"Not as much as people think. It'll weigh you down some, sure, but you'll still be able to run jump and so on in it. If you're worried about it, I can leave some space near your waist to make sure you don't lose any mobility." Welf offered, getting a hesitant nod from me as he took the measurements of my other leg. From the sounds of it, my mobility in heavy armor would be determined by my strength more than anything else.
"And how long were you wanting for this armor to last?" Welf said, measuring my entire leg from ankle to waist. "Because I can whip something up in no time flat if you're just wanting it for the first five floors. None of them really have the strength to actually break armor, so I can make it thinner than normal. That'll shave off some weight if you're that worried about mobility. After the fifth floor, though, it won't hold up. Killer ants will rip through it no problem."
I made it to the entrance of the second floor in a few hours. I did get swarmed by goblins and I handled them with relative ease. The second floor was where more monsters started spawning, in bigger numbers and different types. Things were going to get a lot more difficult on that floor.
"Eh, don't do that. Might as well get as much mileage as possible out of it," I said with a shake of my head.
Welf stood up, writing down my measurements and nodding to himself. "Now for the fun part. Let's talk price," he said, turning to face me, crossing his arms. "You did say you were broke, so I'm guessing you want it made out of steel?"
Feeling faintly embarrassed, I nodded. "Whatever is cheapest," I agreed, wanting to cross my arms but not wanting to copy Welf. That would be awkward. "As for price...I'm going to be really honest here, I have absolutely no idea what I should be paying you."
Welf barked a laugh as he shook his head, "you're not supposed to be honest when you're bartering." He reminded more laughter in his voice. He uncrossed his arms, scratching at his short red hair before giving a small shrug. "I tend to favor making light armor, and to cover your legs, I'll use enough steel for two sets. How about...7,500?"
...Wasn't that nearly the same amount that he charged for the armor Bell ended up wearing? For an entire set of light armor?
"That's just the amount of steel, though, right? You aren't actually making two sets of light armor, so that should bump the price down a little bit?" I said though it came out like a question. Welf nodded at that, pinching his chin with soot-stained fingers.
"I'm not, but it's going to take some time to make it. Making good heavy plate takes longer to make than light armor," Welf said. I didn't think that was true, but I didn't know if it was or not. It could be. I knew exactly nothing about blacksmithing. "But...I'll bump off another 500 valis."
I knew I was going to have to go into debt to this armor, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. I hated it. I hated it more than words could ever possibly say. Still, I needed the armor if not for the goblins, then for the deeper floors. I could spend a few days without it, grinding up the money then hand it over at once, but then I would be waiting longer to get the armor and I would still have to go into the Dungeon anyway to make money. I would lose days to save my pride.
I could pay it off in a few days. If I focused, spent a little longer in the Dungeon each day, then I could pay it off in about three days. Two, maybe. That was...that made it a lot easier to swallow. Probably more than it should.
"Alright, sounds fine to me," I agreed, swallowing my irritation. "I don't have all of it on me right now, but here, take this as a down payment," I said, holding out my earnings for today. Welf took it, checking inside.
I half expected him to make a comment about the pitiful amount but it seemed admitting that I was broke stopped him. Thankfully. I really didn't want to blow through our savings already.
"Appreciate it, big guy. I'll go ahead and start on it. Should be done in about five days or so." Well said, tucking his newfound wealth away.
"Sounds good. See you in five days then," I said, shaking Welf's hand again and saying goodbye. I stepped out of his workshop, as poor as I started this morning, and the door slid shut behind me. I looked up at the sky, seeing the sun was still firmly hanging above. Checking my time, I saw that it was nearly 3 o'clock.
"It's been a long day," I missed, walking back towards the city. Part of me wanted to head back home, crawl in bed with Hestia and let the rest of the day pass me by. My laid-back instincts told me I had done enough for one day.
If I hadn't spent over 5000 valis that I didn't have, I might have gone home. Instead, my eyes found the Tower of Babel, the white spire stretching up until it pierced the clouds. With a tired sigh, I set a waypoint.
As long of a day as it has, it wasn't over yet.
…
"Don't be burnt, don't be burnt, don't be burnt-!" Hestia whispered desperately, flipping a piece of meat suspended over a wood fed stove with her finger, revealing a dark brownish color with darker lines where it sat on the grill that kept it out of the fire. A breath heaved out of her, practically deflating her as she pinched the meat and dragged it off the grill and on to a plate. It looked like it belonged there, she thought happily as she whipped her hand back and forth to cool her fingers.
I should look like it belonged there. Especially when she splurged a little to buy a nice cut of steak from the Ninsun familia. She had it all planned out perfectly in her head; Jericho would come back from a long day of errands, tired and hungry, then he would be greeted by the smell of her delicious food before he descended the steps into their home.
She would have it all laid out for him, ready to eat with a warm tea to help wash it all down. He would light up, smiling at her in a way that showed off his startling white teeth, and he would eat every single last bite because it was too good not too. After he was done, he would look at her and say something like 'that was the best thing I have ever tasted.' Or something like that.
Jericho seemed to have a habit of saying exactly what she wanted to hear, even when she had no idea she wanted to hear them so desperately.
With a pep in her step, she took a small dishrag to wipe up the stray juices from the meat, a nice pile of broccoli next to it along with a potato cut up in wedges topped with a generous helping of salt. She cut open the steak to see a nice pink color, telling her that it was fully cooked. She was lucky that Hephustus was kind enough to treat her to special meals like this back when she lived with her.
She brought the plate over, setting it down next to a steaming cup of tea. Then she ran back to the door, standing on her tiptoes as if that would make up for the near three feet hight distance before she rushed over to make things a little more symmetrical, turning the plate so the steak facedthe door. Hestia ran back again, nodding her head in satisfaction as she darted back to the couch, idly noting that she could feel indent where Jericho had slept last night.
Again, memories of what happened this morning replayed in her mind, making her blush and fiddle where she sat. Then she let out a small, depressed laugh, "what must he think of me?" She wondered, fiddling with the hem of her dress. Hestia had good guesses. "A crybaby and a harlot," she decided dejectedly.
What else had she done since meeting him? She...touched his penis and ended up crying her heart out twice in the day they've known each other. Whereas he seemed to impress her more and more every time he opened his mouth.
But that would change now! She cooked a perfect meal to convince him that she wasn't some floozy. With this, she took her first step to show that Jericho could rely on her. She might not be able to go down with him into the Dungeon or buy him expensive gear, but at the very least, she could do this much.
Hestia was broken from her thoughts when she heard the sound of a heavy stone door grinding wood, the false wall moving away that hide their home.
"Oh," Hestia lunged to her feet, scrambling up to her feet as she smoothed out her dress, straightening her bow and fixed her hair. It took a moment, but luckily, Jericho was so tall that she had just enough time to make herself presentable. When he entered their home fully, he looked over at her with an easy smile, and she found herself smiling back at him. "I made you dinner!" She blurted, wincing at her delivery.
"Thank you, Hestia, I haven't eaten all day," Jericho said, shifting something in his hands. Unfortunately, he wasn't lying.
Then she noticed the pile of books in his hands. Instantly, she went to grab some of them, eyeing the covers, "101 ways to kill goblins?" She read aloud, setting the pile of books off to the side. The others were in the same vein -- monsters and how to deal with them.
"Hm, Misha let me borrow them. I figured I needed every advantage I could get," Jericho said, taking a seat in front of his meal. Hestia traced the spines of the books, fighting off a twinge of jealousy. This Misha girl was simply doing her job as Jericho's guild advisor. If she should be annoyed with anyone, it should be herself for not thinking of it first. "There are also some forms for you to fill out."
Hestia spotted them, turning to face Jericho to see him grab a knife and a fork. He went to cut into his steak, only to pause. In that split second, Hestia's heart jumped all the way from her feet to her throat and nearly leaped out of her entirely. Jericho turned to her, bowing his head, "Thank you for the meal. Did you already eat?"
"I did," Hestia lied. "Did you find out anything about some armor?" Hestia asked, changing the subject as she pretended that she wasn't watching Jericho cut into his steak like a hawk. He cut a sliver off, popping it into his mouth and...his face lite up as he chewed, swiftly swallowing to cut off another bite
"This is great," he complimented before he answered, making her feel so light she could fly. "I did, I commissioned some from Welf Corozzo. They should be done in about five days," he said, swallowing and following it up with a sip of his tea. "It's going to cost about 5,500," Jericho said, earning a wince out of her like he punched her in the stomach. She tried to hide it but apparently he was watching her like she was him.
"It shouldn't be a problem," Jericho dismissed, reaching to his belt after taking another bite of his steak and another sip of his tea. He pulled out a coin purse that looked like it had some weight to it. "I made a down payment of about 1,500 and I made another 1000."
Hestia's eyes went so wide they could have fallen out of her head, "you made 2,500 valis in one trip?!" She couldn't stop herself from shouting, stunned by the number. That was...so much! She barely made 500 valis a week at her stall! Did all adventurers make that much?! Her stunned amazement faded somewhat when Jericho shook his head, shoveling a couple of potato wedges into his mouth before washing it down with more tea.
"No, I went back to the Dungeon after I talked to Welf-"
"You went back down there?" Hestia interjected, stepping forward. "But you're hurt!" She reminded him, looking down at his ripped and torn pants, or rather the white bandages that laid underneath. His pants looked to be in even worse condition now, another half dozen of cuts between each leg.
Jericho chewed his vegetables for a moment before swallowing them down with some trouble. After drinking more tea, nearly leaving his cup empty, he nodded. "I did, but I'm not hurt," he explained, earning a bewildered look from Hestia. What did he mean he wasn't-
Hestia eeped when Jericho stood up, unbuttoning his pants. She felt herself blush all the way down to her toes, watching him shrug off his pants, her shock turning to concern when she saw the blood. Then it became shock again when he peeled off one of the bloodied bandages, revealing smooth skin underneath.
"What…?" Hestia whispered, her feet carrying her forward. She traced a line where she thought the wound would be based on the bloodstain on the bandage. There was only smooth skin under her finger. "Did you drink a health potion?" Had he run into Micah? She hadn't told him that Jericho was her familia member yet, but knowing him, he was probably handing out potions at a street corner.
"I think it's because of my Skill Gamer Body," Jericho explained, peeling off the other bandages to reveal more smooth skin underneath. His colorful underwear marked with hearts was bloodied at the hem. He would need new underwear too, Hestia made a mental note even as her mind tried to wrap her head around this.
"I...think that makes sense. I don't know what else it could be," Hestia admitted, feeling like she was in completely over her head. If he drank a potion, then this wouldn't be surprising at all. Depending on the quality of the health potion, even fatal wounds could be healed by drinking one. But to heal this fast because of bandages?
Her mistake was taking on entirely new consequences that she hadn't foreseen. Hestia was worried that she might have impacted how he could level up, or what those other stats would mean, but this was...her blessing had changed his body. A good change, one that let him heal so quickly without needing expensive healing potions, but that wasn't what worried her.
How else had his body changed? What else had she unknowingly done to her child?
"Don't look so worried," Jericho instructed, gently grabbing her hand that still touched his lower thigh. "This probably one of the best things that could have happened. I'm still figuring the Skill out, but I'm not really seeing a downside. To any of it," he spoke truthfully, putting the edge of her worries at ease. The rest of them still lurked under the surface.
He squeezed her hand, finishing his meal in silence for a few minutes before continuing. "How about we update my status? I think I made some gains," he said. Hestia recognized it for the change of topic that it was, but she gave a shallow nod all the same. He flashed a smile at her, pulling off his tanktop. After he took it off, for a few blissful moments, Hestia forgot her worries.
"I think you'll need to get on the bed," Hestia pointed out when he started to lay down on the couch, his legs hanging off at the knee. She would imagine it would be really uncomfortable when she got on his back. Jericho nodded, getting up, and moving to her bed, and she was forced to swallow a laugh. Even then, his legs hung off.
She climbed on top of him, fetching the pin to prick her finger. His status was tattooed in the center of his back, she would fix that soon enough. With a drop of divine blood, light rippled out across his back like water, her falna glowing as it lifted off his back, revealing his new experiences. She coaxed the experiences into numbers, increasing his stats and making him grow stronger.
"Done," Hestia said, pushing a piece of paper to his back, making the flight fade as his status was copied to it. Peeling the paper off, Hestia looked at it.
Jericho
Level: 1
Progress to level 2: 82/1,000,000
Strength: 2
Endurance: 13
Dexterity: 10
Intelligence: 2
Sense: 6
Development Abilities:
Physical Resistance: The user receives 1% less damage. Effectiveness is determined by the Endurance stat.
Skills:
Gamer Body: The user's body is that of a video game.
Massage: Skilled hands make targets tension and exhaustion melt away. Effectiveness is determined by Dexterity and Strength stat.
Hestia's eyes zeroed in on a new slot called Development Abilities. Abilities that could be improved similar to a stat, making them grow stronger the more they were used and their effectiveness increasing each time the user leveled up. There were plenty of common ones like Blacksmith, or Mixing, each rank up letting the user create more impressive things. Then there were more rare ones, like Mystery, that let the user create things that were worthy of legends.
The issue was, it was supposed to be impossible for a level 1 to have one. Development Abilities could only be gained from level 2 and up.
She couldn't tell anyone about this, Hestia realized with no small amount of panic. The other gods wouldn't just accuse her of cheating and send her back to Heaven, but Jericho would be in danger. As much as they would shout at her for messing up, breaking the game balance, they would wage war against each other to have Jericho in their familia. Hestia couldn't even go to Hesphstus, because as much as she was her friend, the red-headed god would know that Hestia had accidentally upset the delicate balance in the city.
Numbly, Hestia got off Jericho as her mind raced. What did she do? Did she just keep hiding the truth and hoped no one noticed? How long would that last? Jericho would have to get his Status confirmed by the Guild when he inevitably leveled up…
"Oh, Physical Resistance?" Jericho said, looking over her shoulder down at the slip of paper, blissfully unaware of how lost Hestia felt. "That's going to be useful," he commented, her bed shifting under his considerable weight. He smelled like cinnamon. And, despite herself, Hestia agreed.
Taking less damage? Did that mean if he got it up to 100%, would he be immune to physical attacks? She heard of Magic Resistance and Abnormal Resistance, but never physical resistance. That Skill alone would plunge the city into chaos if anyone ever learned about it.
"And Massage," Jericho said, not sounding surprised that there was a Skill there. Probably because he didn't know Skills weren't that easy to get. Skills were meant to be slowly shaped, coaxed out of the child's soul through repetition.
But, maybe this was a good thing. It couldn't last, but for now, it meant that Jericho could advance at an incredible pace. Maybe he would be strong enough to protect himself when this inevitably blew up in her face.
"I think it looks pretty good for my first status update," Jericho decided, smiling down at her. Hestia smiled back at him, trying to push her troubled thoughts to the side. He didn't know. To protect him, she couldn't let him know. When the gods came knocking, demanding that she go back to Heaven, he would be able to answer honestly that he had no clue about her mistake.
"It does, I think it's really good progress for a day's work," Hestia said, folding the paper. She would have to burn it later. She looked up at him, and only then did it dawn on her that she was sitting on a bed with a man wearing nothing but his underwear.
"And it was a long day. I'm glad it's over," Jericho said, earning a look from her. Hestia saw that it was nearly 10 o'clock, cooking had taken a lot longer than she thought it would. Still, she was glad for it. At least then her day seemed to go by fast.
"Don't worry about it, it's your day off. I'll take care of the dishes," Jericho offered, getting up before she could. "And, do we have a way to wash my clothes? They need a good soak." He asked, distracting her from her growing insecurities.
"Um," Hestia hesitated, before nodding. "We do! I usually just fill up a bucket and lather them up a little bit before letting my dress soak overnight. Here," Hestia explained, gathering up his clothes. It was hard to believe that all they were was a pair of pants and a tank top. They barely fit in her washing bucket.
"Thanks," Jericho said, finishing off the dish and grabbing a bar of soap. Hestia noticed the embarrassed expression on his face, and when he caught her look, his face got redder. "Well, all of my clothes need to be washed. All of them," he clarified, gesturing to his underwear as well. That would mean he would sleeping naked- oh.
"R-right," Hestia said, looking away down at his now soaking clothes. He was telling her this because he didn't want her molesting him in his sleep like she did this morning. "T-then I'll go ahead and go to bed!" Hestia decided, standing up and all but sprinting to her bed. She dove behind the covers, the only sound she could hear was her heartbeat thundering in her chest.
Then she heard the sound of cloth on flesh, a subtle sound that she never would have paid any mind to. She noticed it now because there was now a naked man standing less than ten feet away from her. Hestia swallowed thickly, the image of his hard penis at the forefront of her mind. Would it be hard again? Would...she have to rub it again?
If she was going to look, then she missed her chance. The sound of the couch groaning underneath Jericho's weight echoed throughout the small room. After he settled in, Jericho let out a breath, likely blowing out the candle that illuminated the room.
"Goodnight Hestia," Jericho said, prompting Hestia to poke her head out of the covers. She looked over at him, seeing that he curled up slightly so his legs weren't dangling off the edge. Though, his knees were by a dangerous amount.
"Goodnight Jericho," Hestia returned, wide awake as she settled against her pillow. The events of the day running through her mind. Not just what happened this morning, but what happened at the Guildhall. The promise he made rang in her head like a bell.
She smiled lightly, turning in her bed so she could look at her child. It was a bad angle, but she knew that his wild mane of hair would be covering some of his face. And underneath that thin blanket was a sculpted body left bare.
"Thank you," Hestia whispered underneath her breath. What exactly she was thanking him for, not even she knew. Though, if she had to guess, it was because she didn't feel alone anymore.
And she never would again.