It Is Alright To Use Spiral Power In A Dungeon (TTGL X Danmachi Crossover)

LinkOnScepter · Apr 20, 2023

There was once a boy who knew nothing but the world underground. He did nothing save dig and dig to support the only home he had ever known.

Then his brother brought him to the surface along with a fiery young woman with a gun. There they met many people and saw the monsters that threatened to destroy them. They fought many battles. More people followed their banner. They started to create an actual resistance against their foes. Everything was going fine. They were unstoppable.

Then his brother died.

Then he felt lost. He fought his enemies. Vented his rage out on them. But it never made him feel better. He blamed himself for his brother's death. For not being able to be like him.

Then he met a girl. That girl helped him realize the truth. His brother was dead, but his spirit lived on. Inside of him. That he shouldn't try to be his brother. He should be the man that his brother believed in; Himself.

He got back up. He kept fighting. Kept pushing himself forward. He kept on drilling. Even when the chips were down and he was near death, he kept on drilling.

And when he dug through, he won.

Not just against those who oppressed the surface.

But against those who had oppressed the universe. A race whose fear of evolution led to them locking away their own potential, and trying to enforce their views onto all living beings that wielded the Power Of The Spiral.

And when the battles were over, he turned away and left everything to the next generation.

Thus he sat in the desert, watching the sky as the humanity he fought to protect made it to the stars. He watched the lights in the glow as bright as the future he had secured. In his heart, he felt at peace.

The last thing he saw when he closed his eyes, was the night sky lit up by uncountable green stars.

....

...And when he next opened them, the first thing he saw was a dark blue ceiling with hints of purple in it.

Simon The Digger, the one who defeated the Anti-Spiral, the boy from the underground, and former leader of Team Dai-Gurren, blinked as he realized he was alive once again.

His mouth opened as he breathed in a lungful of the air of wherever he was. He quickly checked to see if his body was still in working condition. When he confirmed he could still feel his arms and legs, he used them to push himself into a sitting position. One hand reached up on instinct and he felt some of the building tension in his chest abate. He could still feel his sunglasses, securely sitting on his head. Looking to his right and holding his arm out, he could see that he still had the dark blue and red Team Dai-Gurren cape he wore when they went to fight the Anti-Spiral. And a glance at his legs showed that his blue pants held up by shining belts were still there as well. As he looked down, he saw that his Core Drill was gone. Which was expected. He had given it to Gimmy before he had left to wander the world. Entrusting the future to them. But though he didn't have it...

He placed his right hand on his chest and sighed as he began to focus. A short exertion of will was all it took to make a green light pulse beneath his fingers. He could still feel the unending well of Spiral Power that rested within him. The confirmation that he hadn't lost his connection to that seemingly endless source of power gave him some more peace of mind.

"So. I'm alive, somehow. I've still got Spiral Power. And my clothes," Simon said to himself. His voice echoed across the empty walls of...wherever he was. Frowning, he got to his feet, glad that he could move all of his limbs without issue. Though he did feel his backbones pop as he stood up straight. With a wince he stretched his arms out above his head, enjoying the feeling of his backbones popping and cracking back into place. He continued to do various stretching exercises while observing his environment. But the ease at which he was able to move his body gave him pause. He held his hands up to his face and the confirmation made him gasp.

He was young again.

Blinking, he let his arms fall back into place. He continued to do stretches while his eyes roamed the environment again.

He plainly wasn't on the surface, otherwise, he'd be able to see the sun. He hummed as he started doing a few squat thrusts to help get his blood flowing. He assumed he was underground then. It would explain the strange shape and color of the walls. And ceiling. And floor. Even the multitude of lights that hung from above. He had dug through enough underground tunnels to know that a plethora of things that could give off light even in the darkest of spaces below the surface.

Unfortunately, that went out the window when he squinted at the ceiling. And saw that the lights weren't coming from anything natural like moss. They were, literally, part of the ceiling and giving off light somehow.

Simon tilted his head as he stood up from his latches bout of stretches, "Huh. Is this place man-made? Doesn't look like it but..."

He placed a hand on his chin while his eyes roamed across everything in sight. The strangely smooth walls that didn't have a hint of damage on them, the various pillars and rocky formations some distance in front of him, and a few loops or slopes here and there. These things weren't always naturally formed underground...but they sometimes were. He couldn't tell whether or not there was anything deliberate in the construction of wherever he was. But there was one way to find out...

"Hey! Anybody out there!" he cupped his lips with his hands and started to shout. He waited for a few minutes. When no one answered, he called out again, "Yoko! Viral! Gimmy! Darry! Anyone?!"

There was no answer. Save for his own echoing voice.

Simon frowned, crossing his arms as he started to consider his current circumstances. So, he was probably somewhere underground. Wherever he was, no one, that he knew or didn't know, seemed to be nearby. And the place didn't look like anywhere he's been before. Not to mention that the last thing he remembered was dying of natural causes. Yet here he was, alive and well, and back in the prime of his life. He even still had his sunglasses form when he went to fight the Anti-Spiral. His frown grew deeper as question upon question piled higher and higher into his mind. Why was he here? Where was he? Why was he still alive?

He pondered these questions for a few moments, eyes closing as he considered them all.

Then he smiled, opened his eyes, and shrugged.

"No point in worrying over them. Not gonna learned anything just standing around," Simon said with hope in his voice. Then he placed his sunglasses onto his eyes, picked a direction, and prepared to head off.

"Urrrroooooarrrrrrr!!!!"

"Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee?!!"

That is until he heard a sound he didn't recognize and one he did. While he couldn't place what could've made the first cry, he knew exactly what the second cry was.

It was a cry for help.

"Hang on!" he shouted, running in the rough direction of the scream. Any other thoughts had been put to the back of his mind. He didn't know why he was here, he didn't know where he was, or how he was back in his prime. But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was that someone was in trouble.

And he needed to help them.

Bell Cranell scooted backward, trying to get as far away as possible from the towering minotaur. Unfortunately, his luck had just run out. His back hit a wall within the wide square room the monster had cornered him in. His blood ran cold as the bull-headed monster approached him. Every step it took shook the ground beneath it, its hooves crushing rocks and pebbles that got in its path.

Bell felt his body seize up as the monster got closer and closer. A part of him was screaming at him to do something. To stand up! To run! To get away before that thing killed him! But his body wouldn't listen. He couldn't do anything.

Another part kept asking why. Why had this happened? Why had a minotaur wandered onto the lower fifth floor? Why had it chosen today to come here? Why had he run into it?

All these questions and more swirled through his mind. But those paled in comparison to what got him here in the first place. The reason he dared to go to the lower fifth floor of the Dungeon.

To meet someone.

The girl of his dreams.

He had wanted to come here to find her. Have a fated meeting with her. Save her from a monster. Be a hero that others tell tales about.

Yet, those dreams hadn't gotten him anything.

Except this.

His back against a wall, about to have his head crushed by a minotaur's hoof.

He stared up into the face of his killer and-

"IIIINNNAAAAAZZZUUUUUMMMMAAAAA-"

Something made the minotaur pause.

It turned its head around as if it sensed danger. Bell thought that someone had come to save him. That someone had appeared to defeat the minotaur and stop him from being killed.

He was proven correct.

But what he didn't expect was the way he would be saved.

Following the minotaur's gaze, his mouth slowly opened as he beheld his savior.

A young man, his dark blue cape flapping behind him, a symbol of fire with sunglasses on it emblazoned on the back, flying at the minotaur's head from the sky with one foot aimed downward.

The minotaur, whether from shock or total astonishment, didn't even try to dodge.

So, the man's foot connected with its head...and managed to shatter one of its horns.

"-KKKKKIIIIIICCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!"

A bellow of pain and rage left the minotaur's mouth as it fell to the ground in a heap. The man landed on his feet, head whipping up while his eyes fell onto the sitting Bell. His voice was filled with concern as he called, "You OK?"

Bell's mouth hung limply as he stared at the man crouched across from him. His mind raced with questions over what the heck just happened. The minotaur got to its feet, pieces of its shattered horn falling from its head in a cascade of ivory. Its hateful gaze locked onto the newcomer, massive blade rising as it roared in rage. Bell squealed and backed away from the beast but his savior merely grimaced. He stood and raised his hands with their palms up. Suddenly, twin green twisters appeared in his hands, lighting up the dim room that Bell had retreated into. A second later two small drills floated in the man's palms.

Bell's mouth somehow opened wider at the man's actions. But he didn't have time to wonder about what had happened, as the man threw one of the drills his way. It hit the young adventurer in the chest and fall onto his lap. The man said, "Hold onto that. I'll keep this guy busy. If you feel like you can stand, get up and stab him wherever you can!"

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Bell shouted, floored at how his savior expected him to fight against that monster. It was twice his size! Heck, the one who saved him only came up to its chest. It could crush both of them with one swing of its arms if it wanted. He grabbed the drill out of reflex but didn't even consider the possibility of fighting that monster.

His savior didn't seem to hear him though. As the blue-haired man just ran straight at the minotaur without a care in the world. He shouted a battle cry, raising a fist high as he charged at the monster. The minotaur swung its massive blade at the approaching human's left side and Bell thought that his savior was about to die. He started to close his eyes, not wanting to watch another person get sliced in half.

But he never did close his eyes.

Because, right when the weapon was about to hit him, the man parried the minotaur's attack.

With the small drill he now held in his left hand.

Bell's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open in awe. The man kept going, taking advantage of the now off-balance minotaur. He jumped upward, one-foot landing on the monster's chest. Using it as a springboard, he launched his right knee into the minotaur's chin. As the beast's head flew back the man put both of his hands together and brought them down in a hammer blow. Bell swore he heard an audible crack as the man's fists slammed down onto its skull.

One of the monster's hands came up, planning to grab the man in its large grip. He saw the attack coming and kicked out with his right leg at its left arm. Bones crunched beneath his foot, but the minotaur still didn't fall. It dropped its blade and swung its right fist at the still airborne man. Using his momentum, he flipped in midair and landed on the monster's arm. Then he ran up the beast's arm with his drill held in his hand. Bell swore he saw the item start to glow a bright green, creating a trail behind the man as he ran.

"Dddrrrillll-," the man started to shout, diving forward and thrusting his drill at the minotaur's face. It roared once more and tried to aim its mouth at the man's arm. But just as Bell's savior felt the minotaur's repugnant breath on his skin, he placed his free hand on its collar and pushed. He moved just enough to skim across the beast's open jaw and into its forehead.

"-Immmppppaaccccttt!"

A flash of green light was accompanied by the sound of a drill spinning.

A second later, everything above the minotaur's shoulders disappeared in a flash of green and red. Its bloody viscera exploded outwards, coating the man and Bell in the red liquid. The monster's kill fell to the ground. He stood up, his blue cap flapping in the breeze as the minotaur's body crumpled to the ground.

Bell could do nothing but stare with his mouth wide open. He didn't even mind the various drops of blood that fell onto his tongue. He was totally mesmerized. By the man. By his actions. By how he carried himself. But most importantly, by that cape on his back. The flame emblazoned on it. He couldn't explain exactly what it was, but something about it shook him to his very core.

He couldn't even move as the man turned around and rushed over to him. He skidded to a halt in front of Bell and knelt. Two strong hands fell onto Bell's shoulders as the man looked at him with concern, "Hey! You alright? Hurt anywhere? Need me to carry you home?"

Bell remained silent.

He stared at his savior while the man kept fussing over him.

Then he did the only thing he could think to do at that moment.

He started screaming.

And it was here that a new bond was forged.

The young white rabbit who wished to be a Hero.

The Spiral Warrior who had conquered the impossible.

The bond between the two of them would push them to heights never seen before. And though many hardships await them, their will to go on will persist through it all.

Yeah, this is a thing now.

What?: Basically, I've started reading through the Danmachi LNs recently. I'm only on Volume 3, so please no spoilers. Though I have read through the manga, at least some of it, but I've been told that skips some stuff.

Anyway, for some reason, whenever I thought of Bell I couldn't get this image of him and Simon fighting together. I eventually wrote a snippet for it...now I'm turning it into a full-on story. So...yeah.

Couple of things to keep in mind:

1. This is Simon after he beat the Anti-Spiral. For those of you who don't know what that is, I'd suggest you don't read through this. Cause it's gonna have a lot of Gurren Lagann Spoilers. For those of you who do know, then yeah. Simon's gonna be pretty OP going forward, but he's in charge of how much Spiral Power he uses. So, no, he won't just dumpster everyone else in the fic unless something pushes him to go all out.

2. Bell is gonna get Spiral Power. I have an idea for how it's gonna work with his Rapid Growth Skill. And, yeah, it's gonna cause a bit of a stir in the Setting to put it lightly.

3. As always with these kinds of fics, no shipping. Bell's relationships will (mostly) remain the same save for logical changes based on what happens in the fic. But I'm not gonna be specifically trying to put him one character or another. And Simon isn't getting anyone cause he's loyal to Nia. Even now.

I think that's about it. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 20, 2023

The Cover Image for this fic. I had this made by this guy:
@departament

Underdog · Apr 20, 2023

You called the first threadmark chapter 2, but otherwise the story seems great.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 20, 2023

Underdog said:
You called the first threadmark chapter 2, but otherwise the story seems great.

Fixed. Thanks.

Astral Archer · Apr 21, 2023

Solid premise and execution, I look forward to seeing where this goes.

Phantom Thief Of Hearts · Apr 21, 2023

LinkOnScepter said:
Chapter 1: Destined Meetings

It's good to know that you also publish this fanfic in QQ

... I guess I'll just repeat what I mentioned in FF with extra comments

:

Well, I think the beginning could have been better, I mean, this was the cliche chapter that is used in every Danmachi fanfic (new character saves Bell).This chapter could have started differently, maybe with Simon appearing on the 18th floor near Rivira town or something.

On the other hand, I'm curious what canon changes will happen because of our favorite digger,

Will you use characters and events from the Danmachi games (Orario Rhapsodia and MEMORIA FREESE)?.

LinkOnScepter said:
The reason he dared to go to the lower fifth floor of the Dungeon.

To meet someone.

The girl of his dreams.

He had wanted to come here to find her. Have a fated meeting with her. Save her from a monster. Be a hero that others tell tales about.

...I blame Bell's grandfather for giving the boy those ideas.

LinkOnScepter said:
Bell remained silent.

He stared at his savior while the man kept fussing over him.

Then he did the only thing he could think to do at that moment.

He started screaming.

I don't know what to make of this scene, I mean, I want to laugh but I can't. On the other hand, if Ais appears I hope the whole cliche of Bell falls in love at first sight with Ais doesn't happen (I've seen it happen in some fanfics, they weren't that good)

LinkOnScepter said:
1. This is Simon after he beat the Anti-Spiral. For those of you who don't know what that is, I'd suggest you don't read through this. Cause it's gonna have a lot of Gurren Lagann Spoilers. For those of you who do know, then yeah. Simon's gonna be pretty OP going forward, but he's in charge of how much Spiral Power he uses. So, no, he won't just dumpster everyone else in the fic unless something pushes him to go all out.

This idea seems good to me. I'm more interested in how Simon interacts with other Danmachi characters and his reactions to the new world.
It will be funny how the Danmachi characters react when they see how Simon's abilities break the common sense they know

.

LinkOnScepter said:
2. Bell is gonna get Spiral Power. I have an idea for how it's gonna work with his Rapid Growth Skill. And, yeah, it's gonna cause a bit of a stir in the Setting to put it lightly.

I really don't like that idea. Bell is already OP(in Danmachi world terms) in the Danmachi canon and that at the same time that is a big problem for the canon plot(blames the author of the light novel for that stupid idea to use only one year for the canon plot).
Giving Spiral Power to him is something cheap and unnecessary (there are better options than Bell, I guess)...at least, other Danmachi characters will also have Spiral Power?.

LinkOnScepter said:
3. As always with these kinds of fics, no shipping. Bell's relationships will (mostly) remain the same save for logical changes based on what happens in the fic. But I'm not gonna be specifically trying to put him one character or another. And Simon isn't getting anyone cause he's loyal to Nia. Even now.

I agree with you about Simon and Nia... About Bell, I really don't want to jump to conclusions (The shippers will be a problem for you at any moment.I mean, when the main plot pillar in a fanfic is only focused on a specific ship then there is something wrong with the writer, the plot and the readers or something .)

LinkOnScepter said:
Cover Image

I like the image

Dumby · Apr 21, 2023

Heh, nice. The few Gurren Lagann Fics I've read on here were either dead, to old to be updated, or forgotten by their writers.

I want to keep my hopes up. Watched.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 21, 2023

Phantom Thief Of Hearts said:
It's good to know that you also publish this fanfic in QQ ... I guess I'll just repeat what I mentioned in FF with extra comments :

Well, I think the beginning could have been better, I mean, this was the cliche chapter that is used in every Danmachi fanfic (new character saves Bell).This chapter could have started differently, maybe with Simon appearing on the 18th floor near Rivira town or something.

On the other hand, I'm curious what canon changes will happen because of our favorite digger,

Will you use characters and events from the Danmachi games (Orario Rhapsodia and MEMORIA FREESE)?.

...I blame Bell's grandfather for giving the boy those ideas.

I don't know what to make of this scene, I mean, I want to laugh but I can't. On the other hand, if Ais appears I hope the whole cliche of Bell falls in love at first sight with Ais doesn't happen (I've seen it happen in some fanfics, they weren't that good)

This idea seems good to me. I'm more interested in how Simon interacts with other Danmachi characters and his reactions to the new world.
It will be funny how the Danmachi characters react when they see how Simon's abilities break the common sense they know .

I really don't like that idea. Bell is already OP(in Danmachi world terms) in the Danmachi canon and that at the same time that is a big problem for the canon plot(blames the author of the light novel for that stupid idea to use only one year for the canon plot).
Giving Spiral Power to him is something cheap and unnecessary (there are better options than Bell, I guess)...at least, other Danmachi characters will also have Spiral Power?.

I agree with you about Simon and Nia... About Bell, I really don't want to jump to conclusions (The shippers will be a problem for you at any moment.I mean, when the main plot pillar in a fanfic is only focused on a specific ship then there is something wrong with the writer, the plot and the readers or something .)

I like the image

Oh cool. You're here too. I can answer some of those then.

1. I honestly don't mind if the chapter here is Cliché. I like Cliché stuff, I don't know enough about the Danmachi world to start Simon anywhere else, and this fic was mainly made cause I really like the idea of Simon and Bell working together. So, I wanted to get them acquainted ASAP.

2. I just ended it off saying Bell screamed. Never said he ran away. And don't worry. While Aiz will likely show up, Bell won't be obsessed with her like he is in canon.

3.i probably won't be taking anything from the games cause I haven't played them. The only real exposure I have to them is this meme:

4. Wait, everything that happens in Danmachi happens in a year? That's crazy.

And I don't really mind that Bell is OP. Why? Cause he gets his Skill from Zeus. That's not something I spoiled myself on, I figured that out from context clues in the manga. A Skill given to him by the guy who was at one point the King Of Gods? Of course it's gonna make Bell OP. And I don't think it would make sense to not have him get Spiral Power from just being around Simon. Especially since Simon will be encouraging and helping him going forward. That stuff is contagious in a good way.

As for other characters getting it, same as above. It won't be everyone, but anyone who Simon is able to get through to and joins up with him and Bell wholeheartedly will most certainly have it.

5. For the shipping stuff, I follow the same philosophy I follow for my DMC 5 X Rosario + Vampire fic.

The general relationships for the MC will still happen, and mostly be the same as canon. What will change will be the circumstances around them, why the characters engage in a relationship with the MC, and otherwise.

Simon is completely loyal to Nia, and would never want to be with anyone else. And I honestly hate stories where the crossover character is forced into a romantic relationship with someone just because the author thinks they should be even if it goes against their character, or does it cause they think the ship is "better" than the one in canon.

Xodarap · Apr 22, 2023

A good start but I can't help but feel you should have kept it solely Simon's pov instead of Bell reactions.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 22, 2023

Xodarap said:
A good start but I can't help but feel you should have kept it solely Simon's pov instead of Bell reactions.

I'm better at writing Third Person Omniscient. I've tried First Person. Doesn't work well.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 24, 2023

"I'm sorry!"

Simon flinched as the boy he had rescued apologized for the fifth time in a row. He started to scratch at his cheek, ignoring the blood that still covered his body. A chuckle left his throat as he spoke, "Uh, you said that already. And, I told you before. You don't have to apologize for trying to run away. I'd just like to know why? I didn't scare you did I?"

"No!" the boy shouted as he shot up from the sitting position he was just in. He rapidly shook his head while keeping his red eyes locked on Simon, "You didn't do anything wrong! I'm apologizing because I tried to run after you just rescued me! It was rude of me to do that to a fellow adventurer that just saved my life and I-"

"Hold on. Senior adventurer?" Simon raised a hand to get the kid to stop talking. He clammed up instantly upon seeing Simon's hand. Which only made him feel worse. The two of them were still in the room where he had killed that monster. Bell was sitting on his knees while Simon was cross-legged. The monster's body was still on the ground behind them, but Simon paid it no mind. Nor did he care about how the entire room was caked in blood and viscera. He instead focused his efforts on the boy he had saved. Which is what led them to their current situation.

Simon shook his head and let his hand fall, "Don't worry about it. Let's just start from the beginning. Are you hurt anywhere? None of that blood is yours, right?"

Temporarily stunned, the boy started to slowly shake his head, "N-No. I'm fine. He didn't hit me at all."

Some of the tension left Simon's shoulders, "Good. Next, how about you tell me your name? Wouldn't want to keep calling you, well, 'you'."

"It's...it's Bell. Bell Cranel."

Simon thrust his right hand out to Bell, "Good to meetcha! My name's Simon. Simon the Digger."

Bell looked from Simon's smiling face to his outstretched. Still nervous, he reached out with his left hand and gripped Simon's. Simon's firm confident grip contrasted with Bell's loose and unsure one. When the two separated, Bell stared at his left hand with a bit of awe in his eyes. Simon's eyebrows rose in confusion. Which only got worse when Bell started flexing his fingers while nodding to himself about something or other. After getting Bell's attention by clearing his throat, Simon continued, "Anyway, mind telling me why you tried to run away after I saved you? I didn't scare you or anything, did I?"

Bell's eyes went wide as he swiftly shook his head, "No! No! It's just I wasn't sure what to do or say and I was still trying to...to...uh..."

Bell went quiet when he saw Simon chuckling at his reactions. Simon put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly, "Well, glad that I didn't drive you away. Wouldn't be able to say a job well done if I ended up scaring off the person I was trying to help."

Simon's chuckle turned into a full laugh. Bell, not entirely sure what was going on, responded with a nervous laugh of his own. They stopped a few seconds later, an awkward silence falling over them as they both went silent. Simon broke it by jerking a finger behind him, "So, mind telling me how you ended up nearly getting crushed by that thing?"

"Huh? Oh right! The magic stone!" Bell nearly slipped as he got to his feet. He ran passed Simon, pulling his knife out of his back and rushing towards where the monster fell. He got to his knees next to the hulking beast's body and aimed his knife where its heart would be. Confused, Simon stood up and walked to the kneeling boy. He watched as the young man tried to stab through the monster's chest with his knife, only for it to get caught in the muscles without getting very far.

"What?" Bell said, pulling his knife out and stabbing at the monster again to no avail. His blows became more frustrated as he kept trying to pierce its hide, but wasn't getting anywhere. He pulled his knife back as he spoke, "Its..its hide's too thick. I can't through it with this. Aw, and this would've given us a lot of money we could've used!"

He hung his head dejectedly as if he could see all the profits from this little adventure of his slipping through his fingers. Simon walked over and crouched next to Bell. Then he tapped him on the shoulder, "Don't give up yet. You can get through."

"Huh?" Bell looked over at Simon, confusion plain as day on his face.

Simon jerked his head at the dead beast, "Keep going. It's not over unless you give up. Whatever you want is in that...uh...what is this thing?"

"You don't know?" Simon shaking his head seemed to surprise Bell more than what he said about getting at the monster's chest. Bell looked from Simon to the dead beast, "How do you not know what a minotaur is? Every level one adventurer knows to stay far away from them and...wait. You attacked a minotaur despite not knowing what it was?!"

Simon nodded without a hint of regret, "Yeah."

"...Who...who are you?"

Simon grinned, reaching up to tap on the sunglasses on his head, "Told you already. Simon The Digger. Now, back to the task at hand. That minotaur? It has something you need, right?"

"Yea-yeah but hold on-"

"Then don't stop here. Keep going at it."

"But...I can't. My knife won't cut it."

"You don't need to use your knife. You've got something way better," his eyes moved toward Bell's left hand. Bell followed his gaze and lifted his palm. Inside he found the small drill that Simon had tossed him before.

Bell held the drill up to the light, "This? But it's...it's so small. It won't get through this thing's hide."

"Don't underestimate it just cause it's small. It's still a drill. And if there's one thing drills excel at, it's breaking through a hard obstacle," Simon felt a strange bit of nostalgia as he spoke. For a moment, he felt like he was talking to a kid who doesn't know what Spiral Power is. Then again, considering he was supposed to be way older than he looked right now, he supposed the comparison wasn't just hyperbole.

Bell didn't look he bought into Simon's words. Simon kept grinning, waving a hand at the dead minotaur, "There's no harm in trying, is there?"

Bell pursed his lips before turning back to the minotaur's body. He ignored the sharp smell of blood and death in the room, focusing his all on the spot where its magic stone should be. Taking a breath he holds the drill in his right hand and places its tip where he was stabbing with the knife. While shallow the wound did make a good hole to start from. Once the drill was there, he started to turn it with his hand and...nothing happened. He got a bit further in but other than that-

"It's not working," Bell said as he turned to Simon.

Simon nodded, "Of course, it won't work the first time. Hardly anything does. The point is to keep going. Keep on drilling. Cause once you've dug through the last barrier, you've won."

Simon placed a hand on his chin as he looked at the minotaur's body. Then he reached out and placed his hand over Bell's, "Here. Let me give you hand. Start turning it counter-clockwise."

Bell followed Simon's instructions. He made note of how, despite his rough looks, his hands were surprisingly soft. And his grip was rather gentle. Careful even as they started to drill through the minotaur's chest.

And drill they did. It was slow going. Lots of blood started seeping out of the wound as they got deeper and deeper into it. But as he kept going, Bell noticed it started getting...easier. The minotaur's muscles and bones didn't break in one rotation or anything. But they weren't as hard to break through as they were with his knife. In addition, the hole didn't just get deeper. It got wider. It was the size of his hand by the time Simon let his hand go. He hardly even noticed. He was too engrossed with getting at the magic stone.

Bell was elbow deep in the minotaur when he finally strike something solid. Blinking, he pulled his arm out and reached into the hole he made with his left hand. As the minotaur's body disintegrated, he pulled the large purple crystal out into the open air.

"I...I did it," he gasped out, barely convinced that he managed it himself.

He jerked forward at a sudden weight against his back. Looking to the side, he saw Simon patting him on the back. His face was split into a proud smile that reached his eyes, "Told ya you could do it! And now you've got what you were looking for. Great job, Bell! Knew you had it in ya!"

"Th-Tha-Thanks, Simon," Bell said, his lips quirking up into an awkward but genuine smile. He looked at the heavy magic stone in his hand, mind already thinking of how happy his Goddess would be to see the money he got from the exchange. But a stray thought made his expression fall. He looked over at Simon and held the magic stone out to him, "Oh, right. Sorry, Simon. This is yours. You killed the minotaur so-"

"Keep it."

Bell blinked in surprise. Then he looked over at Simon to see if he was being serious. The smile on Simon's face told him he was. Bell pointed a finger at the magic stone, then at himself, "Re-Really? But...you killed it?"

"Yeah. So?" Simon shrugged, "You're the one that did the work to get it out. You should take it. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."

Simon's last words went over Bell's head as he focused on the fact that Simon was just giving him a valuable magic stone. For free. When Simon didn't say he was lying, Bell got to his feet and bowed deeply to the older man, "Thank you so much! For saving me and for giving me this!"

Simon stood up and started chuckling, "No problem. Now, then, hmm...mind doing me a favor, Bell?"

"Of course! Anything," Bell said as he straightened himself up.

"Do you know what this place is? And the way out of here?"

Bell tilted his head in confusion, "You mean the way to the Guild?"

"The Guild?"

"You don't...wait...Simon...how did you get here? To the fifth floor? In fact...where did you come from when you kicked the minotaur?"

"Oh, from up there."

Simon turned around and pointed at a spot above them. Bell followed his finger to see a cliff hanging over the building they were in. At the top was a ledge that had a direct shot toward the minotaur if someone had jumped off it. Only issue?

"That's...that's at least ten meters high," Bell said.

"Yep," Simon declared.

"...You jumped from ten meters up. And kicked the minotaur in the face."

"Uh-huh."

"...Simon? Sorry if this is rude but...what's your current level?"

"Level?"

Igeras · Apr 24, 2023

LinkOnScepter said:
"I'm sorry!"

Simon flinched as the boy he had rescued apologized for the fifth time in a row. He started to scratch at his cheek, ignoring the blood that still covered his body. A chuckle left his throat as he spoke, "Uh, you said that already. And, I told you before. You don't have to apologize for trying to run away. I'd just like to know why? I didn't scare you did I?"

"No!" the boy shouted as he shot up from the sitting position he was just in. He rapidly shook his head while keeping his red eyes locked on Simon, "You didn't do anything wrong! I'm apologizing because I tried to run after you just rescued me! It was rude of me to do that to a fellow adventurer that just saved my life and I-"

"Hold on. Senior adventurer?" Simon raised a hand to get the kid to stop talking. He clammed up instantly upon seeing Simon's hand. Which only made him feel worse. The two of them were still in the room where he had killed that monster. Bell was sitting on his knees while Simon was cross-legged. The monster's body was still on the ground behind them, but Simon paid it no mind. Nor did he care about how the entire room was caked in blood and viscera. He instead focused his efforts on the boy he had saved. Which is what led them to their current situation.

Simon shook his head and let his hand fall, "Don't worry about it. Let's just start from the beginning. Are you hurt anywhere? None of that blood is yours, right?"

Temporarily stunned, the boy started to slowly shake his head, "N-No. I'm fine. He didn't hit me at all."

Some of the tension left Simon's shoulders, "Good. Next, how about you tell me your name? Wouldn't want to keep calling you, well, 'you'."

"It's...it's Bell. Bell Cranel."

Simon thrust his right hand out to Bell, "Good to meetcha! My name's Simon. Simon the Digger."

Bell looked from Simon's smiling face to his outstretched. Still nervous, he reached out with his left hand and gripped Simon's. Simon's firm confident grip contrasted with Bell's loose and unsure one. When the two separated, Bell stared at his left hand with a bit of awe in his eyes. Simon's eyebrows rose in confusion. Which only got worse when Bell started flexing his fingers while nodding to himself about something or other. After getting Bell's attention by clearing his throat, Simon continued, "Anyway, mind telling me why you tried to run away after I saved you? I didn't scare you or anything, did I?"

Bell's eyes went wide as he swiftly shook his head, "No! No! It's just I wasn't sure what to do or say and I was still trying to...to...uh..."

Bell went quiet when he saw Simon chuckling at his reactions. Simon put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly, "Well, glad that I didn't drive you away. Wouldn't be able to say a job well done if I ended up scaring off the person I was trying to help."

Simon's chuckle turned into a full laugh. Bell, not entirely sure what was going on, responded with a nervous laugh of his own. They stopped a few seconds later, an awkward silence falling over them as they both went silent. Simon broke it by jerking a finger behind him, "So, mind telling me how you ended up nearly getting crushed by that thing?"

"Huh? Oh right! The magic stone!" Bell nearly slipped as he got to his feet. He ran passed Simon, pulling his knife out of his back and rushing towards where the monster fell. He got to his knees next to the hulking beast's body and aimed his knife where its heart would be. Confused, Simon stood up and walked to the kneeling boy. He watched as the young man tried to stab through the monster's chest with his knife, only for it to get caught in the muscles without getting very far.

"What?" Bell said, pulling his knife out and stabbing at the monster again to no avail. His blows became more frustrated as he kept trying to pierce its hide, but wasn't getting anywhere. He pulled his knife back as he spoke, "Its..its hide's too thick. I can't through it with this. Aw, and this would've given us a lot of money we could've used!"

He hung his head dejectedly as if he could see all the profits from this little adventure of his slipping through his fingers. Simon walked over and crouched next to Bell. Then he tapped him on the shoulder, "Don't give up yet. You can get through."

"Huh?" Bell looked over at Simon, confusion plain as day on his face.

Simon jerked his head at the dead beast, "Keep going. It's not over unless you give up. Whatever you want is in that...uh...what is this thing?"

"You don't know?" Simon shaking his head seemed to surprise Bell more than what he said about getting at the monster's chest. Bell looked from Simon to the dead beast, "How do you not know what a minotaur is? Every level one adventurer knows to stay far away from them and...wait. You attacked a minotaur despite not knowing what it was?!"

Simon nodded without a hint of regret, "Yeah."

"...Who...who are you?"

Simon grinned, reaching up to tap on the sunglasses on his head, "Told you already. Simon The Digger. Now, back to the task at hand. That minotaur? It has something you need, right?"

"Yea-yeah but hold on-"

"Then don't stop here. Keep going at it."

"But...I can't. My knife won't cut it."

"You don't need to use your knife. You've got something way better," his eyes moved toward Bell's left hand. Bell followed his gaze and lifted his palm. Inside he found the small drill that Simon had tossed him before.

Bell held the drill up to the light, "This? But it's...it's so small. It won't get through this thing's hide."

"Don't underestimate it just cause it's small. It's still a drill. And if there's one thing drills excel at, it's breaking through a hard obstacle," Simon felt a strange bit of nostalgia as he spoke. For a moment, he felt like he was talking to a kid who doesn't know what Spiral Power is. Then again, considering he was supposed to be way older than he looked right now, he supposed the comparison wasn't just hyperbole.

Bell didn't look he bought into Simon's words. Simon kept grinning, waving a hand at the dead minotaur, "There's no harm in trying, is there?"

Bell pursed his lips before turning back to the minotaur's body. He ignored the sharp smell of blood and death in the room, focusing his all on the spot where its magic stone should be. Taking a breath he holds the drill in his right hand and places its tip where he was stabbing with the knife. While shallow the wound did make a good hole to start from. Once the drill was there, he started to turn it with his hand and...nothing happened. He got a bit further in but other than that-

"It's not working," Bell said as he turned to Simon.

Simon nodded, "Of course, it won't work the first time. Hardly anything does. The point is to keep going. Keep on drilling. Cause once you've dug through the last barrier, you've won."

Simon placed a hand on his chin as he looked at the minotaur's body. Then he reached out and placed his hand over Bell's, "Here. Let me give you hand. Start turning it counter-clockwise."

Bell followed Simon's instructions. He made note of how, despite his rough looks, his hands were surprisingly soft. And his grip was rather gentle. Careful even as they started to drill through the minotaur's chest.

And drill they did. It was slow going. Lots of blood started seeping out of the wound as they got deeper and deeper into it. But as he kept going, Bell noticed it started getting...easier. The minotaur's muscles and bones didn't break in one rotation or anything. But they weren't as hard to break through as they were with his knife. In addition, the hole didn't just get deeper. It got wider. It was the size of his hand by the time Simon let his hand go. He hardly even noticed. He was too engrossed with getting at the magic stone.

Bell was elbow deep in the minotaur when he finally strike something solid. Blinking, he pulled his arm out and reached into the hole he made with his left hand. As the minotaur's body disintegrated, he pulled the large purple crystal out into the open air.

"I...I did it," he gasped out, barely convinced that he managed it himself.

He jerked forward at a sudden weight against his back. Looking to the side, he saw Simon patting him on the back. His face was split into a proud smile that reached his eyes, "Told ya you could do it! And now you've got what you were looking for. Great job, Bell! Knew you had it in ya!"

"Th-Tha-Thanks, Simon," Bell said, his lips quirking up into an awkward but genuine smile. He looked at the heavy magic stone in his hand, mind already thinking of how happy his Goddess would be to see the money he got from the exchange. But a stray thought made his expression fall. He looked over at Simon and held the magic stone out to him, "Oh, right. Sorry, Simon. This is yours. You killed the minotaur so-"

"Keep it."

Bell blinked in surprise. Then he looked over at Simon to see if he was being serious. The smile on Simon's face told him he was. Bell pointed a finger at the magic stone, then at himself, "Re-Really? But...you killed it?"

"Yeah. So?" Simon shrugged, "You're the one that did the work to get it out. You should take it. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."

Simon's last words went over Bell's head as he focused on the fact that Simon was just giving him a valuable magic stone. For free. When Simon didn't say he was lying, Bell got to his feet and bowed deeply to the older man, "Thank you so much! For saving me and for giving me this!"

Simon stood up and started chuckling, "No problem. Now, then, hmm...mind doing me a favor, Bell?"

"Of course! Anything," Bell said as he straightened himself up.

"Do you know what this place is? And the way out of here?"

Bell tilted his head in confusion, "You mean the way to the Guild?"

"The Guild?"

"You don't...wait...Simon...how did you get here? To the fifth floor? In fact...where did you come from when you kicked the minotaur?"

"Oh, from up there."

Simon turned around and pointed at a spot above them. Bell followed his finger to see a cliff hanging over the building they were in. At the top was a ledge that had a direct shot toward the minotaur if someone had jumped off it. Only issue?

"That's...that's at least ten meters high," Bell said.

"Yep," Simon declared.

"...You jumped from ten meters up. And kicked the minotaur in the face."

"Uh-huh."

"...Simon? Sorry if this is rude but...what's your current level?"

"Level?"

Chapter 2 is in extras , not in threadmarks as is 1 . You should change that.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 24, 2023

Igeras said:
Chapter 2 is in extras , not in threadmarks as is 1 . You should change that.

No that was on purpose. This is a sub chapter. I plan to post the full chapter as a threadmark, so people who just want to read straight through the story can.

Igeras · Apr 24, 2023

LinkOnScepter said:
No that was on purpose. This is a sub chapter. I plan to post the full chapter as a threadmark, so people who just want to read straight through the story can.

Ok , nice to know

LinkOnScepter · Apr 29, 2023

Eina Tulle's pointed ears twitched. The female half-elf receptionist looked up from the book she held in her hand. Her black guild uniform moved with her thin frame as she looked towards the entrance to the guild. Numerous adventurers were walking through the doors, many having come back from their recent trips to the Dungeon. Humans, beastmen, dwarves, and more marched in and toward the Exchange. Some with their heads held high, others with their shoulders slumped and feet dragging. It was clear to all who had had a fruitful trip with a single look.

Eina's emerald eyes scanned the crowd as she looked for a familiar head of white hair. She swore she had heard the light voice of the fourteen-year-old adventurer that was in her care. She placed her book under the counter she stood at while leaning over it with both hands. Her eyes narrowed until she finally spotted the starting adventurer. Her smile at his safe return morphed into a confused frown as she saw that he wasn't alone. Walking right along with him was another adventurer. At least, Eina assumed he was an adventurer. He had to have come out of the Dungeon if he was with Bell.

He stood at least twenty-three celch taller than the fourteen-year-old boy. A pair of red goggles sat atop his dark blue hair, and underneath those were a set of pure red sunglasses. She wasn't sure how they managed to not fall off his head, as she couldn't see them holding onto anything from where she was. The rest of his outfit was equally strange. He wore no armor save for two metal belts around his waist and five black bands around his stomach. The legs of his dark blue pants ended at long black and red boots that matched the coat flowing around his shoulders. His chest was fully exposed save for a single small object that hung from a string around his neck.

Eina frowned, watching the man as his head kept swiveling around. His eyes seemed to observe and take in everything around him. From the floor, to the ceiling, to the magic stone lights. But the main thing that he focused on was the people. His eyes would follow after many of the non-human adventurers that passed him and Bell by. A look of fascination was on his face the entire time. Eina started to wonder whether they had an adventurer like him record, but then she took notice of something else. Something that only occurred to her after Bell and the newcomer made it to her counter.

That being that they were both covered in blood.

And tracking it into the guild.

"I'm back, Ms. Eina!" Bell said as he triumphantly held up the large purple magic stone he got from the minotaur blood dripping from his sleeve onto the counter. He turned to the newcomer with a smile, "And I found this person in the Dungeon."

"Hey there. My name's Simon," the now-named Simon spoke without a care in the world, more blood falling onto the floor.

Eina was speechless. As were all the other guild employees and even some of the adventurers.

Then someone screamed.

"EEEEEKKKKK!"

"You know, Bell, after getting covered in blood, you should at least take a shower before coming in here..."

Bell hung his head in shame in his seat, "Sorry, Ms. Eina."

After watching the boy repent for a few moments, she turned her attention to the third occupant of the room. The newly introduced Simon. He was sitting next to Bell in another chair still drying his hair off with a white towel. When he finally finished, he pulled it over his head and onto his neck while shaking his hair out. He let out a thankful sigh before reaching towards the table between them. He spoke as he grabbed up his glasses and goggles, "That felt great. Don't know when the last time I had a shower was. This place is pretty nice. What did you say it was, Eina?"

"The Guild headquarters," she spoke plainly as she watched Simon loop the goggles around his head and lift them to his hair. Then he simply placed the sunglasses on his forehead. And they just...stayed there. She watched, waiting for them to fall but nothing happened.

Simon nodded as he looked around the room. A low whistle escaped his lips, "Got it. And you're supposed to be Bell's advisor or something, right?"

"That I am," she glanced sidelong at the white-haired adventurer in question. One eyebrow slowly rose as she stared at him, "And I'd like to know why he thought it was a good idea to come here in such a state."

Bell shrunk back into his chair under Eina's piercing gaze. Tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes, but Simon leaned forward and waved his hand through the air, "Eh, cut the kid some slack. He was just really excited to get here. Especially after he managed to bring that home."

Simon pointed a finger toward the magic stone sitting on the table. All eyes were drawn to the large purple crystal that released a dull glow into the room. It was the size of Bell's palm and almost as long as his arm. A stone of its size would be worth quite a large sum of money. Considering that, it made some sense that Bell had forgotten about the blood covering his body at the time. For a low-level adventurer like him, that was as good as finding an untapped gold mine.

Eina's frown softened and she leaned back in her chair. She adjusted the glasses on her face as she spoke, "I suppose you have a point."

Bell pulled himself from his seat, his eyes filling with hope.

"But that doesn't completely excuse you. Be more careful next time, alright?"

"Ye-Yes, Ms. Eina," Bell said, nodding his head up and down as fast as he could.

Eina gave him a big smile before turning her attention back to Simon. The man was staring at her with an intense gaze. His eyes were narrowed and they seemed to run up and down her body. She was already starting to feel a sense of disgust and exasperation, but masked it behind practiced professionalism, "Is there something you needed, Simon?"

"Yeah. Eina? What exactly are you? Cause you look human, but have those ears. Are you a beastman?"

Eina was temporarily stunned. Her elvish ancestry was obvious to anyone who looked at her, after all. How could he not know that? And why would he confuse her with an animal person? For a moment, she didn't know how to react and just stared at Simon with a blank look on her face.

"Mr. Simon! That was rude. And Ms. Eina is half-human and half-elf. You can tell from her ears," Bell suddenly said, leaning onto the table while staring at Simon.

Simon stretched his chin and looked bashful, "Uh, sorry. But I'm not gonna find out by just staring at her, am I? Better to just ask her for the answer. And I told you to not call me Mr. Simon's fine."

"Still, you should just ask someone that. I'm sorry, Ms. Eina. Mr...I mean, Simon is...new around here."

Eina's confusion only grew as she looked between the two of them. She shook her head and then cleared her throat to help center her focus. When she had herself under control, she placed both hands on the table in front of her. Then she spoke in an even tone, "How about you two tell me what happened in the Dungeon today? From the beginning, please."

And so they did. Bell told Eina everything that had happened up until Simon had saved him, and Simon took over from there. The two kept their stories as straight as possible, having gone over what they would say before they made it to the Guild. At first, Eina's facial expression got more and more upset as Bell described the events that led to him almost dying to a minotaur. But after Simon finished describing his brief part in the tale, her expression changed to curiosity.

"Hold on," Eina held up a hand to get their attention. She met Simon's gaze as she spoke, "Can you go back a bit? To when you fought the minotaur?"

Simon shrugged, "Sure. I was running along, trying to find the source of that scream. Ended up above Bell while he was about to get stepped on. I jumped off, aimed toward the monster, then kicked it in the face hard enough to break one of its horns. It fell over but wasn't done yet. So I got out my drill here-"

Simon grabbed the item in question from around his neck, holding it up for all to see, "-and ran right at it. I parried its attack, jumped up, stabbed it in the face, and blew its head off."

Simon mimed his takedown of the minotaur, a wide grin on his face. Bell was looking up at him with a small smile of his own. Eina stared in complete bewilderment. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again, "I see. And where did you say you came from?"

"Uh...that's kind of complicated," Simon let his drill fall while rubbing the back of his neck, "And a long story. But I can tell you that I woke up in the Dungeon and that I ended up finding Bell."

Eina turned to the boy in question for confirmation. Bell nodded, "It's true, Ms. Eina. In fact, there's more to it than just that. He...He doesn't know what Levels are. Or Falna. Or, as you saw, elves. I don't think he's from Orario."

"But then what-wait....he...Simon...you don't know what Falna is?"

Simon shrugged, "I kind of do. Bell filled me in on the basics. It's a blessing that makes you stronger, right?"

"Yes. But you didn't know that before he told you?"

"Yep."

"Then....do you have a Falna?"

"Nope."

Silence filled the air for a long time. It was quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop.

Then Eina slammed her hands onto the table, voice cracking a bit as she yelled at him, "How is that possible?!"

For those who might not know: Celch = Centimeters.

ogami-kun · Apr 29, 2023

Thanks for the chapter

LinkOnScepter said:
celch

Even in another world they use the metric system, and yet americans want to use imperials

Xodarap · Apr 29, 2023

This story gives me Pyrantaneum vibes so damn much.

KonradC · Apr 29, 2023

Xodarap said:
This story gives me Pyrantaneum vibes so damn much.

~~At least Taylor in Sect still has contact with her one true love, QA~~
Edit: wring thread

Jao · Apr 29, 2023

What is TTGL?

LinkOnScepter · Apr 29, 2023

Jao said:
What is TTGL?

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The full title:

VisV · Apr 30, 2023

...
...
...

I'm pretty sure simon could literally break this setting over his knee if he was so inclined, gods and all.

As in literally break the setting, as in the the whole universe that danmachi takes place in

Oh well, you're other stuff is good, I'm sure this will be too.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 30, 2023

VisV said:
...
...
...

I'm pretty sure simon could literally break this setting over his knee if he was so inclined, gods and all.

As in literally break the setting, as in the the whole universe danmachi this takes place in

Oh well, you're other stuff is good, I'm sure this will be too.

I mean yeah. But he won't cause that's not the kind of character he is. Unless someone deserves it.

LinkOnScepter · Apr 30, 2023

"I'm sorry!"

Simon flinched as the boy he had rescued apologized for the fifth time in a row. He started to scratch at his cheek, ignoring the blood that still covered his body. A chuckle left his throat as he spoke, "Uh, you said that already. And, I told you before. You don't have to apologize for trying to run away. I'd just like to know why? I didn't scare you did I?"

"No!" the boy shouted as he shot up from the sitting position he was just in. He rapidly shook his head while keeping his red eyes locked on Simon, "You didn't do anything wrong! I'm apologizing because I tried to run after you just rescued me! It was rude of me to do that to a fellow adventurer that just saved my life and I-"

"Hold on. Senior adventurer?" Simon raised a hand to get the kid to stop talking. He clammed up instantly upon seeing Simon's hand. Which only made him feel worse. The two of them were still in the room where he had killed that monster. Bell was sitting on his knees while Simon was cross-legged. The monster's body was still on the ground behind them, but Simon paid it no mind. Nor did he care about how the entire room was caked in blood and viscera. He instead focused his efforts on the boy he had saved. Which is what led them to their current situation.

Simon shook his head and let his hand fall, "Don't worry about it. Let's just start from the beginning. Are you hurt anywhere? None of that blood is yours, right?"

Temporarily stunned, the boy started to slowly shake his head, "N-No. I'm fine. He didn't hit me at all."

Some of the tension left Simon's shoulders, "Good. Next, how about you tell me your name? Wouldn't want to keep calling you, well, 'you'."

"It's...it's Bell. Bell Cranel."

Simon thrust his right hand out to Bell, "Good to meetcha! My name's Simon. Simon the Digger."

Bell looked from Simon's smiling face to his outstretched. Still nervous, he reached out with his left hand and gripped Simon's. Simon's firm confident grip contrasted with Bell's loose and unsure one. When the two separated, Bell stared at his left hand with a bit of awe in his eyes. Simon's eyebrows rose in confusion. Which only got worse when Bell started flexing his fingers while nodding to himself about something or other. After getting Bell's attention by clearing his throat, Simon continued, "Anyway, mind telling me why you tried to run away after I saved you? I didn't scare you or anything, did I?"

Bell's eyes went wide as he swiftly shook his head, "No! No! It's just I wasn't sure what to do or say and I was still trying to...to...uh..."

Bell went quiet when he saw Simon chuckling at his reactions. Simon put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly, "Well, glad that I didn't drive you away. Wouldn't be able to say a job well done if I ended up scaring off the person I was trying to help."

Simon's chuckle turned into a full laugh. Bell, not entirely sure what was going on, responded with a nervous laugh of his own. They stopped a few seconds later, an awkward silence falling over them as they both went silent. Simon broke it by jerking a finger behind him, "So, mind telling me how you ended up nearly getting crushed by that thing?"

"Huh? Oh right! The magic stone!" Bell nearly slipped as he got to his feet. He ran passed Simon, pulling his knife out of his back and rushing towards where the monster fell. He got to his knees next to the hulking beast's body and aimed his knife where its heart would be. Confused, Simon stood up and walked to the kneeling boy. He watched as the young man tried to stab through the monster's chest with his knife, only for it to get caught in the muscles without getting very far.

"What?" Bell said, pulling his knife out and stabbing at the monster again to no avail. His blows became more frustrated as he kept trying to pierce its hide, but wasn't getting anywhere. He pulled his knife back as he spoke, "Its..its hide's too thick. I can't through it with this. Aw, and this would've given us a lot of money we could've used!"

He hung his head dejectedly as if he could see all the profits from this little adventure of his slipping through his fingers. Simon walked over and crouched next to Bell. Then he tapped him on the shoulder, "Don't give up yet. You can get through."

"Huh?" Bell looked over at Simon, confusion plain as day on his face.

Simon jerked his head at the dead beast, "Keep going. It's not over unless you give up. Whatever you want is in that...uh...what is this thing?"

"You don't know?" Simon shaking his head seemed to surprise Bell more than what he said about getting at the monster's chest. Bell looked from Simon to the dead beast, "How do you not know what a minotaur is? Every level one adventurer knows to stay far away from them and...wait. You attacked a minotaur despite not knowing what it was?!"

Simon nodded without a hint of regret, "Yeah."

"...Who...who are you?"

Simon grinned, reaching up to tap on the sunglasses on his head, "Told you already. Simon The Digger. Now, back to the task at hand. That minotaur? It has something you need, right?"

"Yea-yeah but hold on-"

"Then don't stop here. Keep going at it."

"But...I can't. My knife won't cut it."

"You don't need to use your knife. You've got something way better," his eyes moved toward Bell's left hand. Bell followed his gaze and lifted his palm. Inside he found the small drill that Simon had tossed him before.

Bell held the drill up to the light, "This? But it's...it's so small. It won't get through this thing's hide."

"Don't underestimate it just cause it's small. It's still a drill. And if there's one thing drills excel at, it's breaking through a hard obstacle," Simon felt a strange bit of nostalgia as he spoke. For a moment, he felt like he was talking to a kid who doesn't know what Spiral Power is. Then again, considering he was supposed to be way older than he looked right now, he supposed the comparison wasn't just hyperbole.

Bell didn't look he bought into Simon's words. Simon kept grinning, waving a hand at the dead minotaur, "There's no harm in trying, is there?"

Bell pursed his lips before turning back to the minotaur's body. He ignored the sharp smell of blood and death in the room, focusing his all on the spot where its magic stone should be. Taking a breath he holds the drill in his right hand and places its tip where he was stabbing with the knife. While shallow the wound did make a good hole to start from. Once the drill was there, he started to turn it with his hand and...nothing happened. He got a bit further in but other than that-

"It's not working," Bell said as he turned to Simon.

Simon nodded, "Of course, it won't work the first time. Hardly anything does. The point is to keep going. Keep on drilling. Cause once you've dug through the last barrier, you've won."

Simon placed a hand on his chin as he looked at the minotaur's body. Then he reached out and placed his hand over Bell's, "Here. Let me give you a hand. Start turning it counter-clockwise."

Bell followed Simon's instructions. He made note of how, despite his rough looks, his hands were surprisingly soft. And his grip was rather gentle. Careful even as they started to drill through the minotaur's chest.

And drill they did. It was slow going. Lots of blood started seeping out of the wound as they got deeper and deeper into it. But as he kept going, Bell noticed it started getting...easier. The minotaur's muscles and bones didn't break in one rotation or anything. But they weren't as hard to break through as they were with his knife. In addition, the hole didn't just get deeper. It got wider. It was the size of his hand by the time Simon let his hand go. He hardly even noticed. He was too engrossed with getting at the magic stone.

Bell was elbow deep in the minotaur when he finally strike something solid. Blinking, he pulled his arm out and reached into the hole he made with his left hand. As the minotaur's body disintegrated, he pulled the large purple crystal out into the open air.

"I...I did it," he gasped out, barely convinced that he managed it himself.

He jerked forward at a sudden weight against his back. Looking to the side, he saw Simon patting him on the back. His face was split into a proud smile that reached his eyes, "Told ya you could do it! And now you've got what you were looking for. Great job, Bell! Knew you had it in ya!"

"Th-Tha-Thanks, Simon," Bell said, his lips quirking up into an awkward but genuine smile. He looked at the heavy magic stone in his hand, mind already thinking of how happy his Goddess would be to see the money he got from the exchange. But a stray thought made his expression fall. He looked over at Simon and held the magic stone out to him, "Oh, right. Sorry, Simon. This is yours. You killed the minotaur so-"

"Keep it."

Bell blinked in surprise. Then he looked over at Simon to see if he was being serious. The smile on Simon's face told him he was. Bell pointed a finger at the magic stone, then at himself, "Re-Really? But...you killed it?"

"Yeah. So?" Simon shrugged, "You're the one that did the work to get it out. You should take it. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."

Simon's last words went over Bell's head as he focused on the fact that Simon was just giving him a valuable magic stone. For free. When Simon didn't say he was lying, Bell got to his feet and bowed deeply to the older man, "Thank you so much! For saving me and for giving me this!"

Simon stood up and started chuckling, "No problem. Now, then, hmm...mind doing me a favor, Bell?"

"Of course! Anything," Bell said as he straightened himself up.

"Do you know what this place is? And the way out of here?"

Bell tilted his head in confusion, "You mean the way to the Guild?"

"The Guild?"

"You don't...wait...Simon...how did you get here? To the fifth floor? In fact...where did you come from when you kicked the minotaur?"

"Oh, from up there."

Simon turned around and pointed at a spot above them. Bell followed his finger to see a cliff hanging over the building they were in. At the top was a ledge that had a direct shot toward the minotaur if someone had jumped off it. Only issue?

"That's...that's at least ten meters high," Bell said.

"Yep," Simon declared.

"...You jumped from ten meters up. And kicked the minotaur in the face."

"Uh-huh."

"...Simon? Sorry if this is rude but...what's your current level?"

"Level?"

Eina Tulle's pointed ears twitched. The female half-elf receptionist looked up from the book she held in her hand. Her black guild uniform moved with her thin frame as she looked towards the entrance to the guild. Numerous adventurers were walking through the doors, many having come back from their recent trips to the Dungeon. Humans, beastmen, dwarves, and more marched in and toward the Exchange. Some with their heads held high, others with their shoulders slumped and feet dragging. It was clear to all who had had a fruitful trip with a single look.

Eina's emerald eyes scanned the crowd as she looked for a familiar head of white hair. She swore she had heard the light voice of the fourteen-year-old adventurer that was in her care. She placed her book under the counter she stood at while leaning over it with both hands. Her eyes narrowed until she finally spotted the starting adventurer. Her smile at his safe return morphed into a confused frown as she saw that he wasn't alone. Walking right along with him was another adventurer. At least, Eina assumed he was an adventurer. He had to have come out of the Dungeon if he was with Bell.

He stood at least twenty-three celch taller than the fourteen-year-old boy. A pair of red goggles sat atop his dark blue hair, and underneath those were a set of pure red sunglasses. She wasn't sure how they managed to not fall off his head, as she couldn't see them holding onto anything from where she was. The rest of his outfit was equally strange. He wore no armor save for two metal belts around his waist and five black bands around his stomach. The legs of his dark blue pants ended at long black and red boots that matched the coat flowing around his shoulders. His chest was fully exposed save for a single small object that hung from a string around his neck.

Eina frowned, watching the man as his head kept swiveling around. His eyes seemed to observe and take in everything around him. From the floor, to the ceiling, to the magic stone lights. But the main thing that he focused on was the people. His eyes would follow after many of the non-human adventurers that passed him and Bell by. A look of fascination was on his face the entire time. Eina started to wonder whether they had an adventurer like him record, but then she took notice of something else. Something that only occurred to her after Bell and the newcomer made it to her counter.

That being that they were both covered in blood.

And tracking it to the guild.

"I'm back, Ms. Eina!" Bell said as he triumphantly held up the large purple magic stone he got from the minotaur blood dripping from his sleeve onto the counter. He turned to the newcomer with a smile, "And I found this person in the Dungeon."

"Hey there. My name's Simon," the now-named Simon spoke without a care in the world, more blood falling onto the floor.

Eina was speechless. As were all the other guild employees and even some of the adventurers.

Then someone screamed.

"EEEEEKKKKK!"

"You know, Bell, after getting covered in blood, you should at least take a shower before coming in here..."

Bell hung his head in shame in his seat, "Sorry, Ms. Eina."

After watching the boy repent for a few moments, she turned her attention to the third occupant of the room. The newly introduced Simon. He was sitting next to Bell in another chair still drying his hair off with a white towel. When he finally finished, he pulled it over his head and onto his neck while shaking his hair out. He let out a thankful sigh before reaching towards the table between them. He spoke as he grabbed up his glasses and goggles, "That felt great. Don't know when the last time I had a shower was. This place is pretty nice. What did you say it was, Eina?"

"The Guild headquarters," she spoke plainly as she watched Simon loop the goggles around his head and lift them to his hair. Then he simply placed the sunglasses on his forehead. And they just...stayed there. She watched, waiting for them to fall but nothing happened.

Simon nodded as he looked around the room. A low whistle escaped his lips, "Got it. And you're supposed to be Bell's advisor or something, right?"

"That I am," she glanced sidelong at the white-haired adventurer in question. One eyebrow slowly rose as she stared at him, "And I'd like to know why he thought it was a good idea to come here in such a state."

Bell shrunk back into his chair under Eina's piercing gaze. Tears started to well up in the corners of his eyes, but Simon leaned forward and waved his hand through the air, "Eh, cut the kid some slack. He was just really excited to get here. Especially after he managed to bring that home."

Simon pointed a finger toward the magic stone sitting on the table. All eyes were drawn to the large purple crystal that released a dull glow into the room. It was the size of Bell's palm and almost as long as his arm. A stone of its size would be worth quite a large sum of money. Considering that, it made some sense that Bell had forgotten about the blood covering his body at the time. For a low-level adventurer like him, that was as good as finding an untapped gold mine.

Eina's frown softened and she leaned back in her chair. She adjusted the glasses on her face as she spoke, "I suppose you have a point."

Bell pulled himself from his seat, his eyes filling with hope.

"But that doesn't completely excuse you. Be more careful next time, alright?"

"Ye-Yes, Ms. Eina," Bell said, nodding his head up and down as fast as he could.

Eina gave him a big smile before turning her attention back to Simon. The man was staring at her with an intense gaze. His eyes were narrowed and they seemed to run up and down her body. She was already starting to feel a sense of disgust and exasperation, but masked it behind practiced professionalism, "Is there something you needed, Simon?"

"Yeah. Eina? What exactly are you? Cause you look human, but have those ears. Are you a beastman?"

Eina was temporarily stunned. Her elvish ancestry was obvious to anyone who looked at her, after all. How could he not know that? And why would he confuse her with an animal person? For a moment, she didn't know how to react and just stared at Simon with a blank look on her face.

"Mr. Simon! That was rude. And Ms. Eina is half-human and half-elf. You can tell from her ears," Bell suddenly said, leaning onto the table while staring at Simon.

Simon stretched his chin and looked bashful, "Uh, sorry. But I'm not gonna find out by just staring at her, am I? Better to just ask her for the answer. And I told you to not call me Mr. Simon's fine."

"Still, you should just ask someone that. I'm sorry, Ms. Eina. Mr...I mean, Simon is...new around here."

Eina's confusion only grew as she looked between the two of them. She shook her head and then cleared her throat to help center her focus. When she had herself under control, she placed both hands on the table in front of her. Then she spoke in an even tone, "How about you two tell me what happened in the Dungeon today? From the beginning, please."

And so they did. Bell told Eina everything that had happened up until Simon had saved him, and Simon took over from there. The two kept their stories as straight as possible, having gone over what they would say before they made it to the Guild. At first, Eina's facial expression got more and more upset as Bell described the events that led to him almost dying to a minotaur. But after Simon finished describing his brief part in the tale, her expression changed to curiosity.

"Hold on," Eina held up a hand to get their attention. She met Simon's gaze as she spoke, "Can you go back a bit? To when you fought the minotaur?"

Simon shrugged, "Sure. I was running along, trying to find the source of that scream. Ended up above Bell while he was about to get stepped on. I jumped off, aimed toward the monster, then kicked it in the face hard enough to break one of its horns. It fell over but wasn't done yet. So I got out my drill here-"

Simon grabbed the item in question from around his neck, holding it up for all to see, "-and ran right at it. I parried its attack, jumped up, stabbed it in the face, and blew its head off."

Simon mimed his takedown of the minotaur, a wide grin on his face. Bell was looking up at him with a small smile of his own. Eina stared in complete bewilderment. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again, "I see. And where did you say you came from?"

"Uh...that's kind of complicated," Simon let his drill fall while rubbing the back of his neck, "And a long story. But I can tell you that I woke up in the Dungeon and that ended up finding Bell."

Eina turned to the boy in question for confirmation. Bell nodded, "It's true, Ms. Eina. In fact, there's more to it than just that. He...He doesn't know what Levels are. Or Falna. Or, as you saw, elves. I don't think he's from Orario."

"But then what-wait...he...Simon...you don't know what Falna is?"

Simon shrugged, "I kind of do. Bell filled me in on the basics. It's a blessing that makes you stronger, right?"

"Yes. But you didn't know that before he told you?"

"Yep."

"Then...do you have a Falna?"

"Nope."

Silence filled the air for a long time. It was quiet enough that you could hear a pin drop.

Then Eina slammed her hands onto the table, voice cracking as she yelled at him, "How is that possible?!"

Bell nearly fell out of his seat, completely shocked at Eina's response. Simon, on the other hand, merely smiled at her question. He raised a hand and started counting off his fingers, "Some martial arts training, my trusty drill here, a little bit of luck, and fighting spirit."

Eina's expression just got more incredulous at Simon's explanation, "You're joking."

Simon shook his head, "Nope. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, it's not even the biggest thing I've ever fought."

"You've fought bigger things than a minotaur, Simon?" Bell asked, eyes widening as he stared at the older man.

Simon smiled, "Damn straight. If you want, I'll tell you about some of them when we leave here, Bell."

"Y-Yes, please!" Bell shook his head up and down furiously, Eina's scary face forgotten as he thought about hearing Simon's stories.

The table rocking got both of their attention. Bell got up and ran to Eina's side, the half-elf having face-planted into the table. Simon did the same, rushing to Eina's left and helping Bell lift the woman into a sitting position. She took a deep breath in and addressed them while putting her glasses back on, "Thank you. Both of you. Ow."

"Do you need me to get you anything, Ms. Eina?"

"No, Bell, it's alright. Please sit, both of you," after sharing a look, Simon and Bell did as the half-elf asked. Once they were back in their seats, Eina focused an angry glare at Bell, "And, Bell, why exactly were you in the fifth floor where a minotaur was? What have I been telling you ever since you started solo adventuring?"

Bell flinched and hung his head as he spoke, "Uh, that adventurers shouldn't go on adventures."

Silence filled the room as Eina glared at the rookie adventurer. Bell avoided her eyes out of shame. They both knew exactly what she meant. He was a low-level, solo adventurer. His best bet was to stick to the upper floors of the Dungeon and not go any deeper than that. If he did, he'd die. Just like what had happened today. Going on an "adventurer" had nearly got him killed.

However...

"Don't think I can agree with that statement, Eina."

Eina's gaze shot to the other occupant of the room, while Bell stiffened in his seat. Both turned their eyes to Simon, and the older man crossed his arms while staring Eina down. There was no fear in his voice despite the glare that Eina leveled his way, "I get what you're doing. You're telling Bell to be careful and not try to do anything reckless that will get him killed down there, right?"

Eina silently nodded, wondering what Simon was getting at. Simon leaned forward in his seat, "Yes, taking risks is dangerous. But if you're constantly refusing to do something because it's dangerous, then you'll never get stronger. You'll stay stuck in the same place. And people aren't meant to do that. They're meant to advance, getting better at what they do every second they do it. It's how people grow."

"Are you suggesting that I let Bell go into the lower floors and die to the other monsters there?"

"Nope. But what I am suggesting is that your advice shouldn't be a golden rule. Adventurers should go on adventurers. They should just be as ready as they can be for it."

Simon and Eina stared each other down for a few moments. Bell could only look between the two of them with a confused expression on his face. He didn't know why, but he felt like the two of them were having a silent argument. And that it involved him. The tension in the room got to the point that he couldn't even say anything. It wasn't until Eina called his name that the spell was broken.

"Bell, could you go get me something to drink, please? And something for Simon as well?"

"Water would be good if you can, Bell," Simon said, looking over and smiling at the young boy. Bell said yes, got up from his seat, then quickly made his way out of the room. He stopped at the door to look back at the two of them for a moment. Then he walked out, making sure to close the door behind him.

Eina pushed her glasses up onto her nose and spoke with a serious tone to her voice, "I will ask you this but once, Simon. What are your intentions with the adventurer known as Bell Cranel?"

Simon matched the calculating glare Eina sent his way with a stern one of his own. The two were silent as they stared each other down, their wills clashing as neither backed down. Then Simon broke the tension in a way that Eina didn't expect.

His lips curled into a bright, genuine smile, "I don't have any."

Eina blinked, "Huh?"

Simon starts to scratch the back of his neck, "I mean, I just met the kid. He seems pretty nice though. And I can tell he's got spirit in him. So, I figured I'd hang with him for a little bit. If he wants me around anyway. Really, I'm just kind of fumbling around. Trying to get my footing in this new place. Don't really have any long-term plans but that's never stopped me before. And it won't stop me now. Gotta keep on moving forward, even if we don't know what's ahead of us."

He started to laugh, a proud and happy tenor leaving his throat. As he did, Eina focused on his face and looked for any hint of deceit. While he did say he didn't have any intentions, she did know of a few people who could lie with smiles on their faces. And while she wasn't a god, she could tell a few things about how a person really felt based on observation. But as she stared at the laughing man, a strange sense of nostalgia overtook her. She felt like she had seen his face before. Not as someone she had met before, but the general feeling it gave her. The confident and radiant smile, the bright eyes always looking forward, his sharp yet kind gaze and-

Her eyes widened as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. He...he reminded her of Bell.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts then cleared her throat. Adjusting her glasses yet again she continued, "Regardless, I hope you understand that you won't be getting any vals for defeating the minotaur. If you do not know what a Falna is, then that means you're likely unregistered with the Guild. Thus you are not allowed to use any of our services."

"Vals? Oh, right. Bell said that was your word for money around here. Yeah, I don't care. Let Bell take all of it. I've got everything I need right here," he beat a fist against his chest with a confident smile.

Eina hummed then crossed her arms, "Fine. Lastly, please refrain from putting too many wild ideas into Bell's head. If he ends up dying in the Dungeon because of something you told him, you'll be the one to take the blame."

Simon stared at the half-elf with a blank look on his face. Then his lips curled into a knowing smile, "Ah. I gotcha. Don't worry. Long as I'm here, your crush won't be in any danger."

"Good that-wait what?!"

The door opened before Simon or Eina could continue. Bell stepped through with a tray held in both hands. A cool glass of water sat on the left, while a steaming cup of tea sat on the right. He looked around the tray at the two and spoke, "Sorry I'm late! There was a line. What did I miss?"

Eina glared daggers at Simon, daring him to continue his original train of thought.

Simon just chuckled, "Oh, nothing, Bell. Just that Eina here really, really likes you. A lot."

"Oh, is that so? Uh, th-thank you very much, Ms. Eina," Bell smiled at the half-elf.

She continued to glare at Simon who ignored her.

Xodarap · Apr 30, 2023

Huh you collapsed the chapters together and both wrote and edited more

LinkOnScepter · Apr 30, 2023

Xodarap said:
Huh you collapsed the chapters together and both wrote and edited more

That's the point.

The Sub Chapters are for people who like to see the Chapter as it starts coming together and with different parts of it.

The Full Chapter has all the Sub Chapters together along with an actual ending to it. This is for people who just want to read the Threadmarks, but also add something for people who have been reading all the Sub Chapters up until now.

It also helps me catch any issues that I might need to fix before I post the full chapter.

Grimmouse197 · Apr 30, 2023

I love how he bluntly tells bell that someone likes her. And Bell being the dense protagonist doesn't actually truly get his meaning. Lol

Xedornox · Apr 30, 2023

Huh interesting the chapters have been condensed and altered slightly... I like it.

Thank's for the updated format? Is that how to put it? I usually put Thank's for the chapter here but it isn't really anything new...

Spelloyal · May 2, 2023

This is a really interesting fic, I kind of hope to see Simon turning down Falna and moving forward with the spiral power, it would be a nice read, but as it is unlikely I would settle for him spreading the knowledge about the spiral to those who he believes they deserve to learn.

LinkOnScepter · May 2, 2023

KureijiRyuu said:
This is a really interesting fic, I kind of hope to see Simon turning down Falna and moving forward with the spiral power, it would be a nice read, but as it is unlikely I would settle for him spreading the knowledge about the spiral to those who he believes they deserve to learn.

What do you mean unlikely?

Simon's not getting a Falna.

He doesn't need it, and it would make him beholden to someone else's rules.

Spelloyal · May 2, 2023

LinkOnScepter said:
What do you mean unlikely?

Simon's not getting a Falna.

He doesn't need it, and it would make him beholden to someone else's rules.

Thank you very much!
I found it unlikely because in 99% of danmachi fics the first thing the MC does is grab a Falna, even when he doesn't need one, so I tend to not get my hopes up.

It Is Alright To Use Spiral Power In A Dungeon (TTGL X Danmachi Crossover)

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Getting out there.

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Raise your intent.

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Tenno

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Lost in the Dungeons of My Mind.

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Verified yuri lover

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