After the howl heard round the world finished, Shurry stayed there standing, looking up at the moon, past it, and even past the stars. His expression was a mixture of grief, resolve, pain, drive, loss, and love. No one disturbed him… And he remained like that for hours when… A single star twinkled as if to respond to his heartfelt plea, his announcing howl.
Hathor had long since arrived at the scene, holding Ardee's hand. Shurry turned, and weakly grabbed Hathor's other hand. "Let's go home, and get some rest for now." She said, rubbing Shurry's still dirty hand with a tempered care…
"Lady Hathor… Forgive me, but, could the three of us come stay with you as well. Hera, and Zeus say they have something to work out with, those two." Her expression darkened, still struggling to maintain her sense of reason. It had been a really long day.
"Shurry, your big sister needs you. You'll help keep her safe from those bad guys, right?"
Shurry's ears lifted, like he'd heard a purpose for going on. He looked up. "Do you have to ask?" His other hand grabbed Meda's free hand. "I'll do it, without the need to ask…"
They all went back to the Hathor familia where Shurry had a long soak in the tub, practically absorbed into Hathor. Even after that howl, he'll need some time to recover… How long? I don't know…
"Mommy, can you… Update my status? Pour everything into this one. All of my stored excelia…"
"I could level you up at least 3 times with the excelia you have, and you want to put all of that into one level's stats? Those aren't basic levels either, that's max status levels."
"I don't want to just break the cap, I'm going to shatter it. I won't be able to get my revenge if I don't."
He's matured a bit, even if it is still childish. Is this a good thing? Or a bad thing? "Alright, let's get it done after-"
"Right now."
Shurry let go, and then crouched such that his back was facing her. He was far more serious about this than he'd ever been before.
"I won't remain weak, and I refuse to be too slow, I'll do everything I can to never be too slow again." His body shook.
"Well then, I'll do it here, just this time."
She managed to get a bit of her blood ichor out, dripping onto Shurry's back. With all of the stored excelia from every single moment of his life before now… This is what one could say is a turning point… His time Telskyura still had a few stats left to give, though it was legit just a few. And then the life he lived training with Leon regularly during his time with the School District. Then the majority of it, from his life with Hathor familia, and all the time he got to spend with Zeus, and Hera familia… His status overloaded, even before Hathor finished allocating the stats, he leveled up with no way for her to push back against it.
"I'm sorry Shurry, once your stats all hit a new number, they stopped, and then you leveled up. How do you feel?"
"Good, keep going, mommy."
Hathor finished out all the rest of his stats he could gain. There was now nothing left in the tank, everything from this point onward would be what he gained from this new chapter in his life.
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Shurry
Hathor Familia
Level : 4 -> 5
STR : (I -> SSS -> I -> SSS) : (0 -> 2000 -> 0 -> 2000)
VIT : (I -> SSS -> I -> SSS) : (0 -> 2000 -> 0 -> 2000)
DEX : (I -> SSS -> I -> SSS) : (0 -> 2000 -> 0 -> 2000)
AGI : (I -> SSS -> I -> SSS) : (0 -> 2000 -> 0 -> 2000)
MAG: (I -> SSS -> I -> SSS) : (0 -> 2000 -> 0 -> 2000)
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Development Abilities :
Agile Body : C : 601 -> 685
Pursuit : E -> D : 453 -> 501
Sorcerer : I -> G : 0 -> 207
Warrior : I : 0
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New Skill: Wolven Lord - Radically increases abilities when fighting for the sake of others. The effect doubles when fighting to gain revenge for others. And triples when that other is someone dearly close.
"Shurry, you're level 5, and have basically reached a point beyond what anyone else at that level would be able to do… Shurry?" Hathor watched as Shurry stumbled a little but caught himself, and then Hathor picked him up, pulled him close, wrapping him up in her arms. "Don't go overboard now that you've reached this point."
There was a knock at the bath's door.
"Hathor, may I come join you? I have a message from Hera."
"Astraea? Sure come in. We're just relaxing after a, well, you know. Today was rough for a lot of people."
"Thanks, I hope it's alright I brought my girls too? They just got back from their little excursion into the dungeon." She saw Shurry, being all smothered up in Hathor's arms. Meteria watching Bell, while Legi helped wash Meda's hair. "It's a party in here." She soon joined the tub, and went silent. Her familia did all their washing and then jumped in the tub, though they kept the upbeat energy a little dialed back for the moment. "Hera, and Zeus finished talking with Freya, and Loki."
"I see…"
"Freya, and Loki's familias are going to be publicly recognized as the new strongest familias in the city."
"But they're with Evilus!" Shurry interrupted.
"They aren't-"
"They killed Alraj, just this morning! Big brother was a hero! Who else could kill heroes but evil people!?"
Astraea, in that moment for the first time in her infinite life, learned that her ideas might have been skewed somewhere down the line. "The plan… Is to call it a training accident. And a test for them to gain the guild's support."
A whole new wave of dread washed over him, and he sunk into the water. "I'll never accept something so stupid. They killed my big brother in broad daylight."
"I-" The goddess tried to continue. I can't help but agree with him on this one. "I don't agree with the plan. I think it is utterly foolish. But even so, I have to give them a chance to redeem themselves. Finn's goal is to become a hero for his people-"
"THAT ONE ORDERED MY BIG SISTER TO BE KILLED!" Shurry yelled… "I heard that clearly, and watched it happen. I barely made it in time. Bell still has a mother, not because there was a hero there, but because I showed up to stop that evil man."
Astraea was shocked into silence once again. Her form of justice was showing so many holes. It was so unfair to those who'd been damaged, and so beneficial to those who were the perpetrator. I might actually be wrong here? Am I?