41 The one behind the rumors (End of Volume 2)
This is it, end of volume 2
Next week there won't be normal chapters since I will take some time off.
However, I might post some of the bonus chapters if I have time.
However, for those on Patreon, the chapter will be released next week, you can get up to 10 advanced chapters there.
This chapter is bigger than most, having 6.5K words, so enjoy it.
If you have any questions or suggestions, make sure to tell me.
And as always.
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MJB2xkRf
Patr30n Link: https://www.patr3on.com/AbadomWriter
Also, my internet connection is still quite bad, so when I was editing this chapter, several times my internet decided to slow down and I lost a few words of editing, if you see any problem, like, missing lines, or confusing dialogue, make sure to report so I can fix it.
Last thing, you can go to the Patr3on right now and get access to a teaser of the next two chapters!
(No... When I edited this top part, I deleted all of the previous comments... Shit...)
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"Who are you?!" Said Hestia as she looked at the long-haired man in front of her
'But the man seemed rather annoyed in fact.'
"What are you doing screaming in the morning?" Asked Silver as he stretched his body, showing his six-pack to Hestia
'Oh yeah, he was only in his shorts...'
"..."
I have a right to be shocked and scream!
'Silver looked slightly different from what he always looked... Very different if you knew him more... Personally.'
'His skin has become healthier since all of his scars were gone.'
'Even if this world has potions, that doesn't mean every injury is deserving of such advanced medical treatment.'
'And even if you use potions, scars may be inevitable.'
'He also couldn't heal everything to perfection.'
'The roughness of his skin caused by many years of training had also been toned down. However, his hands were still a little bit rough, but certainly better to the touch.'
'His hair was longer now, going from slightly above the shoulder to beyond his waist... To his annoyance as he planned to cut it down soon.'
'His face was also more handsome… With small details like his nose becoming slightly more symmetrical and his eyebrows sharper.'
'Not like he wasn't handsome to begin with, but now, even if you get very close to him, he will still be very handsome.'
'However, the biggest change was definitely…'
(What the fuck are you thinking huh!?)
"You are taller now?!" Asked Hestia in surprise
It was already hard for me to look him in the eyes before…
"Hm? I guess I did get a little taller." Said Silver as he checked himself out.
'Silver's previous height was around 184 Cm, however, he now seemed to have grown a few Cm and he is now standing at a proud 188 Cm.'
At least the change isn't big… Big enough for most people to notice, I can just say its my shoes until people get used to me again.
"I got taller due to my bones getting slightly bigger, nothing much, about 2-3 Cm. I am surprised you actually noticed such a minor change." Said Silver
"How couldn't I? I live with you!" Replied Hestia
To tell the truth... Previously, you could barely walk below the door without turning your head, but now, you completely bent down...
"A good point." Said Silver as he sat at the dining table to eat.
"So, will you tell me what happened?" Asked Hestia in wonder
'Silver drank a little bit of milk and said:'
"Body enhancement. That's the best way to tell you what happened."
I don't feel any different, but I guess this might be because I am already used to it or the difference is too small.
However, before going to the Dungeon, I have to Level up and report it to the Guild, don't want to hear Loiju give me a lecture and a fine.
"?"
'Hestia didn't understand.'
"Just a little experiment, no need to worry, everything went well in the end no?" Said Silver as he ate another toast
"..."
'Hestia pouted, she was done arguing with this guy.'
…
'After a while, the two of them could be seen again in the bed, Hestia was ready to Level Silver up!'
"..."
'She looked at the passing numbers and hieroglyphs, excited to see that number 1 turn into 2…'
"Hm?"
'But she stopped the process.'
"What?"
This can't be happening…
'Hestia's face got pale as she read Silver's stats.'
"Did something happen? Hey, talk with me…" Said Silver slightly worried
Could I have fucked something up with my Gene modification experiment?
'That's right, Silver's experiment was nothing but an alteration of his Genes following similar principles to his past life Gene tonics.'
'It was a fusion of many things together... However, it was far from what he could theorectly accomplish.'
'It was supposed to be something small and easy to control, but could it have had undesirable effects?'
"I-It's not what you are thinking… Just… Sigh."
'She gave the paper to Silver.'
"Let me see just what stunned you… What?"
----------------------------------
Mellios Silver
Level-1
Strength SSS 1499 -> J 1###
Vitality SSS 1499 -> J 1###
Dexterity SSS 1499 -> J 1###
Agility SSS 1499 -> J 1###
Magic SSS 1499 -> J 1###
Evolved body -> I
Magic:
>Magnum Opus Ambrosia
Skill:
>Vit Alhjin
>Infir David Missimus
>Neo Stur
----------------------------------
'The first thing Silver did was to start from the bottom to see if there was any new Skill, and there was!'
So… What does it do?
'He soon noticed a Development Ability!'
I will ask Hestia later to find out what it does, but 'Evolved body'? I guess it makes sense, I just didn't expect this little action of mine to generate such a Skill.
Looking at its name, it must be something similar to 'Strong body' or 'Enhanced Muscles' DAs.
"And finally… The fuck?" Said Silver as he looked at the paper filled with strange hieroglyphs.
The limit...
But J… That's lower than even I!
"Hestia, did you forget to translate this part?" Asked Silver as he turned around to look at his Goddess
/Thud/
"You think I would make a mistake in such a simple thing?!" Said Hestia as she lightly punched his back
"Look, I am just as confused as you. Those Symbols… I can't read them… I think… They don't really mean anything."
"That's impossible. That would mean this broke." Said Silver
Or she doesn't know those, but is such a thing really possible? For a God who has lived thousands of years in tenkai to not not know her own language?... Unless those Symbols have a special meaning that only a select few know.
Or did it really break?
"So I don't know! But I can read the rest…"
"Just… What is this then?!"
What did I do so far?
I broke the first wall, that was a given. I imagined there would be no limit to how high I could reach, but I reached yet another wall, one that I could not break.
No, I didn't even try to do so… Even if I could, just how long would it take?
That would be asking for too much, so I just stuck with trying to max out my stats and do a little experiment to wrap everything up.
I thought it would've been good enough...
But how… How did it end up in passing this barrier?
Was I even supposed to be able to pass it?...
Looking at these symbols… I don't think so.
It looks as if something went wrong, perhaps the formulas responsible for calculating this broke?
When a game breaks, what do you do? You need to talk with the developer…
"I don't know Silver…" Said Hestia in disappointment
'Silver, however, was far from disappointed.'
"... Didn't you say it was Ouranos who made this? He might have an idea."
She said it was another guy and then Ouranos 'uptated' it to its current form.
"?! You actually want to ask him?" Said Hestia in surprise
I never talked much with him... He is a good guy, a nice old man. But it has been a long time since I talked with him.
The lower world can change the Gods... I don't know how he is after 1000 years have passed...
"Not now, of course, let's investigate a bit first, perhaps, you can ask some of your trusted friends first if they recognize the runes… However, I put emphasis on the words, 'trusted friends'."
"My life and future are on the line after all."
In the original, she did a pretty good job of hiding Bell's true stats and Skill. I don't think there is a need to worry too much about this.
"... Alright."
'Hestia looked at Silver and resolved in her heart that she would find out the origin of these mysterious hieroglyphs.'
'She was also pretty curious to know what had happened.'
"Now, for the rest." Said Silver to Hestia
'Hestia sat down again since she got up from the shock, and took a deep breath to calm down.'
"There isn't much to say about your Skill… It gives you the Development Ability, Evolved body."
"The DA increases all of your basic attributes. Such as resistances, however, I can't say by how much."
"Hm… So it's a passive Development ability, not bad for a start."
So it's like a status boost? I wonder how stronger I got. And it's only 'I', how strong will it be when it reaches A?
Will it give me enough stats to rival a full Level?
There are many types of Skills, some can give you powers like Magic, such as Argonaut.
(N1)
Others can enhance something you already have, like Fenris Wolf and Solmani.
(N2)
And a few can affect the system of Falna and Exelia, like Liaris Freese.
(N3)
Of course, this is just an example, the variety of Skills is so big that I doubt if even the Guild can confidently say they know all possible varieties.
This one that I have is quite simple, it gives me a DA, and that's it.
"It's similar to Finn's, Dia Fianna. And Ottar's, Stortus Ottar."
In the sense they give you a Development Ability, however, mine is activated at all times while theirs have conditions to trigger.
(N4)'
"Did you just say Finn? I am sure I heard that name from somewhere…" Said Hestia as she wondered
'She spent most of her time studying and playing around with Hephaestus, she doesn't know much about the top stars of Orario.'
"..."
Looks like I spoke out loud…
"Just a famous adventurer I happened to know a little about." Said Silver as he brushed the subject off
'Hestia just nodded, it wasn't anything important anyway, she had other things to care about right now…'
"In any case, how about we do that Level up?" Asked Silver
"Are we actually doing it?! I thought you would want to test things or something." Said Hestia in surprise
"Hm… I have a feeling that nothing will change even if I stay hunting for an entire year. And in this case, where I can't see the value of things anymore, it's too risky to just keep grinding for stat points." Said Silver
I might just waste a lot of time.
"Alright, turn around and I will finish the Level up." Said Hestia
'Silver nodded and turned around, he felt Hestia's little finger making symbols on his back, and…'
(He got hard... This is not canon)
"Done…"
"Already? I don't feel anything special?..." Said Silver as he cut Hestia off.
/Thud/
'Hestia slapped Silver head lightly.'
"It's a Level up, not some kind of awakening! And don't cut me!..."
"Before I pass the information to the paper, we need to discuss your DA…" Said Hestia
"Oh? I imagined I would have at least one choice, Just say it." Said Silver
"It would be fine if it was one but…" Replied Hestia
'Hestia looked at the multiple lines of runes on Silver's back…'
"Let's go one by one…" She said
But first… Let me remove this redundant option…
'She crossed out, Suicide Strike from the list, no way she would even give him the possibility of choosing such a Development ability.'
/Cough!/
'Hestia cleaned her throat and said:'
"First, Martial arts."
"Second, Perseverance."
"Third, Hunter, Blacksmith, Mixing, Abnormal resistance, "
"And there are some I don't really understand…"
"Engineer, Researcher, And Geneticist."
What even is a Geneticist? Hum...
"!"
I thought it would at most, count my actions in this life, but is it actually counting my past life as well?
No, I need to analyze the situation well… If that was the case, then I would have many, many more…
"Let me think a little." Said Silver to Hestia
'She nodded. Although she was a bit confused, she didn't even explain what they were and he was already thinking?'
'For a moment, she felt as if she was left behind in the dust by her adventurer knowledge once again.'
"..."
I can understand why I gained Martial Arts and not a specific DA, like Spearman, Axeman, and Swordsman.
I always trained with many sorts of weapons while never holding onto one for too long.
Practicing things like grappling and movement techniques thanks to my grandpa's unusual sword Style must've played a big role in this as well.
I will have to ask Hestia for the specifics.
Hunter is pretty simple, you just need to hunt many monsters in a short amount of time. It simply increases the damage you do to monsters you already got Exelia from.
Blacksmith and those others are also pretty self-explanatory, you just need to have worked with metal, or mixed some potions for a little while and you are pretty much guaranteed to get them.
If you don't, it's simply because you are way too trashy for the system to consider you a blacksmith or a potion brewer.
However, as expected, I didn't get Mystery. The ability necessary to make Magic items. It must've been due to me not being capable of manipulating Magic power.
And finally...
As for those three… I could explain 'Researcher' and 'Engineer', I did research a lot ever since I got my Plasmids back, and back in the village, I helped many people with designs and I also fixed many broken things such as fences and water wells.
I was very productive in the village.
But 'Geneticist' is hard to give a proper explanation as to why it appeared here…
My research into Genes and my little experiment?...
'Hestia continued to observe him. She knew he was hiding things from her, even though Silver had told her many stories about his life in the village, things still don't add up.'
"Alright, I am done. Please..." Said Silver to Hestia
"..."
'Hestia smiled.'
'However, it doesn't matter. Silver is part of her Familia and she loves him no matter what or who he is. The time will come when he will open himself up, even if just a bit more.'
'So she eventually started to explain each Development Ability once Silver stopped thinking.'
/A few minutes later/
"... And that's what Engineer does, it's a DA focused on construction and innovation, as expected." She said
"Things are actually more complicated than I imagined…"
Just like how Mystery involves someone invoking a miracle to create a Magic item, Engineer allows someone to harden construction materials with Magic power.
It's a little more complex since it allows someone to construct things that shouldn't be possible in normal situations. Perhaps this is how there are all sorts of strangely shaped buildings in Orario... Like Ganesha's house.
It also increases one's insight towards architecture.
Geneticist, on the other hand increases the strength, speed, and effectiveness of Plasmids and Gene-related abilities.
Martial Arts increases my proficiency with all weapons, however, I lose its effects if I use the same weapon for more than 10 minutes.
It triggers when it hits an enemy, so if I manage to hit an enemy with let's say… A throwing knife, the countdown resets back to 10 minutes.
The degree of "hit" has yet to be tested though since a graze can also be a hit…
It seems pretty easy to exploit, however, this is just what I think. It could easily be much worse than that.
The safe route would be to ask the Guild about it, but that is the same as exposing what I have.
Perseverance was the one that got my attention though.
It raises all stats the more beaten up the person is, even if he is healed up afterward. Its effects increased based on the user's determination and will to live and fight.
However, the focus is on Vitality, followed by strength, the other stats would be increased after. Its not an equal raise.
But as expected, it only seems to trigger when I am fighting. Hestia however, couldn't say if it triggers during any kind of tense situation.
It's similar to Tione's Berserker Skill. The difference lies in the fact that she gains attack power every time she is hit and the more angered she is while this DA is based on my will to live and fight…
And how beaten I am during the process…
'Hestia looked at Silver, ready to give advice if needed. This choice will shape his path as an adventurer…'
'She stopped to remember the many dreams she had when she just came down into the lower world, she used to think it would be fantastic if the adventurers could even have a DA since it isn't guaranteed to gain one.'
'But here he is, choosing between a large repertoire of Development Abilities…'
"... Sigh."
Even if it makes sense… I can't quite believe it.
"I have made my choice." Said Silver
"Tell me." Said Hestia
"..."
"..."
'Silver looked sharply at Hestia.'
"Stop being dramatic!" Screamed Hestia as she jumped on top of Silver
"Ahhh... You dare!"
'The two played around for a bit, the tense mood completely vanished.'
'After a while...'
"It's Perseverance."
"..."
'She wasn't surprised.'
"Considering your mindset, I imagined you would choose such a thing." She said
"Well… I was between this and 'Geneticist', however, thinking about the future, I think it is much easier to increase the first one rather than the latter."
I don't even know why I got it in the first place. On the other hand, Perseverance is pretty forward. I just need to get beaten up for it to trigger and if I repeat that long enough, it will Level up.
"Even if the latter gives me more strength immediately, Perseverance doesn't have a limit to how high it can increase my stats. Of course, the higher the increase is, the more dangerous the situation would have to be…"
"And in any case, it will be never too late to choose it again when I Level up next time."
Since you gain another chance to choose a DA every Level up.
Unless I get something even better.
"Are you sure about this choice? There is no coming back." Asked Hestia
"I am, no need to ask again."
'Hestia nodded and updated his status.'
"In any case, here, take a look." Said Hestia in excitement as she picked yet another piece of paper.
"We might need to buy another stack of papers soon…" Said Silver as he gazed at the pile of status papers on the corner…
"And who do you think is at fault!?"
----------------------------------
Mellios Silver
Level-2
Strength J 1### -> H-100
Vitality J 1### -> H-100
Dexterity J 1### -> H-100
Agility J 1### -> H-100
Magic J 1### -> H-100
Evolved body -> I
Perseverance -> I
Magic:
>Magnum Opus Ambrosia
Skill:
>Vit Alhjin
>Infir David Missimus
>Neo Stur
----------------------------------
"Level 2 huh… I went a long way. Don't you think so?" Asked Silver as he looked at Hestia
"Yeah…"
I am proud of you Silver!
'Hestia wanted to jump and hug him, but she had to maintain her "professionalism".
"What now?" Asked Hestia
"Why are you asking me this? Aren't you the head of the Clan?"
(Clan/Family)
"I know that! I was just asking if you had anything else to do."
"No, I don't have anything really. In fact, I will rest a little from the Dungeon."
"Then… How about we eat somewhere tonight?" Asked Hestia
"Sure. Last time we ate at that cafe near Ganesha's Familia house, right? Do you have any preference this time?" Asked Silver
That place was quite interesting, but all of those Ganesha paintings made me a little... Uncomfortable.
"Hum… Ha! It's been a while since we went together in that pub you frequent!" Said Hestia
"The HF? Fine, I guess that's a good place."
'Silver got up and started to choose some clothes.'
"Let's go to the Guild and report my Level up, after that I will accompany you to Babel and I will fetch you later as always. How does that sound?"
I will go to the Dungeon tomorrow since I bet Loiju is going to force me into something.
"Perfect!" Said Hestia
'Silver turned around and started to put on his clothes, completely ignoring the excited Hestia behind him.'
'He just put on a shirt and a pair of leggings together with some shoes.'
'By the time he was done, Hestia was there, still looking at him.'
"I am done, I will just brush my teeth and we can go." He said
"O…Kay…" Said Hestia
…
'After brushing his teeth, Silver went back to his room only to realize she was still choosing her clothes, so he sat on the bed and started to look at her, however, she couldn't stand his sight and told him to leave.'
'A few minutes of arguing later, Silver shrugged his shoulder and turned around.'
'Although Hestia felt shy with him just behind her, but she continued to put on her clothes…'
"Pink huh? Quite childish." Said Silver as he sat on his bed
"I AM NOT WEARING PINK!" She replied
Tsk! I got it wrong... I should've said white.
"Heh..." Laughed Silver after teasing her
"Urg..."
Even though I have been living with him for the past two months, he gets more and more brazen each week…
Not that I am complaining…
WAIT!
…
/Later that day…/
'Silver and Hestia could be seen in the HF waiting for their food to arrive.'
"Hehe…"
'Silver chuckled as he looked at the photos on his hands.'
'They were a sequence of photos starting from Loiju's reaction to when Silver announced he had leveled up and the subsequent attempts from him to retrieve the embarrassing photos…'
"Pfft... Haha..."
His shocked look when I told him the news and his face when he realized he had been recorded…
"Priceless…" Said Silver
I imagined his reaction many times, but to think Loiju would actually just accept it so soon and brag about it immediately?
He is truly a sorry excuse for an Elf…
Now, everyone will soon know who I am, this would be the perfect time to introduce the 'other me'.
Since the Guild has the truth devices, it's pretty simple, I just need to go there and say: I am that guy, give me the reward money…
However, that would be anticlimactic…
...I am not someone to talk, when all I did was hide…
"… Tomorrow, I know what to do. I will get those rewards tomorrow." He whispered to himself
'Hestia suddenly touched Silver's shoulder, waking him up from his thoughts.'
"Silver, I will go to the washroom to wash my hands." Said Hestia as she got up
"Sure." Replied Silver
'However, he knew very well she wasn't going to just wash her hands.'
'Although, if you ask her about it, she will affirm to the best of her ability that Gods don't need to use the bathroom to take a shit.'
"Hey hey… Did you hear it?" Said an adventurer on a table near Silver
"What is it this time, Jony? You always have the best gossip." Said another adventurer on the table
"This one is super hot, almost as hot as what happened a few weeks ago." Replied Jony
"Then what are you waiting for?! Drop the bomb! I am ready… Hey! Can we have a few more beers?" Said a strong-armed Female adventurer
"Yesss… Nya." Replied Anya as she wrote something on her notebook
'She noticed Silver stare and winked playfully. As she smiled before she gave him her tongue and left.'
"..."
"So, did you hear about the new rookie?" Asked Jonny
"Nope." Said one of the guys
"No." Said the other guy
"Don't keep us in suspense you ass!" Replied the girl
"Sheesh, just how uninformed can you guys can be…"
/Sip…/
'The guy took a pause to take the last sip of his drink.'
'He was clearly teasing them...'
"#!... If you don't tell me in the next 10 seconds I…" Threatened the girl
"This new Rookie has beaten the Sword Princess record." Said Jony
"?!" x3 and a few tables nearby who were spying on the conversation
"Don't fuck with me Jony…" Said one of the guys, the one on the left
"Is it even possible to Level up in less than a year?" Said the other dude
"I am not lying, I was there when the confirmation of his stats was made with a truth device."
"To be honest, I was shocked. Initially, I didn't expect much from that trip to the Guild, just the same business."
"But I felt something was going to happen so I stayed… My only regret was not getting closer to the guy to take a good look at his face."
"SHIT JONY! At least do your job right!" Said the rough girl as she drank a big mouthful of beer
"Now you are interested… How about a bet? How long do you think it took for him to become Level 2?" Said Jony
"As long as you don't participate haha!" Said the guy on the right
"Losers pay for tonight's drinks!" Said the girl
"That's too much! Do you want to kill us?! Only the next round!" Said the guy on the left
'They nodded their heads as they reached a consensus.'
'They each wrote their own guesses on the papers and waited.'
"Alright, let's go from left to right. Go on Huge." Said Jony to the man on his left
'Huge turned his paper over. It read:'
/10 months/
"Alright, next, Fuilaz, it's your turn." Said Jony
'She turned his paper over. It read:'
/4 months!/
"Quite daring today! You think there would be a monster capable of becoming Level 2 in a third of the time it took the Sword Princess?" Asked the guy on the right, mocking the girl
"Mind your business." She said
"It's you turn Nibb." Said Jony
'He turned his paper over. It read:'
/9 and a half months/
"Hehe, looks like it will be between you and me Huge." Said Nibb
"Shut it, let's hear from Jony…" Said the girl
"Here are your drinks, nya!" Said Anya as she arrived with many drinks in her hands
"PERFECT HAHA! Flower, please stay here and wait, the loser will pay for this round." Said Fuilaz, the rough girl
"You all ready?"
'The nodded.'
'Jony smiled and said:'
"One month and three weeks."
/Silence…/
'Even for the people further away, everyone seemed to stop.'
"The guy is a freaking monster I tell you, they even called for the Branch leader, but at the end, he was telling the truth. He took one month and three weeks."
'He looked to the girl and said:'
"You win."
"BUWAHAHA!" Laughed the girl as she slammed the table
'The other two guys were devastated, they had actually ordered more drinks than normal this time around.'
'They did not doubt their friend's words, if he lied, it was up to him to suffer the consequences anyway.'
'Even Anya was surprised as she took the money.'
"Are you serious Jony? are you sure you didn't mistake one month for something else?" Asked Huge
"You think I am deaf?! I am a Level 3 scout you freaking muscle brain!" Said Jony
"He is… Right… Gulp!" Said the girl as she happily drank her beer
"Anyway, big things are about to happen, if he was this fast to reach level 2, I can only imagine how fast he can reach Level 3, perhaps, by next year, we might even have a new Level 4 in town!" Said Jony as he ate his food
"Now now… Please! Be realistic!" Said Huge
At most Level 3...
'The four continued to talk, without knowing they had caused waves in the surrounding tables.'
…
"..."
'Silver, of course, heard everything.'
I expected it to happen eventually, but that was faster than I expected.
Several people saw me earlier when I proved that I had Leveled up with the truth magic item of the Guild.
Most of them were Guild workers, but a few were adventurers.
"Sigh..."
I just hope this doesn't cause problems for me in the future…
/Creeek… Cling!/
'As Silver thought about the repercussions of such an event, the doors to the Pub opened with its usual bell sound.'
'Silver felt a chill on his back...'
"Welcome! Hm?... It's you guys! Welcome, nya!" Said Chloe as she looked at the incoming group
"Hihihi! Is there any table available?" Asked Loki with her classic smile
'She looked to the side, her eyes opening slightly...'
"Of course! We always have one for you guys! Your favorite Nya!" Replied Chloe
'She led the adventurers directly into a table in the middle of the Pub, it had a decent amount of space around it.'
"Finally! Bring in the drinks!" Screamed Loki
'Silver, on the other hand, looked at Mama Mia expression'
"Heh, this brings back memories…" He said
'She smiled. For some reason, she felt as if she should give this young man a hit in the head.'
'Before she lost her chance of doing so...'
/Smack!/
"Shut up brat! Bringing in a girl just like that, aren't you popular? But I guess boys your age should be like that…" She said as she hit his head
"She is my Goddess…" Said Silver
"And? Is there a problem in dating a God?" She said
"...No problem, I just think it's too cruel for the God in question. Even if I go to heaven after this life, it won't be the same you know." Said Silver as he thought
'That was his honest opinion, however, he had no plans of dying anytime soon.'
'And he would still date a God, but this doesn't change the fact he thinks it's cruel. It's one of the problems of dating an Immortal being.'
"... You think too much." She replied with a rare kind smile
"Hm... Now that I took a good look, you look a little different. Did something happen?" She asked
"Ho... Impressive of you to notice. It's a new skin lotion I bought..."
"BAAAHA! Boys should be using skin lotion..." She said as she waved her hand
"Your food is almost ready, just wait for a little longer." She said as she left to deal with the Loki Familia
/"You are so rude!"/
"..."
This is what I wanted to say… But I don't have the courage to anger a Level 6... Not yet.
She was Level 6 even before Ais came into Orario, opening her shop around that time.
Even if she is rusty now, I would still be beaten up by her…
Perhaps just the flex of her biceps would be enough to send me flying…
(The clap of her cheeks... What?)
'Silver shook his head, he still has a life to live.'
'He sat comfortably as he waited for his steak to get ready.'
'But he didn't notice Loki's sly smile…'
"GULP! AHH! It's been so long since I had a proper drink!" Said Loki
'The others around her seemed to agree to a certain extent, they had all been tense.'
'Bete for example worked almost every night, seeking clues.'
"We had been occupied with the recent events after all..." Said Gareth as he drank a big gulp
"Hey… Speaking of recent events, did you hear about the recent Hot news?" Asked Tiona
'Loki smiled as she drank her beer...'
"What is it this time? Whose hot boy did you see in the Guild?" Asked Tione
"Stop being such a bore!... I didn't see his face though…"
"I knew it." Replied Tione
'Tiona got pretty angry, so she drank her entire beer at once.'
"... AHH! I needed a drink… It's not what you think. I was going to the Guild today to see if there were any decent commissions to do when I heard something pretty interesting…"
'The others listened.'
"It seems that… Someone broke Ais' record… By a lot."
"?!" x Most of them
'But they calmed down almost instantly.'
"What record are we talking about this time? Ais has a lot of records." Said Finn
"Most courtships received in a day and most hearts broken in a day as well…" Said Riveria as she counted
'Ais, who was peacefully drinking her water, choked. She angrily looked at her Elf mentor and pouted with a red face.'
"Don't look at me like that… Haha..." Replied Riveria with a smile as she remembered that day
"It's nothing like that! I heard he became a Level 2 adventurer in record time!"
"Wow. Now that's interesting." Replied Loki
"They did a lot of tests and the end result was…" She said in a very dramatic tone
"Just open your damn mouth." Said Bete, a little bit curious as well
"Aren't you even going to guess?!" She asked
"What's the point of such shit-talking? If I were to guess, it would be around 11 months? That might be too much already… 11 and a half." He said
"Hehe… It was actually less than 2 months."
"!" X Everyone
"PFFT!"
'Lefiya spat her juice in Tiona's face while Bete almost choked on his drink.'
'Gareth and Finn had their eyes opened wide while Riveria remained stunned.'
'Tione looked very much surprised, however, she doubted such information.'
'Ais, who was calmly drinking her cold water also stopped, shocked.'
'Loki maintained her smile.'
"Hehe… Look at your faces! I knew you would all be like this!" She said
"A-A-A-A-Are you sure you heard it right, Tiona?! Asked Lefiya in surprise."
"You think that I would mishear something that close while being a Level 5?!"
"I-I-I-I-I-I AM SORRY!" Said Lefiya as she bowed
"No… I wasn't reprimanding you… Please get up…" Said Tiona awkwardly
There is no need to act this surprised right?...
'Everyone seemed to have their own reactions to this information.'
"It seems like another little monster is rising." Said Gareth as he returned to his calm uncle persona
"Now I am interested in seeing him. Do you know who he is?" Said Finn
"Did you see his face… Oh yeah." Said Riveria
"Yeah… I missed him. Like, during the process, he was dragged into some room deep into the Guild, so I couldn't just follow them. And I was too embarrassed to wait for him outside…"
"HAHAHA!"
'Loki finally burst laughing.'
"What is it Loki?" Asked Finn
"I just can't... HAHA!"
"Did something happen this time?" Asked Riveria
She definitely knows something...
"It's just… I find it so funny that you are all talking about this guy when he is here with us." She said
"?!" x many people in the Pub
"PFFT!"
"Cough!"
'Some people seemed to spit their drinks and some even choked.'
'This included Lefiya and Tiona of course.'
"..."
'Mama Mia looked at the mess with a murderous gaze. It was unknown who she was going to blame for this…'
"Isn't that right? Mister Red knight?" Said Loki
"..."
'But no one replied.'
"Red knight? Didn't I hear that before... Ah! Are you talking about that adventurer that has become quite famous after the subjugation of the irregular monster?" Asked Riveria
"Yup, they are the same person… Just like the Platinum knight." Said Loki as she drank her beer without a care in the world
"?!"
'The same scene happened, however, this time, people made sure to not drink anything…'
"Are you saying that those two knights were actually just a Level 1 newbie?" Asked Bete in an ironic tone
"Well… Bete might be rude, but I have similar questions!" Asked Tione
'The others nodded.'
'Bete seemed a bit annoyed by Tione's words.'
"Look at you guys… Tell me, is it really so hard for a Level 1 to accomplish all of these deeds?" Asked Loki
'Loki looked at her Familia Children.'
"I know exactly what you guys are thinking about. The Irregular monster's strength right?"
'They nodded.'
"Well, I guess that's something to think about, however, I am pretty sure they are indeed the same people."
"As for how he defeated the monster, there are many possibilities, but the best way would say he was the worst match of the monster."
"It was a threat for a Level 4, but that was based on the aftermath, we never saw the fight."
"I don't want to decrease the effort of the knight, but he definitely killed it alone."
"... And what guarantees that?" Asked Riveria
It's simply too far-fetched... Unless the Irregular was actually a very weak Level 3 monster with a strong burst Skill.
And if consider the adventurer to be a peak Level 1 with very good gear, then things get a little more balanced...
However, such a feat would still be hard even for Ais when she was at that Level...
"My intuition!" Said Loki proudly
'Riveria face-palmed, already expecting this answer.'
"But hey, how long are you going to stay there waiting?"
"..."
'But no one replied, silence still reigned in the bar as people looked around for this 'heroic' person.'
"You are indeed shy… Perhaps I should give you an incentive?" Said Loki as she smiled like a villain
"..."
'What is she planning this time?' Was what most of the people on the table thought
'She pointed towards several people in the pub.'
'Including Silver. However, Loki made sure to only target young adventurers.'
"One of these is you, so I wonder, who will be the one to figure it out?"
"Ha? Me?! Nonono…" Said one of the guys Loki pointed
"I became Level 2 a long while ago!" Said another one
'The results were pretty similar.'
'However, one of them continued to drink in peace, it seemed as if he didn't even realize what was happening.'
"Hm?"
'Ais was the first one to notice him.'
'She had a nostalgic feeling when she looked at him, but she couldn't remember where she saw him…'
'Following Ais' eyes, they soon placed their sight on the boy. However, the boy looked just like any client.'
"Here is your food nya…" Said Anya as she felt the gaze of the Loki Familia.
"Thanks Anya... Can you..." Replied Silver
"I-It's nothing… Enjoy your food!" Siad Anya as she ran away
"..."
Sigh...
She didn't even say Nya…
'Silver started drinking a bit of water as he waited for Hestia, ignoring the stares completely.'
"Hey hey… Is that him?" Whispered Tione to Tiona
'Although everyone at the table could hear her.'
"Hum… The hair is the same color, the style is also the same…" She said as she looked at his shoulder-length black hair
'Yes, Silver already cut down his hair.'
He also seems very tall, that guy was also tall… And his hair was just like that...
"I think..." Said Tiona
"Why don't we just ask the guy?" Said Bete as he cut her off
"Oi Bete don't be rude…" Said Tione as she already imagined what was about to happen
"OI! I know you can hear us! How about you answer my question yeah? Are you the rookie who recently leveled up?"
"... Sigh." Exhaled Silver
How did Loki find out?...
It's useless to think too much, she must've analyzed some details not even I realized.
Eventually, she just connected the dots.
But why is she here? I think it's impossible she would've predicted I would've come here…
However, since I am a frequent client…
/BAM!/
"I asked you a question…" Said Bete
'Bete appeared from the side, placing his foot on the chair Hestia was sitting on prior to going into the bathroom.'
"... Sorry man, I was just thinking and…"
"I don't care, just answer my question."
'Silver tried to be nice but Bete didn't care at all...'
"#!"
This guy…
I didn't want to make any enemies but…
I lost my patience.
"You are quite rude." Said Silver in an annoyed tone
"Huh?! Care to repeat that punk!"
What did this Level 1 sprout say to me?!...
/Snap!/
'Silver sapped his finger and…'
"!"
'Bete suddenly felt a strange energy enveloping his body.'
'He felt strange and he unconsciously resisted it by trying to move.'
'But he couldn't…'
'It happened too fast, in the blink of an eye…'
"What?!" Said Lefiya as she got up from her chair in shock
I didn't even hear anything!
"Bete…" Said Gareth wide eyes
Buwahahahaha!
"... Sigh." Said Finn
That guy is always causing trouble even if he doesn't want to… Haha…
"... Pft…" Chuckled Riveria
Haha… He deserved it… Everyone is going to pester him for a while…
'Bete disappeared, leaving only his clothes behind. The place seemed much more silent without him…'
'The members of the Loki Familia had a pretty nice idea of what happened since they heard it from Loki, so most of them couldn't help it but laugh at Bete. Even more so when they looked at the clothes on the ground...'
"You are too hasty, didn't I tell you that I would meet you again?" Said Silver as he drank a mouthful of his drink
"You took too long, you know how I am right?" Said Loki with a sincere smile on her face as she looked at Silver's back
"..."
I thought as much...
Bete… He actually resisted it. The energy cost was immense compared to what I am used to, I almost lost control there.
Is this the passive resistance from Level 5? If he was ready, he would've escaped easily…
He could also take me out before my teleportation took effect...
/Fwush…/
'Mist started to form around Silver, before it fully dissipated.'
"?!"
'All of the members of the Loki Familia turned their heads towards a single chair, Bete's seat.'
'A platinum knight now sat on that spot!'
…
.
.
Notes
For those confused about his Skill, that was my bad as I didn't properly explain it.
I thought I did, but it seems I forgot.
It's like this: When he made his Enhancement and updated his status, he got the Skill.
The Skill doesn't do anything on its own, but it gives the Mc the DA-Evolved body
Why not just give him a DA? That was explained.
You can only choose one Da every level up, and that's the only way to get one.
So he gained a Skill, and I thought that, for what I wanted, a Da was much better than a Skill, so I made something similar to Ottar's and Finn's Skills. (N4)
The Da gives him a passive all stat boost. How much? We don't know. It could be minimal like 10 stats or big like 100.
(N1)
Argonaut allows a charge for active action.
It requires four minutes (formerly three until he reached Level 4) for a full charge and can either sound like a small chime or a grand bell depending on the power needed.
For the first couple of uses, Bell thought of a hero each time, however, he hasn't done so with his recent uses, making it unknown if he no longer has to do so.
It can be used to strengthen attacks that originate from him or to help him move, but the effects will dissipate when he is attacked or if he loses focus.
Also, using the skill damages whatever he's charging as recoil, destroying weapons after use and severely injuring his hand when he used it to punch Dix.
The damage is implied to be worse the longer the skill is charged.
(N2)
Fenris Wolf improves Bete's running speed.
Solmani improves Bete's strength and speed at acceleration.
(N3)
Liaris Freese increases the speed of Bell's growth as long as his feelings last. The strength of the effects is related to the strength of Bell's feelings. As a side effect, it makes him immune to charms.
(N4)
Dia Fianna enables Finn to temporarily be able to use the development ability Spearman when he is wielding a spear. The effects are dependent on his level.
When Ottar continues to fight, Stortus Ottar allows him to use the Healing Power and Spirit Healing development abilities, and strengthens all of his development abilities. The condition for the skill is in proportion to his status.
