144 CHAPTER 144(Devoted To Adventure)
Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)
Discord: https://discord.gg/K7f8qGpvuk
pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene
CHAPTER START---
"How you feeling?" Welf asks.
The Trifecta were relaxing in a hot tub courtesy of Yang's magic at their campsite in the floor 70 safe-zone.
"Stiff, sore. Like I had a metric fuck ton of ice crush me," Thalie says in response. Sitting up to her neck in the water as she leans against the edge of the tub.
"Well you slept it off fine, you were out for three days," Welf reminds her with a small smile. He too was enjoying the hot water, not that he felt it much with his fire affinity.
"I'm surprised you two idiots could take care of someone for three whole days," she chuckles lightly, casting an amused look toward the smith.
"Hey! We know how to take care of people," Welf shot back.
"Well sorry if I don't trust the guy who heals by setting himself on fire and a man who spends every waking hour in his forge to take care of a living person alright..."
"Mmm," he grumbles lowly," that's fair I guess," he sheepishly admits.
"Guys," Yang calls out. Leaning with his head at the edge of the tub, eyes closed as he lazes in the water. Mostly to enjoy the slight weightlessness of the water, not being able to feel hot or cold certainly had its downsides after all. "We're on floor 70, do you realize what this means?"
"That we're definitely the top spot of all exploration familias?" Welf asks.
"That we made history basically," Thalie says as she takes a sip from her bottle of wine.
"Oh," Yang opens his eyes with some surprise. "Honestly didn't even think about that. I was just thinking that, well, this means I'm not just delusional, we can beat as many floors as it takes...and I can go home," he says.
"Did you really doubt us?" Welf asks.
"No! Never...I just, I didn't think we'd get here this fast, but this changes a lot ya know," he admits.
"Mmmhmmm," Thalie hums thoughtfully. "By the time we get back up there," she takes a sip of her wind, "your Agility should be maxed out like the rest of your bullshit cheating Falna at 1299."
"Hey!"
"Get over it, you know it's true. Anyway, that puts you at level seven in what, 10 months of getting a Falna. Your rate is slowing down but it's still insane, know how long it took Ottar?" she asks.
"What 3 years?" Yang asks.
"Try 8," Welf says. "And that's with him always challenging Zeus and Hera familia from what I heard. You make him look like nothing with your insane records."
"Yeah well, his goals aren't as big as mine. He doesn't even really care about the dungeon only impressing Freya remember," Yang says.
"So I'm guessing you still have no idea why your Falna is just...better?" Thalie asks.
"Nope, best I could come up with was since it's based on will and spirit or whatever bullshit the gods peddle that's why," he says with a light shrug.
"Mhm, and speaking of gods," Welf sits up in the water to look directly at Yang, conveying a new seriousness to the conversation. "What do you plan to do about your girlfriend. You're stronger than Ottar the moment you hit level 7 so that whole 'she's threatening me excuse' won't work. Even if that's been pretty useless since our last expedition."
"True," Thalie agrees. "No way in hell anyone can stand toe to toe with you level 7 or not, the only reason people still think they have a dog in the race is they aren't here to see you punch dragons in the face," she points out.
"Alright alright, I get it," Yang releases a deep sigh as he sits up and rubs his face. "I... I was kinda enjoying spending time with Freya ok I'll admit. But I figured we'd have I dunno, years ahead of us. But now we're here already and I can feel myself needing to go further. So I think it's time to cut her off. Better that than she gets hurt right," he tilts his head back to stare up at the ceiling, as if looking for answers and praying for this to go well.
"You knew you'd have to do this eventually man," Welf reminds him.
"Yeah yeah. If heaven didn't have that stupid lock on the gods to this lower world I'd just take her with me... but I guess we can't have our cake and eat it too right," he says before sinking back into the water.
"Should we be worried about a petty war god retaliating against us?" Thalie asks.
"No," Yang says without hesitation. "She'd never do that. She wouldn't hurt me," he said with absolute certainty.
"Don't think you're the one she's worried about there buddy," Welf says.
"Please, she knows to get to you two she'd have to kill me," Yang reminds them.
---Weeks Later...
"Swordsman..." Welf mutters in disbelief as he stares down at the paper in his hands.
The Trifecta as well as their goddess and familia captain were gathered in Hephaestus's lounge for status updates.
While Thalie wasn't quite ready for a level up Welf had maxed out all of his stats and gladly took the step forward.
"Anything else new?" Yang asks. He was sitting on a stool with Hephaestus standing at his bare back. The red glow of his falna illuminating her as she continues the ritual. The ram horns of Orcus curling around the sides of his falna tattoo with the familiar smithing hammers crossed in the middle of his back to represent Hephaestus.
"No that's it, just Swordsman," Welf says.
"That's still really good," Thalie reminds him. "Those kinds of skills are tough to come by so you got something good."
"Thanks, I was kinda hoping for new magic honestly but what I have going with Mosoka works really good right now anyway," he says.
"If you want magic so badly just use a grimoire, I got two of them just laying around anyway," Yang casually suggests.
"Nah I think I'm good for now, maybe some other time," Welf says.
"Done!" Hephaestus cheers as she places a piece of paper on Yang's back to copy his Falna. "I now officially have a level-seven adventurer," she says with a beaming smile.
"My gods, honestly part of me doubted, " Tsubaki admits, staring with her eye wide at Yang.
"Don't worry your boring captain position isn't in any danger," Yang gives Tsubaki a teasing smile.
"Anything new on it?" Thalie asks.
"Nope...just more of the same. I don't think I've gotten anything new since I hit level five actually," Yang says.
"Hmm," Hephaestus walks over to her seat beside Welf and takes the spot beside him. "Well development abilities and magic are rare, and you coming with 10 at level 1 and 2 means you probably won't get any for a bit."
"Yeah that's fair," Yang says.
"Well if this is all done now," Thalie rises to her feet. Tsubaki stands up beside her. "I need to go see Airmid to get my body checked out, so find me if you need anything," she says before slowly walking out of the room. Her body still acting rigid and stiff hence Tsubaki going with her.
"Right, we'll celebrate when you recover!" Yang says as both women leave the room.
As the women level the room a pregnable silence fills the air. The goddess gives Yang a worried look as she speaks, "Yang?"
"Mhm," he doesn't look up from the sheets in his hands, looking between his and Welf's as the smith patiently waits beside his goddess.
"About Freya..." at her words, the sheets crunch up in his hands. His body having an obvious reaction to her name alone.
"Yeah?"
"You plan to break up with her soon?" Hephaestus asks.
"Tonight, figured if I hesitate then I'd just make it worse," he admits. Shaking his head and trying to focus his thoughts, his mind clouded by memories of the woman...his woman.
"Mhm, I trust you two not to go overboard. Just remember, even she can't know about where you came from and the circumstances surrounding that. So tread carefully, and leave my familia out of it. This isn't their problem," she says.
"Got it got it," he raises his hands in surrender.
"Just making sure, and one more thing... congratulations. The only people above you now is the gods, take some pride in that," she says before taking a sip of her drink.
"Yeah, feels weird ya know..." he mutters thoughtfully.
"What feels weird?" the goddess asks.
"Being at the top of the food chain..."
STAT SHEET START---
NAME: Yang Shen
Level 7: 69th Floor Monster-Rex Xixecal as a 3 man team.
Stats(Before Reset): STR=SSS DEX=SSS AGI=SSS MAG=SSS END=SSS
Stats(Now level[7]): STR=I DEX=I AGI=I MAG=I END=I
Magic:
---Storage(Its essential video game inventory)
Allows the user to store a limited amount of inanimate items.
---Elementalist (Obtained at level 2)
Allows the user to channel certain elemental magic through their body and manipulate the elements to their whim, however, the user can take damage from these elements.
Skills:
---Elemental Resistance(Obtained at level 2)-[Level 10/10]
Taking elements damage develops resistance to these elements over time.
---Elemental Healing(Obtained at level 2)-[Level 10/10]
Pre-requisite skill 'Elemental Resistance'.Allows the uses to transfer some of the resisted elemental energy into health.
---Hunter(Obtained at level 2)
Improves abilities against monsters that the user has fought before and gained experience from.
---War Mage(Unique ability variant)(Obtained at level 2)-[Level 10/10]
Amplifies the user's magic and reduces the cost and strain on the mind and body.
---Unarmed Strikes(Obtained level 2)-[Level 10/10]
All unarmed strike damage is boosted
---Mage Armor(Obtained through stress at level 2)-[Level 10/10]
Envelops the user in magic amplifying defense and unarmed strike damage with elemental damage.
---Kinetic Exchange(Obtained Level 3)-[Level 10/10]
Whilst moving in mage armor acceleration and momentum are amplified when added to melee damage. Recoil and backlash from this are greatly reduced on the user's body. Whilst this skill has no set limit the user's capabilities of achieving velocity and taking damage are the limits.
---Elemental Absorption(Obtained at level 3)-[Level 10/10]
Transfers some of the elemental magic that damages the user into mana for the user. (For the damage that he DOES NOT resist only. So after he resists the damage some of the damage he takes will give him mana but it will still damage him to be clear)
---Greater Spirit Healing(Unique Variant, Obtained level 3)[Level 9/10]
Automatically begins to restore mind/mana.
---Adrenal Overdrive(Obtained at level 5)[Level 5/10]
Adrenaline Increases stats and causes battle mania status effect, no active trigger.
---CHAOS BLESSING
Strength
Defiance
END CHAPTER---
