Using a Favor to Exchange a Favor

"We're leaving, Aiolos!!!" Hansen shouts as they're getting further away from the sanctuary. They look significantly stronger with Rochelle following them.

A piece of armor is on her torso, with a separated belt holding an Iron-made skirting. There was a spear on her back, which is tailored according to her demand in weight and design.

Because it was just a replacement piece of equipment made in a hurry, Aiolos did not name the weapon. In fact, the status points of the weaponry are worst opposed to what he usually produced due to its cumbersome weight.

But when it was Rochelle's hand, it ends up as her favorite, as opposed to the featherlight sword belongs to her. As for the armor, she made a few more modifications thought to Aiolos, so a much suitable armor piece can be made.

Their departure gave Aiolos more time to create another piece of armor and weapon. The chest of ores from Artos also finally had its uses after sitting at the corner for a while. And except for the armor and spear for Rochelle, Aiolos has to make sure he provides enough weapon to Micos' Shop.

It takes him close to six hours once more to produce 20 gears and 10 armor pieces to be supplied to Micos' Shop. He left after receiving his payment of 60 copper crystals.

There were only 6 hours to go before the party returned. Although there's more to expect from their exploration this time, Aiolos hope they can keep their excitement together as they learned about Dungeon-Exploration from Rochelle.

Her experiences inside the dungeon are the most expensive knowledge his crest holder can ever get.

Aiolos prepared the ores into bars of Iron. Although the Tianyuan Iron is known as the most common material here, the quality of gear made using them still varies according to the skill of craft. And for a god that's been honing his skills through weaponry and protection gears, Aiolos' mastery cannot be underestimated.

When he gave his all to creating something disobeying the law of nature, even Aiolos is afraid of himself.

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"Move right! Yesha, you're five seconds late!" Rochelle's order came right behind the party. Today, with her taking the position of the leader, they ventured down to the 2nd level, where monsters here are between Level-1 to Level-20.

(Note: It was 10 levels of monsters per floor. But when on 3rd floors, monsters from Level-1 to Level-30 might appear)

"Yes!" Yesha answered. Not only she's forced to fight against a level 11 Werewolf, but Rochelle also ordered her to face this monster alone. As for the others, they're fighting against the second Werewolf in a 3vs1 formation.

"Lightning Bolt!" Rochelle's magic landed on the Werewolf in a flash. And because she controlled the output of her magic, it was just enough to paralyze the monster. This way, it's performance should be reduced to around level 8, which is two times stronger than Yesha.

It was a brutal practice class for the four.

But as her time with them is limited, Rochelle can't afford to teach them slowly. She would have to drill everything into them before Aiolos complete the Low-Heaven Armor fit for her.

"Grah!" a Goblin Warrior tried to stabs through Rochelle's using its blunt blade smeared with poison. But the moment they clashed, Aiolos' casually made armor won. Not even a dent appeared.

"Zzing!" the spear impales the Goblin Warrior, turning it into a skewer. Her arm strength is considerable with 89 points, more than enough for her to hold the goblin skewer steadily.

"Hansen! Don't keep your skills there for nothing!" the disturbance was nothing to her. The following command came to Hansen to force him to use his skill instead of keeping it for nothing.

"Aargh! Wind Slash!" Hansen's skill attack cuts outward like an energy boomerang but missed its target. Immediately, Hansen felt a hint of shame to perform like this before Rochelle.

"Again!" Rochelle's order came once more, urging him to try again. This time, Hansen focused intensely on the moving Werewolf as he gave it a big swing.

"Flame Slash!" a blade of fire cuts beautifully on the back of the Werewolf, immediately spreading left and right. Flames burn harder, especially on animal fur. In less than ten seconds, the entire Werewolf went into flames.

"Roar!" the beast howled anguishedly.

"What are you still waiting for? Go and deliver your final attack!" Rochelle yelled as she stares at the trio who stands idly looking at Werewolf. These kinds of pointless behavior will cost them their lives if they're on the 3rd and 4th floor.

"Y - Yes!" Pharcis and Hansen closed the gap between them and the Werewolf. A blade and a pair of gloves robbed the life points off from the monster until it dropped down, dead.

"Yesha, come back!"

"Three of you, support Yesha!"

Rochelle's following order adjusted their formation. Yesha, who was fighting independently, retreated to where Rochelle stands. She keeps taking in deep breaths to regain her energy while waiting for Rochelle's following order.

"What are you waiting for?" suddenly, Rochelle, who stands beside her, asked.

"Ah?" the sudden question puzzled Yesha. She failed to answer it immediately, giving Rochelle the option to continue.

"We've purchased ten Stamina Potions before coming here, so why are you not using them? Don't tell me the Stamina Potion is prepared so you can escape or go home faster without getting tired?" Rochelle's question made Yesha felt embarrassed.

They prepared Stamina Potion, Magic Replenishing Potion, and Recovery Potion, two to each person. But instead of using them, they're waiting for Alrune's Heal, natural magic recovery, and resting to regain their stamina?

Although this is economical, it was the practice of a fool.

In a battlefield where a safe zone can turn into a death zone in mere minutes, resting and doing nothing is the biggest mistake one can make.

Perhaps, on the first floor, such a threat is minimal, but they can't proceed to repeat this blunder on the second floor and further. These are all the precious knowledge that was exchanged using the lives of crest holders and gods.

"I'll use the potion and get back to the battle," Yesha nodded. Her gaze seems to found a hint of resolution that didn't exist in her.

"No. Since you had your rest, then keep it that way. I'll let you decide the most crucial time to land your final attack. Make sure it's a kill. If one hit doesn't work, use two or three. Until you're exhausted physically and mentally." Rochelle patted her back as she gentle muttered.

"Yes!" Yesha nodded.

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Time past without informing Aiolos. It was already nighttime when his mind came back to the present. Looking at the half-completed body of a spear, he chuckled before leaving the workshop. The party, now five members, gathered on the dining table with food ready on top.

[The dinner today is quite sumptuous. A successful exploration today, I guess...]

Aiolos chuckled as he stares at the table with fantastic selections of food. Lizard Steak, Honeyed Slime Strips, Braised Wolf Paws, Grated Crystal Radish with golden dust, and more.

The meal will cost them no less than a hundred Copper Crystals if they're dining in any of the restaurants in Southern Tianyuan Sanctuary. But right now, it was sitting on the table, waiting for him.

"Let us eat," Aiolos smiled. He said after he rests his somewhat exhausted body on the comfortable but sturdy chair.

Just like that, the dinner for the six of them went on well while Hansen keeps talking about their experience today. With the addition of Rochelle into the party, it strengthens their party by threefold. Of course, it was somewhat beneficial to her as well.

Under Aiolos' grace, all of her equipment retain their outlook even if they're destroyed. This way, it reduces almost half of the cost she often uses just to repair her gears.

Sometimes, a sumptuous and fulfilling meal is what they need after a day of working hard. If it was not due to his own realization, perhaps Aiolos might continue working on the armor until he's exhausted.

But then...

Surprises came to him after dinner.

They brought home close to a hundred units worth of loot. With the five Item-Box filled to the brim, they had to use everything available in their hand to hold the items, including Pharcis' Cloak. Perhaps only his crest holders are luxurious enough to use a Lord's Cloak as an item wrapper.

"This..." Aiolos grabbed one of the items, which looked like ivory from a War Mammoth.

"We've found a Child Mammoth when leaving the second floor." Rochelle's direct answer gave Aiolos an impression of what happened. Meeting a Level 16 War Mammoth baby is a considerable luck everyone wished for. That is especially true, considering that an adult War Mammoth is a boss category monster on the fourth floor.

(Note: In the future, War Mammoth boss is categorized as a level 40 boss)

"This is great! With this, I'll be able to imbue of piercing into the spear!" Aiolos shows them his delightful impression while holding the item on both hands. Who would have imagined that his headache earlier was solved just with the arrival of this monster's part?

Rochelle smiled in secret but returned to her stern facial expression quicker.

"Thank you, your holiness." Rochelle kneeled to express her feeling of gratitude to be given such care. As an individual Hestius given exceptional care to, it was delightful for her to be treated the same while with Aiolos.

"Don't be. I'll have a favor to ask from you. I hope you'll agree to it," Aiolos' following word made Rochelle feeling troubled. Could it be that this god purposely keeps his hand out until right now?

She's worried.

What if his holiness' expectation is to ravage her in person, to exchange for that favor?

"I - I agree..." Rochelle's heart was fallen deep into paranoia, worried about her purity. Looks like the moment is here for her to felt what her fellow crest holders often mentioned.

The "Deflowering" procedure.