Chapter Text
Hey, everyone. I decided to try out another story idea. Hope you enjoy this one and tell me what you think.
The wind blew calmly across the rocky deserts of the lands outside of Orario, the Dungeon City.
Whilst most parts of the environment surrounding Orario were lush and used as farmlands to help feed the city, this section of it was a barren rocky wasteland. The wind blew dust into the air, making it difficult to see. However, a figure was making their way through this area.
They stepped out of the dust and revealed themselves as a tall figure, wearing black clothing with a black hooded cloak covering their body. They also had a black scarf and goggles covering their face, protecting them from the dust that flew through the surrounding area.
The figure stepped through the environment without a care in the world, carrying only a simple black rucksack that likely didn't hold much food. With every step, they exuded confidence and didn't seem to have a care in the world.
The figure then took out a map that showed the surrounding area and focused on a blue section of it, telling him that there was a lake nearby. And as they followed it, they looked ahead and saw a bunch of rocks in the distance. With their strong strides, the figure didn't take long to reach that area.
They leapt up onto the rocks and spotted the small oasis, allowing them to jump down and pull down their scarf so that they could take a drink. But no sooner did they kneel down, a presence was detected and they stopped.
Getting up, the figure looked around and tried to find where the presence was. At first, they couldn't find them. But then, they spun around and focused on one of the rocks. "Impressive," a voice spoke up from behind it, "you must have good ears." From behind the rock, a man stepped out holding a spear.
The figure could tell just by looking, that this was a bandit. And as he stepped forward, the figure knew this wasn't the only one here.
"Sorry, pal. But there's a toll to drink this water. Everything you own. Now pay up and maybe we'll let you leave." At that moment, more bandits appeared from behind the rocks. One by one, they all stepped out carrying their own weapons.
Before any of them could do anything, the figure leapt into the air and landed on top of a rock before jumping back again. "What the?" One of them asked, "how did-"
"Adventurer!" The spearman cried, running towards the rock. The others followed and they all slipped out from between the rocks and saw the figure standing a good distance away, as if waiting for them. "You can't get away."
"Wasn't trying to," the figure announced. "Just needed somewhere more open. Now I'm giving you a warning. Leave or your bones will become part of the dust surrounding this place." The bandits all laughed at this, as the spearman stepped forward.
"You mustn't be right in the head. Can't you count? We outnumber ten to one."
"You sure about that?" The figure asked, as the sun shined down upon them and cast a large shadow behind him. But in that moment, the shadow grew even larger and blanketed the ground behind him before something else happened.
The shadow seemed to turn into a liquid, which began to grow something out of it. A collection of humanoid figures, eleven of them in total, with eight of them appearing to resemble suits of armor that were carrying swords, maces and other weapons. Three of them looked like figures in hooded cloaks, which covered everything except their hands.
The bandits stared at them in shock, as the figure pointed at them. "Go." The knights all rushed forward, whilst the three cloaked figures raised their hands and unleashed a burst of fire from them.
The flames shot towards the bandits and exploded as soon as they struck the ground, blowing a few of them backwards whilst the larger ones cried out and held on tight. Moments later, the knights reached them and started attacking.
The bandits screamed, as they tried to defend themselves. But when a bandit with an axe managed to slash it through the knight, the shadow exploded only to reform a moment later and run the bandit through with a sword.
The men all screamed in pain, as they fell to the ground and slowly died. One by one, they all dropped until only the one with the spear remained. And as he managed to fight them off, he turned to glare at the one who did this. "You bastard!" He ran straight at him, spear at the ready to stab him. "YOU DIE NOW!"
The figure didn't react, as his shadow continued to flow around him. And as the bandit leapt up to run him through, another figure flew out of the darkness and attacked.
It was another knight, whose armor was more elaborate than the other knights. They were also wearing a black cap and sticking out the top of their helmet was a red mist that resembled a ponytail that flowed behind them. In their hand was a large sword, which they swung up in order to cut the man almost entirely in half.
The bandit gasped, as he fell backwards whilst blood splattered everywhere. Meanwhile, the dark cloaked figure stared down at the man. "Damn you," the bandit choked on his own blood before finally disappearing. As he did, the figure reached up and removed his hood.
Doing so revealed a mess of shaggy white hair, as they pulled the goggles down to show a pair of bright red eyes. They were no older than sixteen or seventeen, though they looked much older with sharp facial features and a look of great inner strength.
The teen passed the knight, who turned towards him and knelt alongside the other shadows. And as he passed, he placed a hand on the knight's shoulder. "Thanks, Igris." The knights and mages all transformed back into a mist, which was absorbed back into his shadow as he stared down at the many bodies now littering the battlefield.
As he did, a screen appeared in front of him that appeared to be made of blue energy and had a bunch of writing upon it.
==============================================================
-Status-
Bell Cranel
Level 4
Title: The One who Overcomes Adversity
Strength - I 12
Endurance - I 8
Dexterity - I 10 > I 14
Agility - I 15 > I 21
Magic - I 11 > 20
-Magic-
Firebolt: (Quick Cast)
Shadow Monarch: (Arise) Can summon the shadows of the dead and store them within user's Shadow Storage.
-Skills-
Blessing of the Weak: User is immune to all status and curse effects. User's body heals at a faster rate and never scars.
Heroic Desire: User's desire to be a hero will increase stat growth. Greater feels will affect status growth.
Argonaut: Heroic Strike. User can charge up energy to increase power of attacks.
Ghost: User can use mind to turn intangible for a short time.
Ruler's Hand: User can levitate objects using mental focus. (97 kg)
Shadow Storage: Allows the user to store the shadow soldiers he summons for later use. (12/15)
-Developmental Skills-
Luck: H
Dagger Wielder: H
Mystery: I
-Status-
==============================================================
The man named Bell Cranel nodded, then dispelled the screen and focused back on the people. Though he hadn't wanted to kill them, he knew he had likely just avenged many others and prevented the deaths of even more. So despite not liking it, he wouldn't loath himself for what happened.
Instead, he snapped his fingers as a spark of blue lightning appeared in his hands. He then gripped something before pulling it out of an invisible box, revealing a dagger that had a black handle and a light blue blade that was shaped like a lightning bolt.
The dagger sparked with energy and as Bell swung it around, the metal unleashed a burst of lightning that hit the spearman's body.
The corpse ignited and the young man did the same to the rest of the bodies, giving them all a cremation of shorts and fulfilling his promise to turn their bones into the dust of the wasteland. Once they were all burning, Bell turned away and pulled his hood back up.
Instead of drinking from the oasis, he reached into his invisible box and pulled out a small glass bottle of water. One that he drank from as he continued on through the desert.
He marched without fear or worry, as he continued to make his way towards the city he had been aiming for. And soon, the Tower of Babel became visible in the distance. So, he kept moving and knew it wouldn't be long before he was there. "It's almost time, grampa. Soon, I'll be diving into the Dungeon like you wanted." It was still hard to believe, something. How so much could change in such little time. "Has it really only been a year since then?"
13 months ago.
In a small village in the mountains, a young man was currently helping tend the fields.
That young man was Bell Cranel, only he looked much different to how he would look in a year. He was several feet shorter, had more controllable hair and his face still had baby-fat. There was no way to tell that this boy would one day become a powerful adventurer.
The young man grabbed the top of a carrot and pulled, trying to free the vegetable from the ground. But no matter how hard he pulled, it refused to come on. "Come on!" He cried, pulling harder and harder but not seeing any worthwhile results. And eventually, the leaf he was holding on to ripped and he fell backwards. "WOW!" He hit the ground and let out a moan, as a laugh filled the air.
Looking over, he saw his grandfather approaching. "Nice try, kid. But that carrot's clearly too big for you." Bell huffed, as his grandfather stood beside him. Doing so revealed him to be a strong looking man with a beard, the man carrying a hoe as he reached down and grabbed the rest of the carrot's leaves.
With a single pull, he yanked the carrot out of the ground and chuckled whilst Bell huffed.
"Don't worry, kid. Everyone has their skills. Why don't you go practise yours and find us some herbs for dinner."
"Okay," Bell nodded and got up before heading towards their home. Once inside, he found his backpack and a small knife that was for collecting herbs and fending off monsters. Not that Bell could ever hope to defeat a monster on his own.
Once he was ready, he headed out the front door and made his way towards the woods. He had explored these woods many times growing up, despite the first time resulting in a goblin attack. So he knew the place like the back of his hands, allowing him to locate a bunch of herbs that would make their dinner even better.
As he searched, he couldn't help but think about what his grandfather had told him. About everyone having their own skills. But Bell hated that he was so weak and puny.
He thought about all the hero stories he had listened to growing up, involving heroes that had fought through incredible odds in order to defeat monsters and villains of many different shapes and sizes.
They had all been strength incarnate, being individuals who were able to overcome any challenge with their great strength. That was what Bell wanted to be. But he lacked the strength to even pull up a carrot. Fighting against monsters like the ones in those stories would be laughable. Only a fool would think he could be a hero.
He sighed, wishing there was some way he could get stronger.
Just then, he stepped out from between the trees and spotted something. Something that he knew for a fact, wasn't there the last time Bell had come here. A cave.
Normally, he would be looking at a small cliff-face about five meters tall. But today, there was something different. A small opening, roughly as tall as he was and triangular in shape. When Bell moved closer, he looked inside and saw a tunnel of some kind that had been leading down into the earth.
He frowned, starting down as deep as he could look. But he couldn't see the bottom, making him frown as thought about what was waiting for him within.
His gut was telling him not to go down there. That he should simply walk away. But curiosity had always been a flaw with Bell. So, he stepped through the crack in the wall and started moving down the tunnel. The darkness was almost all consuming, as he continued down the passageway. And soon, the narrow tunnel grew larger and he was able to move more freely. And as he got deeper, he noticed a light in the distance.
Taking a closer look, he saw the source of the light was coming from the very end of the tunnel. And as he approached it, he saw a large set of metal doors. Ones that stood at around fifteen meters tall.
The doors were black in colour, with a bunch of white metal patterns on them. Bell stared at them in amazement and even for a child with no experience, he could feel something magical flowing off of the doors. And before he could stop himself, he was pushing the doors open and stepping inside.
Back in the present, Bell arrived at the entrance of the city of Orario.
He stared up at the walls in amazement, as they stood strong above him to protect the city. And as he got closer, he saw just how tall they were. "Wow," he whispered whilst continuing forward until he reached the entryway. There, a bunch of adventurers were inspecting everything and everyone that was attempting to head into the city.
Bell stood at the back of the line, unaware that the high ranking members of the Ganesha Familia had sensed him the moment he got within fifty feet of them.
Bell's power was radiating off of him like a dark aura, the pair amazed he wasn't holding it back like most adventurers did. They could only assume that he wanted to give off a strong impression and it was working, as they had a hard time focusing on their work until they finally got all except Bell approved for entry.
"Name?" The strongest member there inquired, Bell seeing him giving him a suspicious look.
"Bell Cranel."
"Reason for coming to Orario?"
"I want to delve into the Dungeon."
"You're already an adventurer," he stated firmly. "We'll require your Familia's name and what level you're at."
"I'm Level Four," he explained. "And...I'm currently part of the Zeus Familia." That statement caused the guy to snap his quill, as his and the heads of the other guard's heads shot up.
"The Zeus Familia?" He asked, Bell nodding but looking nervous.
"I know my Familia isn't really welcome here. But I'm actually planning to convert to another Familia."
"Which one?" The guard asked, as Bell tried to come up with an acceptable answer.
"Any that'll take me." The guard frowned, but didn't send him away. Instead, he turned to one of the other guards and told them to bring a Guild Representative.
"You'll have to stay here until it's decided what to do with you." Bell sighed, but did as instructed. He turned away from them and moved over to lean against the wall, as he waited to see what the Guild were planning.
For the next five minutes, nothing happened as the guards started letting other people in. Many of them were already talking about him, the rumour mill clearly preparing to turn and spread the word. Hopefully, Bell would be able to get ahead of this thing before a bunch of gods and goddesses came charging towards him. If they found out that a Zeus Adventurer was hoping to convert, they would all come racing after him.
Bell let out a sigh, as he suddenly heard moaning and looked over. There, he saw a large cart being pulled around the wall towards the entrance. And the one pulling it was a small lady who had black hair in two long pigtails. Considering she was wearing sandals and a short white dress, she obviously hadn't expected to be doing this task.
She kept pushing the cart, which Bell saw was full of potatoes, but was clearly having trouble with it.
Unable to stand watching this, he pushed off the wall and approached her. And as he got closer, he could feel a divine aura coming off her. A goddess.
"Excuse me." She looked up, "would you like some help."
"Oh," the goddess smiled, "thank you. That would be a big help." Bell nodded, as he grabbed the cart's handle. "But please be careful. It's really-" Bell pulled it and the cart moved forward without any issue, the woman gasping as her butt was touched by it. She had to leap up onto it so as to not be run over, her added weight doing nothing to slow him down as he pulled it towards the wall. "You're really strong."
"Level Four strength," he explained before smiling back at her. "I'm Bell, by the way. Bell Cranel."
"Hestia," she smiled back at him. And that struck a chord with Bell.
"Hestia. I've heard that name before." Hestia seemed surprised by this, as Bell was suddenly flashing back to something he had been told back after he learned the true identity of his grandfather.
"Of all the members of my family, my oldest sister was definitely my favourite. Hestia is by far the kindest member of my pantheon. Always caring for others, no matter who they were. And the best part was, she had an amazing chest. So bouncy and amazing that you just want to shove your face in it and-" Bell shook his head, not wanting to continue that memory.
Instead, he glanced back at her and chuckled nervously. "Nice to meet you, great-aunt Hestia." Hestia was shocked to hear this, as he chuckled. "I guess I should probably introduce myself properly. I'm Bell Cranel, of the Zeus Familia."
"You're one of Zeus' children?" She asked, as they reached the gate once again.
Bell nodded, as he moved the cart to the back of the line. "I'm actually his grandson. My father was a member of his Familia and after my parents died, he raised him as his grandson. Then he gave me his blessing."
Hestia looked amazed by this statement. "I can't believe I'm meeting a child of my little brother." She frowned, "I heard your Familia got kicked out of Orario. What are you doing here?"
Bell chuckled. "I actually came to convert. I've kinda reached the limit of what I can achieve on the surface. If I wanna get stronger, I need to go down into the Dungeon. But like you said, my Familia isn't allowed in Orario. So Zeus unlocked my status, so I could convert to another Familia."
"Zeus really did that?" Hestia asked, as the line moved and Bell pulled them towards the front of the gate. "Weird. My little brother wouldn't usually give up one of his toys so easily. He must really care about you, if he's willing to let you convert like that."
"Well, he did have a few conditions." Hestia raised an eyebrow, as they watched the line grow smaller. "He said I wasn't allowed to join the Loki or Freya Familia."
"Really?" Hestia asked, then let out a huff. "Well he was right. Joining those two tramps would be the biggest mistake you could make. Being in their Familias would probably be a nightmare." Bell shrugged, not sure if that was true or not.
"He also said that the first Familia I had to try and join should be the Familia of a goddess who..." He blushed, remembering what his grandfather had said. He didn't want to say it, but he didn't need to.
"Say no more," Hestia sighed as she rolled her eyes. "That louse. Could never look a woman in the face." She stared at the boy currently helping her, as he glanced back at her and looked her in the eye. She was amazed that someone raised by Zeus, hadn't developed the same habits as him.
As she stared at his face, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. And she could sense a great amount of strength coming from him. Clearly, he was an adventurer of great skill. Anyone who had him join their Familia would be getting a serious power boost.
She hummed, as she had a thought whilst they got to the Gate. "You're looking for a Familia to convert to?" He nodded. "Then, why don't you become my first child." Bell looked back at her in shock, whilst she gave him a smile. "I recently came to the lower world and so far, nobody wants to join my Familia." She gave him a playful pout. "Maybe it's because I'm not one of the popular goddesses. I can't offer much, but I can give you a home and a promise that I'll always be there when you need me."
Bell stared back at her, as she continued to smile at him. Bell didn't know how to feel about any of this, but he knew this goddess was telling him the truth. And considering how much his grandfather respected her, he knew she was a goddess worthy of his trust.
A smile appeared on Bell's lips, as he nodded back. "Alright," he agreed. "Let's do it. You and me. Form our very own Familia." Hestia gasped, a happy smile appearing on her lips.
"Yay! Thank you, Bell. Don't worry. I promise, you'll love being one of my children."
"Yeah. Though I guess it all depends on whether or not I'm even allowed into the city." Hestia frowned, as she looked ahead and saw the guards staring at him along with a half-elf woman wearing a guild uniform.
Bell put the cart down and moved over to the guards and guild-worker, as the half-elf looked him over. "You're the one we were told about. Bell Cranel, correct?" Bell nodded. "A member of the Zeus Familia?" He nodded again.
"Only temporarily. In fact, I've already found a goddess who's willing to accept me into her Familia." The others looked over at Hestia, as she smiled at them. "So there shouldn't be any issue, right?" The guild-worker looked surprised by this, as she pushed her glasses up in front of her eyes.
"Well, I guess that shouldn't be a problem. You've actually been summoned to the guild. Lord Ouranos wishes to speak with you personally." Bell and Hestia were both shocked by this, as being summoned by the head god wasn't something one normally had happened to them.
"Okay," he nodded. "Lead the way." The guild-worker nodded, but Hestia spoke up.
"Wait." They turned to her. "I should go too. I'm going to be Bell's new goddess, so I should be there with him. I just need a few minutes to deliver these potatoes, then I'll be good to go." Bell glanced at the guild-worker and the half-elf nodded, allowing Bell to take the cart again and pull it down the street with Hestia sitting upon it.
As they walked, Bell learned that the brunette half-elf was named Eina Tulle. They quickly delivered the potatoes and headed to the guild, Bell hearing several people talking about him as they made their way towards the building. And when they finally arrived, Hestia was almost stopped from entering.
She gave the same explanation and after someone went to talk to Ouranos, she was allowed in and smiled as another guild-worker led them both down into the basement. There, they found themselves walking down a long tunnel until they arrived at a giant chamber.
Bell looked around in amazement, having been told about this chamber but his imagination had been nothing compared to the real thing.
As they stepped deeper into the chamber, he saw an extended stage in the middle of it with a throne atop it. And sitting on that throne was the leader of all Orario, whose prayers kept the Dungeon from running wild. The god known as Ouranos, who opened his eyes and stared down at him.
"Welcome, child of Zeus."
Bell bowed. "It's an honour, Lord Ouranos. Thank you for allowing me entrance into your city. I apologise for any issues it might have caused."
"Do not fear," Ouranos told him. "You might be a member of the Zeus Familia, but you are clearly not one of the individuals banished all those years ago. To turn you away would not have been fair. Especially since you claim to be here aiming to join another Familia."
"That's right," Bell smiled at Hestia. "And I've already found my new goddess, if I'll be allowed to convert."
"I have no business allowing or denying your intentions to convert. If you wish to join Hestia's Familia, that is your right. Although, forgive me for asking. How long have you been an Adventurer. You claimed to be Level Four, yet Zeus was not the kind of god to so brazenly grant his blessing to someone so young."
Bell smiled. "Actually, I've only been an Adventurer for a little over a year." That statement shocked everyone, as Bell scratched the back of his head. "I know it sounds insane, but I managed to reach level two after about three months. Then I reached level three after about four months. And then I reached level four about two weeks ago."
Ouranos and Hestia stared at him in utter shock, since they knew he wasn't lying. But such a thing being possible was just unheard of. "How is that possible?" Hestia asked, as Bell smiled at her.
"Well, you're gonna know about it anyway. I have a skill, which boosts the growth of my stats so long as I have a strong desire to grow stronger. I've had it as long as I've been an adventurer." He laughed, "grampa almost passed out when he saw it."
Hestia was amazed to hear this and could hardly believe it. She then turned to Ouranos, "could such a skill really exist?"
Ouranos hummed, "I won't deny that it's impossible. But such a thing is unheard of, as far as I'm aware. But skills are as diverse as the children that hold them. If this young man was able to manifest such a skill, he must be an extremely unique individual." Hestia nodded, as she turned towards Bell.
"So, got any more surprises that I should know about?"
Bell hummed, Hestia seeing that he did have a lot to tell her. "Well, there is one thing I should probably tell you and Ouranos. I'm not entirely sure what the rules are for these guys."
"What guys?" Hestia asked, only for Bell's shadow to suddenly expand. She and Ouranos gasped, as the shadow knight named Igris appeared. Hestia looked a little scared, whilst Ouranos appeared curious. "What is that?"
"One of my shadow soldiers," Bell announced. "It's a magic I've recently awakened. Necromancy." Hestia and Ouranos both looked shocked now. "I know necromancy doesn't exactly have the best reputation in the world, but I have no intention of using it for anything other than reviving the monsters I've slain."
"And what of this knight?" Ouranos asked, staring at Igris. "Was he a monster of some kind?"
"Living armor," Bell announced. "I killed him and several other living armor monsters. Then I used my magic on them and now, they're my loyal subjects."
"I see," Ouranos nodded. "And you swear to only use this magic on monsters?"
"Yes," Bell nodded. "I don't even know if my magic will work on a mortal. And if it does, I have no intention of using it on them." Ouranos hummed, as he stared at Bell for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. I will believe you. But I expect Hestia to ask you occasionally if you've used this magic on anyone. And if you do, she will come to inform me. Failure to do so will not be tolerated." Hestia gulped, nodding in agreement as she turned to Igris.
The knight knelt and bowed to Bell and then Hestia, who looked amazed by this. "So he's...tame?"
"And loyal," Bell nodded. "He and my other shadows will do whatever I say, though they do have a little bit of freedom to decide how to accomplish a goal. They won't do anything randomly." Hestia nodded, understanding what Bell was saying. "So what are the rules for using them?"
"Do as you like," Ouranos announced. "Though if I might suggest, you probably should try and keep this ability under your hat for now. You're already going to draw a lot of attention to yourself already. Having this ability will draw even more attention to you."
"Right," Bell nodded as Igris melted back into his shadow. "I'll be sure to keep a lid of this ability and only use it if absolutely needed." He turned to Hestia. "So...you still want me in your Familia? I know being a Necromancy might be..."
"It's fine," Hestia told him. "You might have an undesirable magic, but I can see that you're a good person." She smiled at him and held out a hand, "so will you join my Familia and become my first child?" Bell smiled back and accepted her hand, the two feeling a connection forming between them.
Ouranos nodded. He felt his godly intuition flare up and tell him that this new Familia would be one that would make a name for itself as the years went on. And so, the two new family members were allowed to leave and begin their new lives together.
Once they were gone, Ouranos spoke up. "Fels." From out of the shadows, a figure in black robes appeared. "What do you make of that boy and his unusual abilities?"
The figure spoke in a whispering hiss. "Necromancy is a power that has only ever been used for evil. Yet despite that, this boy shows no sign of malice or dark intentions. However, I feel there is more he is hiding. More to his abilities than he's letting on."
Ouranos nodded, thinking the same thing. "We will need to keep an eye on him. If he proves to be hiding a threat to the city, we will have to find a way to stop him. But if he truly has no intention of becoming an enemy, he may become a valuable ally. One that we can ask the assistance of should we require it." Fels nodded, as they looked back towards the passageway that the pair had disappeared through. All the while wondering what the future might hold for the newest adventurer or Orario.
Well, that's it for the first chapter. I know other people have already done a Bell gets a system story, but I wanted to do my take on it. So in my story, Bell's already had the system for a while and has already become the Shadow Monarch. I intend to focus on those events in flashbacks, but now we get to see a broken Bell right from the off.
How will the story unfold in this manner. You'll have to keep reading to find out.