Chapter 22: Finding Out Part of the Truth

After the last stalker Noctis would always go down in the dungeon with somebody. He would usually go with Bete but some times Finn would force his way with them. Noctis did not hate Finn in fact he liked him.

What Noctis did not like was how he had to be very heroic and make sure that he was being good at all times. If they ever saw someone in trouble they would help them right away.

It just did not make sense to Noctis. Why help these people. A bunch of nobodies who got too cocky and made their way in the dungeon. One time in fact he saw Liliruca Arde the palum. That Bell will eventually save. Noctis looked at her in disgust.

He felt like she did not really try to break free. Of course when Finn and Noctis walked by she was no longer being abused they did not want to cause a situation with the Loki Familia. Noctis stared at Lilly waiting to see if she would ask for help or not.

Noctis sighed when he saw that all she did was put her head down.

A couple weeks later

Noctis was going to the dungeon on his own he had not leveled up in awhile and felt like it was because he was no longer diving down solo.

It was a normal time in the dungeon Noctis had already made it to floor 19. He wanted to fight the Goliath but it was gone again. Noctis was in awe of the tree labyrinth that stood before him. It was so big an open it felt like he was not underground.

The first thing Noctis fought was a group of bugbears. They were very similar to Minotaurs in strength and durability but they were far more agile. It took Noctis awhile to get use to their movements but once he did it started to slowly get easier. As Noctis kept progressing through the floor he heard someone scream.

He used his aura to feel around and saw that their were two people above him in one of the trees. He made his gauntlets as he started to climb up the tree to see what was going on and if he would care to help.

He then saw Marin slicing a girls throat. When Marin turned he saw her blood red eyes and then the lifeless eyes of the girl that she just killed.

Noctis whistled "So what did she do to you?"

Marin frowned for a moment "She was following me around. She is from the Ishtar Familia. Recently apparently Ishtar caught wind that I was calling her an ugly hag."

Noctis smiled "Were you?"

Marin smiled "Yeah I was. She is one."

Marin then drew her great sword. Noctis looked her up and down "What do you think you are doing."

Marin got ready to fight "Well I can not trust you to keep this a secret."

Noctis shrugged "The girl that you caught stalking me a couple weeks ago was from Ishtar as well. I killed her too. I also hate Ishtar so I see no reason for us to fight over this."

Marin smirked "Swear it."

Noctis frowned "On what?"

Marin smugly said "On the River Styx."

Noctis narrowed his eyes and started to think about his options. 'I can't fight her she is two levels higher then me. She is also definitely faster then me. Kings Aura might stall her for a second but I also don't know what kind of abilities she had.'

Noctis sighed 'It's not like I care to tell anyone anyways.'

Noctis sighed again "I Noctis swear on the River Styx not to tell a soul about what I just witnessed."

A loud thunderous boom was heard across the floor as soon as Noctis finished. Marin put her great sword away. He looked over at the body "So what you going to do now."

Marin shrugged "Probably feed it to some monsters and just give her tags to the guild."

Noctis paused for a moment "Have you been stalking me as well?"

Marin shook her head "No why."

In the next second Marin pushed Noctis off the tree and yelled "Stop staring at my soul!"

Noctis was falling a couple hundred feet. 'I just had to make sure she was not lying.'

Noctis slammed both his gauntlets into the tree to start slowing down his descent. Once Noctis got to the ground he decided to start heading back up to the surface.

Once Noctis made it to the surface he saw the sun was slowly starting to set. "I guess it's a good idea to go to the Hostess of Fertility."

He then saw Lilly running up to him "Sir would you be in need of a supporter."

Noctis narrowed his eyes "No runt. You should go, try scamming someone else."

Noctis wanted nothing to do with her and he kept making his way to the Hostess of Fertility. When Noctis finally got there an opened the door he saw Loki and the whole advance group.

Loki turned to see Noctis walk in "Noctis hurry up and get over here. I need someone else to drink with."

Noctis made his way over "What's the party for?"

Loki smiled as she handed Noctis a drink "I just wanted to party."

Noctis looked across the table to Riveria and Finn who both sighed after she said that. They then spent the whole night at the Hostess of Fertility. By the end of the night Loki was being carried by Tiona and Noctis was being carried by Bete.

In the next morning Noctis slowly got up "That is the last time I drink that much."

Noctis started to head to the main dining hall to eat breakfast. Many of the elves of the Familia were staring at him again. Noctis had gotten use to it at this point. They would stare at him as if he was some kind of treasure. He was sure that it was even worse for Riveria. Noctis saw Ais by herself and decided to sit next to her since he had not talked to her much.

When Noctis sat down they both just ate in silence for a bit. Noctis eventually asked "So do you care that I'm breaking your level up records."

Ais paused for a moment and looked up and shook her head "No."

Noctis had a slight smirk about how little she cared about conversation "What's the lowest floor you have been to?"

Ais frowned a bit "We always stop at the entrance of the 52nd floor. Or at least we use to."

Noctis tilted his head "Why the 52nd and why did you use to?"

Ais got a little angry "The 52nd floor is where the dragon vase starts."

Noctis could see her clear disdain for dragons as she talked. Ais then continued "Those floors are complicated and hard to get through as every dragon from floor 52 to 58 will just attack you."

Ais then looked sad "We also have only been up to floor 27 as lately there have been many variations of monsters and even some new ones that we do not know about so Loki and Finn want us to be cautious."

Noctis was amused this was the most he had ever seen her talk of course it was only about the dungeon though. Noctis and her just kept talking about the dungeon as they are as he figured that was the only thing she was interested in.