Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?-Chapter 830: Walking the Inhuman Path

Dungeon, Floor 87.

Near the entrance to the next floor, within the molten swamp, a shelter had been built—one so secluded that even Monsters refused to approach.

This shelter was far larger than the previous ones. In addition to a bedroom, it also had a roughly ten-square-meter enclosed section connected to the magma pool.

At the moment, the owner of the shelter was resting quietly inside that magma pool.

The molten bath looked like a tub filled entirely with lava. Despite his bare skin being in direct contact with it—enough to boil any normal person instantly—it did absolutely nothing to him.

"Ah..."

Bell rested both hands against the rocky pool edge. The searing magma that should have cooked a person instantly only felt like warmth brushing across his skin.

"The accumulation is progressing smoothly."

At Lv.8, accumulating the ability "940" value wasn’t difficult. He had more than enough time at this stage to stabilize his power.

The problem lay in the next stage.

"My mastery of Authorities has already reached the final phase. Earlier than I expected."

Through the power of Runes, Bell had gained deep Cognition and understanding of most Authorities, separating their essence from the concept of "raw power." This meant that even if he abandoned Runes one day, he wouldn’t lose everything.

That was the whole purpose behind Bell’s probing into various Authorities.

"But it’s still just a bit of cleverness."

Runes made it easier to observe and dissect Authorities, but that method was still nothing more than an intellectual shortcut.

What he’d touched wasn’t the entirety of Authority—only a fragment.

Bell didn’t deny that most of his understanding came from Runes. Abandoning them meant losing a large portion of that knowledge.

But even so, it wasn’t meaningless. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Even if only one-tenth or one-twelfth of that comprehension remained usable, the benefits still outweighed the effort he was putting in now.

He already understood the road ahead.

To surpass the gods was to deepen one’s understanding and control of Authority.

The difference between beings of the same tier would be decided by their refinement of Authority.

So even a small remaining portion was extremely precious to him.

"The road ahead must be walked step by step. A bit more probing won’t hurt."

Bell didn’t know whether he was overexerting himself, but this was the way things were at this stage—no matter how hard he pushed, there were always walls waiting ahead.

Everything he was doing now was for the sake of paving the path for his future self.

But even now, he remained certain that choosing the middle road had been correct.

He had no teacher to guide him. The only approach he could take was casting a wide net and seeing...

...whether he could catch the right fish.

Suddenly, a faint sound brushed in with the shifting air.

Bell’s lips curved slightly.

"You got back faster this time."

On the opposite half of the magma pool—the women’s side—a girl full of youthful energy stepped in.

"Teacher, I’m back."

Once inside the bathing area, the girl called out toward the partition.

"You did well today too, Ais."

"You came back earlier than usual. Being able to maintain your condition while fighting fourteen Salamanders is definitely an improvement from yesterday."

Hearing her teacher’s praise, the normally expressionless girl—Ais—showed a faint smile.

If she weren’t in the bath right now, she might have immediately dashed to her teacher’s side.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.

Glancing at her side of the bath, Ais slowly undressed.

You couldn’t bathe with clothes on.

Especially not when soaking in magma. One mistake, and an entire outfit would be ruined.

Ais already went through clothes fast enough. She didn’t need another reason to increase that number.

After removing her clothes, she slowly lowered her body into the magma pool.

Wrapped in magic power, her body wasn’t consumed by the lava. It felt more like stepping into hot water. She even let out a soft breath.

"Haa... so warm~"

Relaxed, Ais rested her back against the pool wall.

"You’ve gotten used to living here now, haven’t you?"

"Mm..."

Listening to her teacher’s voice, the comfortable Ais nodded slightly.

Her shoulders sank beneath the magma’s surface, soaking completely.

"At first, you had to watch over me... but once I got used to it, it wasn’t a big deal."

Ais said it with such light calmness that her words felt eerie.

But it made one thing clear.

Ais was beginning to follow Bell onto a path beyond human.

"Adaptability—this is one of humanity’s greatest strengths."

"Ais, you’re beginning to show that trait."

"It’s all thanks to you, Teacher."

Ais didn’t feel she had accomplished much on her own. Everything she’d achieved was because she followed her teacher’s guidance.

And now, she finally understood what he meant by "adaptability."

Humans had the innate confidence to survive in any environment. That was human adaptability.

To adapt to even the harshest conditions—this was the mark of a true powerhouse.

"Hm, you’ve even started flattering me. That’s growth too."

Ais quickly explained herself.

"Teacher, it’s not flattery."

Everything she said came from her heart. She truly believed everything was her teacher’s accomplishment—she merely stood behind him.

"Teacher, I really think everything is because of you."

"....."

Bell sighed from his own bath. What could he even say? This child’s rigidity was something he doubted could ever be fixed.

"Teacher? Are you angry?"

"Why would I be angry? Your personality is as rigid as mine—you’re not good at flexibility. But I know you speak directly and wouldn’t lie to me."

"But Ais, it’s fine if you don’t lie... just be careful not to be lied to."

"You’re far too naive."

Honestly, Bell could now deeply understand how the three pillars of the Loki Familia felt on a daily basis.

That parental feeling was especially obvious when teaching Ais.