Connection

"What do we have here?" Mr. Grey asked Bane as he eagerly walked to the counter. The grey-haired old man was acting like a child, making Bane chuckle.

"I was on floor seven, and one of the engines carried this," Bane said. Mr. Grey nodded but didn't respond to Bane's words. Instead, he hefted the weapon into his hands.

"Wow…" Mr. Grey muttered. "This is some excellent craftsmanship." He sheathed it, then continued with a question: "Why have you brought it here?" He held the greatsword out to Bane, waiting for him to reclaim his property.

Bane thought the answer was obvious but shared his reasoning anyway. "I found it and thought you could sell it or study it. It's the least I could do since you won't accept payment from me."

Mr. Grey recoiled in surprise but graciously accepted the gift. "Well, I'll gladly take it. Usually, when a weapon comes across my counter, I can identify its maker based on small details… but this is something I've never seen before." He took back the greatsword.

"You said you found it on floor seven—the one with the shadow armors?" Mr. Grey clarified. It had been years since he'd last been down there.

"Yeah. The shadow armor wielding this was far stronger than the rest. Even the boss was nothing compared to it," Bane explained.

"Amazing. Already on the seventh floor and clearing it on your own," Mr. Grey praised the young adventurer.

"I might not be alone anymore. We have a new member in our faction."

"Really? I didn't expect that." Mr. Grey sounded surprised. Since his parents' deaths, he'd never seen Bane with others. The first time Bane had come to the shop with Eir, it had seemed awkward.

"I know. I prefer adventuring alone, but this morning, Eir was supposed to meet a young healer graduating from the God's Church," Bane explained, smiling as he mentioned Liora's position. While he preferred hunting alone, he enjoyed Eir's company—and from what he knew of Liora, hers as well.

"Interesting. Seems like the Eir Faction could be the next big thing. If you keep making good decisions, you might reach Hades' level one day." Mr. Grey took the sword to the back room.

"Alright, you ready?" he asked, reemerging. With a nod, the two left the weapon shop for their daily training in the forest. As they walked, Bane used the points from completing the floor to upgrade his status.

[Bane of the Slums]: LV 41 (340/12,200)

[Title]: ... Shadowy Slayer LV 1 (54/100)

[Strength]: LV 15

[Dexterity]: LV 4

[Mind]: LV 6

[Agility]: LV 14

[Fortitude]: LV 6

[Magic]: LV 1

[Skills]: Appraisal LV 1, Threat Analysis LV 1, Danger Sense LV 2, Passive Healing LV 1, Magnetize LV 1, Night Vision, Feared Hunt, Proficient Reader LV 1, Reader's Insight, Speed Boost LV 1

Meanwhile, Eir and Liora were on their way to the carpenter's shop. Liora, shivering, was impressed by Eir's resistance to the cold.

"Aren't you cold?" Liora asked, teeth chattering. Eir walked confidently, the icy wind seemingly ineffective against her.

Eir smiled warmly. "I am, but the cold doesn't affect me as much as it does others. I'm known for my ice magic—being around it for thousands of years has made me accustomed to freezing weather." She held up her palm, and a delicate snowflake materialized above it, spinning gracefully. Liora watched in awe, wishing the sun were out to make the crystal shimmer.

"Whoa… How did you learn magic?" Liora asked, curious how a god's training differed from a mortal's.

Eir closed her fist, crushing the snowflake into powder. "Gods and goddesses get bored easily—that's why I'm here. One day, I started reading and eventually studied magic. Most deities are naturally proficient, so mastering it didn't take long. I can even cast spells silently now."

Liora had expected everything except that last part. She'd noticed the lack of an incantation when Eir summoned the snowflake.

"You can cast silently?" Liora asked, admiration clear in her voice. Silent casting had always been her dream. Most spells required incantations or magic circles, making those who could bypass them exceedingly rare.

"Yes. It took me decades to learn how to manipulate mana for silent casting, but I got there eventually." Liora was thrilled she'd joined this faction. Compared to others she'd met, Eir and her members were both powerful and approachable.

She wanted to ask for lessons but hesitated, not wanting to seem selfish.

"I could teach you sometime, if you'd like," Eir offered.

Liora's eyes sparkled. "You would? Really?" She'd wanted to ask but hadn't dared.

"Of course. I've learned through trial and error, so I think I could guide you well. What level of spells can you cast?" Eir realized she should've asked earlier, before recruiting her.

Spells were tiered by difficulty, from Novice to Mystic, with higher ranks requiring longer incantations and more mana.

"I can cast Adept-level healing magic—specifically light spells. Otherwise, I'm at Amateur level for most others," Liora shared. "What about you?"

"That's a solid foundation. As for me, I can cast nearly every Mystic-level ice spell and Intermediate-level spells in other elements," Eir said—unsurprising for a goddess.

Magic was also divided into elements, like fire and ice.

"That's incredible…" Liora murmured as their conversation lulled.

Just before reaching the carpenter's shop, Eir recalled Bane's first visit to her domain and decided to share the story.

"Want to hear how Bane's first time in my domain went?"

Liora nodded eagerly. "Yes."

Eir recounted the tale, including how she'd recruited Bane. One detail stood out to Liora.

"You multi-casted in front of him?" she asked, stunned. Multi-casting—simultaneously casting multiple spells—was another rare ability.

"Yes, I did. I wanted you to know my capabilities so I can help you better. But teaching multi-casting would be difficult." Eir was warming up to Liora. If not for her handsiness with Bane, she thought they could be friends.

"Thank you for sharing that with me. I hope you can teach me a lot." Liora appreciated her goddess's generosity. The rest of their walk passed with idle chatter.

Bane finished his training, earning less mastery XP this session than last time. He needed the same amount to level up, but it would come only with hard work. As he headed back, he felt a flicker of excitement at returning to the faction.

It had become his home. Even in the depths of winter, the atmosphere was the warmest he'd ever known. A lightness filled his step as he walked.

"I wonder if they're getting along," Bane muttered, picturing what Eir and Liora might be doing. "Eir didn't seem to like her much, but maybe today they'll bond."

As he opened the front door of the faction building, groaning echoed from the back room. Rushing in, he found Liora and Eir struggling to move a bed.

"Bane, help!" Eir gasped, out of breath. "We're trying to move this bed from here to there." She pointed from one side of the room to the other.

Bane nodded and rearranged the furniture as they directed, the two girls watching happily. With the beds arranged how the two girls wanted, Bane also noticed an influx of items and clothes that seemed to be Liora's sitting on top of the new bed. 

'Seems she is making herself at home, that is a good sign.' Bane thought.

With that done, the three of them went out for food together for the first time. 

The three of them shared how their days went and Bane shared the dungeon experience. Then they moved to the topic of magic and Bane had a little bit to say.

"I am looking into learning magic. Do you think some of you could come to the library and help me select a grimoire?" He asked and both of them quickly perked up and answered his question.

"Of course!"

"Yes!" 

They both answered eagerly wanting to help him. Bane smiled at the two of them, "How about tomorrow? We can go and then come back then the day after we can make our first trip into the dungeon together." Bane said, planning out the next few days for them.

Eir and Liora looked at each other and nodded slightly, "Sounds like a plan, the three of us can get go to the library together and help you search for a grimoire." Eir said, Liora was just walking happily after she heard that she would be able to adventure with Bane in two days.

The three of them discussed food places and eventually Eir and Bane turned to Liora for a restaurant.

"You are the newest member, why don't you choose where we eat tonight?" Eir suggested, to which Bane agreed and continued walking toward the center of Gren. In the night light, the three continued forward passed rowdy bars and calm residential streets until they landed on a restaurant.

"How about that place?" Liora said, pointing to a rather calm spot compared to the rest of the restaurants. With the other two on board they walked inside.