[Isagi:
Level: LV1
Strength: SSS1239
Endurance: SSS1324
Dexterity: SS1104
Agility: SS1143
Magic: S923
...
These were the final, frozen Ability Scores for Isagi before his level up.
Astrea looked at the status panel before her. She rewrote a portion of it, lowering all Ability Scores by several hundred points, before she deemed it ready to be submitted to the Guild as the Familia file for retention and record-keeping.
Afterward, this sheet of paper containing the boy's status would be handed over to Goddess Demeter—Isagi, Cecil, and the newly joined Lefiya were all registered under the Demeter Familia on the Guild's public records.
Only a very small number of individuals, namely God Ouranos and his messenger, knew that these were actually her children.
It simply could not be helped.
Isagi's Ability Scores were truly too exaggerated. Even with the intentional reduction, they still far exceeded the limits of the average adventurer.
Breaking the limit in four stats? What on earth was that?!
Furthermore, the so-called "SSS" rank was a level the Guild had no records of. It was entirely Astrea's own reasoning: since "SS" covered "1100" to "1199", then anything above "1200" might as well be considered "SSS".
His Endurance was simply abnormally high! Although this trend had existed before, the recent rate of increase had become faster and faster!!
Astrea could surmise the reason why, for Isagi's Skill clearly stated that the boy could resurrect from death once per day.
Therefore.
Enduring attacks sufficient to cause his own death accelerated the growth of his Endurance. He would then continue to endure even stronger attacks during his next adventure, repeating this cycle until now.
Growth always comes with a price.
No one can become the strongest with ease. This was no longer a matter of mere sweat and hard work, but rather...
[That is why the me of the past did not want the children to become heroes.]
It is an incomparably arduous path, requiring a price far greater than that paid by ordinary people. And in the end, one might gain nothing, or even perish obscurely in the depths of the Dungeon.
Astrea gently closed her eyes.
After sitting alone in the living room for quite a while, she finally stood up, revealing the gentle smile she wore on ordinary days.
She walked to the backyard and called out to Lefiya, who had just gotten up and was helping to water the flowers. She asked her to hand this sheet of Isagi's status data to Goddess Demeter later when she went out with Isagi...
...
Isagi's level up did not stir up much of a wave in Orario, even though by all rights, it should have been a major event that shook the entire city.
Many years ago.
The genius girl of the Loki Familia, Ais, leveled up to Level 2 in a year's time, breaking the record for the fastest ascent to become an Upper-Class Adventurer. Since then, she has been regarded as a shining star of tomorrow, a genius, a legend known to every household in the city—no, in the entire world.
Astrea kept it a secret from the Guild.
The Goddess indicated to the messenger of God Ouranos that the boy had joined the Familia over half a year ago. Thus, his speed in reaching Level 2 was on par with Ryuu and Ais from before. While he could be considered one of the most talented adventurers in recent years, with such gems already preceding him, he was not overly conspicuous.
Only Astrea herself knew that Isagi had grown to his current state in less than a month since arriving in Orario. The half-year spent in the City of Swordsmiths prior to this was not even comparable to his progress in the recent week.
This was a miracle.
This made Astrea even more certain of that "secret" known only to a very few gods—
The [Agreement] between the Dungeon and the Gods.
"There is less than five years left..."
Even a Goddess possessing eternal time could not help but sigh with emotion.
Astrea clearly knew.
Why the gods, who had come to the Lower World a thousand years ago and managed Familias for a millennium, had long ago established the [Three Great Quests] as the long-cherished wish of adventurers. Yet, why was it only a little over ten years ago that the Zeus and Hera Familias finally completed the subjugation of the [Land King] and the [Sea King]?
She was thinking of God Ouranos, the first to descend to the Lower World a thousand years ago, who established Orario and Babel, and concluded the [Agreement] with the Dungeon.
Did he, even back then, foresee that today, a thousand years later, incredible children like miracles would appear one after another?
But regardless.
The wheels of the era continue to roll forward. This is a general trend that no one can stop. The so-called gods, in the end, are merely the audience beneath the stage...
...
On the second day after becoming a Level 2 Upper-Class Adventurer, Isagi did not go to the Dungeon, nor did he plan to go for the next few days.
It was not out of laziness.
Rather, it was because a strong sense of "discomfort" would appear in the body after leveling up, causing one's combat capability to be greatly discounted.
In severe cases, it could even lead to physical anomalies, manifesting specifically as uncoordinated limbs, sudden intense pain or numbness in certain body parts, inexplicable loss of balance and falling while walking or running, and so on...
This is due to the sublimation of the "Vessel," causing a rejection reaction between the body and the self.
The gods liken the children's bodies to "Containers." The Falna opens the "Container," while the Ability Scores are the "Water" poured into it.
Everyone's "Container" size is different, and the amount of Ability Scores they can hold also varies.
Once filled, one must level up to make the "Container" larger, so that more "Water" can be poured in.
Therefore, the change in the "Vessel" naturally triggers various genuine discomforts, because it has truly become "bigger," "thicker," and different from before...
Ordinary adventurers would readapt to this new power by fighting monsters weaker than themselves.
But Isagi's situation was somewhat awkward. His Dungeon circumstances were too unique. Since he had already defeated the gatekeepers of the 1st and 2nd Floors, only ordinary Goblins and Kobolds remained there now.
But once he went to the 3rd Floor.
Special Monsters that would not be out of place in the Middle Floors would appear.
The ones that were too weak were completely useless for helping him adapt to his new body, while the ones that were too strong carried a very high risk.
Therefore.
He chose the second method to adapt to his new power, which was to practice with other adventurers—
—
"I learn to be alone, for a whole day, without feeling lost. Just let me get drunk, singing songs, entertaining myself..."
It was a warm spring noon.
The boy hummed a tune from his hometown while running through the fields with the Elf girl.
Isagi was a bit ahead, and Lefiya followed behind. Compared to the former's ease, her head was covered in sweat, and even her solid-colored shirt was quite soaked. Yet, even so, she continued to move her legs, following closely behind the figure in front, refusing to be left far behind.
The two were running.
Isagi was even carrying the Glimmer Greatsword on his back—a greatsword exceeding three meters in length. Even for a boy approaching 1.8 meters tall, he could only carry it inverted, with the hilt down and the tip up, the blade wrapped in cloth strips to avoid accidentally cutting anything—after all, it was just a "weighted item" right now.
It counted as physical training.
It could also increase Ability Scores. Although it was better than nothing compared to actual combat, it was at least useful.
Such training had actually started quite some time ago.
It was probably after Lefiya had followed him into the Dungeon two or three times that the Elf girl realized the insufficiency of her athletic ability and wanted to work hard to make up for it.
So the two agreed to come to the Demeter Familia's premises outside the city at this time every day, running a few laps around the vast fields. After finishing, they could eat directly, borrow the Demeter Familia's base to shower, and then return to the city refreshed.
"Don't know what to love, what to pick, what to change, just let me... Ah, Cecil is here. That's it, Lefiya, let's rest."
"O... Okay... Ah..."
After the run, Cecil would drop by to deliver the bento lunch made by Goddess Demeter.
The Elf girl couldn't even care about the sweat covering her head; she sat down right under the big tree by the field and began to eat ferociously.
Suddenly.
The spring noon became quiet, with only the gentle breeze bringing the sounds of distant birds.
Goddess Demeter's lunch was extremely delicious.
Lefiya even ate three portions directly. Since starting training, the slender Elf girl's appetite had increased significantly. Aside from that, there was also...
Her chest.
It wasn't that Isagi was going out of his way to notice, but rather that Cecil had mentioned it to him a few nights ago.
The girl said she saw it while bathing in the bathroom just now and was suddenly startled, wondering how it could grow so fast! It made her wonder recently if she should join the daily runs with him and the Elf girl!!
If Isagi had to say, it wasn't necessary; it wasn't threatening her yet, was it?
He didn't expect that when he mentioned it casually at the time, he ended up taking a punch from Cecil, who angrily questioned how he knew!
Well, how could he not know?
Couldn't you tell at a glance? Unless pads existed in this world too?
As a result, Cecil got even angrier, puffed up her small cheeks, and started throwing punches at him while going "Hehe!" It didn't hurt at all, but Goddess Astrea laughed and told them to stop flirting and go to sleep.
Tsk.
Isagi also silently finished three large bowls of rice.
Goddess Demeter now knew that both he and the girl ate a lot, so she made a large amount of bento every time. This resulted in Cecil carrying two large buckets filled with boxed bentos whenever she came to deliver food.
But indeed, it wasn't just him and Lefiya eating; Cecil ate too.
And there was also...
"Meow!"
A dummy cat suddenly appeared!!
Seeming to want to scare someone on purpose, Anya hung upside down from the big tree, her cat head emerging from the lush foliage. But as a result of being careless, she fell straight down.
"Ouch!"
Watching her clutch her small head, Isagi seriously suspected that this guy had turned herself stupid just like that.
Now, Anya would also run over every noon to mooch a bento. This deepened his stereotype that there were "major problems" with the staff girls' lunch over at the pub.
Of course.
The catgirl wasn't purely here to mooch food and drink. Starting today, she would conduct training in the afternoon when she didn't need to work, to help Isagi adapt to his brand-new power after leveling up.
It wouldn't be like before, seemingly teasing her by throwing stones or something.
But a real battle.
Between adventurers, one can gain Ability Score increases through "Mock Battles," especially in practice between high-level and low-level adventurers. Sometimes, for the lower-level party, it can even provide a greater boost and be more efficient than adventuring in the Dungeon.
But the premise is to be serious.
It is a battle conducted with the premise of "knocking down" and "defeating" the opponent.
Although the high-level party will appropriately suppress their own strength to avoid the gap being too large and rendering the practice fruitless.
But that is also limited.
It is said that the city's strongest, the Freya Familia, bases its identity as "one of the strongest Familias in the city" on this foundation, making Familia members fight each other day and night without stopping in the Familia base known as [Folkvangr].
Isagi was also very interested in this, because fighting adventurers was obviously different from fighting monsters.
And accumulating a different kind of combat experience would do him no harm.
Of course, what was more important was...
Crossing hands with the strong really made one's blood boil!!
So, very quickly, after lunch.
After taking another shower at the Demeter Familia's base outside the city and changing into clean clothes, Isagi and Anya arrived in front of a small grove. Cecil and Lefiya had already gone to work, leaving only the two of them under the azure sky.
"Let's get ready to start, Anya."
"Hmph! Meow won't hold back, meow!!"
"That would be best."
Isagi smiled and pulled out an armguard from his chest pocket that looked quite crude, composed of hemp rope, bone, and iron plates.
[Shinobi Prosthetic].
This was the new power obtained because the Character Card [Land of Reeds], previously acquired via Skill, had upgraded after he reached Level 2!
Fortunately, it was a modified armguard that could be worn directly over the hand.
Rather than the original prosthetic limb.
Of course, after leveling up, he could also obtain a brand new Character Card. Isagi had chosen [Retread the Journey West], but the ability given by that was the use of the "Gourd" item to absorb the spirits of powerful monsters after death, thereby obtaining new usable skills.
Right now, he had no spirits, so naturally, it was useless. Although it also gave a brand new "Focus Point accumulation" mechanic, allowing him to accumulate energy points through attacking and dodging, which could then be used to strengthen the next attack.
But for now.
It was better to use the [Land of Reeds] Character Card first. Once he went to the Dungeon later and killed that BOSS behind the fog gate on the 3rd Floor, it would definitely drop a spirit. He would deal with it when he got it.
Amidst his thoughts.
Isagi had already equipped the Shinobi Prosthetic. He then nodded to Anya, signaling that the training could begin!
___
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