Chapter 41 - The Story Starts
After taking down the Frog Shooter, Bell quickly grabbed its drop items.
"Huh, Frog Shooter drops are so disgusting?"
Without wasting any time, he rushed to the ninth floor.
Suddenly, a distant sound made him stop.
Hwaa…
Bell froze. That sound… it was a monster's howl.
"This is the ninth floor, right? Not the fifteenth?" Bell muttered in disbelief.
Just as he was wondering what was going on, the sound of footsteps caught his attention—heavy and numerous. It wasn't just one or two sets of footsteps, but four or five, all moving together.
The noise grew louder, and the footsteps got heavier.
"!?"
Bell's eyes widened as five Minotaurs, armed with axes, charged from around the corner.
Minotaurs were Level 2 monsters typically found on the fifteenth floor. So why were they here on the ninth?
Bell didn't have time to think. More footsteps echoed from the distance, and judging by their speed, someone was coming right for these Minotaurs.
Then it clicked.
"It's time for the main story to start."
He looked at the five Minotaurs, all of them focused on him.
"Wasn't there supposed to be just one in the story? Why am I facing five?"
Bell took a deep breath.
If this was the moment when the story began, then those approaching footsteps could only belong to Ais Wallenstein, the "Sword Princess" from the Loki Familia.
"In other words, I don't have much time."
Bell quickly drew the Hestia Sword.
Since the prey had shown up right in front of him, there was no way he was letting them escape.
Besides, he wondered if defeating these five Minotaurs would give him enough excelia.
Bell charged toward the Minotaurs.
With one sharp slash, the Hestia Sword cut through the throat of one Minotaur almost instantly, and in a moment, the monster disintegrated into black ash, leaving behind a magic stone.
"I can't stay here and fight for too long."
Since hiding wasn't an option, he had to finish this fast.
Sensing the shift in the air, the remaining Minotaurs roared, swinging their axes wildly, trying to intimidate him.
But their wild swings only revealed how slow they were to react.
A flash of purple lightning struck one of the Minotaurs, reducing it to black ash.
The dying Minotaur's roar echoed through the floor.
Even those rushing toward the scene hesitated for a brief moment.
Bell took advantage of that small opening, moving without hesitation.
His sword, now glowing with purple lightning, slashed a devastating arc in front of the remaining Minotaurs.
Above Bell, an Eye of Storm Judgment appeared, and behind him, a faint chakra desiderata could be seen glowing.
[Raiden Shogun Template Unlocked Percentage: 1.30%]
Within moments, the last four Minotaurs collapsed, turning into black ash.
Bell quickly gathered the dropped items—Minotaur Horn and Minotaur Skin—into his Spatial Pocket and left the scene immediately.
He knew he couldn't stay on this floor any longer.
Acting under the watchful eyes of the Loki Familia was too dangerous.
Bell wasn't interested in taking that kind of risk.
As for Ais, it was best to avoid her for now. Running into her might draw unwanted attention from her fanbase.
Almost immediately after Bell left, a blonde girl wrapped in wind arrived at the scene.
Her silver armor with a white underlining highlighted her agile figure, while her skirt showed off her athletic build.
Her name was Ais Wallenstein, a Level 5 adventurer from the Loki Familia.
At that moment, Ais's face brightened slightly as she looked around the area.
If it wasn't her, then Bell must have been the one who killed those Minotaurs—after all, he did mention this to her during one of their dates.
She scanned the area, searching for any signs of someone hiding nearby but found none.
It was clear—Bell had already fled the scene.
"Ais!"
The rest of the Loki Familia arrived shortly after her.
"Ais, where are the Minotaurs?"
The question came from a boy holding a spear.
Despite his youthful appearance, he wasn't a child.
He belonged to a unique race in Orario known as the Pallum, whose members retained childlike appearances no matter their age.
This Pallum was none other than Finn Deimne, the captain of the Loki Familia.
Ais shook her head blankly.
"I heard the Minotaurs' screams and the sound of fighting, but by the time I got here, everything was already over."
Finn frowned slightly.
Whoever took down five Minotaurs before Ais and the others arrived had to be incredibly strong.
And the fact that they vanished without a trace meant this adventurer not only had immense strength but also made an effort to hide their identity.
"Riveria."
The elf with a gem-encrusted staff nodded.
This was Riveria Ljos Alf, one of the three Level 6 adventurers of the Loki Familia and its vice-captain. Known as the Nine Hell, she was Orario's strongest mage.
As a member of the elven royal family, Riveria had a natural affinity with the elements.
For a brief moment, a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes—almost like a yandere—but she quickly composed herself, making sure no one else noticed.
Except Ais, who silently observed Riveria's fleeting reaction.
After quickly assessing the remnants of the lightning element in the area, Riveria's expression turned serious, though she was preparing to fool others.
Finn noticed her change in expression and asked, "What is it?"
"The lightning element here is incredibly powerful, much more violent than any typical lightning I've encountered. Even with my affinity, it repels me when I try to interact with it."
"There are two possible reasons for this."
"First, the caster's strength far exceeds mine, and their elemental control is on a higher level than mine."
"Second, the caster has a unique spell that makes the lightning unstable and unusable by others."
"Then it's probably the second reason."
Level 6 was near the peak of power in Orario, with only Ottar at Level 7.
It was impossible for such a strong person to stay hidden for long.
So, the second explanation seemed more likely.
Finn hadn't expected an adventurer like this to be operating in Orario.
"Ais, how long did it take you to get here after you heard the noise?"
"Fifteen seconds."
Ais paused for a moment before giving the explanation she had prepared earlier.
"In fifteen seconds, they killed five Minotaurs, collected the magic stones, and managed to avoid me."
"So, they knew I was coming, ended the battle quickly, and left the scene right away. It looks like they were deliberately trying to stay hidden."
"If they're hiding, they're either a newcomer or someone with something to hide."
Most powerful adventurers in Orario were well-known and didn't need to conceal their identities.
And if they were part of Evilus, they wouldn't be on the ninth floor.
With that in mind, Finn mentally added this mysterious adventurer to his list of potential newcomers.
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[IMG of Ais and Riveria]
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