Chapter 28 - Hephaestus Suspicion: Is He The Son Of Zeus?
It took almost a day for Bell to wake up.
When he opened his eyes, he sighed in relief, but then he noticed the foul air he'd exhaled filled the room with a nasty smell. He frowned and quickly got up to open the window, hoping to clear the air.
A fresh breeze flowed in, carrying away the lingering stench and slowly returning the room to normal.
Leaning out the window, Bell took a deep breath, trying to escape the smell that still hung around.
"Was that really my breath? Why does it smell worse than the sewer?"
He wondered about it and blew into his hand, sniffing cautiously. When he didn't detect any more foul odor, he sighed with relief.
Unlike the pain that had wracked his body, Bell now felt surprisingly good. His physical state, breathing, vision, even his hearing—all seemed sharper.
"I need to be more careful next time. These items are meant for Heroic Spirits. In the game, they don't have much physical requirements, but reality isn't the same."
He had told himself to be cautious, yet he still let his guard down. His thoughts clouded his judgment, causing him to misjudge important things.
"If I count the days I was out, it's probably been about a week since I arrived in Orario. I need to start building up my basic abilities bit by bit and then get ready to move to the middle floors."
"But before that, I need to level up."
For now, the number of adventurers on the upper floors wasn't overwhelming, so it was relatively easy to avoid attention.
But the deeper he went into the dungeon, the more adventurers he'd encounter. If he wanted to keep hiding his actions, he'd have to find more isolated areas.
"Accumulating Excelia while staying unnoticed... it's going to be a bit tricky."
Still, it was just a minor inconvenience. As long as he wasn't being targeted by Freya.
He absentmindedly touched his chin. Next time he entered the dungeon, he could wear a cloak, maybe even a mask to hide his face. He could disguise his voice too. Concealing his identity was crucial.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in his ears—one set heavy, the other light. It sounded like two people were approaching.
Bell pulled his head back from the window and sniffed the air. The foul smell in the room had mostly faded, and unless someone had a super sharp nose, it wouldn't be noticeable anymore.
He went to the door and opened it, slightly surprised to see the two figures standing outside.
"Hestia-sama, Hephaestus-sama," he greeted.
Hestia hurried into the room and immediately threw herself onto Bell, checking him over carefully. Once she confirmed he was okay, she let out a sigh of relief.
Looking at him again, she noticed that his vitality had significantly increased, though the initial overwhelming surge had calmed down a bit.
His body has surpassed normal human limits.
This was good news for Hestia. It meant Bell's lifespan would extend far beyond that of a regular human. She didn't want to see Bell age and wither away. Now, Bell seemed to be heading toward a different fate.
"Bell, do you feel any discomfort in your body?" Hestia asked.
"Hestia-sama, are you talking about the pain I felt earlier?"
Hestia's words reminded him of how she had come to his room while he slept. He wasn't surprised, given how long he'd been unconscious. It was only natural for her to check on him.
The pain caused by those item was something he couldn't hide, but there was no reason to.
"I did wake up once because of the pain, but I fell asleep again after it passed," Bell admitted.
"You went back to sleep after feeling pain?" Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed by his resilience.
The soundproofing in this room wasn't great, so any loud noise would have been heard outside.
Yet, Bell had endured the pain in silence. That was unusual.
Hestia, however, was upset.
"Bell! If you're in pain, you should cry out! How am I supposed to know if you don't say anything?"
Bell smiled faintly. He had stayed quiet because he didn't want to worry Hestia.
After all, she was now his family, and he didn't want her to see him like that.
Hephaestus admired his endurance but kept her thoughts to herself.
"That idiot Hestia, of course Bell didn't want you to see his embarrassment. How could any child act weak in front of their goddess?" she thought, casting a sidelong glance at Hestia, who was still fussing over him.
Hephaestus placed a hand on Hestia's shoulder to calm her. "Hestia, Bell is fine. Let's not dwell on this. For now, we should focus on linking him with the sword."
"Oh, right! Bell, take off your shirt."
...
Bell sat on the ground, his back facing Hestia. She dripped a few drops of her divine blood onto his back.
Hestia was updating Bell's status and linking him to the sword. By doing this, Bell would become the sole wielder of the weapon.
But as she did, Hestia paused, surprised by the appearance of an additional magic.
She remembered that Bell hadn't been to the dungeon for three days; he'd spent that time forging. Then he passed out for a day, then slept another day for no apparent reason.
So how had Bell, who hadn't left the room, awakened a new magic?
"Hephaestus, come take a look," Hestia called out.
Another surprise?
Hephaestus, intrigued, glanced at Bell's back.
Ever since Bell had joined Hestia's Familia, surprises seemed to be a daily occurrence. She stepped forward and examined his status.
When she saw the newly awakened magic, her expression twitched.
"Magic?"
---
[Name]: Bell Cranel
[Level]: 1
[Basic Abilities]:
Strength: G284
Endurance: F304
Dexterity: E421
Agility: E474
Magic: F343
[Development Ability]: None
[Magic]:
Storage Magic: Spatial Pocket
Quick Attack Magic: Royal Thunder [Command Over Thunder and Lightning]
[Skill]:
Mystic Code: Combat Judgement
Tsubame Gaeshi [Multidimensional Refraction Phenomenon Attack]
Master-swordsman
Luck: EX
---
A simple description.
But sometimes, the simpler it is, the more problematic. The falna provided no incantation or details about this magic. That could only mean one thing: it required no incantation to use.
That alone elevated this magic above countless others.
Moreover, the name of the magic was clear: Royal Thunder—magic that wielded lightning. The term royal could be interpreted broadly, making its potential applications vast.
Hephaestus realized this meant an incredibly versatile magic with endless possibilities. It could reach the highest levels of development, but if not mastered properly, its initial stages could be dangerous.
"It all depends on how well Bell develops this magic," Hephaestus explained.
"If he can tap into its potential, its uses could be immense. But if not, its limitations could be problematic."
"This kind of magic would be perfect for a veteran adventurer. It's practical and needs real combat to grow. But for a beginner, it might be too raw and unrefined."
Hephaestus could see that with proper development, Royal Thunder could take Bell very far.
This wasn't just a single magic—it had the potential to serve many purposes depending on how he developed it. In the future, it could be as valuable as a hundred different magics.
Moreover, command over thunder and lightening. And even a skill too.
Is Bell the son of Zeus?
"A magic filled with future potential," Hestia thought aloud. "Bell, you've gained another powerful tool, but it won't give you a boost right away."
The more promising the future of a magic, the more likely it starts off weak.
"We'll explain the magic to Bell later. For now, we need to link the sword to his falna," Hephaestus said, refocusing on the task.
Hestia unsheathed the newly forged black sword. To anyone else, it would look like an ordinary weapon, but as soon as it was stained with her divine blood, sacred text began to glow on its surface.
The glowing words on the blade resonated with Bell's back, signaling the connection.
Hestia linked the sacred text on the sword with the falna on Bell's back. Slowly, the sacred text on the blade began to change, and as it did, an inscription completed itself.
Hestia let out a breath of relief—the connection was complete.
Now, as Bell grew stronger, so would the sword. In battle, the blade would gradually increase in power, growing alongside Bell.
"Bell, it's done," Hestia said.
Bell nodded and put his shirt back on. Once dressed, he turned around, his eyes immediately landing on the black sword in Hestia's hand.
It looked slightly different from what he'd imagined. The sacred text on the blade was hidden, unlike the markings he'd seen before.
Bell clearly remembered that the sacred text on the sword had always been visible.
"How can it be hidden so well now?" he wondered.
But this was good news. The sword looked like a regular weapon, unlikely to attract attention.
In the anime, Bell's knife had been targeted because of the visible divine markings. Now, this sword appeared ordinary, with only its blade hinting at something special.
Noticing Bell's curious gaze, Hestia smiled and handed him the sword.
"Bell, this is the sword we created together. It's alive, and as long as you use it in battle, it will grow along with you. I named it 'Hestia Sword.'
"This sword was crafted by Hephaestus herself. Don't be fooled by its simple appearance; the materials used are anything but ordinary.
"It possesses a key trait: indestructibility. You won't need to perform any maintenance on it. Just keep using it, and it will become sharper and more powerful over time."
If any adventurers in Orario knew about this sword, they'd certainly covet it. The indestructible trait meant it would never break.
Meaning Bell now had a permanent weapon.
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Do you want any FGO monsters in the Dungeon? BTW goblins are converted into FGO goblins.
So, mechanisms like critical stars would work on them.
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[IMG of a heroic spirit]
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