-----Orario-----
The city of Orario, "the center of the world," "the city where dreams come true," "the city of the gods," was the only city in the world that possessed a Dungeon, a place that spawned monsters endlessly and allowed warriors led by the gods, the so-called "adventurers," to fight and become stronger, as well as earn a great deal of money.
The city currently has two main factions: the Freya and Loki Families. The Freya Family was the stronger of the two, being the only one that possessed a level 7 adventurer: "King" Ottar.
But this story isn't about either of those two Families; in fact, it's about a Family with only one member: The Hestia Familia, a Family that was founded literally two weeks ago with its only member: A boy with white hair and red eyes named Bell Cranel.
Bell had become an adventurer after the death of his grandfather, the man who raised him and was the only family he had throughout his life, and now he was running from a minotaur for his life, a monster that certainly shouldn't be there.
Bell wondered how this was possible. His advisor, Eina Tulle, had taught him a lot about Orario, especially about the Dungeon, and the main thing he learned was about the monsters that lived there, and that minotaurs should only appear from the 15th floor upwards!
He felt like an idiot; this minotaur wasn't after him initially. He had seen other adventurers fleeing from it and decided to try and help them against a monster far stronger than himself.
However, his luck had run out; he couldn't believe it, he was at a dead end!
While he was thinking about how impossible that could be, he didn't notice the minotaur chasing after him, which, when it got close enough, delivered a powerful blow to his hands, a blow that left him dizzy and on the verge of death.
Bell could feel it rising in his throat, and he vomited it up immediately afterward. The minotaur raised its axe and attacked again. Bell tried to dodge, but all he managed to do was lose an arm instead of being cut in half.
The monster wasted no time and quickly began pressing the boy's head against the wall. Bell felt his head being crushed by the monster, and everything was going dark. The last thing he saw was the monster being killed and a blonde swordswoman trying to call him back and heal him with an expensive potion he had never seen before.
-----???-----
Bell woke up again and, contrary to what he thought, he wasn't in heaven; he was in a completely dark place. The only sounds he could hear were two voices.
"Are you sure this will work?" - A deep, imposing voice was heard - "If this doesn't work, these tests will end. I'm tired of only seeing failures!"
"It will work!" A younger voice, but still older than Bell's, replied. "I tested it before and it almost worked, the only problem was that the person himself had a disease that would have killed him in a few hours!"
"He better make this work, I almost couldn't get those minotaurs to escape!" the first voice said, clearly irritated. This made Bell's eyes widen. Had his death been staged?! "Besides, why this kid specifically?"
"He comes from the lineage of the strongest in Orario, the #### and #### Families! - The man revealed, however the names of the Families were not possible to understand, but he had said "the strongest", was he talking about the Loki and Freya Families? Was he a descendant of them?!"
That was the last sentence he heard before closing his eyes again, and when he opened them, he was in the Orario hospital, which was also the headquarters of the Dian Cecht Family.
He was covered in medical equipment and wearing an oxygen mask to breathe, wondering how it was possible for him to be there; he had been killed by a minotaur!
???: Bell-kun! - A voice he recognized as his goddess Hestia made itself present in the place, the goddess gave him a tight hug - You had me so worried, I thought you were going to die!
Hestia was a small goddess, shorter than Bell himself, who was 1.65 meters tall. She had black hair and blue eyes, and wore an outfit that was, to say the least, indecent, especially considering that the clothing and the goddess's height made her enormous breasts stand out even more.
Bell: Kami-sama, what happened? - He asked, confused; he could have sworn he was dead!
Hestia: - They found you wounded in the {Dungeon}, where your injuries were extremely serious and there was very little chance of survival, but thanks to the nurses of the Dian Cecht Family, you managed to survive - The little goddess was crying tears of joy that her only dependent was alive.
Hearing this, Bell thanked everyone and asked when he would have to pay, but then he noticed that the nurses and healers had complex expressions that mixed guilt, fear, sadness, and nervousness.
This left the albino confused, but one of the nurses explained that the family was taking care of him and that he could leave without having to pay.
This pleased the young man greatly, and he promised to return the favor, something that made the employees a little nervous, but they thanked him anyway.
So, we see that Bell was wearing new clothes similar to his own, but the jacket was black instead of brown, since it was the only one they had. Once dressed, they both left the hospital heading towards headquarters.
Hestia: Bell-kun, please tell me: What happened in the {Dungeon}?! - The goddess didn't know exactly what had happened, she only knew that a group of adventurers had appeared afterward and brought the body to the surface so that it could be buried, but they were taken by surprise when they felt a pulse, weak, but still alive - They didn't give me details of what attacked you!
Bell: It was a minotaur, Kami-Sama - he revealed. Cranel felt a little strange, but dismissed it, imagining it was because he had just left the hospital - A minotaur appeared on the 5th floor!
That terrified the goddess; her Bell had been chased by a monster like that?!
They were approaching the headquarters of the Hestia Familia, located in the abandoned district of Orario; however, Hestia's stomach rumbled with hunger, causing the goddess to blush with embarrassment.
Speaking of hunger, now that he realized it, he wasn't hungry, even though he had slept for who knows how long!
Hestia: I have a surprise for you when we get home, Bell-kun! - The goddess revealed - You're going to love it now that you're out of the hospital!
These words cheered Bell up a little, and they walked for quite a while toward their house.
But as they walked, Bell realized how much sharper his senses were; he could distinguish various types of smells, such as meat, blood, metal, fire, excrement, cement, sugar, dust, honey, and many others—something that surprised him.
But it wasn't just his sense of smell that had improved; his sense of touch had too. He could feel every step he took, sense the air before it touched his cheek, and feel every muscle movement.
His eyesight had also improved. Now he could see many things at great distances and distinguish them very easily; he could see small insects on the ground, the tiny spices used in food stalls, the dust in the wind, minor damage to swords and armor, and he could even see clearly in dark places, like alleys.
His hearing had also improved; he could hear about a thousand voices talking and identify who was speaking and who wasn't.
Bell was amazed because all his senses... had been dramatically heightened upon waking, something that left him very surprised and shocked, wondering what must have happened while he was unconscious in the hospital.
However, when he realized what that meant, he became worried; he remembered what he had heard while he was in that dark place.
Are you sure this will work?
"It will work!"
Bell: This will work... - Bell murmured the words softly, not even Hestia heard - What exactly will work?
Hestia: Is everything alright, Bell-kun? - The goddess asked worriedly, seeing her only dependent suddenly stop and stare into space, clearly murmuring something as she heard his mouth moving slightly - Is there some problem that the hospital didn't tell you about?
Bell: It's nothing, Kami-Sama - Bell shook his head to momentarily push those thoughts aside, quickly resuming his walk with his goddess, although doubt still lingered within him - Sorry, I got distracted for a moment!
Hestia was a goddess, and being a goddess, she had the innate ability to detect lies from mortals. Even if the world's best liar tried to lie to her, she would still be able to tell they were lying.
Bell was lying when she said it was nothing, but this time she let it go. She was sure Bell was definitely not well after almost being killed in the Dungeon, and it was most likely the effect of the painkillers.
Hestia: Alright, if you need to talk about anything, know that you can talk to me anytime! - She made that clear; they shouldn't have secrets from each other, they were goddess and dependent after all!
Bell: Thank you, Kami-Sama - He genuinely thanked the only goddess who had given him a chance and allowed him to join her Familia - I'm feeling some strange things, but it must be because of the hospital!
Hestia realized he hadn't lied about "feeling strange things," but she also realized Bell wasn't lying about "because of the hospital," especially considering his eyes had shifted away from her; he was terrible at lying after all.
But he decided to wait until they arrived at his "headquarters" so they could rest and talk more calmly.
So, without saying anything, the two continued their journey to their "headquarters," where, throughout the trip, Bell reflected on what those voices had said before he woke up.
Could he be descended from the strongest?
He didn't understand what they meant by "the strongest," the strongest Families were those of the goddesses Loki and Freya.
Something didn't make sense, and this generated many other doubts and questions that he couldn't answer or understand.
Bell let out an inaudible sigh, deciding to leave it at that for now; he needed to get his life back on track first, he needed to check everything before returning to the dungeon!
Hestia: Ta-da! - Hestia made a revealing sound, while gesturing with her hands as if showing a prize: A basket of Jagamarukuns, potato chips that Hestia sold.
Bell: Thank you, goddess! - He was truly happy with this gesture, even though it was little, it was still more than practically anyone in this city had ever tried to do for him. Eina was good at helping him with the Dungeon, but for some reason she didn't seem to want him to be an adventurer.
Bell picked up one of the Jagamarukuns from the basket and when he squeezed it with what should have been a light squeeze, the Jagamarukun exploded, as if he had squeezed it with immense force.
Hestia: B-Bell-kun?! - The goddess asked, startled, and surprised to see Bell also looking at his own hand in disbelief; this had never happened before! - Bell-kun, are you sure you're really alright?!
Bell: H-hey Kami-Sama, I think I'm a little thirsty! - Cranel poured himself a glass of water, but the glass shattered in his hand, scattering shards on the floor - WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!
Hestia: Calm down, Bell-kun, I'm sure it's just something the nurses accidentally put in! - She said, trying to calm him down, although she was also scared. It seemed that Bell had become much stronger after almost dying, but how?
The best thing Bell could do was not touch anything until he had mastered his newfound strength, so the first thing they did was approach the church door to grasp the doorknob.
Bell held it carefully so as not to break it, but in a moment of carelessness, he ended up breaking it completely.
Bell: Sorry - he said, apologizing.
Hestia: No, it's not your fault for breaking the doorknob accidentally, but what happened to make you so strong?
Bell: I don't know, but do you think it's temporary?
Hestia: I don't know - She senses something - Bell, did you feel anything when you left the hospital?
Bell: My senses became much sharper, I could smell various scents and distinguish them, hear different people talking and know whose voice it was, I see better in the dark and I can feel every muscle movement.
Hestia was surprised to hear this and wondered what had happened to her son. She decided that tomorrow she would return to the Dian Cecht family to ask the god what they had done with their firstborn son.
But for now, she needed to watch him so that he wouldn't hurt himself or accidentally break anything.
Hestia: Tomorrow I will speak with Dian about what he and his sons did to you, but for now, rest, Bell-kun, alright? - The goddess asked and saw him nod - Alright, I believe I will have to feed you because of your immense strength!
He nodded, and they both entered the church, heading towards an underground room.
There, he put his equipment aside and went to wash his hands.
Then he sat down on the sofa, letting out a sigh as he stared at the ceiling, still wondering what was happening to him.
Hestia: Here, Bell-kun! - The beautiful goddess showed him a fresh Jagamarukun, which he bit into while it was still in her hand.
Bell realized something was wrong; the smell was delicious, but the taste... it had no taste at all. It was as if his sense of taste had stopped working. What was happening to him?
Bell hatched a plan in his head; he had realized the moment the glass shattered in his hand that his resistance had also increased, it seemed, as he hadn't even managed to get a scratch from the broken shards.
He needed to know the limits of his strength so as not to hurt anyone; his greatest fear now was literally killing someone unintentionally!
So he would go to the dungeon at dawn; that strength should probably be enough to kill goblins with his bare hands, although he would obviously take his equipment.
Night fell, and Hestia slept in the only bed available in her headquarters. He slept on the sofa. Bell didn't mind; it was unworthy of a goddess not to sleep in a bed, although he had woken up countless times to find Hestia sleeping with him on the sofa.
Due to the doorknob being destroyed, the door could be opened with just a push, which greatly helped in leaving discreetly. He didn't want to worry Hestia with this; he intended to return when the sun was about to rise.
After walking a short distance from the abandoned church, Bell started running towards the Dungeon, but he realized he was MUCH faster than normal; he could literally leave that minotaur from before in the dust when it came to speed!
He entered the Dungeon; there was no one going down or up. After all, adventurers didn't usually spend the night in the Dungeon unless they were on an expedition, as the place was much more dangerous at night.
The first monster he saw was a goblin, clearly more dangerous than usual because it was nighttime. He threw a right hook at the monster's face, and to his surprise, the goblin's head literally flew off!
Bell felt repulsed upon seeing something, but quickly returned to what he was doing. As he walked, more monsters appeared, but Bell swiftly eliminated them with a single attack.
He appreciated his newfound monstrous strength, but he was also worried, as he needed to be extremely careful not to hurt anyone with his newfound physical abilities.
But as he walked, he heard a voice speaking in his head:
Hunger… Devour… Grow… Infect
Upon hearing this, he froze, quickly searching for the source of the voice, but realizing there was no one there. He wondered if it was a hallucination or if his mind was playing tricks on him, but then the same voice echoed in his mind:
Kill… Consume… Evolve… Grow… Power
Bell: Where did that voice come from? - he asked, somewhat perplexed and dismayed. Was he hallucinating now?!
Bell noticed a goblin approaching; he wanted to test something. He had enhanced strength and speed, but what about his stamina?
He allowed the goblin to approach and merely put his arm up to defend himself from the monster's claws, and he realized that his resistance had also improved; normally he would have three deep cuts on his arm due to the blow being so direct, but this time he only had one superficial scratch.
Bell then decided to test his physical strength again and literally pierced the monster's chest with his fist; he went through the goblin so easily it seemed as if he were made of paper!
However, something different happened this time; the monster didn't evaporate as it should have, but instead became some kind of strange mass. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was something he had read about in a book: Biomass.
But what truly surprised him wasn't just that the monster had turned into biomass, but the fact that this biomass had literally entered him, and for some reason, Bell felt his strength increase as if it were a drop of water filling a gallon of water—tiny, but it was there!
At that moment the voices returned:
Kill more... Consume more... Evolve more... Grow more... Infect more... POWER!
Bell felt a slight headache because the last voice had been a scream, but he finally understood what she wanted: She wanted him to consume more to grow and evolve, but what did she mean by "infect"?
The best thing he could do was ignore it, as he felt the word "infect" had a negative connotation.
So, he continued searching for more monsters to eliminate and become stronger. Soon he found a group of goblins, which he quickly eliminated and absorbed.
He felt his strength increase slightly, so he decided to look for stronger monsters. He descended to deeper floors, such as floors 2, 3, 4, and 5, where he encountered more powerful monsters, such as kobolds, dungeon lizards, frog shooters, and even a jack bird!
Thanks to his newfound abilities, he easily eliminated them, but upon absorbing them, he felt something strange... something different.
Bell: What is this feeling... it seems... different... - he said to himself while looking at his hands, but then he heard footsteps approaching thanks to his keen hearing - Who's there?!
A blonde girl wearing rather indecent armor appeared, accompanied by a green-haired elf. Both were incredibly beautiful, however, he recognized the blonde girl—she was the one who killed the minotaur!
The blonde stopped when she saw him, which surprised the elf; she had never reacted to something like that before. The blonde was completely shocked, in a way she never imagined possible.
???: Y-You're alive?! - The blonde couldn't help but speak much louder than usual - I saw you die!
???: What are you talking about, Aiz? - The elf revealed the name of the blonde-haired girl - Do you know him?
Aiz: He's the boy who died fighting the minotaur we let escape! - Aiz spoke as if it were obvious, which made the elf's eyes widen. She had heard from Aiz about the state the minotaur had left the boy in - He's not only alive, but he's whole! He lost an arm fighting the minotaur!
Bell: Wait, so it was you guys who let that minotaur escape? - He had already recognized the two from Eina's classes about the Families of Orario; they were Aiz Wallenstein, the princess of the sword, and Riveria Ljos Alf, the nine hells, two executives of the Loki Familia - I never expected such incompetence from the Loki Familia!
Riveria: We apologize for that! - The vice-captain quickly retracted her statement before Aiz could retort. She didn't like how he had said it, but she couldn't blame him for it - I don't know how you survived considering the injuries I was informed of, but if you want, we are willing to give you some kind of compensation. I'll speak to my goddess about it!
The Minotaur incident, from which the Loki Familia had allowed them to escape to the upper levels, had tarnished the Loki Familia's name; after all, it was their fault that an adventurer from another Familia had died. However, here was the supposed victim of that incident alive, and she preferred to stay on his good side.
Bell was clearly annoyed, but he still couldn't bring himself to hate them.
After all, adventurers weren't omnipotent, so he wasn't going to hate them both.
Bell: - Ugh, no need for a monetary apology or anything, but I'm still annoyed with you guys - He said, clearly upset; it was because of them that his life had become so strange.
Aiz: - I'm sorry - The blonde apologized, and her voice made it clear that she was being completely sincere - If I had arrived on time, none of this would have happened.
Bell blushed slightly when he saw the blonde girl with an expression of genuine pain and sadness; he could see that she was incredibly beautiful, and her voice warmed his heart a little.
But he was still somewhat annoyed with the entire Loki Familia, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a voice in the distance.
???: - WHY ALL THIS CRAP? - A werewolf arrived, speaking very loudly.
The half-human wolf didn't finish speaking because he saw Bell, and felt as if his soul had left his body for a few seconds.
Bete (Confused): -Impossible...impossible...you...you...should be dead - He had arrived shortly after Aiz killed the minotaur and saw the state the boy was in; it should have been impossible for him to survive.
Bell: -I don't even know how I'm alive. —He sees a blond pallum and a dwarf with brown hair and a beard approaching; they freeze upon seeing him.
???: -Ah...ah...ah...ah...ah - Pallum never expected to see the supposed victim of the minotaur alive and already fighting in the dungeon.
???: "BY MY BEARD, YOU'RE ALIVE, BOY!" The dwarf shouted loudly. He had felt genuinely sad about the fate of a boy who had paid for their mistake, but now that boy who had been torn to pieces by the minotaur was right in front of them.
Bell: I am - That's all he said - Look, I really don't want any trouble with the minotaur thing, so if possible, don't go spreading around that I "came back to life".
Riveria: You still haven't reported to the guild? - The boy should have reported to the guild when he found out he was supposedly dead, to report that he was still alive - In case you don't know, his body wasn't shown when it was brought to the surface; they didn't want his body to shock the civilians.
Bell: "Didn't you take my body up there?" he asked, somewhat incredulous. They had been responsible for his "death" and hadn't even bothered to bring his body to the surface?
Riveria: No, it wasn't us, only Aiz, Bete, Finn, and Gareth saw her body - she revealed - I arrived much later, when her body had already been covered and was being taken back by the Dian Cecht Family.
Bell: That explains why you didn't recognize me - he said, recalling the fact that she hadn't recognized him moments before.
Riveria: Are you sure you don't want any kind of compensation? - She tried to bargain again, she didn't think it was right to simply give him nothing after he almost died because of their mistake - We can compensate you with anything within our reach: money, some training!
Bell: If you want to compensate me, don't spread the word that you saw me here! - That was all he said about the matter - Including what you're doing here?
Riveria: We made a quick expedition to try and clear our name in the Guild - he admitted - That incident tarnished our Family's reputation.
Bell: -Ahhhhhh, I'm sorry about that - He apologized; it was a habit of his to apologize for anything bad that was even slightly his fault.
Riveria: -No, we totally deserve it for having failed.
Bell: -Okay, see you later… — He leaves
After that awkward conversation between the albino and the Loki Familia, Bell returned to his headquarters to be with his Goddess before she woke up. Thanks to all the monsters he had absorbed, he managed to get there quickly and without complications.
Upon entering, he saw that Hestia was still sleeping, which pleased him; there were still a few minutes until sunrise. He had spent the night cleaning the first five floors, and since it was night, there were many more monsters than usual.
One unfortunate thing was that consuming monsters didn't drop magic stones or any other type of drop; because of this, he didn't collect any magic stones or even the golden egg from the jack bird.
It was a shame, he could have made at least a million valis with the egg!
Well, that sort of thing can wait, now he had to update his status, he was sure that all these new skills would be registered in his Falna!
Bell started making breakfast; thankfully, thanks to his last nighttime adventure, he had learned to control his strength properly; he probably just needed time to get used to it.
The smell of the food woke the goddess of the home; she lifted her sleepy head at the delicious aroma. She loved Bell's cooking because he cooked like no one else, and all because his grandfather was terrible at it!
After a few minutes, Bell finished her breakfast, which was a delicious omelet with egg, ham, and potatoes, seasoned with a little salt.
Upon seeing this, Hestia was delighted and quickly approached Bell to receive her portion, which her "son" handed to her.
He also ate his portion, even though he had lost the ability to taste food and was not hungry; nevertheless, he ate to keep up appearances, wondering as he ate if the loss of taste was a side effect of his newfound abilities.
Bell: Goddess, now that I think about it, could you update my status? - He asked, making the goddess remember that she hadn't updated his status the previous day - Maybe we can find something about these strange new abilities!
Hestia: It's true, Bell-kun, I ended up forgetting to update your status because of all the worrying I had yesterday - She apologized for it - Come, let's update your status after breakfast.
Bell lay down on the bed and his goddess literally sat on his back, she took a pin and cut her finger with it, spilling a single drop of blood on his back, causing the goddess's Falna to emerge.
It took a while to update, and Hestia was surprised to see that Bell's numbers had increased in a way she had never seen before. She suspected he had been in the Dungeon during the night, however, another thing that caught her attention were the new abilities that had emerged, in addition to the change in his race.
Hestia: Bell - The goddess called him after copying his status onto the sheet of paper, but before handing him the sheet, she asked him a serious question - Were you in the dungeon during the night?
Bell: I was - he admitted, he knew it was impossible to lie to her, she was a goddess after all - I was very afraid, goddess, I needed to know exactly what I was capable of now that I'd changed so much!
Hestia didn't answer, she just handed him the sheet with a decidedly unhappy expression.
-----Status-----
Name: Bell Cranel
Race: Evolved
Sex: Male
Age: 14 years
Height: 165 centimeters tall
Affiliation: Hestia Familia
Statistics:
Level 1
Power: A850
Resistance: B832
Dexterity: A892
Agility: S910
Evolution Rate: I50
Skills:
Prototype: User becomes the first prototype of an evolved being.
Description: Grants the user an extremely accelerated and naturally infinite growth rate. The ability is strengthened as the evolution rate increases, improving as the user levels up. It allows the user to transform parts of their body into any type of blade, as well as the ability to consume, disguise, and infect, but removes the user's ability to learn and use magic.
[Consumption:
-It grants the ability to consume other beings and become stronger as a result.
Consuming any form of organic life increases the rate of evolution depending on the being consumed. Plants, animals, and gods do not increase the evolution rate; only monsters and humanoid life forms are capable of increasing evolution rate. The stronger the being consumed, the greater the increase in the evolution rate. Consuming the same monsters too often does not increase the evolution rate.
--Allows the user to obtain the memories and knowledge of any humanoid life form consumed.
If the evolution rate is high when the user levels up, it will cause them to develop new skill variants of the prototype.
Consuming other beings allows the user to heal their own wounds; the healing depends on the being consumed.]
[Disguise:
-Grants the user the ability to disguise themselves as the last humanoid life form consumed; the disguise does not work on monsters.]
[Infection:
-Grants the user the ability to infect others and transform them into evolved beings, granting them all the basic capabilities of the original prototype, in addition to accelerated and infinite growth and their own evolution rate. Those infected lose the ability to use magic and unlearn any magic they were already capable of using.
Infection occurs through a wound inflicted with the user's blades or by drinking their blood directly.
Infected individuals can only become evolved if both the prototype and the target of the infection desire it.
The infected have a telepathic link with the prototype, with the latter being able to hear their thoughts and feel their emotions.
Those infected cannot betray the original prototype and are incapable of forgetting it, no matter what happens.]
Development skills:
None
-----End of Status-----
Bell and Hestia looked at each other, both surprised; neither had ever imagined anything like that.
Hestia: Well, it seems you've evolved into something beyond human! - That's what the goddess concluded - But what exactly are you now?
Bell: I am something less than human - Cranel began, having concluded all of this after that first day and his new status - But also something more!