Danmachi: Scavenger

"Mr. Bell!" Liliruca called out, pointing directly at Rex's face. "Lili found the guy that led the Minotaur on the eighth floor to us! Now he's selling our stuff!"

'Snitch!' Rex shouted, almost feeling like calling the girl by her entire government information to get her to shut up.

Hestia's eyes immediately flashed with indignation as she looked at Rex. "You!" She jabbed a finger in Rex's direction, her voice slightly shrill and brimming with accusation. "You're the jerk who passed that Minotaur to Bell?!"

Her pigtails bounced as she stomped forward, looking down at him with fierce determination, causing Rex to sigh internally. "He could have also run from the Minotaur but chose to stay and fight, so I am technically not at fault." He said. 

She was about to continue when Hermes interjected with an airy laugh. "Now, now, Lady Hestia," he said, stepping forward with his hands raised in a placating gesture. His lazy smile never left his face, but his eyes glinted with curiosity as he studied Rex. "It seems things turned out quite favorably for Bell, no?"

"That's not the point, Hermes!" Hestia snapped, rounding on him next. "What if something worse had happened?!" She spun back to Rex. "And then you steal their equipment?!"

"I found these while come down." Rex gestured at the equipments. "And you should know the scavenger's rights. Finders keepers. If you want it, you have to buy it back."

"Scavenger's theft," Liliruca hissed, her tail lashing.

Hestia growled then glanced back at Asfi for confirmation, and the blue-haired captain gave a curt nod. Turning back to Rex, Hestia jabbed a finger at him. "Then, as payback for putting Bell in danger, give us our weapons for—"

Her words were cut off when a gray-haired catman suddenly casually walked through the group, carrying a sack. Rex recognized him instantly—it was the rogue from the group that had robbed him twice yesterday. 

Without a word, the catman squatted in front of Rex's spread-out items and began stuffing them into his bag one by one, as if he owned everything. He stood up, glanced at the broadsword Welf was holding, and snatched it from the confused young man's hand before walking away like nothing happened.

"Y-you—!" Liliruca stuttered, pointing at the catman as he disappeared into the crowd. "You just let him take everything for free! Even our stuff!"

"What do you expect me to do?" Rex shrugged as he picked up his cloak. "Fight a Level 3 for stuff that isn't mine?" 

He then stood up, his towering frame causing Lili to take a step back. "Welp," he said, picking up his bag, "since all my things are sold, I'll be on my way." He then turned to Bell. "And I apologize for that Minotaur."

"I'm curious," Asfi beside Hermes spoke up. "Why didn't a Level 2 simply kill the Minotaur instead of passing it off?"

Rex shrugged. "Now, have a wonderful day, strangers." 

With that, he walked away, leaving behind a fuming Liliruca and Hestia, while Welf just stared after him in confusion. Bell, however, looked at Rex's retreating back with a flicker of recognition. He couldn't quite pinpoint where he'd seen him before, but something about the man's amber eyes and demeanor felt familiar.

"That's him," Ais said, her golden eyes flicking to Bell. "He carried you."

"Eh?" Hestia and Lili exclaimed in unison.

Bell's memories clicked into place—the amber eyes, the towering figure, thehis back. "It's him!!!" he screamed as the man disappeared into the crowd. "I need to thank him!" He ran off.

Again, Hestia and Lili echoed, "Eh?" as they turned to Bell.

They had been told about how Bell, while carrying the other two, had been attacked by a wyvern on the 16th floor. But he was saved by a mysterious hero who seemed to have used a lot of high potions to heal them back to full health, then carried them down through the 17th floor and passed them on to Ais.

"The hero who saved you was that guy?!" Hestia shrieked in disbelief, pointing at the empty spot where Rex had stood. Ais nods once, her expression unchanging, causing Hestia to demand, "Why didn't you say something earlier Wallen-whatsit?!"

Ais tilted her head slightly but didn't respond as Bell returned with his head down. "I lost him..."

Rex, already distanced from the group, quickly made his way down from the island. 'If I had remembered they came to Rivira, I would have left sooner,' he thought, wearing his cloak then his bag on his back.

He doesn't mind interacting with the main cast, but he just wants to be alone like the loner he is and wait silently for Goliath to spawn. With that in mind, he retreated to the forest below, deciding to pass the time by hunting monsters, even some of the newer ones from the lower floors. Hours slipped by, and the afternoon light on the eighteenth floor intensified as the white and blue crystals embedded in the ceiling brightened.

'When the hell are the Loki Familia leaving?!' Rex roared internally, swinging his halberd in a wide arc to cleave a Battle Boar from the nineteenth floor clean in half at its waist.

The massive boar, standing two meters tall, collapsed with its insides spilling out like hot soup. 'Why are they just camping out on the eighteenth floor? It's already been a full day!' He almost wanted to shout. Was there something he was missing? Another butterfly effect caused by his presence? 'What the fuck!' 

Why was this Goliath edging him?

Sighing, Rex forced himself to calm down and crouched to scavenge the magic stone from the boar's remains. But as he reached for the boar's body, a rustling sound caught his attention. He glanced to the side and saw two figures emerging from the foliage: Bell Cranel and the god Hermes.

'...I'm nowhere near Loki's camp, though,' Rex thought, looking his eyes at the duo.

Noticing Rex bent over the boar's carcass, Bell's eyes widened, and he rushed forward, bowing deeply. "Th-thank you for saving us!" he stammered, his voice trembling. "I-I can't thank you enough! How can I repay you?!"

Rex sighed, pulling a dagger from his belt to make it seem like he was about to dig out the monster's magic stone. "You're the kid who leveled up in two months, right?" he asked, his tone casual. "Then I'll wait. When you become a first-class adventurer, I'll come and collect my payment."

Bell nodded, though he didn't fully understand the offer. Before he could respond, Hermes grabbed his hand. "Come on, Bell-kun. We're going to be late."

Rex nodded at the god. "I won't hold you up any longer," he said.

But Hermes stepped forward and placed a hand on Rex's shoulder. "You're coming with us."

Rex blinked, looking up at the god now standing in front of him. "Hmm?"

"Think of it as my payment for saving the hero's life," Hermes said with a sly smile.

'I don't remember much about Hermes, but this feels off…' Rex thought, waving a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. You two can hurry along to whatever you're doing—"

Hermes leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm sure a man like you would enjoy it."

'Oh?' Rex's curiosity piqued. "Alright," he said, standing up as Hermes stepped back with a satisfied grin. "Let's go."

Rex had left his bag in a relatively safe spot earlier, carrying only his halberd to avoid hindering his hunt, so he didn't need to retrieve it now. The trio began walking, with Hermes leading the way, Bell nervously twitching beside Rex, and Rex ignoring the boy's occasional glances.

They ventured deeper into the forest, and Rex grew increasingly confused. Finally, Hermes stopped in front of a thick, towering tree. "…This looks good," he said, suddenly scaling the trunk with practiced ease, and it was clear he'd done this before.

"Now, both of you, get up here." He said from a high branch.

Rex glanced around, his sharp ears picking up nothing unusual. Then he followed Bell up the tree, the boy stammering as he climbed. "E-excuse me, Lord Hermes?"

"Just as I thought," Hermes said, grinning like a madman, his eyes twinkling. "Have a look. These branches are strong enough to walk on." He pointed to a network of sturdy branches forming a hidden path through the canopy.

"Hoho!" Hermes laughed, stepping onto the first branch with confidence.

"L-Lord Hermes, didn't you… want to talk to me about something?!" Bell asked, hesitantly following.

"Talk?" Hermes glanced back, his grin widening. "I never said anything about talking, my boy." He then winked at Rex, who had been silently observing, and gave him a thumbs-up. 

Rex simply tilted his head in confusion. 'Is this some of-screen plot I don't remember?' 

The trio moved through the canopy, the light above shifting and filtering through the leaves as the branches creaked under their weight. Rex had left his halberd behind on the first tree to avoid cutting the branches, but his larger frame made navigating the path more challenging.

After a few minutes, Hermes suddenly stopped and looked back at the duo, his grin turning almost mischievous. He jerked his chin downward, signaling them to look below.

Rex and Bell peered down.

"!!!" In an instant, Rex's face darkened, a shadow falling over the top half of his face and his jaw dropping at the sight below him.

The sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees overhead, casting dappled patterns on the water and illuminating the scene with a warm, almost magical glow. Droplets of water caught the light, scattering it like tiny diamonds as they arced through the air, and the girls' hair clung to their skin, glistening wetly as they moved. 

The water clung to their skin, highlighting every curve and contour, and the sunlight seemed to caress them, enhancing their natural beauty. Hestia's was back stroking on the water, while Liliruca's was washing her arm with water. 

Mikoto's bath was briefly interrupted by a mischievous splash from Chigusa, who grinned impishly before diving beneath the surface to avoid retaliation. While the twin Amazonesses compared breast sizes, with Ais to the side silently moving a lock of golden hair behind her ear

He could see... everything. 

It was... beautiful—

'Wh-what kind of plot is this!?' Rex screamed internally, his face frozen in place. 'How didn't I hear this?' 

He hadn't heard the water, their voices, or anything else until he was already here. What the hell? Was this tunnel vision? Had he been too focused on Hermes and Bell to notice? What the fuck?

"He knows what's up." Rex heard Hermes' voice, and his head slowly turned toward the god. His expression didn't change as their eyes met. 

'We're dead,' Rex mouthed silently, and Hermes simply placed his index finger on his lips, smirking.

"This is a man's duty," Hermes whispered, his voice dripping with mischief. "Isn't this fun~?" He flashed the most disgusting smile Rex had ever seen, surpassing even Zanis'.

"L-let's go back, Lord Hermes!" Bell shouted, leaning forward as if to stand up and pull Hermes away.

"Ah, if you move too much…" Hermes began—

*Crack.*

The branch beneath them screamed out in pain. Rex's eyes widened, and without a second thought, he turned around sprinted across the bridge of branches they had come with, running with all his might. A loud splash erupted behind him as he bolted, but he didn't turn back. 

As he ran, he managed to glance down and noticed a group of heavily armored girls from the Loki Familia. They were standing guard in the forest below to stop men with evil desire from approving the bathing girl. Thankfully, they hadn't looked up as the black shadow flashed by.

Rex quickly reached the last tree, grabbed his halberd, and leaped down. He hit the ground running, darting through the forest at top speed, the leaves and rays of light flashing by. It took a few minutes before he finally stopped, breathing heavily.

*Whistle.*

Rex froze at the sound. 

"You're fast," came Hermes' voice. 

Rex only now noticed the god perched on his back, arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his waist like a child. "You know how to run away." Hermes grinned. "Have you done this before?"

"Get off me," Rex snapped, momentarily forgetting he was talking to a god. Hermes obliged, stepping off with a raised hand, palm upward.

"You enjoyed it, though," Hermes said, his smirk widening.

Rex shook his head firmly. "Nuh-uh."

Hermes pointed at something, and Rex looked down. His eyes widened as he noticed the tent in his pants. He deadpanned, then slapped it. "No horny." The tent began to shrink, much to Hermes' shock.

"You can control that!?" Hermes exclaimed, his interest piqued even further.

Rex bowed slightly, his tone formal. "Well, Lord Hermes, I'll be on my way." Before Hermes could respond, Rex turned and sprinted off again, hearing the sound of someone approaching quickly—probably one of the guards. He dashed to the spot where he'd hidden his bag, grabbed it, and disappeared into another part of the forest.

Now alone in this forest, Rex took the time to beat his little Rex… 

Maybe three, maybe five, he lost count and he only stopped when the sky turned black and night had fallen.

AND THE LOKI FAMILIA HADN'T LEFT!

"Two days?" Rex was starting to really wonder if he had fucked things up. 'Maybe there was a timeskip in the show.' He grumbled while eating a meat he had roasted with his fire breath. There was no seasoning, which made it tasteless and rough, but his sharp teeth easily tore through it.

He decided that when he was done eating, he would have to go and check if Goliath was killed. If it is, he will do some night hunting on the 17th floor... After resting. He was too tired after killing a few billion kids—

*BOOM*

The whole forest was suddenly brightened up when a pillar of light shot all the way up toward the sky with a loud boom, a single column of radiant light that was visible anywhere on the night floor. As the brilliant white flash of entangled beams struck the crystal-coated ceiling, the resulting explosion sent the monsters below it into a frenzy. The cacophonous array of frightened squawks echoed all throughout the eighteenth floor.

It came from the far east, not too far from his current position. Soon, the light disappeared and giant chunks of crystal started falling from the ceiling like glimmering blue rain.

'Welp.' Rex took his bag and his meat and started jumping from branch to branch, not curious enough to investigate the source of that magic.

He took this chance to check out Goliath, only to find it still alive, so he just hunted on the 18th floor for a while before finding a tree to enter reverie. That night, he was woken up once by a boar that kept charging to the tree to make him fall to kill him.

He got down, killed it, switched three, and returned to reverie. Apart from that, nothing else happened that night and he woke up in the morning to see Loki Familia was leaving. 

"FINALLY!" Rex roared to the sky, tears flowing down his eyes. "Finally..." He was starting to think something went wrong. Now, all he has to do is wait a few hours and see if Blackie will spawn.

But first, he decided to try to look for Bell and the others. Taking his bag hanging on the branch beside him, Rex made his way up a hill so he could have a better vantage point. He walked for a few minutes, finding his way to a tall hill that is only shorter than the island Rivira is located on—

'!!!'

The entire floor seemed to fall, the air becoming eerily still as an unseen pressure came down on everyone. 

'What the fuck?' As quick as it came, it left, leaving him stunned. 'What was that???' He looked towards the ceiling. Black Goliath wasn't spawning, so... 

His eyes widened as he remembered a part of the show where he had forgotten. "Was that Hestia divinity?" He rushed to the top of the hill to look for Hestia and the other and then...

The ground beneath his feet shook. No, the entire floor started shaking.

*Zhaa, zhaa*—the vibrations became more intense, causing the leaves to rub against one another. Every feature of the eighteenth floor seemed to shiver around him—the next moment… Something above them cast a massive shadow over the stage.

He looked up and a crazed grin slowly appeared on his face.

The entire ceiling of the eighteenth floor was covered in millions upon millions of crystals, each providing light, but the largest one of these, the 'sun' of the floor, had something inside it. A humanoid creature.

A piece of it reflected onto every surface of the massive white crystal, as if it were inside one big kaleidoscope, blocking the source of the light, each one of its movements casting a shadow across the vast landscape. Then—

*crack.*

Thick lines of cracks started appearing on the crystal as the thing started moving inside the crystal. Several pieces of crystal fell from the sky, glinting in the sky as they fell to the ground with loud booms, with more and more cracks appearing on the surface of the crystal as the black thing inside the crystal started punching and kicking from within. 

The monsters lurking in the forest howled at the 'sky,' the sound of their vicious howls mixed with the cracking sound coming from above and resonated through the whole landscape. A moment later, a new series of echoes joined the chorus from the south—a rockslide. 

Rex's head snapped in that direction, his grin remaining as he saw the exit to the 17th floor get blocked off. Same for the entrance to the 19th floor between the large root of the massive tree in the center of the floor. Roots moved and tangled like snakes, closing off the entrance.

The cracks were growing, scattering like a spiderweb of lightning as the thing stuck its face out from the top of the crystal, shaped like an open lotus flower, with a thunderous boom.

"Welcome..." Rex stretched his arm towards the sky like a devotee welcoming their god.

Its massive eyes glared at anything that moved as it stared down from above, then its shoulders and chest emerged with another explosion of crystal shards shooting out in all directions. With most of its upper body free, it opened its gigantic jaws.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

The creature roared and so did Rex.

"...Black GOLIATH!!!"

[Author's Note: Second half of the 6000 word chapter. Was it good? Honest opinion. I think it was good, but that's just me.

Next chapter will be the goliath fight. Might not post it tomorrow since I need time to actually sit down and map how the fight should go. Like should I switch between POVs? Stick to Rex's POV? All those good stuff. 

Also, if you're curious, the bright flash of light in the night is from a event that happened in Sword Oratoria. If you want to read more, I will post a link to the manga where you can read it in the paragraph comment.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Have a good day and Lelouch vi Britannia command you all... Stay Safe!]