Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter! Bell continues training his foundation and dungeon crawling, chasing his dream to be a Hero. Others within Orario have definitely taken notice of Hephaestus’s newest ‘child’ though. Thoughts are forming, considerations for actions and their consequences, while some are patient…others are much less so, barely holding themselves back from acting. But Bell knows nothing of this, entirely focused on improving his martial arts, swordsmanship, and magic to make himself a better Adventurer day after day.
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Chapter 6 – The Results of Diligence
The Hephaestus Familia were gathered in a large clear area behind Valka’s Crimson Chamber. It had been a while, but once more Tsubaki and Bell were going to have a sparring match. The betting pool was already made and many of the blacksmiths had brought some booze to enjoy while they watched.
“I’ll put ten-thousand on Bell making it five minutes!”
“Eight-thousand that he makes it to seven!”
“Twelve-thousand for six minutes!”
Unsurprisingly, Lili was one of the two people taking the bets and she gave Bell a grin when he looked over at her. “Do your best, Bell!”
Bell deadpanned at the encouragement, practically able to see the sparkles in Lili’s eyes as she handled the money for the bets. Refocusing, he looked at Tsubaki as she stood across from him.
“You ready, my little bunny?” Tsubaki asked with a playful smirk while she stretched out her arms and rolled her shoulders.
“Still not a bunny.” Bell said with a small shake of his head, even as he went through his own stretches.
Tsubaki laughed at that, enjoying their little back and forth. “Don’t hold back now. I know you’ve gotten stronger, so I’m not going to take it so easy on ya this time!”
Her warning made Bell think back to the Status Update that he’d gotten last night and consider his current strength.
-Flashback-
Hephaestus sighed as she watched Bell’s day through his Excelia. “Are you trying to give me grey hairs, Bell?”
“No…” Bell shook his head slightly. “I just reacted when I heard the scream.”
“I understand…but going up against a massive swarm of Killer Ants solo isn’t the best idea, even if you’re strong.” Hephaestus said, her tone normal but as strong as steel, while she moved the Excelia over and watched Bell’s stats increase for a moment. “Your magic makes you well-suited to handling large groups of Monsters, Bell, but don’t forget that you have Lili to rely on and the entire Familia standing behind you.” She smiled warmly at Bell when he looked over his shoulder at her.
Bell smiled back at the gentle reminder that he wasn’t alone in his path and had so many that would help him out when he needed it. “I’ll remember, Goddess.”
Hephaestus accepted his words as she placed a blank paper onto his back and copied the numbers over with a twirl of her fingertip before she locked up Bell’s Falna. “My prediction from last time seems to be holding true though. You really will hit the cap before you get to the Middle Floors at this rate.” She said with a gentle laugh, handing Bell his new Status Update.
Bell took the update paper and looked it over.
-Status-
Bell Cranel
Level 1
Strength – B 784 > A 859
Endurance – B 765 > A 836
Dexterity – B 795 > A 870
Agility – B 761 > A 832
Magic – A 866 > S 941
-Magic-
Kindle – Incantation: “Ignite.” Fire Enchantment Magic
-Skills-
Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.
Íroas Forge – Fast growth. The greater the effort towards the user’s goal, the greater the effect. Removes ‘impurities’ from the user, such as Charms or Curses.
-Status-
-End Flashback-
“Ready?” Tsubaki broke Bell from his reminiscing with a smile on her face.
Bell took a steadying breath and nodded. “Ready.”
“Begin!” Lili yelled out, much to the cheers of the crowd.
Tsubaki charged straight in, her fist cocked back for a punch. Bell pivoted to the left and aimed his own punch at Tsubaki’s side. The Half-Dwarf woman caught his fist with her opposite hand and tried to backhand him with the hand that she’d punched with. Bell ducked low since he knew Tsubaki’s greater strength would prevent him from pulling his fist from her grip. The breeze made by Tsubaki’s missed strike ruffled Bell’s hair slightly, but he didn’t pay attention to it.
“Kazaguruma!” Bell hopped off the ground slightly and spun his body, turning his hip to generate more torque and power as his leg slammed into Tsubaki’s stomach.
“Heh!” Tsubaki smiled, having tightened her abdominal muscles and tanked the kick with her greater Endurance. With an almost negligible ease, she whipped Bell around by his caught fist and slammed him into the ground.
“Gkh!” Bell grunted out, one eye closing from the slam. But he kept the other eye open and threw a kick straight at Tsubaki’s head since she was slightly hunched over from slamming him into the ground.
Tsubaki jerked her head back, letting go of Bell’s hand in the process, and grinned at the missed kick. “Close, little bunny!”
Bell rolled to one side and hopped back onto his feet, just in time to raise his guard and block a punch from Tsubaki. That was followed by another punch from her opposite hand, then another, and another as a barrage slammed into Bell. Not every punch was blocked or redirected, some got through Bell’s guard, landing powerfully against his chest, stomach, and face. But even as his feet skidded backwards across the ground, he continued to maintain his guard against the assault.
“Not bad, not bad!” Tsubaki laughed as she stopped her barrage and took a breath. “Someone’s been working hard!” She was referring not only to Bell’s greater Endurance, but also the development of his body. She’d felt it under her fists, the harder muscles, the more resilient skin, a body toned and strengthened by hard daily training and consistent life-and-death combat.
Bell spat out a little blood while feeling the red liquid running down his chin from a busted lip. He lunged forward and shifted his stance at the exact moment to lower himself and avoid Tsubaki’s right cross. Now he was in her guard and he threw his strongest double punch. “Sōkotsu!” His fists slammed into Tsubaki’s stomach, feeling like he’d just hit armor as Tsubaki tightened her abdominals again. But the force transferred and Tsubaki skidded backwards a step.
Tsubaki blinked and rubbed her stomach with one hand. “I actually felt that a bit!” She didn’t give Bell any time to appreciate his accomplishment as her foot came around, her red hakama trailing behind her leg, and slammed into Bell’s side, sending him bouncing across the large space encircled by their Familia members.
“Hah…hah…” Bell breathed in and out to get air back into his lungs as he pushed himself back onto his feet. ‘I feel like I’m not getting anywhere like this.’ He thought as he looked at Tsubaki who wasn’t even sweating or breathing hard. ‘Then I’ll just have to try even harder!’ Bell shot forward as fast as he could and leapt into the air to avoid Tsubaki’s wide kick. “Kazaguruma!” He spun and slammed a kick into Tsubaki’s raised arm. Not giving her a chance to grab him again, Bell kicked off Tsubaki’s extended arm and landed on her left. As soon as he landed, he chambered his arm and threw another powerful punch. “Ikkotsu!” His fist met Tsubaki’s side and the Level 5 jerked slightly, her feet sliding sideways across the ground for a short distance.
“Not bad, Bell!” Tsubaki laughed as he fist came down in a hammer strike. Bell raised his arms to guard, but it did little good as he was still driven into the ground from the blow.
Bell felt pain radiate from his arms as his back hit the ground with force. He barely kept the wind from being knocked out of him from Tsubaki’s blow. ‘Now I know what an ingot feels like when Tsubaki first starts working with it.’ He compared the hammer fist to the times he’d seen Tsubaki hammer fresh metal ingots into shape with powerful blows that made the metal yield to her will.
Tsubaki looked down at Bell with a smile as she held out her right hand. “Let’s get a little more serious, my fire bunny! Sword!” She called out and one of her own creations was tossed to her from the crowd. Tsubaki unsheathed the katana with a smile as it was of equal quality to Bell’s current sword.
“Here, Bell.” Lili brought Bell’s sword over to him, already unsheathed.
“Thanks, Lili.” Bell stood up and took his sword from his friend. Lili didn’t waste any time retreating back to the safety of the crowd at the edge of the wide cleared out area.
Tsubaki held her sword at the ready, a grin on her lips. “Ready?”
Bell adjusted his stance as he held his sword with both hands. “Let’s go.”
The two were meeting in the middle a second later with the sharp ringing of metal on metal.
“Gnnn…” Bell grunted as Tsubaki’s swing had not only stopped his completely, her greater strength was pushing his blade back. Knowing he couldn’t match her in raw strength, Bell angled his sword like Mikoto had shown him and let Tsubaki’s greater strength slide off, breaking the bind. “Hyah!” Bell didn’t waste a second as he swung swiftly, aiming to bisect Tsubaki at the waist.
Ching
“Hah, too slow!” Tsubaki said with a grin, her blade blocking Bell’s easily. With a shove, she forced Bell backwards and brought her sword down in a powerful swing. Bell didn’t block this time, instead pivoting to the left as the blade passed through empty air.
Bell swung upward, the edge of his blade flashing towards Tsubaki’s right arm.
Clang
Tsubaki had switched hands entirely, her katana now in her left hand as she knocked Bell’s blade aside with the metal kashira at the bottom of the handle. It was a show of familiarity with the weapon that took months to develop on one’s own, and still often took weeks even with a good teacher. Several of the watching blacksmiths cheered for their Captain’s quick response, even as both Tsubaki and bell started a swift exchange of swings and thrusts that only the Level 2 and higher smiths could keep up with.
“Your swordplay has gotten better!” Tsubaki gave Bell praise as she tried to knock his sword wide, only for Bell to keep his grip and flow with the force to assist his movement and reposition himself.
“Not enough yet!” Bell replied as he swung towards Tsubaki’s leading leg, looking to slow her movement. His swing was easily blocked and he angled his blade to slide up Tsubaki’s and clash against the tsuba of her sword, jerking her hands slightly. “Still not strong enough…” He thrust his sword toward her chest, only for Tsubaki to pivot and dodge his attack, countering it with a wide slash across his stomach that sliced his shirt as he leapt back to avoid it. “Not fast enough either…”
Tsubaki was nearly on top of him in the time it took to blink, her sword crashing down onto Bell’s strongly as he raised it to block. “Then I’ll just have to keep hammering you into proper shape, fire bunny!”
Bell grimaced as he could barely move his sword in the slightest. Tsubaki had clearly learned from his previous move and was now putting pressure on his sword at just the right angle to prevent him from angling the tip of the blade downward. It was a skill that only a great swordsman—or a blacksmith that was intimately familiar with nearly every weapon—could pull off.
“Use it.” Tsubaki said as she pinned Bell in place with her greater strength and experience. “Show me your fire, little bunny!”
The watching crowd all took a large step backwards at the exact same instant upon hearing Tsubaki’s words.
“Ignite!” Bell said and flames exploded from his body in a massive wave that engulfed Tsubaki.
FWOOOOSH
The fire spread across the open area, making a few of the blacksmiths grunt or wince as the intense heat stung their skin. Even from a distance, Bell’s fire magic was painful to get too close to, a sign that the temperature had increased even more than the last time they’d all seen it.
With a snap, the fire wreathed Bell’s blade and sparks appeared where Tsubaki’s sword was grinding against Bell’s. The Level 5’s long tied back hair was nearly floating in the intense updraft of air caused by the flames. But as the flames practically slid off of her darker skin, she was still smiling at Bell.
“A bit warmer than last time.” Tsubaki mentioned as the fire licked at her clothes, skin, and hair. She shoved Bell backwards with her sword and watched as his flames swirled around him and his blade.
“Hyah!” Bell swung his sword and a wave of flames scorched the ground black as they raced towards Tsubaki.
Tsubaki slashed her sword wide, the sheer force ‘cutting’ the incoming flames and making them waver from the air displacement. Bell was already coming down on her from above, having kicked off the ground with his flames from the bottom of his feet to launch himself higher. Their swords clashed again and Tsubaki was bathed in a blast of intense fire. The heat didn’t seem to bother the Half-Dwarf woman much as she blocked and practically threw Bell to the side. Bell’s feet hit the ground and he skidded back with trails of fire alighting on the stone beneath him for a brief moment. He was back on the attack not even a second later as he focused his flames to his blade more intensely, wrapping them tighter around the metal while pouring more Mind into the spell.
“Oh?” Tsubaki cocked an eyebrow at the shift in the fire. She met Bell’s attack head on, blade meeting blade with an intense ringing of metal…followed by a distinct metallic twang.
Clink
The top third of Tsubaki’s blade hit the ground, steaming from the heat, the broken edge glowing hot.
“Yah!” Bell roared almost as loud as his flames as he swung down on Tsubaki again.
Tsubaki was the one to prove that she was also well versed in swordsmanship as she angled her remaining blade to deflect Bell’s strike. Flames exploded from the sword as Bell managed to stop it from hitting the blackened ground at the last second. The conflagration swirled and flared around Tsubaki and Bell, but neither of them seemed to notice the intense heat as they clashed again and again.
“If they keep this up we’re all gonna burn.” One of the blacksmiths said as several people backed further away from the flames.
“Hah…yeah.” A female smith said with a heavy exhale as she took a drink from her chilled flask. “I’m sweating even from this distance.”
Lili was fanning herself with one hand, sweat on her face as she watched the spar, even though she could only really see the silhouettes of Bell and Tsubaki in the flames. “Lili is going to melt…” The intense heat only continued to grow as the Prum quickly downed a cool drink.
“Hyah!” Bell swung his sword at Tsubaki, the intense flames forcing the Level 5 back a step. The blaze they were fighting in was making drawing breath harder with each passing second, but Tsubaki still seemed mostly unbothered.
“Hup!” Tsubaki knocked Bell’s sword downward with her own even as flames washed over her, her white and pink top being darkened by soot. With Bell’s sword out of the way, she slashed at him with her damaged blade, managing to land a shallow cut as she controlled her strength.
Bell exhaled, flames coming from his breath as he focused, ignoring the pain of his new injury. ‘Focus… Control the fire… Make it hotter, stronger… I need to be stronger…’ The fire flared as more Mind was poured into the spell, but the flames were further wrapped around Bell’s sword and his body as he concentrated. With a swift lunge forward, Bell’s sword came at Tsubaki in a diagonal slash from over his shoulder towards the ground.
“Let’s try it!” Tsubaki grinned widely as she shifted her body to one side to avoid the intensely hot blade, all the while bringing hers upwards from below. The two practically passed each other as they moved, neither seeming to have landed a hit.
Bell turned swiftly to face Tsubaki, only to grunt as his shirt split in two at the front, a bloody line going from his left hip up to his right pectoral. He reaffirmed his footing, even as his blood fell to the scorched ground and sizzled with an almost acrid smell.
‘Well, that’s new.’ Tsubaki looked at her katana, the blade glowing hot along the edge. The metal was ruined at this point, even with her skills it was unlikely that it could ever hold a good edge again. ‘Did it get that hot just from touching Bell when I cut him?’ That was a level of heat that she hadn’t expected, even as she was bathed in the fire too. She stood up to her full height and felt her top shift. Looking down, her white and pink top was open, the button that held the kosode-like garment closed had disappeared, despite the fire resistance that her top had. ‘He cut my top?’ Tsubaki was a little confused as she hadn’t felt the blade touch her at all, but the proof was right before her with the button and even small parts of the white and pink top having seemingly vanished along the path of the cut. The only evidence of damage being the blackened edges of the fire resistant fabric.
The flames flaring around her and brushing against her skin let Tsubaki know that Bell was still standing.
“Hah…hah…” Bell’s breath was heavy, the toll of a spar against Tsubaki, even as she held back enough that she didn’t instantly destroy him, was taxing on his body and his Mind reserves. As soon as she turned to face him, Bell launched himself forward and brought his sword down on her.
Whap
Only for Tsubaki to catch the burning blade like it was no more than a stick, demonstrating her incredible heat resistance and the durability of her Dwarven heritage.
“I think that’s enough for now, Bell.” Tsubaki grinned at him, her top open and her sarashi wraps slowly darkening as they began to burn now that they weren’t protected by her top.
The flames vanished instantly as Bell ended his spell. “Thank you…for the spar…Tsubaki…” Bell breathed out, the air around them still hot.
“TIME!!!” The smith handling the betting pool with Lili called out loudly, seeing that Tsubaki had a hold of Bell’s sword and Bell was injured.
“Seven minutes twelve seconds!!!” Lili called out loudly to everyone watching.
“YEAH!!!”
“NO!!!”
“DAMN IT, MY BET!!!”
The cheers and groans of the various winners and losers rang out as the people in the crowd that had made bets and won moved over to collect their winnings.
While everyone was preoccupied, Tsubaki and Bell collected the scabbards of their weapons and Bell sheathed his katana. Before Bell could say anything, Tsubaki grabbed him and dragged him off quickly, a wide grin on her lips.
“Tsubaki? Where are we going?” Bell asked as he was nearly forced to follow along behind her.
“To the large bath, of course!” Tsubaki answered without slowing down. “We both need to get cleaned up after that spar, and once you’re clean we’ll put a Low Potion on those injuries to heal them right up.”
Bell nodded at the sound idea. “That makes sense.”
When Tsubaki dragged him into the bath WITH her and locked the door behind them, it suddenly dawned on Bell what his Captain had meant by both of them needing a bath.
“Come on, Bell, out of those clothes.” Tsubaki said with a grin. “I think you wanted another peek, given how you sliced open my top.” She teased him, pulling the kosode-like shirt open all the way to reveal her sarashi wrapped tits.
“Th-That was an accident…” Bell said with a shake of his head.
Tsubaki let her top slide down her arms and hit the floor before she hefted her tits up with her hands. “Are you sure? I don’t mind giving you a look.”
Bell blinked once, then twice…before he nearly choked on his own breath. “Tsu-Tsubaki! You shouldn’t joke like that!”
The singed sarashi wraps unwinding from Tsubaki’s tits a second later immediately caught Bell’s attention. “Who’s joking?” Tsubaki asked as she freed her girls and saw Bell’s eyes drawn to them. “Come on, Bell. Clothes off.”
“R-Right…” Bell got out a second later as he pulled off his sliced shirt, letting out a soft hiss as the movement disturbed his shallow cut.
Now it was Tsubaki’s turn to eye up Bell, the woman taking in his muscled body with approving eyes. Bell was a perfect mix of cute and handsome that really got Tsubaki’s interest.
“Wow…” Bell breathed out when Tsubaki undid the sash keeping her red hakama on, the cloth falling to the floor around her feet, leaving her in just simple black panties.
“See something you like, Bell?” Tsubaki questioned with a knowing grin. With purposeful movements, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and pulled them down her legs, revealing her sex and the neatly trimmed little patch of black hair on her mound to Bell’s eyes.
Bell nodded absently, his eyes drinking in the gorgeous naked woman before him. He slowly removed his pants and boxers without any thought as he continued to stare at Tsubaki. “Beautiful…”
Tsubaki smiled at Bell for the genuine compliment. “Glad you think so.” She stretched her arms above her head, showing off her hourglass figure. “You’re very good-looking yourself, fire bunny.” The fact that Bell didn’t respond to the playful nickname showed just how entranced he was. “I’ll get our bath started.” She laughed, purposefully turning around to let Bell see her ass and the way it bounced as she walked towards the large tub.
“Amazing…” Bell said as he watched Tsubaki’s ass bounce as she walked. He wouldn’t deny being attracted to his Captain. She was gorgeous and warm, full of life and laughter. She’d looked after him since he joined the Hephaestus Familia, always making sure that his gear was in top shape and she helped him get stronger by sparring with him.
“Coming, Bell?” Tsubaki called out from the tub that was filling with warm water. The way she was looking over her shoulder while bent over to show off her ass and lower lips made the innuendo unmistakable.
Bell swallowed his nerves and walked over to the tub. His eyes couldn’t stop roaming over Tsubaki’s naked body and his hands twitched slightly at his sides.
Tsubaki saw Bell’s hands twitch and smiled as she gently touched Bell’s chin with her index finger and made him look into her eyes. Rubellite met red as the two gazed at each other for a moment. Neither of them said a word, but they leaned in at the same time. The kiss was simple, the two softly pressing their lips together, and they pulled away a long moment later.
“Tsubaki…” Bell tried to say something, but Tsubaki took his hands in hers and practically stole his voice.
“You can touch, Bell.” Tsubaki placed his hands on her large tits with a smile. “I want you to memorize my curves~” She told him simply and without hesitation, a combination of her natural personality and her Dwarven heritage.
Bell nodded as his hands began to gently squeeze and caress Tsubaki’s tits. “So soft.” He dragged his thumbs over her hard nipples and Tsubaki hummed in delight.
Tsubaki gently ran her hands over Bell’s skin, tracing his muscles with hands that were rough from the forge, but still retained a bit of feminine softness. “A well-forged body.” She praised Bell for his diligence in improving his physique as the foundation for all of his growth as an Adventurer. A few moments later and Tsubaki barely pulled her left hand away from Bell’s body to turn of the faucet as the tub was filled.
The two slipped into the warm water with pleasant sighs, enjoying the sweat leaving their skin and the soothing warmth. Both Bell and Tsubaki also enjoyed continuing to touch and explore each other’s bodies. While this was Bell’s first time being this intimate with a woman, Tsubaki had a couple of flings in the past for experience and showed that off as she wrapped her hand around Bell’s erection, stroking him at a steady pace while stealing his lips for a deeper kiss.
“Mm…” Bell let out a short hum of surprise that faded into pleasure as Tsubaki stroked his cock. He kissed her back and welcomed her tongue into his mouth for a deep kiss a second later, mimicking her as best as he could as pleasure shot through him from the kiss and the stroking.
“I knew you’d be a fast learner, Bell.” Tsubaki praised him as she pulled away from his lips. She moaned lowly as Bell’s right hand trailed down her torso from her tits down her flat stomach, and through the trimmed patch of hair on her mound before finding her pussy. “Mmm, that’s it, Bell, right there… A little lower…” She instructed and let out a soft moan when Bell’s fingers found her core and two of them gently slipped inside.
Bell was amazed as he felt Tsubaki’s insides, the heat and tightness was completely new to him but he gently pumped his fingers in and out and was rewarded with a moan from Tsubaki and her hand stroking his cock faster. “Tsubaki…”
Tsubaki used her left hand on Bell’s cheek to bring his lips to hers again and kiss him deeply. ‘He’s got good instincts~’ She thought to herself at Bell’s immediate attention to her eager pussy. She rolled her hips into his hand and let out a gasp into Bell’s mouth when his thumb found her clit. “Oh, yes…right there.”
“Okay.” Bell instantly repeated his action, gently rubbing the hard nub with the pad of his thumb and watching Tsubaki shiver and moan in pleasure. Seeing her large breasts floating in the water a bit, Bell leaned down and took one of them into his mouth for reasons that he could only call instinct. He licked at the hard nipple, swirled his tongue around it, and gently sucked on it, using the sounds that Tsubaki made as a guide for what she liked.
“Mmm, you know exactly what a woman wants, Bell~” Tsubaki moaned out as Bell worked her body so well for a first timer. Feeling his cock throb in her hand, she knew what was about to happen and grinned down at Bell suckling her tit. Using her strength, she gently pulled Bell’s mouth from her breast and moved him upward to sit on the edge of the tub, his hard cock right in front of Tsubaki’s face as she kneeled in the warm water. “We don’t want to get the bathwater messy…” She breathed out, ignoring that it was going to get messy once they fully bathed.
Bell watched in wide-eyed amazement, as Tsubaki leaned in and kissed the tip of his cock. Their eye locked, red meeting rubellite, before Tsubaki took him into her mouth and moved down to the base in a steady descent, not even choking or gagging when Bell entered her throat. “Tsubaki!” He barely stopped himself from bucking his hips into the incredible warmth and tightness of Tsubaki’s throat.
Tsubaki hummed, making Bell shiver in pleasure, before she slowly pulled her head back until only the tip was left between her lips. “Give me all of it, Bell~” She breathed out hotly, the heated breath making Bell’s cock twitch, before she took him back into her mouth and began to bob her head up and down his length, her right hand gently massaging his balls while her left hand played with her pussy.
“Hah…yes…” Bell was breathing heavily now, the new pleasure slamming into his brain like lightning. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he reached down with one to gently massage and squeeze Tsubaki’s tits, while the other hand held onto the edge of the tub in a powerful grip. If Bell didn’t have something to focus on he knew that he’d cum in no time and end this incredible experience.
‘He’s trying to hold back. How cute~’ Tsubaki thought to herself, taking Bell’s attempt at controlling himself as a challenge. With a moan—partially from the pleasure of having her hard nipples played with by Bell’s eager hand—Tsubaki began deepthroating Bell with every bob of her head. Hearing Bell gasp and call out her name only further stoked Tsubaki’s fire as she held Bell in her throat, her lips wrapped around the base of his impressive length and girth, and swallowed on his cock. ‘Give it to me… I want it all…’ Tsubaki moaned as she milked Bell’s hard cock with her throat, feeling his balls pulse in her hand as she massaged his sack to encourage his release.
Bell’s hips bucked slightly, completely out of his control. “Tsubaki!” He groaned out in bliss as he crashed over the edge, unleashing a thick load into Tsubaki’s throat with every pulse of his balls.
Tsubaki moaned lowly, feeling Bell’s hot seed pour down her throat. She pulled back, suckling the entire way, swallowing his second shot in the process, before holding the head in her mouth and moving her hand from Bell’s balls to his shaft as she stroked him, milking out more of his thick cum for her, coating her tongue in his third shot. “Mmm~” She moaned hotly at the taste, finding it oddly appealing. She played with her treat with her tongue, swirling it around Bell’s sensitive tip while she continued to stroke him, getting a fourth heavy load to fill her mouth almost full. Tsubaki swallowed the two loads down and suckled on Bell’s cock, bobbing her head a few more times rewarded her with a smaller fifth shot which she savored for a moment before swallowing down.
“Hah…hah…that was…” Bell’s brain was still coming down from the high of the most powerful orgasm of his life, so far.
“I like to think I have some talent at this.” Tsubaki said with a throaty purr as she pulled her lips off of Bell’s cock, having licked and suckled the entire length to clean him of any remaining cum.
Bell blinked twice before looking down at Tsubaki again. “Can I?” He asked, his intention to return the favor clear.
Tsubaki smiled up at him with smoldering, half-lidded eyes. “You can…” Bell slipped into the tub, but was stopped by Tsubaki. “…after we get clean and your cut healed up.” She teased with a grin.
“Oh, right…” Bell recalled now what they were actually in the bathing room to do. “Let me wash you.” He picked up the soap and a wash cloth and quickly lathered it up.
Tsubaki hummed in contentment as Bell began to wash her body, taking care that he didn’t miss a single spot. It was clear that he wouldn’t rush just to get to what she’d promised afterwards and that put a soft smile on her face as Bell practically pampered her, something she wasn’t used to, but definitely wasn’t going to complain about.
While the two wouldn’t go beyond oral sex tonight, no one saw either of them until dinnertime…which was HOURS after their spar.
-Hephaestus’s Office ~ Evening-
Bell sat with his shirt off and his back exposed to Hephaestus, feeling her finger gently move across the Falna on his back.
Hephaestus watched the spar with Tsubaki from Bell’s viewpoint through his Excelia. The strength and speed of the spar was certainly much faster than the last time the two had fought one another, not to mention Bell’s control of his magic and its intensity. ‘And that hard work and diligence does pay off.’ Hephaestus smiled as something new manifested within Bell’s Falna. Deciphering it, she found it to be a new Skill, with a smile at the name of it relating to her Domain of Blacksmithing, she wrote it into Bell’s Falna before moving he newly acquired Excelia over into his Basic Abilities.
The numbers rose, as they always did for Bell after sparring with Tsubaki. The Captain of the Hephaestus Familia held back only enough to not severely injure her sparring partners, and with the Level disparity between her and Bell, quite a bit of Excelia could be gained.
“Hm?!” Hephaestus leaned in closer to Bell’s back, her eye widening as two of the numbers didn’t stop where they were supposed to. ‘That shouldn’t be possible…’ The thought echoed in her mind as the all the numbers suddenly stopped rising, but it was already beyond the point of normal.
“Goddess?” Bell looked over his shoulder at Hephaestus at the sound she’d made. “Is something wrong?”
Hephaestus opened her mouth, but no words came, so she closed her mouth and thought for a second before speaking. “Everything will be fine, Bell.” She assured him while placing a blank paper onto his back and copying over the update. When she handed it to him, Bell took it with curiosity, only to be wrapped in Hephaestus’s arms and held gently before he could look at the paper.
“Goddess?” Bell blinked, even as he relaxed back into the hug.
“I’ve got you, Bell.” Hephaestus reassured him, keeping the gentle hug going.
Bell looked at his new Status Update curious as to what had Hephaestus acting like this.
-Status-
Bell Cranel
Level 1
Strength – A 859 > S 993
Endurance – A 836 > S 982
Dexterity – A 870 > SS 1,004
Agility – A 832 > S 968
Magic – S 941 > SS 1,077
-Magic-
Kindle – Incantation: “Ignite.” Fire Enchantment Magic
-Skills-
Megáli Flóga – Provides protection from heat-based Magics and makes all Fire Magics the user casts use less Mind while significantly increasing their power.
Íroas Forge – Fast growth. The greater the effort towards the user’s goal, the greater the effect. Removes ‘impurities’ from the user, such as Charms or Curses.
Tempering – Raises the user’s Strength and Endurance stats by a large amount.
-Status-
Bell looked at his update in confusion. He knew as much about the Falna as any Adventurer with a Deity as experienced as Hephaestus…and two of his Basic Abilities shouldn’t…couldn’t…be right. “G-Goddess…?” He felt Hephaestus gently squeeze him tighter.
“No one has to know, Bell.” Hephaestus said to him comfortingly, her voice filled with reassurance and strength. “Just like your Skill, like the entirety of your Falna, no one but me has to know.”
“R-Right…” Bell nodded slowly, the paper almost falling from his hand before he glanced down at the Skill section to look at Íroas Forge…only to notice something new. “I have a new Skill.” Normally he’d cheer about that, but he was still trying to process the impossibility of his Magic and Dexterity stats.
Hephaestus laughed softly. “Yes, yes, you do.” She hugged him warmly, gently guiding him to lay back against her. “And it makes me very happy to see that its name relates to me, Bell.”
Bell slowly relaxed into the warm and familiar embrace. His body releasing tension and his mind prevented from spiraling into questions he had no answers to. Hephaestus truly had a motherly effect on Bell, that he was sure of, even if he’d not grown up with a mother of his own. “It increases my Strength and Endurance, huh?”
“Just like tempering metal increases its toughness and improves its overall properties, so to does this Skill grant greater strength to the body that you continuously hone and improve.” Hephaestus said warmly as she held Bell.
“That will be helpful.” Bell chuckled a little as he looked over his Status Update again. “I’ll have to keep working on my foundation and improving as I go.”
Hephaestus hummed in agreement as she gently ran her fingers through Bell’s soft white hair. Feeling Bell relax more against her, she made a mental note to ensure that Bell’s Falna was never leaked anywhere. The Guild would need a copy whenever Bell first Leveled Up to proved that he’d done so, but Hephaestus could make sure to black out everything but the Level at the top. It might raise some eyebrows, but she wouldn’t let anyone target Bell. ‘Hm, I wonder if this is what it’s like to be a mother?’ She certainly didn’t mind the feeling that she shared with Bell. And it wasn’t like she was seeing anyone, so there was little chance of her conceiving a Demi-God child of her own anytime soon.
-Next Morning ~ Babel Tower-
“I feel like there are more eyes on me lately.” Bell said to Lili as they entered the basement of Babel Tower to head for the Dungeon. ‘Maybe I’m being paranoid because of my stats last night?’
Lili glanced around subtly, noting that there were a few more eyes on Bell today. “Well, you have been doing a string of seemingly impossible or amazing things, Bell. First slaying a Minotaur at Level 1, then taking out the Sixth Floor Monster House nearly solo, and just the other day you killed that escaped irregular Silverback at Monsterphilia.” Lili listed off his feats while looking up at Bell. “That kind of stuff gets you attention in Orario. But it’s best to try and ignore the looks. There aren’t many Familias that would try to interfere with Hephaestus Familia, so you’ll be perfectly safe. Just don’t rock the boat or respond to any stupid taunts.”
Bell chuckled at Lili laying everything out so simply. “Right. Thanks for the advice, Lili.” He noticed a Party of Adventurers in matching black uniforms looking at him from off to the side of the large basement as he and Lili headed for the stairs and began to descend into the Dungeon.
Lili saw where he was looking and spoke up once they were out of sight of the group. “Best not to acknowledge that group. They’re from Apollo Familia.”
“Is Apollo Familia bad or something?” Bell asked, not knowing all that much about the hundreds of different Familia within Orario, outside of the largest and most famous, of course.
“Lord Apollo is known to adore attention. Which means he also likes things that get attention…including people.” Lili explained the ‘problem’ with Apollo Familia. “Since you’re getting attention, a few of the Apollo Familia will look your way if you happen to cross paths. Just ignore them whenever possible and Lord Apollo’s attention should go elsewhere in time.”
Bell nodded once, letting out a slow breath. “Right. Just focus on doing what we always do.”
He couldn’t have known that it wasn’t only Apollo’s attention that he’d garnered.
-Babel Tower ~ Freya’s Floor-
Freya had watched Bell enter Babel Tower, her silvery eyes glowing just slightly purple the entire time. “I see why Syr has taken a liking to the young man.” She swirled the red wine in her wineglass gently as a smile spread on her face. “Such a pure and bright soul.”
A massive Boaz man stood next to Freya’s chair. He had rust-colored hair and matching eyes, his complexion looked almost tanned. His navy blue, short-sleeved shirt clung to his body like a second skin, showing off the powerful physique of the man known as Warlord Ottar, one of only two Level 7 Adventurers known to be alive and the only one that lived in Orario. He said nothing, his posture somewhere between relaxed and at the ready, but he was always waiting for his Goddess’s word.
“Ottar, do you think the young man is worthy of one of my ‘daughters’?” Freya asked the Captain of her Familia, and one of her many lovers.
“There is room for improvement in all people, my Lady.” Ottar said, only knowing anything significant about Bell because Horn had gotten information that the public didn’t have access to. “But his list of recent deeds do not match a Level 1 Adventurer.”
Freya sipped her wine with a gentle smile. “No, they do not.” She propped her arm up on the armrest and lightly rested her cheek on her palm as she quietly thought for a long moment. “Perhaps a bit of a test for the young man?” Freya looked up at Ottar with a lovely smile. “Could I leave an appropriate challenge for Bell Cranel to you, Ottar?”
Ottar bowed slightly to Freya. “If that is your will, my Lady.” There were plenty of ways to challenge an Adventurer, but the ones that mattered the most when it came to Freya ever allowing a man to take one of her ‘daughters’ would most definitely be a test of character and a test of strength. Ottar could create a test of strength that would match the feats of Bell Cranel. “I will ensure that he proves himself in your eyes, Goddess.”
“I’ll leave it in your hands, Ottar.” Freya pushed herself up in her chair slightly and pressed her lips to the bowing Ottar’s, the two sharing a gentle kiss for a moment before Freya pulled away and sat back down properly.
“It shall be done, my Lady.” Ottar had the faintest of smiles now, a look only Freya ever got to see, which he knew thrilled his Goddess.
-End Chapter-
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Well…things have certainly happened, huh?
Bell and Tsubaki’s relationship has deepened as they’ve grown closer. The two spending some quality time with each other for HOURS after their latest spar.
Bell’s string of feats continues to draw attention from all over Orario though.
When Hephaestus sees that Bell has broken the limit of the Falna, she instantly hugs him and reassures her ‘son’ that everything will be fine. Mama Hephaestus will make sure that no one finds out about Bell’s Skill or his overlimit stats! Woe be unto any fool that tries sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong! A hammer to the face is a pretty damn good deterrent to snoopers!
Just when Bell becomes a little more aware of the eyes on him because of his latest Status Update, both the Apollo Familia and Freya have increased their watch on him.
But at least Freya isn’t doing it for some weird yandere stalker reason this time, but instead to prove that Bell is worthy of one of her ‘daughters’ before things get too far along.
The fact that OTTAR will be the one making the first ‘test’ means exactly what everyone is thinking.
Will Bell’s ever-growing flame be enough to see him through the challenges that’re approaching him? Thankfully, he won’t have to find out alone! Having the entire Hephaestus Familia backing him will definitely change how things go down!
Who or what will appear in Bell’s path first?
Keep reading to find out!
Let me know what you thought!
Until next time, later!