"This will be your last status update as a level 2."
Judas silently read through the parchment, his gaze lingering on the absurd jump in his parameters.
Seeing that all of his stats had been completely maxed out, he gave a small, satisfied nod.
He wasn't surprised by this... he had expected it.
Facing off against the Goliath.
Escaping the pursuit of Freya's executives and exacting his revenge.
The duel with Alise and Kaguya.
The clash against Alfia and surviving her torturous training sessions.
The spars with Ais and Tiona.
And his life-or-death battle against Revis.
Not to mention blocking a powerful sword strike from a level 7.
All of these feats had been accomplished while he was still a level 2.
It would have been shocking if his stats weren't maxed by now.
But Judas knew that the bulk of the excelia he had just gained came from the final two... those moments where his life had truly been on the line.
'As I thought... encounters balanced on the edge of life and death yield the highest-quality excelia.'
Of course, he wouldn't willingly plunge into danger for the sake of excelia alone.
If growth could be earned so cheaply, the dungeon wouldn't be littered with graves.
"Judas, you are in luck!"
"This happens very rarely, but for some reason, you can choose two development abilities."
Loki spoke, arms crossed, a teasing grin on her face.
"Here's a list of development abilities you can choose from."
She handed him a piece of paper, the list of abilities clearly written.
Except for [Hunter], which had disappeared, all the abilities he had skipped in his previous rank up were back... along with new ones that had appeared.
[Spirit Healing]
Automatic mind regeneration. Begins regenerating mind at a small rate after magic use.
[Magic Resistance]
Reduces damage and adverse effects from magic.
[Physical Resistance]
Reduces damage and impact from physical attacks.
[Healing Power]
Automatic stamina regeneration at a small rate.
[Arcane Momentum]
Each successful spell slightly improves the attack potency of the next.
[Harem King]
Increases favorability among the opposite sex.
Judas nodded in approval at such a strong selection.
That is, until he read the last one.
His eyes froze, and one eyelid twitched involuntarily.
'What the hell is this?'
He slowly lifted his head toward Loki, who only wore a teasing grin.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that. That just appeared on your blessing... I only wrote it down. Honestly, it's the first time I've seen that development ability myself."
She said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Judas sighed and ignored the last ability on the list, focusing on his decision.
"Well? Have you chosen your development abilities?"
"I choose [Spirit Healing] and [Arcane Momentum]."
Out of all the options, these two were exactly what he needed.
"Good choice. From what I know, [Spirit Healing] is a rare ability... the only other person I'm aware of who has it is Riveria."
"As for [Arcane Momentum]... this is the first time I've seen it. Judging by the description, though, it seems perfectly suited for you."
"Alright, turn around and show me your back again."
A drop of her blood trickled down, Loki smiled, and she began the process.
She watched as the level section of his blessing rose from 2 to 3, solidifying his level-up.
"Congratulations. On paper, you can now be considered a second-class adventurer."
She said, handing him his new status sheet.
"Although you didn't gain a new skill, looking at your insane growth, there's no reason to be dissatisfied."
========================================
Judas Spade
LV 3
STR: EX 1999 ---> I 0
END:EX 1999 ---> I 0
DEX: EX 1999 ---> I 0
AGI: EX 1999 ---> I 0
MAG: EX 1999 ---> I 0
Mage - I ---> H
Spirit Healing - I
Arcane Momentum - I
SKILLS: [The Blessing of the World Tree]
[Elemental Master]
[Eternal Persistence]
[The Venerated One]
[Penitent Executioner]
MAGIC: [Otherworld Thaumaturgy 5th-Tier]
[Body Reinforcement]
========================================
Seeing that Judas had begun to read his status sheet, Loki smirked, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Judas has become a level 3!"
Her voice echoed, loud enough that anyone nearby felt their ears twitch as their eyes widened once the words sank in.
"Is that Goddess Loki's voice?"
"Did I just hear that right?"
"What!? Level 3? Already?"
Soon, word of Judas' level-up spread throughout the manor like wildfire.
For a time, it became the only thing the Loki Familia could talk about.
Normally, someone reaching level 3 wouldn't have caused such an uproar.
Of course, a level-up was always treated as a special occasion... but never to this extent.
But this wasn't just anyone.
It was Judas... an adventurer who had barely been active for less than a month.
Finn, shuffling papers at his desk, paused when someone told him the news.
'It was only a matter of time.'
He smiled briefly before returning to his work.
Riveria, in the library giving lessons, raised a brow and set her book down.
'Judas, you are full of surprises as always.'
Next to her, Lefiya's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"Judas is now a level 3?"
Meanwhile, Tione and Tiona, walking through the hallways, glanced at each other and high-fived.
"Judas is incredible... he leveled up so fast..."
Tiona said with genuine admiration.
"At this pace, won't he eventually catch up to us?"
Tione commented, suddenly feeling an invisible pressure... and she wasn't the only one.
Beyond awe and disbelief, many felt as if an unseen weight had settled onto their shoulders.
"He leveled up so fast... it's actually terrifying."
Raul muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Across the room, Annakitty twitched her cat ears while sharpening her weapons.
'He's going to catch up to us.'
She gripped her dagger tighter, the thought alone setting her teeth on edge.
"Tsk... that guy... he actually leveled up."
Bete muttered, leaning against a wall, hands in his pockets, listening to the chatter.
On the training grounds, Ais, mid-swing in her sword practice, paused when the gossip reached her ears.
"Judas... level 3?"
In that instant, a single thought ran through everyone's mind.
'I am going to the dungeon.'
What began as a single spark was fanned into a roaring fire, burning deep within their chests.
Judas had become a silent pressure... one that stoked their pride, their ambition, and their unwillingness to be left behind.
Just the presence of a single person had become the catalyst that drove the Loki Familia forward, sharpening their hunger to grow stronger.
Back inside Loki's bedroom.
Judas naturally ignored Loki's antics.
Putting the parchment into his pocket, he reached for his shirt and put it on as if nothing had happened.
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