Currently on Floor 8
At this moment on the eighth floor, two individuals are fighting monsters, but the contrast between them is clearly visible.
One possesses smooth spear techniques, yet each swing delivers full force. The other still appears somewhat stiff. Yes, they are Bell and Kazuma, currently on the eighth floor.
Their plan was to descend to the ninth floor, but who would have thought they'd be held up on the eighth. Earlier they encountered many Toad Shooters, and after defeating those monsters, Needle Rabbits appeared again.
Kazuma is actually quite capable of handling this situation, but bringing Bell along slightly decreases his effectiveness.
How could it not? While fighting, he must keep an eye on Bell. After all, none of Bell's status attributes have reached D rank yet. He reached D level after defeating the chimpanzee released by Freya.
Currently, Kazuma's fighting style appears brutal despite being the result of spear techniques combined with various martial arts like Kyokushin karate, Muay Thai, boxing, aikido, and taekwondo. Though brutal, his movements feel smooth.
While fighting, Kazuma smiles and grows increasingly aggressive in killing monsters. He doesn't know why, but the more he fights, the more energized he becomes.
This isn't happening only now but also yesterday when he hunted in the ninth floor of the dungeon.
Besides yesterday, this feeling has emerged long ago since he was still in his village, though in his village he rarely fought intensely so it wasn't noticeable.
But now in the dungeon where his life is at stake, this effect is more pronounced.
"Kazuma-san! Behind you!" Bell shouted while thrusting his dagger into a Needle Rabbit that was about to pounce.
Kazuma spun quickly, his spear slashing another Needle Rabbit trying to attack from his blind spot. "Thanks, Bell!"
Bell nodded, his breath ragged. His face was covered in sweat and parts of his clothing were torn from monster attacks. "They're endless..."
"Hang in there," Kazuma pushed Bell's back to avoid a needle attack from one of the rabbit monsters. "We're almost done with this floor."
After fighting for several more minutes, they finally managed to clear the eighth floor.
Kazuma and Bell both collected magic stones from the monsters they had defeated. Their current condition was quite pitiful—Bell was disheveled and Kazuma wasn't much better.
"Phew..." Bell dropped to the dungeon floor, his back leaning against the stone wall. "I didn't expect floor 8 to be this busy today."
Kazuma wiped sweat from his forehead, his eyes still vigilantly checking the surroundings to ensure no monsters remained. "How are you holding up?" he asked Bell.
"Tired, but I'm okay," Bell answered with a weak smile. "The healing potions I brought have been helpful."
Seeing Bell's exhaustion, Kazuma decided to return with him. How could he not? Bell's status wasn't as good as his own, as Kazuma already had one attribute at D rank.
"I think that's enough for today," Kazuma said, securing his spear on his back. "Let's return to the surface and rest."
Bell looked surprised. "But weren't we planning to go down to floor 9?"
"Your condition doesn't allow it," Kazuma shook his head. "And I don't want to take risks. We've already collected plenty of magic stones today."
Bell lowered his head, looking slightly disappointed. "Sorry, I'm just slowing you down..."
"No," Kazuma extended his hand to help Bell stand. "You fought well. It's just that we need to know when to retreat."
Bell accepted Kazuma's hand and stood up. "Thank you, Kazuma-san."
As they rested briefly to recover their strength before returning to the surface, the sound of regular footsteps echoed from the corridor. Both immediately became alert, hands reflexively gripping their respective weapons.
A woman with short blue hair and glasses appeared, wearing the characteristic exploration cloak of Hermes Familia. She walked with calm yet cautious steps.
Kazuma recognized her—Asfi Al Andromeda, but Bell didn't. However, despite recognizing her, Kazuma pretended not to know her.
"Oh," the woman stopped, slightly surprised to see two adventurers before her. "It's unusual to see adventurers resting in this area."
"We just finished clearing this floor," Kazuma replied, his tone neutral.
Asfi studied them both carefully. Her sharp eyes observed their equipment, posture, and condition. "Novice adventurers," she muttered, more as a statement than a question.
Bell nodded nervously. "Y-yes, we're from Hestia Familia."
"Hestia Familia?" Asfi raised an eyebrow. "The small familia led by goddess Hestia, correct? I hadn't heard that goddess Hestia had members."
"We're new members," Kazuma answered briefly. "And you?"
"Asfi Al Andromeda, Hermes Familia," the woman introduced herself with a professional tone. "I'm on an exploration mission."
Asfi looked at them once more, this time with a more assessing gaze. "Floor 8 is already quite dangerous for novice adventurers like you. I suggest returning to the surface soon."
"That's what we're planning," Kazuma replied.
"Good," Asfi nodded. "You both look quite exhausted. Would you like to return together? I'll also be heading back to the surface after checking a few things around here."
Bell looked at Kazuma, waiting for his decision. Kazuma thought for a moment. On one hand, he knew Asfi was a very competent level 4 adventurer. Walking with her would give them extra protection. On the other hand, he suspected there might be another reason why Asfi offered help.
"Sure," Kazuma finally agreed. "We'll wait for you here."
"I won't be long," Asfi nodded before proceeding to another corridor.
After Asfi left, Bell whispered to Kazuma. "She seems like a very experienced adventurer."
"Yes," Kazuma nodded. "From her equipment and the way she moves, she must be high level."
"Hermes Familia," Bell murmured. "I heard they often conduct secret exploration missions."
Kazuma just nodded, storing this information. He knew exactly what Asfi was doing here—most likely monitoring on Hermes' orders.
Shortly after, Asfi returned and they began their journey back to the surface. Throughout the quiet journey, Kazuma learned from light conversation that Asfi was indeed conducting routine exploration to map changes in the dungeon floors.
"You're lucky," Asfi said as they approached floor 7. "The dungeon seems more active than usual these past few days."
"What do you mean by 'more active'?" Bell asked curiously.
"Monsters appear more frequently and are more aggressive," Asfi explained. "Some adventurers have reported unusual numbers of monsters, even on the upper floors."
"Is that normal?" Kazuma asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Sometimes the Dungeon does experience periods like this," Asfi answered. "But the Guild is investigating whether there's something unusual triggering this."
They continued their journey in comfortable silence. Upon reaching floor 5, Asfi paused briefly and looked at them both.
"If you intend to go deeper, be careful. There are rumors of an Infant Dragon spotted on floor 10."
Bell turned pale. "Infant Dragon?! That's a level 2 monster!"
Asfi merely nodded before continuing the journey, leaving them with the disturbing warning.
As they reached floor 3, Kazuma felt something strange. A very strong feeling of being watched. He slowed his pace slightly, his eyes cautiously scanning the walls and shadows around them.
"Someone's watching us," he whispered to Bell.
Bell looked around nervously. "I don't see anyone..."
"Stay alert," Kazuma warned.
Asfi, who was walking a few steps ahead of them, also seemed to notice something. Her steps became more careful, and her hand was ready to draw a weapon if necessary.
Kazuma silently wondered if this was goddess Freya who kept monitoring Bell. After all, in the original story, goddess Freya did have a special interest in Bell and often monitored his progress.
They reached the Dungeon exit without incident, although the feeling of being watched never completely left Kazuma's mind.
"Thank you for accompanying us," Bell bowed politely to Asfi as they exited the Dungeon.
"No problem," Asfi replied. "Be careful next time. And perhaps consider not going too deep until you're more experienced."
Asfi looked at Kazuma with a meaningful gaze before turning and leaving. Kazuma caught the implicit message in that look—Asfi suspected there was something different about him.
"She's intimidating," Bell whispered after Asfi left.
"She's just cautious," Kazuma responded. "As all adventurers should be."
They walked toward the Guild to exchange the magic stones they had collected. Along the way, Kazuma still couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
As they approached the Guild, the shadow of a beautiful woman with long silver hair was briefly seen behind a pillar. Freya, smiling meaningfully, observed Bell and Kazuma from a distance before disappearing like a shadow.
Her sharp eyes focused primarily on Bell, but occasionally glanced at Kazuma with an unhappy expression. In her eyes, Kazuma was an intruder blocking Bell's growth. Bell's soul shone bright and beautiful, while Kazuma's soul... was ordinary, even tending toward dull in her view.
"Interesting," Freya murmured softly before truly disappearing, planning her next move in her own game.
---
That night, in their room at the old church, Bell and Kazuma rested after an exhausting day.
"Today was very intense," Bell lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "But we got a lot of magic stones."
"Yes," Kazuma nodded, sitting on the edge of his own bed. "Our status must have improved after today's battles."
Bell turned to Kazuma with a curious look. "Kazuma-san, you're very strong for a new adventurer. How can you fight so well?"
Kazuma was silent for a moment, thinking about his answer. "I've been practicing martial arts since childhood," he finally answered, half truthfully. "And I believe the key to becoming strong is adaptation—adapting to your environment and your opponents."
"Adaptation..." Bell repeated the word, appearing to think about it seriously. "Maybe that's what I need. I always feel stiff when fighting."
"You have good technique," Kazuma acknowledged. "But you focus too much on the correct movements, not on defeating your opponent. Sometimes you need to be more... instinctive."
Bell nodded, absorbing the advice. "Tomorrow, can we train together? Before going to the Dungeon?"
Kazuma smiled slightly. "Sure. We can practice in the church backyard."
Bell smiled widely, looking enthusiastic. "Thank you, Kazuma-san! I want to become stronger, like you."
Kazuma looked at Bell—an innocent young man with pure enthusiasm and a genuine desire to become stronger. Very different from himself.
"Get some sleep, Bell," Kazuma finally said. "Tomorrow will be a long day."
Bell nodded and closed his eyes. Soon after, the sound of his regular breathing indicated he had fallen asleep.
Kazuma, on the other hand, remained awake. His mind was filled with many things—the strange feeling he experienced while fighting, Asfi's suspicious gaze, the shadow of Freya watching them.
"Becoming strong in this world," he murmured softly, "might be more complicated than I imagined."
He looked toward the window, where the moon shone brightly in the night sky of Orario. Somewhere in that city, gods and goddesses played with human fate like a board game, and Kazuma was determined not to be merely a pawn in their game.
With that thought, he finally closed his eyes, letting the darkness of night embrace him in restless sleep.
---
At Babel Tower, in a luxurious room with a view of the entire city of Orario, Freya sat in her plush chair, gazing into the distance. Ottar, a level 7 adventurer and captain of Freya Familia, stood faithfully beside her.
"Bell Cranel," Freya murmured, her slender fingers playing with wine in her glass. "His soul shines ever brighter."
"Will you take action, Freya-sama?" asked Ottar in a deep voice.
Freya smiled slightly. "Not yet time. But..." Her smile changed slightly. "There's a new disturbance."
"The new member of Hestia Familia," Ottar nodded.
"Kazuma Shinrai," Freya pronounced the name with a slightly disgusted tone. "His soul is ordinary—nothing special. But his presence hinders Bell Cranel's development."
"Should he be eliminated?" Ottar asked without emotion.
Freya stared at the moon from her window, thinking. "No, not yet. I want to see how far this interference impacts. And who knows..." Her smile widened slightly. "Perhaps this challenge will make Bell's soul shine even brighter."
Ottar merely nodded obediently, ready to carry out any order from the goddess he worshipped.