[Dungeon of Babel] [4th floor]

"Fuck!"

-Boom!

Moby jumped back from a group of goblins. The green fucks were physically stronger than he expected on the previous floor.

'Good things the flames burn them,' he scraped his glaive across the ground, causing a spark which he used to swing upwards into the coming group of monsters.

-Guaah!

They screamed, burning in flames; he dashed into another group swinging against their claws, fearful they jumped above the swing, but when he struck the ground swung upwards once more, a torrent of flames following behind.

-Guaaah!

"Huff... Bell!" He shouted to the rabbit boy who mercilessly hacked through them, "I can't keep going like this!"

"Un!"

He stabbed another one and moved back. It was time to retreat, but as they took their first step, the ground beneath them cracked into pieces. Three kobolds jumped, from them two going for Bell and the other for Moby.

It grabbed his spear and launched him into the wall with a thud, "Mobi!" Bell couldn't get to him as he was handling the two in front of him.

The Kobold growled, dropping his glaive Moby, whose face was bleeding, coughed, 'fucking hell,' it kicked off the ground, charging at him.

Moby's body fell to the ground, only increasing the grin on the creature's face, but just as it reached him, Moby's hands, which were connected to the ground, sparked.

-Shunk!

An earth spike shot through its chest, "bastard," he looked up seeing its claws close to his face, he looked past it seeing the other monsters freeze the two fighting Bell included.

The action delayed them as more earth spikes shot from beneath them, stabbing them all!

-Shunk! -Poof!

He coughed harshly, getting back up. "I think we've done enough for today." He wiped his bloody scalp, reaching for his glaive.

"Y-yeah, I'll get the cores," Bell moved quickly. He knew Moby had enough for today and that his alchemy shocked him given his surprised look.

It didn't take long to collect all the stones from their hunt. They even got some goblin fangs and kobold nails from the harvest.

Bell looked at the number of magic stones brimming. "I can't believe we got so many." He turned to Moby, his eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, this should be maybe what, thirty thousand not counting the drops too," he made a rough estimate. "Come on, let's leave." He started moving and took a potion to clear himself.

"Hm... Bell, do you know how potions are made?"

"I'm not sure... you could go to the Orario library. They might have things there."

"I had the thoughts, also," he pointed to his knife, "you should get some better gear hehe."

He chuckled as Bell looked at his worn-out chest plate, "hmm you could also use on those used things that are about to fall apart." He gave the same chuckle back to him.

Slowly, they made their way up, making small talk to pass the time.

"Bell, do you know Hestia has feelings for you?"

"Eh!? G-goddess likes me?"

Moby deadpanned at the boy's face, so dense that everyone gravitated towards him too! "Know what? Never mind."

He sped up, leaving him behind, drowned in his thoughts. They made it up to the first floor, and standing in a corner close to them was a green rooster.

'Holy!' Moby grabbed Bell, who also froze seeing the bird, the only one of its kind to appear on the first floor whose eggs go for a million Valis.

Slowly, they moved back a safe distance.

"What are we gonna do!" Bell whisper and yelled, "if we can kill it goddess will be so happy!"

"Shut up!" he looked at the rooster, then around, 'better if I can trap it,' he saw the ceiling and tunnels around, forming a plan.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do, and it's simple. I want you to run at it from the right side when I give you the signal and don't stop."

"Eh, that's all?"

"Yep, now hurry."

-Clap!

Moby grinned, changing the terrain around the Jack bird.

-Kruu!?

Immediately, the rooster looked up and around. "Now" Moby shouted and Bell dashed to the creature at his fastest speed"

-Kruuu!

It screeched and turned running in the opposite direction. "It's gone." Bell slumped before the space in front of him changed. The cave in front closed.

"It's not gone, it's been caught," he grinned touching the wall and forcing the space to close and shrink all the while small screeches echoed from the other side or rather inside as it shrank on into a meter-tall stone box with holes on top.

"You caught it!"

Moby chuckled, kneeling in the Cage. The Jack bird was confused. It remembered seeing a rabbit monster running after it, so it ran in the other direction, but it hit something and then its feet melted into the ground.

Now it looked up, seeing a grinning green-eyed demon. "Hello friend," he chuckled darkly, setting alarms in his head.

-Kruuu!

Bell watched on with a peaceful smile, "one million, and we caught it to it. I can't wait to tell Eina."

"Ho?" Moby stood up menacing shadow covering him, "tell Eina? yare yare daze," he muttered under his breath.

Bell stuttered, seeing him shift. "Bell, you're not telling anyone about this, understood?" he turned to him, the sin of greed appearing behind him.

"Y-yes, sir!"

"Good. Now you go to the guild with the magic cores and come back immediately with the money no stops, not even for Syr, and I'll take this thing home."

He cackled, creating a stone wheel cart to pull it along. The bird inside was screaming to be let out of its misery, only bringing more joy to Moby.

'Why do I feel bad?' Bell's sweat dropped seeing the cage rattle he was sure the bird was crying inside mixed with Moby's joy made him uncomfortable like seeing someone passed out on the beach so as a friend you help them out by drawing a dick on them.

...

[Hestia Church]

"Finally made it back," he huffed, opening the front door and entering with the new pet. The jack bird stopped fighting back and accepted its fate, sniffling inside that it was going to die.

"Bell, you're back!" Hestia ran downstairs, her arms opened, "oh hi Moby."

"Where's my hug?" He looked appalled. "Do you not, like me that much or do I have to be a white-haired, short man?"

Hestia's face flushed before she gave him a light hug, "if it was Bell would've tackled him already."

"That's not the point I care about you equally!?" She puffed her chest proudly.

"So you did not mention my name in bed because?" he raised his brow with a grin, topping her in place.

Her face flushed before she turned around. "I do not know what you mean."

"Really? What about "mn~ Bell five more minutes," he chuckled seeing her stiffen and kept it up, yes he liked it, but he was no simp and teasing her while Bell wasn't here was prime time.

"I remember a very horny goddess grinding up on defenceless me," she turned to wave her hands to shut him up.

"Okay! I get it to stop if Bell hears you then."

-Kruu!

The jack bird shook the cage. It wanted a swift death, not endless torture, "shut up."

"Hm? What's in there?"

Moby closed the doors before turning back to her with a wide smile, "A jack bird."

It took a while for her to process it, covering her mouth with a squeal, "do you know how much we can sell it for!?"

She ran to him, giving him a genuine hug, pressing against him. He chuckled at how small she was compared to him, and patted her head, "we're not selling it, Hestia, we're going to tame it and sell its eggs."

She looked up at him, realising the endless income of cash smiling more, "hehe, hehe," she was more excited this time, practically jumping.

"So did you buy bet our beds?"

"Yep, three brand-new ones and they're so soft, but now we have no more money, but it won't matter anymore."

Soon, they worked together to remove everything from the basement, and with his alchemy, he made three rooms. "Well, use the middle one as storage and the left for the bird."

"What about the right one?"

"My alchemy room, right? We also need water," he said, opening the stone door and moving the Jack bird inside and letting it roam freely.

-Kruu!

The green rooster charged right at the door, but it closed, slamming into it.

"Why do you need an alchemy room? We can buy the potions we need," she asked, tilting her head.

"Have you forgotten my skill? There's more to it than what you've seen potions are part of it, too."

"R-right, I forgot it's been so long since I've seen an alchemist like you," she said, looking down.

"What?"

"Goddess Moby, I'm back," Bell shouted, entering the church.

"Eh? I think Bells here, I'll get him," she chuckled, skipping up the stairs.

'There are other alchemists here?' Moby was still processing whether there were other alchemists like him. The more he thought about it the more he questioned, 'if my skills are allowed in then it makes sense it already exists, but if that's true then what about the "truth" no if the anime world exists then so does it or him, rather.'

"Ah, I'll leave that to future me right now, though I have a bird to take care of, and a room to set up. At least we completed the second floor."

He sighed and went up the stairs to the living area. He met the two in a classic scene of Hestia clinging to Bell.

"Ah hey Moby, we made 33,000 Valis isn't that amazing and I promise I told no one about the blackbird," he smiled, showing the bag of coins.

"Nice. I guess we can save half and use the rest on what we need, just some extra renovations supplies and will be done."

He let out a sigh feeling things were about to come to a close, "it's getting late," Hestia said with a grin, "why don't we eat and sleep uh Bell we have a new bed for the two of us~" she cooed pulling his arms.

"G-goddess, we have our rooms now, so we don't have to share the same bed anymore."

She stuttered, "b-but we always."

"I'm sorry, but we have separate rooms, so we no longer have to feel uncomfortable pressing on each other."

Hestia looked crestfallen, 'how about that he can say no, also he called her holding him uncomfortable,' she huffed before hitting him relentlessly repeating stupid Bell.

"I'm gonna take my shower while you guys work things out."

"Ah wait, I have to give you your Falna," she stopped, hitting Bell.

"Do mine tomorrow after I've trained," he waved back walking up the stairs, 'should I put an underground training room?'

He put that thought behind as he enjoyed the warm bath, taking his time to relax and soak in the water and soon left for his room which was across. He smiled at the soft bed.

"My old friend, I missed you," he slipped in sleeping sound from the day's work.