DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
By the time the members of the Aislynn and Loki Familias finished their meal, night had fallen on Orario. On top of that, Loki, having consumed nearly her entire body weight in alcohol, was completely drunk. And that meant that her hands were wandering more than usual.
Luckily, the members of the Loki Familia were used to their goddess acting that way. So, before she could get too handsy with the members of the Aislynn Familia, Riveria signaled to Gareth, who quickly hoisted Loki on to his back and carried her towards the Twilight Manner.
"Hey! Put me down, Gareth!" Loki shouted while swinging her arms and legs from atop Gareth's shoulders. "I didn't get to examine the pretty girls!"
Gareth's only response was to grunt at his goddess while completely ignoring her protests.
Meanwhile, Violet, Aletia, Akatsuki, Sakura, and Momo were all looking at Riveria with gratitude while Elicia was laughing at Loki's antics while holding onto Alfonzo's arm.
"I don't know why you're laughing." Alfonzo said while rolling his eyes. "You're just as bad during certain times, you know?"
Immediately, Elicia started coughing on her laughter. Then, once she got her coughing fit under control, she glared at Alfonzo with a vicious pout on her face.
"Whose side are you on, Fonzie?" Elicia asked while continuing to pout.
"You know I'm always on your side, Lici." Alfonzo said lovingly. Then, his tone turned a bit sterner. "But that means I gotta keep you on the straight and narrow, too."
Elicia's response was to roll her eyes and pretend to ignore Alfonzo while snuggling up a little closer to him.
"You two are cute." Tiona said cheerfully.
"Yeah, I'm jealous." Tione added while stealing glances at Finn.
Completely ignoring the back and forth between Alfonzo and Elicia, Ais stepped closer to Tatsuo. Then, when she was right in front of him, she looked up at him without blinking. {Pic}
"What's wrong?' Tatsuo asked while eyeing Ais warily. "You're not gonna attack me again, are you?"
In response, Ais only shook her head, causing her golden-blonde hair to sway with the movement.
"Then, what is it?" Tatsuo asked.
"Will there be... Jagamarukun... tomorrow?" Ais asked, her eyes lighting up as she mentioned her favorite food.
"Does the Hostess of Fertility serve Jagamarukun?" Tatsuo asked as a smirk spread across his face.
Ais shook her head in response. Then, after understanding what that meant, she lowered her head with apparent sadness.
"Well then, we should get going." Tatsuo said while ignoring Ais' kicked puppy expression. He then turned to address the rest of the Loki Familia. "It was nice to meet most of you. I'm sure we'll see you around."
Tatsuo made a point of not making eye contact with Bete when he spoke to the rest of the Loki Familia, causing the werewolf to snarl in his direction. However, he completely ignored it. He had no good will for someone like that.
With Tatsuo saying his goodbyes, the other members of the Aislynn Familia also exchanged goodbyes with the members of the Loki Familia other than Bete, as well. Then, they all turned around to head back to the Dragon's Nest.
However, before they got too far, Aislynn looked over her shoulder at Finn, who was still wearing that contemplative expression.
"You don't have to worry, Braver." Aislynn said with a smile. "Although I'm definitely the strongest being in the Lower World, I have no desire to harm anyone."
Reaching that point, Aislynn shot a sharp glare at Bete, causing the fur on the werewolf's ears and tail to stand on end.
"But if someone provokes me by putting their hands on my treasures, the story changes completely." Aislynn continued. "And trust me, there's nothing you can do to keep me from finding the truth. So, just keep that in mind."
Collectively, the remaining members of the Loki Familia, especially Bete, felt a shiver run down their spines at Aislynn's last words.
Meanwhile, Aislynn quickly caught up to Tatsuo as the group headed back to the Dragon's Nest. And when she saw the frown on his face, Aislynn tilted her head in confusion.
"What's wrong?" Aislynn asked.
"Nothing, I guess." Tatsuo replied in an uncertain tone. "I just feel a bit off for some reason."
"Ah, I think I understand." Aislynn replied after a few moments of contemplation.
Hearing that, Tatsuo turned his head in Aislynn's direction while waiting for her to continue.
"If you had not been weakened for this [Mission], do you think you could have defeated that werewolf?" Aislynn asked with a smile.
"Definitely." Tatsuo replied.
"Then, there's your answer." Aislynn said. "Your draconic pride is leaving you unhappy that you could not teach him a lesson for being so disrespectful. As a result, you're feeling stifled."
Reaching that point, Aislynn reached out and took Tatsuo's hand.
"But don't worry." Aislynn said while rubbing circles on the back of Tatsuo's hand with her thumb. "If you work hard, I have no doubt that you'll be able to house break that mangy mutt before we have to go back."
Hearing that, Tatsuo go the distinct feeling that Aislynn was more pissed off at Bete's disrespect than he was. And his feeling was right. For Aislynn, a dragon of immense power, having her chosen mate insulted was almost more than she could bear.
"I bet we'll all be able to put that wolf in his place by the time we leave." James said, jumping into the conversation. "For some of us, we probably won't even have to wait until we're Level 5 like him. Level 4 will probably be more than enough."
"With our Magic and Skills, I don't doubt it." Zelretch added.
The members confident in their combat abilities such as Tatsuo, James, Alfonzo, Elicia, Violet, Aletia, and Akatsuki nodded in agreement. As for Sakura and Momo, they simply did not have enough combat experience to be as confident as the others. But that would come with time.
"Well then, let's hurry home." Aislynn said cheerfully. "In this world, you can't really get stronger until your Falna is updated. It should also give us a probable timeline for when you'll be able to take a rolled up newspaper to the mouthy little mutt."
With that, the group picked up their pace back to the Dragon's Nest. And before long, the whole Familia's Falna's had been updated, and they were sitting in the main hall with copies of the Status sheets in hand.
"Alright, who's going first this time?" Akatsuki asked while looking at the other members of the Familia.
"Let's go in reverse order from last time." Momo said. "That way, our captain is last."
"I have no problem with that." Zelretch said as he laid his Status sheet on the table.
Status
Name: Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I4
Endurance: I0 -> I2
Dexterity: I0 -> I7
Agility: I0 -> I6
Magic: I0 -> I10
-Magic-
Kaleidoscope
-Allows the wielder to create a passage glowing with kaleidoscopic colors to anywhere the user has been before. However, this spell cannot move between separate spaces.
-Chant: Pierce a hole to the Root, and show me all of the world's mysteries. Kaleidoscope.
Jewel Magic
-Allows the user to seal magic energy into jewels or magic stones to cast one time spells. Different jewels and the magic stones of different monsters have different effects.
-Chant: Chantless.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
"Those numbers seem kinda low, don't they?" Akatsuki asked while looking between her own Status sheet and Zelretch's. "I mean, there were only a total of twenty-nine attribute points. At this rate, it will take forever for any of us to Level Up."
"The fastest person to rise from Level 1 to 2 took a whole year." Alfonzo explained, his expression much more peaceful than Akatsuki's. "If you look at it that way, these numbers are actually pretty good."
"I guess." Akatsuki said, still not sounding too pleased with the numbers on her Status sheet. "What are the requirements to Level Up again?"
"At least one Attribute at Rank D and a great enough feat that would impress the gods." Momo replied. "But I doubt any of us plan on stopping at just Rank D before we Level Up, correct?"
"Damn right." James said with a nod. "Anyway, let's keep it going, I'm curious to see how everyone did on our first Dungeon dive."
Nodding in agreement, Aletia wasted no time placing her own Status sheet on the table.
Status
Name: Aletia Galdea Vesperitio Avatari
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I2
Endurance: I0 -> I2
Dexterity: I0 -> I4
Agility: I0 -> I5
Magic: I0 -> I11
-Magic-
Dragon of the Five elements
-Allows the user to conjure a dragon of one of the five elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, and Wind to attack a target. The size and power of the spell scale with the Magic Stat and Mind usage.
-Chant: Oh, [Insert Element Here], I beseech thee. Gather at my call and smite mine enemies. [Insert Element Here] Dragon.
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Super Regeneration
-As long as the user has remaining magic power and Mind, injuries will heal automatically.
After that, the group did not chat much between Status sheets. As a result, the rest of the showcase ended quickly.
Status
Name: Elicia Marcus Taylor
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I5
Endurance: I0 -> I3
Dexterity: I0 -> I10
Agility: I0 -> I9
Magic: I0 -> I8
-Magic-
Administratio Filorum
-A spell that allows the user to create threads with magic and manipulate the conjured threads. Length, duration, and minute control of the threads scales with Magic Stat and Mind usage
-Chant: Mend the Seams of Reality. Administratio Filorum
Implicatio Filorum
-The user conjures a large amount of magical thread before spreading it through the area. Then, at the user's command, the threads converge to immobilize a target. The scale and strength of the spell scale with the Magic Stat.
-Chant: Set the trap and reel in the net. Implicatio Filorum
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Alfonzo Marcus
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I8
Endurance: I0 -> I6
Dexterity: I0 -> I8
Agility: I0 -> I9
Magic: I0 -> I8
-Magic-
Corpus Fulmineum
-A spell that enhances the user's body with Lightning Magic. Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Agility increase with Mind usage.
-Chant: Oh lightning. Descend into this body and grant the power to vanquish my enemies. Corpus Fulmineum
Analysis Materiae
-A spell that allows the user to pulse magic power into an object to learn specific details about its makeup.
-Chant: Open your secrets to me. Analysis Materiae
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Hanekura Shizuka
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I4
Endurance: I0 -> I4
Dexterity: I0 -> I10
Agility: I0 -> I11
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Silent Step
-A Skill that allows the user to move in relative silence. Silence scales to Dexterity while movement speed to Agility.
Sneak
-A skill that allows the user to lower their presence at the cost of movement speed. Level of presence concealment scales with Dexterity. Movement speed can be increased with higher Agility.
Status
Name: James Alaverus
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I6
Endurance: I0 -> I5
Dexterity: I0 -> I9
Agility: I0 -> I9
Magic: I0 -> I8
-Magic-
Senbonzakura
-A bladed weapon in hand breaks down into a thousand cherry blossom-shaped blades that the user can control with their Mind. Movement speed, sharpness, and distance scale with Mind usage.
-Chant: Scatter, Senbonzakura.
Flash Step
-A movement spell that uses magical energy to bridge the gap between two points. Distance scales with Mind usage while speed scales with the Agility Stat.
-Chant: Chantless
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Minami Violet Sumire
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I8
Endurance: I0 -> I11
Dexterity: I0 -> I7
Agility: I0 -> I5
Magic: I0 -> I5
-Magic-
Arx Custos
-The user gains increased Endurance and Defense for the duration of the spell. Spell time and power scales with Mind usage.
-Chant: Blessing of Steel. Wisdom's guardian. With strengthened will and the desire to overcome, Arx Custos.
[Empty]
-Skills-
[Empty]
Status
Name: Matou Sakura
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I3
Endurance: I0 -> I2
Dexterity: I0 -> I5
Agility: I0 -> I5
Magic: I0 -> I15
-Magic-
Kage Sosa
-The user gains the ability to stretch their shadow to connect with other shadows in the surroundings and control the shadows saturated with their magic power.
-Chant: Bind, trap, restrain, and skewer. Oh shadows, follow my will and do my bidding. Kage Sosa.
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Shadow Space
-The user has the ability to store all manner of things inside their shadow. However, the user will be subjected to 100th of the weight stored inside. Also, living beings can be kept in the shadow. However, without oxygen, it is not recommended to stay there for long.
Status
Name: Yaoyorozu Momo
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I7
Endurance: I0 -> I8
Dexterity: I0 -> I7
Agility: I0 -> I8
Magic: I0
-Magic-
[Empty]
[Empty]
[Empty]
-Skills-
Material Creation
-Using the lipids in the body, the user is able to create any inorganic materials or items they have sufficient knowledge of.
"All things considered, we all had pretty good gains for our first trip to the Dungeon." James said while looking at the nine Status sheets on the table. "Now, there's only one left. And his Skill is broken. So, we're probably all gonna be blown away."
"Don't raise your expectations too high." Zelretch said. "Although I'm sure Young Tatsuo will have higher numbers than most, if not all, of us. It's better to keep your expectations grounded."
"There's really no point talking about it." Elicia said as she leaned forward with an excited expression. "Tatsuo, just whip it out and put it on the table already."
"Pause." James and Alfonzo said in unison.
"*Sigh* Dealing with the two of you for two years is gonna be a test of my patience." Elicia muttered while James and Alfonzo chuckled at her exasperation.
"Alright, I'll just show everyone before those two can really get going." Tatsuo said as he laid his own Status sheet on the table.
Status
Name: Soramoto Tatsuo
Level: 1
-Attributes-
Strength: I0 -> I12
Endurance: I0 -> I6
Dexterity: I0 -> I15
Agility: I0 -> I17
Magic: I0 -> I14
-Magic-
Blink
-Allows the user to use short range teleportation.
-Chant: Chantless
Transmutation
-With adequate understanding, materials can be deconstructed and reconstructed into a form of the user's choosing.
-Chant: Mankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is known as the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Transmutation.
[Empty]
-Skills-
Magic Circle Creation
-The user is able to create magic circles of any attribute. And with a corresponding Mind cost, the user is able to cast the circle's magic.
Void Destiny
-As one destined for greatness, the speed of Excelia gain will be greatly increased.
"Yeah, that Skill really is broken.' Akatsuki muttered. "Four out of five attributes had double-digit growth."
"If Momo hadn't been the tank in his party, it probably would have been all five." Elicia pointed out.
"Well, I don't like playing the tank." Tatsuo said with a shrug. "So, I'm okay with that. But more importantly, now that we have a feel for the first Four Floors, I think we should split into smaller parties from now on."
"Is that really a good idea?" Violet asked in an uncertain tone. "What about those irregular Situations? What if we run into something similar while there are fewer of us?"
"Come on, Violet." Elicia said jovially. "There's no way we'll run into stuff like that every time we go into the Dungeon."
"Welp… Now we're definitely gonna face Irregular Situations every time we go in." Alfonzo said in a tired tone.
The rest of the [chat] members also stared at Elicia with blank gazes, as well.
"Hey!" Elicia shouted indignantly. "Just 'cause I said something does NOT mean it's going to happen!"
Teasing Elicia about her tendency to raise flags did not last too long. They would be going out for breakfast tomorrow at the Hostess of Fertility, and somehow, they did not think Mia would approve of having to wait too long for them. So, they all decided to go to bed before starting another day.
Also, they all forgot to ask how Tatsuo's [Blink] turned from an ultra-short chant spell to a Chantless one. But there would be time to ask about that later.