NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: chapter 3
It was morning when All For One stepped out of the dump Hestia calls a home, a rare smile curling his lips as he made his way to bable to meet with Miss tulle to get a weapon. For the first time since waking up in this feeble body, he was in a decent mood.
The previous night had been productive and irritating. Hestia, overly concerned, stayed up waiting for his return. She scolded him—him, the terror of heroes, the undisputed ruler of Japan's criminal underworld, reprimanded like a child for coming home late. The indignity of it gnawed at him.
For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to incinerate her on the spot with the new skill he had "acquired." But All For One wasn't foolish enough to act on such impulses. Hestia had her uses. Through her, he gains legitimacy, a façade for his more... respectable ventures. Still, she grated on his nerves—an annoying, childish "god"
Pushing the thought aside, he focused on the more pressing matter: his newly acquired skill. Hestia wouldn't be aware of it until she updated his status, but it was already proving useful. More power meant more efficient monster hunting, and more monsters meant more money. Slowly, this new existence was becoming something he could work with.
As he passed the alley where he had claimed the skill, he noticed a small crowd gathering. Members of the Ganesha Familia were there, along with a few curious adventurers.
"Poor guy was burned alive," one adventurer muttered.
"There wasn't much left of him," a Ganesha member replied grimly. "We still don't know which Familia he belonged to."
All For One kept walking, not sparing them more than a passing glance. It was fortunate the fool had burned beyond recognition. No evidence, no suspicion. Convenient for him.
He reached Babel Tower and stood near the fountain, watching the hustle of adventurers and merchants. The adventurers hurried towards the dungeon, while the merchants shouts filled the air.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Cranel!" came a voice beside him. How did she manage to sneak up on him like that?
He turned to find Eina Tulle, her usual smile on display. "Not at all, Miss Tulle. I just arrived," he replied, studying her closely.
Today, she wore a white blouse with long sleeves, a small brown ribbon at the collar, and a short red pleated skirt that contrasted nicely with the blouse. Black knee-high socks completed the ensemble, giving her a balanced, casual look. Was this supposed to be a date? He thought they were here to buy weapons. Still, it didn't hurt to play along.
"You look lovely, Miss Tulle," he said smoothly. The reaction was instant—she blinked in surprise, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"O-oh, you think so?" she stammered, clearly flustered.
"Of course. I wouldn't lie to a lady," he said, keeping his voice light. He'd learned long ago that compliments disarmed people, especially women. They were easier to control that way.
Her face turned a deeper shade of pink. "T-thank you, Mr. Cranel."
"Just call me Bell," he said casually. "Formalities aren't necessary now that you're my advisor. We should get along more casually."
Eina glanced at him, smiling. "In that case, you can call me Eina."
Perfect. A close relationship with a Guild employee could prove quite beneficial in the future.
"Shall we move on to the weapon shop you mentioned?" he said. There was no time for idle chatter when he had more important things to handle.
"O-of course, follow me," she replied, leading the way toward Babel Tower.
---
Arriving at the tower, Eina led the way to an elevator. It was a surprising sight for him—this world was a strange mix of advanced and primitive. Magic stones could apparently be used to power anything.
"We're heading to the Hephaestus Familia floors. They should have something that suits you," Eina said, attempting to make small talk while the elevator ascended.
From his memories and from last night informative conversation with Syr, he knew the Hephaestus Familia's products were renowned for their quality. he doubted he could afford anything of theirs.
Sensing his silence, Eina elaborated. "Don't worry about the prices. We'll be going to the section where they sell products made by their new members. They might not be top-tier, but they're good enough for beginners."
"So, we're looking for copper among trash," he muttered under his breath,
Thankfully, she didn't seem to catch his comment.
When they arrived on the floor, Eina suggested, "Why don't we split up? That way, we can cover more ground and find something of value."
"Fine with me," he replied, heading off in a random direction, leaving Eina to her search.
With a balance of 13,450 valis—earned from his dive into the dungeon and his "rightfully acquired" funds from the late punk who he burned to crisps—he wasn't exactly swimming in wealth. And Most of the items in the shops seemed either overpriced or worthless.
He examined a shelf of daggers. Each piece was priced at 1,750 valis, with a "discount" for two at 3,500 valis. An absolute scam, he thought bitterly. The quality was even worse than the kitchen knife he'd broken the other day. He was fairly certain he could bend the blade with his bare hands.
"What do you think? They're good, right? If you buy two, I'll lower the price to just 3,000 valis!" A nearby merchant chimed in, flashing a forced smile—the same smile plastered on every other seller hawking their useless goods.
"These barely qualify as weapons. Are you sure this isn't a toy store? These wouldn't survive one use in the dungeon," he said flatly, disgusted by the blatant daylight robbery.
The merchant bristled, clearly offended. "Hey now, don't badmouth my fine products! You won't find better prices anywhere else in this market!"
"I bet the stick holding up this shelf is more durable than your 'fine products.' Is this all you have? Just these decorative poking sticks? Good day, sir." Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving the irate merchant fuming behind him.
This market is a waste, he thought. Anything worth buying was beyond his budget, and the things he could afford weren't worth the coin.
"Bell! There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Come with me—I found a good sword that might be just what you need!" Eina called out as she appeared at his side, startling him once again. She really had a knack for sneaking up on him.
"Sure, lead the way, Eina," he replied, following her to a shop filled with shelves lined with armor and weapons of all kinds—knives, daggers, swords, and more.
"This one, Bell," she gestured to a double-edged sword hanging on one of the racks. It didn't look particularly special, but he took it down to inspect it anyway.
The blade was decently sharp, leaving a faint mark when he tested its edge. He applied a bit of pressure to see if it would bend—it didn't. The sword seemed durable enough for what he needed at least it's not just a piece of Thin metal, he's looking to cut monsters with it not slap them with metal.
He checked the price tag attached to the handle: 6,825 valis. A little more than he had hoped to spend, but he knew he couldn't be too stingy. He needed to invest in better gear if he wanted to survive, let alone thrive.
"This will suffice for now. Good find, Eina," he said, offering her one of his small smile.
Eina's face lit up with pride. "No problem, Bell! I'm happy I could help!"
They made their way to the counter, where he paid for the sword. It even came with a free scabbard—a functional addition. All things considered, he was satisfied with his purchases.
Once they left the tower, he bid Eina farewell and made his way to the dungeon. It was time to test both his new weapon and his newly acquired skill.
---
Shuffling in the dark—a sound all too common in the dungeon. Then came the screams, followed by silence. Again, Very common in the dungeon. Another poor adventurer met his end within seconds. Pathetic.
All For One made his way toward the source of the screams, navigating through a narrow, dark passage. He soon spotted three goblins, clawing and gnawing at their latest victim with their sharp nails and teeth.
He moved closer, careful not to alert the creatures, who were too preoccupied with their feast to notice him.
When he was about ten steps away, he decided it was the perfect distance to test his new skill. He prepared himself mentally. Magic drained him, and overuse could lead to something called "Mind Zero," a state that could be dangerous when surrounded by monsters.
Focusing, he aimed with his right hand and muttered, "Fireball."
Instantly, a large fireball, the size of his head, formed in his palm. Unlike some fire quirks, this magic didn't come with the typical side effects of burning it's user, which was a relief to him. With a swift motion, he launched the fireball toward the goblin. Oblivious to his presence, the creature screeched in agony as the flames engulfed it, reducing it to a crisp.
Using magic felt surprisingly natural—almost like using a quirk. The process was instinctual, as though his body already knew exactly how to shape and control the power without any real effort.
The remaining goblins shrieked and charged at him.
That attack drained more from him than expected. He'd need to conserve his mental strength, so for the next one, he decided to put in less effort.
"Fireball," he muttered again, this time with less concentration. A smaller fireball, roughly the size of his fist, materialized in his hand. It wouldn't finish the goblin, but it would certainly hurt it.
He launched the fireball, and while it wasn't as fast, it was still quick enough that the goblin couldn't dodge. Not that these creatures had the intelligence to dodge. The fireball collided with the goblin, causing it to scream and stumble to the ground. It was injured but not yet dead.
This time, the mental drain was much less. Good.
The third goblin was getting too close for another fireball, so he unsheathed his sword. The creature lunged at him, attempting to scratch him with its long nails. All For One took a step back, sidestepping the attack.
Pathetic creatures—driven by base instincts, incapable of any meaningful strategy.
The goblin lunged again, and this time, he evaded to the right, and slicing its throat in the process. The goblin gurgled, choking on its own blood, before collapsing into a black cloud of dust, leaving behind a magic stone.
The half-burned goblin was still writhing on the ground, screeching in pain. He didn't bother using his sword on it. Instead, he stomped on its head, crushing its skull underfoot. He liked the sensation of its bones cracking beneath his heel.
After collecting the stones from the goblins, he found that the one he burned to ashes had lost its magic stone as well. A shame.
He glanced at the fallen adventurer—the goblins' original victim. A young man, probably not much older than himself, face barley recognizable, clad in light armor with a dagger lying beside him.
He stripped the armor off the corpse, inspecting the dagger. It wasn't great, but it would last for a few dungeon runs. The armor, however, was a different story.
Inside the armor's plate was an inscription: 'Guild-issued starter pack.' That meant it was bought through a guild loan. He couldn't wear it openly—if the guild recognized it, they'd likely demand its return or payment for it. But the dagger? No one would care about that. there was no inscription on it.
"At least your death wasn't completely in vain," he sneered at the unfortunate soul, taking the small bag of monster stones from the body. Only three kills—not much, but good enough.
All For One continued his dungeon dive, cutting through groups of goblins and kobolds, alternating between his sword, dagger, and fireball. By the time he reached the third floor—where Eina had warned him not to venture—he decided to heed her advice. He had collected 14 magic stones from his kills, plus the three he took from the adventurer. His pouch couldn't hold much more anyway. It was time to head back.
He'll have to get a bag.
---
At the guild, after exchanging his cores, his total earnings came to 20,400 valis. Eina looked genuinely surprised.
"Bell, this is incredible! You managed to gather what would normally take five level-one adventurers to collect!" she exclaimed, clearly impressed.
If dealing with Green brats and Stray dogs was considered difficult for a group of five gods-blessed adventurers, then he questioned the intelligence of everyone here. It was simply a matter of dodging and attacking. Nothing complex.
"It's all thanks to your advice about the monsters," he said with a smile, it was him of course doing all the work, but flattery would serve him well in the future.
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, Bell. It's your hard work that got all those monsters, not my lectures," she said, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. This girl was easy to fluster.
"Are you open for another lesson, Bell? This time, we'll cover the fourth and fifth floors. It'll be useful for you to know about them early so you don't get caught off guard," Eina offered.
That sounded far more productive than returning to that useless goddess's shabby home.
"Please, lead the way, Eina," he said, smiling eagerly.
---
All For One exited the guild building just as the sun began to set. His latest lessons with Eina had proven invaluable, further solidifying her place as his favorite pawn. Of course, it's not considered being a pawn for doing her work—but he liked to think of it that way.
His second day had been productive. His current balance sat at exactly 27,025 valis—not much compared to higher-level adventurers, but as Eina had pointed out, for a Level One, it was a small fortune.
As he made his way back to the church, his thoughts shifted to his next priorities.
"I need to buy a bag before heading into the dungeon again," he mused.
His pouch was small and couldn't store many magic stones. He had collected 14 today, barely breaking a sweat. With his New skill and New sword, he thought he could've easily gotten double that amount.
Upon reaching the church, he descended to the basement. He was so lost in thought that he failed to dodge the white blur charging toward him this time.
"Oof!"
He stumbled back, momentarily disoriented, as small arms wrapped around him. His "goddess" had flung herself at him once again.
"What do you think you're doing, Hestia?" he asked flatly, utterly unimpressed.
"Giving my only child a 'welcome back' hug, of course!" she chirped, smiling up at him.
'Calm down. You need her for legitimacy,' All For One reminded himself. Smashing her head in would be counterproductive.
Suppressing a sigh, he ignored her antics and moved to the bed, dragging her with him as she clung to him. He removed his shirt and laid down.
Understanding what he wanted, Hestia climbed off him and began updating his status. "Bell-kun, why are you so cruel to your cute goddess?" she whined, feigning a sniff. "Kids these days are so ungrateful!" She slapped him lightly on the back, to which he gave no reaction.
In the middle of her status update, Hestia gasped—her eyes widening in realization.
"Bell! Did you use your skill? You promised me you wouldn't!" Her tone was sharp with concern.
shut up already.
"It was in self-defense," he said, his voice even. "It was either me or him. He was going to attack me with the skill, so I chose myself over him. Or would you have preferred I let him kill me?"
Hestia's face paled at the implication. "You… you killed someone? Why?"
He exhaled, clearly growing weary of the conversation. "I just told you why. Now, finish the update."
"But—why—" she stammered, before huffing in frustration. "Fine! I'll forgive you this once," she grumbled, slapping him again with little force.
After a few more moments, he felt a piece of paper being pressed against his back, and Hestia climbed off him. She handed him the paper, her expression petulant.
"Here's your update, Mr. 'I'll Break Promises!'" She glared at him, eyes watery, before turning on her heel.
He glanced up, annoyance visible in his face. "Where are you going?"
"To see my friends!" she yelled, stomping up the stairs. "Don't bother waiting for me—I won't be home tonight!"
"Brat," he muttered under his breath.
Turning his attention to the status sheet, a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.
Now, this is more like it.
---
Bell Cranel, Level 1 Adventurer
Strength: 12 I → 19 I
Endurance: 7 I → 10 I
Dexterity: 8 I → 12 I
Agility: 9 I → 16 I
Magic: 15 I
Skills:
All For One, Fireball
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End of chapter 3
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AN: I have no idea what I'm doing.