"Is hated by the Dungeon."
This meant that while exploring the Dungeon, not only could the environment of a floor change unpredictably around Xyros, but he would also attract attacks from aberrant, unique monsters.
Just looking at this debuff gave Hestia a headache.
"Cheating Outlander…"
"If I remember correctly, isn't this the kind of 'treatment' usually reserved for gods who enter the Dungeon?"
She couldn't wrap her head around it.
But combined with her new Familia member's [Rebirth] skill, the girl suddenly felt the Dungeon's hatred for him might not be entirely unfounded.
The ability to resurrect after being killed.
Limited in use, but replenished by killing monsters… This was an absolutely unprecedented power in all of Orario.
As for [Character Archive], she didn't fully understand it, but it left her awestruck.
This was sheer genius.
Xyros, having just received his Falna and become a novice adventurer, already possessed three skills.
Hestia was already beginning to imagine the heroic epics, like something out of a storybook, he might create on the grand stage of Orario and the Dungeon.
The girl looked up, her tone serious.
"Xyros."
"The talent you possess can absolutely support your dreams. It might even make your future explorations in Orario… profoundly meaningful."
'Wait, am I actually built different?'
After becoming an adventurer, Xyros hadn't felt any dramatic physical changes. But hearing her words, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
That is, until he saw the status panel transcribed on the parchment. His smile slowly faded.
Greatly increased difficulty in Dungeon exploration, traded for a resurrection ability… why did that feel so familiar?
'Damn Souls games, still haunting me.'
In summary: his resurrection skill was incredibly broken, but the "nightmare difficulty" Dungeon exploration perfectly balanced it out.
As for the final skill, [Character Archive]…
It was probably something like using soul fragments to draw NPC characters from Souls-style games, gaining their abilities when equipped.
"Maybe so."
Xyros's feelings were… complicated.
At the very least, he had the Souls protagonist's "retry" ability, which would provide crucial safety for his upcoming Dungeon adventures.
But having such a cheat code… always felt like you were bound to lose something else in return.
"Oh, right, Xyros, do you have a place to stay?"
As the initial excitement of her new Familia member being a genius subsided, Hestia remembered a crucial practical matter.
Xyros had come to Orario specifically to become an adventurer.
There was no need to even as, —he definitely didn't have a place to stay in this unfamiliar city. The key issue was that her Familia had just been established; they didn't even have a proper headquarters yet.
"If you don't…"
At this point, her best friend Hephaestus's face popped into her mind. Maybe she could help solve her Familia member's housing problem.
Hestia didn't make any promises. "I can ask around for you."
"That would be a great help, Lady Hestia."
Xyros naturally wouldn't refuse.
Having transmigrated to the world of Danmachi and successfully become an adventurer, the next things to consider were the basics of survival in Orario: food, clothing, shelter.
This wasn't a game where you could just save and log out when you got tired.
But this was precisely the benefit of joining the Hestia Familia. Because this young goddess was willing to provide help where she could, even outside of Dungeon exploration.
"It's no trouble at all."
She was well aware that she wasn't exactly a "qualified" goddess at the moment.
But the trust from her new Familia member, Xyros, filled Hestia with motivation. At the very least, she wanted to appear as reliable as possible in front of him.
She clenched her fist, her tone serious.
"You are my Familia child. Taking care of you is my responsibility."
xXx
"Absolutely not!"
"I told you from the very beginning, letting you stay at my place was the limit of what I could tolerate. Now that you've started your own Familia, it's only reasonable…"
"…that you should go out and find your own Familia home."
Seeing her best friend again, Hephaestus didn't even need to ask to guess that this girl was absolutely about to cause her more trouble.
Loafing around her house, eating her food, fine.
After all, she was one of the few friends she had from Heaven. But Hestia wanting to bring a man to live here, even if he was a new Familia member she'd recruited?
That was still unacceptable.
"You know how it is…"
"I just got to Orario. You're pretty much the only friend I have here, and my relationships with the other gods aren't exactly great either." The girl stood her ground.
But her usual methods of coaxing and pleading clearly weren't going to work this time.
Hestia could only cast a pleading look at her tall friend's retreating back. "It wouldn't be for long. Just until we find a suitable Familia home…"
"Xyros and I will move out right away."
"That's a Guild requirement. If you want to start a Familia, you need a Familia home, even if it's a rundown place." Hephaestus's tone was firm.
"Secondly, I don't have any extra space here for your Familia member."
A large part of it, of course, was that she knew her friend's bone-deep lazy nature all too well.
Now that Hestia had finally shown a flicker of motivation, she needed to strike while the iron was hot.
Even though a god couldn't help with Dungeon exploration, Hestia still needed to do what she could to support her Familia's growth.
She softened her tone slightly. "The Familia home is something you must figure out yourself. But… as a friend, I can offer some help."
"I can provide your new Familia member with a set of weapons and gear that are… significantly better than the starter equipment from the Guild."
"Can I pick the expensive ones?" The girl looked up hopefully.
"…"
Hephaestus didn't answer.
But judging from her exasperated expression, Hestia felt there might still be room for negotiation. She explained, "Xyros, this child… his potential is incredible."
"But for some reason, he's earned the Dungeon's hatred."
"There's not much else I can do to help him. I just want to provide him with good enough equipment to give him a little more safety during his explorations."
"Hated by the Dungeon?"
The tall woman slowly turned around, her expression one of deep puzzlement.
The conditions for drawing the Dungeon's hatred were simple: a deity, or an item with a high concentration of divine essence, could trigger mutations in the Dungeon's environment.
But for this to happen to Xyros, who had just become an adventurer…
Hephaestus sensed something beyond the ordinary. "But I don't sense any divine aura from him."
"It might be related to his other skills?"
"Anyway, he's truly the most gifted child I've ever seen." Hestia didn't elaborate further on the details of Xyros's skills.
Even though she trusted her friend implicitly, information about being hated by the Dungeon and the ability to return from death… these were secrets that needed to be kept, at least until Xyros grew stronger.
"Well then…"
"Let's see just how far this 'gifted child' of yours can grow."
Hephaestus didn't press for more details, but she couldn't help feeling curious. This boy hated by the Dungeon… where would his story lead?
It was filled with unknowns.
She gave a casual wave of her hand. "As for the weapons and armor, take him to the shop to pick them out. But the total value… try not to exceed 3,000,000 Valis."
"Forging doesn't come for free, you know."