Dragon Ball: Saiyan's Gourmet Journey

Chapter 664: Ability Values ​​Breaking Limits, New Skills [Fighting Nation] and [Rage]

Two people covered in blood emerged from the dungeon, attracting the attention of many adventurers who had also come out of the entrance.

To be honest, it's not uncommon for adventurers to be missing limbs, but it's truly rare to see someone covered in blood return unscathed, and seemingly with a considerable haul.

However, since they were able to leave the dungeon normally and didn't seem to need any help, no other adventurers approached them without permission, because the kindness of strangers is usually met with suspicion.

"Brother Broly, where are we going now?"

Emerging from the underground city and gazing at the orange-red sunset outside, Bell suddenly felt as if he had experienced a lifetime. When he came to his senses, he asked the boy walking ahead.

"Let's go to the second floor of the Tower of Babel first, rent two bathrooms, and wash off this filth."

Broly didn't want to go back looking like this and cause Hestia any worry.

He took Bell upstairs, where they took a shower and changed into a set of casual clothes he had bought before coming out.

Then, he took Belle to the restaurant on the 4th floor, ordered two set meals to fill their stomachs, and then took out the guild contracts they had earned that day and pushed them in front of Belle.

"Brother Broly, what's this?"

"Your pay for today."

"Oh, isn't this a bit too much? I'm only getting 10% of the payment."

Bell was astonished, simply because the boy had given him all of today's earnings.

"Don't rush, this isn't much. Don't forget, there are still some things we brought out that haven't been accounted for yet, and this should be the main expense."

Broly pointed to the large backpack next to him, which contained the Giant Magic Stone and the loot, and said.

"Oh, does this need to be counted too?"

Bell was somewhat surprised that the boy planned to share the giant's profits with him as well.

"Of course it counts. We agreed on this yesterday. You get 10% of the profits, and that's 10% of the profits."

However, dealing with the things belonging to the floor owner would be quite conspicuous, and my divine being doesn't want me to attract too much attention.

Therefore, I do not intend to sell these items to the guild. Instead, I plan to take them back and sell them to the kin of a god who is a friend of my lord.

"Um, Bell, regarding my plan to handle these things privately, are you willing to trust me?"

Broly asked whether the boy had any objections to the distribution of the money when the harvest was handled through private channels.

"Ah, I trust you, of course. Brother Broly, you've saved me many times, given me jobs, and taken me on dungeon adventures. Even if you don't share the profits from these things with me, it's only right. Besides, Brother Broly, you're willing to share with me."

Bell answered without hesitation.

"That's good."

Broly nodded; he liked the boy's trust in him.

"Take these signed contracts first. I'll sell them when I get back tonight. If it's not enough to cover today's profits, I'll make up the difference tomorrow."

Broly will not let those who trust him suffer.

"Brother Broly..."

However, Bell seemed a little hesitant.

"what happened?"

Broly looked at him strangely.

"I……"

Just as Bell was about to speak, he was interrupted by the waiter who brought out the steak.

"Guests, your steak set meal, please be careful as the edge of the hot plate will be hot."

Distracted by this, the boy found himself unable to speak.

"Stop beating around the bush, just say what you need to say."

Broly picked up a steak, ate a piece, and after the aroma of the steak mixed with some kind of mushroom sauce burst in his mouth, he spoke to the somewhat hesitant and timid boy across from him.

"The thing is like this..."

Bell gritted his teeth and told them that he wanted to join the Familia.

“I want to join a clan, but no clan in Orario is willing to accept me.”

Uh, I mean, the kind where you join a kamikaku normally, not one that asks me to do weird things.

"Brother Broly, I can forgo all of today's earnings, but could you perhaps give me a chance to join your kin?"

After Bell finished speaking, she looked at the boy with some trepidation.

"I thought it was something serious, but it's just this?"

"Ah, then..."

"I can introduce you, but whether you can join my clan is another matter."

"Well, this matter needs to be decided by my divine being."

"Ah, I'm so glad to have met the God. I will do my best to perform well in front of the God and try to join your family, Broly. Even if I fail to be selected, I will not complain."

Upon hearing this, Bell quickly replied.

"Stop for a moment."

Broly raised his hand.

"Ok?"

Bell looked up, puzzled.

"I don't care if you want to show off, but let me make this clear first: my god is the one I'm currently trying to meet (win over). If you dare to have any thoughts of competing with me, I won't be polite to you."

Broly hadn't forgotten the white-haired boy's declaration at the city gate: if this guy dared to have any improper thoughts about Hestia, he would let him know how powerful he was.

"Hey, Broly, the person you met was actually a god?"

Bell's eyes widened.

"Do you have any question?"

Broly countered with a question.

"Ah, I have no problem. I just think that you are truly worthy of being Broly, easily doing things that we mortals dare not do."

The boy looked on with admiration.

"Wait, what's with that expression?"

Broly was somewhat puzzled by the boy's reaction, but he soon heard Bell say that gods are noble and should be worshipped by mortals.

Simply put, this young man's desire to encounter no gods whatsoever. He clearly distinguishes between humans and gods, believing that mortals who wish to encounter gods are disrespectful to them.

Of course, this excludes his older brother Broly, but why?

"Because Brother Broly, you are a hero!"

Bell answered so matter-of-factly, in his view, heroes should do what ordinary people cannot.

This also includes the idea of ​​having an encounter (or conquest) with a high and mighty deity.

As for himself, although he has the idea of ​​becoming a hero, he is still just an ordinary person at present.

After learning that Bell wouldn't have any improper thoughts about his goddess, Broly invited him to have a meal: "Have something to eat, then come back with me to the Hephaestus Familia's base. I'll introduce you to my goddess."

"Ah, Brother Broly, you're from the Hephaestus Familia? That's a top-tier faction in Orario!"

Bell was very surprised.

"No, no, no, my deity and I are only staying there temporarily."

After having a meal and going downstairs, Bell was still full of energy despite feeling a bit weak from the excessive exertion of going down into the dungeon that day. She followed behind the boy.

. . . .

"Lady Hestia, I'm back."

"Ah, Broly, you're finally back! Are you hurt?!"

Broly opened the guest room door and said something.

Inside, a cute little goddess pounced on him.

The saying "a day apart feels like three autumns" perfectly describes Hestia's situation.

She circled around the boy, even lifting his clothes to check what was inside.

Fortunately, Broly had used healing magic to heal some of his injuries back at the Tower of Babel.

"I'm completely unharmed right now."

Broly smiled and told Hestia the truth, although being uninjured now did not mean he hadn't been injured before.

"Hey, who is this?"

Hestia circled around twice to make sure the boy was alright before noticing the white-haired boy staring at her in surprise. The boy's pure, almost transparent soul was so clean that it was impossible for anyone (or even a god) not to notice him. Hestia tilted her head and asked.

“His name is Bell. He’s an acquaintance I helped before. I hired him as my supporter yesterday, and he came down to the dungeon with me today. He wants to join our familia, so I brought him here for you to see, Lady Hestia.”

Broly explained the situation.

“Lord Hestia, I am Bell Crane. I have received much help from Brother Broly. I am very sorry to visit you, but please give me the opportunity to join your kin.” After he finished introducing himself, Bell took the initiative to step forward and bowed to Hestia.

"Uh, do you know, child, that the Hestia Familia consists of just Broly and me right now?"

The loli goddess asked curiously.

"Yeah. I know."

Bell nodded; he had inquired about the situation on his way here.

"A family of two is a family that is as small as it gets."

Hestia gave a reminder.

"Not at all."

But as soon as she finished speaking, the boy categorically rejected her statement.

"As long as Broly is around, even a kinship with only two people is a very powerful kinship."

Bell said it with absolute certainty.

"Wow, you have a good eye, kid!"

Hestia's eyes lit up. She walked up to Bell, patted the boy on the shoulder, and showed an expression of admiration.

"Lord Hestia, I wish to join your kin. What trials do I need to undergo?"

Bell asked quickly.

"Ha, a test?"

Hestia patted the boy's shoulder twice more.

"What are you talking about? That kind of thing, boy Bell, didn't you already pass it?"

Bell: "Huh?!"

"Since Broly is willing to help you, how could I, a god, not help you?"
"Young man, welcome to the Hestia Familia."

The loli goddess welcomed the white-haired boy.

"Has this been another case of accepting children from dependent families?"

Hephaestus happened to come over and saw this scene.

"She's such a simple child."

She glanced at Bell and then made her assessment.

"Broly, what good stuff did you bring back today?"

The red-haired goddess then asked the Saiyan boy a question, her gaze fixed on the things wrapped in black cloth and placed in a large backpack behind Bell.

"Lord Hephaestus, today I brought back the magic stone and loot from the seventeenth floor lord. Please give me an estimate."

Broly had Bell take the contents out of the large backpack and then spoke to Hephaestus.

"What, the 17th floor owner?"

Upon hearing this, Hephaestus thought there was something wrong with his ears, until he saw what was inside after the black cloth was removed, and realized that there was nothing wrong with his ears and that the boy had not said anything wrong.

"No, Broly, you're only Level 1, right?"

"Ah."

"Your original power was sealed away by that Overload Training skill, right?"

"Correct."

"Then how did you manage to defeat the Level 4 giant Goliath with just a normal Level 1 stat sheet?"

Hephaestus couldn't understand it at all. She had seen people challenge monsters of higher levels before, but those were usually ordinary monsters. What kind of adventurer would challenge a floor master? Did they want to die?

"I went to the 17th floor, met the floor owner, and then I went up there and had a big fight with him. In the end, I won."

Broly put it succinctly, and he understood the subtle, euphemistic style of storytelling.

"Alright, let me give you an estimate first. Hmm, this magic stone is a bit small. The guild's offer won't exceed 1000 million Fali, so I'll give you 1000 million Fali."

"Goliath's hide is a bit fragmented, but there are large pieces, so I'll give it to you for 2200 million falies. As for this skull, it's in very good condition and should be usable as the main material to forge some decent armor..."

Hephaestus ultimately offered a total price of 80 million falies, roughly equivalent to the bounty on a certain Leonian elf.

"Alright, my valuation is complete. If you're willing to sell, we can hand it over to Chun later."

Now, it's time for the next step.

Hestia, it's time to witness your child's growth today!

Hephaestus, his eyes filled with anticipation, spoke to his close friend beside him.

The process of Broly defeating Goliath is described far too briefly.

But the stats panel doesn't lie, and Hephaestus now wants to know how this boy managed to defeat Goliath.

"Bell, you can go out now."

"Eh, Your Majesty?"

“Ability stat panels are private matters, and even children from the same clan don’t share them.”

As Hestia spoke, she shoved the boy away, but mainly because she didn't quite trust the child she was meeting for the first time.

Children who join a Familia are not necessarily members of that Familia forever; switching Familias is not uncommon. Broly was her first child to join a Familia and was also a core member of the Hestia Familia, so his stats naturally had to be kept secret.

"Clap~"

With the door closed and Bell isolated, Hestia came over to take off the boy's shirt.

"Silver needles, here you go."

Hephaestus handed her a silver needle, and Hestia pierced her finger before placing the tip of her finger behind the boy.

As Broly's stat panel appeared on his back, both goddesses simultaneously exclaimed in surprise.

Broly

Level: Lv.1 (Upgradeable)

Strength: s999→2s1515
Durability: s999→2s1530
Dexterity: s999→2s1510
Agility: s999→2s1495
Magic: s999 → 2s1500
……

"Ah, Hephaestus, is it possible for the child's stats to break through S999?"

Hestia asked in surprise.

"I don't know, but at least none of the children in my clan have ever exceeded the s999 ability value."

Broly's limit-breaking ability value surprised Hephaestus, but with only this level of value, it should be impossible to defeat Goliath, the 17th floor master at level 4.

"Hestia, forget about Broly's second panel for now, let's see what's going on with his first panel below."

Hephaestus urged, "Broly's second ability panel, magic and skills are just for show. She thinks the key to defeating Goliath lies in any new skills or magic that might appear."

Hestia nodded, shrunk the second ability panel, revealing Broly's first ability panel underneath.

And indeed, there have been quite a few changes compared to before.

In the magic section, a healing magic spell has been added, but it's rather ordinary and nothing particularly outstanding.

However, the two extra skills in the skill list below are quite eye-catching.

The skill effect descriptions alone left the two goddesses speechless.

[The Fighting Nation]

Effect ①: You become stronger through battle. The more intense the battle, the more it nourishes your own strength. You are a born warrior.

Effect 2: When you are on the verge of death and seriously injured but have not died, you can break through the physical limits of your current level (cross the boundary value). This effect is activated at the current level and will continue until you reach the next level.

[Anger]

When anger overrides reason, it activates the primal power within, greatly amplifying (temporarily) the stats of the current level. The amplification effect increases with level, and the current amplification effect is: Level (Lv.1) * 1000% = 1000%.

After reading the description of the [Wrath] skill, Hephaestus had no more doubts about how the boy defeated Goliath.

Getting angry can grant a tenfold increase in ability value. Even with differences in level progression, the quality of each unit of ability value at each level cannot be simply equated.

But once Broly activates this skill, even if he doesn't reach the theoretical Lv.10 ability value, he'll probably be at Lv.5 or Lv.6 level. It's not a problem for him to defeat Goliath.

[As expected, the ability panel records each child's characteristics. Even if a child seals their innate power with a skill, once their talent is revealed and recorded, the previously sealed power will resurface and reappear on the ability panel in another form...]

Broly's first skill is "Natural Stat Monster," and the opponent truly is a natural stat monster in the literal sense.

Last night, I casually mentioned "godlike talent," thinking it only meant the "godlike" aspect of the verb. But now it seems this kid's talent is truly godlike.

Hephaestus was in turmoil, and so was Hestia: "Broly, you...you were seriously injured, and almost died?"

The focus of the Loli Goddess is entirely on the second effect of the "Fighting Nation" being activated. Broly can use subtle language to hide his experience of being seriously injured and on the verge of death, but his ability panel displays this experience as a stereotypical skill effect.

Hestia was so moved by what she saw that she looked like she was about to cry.

　P.S.: Overload training seals strength, not talent. The ability panel will convert talent back into strength.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)