Chereads / Danmachi: silver lining / Chapter 8 - chp:6 encounters

Chapter 8 - chp:6 encounters

Two days later

Asriel yawned as he read the book Bell had gifted him for his 16th birthday. He considered himself lucky that the Loki Familia had grabbed his bag before leaving the dungeon; otherwise, he would have been broke and without essential items. However, half of the money he had earned from his dungeon expeditions was now spent on his medical bills. Asriel read to distract himself from his financial worries, but he found himself dozing off in the middle of a paragraph.

Awoken by a familiar knock, the silver-haired healer, Airmid, entered the room. Asriel groggily greeted her, "Good morning, Miss Airmid…"

He yawned in the middle of his greeting, which the healer found endearing.

"Likewise, Mister Silver. I've brought breakfast," she said, placing a tray with an assortment of food on the nightstand beside his bed.

"Thank you so much, Miss Airmid!" Asriel beamed at her, and she responded with a curt nod.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked, curious about his condition.

Asriel thought for a moment before replying, "My body doesn't feel as numb and heavy as yesterday, but there's still a bit left over."

She nodded, acknowledging his progress. "That's good. Anything else?"

"My ribs are slightly starting to hurt again," he admitted, touching the left side where the Minotaur had kicked him.

Airmid took out a small bottle containing tablets. "These should help. You're going to have to take three of these every morning, only for as long as it still hurts."

Asriel nodded as she went to fetch him a glass of water from the sink in his room. After drinking and taking the pills, he thanked her.

"Is your right arm responsive enough to eat with?" Airmid asked, knowing his arm had been strained by something he had done.

"Sorry, no. My arm won't be responsive for a few days or less. I did use a dangerous— I mean hard magic to use" Asriel cut himself off, hoping Airmid hadn't heard, but he was too slow.

"You. Used. What?" Airmid said, glaring intensely at him. Asriel turned his head away.

"Nothing," Asriel muttered, feeling the piercing glare from behind his head.

"You are going to tell me now," she demanded.

Asriel crumbled under the pressure and explained, "I used a complex technique, and when it's not mastered correctly, it becomes very strong, even for the user, and it can lead to problems.". This was the simple way of describing it but it's much more complex than what he just described.

Airmid's glare intensified, and Asriel sank into his bed, feeling the weight of her disapproval.

After a thorough and intense lecture from Airmid about his foolishness, she finally said, "Now then, it's time for you to eat," and grabbed a spoonful of white rice.

"Um, Miss Airmid, what are you doing?" Asriel asked, watching her with the spoon.

"I'm going to feed you," she said with a straight face.

"Huh?" Asriel responded, then realization hit him. "W-what? No, I can feed myself, Miss Airmid."

She glared at him, "You need to take it easy. You are still numb."

"But—"

"No. You promised me you would take it easy."

Asriel sighed, "Fine." He then gave a shy nod, "I did promise."

Airmid was a bit taken aback by how easily he conceded. "You're going to let me?"

"Yes, if it's what will help me recover," Asriel replied, resigned but sincere.

Airmid's expression softened as she prepared another spoonful of rice, she was pleased and kinda happy that he understood. "Good. Now open up," she instructed, bringing the spoon to his lips.

After quite the embarrassing feeding session, Asriel found himself feeling a mix of gratitude and awkwardness.

"Okay, you seem to be doing well," Airmid said as she began to examine him, her cold hands sending shivers down Asriel's spine with each touch. She meticulously checked his arms and ribs, her professional demeanor never wavering.

"You should be good to go, but I have a few questions," she continued, her purple eyes meeting his shades of blue eyes.

"I can answer any questions you have," Asriel replied eagerly, happy to be almost through with the checkup.

"Alright then, how long have you been an adventurer?" Airmid asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

"Just two weeks," Asriel answered honestly.

Airmid nodded, her gaze lingering on the scars that marked his body. "You have some scars that seem quite old."

Caught off guard by the question, Asriel automatically responded, "They're personal scars I got outside of my adventurer time."

Airmid gave him a slight glare but decided not to press further. "I see. I just need to warn you about one scar," she said, pointing to his right arm.

"Yes, I'm aware," Asriel replied, rubbing the thunder-shaped scar on his arm. He couldn't remember where he got it, but he knew the effects and the peculiar sensations that sometimes came from it.

This scar is not a blessing nor a curse.

"I see. Very well then, you're free to go," she said, still somewhat suspicious but not wanting to force him to reveal more than he was comfortable with.

He nodded and dressed in the clothes he had left in his bag. Once he was ready, he signed off, expressing his gratitude to Airmid. "Thank you for everything, Miss Airmid."

"Oh, by the way," Airmid said, stopping him just as he was about to leave. "Why do you smell like vanilla? Have you been showering without proper care?" She glared at him, suspicion etched on her face.

"Uh, no, it's my natural smell," Asriel said, trying to ease the intensity of her gaze. "I can't explain it, but I've always had that scent and it increases when I… sweat." It was true; from birth, he and his twin sister had both had a natural vanilla scent. (author note: random lore lol)

Airmid's glare softened a bit as she processed his words. "Interesting. Well, take care of yourself, mister silver, and please keep me your promise."

"I promise"

Asriel left the infirmary and walked off, feeling a bit lost about what to do next. He had some spare money to spend on some very needed essentials after being in the dungeon for over two weeks.

He considered visiting his advisor, finding an inn, eating again at the Hostess of Fertility, looking for a familia, or even taking a few pages from his perverted grandpa's book. Each thought made his head spin. "I'll think about it later. I should explore the city more and buy some stuff," Asriel thought, and he started running toward what he assumed was the direction of the shopping district.

Navigating through the decently crowded streets with his unique eyes, he felt a sense of curiosity and excitement about exploring Orario. The sights, sounds, and smells of the bustling city filled his senses, he had quite the time to blow off some steam in the dungeon to once again injoy the city.

—————————————

It was during one carefree turn at a street corner that Asriel barely had a second to change his path before crashing into a group of adventurers also rounding the corner.

The two adventurers who were rounding the corner were fast enough to move out of the way.

Well at least one of them was.

The second adventurer moved directly into Asriel's new path, and the young adventurer crashed headfirst into the heavily robed woman. Her higher Strength stat allowed her to catch the boy without them both tumbling down, but he still ended up diving face-first into her ample chest.

Asriel looked up, staring into the surprised gaze of a long-eared, fair-looking, green-haired high elf. Her emerald eyes widened in shock

"Um, sorry," Asriel mumbled, lost in the unique jade gaze of the high-elven woman.

"Aren't you the adventurer who fought a Minotaur while saving someone?" The High Elf blinked several times as she scanned the boy still trapped in her bosom.

Asriel was quite mesmerized by her eyes.

"Mister?"

Snapped out of his trance, he spoke, "Oh, sorry, it's just that your eyes are beautiful." That comment caught the high elf off guard and infuriated a certain golden-haired elf who was a few meters away.

"Your eyes, it's the first time I've seen someone with such eyes like yours," Asriel continued in awe despite the murderous aura being generated nearby.

"That—I—" Riveria's mouth opened and closed. It was the first time in many years that someone had given her an honest compliment that did not feel degrading or came from her goddess. "Thank you?"

"How long are you planning on touching Lady Riveria, you sinful man!?"

"Lady riveria? Is she a high elf!?" Asriel thought, a fear he swore he felt a long time ago crawled back to him but he can't remember from where. He quickly jumped a fair distance away.

"I am so sorry!" Asriel shouted, but that was not enough to satisfy the golden-haired elf.

"You tried to pick up Lady Riveria, you sinful man!"

"I wasn't—"

Asriel was given no time to finish his sentence because the golden-haired elf leaped at him, her sword's edge glinting under the early sun of Orario as it swung down at him.

One electric dagger materialized in Asriel's left hand and barely parried the abrupt, heavy blow of the blonde elf to the side. Asriel leaped out of the way and let go of his electrified dagger, which stuck to her sword. "Burst," Asriel whispered, and a small shock of paralyzing magic from his dagger was administered to the elf's sword.

"Ah!" Alicia shouted in surprise as she felt a small shock hit her from her sword.

"Electric Field."

A small arena of electricity was set, only affecting the two of them with its effect.

"I'm sorry!" Asriel said as he bolted with the small boost of his field and ran in the other direction from the shaken golden haired elf and bewildered High Elf.

Riveria, still processing the unexpected encounter, watched as the boy dashed away. Alicia, recovering from the shock of the paralyzing magic, sheathed her sword, her eyes still blazing with indignation.

Riveria regained her composure and turned to Alicia with a stern expression.

"Alicia."

The golden haired elf stood ramrod straight at the cold voice of her Lady.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Lady Riveria, I just didn't want—"

"What you want is not what I want," Riveria scolded, lightly tapping the top of Alicia's head with her staff. "I understand your devotion to me, but if it keeps getting in the way of my normal life, I don't need it."

Alicia winced, looking down like a scolded child, which compared to the almost hundred-year-old elf, she was.

Riveria exhaled lightly, her gaze wandering to where the silver-blue-haired boy had disappeared.

"You know that was the person who saved you, right?"

Alicia perked up at that. "He was the person who saved me?" Alicia in her protective state did not recognize her savior.

"Yes, and he is also the person Loki wanted us to retrieve from the Dian Cecht Pharmacy."

"Why?"

Riveria paused before she could automatically reply, a mischievous smile forming on her lips.

"Why don't you ask Loki once we get back home, and you can also explain why he escaped our grasp again like he did with bete and the the dungeon,"

Alicia did not like Lady Riveria's smile and her tone while saying that.

/\

(This part was Inspired by asbbah)

.

.

.

Asriel ran quite far, not wanting to be anywhere near the angry elf. He turned left and right through the bustling streets, his feet pounding against the cobblestones as he sought refuge. Eventually, the cityscape gave way to more desolate surroundings as he turned to a alleyway, the buildings crumbling and worn, hinting at the ruins of a bygone era.

Asriel took a sharp right, leaving the ruins behind, and plunged into the depths of a dense forest. The trees loomed above him, their thick branches intertwining to create a shadowy canopy. As he ran, the light dimmed, the air cool and filled with the earthy scent of moss and pine.

In the distance, he saw a faint light reflecting off what seemed to be water. he headed straight for it, his pace quickening as he navigated past thick bushes and low-hanging branches. Bursting through the foliage, he found himself at the edge of a serene, hidden pond. The water was crystal clear, shimmering under the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees.

At the center of the pond stood a figure, half-submerged in the water. Her smooth, porcelain skin glistened with droplets of water, each curve of her body exuding an ethereal beauty. Her chest, perfect and inviting, was modestly concealed by her long, silky blue hair that cascaded down in waves, blending with the rippling water around her.

Her green eyes met Asriel's shades of blue, widening slightly and her lips open slightly in surprise at the unexpected intrusion. The silence was palpable, broken only by the rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze whispered through the trees. The moment seemed to stretch, each second laden with an unspoken tension.

The blushing Asriel, realizing the awkwardness of the situation, quickly bowed. "I am deeply sorry!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the tranquil clearing. In his haste to leave, he spun around and dashed away, only to run headfirst into a nearby tree. The impact knocking him out instantly.

.

.

.

"I told you it was a bad idea to bathe in the forest water," a muffled voice chided.

"Fine, I admit I should have used the temple bath. Can you stop lecturing me, Hestia?" the blue-haired girl responded with a hint of exasperation.

Asriel groaned, his head throbbing as he slowly sat up. His vision was blurry, and he saw two figures standing in front of him. Blinking a few times to clear his sight, he was met with the same person he had seen before and another, much smaller figure.

"Um, hello," he greeted, his voice hesitant.

The person he saw in the water, now fully clothed, looked at him. Her hair was styled with two long bangs and two side strands. She wore a white and pale blue outfit, complemented by long brown boots with a light brown design. A belt around her waist held a piece of white cloth and a dagger. Gold bracelets adorned her wrists, and various gold hair accessories decorated her hair.

She undeniably beautiful.

"Hello," she said softly.

"Um, sorry for, uh, you know, walking in on you bathing," Asriel stammered, the image of her in the water making him blush.

"O-oh, yeah, no, it's okay. It was an honest mistake," she said, blushing as well.

"But wait, why were you in the forest?" the short girl interjected.

She has blue eyes and mid-thigh length black hair tied into twin-tails with blue and white petal-like hair accessories, adorned with a simple white dress.

She also has quite the huge assets for her size.

"Wait, Hestia, you've got a point. Why were you there? Was it actually a mistake?!" she said, glaring at Asriel.

"Yes, it was an accident. I was chased away by an elf, and I ran to the ruins and then into the forest," Asriel defended himself, the memory of the golden-haired elf sending a shiver down his spine.

"I see, very well then," the small woman said cheerfully.

the blue-haired woman glare disappeared "Okay, you're telling the truth."

"What's your name?" the blue-haired woman asked.

"Asriel Silver. What's both of yours?"

"I am Goddess Artemis," the blue-haired goddess replied.

"And I am Goddess Hestia," the smaller goddess added.

Asriel lion ears perked up, hearing that they were goddesses. "Oh, you both are goddesses?"

"Yep," Hestia said happily.

Asriel looked around, taking in the surroundings. The place they were in was a basement, old and mid clean but quite dirty, with droplets of water leaking from one corner. This wasn't a place gods should live, he thought.

Hestia noticed his expression. "Yes, we know it's not the best place to live in, but this is all we have," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You don't have any familia members?" Asriel asked, curiosity piqued.

"No," Artemis replied, her voice calm but tinged with regret and sadness.

"I see," Asriel said, nodding thoughtfully. After a moment's consideration, he asked, "I haven't joined a familia yet. May I join yours?"

Hestia's eyes lit up with hope, about to respond, when Artemis, to her total surprise, spoke first. "Yes! please join my familia," she said, her tone earnest and welcoming.

Asriel blinked in surprise, looking at Artemis. "Really? Thank you!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with a mix of excitement and gratitude.

Hestia, momentarily taken aback since Artemis had never allowed a man to join her familia when she used to have one, quickly composed herself, but a pout formed on her face. "No fair," she murmured under her breath.

"Alright then, I'll give you my falna. Lay on the bed and take off your shirt," Artemis instructed.

"Okay," Asriel replied, removing his shirt. The bandages only reached from his bottom ribs, leaving enough space for Artemis to bestow her blessing.

Artemis's eyes narrowed as she noticed the bandages and scars. "What happened?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I was saving someone when a Minotaur attacked us. We made it out alive," Asriel explained, recounting the harrowing encounter.

"Wait, you defeated a Minotaur?!" Hestia exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

"Um, yes?" Asriel replied, feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention.

"But no one without a blessing should be able to defeat one, let alone survive an encounter. Yet you defeated it," Hestia said, astonished.

"You must be special," Artemis murmured thoughtfully.

"You should keep that feat a secret from other gods. Who knows what they would do if they heard about it," Hestia warned.

"I understand," Asriel nodded, appreciating the advice.

After preparing, Artemis positioned herself on top of Asriel, causing him to blush slightly as he felt her soft bottom and presence above him. Ignoring his embarrassment, Artemis took out her dagger and pricked her finger and a drop of blood fell on the of him. Instantly, numbers and words began to appear, glowing softly on Asriel's skin. Artemis placed her hands above and began the process.

A surge of strength coursed through Asriel's body as the blessing took effect. He felt a warm sensation spread across his back, followed by a tingling that grew in intensity. Slowly, a tattoo-like emblem began to form, depicting a bow and arrow over a crescent moon.

The process took a moment, and as the intricate design became more pronounced, the emblem glowed briefly before settling into a permanent mark, signifying Asriel's new status as a member of Artemis's familia.

As Artemis observed the transformation, she was struck by the unique nature of Asriel's soul. "The soul of Asriel," she thought, noting its unusual strength, energy, aura, and even its distinct shape and form. He had reached the potential of his soul, she realized. She took a piece of paper and carefully copied his status.

"There, it is done," Artemis said softly, her voice tinged with satisfaction. She climbed off Asriel, who sat up and looked at her with gratitude. She handed him his status, and Asriel eagerly examined it.

ASRIEL SILVER

RACE: LION

LEVEL: 1

STRENGTH: I 0

ENDURANCE: I 0

DEXTERITY: I 0

AGILITY: I 0

MAGIC: I 0

KI: D

(MAGIC)

Aethercharge: Grants the user the power to use any electric magic as long as they know the chant and effects. (Known magic: 20, unknown magic: +99)

(SKILLS)

None

(INHERITED)

Aether Eye: Existence shall not hide before these eyes, time shall be seen before these eyes, and space shall be seen and touched before these eyes.

Determined Soul: As long as the soul has determination, the user shall grow to reach the goals. The soul is resistance to charms as long as the soul is determined enough to resist.

Blue: Space and time shall be absorbed in the presence of this power.

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

Locked:

"Thank you, Lady Artemis," Asriel said, bowing his head respectfully.

Hestia, still pouting a little, couldn't help but smile. "Well, it's too bad you can't join the Hestia Familia, but just you wait, I'm going to have someone join my familia very soon," she said, despite her earlier disappointment.

Asriel smiled back, feeling a deep sense of belonging. "Thank you, both of you. I'll do my best to honor this blessing."

Artemis nodded, a rare smile gracing her lips. "I'm sure you will, Asriel."

"Hmm, lion race? I've never heard of that race, and that determined soul abilitie is extremely powerful" Hestia said as she read the paper detailing Asriel's status.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask about that and the inherited part and these locked abilities," Artemis added.

"Oh, the lion race, well," Asriel began, preparing to explain his past and the history of his extinct race.

.

.

.

As he recounted his story, Hestia's eyes filled with tears. "So the lion race was… killed off?" she asked, her voice choked with emotion, quietly sobbing.

"Yes," Asriel confirmed, his face calm and blank but the anger in his eyes undeniable.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Artemis said, her voice soft with empathy. She, too, was saddened by the loss of his race.

Asriel nodded, appreciating their sympathy. "It's been a long time since that happened. I've had time to move on, and now I'm ready to be what I couldn't be back then. I'm ready to make a difference."

Artemis and Hestia exchanged a look, both moved by his resilience and determination.

.

.

.

They continued to talk for a while, learning more about each other and sharing their stories. Eventually, Hestia glanced at the time and said, "It's almost time for work, we can't make Hephaestus mad again."

"Oh, right. We have to get ready," Artemis added as she stood up, her demeanor shifting back to her usual calm authority. She walked to the door with Hestia.

"See you later, Asriel," Artemis said with a warm smile.

"Good luck with everything!" Hestia added, giving him an encouraging nod.

Asriel watched them leave, feeling a renewed sense of purpose and belonging. He knew he had found a place where he could truly make a difference.

"Um, what should I do for now?" Asriel pondered aloud. "Oh, I should go to the guild and tell Rose about me joining a familia." With that thought, he stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked to the door.

(Author note)

Hestia is still the same hestia.

Artemis is still alive in this story.

Artemis isn't strict on love and chastity since she still got convinced by lante.

(her chastity will be important for character development for her)

Original Artemis familia is deceased and weren't well known and was only been around for only a year.

Asriel knows 20 magic spells but has forgotten some of the chants since his memory loss.

The magic he currently knows is

Body enhancement: the user body is enhanced with electricity.

Volt: no chant spell, creates a volt of lightning.

Electric field: creates a electric arena that enhanced electric type magic and reduces the speed of anyone inside the arena and gives the speed stolen to the user.

Electric creation: allows the user to make any armor or weapon out of electricity.

Magnet grip: makes the grip more strong

More info in later chapters.

(Announcement)

I'm planning on doing more stories in the future.

About four, they won't be posted simultaneously but it will come eventually.

Names of these stories:

The art of souls and fire

Class of heroes

Bounty hunter

Life as a retired adventurer

If you want one of these stories to be written first, vote for it, and I'll consider it but it will depend on how many people vote for it.

Some of these stories aren't written yet, some are just ideas for now like bounty hunter.

The schedule will change to accommodate my slow pace writing skills (I write slow and I'm decent at writing), my other stories and my personal life/my mental health/my laziness . But for now until I sort things out with the schedule, the chapters for this story will continue to be every week for now.

Blue and soon to be red and purple are powers of gojo( these powers has there own twist however and are not as overpowered as the original) , so all credit goes to jjk author.

Change Kai to ki to make it more clear.