MTLNOVEL Chapter 23: chapter 23
"Humans are so fragile."
---
"Keaks, stop staring, it's rude," Asfi ordered stoically, arms crossed as she waited for their informant to show up.
"But Asfi-chan!" Keaks whined childishly. "Look at those noobs over there! It'll be the easiest match in my record!" He gestured toward a table occupied by a sour-faced group of adventurers, clearly on a losing streak.
Asfi ignored his protest. She wasn't here to gamble—she was here to gather intel.
"Here" was a bar run by an Anansi Familia member, at least according to her sources. That was until a noticeable shift in management occurred recently.
Keaks had been the first to notice something was off. Having gambled away his earnings here more times than he cared to admit, he immediately sensed a shift in the establishment's atmosphere during his last visit.
His exact words were that the place "had become too tight"—with increased security measures being put in place.
There was no solid proof of a management change, but one of her informants had reported the complete disappearance of the previous overseer, leaving the official owner—an elf—as the only apparent "boss" in charge.
Not one to waste time, Asfi left the final preparations for their upcoming expedition in Falgar's hands and accompanied Keaks to meet one of his drinking 'buddies'—a regular at the bar who supposedly had a few dealings with the boss.
Hermes-sama had entrusted her with the task of collecting any evidence or news regarding this Familia, and she was just doing that.
"Where is he?" she muttered, her tone laced with mild irritation. This was why she preferred professional brokers over unreliable contacts.
Keaks chuckled nervously. "He'll show up, don't worry," he assured her. "Besides, this is like a dream come true!" He gestured to the drinks before them. "I never thought I'd see the day we go out on a date!"
Asfi rolled her eyes, not even bothering to humor the idea. How many rejections would it take before Keaks finally found someone else to pester?
"Yo, Keaks," a voice called, snapping their attention toward it.
A pallum met their gaze, his brown hair reflecting the dim light of the establishment. His attire was plain—civilian clothing with nothing remarkable about it.
"Still got a liver, or did you already drink it into retirement?" he teased as he slid into a seat without waiting for permission.
Keaks laughed at the remark. "I was gonna, seeing how you took your sweet time showing up, Cain."
Cain smirked, shrugging lazily. "Time's just a suggestion, Keaks. A good drink, though? That's the real priority."
His gaze shifted to Asfi, eyes flicking over her in an appraising manner.
"Who's the eye candy?" he asked, flashing her a wink.
Asfi's eye twitched at the comment, but she kept her expression neutral. They needed information from him—snapping over petty remarks wouldn't be ideal.
Keaks coughed into his hand. "Not important," he answered, pouring a drink for Cain, who accepted it without hesitation.
Cain leaned back, swirling his drink lazily before setting it down. "So, Keaks," he drawled, a slow smirk tugging at his lips, "you drag me here just to chase another round of that? Thought you'd have learned to sip slower by now."
Keak's face paled at his words, "N-no!" He waved his hands in alarm, sweating bullets. "I just wanted to ask a few questions."
Asfi raised an eyebrow. What exactly is 'that' they're talking about?
"Ho~?" Cain's smirk faded, replaced by a more serious expression as he leaned forward. "I'm no charity, Keaks, you know that."
Keaks was about to speak, but Asfi cut in first.
"We're aware of that." She placed a pouch before him. "That should cover your trouble." It's always smoother to get answers from informants with advance payment.
Cain studied her for a moment before slowly reaching for the money, slipping it into his bag without even checking the amount.
"What do you wish to know?"
---
Bell Cranel: Level 1 Adventurer
Strength: 300 → 303 F
Endurance: 148 → 150 H
Dexterity: 137 → 139 H
Agility: 228 → 231 G
Magic: 170 → 180 H
Skills:
All For One, Feral Clarity, Durak'gor
Magic: Fireball, Raijin, Hellhound X9, Aeroblastica
Development Abilities:
Abnormal Resistance I
---
"And he traded it just like that?" Hestia asked skeptically, suspicion lacing her voice. Her eyes flickered over the updated Status sheet, zeroing in on the new addition. Aeroblastica. A wind-element Magic. A powerful one, too. Something like this wasn't easily tossed away.
All For One met her gaze evenly, carefully choosing his next words. His mind remained tranquil, his posture unflinching. "he was a Pallum that wanted a powerful magic." he said smoothly, his voice measured.
A simple, vague truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
Hestia frowned slightly. Something felt off. Her divine senses weren't detecting a lie, but that didn't mean she was reassured.
She was beginning to suspect that her Bell-kun was clever enough to circumvent her divine perception.
Her lips parted slightly, hesitation evident in her eyes. "D-Did you…" she began weakly, her voice almost fragile. Her fingers clenched at the parchment, her knuckles paling.
This was it.
The moment of truth.
A direct question he couldn't evade.
"D-Did you kill anyone for this power?"
The words hung in the air, heavy, suffocating.
She still remembered that night. His proposal. His quiet, unwavering voice telling her exactly what he intended to do.
He needed to grow stronger. His methods, however, had shaken her to her core.
In exchange for not killing anyone anymore, Bell-kun had proposed to trade abilities for other abilities that their owners no longer wanted.
It sounded reasonable—at least on the surface. If someone didn't want their power, then Bell-kun could take it away and grant them something better. A fair trade. A logical exchange.
And yet...
She had only agreed reluctantly. Very reluctantly.
She didn't want him to use his Skill at all. But she knew this was the best compromise she could hope for. If she refused, if she tried to force him to not use his Skill entirely…
He would continue killing for power while ignoring her entirely.
All For One's gaze remained impassive as he faced her, his expression unreadable. "I did not kill anyone for that power," he answered calmly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Technically, it was the truth.
He hadn't killed anyone.
The Pallum had been the one to cause that Elf's gruesome demise—burned to a crisp.
But All For One had orchestrated the outcome.
He had enabled it.
And he was uncertain if Hestia's divine perception could sense that subtle, insidious truth lurking beneath his carefully chosen words.
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
All For One remained still, waiting for her reaction. Would she sigh in relief? Would she break down in anguish, sensing the deception buried beneath his answer?
Nothing.
Not a word.
He exhaled slowly, breaking the silence himself.
"I did this…" he began, his voice steady, measured, "so you won't have to worry anymore."
Lifting his hand, he flexed his fingers experimentally, feeling the new power thrumming beneath his skin. Strong. Useful. His grip tightened into a fist before lowering again.
"It was all… for... you."
Another truth, given that the sole reason he was doing this was to get her to stop bothering him.
Warmth enveloped him suddenly.
Hestia's arms wrapped around his frame, her embrace gentle, almost fragile. Her scent filled his senses.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling, yet filled with relief. "Thank you for listening, Bell…"
Soft sniffles broke the silence.
All For One remained still, letting her pour out whatever emotions she needed. His gaze drifted past her, settling on the calendar pinned to the wall.
A simple thing. Unremarkable.
And yet…
Each day was marked. Carefully. Neatly.
She had been keeping track ever since he joined her.
Every single day.
She hadn't forgotten.
Not even once.
He wanted to sneer at the childish thing but decided to overlook it.
Sentimental foolishness...
---
Naaza made her way to the Blue Pharmacy, her steps steady. Physically, she was completely fine—her Level Three status made sure of that.
Mentally, however… she was far from being in top shape.
Her mind wandered back to her first "shift" at the factory.
After her little tour with that elf girl, Lia, she had been informed that they still hadn't found a trusted candidate for an assistant role. Apparently, the number of alchemists and pharmacists willing to make drugs wasn't exactly high.
Naaza had simply shrugged it off. While having a helping hand wouldn't be bad, she had been confident she could "cook" the agreed amount of pills without an assistant.
That… turned out to be untrue.
Her twitching eyes could testify to that.
There were just too many damn pills! She couldn't oversee every batch she finished.
The shortage of hands had resulted in some of the pills going bad—an outcome she found completely unacceptable for the professional image she was trying to construct.
At least she was paid in advance…
A thought crossed her mind as she neared the pharmacy: Just how had this Shigaraki guy managed to secure a Guild account in her name without her consent?
The Guild really should tighten its security measures…
Naaza's eyes picked up an annoyingly familiar figure in the distance. The overwhelming scent of perfume, applied in an offensively exaggerated amount, invaded her nose even from this far away.
"Thank you, Miach-sama. The tea was lovely," Armid said in a soft voice, her exaggerated politeness not going unnoticed by Naaza.
"It was a gift from a Far Eastern friend of mine—it's quite rare in this part of the world," Miach replied, his tone polite and, as always, utterly ignorant of what was truly happening.
Naaza's eye twitched.
What was this bitch doing here?
And she was having tea with Miach-sama!?
How dare she!
Her pace quickened, eyes narrowing as she honed in on Armid like a predator locking onto prey.
Miach, ever the oblivious one, noticed her approach and greeted her warmly. "Oh! Welcome back, Naaza!" Then, gesturing toward the unwelcome guest before him, he explained, "Armid here was just relaying a letter from Dian Cecht." His voice remained neutral, but Naaza caught the slight twitch of his eye at the mention of that god's name.
"I see…" Naaza responded, her own eye twitching—not from exhaustion this time, but from sheer annoyance. "I suppose she's done, then?"
"Oh yes, I was just seeing her off now," Miach confirmed. That answer eased Naaza's irritation, if only slightly.
"I'm grateful for your hospitality, Miach-sama. I'll be on my way now," Armid finally spoke up, excusing herself with a graceful nod.
But Miach raised a polite hand, stopping her. "Hold on one minute, Armid."
Naaza bristled.
"I'll get you some of that tea—it's good for a lovely young woman's health," Miach added kindly before heading inside the pharmacy.
Naaza nearly choked.
While his intentions were innocent and kind, his choice of words, however…
Armid blushed. "O-Okay…" she stammered, her usual composure slipping for a moment.
Naaza gritted her teeth.
What was Miach-sama doing!? This was not the person he should be practicing his flirting skills with!
That playboy!
Armid shifted uncomfortably under Naaza's glare, clearly feeling the weight of her discontent.
"Uhh…" Armid hesitated before attempting small talk. "H-how have you been, Naaza?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Fine before seeing you," Naaza replied bluntly, not even bothering to hide her disdain.
Armid looked hurt but said nothing. It was better not to worsen their already fragile relationship with unnecessary pettiness.
Naaza calmly reached into her bag, pulling out a checkbook. Without hesitation, she wrote down double the agreed-upon monthly payment for their debt.
"Here," she said, holding the check toward Armid, who eyed it with confusion.
"It's not payment day," Armid pointed out, as if Naaza didn't already know that.
"It's the start of the month. Take what we owe you. I don't want to see Dian Cecht collecting," she insisted with a forced smile, her patience for that old bastard wearing dangerously thin.
Armid slowly took the check, her eyes catching the extra amount.
"Hope he chokes on it," Naaza muttered under her breath, her tone dripping with venom.
Armid barely caught the words but chose to ignore them, securing the check just as Miach returned with a small bag in hand.
"Here, make sure to take care of yourself," he said kindly as he handed her the tea leaves.
Armid accepted it gently, bowing toward him with a polite, "Thank you, Miach-sama."
Straightening up, she spared Naaza one last glance before taking her leave, her steps calm and unhurried.
"Bitch," Naaza muttered under her breath as she watched Armid disappear around a corner.
"What was that, Naaza?" Miach asked, having caught her muttering.
"Nothing," Naaza replied smoothly. "Let's go inside, Miach-sama."
The mental exhaustion from her work was creeping back with a vengeance.
Miach nodded, likely noticing her fatigued expression.
Once inside, Naaza collapsed onto the sofa at the back of the pharmacy.
"How was your first day? Did anyone get hurt during work?" Miach asked curiously, heading toward the kitchen—likely to start preparing dinner.
Naaza tensed slightly. If she screwed up her answer, Miach-sama might suspect something.
As far as he knew, she was working as a medical assistant—a carefully crafted half-truth. She had even convinced Lia to change her official occupation to "nurse" at the factory to reinforce the cover.
"It was fine. One of the workers cut his hand badly, but I patched it up for him," she finally answered.
It was the truth.
During a break from her "cooking," she had stepped outside to get some air when she saw a worker injure himself. He had gotten his hand stuck inside a pipe while cleaning it and cut himself pulling it out forcefully.
She had patched him up, as expected of the factory's so-called nurse.
And conveniently, this little act of goodwill only reinforced the legitimacy of her half-truth—making it even harder for Miach-sama's divine perception to pick up on any deceit.
"I hope he's alright," Miach said with slight concern before returning to his cooking.
Naaza hummed in agreement and pulled out the strange purple vial that creepy guy had given her.
She had encountered purple potions before, each with different effects, but this one was… odd. Vibrant in color, yet diluted. She squinted at the liquid, easily seeing through the vial.
Maybe she should test it later.
"Oh!" Miach's sudden exclamation cut through her thoughts. He quickly approached, plucking the vial from her hand.
"This is a Gnosis! Where did you get it?" he asked eagerly.
Naaza raised an eyebrow. A Gnosis?
"A coworker gave it to me," she answered truthfully. No need to lie about something she herself didn't understand. "What does it do?" she asked curiously.
"It's a mind-related potion. It enhances your senses—sight, scent, hearing, and overall perception of the world," Miach explained, uncorking the vial and taking a careful sniff. "It was commonly used by religious groups for meditation before the gods descended to the mortal realm. Although the method of making it was lost to most mortals."
He took a small sip and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I'm positive. Although slightly diluted, it's definitely a Gnosis."
Handing the vial back to her, he added, "Your coworker must be very talented to be able to make something like this." He sounded genuinely impressed.
Naaza observed the vial again. "Talented, huh?" she muttered to herself.
He had mentioned wanting to help her.
If he was truly talented, why was he getting involved in such an illegal business?
She eyed the vial thoughtfully.
She would be testing it before making up her mind.
It wasn't every day a creepy guy handed you a mysterious potion, after all.
---
One month, one week, and two days since joining the Hestia Familia.
---
A flash of gold streaked toward the awaiting elf, its speed inhuman, but Lefiya remained focused, her stance unwavering.
She pushed away the fear of being struck by Ais's sheath—again—as she prepared her spell, mentally racing through the chant.
Ais raised her sheath for a light swing, not intending to hurt Lefiya. The rules of their spar were simple: whoever landed a hit first won. There was no need for excessive force.
Just as she was about to strike, Ais abruptly leapt back, her keen senses alerting her to the upcoming danger.
"Arcs Ray!"
Lefiya's voice rang out with unwavering resolve as a bright arrow of light shot toward Ais at an alarming speed.
Ais smiled at the successful casting. That was a new record time for Lefiya.
Unfortunately for the elf, even her faster casting was a trivial challenge for Orario's most recent Level Six adventurer.
With little effort, Ais slid under the beam, closing the distance in an instant. The sheer force of her approach sent dirt flying in her wake.
Lefiya barely had time to react before a light tap from Ais's sheath struck her, sending her to the ground. And just like that, their spar was over.
The explosion of Arcs Ray echoed behind them, likely Lefiya subconsciously setting it off in an attempt to stop Ais.
Ais placed her sheath on her hilt and glanced down at her unofficial student, watching as Lefiya slowly pushed herself upright.
"You were pretty good, Lefiya," Ais said with an encouraging smile, hoping this loss wouldn't sour the elf's mood.
A faint sniffle reached her ears. Lefiya's grip tightened around her staff, her face lowered.
"As expected from Ais-san," she mumbled, "always trying to lift her Familia's spirits."
Ais fumbled briefly. Did she say something wrong? Did her words hurt her!?
"But I actually did it this time, Ais-san!" Lefiya suddenly looked up, her face breaking into a beaming smile. A few tears of happiness streamed freely down her cheeks.
Ais sighed in relief. She was glad Lefiya wasn't beating herself up over not winning against a Level Six. "Let's head out for today. You need to rest."
Lefiya nodded enthusiastically, still riding the high of her success. A faster chant meant she could help her Familia in desperate moments—it was real progress!
Together, the two began making their way toward the dungeon's exit, silence stretching between them.
Ais took the opportunity to study Lefiya carefully. She had undeniably made some progress regarding her magic with these spars.
After the incident at Monsterphilia, Ais had been surprised and guilty to learn that Lefiya and the others had been caught in the chaos, forced to battle the plant-like monsters that had unexpectedly erupted within the stadium.
Despite their efforts—especially Lefiya's significant contribution with her wide-area magic—casualties had been inevitable. Too many civilians had fallen to the foul creatures.
In the aftermath, the Guild had shut down the festival and launched a relentless investigation to uncover the mastermind behind the attack. The people of Orario, however, were not satisfied with waiting. Many blamed the Guild and Ganesha Familia for failing to protect their loved ones.
There was also a small team trying to uncover the identity of the person behind the release of monsters that were kept for the taming event. They theorized that this may have been a deliberate strategy. suggesting that the perpetrator had used it to create an illusion of control—making the Ganesha Familia believe that they had the situation in hand, only for disaster to strike when their guard was lowered.
Ais wasn't privy to all the details, but she knew that Finn and Loki had personally inspected the abandoned sewers beneath the stadium, searching for any clues.
The prime suspect? That red-haired tamer from the 18th-floor.
Ais clenched her fists at the thought of that woman.
Shoving the anger aside for now, she refocused on Lefiya.
She had been caught off-guard when Lefiya first approached her, requesting to train under her. Ais had never seen herself as a teacher—something made all the more apparent when she accidentally knocked Lefiya unconscious during their first spar.
And yet, despite everything, Lefiya had insisted on continuing, her determination burning stronger than ever.
Ais couldn't help but wonder—what had sparked this sudden, urgent desire for strength?
"Lefiya…"
The elf perked up at the sound of her name.
"Why do you want to be stronger?" Ais asked, genuine curiosity in her tone.
Lefiya's gaze flickered away. Her cheeks turned pink at the sudden question. "O-oh, w-well…" she stammered. "I… I want to be strong enough to help Ais-san and the others. I-I don't want to be a burden on anyone." She let out a sheepish laugh, but her words carried sincerity.
Ais got a feeling Lefiya was holding something back. But if she wasn't comfortable sharing, it wasn't Ais's place to force her.
"AGHHH!"
A sudden, terror-filled monster scream shattered the moment.
Both girls halted, exchanging curious glances.
They resumed walking, albeit at a slower pace. They hadn't delved deep into the dungeon today—only reaching the Fifth Floor, as their main goal had been sparring. Extra monsters would have been a nuisance.
Approaching the floor's exit, they peeked ahead, curiosity piqued.
A white-and-black crackle darted through a group of goblins, cutting them down in rapid succession. Blue fire erupted from his hands, incinerating entire clusters of monsters.
"Waagh!"
A few desperate goblins charged at him, unwilling to die like cattle.
The blur stopped. The black lightning crackling around him faded. His white hair gleamed under the dim dungeon light.
Ais's eyes widened in instant recognition.
Bell Cranel.
"Annoying," Bell muttered coldly. His crimson eyes pierced through the remaining goblins. He raised a hand.
Ais's heightened senses caught his low mutter—"Hellhounds times three plus Fireball"—just before a blue fireball streaked toward the incoming goblins.
The flames consumed them instantly, leaving only charred corpses in its wake.
With an irritated sigh, Bell turned away and headed deeper—toward the Fifth Floor. Completely unaware of the two girls watching him.
"...What was that?" Ais muttered, her mind racing. Did he manifest a new magic? The blue flames seemed powerful, and the black lightning seems to give him speed enhancement like her Arial magic.
Shoving her curiosity away, she quickly reminded herself that this was her chance.
She could finally ask him why he hated her so much!
And… why he's so cocky around first class adventurers.
She turned to Lefiya. "Lefiya, will you be able to head back alo—"
Her words died in her throat.
Lefiya looked… dead.
The color had drained from her face. Every ounce of the earlier happiness had vanished from her expression.
Ais could barely make out the whispers spilling from her lips—repeated over and over like a broken record. "He knows concurrent chanting and I don't."
"Uhh…" Ais hesitated, torn between concern for Lefiya and the urge to follow Bell. "...Lefiya, can you head back alone?"
The elf slowly lifted her head, her hollow eyes staring through Ais.
"...Yeah," she murmured before sluggishly stumbling away, still whispering to herself. "He knows concurrent chanting and I don't."
Ais watched her go, briefly reconsidering whether it was wise to leave her alone.
"...She'll be fine."
Decision made, she turned and sprinted after Bell.
She hoped he wouldn't think she was stalking him.
---
The End
---
Hello there!
Back with a short chapter—mostly just a warm-up to get back into writing properly.
Wondering why it took so long to update? Well, I was refining, of course! I went through the older chapters, did a full refinement, and even some rewrites.
Now, onto the big changes so you don't have to reread everything:
Monsters no longer turn to dust—they now follow their novel/manga-style deaths.
Added more scenes between Ryuu and Syr.
Bob and Mike are gone, replaced with a more well-thought-out duo: Jon and Eddard (or Ed for short).
All For One and Lili's first face-to-face meeting has changed, along with his approach to manipulating her.
When Canoe causes trouble at the casino, Aisha is introduced.
The Anansi Familia now has only eight members, but three are already dead, leaving five active ones.
A new character has been added, basically a Venom Snake ripoff who's part of the Anansi Familia.
At the Monsterphilia, it's no longer the Anansi Familia releasing the monsters—it's Enyo.
That's all the major changes I can remember! I didn't reread all the chapters before writing this, but don't worry—most of the updates were just refinements, and the core story remains the same.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!