is it wrong to try to build a criminal Empire?

"So, let me get this straight," Hestia said, arms crossed, a frown creasing her face. A sheet of paper lay beside her on the bed—his new status.

"You were walking out of the church to get some air, and some cat person tried hitting on you. You beat him up, then his friend who has a skill beat you up, after a fierce fight which you were losing, you were forced to use your skill to take his and then... killed him," she finished, her tone indicating that she doesn't buy it.

After healing his shoulder with the potion he bought from The blue pharmacy, he headed back to the church and collapsed, exhausted.

Now he is facing the wrath of his annoying goddess after he asked her to update his status again.

Though it stung his pride, he had no desire to explain himself further. "Yes, that's what happened, and your godly powers can sense my honesty. Now, give me the sheet," he demanded, irritation creeping into his voice. This interrogation was pointless, and he was eager to see how his stats had improved.

He had learned from Eina that adventurers could earn double the excelia when fighting stronger opponents. As much as he hated to admit it, the battle with Fang would've ended in defeat if the idiot hadn't been so overconfident.

With a sigh, Hestia finally spoke. "Why do you keep getting into fights?" Her voice cracked, worry seeping in. "What if someone saw you?! They'll tear us apart for that skill!" She crumpled the sheet into a ball and threw it at him.

He stared blankly at her before picking it up. "That's why I don't leave witnesses," he said, his voice icy as he unfolded the paper.

Hestia flinched but didn't argue further.

---

Bell Cranel, Level 1 Adventurer

Strength: 47 → 63 I

Endurance: 32 → 40 I

Dexterity: 34 → 47 I

Agility: 49 → 67 I

Magic: 35 → 50 I

Skills:

All For One, Fireball, Feral Clarity

---

Impressive. His stats had jumped significantly from only fighting a stronger mortal than himself.

"Feral Clarity, huh?" he muttered. The name fit. He could feel his senses heightened, perception faster, more aware, more precise. He'd have to test it soon.

Standing, he reached into his bag and pulled out a stack of cheques, handing half to the still-concerned Hestia.

"I opened a guild account for the Familia. Get what you want and use these to pay." he explained to her then turned to gather his gear.

Hestia, shaken by his coldness, managed a small smile. Maybe she was overthinking things. Bell was just defending himself, after all. She couldn't blame him for everything that went wrong.

Watching him leave the church, she decided to prepare something special for his return.

"Maybe I should get him some creamed fried potatoes?" she chirped, her mood brightening.

---

She'd better not get fried potatoes when he returned, or he'd cut her off from the Familia account. The only reason he gave her those cheques was to stop her from getting those awful things again.

He'd noticed her working at a fried potato stand recently—probably using the leftovers to save money. He appreciated the effort, but he hated fried potatoes.

Shoving the thought aside, he headed for Babel. It was time to get some armor before venturing deeper into the dungeon.

At the Hephaestus Familia market, where he'd purchased his sword, he ignored the shopkeeper's greetings and went straight to the armor section.

Scanning the sets on display, he wasn't impressed.

A metal bra and panties? Who would wear that for protection, aside from pleasing fetishtis?

His eyes fell on a box of armor pieces. Light armor, he guessed. He inspected them closely; decent quality, though the abdominal area seemed a little exposed. He'd need chainmail to make up for it, but it would do for now.

The price tag read 9,900 valis. Almost the same price as the mind potion he'd bought yesterday. Is this another trash? Why is it so cheap?

He bent the arm protector—solid. Maybe He finally found some cooper amidst all this trash.

Engraved on the armor was "Welf Crozzo." The maker's mark. He'd have to ask around if this guy sold his work cheaply. Maybe he'll commission a war shadow claw knife from him.

Satisfied, he took the box and a set of chainmails and wrote a cheque using the familia account savings, he handed the cheque and quickly went out. That left his familia account with 39,000 valis if his mental calculation were correct.

Maybe he'd try the seventh floor today, to get more money.

---

All For One sidestepped a frog's lashing tongue, continuing his sprint toward the offending creature. With a series of quick slashes, he ended its miserable existence with a stab to its singular, large eye.

No time for rest. He immediately ducked and did a back sweep, catching the War Shadow creeping behind him off guard. Without hesitation, he stood up and stomped on its foggy skull with all his strength, shattering it.

He threw his dagger at a closing Frog Shooter, striking it dead in the eye, finishing it instantly.

Blocking sharp claws with his sword, he faced two War Shadows attacking in unison. Trying to overwhelm him with their numbers.

Muttering, "Fireball," he conjured a blazing ball of fire in his free hand, consuming the shadows and reducing them to ash.

Breathing deeply, he scanned his surroundings. Nothing.

His new skill had proven most useful, heightening his senses, always sharp and precise, always keeping him a step ahead of these pathetic creatures.

Despite the close calls from over a dozen monsters encircling him earlier, he had managed to stay in control. The War Shadows were fast, but not fast enough.

His armor had been a wise investment—durable enough to withstand a full slash from one War Shadow's lucky hit, its knife-like claws unable to even scratch the material.

He quickly gathered the magic stones. From his mental calculation, he had collected at least 35. Not bad for two hours of work.

a puddle of Frog Shooter blood started trembling. His senses flared, eyes locking onto the puddle. It was still shaking.

He was preparing to head down after gathering the stones. Then He sensed it—huge steps, steadily approaching.

He was near the entrance to the seventh floor, this place was particularly big so getting encircled by monsters was rare.

Was there a monster on the seventh floor that could make such a ruckus? No. Eina would have informed him if there was.

He focused. His new skill told him there were at least ten. All heading his way. Not good.

This was unexpected.

Should he retreat?

No. Fleeing wasn't in his plans.

He took a few cautious steps back, waiting for the trouble to show itself.

A scream echoed from the entrance. A human adventurer, clad in light armor and holding a spear, came rushing towards him, panicked.

"Help! Minotaurs on the seventh floor! Someone, help!" the adventurer yelled, stumbling toward him.

Minotaurs? On the seventh floor? They belonged on the fifteenth. What were they doing here?

The adventurer tripped on a rock, falling flat on his face, but scrambled up, abandoning his spear in his desperation.

"Kid! Run! They'll crush you!" he screamed as he passed by.

All For One doubted that some overgrown cows could crush him.

The ground trembled harder, but he could sense the Minotaurs' numbers dwindling. Someone was taking care of them. Higher-level adventurers, perhaps?

The Loki Familia, maybe? They had been on an expedition in the deeper floors. Could they have returned and are dealing with this mess?

The timing was too coincidental. Why were the Minotaurs suddenly charging toward the higher floors just as the Loki Familia returned? He needed more information, but from his quick assessment, if this was the Loki familia dealing with those cows, it was probably their fault.

The shaking intensified. Too close now.

He conjured a highly concentrated fireball, the largest inferno he had formed yet, and waited, aiming toward the entrance.

3… The puddle shook violently.

2… Small rocks began shifting around.

1… A terrifying bull-like roar echoed from the entrance. His enhanced senses confirmed it: they had arrived.

He released the fireball.

Three massive bull-like monsters stormed into the room. As soon as they spotted him, they charged. The fireball struck true, engulfing two in flames, but it didn't stop them. It only made them stumble.

The third charged straight at him, undeterred. Like a bull seeing red.

As the creature closed in, it raised it's massive fist and tried to crush him with it.

Slashing and stabbing is not an option, these cows are known for their tough skin.

Instead All For One leaped on his attackers hand, jumping to their head and driving both of his blades deep into its eyes, severing its brain and killing it instantly.

...

'That was easier than I expected,' he thought, as he tried to retrieve his blades—only to find them stuck.

Oh no.

The two burning Minotaurs—now no longer burning, regained their footing, still very much alive. They charged.

Frantically, he twisted and pulled at his blades, but they wouldn't budge. With a loud snap, the handles came free—but the blades remained embedded in the Minotaur's skull.

"This is shaping up to be an unfavorable situation," he muttered calmly, discarding the now-useless handles. He narrowly avoided a crushing fist from the first Minotaur, jumping back.

Thinking quickly, he sprinted toward the spear the adventurer had dropped, dodging another swing. For their size, these cows were surprisingly fast.

Concentrating another fireball, he launched it at the nearest Minotaur, engulfing it again. Yet the flames only seemed a minor nuisance to the creature.

The second Minotaur glared at him with hatred, its beady eyes promising vengeance for the pain he inflicted on it. All For One charged at it, giving no opening. The Minotaur swung its arm down, and he jumped, though staggered for a few seconds.

The creature lost momentum but then dropped to all fours, horns aimed directly at him for a charge.

He planted the spear in the ground, aiming its tip at the charging bull's face. He had only one chance. His enhanced senses made missing impossible. The spear pierced the Minotaur's eye and brain, killing it—but the Minotaur's momentum drove its horn deep into All For One's right leg.

"Ugh," he grunted. Damn cow.

He yanked his leg free and leaped back on his good leg, avoiding another crushing blow.

Balancing on the broken spear, he steadied himself. Only one Minotaur left. But his weapons were gone, and his "mind" was nearly depleted.

He prepared to fire another spell.

"Fireba—" His voice faltered as a sharp, piercing sensation struck his mind. His magic was almost drained. Not good.

The Minotaur charged, its hand raised for a crushing blow.

All For One braced to dodge—but it wasn't necessary.

Past the charging Minotaur, he caught sight of a girl with blonde hair in light armor, moving so fast he could barely track her. his All For One quirk barely able to sense her abilities, though he detected two in her.

She darted toward the Minotaur, slicing it from every direction with fluid, precise, and impossibly fast movements. The air seemed to move with her—definitely magic. The Minotaur, unable to react, was shredded to pieces, exploding in a gory display of blood and dust that splattered all over him.

Disgusting.

He froze for a moment, his enhanced mind processing the humiliation. If not for this girl, this bitch, he, the Emperor of Japans criminal world, would have died at the hands of an oversized cow.

She turned to him, tilting her head slightly. "Are you alright?" she asked in a soft voice, her hair shining like an angel descending from heaven to save the weak and unfortunate.

Weak? Unfortunate? He was neither!

"I'm fine," he replied coldly, disgusted by her and himself for being in such a pitiful state. He grabbed a potion from his bag and drank it in one motion. It eased the pain in his leg but didn't fully heal it.

The girl seemed taken aback by his cold tone, but before she could respond, all for one detected two new figures entering the floor.

All For One immediately detected sixteen different abilities from the newcomers.

A beautiful—even for him—elf with jade-colored hair, wearing a white cloak over a green outfit, and long brown boots, approached calmly, holding a staff. A magic specialist, confirmed by the many abilities his quirk picked up from her.

Beside her was a wolf man with gray hair and an exposed chest under a jacket, looking visibly annoyed.

"Aiz! Did you get the last of them?" the wolf barked irritably. So, this girl was the "Sword Princess," Aiz Wallenstein.

"he killed two, I killed the third one," she replied, pointing at him with a blank expression.

"Huh? Don't lie just to save this wimpy kid's pride, Aiz! There's no way a scrawny tomato boy like him could kill a Minotaur!" the wolf sneered, pointing at All For One.

All For One wanted to strangle him.

Before Aiz could respond, he cut in coldly, "I'd appreciate it if you stopped barking nonsense in my face, especially after your team caused this incident. I could very much end your career right here."

"Huh? Tough talk for a scrawny tomato boy, Tell me, is that stick your holding to the newest fashion on the surface?" the wolf shot back, laughing.

"That's enough, Bete!" the elf snapped, slapping the wolf over the head.

What are you? His mother?

"Tch, whatever," Bete muttered, dropping the subject.

Entitled brat.

The elf turned to him. "I apologize on behalf of my Familia. Are you alright? I could heal you if you're struggling to walk."

How sweet. She wanted to butter him up to avoid a report to the Guild.

I wonder What would the penalty be for letting high level monsters roam higher floors?

"I'll manage. But I must report this incident to the Guild. Such negligence from the most powerful Familia in Orario cannot go unnoticed," he said calmly, walking towards the exit. Though limping, while he isn't one to show weakness, this was necessary.

She panicked, though she hid it well. "That won't be necessary. We'll handle it ourselves."

Heh, as if I'll let you mold the story as you wish.

He stopped and turned to her, his voice flat. "One million Valis."

Compared to what they earn, this is nothing.

She paused, first confused, then a look of understanding crossed her face. She was thinking about it.

"Who do you think you're blackmailing, punk!" Bete snarled, enraged by his humble request for compensation.

"This is but a small nickel for a familia as big as yours. It's compensation for my weapons and my leg," he elaborated calmly.

"You little—!" Bete seemed ready to lash out, but Aiz held him back.

"That's enough," the elf interrupted, cutting off her companion's anger. "We agree to your terms. What is your familia's address?" she asked, as if he'd be foolish enough to reveal it.

"Bell Cranel, private guild account. Ask around, and you'll find it. I expect the payment by the end of the day; otherwise, I'll report this to the guild," he instructed, already moving toward the exit of the floor.

"Wait, at least let me heal your leg," the elf girl called after him.

Considering it for a moment, he realized it would be significantly easier to move around with two functioning legs rather than one.

"I accept your help," he said, allowing himself a small concession.

Ah, so much for visiting the seventh floor today, well at least his goal for getting money was achieved.

---

AN: a quick chapter, but important for the story, finally Canon is starting.

I did erased a whole week off because I'm too busy, in danmachi bell met aiz when he was an adventurer for two weeks, in this fanfiction, all for one mets her one week earlier.

Quick side note: My aim is a realistic fanfiction, not like those where the MC gets from zero to ten in two chapters. I just hope you guys tolerate me for my inexperience in writing fanfictions.