Slayin’ With a Strap

As the door slammed shut, Dale was sitting up on the couch, arms crossed as he leaned back. He was a man, he wouldn't let himself be pushed around, but he was man enough to face his problems head-on when he needed to, and he'd get nothing out of just skirting around Riveria, he'd only get trouble.

She turned on him, her anger seething. She had time to think, she knew Dale was smart, unlike Ais who would rush headlong into danger, Dale was calculating. She's been updated on how he was in the dungeon, even if it was just the first few floors, she's seen many parished on the first.

Sitting down across from him she spoke. ''Dale, I can not have you staying down there alone for a mo-.''

''Denied." Dale cut her short.

Her anger peaked before she raised her voice. ''What do you mean denied! Do you have any idea on the kind of risk you take for yourself and others if you go by yourself?!''

''I do, it was calculated, no monster ever got within five feet of me in the entire time I was in a dungeon, I don't require food, sleep, or materials to keep my guns upkeep as others do. I returned when my gear was worn out, and when my Excelia was at its maximum point."

''That doesn't matter, you were alone!"

''Yes, Alone. Because who else could go with me? Others above the level of 4 or above are focused on clearing the dungeon and doing expeditions. It takes Months, not only to search each new floor, but to also find the safest path to the next floor, as well as the number of resources, supplies, and manpower it takes to do so."

Riveria's eyes were like flames, her teeth gritting as she listened, she had no room to be lectured of the costs, she knew them WELL. Of course because of the family being the one most focused on the dungeon not only brought them money, materials, and gear, but it also meant a loss of life, they were only so big because they kept bringing in more and more adventures to take the edge off all the ones they would lose every expedition.

It was... Harrowing, having to watch all these bright new faces, just to see them dead the next week, Dale was one of those faces, he had abilities, talent, and a mind unlike anyone else and here he was throwing himself to his death!

"We can make a te-.''

''No, you can't. There is no person in this Familia that can keep up with me. Stats wise? I'm a low-level 3 now, and that's not including the magic I'm learning, my guns, my skills, and my techniques. That's not including the cards I have in my hand."

"Am I the strongest in the Familia? No. But, I am someone who requires no additional upkeep other than better equipment, which I myself, with my skills can hunt for Golden eggs, and my guns are fast enough to take them out. I only stopped at the seventh floor because of the Needle Rabbits, while I was a fresh level one."

"I am not asking you to turn a blind eye to my suicidal run, I am not asking you to forsake me, or consider me not one of your own, because I am a part of the Familia, and I do have friends here in my short time, you included. I am not looking to kill myself, I am not like Ais. I am not running headfirst into danger, nor do I get close to it. I will never overextend myself.''

''I am not another one of the kids you have to look after Mother Hen, I am a full-grown man, who has seen the worst of the world, who had seen the horror's that await me the further I go.''

Dale used a card from his old life, Dale was in a certain branch of a certain military, that dealt in certain things, that ended up with a lot of dead.

Suddenly the pressure in the room spiked dangerously, the world growing colder around them as it seemed to lose its life, Dale's presence sapping the 'Happiness' of the world. His eyes were dead and his face hard, Riveria was old sure, but Dale was older... Far older.

''I am seen Mother's drive their own children to death, I have watched husbands beat their family, sell them out for the next dose, I have watched sons rape their own mothers and sisters, as I've seen them let others rape them for even just enough money to put food on the table. I have watched people get torn limb from limb, I have watched as people are tortured, and brought to their last. I have watched as they broke, and spilled their whole life out, as I have watched them gain hope again, become strong again, just for it to come crumbling down all because one person became bored.''

Dale leaned forward, forcing the pressure he was emitting forward, making Riveria back herself into the couch, and bless her heart, because despite what others might see as terrifying, what others might see as a blade to their throat. She looked at him with an amassing sadness.

In her mind, she wanted nothing more than to pull him in and say it was alright, was it that 'Motherly love' inside her that so many made fun of her about? Maybe, but for once... She didn't feel like the oldest in the room, and suspicion was rising, just who is Dale... Better yet, What is he?

"I have watched what Gods do for fun, and not this simple game of playing house with mortals, no I'm talking about before when they were nothing but savages, and we were nothing but means to an end of boredom... We still are though, aren't we?''

The pressure suddenly vanished as Dale leaned back, arms still crossed. The light returned to his eyes as the life around them seemed to come back, showing off that smile he always seemed to have around to make life easier for him and others. ''I know you care, Riveria, more than most have the right to, but I will be fine. It might take me a bit, but soon I will become a pillar just as you, Finn, and Gareth have. I will be someone you all can lean against as well."

''You handle the paperwork, the finances, the magic training, and so much. As Gareth handles recruitment, and Finn handles training. Just as Loki does far more than some give her credit for since she is the sole person protecting us from the guild and the other Familia's."

''I will become the scout, I will become strong enough to solo explore the dungeon at a speed no one can keep up with. Even Bete at his fastest soon won't be able to keep up with me. I will use that to my advantage to explore the entirety of the dungeon and map it out. So that maybe, just maybe. Over time as more information comes out, better information, better maps, better guides, better warnings... Less will die, fewer lives will be lost to the dungeon..."

He moved to stand, moving past the table he offered his hands to her own, which she took and he helped lift her up before he pulled her into a hug which she tried to burrow herself into him in response.

''Dale... What are you?"

He chuckled as he pulled back, releasing her as he moved to the door, but as he opened it and in stumbled Loki who looked immediately guilty, he set a hand down onto the Goddess' head, ruffling her red hair.

''Just like I said, I'm human. I just wasn't born between two lovers, I was born between the stars and the night sky, between the moon and the sun, between heaven and hell, between the dungeon and the core of the planet."

He grinned as he turned to look back at them. ''I've gone by many names, through many stories, but one name has always stuck a bit close. Adam. My name is Adam Everdale."

He then shut the door behind him, Riveria had a look of suspicion, but Loki knew exactly who he was now, and it all made a lot of sense, but that wasn't even the first thing on her trickster mind, she turned to grin up to Riveria. ''He told us his last name, does that mean we get to bare his children?"

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"Girl's just want to have fuuun, oh girls just want to have fuuu-''

Dale ducked beneath a large swing of an Orc's club, proceeding to cylinder dump 12 rounds into the Orc's cock and balls, even as the org fell to the ground, he continued to fire.

Revolvers flashed in and out of his hand as he sawed through the orc using nothing but bullets.

He then spits on the vanishing corpse. ''That's what you get, interrupting me singing. Lost my place in the song damnit... Guess I'll just move to a new one.''

''Life is a mysteeeryyy! Everyone must sttaaaannnddd aaaaloonnee!"

Dale wasn't the best of singers, he had a great voice, deep and soothing, but he had no practice with singing so he was horrendously off-key, it was actually noted more monsters seemed to get angry at him fast because of his singing. So bad singing aggro'ed monsters? Something to note in the old journal.

Both revolvers vanished from his hand as the Lever Action appeared spinning in his grip, just as he loaded another round he put the end of the barrel into the Hard Armored's mouth before double-tapping it right into the skull from the inside of the mouth. Causing it to burst into particles.

The Hard Armored was just an oversized armadillo, much like the ones in his previous life. They had hilariously strong endurance, able to ricochet bullets of their armor if it wasn't powered by magic. It was actually rumored to have higher endurance than most younger dragons, which was funny.

After his bomb drop to the poor Elf and Goddess, he had dived right back into the dungeon for a bit, enough to get a sizable amount of money to upgrade his gear with enchantments this time, some minor ones that helped him keep clean, they keep together, and repair if he had magic cores, which he had tons of, and that wasn't a figure of speech.

As he continued to slaughter his way through the 12th floor, it wasn't that he was after the experience, if he needed that he could go a bit deeper, but he was actually aiming for Orc bones, it was a rather rare drop. Why was he aiming for them?

He believed they'd actually have the strength to withstand making something he planned to use on the goliath of the 17 floors.

Was it too soon to be bringing in explosives? No, it was never too early to use explosives.

Though, if it wasn't for the Juggernaut, he wouldn't mind just creating a bunker buster to create an elevator. The Juggernaut wasn't unkillable, its defense was just stupid high.

There was no record of it being killed yet, and Dale planned to be the first person to do it, he wanted to see what it would drop if anything. But he would first need to make special equipment for dealing with it. Normal means wouldn't cut it for that boy, though granted. In the further levels, he'd need to make better equipment anyway, modern firearms wouldn't always cut it, but that's the thing about magic baby.

It's a whole lot of bullshit.