It was another day in the Hestia church. Moby was waiting downstairs for Bell to wake. He woke up extra early this morning to train and was reading about blacksmithing and potion-making for dummies.
But sitting there he realised a curse of reincarnation, ‘I can never have the internet again,’ thunderstruck as his mind relapsed no watching anime no movies no avengers and when shit started getting good with Dr Strange’s multiverse of madness, “what have I done.”
He couldn’t curse himself. He wasn’t sure if being here was even of his own volition, but he felt comfortable being there.
‘Screw waiting for Bell. I’m not his sitter,’ Moby closed the book and left the Church. ‘I need to know if these walls have warding materials in them,’ he thought, looking back.
[Dungeon of Babel] [5th floor]
-Shunk!
He stabbed a war shadow in its core with his glaive exploding into smoke. He kneeled and trapped it.
‘I don’t think I’ll need to use the gloved for this floor,’ he looked around as two more appeared from the shadows.
He twirled his glaive around and kicked off the ground, clashing with the beasts. He swung up and slid, avoiding a swing as he got back, striking from behind, killing one. The other was already on the attack.
-Poof!
He blocked in time but fell on one knee and in the struggle grinned as his fingers snapped.
-Boom!
As another bit of the dust it was replaced right before him with another, “here we go again,” he raised his glaive, his heart dancing. He was loving this feeling.
This was how he went through the fifth floor, fighting them mostly in small groups. It pushed him to be drastic, like hurling his glaive at one screaming shadow and fighting the others barehanded.
Their strikes were intense, so he could hold his ground, swerving past them and getting close to punching through their bodies and grabbing their cores.
After more exchanges, he stopped near the entrance of the next floor, snacking on a ham and cheese sandwich. ‘these leather clothes are going to wear out soon.’
After finishing, he took a deep breath and went down
[Dungeon of Babel] [6th floor]
-Kreee!
“Aw crap,” Moby frowned at his situation. All around him stood a mass of killer ants, some small and big. He was surrounded by twenty.
He didn’t want to use alchemy and focus on increasing himself physically, but the situation called for it. He clapped his hands and summoned spikes from the dungeon floor, impaling half of them.
The other dodged in time and charged, “tsk fine then,” he picked up his glaive bringing it down, some dodged the swing, so he raised his leg and brought it down with enough force to crush their heads.
He flipped, shaping his fingers as the glaive burst into flames as he brought it down, smashing the ground and killer ants that remained in an explosion.
He didn’t have time to rest, as some war shadows appeared in the aftermath. ‘This is going to be a long day.’
He brought his glaive back in a stance ready for the onslaught of enemies.
[Hestia Church]
“Goodbye goddess!” Bell waved to Hestia as he left for the dungeon.
She gave a bright smile wishing him luck, however that smile faded as she closed the doors, she slumped her back against it her head down in shame, with a good eye anyone could tell her eyes were a tinge of red, and beneath were light tears hidden behind a facade of makeup.
‘It’s not fair...’ she sniffed, curling up into a ball, recalling the events of the night before.
“A-ah I’m a flattered goddess, but I don’t see you like... that... and I also don’t think gods and humans should you know... Ah, I’m so sorry!” He bowed down to her, “I’m sorry if I was mean but no matter what you’ll always be my goddess Hestia.”
Even though those weren’t the exact words, her mind changed and replayed it to soften the blow. She felt crushed at that moment but held her feelings like a dam and only when she went back to her room did the dam break as she did at that very moment.
[Dungeon of Babel] [6th floor]
“Huff... cough! Ah fuck,” Moby groaned, reaching for a potion. He drank the vial and dropped it, huffing and puffing.
After some hard effort, he had made it to the path leading to the seventh floor.
“Those shadows are getting smarter,” he frowned, remembering how they moved their cores around so that he couldn’t hit them.
“Well, no pain, no gain.” He got up, feeling the effects of the potion die down, his body screaming and aching. He was sure he tore a thigh muscle, but otherwise, he was fine, even though his face was beaten slightly.
He descended the green luminescent cave. On the other side, a small group of adventurers is making their way. He didn’t need perfect vision to know they were of the Loki familia.
‘Ah fuck me,’ he moved to the side, hoping to avoid them.
The one closest was Bete, a werewolf
“I’m just saying it’s hilarious that some dumbass joined the tomato kid’s familia, seriously what goes through his mind to tell him, oh?” He stopped talking to the others seeing Moby walking to the side, “no fucking way!”
He smiled seeing the redhead walking towards him, “guys it’s him. What are the fucking chances? Red hair glaive and all!”
One member, an elf with jade-coloured hair tied in a tail that reaches to her waist and the same colour eyes reached out her hand to stop him, “wait don’t.”
“Hey, tomato head!” Bete dashed up to Moby, making him jerk by the name
Two female amazons twins beside sighed, rubbing their temples, “not again,” while the remaining two members, a tall blonde girl and pallum, stood and watched.
“Hey, are you the one that joined that weak familia?” Bete was all in Moby’s personal space.
“Can I just pass through?” he didn’t want to meet these guys, not that he hated them well not all, but he was more interested in getting stronger.
“Oi, I asked a question,” he placed his hand on his shoulder, “come on, it’s just a question.”
Moby looked behind him. The elf sighed and walked forward. The others followed, arriving, “I’m sorry for my friend’s behaviour. Bete just let him pass.”
“Eh? Why I only want to know why someone like him joined such a familia.”
Moby wasn’t sure why, but he pushed his hands off him. He was getting irritated. “Thank you,” he could still smile and did so to leave.
“Hey,” Bete grabbed his arm, “it’s rude not to answer.”
‘Deconstruction... I could just as easily kill him,’ the thought lingered for a moment, and sadly he let go of this frustration, “yeah I’m from the Hestia familia. I joined Bell. So are you happy?”
Moby grunted and pulled his arm back with force. Bete had an iron grip.
“There you got what you wanted so we can go now,” Riveria said with a scornful look towards her member.
“Tsk, fine trash belongs with trash anyway. Look at yourself. You look like you’re gonna collapse seriously. You’re just as pathetic as he is.”
Moby said nothing and walked ahead. “fucker,” he wasn’t that far from them. They all heard him.
-Kree!
Just as he entered the seventh floor, a group of killer ants and war shadows appeared.
‘Oh no, why did he?’ she couldn’t finish her thought as Bete, with a shit-eating grin, turned back cracking his fist.
“Alright that’s enough, Bete,” the blonde pallum Finn said. He had no time for drama.
“No, I just wanna teach this guy a lesson on respecting someone stronger,” he was halfway to Moby, the others were bracing themselves to stop him
-Snap! -Boom!
In the second all the monsters in front of Moby turned to ash, the immediate action brought a surprise to their faces. No chant, instant and more, it wasn’t magic. But Moby wasn’t done. He waited as more came.
-Snap! -Boom!
He waited till the war shadows got close to striking his face.
-Snap! -Woosh!
This wasn’t an explosion, but a continuous flame he cast. It lasted five seconds before. Disappearing, all the monsters turned to ash.
“I’m sorry, Mr Bit- Bete. Does it look like I need your permission to leave? I already got it from Riveria and yes, I know who you are. I’m aware of the Loki familia’s executive members,” he turned back, facing them as more monsters appeared behind, ready to strike him.
-Snap! -Woosh!
“Is there a problem?” He stood still, waiting. This time Finn took action to pull Bete back and coughed, bringing the others back to their senses.
“We’re sorry for his behaviour. He usually isn’t like this.” Riveria bowed slightly. “could I please have your name, so I can formally apologise? It’s my fault I didn’t stop him in time.”
Understanding, he smiled, “Moby Tick.”
“Then please accept my deepest apologies.” She didn’t want to bring bad blood if what she saw on his glove was correct.
“I accept.” Those were his only as he left them.
“Bete, you need to better yourself.” Finn shook his head, disappointed.
“Eh? What, just because he showed off his fire magic, seriously?”
Riveria rubbed her temples. “That wasn’t magic, Bete. It was alchemy.”
“What!?” Tione was quick to react. “how is that alchemy?” Ais asked.
“It seems there is an alchemist that isn’t in Freya’s grasp, It’ll take too long to explain to you. Ais I’m sure you understand what this means, but Bete I’ll make it simple what he used isn’t magic but something as natural to him as breathing, and unless your fireproof I’d avoid antagonising him,” Her face grew severe with every word.
Bete grunted, looking away from her and Finn’s faces, making it clear they wanted to avoid confrontation.
Moby went onto the Seventh floor fighting with War shadows and killer ants one after the other he didn’t use any alchemy, taking the hits and dishing more, it was an effective stress reliever, even when he was sent crashing into the walls of the dungeon he didn’t let up getting right back and clashing with the war shadows that sent him flying.
He kept at it long enough to feel himself about to collapse, so after finishing the last of his potions, he went back up to the dungeon. Along the way met Bell, who listened and went at a steady pace, staying on the 6th floor.
But the white whale refused when the rabbit wanted to head to the seventh.
Later, they both made it to the guild. Seeing as it was getting late outside, Moby didn’t have the time to deal with Eina and her wanting for Bell.
So he was quick to ditch the boy and get the money for his cores. Not long Bell ran up to him.
“Why didn’t you help me!?” He almost cried in front of him.
Rolling his eyes, he answered, “you can tell her you’re in a hurry yourself. Come on.”
“Sigh, yeah... Moby, can I tell you something?” Bell said, taking deep breaths.
“Fine.”
“Last night Hestia came to my room and...” he explained how the bold goddess listed him and confessed her feelings and how he shut her down it was upsetting to Moby to be turned down by a crush he understood but for her, it must’ve been like a knife ran through her.
“So I think I hurt her, which wasn’t my intention, and I don’t know what I should do. Should I tell her I like her?”
‘This mother,’ Moby stopped in his tracks. Good thing too, because he was about to wail at him if he didn’t take a deep breath.
“Bell, I don’t know why you came to me for advice, and honestly, I don’t care. All I suggest is to give her some time. It’s the best medicine for anything.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
“Good now, let’s go. I need a bath.”
