Bell Cranel's heart raced with excitement as he descended deeper into the Dungeon. His feet hardly touched the ground, his body moving like a blur, leaving only a trail of wind in his wake. The 61st floor stretched out before him, a massive underground cavern that seemed endless. Rocky cliffs rose on either side of the path, the walls dotted with luminous crystals that cast an eerie glow across the barren landscape.
Monsters crawled out from the shadows—hulking trolls, snake-like wyrms, and shadowy wraiths—but none of them stood a chance. Bell was too fast. He weaved between them effortlessly, his sword flashing in the dim light. Each swing cleaved through his enemies like they were made of paper, and each time he landed, the ground cracked beneath the force of his steps.
"Come on," Bell muttered under his breath, slicing through a pack of trolls with a single, fluid motion. "This is supposed to be a deeper floor…"
He glanced up, eyes gleaming with anticipation. His mind was already racing ahead to the floors below, where the real challenge would be waiting. The thrill of battle was singing in his veins, and the thought of what lay beneath the 80th floor made his heart beat faster. He knew that was where the real test would begin—the showdown he had been itching for.
But for now, it was just another exercise.
The 63rd floor greeted him with a burst of frigid air. The floor was an expansive, frozen tundra, glaciers towering over him like ancient monoliths. The icy wind howled through the jagged crevices, and frost covered every surface, glimmering in the soft light of the Dungeon crystals. Monsters born of the cold—giant ice golems and frost drakes—lumbered toward him, their roars echoing through the tundra.
Bell didn't slow down. He plunged into the heart of the battlefield, his movements a graceful blur. His sword flashed once, twice, and three times, each swing cleaving through the thick ice hide of the golems and shattering them to pieces. A frost drake charged him, its massive jaws snapping at his heels, but Bell sidestepped effortlessly, bringing his sword up in a smooth arc that sliced the beast's head clean off.
His excitement grew with each passing second, but a small frown tugged at his lips. Still too easy.
On the 65th floor, things finally began to shift. The entire area was a dense jungle, humid and suffocating. Vines hung from the towering trees, and thick mist blanketed the ground, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. The distant cries of monsters echoed through the trees, a cacophony of growls and screeches.
Bell felt the excitement bubble up again, but still… The jungle floor trembled beneath the feet of massive beasts—tigers the size of houses with gleaming fangs, serpents that slithered through the trees like living vines. He darted through the dense foliage, slashing at the monsters with ease. Each battle ended as soon as it began, his movements too swift for the Dungeon's creatures to follow.
At one point, a particularly massive tiger—easily the size of a city square—emerged from the underbrush, its fangs gleaming as it charged him. Bell sighed, raising his hand and opening a Gate of Babylon. Several golden blades appeared in the air behind him, shimmering in the mist. With a casual flick of his wrist, the blades shot forward, impaling the creature before it could take another step.
"Maybe I should just slow down," he mused, watching as the jungle floor became littered with defeated monsters. But even as he said it, he couldn't help but grin.
He reached the 70th floor without breaking a sweat, his heart pounding with anticipation. It was time for the real fun to begin. The Dungeon had grown larger and more complex, the floors expanding into vast, sprawling landscapes, each one larger than the last. By now, the floors were the size of entire kingdoms, stretching out endlessly in every direction.
On the 75th floor, the ground beneath him opened up into a massive canyon. Bell leaped across the jagged cliffs, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of worthy opponents. The canyon stretched for miles, and yet, even here, the monsters fell before him with ease. He moved through them like a whirlwind, his sword slicing through flesh and bone with surgical precision.
But it was the 80th floor where things would finally heat up.
Outside the Dungeon:
While Bell was tearing through the Dungeon, his wives and children were having a very different kind of day.
Back at their estate, the large pool shimmered under the bright midday sun, the water glistening like a jewel. Hestia, Lili, Ryuu, Anya, Syr, Freya, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Demeter lounged around the pool, dressed in their swimsuits, enjoying a well-deserved day of relaxation. The children splashed in the water, laughing and playing without a care in the world.
Lili sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her toes in the water while watching her daughter giggle as she played with a floating ball. "I never thought I'd be so lucky," Lili mused, a soft smile on her face as she glanced toward the others. "We've come so far."
Freya chuckled, sipping a glass of chilled wine from her recliner. "Of course, we have. We're married to the King of Heroes, after all."
Haruhime, lying beside Freya, blushed slightly. "It's still hard to believe sometimes, that Bell-kun chose all of us…"
Hestia leaned back, her chest puffing out proudly as she lounged in the sun. "Of course, he did! Who else could keep up with a god like me? Bell is just the best!" She waved toward her daughter, who was eagerly splashing around with the others in the pool.
The conversation took a turn as Anya giggled, playfully splashing water toward Mikoto. "So, what are we all going to give Bell when he comes back? You know he'll want a reward after clearing the Dungeon."
Mikoto flushed, her cheeks turning pink. "W-what kind of reward are we talking about?"
Freya's lips curved into a mischievous grin. "Oh, you know… the special kind of reward." She winked, earning a chorus of embarrassed laughter from the others.
Even Syr, usually so calm and composed, couldn't help but laugh as she raised her drink in the air. "To rewarding Bell properly!"
The laughter grew as the women shared stories and jokes, their bond as wives growing even deeper with each passing day. Their children, however, were less amused.
A group of little girls—each resembling their mothers in some way—sat at the edge of the pool, their faces flushed with embarrassment as they overheard the perverted conversation.
"I can't believe they're talking about… that," one of the girls muttered, her face turning an even darker shade of red. "Our moms are so embarrassing!"
The others nodded in agreement, their faces a mix of horror and confusion.
But soon, the moms jumped into the water, joining their children in the pool for a bit of fun. Water splashed everywhere as they chased their kids around, laughing and playing. The playful tension melted away, replaced with pure, joyous fun as the poolside became a paradise of love and laughter.
Back to Bell: Floor 80
Meanwhile, Bell had arrived at the 80th floor.
The vast expanse spread out before him, unlike anything he had seen before. The floor was a desolate wasteland, with jagged peaks and blackened soil stretching out as far as the eye could see. Dark clouds swirled above, and the air was thick with tension.
But Bell didn't slow down. His heart raced in anticipation of what awaited him on this floor and beyond. The thrill of the challenge, the rush of battle—it called to him, and he was more than ready.