The screams of pain and the sound of clashing weapons echoed through the training grounds as Bell's team pushed themselves to their absolute limits. The air smelled of sweat, blood, and determination. A dark, rugged terrain stretched out in front of them—artificially constructed by the gods to test their limits. Each training scenario was more dangerous than the last: fields of lava, poisonous swamps, blinding snowstorms, and jagged cliffs where a misstep meant certain death.
Ais clung to a precipice, her body shaking from exhaustion and the relentless wind that whipped around her. She had been forced to fight her way to the peak, weakened by poison, her senses dulled by a blinding mist that obscured her vision. Beside her, Bell moved with ease, guiding her to a ledge as he cut through obstacles like a man possessed. His falna flared with divine energy, a flicker of power that felt almost beyond mortal limits.
"Come on, Ais, you've got this," Bell said, his voice steady despite the harsh conditions. He reached out, helping her over the final lip of the cliff. She looked at him, her eyes filled with equal parts frustration and admiration.
"How are you doing this, Bell?" she asked, breathless. "You make it look... easy."
Bell smiled at her, though there was a hardened edge to his expression. "It isn't easy. I just—" He paused, the divine energy he had been tapping into flowing in waves through his body, warming his core. "I've started to figure out how to borrow divine energy from my falna. It's like... like drawing from a deeper well."
Ais nodded, but her expression revealed a hint of dismay. She had tried, as had the others, but none of them could harness the divine energy the way Bell did. It seemed almost unfair, but Ais knew that Bell's talent went beyond just effort. He was becoming something more—something different.
Bell continued, almost apologetic. "I'm still learning. It's not something I understand fully yet, but once I do... maybe I could even reach godhood." His voice held excitement but also caution, and Ais knew that even Bell wasn't entirely sure where his path was taking him.
Meanwhile, deeper in Orario, the gods were in council, discussing a very specific and dangerous proposition.
Freya's eyes gleamed dangerously as she looked across the gathering of gods and goddesses—Loki, Zeus, Hermes, Hephaestus, Demeter, and more. They were all gathered to find a solution to one problem: How to get Hades out of Hell.
Freya leaned forward, her lips curling into a smile. "We have to bring him here. Bell can't finish him while he's in his domain. We need to lure Hades out."
Loki raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "And how do you propose we do that? It's not like Hades is going to just leave his domain because we ask nicely."
Zeus's eyes narrowed. "We need to make him think there's something worth coming here for. Something that he desires or that could threaten him. If we create the right circumstances, perhaps Hades will leave Hell of his own volition."
Hermes tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We could create a disturbance, a false sense of vulnerability. Make him think we have something of value, something he wants to take or protect."
Freya nodded in agreement. "We have to be careful. If he senses a trap, it will all be for nothing. But I think if we can convince him that his power is threatened in some way, he might act out of arrogance."
As the gods conspired, Bell and his team continued their training. The exercises grew more extreme, pushing them beyond their breaking points. They fought with weights strapped to their bodies, enchanted restraints that dulled their senses. They faced beasts engineered by the gods to be as powerful as floor bosses, monsters that regenerated, poisoned, blinded, and cursed them. And through it all, Bell was learning, adapting.
He could feel the divine energy flowing through him, every black flash that sparked within his body now causing a resonating surge. With each clash, his power grew. It was intoxicating—he could feel the gap between mortal and divine shrinking with each passing day.
Finn stood before him, his lance held steady. "You seem different, Bell. You feel more like... a force of nature," he said, marveling as Bell moved effortlessly, his blade a blur of light and power.
Bell gave a small grin. "I have to be, Finn. If I'm going to stand a chance against Hades, I need to be more than just an adventurer. I need to be something that even a god fears."
Ottar, fighting alongside Ais, noticed Bell's rapid improvement. "He's turning into a monster in his own right," Ottar said, his respect for Bell growing as he watched the young adventurer push beyond limits that had previously seemed impossible.
After what felt like an eternity, the training ended. The adventurers were scarred, bruised, and battered—but they were also stronger. They had faced pain, death, and despair, and they had grown because of it.
Bell looked at his companions, each of them hardened and resolute, their eyes filled with a new fire. "We've trained as hard as we can. We've become something more than we were," Bell said, his voice filled with conviction. "Now, we test it."
They stood at the entrance to the Dungeon, the familiar darkness beckoning them to step inside. This time, there was no fear—only determination.
"Are you ready?" Bell asked, his eyes scanning his comrades.
Ais gave a firm nod. "We are."
Ottar tightened his grip on his axe. "This time, we will not fail."
With the resolve of the champions of Gaia and the strength gained from their torturous training, Bell and his group descended once more into the Dungeon. Their mission was clear—fight their way to Hell and face Hades again.
They moved quickly, floor after floor. Every enemy, every monster that dared cross their path was struck down with ease. The air around Bell seemed to shimmer as he drew on divine energy, his blade carving effortlessly through anything in his way. The others followed, their confidence unshakable, their skills honed to deadly precision.
After days of clearing the Dungeon, sealing floors, and facing waves of creatures, they reached the gate that led to Hell—a dark, foreboding structure that seemed to pulse with an ominous energy.
Bell looked at his comrades, a determined expression on his face. "This time, we go in stronger. This time, we'll face him, and we'll show him our true strength."
They stepped through, and the world shifted around them. The air grew cold, the darkness thick and oppressive as they found themselves once more in Hades' realm.
But this time, something was different.
Bell could feel it—the divine energy thrumming in his veins, a power that matched the oppressive weight of Hell itself. He drew his blade, the edge gleaming with the promise of strength.
"Hades won't know what hit him," Bell said, his eyes blazing with determination.
And as they moved forward, the adventurers knew that this time, they were ready to face anything that Hell threw at them. They had trained, they had suffered, and now they were about to prove that no god—not even Hades—could stand in their way.