As... expected.
Bell concluded with a faint raise of his eyebrow.
With the amount of monsters he had killed, it would've been more shocking if he didn't max out his Falna by now.
Bell was broken out of his musings by Goddess Hestia's eager voice.
"Bell! Bell! You have enough Excilia to level, should we level up now?" Hestia was jumping up and down with barely held back enthusiasm. Goddess Astraea also looked at him with a trusting look.
"Let's get it done, Goddesses. Why wait around when it can be done right now?" Bell spoke without intense thought; it was best to level up as soon as possible, he'd been waiting for it after all.
He once again flopped onto the bed, his bare back towards both the Goddesses.
Goddess Hestia climbed onto his back and dropped her divine blood over his Falna, getting a silent stink eye from Goddess Astraea in response.
Astraea followed Hestia's motion by dropping her own divine blood over his Falna.
Both drops of blood dissolved into his back. A blue light flashed in response, divine script materialising over his back.
Goddess Astraea and Hestia put each of their hands over the script, making the script fluctuate and change at accelerated speed.
Goddess Hestia's jaw hit the floor. Goddess Astraea's eyelids twitched incessantly.
Astraea was the first one to break out of her stupor, speaking with deep breaths.
"Bell... you have 13 development abilities to choose from:
[Mage], [Hunter], [Swordsman], [Archer], [Pyromancer], [Regenerator], [Chain Attack], [Abnormal Resistance], [Strong Body], [Luck], [Instincts], [Asura], [Adaptability]
Which one would you like to choose among them?"
Goddess Hestia kept silent sensibly, letting Bell decide on his own what was best for him.
Six development abilities are worth choosing among all the choices.
[Luck] - A choice similar to the original Bell.
[Instincts] - It'll probably give a boost to my Instincts.
[Pyromancer] - Will probably boost [Grega].
[Asura] - Mostly related to [Asura Soul Reaping].
[Adaptability] - Somehow related to my wheel.
[Strong Body] - To not be sucked dry in the future by two... no, three virgin Goddesses.
Bell thought deeply for some time and finally reached a conclusion.
"Choose [Adaptability] for me, Goddesses." Bell spoke with surety. Among the given choices, this one was undoubtedly the most appropriate. Building on his strongest trump card was always the best option.
Astraea and Hestia wordlessly selected his development ability and completed his level up.
Bell felt indescribable comfort as an invisible energy poured into his body through every pore, expanding his vessel exponentially.
He could feel the chains of mortality over him loosening, bringing him a step closer to the divine.
"It's done. So Bell... how does it feel?" Goddess Astraea asked while letting out another gasp after updating his new status.
Goddess Hestia had become petrified by now, the continuous changes on his Falna leaving her stupefied.
Goddess Astraea engraved his newly updated Falna and handed it to him swiftly.
Bell ignored Hestia on his back and went through the update sheet.
[Name: Bell Cranel
Level - 2 (↑)
Attributes (Astraea Falna) -
Strength: 531 [D]
Endurance: 498 [E]
Dexterity: 419 [E]
Agility: 545 [D]
Magic: 634 [C]
Attributes (Hestia Falna) -
Strength: 378 [F]
Endurance: 311 [F]
Dexterity: 282 [G]
Agility: 353 [F]
Magic: 449 [E]
Magic:
Gusgam - Flames destroy yet purify. Flames incinerate yet empower. Flames burn yet liberate.
Astra—Vesta—Calibur - Eternal flame envelop. Vitality stabilise. Justice judge. Exempt are not even the Divine.
Skills:
Eight Handled Wheel - Adaptation to any an*********.
Ittou Shura/Rasestu - Ignite my vitality. Ignite my will. Ignite my emotions. Ignite it all.
Instinct - All I see is Victory. All I hear is Victory. All I can ever be is... Victory.
Super Regeneration - Between immortality and mortality. Between limbo and nothingness. Between infinity and eternity.
Asura Soul Reaping (Semi-Sealed) - Monster created by God.
Development Skills:
Adaptability - Affinity + 5% ]
Goddess Astraea dragged the blue-screened Goddess Hestia off his back, finally allowing Bell to get up from the bed.
It would probably take some time for Hestia.exe to boot back up. Till then, Bell decided to finally have a peaceful rest at home; he was fed up with all the continuous monster killing.
Bell went back upstairs to his own room, his back sinking into the mattress.
Oh, how much I missed you...
Home sweet home.
...
..
.
Evening.
Bell awoke some hours later.
"Yawn... It's already evening?" He questioned casually after looking outside the window.
The sun was on its last stretch, defiant rays of luminescent sunlight illuminated Orario. Night was about to fall soon.
Bell walked down from his room, voices of his Goddesses and someone else resounding across the hall.
He walked into the drawing room.
Goddess Astraea and Goddess Hestia were talking animatedly... with Goddess Artemis.
Goddess Artemis looked at Bell with a crafty glint inside her emerald eyes the moment he entered.
"You're awake, Orion. Come sit." She spoke casually while gesturing to the spot beside her on the sofa.
The temperature inside the drawing room dropped by a few degrees.
"Oh... I was just joking about the Orion part." Goddess Artemis clarified while patting the spot beside her innocently.
Goddess Astraea glanced at Bell with a gentle smile carrying chilling intent underneath.
"Come, Bell. Sit beside me." She spoke, her words leaving no room for refusal.
Fuck!
Bell wanted to curse himself; he was walking voluntarily into a warzone. One ballistic missile was coming from here and one from there.
Where could he run?
He roamed his eyes across the room. His eyes flashing with relief at Goddess Hestia stuffing herself with some snacks at the side.
Bell silently walked and sat beside Goddess Hestia. Though two resentful gazes landed on him in response.
He really wanted to cry! If he chose one, the other would go mad. If he chose none, both would go mad.
It was a lose-lose situation for him either way.
Though, those resentful gazes on him snapped over to Goddess Hestia in moments.
You'd have to take one for the team, Goddess Hestia.
Bell silently mourned for her in his heart, praying that she wouldn't be an innocent casualty in this warzone.
Goddess Hestia was eating snacks without a care in the world when two resentful gazes landed on her simultaneously, making her choke on her snacks.
She coughed and choked, flailing around like a dying fish.
Bell silently handed her some water to wash down the snacks.
While inwardly, he thought...
This is called a pig teammate. Nearly kicking the bucket before the game has even begun.
What would you do without me... Oh Goddess?
...
..
.
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[8 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Author's Thoughts]
Bell really is in a precarious situation. Goddess Astraea and Artemis are after him, while he has a teammate like Goddess Hestia.
Bell, oh Bell...
What would you do without me?
...
Guys... I'm putting more of my focus on my other story with the name Fate/Ultimate Hope from here on. I'll continue to drop chapters here alternatively, however... I'm just informing you all to check it out if you all want and tell me if I've gotten better or not.