A couple of days had gone by.
"You're planning to head to the 18th floor already? Well, good luck!"
Loki said as she ate her breakfast.
During that time, Judas continued to explore the dungeon. He didn't delve too deep... only down to the 16th floor.
Other than gathering money to pay off his half-million valis debt, he also spent much of his time repairing his mana core.
'The progress is slow... but progress is still progress.'
His magic circuits and mana core were still badly damaged from his battle with the Juggernaut.
He anticipated that he wouldn't be able to use his original strength for quite a while, relying solely on his falna to fight.
'I was too reckless... I need to fix this habit sooner or later.'
Judas rose from his seat.
"Loki, I need a status update."
He said, turning to her just as she finished her meal and reached for a wine bottle.
"What? But I just updated your status yesterday."
Loki replied with a frown.
"The Goliath's spawn time is right around the corner. There's a good chance I'll encounter it."
Judas explained.
"Pfft... hahahaha!"
Loki burst out laughing, wiping away imaginary tears.
"If any other Level 2 said that, I'd think they were either suicidal or stupid."
She said, standing up without letting go of the bottle.
"But since it's you... I almost feel sorry for that big guy."
"Still, since this could be your first battle against a Monster Rex, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give you a little boost."
She picked up a knife.
"Thank you."
Judas said, stripping off his shirt.
There was no tattoo on his back, since his status was locked to prevent outsiders from seeing his falna.
Loki grinned, nicked her finger with the knife, and painted her blood across his back.
"One warning... other parties might have already taken down the Goliath."
"Don't be too disappointed if you reach the 17th floor and it doesn't spawn."
She said as the falna reappeared, glowing across his back.
"I understand."
A holographic display projected from his back, numbers rising as Loki watched.
She shook her head, pulled out parchment, and recorded the update.
"Here you go, kid. Your status update."
She said, handing it over.
Judas received the parchment.
"No doubt about it, your growth has slowed down."
Loki added, crossing her arms.
'I don't know exactly how [The Venerated One] works.'
She thought.
'But what happened back then must've been a special case. The kid hasn't faced real danger since. '
'The upper and middle floors don't challenge him enough... it makes sense his growth stopped being so rapid.'
Judas read the parchment carefully.
========================================
Judas Spade
LV 2
STR: I 22 ---> I 29
END: I 23 ---> I 27
DEX: I 25 ---> I 32
AGI: I 20 ---> I 25
MAG: I 62 ---> I 75
Mage - I
SKILLS: [The Blessing of the World Tree]
[Elemental Master]
[Eternal Persistence]
[The Venerated One]
[Penitent Executioner]
MAGIC: [Otherworld Thaumaturgy 5th-Tier]
[Body Reinforcement]
========================================
'Barely any growth, as expected.'
He hadn't gained a new skill or magic when he leveled up, but he did acquire a Development Ability.
Upon ranking up, adventurers had a chance... though not always guaranteed... to obtain one.
Judas had plenty of options to choose from.
Mage, Luck, Abnormal Resistance, Hunter, Fist Strike, Treatment, and Healing Power.
Fist Strike was unimpressive, making it an easy pass.
Abnormal Resistance wasn't necessary; Judas already had [Blessing of the World Tree] and multiple spells that served the same purpose.
The same applied to Treatment and Healing Power... they were useful, but redundant.
That left only Luck and Hunter.
Luck, as Hestia once said, was like divine protection.
It didn't just boost fortune—it was like an invisible shield guarding against unseen dangers.
But Judas judged that [The Venerated One] was already a superior version of it.
Hunter, however, was different.
It could only be obtained at Level 2 and required killing many monsters in a short period of time, making it very difficult to obtain.
It boosted power against monsters the adventurer had fought before.
A strong contender indeed.
Even so, Judas ultimately chose Mage.
For now, that was what benefited him most.
The Mage ability enhanced magic power, expanded range, and improved Mind efficiency.
Most importantly, it granted a Magic stat comparable to an adventurer one level higher.
'I could have picked Hunter now and Mage later.'
Judas considered the possibility.
'But my instincts tell me I'd regret it if I didn't take Mage right away.'
There was no point second-guessing.
In the dungeon, monsters weren't the only threat.
Weakness was a sin, and without Mage, Judas would be completely powerless against first-class adventurers in his current weakened state.
Loki, noticing he was lost in thought, suddenly waved a hand in front of him.
"Hey, are you dissatisfied with your status update?"
Judas stayed silent, so she pressed.
"Don't overthink it. That kind of growth is perfectly normal for most adventurers."
"I'm not dissatisfied at all, Goddess Loki."
Judas replied calmly.
He hadn't been pushing himself hard in the dungeon.
By ordinary standards, his growth was actually above average, if only slightly.
Interestingly, because he was working to repair his mana core, his falna somehow registered the effort, causing his Magic stat to rise faster than his other parameters.
He folded the parchment neatly and handed it back.
"Well, I'm off to the dungeon."
He put his shirt back on, donned the armor gifted by the Astraea Familia, and made for the door.
"Tell that hot adviser of yours I said hi."
Loki teased with a lewd grin as she waved.
Judas rolled his eyes and stepped outside, blending into the bustling streets of Orario.
This time, he didn't draw quite as much attention—people were starting to get used to his presence.
With so many famous figures in the city, running into someone well-known wasn't rare.
Still, a few passersby stopped to gawk.
"Is that him?"
"That's Judas Spade, the new record holder."
"The rising star of the Loki Familia."
Judas paid them no mind.
What caught his attention was the piercing gaze he felt from the Tower of Babel... specifically, from its top floor.
'Freya.'
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