Next day.
Bell watched while barely holding back his laughter as Lante crouched behind a pair of bushes, keeping her gaze on a rabbit nibbling grass just ahead of her.
Meanwhile, another rabbit hopped up behind her and kicked her posterior, making her stumble out of the bushes.
"Ow... Ow... Who!?" Lante grumbled while looking back. But the mischievous bunny had already run away. Only Bell was left there, nearly laughing at her face.
"Bell... It was you, right? There's no one else around here. I'm so going to kick your behind in revenge." Lante spoke with righteous indignation, her trembling finger pointing at Bell.
All the mirth was wiped off Bell's face at her words. His expression morphing into a confused one.
Excuse me, big sis!? I was enjoying the show... How did I become a part of the cast?
"You come here Bell... I'll show you how to properly kick someone's posterior." Lante got up from the ground and ran towards Bell, her flying kick heading straight towards his 'precious' place.
Bell felt his heart leap to his throat.
You say you'd kick my behind... then, wuu... wuu... Why are you kicking my crotch, big sis? Is your aim too clumsy or too sharp!?
[Instinct] stirred to life. And without any regard for dignity, Bell rolled away. Her flying kick nearly shaving his crotch away.
Damn! I didn't even do anything!
Bell ran away, not taking a chance with his future happiness.
Lante gave chase.
"Come on... Bell! Why are you running away? It's just a single kick!" Lante screamed from behind while following him.
"For you, it's one kick! For me, it's my whole life's happiness!!" Bell ran towards the Artemis Familia camp.
He didn't dare to hurt Lante. But he didn't dare to gamble with his future family too.
So... One ran ahead. The other chased from behind.
Bell reached the Artemis Familia camp in moments, his steps leaving dust behind as he ran towards Goddess Artemis.
Lante was hot on his tail.
Bell being able to outrun Lante and maintain his lead with their difference in Level was shocking, even for Lante.
After all, Lante didn't know.
Bell had 999 stats in the Astraea Falna.
Along with enough Excilia for his other Hestia Falna to reach 999 stats in all parameters too.
All that unrefined Excilia was merely waiting for activation and it would directly merge into his vessel, skyrocketing his current base strength to untold heights.
And then... If he leveled up to Level 2?
Boom. He would reach another tier altogether.
Yet... he was too far from Goddess Hestia to get his Falna updated.
Or he'd already be folding Level 3 adventurers like wet paper.
...Bell reached Goddess Artemis a moment later. Running to hide behind her back while speaking hurriedly.
"Save me! Goddess Artemis... from that blue haired menace." His words were filled with caution as he looked back at Lante running towards them.
"Goddess... Don't save him today. He kicked me from behind while I was hunting a rabbit for lunch," Lante spoke, her steps already heading to grab Bell from behind Goddess Artemis.
"No... I didn't. Another rabbit sneaked up on her and kicked her. Not me," Bell quickly clarified, not wanting any misunderstandings.
Just as Lante brought her hand forward to grab him, Goddess Artemis also brought her hand forward to stop Lante.
Lante was surprised. Her Goddess took the side of an outsider? A man, no less?
A gossipy expression flashed across her face.
"Goddess, why are you stopping me... Don't tell me? You've fallen for Bell while preaching to us about never falling in love." Lante spoke with her airheaded voice and absolutely no filter. Her tone frank and brutally honest.
Oof... Lante has done it. May you rest in peace, big sis.
Bell looked at Lante with a hint of pity.
"Lante!!" Goddess Artemis spoke with a slight fluster, her voice rising in octaves.
She snapped to attention, only now understanding what she had blurted out without thinking.
Bell quietly tried to sneak away from behind, freezing a moment later at Goddess Artemis' voice.
"Where do you think you're sneaking off to, Bell?"
Dead!
Hence, another sermon came their way; this time Bell was included in it too.
...
..
.
Night.
Bell stood beside Goddess Artemis, visibility low in the night.
They were hunting a group of Level 1 orcs that had attacked their camp earlier.
Bell dropped to a knee and nocked an arrow, aiming to his left. Goddess Artemis followed fluidly, her bow aimed at the same spot.
[Instinct] rattled. Golden strings cutting through the darkness of night in his vision.
Two orcs rushed towards them from the left, right where their bows were trained.
Goddess Artemis fired first. Her arrow headed for neither orc; instead, it flew toward the space between both monsters.
Clunk.
The sound of a wheel turning rang out inside Bell's mind as he pulled his string further back and tilted his aim slightly, adapting towards a more perfect shot.
...He let loose his arrow a moment later.
It caught up to Goddess Artemis' arrow in a heartbeat and collided horizontally with it.
Both arrows changed direction.
One pierced through the eye of the first orc. The other pierced the second orc's temple.
Bell and Goddess Artemis wasted no time. Both nocking fresh arrows onto their bows.
Bell stood up and aimed straight ahead, while Goddess Artemis dropped to a knee, aiming her bow to their right.
Four orcs were charging from ahead. A single orc rushing at them from right.
Bell fired first, taking down one of the four ahead. Goddess Artemis fired a moment later, sending the orc to their right to its next life.
Meanwhile, Bell felt a hint of confusion about where to aim as he nocked a single arrow. Three orcs still bearing down on them like speeding trains.
Before he could dwell on his confusion, two more arrows were added to his bow. A slender hand came to cover his own over the grip.
Bell froze as Goddess Artemis covered his hands with hers, guiding the bow and string.
With three arrows now nocked, she pressed her chest against his back.
Her hands guided his aim, releasing all three arrows a moment later.
Three arrows were loosed from a single bow, yet they flew in slightly different trajectories, piercing through all three orcs simultaneously.
One shot. Three Arrows. Three Kills.
As Goddess Artemis' scent drifted to him and her warmth pressed against his back, Bell finally understood.
This was why she was called the strongest archer in the Tenkai.
...Goddess Artemis continued without stopping. Using Bell's bow, she fired a barrage of arrows, each release claiming the life of an orc.
Clunk.
His body was adapting, soaking in all the insight from being taught 'hands-on' by Goddess Artemis.
There was only one complaint Bell had.
Why were there so few orcs to kill nearby!?
Where were these monsters when you needed them the most!?
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[8 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Author's Thoughts]
How is the story going? Any thoughts or suggestions?