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At the edge of the Middle Floors…
/SLASH!/
/BANG!/
Silver fought against the oncoming waves of monsters.
'... It's different.'
/CRACK!/
/ROAARR!/
'Completely different...'
"My body is light. The more I fight, the more I understand what it means to be an adventurer."
'What was once inaccessible is now within reach.'
/SLASH!/
With nothing but his pure physical strength, Silver jumped over an Orc, kicked the walls of the Dungeon and reached the ceiling before kicking it and puncturing its head!
He then slid on the ground underneath the legs of another Orc, conjuring multiple ice spikes that punctured dozens of monsters, using them as a pillar to jump across like a monkey on a tree.
All within a few seconds...
'A ridiculous change even greater than when I first received the blessing… or rather, was I still in the process of adapting?'
'I've advanced far too quickly in far too little time to understand my limitations.' He thought as he reached for the ceiling
/SPLATTER!/
His hand transformed, and a whip of air and fog condensed before him, pulling him in the direction he wanted to go. He landed on top of an imp, crushing it beneath his feet as spikes formed on his soles!
/SWOOSH!/
/CLANG!/
While he was looking away, an Orc swung its weapon, a massive, distorted log, toward his head! But as it collided with his skull, the sound of metal clashing echoed… His skin twisted and turned, taking a hue and texture akin to that of iron!
"It stings a little."
/SPLAT!/
Silver turned back and pointed his hand at the Orc, causing a wave of heat to burst a hole in the beast's chest as his skin returned to its previous coloration.
'I feel as if I could do anything. But that too is a misconception. They say that after ranking up, an adventurer will feel like this too — a sense of overwhelming power.'
/SLASH!/
A creature pierced through his head, slamming against the wall!
/Condense.../
But Silver's thorn head slowly put itself together as it turned into waves of mist…
'What I couldn't do before suddenly became effortless. With just this physical power alone, could I take down an Orc?'
/SLAM!/
Silver turned to the side as another Orc crashed its weapon down at him. This time, he merely raised his right arm, turning it into a solid block of iron.
/CLANG!/
The weapon crashed against his arm, pushing him down to his knees! The massive impact split the air and spread the fog, but the log remained whole.
"… That hurt."
Silver slowly pushed the log up as splinters of metal fell from his skin, 'I should've seen that coming.'
While the pain was intense, he couldn't help but smile. He pointed at the Orc's head and flicked his finger…
/PIERCE!/
The Orc's face was punctured by a thin, near-invisible object, casting the beast's consciousness down into oblivion.
"I've grown much stronger, enough to crack a Dungeon Goblin's neck with one hand…"
/SWOOSH!/
He evaded a large creature as it came crashing down from above. Its white fur danced in the fog, vanishing in and out of sight as it prowled after him.
"… but not enough to take an Orc head on... not yet." He muttered as his whole body began to transform
/Crunk…/
His muscles and bones inflated as he grew a head taller. His skin split, revealing red pathways brimming with strange energy coursing through his muscles and bones…
/SMASH!/
As the Silverback jumped from the fog, Silver crashed head-on, breaking its fingers before jumping after it, clutching onto its jaws!
/CLANG!/
/PULL!/
His muscles echoed with the sound of gears turning, clutching into place as he pulled its lower jaw off in one swift motion!
/SMACK!/
Using the beast's own teeth, Silver ripped its face off and jumped off to face the next monster.
"Each monster has its own weaknesses and strengths. They grow stronger with time, so much so that even if I use my all, I wouldn't be able to make use of them even if I understood them."
'Like when I shoved a spear through Goliath's eye... even with all my strength, I could not go through and kill it... I wonder if I'd be able to do it now.'
'Part of me still believes I wouldn't be able to do it.'
/SLASH!/
/SPLIT!/
/CRACK!/
/SPLAT!/
Silver rampaged through the waves of monsters, testing new and more brutal powers as he left behind a trail of entrails and loot.
Despite his enormous success, he grew tired over time, but nothing that a simple potion here and there couldn't fix.
With his strength giving him far greater control over the situation, he found himself taking them far more sporadically than before despite splurging his powers far more than he did yesterday.
"The blessings of the gods…"
/Crack…/
/ROAAAAARRR!!/
"!!!"
At that moment, a creature came crashing down from the mist, running on all fours. It was like a bus piercing through everything in its path!
Orange skin covered in scales and black claws as long as his arms…
"Haha! I finally found you!"
'The strongest monster of the Upper Floors!'
"ROOOAARR!"
An Infant Dragon! A small dragon — around a person tall and over four meters long, and considered the boss of the Upper Floors!
(Image)
/DASH!/
A maniac unlike others, Silver rushed after the creature rather than retreating, drawing closer to its humongous body!
/OPEN/
The beast opened its bloody maw, snapping at him! But Silver manipulated the ground, pushing its body upward and revealing its exposed stomach!
At the same time, his whole body began to transform even further than it already was, growing spikes as his cracked skin hardened…
/Shine…/
Silver controlled the wind both behind and before his body, pushing him forward while also using flames to propel himself forward with even greater force akin to that of a train!
/SPLAT!/
Like a cannonball, he slammed his body against the creature, pushing it back from the ridiculous impact!
/BOOOM!/
With the sheer impact of his collision, Silver and the Infant Dragon flew and collided against the Dungeon's walls!
/BURST!/
Not long after, the Infant Dragon's body exploded into a wave of dark mist as Silver stepped back with its Magic Stone in hand…
"COUGH! Pfft… some of it got in my mouth… I still don't get what this dust is. Some kind of mix of minerals and something else…"
'That dragon was quite tough. It only died when I pulled its magic stone out of its body... even when I punctured its body in so many places.'
'It was unusually resilient...'
He looked at the crack in the walls, "Oooh! A drop item! Don't mind me…"
/Crack…/
As he collected the items, more creatures made their way to him, causing him to exhale.
"Phew… this is hard work."
'But… it's not exactly boring. I would even go so far as to say it's an enjoyable pastime.'
He took a potion out of his pocket space and drank it, "The day is still long…"
'Let's see how much I can raise my stats this time! Or maybe...'
""
Silver rushed into action.
…
/Cling…/
An elven girl walked around the fog-ridden caverns of the 12th floor… "A magic stone? Not just one but several… who is the reckless idiot leaving them behind like this?"
A young lady with a large backpack on her back crouched down next to the Elven teen, "It's not just magic stones; its drop items as well. This doesn't look good…"
(Image)
/Swoosh!/
"Ais! Don't rush ahead like that!" Tione exclaimed as she ran after her
"W-Wait for me!" Lefiya exclaimed as she ran after the two
"Sigh… seems like someone's in trouble." Tiona exclaimed as she looked around the place
"Should we collect these?" The young girl with the backpack asked as she walked beside her
But Tiona scoffed, "It's protocol to do so… but such a damn bother… wasting time getting these small ones… there's quite a few of them though."
"What about the ones who hunted these?"
"If they left it behind, it's their responsibility. They should be happy if we don't report them and they get a fat fine in response." She said as she kicked one of the small stones away
"What if they're in danger?"
"Then we help them and take these as pay?"
"…"
"Alright, Arshe… sheesh… don't look at me like that."
"… Tiona, you can go after them, I'll be fine on my own. We haven't met that many monsters anyway… probably because of this."
"What do you take me for? It's common sense to stand by the Supporter at all times."
"Thank you." Arshe replied as she smiled at her
(Image?)
…
/Meanwhile…/
/Boom…/
/Swoosh!/
Ais quickly sped up through the Dungeon, seeking out the source of the commotion.
As she flew across the caverns, she quickly pinpointed where the nearest battle was occurring, and within a few seconds, she arrived at her destination.
/BOOOOM!!/
"!"
A pillar of flames ignited within the fog of a larger cavern, sending out the fog and monster parts all around as Ais was forced to a sudden halt.
/Shaaa!!/
Air flew past her as she covered her face with her black gloves.
(Image of Ais' battle dress)
"…"
'Was I too late?' She thought as concern covered his otherwise expressionless face
"… Phew… can I get a time out?"
"!"
As the flames receded and smoke covered the cavern, Silver slowly stepped out of the explosion's epicenter.
His whole body was covered in grime and dirty blood, his clothes tattered and broken… with the remaining uncovered patches of skin split and torn in dangerous ways… albeit with her keen eyes… she felt as if they were moving?
"Urg… time out, Dungeon… time out…" Silver exclaimed out loud as he stretched his back and arms, uncaring about his seemingly fatal injuries
"…"
Seeing this, Ais didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to ask him if he was okay and needed assistance, but another was far too conflicted to move.
'He's alone… did his party… Hm?… I know this man, I saw him before.'
Ais remembered him. She had bumped into him a few times, like many others in the Hostess. Her strongest memory of him was when Mamma Mia slapped his head after he said something to her at the counter, although she couldn't remember what it was, only that she didn't seem to mind him much.
"… hm?…"
At that moment, their eyes met, and this was enough to awaken Ais from her thoughts.
"Excuse me, are you alright?" She asked as she looked at him
Silver looked at himself before smiling faintly, "It's not as bad as it looks…"
/Shaa!/
From the caverns behind Ais, Tione arrived, sliding down the ground as she came to a halt beside her.
"You can't just bolt alone all the time, Ais… hm? Is this the guy?"
"In what context?" Silver asked awkwardly as he reached out for his head
'These girls… aren't these the executives of the Loki Familia? Well… I guess I've been lucky to have avoided most people in these two days, but the Upper Floors are only so big. I was bound to clash with a group or two in these little expeditions of mine.'
'Although this is the first time I'm caught like this. It's a little embarrassing.'
Tione looked at him up and down and sighed, "In the context of causing this commotion. You look terrible. Just wait a minute and we'll give you a potion. If you have more serious injuries, just say so."
"Thank you for the assistance, but this blood isn't mine. I'm fine, if not a little tired."
"… Are there others with you?" Ais asked as she looked around
"Only me this time…"
/Shaaa…/
"… wait for meee!"
From behind, Lefiya arrived with staff in hand, rushing through the fog with such speed even Silver had difficulty following.
'She's clumsy, yet even with such poor coordination she can outrun my eyes… the blessings sure do wonders…'
"Huff… I'm here!" She said as she stood ready
Tione smiled faintly, "Yes, you are."
"Don't laugh at me!"
She then looked at Silver, "I'll heal him!"
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern." He said as he gave her a nod
'How many times will I have to say this?'
Lefiya stepped back, "Oh… okay."
'She seemed a bit upset, her momentum shattered.'
Tione then took this chance to answer her queries, "Say, what happened here?"
She and the others looked around. The fog had weakened considerably, so much so that they could see most of the cavern now.
Everything was destroyed — potholes, cracks on the walls, trees overturned, piles of ash and items scattered… including other strange things such as unusual stone structures and even… ice?
He smiled awkwardly, "I overdid it a little. I came here to train and ended up swept as wave after wave of monsters tackled me. I was planning on staying put but ended up moving about the caverns and unable to collect the loot. My sincere apologies for that." He said as he bowed
'Please do not report me… a report from the Loki Familia… just the nagging from Hestia when she hears why…'
"There's no need for that… you being okay is all that matters, isn't that right, Ais?" Tione asked as she put her hands on her waist
'That said… no wonder the floor was so quiet. All monsters were concentrated here, for some reason.'
"Mhum…" Ais replied as she nodded
"That's great to hear… I'll clean up the place then… after I take a breather."
"Do you need help?" Lefiya asked as she looked around
'How many magic stones are around? They're like fish in a pond… hundreds? Some are larger than others, and I think I saw an Infant Dragon drop item.'
Seeing his appearance and muscles, Lefiya immediately assumed him to be some sort of Level 3, martial-type adventurer like Ais and the others… minus Arshe of course.
"Thanks for the offer, but this is my responsibility." He replied as he raised his right hand
'I wasn't intending to parade myself around, but there's no point in hiding my abilities either, is there? One day or another, they'll become the stable of my identity… or so I believe.'
He sneaked a glance at them all as he took a deep breath, 'Besides, these girls are trustworthy enough.'
/Crack…/
""??""
Silver's arm glowed with energy as he pointed at the ground. Immediately after, his skin parted open as waves of magical energy enveloped his forearm like arcs of lightning.
/Shaaa!/
While the girls were distracted, a bolt of energy pierced onto the ground, and soon enough, an invisible force began pulling at everything around them, dragging both minor items such as the magic stones and the rubble itself onto him.
"Woah!"
Lefiya stepped to the side as a small magic stone rolled past her legs. She was startled, but as she looked at the small stone rolling around, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed at such a small and insignificant scare.
Meanwhile, both Ais and Tione looked around in wonder at this strange scene.
/Crackle!/
Whenever small rocks were pulled, they suddenly stopped moving whenever he looked at them. Soon enough, a massive pile of magic stones and drop items had formed around him.
"Done… a few of them shattered though… a shame."
'I did collect a few items whenever I had some time to breathe, but the Dungeon was unusually uncooperative this time and I ended up losing more magic stones than I expected.'
Silver looked at the items and inspected them, ignoring their reactions. But after a while, Lefiya was unable to hold herself…
"Erm… what was that?"
Her question came to a sudden halt as she realized she had overstepped her boundaries. She was ready to apologize, but Silver didn't mind it as he casually replied, "My magic, cool, right?"
He raised his hand and pulled a small magic stone from the ground with telekinesis, shocking her once more… and for good reason.
Just where was the keyword??
Once all items had been gathered, Silver raised his right hand, causing all of them to gather into one large ball floating above the ground.
He turned to them, smiling, "I'm done here. I'll clean the rest of my trouble and move on. I've done enough for a day… give me a moment as well."
/CRUNK!/
Silver pulled a large stone from the ground, covering his body from sight…
/Shaa!/
A gust of wind brushed past the stone, scattering the fog…
/Step…/
From behind the boulder, Silver stepped out, now clean of all the grime and dirt.
"Phew… I feel much better now." He said as he brushed his hair back
"Wawawawawa…"
The thing is, Silver's clothes were utterly tattered. Seeing his near-bare body with nothing but his trunks, Lefiya got a slight panic attack as she turned around, her face red.
"Put on some clothes!" She exclaimed as she turned around
"Hm?… Oh… my apologies, haha!"
"… here, you can have my cloak." Ais said as she gave him the winter cloak around her neck
Although deep down, she wanted to ask if his arm was okay. But as she looked at it, she noticed it looked utterly fine, almost as if what they had seen had been an illusion.
Silver shook his head, "There's no need of that."
"He's right, Ais!" Lefiya exclaimed as she pulled her cape towards her, looking at Silver threateningly
"Eh?…"
'This kid… now that I think about it, I'm not that much older than her, am I?'
From what Silver remembered, the Sword Princess before him was seventeen… if the words around were to be trusted.
Tione rolled her eyes, "Ignore her, she's just a little too eager."
Silver tilted his head but opted to ignore that. Some things were better left not understood.
He reached out toward the wall in the distance, and a large backpack flew in his direction. From within, he took a cloak and tied it around his neck, covering most of his body.
"That is sure convenient." Tione said as she began envying his ability
'He's controlling things without touching it. But when did he cast it? Could it be an Enchantment like Ais Magic? But wouldn't that mean he's controlling it all this time? Doesn't it consume too much energy?'
She had many questions, but Silver merely smiled at her in agreement. "Isn't it? Makes the job so much easier… if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
'I kind of wanted to speak a bit more, but this much is enough for a first impression. It looks like they're going to the Middle Floors, maybe even beyond that… I shouldn't take too much of their time.'
'We'll meet more, I'm certain of it.'
"… Do you need help to get back?" Ais asked as she looked at him approach them
"Thanks for the kindness, but I'll get by fine. The monsters around here are easy enough for me to take care of."
She nodded, not asking any further. She took his words for what they were… and why wouldn't she when the proof of it was all around?
/Step…/
With a small nod, Silver walked past them, "Good luck down there."
…
/Step…/
Silver walked through the 12th floor, redoing the path he took while he fought the monster waves so he could collect the fallen items and drop items he left behind, adding them to his pile of floating stones.
Why wasn't he storing it all? Well…
/Step, step, step…/
Because a human, an amazon, and an elf were following him.
"…"
'Why are they following me??'
'I wasn't planning on actually stopping. I mean, it's quite early… it's not even noon if I'm not mistaken! The day's still quite long, and I was planning on hunting far more after they left the floor.'
'For some reason though, they're following me… this ball of items is getting heavy as well… just because I tried to show off a little… should I confront them? What do they even want?… Wait… I might have an idea.'
Silver remembered the usual composition of their party whenever they went to the pub, if his assumptions were right…
He glanced back, "Erm… is something wrong? Can I help you three with anything else?"
Ais shook her head, "It's a coincidence."
"I see… the Upper Floors aren't that extensive, huh…"
"…"
""…""
…
After walking for a few more minutes in awkward silence and, luckily without encountering any other monsters, Silver and company arrived face to face with Tiona and Arshe.
Seeing them on the floor, Silver's assumptions were corrected, albeit it didn't change things much.
"Hm? Ais!… And uh… a dude?" Tiona asked out loud as she tilted her head
"Oh! You must be the dude they rescued!… But… what's that ball??"
"…"
Silver was too tired after using his Mind to levitate the equivalent of several times his own weight for so long. And that was after he had fought for so long. Ais' appearance had prevented him from drinking a potion at the time… and by now was a little too focused on maintaining his Plasmids to consider taking a potion from his backpack.
Or maybe it was just his pride… acting cool to the end, huh?…
While Tiona looked at the floating ball with wonder and curiosity, Arshe approached him "Do you need assistance? I can heal you."
But Silver shook his head for what seemed like the tenth time today… "I'm fine. Just a little tired."
She didn't put much thought before opening her backpack, "Your magic stones."
"Thank you, but you can keep them. It's just fair given my negligence…"
But Tiona interjected, "Just take them. They're just weight for us, anyway…" and before even Silver could respond to that, "In any case, what is this!" She asked as she pointed at the floating ball
"… Magic Stones and drop items?"
"I can tell that much! Why is it floating?" She asked eagerly as she walked around it
"Tiona… its rude to ask such things." Her sister interjected as she sighed
"Rude." Ais added with a nod, albeit just as intrigued
"But still…"
Silver looked at them and exhaled, using his powers to pull the magic stones and drop items from Arshe's backpack and add it to his ball, "It's just simple Telekinesis." Silver responded as he pulled one magic stone from the ball
""Telekinesis?"" They asked together, each associating the foreign word with something
Food…
Monsters…
Magic…
Some sort of combat style?
Seeing their confusion, Silver clarified, "Telekinesis is the ability to move or manipulate objects using only the mind." He said as he had the magic stone zip around them like a fly
"It's my magic. I apologize if it startled you."
"Woah!… There really are all kinds of magic out there, huh?!" Tiona exclaimed as she walked to Ais and the others
"I could say the same. To me, this has always been common nature, but out here, I see people with all strange abilities…" Silver replied as he gave Arshe a nod
"Thank you all again. Good luck down there…"
But before he could leave, "Can you make yourself float?" Tiona asked with interest as her eyes sparkled
"…"
Albeit a little tired, Silver responded by having not only himself but her float as well.
"WOAH!! What a strange feeling!"
Silver let her float around the place before placing her beside her sister.
While she was eagerly talking with the others, Silver sneaked away before he fell into Mind Zero… by the time she realized it, he was gone.
"Ehh?! I still had so many things left to ask!"
"Tiona… he was clearly tired, and you were pushing it. Grow some common sense, will you?" Her sister added with a scoff as she crossed her arms underneath her chest
"Oh yeah, my bad… what happened with him, anyway?"
"Well… I don't know much, Ais was the first to reach him. Ais, what did you see when you met him?"
"… Boom." She said as she put her hands forward, trying to make an explosion gesture
"Someone exploded?!"
"No, you idiot…"
…
"… Are they finally gone?"
'Phew…'
/Shuaa…/
Silver stored all of his items inside his pocket space, taking a deep breath of relief as he opened a potion bottle.
"Haa… much better."
He also checked the time. It was still quite early, not even 11 AM, so he sat down on the side and rested.
'Now we wait… once they step down… that's when I'll resume my work. There's not really anything for me to do today… maybe I'll return earlier than last time at least.'
"I also have to get that house thing done and search for an advisor too. I should also start looking at the commissions on the Guild board… it's never too bad to make some extra money, is it?"
He rested his head on the wall, 'Also… how do I convince Hestia to stop updating my Status? Maybe if I tell her that I can hardly get used to my body in this state, much less if we keep enhancing it, she'll agree…'
Silver closed his eyes and rested for a moment before resuming his dungeon crawling.
The day was still long.
…
/Step…/
"Urg… I overdid it again… that was dangerous, I shouldn't have messed around on the Middle Floors…"
'I pushed it too much… using weights and even poisoning myself… Hestia can't know about this; she'll really kill me if she hears of that.'
"I'm growing complacent, trying such stupid things as a Level 1…"
Under the moonlight, the dirty and bloody Silver made his way back home just like had always done in these past few days… tonight marked his sixth day since he became an adventurer.
Taking a dep breath, he rested his worn-out body against a nearby ruin, "Tomorrow is the day… two weeks since I killed Goliath. Its respawn time is fast approaching."
'Taking it down again will undoubtedly give me a fat load of experience… though I might have to clash with others this time… with most adventurers out of the Dungeon, I might have the chance to take it down.'
'The Guild might issue a commission for it even… although they'll never approve me. Even if I take it down, I might not even be able to trade it.'
"… Should I just bite the bullet and try anyway?"
'I can't lie… I'm a little curious about what would happen if I did do it. Would rumors of my incredible prowess spread? That would be funny… but honestly, I'm mostly interested in the unusual drop items that would come from killing it.'
'I have been looking around at some good smiths to make equipment for me, but with me just raw-dogging the Dungeon with my bare hands, I haven't had the need for it… but I'll need one at some point.'
'My Plasmids will probably struggle to keep up with the Dungeon's increasing hazards. A layer of armor of weapons made of sturdy gear will do much to help me… hard metal is easy to maintain compared to a barrier of some sort.'
/Shaaaa…/
The frigid wind brushed past him, "Huff… it sure is getting chilly… at this rate snow may start to fall."
Silver traversed the ruins, thinking of his progress in the past week.
Ever since his second day when he met the children of the Loki Familia, Silver's interest in the Middle Floors intensified.
He began with fighting at the edge before slowly conquering each floor with his Plasmids.
According to the Guild, on the 15th-17th Floors onward, monsters categorized as Level 2 individually, such as Minotaurs, appear, and it's recommended for Level 2 adventurers to have at least G in their basic abilities to pass through these floors and arrive on the 18th Floor safely.
Silver wasn't fearful of those monsters as even before his blessing he could face them… but that and facing them directly were different things.
Silver hunted each monster with traps and extensive preparations. It was only after several experiences that he grew able to hunt creatures like Minotaurs with ease by exploiting their habits. If they came at him in parties or even as waves, there was little he could do but flee.
The way he saw things was akin to him holding a BB gun on an open savanna… but on a savanna where elephants prowled the tall grass and ran as fast as cars.
Without precision and timing, taking some of these monsters down with his Plasmids was difficult, especially when he limited the growth of his Status by convincing Hestia to give him some time to adapt given his previous update.
He could face them far more easily now given his boost in power, but he would still struggle to block their attacks… rather, he wouldn't even risk subjecting himself to such… who was he kidding? Of course he tried to punch a Minotaur in the face… only to almost have his arm ripped off.
For most of the time, Silver chose his battles, running around places and evading large gatherings of monsters. Because of this, he opted to hunt on the 10th to 12ft floors where monsters were more abundant… it was also easier to explain the magic stones and drop items whenever he reached the Guild.
There is a reason the middle floors have a death rate almost as high as the Upper Floors: monsters start to cooperate, and some even use magic. All it took was one moment of carelessness… yet there he was going down there with weights tied to his body…
Regardless, he kept his pace, improving a little every day. If he could help others, he did; if his actions impacted others, he apologized. Silver wasn't exactly keen on getting famous, but neither was he fearful of exposing some abilities here and there.
… After all, in order to get a good alias, Hestia would have to discuss his achievements with the other deities in their meetings atop Babel. And if he doesn't do anything... isn't he going to receive a boring and funny alias?
An alias is a second name given to all adventurers during the Denatus by the Gods once they reach Level 2. An alias can potentially change every time an adventurer ranks up, but it doesn't always happen.
Certain gods take advantage of the naming process to give 'chuunibyou' aliases to adventurers from weaker Familia for entertainment purposes; however, there is a difference in how the children perceive them. Most consider it to be cool… not in Silver's case though.
Some names… were so embarrassing even he cringed when he heard them. Perhaps this was a one-dimensional worry of his, but he couldn't help but think about it.
In either case, Silver continued his actions as December rolled by…
With him sleeping a third of the day and spending on average half of the day in the Dungeon, there wasn't much time left for surface activities…
In his free time, for example, Silver would go to his workshop where he would experiment with some of the loot he collected from the Dungeon, often just studying the rocks and materials in a more controlled environment.
Nothing too serious… at least compared to his past life's ones… he wanted to do something like it, but with Hestia around and his tools, he knew it was a better bet to tone it down… not that it prevented him from "torturing" the monsters he met in the Dungeon.
Silver was deeply interested in how monsters utilized this world's energy. How their bodies functioned, how the Dungeon birthed them… to even smaller details such as the composition of their blood.
Why were some monsters stronger than others? Was it purely their bodies? Or was it something else that gave them such power?… Silver had many questions, some so dangerous Hestia would lose consciousness at the mere thought of having him pursue their answers… or at his mental integrity for even suggesting it…
As for simpler things like rocks and metals, he wanted to figure out their properties and characteristics, and eventually figure out just how 'Magical Power' as most called it, affected them.
One of his big goals was figuring its properties, but that was something so far down the line he wasn't even thinking of it, doing it mostly out of his own entertainment.
In his free time, Silver would go around the city with Hestia, looking out for a better home while also enjoying some free time with her. He'd also visit libraries for the sake of understanding more of this world's technological developments… he hadn't yet forgotten about his thirst for the "magitech" technology of Orario.
He also hadn't stopped by the Hostess of Fertility in quite some time, unfortunately… well, such was the life of a busy man.
Thankfully, he planned on passing by soon, maybe to commemorate after he was done with Goliath.
…
/Splash…/
Silver slowly let his body sink into the steaming hot bathtub… "Haaaa... I needed this..."
'The heater was crazy expensive though.'
"Tomorrow is the day…"
Silver enjoyed his bath for a little longer before he dried his body, put on a pair of underwear, some shorts, and left the bathroom…
But he forgot he was living with a girl. Or, to be more exact, he didn't think that deeply and just left the bathroom…That was how relaxed he was.
"..."
'What is the meaning of this?!'
Hestia's mind was in turmoil as she looked at Silver as he passed by her. Somehow, he didn't notice her and merely sat on the couch near the fireplace to read a book.
/Poof!/
He used telekinesis with his left hand to make the book float while he used his right hand to create a small flame… and then an ice cone… followed by a small wind tornado… The elements kept intertwining as he practiced without a care.
He also used telekinesis to control a small glass of water and some grapes he froze, eating them like snacks.
"... This guy.."
'Look at how comfortable he is!'
Hestia observed just how uncaring her adventurer was, 'Is the problem here me? Maybe this isn't that big of a deal.' She thought before going to the bathroom
After she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror "... Is there something wrong with me?"
She looked at her face, beautiful aqua eyes and gorgeous, near-flawless features, her dark shiny hair falling on her shoulders, for she didn't like to sleep in ponytails.
A goddess' beauty wasn't something to make fun of. No wonder many men would beg to stay with one such girl. Some manage; most fail… miserable at that.
Hestia wore a loose pair of white pajamas with some cute white slippers she had bought with Silver a few days prior.
"Hmm…"
'Strange. Wasn't he supposed to react? Hephaestus told me that… mumumu… my face is fine, my hair is shiny and my clothes are cute! How is he so uncaring?'
She touched her face as her thoughts raced, 'Am I an easy woman?...'
Hestia's mood plummeted, but...
/SLAP!/
She slapped her own cheeks and solidified her will.
"HUMPH! There isn't anything wrong with me! He's an idiot!"
"…"
Meanwhile, outside, Silver raised an eyebrow, 'What the hell is she talking about?…'
…
"Yawn…"
Silver woke up and prepared to set out into the Dungeon… but something prevented him from doing so…
"How... why is she on my bed?"
'Did she sleepwalk again? From one corner of the basement to the other?'
Silver pushed her aside gently as he got up, taking a moment to glance at her sleeping figure, "... A deity is a deity at the end of the day… how can she look beautiful while sleeping?" He wondered as he looked at her.
'When I wake up, I look like a beggar in comparison…'
Silver picked one sheet and placed it over Hestia before writing a letter. With everything over, he made his way to the Guild as he always did.
Although he wasn't planning on doing much aside from challenging Goliath today, he might as well pick up some commissions.
He also had someone he needed to meet, it was part of his schedule by now.
…
/Later…/
"Thanks for the ride!"
Getting out of the cart, Silver entered the busy guild…
/Chattering…/
Just as he stepped inside, he was approached by a somewhat thin dwarf… beardless too, "... Oh! It's you, boyo. You are always here early! You must be here for your advisor, right?"
He was carrying a large box filled with books. In fact, one of the reasons they got to know each other was that Silver often volunteered to help move certain things around the place… not with magic, of course.
Magic wasn't allowed inside the Guild.
Turning to him, Silver smiled, "Good morning, Banxi, working hard as always…"
"OI! Banxi! We need you over here!" A Guild worked exclaimed on the side
"Oto… looks like our meeting is short-lived. Your advisor is working over there; go give the lad a time off." He said as he pointed at the counters
"Anyhow, see you later!"
With that, he bolted off with a large box in his hands.
"See ya."
With a faint smile, he stopped before an empty countertop.
/Ding!/
He knocked on a small bell placed on top of it, making a clear "ding" sound.
"… Give me a moment!"
Soon enough, Silver saw someone running towards him.
Who else could be? It was his overworked and alcoholic advisor…
...
.
.
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Notes