83 CHAPTER 83(Back To Work)
Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)
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CHAPTER START---
Standing in a field just outside of Orario, Yang and Thalie had their hands raised ready for some unarmed sparring.
"You ready?" Thalie asks.
"Always," he replies before they began trading blows.
The sun was at its highest point above the grassy field, earlier that morning Airmid gave Yang a clean bill of health and delivered his order of medical items as well.
Now he was back to training as eager as ever, almost a week of being banned from any training or serious magic was getting to him, he'd been so used to dungeon delving and using magic anytime he could that having to go without it was extremely jarring.
From a world with no magic to having such power at his literal fingertips, the novelty still hasn't worn off, he's still like a kid in a candy shop.
As their spar went on, minutes passed by without either of them noticing, but the bruises on Thalie kept slowly growing.
"Hey," she calls out, noticing the dazed look in his eye and the broad smile on his face as he keeps pressing her.
"Yang?" Once more, as if he hadn't heard her. His speed goes past what they agreed to, his hits becoming heavier.
"YANG!" She yells out, finally snapping him out of his trance.
"Uh, huh, what?" He asks while blinking a few times, his skin hot to the touch as proved by the blisters on her forearms.
"I think your battle manic happened, I can't feel my fucking arms." She whines while he withdraws a potion for her.
"Sorry, that's new for me too, it felt like I was, I dunno, high? Felt Euphoric, or what I assume that feels like I suppose...." he mutters out, unsure of how to feel about it.
"Yeah that's a problem, I don't think we can do any sparring, you might go too far and knock my head off or something, not to mention your magic was reacting too, your skin was searing me." She quickly adds on.
"Guess I'll have to struggle to train this in the dungeon too huh, at least we found out here and not in there right."
"Yeah, that's one way to look at it," she says while he stores the empty vial away, "whaddya mean struggle to train this TOO, what happened to your magic?" she asks, a hint of worry in her voice.
"Oh, apparently my mind can't handle how awesome my magic is," he says with a cocky grin.
"..." Thalie fixes him a bored look as she awaits a real explanation.
"I'm serious, my mind literally isn't used to this much magic and is having problems regulating it, it's taking a lot more focus than normal to keep it in line..." he says in a slightly defeated tone.
"Hmm, guess even prodigies have their problems, huh, suffering from success, looks like there is justice for us normal people hahaha."
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I've got a lot of training to do before the expedition." Yang says, taking a deep breath as he just imagines how busy he's going to be.
"You sure you wanna keep pushing floors like this, I'd rather not have you go ape shit and demolish another part of the dungeon or something..." she says with a raised brow.
"Hmmm, I guess it's better safe than sorry, and I can't clear the dungeon alone so it's probably best to make sure I'm not a liability right?" He theorizes.
"Exactly, not that your a liability but if we get pressed, we've all got our skills and stuff we bring to the table, but you're the only fireproof one, can't have you melting the room we're in ya know," she says with a shrug.
"Yeah, you've got the skill, Welf has the gear and I've got the power, need all parts at their best to survive down there..." he says while making a small flame in his hand.
"Exactly, don't worry we'll get you home. Other teams literally won't be able to go as far as us just because they don't have the same traits we do. Supporters tend to lose a lot of cargo on an expedition just on the way down, your storage magic and Welf's...existence I suppose, is what makes our expeditions possible, we'll win the race," she reassures him with a pat on the back.
"Thanks, hey can I ask something, if Orario is supposed to have the treasures of this world, what does Hephaestus have you always leaving to look for?"
A long moment passes, nobody speaks as the wind blows around them.
"She...she's been gathering supplies for a very special potion, a potion that might be able to restore her eye, doubt she'd mind you knowing since Tsubaki and I both know already..." Thalie says with a deep sigh.
"Hmm, can potions work on gods?"
"This one might, its what Aphrodite used to become 'perfect' when she was in the lower word, she bragged that it made her the perfect woman...if it's what Hephaestus wants then I'll get it for her," Thalie says with a shrug.
"Have you ever seen what her eye looks like?"
"Nope."
"What about Tsubaki's?"
"Nope."
"Hmm, now I'm actually curious. When Welf gets his dream goddess I suppose I can just ask him or something," Yang says with a shrug.
"That makes sense, hey what the hell is he up to anyway, haven't seen him since we got your big reveal."
"Well, we're his team, let's go pester him hehe," Yang giggles like a mischievous child.
---Welf's Forge...
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
Hammer hits metal as Welf forges another magic item, small enough to fit into his palm but perfectly crafted for one use.
Dipping it into a bucket of water, the metal rapidly cools before he dries it and reaches for a wooden briefcase, opening the case he places it in the final slot among dozens of others just like it, then sets the case aside next to three others.
For the past week he's pushed himself more than ever before to create magic weapons, no full-size swords just yet, smaller weapons meant for the more dexterous member of his team first.
The size of these weapons makes it difficult to have any errors when crafting and provides great practice in the lead-up to his larger projects, it has been 3 years since he last made a magic sword after all.
"YO WELF!" He hears Yang call out from the front of his forge, putting his hammer down and wiping his brow he looks up to see his team approaching him.
"We brought lunch," Yang announces, holding three boxes of food in his hand.
"Thanks, I could use a break anyway," Welf says as Yang hands him a box.
As they sit at a small table and begin eating, meals packed from the Hostess of Fertility of course, Thalie is the first to speak.
"You've been held up in here for days, what's going in?" she asks, not too worried as she also has workaholic tendencies.
"I've been practicing, using some of those materials Yang got me to craft magic weapons that pack even more of a punch than my regular ones, those are yours," he points at the cases on the floor while looking at Thalie.
"Ooo, all three?" She asks, eyes sparkling at the thought of magic weapons from a Crozzo.
"Each box has a lot more than three, I based them off some assassin style tools I've seen around, smaller creations give good practice without wasting materials so I've been shaking the rust off my skills with them, doesn't make them any less useful though," he quickly adds.
"Hmm, sounds great to me, been meaning to put in an order for something more permanent anyway, my second class shortsword is all that survived that last adventure."
"Hmmm, you want Durandal daggers now?" Yang asks, genuinely curious about her request.
"No, I actually prefer fighting in the front, Assassin is just what I'm most known for since it kept my familia out of the spotlight. If you think I'm good with daggers you should see me when Welf makes me a nice spear. Think you can do it Welf?" She asks the smith.
"Hahaha, I'll make you the best damn spear Orario will ever see, bet on that, and I've been testing out some of the Rok talon properties, definitely gonna be awesome to work with, hope you don't mind collecting a lot more in the future Yang," Welf says with a smile on his face.
"Hmm, It's fine, I can probably one-shot them once I get my magic under control now that I'm level 5 anyway," he replies with a shrug.
"Speaking of upgrades, I bought two Gimoires recently, either of you interested?" Yang casually says, dropping a mind-numbing bomb into the conversation.
"....." nobody responds, unsure of what the hell is going on anymore.
"Uh, I'd rather not use it until I feel stagnant to give me a boost ya know," Welf says with an uncomfortable look, clearly not willing to accept such a handout.
"Hmmm, I've only got one magic and I'm level four. Can I wait till I level up to see if I want it, I'll owe you for this, a lot definitely, so yeah if you want someone dead in the future I'm your girl," she says with a shrug as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"Uh, sure?" Yang says, not quite sure how to take that.
"Anyway now let's talk armor, this traitor went and got armor that wasn't made by me," Welf says with no real heat as he points at Yang before turning his attention to Thalie, "what can I make you?" he asks the woman.
As if those were the magic words, the woman's eye lit up like a kid in a toy store.
"Full plate, with two swords to go with it, aside from the spear and whatever magic stuff you were practicing with of course," she blurts out with no hesitation.
"And I bought you guys some salamander wool so you can add that into both your gear," Yang adds with a shrug.
"Well I'm glad one of you like to give me some stuff to do as a smith, all I've got to make for miracle boy until his switch axe is a greatsword or two for him to practice," Welf says with a sigh.
"All the more time for you and Ms 'I can use any weapon' over here," Yang gives a nod toward Thalie.
"Not my fault I was trained to be a master at arms, some people like dresses, and some people like swords," She shrugs.
"Bad example, you love both, didn't you drag Tsubaki around shopping the day after we got back..." Welf teases.
"Ugh, all she does is make weapons in that same outfit every day, if I never drag her dress shopping with me her closet would have like 3 outfits total..." she groans.
"Hephaestus tends to recruit workaholics huh, still I prefer this kind of familia than what I saw from the Loki familia, they were always in each other's face, much prefer how our people keep to themselves because everyone is busy..." Yang says before putting a spoonful of rice in his mouth.
"Yeah, all that closeness and crowds definitely isn't for me either," Thalie shrugs.
"Mmm, dunno, I don't really mind it, back when I was in Phobos familia everyone was kinda always around, I got used to it," Welf says as he finishes his food.
"Phobos?" Yang asks.
"One of the gods under Ares, if you hit level 3 you get transferred to Rakia's main familia which is Ares," he explains.
"Hmm, oh, that reminds me. I heard Rakia was getting ready for something big..."
END CHAPTER---
