Sorry for the more than two weeks without a new chapter, I was focused on a college project. The professor assigned something very difficult, complex, and laborious, and he didn't teach the class because he caught conjunctivitis and won't make up for it, so me and the whole class are going crazy about it. The worst part is that my computer, and everyone else's computers in the class, don't have enough hardware to do what he asked, so we had to negotiate with him. Studies are more important than a simple hobby, no matter how much more I enjoy the other.
//
At the very front, the gods stood together, with Hestia stepping forward, her power fully released, pushing back against the Dungeon as the path continued to open. And behind them, a large group of adventurers advanced in formation.
Everything was going smoothly, almost no monsters crossed their path, and those that did were quickly eliminated, either by the adventurers themselves or by one of the gods.
But as if that phrase were cursed, or as if the Dungeon had some prejudice against it, everything suddenly began to tremble.
A low vibration ran through the corridor, growing rapidly stronger. Dust fell from the ceiling as cracks began to spread across the walls.
— What was that?!
— Am I dreaming?!
— The Dungeon it's shaking!
At the center of the group, Finn Deimne was still being held in the arms of a certain amazon like a teddy-bear, but suddenly his expression changed.
All traces of casualness vanished. In a single motion, he slipped free from her grasp and landed firmly on the ground, his gaze sharpening as he looked ahead.
— Everyone, stay alert. Prepare for anything!!! Look out for our gods!!! — He shouted in a loud, clear tone without a hint of panic.
Everyone heard him and even those from other Familias reacted immediately, raising their weapons and tightening their formation as they gathered closer together.
The tension grew heavier as the quake didn't stop.
Meanwhile, at the very front, the gods were no longer as relaxed as before.
Hermes let out a small sigh.
— Yeah… I think we might've annoyed the Dungeon a little. — he said lightly, but his eyes shifted, casting a very obvious glance toward a certain reckless goddess.
— Perhaps the Dungeon has grown tired of our transgression and has finally decided to retaliate. I fear for the others who remain on the eighteenth floor. — Miach said calmly, even though he wasn't a fighter.
— A Monster Rex, perhaps? Goliath was just killed, but nothing prevents it from creating another, completely different monster just for us. — Takemikazuchi added, with barely concealed eagerness in his voice; apparently, he wasn't afraid of the idea in the slightest.
— Do you think this is a game, by any chance? — Hephaestus glanced sideways at him, reprimanding him for his true intentions.
Takemikazuchi replied with a smirk:
— The pot calling the kettle black. Put that hammer down before you talk about me.
Hephaestus snorted and didn't reply. It seemed no one was taking the situation seriously, but it was understandable; they were gods, after all.
However, two goddesses in question did not share this feeling, for different reasons.
Freya, sitting on Ottar's shoulders, observed her surroundings with her perpetual false smile; she didn't let anything show, but in her mind she thought:
'No, this isn't because of Hestia; the Dungeon is reacting differently than it did when it was with me.'
Freya, with her unrestrained personality, obviously didn't give a damn about the Dungeon and its rule of not using divine powers within it, always preferring to have things her way.
It was to be expected that she had broken this rule before, probably more than once, so she was reasonably used to the Dungeon's reaction to it. And this, wasn't what she was accustomed to see.
Without anyone noticing, her eyes sparkled slightly for a fraction of a second; in the next, the seven-colored glow vanished, and in its place, a wide, genuine smile appeared on her face.
She turned her head, looking toward the wall, but her eyes seemed to pierce through it, staring directly at a bright light in the distance that only she could see.
'That color… that brilliance… ah… so it was you…! My Luki-kun~!' she thought, her rationality slipping as she recognized the unique glow of that soul, something she had never seen in anyone else.
'That darkness… so deep and endless, like the void itself… and yet~! Those colors, those beautiful tiny lights scattered within it like stars across a night sky… no… not just stars… a living, breathing nebula! A whole cosmos~ How disgustingly beautiful~~!'
'That pitch-black depth… it should be rotten, empty, lifeless, just like all the other pieces of filth corrupted by the evils of the world that I despise so much… and yet it isn't! It's overflowing with so many different colorful lights! Ahh~ this contradiction, this twisted harmony… it's intoxicating~~~!'
'I want it! I want to see it up close, to touch it, to drown in that endless night sky, to watch those stars tremble, scatter, collapse… to see them shine even brighter just for me~~~ ahhh~~~~~!'
Freya began to squirm slightly, her body shifting against Ottar's shoulders as a faint heat spread through her, as if she were burning from the inside. Ottar, already accustomed to his goddess's behavior, didn't react, remaining fully attentive to his surroundings.
Meanwhile, at the very front, Hestia suddenly stopped.
Not because of the Dungeon's strange reaction, nor because something had blocked her path. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into nothingness, as if focusing on something only she could perceive.
'That feeling… is his Falna reacting? But to what? He doesn't seem to be in danger… and yet, I sense a great agitation. Something must have happened. '
Hestia kept her gaze forward, looking directly toward where he should, toward the path she had been opening.
Then, slowly, her head turned to the side, as if following something.
'He's moving away… and fast. I won't allow it!' Confusion vanished, replaced by sharp determination.
She was closer than ever and she had no intention of letting him slip through her fingers.
Hestia raised her left hand to the side.
— Ha!
BOOM!
An explosion erupted.
The entire side of the corridor was violently torn apart. Dust and debris filled the air.
— What the fuck! Cough Cough! Hestia, what are you doing?! — Hephaestus asked, irritated, while brushing the dust from the air.
No answer, Hestia simply leapt forward without hesitation, disappearing into the passage.
— Hey, wait! — Hephaestus shouted, immediately running after her.
The other gods reacted a second later.
— Oi, oi, don't just run off like that! — Hermes followed with a sigh.
One by one, they rushed in after her.
Behind them, the adventurers froze for a brief moment.
— The gods are moving! What do we do?!
— Abandon formation! Follow them! — Finn ordered, feeling a slight headache coming on.
...
The corridor was silent.
A long, narrow passage carved from uneven stone stretched endlessly in both directions, with little to no ilumination like every other part of this damned maze.
BOOOOOM!!!
A wall exploded outward.
Debris scattered across the corridor as a violent shockwave tore through the passage, kicking up dust and fragments in every direction.
Step Step Step
From within the cloud of dust, a small figure burst forward.
Hestia emerged from the wall, her body still wrapped in that radiant, rainbow-colored glow. But for some reason, her brightness began to diminish until it finally disappeared.
Her face also changed, her empty, flat expression disappearing and becoming full of human feelings and expressions again.
Her eyes widened slightly, looking from left to right as if searching for something.
— He's here, I can feel it… at any moment… — Her voice was low, almost trembling.
She might appear calm, or composed to be precise, on the outside, but inside she couldn't have been more chaotic. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, making it impossible for her to even think straight.
From happiness and relief, at finally being certain that she will see him again after so much time apart, to disbelief and anxiety, an irrational fear that something could happen and ruin everything, that it could all be a lie.
It was just an emotional delusion and she knew it, but what could she do? Feelings aren't exactly known for being easily controlled.
— Come on Luki... come to Mommy. — She called softly to no one in particular, her voice openly conveying her feelings.
CRASH!
Another explosion erupted behind her, but Hestia didn't even turn around to see.
— Seriously… you've completely lost it this time. — Hephaestus muttered, her single visible eye narrowing as she glanced at the wall.
Hephaestus swung his arm and the hole began to transform, widening and stabilizing so that the rest could pass through safely.
— Next time, let me know before you go crazy and run away.
Hestia finally turned around, realizing that once again she had acted impulsively and caused concern. Slightly embarrassed but not regretful, she tried to explain herself.
— Hephaestus? I- uhm... sorry, it's just that- I felt him and then I-
— Okay, okay, I know. Your handsome Charming Prince is near, and you can hardly wait to see him again. — Hephaestus interrupted her, a little annoyed, not missing the opportunity to tease her.
— My Charming Prince? W-well, it's not exactly like that, but... — Hestia blushed slightly, turning her face away and cupping her cheeks.
Hephaestus saw this and couldn't help but sigh.
— Sigh... you're hopeless.
More footsteps followed.
— And after the maze corridor we have... another maze corridor! Oh my Gosh! What a terrible scenario for the conclusion of such an important story, that's one of the reasons, among many others, why I prefer to travel the world. — Hermes' voice came as he slipped through the opening, landing lightly despite the rough entrance.
Behind him, others began to arrive one after another, whether they are gods or mortals, the narrow corridor quickly filling with divine presences.
Everyone looked around in confusion, trying to understand what was, or rather, what wasn't happening.
A strange tension began to build without anyone noticing; Hestia looked ahead hopefully, clasping her hands together.
— Hmm... what are we waiting for? — Some random guy said, only to be reprimanded by his companions around him.
— Shiu, can't you read the mood?
— Shut up, damn it!
— If you're not helping, at least don't hinder.
The guy hunched his neck like a turtle, looking up and nodding slightly in understanding.
— Ah! — The soft sound slipped out suddenly.
At once, everyone's attention shifted. First to Hestia, the one who had made the sound, and then to where she was looking.
The darkness ahead was thick, as everyone already knew, but the few stronger ones, with their sharper senses, could see through it and perceive something on the other side.
It was the figure of a person, he was carrying a long sword while running fast, very fast.
— Elf, tall, blond, long sword, Hestia's reacting weird… — Tione tilted her head slightly, analyzing for a moment before giving a small shrug. — Yeah… I think that's our guy.
— Finally, damn it! I was already getting tired of being stuck underground for so long. — Tiona stretched her arms, as if loosening up after a long wait.
— He better be cute, or I'm gonna make him regret putting me through all this. — She continued, pretending to be annoyed, though the hint of excitement in her voice gave her away.
She was curious to see the guy who had so completely captured the heart of a goddess that she would do all this for him.
— From here, he does look pretty cute… but he's nowhere near my captain Finn.
Tiona only responded with a tired sigh, turning her face away like she'd heard that a thousand times before.
While the two carried on with their usual antics.
Not everyone could remain that calm.
— Luki… — Hestia murmured, sweet and soft, her shoulders trembling as tears of joy welled up.
She couldn't fully believe it; there he was, right in front of her.
— Luki… — She called again for no clear reason, she just felt the urge to say his name.
— Luki…! Luki! Luki!! Luki!!! — She called it again, and again, and again, as if that name meant everything to her.
She didn't reason, but felt a great longing rising with each passing second, as if a warm and comforting flame had been ignited in her chest.
So, giving in to her desires, she simply started running towards him.
— LUKI!!! — Hestia screamed one last time, her tears flying into the air as she ran with all her might.
— Wait, Hestia! Hah, that girl... — Hephaestus complained with a smile on his face, his arm still outstretched to reach her.
— Leave her alone, she deserves it after everything she's been through. — Hermes said, looking at the scene with a satisfied smile.
The distance between them disappeared with every step.
Hestia ran forward, her eyes locked on him, tears falling freely as her smile grew brighter with each second.
— Luki! — She shouted again, with nothing but joy in her voice.
Her arms opened wide, ready to embrace him, to finally hold him after everything.
In their eyes, and in the eyes of everyone else, it was a beautiful romantic scene of two lovers reuniting, one running into the arms of the other, ignoring everything around them.
— Luki! — Hestia threw herself at him with open arms, already anticipating the comfort of his arms around her.
Whoosh! Luki disappeared from in front of her, which she didn't notice because her eyes were closed.
THUD! She fell straight to the ground, hugging the nothing.
Pa! Pa! Pa! Luki kept running, completely ignoring her.
— … — Ais.
— …Huh? — Tiona.
— …What? — Tione.
— He… — Hermes paused.
— Did he...? — Hephaestus.
— Oh boy, that hurts. — Takemikazuchi.
— What. The. Fuck. — Miach.
— Ara ara~ — Freya.
— Pfff! HAHAHAHA!!! I AM DYING! OH MY GOD I'M DYING! HAHAHAHAHA! — Bete.
Meanwhile, Luki didn't slow down and continued at full speed towards the crowd.
— Wait, what is he doing?!
— Oi! OI! Stop for a second!
— Step aside!!!
Voices overlapped, confusion spreading through the group as they tried to understand what was happening.
But no one answered, and when he was about to collide with the nearest person, Luki bent his legs and, like a spring, he stretched them out and threw himself forcefully into the air, the ground cracking slightly.
His body rose in a single, clean motion, cutting through the air above them,
— HUH?!
— AGAIN?!
He passed over the group just like he did with Hestia, doing pirouettes and spins in the air like a professional gymnast
And on his way through the air, he ended up flying very close over a specific person, someone he already knew very well even though they had only met once.
Bell.
For a brief instant, his body turned midair, his head tilting downward while his legs pointed ninety degrees upwards.
Coincidentally, at that exact moment, Bell looked up, as if drawn by something she couldn't quite understand. Their eyes met perfectly.
Red and blue.
The world around them seemed to stand still for a moment; nothing but the two of them existed. Even with several meters separating them, it felt as if they were only centimeters apart.
The glow in Luki's blue eyes reflected in hers, clear and vivid… and within that reflection, his face was perfectly mirrored, as if that single instant had been carved directly into her memory.
At the same time, something changed.
The blue of his eyes seemed to deepen, becoming brighter, more intense… and her crimson gaze responded, a faint and almost imperceptible white flash flickering within it, so subtle that only the other could have noticed.
It lasted less than a second, and yet, it felt far longer. As if something had passed between them, something neither of them could understand.
And behind them, unseen, unnoticed by both. Their Falnas reacted.
For a brief moment, the symbols etched upon their backs trembled, shifting as if alive. New lines tried to form, overlapping, rewriting, struggling to take shape… before everything collapsed back into place, as if nothing had ever happened.
Then, just as suddenly and inexplicably as it began, the world resumed.
The distance returned, their gazes broke, and the two passed by each other.
Luki landed on the other side of the crowd, his feet scraping against the rough ground as he slid a short distance.
SKRRR
With his body lowered slightly to absorb the impact, Luki didn't waste the moment and kept running, practically throwing himself forward.
The noise of Luki's landing still echoed faintly in the distance, his presence already fading as he continued running deeper into the Dungeon, leaving behind nothing but confusion.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then, slowly, voices began to return, people were talking and finding the whole situation strange, gossiping.
— …What exactly was that? — Lefiya was the first to speak, her brows furrowed as she looked in the direction he had disappeared.
— He looked in hurry. — Ais replied calmly, her gaze still fixed ahead with her always plain face.
— Strange, he was running very fast for someone presumably level 1. — Riveria added, her tone composed, but his eyes were still half-closed as if remembering something. — And what was that blue around him? It looked like some kind of magic.
Lefiya crossed her arms, clearly bothered.
— And what was that jump?! First over his own goddess, and then over all of us, is he insane or something?
Ais didn't respond this time, remaining silent.
Lefiya let out a small sigh, then turned her attention to Bell, who was standing just beside her.
— Bell, what do you think about all that?
No response.
Bell remained still, her gaze unfocused, as if she were staring at something far away that no one else could see.
— …Bell?
She blinked.
— Huh? — she looked at Lefiya, slightly confused. — Did you say something?
Lefiya frowned.
— I asked what you think about what just happened.
— Ah… — Bell hesitated, her eyes drifting for a brief second before returning. — I… I don't really know…
— …Are you okay? You've been acting strange since I saw you today.
Bell flinched almost imperceptibly.
— N-No, I'm fine! It's probably just… the Dungeon. It's my first time this deep, so… maybe I'm just a little overwhelmed. — she replied quickly.
There was a brief pause, Lefiya studied her for a second longer. Then...
— …Yeah, I guess that makes sense. This place messes with your head if you're not used to it. — she muttered, relaxing her shoulders.
She clicked her tongue lightly.
— Still… that guy is weird.
And just like that, she let it go, the conversation moved on.
But Bell didn't. For just a second, her hand slowly rose to her chest, right where her heart was beating.
'What was that...' She questioned herself internally, her mind lost in that moment that only the two of them seemed to share.
But before she could think of an answer...
Hestia ran.
Full speed, arms pumping, completely ignoring everything else as she chased after the figure that had already disappeared into the darkness ahead.
— Luki! Where are you going?! Wait for me!
— Luki-kun! It's Mommy! It's me, Hestia! The love of your life! Your beautiful goddess!
— Luki Bryan! I'm ordering you to stop right now!
— Hey! I said stop! Stop!!! I'll disown you, you bastard!
— LUKI!!!
Silence followed, not from her, but from everyone else.
They all stood there, watching her run deeper into the Dungeon, her voice echoing as it gradually faded into the distance.
No one spoke, some blinked, others frowned. A few simply stared, questioning their life choices.
And then...
— What are you all waiting for? After her! — Hephaestus' voice cut through everything.
That snapped them out of it.
— Ah! right!
— Move!
— Don't let her go alone!
The group came back to life all at once, boots hitting the ground as they rushed forward again.
Running.
Chasing.
Once more diving headfirst into the madness. All because of one small, reckless goddes and her reckless Child.