Chapter 12: Shaking

Two weeks had passed since Ptah began selling the potion to Riveria. She was now buying the potions for 350,000 valis, a significant increase from the initial price. However, Ptah had only managed to sell her three potions every four days due to the stressful and tedious process of making them.

The potion's effect was quite impressive. It increased the magic stat by one level for three minutes, though spells would cost triple the usual amount of mind during that period. Ptah felt proud of his creation but knew he still had much to improve in his technique.

Ptah stretched, enjoying the spaciousness of his new workshop. Sunlight streamed through a high window, illuminating shelves filled with jars, books, and strange artifacts.

"Feels good to have a new place," he murmured to himself, running his hand over a newly polished workbench. "It used to be so cramped, but now everyone has their own room. And finally, I have a place to make my potions without the girls worrying about the bad smell from some failed poisons."

The memory of his last failed experiments made him smile. Saly and Aisha had nearly broken down the door, thinking a monster had gotten into the house. It took them days to get the rotten egg smell out of their hair.

Today, he had taken the day off work to dedicate it entirely to magical engraving. "After all, with this, I can try making magical weapons like magic swords," Ptah thought, as his eyes scanned the pages of an ancient grimoire. "Even though I haven't practiced forging yet, at least I can start with something."

His gaze fell on Saly's ancient halberd and Aisha's greatsword, which rested in a corner of the workshop. The weapons, though well cared for, showed signs of constant use. "It's time to give them an upgrade," Ptah decided.

Carefully, Ptah began preparing the necessary materials. He placed a War Shadow's Finger Blade, black as night, and a pair of Purple Moth Wing, which glowed with a soft blue radiance, into a stone bowl. With precision, he began grinding them using a metal hammer, the rhythmic sound filling the workshop.

Once reduced to a fine powder, Ptah took out a vial containing a viscous emerald-green liquid. He poured it slowly over the powder, mixing it carefully. The acrid smell filled the air, but Ptah was too focused to notice.

Finally, he took a magic stone from a nearby drawer. The gem pulsed with energy, and as he added it to the mixture, it began to slowly fade away, like the monsters in the dungeon when defeated.

The result was a dark, murky purple substance. Ptah scrutinized it critically before nodding in satisfaction. He placed the bowl on a small stove and heated it for several minutes, watching as the mixture bubbled and changed color until it turned completely black.

"Perfect," he said with a satisfied smile. The aroma that emanated from the mixture was intense but not unpleasant, If he had failed to make the mixture with low-level materials, he would have felt that all the time spent on alchemy had been wasted.

Ptah took out a sort of very thick pen, an instrument he had designed specifically for this purpose. Carefully, he filled it with the black substance, which was still steaming from the heat. The metal of the pen heated up quickly, and Ptah had to use a protective glove to avoid burning himself.

With extreme delicacy and patience, he began to draw symbols that looked like oriental letters and strange lines along the edges of the halberd's blade. Each stroke had to be precise, each line uniform. The process was long and tedious, each line had to have a consistent amount of the substance without overflowing.

It was quite challenging for him, as in his previous life, he had been a terrible drawer and painter. "Who would have thought I'd end up doing this," he murmured to himself, remembering how his drawings used to be the laughingstock of the class.

Drop after drop of sweat, Ptah continued his work. His concentration was absolute, one mistake could ruin the entire effort. After about an hour, he finally finished tracing a large number of lines and symbols. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped back to admire his work.

The symbols glowed faintly on the halberd's metal, as if they had a life of their own. Ptah lit a candle and, holding his breath, brought it close to the weapon's blade.

The moment the flame touched the first symbol, the entire network of engravings lit up. The substance burned as if it were pure alcohol, the flames dancing over the metal without damaging it. The heat was intense, and Ptah had to step back a few paces.

As this happened, Ptah hurried to place more magic stones on the sword. The gems vibrated and, one by one, began to disappear. Their energy seemed to be absorbed by the burning engravings.

Slowly, the flames died down. The black substance disintegrated, leaving behind only the engraved lines on the metal. When the process was complete, the halberd looked almost the same as before, only now strange dark lines could be seen along the edges of the blade, like veins of a darker metal.

Ptah observed the weapon with pride and curiosity. "Item Analysis," he murmured, and the system window appeared

[Common Halberd (Edge and Poison Engravings)]

A halberd forged by a level one blacksmith from the Hephaestus Familia and enchanted with magical engravings by the god Ptah. Although it is a fairly normal and common halberd, it has two enchantments made with magical ink crafted from the fusion of a War Shadow's Finger Blade and Purple Moth Wing through alchemy. The enchantment is quite weak due to the use of low-level materials and the roughness of the engraved lines. One enchantment increases the damage inflicted by the blade's edge, while the other adds a slight paralyzing poison that heightens sensitivity to pain.

"Crude form? But those magical engravings are a work of art," Ptah muttered under his breath, feeling a bit offended by the system's description.

He looked out the window, noticing for the first time that the day had advanced significantly. The sky was cloudy, with dark clouds, and the wind was blowing more strongly than usual, making the branches of nearby trees sway violently. Everything indicated that it might rain soon.

Setting aside the weather, Ptah realized he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. His stomach growled in protest, and he decided it was time for a break. He headed to the kitchen, preparing a quick lunch with what he found in the fridge.

As he ate, his thoughts wandered to Saly and Aisha. He wondered how they were faring in the dungeon. He decided it was a good time to use the only program available in his system.

"System, you know the drill," he said, leaning back in his chair.

[Understood]

An window materialized in front of him, showing Saly and Aisha on the eighth floor of the dungeon. Ptah watched them battle several Killer Ants, enormous insects that moved with surprising speed for their size.

Saly wielded her halberd with grace, keeping two of the creatures at bay while Aisha dealt with a third. Both had small wounds on their bodies, cuts and scrapes that bled slightly, but they didn't seem to be in any real danger.

Ptah no longer worried too much about them in that regard. He knew these wounds were not a significant issue for them, and it seemed they wanted to stay on that floor despite the challenges it posed.

 Ptah leaned forward, intrigued by what he saw. It was Aiz Wallenstein, but not as he usually saw her.

Aiz was facing the monsters recklessly, almost suicidally. Her sword moved like lightning, annihilating every creature that crossed her path. There was no emotion on her face, just a cold, grim determination that was unsettling in someone so young.

What caught Ptah's attention the most was that Aiz was not accompanied by anyone. This was unusual, the young adventurer usually stayed with members of her familia or executives from the Loki Familia. Seeing her alone, delving deeper into the dungeon, made Ptah frown with concern.

"She really is a troublesome girl," Ptah muttered, observing Aiz's actions and behavior. She didn't even seem to care about the state of her body or if she was beginning to tire physically. She didn't collect the magic stones, only slaying the monsters and moving on to the next one as she continued her path to the deeper floors.

For Ptah, what was happening with her was both interesting and worrying. He knew that Aiz carried a dark past and a determination that bordered on obsession. Seeing her like this only confirmed his suspicions that something was wrong with the young adventurer.

However, before he could reflect further on it, Aiz moved out of the system's field of view, heading into the dungeon's depths.

The two girls seemed to have noticed Aiz's passage, and Ptah could see them exchange looks of curiosity and concern. For a moment, he feared they would decide to follow Aiz, but to his relief, they merely talked among themselves before making a different decision.

They began gathering the nearby magic stones on the ground, the result of their previous battles, before heading in a direction opposite to the one Aiz had taken.

"At least they're not reckless enough to start chasing after her," Ptah thought with relief. "They're learning to be cautious."

After that little spectacle, Ptah finished his lunch. He continued watching Saly and Aisha for a while, but gradually he began to feel restless. Although the girls fought with impressive moves, and it was impressive to see them vanquish the monsters, a part of Ptah started to feel a mix of envy and frustration.

Here he was, a god in a world of adventure and magic, yet he spent his days locked in his workshop, crafting potions and engraving weapons. A part of him longed to experience the adrenaline that Saly and Aisha felt every day, that rush of facing the dangers of the dungeon head-on.

"System," Ptah called, his voice filled with sudden determination, "is there any way for me to become an adventurer?"

He was in a world of swords and magic, yet he hadn't even faced a monster. He felt it was a disgrace for someone who had come to the world of Danmachi, a world he had admired and dreamed of since his previous life.

[Yes]

Ptah felt the corners of his mouth curl into a hopeful smile. His heart pounded with anticipation. "How?"

[Through a random quest that might generate after a member of your familia who started at level one reaches level five. You will gain the ability to transform into another race temporarily while leaving your godly body in a state of slumber.]

Ptah's smile faltered a bit. That sounded like something that would take a long time. However, he wasn't willing to give up so easily.

"Can't I just recruit a level five or a level four who could level up to five?" Ptah asked with a hint of hope, though deep down, he knew that recruiting someone of that level was extremely difficult.

[No. The only falna received by the member must be from Ptah and they must never have joined another familia.]

His hope was crushed within seconds. Ptah realized he would have to wait many years for that, and on top of that, the system specified that it had to be a member who started at level one and reached level five. Considering that Saly and Aisha were still at level one, it seemed like an almost unattainable goal.

"What a boring system," Ptah complained, slumping into his chair in frustration. "It won't even let me experience the thrill of fighting monsters. And I can't even use magic because it turns into divinity instead."

Ptah ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of an alternative. It was then that the system spoke again

[The system suggests that instead of being confined to the dungeon and Orario, you can go outside if you want to experience monster hunting. However, the system strongly recommends against going to the dungeon under any circumstances.]

Those words struck Ptah like a revelation. He had been so focused on the dungeon and Orario that he hadn't considered the possibilities offered by the outside world. The beaches, the mining country, the land of magic. A whole world of adventures awaited beyond the walls of Orario.

With this in mind, Ptah became excited and refocused on improving his crafting skills. If he couldn't be an adventurer for now, at least he could create items that would help his familia and perhaps, in a year or two, allow him to explore this vast world.

The hours flew by as Ptah immersed himself in his work. He experimented with different magical engraving techniques. He was so absorbed that he barely noticed when the sun began to set.

Even when Saly and Aisha returned in the afternoon, tired but satisfied after their day in the dungeon, Ptah barely looked up from his work. The girls, noticing his concentration, didn't even try to bother him for their usual post-dungeon massage.

Late into the night, Ptah finally finished experimenting with the engravings on Aisha's old sword. Satisfied with his work, he stretched, feeling his muscles protest after hours of stillness. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since lunch.

With an empty stomach, Ptah headed to the kitchen. As he entered, he saw Saly and Aisha trying to prepare dinner. The smell of burnt food filled the air, and the girls seemed to be arguing about the best way to salvage what was left of the stew.

Ptah was about to offer his help when, suddenly, he felt something. It was a sensation he had grown accustomed to as a god, as if the very air had become heavy. He immediately recognized it as the divine power of some god.

Before he could warn the girls, a tremor shook the entire house. The dishes on the shelves began to rattle.

"Lord Ptah, what's happening?" Saly asked nervously.

Ptah frowned, his mind working quickly to process what was happening. "Some god used their divinity in the dungeon," he replied gravely. "That has provoked the dungeon's wrath. It's quite troublesome."

The tremor gradually subsided, but the atmosphere remained tense. Ptah moved to the small terrace on the second floor, with Saly and Aisha following closely behind. From there, they could see the street.

The street, which would normally be a bit quieter at this hour, was bustling with activity. Several armed adventurers were running in a specific direction, their footsteps heavy, and even the neighbors began to peek through their windows. Ptah knew exactly where they were headed, the industrial area where magic stones were processed.

"What could be happening, and why would a god go to the dungeon?" Aisha asked, her tone serious but filled with curiosity and concern. Her hands moved unconsciously toward the hilt of her sword, as if preparing for an imminent battle.

Ptah observed his two protégées. He could see the mix of emotions on their faces—uncertainty, curiosity, and a burning desire to act, to be part of whatever was happening. He knew he had to act quickly to prevent them from doing something reckless.

"I'm not sure," Ptah replied firmly, despite knowing everything about the current situation, "but what I do know is that we shouldn't get involved." He saw the disappointment reflected in the girls' eyes but continued. "You're still level one. In a situation like this, where even high-level adventurers are involved, you wouldn't be any different from cannon fodder in a war."

The words were harsh but necessary. Ptah watched as Saly and Aisha shrank slightly, feeling powerless in the face of the harsh reality of their situation. However, he didn't want to leave them without hope.

"Listen," he continued, softening his tone a bit. "If you want to be prepared for situations like this, you need to become stronger. Much stronger. It's not enough to just reach the minimum to level up. I want each of your stats to reach at least rank B, and at least one to rank A or S before leveling up."

Aisha and Saly exchanged confused looks. "But Lord Ptah," Aisha began, "our Guild advisor told us we only needed to reach rank D in some stat to level up."

Ptah nodded. "That's true, it's the minimum requirement. But think about this. Do you want to be just strong enough to survive, or do you want to be truly powerful?" Ptah deeply believed in the potential of his only two members, who had advanced at a much faster pace compared to other familias like Soma's, where the highest level was still only two despite having been in Orario for many years.

Ptah's words seemed to ignite something in the girls. Their expressions shifted from confusion to determination.

"I understand," Saly said, straightening her posture. "We'll work hard to reach those ranks, Lord Ptah."

Aisha nodded, a defiant smile on her face. "We'll show everyone just how strong the Ptah Familia can be."

Ptah smiled, proud of the girls' determination. "Excellent. Now, how about we set aside all this commotion and have dinner together? We can plan how you should improve."

As they left the terrace, Ptah cast one last glance at the city. The chaos continued, and he knew things were about to change in Orario.

With these thoughts in mind, he closed the terrace door and joined the girls in the kitchen, helping to salvage what was left of dinner.