Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)
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pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene
CHAPTER START---
"Damn..." Welf studied Kulve Taroth's horns in awe. While everyone else was trying to piece themselves back together the smith was completely focused on the horns, caressing them as if they were Hephaestus in his arms. "The things we could do together," he says softly as dozens of new designs form in his mind.
"Amazing things I'd bet," Finn says as he limps over to the Trifecta. While Welf was down on one knee appraising the horn drop items Yang and Thalie were having a more private discussion not too far away.
"Oh yeah," Welf answers absentmindedly, "been working on something pretty impossible, finally finished it and now the dungeon gives me something that naturally does what my new forge does," he places his hand against the metal horn and feels it trying to pull energy from the environment. "It's like they were made for me..."
"Well no offense to anyone else but, you're the only smith who should even touch those," Welf looks over to Finn as the Pallum gestures to the glacier attached to the ceiling, the aftermath of his Magic Sword. "Didn't even know anyone but Hera's Empress could do magic on that level..."
"Thanks, " Welf rises to his feet as he sees Thalie and Yang walking over. "Copied one of Yang's moves."
"That explains a lot," Yang says as he and Thalie join the conversation. "You done with the headcount yet?" he asks Finn.
"Not even close, we're still finding pieces but everyone lost something in this fight, well, except you guys," Finn looks around at all the adventurers still using items and spells to pull themselves together. "We shouldn't have even been here to begin with, definitely out of our depth..."
"Don't feel too bad, you did your best," Yang says.
"Did you lose anyone important?" Thalie asks.
"Personally, no. Overall, we lost a handful of first-class adventurers, assuming that's what you meant. Everyone here is important to someone."
"Not to the dungeon," Thalie looks over to Yang, "I'm gonna check our path through the upper floors, we may need to melt a tunnel through Welf's ice."
"Don't go too far," Yang says as she begins leaping from ledge to ledge all the way to the upper floors.
"These things are incredible, I didn't know Eld---" Welf cuts himself off as Yang gives him a look. "I didn't know certain monster horns could control energy like that, if I had some of this I could make a much more efficient version of the converter in my forger," he says.
"Converter?" Finn asks and is promptly ignored, only shifting his focus between both adventurers as they spoke.
"I didn't even know you finished that project."
"It set back out equipment a bit but the end results are worth it."
"Better than what you planned originally?"
"Definitively, the Occulus enchantment let me make a next-generation type helmet, among other things. Basically gear specialized for the less, hospitable, floors."
"Perfect. They ready yet?"
"I need a bit more time for the enchantments on your chest piece but otherwise everything is ready," Welf says. "But... I think if I got these horns I could figure out how to make a smaller version of the converter."
"Can you weaponize something like that as-is?"
"No, we don't have anything to make a material strong enough to contain the shifting magic, best guess, maybe something on floor 90?" he shrugs.
"Floor 90?" Yang raises a finger to his chin and considers it as Finn stares with wide eyes. "Maybe we can run down there at our current strength, if things keep progressing as I expect with the dungeon. Assuming the dungeon keeps the same pattern going we should be well equipped for the next floors with our skillset. Then that should give enough time for---" he cuts himself off, not wanting to go in-depth with his theories in public.
"So what's the call?" Welf asks.
"We stick to our mission," Yang says. "We were tasked with coming down here and helping out, the guild keeps the drop items and pays out in some other way to keep things fair, this isn't our problem."
"I don't think anyone here would mind," Finn says. "Not like we could or would try to stop you from taking them anyway. They're yours."
"That's not the deal," Yang says as he motions to Welf, "let's go. We're done here."
Walking through the tunnels to the upper floors both men reunite with Thalie.
"I could have started working on something with those sooner rather than later you know," Welf says.
"And nobody would have stopped us," Thalie points out. "Even if they somehow grew a spine and came knocking I'd deal with them."
"Ugh, stay focused please," Yang says. "Think long term, just because you can doesn't mean you should. And Welf, you'll get the horns, but it has to be as we agreed with the guild. They can't get in our way but they can cause problems if we need certain things in the future. It'd be a pain if Althena suddenly no longer had the right licenses to supply our familia with whatever else we need."
"Right right, sorry," Welf mutters. "Just really would have liked to keep those horns," he whines.
"I swear you and Hephaestus become children when it's time to make stuff or test new materials," Yang shakes his head at the thought.
---Yang's Apartment...
"You ready to go?" Yang calls out as he walks into the living room.
Seeing Freya sitting on the couch eating a sandwich Yang narrows his eyes at her. The woman was wearing shorts and a loose sleeveless shirt with no bra, definitely not intending to leave.
"Why aren't you changed?"
"Why would I be, there's no point in going anywhere," she says.
"Some of your adventurers died down there, the literal least you could do is be at your mansion when the survivors get back."
"They're soldiers, they understand what their lives are to me. I much rather be here with you, we can have our own victory celebration," she says in a sultry voice as she gets up and slowly saunters over to him.
"Freya..." his voice was low, not pleased with her games.
"Mhm," she places her hands on his shoulders and presses her chest against his.
"I'll see you in a day or two," Yang says. In one quick motion he lifts the goddess in a bridal carry and begins walking onto the balcony.
With Freya pouting and flailing in his arms he completely ignores her and flies them over to the courtyard of her mansion in the city below.
"This is nice," Yang says as he ignores the stunned and fuming adventurers around him. The lowest level members of her familia who weren't eligible for the Elder Dragon hunt.
"Don't I get a say in this?" she whines.
"No," Yang walks over to Heith, the redheaded human woman with pale skin who had fewer bags under her eyes than usual. Almost half the people she would have to constantly heal daily had gone into the dungeon. "Can you hold this for me?" he holds out Freya like a bag of potatoes as she gives him a dangerous look.
"You're Yang Shen?" the healer asks, second only to Airmid in the entire world, currently being tasked with babysitting a pouty goddess.
"Yeah that's me, now please just keep this brat here for a day or two at least," he says while transferring the goddess into her arms.
Heith was stunned silent at the way he spoke about her goddess, before she could even respond the man had rocketed off into the air, arching toward Babel.
Turning to enter the mansion with the goddess in her arms, not wanting Freya to walk barefoot across the stone floor, Heith gives Freya a strange look. She was one of the very few within the familia who had no romantic feelings for her goddess, she only had pure adoration in the way a child looks up to a hero, a savior.
"Just spit it out already," Freya mutters, seeing the curious look Heith was giving her.
"He's younger than I expected..." the healer says.
"He'll be eighteen in a few months," Freya says.
"Do you think it hurt?" Heith asks, a mischievous grin on her lips. Freya only gives her a slightly confused look.
"No he can't feel the flames he uses to fly," the goddess explains.
"I meant did it hurt his parents when you stole him from the crib?"
Freya had no response, only staring with wide eyes and an open mouth at the woman as they travel down the halls...
Landing on his balcony Yang takes a look at the city below, adventurers were still entering the upper floors as normal since the guild only prohibited people from going past floor eighteen while the mission was taking place.
Seeing everyone going about their business Yang frowns slightly, "C'mon Welf, one more week, then we can get back to work..."
Spending some time out on the balcony he eventually felt another presence descend to his floor from above.
"I assume it went well?" a raspy deep voice asks from behind him.
"Didn't even break a sweat, tell Ouranos I did my part, now the rest is one him," Yang answers without even turning around.
"Hmm, if only all adventures were this sensible," the voice says before Yang feels the presence disappear from behind him.
What Orario's record books would call The Siege of El Dorado, is officially complete...
END CHAPTER---
We're back to Monday-Wednesday-Friday uploads for anyone who missed the announcement, somehow. Might be temporary, may be permanent.
This chapter was on the shorter side considering the plot points I needed to show this week to stay on schedule so this weekend may have a chapter if I can't fit it into Wednesday or Friday chapters