The Cloud-Raised Brave Man's Travels

Chapter 50: Hermes

The Loki Familia's expedition had failed... The Loki Familia's top leaders confirmed this conclusion together in the conference room on the secure floor.

Monsters that were not in the guild's records appeared in the new floor they were conquering. The guild's strategy was based on the previous strategy records of Zeus and Hera's families. The dungeon map belonged to the family's property and was not made public, but Zeus and Hera still gave the monster information to the guild free of charge.

This monster intelligence was extremely accurate and had never been wrong; but something went wrong this time.

When the first-level adventurers of Loki's clan were steadily attacking the original monster stone giant on this floor, the magician team in the back row suddenly suffered an attack beyond visual range. Green acid fell on their heads like rain, and the corrosive acid instantly severely damaged the magicians and archers. Before Finn and others in the front row could support them, white flesh worms curled up their bodies and rolled towards the front line where Finn and others were like tires.

They were not fast, and although there were a large number of them, if the rear row troops remained intact they could all be wiped out with one volley, but... the rear row had already lost its combat capability.

The white fleshworms met the front-line troops without any obstruction, and the moment the adventurers chopped down their weapons, their expedition was doomed to failure.

Green blood spurted out from the bodies of these fleshworms. Now Loki's followers finally knew what the acid attacking the back row was. It was obviously the blood of this monster!

The extremely strong corrosiveness instantly caused heavy losses to Loki's family. The most fatal thing was that the acid was even more corrosive to equipment than to the human body. Bell's girlfriend, Lv.6 Great Severance Diona, lost her weapon worth million faris in this battle. She was so angry that she rushed out of the front line and smashed several insects to death with her hands. When she was finally pulled back by her sister, Diona's hands were so bare that you could even see the bones.

The other first-level adventurers were not much better off. Although their weapons were not directly corroded and damaged, they had reached the critical point. In the end, it was thanks to Ai Si that she relied on the indestructible property of her weapon to hold the line alone.

This fleshworm was truly disgusting, with weak defense and slow speed... all its damage depended on self-destruction. It was precisely this type of monster that completely blinded the Loki clan, killing three Lv. 3 adventurers in the front rank and two of each clan's most valuable magicians in the back rank. Approximately fifty people were injured, and the team's weapons and armor all needed repair. This expedition ended in a devastating defeat.

Not even a tenth of the supplies prepared for this expedition had been used up. Hard-to-store supplies like food were being sold cheaply by the Loki Familia on the nearest safe floor, while strategic supplies like potions were being stored at the Loki Familia base on the safe floor, awaiting the next expedition. Perhaps the only gain for the Loki Familia from this principle was that Aisi had accomplished her great work.

·Dividing line·

Koya slept uneasily last night. Although he was used to the training sessions in his dreams every night, last night's experience was too much, even more difficult than a night of being tormented by the Black Dragon. In his dream, he encountered an incredibly strong man, clad in a lion skin and wielding a longbow. The moment Koya entered the dream, he was dragged into training by this muscular man, from bare-handed combat to passionate archery exchanges with a bow...

When Koya woke up this morning, he was completely dazed. Hatsune beside him thought it was because she had squeezed Koya too hard last night.

"Are you ok?"

"It's okay, I just had a nightmare last night..."

Although the memory of the brawl with the burly man was too much for Koya to bear, thanks to this dream, Koya was able to roughly use the technique called "Shooting a Hundred Heads". This martial art was, after all, about attacking multiple targets at the same time. With a sword, it was about swinging several swords in an instant, and with a bow, it was about directly putting several arrows on the bowstring... But what sounded simple was actually very difficult to achieve.

"By the way, Koya~~ I haven't told you what this bow is called yet—"

Hestia, who was lying on the bed, suddenly sat up.

"The name of this bow is Miracle."

"It sounds pretty good."

It was a miracle that a bow was given such a name; its original owner was probably a super powerful first-level adventurer, Koya couldn't help but have such a thought in his mind.

"Miracle, I'll be counting on you for a long time from now on."

Koya carried the Miracle on his back, and the Rhodes Island standard longsword was put back on his waist. It must be said that Koya now really looks like a senior adventurer, except that the novice leather armor on his body is a little conspicuous.

The fifteenth floor of the dungeon—this was the farthest floor Koya had yet set foot on. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth floor, the monsters in the dungeon were all skilled at using fire. Generally speaking, starting from the thirteenth floor, a special piece of equipment called [Fire Element Weaving] became a must-have for every adventurer, but the Hestia family didn't have it. On the one hand, it was indeed expensive and easily broken, and on the other hand, it was not a necessity for Koya and his companions.

"Summer Ballad~~"

Miku's magic not only grants fire damage to weapons, but also grants the wielder an equal level of fire resistance. After careful verification, Koya ultimately confirmed that Miku's enchantment rivaled the immortals' Fire Weaving. A simple calculation of the potion cost and the wear rate of Fire Weaving clearly indicated that potions were far more cost-effective than Fire Weaving.

On the other side, Hestia got up from the bed beautifully and headed for her small bookstore. If nothing unexpected happened, she would spend another idle day here today.

"Hey~~ Long time no see, Hestia."

"Hermes? You're back early. The Assembly of the Gods is still a month away."

Hestia felt a certain dislike for the playboy before her. As an old acquaintance, she knew just how hopelessly hopeless he truly was. He was a consummate fun-seeker, always eager to join in whenever he knew something interesting was happening. And what was the biggest source of joy in Orario right now? It was undoubtedly Koya's upgrade!

"I was asked by the two elders to come back to see their children."

"..."

Hestia didn't want to talk at all. Sometimes silence was also an art. Her Hestia family was small and could not withstand the residual power of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes knowing nothing was a blessing.

"Hestia, don't you have anything you want to ask?"

"No! Don't disturb my Koya."

"okay!"

·Dividing line·

Intelligence sharing

Although the Hermes Familia are registered as the Exploration Department in the guild, they are actually involved in many fields such as commerce, mail, intelligence, etc., and have the power to enter and exit Aurora that other Families do not have. Even the god Hermes himself serves as a professional delivery service.

The Lord Hermes advocated for the hardcore faction of concealing their strength by following the rules. At his behest, many adventurers within his clan concealed their abilities. In their guild declarations, they falsely reported the abilities of more than a dozen level 3 members and their leader, Asfi, who was level 4, as level 2. They also underreported the number of dungeon floors they had explored by over 20. It seemed as if Hermes had somehow managed to magically circumvent the level contract.

Hermes, known for his harmonious relationship with the pleasure-seeking lower gods, possesses a high emotional intelligence, intelligence, and superb acting skills. When Freya seduced nearly every male god in the city, he feigned lust, but always managed to discern Freya's intentions. When other gods recklessly supported Freya's actions, he understood their reasons and even secretly intervened.

Chapter 51: Hermes's Concern

Hermes was asked to leave Hestia's small bookstore, but in the eyes of the woman waiting outside the door, her main god was kicked out.

"You're still as unwelcome as ever."

"Who said that! I'm obviously quite popular!"

"When your group of familiar divine friends see you, the first thing they think about is how to kick you out of the house."

"Ahem, don't tell such a sad truth, Asifi."

Hermes awkwardly patted the hat in his hand and put it back on, then looked at Asfi and asked seriously.

"Any news on Bell?"

Asfi had long known how thick-skinned this guy was, so he didn't say anything about his abrupt change of subject and directly told him the information he had found out.

"Bell Crane, a new member of the Loki Familia, is a well-known new adventurer in Orario. However, he is famous because of his girlfriend, a Level 6 Great Sever of the Loki Familia."

She explained things beside Hermes, her beauty no less striking even walking alongside the god. Her features were three-dimensional and sharply defined, especially her emerald eyes, brimming with wisdom. Paired with silver-rimmed glasses, they evoked a shrewd look. Her aqua-blue hair, dyed white with only one strand, was a striking contrast. Her demeanor was noble yet aloof, her face etched with disdain for her master, yet she diligently and conscientiously carried out her report.

"Wow, this kid has his grandfather's demeanor."

Hermes' tone was full of emotion. Sure enough, the old stud's adopted grandson looked just like him, but a Lv. 6 Amazon... Wasn't the starting point that this kid set for himself a bit too high? Would he really not be squeezed dry?

"The Loki family recently accepted an expedition mission issued by the guild, and Bell Crane was also brought into the dungeon, but he only followed them to the first safe floor."

"Hmm...it seems like there won't be much fun to be had with this little guy anytime soon."

An expedition usually lasts for several months. Since Bell went on the expedition with the main force, Hermes felt that he would not be able to see him in the short term. But it didn't matter. Zeus just asked him to look after him. Now he has a Lv.6 girlfriend, so why should he look after her?

But this child from the Hera family is a bit troublesome.

"Asifi, where's the information on Koya?"

"He arrived in Orario a month ago and first worked as a worker for the Loki Familia for about ten days. Then, as he was about to leave Orario, he was introduced to Hestia. He's currently progressing between the thirteenth and fifteenth floors. Adventurers have seen him and another member of the Familia hunting Cerberus on the fourteenth floor. Currently, Hestia's Familia consists of only two members; the other is Hatsune Miku, leader of the Muse Familia outside of Orario, who is at Level 2."

"Loki is really lucky. After letting Koya go, Bell comes along..."

"Your focus is always on weird things."

"Hmm~~Asifei, do you have any interesting news?"

"The gods were talking about how Hestia had devoured Koya in just a few days."

"Oh, oh, oh! That's good news. Now that you've mentioned it, I've noticed that the virgin goddess of our Greek pantheon is actually eating meat in the underworld. I must have a serious talk with Zeus and the others about this. Anything else?"

"Koya's reputation among adventurers isn't very good. Perhaps it's because they're jealous of his rapid leveling, or perhaps they envy him for being admired by the goddess. They believe Koya's leveling is solely due to his achievements at the Brave Festival, not from defeating powerful monsters in the dungeon. In short, many adventurers in Orario dislike him for various reasons."

"That's normal. There's no such thing as a genius who isn't envied. Asifi, do you know who are the most hostile to Koya?"

"What are you going to do?"

Hermes didn't say anything, but just took Asifi for a walk around the central square of Orario, the Tower of Babel and the tavern. Asifi didn't quite understand what his own god wanted to do, so he had to accompany him around.

The last place they stopped was the gate of Orario. A bard was singing a heroic epic here. Around him were young men who had come to Orario from the countryside, old adventurers who had been struggling in Orario for years but still wore simple armor, and merchants who had traveled all over the country. But at this moment, they all cheered for the hero the bard sang.

"Asif~~Do you know why I like bards the most?"

"why."

Asfy's tone remained indifferent. She had no interest in the topic; if possible, she simply wanted to rest for a while. After being dragged to Orario by this unscrupulous Lord God, she hadn't even had time to relax from the journey when she was asked to gather intelligence on Koya and Bell. Now that she had gathered intelligence, this guy was dragging her around Orario again... If resentment had substance, Hermes would probably have been drowned by Asfy's resentment by now.

"Bards sing the stories of heroes, and they let people know what heroes are like. This is good, heroes should be known by the public."

"And then? You like heroes? Master Hermes doesn't realize that you're also a child who hasn't grown up."

"Asifi, the gods are all children who haven't grown up in this regard~~ By the way, you haven't answered my previous question yet. Who in Orario particularly hates Koya?"

"Hyacinthus, the leader of Apollo's family."

"Oh? Does he have a grudge against Koya?"

"The two sides have never met."

After hearing what Asfi said, Hermes understood instantly and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Hmm...Apollo. Asphi, let's go to the Mistress of Plenty~~"

“Don’t drink too much.”

"Hahaha, this time I'm going to do serious business."

·Dividing line·

Monster delivery is a vicious emergency led by adventurers. Simply put, other adventurers lure a bunch of monsters and send them to you. For ordinary adventurers, facing monsters far exceeding the number they can deal with is absolutely fatal, so this trick is often used by adventurers to retaliate against their enemies.

Unfortunately, Koya encountered just such a thing today. While having lunch with Hatsune on the fifteenth floor, Koya suddenly heard a loud noise coming from the tunnel ahead. Then, the fifteenth floor's monster, the 'Fighting Bears,' appeared before him. Dozens of tall brown bears blocked the tunnel completely, leaving no gaps. In front of the bears was a cloaked figure, but he quickly disappeared from Koya's sight...

Koya realized that he was being maliciously sent to the monster.

·Dividing line·

Intelligence Sharing - Bell Crane

Bell's first encounter with Diona can be described as a hero saving a beauty, of course, the hero we are referring to is Diona.

A country boy, newly arrived in Orario, was swindled out of his money and then threatened to be sold to the Istar Familia. A passing visitor, Diona, saw the injustice and took care of the thugs, leading to their acquaintance. Later, Diona ran into Bell on the street, who had been repeatedly rejected by other Families and was starving. Feeling sorry for him, Diona took him out for dinner, and the two naturally became boyfriend and girlfriend...

The two are currently a very loving couple, but Diona can no longer bear it. Her Amazon genes are telling her to get a big car and drive her children.

Chapter 52: Escape

The brown bears roared and slashed fiercely with their sharp claws. Koya felt very uncomfortable at the moment... He came to this floor because the monsters on this floor could bring him pressure and have a better training effect, but that was based on the solitary nature of these fighting bears and he had to fight them one-on-one.

Now, Koya had retreated to a relatively narrow tunnel, but even then, he still had to face five clearly ferocious fighting bears. This was no longer a question of whether or not he could hold his own; if Koya made even the slightest mistake, he would be mauled to death by the bears.

It wasn't that Koya and Hatsune didn't want to flee, but they simply couldn't match the speed of these bears... Don't be fooled by their broad, fat bodies, like mountains of flesh, but you can tell from their names, right? These bears had abandoned elemental attacks, placing all their stats on their flesh. Their strength, speed, and durability were all top-tier among Lv. 2 monsters. Even Koya could only match their speed, but their durability was definitely inferior to theirs.

"Koya——"

Hearing Hatsune's cry, Koya quickly turned around and saw that a bear had unexpectedly spawned in the tunnel behind him. It was still covered in slime from the dungeon's incubation. It stood in front of Hatsune, its paws raised high, waving towards her.

"Huang Long Transformation——"

The power instantly gathered in Koya's legs. Hatsune only felt the wind blowing past her. The lush green hair fluttered in the wind in front of her eyes as if covering her with a veil, but Hatsune still saw it. She saw the flash of sword and the flying blood, she heard the roar of the giant bear and her own heartbeat... She believed that Koya would appear in front of her, but she didn't expect that he would save her so handsomely.

Hatsune had also loved the stories sung by the bards, but she had never understood why the girls in those stories would act so proactively when facing the heroes who saved them, wanting to give their entire selves to the heroes. But now she understood a little, because the man in front of her was really too handsome, especially when this man was her lover. The incomparable sense of security was really intoxicating -

After transforming into a brilliant dragon, Koya slashed off the claws of the fighting bear in front of him and drew his sword again. Three sword lights streaked across the night sky like meteors. The three swords and three holes in the chest, abdomen and head instantly killed the giant bear in front of him, but soon its position was replaced by the fighting bear chasing from behind, and the situation became deadlocked again.

There was no doubt that Koya was powerful after activating his Brilliant Dragon Transformation. If he faced a single Fighting Bear, he could easily kill it. He could defeat two after a grappling battle. He could destroy three before taking any damage. He would take damage against four, but he would still be able to move after the battle. But facing five or ten, with their continuous attacks, Koya, even with his Brilliant Dragon Transformation, was powerless.

What's more, the Brilliant Dragon Transformation is also a life-and-death skill for Koya now. After it ends, Koya and Hatsune, whose physical strength is extremely depleted, will just become fish on the chopping board of these monsters. Now their only chance of survival is to break through the monsters' blockade before the Brilliant Dragon Transformation ends.

As for why they didn't activate the Brilliant Dragon Transformation from the beginning... This was the middle level. Even if they escaped from these giant bears, Koya and the others were not out of danger, but now was not the time to think about these things.

"Koya, go down through the gap created by the Cannon Dragon! We're heading to the eighteenth floor! The vertical passage reaches the sixteenth floor. The lone king of the maze on the seventeenth floor should have been cleared out by Loki's expedition. As long as we reach the seventeenth floor, we'll be safe!"

Hatsune reacted quickly. She knew very well that after Koya finished transforming into a brilliant dragon, he was no better than an ordinary person. Now their first priority was to get rid of the monsters behind them and then find a chance to rest on the sixteenth floor and then go straight to the eighteenth floor.

"I understand!"

Koya carried Hatsune on his back, holding a bow in his left hand and a sword in his right hand—

"Miracle, I'm sorry, this is the first time I've used you in a dungeon."