyed Riley, his hand raising the glowing blade with an amazed glint within his sunset-like orbs.

“This is all I can give you.” Hera murmurs softly, and his gaze snaps towards her. This is all he’ll let her give him. That much she knows.

The smile that stretches across his lips makes her chest tighten and heart go crazy. “It’s more than enough.” He whispers back just as softly, then his gaze softens. “Order everyone not to follow after me, please.”

Her teeth bite down on her lower lip. But in the end, she could only nod.

After all, it was easy to feel that no one here is a match for the Apocalyptic beast, even if they all joined hands.

One of her hands reaches up to tightly and shakily grip at the collar of his robes, her eyes reddening slightly as she gazed at him with worry. “You better come back, you hear me?”

He blinks, then grins and rests his glowing blade with her Falna on his shoulder. A carefree and relaxed grin. “But of course! There’s still a lot I gotta do, after all!”

A lone and glowing blood-red eye pierces through cloud of dust to peer down at Riley, locking down on it’s form.

A lone eye the size of a five story building.

Another organ rattling growl flows forth, then Riley blurs away, with the eye flickingto the side, easily tracking his movements as the gargantuan beast rears back.

It’s enormous arm is wrenched out of the earth, sending dust and earth flying everywhere as its pitch-black form shifts and its wings spread. Then they flap, and all of Orario quivers beneath the beasts wake.

“Lady Hera!” Her girls instantly lock onto her form, rushing to her side while she quickly made a headcount. Not that she needed to, as she didn’t feel any connection snap from that previous blow.

Thanks to both Riley’s and Meteria’s quick warning. And very likely to Brynhildr’s insane speed.

Kirin swiftly checks her for any injuries, then her gaze zeroes in towards the distance, eyes narrowing and crackling with lighting.

A gaze shared by all of her Executives. All of them were ready to charge after that beast, uncaring of their lives.

And Hera swiftly put her foot down. “No one is to charge after the Black Dragon.” She announces loudly and harshly, her heart aching at the dozens of shocked, hurt and horrified eyes.

“But Riley-”

“It’s a fucking order, Juno.” A Goddess stares down at the Captain of her Familia, who shrinks under her gaze. And so do the others, despite the clear unwillingness on their faces. “Take five steps out of those fucking walls, I’d I’ll rip your Falnas and all of your hard earned strength away. I swear it upon the Heavens above.”

It hurt her to do so. To betray them like so. To force them to just watch as someone that had become family to them battled the greatest beast that walks this planet.

The greatest plague upon the continents and the living for the past thousand years.

But this was his request. His only ever request. And she’ll be damned if she didn’t make sure to grant it, no matter how painful it might be.

“All we can do is watch, so…” The Goddess breathes out, and as one her whole Familia rushes ahead towards the walls even as the earth below their feet shudders.

Hera turns her gaze to the side, towards the lone Meteria. “What did you see?” She asks in a low whisper. A secret kept between them.

One even Alfia has no knowledge off.

The girl filled with worry and fear for her lover gulps softly… But Hera didn’t miss the bits of hope within her eyes.

“The future changed, Lady Hera.” Eyes that had seen centuries fly by and countless, uncountabledeaths slowly widened.

Two small pair of gentle and soft hands grasp hers, a small teary grin spreading across Meteria’s face.

“Riley changed the future somehow, Lady Hera.”

The Goddess crumbles to her knees.

While behind her, far into the distance, the earth and skies shudder.

A Mortal defiantly draws his blade.

And a God roars.

A.N. This motherfuckin’ chapter decided to become far bigger than I wanted it to, and that’s why I love writing this story.

Still, I apologize for the wait once more, but Christmas festivities and all that came around too, so… Either way-

Merry Late Xmas to you all, ya lovely people! Thank you all so damn much for the wonderful year, and these wonderful past months.

Writing for you all is just wonderful, and I’ll never get tired of it.

Now, I just kinda wanna add something about Riley here… Cultivators Cultivate to stop being mortals and become Gods. Riley cultivates to become more Human.

It’s a random thought I had, and dunno if it’ll make sense to people. For me thought… it kind of does.

Now, I’ll stop yapping and hope y’all enjoyed this chapter! Might be the last chapter of the month and year, might not, we’ll see!

Till then-

Toodles!