—
Thanks to Rayx2108 for being the beta reader and quality supervisor of this chapter
—
Bell walked through the crowd, feeling slightly disconnected from the hustle and bustle around him. The Ganesha Familia Coliseum roared in the distance. From outside cheers, the rumble of beasts and the metallic clash of weapons against claws could already be heard. But Bell had no interest in getting closer. After facing an infant dragon variant bleeding, screaming, barely surviving…
…watching a trained Minotaur being brought down by an adventurer with a show on it felt… fake.
Superficial.
It wasn't contempt.
Just… boredom.
Almost guilt. As if what he'd once enjoyed with awe now offered him nothing. No tension. No excitement.
Just a strange feeling in the chest.
Distance.
Bell munched on his sandwich without much energy, wandering aimlessly between the stalls. Some accidentally pushed him. Others walked past him without noticing. No one recognized him. He was just another kid at the fair.
And that, on the one hand, was a relief.
But on the other hand…
"Since when did everything feel so… far away?" he thought, looking down for a moment.
The sound of the Colosseum rose, a deafening roar accompanied by fireworks.
Bell sighed.
As his steps led him away from the coliseum, Bell looked down and began to lose himself in thought.
Three days.
Three days since he last saw Hestia.
He knew she'd told him she'd be staying with a friend for a while after Ganesha´s party... that he shouldn't worry, that she'd be fine. But even so, the silence was beginning to weigh on him.
She didn't usually disappear for so long.
And even though he kept telling himself not to be paranoid… the worry didn't go away.
"I'm sure she's fine… she's just enjoying time with her friend…" he muttered, trying to convince himself. But even with those words, his brow remained furrowed.
It was strange not having her squeaky voice around, complaining about the heat, the food, not having any vails, or just about anything.
The silence of the church… felt emptier than usual.
"Maybe I should go to the Ganesha Familia headquarters… or ask around…" he thought, though he knew that if he did, Hestia would probably scold him for being suspicious.
But it wasn't distrust.
It was… that impulse to want to protect her.
Even if she was a goddess.
Bell looked at the sky for a few seconds.
It was clear. Bright blue. The same clouds they had seen together so many times.
"Come back soon, Hestia-sama…" he thought.
"Bell! Beeeeell!"
The familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw her.
Hestia came running through the crowd at the fair, clumsily dodging people, raising her hand to make herself noticed while shouting his name over and over again, with that smile of hers that seemed to give him back a piece of home.
"H-Hestia-sama…" he murmured, unable to help but smile as well.
When she reached him, she stopped, panting a little, with her hands on her knees. Her long, dark blue hair was blowing in the wind, and her dress was slightly wrinkled from running. Yet she still looked the same as always: like his goddess.
"Finally, I found you!" Hestia said between breaths. "You were harder to find than a food stall at the fair…"
Bell tilted his head slightly, a little confused. "Weren't you with your friend…? It's been three days."
"Oh, yeah! And I'm done with that!" Hestia replied as she straightened. "I thought about going back to the church, but then I remembered there was this monster fair or whatever it was called, so I came looking for you here. And look! I found you!"
Bell smirked. "Technically… I wasn't watching the fights."
"Whatever!" she retorted, crossing her arms… and just then, Bell realized.
She had something wrapped in cloth tied to his back. It was elongated and seemed to have some weight.
For a moment, he thought about asking but with his Goddess, it wasn't unusual for her to carry useless or suspicious things that she'd "found lying around" or "were super important and shouldn't be opened." So he simply didn't say anything.
"And how are you?" she asked as they began walking together through the crowd. "You didn't die without me, did you?"
Bell laughed softly. "It was quiet. Although… the house felt very empty."
Hestia smiled, glancing at him. "That's because I'm the life of the place, Bell."
And even though he said it jokingly, there was something comforting in his voice. As if everything was back to normal.
Bell nodded silently. Yes… everything felt better now.
But their peace did not last long.
A scream cut through the murmur of the fair like a knife. Then another. And another.
"The monsters escaped!"
"Run! MONSTERS!"
Bell and Hestia turned simultaneously toward the direction of the commotion. A few blocks away beyond the food stalls and decorations, roars could be heard. The ground shook slightly beneath their feet and chaos broke out.
People began to run pushing each other, some stumbling, others trying not to lose their companions. The festive laughter turned into screams of fear.
"It can't be!" Hestia exclaimed, instinctively grabbing the cloth on her back.
Bell reacted reflexively, reaching for his weapon… only to remember he hadn't brought it. After all, he was just coming to a fair. He hadn't expected to have to fight.
"What will you do Bell?" Hestia asked, noticing his frustrated expression.
Bell gritted his teeth. "Help somehow. I can't stay still… even if I don't have my spear."
She nodded vigorously, though clearly worried.
But just as Bell turned toward the scene of the commotion… the floor creaked.
A shadow fell over them.
Bell looked up… and his blood ran cold.
A massive Silverback, nearly four meters tall, with silver fur and wild eyes, stood atop a destroyed outpost. Its heavy breathing mixed with a guttural growl as it scanned the fleeing crowd… and then fixed its gaze directly on Bell and Hestia.
"Shit!" Bell blurted out, immediately backing away. "Goddess, run!"
Wasting no time, he grabbed her wrist and they both ran, zigzagging between the stalls and the rubble, while the Silverback let out a deafening roar and began to chase them with footsteps that made the ground shake.
Bell ran with Hestia clinging to his arm, dodging debris and fallen stands as the ground shook with the Silverback's brutal footsteps. The monster's roaring breath grew ever closer, and adrenaline clouded his senses.
But then, without warning, the Divine Blessing of Context activated. An ethereal voice, cold and precise, echoed in his mind:
[Silverback: A monster focused on strength, with the appearance of a gorilla. Current status: Charmed. Objective: Find and attack a white-haired boy.]
Bell almost stopped in his tracks.
"What the…?" he muttered, icy sweat running down the back of his neck.
Bell felt a chill.
Charm…
A skill of a goddess of beauty
"A goddess…" he whispered.
The only class of deities capable of using this kind of ability were those associated with beauty. And in Orario, there were only two who fit that profile.
Ishtar… or Freya.
Bell gritted his teeth as he ran.
Ishtar had no reason to attack him.
But Bell was sure that he had caught the attention of the other goddess.
"Then all that remains is…"
"Freya."
The name hit him like a stone. It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a security breach.
That monster was sent.
And he was the target.
"Bell, what's wrong?" Hestia asked, alarmed to notice his expression.
But Bell just shook his head, his mind on fire.
Why? Why him? What did Freya want from him?
He doesn't know.
But in that moment, as he fled unarmed with his goddess's life at stake, he understood that his world had just changed again.
Bell and Hestia turned into a narrow damp alleyway, barely lit by the rays of sunlight that filtered through the stone buildings. The echo of the Silverback's heavy footsteps faded in the distance, and Bell and Hestia were finally able to catch their breath.
Bell was panting heavily, leaning against the wall, his shirt sticking to his body with sweat. His heart was pounding in his chest, not only from the run but from what he'd just discovered. Freya had marked him. She was hunting him like a toy.
"Bell," Hestia gasped, catching her breath, her tone soft but firm. Bell looked up, confused. She smiled slightly and turned, unwinding the cloth tied around her back.
From inside, he pulled out a carefully crafted sheath. It wasn't luxurious, but it was carefully made. And inside… a sword. It looked fine, polished, with runes barely visible etched into the dark metal. It had a faint glow, as if something was sleeping inside.
"What the…?" Bell could barely speak.
"It's a gift," Hestia spoke, looking at him tenderly. "From me to you. I ordered it recently.
Hephaestus helped me a little with this…"
Bell blinked, surprised. "Are you… giving me a sword?"
Hestia nodded, kneeling before him. "It's not just any weapon. It's special. It needs to be linked to you, to your falna. Only then can it truly awaken."
Bell swallowed. "So…"
"Yes," she said, with a proud smile. "We'll update your status, right here."
He sat down on the stone floor of the alley, grabbed a small nail lying around, and beckoned to Bell.
Despite the tense moment they'd just experienced, his heart relaxed a little. It was like coming home.
Bell knelt with his shirt lifted, and Hestia, with careful, quick fingers, traced the letters that formed his falna on his back. The blue light immediately surged forth. Bell felt that familiar sensation run through his body… but this time, something changed.
Bell Cranel
Level 2
Strength: I89
Endurance: H102
Dexterity: I55
Agility: I96
Magic: I0
Magic:
Explosion: Chantless magic. Generates an explosion with the user at its center.
Skills:
[Loved by the world]: The world loves you. Generate blessings based on needs.
…
…
…
[N/A: I'm going to do a chapter or section exclusively on Bell's blessings later]
The sword's runes reacted. A faint white glow ran across the still-sheathed blade.
The sword recognized him. Now, it was his.
"There," Hestia said, smiling contentedly as she stood up and handed him the weapon. "Now you have something to defend yourself with. I won't let you face anything else empty-handed."
Bell held the sword with both hands. It was light, perfect for him. As if it had been made exactly for his style.
And in that instant, as he felt the weight of his goddess's gift, Bell knew he wasn't alone. Even though the world had grown darker, even though the hunt had already begun…
He would fight.
And now, he was armed.
Hestia looked at him with a mixture of pride and affection, crossing her arms as Bell stared at his new weapon in awe. She gave him a gentle nudge with her foot, like someone sending someone off to fulfill their destiny.
"You'll be fine." she smiled, placing a hands on her hips. "Go get them, tiger."
Bell couldn't help but let out a small laugh, even though the nerves were still there. But now… now he had something he hadn't had all day: determination.
He emerged from the alley like a white shadow amidst the chaos. The bustle of the fair had turned into screams, into fear, into monsters running wild among the stalls and narrow streets.
In front of him, a War Shadow stalked across the ground, its body black as ink. Beside him an Imp squealed with high-pitched cries, searching for prey in the crowd.
Bell inhaled… and drew his sword.
The blade emitted a soft flash, almost as if it recognized the enemy.
The War Shadow launched itself first, swift and crouching. Bell dodged it instinctively, pivoting on one foot, and slammed his sword between its dark ribs. A single slash, and the monster crumbled to dust.
The Imp barely had time to scream before Bell was on him. Two blows were enough. One to sever his arm, another to split it open.
Dust. Silence.
The crowd didn't notice; everyone was running. But in the midst of the chaos, Bell stepped forward.
Not as a victim. Not as the boy who ran away.
But as someone ready to face what was coming.
Bell continued running through the remains of what had once been a joyous fair. The screams of civilians mingled with the crash of broken wood, and the smell of spilled food hung in the air along with fear. His gaze searched for something amid the chaos, not ordinary monsters… not this time.
And then he saw it.
The Silverback.
An imposing figure with silver fur and muscles like logs, roaring as it tore through stands like they were made of paper. But Bell noticed something different in its behavior. It wasn't attacking for the sake of attacking. It wasn't hunting just anyone.
I was looking.
And Bell already knew who.
"A white-haired boy… me…" he muttered to himself, remembering the words the Divine Blessing of Context had whispered to him. His fist tightened on the sword's handle.
The Silverback let out a ferocious roar and lifted one of the large wooden stands with both hands. Bell saw what the monster didn't: a group of people paralyzed with fear right behind them.
"No!" he shouted.
And without thinking, he ran.
A few seconds. That's all it took.
The sword rose in the air, and with a precise slash, Bell cut the stall in half just before it crushed the people.
"Run! Now!" he shouted, not taking his eyes off the monster.
The Silverback stopped.
His eyes, red as embers, were fixed on Bell.
The air became heavy.
A deep growl vibrated in his throat… and then, a deafening roar shook the ground.
Bell swallowed firmly.
"You found me," Bell shouted.
And this time, I wasn't going to run away.
Bell gritted his teeth as the blade of his new sword sliced through the air, but it found no flesh or muscle in its path. Every time he lunged to attack the Silverback, someone screamed. Someone stumbled. Someone got in the way.
"Why are you still here?!" he exclaimed, sweat running down his forehead.
The Silverback charged, and Bell barely had time to push an old man out of the way before rolling on the ground and dodging the monster's massive fist.
A young woman fell to her knees a few feet away, paralyzed with fear.
Bell ran toward her, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to a safe corner as the monster roared behind him. He barely let go when he spun around, but it was too late to attack. The Silverback moved fast, and there was always another one.
A child cried next to a broken cart. A woman screamed without moving. A merchant tried to gather his belongings, unaware of the colossal gorilla on his heels.
I don't even have a second...
"Get out of the way!" he shouted desperately.
He jumped, rolled, dodged another blow, pushed another.
Each attack from the monster made the ground shake, and Bell's every attempt to counterattack became another rescue. His breathing was rapid, and his arm was starting to ache from carrying so many other bodies.
There was no margin.
I can't fight if I have to protect everyone at the same time...
The Silverback seemed to notice it too. Each roar grew louder, each blow more impatient.
And Bell, though not yet injured, felt the pressure growing.
Not because of the monster in front of him… but because of the city around him.
Then Bell charged, his fist slamming into the Silverback's chest with a force he'd never felt before. The impact not only stopped the monster in its tracks, but also catapulted it skyward like a rag doll, away from the crowd and buildings. The silence that followed was as sudden as it was absolute. The people around could hardly believe what they'd seen.
Bell, his chest heaving with labored breathing, looked down at his fist. Was that me?
There was no time for questions. The Silverback was still in the air, and he had to finish this. He prepared to leap after it, to drive his sword in with everything he had.
But then it happened.
A scorching light sliced through the sky. A trail of fire descended at impossible speed, wrapped in blazing flames that roared like a hurricane. Bell stopped dead in his tracks, paralyzed along with everyone else.
The explosion was instantaneous. A blinding flash lit up the city, followed by a blast of heat that blew against the faces of those present. The Silverback was hit before it hit the ground, and in a single instant, its body was consumed. Nothing remained. No ashes. No screams. Only a smoking crater.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
"A DRAGON!!" someone shouted in the crowd.
Panic immediately began to spread, screams of confusion and fear filled the air as people began to run in all directions, looking to the sky.
But Bell didn't run.
He looked at that red trail that was still crossing the sky at incredible speed, leaving a trail of fire behind it.
And even though everyone said "dragon," he frowned.
It didn't look like a dragon...
It was like the plumage of a bird. A majestic bird, made of fire.
Bell stood there, sword in hand, staring up at the sky… wondering what the hell had just happened.
The sky was still burning with the echoes of the attack. The trail of fire was just beginning to dissipate when a figure briefly descended from the clouds. It wasn't as large as the One-Eyed Black Dragon, but its mere presence made the air vibrate. Immense wings, flaming plumage that seemed to dance with a life of its own, and eyes…
Golden eyes that shone with an impossible intensity.
And those eyes were fixed on him.
Bell tensed instantly. His body stiffened like a rope about to snap, every muscle ready to move… to defend himself… or flee.
Time seemed to stand still.
The creature hovered in the air for another moment, motionless. Its gaze wasn't hostile, but it wasn't comprehensible either. There was no hatred, no fury, not even judgment.
Just… recognition.
Then, without a word or roar, the creature took flight.
It's wings flapped once, and the sky ignited. In the blink of an eye, the creature disappeared over the walls of Orario, leaving a fiery line in the firmament that slowly faded.
Bell let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding. The world began to move around him again: shouts, hurried footsteps, nervous whispers.
But he just looked at the horizon, with a certainty that made his skin crawl.
It wasn't a dragon. Not quite. And it didn't come to attack.
The creature came for him.
And now… it was gone.
As Bell continued to gaze up at the sky, his heart still pounding in his chest and the sword still firmly in his hand, a new voice—alien, distant, and emotionless—echoed in his mind, as if the world itself were whispering to it:
[Yharon, the Rebirth Dragon, has recognized you.]
Bell blinked.
"What…?"
It wasn't a human voice. It wasn't Hestia's, or anyone else's Bell knew. It was the same kind of voice he heard when his blessings arose… as if the world were speaking directly to himself.
"Yharon?" he repeated, in a low voice.
Confusion enveloped him like a cloak. He'd never heard that name before. And yet... that name carried weight. As if just saying it made something vibrate inside him.
The Rebirth Dragon.
A part of him thought about the strange blessing he had recently received. [Makes you the companion of the Rebirth Dragon.]
And now that had just happened. A fiery creature, more bird than dragon, but with tremendous power, looked directly at him… and left.
Bell looked down, pressing his lips together. "What the hell is going on…?"
And this time he didn't mean it figuratively.