"Bell, what is going on with your Falna? Why is its connection to me so faint, even when you're sitting right in front of me?" Hestia asked, arms crossed beneath her chest.
"I was wondering the same thing... Bell?" Astraea mused, resting a finger on her chin as she regarded him with curious eyes.
Haruhime's fluffy ears perked up at the questions.
Taking in their expectant expressions, Bell sighed.
"Instead of explaining, it'd be easier to just show you. Besides, my Falna hasn't been updated in a while anyway."
Both goddesses' expressions shifted, suddenly reminded of his neglected status.
"Shall we, Hestia?" Astraea asked, glancing over.
"Yes, let's get it done." Hestia replied, sliding out of her chair mid-sentence.
"I-I'll give you all some privacy." Haruhime tilted her head at their actions before scrambling out of the room, wondering inwardly why two goddesses were needed to update a single Falna.
Bell slid out of his own seat and gently helped Astraea up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He guided her to the sofa while Hestia headed to the kitchen to fetch a pair of needles.
Astraea had just settled in when Hestia returned. In unison, both goddesses looked at him.
"What are you waiting for, Bell? Take your tunic off." Hestia ordered in a matter-of-fact tone.
Bell's lips twitched, his expression turning awkward. He shot a glance at Astraea, but her gaze darted away, her cheeks dusted with a light red.
"Astraea... why aren't you telling him to take his tunic off?" Hestia asked, palpably confused.
"Ahem... Bell. Take it off." Astraea murmured after composing herself.
With a resigned sigh, he finally pulled his tunic over his head.
Hestia's breath hitched.
Countless red teeth marks ran across his torso, trailing from his neck all the way down to the base of his abs.
"Astraea! You! You!" Hestia snapped her gaze toward Astraea, pointing an accusing finger at the bite marks, utterly aggrieved.
The tips of Astraea's ears burned crimson as she buried her face in her hands.
"Goddesses... about updating my Falna?" Bell interjected, knowing exactly when to steer the focus back on track to save his goddess from shame.
Hestia shot one last glare at Astraea before turning back to Bell.
In response, he turned his back to them, finally revealing his Falna.
Astraea's eyes widened considerably. Hestia brought a hand to her gaping mouth.
Bell's Falna... had changed.
Previously, it had depicted twin scales, a flame burning within each. Now... something new had been added.
A pure gold wheel with eight spokes was engraved right between the twin scales. It seemed less like an engraving and more like a covering—a barrier designed to protect his Falna from the prying eyes of other gods.
"How... did it become like this?" Hestia whispered.
"Did your wheel adapt to do this?" Astraea deduced instantly.
But the real question was... why?
"Let's update my Falna first, Goddesses. We can discuss the changes afterward." Bell said, sitting back down on the sofa with his back to them. He already knew a serious discussion was inevitable.
Astraea and Hestia exchanged a glance, wordlessly pricking their fingers and pressing their blood to his back.
The divine script flared with a blue luminescence as countless sigils intertwined and rewove themselves across his skin. The light expanded, and with it, an invisible string loomed into existence, reaching out for something—or someone.
...
..
.
Ouranos sat upon his throne. Motionless. Like an ocean of unending depths—silent on the surface, fathomless below.
His shut eyes slowly opened. He tilted his head upward, gazing at an ethereal string heading straight for him. It bypassed everything else in between, drawn to him like a child returning home.
...
..
.
Simultaneously.
An Eight-Handled Wheel materialized above Bell's head, its spokes trembling relentlessly.
He tilted his head upward in a motion eerily reminiscent of Ouranos.
A golden luminescence began to radiate from the wheel engraved over his Falna.
Bell smiled.
Clunk.
...
..
.
The string had almost reached Ouranos. His hand finally rose from the throne's armrest, reaching out to meet it.
Finger and string were a hairsbreadth away from touching when...
Clunk.
The distinct sound of a wheel turning echoed through the surroundings.
He watched as the string froze, dissolving into nothingness just before it could make contact.
...
..
.
"Bell, what was that!?" Hestia shrieked, completely bewildered.
"Did you both see that string, too?" Astraea asked, though the answer was obvious.
"I saw it, but what was it? I've never seen anything like it." Hestia said, bringing a hand to her head and ruffling her hair as she wracked her brain.
"Bell, do you know what that was?" Astraea pressed, her eyes locked on the fading wheel above his head.
"That was the connection every Falna has to its creator, Ouranos," Bell explained, lowering his head back down.
"Through it... he can likely pinpoint the exact location of every adventurer with an active Falna."
Astraea absorbed his words and immediately reached a conclusion.
"So... your wheel adapted to block it? Isolating your connection from Ouranos?" Her tone was firm as she summoned a piece of parchment, engraving his updated Falna upon it.
She waited a moment before looking at the results.
What she saw... was something else.
[Name: Bell Cranel
Level - 2 (↑)
Attributes (Astraea Falna) -
Strength: 999 [S]
Endurance: 999 [S]
Dexterity: 999 [S]
Agility: 999 [S]
Magic: 999 [S]
Attributes (Hestia Falna) -
Strength: 999 [S]
Endurance: 999 [S]
Dexterity: 999 [S]
Agility: 999 [S]
Magic: 999 [S]
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 ***********.
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 - Monster created by ***.
Development Skills:
Adaptability - Affinity + 5% ]
Hestia stopped pulling at her hair and peeked at the parchment, feeling only a mild shock.
She was slowly growing numb to the sheer absurdity of Bell's stats.
Other goddesses had told her that getting even a single S-Rank in any attribute was enough to make them brag to the heavens for a solid year. Yet... she couldn't brag about her Bell to anyone.
Wuu... wuu... It was so pitiful.
Meanwhile, a pressing question had taken root in Astraea's mind.
Why would Bell's wheel adapt against a connection to Ouranos? Did it deem the God of Sky a threat to Bell? And if so... why?
She stared at the golden wheel etched into his back, unable to shake the feeling that she was on the verge of uncovering... something.
...
..
.
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[8 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Authors Thoughts]
A good day to you all everyone!