I...I don't even…Well...at the very least, I found another source of exp. With new interest, I poured over the quests, trying to find one that was on the sixth floor or above.
No such luck. I found another for the seventh floor, to get 100 killer ant mandibles for 20,000 exp and 50,000 valis as a reward. But nothing for the sixth floor.
"Good morning Mr. Jericho!" Lili returned, sounding extremely chipper for this early hour. I got up at this time most days, but that didn't mean I liked to do it. I needed at least three cups of coffee before I became anything recognizable as a human being. That God- er, gods for Gamer Body. "Are you looking for a quest to take?"
"Er, good morning. And yeah, " I confirmed, looking down at her. "But, it looks like there's nothing above the seventh floor.
Lili nodded, adjusting the straps to her backpack. I was never going to get over how odd it looked seeing a small girl like Lili lifting a bag like that with utter ease, especially when I struggled with it so much yesterday. "There won't be, but if Mr. Jericho is fine with taking quests that don't involve the Dungeon, then he can always visit a tavern and most tend to have a quest board."
I guess that was another reason to check out the Hostess of Fertility.
"Well, it's something to keep in mind, I guess," I said, taking one last look at the quest board before turning away. I needed to start taking quests, the sooner the better. If it was possible to catch up to the amount of exp I needed every day, then that was it.
"Lili is all set! Lili will admit that she isn't used to waking up this early -- does Mr. Jericho always come this early?" Lili asked as we walked towards the Dungeon.
I shrugged my shoulders, "I haven't been an adventurer long enough to call it a habit, but I'll probably usually come around this time. If that's okay?"
Lili nodded, "Lili is really impressed," she said, sounding impressed but I got the feeling that she wasn't beneath the facade. "Did Mr. Jericho start this early yesterday?" When I nodded, she continued to gush, "Mr. Jericho really is an incredible adventurer! Lili wishes she big and strong like Mr. Jericho instead of being a weak pallum!"
And it was never going to stop catching me off guard when she said really depressing stuff like that in such a happy voice.
"Lili tried to be an adventurer, but she didn't have any talent for it, that's how Lili became a supporter instead," Lili said, giving me a smile as she craned her head to look up at me. I knew what she was doing too -- she was trying to drum up pity, to tug at my heartstrings. And it was working.
"Well," how did I navigate this minefield? "If you'd like, maybe I can try to help you with that?" I offered, though it sounded a lot like a question. "I mean, I can act as your backup-" I would have continued but Lili was already shaking her head no.
"Mr. Jericho is very kind, but it's okay. Lili just doesn't have the talent to be a strong adventurer. Maybe in the next life, the gods will bless Lili with the strength to be one," Lili dismissed with a shake of her head.
"I…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say to that. I could hardly grab her by the shoulders and tell her to stop being depressed and believe in herself. For starters, we met each other once. Bonds were quick to form in combat, but not that quick.
"Jericho!" A woman's voice interrupted me before I could say anything, I looked over to see Eina waving me down as she walked up to me.
"Oh, hey," I greeted, giving her a smile that hid my nervousness. I knew exactly what she was about to say before she said it.
"Good morning," Eina greeted before turning to Lili, a pleasant expression on her face that couldn't hide her suspicious eyes. "Are you his supporter, miss…?"
"Lili's name is Lili, and she is Mr. Jericho's supporter," Lili confirmed with a nod of her head, looking at me with some confusion. That pleasant smile on Eina's face turned downright deadly.
"I see. And, why would a rookie that's only been an adventurer for three days, who should still be on the first floor, need the help of a supporter?" Eina asked, her tone sharp as a blade. It must have been because each word was a different cut into my soul with how she was looking at me.
"Ummm," I started, looking absolutely everywhere but at her, "a rookie adventurer that's going down to the sixth floor?" I answered, bracing myself. It seemed that I was going to get yelled at this morning, and Eina didn't disappoint in that regard. Unfortunately.
"The sixth floor?!" Eina shouted, bringing the few people that were in the Guildhall to turn their attention to us. "You've been going down to the sixth floor? Since when?" She demanded, but something in her tone told me that she knew exactly when I went down. "Since. When?" She repeated when I failed to answer.
"Uh," I started, my gaze drifting over to the Dungeon, wondering if it was worth it to just make a break for it. "You know. The other day…" Did I really have to take this? Wait, I don't think I did. I didn't have to stand here and get yelled at-
"You mean the day you went down there in nothing but a blanket?!" Eina shouted, the growing fury on her face cutting off any thought of telling her off for yelling at me.
"Mr. Jericho went into the Dungeon wearing a blanket?" Lili questioned, making me look at her with no small amount of exasperation.
"It's a long story," I avoided the question before turning to Eina. "And...yeah- But!" I hastily continued when she took in another breath to continue yelling at me, "but I can handle it. Yesterday, I pulled in about thirty thousand valis, and I barely suffered a scratch -- see," I pointed out, gesturing to my pants that were still stitched together, revealing no skin.
"Lili can vouch for Mr. Jericho," Lili offered, giving Eina a nod, "Actually, Lili thinks that Mr. Jericho could go down to the seventh floor with his abilities."
Eina turned on the smaller girl, her glare so sharp it probably would have taken off some health points if she aimed it at me. Lili just smiled back sweetly, which took the edge off Eina focused fury. "Are you saying that a rookie adventurer should go down to the seventh floor, where killer ants spawn? The rookie killers of the upper floors?"
That might have been a rhetorical question, but Lili nodded all the same as my mind raced. Did she actually think I could make it on the seventh floor? But...hm...I had wondered about my stat points since they lacked the letter grade that Danmachi went by, but hadn't the game system before I arrived here said something about syncing?
I figured I was able to advance so fast was mostly because of my height, natural strength, and the monsters I was up against being so weak I could step on them to kill them. But that didn't explain the jumps in power I was experiencing. Did my stats not match up with the typical falna system?
Or...was I overthinking it, and it was the quality of my enemies that made it so easy for me to advance and Lili was lowkey trying to get me killed?
"Lili might not look very reliable, but she's been as deep as the eleventh floor," Lili said, earning a shocked look from Eina. "Lili believes that Mr. Jericho can go to the seventh floor, but if he does get overwhelmed, then Lili promises that she'll make sure that he returns," Lili stated and what I wouldn't give to have Hestia standing next to me to see if she was telling the truth.
I had no idea where I stood with Lili other than I made a really, really awful first impression then kinda made up for it by slitting the loot evenly. What I did know was that she hated adventurers and I was an adventurer.
Though, thankfully, that seemed to take the wind from Eina's sails. She searched Lili's face for any hint that she was lying before she let out a sigh, turning her attention back to me. "I...can't stop you from going down there, but have you at least done the reading that I gave you to prepare for it."
"I-" I started, a lie on my tongue, but I hesitated to say it. That hesitation cost me. Eina frowned at me, pushing up her glasses and giving me a disappointed look.
"I see. Misha said you were serious about this," she commented, earning a small wince from me. That was...fair, I guess.
"I meant to read them, but there just hasn't been much time," I protested, "I've been in the Dungeon for about twelve hours every day, and when I get back home I'm spending time with Hestia."
Eina's lips pressed together into a small frown, then she nodded slowly, apparently accepting my excuse which made me warier than reassured. "I understand," she said, "you're the first member of a new familia, so it's understandable that you're feeling overwhelmed…" She trailed off and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a but coming.
"But," she continued, "these are things that you have to learn, Jericho. Especially when you don't have a senior to teach you. If there's not enough time, then you have to make time!"
"Well," I started, frowning at her. She wasn't wrong, not really. I just had higher priorities -- gaining exp, Hestia, earning Lili's trust and providing for my familia. There just weren't enough hours in the day.
"I'll do whatever I can to meet you halfway," Eina offered, her expression serious. "I can tutor you, offer lessons, explanations, whatever you need to survive down there. But I can't help you if you don't try to help yourself."
She really wanted to help me. My excuses for not accepting it felt hollow -- how much exp could I gather in two hours? A couple hundred? Maybe a little more? I was already so far behind the amount of exp I needed to gain to level up in sync with the canon timeline that a couple of hundred exp was just a drop in the bucket.
If they were that important, then I just had to make up for the lost time.
"Okay," I agreed with a nod, seeing a smile tug at the edges of Eina's face. "I'll cut my day short by a few hours. Around...threeish?" I offered, getting a firm nod from Eina. She visibly relaxed, the tension easing out of her posture.
"Threeish it is," Eina agreed, her smile becoming a lot friendlier in nature. "I know I'm being pushy about this, but I'm doing this for your own good. I hope that you know that," Eina said, getting a lopsided grin out of me.
"Don't worry about that," I dismissed with a shake of my head. "To be honest, it's probably a good thing that you are pushing the issue. It's not like I'm avoiding reading about the Dungeon, but I have so many other priorities it got bumped down the list."
"I understand," Eina said, offering me another smile and a nod, stepping out of our way. "I'll see you at three. Just...please, be careful."
With that, we made our way into the Dungeon, passing through familiar halls. As soon as we hit the second floor, I looked down at Lili to catch her looking up at me. "Does Mr. Jericho want to carry Lili again?"
"If it wouldn't be a bother," I said, dropping to a knee so Lili could climb on. Rising to my feet, I felt the difference between today and yesterday. It still felt like Lili's pack was filled with bricks, and I still had to hunch over to avoid her strangling me, but I could lift her with more ease. Walking was still a struggle, though.
Picking up the pace, I started to jog through the tunnels, the Dungeon offering up minimal resistance to let me delve deeper into it. A goblin jumped out of a shadow, only to be skewered as I passed it by. We didn't bother picking up the monster stones from the first couple of floors anymore. With my map open, it didn't take us long to pass through the third, fourth or fifth floors.
Arriving on the sixth, I already felt my legs burning with exertion, my breaths were deep but under control even as a sheen of sweat formed on my forehead. "Does Mr. Jericho need to take a break?" Lili asked, hanging off my neck.
"I'm good," I told her, picking up the pace as I began to head towards the unexplored parts of the floor, still searching for the entrance to the seventh floor. I heard the sharp sound of the Dungeon walls cracking to give birth to monsters. "Lili-" I started, only for Lili to let go of me so I could fight unimpeded.
A war shadow emerged from the shadows, a lone eye turning towards me as three others appeared behind it. I raised my sword, rushing towards the first and it lunged to meet me. Its three claws slashed at me, only to feel the bite of my new sword as I swung at its arm. My blade felt like it was moving through cement or tar, I was able to cut through it but it was hardly a clean cut. The offending arm fell to the ground, but before it hit, I switched my grip to hit the monster with the backswing.
I slashed at its hip, intent on bisecting the monster, but again it felt like I was cutting through tar. I was forced to grip my sword with both hands to force my sword through. As the two halves hit the ground, I moved on to the other three.
Head strikes seemed to be the most effective against these monsters, I thought as I thrust my sword at the oversized eye of one of the war shadows. It bobbed out of the way, the edge of my sword cutting its face.
But that was fine. I lashed out with a fist at another when it lunged at me, trying to seize an opportunity. My fist slammed into the side of its head, my reach far greater than its, and as it lost its balance, I skewered it with my sword.
By that time the other two were on top of me. I backed off, dodging a swipe at my chest before backing off another few steps. My chest was protected, by my legs weren't.
They were what I had to worry about. Sucking in a low breath, I attacked the closet war shadow. I swiped at its head, only for it to duck underneath. That was fine, I figured as I threw a knee at its head.
It smacked into its giant eyeball, crushing it. At the same time, the other war shadow swiped at my thigh. My sword was in position to absorb the worst of the attack, but I felt pain flare in my thigh as its claws bit into them.
Snarling, I stabbed the monster through the chest, grabbing it by the head to slam it against the Dungeon wall, hitting the last war shadow, knocking it off its feet. When the war shadows head cracked open like an egg, I finished off the last one.
20 exp right there.
"Is Mr. Jericho alright?" Lili asked, appearing from behind me, sparing a glance at my leg. I inspected the cut, seeing that it was little more than a flesh wound that took off a single point of health, I gave her a nod.
"All good," I told her, looking out at the tunnels in front of us. Lili grabbed the monster stones with practiced ease, spending less than two minutes to do all of them. It was a small break, but I appreciate it before Lili retook her place on my back as I continued to jog through the tunnels, my sword at the ready.
"Did Mr. Jericho get a lot of stat points for carrying Lili?" Lili asked as I ran, surprising me. Yesterday, I was the one that had to make idle conversation.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, keeping my breathing even. Who would have guessed those years in cross-country would have paid off? I spotted another monster crawling out of the walls. A goblin. "Hold on," I said, jumping up to come down on the monster, crushing it underfoot.
"Ah, Lili shouldn't have asked that. Falna is supposed to be super secretive," she informed, probably thinking that I didn't know. "Please forgive Lili's rudeness!"
"Eh, it's all good," I dismissed the issue, turning a corner, "but, yeah, I made a bit of progress." How much progress, I wasn't certain anymore. I thought I was still a scrub level newb adventurer, but if my stats had more weight than normal, then I wasn't sure where exactly I stood.
"...Mr. Jericho, when Lili said statuses are secretive, she meant that Mr. Jericho shouldn't say anything about his." She commented lightly, earning a huff from me.
"It's not like I'm listing out how much I gained, or anything. The reason you asked was that you noticed I was able to run with you longer, right?" I shot back, keeping my pace and breathing even. Four steps breathing in and four steps breathing out. "But...Lili, did you mean what you said you thought I could make it on the seventh floor?"
Lili didn't answer for a beat of silence, "Lili thinks that Mr. Jericho could, but it would be a bad idea." She answered slowly, her tone carefully even to give nothing away. "Mr. Jericho's swordsmanship is very...erm…"
"Bad? Awful? Sucks?" I offered, thinking that much was true. Unless the times me and my brother beat the ever-loving shit out of each other with lightsabers counted, I never held a sword before coming here.
"So, she would be worried about Mr. Jericho not being able to kill the killer ants fast enough since if they have a chance to release pheromones as they're dying, they'll attract a swarm. But, Mr. Jericho is also super strong, so he might be able to cut through the ants exoskeletons." Lili said, ignoring my suggestions, but confirming them with her lack of a comment.
I nodded at her words, turning another corner before being forced to take a hit in the chest from a frog shooter. My hand darted out, grabbing the tongue, and yanking it towards me. I stomped on its head, the eye breaking apart like jello before I moved on. All the while, I pondered what she said.
Images of a cavern filled with ants came to mind from a scene in the anime. Dozens of ants, like what you see when you poke an anthill, only the ants were the size of people. I wouldn't be able to do anything against numbers like that.
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A/N— I'll try to post daily. Powerstones and comments would help, it would mean alot and give me the motivation to continue the story. In fact two chapters a day wouldn't be impossible either.
I'll post an extra chapter every 500ps power stones, no limit!
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed.
Ps. You can also read ahead at my Patreon to support the story and help me write more. Patrons get two chapters a day and 30 chapters ahead for just a couple bucks :)
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