Chapter 37: Denatus
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Denatus
"This is… stupidly weird!"
It had come time for a regularly scheduled Denatus, and just after a rush of new level-ups had been announced, meaning more work for the gods and goddesses of Orario.
"So this is what these things are like" Kali said with minor interest as she, Bheara, Frigg, Athena, and Hecate observed the proceeding for the first time.
"This is all Horus' fault" Set groaned, Sobek nodding beside him.
"When that one was motivated, he could shake the Earth, but this is insane even for him"
Loki, Freya, Hermes, and Ganesha kept silent that Bell's skill had been boosting the effect dramatically, with the trickster goddess diverting attention a bit, "What, didja remember something interestin' about him?"
"Yeah" Sobek rubbed his temple, "it seems that th Guild records are sealed, but we remembered Osiris bragging about him just before he left Orario when we all got drunk once, after Zeus and Hera whipped us; he told us that while we were tied up in the wargame, he had sent that one off to solo Udaeus for a grand feat to level up; coming to the Denatus today made me remember"
"Oh, that's impressive, but Aiz-tan and Rabbit Foot did that, too, ya know?"
"Nope" Set shook his head, pale, likely hungover, "You don't get it; Haroeris was level 3 when he did that, not 5 or even 4"
"I should be screamin' bull at that, but at this point it's hard to react to him anymore" she rolled her eyes.
"Alright, that enough of that, now" Demeter said calmly, being the lead for the current Denatus, "We will get sidetracked; unless one of our new level-ups is for him, we should shelve that for the moment" finding no disagreement after the ludicrous announcement, they continued on.
In the end, many titles needed to be chosen, mostly for Hestia Familia, as those who leveled up were generally made to keep their same titles; though, just to bully Hestia a bit more, they did grant two additional titles for her familia, too.
By the end of the Denatus, Ryu had been allowed to shed the tainted name of Gale Wind, and became the newly dubbed Lion of Orario; the other was the captain himself, Bell Cranel. Keeping with their theme, he would no longer be Rabbit Foot, and was made Fair Hare, to also suit his looks.
These, along with the names all of her other children had been given, practically drove Hestia to faint from her teary-eyed embarrassment. Still, she and the others took the distraction while they could; at that moment, most of their precious children were descending into the Dungeon for the most dangerous expedition of their lives; as they began their journey, the very pit of the Dungeon itself groaned in anticipation.
"This isn't the ideal situation for us to meet, but all the same, I'm glad to; Bell told me a lot about all of you"
"Belluchi? Well, a friend of his is a friend of ours" Haroeris shook… hands with the lizardman who introduced himself as Lyd, "You actually managed to visit at a good time, everyone is here, even Asterius!" he had already noticed, the hulking, black-furred minotaur was hard to miss as he stared intently at him.
"Bell told me of what is going on; I agreed to put our battle on hold, so I will help with what he asked" the Bull said simply, as Lyd and the others chimed in.
"Yeah, we don't mind helping Belluchi and the others at all, but we would like to be given the chance to go to the surface safely" he could see in their body language the nervousness they had; a dream to be on the surface, yet the memory of what happened the last time they were there.
'I pity them…'
"I understand. While you will be doing Orario a great favor, the citizenry won't recognize it as such; however, there is an option"
"Fels mentioned it" Ray, the beautiful siren spoke up, "The possibility that we could pose as 'tamed' monsters; he said that Ganesha Familia has been trying to get the public used to the idea"
"Yes, it isn't ideal, but it is the most promising chance"
"It would be… demeaning" she tried to phrase it gently, but Asterius snorted in amusement.
"You mean humiliating"
"We may not have a choice, if we want to see the surface at all! Fels and Ouranos have been working since I've been alive to make it happen" she replied.
"There is a chance that even that idea doesn't pan out" he said, looking at the stricken faces of the monsters, he could clearly tell their emotions, "Demeaning as it is, it isn't foolproof; that's why I came to give you another option, as a backup in case the taming idea fails. It would be less likable to you, I imagine, since you would be far from Bell and the others, but you would be on the surface"
"Please continue" she insisted.
"I have no issue building a home for you all on the surface; so long as it is fairly isolated, there won't be many problems with other people on the surface, but that means you will probably be far away from everyone here in Orario"
They contemplated his offer for a few moments, some talking it over amongst themselves. Asterius didn't, though.
"It doesn't matter to me; I'll help, but I just want to have my fight with Bell. It may well end with me dead anyway, so what happens after isn't too important"
While he could see that the notion seemed to distress the other Xenos, it looked like they had come to terms with the Minotaur's price.
"That would be acceptable" Lyd told him at last, "We would like to be close to Belluchi and everyone else, but if there is no other way… we don't want to have to stay here as we are for so much longer"
"Do not worry about that; I will make sure that isn't the case. If possible, we will make it so you can all stay near the others, and so that more Xenos from the Dungeon can be more easily found and brought to join you, too, if they wish, instead of being lost down here"
They seemed both surprised and thankful for his words, and Lyd nodded with a smile, "We are glad that Belluchi and the others have gotten more people beside them; don't worry, when you all have to leave, Fels can coordinate us to do whatever we need to so that the city is protected"
"Thank you" he bowed low, "I will take my leave now to rejoin the others, and we will be going down to the 100th floor"
"Hm" before he could leave them, Asterius spoke up, "Could I come with you? Such a journey will have many worthy foes to train against, and I don't want to fall behind Bell before our fight"
Feeling out for the strength of the bull, Aedan smiled a cheshire grin, "We won't turn you away, but we will need to be prepared to explain your presence to the others. They won't be expecting you, after all"
"I'll leave it to you" Asterius said, moving to follow him, and he left at last, the grin sticking on his face as he formed a plan.
Having gone ahead of Haroeris, their first destination was to rally to the 65th floor on their own, then he would join them to truly begin the expedition. Time was made well to the 50th floor, and the elite members cleared the way through the Dragon's Vase before the rest of them followed.
They stuck together to clear through the jungle of the 59th floor, and then the glacier territory of the next few floors until finally arriving at the 65th, a harrowing trip for most who had not even seen the Dragon's Vase before this expedition.
Still, everyone was now fully first-class- with no less than four level 8's at the helm in Ottar, Belisarius, Alfia, and now Musashi- and the whole number had gotten adjusted to their new power; everyone arrived safely and setup a base camp in which they would take a considerable break.
After all, Aedan would advise their leaders as they decided how to proceed to the next safe zone, without going back, and without rest. The difficult part hadn't even begun yet. The man they were waiting for arrived shortly after they did, and of course he brought a shock for most of the group.
Aedan stopped a few attacks that came their way, already having expected them, and easily turned away numerous level 5, 6, and 7 adventurers as they voiced their confusion and concern to him.
"Peace, everyone; this is Asterius, a Xenos. Most of you may have some awareness of them, but given most don't, just know that the Xenos are intelligent monsters, basically like people, instead of mindless beasts.
"We have managed to get an agreement with the Xenos to support us in our quest. They will remain in the Dungeon and allow more of us to leave the city. Asterius here will be joining our trip below for training; what a diligent student he is"
The looks directed at him right now ranged from perplexed to disgusted, but he simply returned them all with a shit-eating grin, "You will all treat him as a comrade, because that's what he is; anything less and I will see to it that your endurance stat reaches S rank immediately" his warning sufficient, Asterius went off on his own without a word, approaching Bell as he had been talking with Alfia, Ryu, and Aiz.
"Bell, shall we train while we wait for word to continue on?"
Noticing the bull but not the women he had been talking to bristle at his presence, Bell smiled, "Sure Asterius! I'll warn you though, I'm not the same as last time" Asterius pulled his lips back to give a sort of smile.
"Good!"
As they prepared, an audience formed quickly, since there wasn't really anything else going on, as Finn, Ottar, Riveria, Gareth, Allen, Nobunaga, Musashi, Belisarius, Charles, Minerva, Thors, and Alfia conversed with Horus on the sidelines, simultaneously watching the spar. The crowd gathered as Asterius pulled out a familiar looking ax.
"Hey, isn't that the same as Balor's?" Tiona asked out loud to no one in particular.
"Yes" he actually answered her, "after I received healing for my arm from Marie, I challenged him, and was victorious; I took the ax as my wergild"
His declaration shot a fervor through those watching. Soloing Balor was now known as what the Warlord had done to advance to level 8; many remembered the last time Bell and Asterius had fought, watching the scene with rapture.
Aedan called out once it seemed like both were ready, "The rules are to hold back from crippling and- of course- lethal blows; beyond that, we can heal whatever damage is done. Begin!" some were caught off-guard by the sudden start, but not the pair of them.
Bell launched forward with his magic boosting him, and the crowd found themselves shocked to silence at the battle that unfolded; Asterius was surprising on his own, as the bull demonstrated a level of skill that most warriors would never reach, and prodigious growth in the eyes of those who had fought him before.
More than that, though, was that Bell- a fresh level 6- was keeping up and fighting evenly with a foe that had come out on top of a solo challenge against Balor! Asterius deftly handled the massive ax with agile poise, mostly on the attack, but easily blocking and countering Bell's much faster and erratic two-handed style.
When he weaved magic into his attacks, Asterius would often dodge, and began to use the environment to his advantage as a way to battle with distance. Despite trying to hold back, the battle unfolded with ferocious fervor.
"Man, every time I see Argonaut fight is so cool!" Tiona pumped her fists excitedly, though her eyes drifted to Bache and some of the other Amazons of Telskyura as they watched the fight with a particular shine in their eyes.
'Huh? What's with this weird feeling; I don't like them staring at Argonaut like that…' The normally carefree Tiona felt her grin shrink at the unfamiliar sensation, like her heart was being squeezed by her stomach at seeing the hungry stares of the other Amazons…
Eventually, to the crowds' cheers and hollers, the pair cast their weapons aside and started into a wrestling match, unceasing as they continued the spar.
"So now you have an idea of the route, monsters we will face, and resources to pay mind to on the way; are there any more questions?" the leaders held their silence as they were also drawn in to the spar before them, "Good"
Eventually, both Bell and Asterius had to come to a draw, unable to force the other to submit.
"This sparring is harder than it seems; with a true battle you don't need to worry with holding back"
"Yeah, but then it would be a coin toss whether the battle would kill us"
"Hm… it is nice to be able to fight you again and again; a draw is unsatisfying, though"
"Yeah…"
"That was pretty good captain, Asterius" Aedan had come to the two of them as the crowd of adventurers cheered the spar, most of them trying to warm up to the idea of an ally being an intelligent monster, and a minotaur at that.
"Although, you know, if you come to an unsatisfying result in a spar, there is always one thing you can do" he led them on, waiting until both had their eyes on him, "Contests of food and drink!"
Deep in the Dungeon- on the safe zone of the 65th floor- the small army of adventurers actually enjoyed something of a party in their camp. With the need to travel lightly, the main cache of their supplies that was beyond the use of the void satchels would be left on that floor.
A measure for emergency in case of the need to retreat, but made possible by the satchels crafted by Aedan, Finn was thankful for the ability to have the option to stash goods should they have need of them.
Beyond the void satchels, they would need to live off the Dungeon from there on out, so they partook of a camp-side banquet while they could: trays and trays of food at the same quality which would be offered at their own familia homes, jugs of alcohol, sweetened juices, tea, and a niche good courtesy of Orophen called Bubbled Brew, a fizzy water which could be flavored in various ways depending on taste.
It could also be drunk as it was, which Finn favored, but Bell and Aedan both nearly gagged at the strange, static flavor, earning many laughs from around the bonfire they were enjoying to stave off the chill.
"You needn't force yourself, Haroeris" a voice chimed next to him, as Riveria came and sat near to him and Bell, her own cup fizzed with bubbles but was clearly flavored with something that tinted the liquid orange.
"Just wanted to try it since Finn liked it, but it really isn't to my taste"
Feeling bold, Riveria cleared her throat, "Lucky for you, I wouldn't mind you trying this mix of it; it is sweetened with honey-cloud fruit juice and a bit of clover honey"
"Thank you, Riveria, I'll take you up on that" the man took her cup gingerly and sampled the drink, noting the pleasant flavor which was improved- to his surprise- by the fizziness of the concoction, "It's… really good! Much better than plain, I'll say"
"Glad you like it; oh, would you like to try some too, Silence?" Alfia had made her way over to the group, intending to sit nearer to Bell, but decided to humor Riveria.
"Hm… I do like it, but it could be a bit sweeter"
Bell shook his head a bit overhearing his aunt's statement, lacking much of a sweet tooth himself, he much preferred the only slightly sweet version flavored mostly with sassafras and ginger.
He enjoyed the food and drinks with many of the Loki Familia, and those who had traveled to help them as he had gotten to know them over the course of time they spent fighting against the Valgang Dragons and when he assisted those above and below.
He noticed that Tiona seemed to stick more closely to him than even she usually did. Normally she would bounce around more, but that evening she didn't really leave his side much at all; even Ryu didn't stay so close to him! Still, he enjoyed her company so much, he couldn't complain a bit.
Near to them, Asterius too partook of the vittles, but uniquely crunched away on the monster stones he had managed to gather in his patrols on the floor, and his occasional inroads up into the floors above.
"Asterius" the bull looked to see the pale, red-haired elf address him, "For what purpose do you consume the stones of other monsters of the Dungeon?"
Swallowing, he answered, "You are Kyrdan, yes?"
"Actually, I am Kyrian, but do not worry"
"I see. Most irregulars get their increased strength from eating the stones of others, and this is also true for us Xenos. We can sustain ourselves with normal foods from the surface or our Mother, but to get stronger beyond training our skills, we must consume stones"
"So for you, magic stones act like excellia does for us and our falna?"
"I suppose, but I don't really know what that means"
"We can become stronger through our experiences, but we don't need to eat the stones, thanks to our blessings"
"Hm… what do you do with them, then?"
"We can power many different devices, which makes life easier for all, even those who are unblessed"
"What if you were to eat them?"
"I'm… sorry?"
"What if you also ate the stones; would you get that much stronger as we do, but also with this excellia?"
"I don't know that anyone would be foolish enough to try; the consequences aren't known, to my knowledge"
"Would it kill you?"
"It might"
"That is unfortunate for you, since they taste good and make you stronger"
"Really? What do they taste like?"
Asterius smiled, having noticed that their conversation had drawn a good number of eavesdroppers, "Victory
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone