Something was different.
Gin could feel it. Well, it was less a feeling and more like careful observation.
For one, Hel seemed happy as he entered Helheim, happier than usual even. The second thing he noticed was the faint, almost missable smell of blood in the room.
He wasn't so dumb that he couldn't put two and two together.
What happened was obvious.
"My goddess… You finally killed Loki, didn't you?"
He gave himself a pat on the back.
He wasn't the clueless hunter he once was. Making a simple deduction was child's play for him now, thanks to his mind being filled with knowledge from countless hours of reading.
He puffed his chest out in pride.
Big brain time, people!
Hel smiled at him. No trace of guilt was present in her expression.
"Not yet, my champion."
Gin quickly deflated at her words.
Now that he thought about it, if Loki were killed, Orario would be up in flames from the Freya Familia's purge of Loki's former members.
Looking at the mostly peaceful city in the distance, he realized his deduction was still spotty.
Well, whatever.
When the time came, he only needed to think of a way to kill that bastard in a way that still left the world at peace.
"Shame." Gin put down his gear and joined Hel at the table. "Anyway, may I know what happened, my goddess? You look happier."
"Umu, an astute observation, my champion." Hel nodded. "An encounter today led to a new bond being forged. My divine power now flows inside another warrior as well."
"We're getting a new member!?" That was unexpected.
He knew that sooner or later someone would join the Hel Familia.
In his mind, it would probably happen after he leveled up and could properly support the familia, certainly not this early.
"So, where are they right now?" He sure as hell didn't see anyone anywhere. "Are they in the loo or something?"
"She is enjoying a brief respite in the upper hall," Hel answered. So the new recruit was a woman.
"Even those concoctions the God of Medicine made could only accomplish so much when the wound is that dire."
"Wounds?" Ah, that explained the smell of blood. "Ah, alright then. I'll just greet them later. I'll make some light meals for them too."
"That would be unnecessary, my champion."
"Huh? Why?"
"The situation surrounding her nature is… complicated. It might seem nonsensical to you, but for now, I have no intention of letting the two of you meet."
Wait, what!?
"But, why!? Isn't the whole point of getting a new familia member to have us work together?"
"Our new warrior has a longer history than yours. One could say that currently, she is a few steps ahead of you. Having her work together with you would only hinder your growth."
Gin quietly listened and tried to decipher the meaning of her words. The conclusion he came to made him question Hel's luck in finding people.
"Wait, she's a high-level?"
"Umu. I did not realize the level of her divinity before I picked her. Right now, she is already walking in the same realm as that Young Gale."
She was on the same level as Ryuu. Gin pushed the thought of trying to challenge her away. He still valued his life, thank you very much.
…Wait, wasn't his position kinda at risk here?
No, what kind of goddess did he think Hel was!? She wasn't going to abandon him just because of some fancy new high-level member. He knew better than to doubt his goddess.
…Okay, but just to be safe, he really needed to level up quickly. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
"Alright, so I am not going to work with her just yet. That's fine." He sighed. "But shouldn't I at least know more about her as her brother-in-arms?"
"Umu, your logic is sound, but please keep in mind that I am honoring her wishes as well." Hel stood up and motioned for him to follow her. "Shall we finish noting down your growth as we converse?"
Gin lay down on the bed, obediently staying still as Hel's fingers danced upon his back. Alright, let's let the biggest cat out of the bag first.
"So, is it okay if I ask for her name?"
"Nay."
Goddamn new member trying to be mysterious.
"Alright, then what got her so wounded?" he asked Hel.
The new recruit's wounds were pretty bad judging from the smell of leftover blood.
It wasn't from a dungeon monster obviously, since there was no way Hel would ever meet her if she was wounded from the dungeon.
Which meant she was attacked in the city by some people.
"An adversary whose strength she misjudged," Hel answered shortly. "Her pride blinded her from seeing the truth of her ability. Perhaps she never truly fought someone stronger than her."
"…Do we need to help fight her enemy then?"
"You are welcome to try, but I would not recommend it, my champion." Hel tapped his shoulder, signaling the end of the status update.
He got up and took a seat beside her.
Hel handed him his status and he skimmed through it as usual.
There wasn't that much growth these days.
Gin Hvergel
Level 1
Str D 579
End H 138
Dex B 722
Agi F 306
Mag A 810
At the rate he was going, Magic rank S wasn't a faraway future anymore.
He would probably reach it in less than a year.
Another piece of parchment came over and covered his status paper.
Different from the smooth paper of a status sheet, this parchment was crumpled and dirty with wet, dark spots.
"My champion, this should give you a clear view of what our new warrior was facing against."
"This is…?" Gin took the crumpled parchment from Hel and gave it a brief look.
Ah, his new member was fucking stupid.
He arrived at that conclusion pretty quickly as he looked at the illustrations and words on the parchment.
He could see a painting of four people wearing similar helmets.
Probably realizing that it would be difficult to recognize people from their covered faces, the painter even kindly drew their respective weapons.
A greatsword, a spear, an axe, and a hammer.
[Alfrigg, Dvallin, Berling, and Grer Gulliver. Dead Only. 2,000,000 Valis for each target, 10,000,000 Valis for all of them]
Gin could feel a headache surfacing.
Forget about finishing them off, he now worried whether the Bringar would pay Helheim a visit to finish off their new member.
He finally understood why Hel was keeping the new idiot away from him.
She is, or was, a bounty hunter.
He was aware that people like her existed.
The way Orario was, it wouldn't be weird if members of Evilus got bounties on their heads, but at the same time, it wouldn't be weird for normal adventurers to have bounties too.
He knew that out of all the Loki executives, the only one who didn't have a bounty on their head was Riveria.
The reason was probably because targeting a High Elf meant making an enemy out of all the elves in the world.
He didn't have a bone to pick with honest bounty hunters who only hunted assholes like Evilus, but an idiotic bounty hunter that targeted Freya Familia executives was a different story.
"My goddess… I will be completely honest with you. This idiot needs a very… strict education. If she keeps being a bounty hunter and targets people from other normal familias, our familia will be in trouble too."
It only needed a simple use of [Status Thief] to expose her status and trace her back to the Hel Familia.
His familia couldn't afford such a risk.
If the idiot kept up her old way of life, she would be a liability rather than an asset.
"Umu, leave it to me, my champion. I have come upon an agreement with her. From now on, my finger shall dictate which evil her fist should strike against."
Gin nodded. Honestly, he still had doubts about this idiot, but more than that, he trusted Hel. If she decided to trust the new idiot, then so be it.
"My champion," Hel called out to him again. "Leave the matter of our new warrior to me. The only thing you need to do is to point your gaze toward your ideal self. The you who has stepped onto a new stage."
"Of course. It's still a work in progress for now, but I've already decided on what to do."
Yes, the great feat needed to reach a level up.
The target he had set his eyes on was… an Infant Dragon.
The strongest monster an adventurer could find on the upper floors. Some people even said that the Infant Dragon was no different than a Monster Rex.
A large body covered in thick scales, strong muscles that could demolish rocks with ease, the only thing he could be grateful for was that it couldn't fly.
It was a strong opponent that any sane Level 1 would run away from, but… a big game is always rewarding, isn't it?
Rather than being scared of it, he was wondering what kind of drop item he would get from shooting it down.
Their skin? Their teeth? Bones? He sure as hell hoped it would be their meat.
Hunting big game required more than just pure skill. The preparation involved to ensure success could be said to be more important than the skill of the hunter.
One-shotting a bear or a boar was impossible most of the time, and because of that, anyone who tried to hunt them should either prepare traps to weaken them from the start or get ready to GTFO in case the beast decided you should dine in hell with them.
An Infant Dragon was a hundred times more dangerous than the fiercest bear available in his area, so he needed comparable preparation too.
He couldn't take any chances hunting this thing. Messing up could mean kissing his sweet life goodbye.
He had never encountered it before, but that monstrosity was able to give a Level 1 Ais a run for her money.
Normally, if an Infant Dragon ever spawned, all of the present adventurers would dogpile the shit out of it and hope for the best.
Even then, the results were mostly a pyrrhic victory if no high levels were present.
This was just an assumption, but he was pretty sure the Infant Dragon could kill him in one hit, and he couldn't do the same to it.
Keeping his distance was pretty much a requirement during the whole fight.
Not only that, it wasn't like the other monsters would just chill and let him fight their head honcho.
He needed to be able to handle the occasional monsters if the fight against the Infant Dragon dragged on. Hehe, dragon, get it?
Jokes aside, there were still a buttload of other things he needed to consider.
Their appearance rate, the nearby adventurers' response if it spawned, what to do for the journey back to the surface, and other stuff he hadn't thought about yet.
Well, the first thing he should decide was simple, though.
How strong should he be until fighting an Infant Dragon one-on-one became a challenge rather than a suicide mission?
He was not strong enough, or more like he was not satisfied with his current strength.
Fighting an Infant Dragon alone was an insane thing to do, but he sure as hell wasn't going to do the crazy thing of jumping in without being fully prepared.
He was here to hunt that thing down.
Any result other than that dragon lying dead in front of him was unacceptable.
And that's why he would take his time and steadily grow stronger!
...
Three months passed.
Gin looked at himself in the mirror, flexing his muscles in a rear lat spread pose.
Those abs, those biceps, those thigh muscles… He looked like a god!
No, better than that, he was now a Chad.
Okay, that was a lie.
He barely looked any different, but still, this pose enabled him to look at his status directly and see how much he had grown over the past three months…
Okay, that was a lie too.
Those hieroglyphs on his back were pretty much just squiggly lines to him.
He still wondered how Ais, of all people, could read them.
Anyway, the point was, he knew what his current status was from the usual status parchment.
He grinned as he glanced at it again.
Gin Hvergel
Level 1
Str C 648
End G 228
Dex A 800
Agi F 365
Mag S 901
He was ready!
He double-checked all of his equipment, testing the bowstring and waxing it. Some spare bowstrings to bring along were ready as well.
He gave his waist bag a small pat, hearing the clinking of numerous vials inside it.
Five of each high-type potion to prepare him for the lengthy and numerous battles ahead.
All of his arrows were accounted for.
He brought no less than 80 of them, not having any intention of being a miser and fully intending to share them, sharp point first, with the monsters that would greet him on the 12th floor.
Not only that… he carefully rewrapped two arrows with red arrowheads.
These two were in case the Infant Dragon ended up being stronger than what he expected.
The two arrows were custom-made by Tsubaki. She had been pretty pumped when he put in the order, saying that no one had tried something so stupid before.
Well, screw her. He had tested one and it worked. So what if one arrow ended up being 50,000 Valis a piece? It was his money to spend. Who cared if he invested 150,000 Valis for three arrows that could only be used once? Certainly not him.
Anyway, he had done whatever he could to increase his chances of victory. The only thing left was to turn that small chance into reality.
"My Goddess, I am going to hunt now," Gin said as he left the front door.
No special words came out of his mouth in case the Infant Dragon didn't spawn.
Like, just imagine saying a bunch of stuff and it turns out nothing happens.
That would be lame as hell. No, short words like this were enough.
"Umu, good hunting, my champion," Hel answered him, standing quietly in front of the door. "Oh, my champion."
"Yes, my goddess?"
"Enjoy your meal." She smiled at him.
Gin snorted at that.
If Hel said something like that, the Infant Dragon would definitely appear.
He put his full trust in her instinct.
"Yeah, I'll gorge on them like there's no tomorrow."
It was time to hunt.
...
The quiet night of Orario greeted him as he walked over the dirt road of the Fourth District. This was the simple answer to his worry of having other adventurers stealing his kill.
It was two in the morning. No sane adventurer would dive into the dungeon at this time, simply because none of the others would be around to wipe their ass if they got their ass kicked down there.
Gin gave a friendly smile to the people guarding the Babel Tower.
They didn't stop him. There was no reason to.
He wasn't hiding his face, so even if he was doing something fishy, they could easily track him down.
Besides, whatever an adventurer did was their own business. His decision might be stupid to them, but they knew to keep their opinions to themselves.
He calmly proceeded through the dungeon, purposefully choosing routes to minimize his encounters with other monsters.
Those he couldn't avoid were quickly disposed of with the use of Ginnungagap and throwing knives.
All of their magic crystals were pierced through before they even managed to come close. He wasn't in the mood to scavenge corpses for petty gains right now.
His bow and arrows remained untouched.
They were reserved for bigger prey.
They weren't meant to clean up goblins and kobolds like before.
A couple of hours later, he reached the misty area of the 11th floor, only one floor before his true destination.
As he traversed the area, he felt an unusual tremor near the passage to the 12th floor.
He felt his heart beating loudly. It was here. His target was here, beyond this passageway.
His footsteps echoed as he entered the passageway. He could clearly hear his own heartbeat as if it were beating right beside his eardrums.
As he stepped onto the 12th floor, he quickly noticed a massive shadow standing in the distance.
"Found you."
As if hearing his words, the towering Infant Dragon let out a massive roar. The other monsters would probably notice him sooner or later too.
His whole body trembled. His teeth chattered.
He didn't know if he was feeling nervous or scared, but it didn't matter which.
Niflheim would turn everything into boundless, baseless confidence. He was going full throttle from the start.
"Tremble before me, O' Dungeon." Gin tightened his grip on his bow as his words turned into power.
"For I am Beloved by Hel!"
The first thing he did as he stepped outside the passageway was to confirm the distance to the infant dragon.
He could see it clearly even through the misty environment of the 12th floor; comparing its supposed size in the distance with his thumb, he reckoned that he was still around 100 yards away from it.
His arrows could reach it just fine, but dealing significant damage to it would require him to come closer.
The Infant Dragon's scales were just that tough.
Shooting from 50 yards would be the bare minimum for any worthwhile damage.
Picking up two vials with distinct green and blue tints, he downed them quietly and felt their effects working almost immediately.
The stamina and mind potions from the Blue Pharmacy were as effective as always.
With this, he should be in as close to perfect condition as he could be.
Well, then… What should his opening move be? His magic could work just fine even at this distance, since he could make out the dragon pretty clearly.
Activating Niflheim for real might be a good idea as well, though remembering how the Jack Bird could sense its effect might mean that the Infant Dragon could do the same.
He steeled his mind and dived deeper into his soul, grasping the madness withheld within him.
This power was both a cross and a birthright to him.
It was only right that he made use of it against his most dire enemy.
"Burn bright, O' Dark flame."
This was the power of darkness born by the bond to the Goddess of Death.
As the cursed fire flared up, the distant dragon made its move. It charged toward him, creating tremors with every step.
His heart remained calm at the sight.
It was only natural for insects to be drawn toward the fire.
"The promised day hath cometh. Awaken from your slumber and flow through my veins. In my arms is the uncrowned weapon of dragon slaying."
He could see more insects appearing at a distance by the dragon's sides, but it mattered not. The dark flame that ran wild refocused into his arms, giving them the power to slay his enemies.
None of them would be left as he finished his hunt.
Their souls would live within him as he devoured them whole.
"Bane of Dragons, midnight sun, abyss call, come to my hands! The hunt to satisfy our hunger is here! Not a trace shall be left on the plate. For I am beloved by Hel!"
Two Bad Bats entered his sight.
The first one was a distance away, farther than even the Infant Dragon, while the other one would probably reach him if he didn't make his move.
A Bad Bat.
A bat-shaped monster with bad naming.
Compared to all the other monsters on the 12th floor, it was a weakling through and through. He didn't have any wish to have it dirty his stage. Its death was an unavoidable conclusion.
Gin didn't even bother to nock an arrow, instead throwing a single knife at the closest Bad Bat, killing it instantly by piercing its core.
Turning his attention to the charging Infant Dragon, he chanted the curse-binding spell of Ginnungagap, picturing countless chains holding back the monsters in his sights.
"O' evil descend. Reminds the Mighty of their burden, and the Weak of their powerlessness. Empty unanswered prayer is their only salvation from despair—"
The Infant Dragon was drawing even closer. It could land a blow on him if he didn't move.
…But that hulking dragon wouldn't reach him in time.
Gin calmly stepped away from his spot, looking as the telltale dark fog materialized around the monsters.
"—None shall escape my grasp for I am beloved by Hel! Ginnungagap!"
The dark chains took hold of the two monsters. They struggled against it, being the foolish beasts they were.
Gin nocked an arrow and watched impassively as it launched toward the Bad Bat.
It was pointless to check if it hit or not.
The answer was obvious.
He faced the rampaging Infant Dragon again. The Infant Dragon roared angrily at him, yanking on the infernal chain that tied it down.
Gin grinned mockingly at it, preparing his arrow as it came even closer to him.
"Shut your annoying mouth." He let loose two of his arrows toward its head.
The angry roar quickly turned louder. It was angrier, quite understandable seeing his arrows sticking out of its eyeball and tongue.
Another roar entered his ears from the side. He moved his eyes toward it, catching the figure of a white-furred monkey.
A Silverback… Quite a troublesome opponent. Different from the Bad Bat, it could actually wound him if he wasn't careful.
No… the more worrying one was the bloody dragon.
It would happily… or rather angrily attack him if he dillydallied.
Cheekily loosing another arrow toward the dragon, he retreated to the side, creating distance from both the oversized lizard and the monkey.
He looked behind as he ran and saw the dragon's eye receive another hit, turning it steadily into a pincushion.
Everything was going well for now, but…
"The darkness is fading." Gin observed as the black chains slowly turned back into fog once more.
The curse would not last long. He needed to make a decision.
He broke into a run, keeping his distance from the ever-pursuing monsters.
Oh? There was another one apparently.
Glancing back, a single Imp made its presence known to him, cackling madly as it sprinted toward him by its lonesome.
Unusual, considering they mostly worked in groups… Well, no matter.
Alone or together, they would fade away just the same.
Be it the dragon, the monkey, or the little devil, none of them would escape his sight. None of them would break free of the binding curse.
"You will never see the sunrise." He chanted once more, rousing up the magic power within him.
"O' Evil, Descend—"
"—For I am Beloved by Hel! Ginnungagap!" Gin captured the three monsters with the dark chains again, but this time he focused on their shells.
His curse seeped through from the chain, withering their skin away, making them as brittle as glass.
None of their steps were hindered this time.
Both the dragon and the monkey rushed toward him.
If he didn't finish them off first, they might become the ones to deliver the fatal blow to him.
He nocked an arrow and let it loose toward the dragon before quickly moving away from them.
His arrow flew true and was going to land in the dragon's other eye, but it learned from its mistake and moved its head sideways, taking the arrow near the cheek.
Both the dragon and the monkey were right in front of him now!
Two ferocious monsters drew near, right in front of him. A couple more steps and their herculean strikes would reach his body.
No matter how fast he was, he would never outrun them in time.
As such, he fell to his knees, witnessing the two monsters homing in on him.
In this last moment, there was only one thing that surfaced in his mind.
"Witness me, my friends. I call upon thee to witness my heart, my thoughts, and everything I've achieved."
He accepted his fate.
The stars that shone on the day of his birth had decreed his story. Even his encounter with his Beloved Goddess was set in stone.
He truly believed in that.
And so…
"Thou who guides the departed, queen of the dead. My actions, my soul, my destiny. We stand here and judge. NAY, and so the evening bell has toiled thy name."
The dragon roared in wrath at him, not understanding the judgment decided upon its life.
Gin readied his arrow. The red tip shined blood red. The bowstring was pulled taut.
This would be his accolade to the Goddess of Death.
"In the name of Hel, I unleash this arrow."
He declared the name of the arrow that brought extinction.
"Andlát."
His fingers relaxed and the single arrow launched toward the dragon. As the tip of the arrow pierced the dragon's head, it exploded in a brilliant red flame.
As the hot wind washed over him, he didn't need to see to know that the monkey accompanying his main prey had perished.
That single arrow was death and destruction given form.
Gin stood up and surveyed the aftermath.
The only thing left inside the clearing smoke and dust was the headless remains of the dragon.
He put the arrow in his hand back into the quiver.
There was no need to draw the second arrow.
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