"Loki, why are you in my room?"

"Well you did accept my offer of training, I got worried when you never showed up!"

"You never set a time or place" I said and pushed myself up, my chest still hurting from how hard my heart had been beating "

"Hmmm... anyway get up, we're going to the wall"

"Can I have a moment?" I released the sword and covered my face with my hand "I need to get dressed"

"You already had three days, come on, up, up!"

With another groan I managed to put on a shirt and some boots before Tiona physically dragged me out of the room and grabbed her signature weapon

"Come on Newbie-kun I'll make you into a hero in no time!" the strange fire in her eyes gave me a very cold feeling.

Nobody raised an eyebrow as a tiny amazoness eagerly dragged me through the streets of Orario followed by a whistling god.

"Just what did you say to her?" I asked Loki, there's only so much you can be scared of someone before you get used to it.

"Tiona always liked hero stories" Loki fake whispered, her voice loud enough for everyone around to hear "So I suggested she try making one, heroes always have strong mentors after all"

Well, at least the girl would be serious about training me.

Halfway to the wall Loki Jumped at my back and warped an arm around my neck "Ahhh... I'm tired from all this walking and searching for you, carry me"

The thought of carrying one of the Norse gods at my back made me swallow and try to drop her but the petite woman seemed to have become an octopus, her arms and legs warping around my body and holding on for dear life.

She's not going to backstab you in the streets Roland, endure it, endure it.

Reaching the top of the wall the little god finally jumped down and went to sit on the edge eating some kind of snack.

Turning to my new trainer I saw her pierce the ground with the tip of her double-bladed sword into the ground and start to stretch her arms and legs.

I took only a second to appreciate her form before my eyes went to her weapon and I gulped, a description from berserk came to mind.

Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron... times two for maximum edginess.

"Ah... how exactly are you going to train me?"

"Fighting!" Tiona said with eagerness "I always learned best when fighting"

Then she lifted the piece of metal heavier than me from the wall dragging pieces of stone up and spun it over her head causing it to whistle as it cut through the air before she got into a ready position.

"Wait!" I shouted, my eyes never leaving the giant thing "maybe we can start with hand to hand?"

"Eh?" Tiona asked turning her head sideways and pouting "Fine I guess, but you have to know your weapons if you want to beat a floor boss alone"

Woman, do you really want to kill me that much?

Though I do have the sharingan so it may be interesting to try.

Tiona gave one last sigh and dropped her weapon causing the ground to shake from its weight before she got into a fighting position

Shaking my head, I adjusted my stance and faced the girl.

"Alright can I start now?"

"Yes"

Then she kicked me in the face.

I mean there was no shadow to predict her movements, no sudden tension in her muscles, one moment she was standing five meters in front of me and the next I felt her feet kicking me in the head for a brief second before I went flying.

Bouncing off the floor twice I flopped like a broken doll, my head ringing.

"PFFFFFF! ahahahahahahahahahha!" From the top of the wall Loki burst out laughing.

It took me a full minute to regain my bearings enough I could push myself up in a sitting position.

"What... what happened?"

"Ah, newbie-kun you're alive!" don't sound so damn surprised! "Sorry, I did say I was bad at holding back"

Tiona scratched the back of her head sheepishly and avoided looking me in the eye.

"Here" Loki opened a huge backpack absolutely filled with rows upon rows of health potions and threw me a vial, it was far darker than the ones I used "I made sure I was ready before coming to get you"

Drinking the entire thing I felt a wave of relief wash over my body, with a groan I pushed myself up and tested my limbs to see if nothing was broken, then I eyed the nearly full backpack.

So, Loki had gotten a lot of high-quality potions, why didn't that fill me with relief.

"Alright I'll make sure to take it a little easier this time"

"No wa..."

I tried to say but Tiona was already attacking, her kick aimed at the same spot.

Her speed had gone from 'Teleportation' to merely 'blindingly fast' even to my vision and I only just managed to lift my arms before her kick hit, smashing into my forearms and sending me stumbling back.

A blur was my only warning as Tiona appeared at my side and punched me in the kidney before jumping up and delivering a hammer kick

I barely had time to tilt my head out of the way when her heel hit my shoulder.

CRACK!

I managed to keep myself from screaming... somehow, my arm hung limply by my side and Fiona jumped back allowing me enough room to breathe.

"Great! you held on for 2 seconds!"

Yes, great.

Loki snickered at my fate and threw me another potion.

Drinking it I felt a warm feeling covering my arm and, not even a minute later my bones were mended.

"ugh, just how many of those can I take?"

"Oh, don't worry those are high quality potions, you can take about fifty of them before e they start losing their effect."

Ahhh it was going to be a long day.

I dragged myself into the Hibschite bar and flopped bonellessly on top of Mord' table, every inch of my body was hurting and I didn't think there was a single bone in my body that hadn't at least cracked.

"Well you're looking chipper today" the large man said as he watched me.

Scott and Guille were also looking at my sorry form and almost managing to keep from laughing.

"Well Roland I didn't know you liked that kind of thing" Scott said "and to be so bold as to come out like this, mad respect"

"What are you talking about?"

Without a word Guile got up and found a portable mirror I could look into.

It seems the last potions I used had already started losing their effects and hadn't been able to heal everything, right there in my face was a huge purple bruise covering my nose and both of my eyes, perfectly in the shape of Tiona's foot.

"Damn amazoness, did she have to keep aiming for my head?"

"So, you like getting stepped on is it, and by an amazoness too, kinky"

"Shut up" I groaned "Loki wanted to thank me for saving some of her familia and, since my god's not present, she offered me some training"

"Wow, personal training from Loki familia, if it weren't for the number of bruises you're sporting, I'd almost be jealous" Mord ordered a drink for me and laid back "So, which one was it"

"Tiona, the younger level 5 amazoness"

"Ah.... so close, and to think that by one letter it could have been the older sister" Flushing, Mord made some obscene movements with his hands in front of his chest "I bet you'd like some personal time with Tione huh"

"Shut up" Scott slapped the back of his head "Small breasts are justice!"

Ah, perhaps I should rethink my association with those guys.

They traded a few blows before Guile punched both of their heads and they sat back down

"Anyway, you wanted to speak with us?"

"Yeah, you know I have been delving every day since the week started right"

"We noticed"

"Well, my god still didn't get in contact with me so the magic crystals have started to accumulate"

"Hmmm" Mord scratched his beard "You want a contact in the black market?"

"No, no, I just thought we could get to an agreement" I said and finally pushed myself up from the table, my arms screaming in pain "Nobody would think it weird if you guys were to sell one level 1's share of magic crystals to the guild"

"Ah, I guess we can do that, gonna cost you 20% though"

"Seriously?

"You know we're not a charity" Mord sighed "And, with Scotts arm the way it is we need all we can get"

"Fine, 10%" I argued.

"18" Scott leaned over "you're still delving on the upper floors, anything less and it would not even be worth time used to count the crystals"

"15% come on I have almost 20k in crystals rotting in my room and, with training from Loki I should be able to get more every day"

"Fine but just because we like you"

We shook on it and I started drinking the ale, I had never really liked beer but Orario's ale was completely different, it tasted slightly of honey and was deceptively light making it far too easy to get drunk if I wasn't paying attention.

With the money from the magic crystal's coming in I'd be able to buy some better gear before going back to the dungeon and, who knows, I may even get a porter myself.

Even porters were able to choose their teams and it would be hard to show enough of my skills to attract a somewhat trustworthy one while keeping enough hidden I could easily defeat him in case he did decide to backstab me.

Fucking Loki coming into my room like that, now I'd have to pack my things and find somewhere else to stay.