Is It Wrong For An Assassin To Be In The Dungeon? V1 (Danmachi Fanfic)

Chapter 23: Hero in Progress

"And then there were monsters everywhere!" Lili says excitedly to Bell as we gathered in his room. "And we had to work together to fight our way out!"

"Wow, that... sounds really... awe... some..." Bell mutters as his heavy eyes slowly close shut.

"Hey!" Lili yelled into Bell's ear, startling him awake. "Are you listening to me?!"

"Y-yeah, yeah. It's just that..." Bell rubs his eyes before continuing. "I had a... really rough few day recently."

"You mean the days Miss Ais Wallenstein wanted to see you?" I cut in as I return with a warm towel. "What did you guys do?"

"I told you, we.. er... talked." Bell laughs nervously, grabbing the towel. "We just talked and... Ergh! My hip!" Bell yelps in pain as he rubs his sore hip, before placing the towel on himself.

"You should really go see a doctor." Lili states. "You could get really hurt if you don't have it checked out."

"No no, it's fine. I'm just... really worked out recently." Bell replies with a smile. "I just need... a break! That's all, just a break and I'll be back in shape in no time."

Hmm... Bell's tired, has pains all over his body, and judging by the way he winces over the pain till it dulls over, he must had some intense training. But with Ais? He trained with Ais? I don't know, Bell usually freezes up and his cheeks turn into bright tomatoes at the mere mention of her name. Maybe I should check it out later.

"Well, clearly you aren't in the condition to take on the Dungeon." I mutter. "I suppose Lili and I can take the helm again. We've been doing quite fine lately."

"Yeah. Today I'm planning on finally taking Marcus to the 10th floor. Y'know, to break new ground and all." Lili mentions, to which Bell's ears perked at the mere mention of the 10th floor.

"Oh, you know what? Maybe I'm alright! Let me just slip into my gear and- ow!" Bell yells in pain, his thigh now cramping, causing him to fall onto the ground.

"Alright now, get some rest captain. See you and Goddess Hestia in the evening."

"W-wait guys! I'm fine! Let me come along!" Bell's words fell on deaf ears as we exit the abandoned church and make our way to the Dungeon.

BACK IN THE DUNGEON...

The 10th Floor is actually one huge room, spanning a kilometre or two. I must say, the surroundings of the 10th Floor is like a forest, with grass and trees growing as far as the eye can see. But the weird thing is, why does all the plants have a whitish hue? Is it because we're in the Dungeon and there's no sunlight? It looks tranquil, yet the stillness is nerve-wracking.

But the most prominent feature of the 10th Floor is the presence of mist. Like, why in the Hades is there mist underground? There's no water source, nor there is any heat to evaporate said water source. Is it a trick of the mind, some sorcery that the Dungeon has placed on any whom trespasses these lands? I don't know.

I wave my hand repeatedly near the cloud of mist, stirring the white fog up into the air. Hmm... the fog is real, although there is no valid explanation why it exists. One thing is for certain though, this fog reduces the visibility of anyone who ventures down to these parts.

And in the Dungeon, any misstep can have fatal consequences, so I need all of my senses to be on full alert.

"So, welcome to the 10th Floor, Marcus." Lili announces. " How does it feel?"

"Honestly, I wish I could go back up and never come back down." I reply.

Lili grins. "I'm sure none of us would want to venture down here if given the choice. But we got to make a living somehow."