(Riven Alaric POV – New York, Late Evening)
"Luke, are you sure about this?" I ask, half-excited, half-nervous, as I plug the USB into my laptop. My fingers hover over the touchpad, hesitating.
Luke—tall, skinny, and always a little too confident—leans over the back of my chair with a cocky grin. "Nope. But hey, what's life without a few surprises?"
I shoot him a look. "Where'd you even get this thing?"
He shrugs, far too casually. "Some old guy handed it to me. Said he didn't need it anymore."
"Right," I mutter, opening the USB folder. "That doesn't sound sketchy at all."
Denny, parked awkwardly on the couch with a half-eaten bag of chips, speaks up for the first time. "Wait, like... really? You just took a random USB from a stranger?"
Luke scoffs. "Relax, man. It's not like it's cursed or something."
"Could be..." I mumble under my breath. "Okay, looks like the contents are encrypted. Password-protected keys."
Luke grins like this was part of the plan all along. "That's why I came to you, Mr. Hacker Man. Knew you'd have a magic button to fix it."
"If this guy gave them to you, why didn't he give you the password too?"
"He forgot it," Luke says, far too quickly. "Old age and all that."
I raise an eyebrow. "Forgot the password to a USB holding god-knows-what? Sure. Makes perfect sense."
Luke just smirks. "You asking questions or cracking codes?"
I roll my eyes and start up the brute-force software. "Fine. Let's see what secrets Grandpa left behind."
Three hours later.
The hum of the PC fills the room. Luke is sprawled on a beanbag, scrolling through his phone. Denny's snoring quietly with a hoodie pulled over his head.
Suddenly, the screen flashes. As the folder opens.
I sit up straight. "It's done!"
Both of them snap awake—Luke tumbling forward, and Denny blinking groggily.
We gather around the screen. I load the private keys into a wallet interface. A few tense seconds pass before the balance appears.
My breath catches.
"Holy shit..." I whisper.
Luke's eyes widen. Then he laughs—loud, manic, disbelieving. "No way! I freaking knew it!"
Denny's jaw drops. "Is that… real?"
"That's one thousand Bitcoin," I say, my voice trembling slightly. "That's... over a hundred million dollars."
No one speaks for a moment.
Then I narrow my eyes at Luke. "Okay, seriously... where did you actually get this USB?"
He waves me off. "I told you, an old dude gave it to me."
"Luke. Be straight with me."
His smile thins. "Look, the guy didn't want it anymore. It's not like I mugged him. Can we not make a big deal out of this?"
"This is a big deal." I say flatly. "If we touch that money recklessly, we'll get flagged. I don't care if it's from 2011, moving that kind of Bitcoin leaves a trail."
Luke hesitates. Way too long for my comfort.
"...So we're rich?" Denny asks, still sounding like he's waiting for someone to wake him up.
Luke exhales slowly, then smiles again. "Yeah. We're rich. But we'll need help to extract it cleanly. I know someone. She's good."
"Who is she?" I ask warily.
"She's... well-connected. Deals with this kind of stuff all the time." He's already pulling out his phone. "Let me call her."
He walks out of the room, already dialing someone.
While I'm still staring at the screen like it's made of gold, Denny's phone buzzes. He reads the message, and his expression shifts—first confused, then tense. There's a flicker of fear... and then, resolve.
"You good?" I ask, noticing the change.
He pockets the phone quickly. "Yeah. Just my mom. She wants me home soon." His voice is off, but I let it slide. 'Not like I can force him to show the message.'
Luke returns a few minutes later, way too cheerful.
"She's in." He announces. "But she wants twenty-five percent."
Denny whistles. "That's like... ten million dollars from each of our shares."
Luke narrows his eyes for a moment before shrugging. "Better a slice than nothing. Besides, I wasn't exactly... authorized to take the USB."
My stomach tightens. "You stole it."
"I borrowed it. Permanently," He says, like that's supposed to make it better. "You in?"
Denny answers immediately, a little too fast for someone usually so cowardly. "Yeah. I'm in."
'Maybe he's just blinded by the money...'
I hesitate. Luke's always been impulsive, but he's also been my best friend since we were kids. 'He wouldn't drag us into something suicidal... right?'
I exhale. "Fine. I'm in."
'It's a hell of a lot of money.'
Luke claps his hands. "Perfect. She doesn't do meetings in town. We gotta drive a couple hours out. Let's go."
He practically herds us outside like a man on a mission. As we pile into his car and speed off into the night, one thought keeps repeating in my head:
'What the hell have I gotten myself into?' I think, gripping the USB tightly.
(Riven Alaric POV – Mountain Path, Midnight)
The car bumps along the uneven dirt road. Trees press close on both sides, the night swallowing everything beyond the headlights. There's a chill in the air, but it's not the cold that's raising goosebumps on my arms.
"Where is she?" I ask, scanning the darkness.
"Relax," Luke says smoothly from the driver's seat. "We're almost there."
We drive a little longer, deeper into nowhere, until a cabin materializes ahead—weather-worn, and definitely abandoned.
The car rolls to a stop. Luke cuts the engine and the world goes quiet. Too quiet.
He opens his door without a word. "Come on. Don't wanna keep her waiting." He says, thumbing toward the cabin.
Denny and I follow hesitantly. The night air is sharp against my skin. Denny's practically wheezing behind me—sweating bullets despite doing nothing but sit.
Luke reaches the porch first.
Then he stops.
"Luke?" I ask warily, slowing my steps. Something's wrong. My gut knows it before my brain does.
He turns, slowly. And there's a gun in his hand.
"Sorry, Riven." Luke says coldly as he pulls the trigger.
BANG!
Pain. Hot, burning pain erupts in my gut like a firecracker. My knees give out. The world tilts, and I slam into the ground with a breathless gasp. The cold dirt presses against my cheek. My hands scramble to my abdomen, my own blood meandering through my fingers.
"FUCK!" I scream through clenched teeth, the agony all-consuming. My fingers press against the wound, as if I can hold myself together, as if pressure will somehow preserve my life .
In the distance, a voice shrieks. Denny's.
There's a sudden scuffle. A grunt. And then—
"YOU WERE GONNA KILL ME TOO, RIGHT?!" Denny roars, his voice ragged, furious. "You thought I was too STUPID to figure it out?! You said we'd kill Riven and split the money!"
I lift my head just enough to see them. Denny crashes into Luke like a freight train, a glint of steel flashing in his hand. A knife.
They hit the dirt. Luke yells in surprise and pain as Denny plunges the blade into his side again, and again, and again. The sound is sickening. Wet. Frenzied.
Luke fights back—fists slamming into Denny's face—but Denny doesn't stop. He screams as he stabs, wild and desperate.
I can barely breathe. 'So that's why... he looked so nervous.' I groan.
Luke never wanted to share the money. He was worried he'd get caught since we knew about it, regardless.
The pain is growing colder now, duller. My blood soaks the ground beneath me. My body trembles violently as I shift, crawling—dragging myself toward the gun, which lies just a few feet away, knocked loose during the scuffle.
'It's so close.'
I groan, my vision occasionally blurring as my blood flows through my fingers to irrigate the soil.
I flop towards the gun, moving one hand from my wound and grabbing the gun with blood stained fingers.
When I look up again, the fight is over.
Luke's body lies motionless on the ground. The knife's buried deep in his throat. Denny stands above him, panting, eyes wild.
He turns to me. Shock twists his face.
"I didn't mean—shit, Riven, are you okay?" He stumbles forward, but freezes when he sees the gun in my hand. His eyes go wide.
"Riven, wait—listen. It wasn't supposed to be like this—"
I lift the barrel slowly, arm shaking, teeth gritted in pain.
"You know…" I rasp, my voice raw. "I trusted you idiots."
I laugh, but it breaks into a wheeze. Coughing. I taste blood. "And look where that got me."
His hands rise. "I didn't want this! I was scared. Luke—he—"
"Don't," I cut him off. "You didn't stop him."
He flinches.
"You were just gonna wait and see. And if I died? One less person to split it with, right?"
He doesn't answer.
"My mistake was thinking we were friends." My voice cracks, but my aim doesn't.
BANG!
The recoil sends a jolt of pain through my whole body, and the gun slips from my hand. Denny collapses like a ragdoll, his blood spilling beside Luke's.
I roll onto my back with a groan, staring up at the night sky.
No stars tonight. Just blackness.
'God… it hurts.'
My fingers are numb. My breath is shallow.
'So many years of friendship, only to be betrayed so easily. I'm done trusting others. But my resolution doesn't matter anymore.'
[Confirmed. Acquisition of Unique Skill: "IronHeart"... Successful.]
'What was that voice?' I think. 'Kinda sounds like something from that anime.'
I laugh softly, the sound hollow and breathless. "If this is how I go out... at least let me die with some cool powers." I mutter, barely able to speak.
"Hey... how about 'Great Sage'? That'd be nice."
[Confirmed. Acquisition of Unique Skill: "Great Sage"... Successful.]
I blink hard, trying to focus. "No way..."
"Can I get 'Predator' too? You know... for the synergy."
[Confirmed. Acquisition of Unique Skill: "Predator"... Successful.]
[Confirmed. Merging Unique Skills "Great Sage" and "Predator" into an Ultimate Skill... Unsuccessful.]
I chuckle, as I feel my eyelids grow heavy, as blood loss begins to take effect.
'A shame. I almost got an ultimate skill. That'd have been broken. I'd rather not end up in the main world.' I sigh.
Beyond the multiversal entities running rampant, everyone below Demon Lord level is basically canon fodder.
'I don't want to die so quickly.' I complain. 'I'd prefer something like Danmachi, and land in Orario. Beautiful girls, and a clear way to get stronger.'
[Confirmed. Transfer location altered to "The Labyrinth City: Orario"... Successful.]
I can't even register the voice anymore as my consciousness fades away. 'What's the use... if I end up as an ugly monster? It'd be nice to be a handsome human...' I think as I completely lose consciousness.
[Confirmed. Generating physically appealing human body... Successful.]
(Hestia POV – Orario, Evening)
"Damn it!" I shout, stomping down the empty street as twilight bleeds into night. My twin-tails bounce behind me with every step. "Why is this so hard?!"
It's been nine days since Hephaestus kicked me out of her workshop. Nine long, humiliating, exhausting days. And not one person has joined my Familia.
"I didn't think it would be this bad." I mutter, shoulders slumping. "Sure, I don't have a big mansion, or endless valis, or any support skills useful for adventuring, but come on... I'm a goddess!"
The rejection stings more each time. I get it, I really do—no members, no income, no benefits. I can't even make weapons or potions to help adventurers. But still!
I let out a long sigh and kick a rock—
"AAAH!"
It was a sharp rock. I yelp as pain shoots through my foot, stumble backward, and tumble into a side alley with a thud—right on top of something not rock, at least.
"Oof... what the—?" I groan, rubbing my back. "Well... at least I landed on something soft." I try to laugh it off, sitting up.
Then I freeze.
Beneath me is a boy—maybe sixteen or seventeen—unconscious on the cold stone. Pale skin, delicate features, soft-looking white curls that glint faintly in the moonlight.
"Whoa..." I breathe. "He's... really handsome."
I lean closer without even realizing it, fingers drifting through his snowy hair. "So soft..." I whisper, mesmerized. "He looks even better than most gods..."
I'm so caught up in his hair, that I don't even notice his eyes opening.
A pair of brilliant, vibrant, blue irises stare up at me, looking almost crystalline, like sapphires.
We lock eyes and time seems to stops.
Then he speaks.
"What are you doing?" He asks flatly. He doesn't sound confused or angry, just... blank.
My face heats up. "AH! S-sorry!" I jump up, flailing in embarrassment. "I-I fell! On you! Total accident!" I scratch the back of my head, laughing nervously. "Ehe..."
He sits up slowly, brushing dirt from his sleeves. "You don't seem all that bothered about falling onto someone."
"You didn't seem to mind!" I shoot back defensively, hands on my hips.
He tilts his head. "Are you a goddess?"
That catches me off guard.
"Eh? Y-yeah! That's right!" I puff up my chest. "I'm Hestia! Goddess of the Hestia Familia!"
He stares at me. Neither judgingly, nor reverently like mortals typically do. Just silent observation.
Then he extends his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Goddess Hestia. I'm Riven Alaric."
Something about the way he says it makes my stomach twist. The words are true—but there's no conviction behind them. It's a lie, since he doesn't mean them, but... he doesn't not mean them?
Still, I shake his hand with a smile. "Nice to meet you too, Riven."
I glance around the alley. "So, uh, what were you doing here? Sleeping in an alley?"
His lips twitch into something like amusement. "I'm not sure. I woke up here... and you were the first thing I saw."
My smile falters for a moment. "You don't know?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.
"I have no memories of how I got here." He says. "I closed my eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was here."
He's not lying. Which somehow makes it weirder.
'He's either very unlucky, or very suspicious.' I glance at him again. 'But he doesn't feel like a bad person.'
"Are you in a Familia?" I ask suddenly, leaning closer. "Because if not—!"
"I'm not." He replies smoothly. "I was planning to look for one, actually."
My heart skips a beat. 'This is it. This is finally it.'
"Then why not join mine?" I grin and strike a dramatic pose. "The Hestia Familia is small but destined for greatness!"
He raises an eyebrow. "How many members do you have?"
I freeze. "Uhhh... we're still in our early growth phase..."
"How many, exactly?" He presses, his eyes narrowing.
I wilt. "Zero. You'd be the first," I mumble.
He nods slowly. "And you don't have much money, connections, or support professions?"
"That's... true," I sigh, eyes downcast.
He's quiet for a moment, then asks, "What are the expectations? If I join."
I blink. "Huh?"
"What do you expect of your Familia members?" he clarifies. "Do I have to follow strict rules? Serve you personally? Kill on command?"
"Of course not!" I exclaim. "You're free to pursue your own path! Maybe hunt in the dungeon here and there for some Valis. But above all, I just want you to be safe, that's all. We support each other. That's what family means." I pause, then add, "...we already have accomodation, so you needn't worry about that." I say proudly.
He watches me. Then he smiles.
"I'll join." he says simply, extending his hand again.
Tears spring to my eyes. I don't even hesitate—I throw myself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"WELCOME TO THE FAMILIA!!" I shout, practically vibrating with joy.
"I take it you're pleased?" He says dryly, arms pinned at his sides.
"Pleased? I'm ecstatic! You're my first! MY FIRST!" I laugh, spinning around like a girl in a fairytale. "We need to go now—right now—before you change your mind!"
"First Familia member." He clarifies, but I'm too excited to lay him any mind.
I grab his hand and yank him along the alley, heading toward the old church, and he doesn't resist as I drag him along..
"Let's make it official." I beam. "Tonight, the Hestia Familia is born!"
******************
Hello, Everyone! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or powerstones. It really helps the book out😁.
So yeah, this is the first chapter of a new fanfic. The vibe is slightly different from my last one, but I'll leave that for you guys to discover.
So, on to the chapter itself. I'll ignore the first part, since it will have very little relevance. His skills! He got 3 unique skills. Awesome stuff. You can obviously guess 2 of the 3, but anyone want to guess IronHeart's effects? There are clues in the text, lol. Anyway, Unlike Kata from MHA:Absolute Telekinesis (I'm future proofing in case I write more fanfics👀), Riven is also damaged, in a different way. It's mainly that skill's fault. The way Hestia detected lies, and his wishy washy personality and behaviour, it's intentional. He's closer to a sociopath to be honest, rn. It won't get annoying (and I hope you trust me enough to believe me), and details will be revealed next chapter anyway.
The current timeline is about 2 months before Bell arrives in Orario, and 3 months - 9 days, before the anime starts (Bell getting saved from a minataur by Ais) according to the wiki. So yeah, about 2 months development time before Bell arrives. We're joining the Hestia familia, mainly because of that skill. His current behaviour would kinda get him screwed in other familia. Also, I've decided to merge the Tensura and Falna systems. I had a whole lot of fun thinking up and planning everything, with the only thing I haven't yet decided on is naming. Whether it should be allowed or not. Cause he can boost familia member strength that way, but I've thought up lots of workarounds. Let me know what you think.
Also, Ais was born 1k years ago. But is 16. Madness. And did I portray the characters well? I kinda don't have too great an understanding of Danmachi characters, so I had a lot of back and forth with the source materials. Hopefully it turned out well.
Oh and yeah, he looks like a teenage Gojo. I kinda believe beauty is in the eyes, which kinda throws a lot of bias towards Gojo, since there's heavy focus on there. I think Gojo is one of the most attractive male characters (I don't want to overuse it, but what can I do?). He doesn't have 6 eyes, or infinity, so no one worry. Purely cosmetic.
There are 2 chapters in advance on Patreon. But anyway, that's enough from me. I hope you all have a wonderful day.
P@treon/AMV_WEAKLY