Let's go to one more chapter. This one, unlike the other two, doesn't have as much action, it's more to introduce some characters and leave some 'surprises' and 'mysteries' in the air.
Later that night, inside the Twilight Mansion.
Finn had his hands clasped close to his mouth as he stared at the high ranking members of the < Loki family> .
Apparently, there was a rumor of a man in black entering the mansion at night with a girl in his arms. Looks like someone had seen Shadow enter the place.
No...
Finn knew that was not the case.
There was no way that 'person' could be seen that easily. He then came to a logical conclusion. He purposely let himself be seen. And Finn guessed why that was. Ais and the others who were still out quickly returned to the family mansion.
Honestly, Finn was quite surprised that the rumor spread so quickly. Anyone who has seen it is certainly very fond of gossip.
But he thanked Shadow for that. Because of that, he won't have to explain things twice, as all the high-ranking members were in his office. Most of them were talking to Lefiya who had some tears in her eyes and was muttering that she was very scared. She was hugging Aiz who showed no expression on her face.
But Finn knew as well as anyone else. She was probably blaming herself.
Finn started looking at the people who were present.
Sitting on the sofa next to the sofa where Lefiya is with the others is Riveria.
Riveria is tall, with jade-colored hair tied in a waist-length tail, jade-colored eyes, and elf ears. She wears a green outfit with yellow edges, a white cape over the top, a black belt, a yellow sash, black leggings and long brown boots.
She's usually always serious, but the look she's giving Finn is the most serious look he's ever seen her show.
And Gareth who was on the same couch as Riveria.
Gareth has brown eyes and long brown hair, along with matching facial hair that is long enough to form a beard.
Tione who was on the same couch as Lefiya talking to them.
Tione has dark green eyes and long brown hair. As an Amazon, she wears revealing clothes and has sky-blue earrings in her ears.
And his sister Tiona who is hugging Lefiya while saying some things.
Tiona has medium-length black hair and brown eyes. Like all Amazons, she wears revealing clothing, wearing only a strip of cloth around her chest and a pareo around her waist, and always goes barefoot.
And Bete who had a serious look. He would occasionally mumble things about ' I'm going to kill these guys who dare mess with the Loki family '.
Bete has gray hair, along with amber eyes, as well as a smooth tail. He has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face and a muscular physique.
And lastly, Aiz.
Aiz is considered a very beautiful woman, with long golden hair, golden eyes and a slim figure. She usually wears a white outfit with long black gloves and blue boots.
"Guys, I want you to pay attention," Finn began, drawing everyone's attention. "As you know, Lefiya was kidnapped, but someone saved her and brought her here."
"Yes, that we all know, what I want to know is who 'that' person is, Finn." Loki was getting impatient.
"All in good time, Loki. First, Lefiya, you mentioned that you were out of Orario, right?" Finn quickly asked her.
Everyone then turned their eyes in her direction, making her a little nervous. She then started to respond.
"Yeah...I was walking back here when suddenly someone put a cloth over my nose, causing me to pass out. Then I found myself in a strange place with chains on my arms and a crazy guy... "
"They didn't do anything to you, did they...?" Finn asked in a very scary tone.
She shook her head. "No. When he was talking to me, suddenly a sound was heard and some adventurers in full armor yelled that they had intruders."
"Who could it be?" Gareth thought aloud.
"Probably his organization," Finn guessed.
"His organization?" Riveria questioned.
"Like I told Loki, all in good time. We're getting there." Finn replied.
She nodded in agreement.
"Did they mention the reason they kidnapped you?" Finn asked.
"Now that you said...that scary guy mentioned something..."
Finn as well as everyone else narrowed their eyes when she said that. Finn gestured for her to continue talking.
"That scary guy...he mentioned something like 'your blood will be used for the resurrection of Diabolos'. Although I don't know what this is."
Finn widened his eyes along with Loki.
"It's not possible..." Loki muttered.
"What is Diabolos?" Tiona quickly asked.
"It's a monster that comes out of the Dungeon. It has a whole legend, but I won't talk about it now. The important point is that the legends say that Diabolos can be stronger than the One-Eyed Black Dragon ." Finn replied looking at his trembling thumb.
Everyone's eyes widened at that.
Incredibly, Aiz was the most surprised by this.
"Wait! Did he say her blood would help resurrect this!?" Bete exclaimed.
It was hard to believe in anything 'stronger' than that thing.
Everyone looked at Lefiya making her flinch.
"Calm down folks. We'll discuss this at another time. For now let's focus on the main point," Finn cut them off in a commanding voice.
He never saw this Diabolos, but according to what Loki told a long time ago, several Gods fear this monster. Therefore, he must avoid his resurrection at all costs.
How would her blood help that thing's resurrection? Finn would make sure to talk to Lefiya later.
"Lefiya, tell what happened next."
Lefiya began to recount everything in detail. She told about that syringe the man intended to use to 'draw' her blood. But she said he mentioned that she would probably die if he stung her with that. Then she got to the part about the man dressed in black.
"He came and saved me!"
"No... it can't be..." Aiz's eyes widened as he looked at Lefiya.
His tone was unusual, it caught everyone's attention. She looked at Finn and he nodded in agreement.
"The person who rescued Lefiya. His name is Shadow . He is the leader of an organization called Shadow Garden. You probably remember the person from 5 years ago who saved the <Astrea family > and several innocents, right? Aiz had mentioned him before. ."
Everyone then started to remember 5 years ago. Aiz was the most confused by all of this. At first they didn't believe her, but after the whole <Astrea family> said she was saved by a person with the same descriptions Aiz said, they could only believe. It was obvious that Loki knew from the beginning that Aiz wasn't lying, but she herself was in her world thinking about this 'person'.
"Where..." Aiz muttered and looked at Finn again. "Where is he? Where has he gone...?"
"I don't know," Finn sighed. "However, we'll probably find him again."
"What do you mean by that, captain?" Tione asked.
Finn then sighed heavily and looked at all of them with more serious looks than before.
"According to what Shadow said, there is an organization. Its name is the Dark Guild. They were the ones responsible for kidnapping Lefiya. Shadow also said it's an organization he's been fighting for years. And they only have one objective."
Finn met everyone's eyes.
"The complete destruction of Orario."
Everyone's eyes widened.
"W-What!?" Loki exclaimed.
"Finn...are you sure about that?" Riveria asked.
That was great information. However, it was given by a random 'person'. So it wasn't good to go stating things like that without being sure.
"Yeah, couldn't he have just made something up?" Bete said.
"I don't think it would be possible. When I stared into that person's eyes, I could tell quickly," Finn said looking at everyone.
" He is someone completely serious . "
Everyone just listened. If their captain believed it, then it's likely to be true. He has a high intuition.
"Besides," he began. "When I looked into that man's eyes I immediately noticed something."
"And what would it be?" Gareth asked.
He looked at Aiz, and for some reason he felt like she knew his next lines.
"That man Shadow. He is totally out of the ordinary. If I faced him I would be completely massacred."
Again they looked surprised.
Probably many would believe him if he said he would be able to give him a good fight. Aiz's own description of 5 years ago spoke of his strength. But here is Finn, the captain of the Loki family, saying that he would be completely massacred if he fought this person?
"You can't be serious, can you Finn?" Loki asked with a smile. However, it was a nervous smile.
"I am. That person is very strong. I could see several shadows covering him as if they were some kind of 'shield.' That man is probably...no, he is by far the strongest person who has ever set foot in Orario. " Finn said with frightening confidence.
The trust was such that the family members just stared at him expecting some kind of joke. None came.
Finn looked in Aiz's direction and saw that she was looking at the ground. She seemed to be thinking of something. Probably from when she met Shadow 5 years ago.
"Has he always fought these people?" Lefiya muttered.
"Are you sure he didn't just save her for the reward?" Bete asked with anger in her voice.
For some strange reason he seemed to show great hostility towards this person. Finn then realized why. Aiz still had his head down.
"How can you say something like that?" Lefiya narrowed her eyes at him.
"Oh what? Aren't you going to tell me you fell in love with him at first sight?"
"What!? Don't talk nonsense, I-"
"It's quite the opposite, Bete," Finn cut them off bringing his full attention to himself.
"What do you mean by that exactly?" Gareth asked.
"I can tell you he didn't rescue her for the reward. In fact, he didn't even seem interested in her. He didn't mention the reward at all. He just came and handed Lefiya and left," Finn replied with a smile.
Everyone was surprised by this.
The reward given to whoever brought Lefiya back was about 30.000.000 valis.
Did he just ignore the reward?
Lefiya showed a very happy face upon hearing this.
"I see...he looks like he's a good person," Riveria smiled.
"Indeed. Such a reward should be nothing to him."
Finn then declared the meeting over. They would talk about other things tomorrow. However, the main one has already been dealt with. Everyone was very tired.
...
In a certain person's room, it is possible to see a girl with blond hair and eyes that has difficulty sleeping. She was thinking about the conversation just now with this.
"He's here..." She muttered.
She closed her eyes.
"Shadow...."
xXx
An elf with blond hair that reached to her shoulders was lying on her back on the bed.
She was in the process of getting a status update from her Goddess. She, along with the rest of her family and some members of the Ganesha family, dove down to the fiftieth floor of the dungeon and went through many life-threatening situations. They had planned their expedition to this floor because there was a safety point there, they wanted to avoid fighting Monster Rex from the forty-ninth floor while it was still in the rebirth process. Fortunately there were no deaths, but many of them sustained multiple injuries. They would likely pay the Dian Cecht Family a large amount to treat their wounds, but it was a relief to be able to live another day.
The goddess in the room had long brown hair and a kind-looking face. She finished updating the elf's stats, and with a smile.
"Ryuu, congratulations on reaching Level 6!"
It had been some time since she leveled up. Since arriving in Orario, she has leveled up at intervals of one to a year and a half, which was usually only done by the best adventurers in Orario. But since moving up to level four, his progress has slowed down. The reason was due to the need for much higher quality Excelia as you level up, and Excelia becomes harder and harder to get as you level up.
However, even so she still rose fast considering her level.
And that was all due to him .
Ryuu got up from the bed and, Astrea his Goddess, handed her the paper with her status written on it and she looked over. She is finally a level 6.
Lyon Ryuu
Elf
LV: 6
(all statuses reset)
Skills:
Abnormal Resistance: F, Magic Resistance: H, Spiritual Healing: H. Swordsman.
Spells:
Luminous Wind. Noah Heall. Dark Wind . Dark storm. Mind Load. Aero Mana.
"I've chosen the 'Swordsman' skill since you requested it, but are you still sure not to choose 'Mage'?"
Ryuu just nodded at her words. She had been one of the few magical swordsmen in Orario, the one who actually used a combination of magic and weapons. Most swordsmen knew how to use magic, as long as they had time to prepare the chant. Or, they used similar enhancements or abilities to increase their weapons.
Her ability, Mind Load, was one of the skills that allowed her to become a magical swordsman. In exchange for consuming Mind, she could increase her Strength stat. Her natural strength stat was never high, but in return, her Dexterity, Agility and Magic stats were higher, and most of them reached S or A level by the time she leveled up.
Well, of course there was always an exception. After all, she'd met someone a long time ago who looked like she didn't need any corners or anything like that to use her 'magic'. This person was strong. Very strong. She possessed a completely overwhelming strength.
And that person was one of the reasons she became a Magic Swordsman.
5 years ago she and her family were almost all exterminated and massacred. If it wasn't for a 'boy' who looked about 10 years old with completely black clothes and a mask, she didn't know what would become of her and her family. They would probably be dead by now. Although the 'boy' wore a hooded outfit, it was possible to see his white hair when the wind blew his clothes. The mask he wore didn't cover everything either, just a small part of his face. However, it was possible to see her eyes as red as rubies.
That 'boy' was something you could define with just one word.
Monster.
He was simply a monster. The way he fought, his weird spells, it was all just insane. He slaughtered the Evilus as if they were nothing.
Whenever she thinks of that boy in a black coat and wearing a Far East style sword, an all-black Katana. She remembered that kind of 'purple' power circling him and his sword. It was beautiful. It was just too beautiful. It was all the more fascinating given the way he moved, his swordplay as the purple power circled around him...
She remembered his words when they asked her name.
"My name is Shadow. The leader of the Garden of Shadows. The one who will be left in charge of taking care of these evils that haunt the innocent in the dark of night."
Ever since that day when she saw his abilities with that strange black Katana, she was fascinated. She made a promise to herself that day. She would become a swordsman like the one who saved her. She would one day find him again and show him her sword techniques.
Even some of her skills came as a result of drawing inspiration from the techniques he had used that day.
"You're thinking about him again aren't you?" Your Goddess asks her when she started to travel in her thoughts. She just blushed and nodded her head before speaking.
"If it weren't for him, we would all die. We owe him our lives." Ryuu Said.
Your Goddess simply nods in agreement before speaking.
"Indeed. Though he was all covered in black, it was safe to say he was no older than 11. Even though his voice and size seemed a bit mature for his 'supposed age.' well I really hope to meet that kid again to be able to thank him in a proper way."
Ryuu agreed with her. Not only her, but she was sure her entire family thought that way too.
"But that's not the only thing is it?" His Goddess started in a mischievous voice, causing Ryuu to start to tense up. "You fell in love with the boy. You fell in love with that boy who called himself the leader of an organization, Shadow. You fell in love with a boy about 10 years old ." She commented in a mischievous voice and was keen to emphasize the word '10 year old boy '.
Ryuu is now looking like a tomato. But she doesn't deny anything. Why your Goddess is right. She fell in love with a boy who was probably 10 years old. But he must be 15 now right? He is now a teenager right? So there shouldn't be any problems right!? She wouldn't be judged as a pedophile, right!? She started screaming in her mind.
Seeing her daughter probably in her thoughts, she speaks with a laugh. "Now, now, you don't have to be like that, Ryuu. I'm just kidding," she says causing Ryuu to calm down a bit. But then she adds.
"When you find him and marry him don't you dare forget about calling us to the wedding." Ryuu once again turns red and starts punching his arm weakly.
"AA-Astrea-sama!" She screamed as she punched her goddess' arms in a cute way.
"Fufufu, just kidding, just kidding."
After a while, things finally calmed down, and then Ryuu asked.
"When will we go into the Clan to announce my level?"
"Hmm," Astrea put a hand to her chin as if in deep thought. "How about two weeks from now? You might as well enjoy the dungeon for a while while testing your new level..."
That was a good point. Ryuu knew why his Goddess had suggested this. When she announces her level up, there's going to be a big commotion. As much as she was used to it, it was still an irritating situation. She then decided to accept Astrea's suggestion.
"Very well. In 2 weeks then."
"Right!"
While talking about a few things, Ryuu blurts out.
"How is he...?"
"Thinking about your crush~?"
Ryuu just sighed as he turned a little red from his Goddess' actions.
"Well..." Astrea started to speak, drawing Ryuu's attention. She continued. "He's someone very strong, so I doubt he has any difficulty with anything. However, he seems to be the kind of person who always deals with a lot of problems, so maybe he's dealing with one right now."
That was true. If what he said is true - that he had an organization - then it was normal to think that he got into a lot of battles. But Ryuu thought he cared a lot about people, after all he saved his whole family and ended that war against the Evilus . He prevented more innocents from being killed. If not for him, the fight would likely have lasted many more weeks, thus resulting in the deaths of several people.
Ryuu then wondered...
'What kind of trouble is he going through right now?'
xXx
Curse!
It was currently the next day, and Bell couldn't stop cursing himself in his mind. It was simply unreal. He didn't understand how that was possible.
How the hell could he just forget about the reward!?
That was the main reason why he saved that elf! Of course he wanted to rescue her, however his enthusiasm was due to the high reward. And what does he do? He fucking forgets about her!
He, the badass leader of a (fake) organization forgot to take the fucking reward!
Of course, he thought about showing up again at the Twilight Mansion to get the reward. However, he was against this idea.
The reason was very simple.
How the hell could he go back for the reward money after saying those nice words? Has no way. It didn't make sense. That 'epic' scene would lose all its luster if he came back from nowhere demanding the 30million valis of the reward. He was pretty sure Finn had come to the conclusion that he didn't care about the money and did it as a 'good deed' or something.
However, he cared a lot about the reward money!
He then forced himself to think of something else, because if not, he would be mentally cursing himself all day. Yes, he had something else to worry about right now. Today would be the day he would approach Hestia to join her family. Of course he thought of something for her to accept him without question. Not that she could question it, of course.
He was in his rented room.
Alpha and Beta were just a little apart, staring at him. Both looked a little relieved. The reason was the murderous intent Bell was spreading around the room. They didn't know the reason for this and quickly found themselves wondering in their minds if they had made him angry in any way. They were ready to apologize for whatever reason. However, the murderous intent has completely disappeared.
It was a great relief.
They really thought he was ready to destroy anything in front of him with that murderous intent.
Bell then got up.
"It's time," he said.
Yes, he would visit Hestia and ask to join her family.
"Alpha, Beta," he said making them straighten up quickly as they looked at him.
They saw his serious look, so what he was about to say was something important.
"The dark night wind will blow soon. A storm will form. When that time comes, everyone must be prepared."
They listened to this carefully. They knew what his words meant. It was a warning. They both looked into each other's eyes with the same thought.
'Did he foresee some future confrontation? '
He then turned to the door and left the room, leaving them both thinking deeply about his words. When a few minutes passed after his departure, Alpha muttered something that Beta eventually heard but didn't understand.
"Is there a problem, Alpha-sama?" Beta asked.
"It's nothing. I just forgot to tell you that Gamma was here, but it's nothing important. I'm sure he's already felt her power and is aware that she's here."
When they learned that their master would come to Orario in the future, Gamma along with the others quickly thought of something. They had built a chocolate and candy store in Orário. At first it was difficult due to the suspicion of some high-ranking gods, but after using some methods they quickly allowed it.
The store was built about a year and a half ago, and it became quite popular in Orário because of the 'exotic sweets'. The most popular among the people of Orário was the one called 'chocolate' that nobody knew until this store arrived in Orário. The store was known as:
The 'Mitsugoshi Industry'.
However, she was sure her master had already figured it out. Right now, she had something more important to think about. What Shadow had said just now.
"Beta, what do you think?" Alpha asked.
Beta quickly assumed it was what Lord Shadow had said. She put on serious eyes as she answered.
"He probably foresaw a big showdown that will happen in the future, like any other time. And the way he said it, it's going to happen soon and it's likely to be overnight."
"Yea." Alpha began to think about his master's words.
"The dark night wind will blow soon. A storm will form. When that time comes, everyone must be prepared."
She quickly widened her eyes after a while.
"Beta." She called out to her with a serious tone.
"Yes?"
"Contact the other 'Shadows' and tell them to get ready."
"Uh, now?" Beta was a little confused. "What will you do?"
"There's something I need to check. That's why I'm counting on you."
"Alpha-sama... could you have discovered something?"
"I'm not sure. It's just a hypothesis. But if that's what I think, then we had better be more prepared than ever." His tone was serious and urgent.
Beta noticing the tone she had used nodded. It was very urgent so she got ready and said goodbye.
Alpha was alone in Bell's room.
"...Possibly..." She muttered and then left Bell's room.
...
...
...
Bell had just left his room. He thought about the words he had said to Alpha and Beta.
"The dark night wind will blow soon. A storm will form. When that time comes, everyone must be prepared."
There was no real motive behind these words. It was just something he had wanted to say for a long time, and he felt that this was the perfect time for it. Smiling in victory, he quickly pulled the map out of his pocket. It was the map Alpha had given him last night. Though he was curious as to why the hell she had a map for it.
As he walked through the streets, following the map, an establishment quickly caught his eye. There was no way not to call.
It looked like a big store. Seriously, this is probably the biggest he's ever seen. In fact, this appeared to be the biggest 'building' in Orario excluding the Tower of Babel. It was simply gigantic. How the hell didn't he notice that the first time he came to town?
At the door of the establishment there was a long line. The biggest he had ever seen. This place was probably very popular due to the fact that so many people came to buy the products from this store. He noticed a giant sign on top of the store. The sign said:
The 'Mitsugoshi Industry'.
Bell thought about this for a while before shrugging and walking away.
There was no reason for him to be thinking about a store that apparently sells candy - due to the fact that he saw some people hanging out with them - so it was useless for him to waste time on it.
This store had nothing important.
He quickened his pace until he found the said Goddess.
It didn't take long for him to find a pretty, petite girl with a youthful appearance. She has blue eyes and black hair tied into twin tails that reach her middle thighs. Her black hair was tied up with some kind of hair accessory. She has a small frame (4'7") that emphasizes her breasts even more, hence the nickname "Loli Big-boobs". Her usual attire is a white mini dress with a blue ribbon around her neck and one tied. under her breasts around her arms and a pair of white gloves.
' Probably someone gave it to her. ' He thought.
She was a poor Goddess according to her information, so it was ridiculous to think she would spend the money she earned buying a hair accessory. Food is much more important than that. Alpha had also commented that she appeared to be a great friend of Hephaestus, however she had been 'kicked out' by her own friend for being too lazy.
Bell really wanted to know where the hell Alpha got that information from, but he didn't think too much about it.
He quickly put on the most innocent smile he could and started walking towards the Goddess.
When he got close to her, she quickly noticed his figure. The first thing she thought when she saw the boy was 'cute!' or 'he is very handsome!'. Bell approached even closer and ordered one of the snacks she was selling. They quickly started talking about a few things and during this conversation Hestia quickly realized that she was dealing with an innocent and pure boy.
"Well, I just arrived in Orario so..." Bell started talking. That should be enough.
"Wait! You arrived in no time? It means you have no family, right!?" She quickly asked these questions.
Bell quickly put on a sad smile.
"Actually...I tried to join other families, however they all rejected me. They said I was weak looking so they couldn't accept me..." He said in a sad tone that looked like he was about to cry.
However, that was a lie.
Hestia was the first Goddess he visited. But he thought this approach would be the best. Couple this with a Goddess who is clearly desperate to have her first family member, and then...
"You can join my family!"
The boy then looked at her in surprise.
"S-seriously...?"
"Oh yes. However, I'm a poor Goddess and my accommodations can't be very good..." She said a little sadly.
"It does not matter!" The boy screamed quickly as he grabbed the Goddess's hands, surprising her in the process.
Yes, it didn't matter. This place she was talking about must be the abandoned Church. But it's not a bad place. In fact, it was the best thing Bell could ask for right now. Who would suspect a poor Goddess adventurer? Even more so with him being the first adventurer in his family. They'd probably just say some bad things to him, and think he's just a weak person.
And that's exactly what he wants!
"Same...?" The Goddess asked to confirm.
"Yes, I don't mind at all. Besides you're the first one to accept me into your family, how would I deny such a thing?" He responded with a smile that made her blush.
"Nn-in that case, let's go to my house so I can give you my falna!" She responded excitedly.
"We will!" He agreed.
Hestia then guided Bell to the Abandoned Church where she would deliver her falna. All the way through she was smiling at finally meeting a member of her family. A pure and innocent boy from the look of him. How could she ask for anything better!?
xXx
Unknown location: Shadow Garden Base.
The base of the Shadow Garden. It was located in a place totally unknown to outsiders. It currently had about 700+ members. And they were all women. At this base, you will normally see one of the 'Seven Original Shadows' training new recruits. All of them follow the routine of the Eminence in the Shadows.
There were two women who stood out more than the others.
A white-haired woman with different colored eyes. His left eye was gray, while his right was green. She was a very beautiful woman. She wore black slime clothes just like everyone else. At first she was very fascinated that the creature known as the weakest could be used that way. It was fascinating. When she asked that 'elf' she said it was her master who did it.
That woman was Alfia.
It had been a few years since she had joined Shadow Garden.
The reason was quite simple.
She was interested in that boy of monstrous strength. She didn't believe he had an organization at first, but after being approached by that 'elf' who asked her to join the organization she understood that he did.
Initially she asked her why she invited her to the organization, as she was one of those responsible for nearly destroying Orário. The elf woman who called herself 'Alpha' said it was her master's wish. She told her that Shadow showed some interest in her for being able to hold out in a fight against him longer than anyone.
However, she was confused by this. After all, she and the boy didn't even fight because he said he needed to end things quickly and didn't have time to waste on her.
She ended up agreeing to join Shadow Garden. The biggest reason was the fact that she was interested in this strong boy. He claims he is no hero, but his strength surpassed that of any ordinary adventurer she had ever seen. There were also other reasons why she entered.
One of them was the fact that the boy was able to cure her of her illness. That in itself was a feat she thought was impossible. She then began to think about the possibility that she might have met him long before... she could have saved her nephew's mother.
She also wanted to meet him in person without all that hooded outfit and mask. She for some reason found him familiar.
However, even in his clothes and mask, she was still able to see his white hair and red eyes. She suddenly remembered a small baby with red eyes and white hair. It was your nephew...
It was a very strange coincidence indeed.
There was no way that fluffy boy with white hair and red eyes could be this 'man' of monstrous strength . She thought.
However, there was a problem.
She still couldn't talk to him...
It's been about 5 years since she joined Shadow Garden, but even so she never met 'Shadow' again after he cured her illness. The only reasons she had joined this organization was because she was able to talk to him and because he had cured her illness. He saved her life with it. But whenever she asked any of the 'Seven Original Shadows' they said the same thing.
"He's busy tracking down the Dark Guild and the Cult of the Dungeon."
Apparently, Shadow had discovered a group called the "Dark Guild". Their aim was the total destruction of Orario. She herself had already struggled with some people from that group. But even with all that, she still wanted to talk to Shadow. So Alpha told her how she could manage to do this.
She was supposed to become a member of the Original Shadows .
Currently there were only 7 of them. And all of them were handpicked by Shadow, so there was a chance he could pick a new one in the future. So all she had to do was complete the missions quickly and efficiently for Shadow to notice her and thus add her to the Original Shadows.
Only so far nothing.
She even joked asking if he knew of the missions she completed, to which Alpha responded with a laugh.
"Fufufu, Shadow is always aware of everything that goes on in Shadow Garden." That was what she said.
The second woman, on her side...
"Delta!"
Suddenly a scream was heard. It was Beta who had just arrived from somewhere, and her expression said it was urgent.
"Hello Beta. What's the matter?" Delta who was on the other side training some recruits asked.
Formerly known as Sara. She is a member of Shadow Garden. She is the fourth member of the Seven Shadows, and she is extremely loyal to her master after he saved her from Possession.
Delta is a beautiful teenager with long black hair and two big dog ears on top of her head. She sports black eyes. Her body is slender, with full breasts.
"Gather the other members of the Seven Shadows. It's urgent," said Beta with serious eyes.
Delta quickly nodded and told the recruits to take the rest of the day off.
Beta turned to the only two girls left.
"You can come along."
Although they weren't a member of the 'Seven Shadows' they still received better treatment than the others. Both thought it was because of their achievements in the quests, and it wouldn't be long before they became members of the Original Shadows.
Beta however took a small look in Alfia's direction.
She knew who she really was.
His master's aunt.
All Original Shadows knew this information.
When her master asked to invite her to join the Shadow Garden, Alpha realized his intention right away.
Protect.
He wanted to put her in Shadow Garden to protect his aunt. Alpha understood this very well. While they train Alfia to get stronger so she can protect herself better on her own, she will also be safe inside the Shadow Garden. All the missions they gave her was something easy to accomplish with their strength.
They gave a little special treatment to her in particular.
They couldn't allow anything to happen to Shadow's aunt. Otherwise, they would surely face your will. And this is something that certainly none of them want to face.
After a while, everyone was in one big room. All of the Original Shadows were present except for two of them. Alfia and the other woman were waiting for the meeting to start.
Suddenly, the door is opened with great force.
"Sorry I'm late! When I heard the Lord made another foreshadowing I came running and-" She quickly slipped on her own foot and landed ridiculously facedown on the floor.
She quickly stood up while covering her nose which was red from the fall. "Sorry to see this, I ended up rushing too far," she said and finished with a nervous laugh.
It was Gamma.
Gamma is a mature, slender elf with a large breast and dark blue hair with several braided strands that extend almost to her feet. In addition, she also has a mole under the left corner of her lips.
His Shadow Garden uniform consists of a standard slime body with gold patterns decorated around his chest and arms.
When outside the Shadow Garden, Gamma usually wears a long, dark dress tied to a plaid that exposes her chest and back.
She is the most cunning and intelligent member of Shadow Garden. However, she has a great lack of coordination being very clumsy. You can see this in the fall that happened recently. Who the hell would trip over their own foot?
She is also the director of Mitsugushi Company. Gamma's vast knowledge allowed her to recreate many of the items her Shadow master described (items he invented) to sell as exclusive Mitsugoshi products. The most popular among people was candy, with the most popular being chocolate.
Although not a competent fighter, she makes up for being a very smart and cunning individual, which makes her responsible for most of Shadow Garden's operations. That's why Beta made them wait for her, after all, she was the one who had more chance to get something out of Shadow's words.
After some time of commotion, Beta stepped forward.
"Okay, let's get started."
"Wait, where's Alpha?"
"Alpha-sama needed to check something urgently. She probably has some clue."
"What were the Lord's words this time?" Gamma asked with a totally serious tone.
Beta took a deep breath and then looked at them all seriously. She then started to speak.
"When we were talking, Lord Shadow suddenly said ' The dark night wind will blow soon. A storm will form. When that moment comes, everyone must be prepared.' .What do you think about this Gamma?"
Gamma placed her hand on her chin as she thought deeply.
"The last time Lord Shadow made a foreshadowing was ' The waters will be turbulent soon. Soon the creature that reigns over the oceans will reveal its will .' After he said that, about a month later that crazy Leviathan appeared ." Gamma said.
The Original Shadows quickly shivered at the memory of this. An entire island was destroyed due to this battle. After that, they proceeded to prepare themselves for any 'forerunner' that their master spoke.
"It was a good dinner," Delta commented drooling as he remembered Leviathan's feast. The creature was different from the dungeon monsters, after all it didn't disappear like the dungeon monsters.
"Are you seriously thinking about food right now?" Even though she said that, she couldn't deny that his meat was very good.
"What does 'dark wind' mean exactly?" Beta wondered as she thought.
Alfia and the woman beside her were just silently watching.
Gamma started to think wildly. She had a few theories, but nothing too sure. She quickly berated herself for not being sure. It was certain that Shadow already knew what they would end up facing in the future. He says the phrases in riddle form to train the girls and herself. Still, she's not sure what it could be. She was eating away at it.
"I can get an idea of what Shadow's words mean," said a voice.
They all turned to the source of the voice and then saw Alpha walking towards them with a very serious look.
...
...
...
Currently the meeting was over. The Original Shadows were dismissed and Alfia and the woman beside her were returning.
"What do you think?" Alfia suddenly asks.
Of course it was for the woman beside him. She made a sound and put her finger to her chin as if thinking. After a while she replied.
"I'm not sure. But no matter what he faces, he'll come out victorious. I trust him." replied the woman.
"You really seem to have a lot of confidence in him," said Alfia with a smile.
The woman smiled back.
"You are the same thing, aren't you?"
"Indeed."
They started walking slowly until Alfia spoke to the woman before leaving.
"What will you do?"
"Hmm, guess I can just wait?"
"Why that?"
"Because I know he will keep his promise," replied the woman. "He...he was able to defeat that thing and rescue me right away. I'll just wait until the time when I can be reunited with my daughter again. "
The woman with golden hair and eyes said with a smile as she prepared to leave.
...
xXx
It has been 2 weeks since Bell joined the Hestia family.
As expected of his skill, he managed to fake his falna for a level 1 beginner. The abilities were also hidden, so he didn't have to worry about anything. One important point he would have to think about was whether he would reveal his identity as Shadow to his Goddess.
He still wasn't sure about that, so he'd wait a little longer to decide.
Beta and Alpha have been a bit missing lately. He didn't know why, but he felt a little lonely. He just didn't feel lonely anymore because of his Goddess.
However, he finds her irritating at times. For example, there are times when she yells at some women on the street who are looking at them. He didn't understand why, but just kept showing his Oscar-worthy performance.
Bell was currently in the Dungeon.
He had to get money from the dungeon (although he didn't need to) to feed him and Hestia. Since he didn't count his identity as Shadow, it could be very suspicious for a 'level 1' to show up full of money in town. Even more than him, who didn't wear fancy clothes in the city.
Although he would act weak doesn't mean he would do a scene against simple goblins. Of course he showed some difficulty when he had other adventurers around. Some of them even laughed at him for having difficulty dealing with multiple goblins at the same time.
He quickly started down the floors when he didn't see anyone. His goal was the fifth floor. If he was lucky he wouldn't see anyone on this floor and could have fun playing with the monsters.
As he was climbing the stairs that led to the fifth floor, he suddenly heard a lot of screaming. It didn't take long for a large group of adventurers to rush past.
"Get out of the way!"
"Get the fuck out!"
"What the fuck is such a thing doing on the fifth floor!?"
"Those broken into!"
One of the adventurers pushed Bell causing him to fall on his ass. He cast a death glare at the group of adventurers who ran past.
"Fuck adventurers," he grumbled.
Bell started to get up.
'Why were they running?' he asked himself.
However, he quickly heard a great roar. Looking to the side, he found the source of the sound. And it was also the reason why so many adventurers were running. A Minotaur. Only Bell and the monster on the fifth floor remained. The creature looked at him as if it had found its prey.
' What is a Minotaur doing on the fifth floor? According to Eina they should only appear from floor 15 onwards.' He thought looking at the creature.
When the Minotaur met the rabbit-like eyes of the adventurer, he unconsciously took a step back.
When the Minotaur would roar and charge at the boy, his body was completely cut in half by a sword. However, it hadn't been for Bell.
Looking closely he quickly saw a woman.
A fair-haired, shoulder-length elf with a sword in her hand. She was wearing a green flower-shaped hood with a white sleeveless blouse underneath, she had bright red gloves on her hands. His eyes were beautiful azure blue
The woman quickly glanced at the boy with white hair and red eyes.
' Cute. ' She couldn't help but think.
"Are you okay?" She asked quickly.
"Eh? A-ah, y-yes. Thanks!" Bell quickly showed an embarrassed face as he bent over and stuttered a little.
' That was close .' He thought.
Bell was about to show that Minotaur the glorious power of his Eminence in the Shadows since there was no one on this floor of the Dungeon as all the adventurers ran.
However, he quickly felt someone's power coming at full speed, so he quickly undid his magic.
"You are a beginning adventurer, right?"
"Yes," he agreed.
The elf sighed...
"I apologize on behalf of the culprits who let the Minotaur escape from the middle floors," she said.
"Hm?" He showed a confused face.
She then proceeded to explain everything to him. While she was returning to the surface she found the Loki family members fighting a 'party' of Minotaurs. One had managed to escape and as she was the fastest they asked her to take care of him. She then came at full speed after the Minotaur.
"I see...no need to apologize, miss..."
"Ryuu. Ryuu Lion, that's my name. I serve the Goddess Astrea-sama as a member of her family." she replied with a smile.
' Oh, member of that family that only accepts women, hm. For some reason I feel like I've met her before. Well, it must just be my imagination. ' Bell thought.
"I'm Bell. Bell Cranel, member of the Hestia family. It's a pleasure, Ryuu-san," Bell introduced himself with a smile as he held out his hand.
"A-ah yes! It's a pleasure Cranel-san." She took his hand and gave it a friendly squeeze.
"Oh no. I have to go, Ryuu-san, my Goddess can be worried," he quickly said and ran off to say goodbye.
"See you later!" She yelled receiving a wave of his hand.
She quickly looked at the ground beside her. The Minotaur Stone. She picked it up and put it away.
There was something strange. When he saw the Minotaur looking at the boy, the monster seemed paralyzed for some reason. Maybe it's her impression? Yes, that must be it. Furthermore...
' Their hands are soft ,' she thought as her cheeks turned red.
"Ryuu!" Suddenly she hears a cheerful voice.
When she turns around, she sees Tiona along with all the other members of the Loki family.
Riveria quickly stepped forward.
"And so, you already took care of the Minotaur, right?"
xXx
Currently, it was at night.
Bell was surprised by the strength of Hestia. It was a great struggle to get rid of his grip on the 'bed'. Ever since he started living in this 'Abandoned Church', Hestia insisted on finding a way to sleep with him. He looked to the side and saw Hestia sleeping soundly.
This afternoon also had a commotion. Looks like some adventurer had reached level 6. Though Bell didn't mind that, he heard the name they called the person who had reached level 6. They called it:
Gale
It was a cool nickname in Bell's opinion. When he reached level 2 he would want a nickname that would make him look even more MOB.
"So what do you have today?" Bell asked out of nowhere.
At that moment, the Alpha and Beta figures appeared.
Beta was sending a look to the 'bed' where Hestia was sleeping. She was dying of jealousy. That damn Goddess managed to do what she hasn't done all these years in just two weeks! That wasn't fair!
Alpha though he looked skeptical, was also giving some sideways glances.
"We've found the likely person the Dark Guild will be after." Said Alpha.
"It took longer than I imagined," commented Bell.
This made both of them look at him in surprise.
' Has he already found out...?' Alpha thought. Well, what was she thinking? Of course he already found out...
"Well, tell me what you learned. I want to see how much you found out," Bell said.
"Ryuu Lion," said Alpha.
Bell might have blinked if he hadn't been in leader mode right now. Wasn't that the girl he just met? Why were they playing her name here?
Beta who continued.
"We found out that she is descended from one of the heroes. It is likely that they will go after her blood." Alpha said.
They saw their master with a serious look, but showed no surprise. It was obvious he already knew that.
'What the hell? Descendant of a hero? What I lose? ' Bell thought with a straight face.
"That girl we rescued..." commented Bell.
"She seems to have some connection with them, but we don't know what she is. But we're pretty sure she's not a descendant."
At times like this...
Bell quickly remembered something.
He said he would visit 'him' after some time but hasn't done so yet. He ended up forgetting.
At these times the 'badass' character must visit the 'boss' of the whole place.
"Shadow?" Alpha asked confused.
Beta looked confused too. He turned to them and said.
"I'm going to visit someone. The storm is getting closer," said Bell.
They quickly looked at each other seriously.
"That's why..." Suddenly the whole place started to be covered in purple magic. Bell's clothes have changed.
He took one last look at them and said.
" I'll put my plan into action. " Said Shadow.
...
...
...
Guild Prayer Room.
A man was seen sitting on what appeared to be a throne. It was Ouranos.
Ouranians have white hair and blue eyes. He wears a white tunic with a black hooded cape and sandals.
The room was a little dark.
He was currently talking to Fels.
"So how's it going with the Xenos?"
"Everything is normal. Nothing suspicious apart from 'what' we already know," replied Fels.
Fels wears black robes that cover his face, making it impossible to tell his gender or any other characteristics.
Ouranos knew what he meant by that.
The Dungeon was acting a little strange. This all started about 2 weeks ago. Monsters that shouldn't be found on certain floors are appearing on those floors. This afternoon there was news of a Minotaur going to the upper floors.
Another strange thing is the fact that there are a lot more monsters than you normally have. But this is only happening from the middle floors. For example, if you found 5 Minotaurs on a floor, you were now finding 10. Basically twice as much. He had already issued a notice to the Guild. They warned the adventurers.
There was also the fact that the Astrea family adventurer had reached level 6.
Ouranos quickly felt something.
"Very well, Fels. You are excused."
Fels just nodded and left.
After Fels left the room, Ouranos spoke clearly.
"Get out. I know you're in there," he said looking at a dark part of the wall.
As spoken, a figure in black robes and hood appeared. She was standing with her arms crossed with her right leg raised to the wall. Though he couldn't see his face, Ouranos could have sworn he was laughing under that hood. After a while the figure speaks.
" Although I wasn't trying to hide my presence, it's still surprising that you were able to feel me. "
"You get used to it when it happens more than once," Ouranos replied with a sigh.
He looked at the figure.
No matter what, wherever this person was was always synonymous with trouble. And if he was here in Orário...
"What are you doing here in Orario... Shadow? "
In response, the figure just smiled as the purple magic began to infest the entire place with shadows.
So what did you think?
We had a short introduction from the base of Shadow Garden, and it was confirmed that Alfia is alive! The girls know she's Bell's aunt, but does he know that? Of course not!
Who is the second woman to Alfia? Most have probably already guessed.
Ryuu had his appearance, and his personality is a little different. It is to be expected as your family is alive and several different things have happened.
I decided to leave Minotauro's fight for another time.
Well I see you in the next chapter.