Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)
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CHAPTER START---
---Dungeon, Floor 21...
Sitting on a log as he writes in a leathered journal Yang can be seen relaxing with the members of the Loki familia tasked with taking him to the 27th floor.
Yang: "I read about The great tree labyrinth but damn this place really isn't done justice from the reports in the guild."
Tione: "Hm yeah it feels kinda like home."
Yang: "Home?"
Tiona: "We're from the country of the amazons, there are more places like this over there, that's all."
Yang: "Hm I read about that place, think you can take me to visit sometime?"
Tiona: "Uh maybe not the best idea kid."
Riveria: "What are you writing Yang?"
Yang: "Updating my journal, I can't always remember what my hunter skill works on so I'm adding Lizardmen to the list. And some small notes about the floors I clear are in here too. Exploring the dungeon is fun but it's a bit much for me to commit to memory."
Finn: "That's smart, do you do this every time you clear a floor?"
Yang: "Yeah it's kind of like a hobby. My life kinda revolves around exploring and clearing the dungeon since I woke up a few weeks ago so I haven't had time for much else lately."
Finn: "Woke up a few weeks ago?"
Yang: "Yup, no memories or anything and came here."
Finn: "Why didn't you mention it before?"
Yang: "Well, I went to the guild and gave them my name and they didn't have me in their systems. Varissa passed my name around and nobody had any information on me so I just kind of... gave up."
Lefiya: "You never told me that part before."
Yang: "It tends to bring down the mood don't you think so I try to avoid it."
As they are all speaking Ais approaches Yang and holds eye contact with him as she speaks.
Ais: "Why did you give up? If your family is out there you need to find them."
Yang: "If nobody cares to look for you, why go back? Besides, I feel like, the answers are down here I just need to get far enough to find them."
Ais: "That's why you commit yourself to the dungeon, to find your family?"
Yang: "Mm, no, I need answers to find myself. If I don't know who I am then how would I know who they are, that makes sense right?"
Finn: "It does. Everyone has their reasons for being down here so really once you're not being a problem for others nobody really cares."
Gareth: "You really should find a hobby at least kid, keeps you sane."
Yang: "Well, I've actually got one, kind of. I'll show you when we get to the water floors."
Lefiya: "Hm alright."
After a few more minutes the group began to move once more. At this time it has only been 5 hours since leaving the surface and everyone is still relatively fresh.
---Meanwhile in Hephaestus's office...
Two women each wearing an eyepatch could be seen reviewing reports of recent events.
Hephaestus: "I'm glad you were able to get to Thalie in time. I think this potion might work,"
Hephaestus gently passed her hand over her eyepatch as she pondered the possibility this endeavor may create.
Tsubaki: "Well we can only hope right. Do you need anything else to make it or just us?"
Hephaestus: "You and I should be enough, we can start this afternoon."
Tsubaki: "Did I miss anything important while I was away that these papers don't have."
Hephaestus: "Well only our little Elementalist and 'Thousand Elf' is a thing now, I think."
Tsubaki: "You 'Think'?"
Hephaestus: "Nothing official announced but well she spends time in his apartment whenever she's here so, that speaks for itself."
Tsubaki: "Ugh I leave for 2 weeks and miss all the good stuff. And what's the point of this 'Escort Quest' anyway? Why is he rushing to floor 27?"
Hephaestus: "Well, between the fact that he's almost too strong for level 3 and the problem of him always destroying his own gear, it's a necessary rush. Also, he's a bit cocky though he is cautious. I think that Amphisbaena can humble him and hopefully push him to realize that as strong and versatile as he is, he cannot clear the dungeon without a team. I'd like for him to come to that conclusion himself rather than force him into a team and cause problems that way."
Tsubaki: "So you're betting on Amphisbaena crushing him?"
Hephaestus: "Hm, that's a bit harsh way to put it, but yes. Finn and Riveria are there so he won't die but he needs a wake-up call. He'll get beaten then come back to the surface a wiser man, it's necessary for him not to rush ahead and meet something he can't escape from on his own."
Tsubaki: "Have I ever told you that you can be a mastermind sometimes?"
Hephaestus: "You could stand to mention it more." She says with a toothy grin
Tsubaki: "And have you considered if you're wrong?"
Hephaestus: "You mean if he dies or if he wins."
Tsubaki: "...yes."
Hephaestus: "Finn won't stand by and watch him die. If he wins well, I'll back off and let him go it alone until he really needs help."
Tsubaki: "Mhm, if he wins, hahaha. Good luck getting him to join a team after that. At least you gave him a ring."
Hephaestus: "Ugh, this kid is too much of a pain in the neck sometimes."
Tsubaki: "At least he seems to be worth it."
Hephaestus: "You don't know the half of it, did you read the report on his assignment to chaperone the new members on their expedition."
Tsubaki: "No I haven't gotten to it yet, what happened."
Hephaestus: "They were supposed to get to at least floor 15, they wanted to stop at 16, he took them down to 18 on some of their very first days in there."
Tsubaki: "No goliath?"
Hephaestus: "He took all of 1 minute to kill it. Hallan's report said he "Wanted to test out his water magic but got bored and decided to melt the entire room with something called Pressure Damage". Well?"
Tsubaki: "Well at least your plan of him getting more popular with actual evidence to back up his name is good. And if he's this good in the field the 'Expedition Commander' sounds right, sounds better than Vice-Captain honestly."
Hephaestus: "Agreed, now let's finish up what we have for today, meet me when you're done and we can start crafting something to get rid of this." She slowly places a hand on her eyepatch, a smile forming on her at the prospect of what the future holds.
---Dungeon of Orario, floor 23...
Within a large clearing one young man could be seen standing at the center staring up at the swarms of Deadly Hornets above. The buzz of the swarms was almost deafening and caused other monsters to leave this area vacant the moment they heard it. High above the young man dozens of these monsters can be seen minding their business as they move about the canopy of the massive trees 60 meters above the ground. At the edge of the clearing in the treeline, the familiar members of the Loki familia were standing and watching every action the young man took with scrutinizing gazes. Before long, he began to move.
"FIREBOLT SWARM!" he yelled out as he shoved both his hands, palms facing outwards at the swarms above him. Almost instantly 12 firebolts shot out of his palms and raced at the swarm. As the monsters flew around only 5 of the attacks hit and pierced the carapace of the massive insectoids, this caused their bodies to immolate from the inside out as they burst into flames and fell from the air. As their shrieks of pain were heard not only did their fellow hornets begin to defend themselves by aggressing but more and more appeared from within the canopy. As all these, almost 70 monsters, rushed towards the young man that had killed their ilk he did not move, with his hands clasped together in front of his chest as if he were praying he simply closed his eyes and waited.
Seeing his choice of inaction the spectators had a variety of reactions, but none of them could have predicted his next move. Quickly as his palms were held together with the monsters closing in Yang activated his Mage Armor skill and begin to condense Wind in his right hand and Fire in his left hand as they fused where his hands touched and constantly folded in on each other. The grass at his feet became dried before simply burning away and being carried by the wind he was making into ash, the monsters seeing this did not even hesitate for a moment as they continued on their path to their target.
As the monsters were only 2 meters away with their stingers poised at Yang he quickly separated his palms before slamming them together once again and uttering one command, "Flame-Pillar". As he spoke fire and wind magic burst forth around him and enveloped the entire area, a 15ft diameter pillar of fire spread out before ascending almost to the canopy of the trees. The onlookers were surprised by this attack as it was clear to see on their faces. Only a few seconds passed before the flames receded back onto his Mage Armor and that attack stopped. The scent of burnt air permeated the clearing and the surrounding area. As their eyes readjusted from seeing such blinding light up close it became apparent that not only had the grass been destroyed but some of the moisture from the surrounding plantlife has been sapped away as the leaves and even the bark of some trees have apparently dried patches. In less than 10 seconds he not only destroyed everything alive close to him but the now exposed stone at his feet are melted and burning white-hot.
For the first time, the Loki familia finally had a proper answer to the goddess's question days ago, now they knew and almost simultaneously thought to themselves, 'So this is why Hephaestus bet so much on him'. After collecting themselves they saw Yang casually walking up to their group in the treeling before he greeted them nonchalantly.
Yang: "Well one more monster to add to the Hunted section of my journal. So you guys ready to move?"
Riveria: "Flame-Pillar?"
Yang: "Oh yeah it's kind of the best area of attack spell I could use without starting a forest fire."
Riveria: "I thought all your spells were instacast, you took time with this one."
Yang: "Well, they all CAN be instant, but, the more magic I use before casting the more powerful the initial effect is. This time I folded layers of magic into my attack to make it strong enough for this."
Finn: "You did that in a few seconds? That's faster than chanting most spells."
Yang: "Oh sorry I wouldn't really know since I've never seen chanting magic."
Lefiya: "Did you seriously have to wait until the last moment before attacking them, they got really close and those stingers are no joke you know."
Yang: "Don't worry so much, I had it under control the whole time."
Tione: "Yeah even if you did she can't help it, even if our man is strong as a woman we can't help but to worry, just like me and the captain. Isn't that right captain."
Finn: "Worrying for ALLIES is normal. I hadn't expected your magic to be that powerful Yang, not bad. We should keep moving."
As the group proceeded forward they couldn't help but reflect on Riveria's assessment of Yang before they had seen his latest move.
Riveria: 'Hm seems I was right about him being able to use more magic in his spells at will, he clearly doesn't realize how talented he is, that's good for us'
Finn: 'The most versatile front line mage I've likely ever seen since he can always instacast, no wonder Hephaestus took precations, he's a little monster and of course she knew first, he doesn't seem to realize, however, that can be good for us'
Ais: 'Strong, if he joins us we can go further down, I can save her faster'
Bete: 'Hm kid might actually be able to catch up, ugh, nah'
Gareth: ' He really is something else, if only he came to us before Hephaestus'
Tiona: 'A mage and a brawler, Lefiya hit the jackpot, and he can just join us if we need an extra sword hahaha'
Tione: 'Aw man he's strong, I should ask Lefiya how she got a strong man to like her back, maybe it'll work on the captain too.'
The most concerning thought however came from thousand Elf Lefiya Viridis. As she walked a step behind Riveria and in front of Tiona she couldn't help but stare at the ground and become lost in thought. 'His magic, he told me about it but that, that doesn't seem fair. Ugh, who am I to say it's unfair, I'm Thousand Elf, but he was so calm as if he knew they couldn't touch him. Probably because they couldn't but I could never do that. Those things can kill level 2 adventurers in one hit and he just stood there with his eyes closed! I wanna be like that someday then I can fight side by side with Ais'
END CHAPTER---