As Roland reappeared, the Flash Swallows immediately pivoted to charge at him, only to be blocked by a wall of blood energy. Watching the swallows die upon impact, a curious thought occurred to Roland.
Can these birds be used as training tools for Dexterity and Agility? Their damage isn't high for me, and the blood energy they release when they die can heal my wounds. It's a win-win.
He put his plan into action, retracting the blood wall and relying on instinct to dodge the incoming swallows. He ducked and weaved, occasionally drawing his knife to slice one mid-air whenever his eyes caught their trajectory.
With a long exhale, Roland stood amidst the fallen Flash Swallows. The blood energy from their deaths was absorbed into his body as a restorative. Despite the absurdity of their deaths, he offered a small bow of thanks to the "Flash Swallow Teachers" for their contribution.
However, he hadn't escaped unscathed. His adventuring gear was now little more than rags hanging off his body; anyone seeing him would surely call him a pervert. He quickly pulled fresh clothes from his [Inventory]. Fortunately, he had anticipated that powerful monsters might ruin his outfits and packed several spares.
He continued his hunt. Crunch—
A massive maw formed of crimson blood manifested from the mist, its sharp teeth dripping as it crushed a group of blue-scaled lizardmen. The maw dissolved back into mist, leaving behind nothing but mangled remains. The walls and ceiling were splattered with blood, looking like a scene from a horror movie.
"Waka!" A lizardman with markings on its forehead—clearly the leader—let out a terrified cry.
As the leader turned to flee, Roland raised his right hand. "Hellhound."
A surge of blood energy erupted from his body, condensing into a demonic hound with bone-white fangs. The hound streaked forward like a bolt of lightning through a storm of gore. With a sickening crunch, the lizardman was torn to shreds before it could even react. The hound then dissolved into a pool of blood and flowed back into Roland, reintegrating into his power.
This was the seventh pack he had cleared. He finally opened his status.
Name: Roland Age: 13 Level: 35 (System Level)
"That's enough for today. If I keep going, my body's going to break," Roland muttered. He was deep in the dungeon; flying back would take too long. He decided to use his magic tool to see if it worked from within the dungeon.
A magic circle flashed beneath his feet, and Roland vanished from the 26th floor.
Inside the spacious hall of the Manor of Stars, Astraea sat on the sofa, surprised to see the teleportation stone on the table glowing. Which child couldn't wait to use the tool? Or did something happen to Alise and the others?
Poof.
With a soft sound, Roland appeared, standing right on the table. He waved at the Goddess. "Yo, good evening, Lady Astraea. I'm back."
"Good evening, Roland. Come down from there," Astraea said, standing up and reaching out a slender hand. "And, welcome home."
Roland took her hand and hopped down. Seeing it was still early outside, he realized the darkness of the caves had skewed his sense of time.
Astraea smiled, keeping hold of his hand. "Since you're back early, let's go buy ingredients for dinner together." She paused. "Oh, wait. You just got back from an adventure. You must be exhausted. I'll go alone."
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Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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Roland tightened his grip on her soft hand and leaned in with a gentle smile. "Who could refuse a date alone with a Goddess? People would kill for this opportunity."
Astraea laughed, poking his lip with her free hand. "You certainly have a silver tongue. Is this how you've been tricking the other girls?"
"I can't believe I've been found out. I guess I'll have to stop hiding my true self. Heh heh heh—" Roland put on a villainous grin and gave a mock-evil laugh.
Astraea giggled, pushing his smirk back into place. "I wonder where you learned to talk like that. You always manage to make everyone smile."
Roland stepped forward to open the door for her. "It's because I'm from another world."
As someone forced into this world, Roland missed his family dearly. But the moment he saw the Star Map and realized his true home wasn't recorded, he knew he couldn't go back. There was no longer any reason to hide his origin from his new family.
Astraea's eyes widened, but her smile grew even warmer. She was genuinely happy he had shared his secret. "I see. A person from another world? It must have been so scary for you. You've worked so hard." She pulled Roland into a motherly embrace, stroking his hair tenderly.
Though incredibly comfortable, Roland managed to speak up. "Actually, it wasn't that bad. I was scared when I first arrived in Orario, but after meeting Alise and the others and joining the Familia, that fear vanished."
"I know, I know. This is just a Goddess's deep love for a child who suffered a disaster. You are not allowed to refuse!" Astraea ignored his protest and continued to comfort him.
Seeing her motherly affection nearly overflowing from her eyes, Roland struggled slightly. "Goddess, we still have to buy ingredients. If we stay like this, Alise and the others won't have anything to eat."
Astraea finally let go, looking pouting and annoyed. "You're usually so fine with being intimate with Roland, but now you're running away!"
Roland helplessly took her hand and practically dragged her toward the market. "Lady Astraea, stop complaining. Everyone will be home soon!"
The Goddess followed behind him with a light laugh, clearly enjoying this more forceful side of Roland.
In the kitchen, a large sphere of water hovered over the counter. Roland used a mix of water and wind magic to scrub the ingredients clean, then used gales to float plates for over a dozen people onto the table.
"If children outside the Familia saw you using magic for chores, they'd be shocked and envious," Astraea noted.
"This is the real way to use it," Roland countered, setting the silverware. "What's the point of magic if it doesn't make life easier?"
Just then, the kitchen door slammed open. "We're back, Lady Astraea!!" Alise shouted.
"Welcome back, everyone," Roland and the Goddess said in unison.
"Don't block the door," Kaguya said, pushing Alise aside. She looked at Roland. "Home so early? Did something happen?"
The others crowded around with concerned looks, making Roland feel incredibly lucky. He explained he had just misjudged the time and used a magic tool to return.
"That's a relief," Maryu said, coming over to pat his head. She was always very direct with her affection.
"If nothing's wrong, then leave the kitchen to us. You go take a shower, Roland," Kaguya said, shooing him away.
Iska, the Amazon, threw an arm around Roland. "Want to go shower with the big sisters?"
"Wait, what?!" the two elf girls cried out in shock.
Lyra added excitedly, "Oho! Roland must want to see the beautiful bodies of young maidens, right? Every man dreams of this!"
Astraea and Maryu watched with smiles, while Kaguya snapped, "Stupid Captain, stop just watching and do something!"
Alise, as usual, ignored the scolding and struck a pose, her face slightly flushed. "I'm a bit shy, but... I suppose it's okay for Roland to see my perfect body."
"Don't you start too!"
Roland was trapped in a difficult decision. His inner angel said "Don't go," while his inner demon screamed "Go!" The chaotic scene made Astraea and Maryu burst into laughter.
Finally, Roland made his choice. To keep the peace (and despite his inner struggle), he shouted the famous line: "But! I refuse!!"
He broke free from Iska's arm and bolted to his room, leaving a kitchen filled with laughter.