Is It Wrong To Be A Martial Artist In The Dungeon? - The_Biggest_Man - ダンジョンに出会いを求めるのは間違っているだろうか | DanMachi (2024)

Chapter 1: Informational

Chapter Text

Tags:

Power Fantasy - The protagonist, Carmine, is the strongest mortal alive pretty much right off the bat, and he's only going to get stronger.

Harem - I mean, it's a danmachi fic. It was never not going to be a harem. I'm just adding this for the sake of complete tagging.

Plot with p*rn - The story will be 10 - 1 story to sex. I expect the first sex scene to be like 20k words in.

Maledom - Pretty self-explanatory. For the sake of completeness, Carmine will pretty much exclusively be the dom every time he has sex.

Femdom - Carmine's goddess, Ereshkigal is really into bdsm in general. And that means she'll default to domming when it comes to anybody besides Carmine. Bell especially is going to be on the end of the strap.

Genderbending - Bell is going to get a skill that slowly makes him a woman in accordance to his ideal of the Hero's Harem Member. Lili will also on occasion become male during sex, using Cinder Ella.

Futanari - Lili is joining, and she is going to abuse Cinder Ella in all sorts of creative ways. Carmine is going to be strictly on top, though.

Gay - Depending on how the pacing of the story turns out, Bell and Carmine may or may not have sex before Bell fully transitions to female.

NTR - Kinda, not really. It's Bell choosing to be with Carmine's harem instead of with Hestia. But its not played for fetish fuel. It's an actual serious bit of relationship drama, and furthers both people's character arcs. Also, I guess if you are looking for it's there in that Bell will sleep with Ereshkigal before Carmine, but I'm going to try my best to keep it from feeling like that. Especially since both are going to get plowed by him later on.

Those are the big ones, but I'll probably add more if I make any big additions to my plans for this story.

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So, since there seems to be some demand for it, here's an informational with all the perks and stuff, all pasted directly from the Jump Documents.

Things Italicised are elaborations I made personally, so you guys can get an idea what is going on in my notes.

Edit: I just realized I never out it down anywhere. His name is Cole Carmine, but he usually goes by Carmine, pronounced Car-mine. The mine pronounced like the mine as in minecraft.

3 Minute Cup Noodles

Hard to Pin Down - When you might be included in a group, or might not, based on some classification (race, gender, political affiliation), the universe will always give you the benefit of the doubt and either include you or excluded you, whichever would be more advantageous for you. It will even do this on a case by case basis, so that you can gain all the advantages of belonging and all the advantages of not belonging.

Concentrating the Power of Food - Any dish you make has twice the nutritive value it should have, at the very least. The better tasting it is, the more nutritious it is. This applies to all food-like substances as well.

You Can Make It - You instinctively know how to cook any edible food item. It may not be the ideal or best way to cook it, but you know how to cook it without making it taste bad or ruining the dish. If it's a packaged food item, you know how to cook it without having to read the instructions and gain a kind of sixth sense for what commonly available ingredients you can add to make it taste much better.

An Opera in the Kitchen - Warning, that link leads to something horrific. And like the 'people' in that commercial, you will find that you will no longer have to choose between pursuing your passions and dealing with normal life. Any time you spend on simple, necessary, and uneventful tasks (such as making and eating meals, sleeping, travelling, or similar) will count as if you spent that time studying or training to improve a skill or ability in some way. In addition, your training will be twice as effective as it otherwise would be.

Lets Mix Something Up - What good are powers and perks if you can't mix and match at will? That's silly. The best thing about soup is that you can toss pretty much anything into and, hey presto, it's still soup… unless you add too much starch, at which point you might have batter… or dough… anyway. You may now combine up to eight perks, abilities, or powers into a single mega-perk… and you may create as many mega-perks as you have abilities to combine. The exact details of how they combine is up to you.

One is Not Prime - You gain an inherent awareness of whether any universe you are in is deterministic or not, and if deterministic, the exact degree to which it is deterministic. This does nothing to actually allow you to counter determinism.

For the Love of Flavor - Whenever you make anything personally, you'll receive a second at absolutely no additional cost. This also applies to any construction project that you're personally overseeing as well. The second may be superficially different from the first in any way that does not have any functional value (yes, color is deemed superficial even for cultures where it's not… say Korea, Orks, or Illegal Aliens).

A Little More than Ordinary - Whenever you make something, the ingredients you use will be elevated to the next rarity level… if such a thing exists. In the real world, this means that you can take otherwise basic ingredients and maximize their potency / flavor / effectiveness.

Run Away - Your speed is drastically (up to three times, bound by the limits of cartoon physics) increased whenever you are trying to get away from a situation that you don't want to be involved in. This applies to your personal speed, as well as the velocity of any vehicle you are piloting personally or a mount that you are riding.

Low Sodium - Low sodium means low flavor, low flavor means low impact. That's life for you now. You never get itches, aches, or pains from doing normal everyday things any more, and extraordinary things (full body rash, ran a supermarathon the previous day, got into a fist fight with the cast of Expendables) will have those discomforts minimized.

One Finger Death Punch

Mantis Style - Modeled from the movements of the aggressive praying mantis, created by legendary Shaolin Monks. This style uses hooked hands and whip like deflections with momentum to strike vital spots and nerve clusters. Speed and continuous attacks are paramount here.Mantises in nature are grapplers. As such practitioners of the Mantis Style focus on quick and brutal takedowns followed by ground-and-pound tactics with particularly vicious submissions included. Khabib/Islam kind of fighting. Includes all 18 traditional weapons. Most users don't know that aspect, but Carmine does, because he got 'mastery'.

Taekwondo - Korea's kicking art, focussed almost entirely on the feet. Incorporating evasion, footwork and aerial jumps, all to position for deadly spins, head strikes and fast kicks. A real martial art, go watch it. Taekwondo practitioners are lethal on the backfoot and a lot of the style is distance management to set up the many brutal finishing kicks that furnish a Taekwondo master's repertoire. This version of taekwondo includes muay thai style leg kicks. They exclusively kick because it's a warrior's style meant for the battlefield, and punches aren't lethal enough.

Eagle Style - Taught by Shaolin Monks to fight an invading army, this style imitates an eagle's claw. Forming a system around joint locks, pressure points and takedown strikes, this style also incorporates long range strikes and high jumps. The style got it's start as a system designed for guerilla warfare. As such Eagle Style users are ambush predators, striking before the opponent gets a chance to fight back. In open combat that means using elaborate series of feints and jabs to create openings and attacking in unconventional ways from unconventional angles. Think like an Imanari roll combines with a head kick while still finishing the takedown. Includes all 18 traditional weapons. Most users don't know that aspect, but Carmine does, because he got 'mastery'.

Tiger Style - One of six Shaolin Boxing schools, this school focuses on the aggressiveness and savagery of a tiger. Based around striking, it makes use of extensive footwork, acrobatic stances and fist strikes coupled with explosive power, strong muscles and physical prowess.A brutal martial art through and through. It's training is so violent that disciples often straight up die from the conditioning. Those that survive are extremely physically powerful. In combat it's like a prime first round McGregor, or an O'malley, but on even more steroids. Tiger Style users are arrogant and self-assured in their victory and so are often times content to wait for an opening before just f*cking bombing someone. Includes all 18 traditional weapons. Most users don't know that aspect, but Carmine does, because he got 'mastery'.

Bajiquan - A legendary Chinese killing art, this school is famous among bodyguards and assassins. Performing strikes with elbows, shoulders, hips and other extremities, explosive force renders most foes incapable of reaction.Muay Thai if muay thai fighters were a part of a secret warrior caste created by the government where they were bred to be large, powerful, and brutal. Arguably the most powerful style after One Finger Death Punch. Includes all 18 traditional weapons. Most users don't know that aspect, but Carmine does, because he got 'mastery'.

Flying Crane - One of six Shaolin Boxing schools, it imitates the movements of a white crane. This style emphasising standing kicks, evasive maneuvers and exploiting weakness without the need for great strength behind your blows.Kinda lame, not gonna lie. Not really worth elaborating on. Just a milque toast fighting style. Includes all 18 traditional weapons.

Capoeira - Developed by Brazilian slaves in secret, disguised as a dance, Capoeira is a visual spectacle. Very athletic, this form mixes acrobatic spins, kicks and leverage to deadly effect. It is the product of necessity, not of efficiency. It's users were strong despite it, rather than because of it. It does mean that Carmine knows how to get down, though.

Silat - Developed in South-East Asia, this speed focussed art includes weapons and music in training. Low stances, dance-like movements and internal rhythm all contribute to the effectiveness of silat.A weapon focused martial art. It's extremely lethal in close quarters, and requires relatively minimal physical conditioning.

One Finger Death Punch - Does not matter how fit or unfit you are, a lamb may lay low the lion with this technique. You can kill or incapacitate the average man with a single blow, although it must land. Stronger and more cunning opponents may dodge these attacks or require multiple strikes to fell. It is also a powerful defensive technique, time seems to freeze a split second when the fighter is hit. Using weapons with this technique untrained causes them to break under the strain, your body is unaffected thankfully.Go read introduction for elaboration. All other perks are grouped in as just techniques within the school.

Foe Weakening Focus - Death Punch turns weak foes into chaff, and with focus you may find even experienced martial artists vulnerable to your touch. This meditation requires significant exertion to activate.Effectively spiritual pressure. At mastery, which Carmine has, is lethal for some opponents.

Poisonous Fang Touch - Even one finger is enough to cripple a foe, the blows of the martial artist equivalent to deadly venom. Each blow they survive makes them slower to react and sluggish to defend.

Deep Impact - The earth shakes and submits under the weight of One Finger. The fighter may clear a wide swathe of ground around them with a blow, the force rippling outwards in concentric circles. A favorite of crowd clearing, and demolition works.This is the technique that he was talking about when he assumed he could kill things that couldn't die. Is the spiritual equivalent of just stomping really hard.

Blood Drinking Fist - One Finger Death Punch is not just a killing art, but also a healing one. After defeating enough opponents, the student will find their wounds sealing and injuries salving themselves with the exertion of the practitioner.All those eating metaphors I use to describe the One Finger Death Punch are not metaphors. He is literally eating souls.

Freezing Palm - Death Punch bends the elemental air to obey the will of the user. A practitioner of the martial art can literally freeze their opponents in place with a blow, shards of ice encasing entire groups in place until ready to be dealt with. This technique requires significant effort, or many opponents defeated. I though the whole elemental air angle didn't fit, and was also kinda dumb, which is why I went with having it be the result of a literally cold soul. In practice its the same.

Wanderer's Straw Hat - This simple woven straw hat is perfect for keeping rain, snow, blood, sand and other nasties out of your eyes. In a pinch you can even throw it as an impromptu discus, severing limbs with a razor rim.

Ruin Turning Cape - It's more of a sash, really. Woven with rich saffron and scarlet, wearing it protects you from one backstab each stage or similar combat encounter, moving on its own to block any unseen attacks.

Woe Blocking Bracers - A pair of limb encasing guards, forged with flexible metals and inscribed with protective mantras. They block unavoidable front blows once a stage or similar encounter by moving to intercept.

Golden Blade from Above - Whenever you are near death and similar despair, the world will breathe in as a golden sword descends into your hands from the heavens. This indestructible weapon cannot be dropped unwillingly or disarmed, cutting down all who oppose you until your last chance is no longer needed.In Danmachi this benefits from Hard to Pin Down, making it not actually divine in nature, instead seeming to come from some higher plane of existence that they can't track or decipher. Also, when it drops it does so during slowed time, so chances are, the gods nearby wouldn't even notice it descending, instead thinking it to just appear in his hands.

Note: The following are all stage rewards, gained as a reward for clearing past a certain point, not perks.

Army Slaying Breath & Body: A true student fights atop a mountain of the fallen. Purifying and recycling internal and external energy, the practitioner regains most effort of each successful strike.

Get a Commemorative Gi: A loose fitting, lightweight jacket and pants traditionally worn by martial artists, emblazoned with the symbol for "Sure Death". You may keep this if you fail.Note, this is Carmine's default outfit

Hummingbird Catching Zen: After defeating a certain number of opponents your mind begins to slip in and out of a meditative focus, sharpening your reactions and quickening your blows. You may leap among crowds, dodge arrows and, of course, catch hummingbirds. This flow may be interrupted.Due to practice(and also killing so many people) Carmine can enter and exit this state at will

Two Finger Wood Punch: A set of indestructible nunchakus, any martial arts practiced with them render the blows entirely non-lethal. They may be considered form weapons of any martial art.

Thousand Soaked Fists: Having defeated thousands of opponents, your feet and fists have become hardened into ever bloody weapons, easily the equal of any steel and just as threatening. You can catch swords mid-blow, punch hearts out of rib cages and shatter stone.

Get a Commemorative Poster: You obtain an artistic rendition of yourself posing in martial combat. Training in its presence improves your motivation and stamina. You may keep this poster even if you fail to complete your journey.He finds this extremely embarrassing. He will use it, though, for the buffs to his training. He will insist on training alone because of it.

Horizon Spanning Stance: The range of One Finger is infinite in the eyes of eternity. The blows of the Death Punch cross entire battlefields as the user is carried to their opponent. All their enemies shine brightly as if glowing and the eyesight of the martial artist is greatly improved. This technique requires significant energy to activate or a few foes defeated and is limited to line of sight.

Get a Commemorative Movie: A schlock 80s style martial arts film with off-sync dubbing is made of your martial arts journey. Packaged in the original VHS. You may keep this if you fail your journey. Carmine finds this extremely embarrassing, and will not let it see the light of day. It is also just a 3 hour compilation of all his most brutal kills with sh*tty one-liners over top, and the occasional pre-fight conversations he would sometimes have.

Get a Commination Belt: Slightly ratty but indestructible, this immaculate belt is perfect for securing your pants to your body. It also changes colour to represent your threat and glory, from a spotless white, through the colours of the rainbow and a final, dreadful, black. Foes who see the black belt know your danger and reputation, and that you mean business.Intent based activation. Only people he is actively enemies with will know how dangerous he his. He isn't going to walk down the street and cause a city wide panic resulting in dozens dead, crushed during the stampede as people who see him realize that he's on a hair trigger and fully capable of killing the entire city.

Drunken Fist - Descended from the legend of eight drunken immortals, this style resembles the movements of a drunkard, with misdirection and feints forming the core. Masters fight tipsy to loosen their movements and soften their muscles, increasing improvisation and unpredictability. Formed from uneducated peasant children trying to emulate the style they heard in stories. Masters are more sages than warriors, as in their altered mental state, they see the truths of reality, which is why they are often capable of supernatural feats.

Jeetkunedo - Founded in modern times, this hybrid school is a true everything-goes style. Using all forms of strikes and bodily movements, practitioners seek formlessness and no limitations. It draws inspiration from Wing Chun, Kickboxing and Fencing.Not actually that bad. Carmine is just elitist when it comes to martial arts. Masters are actually quite formidable. Its just that it lacks history and depth of talent due to how young of a style it is.

Old Master Qian Yin: A little, bald, wrinkly, smiling old man, he looks the bit of every ancient wizened martial artist ever. A master combatant and a font of wisdom, he is a valuable advisor on all martial arts conceivable, ever improving your training bit by bit.Qian Yin isn't coming back because if he did, he and Carmine would just fight to the death again. Also, Carmine isn't sure he'd win if they fought again

Danmachi

Drop In - You start out as an unimportant resident of your starting location, with no new memories or history to help or hinder you. Strangely, no one seems to question your sudden appearance in the area and you would be given identification documents that you are a resident of your starting location.Note: I waived that last bit, because having him be a legal resident of the guild hall, his starting location, will result in a lot of baggage, and legal f*ckery. It goes against the spirit of the perk and is also just not what I want to write.

17 year old Male -I will be using fiat f*ckery to enforce this. Carmine was nineteen when he started the gauntlet, and he was fighting in One Finger Death Punch for subjective decades. He is now 17 years old.

Hestia Familia - Is an exploration type Familia that is led by Hestia. The Hestia Familia formerly lived in the basem*nt of an old abandoned church that was given to Hestia by Hephaestus. A secret door led to the basem*nt which was in a P shape. Normally Hestia would descend three months before cannon but if you choose to join her Familia in this section the events would rearrange making it that Hestia descended much earlier Due to timeline f*ckery, that last bit no longer applies. I chose to have this as a guarentee rather than starting as already a member. Carmine will have a different goddess as I lowkey don't like Hestia.

Falna - The blessings of a god or goddess are given to you. Your abilities, as well as any skills you develop, are portrayed upon your back and your God/Goddess can update them for you. Each level up potentially allows you to gain a developmental ability and gain skills every time you gained a new greater goal, realization, enlightenment or conviction allowing you to potentially gained a new skills based on those.

For 300cp would upgrade the Falna that you received that guaranties that you would gain a developmental ability and skill every time you level up and after this jump the perks, abilities and skills that you gained from the past to the future would be translated and displayed into a skill, magic and developmental ability that you can improve along with the Falna automatically updates periodically. You can also view your Falna in your mind or let others see your back to view your status along with it automatically integrates any existing System that you have access gained all of the advantages and discarding as much weakness and drawbacks as possible.

The one that would give you the Falna is the God/Goddess of the Familia that you choose in the Familia Section and if you are a God/Goddess you can give yourself a Falna even it's not possible in cannon or the companion that took the God/Goddess Origin. After this jump you are given an option on either retaining this System or not and if you choose to abandon this System all the developmental ability, magic and skills that you have would become a perk allowing you to use them without the assistance of the FalnaI made the choice to not start already in a familia back in the familia section so I won't already start with it. And as I said before, he won't be in the Hestia Familia. Also, just to be clear, it's the free version.

Streetwise Navigation - Sometimes dungeons are man-made like Daidaros street is actually a network of narrow streets and tight alleys. It's said that if you lose your way there you might never find your way out but that's not a problem for you no urban environment can ever confuse you and you can envisage your location in respect of visible landmarks, know your general direction of travel by subtle signs and extrapolate a likely layout even for areas you haven't seen yet with a fair degree of accuracy.

Magical Canteen - While people can go on for few days without food but water is a must to allow your body to operate. This canteen posses a ability to produce water on its own and the water it produce is one of the tastiest and freshest water out there. The water also has the ability to restore the drinker's stamina and refreshes their tired mind though it won't restore the mind energy that you used for the magic spell but the water can be used to replace food for three days with a diminishing return until you stop substituting real food for it this water.

Supernatural Resistance Rank S - Unlike the original Magic Resistance this version grants you the ability to negate magical to conceptual attacks and effects indented to directly or indirectly harm the user. The attacks and effects that is greater than the ability to negate are reduced in effect depending on the level of the ability. At max rank anything lower than a direct magical attack and effect inflicted by a god of full power would be negated even then the effect and damage are reduced by ninety-nine percent.Note, this will be combined with Abnormal Status Resistance and Hardened Body using the perk Lets Mix Something Up

Abnormal Status Resistance Rank S - Unlike the original Abnormal Resistance this version grants you the ability to negate abnormalities from mundane to magical in origin such poisons, petrifaction, curse, charms and etc. The abnormalities that is greater than the ability to negate are reduced in effect depending on the level of the ability. At max rank anything lower than an abnormalities inflicted by a god of full power would be negated even then the effect are reduced by ninety-nine percent.Note, this will be combined with Supernatural Resistance and Hardened Body using the perk Lets Mix Something Up

Hardened Body Rank S - This grants you the ability to permanently increase the durability of your bones, organs, muscle and skin rivaling steel while retaining the flexibility and softness. This also grants resistance to the effects and damage of natural elements. At max rank your bones, organs, muscle and skin would rival a diamond in durability while retaining the flexibility and softness along with reducing the effects and damage received from natural elements by ninety-nine percent.Note, this will be combined with Supernatural Resistance and Abnormal Status Resistance using the perk Lets Mix Something Up.

Heroic Spirit - Significantly increase your resistance to mental attacks and abnormalities along with boosting all of your abilities when facing a great adversity and it further improves the greater the adversity and the more disadvantage you are. This also boost your willpower, determination and heightens your concentration to prevent you from faltering against you adversity. These benefits are all only temporary that slowly restores you back to your base abilities after the battle.

Liaris Freese - Gives you access to the ranks of SS and SSS in your basic abilities but you must give yourself a grand goal that you must chase after with all of your might. So long as you are striving to complete the goal you will advance at an astronomical rate. Naturally this skill is a result of you having the drive to actually pursue such a goal, so it also comes with some pretty decent willpower and determination to ensure you're willing to go out there and get it done. If you complete a given goal you may select a new one or the perk won't work.Note, this will function a little differently from Bell's version. Because Carmine doesn't actually have that same focus, and this is just the result of Fiat, it will be binary either on or off, rather than scaling with his dedication.

Three Great Quest - Through by divine intervention or misfortune during the last three years in your stay here there would be unavoidable event that would force the revival of the Three Great Quest. Both Behemoth and Leviathan are now revived and become even more powerful than before along with the One Eyed Black Dragon. You need to participate and defeat them within three years and the out of context powers and abilities that you have are ineffective against them except those that you bought and gain in this jump. Should you fail to defeat them within three years you are failed this jump continue on the jump without the things that you bought in this jump.Note, this only makes them resistant to the One Finger Death Punch. His out of context stats are actually barely on the lower end of level 3. Meaning he can still absolutely clobber them with his stats, and also out-tank them. Also, there will be timeline f*ckery using Alternate Continuity

A Dungeon's Comeback - Be it triggered by your arrival or not but after you enter this world the dungeon would spawn massive amount of monsters then have this monsters rush towards the surface killing and destroying anything on their path every three months. The initial wave are mostly composed of monsters from the upper floors, as the wave progress it would spawn monsters from middle floors to lower floors and nearing the end it would spawn monsters that exist in deep floors and beyond. This is worse than he realizes. He'll be fine, but with his monster bait and monster presence interacting with the wave, it'll result in even more monsters than he expected, and even more powerful versions of monsters. I'm talking Monster Rex versions of Killer Ants and War Shadows, and King Kong sized Silverbacks. Later waves will be apocalyptic in scale.

Evil Finds A Way - The radical group called Evilus manages to regain their numbers along with them becoming more competent than the past. Their goal is to destroy Orario and cause chaoses throughout the world along with their hidden bases are harder to find. Halfway during the jump there would start moving towards their goal and Orario would be destroyed within three years if you do nothing and on the last years they would hunt you and fighting them would not be easy as they have numbers on their side but it's possible to destroy their organization.He does not realize how bad they are, since he doesn't remember Danmachi that well. He'll still probably steam roll them in open combat, but they fight dirty.

Monster Presence - Whenever you step a foot into the dungeon or outside of the city monsters become more active. In the dungeon the floor you are on starts spawning much more dangerous monsters by strengthening the normal ones found on the current floor. Outside the city monsters that roamed the lands are attracted by your presence and scent while not as strong as the monsters inside the dungeon but they make it up with their numbers intended to drown you in waves upon waves of their number.

Monster Bait - Maybe it's your soap, maybe it's your choice in clothing or heck even your face but monsters in the dungeon will prioritize you as a target to attack. They won't blindly ignore threats from other adventurers, but if given the choice between different targets you're always the monsters' first pick. Watch out for other parties using you as a diversion.

For the Plot - No matter where you go or what you do the plot seems to follow you either it's from Bell Cranel or Ais Wallenstein scenario you are always dragged to it become one of the leading members of that plot. This also drags you to any major events that have significant impact to the world. But hey at least you can befriend them without problem.

All of the Franchise - By taking this the various games, anime and movies of danmachi franchise that has been released and are not canon by the words of the author or fans are now considered cannon as events and people would now appear and affect the canon timeline. As part of the drawback the problems and bad events that happen in the games and movies will happen unless you prevented them from happening.

Alternate Continuity - Normally you would land into the canon timeline but by taking this you are now inserted or landed into one of the numerous fanfictions existing out there. Choose which fanfiction you would want to be inserted with but it would be up to you if it's good or bad depending on the power level or what the canon danmachi is crossovering with. This drawback will be used as justification by Carmine to get Jump-chan to fudge the timeline by moving things forward. To him the drawbacks are too slow. Because really? Seven years to train for the Three Great Quests? Bell in cannon went from unblessed to level five in seven months, and Carmine intends to crush his record. Note: This is Carmine's own internal logic. He may be in over his head.

Chapter 2: Introduction

Chapter Text

"I had a real piece of work as my own Jump-chan. That son of a bitch would send me into the worst flaming hellscapes you could imagine, force me to take the worst most brutal drawbacks you could imagine, and strip me of my perks at the slightest excuse."

I shifted uncomfortably, as the cosmic monolith talked to me using not words but will.

"The first thing I did when I got my Endspark was take it's life. And he died screaming, begging for mercy."

There was a darkness in it's tone that made me want to just curl up into a ball and just stop existing, just so the darkness wouldn't snuff me out too.

"And now that I have taken the role of Jump-chan myself, I've made the commitment to be kinder. A motherly figure rather than a cruel taskmaster.

A screen appeared before me.

"So, I will be allowing you to freely choose your jumps. I only ask that you refrain from particularly cheesy exploits."

I shrugged. I knew a bunch of them, I've been on r/jumpchain for years now, I could think of dozens of jumps that I could abuse to achieve omnipotence with ease.

But… 'particularly cheesy' has a wide and vague definition.

I thought of a moment.

"Would going to 3 Minute Cup Noodles as my first jump be okay?" It was easily the fastest and least dangerous jump out there, at least as far as I know, and it offered some pretty good perks at that.

If she allowed it, then those perks would be well worth the 15 or so minutes I'll spend there.

"I'll allow it." said the Monolith,

She didn't need to tell me twice.

I've been doing jumps as a hobby for nearly five years at this point. I knew this whole song and dance, at least when actually filling out the document.

The time passed in a blur.

Filling out jumpdocs was something I enjoyed doing back on Earth, when it was just an internet rule set made by a bunch of nerds on the internet. Now, when it's actually real, I didn't waste any time.

"It's done." I said to the monolith.

Reality skipped and I was suddenly in the middle of a professional break room.

It took a moment for me to catch my bearings. The minor earthquake didn't help.

Then, I immediately got to work.

I had five minutes to make my lunch and eat it. Time to make sh*t happen. I didn't even look around, falling into a laser focus.

I shoved my way past a camera man, to the noodles, which were sitting on a table.

I grabbed it, not even glancing at the packaging, in favor of tearing off the top, and pulling out the seasoning packages, which I casually tossed out.

I took Lemon Curry, a drawback making it so that the flavor would be something weird or disgusting. I'd rather eat plain noodles.

I reached out and grabbed an electric kettle, and poured out the already boiling water into my noodles.

Someone shoved a boom mike in my face. I ducked underneath, and kept walking towards to where the fork was.

I pulled one out, and stabbed it into the noodles, which were already beginning to soften.

I immediately got to chomping, and the partially softened noodles were consumed in only a few bites.

And then, all of a sudden I was back to floating in deep space facing an impossibly large monolith.

"Congratulations on completing your first Gauntlet." it said, amusem*nt not quite identifiable, but certainly present, "Now then, where will you go next?"

I already knew where I wanted to go next.

"One Finger Death Punch." I said.

A pair of screens appeared in front of me, one displaying the jump doc, and the other showing a the form I need to fill out.

I started the drawbacks, as was my custom, and just started taking them by the boatload.

Burly Brawl, Flesh is Strong, House of Flying Steel, Rules of Nature, Wicked Master Brotherhood, and Rule of Two.

The sum total of those drawbacks is that my opponents will be massively more numerous, better trained, and well armed, I will have to face wild animals as well as people, and I'll have to defeat my master at the end of my journey.

All threats I am more than capable of handling, assuming I take full advantage of my newly enlarged purse.

The first option was for my Base School. I chose eight of the ten schools available for purchase, all 'mastered'. Considering the nature of the setting, I'm likely already superhuman based on skill alone.

Then, for perks I took the free perk One Finger Death Punch, granting me the titular martial art, Foe Weakening Focus and Poisonous Fang Touch, for taking down foes more powerful than me, Deep Impact and Freezing Palm, for the AOE, and Blood Drinking Fist, for the healing.

Finally, for my items, I chose Golden Blade from Above, which in the game was an instant death weapon, Ruin Turning Cape and Woe Blocking Bracers for the 1-ups each provided, and the Wanderer's Straw Hat because it was cool.

"I am ready." I said to Jump-chan.

"Very well then."

And then I was suddenly kneeling in a traditional japanese dojo.

"My student," said my master, a small and wrinkled old asian man, his glowing yellow eyes piercing, and his scarred face striking, "You have mastered all I can teach you. It is now time for you to set out into the world, for there is no blood to be shed here."

"Yes master." I replied.

I then stood up, and opened the screen door to the Dojo, and immediately a sword came at me tip first.

Instinctively, I snatched it out of the air, and used it to parry the four weapons that came at me afterwards, unwilling to allow them to damage my Master's dojo.

And then, I moved.

My first opponent splattered all over the garden, and in that moment I understood the One Finger Death Punch.

I lost myself in the slaughter, as I meditated upon this discovery.

Soon, there were none left to slay, and I could now move on to the next stage.

----

I meditated as I killed; there was no other way to truly comprehend the One Finger Death Punch.

I was a martial artist in a sense, back home on Earth. I was an athlete and a collegiate wrestler.

I knew what 'real' martial arts were like. How they were techniques based around efficiency within the rulesets the martial art subscribed to.

The martial arts here, the ones I purchased, were wholly different in nature.

Martial Arts, here, are not sport, but instead philosophy. Spiritual paths to enlightenment. Though 'enlightenment' in this context is ascertaining the path to inevitable victory.

When I purchased my base schools of martial arts, I had taken for granted what 'mastery' would truly mean.

Mastery, in a world where a skilled martial artist could slay dozens of his lessers with ease, really meant Enlightenment.

A full comprehension of each and every aspect of his martial art, in each and every single possible application in both life and in combat.

With a breath and a surge of internal force, I thrust my palm, and conjured a veritable iceberg, encasing the encroaching enemy in ice. And then, with another breath, I laid my palm atop it, and shattered it, and the enemy force, into snow.

As a master of styles like Taekwondo, and Bajiquan, and Tiger Style, I knew just how tall the mountain was, just what a master martial artist is capable of.

Which made the One Finger Death Punch ever more terrifying, as I crushed such masters without even so much as a moment's pause.

To call it a 'style', is to fundamentally misunderstand the One Finger Death Punch. It is not a style, like Capoeira, or Mantis Style, but rather a state of being.

It is the restructuring of the soul itself into a pair of jaws to rip and tear and crush and consume. This is why I only need a single finger to deliver the eponymous 'death punch'.

The finger is not what delivers the blow. It is in fact the soul, which strikes down the opponent.

It is the ultimate expression of Yin. Of the cold, of the dark, of the spirit. The ultimate expression of death and destruction.

Each and every single time I turn my opponent into a fine red mist, it is not because I am simply so physically powerful I can deliver enough force to obliterate them with a causal back hand. It is because, through that back hand, I annihilated the spirit, leaving the body a purely material object, without any spiritual weight.

It is for this reason I can conjure ice like I do with the Freezing Palm branch of the One Finger Death Punch.

The ice is, infact, the coldness of Yin given physical form through the Yang of my body.

And yet, I know, deep in my bones, that what I have achieved is merely understanding. Not Mastery. Not like I had with my eight other styles.

As I stood amidst a massive field of bodies, what was once an army raised to stop me from completing my path, I couldn't help but feel like a child, standing in the presence of a grand library.

----

There was only one opponent here.

A man of slightly above average stature, slim in proportion, wearing nothing more than a pair of martial artist's pants, and warrior's slippers.

How arrogant, I thought. To think that he could match me alone and unarmed.

He flickered, and I recognized his style in an instant.

Bajiquan. My favorite amongst my Eight Lesser Styles.

"You would use Bajiquan in my presence?" I asked, as I thoughtlessly denied his blows.

His speed picked up. He had already long since outpaced any speeds I could even hope to compete with.

It didn't matter, for I knew the One Finger Death Punch, and he was within my range.

The Foe Weakening Focus was absolute.

I had already dominated his spirit, my Yin crushing his own, he can no longer even conceive of my defeat, let alone at his hands.

Still, he continued to battle fruitlessly.

In theory, I understood what they were trying. The Bajiquan was the closest thing there was to another instant death style, based in Yang, and thus One Finger Death Punch's natural enemy.

It's raw explosive physical power was inspiring, the greatest amongst all styles, even more than One Finger Death Punch.

The thing was that there is a hard limit to Yang. It is real and tangible in a way Yin wasn't. A human will always have two arms and two legs. You cannot shape your body into a lethal weapon like you can your soul.

As such it will always be inferior to One Finger Death Punch.

I struck, ripping his soul to pieces, blow by blow, tearing his heart out with ease.

There was a messenger in the distance, and, for a moment, I tasted his blood in my teeth.

On instinct I lashed out with a fist.

Time slowed down, and the world distorted, giving way in the light of my bloodlust.

He erupted into a bloody spray of gore, with me at the center, completely unblemished.

I took a calming breath, recentering myself.

That was the Horizon Spanning Stance.

I dimly recognized it as the reward for clearing a hundred stages.

I threw my head back and laughed.

All this, and I'm not even halfway through the bare minimum to keep the One Finger Death Punch.

Well, no time like the present. I set out to the next stage, where an actual army of martial artists lied in wait for me.

----

I tasted my own blood on my tongue for the first time, as time slowed down.

I was frozen, only able to watch as the one responsible, an old bald man, large and muscular and a Grandmaster of the Tiger Style.

I reflected on myself, as the sky split, and a golden pillar of light shone over me.

I watched in cold disappointment as the Golden Sword from Above descended.

I can't say that this was any fault of mine. This old man was simply too fast. I lacked the raw physical conditioning these men had.

My fingers closed around the blade, and as the world began to spin once more, the man's head had already been separated from his shoulders.

The Sword disappeared in a flash of golden light as I no longer needed it.

I've become complacent. I need to advance further.

----

By design, the One Finger Death Punch is absolute.

There is simply nothing in existence that could survive it.

No matter how large, or how powerful, or how well guarded, if they are within the reach of my Horizon Spanning Stance, it is trivial to strike with a single finger, thus tearing at their very soul.

This is not the result of some divine mandate, or some effect demanded by the Fates. No, it is a consequence of spiritual anatomy.

Yin and Yang are opposites. The pure physical cannot interact with the pure spiritual.

The One Finger Death Fist functions as it does because it is a spiritual effect delivered physically.

By delivering an attack to the soul with a fist, it is possible to tear at it, without even the possibility of reprisal, because only an attack of similar nature could parry it.

This is the foundation of this Martial Art.

This much I understood.

But that is not all.

As I tore my opponent's head from his shoulder, I wondered if he understood that.

He had claimed to have mastered it, the Dim Mak, he called it, and that he'd be able to use it to defeat me.

In truth, on a purely technical level, perhaps he had.

But the One Finger Death Punch is more than a series of techniques.

I had understood this from the first time my One Finger had tasted blood.

If anything, technique is perhaps the least important aspect of the style.

The Death Punch is the foundation, but the core is the state of being. The twisting of the soul into a weapon of killing, an embodiment of all the most malevolent aspects of Yin. It was the true source of the most lethal martial art.

Each and every Death Punch is merely the exposure of my soul to their own. That their soul would be torn to shreds is only a consequence of my own nature as a living weapon.

Still, this begs the question. If this is the nature of the style, then how is it that I can kill that which is not living?

As the sky turned black from the sheer number of projectiles, I suspected that I'd soon find out.

----

All things will die, this is fact.

And if all things can die, then all things that have yet to die still live.

All things that live have a soul by definition.

So, when I use my Death Punch on lifeless projectiles, and they die as much as so many warriors had before me, it stands to reason that they too once had souls, and those souls were crushed before me.

The countless martial artists of the Ten Finger Divine Fist encircled, mistaking my stillness for surrender.

Ten grandmasters stepped forward, conjuring grand golden fists to strike me down, in an expression of raw physical might delivered by spiritual means.

I wonder. What happens when I bear my soul in it's entirety. Could I perhaps slay the sky? Would that render the air unbreathable? Would I permeate my poison via the Poisonous Fang Touch?

Could I deliver a Death Punch to them all at once?

I put my ideas to practice, and they all died too quickly to truly discern what the results were.

As far as I could tell, it was ultimately the same as if I had simply attacked one at a time.

It seems that I cannot disperse my being in such a way. Disappointing.

I looked up at the sky, and wondered if there were gods to be slain.

"You have completed your training, my student." said my master, appearing without warning.

It seems that I have just completed the two hundred and fiftieth stage.

I turned to face him, and bowed to my master, showing him the respect he deserved.

"Raise your head, you have earned the right to call yourself a true wielder of the One Finger Death Punch."

I did as he commanded, and he held out a pure white belt towards me.

The belt marking me as a true user of the One Finger Death Punch.

I took it with honor, and it was with a full heart that I tied it around my waist.

I bowed again, and, for once, he bowed back, showing me the barest respect for another martial artist. Not a peer, not even close, but at least someone cut from the same cloth.

And then, he turned and began to walk away.

"Wait, master!" I said, hoping to have him answer some questions. He stopped and looked back. "How is it that I can kill that which was not alive?"

"You cannot." He said, "The death of the dead is to kill what never lived, and the death of what never lived is the overturning of the karmic cycle. What you interpret as death is merely the raw weight of your soul. To inflict death on that which cannot die is the mark of a grandmaster in the way of the One Finger Death Punch."

And then he continued walking away.

I glanced up, where I saw Jump-chan looming over the heavens, silently questioning if I wished to continue to my next jump, or if I wanted to keep on this journey.

I shook my head, and she vanished.

And then I received the mastery of the final two martial arts, Drunken Fist and Jeetkunedo.

I spat in derision. I made the right call in excluding them both back when I first made this build.

Drunken Fist is a fundamentally flawed style incapable of exceeding past a certain point. A master of the drunken fist is perpetually chained by his own addiction. The power that can be achieved through this path is achieved in spite of it, rather than because of it.

Jeetkunedo is even worse. As a style that seeks formless and limitless application it only succeeds in wearing away the practitioner's inner strength.

In theory, a Jeetkunedo master is undefeatable in raw physical combat, due to the complete breadth of technique, as the style is perfect for literally any possible situation.

In practice, a Jeetkunedo master would struggle with a journeyman from literally any other school, as their formless and limitless philosophy results in an inner being lacking strength, which will translate into weak will and a weak physique.

They would both remain unused. I will not even tell people I know these styles.

I breathed out, calming myself, and continued on my journey.

----

I have long since known that I was not yet capable of killing that which cannot die. My master has said as much.

So, as I faced off against a warrior possessed by his own long dead spirit, I was forced to come up with a solution.

In the end, the solution I discovered was in the Freezing Palm.

By fully exerting the cold that exists in my soul, I attacked their body, forcing the warrior into pure spirituality, restoring the soul, which I subsequently shredded.

What a brutal technique, I thought. I wondered if it was truly the path to achieve grand mastery.

My belt changed from purple to brown, so, if nothing else, I am at least making progress

----

The sky turned red from the sheer choking killing intent of the warriors before me.

The Tiger Style's ten thousand greatest disciples, all kneeling before me, spanning further than the eye could see, here to witness my duel with the Grandmaster of the Tiger Style Sect.

Bai Hu, he called himself, in that brief greeting we exchanged.

I called him brave for willingly walking to his death in the name of his honor.

He settled into his stance, as his greatest disciple cast a coin into the sky.

Our battle would begin when the coin hit the ground.

It was a pity. The man was a peerless warrior.

I could tell, from the phantom of a titanic white tiger that was forming behind him, a result of his spirit growing restless in the face of imminent battle, and his body being so powerful that even his soul had enough weight to imprint unto the world.

It was a pity because My Horizon Spanning Stance was perfect.

If I could see him, then he was as good as dead.

The coin hit the ground, and I focused, exerting my will unto his, my soul grinding and chipping away at his, as he came at me at blistering speeds.

The instant he would have made contact with me, I subsumed his being, and tore his heart from his chest.

I tossed it over to his disciple, not even looking twice at his body.

I turned to the many disciples watching on stone faced.

And then, an earth shattering roar came crashing down, the roar of the White Tiger of the West.

I turned, as it began to circle around me.

My brows furrowed.

No, it wasn't the White Tiger of the West. It was still Bai Hu.

I could tell because it was the same as that phantom, and because it had the same cloudy blind eye and scar on its face.

"Tell me, how have you become a tiger?" I asked, as it circled, searching for an opening.

"I have always been the White Tiger of the West." It replied, its voice low and brutal. "It was only when you destroyed my body that I could manifest my true power by shrugging off the yoke of the Karmic System that bound me to human form."

An old memory echoed, the words of my master, 'The death of the dead is to kill what never lived, and the death of what never lived is the overturning of the karmic cycle'.

I wonder, if I killed him here, now that he can no longer reincarnate, would I achieve the title of Grandmaster?

The tiger took the choice out of my hands by pouncing.

I conjured a titanic glacier with a punch, encasing the tiger in an instant.

I allowed my being to drift, as I collected my will, in preparation to strike down the beast.

The glacier cracked, and shattered into snow, and time seemed to have stopped as my vision was filled by a maw that was too large lined with teeth that were too sharp.

I struck, and, blow by blow, I chipped away at its existence with my Death Punch.

And soon, there was nothing left, and the Tiger was still here.

The maw was closing, too fast for me to dodge, I could only keep striking, and hope that I killed it before it killed me.

A tinge of desperation entered my movement as I failed to kill the beast.

I threw all my power behind my Foe Weakening Focus, and, for a moment, I felt blood dripping on my fist.

I delivered a brutal sidekick, at would should have been air, and the White Tiger of the West was no more.

My belt turned from brown to black.

I killed something that was already dead.

How?

I glanced at the now pale and visibly afraid disciples of the now dead grandmaster.

I recalled an old axiom, that killing is to the One Finger Death Punch what meditation is to other martial arts.

And so, I decided to kill these ten thousand warriors in the name of comprehending my discovery.

By the time the first body hit the ground, there were no more left to be killed.

----

It took the extinction of three more sects, the Turtle Style, the Dragon Style, and the Phoenix Style, before I could comprehend the technique that earned me my black belt.

In the end, my master had laid it out for me in plain words for me, and I simply had not comprehended it.

"The death of the dead is the death of what never lived." I said aloud, "And to kill what never lived I must overturn the karmic cycle!"

I understand now.

When I killed the White Tiger of the West, and the other subsequent styles, I had really been overturning providence by completely subsuming them with my soul using Foe Weakening Focus.

And then, once they were within my soul, and thus completely within my domain, I could simply deny the Karmic Cycle, which was the common order of the world.

Which rendered them killable in my own inner world, as in my truest self I believed that nothing was untouchable by my One Finger.

There was a tingling on the back of my neck, and I whirled on instinct.

My master was here.

And then, he bowed once more, clasping his fist in the common Martial Artist's salute.

"I am proud to stand in the presence of a colleague."

I clasped back, and bowed back.

"You honor me, Master Qian Yin." I responded.

I then fell into my stance, the Tiger Stance, crouched, explosive, and violent.

He then responded by falling into his own stance, the Mantis Stance, even lower than my own, and yet somehow looming over me.

The One Finger Death Punch was absolute lethality distilled and refined.

We were one in the same, masters of that horrid art.

There was only one way this could have ended.

A single raindrop landed, as the heavens began to weep.

We took it as a sign to begin.

----

The Golden Sword from Above dissipated into golden motes of light, as I dispassionately saw the fine red mist that was once my master dissipate into the breeze.

"Are you ready to move on?" asked Jump-chan.

"Yeah." I responded. "There is nothing more to be killed in this world."

She laughed, shaking the world in the process. "Where will you go next?"

"Danmachi." I responded, as those old screens appeared before me.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

With the jump doc fully filled out, I turned to the monolith in the sky.

"Would it be possible to use the drawback toggle Alternate Continuity to change the timeline?"

"In what way?"

"Change it so that I drop the same day the story starts, and that same day is the first dungeon break. And to make it so that there is only six months until the Three Great Quests activate."

The monolith didn't have eyebrows to raise, but I could tell that it was raising it's eyebrows in surprise.

"I am not patient. And in seven months Bell went from a brand new level one to level five. If he did it in that long, I can do it faster and better."

"Well, that is not what the drawback is for, but, as those changes will only make things harder for you, I will allow it."

"In that case, I have finished my build."

"Good luck." said Jump-chan.

Reality skipped and all of a sudden, I was standing in the middle of a crowded chamber.

Time slowed down, as I instinctively entered my Horizon Spanning Stance.

Then I remembered that I completed the gauntlet. I no longer need to slaughter all I come across.

I relaxed, and just took in that I could relax, since there is no brotherhood hounding my every step anymore.

All of these people, they don't give a damn about me, and it was freeing in a way I hadn't even realized.

I walked out of the guild, and just kept walking, feeling light and unburdened.

I rolled Hestia as my goddess, who, honestly, I probably would have chosen, but I only dimly remember what she even looked like.

It came with a guarantee that I'd get a chance to join, so I suppose I'll just have to walk until I come across her.

With the sun warm on my shoulders, and the wind to my back, I wandered, the crowds splitting around me.

One foot in front of the other, I walked, and I walked, and I walked, and soon I arrived at a dead end.

A pair of tall concrete buildings pressed flat against a towering wall, leaving me in a surprisingly large alleyway.

I craned my neck, and wondered if I could jump all the way up the wall.

My thoughts were interrupted by a rustling to my left, and in an instant, I was there crouched before it.

A pale face peeking out from underneath torn rags and cloth.

A pair of ruby red eyes widening as a beautiful face contorted in surprise.

I realized that this was no threat. Something this lacking in instinct could never threaten me.

I relaxed, and time sped back up, and I watched as she accidentally smashed her head against the concrete wall behind her.

She squeaked, and then yelped, as her head audibly cracked against the wall.

She curled into herself, clutching her head in pain.

"Ow…" she whimpered, as tears began to build up.

At first I thought it was kinda funny, but now I feel kinda bad.

I wanted to help, but what do I even say? How do you even comfort someone?

"Are you alright?" I asked, and immediately felt stupid. No sh*t she isn't okay, she just smacked her head on concrete.

"Yeah." She squeaked out.

I looked around, and realized that she's completely homeless. She was literally sleeping in an alleyway.

"Sorry about scaring you like that." I apologized, since I actually did feel bad.

She wasn't a warrior, and she hadn't tried to fight me. She had just happened to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"It's alright," she said, as she wiggled a little bit, and the blanket she was wrapped in dipped a little, showing that she wasn't wearing a shirt underneath.

As much of a fight-autist as I was, I still knew better than to openly let a girl know that I was staring at her chest.

"Are you new to Orario?" she asked, her voice soft and sweet.

"Yeah, I've only been here for a couple hours" I said, as I stood up, "I came here to be an adventurer."

The way her red eyes glittered with hope made my heart skip a beat. She was so beautiful…

She scrambled to her feet, only to trip and fall as the blanket she was wrapped in tangled around her feet.

Recognizing that she was in for a painful fall, I intervened, and caught her before she landed on her face, as her arms were both caught within the blanket.

I cradled her in my arms, her slight frame nestled into my arm, and her head slightly leaning against my chest.

She began to blush so hard I could feel her heating up.

I gently pushed her to her feet.

She cleared her throat gently, and looked me in my eyes, having to crane her neck up a ways. Her blush only receded a little.

"I am the goddess Ereshkigal!" she said, her voice coming out a little too loud, "And I am graciously offering you a position within my grand familia."

For a moment I was stunned. And then, I made the mental connection.

This is the Fate/Grand Order version of Ereshkigal.

Oh my god, Jump-chan put in the fate version of Ereshkigal and set up this meeting! I have no words for how grateful I am.

"No problem, bro." I heard the wind whisper in my ear faintly.

"Please don't laugh." she said, her voice small and pitiful, as she shrunk into herself.

I couldn't help but do just that, "Yeah, of course I'll join your familia." I said to her,

She glanced up, with tears in her eyes, and said "Really?"

"I will join your familia." I said to her, a little more firmly.

She nodded resolutely, and said "You won't regret this. Now, take your shirt off, so I can give you my blessing."

----

Ereshkigal was over the moon. She finally had a child, and she found him by luck.

Well, to be more accurate, he found her.

But it didn't matter, because he was hers. And more than that, he was strong!

He was large, with tanned skin, broad powerful shoulders, and absolutely covered in scars, judging by what skin was available. Not to mention, she thinks she recognizes his garb as the cloth of a far east martial artist.

On a purely visual level, she seemed to have caught quite the catch as her first child.

She watched on as he began to unlatch the heavy stone and leather bracers from his forearms, his biceps visibly bulging as he moved his arms.

But then, as he shed his cape, and then pulled off his long sleeved shirt, Ereshkigal realized just how physically powerful he was.

His body was not merely muscular, no it was muscle, his breast was broad and square and full, and his torso was tight, and chiseled.

Before she noticed that, however, she saw the many scars that lined his whole body, countless slashes and punctures weaving all across his flesh, leaving him more scar than skin.

Ereshkigal could not even imagine the sheer number of battles necessary to acquire such a tapestry, a living monument to the sheer number of battles fought.

And then he turned around, and she saw his back.

It was broad, powerful, rippling with chiseled muscle, and most importantlywithout even a single scar.

Ereshkigal didn't think she had much love in her heart for warriors in general, nor did she think that she cared too much for the overly macho displays that she had seen from warrior gods in heaven.

She had always privately thought that they were silly, especially because of her first husband Gulgulanna, who died undertaking such a display.

But, in this moment, she understood.

She couldn't help but lay a hand on his back, feeling the smooth skin, and the burning hot muscle underneath. She shivered.

And then Ereshkigal eased open the seal on her arcanum the smallest amount, as she began to create his Falna.

For a moment, she saw into his very being. It was cold and dark andhungry. It threatened to sink it's fangs into her, it threatened to rip her to pieces, to consume her in her entirety,

It reminded her of her home back in Heaven.

Abruptly, the falna slammed into existence, complete, and Ereshkigal was ejected from his soul.

And then she began to read it.

Name: Cole Carmine

Age: 17

Level: 1

Race: Human

Strength: I0

Endurance: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

Developmental Abilities:

Alma Invictus - SA soul unconquered.Complete immunity to magical and mental effects regardless of source. Massively increased physical durability.

Skills:

SicariusAn existence defined by the slaughter. A bloodlust so all consuming that not even the dead can escape.When fighting to kill receive massive boosts to all skills and abilities

Heroic SpiritA hero to define the ages. Grow more powerful in the face of adversity. Massive resistance to mental effects and abnormalities

Liaris FreeseAn all consuming desire Grow at a massively accelerated rate. Unlock ranks SS and SSS.

Her eyes widened.

What?

Was this a joke? Did some other god cheat?

She dived into his falna, searching for any evidence of divine meddling, but she found nothing.

These absurd skills and developmental ability all came from him.

He was just like this.

A flash of cold sweat ran down her back.

If any of the other gods found out he was like this, they would steal him away in a heartbeat.

If Ishtar found out she'd slave him with her charm.

Nobody can ever find out.

"What do my skills and abilities look like?" He asked casually, his voice rumbling through his chest, and vibrating the hand she still had on his back.

"Um- N-Nothing." She stammered, "It's blank."

He sighed, "I know I have at least something. I'm too special to not have something. Please don't lie to me."

She folded immediately. "You have three skills and a developmental ability."

"Thank you." He responded, "And, besides, don't worry about another god trying to steal me. I'm strong, and I won't leave willingly. And even if they do somehow manage to take me, I'll just get strong enough to kill them all and come back to you."

He turned around, and loomed over her.

"I have chosen you as my goddess." He said, "I do not make that choice lightly."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Now then," he said, "I believe we need to register to the guild before I can go into the dungeon."

"Ah, yes." She said, as he began to put his shirt back on.

He glanced over to her and dithered for a moment. He then took it back off, and offered it to her.

"Ah, no thank you." Ereshkigal said. "I need the blankets to stay warm. The goddess Mammitum doesn't like me."

"Mammitum?" He said, "Never heard of her."

"She's the goddess of frost." She said, a hint of venom leaking into her tone, "She's a petty winter goddess, and making me cold is all she can do."

Carmine blinked, in surprise, not expecting it.

"Suit yourself." he said, as he continued to put his clothes back on.

Soon they were ready, and then they set off.

Ereshkigal couldn't help but keep glancing up at her newest child, as he walked. He just seemed so proud, his shoulders set and square and his chin held high.

To her gaze, he looked like he was ready to face anything this world had to offer. It was a little intimidating to be honest.

A certain anxiety began to build.

What should she say? What can they talk about?

It almost came as a relief when they were interrupted by a crooning call.

"Ooh~, look what we have here." Called an amazon from behind them. "A pathetic goddess, and her newest man."

They giggled mockingly.

"You know, we were looking around for a while for you." She said, "What, you didn't want to have a repeat performance?"

Ereshkigal felt the blood drain from her body, pooling in her core in a deep pit of dread. She couldn't have it happen again.

But, she couldn't use her Arcanum, they'd send her back to heaven. And thatbitch Hecate made it clear what would happen if she went back to Heaven.

She glanced to the side, to see her child, in the hopes that he'd have a plan.

He was gone.

A shock of terror went through her body.

Ereshkigal frantically looked around for her child, only to see him behind her some twenty feet, standing in between four splattered corpses painting the entire street with viscera.

With dim horror, she realized that he already killed them.

"You killed them?" She whispered.

"Yeah?" He said, "So, who were they?"

"Ishtar's children." She said,

"Should I kill the rest of them?"

"N-no!" She said, appalled.

He shrugged, and kept walking, completely unruffled. He walked right past her.

"You coming?" He said, like nothing happened, "Cuz it's a pretty far walk to the guild, and I want to get there early enough that I'll still get to spend a couple hours in the dungeon."

Ereshkigal was abruptly reminded of his skill Sicarius.

She realized that Carmine might be a bit of a problem child.

She then glanced backwards at the corpses of Ishtar's children, and remembered what they did to her before.

Good riddance, she decided, and then caught up to her child.

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

"It is a little known fact that it is practically impossible to tamper with a Falna directly," Ouranos said, "And any 'cheating' would clearly show the signature of the god who did it, due to the nature of a Falna as a record of Excelia."

I was only half paying attention, but Ereshkigal was hanging onto every word, so I trusted that she'd remember anything important that he'd say.

"As such, I know for a fact that you did not illegally alter your child." He said, "But we both know for a fact that the rest of the gods will not see it this way."

Ereshkigal put her head in her hands.

I wondered if I could kill Ouranos.

I remember, from when I used to be really into Percy Jackson fanfiction, that Ouranos is like the sky god, like how Gaia is the goddess of the earth.

"So, what?" Ereshkigal said, sounding like she was about to cry, "Are you going to take him from me?"

But that was Percy Jackson, and Danmachi was only loosely based on mythology. So any information I half-remember from there is highly inaccurate.

"I propose this. We'll waive the legal requirement for your child to report his level. If we leave it ambiguous, we can pretend he's just a high-level out of towner."

I mean, just looking at him, he doesn't look tough, but this also isn't his true form. Presumably his true form is a lot stronger.

"What do you want in return?" my goddess asked,

"I'll get to that. Aside from that, there is also the issue of Ishtar and her familia. I'll be frank. I'm well aware of the… issues the two of you have."

She sighed tiredly, clearly overwhelmed.

He's a sky god, so presumably he'd be able to turn into air or something like that. How would I even go about hitting him like that. Would my Soul Execution Technique even work on a dissolved sky god? Would he be too large to fit?

"I understand that it can only end in blood." He said, "And considering your child's skills, I expect that the red in the Red Light District will become more literal sooner rather than later. So, if you accept my deal, I can promise that so long as you keep any spilled blood behind closed doors and in dark alleys that the Guild's investigators will find nothing."

She grimaced and looked away.

I mean, I know my Freezing Palm can make some very large glaciers when I put my all into it, building sized glaciers once I have a couple dozen kills. With the boost I got from my Falna, I bet I could do glaciers that big right off the bat.

Ouranos raised an eyebrow. "Really? Already? He hasn't had your blessing for more than an hour or two before you came to the guild?"

And the glaciers are pretty good indicators to how big my soul can get in terms of actual physical dimensions, since I'm effectively just spreading out my soul and materializing it.

"Ishtar had her whor*s looking for me," Ereshkigal said, "And Carmine is… quite eager."

The sky is big, so even if I could do ten times that with my soul, I wouldn't even come close to fitting the whole sky within my Soul Execution Technique.

"How many? And is there any clean up necessary?" Ouranos said,

But what if I killed a lot of people before the fight?

"I think there was three or four," she said, "And I doubt they'd be able to identify them. He didn't leave much in the way of intact remains."

I mean, the biggest I ever got my glaciers was when I killed the Vermillion Pheasant of the South.

"Hm. Well then it is of no matter, then." Ouranos said, "As I was saying, the Guild also has a quite a bit of resources at it's disposal. If you accept, we can make your life easier in quite a number of ways, ranging from brokering deals with high level crafters, to first pick of desirable missions, to letters of recommendation towards foreign nobility. To say nothing of what we can do for you in the realm of law."

That damn fire-bird was too damn slippery, and kept trying to fly away. I had to kill 40,000 of it's students to build up enough power to pin it down with ice.

But the glacier must have been the size of a mountain.

"What do you want in return?" Ereshkigal said, her voice empty.

Orario's a big city. I bet there has to be at least that many people in here. I could totally spend a minute or two of real time just mowing people down before initiating the Soul Execution Technique.

"Put simply, loyalty." Ouranos said, "You and your child pose a significant threat should you turn hostile. And besides that, it's amazing how far little blood can go, when it comes to politics. And, there is also the matter of how much money your child could make us in the dungeon."

But then, if I just went for the whole city, then I'd probably have to kill the other gods too, and I don't know if I'd be able to take multiple gods at once.

"I'm not proposing slavery. I will ensure that you and your child will be properly compensated in return for each individual instance of service."

But then again, I could totally kill some random fertility goddess. I bet if I killed a couple bottom tier gods, the boost in power I'd get would be enough to let me swing way above my weight class. Then it'd just be a matter of getting as much fuel in my tank as possible before facing Ouranos.

"Where do I sign?" Ereshkigal said, sounding dead inside,

"My scribe Lyra has written up the contract for you." There was a rustling of papers, "Just sign here at the bottom. And use a little bit of Arcanum, as this will be a Divine Oath."

I snapped to attention, as I felt the two divinities in the room loosen their grips on their arcanum.

I hardly noticed my goddess in the face of Ouranos' divine might.

Even that tiny sliver felt immeasurably large. Like the vastness of the sky, stretching infinitely in every direction, and weighing on your shoulders with an ethereal aura that made you feel like you'll fall in at the slightest loss of balance.

Instinctively, I knew that this wasn't a foe I could defeat. This was the sort of being that I'd have to train for thousands of years before even attempting to battle.

Right then and there I decided that this could not stand. Even if I have to spend the rest of eternity meditating in solitude, I will kill that sky god.

He glanced over to me, an amused smile on his face, as if he sensed my intent.

He laughed lightly and shook his head, as if dismissing the idea that I'd ever be a threat to him.

This, more than anything, cemented my resolve.

He resealed his arcanum, as had my own goddess.

"Well, then," He said, "I believe we have covered everything. You're free to go."

I stood up, as my goddess bowed to Ouranos, and we walked out.

Ouranos sat back in his chair as the two left the room.

A dark figure melted out of the shadows.

"What is so special about that adventurer?" It asked,

He laughed, "He's a martial artist, the kind that hasn't existed since the gods first descended."

"What do you mean?" asked the shadow,

Ouranos sighed, "Well, I suppose you wouldn't realize, but then neither do most Gods."

The shadow turned its head sideways,

"Consider this. Before we descended from Heaven, the dungeon was unchallenged for tens of thousands of years, pumping out monsters by the millions." Ouranos began, "And not just upper floor monsters, either. Deep floor monsters would come, from floors we still haven't discovered. The sort of monsters that dwarfed the Three Great Quests."

The shadow began to vibrate in place as black wisps began to coalesce around the room.

"And all of the mortal races not only survived, but thrived." Ouranos said, "How do you think they did that?"

"I… can't imagine how. Did they create wide range stealth spells?" asked the shadow.

"No… They had warriors who could fight and kill these monsters on equal ground." Ouranos said, "Swordsmen who could swing once and cleave a dragon into four pieces, pugilists who could strangle a titan, archers who could shoot down a thunderbird."

"...How is that possible?" asked the shadow,

Ouranos shook his head, "Mortals are unbound by divine law. Some mortals are simply different. Anomalies, capable of things that Gods can't even conceive of. These heroes of the Godless Age were the result of two dozen races being hounded by monsters at every moment of every day."

"So what happened to them?" asked the shadow,

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but we largely killed them all."

The shadow reared back in surprise, "How?"

"The gods are greedy, and the Falna is powerful." Ouranos said, "They flocked to our familias by the dozen, pledging loyalty. With their new power, they purged all the most terrible monsters, in pursuit of Excelia. But soon, they ran out of monsters on the surface. So they began to enter the dungeon. And back then, before I established the Law of Restraint, and before I capped the dungeon, well, the dungeon was a nightmarish hellscape that even war gods would fear to tread."

"So they all died in the dungeon?" asked the shadow,

"Well, most of them, some died in inter-familia conflicts, and others were smote by gods."

"Are there still heroes like that?" asked the shadow,

"Well, you just saw one." said Ouranos, "But, besides that, not really. In the last few centuries there have been maybe half a dozen of those heroes, and all but one died at the hands of good ol' One Eye. There are a few that come close, however. That Ais girl, she isn't quite hero material, but if you're looking for it, you can see that she takes after her father, an unblessed man who dwarfed even the greatest of the Zeus and Hera Familias."

"Truly?" said the shadow, "And what of Ottar?"

"That boy certainly had the potential, but Freya stifled him." said Ouranos,

"The Ottar we have now isn't as strong as he could have been?" asked the shadow, "How frightening."

Ouranos looked up, as he thought about what could have been. For a time, he thought that Ottar would be the next greatest hero. But then, he thought the same of Ais, and look how she turned out.

"Hold the fort down," he said, "I'm going for a walk to clear my head."

Ouranos stood and walked out, casually striding through the halls of the guild, and exiting to the city plaza just outside the dungeon.

He glanced around, idly wondering if any of these mortals were worth the sh*tty leather boots they were wearing.

He channeled the slightest bit of Arcanum to peer into their souls out of curiosity.

As he casually looked past a pallum supporter, he was forced to stop in his tracks.

Is… Is that f*cking Fianna's reincarnation?

----

I felt my blood roaring in his ears as I finallyfinally got to go into the dungeon.

I walked in, and immediately jumped down the staircase, not feeling patient enough to walk.

I landed softly, and immediately, the dungeon began to spawn monsters, as the walls bulged and shook, and dozens upon dozens of goblins popped out all at once.

Since I wanted to savor the occasion, I flash froze them all, blocking off the whole tunnel, aside from one.

That one monster, a goblin, was bigger than he expected, and it was dark gray, not green.

It circled around me, looking for an opening of some sort, until it decided to just charge at me.

I punched it in the face, and its skull splattered.

A grin stretched across my face, as I watched it start to dissolve into ash.

I shattered the ice, but I didn't shatter the things inside it, since I wanted to kill them directly

I mowed through the horde of goblins, just enjoying the cacophony of blood splattering and bones crunching and screaming war cries.

Laughter slipped through my lips, as everywhere I went there were hordes of monsters.

There were just so many, thousands and thousands already, and the dungeon just keeps making more.

"Thank you for the meal!" I shouted out to the dungeon, overjoyed at all the monsters, as each of them was different, with giant ants and dog people, and goblins, and lizards and shadow things, and I don't think I've ever had this much fun killing.

And then the unthinkable happened. I missed.

I threw a kick, and I hit nothing but air.

I kicked it up a notch, accelerating further as I cleared the entire tunnel.

Then, I turned and came back to the scene of the crime.

And all there was is a small and especially pale white haired boy with red eyes standing there looking confused.

I looked closer, as he jumped in surprise at my sudden appearance.

He was… nothing special.

No real musculature, soft hands, low quality equipment, by all accounts this was just a random human, and I just happened to miss him.

And yet, he looks familiar, like I should recognize him.

"Who are you?" I asked,

"B-Bell Cranel." He said, stuttering, as he fell on his ass.

Oh sh*t, this is the protagonist.

I glanced up, and saw the dungeon drop a horde of monsters on us.

I took a moment to kill them all, before returning to the boy.

He's weak now, but he'll get strong soon, so I should probably keep him around.

"You'll die out here on your own." I told him, "You want to come with me? I'm still on my way down, but I'll keep you safe."

He hesitated, "How deep are you going?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, however deep it takes for the dungeon to give me a good fight."

"I don't- I don't know if it's a good idea." He said,

I shrugged, "I'm not your daddy." I said casually. Then I slaughtered the third wave the dungeon has sent.

I came to a stop in front of him.

"You coming or not?" I asked, as I turned and started walking

"Y-yes, sir!" he said, as he scrambled after me.

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Now that I'm slowing down my pace, I realize that these monsters are weird as hell.

On a physical level, they seem to have two separate bodies, their standard flesh one and the crystal located somewhere in their bodies.

Which results in some pretty odd interactions with my One Finger Death Punch.

Interactions I'm not sure I'm a fan of.

The Horizon Spanning Stance, and to a lesser extent the martial art as a whole, functions by casting out my soul, latching on to the target, and using that connection to drag my physical body to the target in what is effectively teleportation.

But because the soul of the monster seems to have two bodies at once, when I use the Horizon Spanning Stance, it sometimes ends up with me in range for the body, and sometimes in range for the crystal.

Its a subtle difference, since most of these monsters aren't large enough for it to be a meaningful distinction.

It took some focus but I figured out that the difference between each was in how powerful the crystal was in relation to the monster, where I'd end up in range of the stronger of the two.

The problem was that I had no real way of knowing which would be which. Again, this sin't a problem here, where none of the monsters are large enough for that to matter, but I know that monsters get really big really fast.

Truth be told, I don't know what would happen if I ended up inside of a monster. Would I just punch through its flesh? Would I tele-frag it? Would I end up tele-fragged? I don't know, and risks like that in actual open combat are unacceptable.

And besides, if I end up stuck, Bell will die, and I don't want that.

So, until I can extensively test the effects of my Horizon Spanning Stance, I decided to rely on Tiger Style Ten Day Ambush Technique.

The Ten Day Ambush Technique is an advanced technique within the Tiger Style, created to allow a Tiger Style Master to ambush someone from a distance that would take ten days to cross normally.

It's a brutal technique that under normal circ*mstances could only be done once, as it is highly taxing on the body. Doing it twice would almost certainly cripple you, and if you somehow managed to do it three times in a row, you'd almost certainly blow off your own legs.

Before, I never bothered with it, because it was inferior in every possible sense to the Horizon Spanning Stance.

Massive stamina costs, extreme damage to my body, and it's only single use? For a technique that is only nearly as fast as the Horizon Spanning Stance? It's a joke.

But now? With the blessing of the Falna? Things are different.

In terms of raw physical strength, my body is incomparably more powerful. And in durability, I'm fairly certain that I'm actually indestructible.

The damage that comes from the Ten Day Ambush Technique comes from the fact that it pushes your muscles past the point both your veins and bones can handle, and the fact that you will hit your target going at such high speeds.

But now I'm so durable that I couldn't strain myself that way even if I tried, even with my massively enhanced strength. And when I impact something going at those kinds of speeds, I'm durable enough that they are the one that'll be hurt and die.

So now, I can use that Ten Day Ambush Technique as often as I want, for speed that I'm fairly certain surpasses the Horizon Spanning Stance, and it also comes with a built in extremely powerful strike.

Now, I can say with confidence that I made the right choice in buying those skills at max rank and then fusing them, because holy sh*t has it paid off.

Down here, probably more than a dozen floors into the dungeon, I battled a dozen golden feathered dragons all at once.

They all zipped around the battlefield at speeds I could only barely track, killing monsters just as I was, and eating their crystals, battling me in shifts, four or five at a time, while the rest ate more and more monsters.

These golden dragons are growing more and more powerful as the moments go by, only barely escaping my strikes by the barest margins, and retaliating with blows that generate wind blasts potent enough to powderize stone.

One of them, a particularly large dragon with tufts of white fur sticking out underneath golden plates of carapace, swung it's disproportionately large claws at me as it came hurtling towards me.

My feet crashed into the ground as I dropped low and exploded upwards using Ten Day Ambush.

My outraised fist just barely touched the carapace of that dragon as I twisted mid air to dodge the swinging arms, only for another dragon to came and tackled that dragon out of the way, while a third came at me from behind

Stuck mid-air, I conjured ice around that dragon, to slow it down, but it plowed right through.

It slowed just a little bit, though, and that was all I needed.

With a mid-air left hook to the four mandible jaw of the dragon, and a corresponding flex of killing intent, I tore at it's soul, and it's head burst into pieces, sending a spray of acidic purple blood into the air.

It crashed to the ground, already dissolving into ash, as I moved onto the next, a particularly speedy dragon with six arms along two pairs of legs, who blasted me with white hot fire that felt like hot wind over my face.

It struck, using the fire as a veil, sending out a massive claw like a spear aimed at my eye.

I tilted my head, and it hit my cheek, slicing it as it dragged across bone too durable for it to pierce.

I caught the claw in my teeth, and pulled myself across it, delivering a brutal two legged donkey kick to the dragon's soul, completely obliterating it's upper body.

My feet finally hit the ground, and the dragons ceased their assault, a trio circling and corralling me, while the rest continued to feast on other monster crystals.

I realigned my neck, from the damage of that claw, and popped both my shoulders back into standard position.

I grinned, as they continued to play this game. Any one of these dragons probably would have killed me before I got my blessing.

One of the dragons broke off, as a fourth came to take it's place, and I took it as a sign to initiate the next exchange.

I flooded the place with ice that shattered almost immediately, as I barrelled towards the slowest of the three dragons currently trying to herd me.

It retreated immediately, blasting me with fire as it fled, while the other two made a pincer maneuver, trying to outflank me.

Time slowed down further, as I planted my foot for the last time, and activated every last muscle in my body at once.

I could feel my bones contorting under the force, as I initiated an extreme spin so potent that I could feel the g-forces bursting the veins in my hands and feet.

The One Finger Death Punch is spiritual in nature, and cares not if you strike with full force or if you strike with a finger tap, this much is true.

But it is not magic. It is still a martial art, it's function might be spiritual but it's delivery method is physical, and benefits from increased force.

And this technique, a Taekwondo technique stolen and further refined for Bajiquan, trading any semblance of safety for the user in return for raw stopping power, it was the most physically powerful technique that I know.

I struck for the first time, on the claw of the faster of the two dragons, and pushed off, attaining even more speed and morepower.

The dragon was obliterated entirely.

And then, on the second strike, I planted my heel into the claw of that same dragon, reversing my spin entirely, obliterating that second dragon with raw physical might alone, and attaining even further speed.

This was the defining characteristic of the Calamitous Walk to the Underworld.

Each blow only adds to the speed of the user, until they can no longer survive the recoil from the strikes.

I span through the air, hurtling towards another dragon at such speeds that even those absurdly fast dragons could not dodge.

I kicked it. And then I kicked the next dragon. And then I kept kicking, until there were no more dragons left.

And then, I did something that not even the greatest masters of the Bajiquan thought possible.

I stopped the Calamitous Walk to the Underworld.

I used the Freezing Palm to encase myself in ice, shattering it, and then replacing it several times each instant, bleeding off rotation into the ether as I conjured and then dismissed the ice.

Triumphant, I planted my remaining good foot in the ground, completely halting my rotation.

For a moment, the dungeon was still and silent.

And then, there was a crash, as one last monster spawned.

It was large, and skeletal, like the rotted remains of a wingless dragon.

It's red eyes glowed ominously.

It blurred into action, and my body reacted before I could, obliterating the beast's skull with a rising heel kick.

The dungeon fell silent as the last monster's body stilled.

I exhaled, and, despite how dark and misty it was here, I couldn't help but feel at home here in the dungeon.

"Thank you for your hospitality." I said to the dungeon, genuinely thankful for this battle. Battles like this don't come often, and it is important to be grateful for good fortune.

A rustling came, and I turned, only to see Bell pop out from underneath a carapaced dragonhide that dropped from one of the dragons I killed earlier.

"Oh hey, you're alive." I said to him casually, "Good job,"

He turned back to me and froze. I could see him visibly turn red. He turned away

"What, something on my face?" I asked, as I glanced down, and realized that I was completely naked, aside from my Commination Belt still tied around my waist.

f*ck.

My clothes were gone.

Goddamn it.

At least I still have my black belt.

"Hey Bell," I said, as I smoothly walked on one leg towards that dragon hide. "You still have my hat, right?"

"Oh," He said, as he dived back underneath the dragon hide, and pulled out a straw hat. "Ye-" He hissed, "Ah, I cut myself."

"Toss it here," I said, and he tossed it, as I untied my belt.

I caught the hat, as I threw my belt over my shoulder.

With a flick of the wrist I sent the hat spinning as it slowly went down the dragon hide, cutting off a length of it, before returning to me like a boomerang.

I grabbed the cut length of the dragon hide, and pulled it towards me. Then, I smoothly wrapped it around my lower body. As a final touch, I wrapped my belt around it.

"There we go." I said to Bell. "My co*ck's not out no more."

"Sorry." He said, but I wasn't really paying attention, because I just realized the sheer amount of loot there was.

Golden dragon skeletons scattered around, each surrounded by rolls of its hide, surely to be a veritable fortune.

"Actually, the hell are we doing." I said, "Bell, you got my Bag of Bags, right?"

"Yes sir." He responded.

"Well, then, let's get to loading them all up." I told him, "All this loot isn't going to pack itself up."

"Yes sir!" He said again, looking adorably earnest.

I barely glanced his way, once he handed me a bag of holding.

I have no idea how much this stuff is worth, but it's gotta be a lot. Dragons are universally valuable, and it is all golden, too. I'm gonna buy…

Actually, I'm not sure what I'm going to buy with all the money I'm about to make, but whatever it is, it's bound to be good.

Soon, Bell and I loaded up the Bags of Holding, and loaded those bags of holding back into the Bag of Bags, and then it was time to go home.

We just followed the trail of destruction I left behind us.

"Oh yeah," I said, as a thought struck me, "I never told you my name, did I."

"No, sir." He said,

"Yeah, my name's Carmine," I told him,

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Carmine." Bell said. We walked in silence for a few more moments, "So, um, what level are you?"

"Level One." I responded.

He choked, and audibly had to clear his chest, "I'm sorry, did you just say you are Level One?"

"Yeah, I'm Level One." I told him, "I've had my falna for around half a day, I think. I got it in the morning."

Bell wheezed.

---

After a surprisingly peaceful walk, with the occasional piddly monster to serve as entertainment, Bell and I made it to the surface.

At the surface was… an army ready to ambush? Hundreds of heavily armed, stone faced warriors ready for battle.

I furrowed my brows for a moment, as I didn't recognize what sect they belonged to. But then I remembered that I'm not in that jump anymore.

I'm in Danmachi now, so all these people are… adventurers, I think.

Eh, whatever, I got better things to do. If they really want to die, I can come back and kill them later.

Bell and I kept moving, at which point a small blond child used a disproportionately large spear to block my path.

I glanced over to him, and wondered just what the hell kind of army lets a little kid be at their helm.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time I killed a kid.

He retreated immediately, falling into a guarded stance, as did a few of the people near him, a slightly older, but still clearly teenaged girl crouched near him protectively, holding out her disproportionately large ax out in front in a sh*tty imitation of a real stance.

I saw the tell tale shifting of the hips indicating an imminent attack, but she aborted it, after the boy raised a closed fist.

They didn't seem very strong, though, so I figured I shouldn't waste my time. Especially since the cutest goddess in all of Orario is still waiting for me in the guild.

As I walked, I realized that Bell wasn't following. I glanced backwards, and saw Bell still paralyzed, intimidated by the ramshackle army.

"You coming?" I said to him, getting his attention.

"Y-yeah." He said, and then hurried after me.

Soon, we made it back to the Guild, and the two of us proceeded back to my room, so I could greet my Goddess.

Bell kept following, but I wasn't worried about privacy or anything. I figured it'd be good for her to make more friends besides me.

The guild hall was empty, and nobody saw us as we proceeded to the high security Privacy Room that Ouranos gave us to stay in while the guild arranged for secure housing.

I opened the door, and I saw my goddess' blonde hair whip as she snapped her head towards the door.

The relief on her face was heartbreaking.

She jumped to her feet, and hurried towards me, only for her feet to get tangled in those damn blankets.

I caught her once more, before she broke her face on the coffee table.

She latched on immediately, squeezing as tight as she could.

Faint sniffles rang out, as I awkwardly patted the back of her head.

Bell looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Uh, Bell, you can go," I told him, "I'll send you your cut through the guild."

He hesitated, "That isn't… Alright."

He then left, and closed the door behind him.

I grabbed my goddess, lifted her into my arms, and held her as I sat down on the couch.

"Alright, what's wrong." I said to my goddess, as she collected herself.

"I thought you were going to die." She said softly.

"I didn't, though." I told her,

She glanced up at me, and couldn't help but giggle lightly.

"Yeah, you're right." she said, as she wiped her tears.

She hesitated as she realized just where she was, cradled in my arms, her head resting against my pec.

She blushed a little, but she didn't move.

We stayed like that for a little while longer, but soon I would be forced to put her down. I wanted to head into the dungeon tomorrow, and I needed to heal for that.

"Hey, Ereshkigal?" I asked,

She audibly jumped awake, seemingly falling asleep.

"Where's the food?" I asked.

She rubbed her eye, and said, "Ring the bell and an assistant will come and they can bring you food."

"Thank you." I told her, as I gently set her down on the couch to keep sleeping.

Now then, time to grub out.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Ereshkigal lived an unfortunate life.

In fact, she was about as unfortunate as a goddess could get, seeing as the Fates had this way of f*cking her over every single chance they got.

From the very beginning, she was born to a pair of divine spirits, and thus was a goddess without a domain, making her effectively stillborn.

It was only luck that allowed her mother to come across an unclaimed species of mortal animal for her to take as her domain.

And of course, it was snakes.

The one domain where there where a half dozen gods even in that early era who fit within it, drawing their anger for attempting to claim them as a part of her domain.

Her earliest memory was of being attacked by Quetzlcoatl, the fastest of the snake gods, and having her domain ripped away from her by him and Apophis working together.

She had her domain just long enough to grieve what she no longer had.

And if that wasn't enough, the fates deigned to allow her sister to be born with a domain.

Ishtar was given the domain of Ambition, and Ereshkigal could only watch as her sister went on to wage wars all across Heaven, killing gods and taking their domains.

And of course, it figures that her sister would grow to be among the most desired women across all of heaven, taking a new man to bed every night, while Ereshkigal remained a maid for thousands of years.

As a matter of fact, in all her life, Ereshkigal could only count three strokes of 'good' fortune.

The first was her marriage to Gulgulanna. He was a powerful warrior god, ruling over the realm of Kur.

Ereshkigal, who had more or less accepted that she would spend the rest of eternity alone and unloved, was overjoyed when her parents came and announced that they were betrothed.

And then she actually met the god, and learned that he had agreed to marry the 'eldest daughter of Ki and Anum', believing that Ishtar was the eldest.

His anger was a thing to behold, and Ereshkigal, as his wife, could not flee.

They were wed, and he took her to bed the night of the wedding, as was his duty, and then he commanded her away, imprisoning her within the darkest part of his dungeons.

The second stroke of 'good' fortune was when he died in the Dungeon, having recklessly used his arcanum within it, allowing the dungeon to drop some horrid god-slaying monstrosity onto him.

With Gulgulanna slain, his domain fell unto her, allowing Ereshkigal to finally leave that prison and claim Kur as her own kingdom.

This was a curse disguised as a blessing.

Kur was a wretched place, an endless dark field populated by twisted and contorted souls, the wind carrying nothing but ground glass and the agonized cries of those unfortunate enough to die within the realm of Kur.

She had tried, of course. She tried to ease the suffering of her people, to erect cities and schools and gardens.

But then she learned why souls were sent to Kur.

They were sent there as a punishment for committing rape.

Once she removed the oppressive nature of the realm, and allowed them freedom to act on their own… the cruel depravity of those souls…

Ereshkigal hid within her palace for nearly two thousand years afterwards.

And now, the third 'fortune' the Fates had sent to her.

In theory, Carmine was everything that she had ever fantasized about in her palace, while watching the lower world.

He was strong. He was handsome. He was talented. And most of all, he was loyal.

Figures that he could never truly love her.

He was a fundamentally broken person, and as she mentally reviewed the record of excelia she witnessed while updating his falna, she could not argue it.

He was broken, spiritually speaking. His very soul has been stripped of everything unnecessary, and what was left was shaped into a metaphysical weapon.

Now, the only emotions he can feel are bloodlust, and the cold satisfaction that comes after the hunt.

Ereshkigal had finally received a strong and handsome child to love and cherish, and he will never love her back.

She clung to his torso, as she cried silently, mourning the child she never had.

"Is this because I almost died?" he asked, as his strong arms wrapped around her.

At the end of his battle in the dungeon, he would have died in the dungeon, as that final technique raised his blood pressure so high that he ruptured several arteries.

The only reason he didn't die was because of Alma Invictus, which allowed his soul to remain within his body as it's bond to the physical world was too strong to be severed.

It was a little scary to know that she almost lost him in the dungeon, but honestly, it was worse to know that he didn't even notice.

His soul is so broken that he didn't even feel it when he suffered wounds that would kill anyone else.

It was worse to know that he wouldn't die, that he would continue to live this cursed life for an eternity, living for nothing more than combat.

He patted her on the back of the head in an attempt to comfort her, and Ereshkigal cried harder.

These actions of his, they weren't emotionally driven.

He didn't really care that she was crying, just like he didn't really care that she was completely naked as he held her.

He was just doing it because he remembered the person he used to be before his soul was mutilated, and that person would have comforted her.

Ereshkigal cried because that person he was before was gone forever.

Soon, she ran out of tears, and she could only sit there, waiting for him to decide that he was healed enough to go back into the dungeon, because he could conceive of nothing else.

He was warm, his body running hot because of that healing technique he mentioned, but his eyes… They were cold and dead.

He looked back down at her, his shoulder length dark red hair dangling down, but he said nothing.

There was a knock on the door, and Carmine disappeared from underneath her.

He was walking towards the door, while Ereshkigal scrambled to her blankets to preserve her modesty.

She couldn't hear what he was saying to the people at the door, but she saw him shake his head and jab his thumb backwards, as he went to sit at one of the couches.

A goddess entered, followed by a slim boy with white hair and red eyes.

She sat down across from Ereshkigal, crossing her arms underneath bountiful breasts, threatening to pop them out of her scant white dress.

She immediately didn't like this goddess.

Ereshkigal leaned back in her seat, and stared down this goddess, finally having a chance to use those diplomatic skills that she spent so many centuries studying within her palace in Kur.

"I am here to request a semi-permanent partnership between my child and your own." she said, with a mildly overdone professional tone.

Ereshkigal did her best to look down on this goddess. "Is that so?" she said, with a feigned casual, almost disinterested voice.

"Yes." ground out the goddess, visibly angered by the clear disrespect.

"Well?" She prompted. When the goddess said nothing, Ereshkigal prompted further, "What are you offering in return?"

She looked away, "I have a very talented child." said the goddess. Conspicuously, she said nothing more.

"Is that so?" asked Ereshkigal, "What level is he? Because he must be quite high levelled, if you think he can keep up with my Carmine."

"Level One." She said, under her breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" said Ereshkigal,

"Level one!" she said,

Ereshkigal let a small smile grow over her face. She smelled blood, "Alright, be honest, what is this about?"

The goddess sighed, "My child has a skill that requires the presence of a hero to function. And your child is the only hero he knows."

Ereshkigal co*cked her head, and the goddess pulled a folded piece of paper from her generous cleavage and handed it over to Ereshkigal.

She unfolded it, and it was a falna.

Most of it was blacked out, the only part still readable was a single skill.

Persona Puella, it was called.

The brief Excelia Record was blacked out, but the description wasn't.

It read: When in a partnership with a hero, gain excelia at a massively enhanced rate, in addition to a constant amount equal to a fraction that hero's excelia gain. Excelia gain away from a hero is fractional. A small amount of excelia is diverted to alter self to better fit the user's conception of their role.

Ereshkigal furrowed her brows. She couldn't be sure, the Excelia Record was blacked out, but she suspected that when it says 'partnered' it doesn't just mean working together.

Persona Puella roughly translated to 'Role of the Maiden' in the language of the gods, and the fact that it requires a 'partnership' with specifically a 'hero', as in a man, and the fact that the boy is blushing so hard he looked like he was about to burst.

This goddess isn't just asking to have her boy party with Carmine. She's asking Ereshkigal to allow the boy to become Carmine's woman!

"Does this skill mean what I think it means?" Ereshkigal asked, hoping that it was misinterpreting it.

"It does." said the goddess, sounding sullen,

Ereshkigal handed back the piece of paper, as she leaned back.

Her gut instinct said that she should send this goddess and her man-stealing boy kicking rocks, but she knew better than to make a snap decision.

She sat back and considered the pros and cons of accepting the goddesses proposal versus rejecting it.

If she rejected their offer, the goddess would have no recourse. Her only child is level one, and Ereshkigal didn't even recognize her.

Carmine was the sort of monster who could eat up anything less than the absolute greatest of adventurers, a small familia like this could do nothing to retaliate against her.

But if she accepted the offer, Ereshkigal could pretty much dictate the terms and the goddess would be forced to accept.

An idea struck.

"I'll accept," Ereshkigal said, "But I have demands."

The goddess sighed, and looked at the boy pleadingly. He just looked away.

"Calm down," Ereshkigal said assuredly, "I only have two. The first is that I want your familia as a vassal to my own."

The goddess exploded, "Absolutely not!" She shouted,

"Why not," Ereshkigal said, "If anything you should be grateful. As the vassal to my familia, you would benefit from our protection. And, perhaps more relevantly," Ereshkigal said as she eyed the boy's shabby clothes, "You would benefit from a fusion of our treasuries."

She crossed her arms and huffed.

"And the second demand, is that before your boy can be with Carmine, I must lay with him first."

The goddess shot to her feet. "Hell no!" She shouted, as the boy fainted.

Ereshkigal remained calm, "You come to me begging for me to allow your boy to be with my only child." She pointed out, "You are asking for me to share my own lover," in as much as Carmine is capable of being a lover, "it's only fair that I get my own 'slice of the pie', so to speak."

The goddess shook in suppressed anger, "Fine." she ground out.

Ereshkigal just extended a delicate hand.

Hestia took it in an angry handshake.

"Oh no," Ereshkigal corrected, "Kiss the ring."

Hestia chuffed, and bent over to the coffee table to kiss the back of Ereshkigal's ring. She then slunk back to her seat at the chair.

"Now then, onto more material matters." Ereshkigal said, "I expect to see your boy in my chambers in three days' time. By then I'll have a proper Familia Home, and it'll give me plenty of time to prepare the… equipment."

The goddess gave her a dirty look, "You disgusting pervert." she said to Ereshkigal, and she hadn't realized that blue eyes could look so flinty.

"Well, its not like I was ever going to allow the boy to penetrate me," Ereshkigal said, "And besides, it'll be good practice for when he is with Carmine."

The goddess was aghast. "That's it. Bell, we're leaving."

She then took the boy and stomped out angrily.

Ereshkigal leaned back in her seat.

"That went well," said a male voice to her left

She jumped in surprise, and Carmine held a man aloft by his throat.

"Now, lets not be hasty here," said the man, "I'm here on behalf of Ouranos."

"Carmine, drop him." Carmine dropped him.

The man cleared his throat, as he adjusted his cloak. He then pulled out a manilla folder. "Here is your first mission."

Carmine took it and handed it straight to Ereshkigal.

She opened it up, and at the front was the directions in big text.

Objective: Recruit Liliruca Arde into the Ereshkigal Familia

She started flipping through the pages, and it was just information on this Liliruca.

Her age, which was sixteen, her height, a miniscule one hundred and ten centimeters, and her species, which was Pallum.

Honestly, Ereshkigal couldn't imagine why Ouranos would want a random level one supporter in her familia.

And then she got to the end of the dossier, where all the important information was.

Apparently, she was the reincarnation of an ancient hero from the Godless Era, and had the potential to reclaim something called the Bloodfury Spear, which turned an unblessed pallum girl into a warrior on par with a modern level six at minimum, and would boost her strength even further scaling with her rage.

So, Ereshkigal decided to accept the mission.

She glanced up, and the man was gone.

"Carmine," Ereshkigal said, "We got a mission."

"Sweet." He responded, "Lets go."

And then, they set off to go find Liliruca Arde.