Bell clenched his knife, watching the Silverback as it slashed furiously at the ground. Its movements were brutal but strangely precise, as if the creature were testing his reflexes.
"A mere adventurer shouldn't attract so much attention…" he muttered as he analyzed his opponent.
The empty streets echoed under the monster's heavy footsteps, its growls filling the air. Bell knew he didn't have the brute strength to take it down. But he had something the Silverback didn't: cunning and unwavering determination.
Bell backed away slowly, leading him to a more confined area littered with debris and abandoned crates. He remembered the lessons of his grandfather Zeus: "If you cannot defeat your enemy by force, use terrain to dominate him."
"You wanna play? Fine, come get me!" Bell called out, banging a crate to get the monster's attention.
The Silverback roared and charged. Bell dodged at the last second, causing it to crash into a wall. Taking advantage of the confusion, he stabbed his knife into the monster's back leg.
However, the blade only penetrated superficially, sliding over his thick skin.
"Tch… This is going to be harder than expected."
The Silverback retaliated with a powerful swing of his arm, throwing Bell against a cart. Pain shot through his back, but he immediately stood up, his eyes burning with determination.
Bell pulled a smoke bomb from his belt and threw it at the monster's feet. Thick gray smoke enveloped the area, limiting the Silverback's vision.
"You are blind, but I see everything."
With his Ethereal Vision, Bell made out the monster's red silhouette through the smoke. He moved silently around the beast, using the debris to launch quick, precise attacks.
Each blow targeted the joints: the knees, the elbows, and the tendons. Although his attacks were not immediately fatal, they gradually slowed the creature down.
The furious Silverback swept away the smoke with a powerful blow, revealing Bell leaping towards him. With a quick movement, he caught the young adventurer in mid-air.
Bell felt the crushing grip around his waist. The pain was unbearable, but he refused to scream.
"Use everything you have."
Remembering his arsenal, Bell grabbed another bomb: an incendiary bomb this time. He activated it and threw it directly into the Silverback's mouth.
The creature roared back, its throat flaming from the explosion. Bell rolled to the ground, struggling to his feet.
The Silverback, now disoriented and wounded, staggered towards Bell. The exhausted Bell knew he could no longer afford a prolonged battle.
Spotting a sharp piece of metal among the debris, he grabbed the makeshift weapon and climbed onto a ruined structure.
The monster, in a final burst of rage, charged the building. Bell jumped on top of it, using the momentum to drive the piece of metal straight into its skull with all the strength he had left.
The Silverback collapsed, its heavy body crushing the ground. Bell landed awkwardly, falling to one knee, gasping for air.
As calm returned to the area, Bell felt a familiar presence behind him. He turned to see Aiz Wallenstein, who was watching the scene with an unreadable expression.
"Why didn't you let me help you?" she asked in a calm voice.
Bell, wiping the sweat from his brow, replied simply:
"Because I had to prove that I could do it… alone."
Aiz nodded, a slight smile appearing on her lips. "You're interesting."
Hestia, who had remained hidden, also approached, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Bell… You're amazing!"
As they left the ruins, Aisha found Bell and reprimanded him for his recklessness.
"Idiot! You could have died!"
Bell, though injured, smiled slightly. "But I'm not dead. And now, I'm stronger."
In the distance, Freya watched from the roof. A satisfied smile lit up her face.
"You have potential, Bell Cranel. Much more than I thought. Soon, you will be mine."
Chapter 18: The Awakening of Bell Cranel
After his grueling fight with the Silverback, Bell returned to Ishtar's quarters. He limped slightly, the wounds from his fight still fresh, but his gaze was determined. He had to know where he stood, understand the changes taking place within him.
As he passed through the main gate of the Temple of Ishtar, the Amazons present stared at him with mischievous smiles, their gazes focused on his slightly bruised body.
"Look at him, Aisha must have exhausted him."
"If only it were me..." whispered another.
Bell ignored their comments and headed straight for Ishtar's chambers.
Ishtar, reclining on a luxurious purple silk couch, was sipping a glass of wine. She looked up when she saw Bell enter.
"Here, my little Bell. To what do I owe this honor?" she said in a sweet voice.
Bell bowed respectfully. "I need an update, Ishtar-sama."
Ishtar arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "An update? It's only been a few days. You're in a hurry… or maybe that fight with that Silverback has changed you more than I thought."
As she motioned for him to come closer, Ishtar crossed her arms, her gaze hardening slightly.
"By the way, Bell…" she began, standing up gracefully. "You spend a lot of time with Aisha, don't you?"
Bell, surprised by the question, hesitated for a moment. "Yes… Aisha helps me train and adapt to the adventurer life."
Ishtar narrowed her eyes, a subtle but calculating smile on her lips. "Is that all? You spend so much time together… I guess you've become very… close."
Before Bell could answer, Samira, who was nearby, appeared laughing.
"Tsss, don't be jealous, Ishtar. That boy is a little treasure, but he's never done it with her. I even bet on it with Phryne."
Ishtar froze, her smile disappearing for a moment, replaced by a mixture of astonishment and intrigue.
Ishtar motioned for Bell to remove her top and settle down on the bed for the update. As she placed her hands on his back, she felt an unusual warmth emanating from him.
"This boy… His strength is evolving way too quickly."
She transferred her excelia into the falna and, reading the results, her eyes widened slightly. A new skill had appeared.
Strength: A167
• Endurance: A 345
•Dexterity: A 223
•Agility: A 376
•Magic: 0
•Intelligence: A
•Luck: C
•Abnormal Resistance: C
•Escape: G
•Chain Attack: I
Special Skill:_ Ethereal Vision: Allows you to see other people's emotions as colors.
_[The Rise]
A unique skill that promotes accelerated growth. The harder the battle, the more Excelia you accumulate. Also grants complete immunity to any form of charm or mind control.
_The rising boost: Grants a slight stat boost
Magic skill:
Ishtar gritted her teeth, barely hiding her irritation. This immunity meant she would no longer be able to control him like the other members of her Familia.
"Fascinating…" she murmured, looking up at Bell. "You're full of surprises, my little Bell."
Bell turned his head slightly, intrigued by her tone. "Is everything okay, Ishtar-sama?"
She gave a charming smile, hiding her thoughts. "Of course. You just become… much more interesting."
Ishtar straightened, crossing her arms, her mind reeling from the discovery.
"That boy… He's getting out of control. Aisha is already too close to him, and now he has a skill that makes him immune to my charm. If I can't subdue him, then…"
She stepped closer to Bell, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Bell, you should be careful. Some gods might start taking an interest in you. You are unique."
Bell nodded, thanking Ishtar before getting dressed again.
As he left the room, Ishtar stared at the door with a glint of frustration in her eyes. She couldn't let Bell escape her, but she had to rethink her strategy.
As he left, Bell passed Aisha waiting for him in the hallway. She gave him a curious look.
"You've been with Ishtar-sama for a long time. Is everything okay?" she asked, arms crossed.
Bell smiled softly at him. "Yeah. I just needed an update."
Aisha raised an eyebrow, but didn't push it further. "Then let's go to dinner. You must be starving."
As they walked away together, several Amazons watched them with envious looks and barely audible whispers.
"Why Aisha?"
"He should be ours!"
Bell, without even turning around, activated his Ethereal Vision. The Amazons glowed with a mixture of lust and jealousy. He sketched a subtle smile, a plan already germinating in his mind.
"If I can't escape them, then I'll control them all."
To be continued