ALL NOVEL Chapter 12 – Dungeon
Chapter 12 - Dungeon
After over ten days of non-stop travel, this was the first time Bell could sleep in without having to wake up early.
The sky was bright, and the sun was shining on Bell's face. The light made his closed eyes uncomfortable, so Bell tried to block it with his hand. But his hand got stuck on something soft.
Bell's mind immediately started racing.
He forced his eyes open, squinting against the sunlight, and after a few moments, his vision cleared. He turned his head to look at his arm.
'Hestia...!?'
Bell stared in shock at Hestia, who was sleeping beside him, her arms wrapped around his. His eyes habitually scanned her. Hestia wasn't covered with a blanket, and most of her body was pressed right up against him. The soft feeling on his arm was her huge chest.
'Goddamn, those are big!'
Even though Bell already knew Hestia had a pretty voluptuous figure, he couldn't help but be amazed. Still, he carefully pulled his hand away.
It wasn't like Bell didn't want to keep enjoying the moment—hell, he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in her chest. But now wasn't the time for that.
It also wasn't the most important thing right now.
Strength is what really matters if you want to make your dreams come true. Any wishful thinking without the power to back it up is just bullshit.
This is the harsh reality. If you want to catch the attention of the gods, you need to show them you're worth something. Otherwise, all that so-called favor is just a pipe dream.
Bell took a deep breath and carefully got up from the sofa. But his movement was enough to wake Hestia, who was still sleeping.
"Bell, why are you up so early?"
Hestia usually didn't wake up this early, and now she was still half-asleep, squinting like she was about to drift off again. That look made Bell shake his head slightly.
"Hestia-sama, I'm heading to the dungeon while it's still early."
That woke Hestia up real quick. Yesterday, she had warned Bell about the dangers of the dungeon, and now he was already planning to head there? It seemed too soon.
"Going to the dungeon so soon?"
"I know you're worried, but the dungeon is somewhere I have to go. Besides, I'm not going deep. I don't have the strength for that yet."
Bell got why Hestia was concerned, but he knew he wasn't ready to go deep. He was just a rookie adventurer, not even close to the level of those who've been through the dungeon before.
'Was he going to rush in without any preparation?'
"This time, I just want to get a feel for the dungeon and try fighting the monsters on the upper floors."
The upper floors should be where new adventurers gather, a place to gain some experience. The closer the dungeon is to the surface, the safer it is.
Even so, Hestia couldn't help but worry.
The dungeon is unpredictable, and trouble happens all the time. The number of lives lost every day says it all. You never know what's going to go down in there, and no adventurer is truly safe.
But Hestia also knew that Bell's desire for power and his need to explore the dungeon weren't going to change.
People who crave strength usually have a strong will; they're not going to back down just because there's danger.
How could Bell have made it to the city if he was the type to give up easily?
'I can't just stop Bell from going to the dungeon. This is what he wants, and as his goddess, I need to support him.'
Though she was worried, Hestia quickly put forced a smile.
She didn't want Bell to give up his dream because of her fears. So, she needed to push those worries aside.
"Bell, you're still new to this. As a rookie who just got his falna, you need to be really careful in the dungeon."
"I'll be here waiting for you to come back."
Bell felt a bit conflicted, but he quickly accepted her care and advice.
"Hestia-sama, I have my own goals and dreams. No matter how weak I am now, I can't just stop here."
"I promise I'll come back."
With that promise, Bell headed to the dungeon.
The underground passage leading to the dungeon wasn't very wide.
After learning why Babel was built, Bell understood that the narrow passage was also meant to keep the dungeon's monsters from escaping to the surface.
In the past, plenty of monsters must have crawled out, especially before Orario was built.
It was still early morning, so the entrance wasn't crowded.
Bell didn't see many people on the streets; it looked like the city wasn't fully awake yet.
"Better keep note of this."
Bell had always respected Orario. You can't always be on guard, but the most important thing here is to watch out for those who don't have any morals.
So, being cautious is always a good idea.
Bell carefully pulled up his hood, covering his head, and cautiously descended into the dungeon.
From now on, he needed to keep his hood up when going out to avoid being recognized.
Once inside the dungeon, Bell wasn't exactly blown away. After walking down, it just felt like a giant maze of caves.
He pulled out the map the guild had given him. While some areas in the lower floors of the dungeon change shape and confuse adventurers, the upper floors don't have that problem.
The layout stays the same up until the 10th floor, and the guild's map covered those floors in detail.
As for the floors beyond the 10th, only high-ranking adventurers go there. The guild advises adventurers to form teams, and newbies usually get guided by more experienced adventurers.
Even though the guild's advice is well-meaning, those experienced adventurers aren't always trustworthy.