Chapter 9 - Leaving

Of course, Link wouldn't die easily.

After all, living has a future , and Link knows it. 

"Well, I'm relieved that Link can have that thought . Don't underestimate the dungeon. Many amazing things will happen there . Once an accident occurs, it will be hard to rescue you, so you must learn to ensure your own life." 

"Well, don't worry." 

Sensing Hestia's concern, Link also took these words seriously. As Link just said, he's not an adventurous person. 

Although he has a system, rashly seeking death is completely foolish behavior.

Even if he wants to jump around and kill monsters like in the novels, he must have the corresponding conditions and skills.

He must grow step by step until he becomes the best .

After receiving Link's affirmative answer, Hestia felt relieved and tired.

She began to yawn , squinting involuntarily , and raised her hand to wipe her eyes out of habit.

Seeing that Hestia looked tired, Link didn't continue cleaning.

After packing up the cleaning tools, he said, "Hestia, if you're tired, go to bed. I'm ready to rest, too."

"Well, I'm a little sleepy, too..."

With that, Hestia yawned and lay down on the big bed.

Watching Link leave silently, Hestia couldn't help but smile.

From today onwards, she is also a goddess with a family and has a child in her family.

"I really didn't expect my first child to be like this..." Thinking back to their meeting in the morning, Hestia found it truly dramatic.

That Loki, if she knew Link was so talented, she would probably cry, right?

Hestia narrowed her eyes slightly , and an emotion called luck filled her heart.

'Also, my child is quite handsome... It's truly satisfying to meet such a child - oh no, it's a satisfaction for a goddess !' As she pondered these thoughts , Hestia slowly closed her eyes. Fatigue overtook her body , and soon her consciousness fell asleep completely.

...

As time passed, the warm sun once again chased away the darkness and crossed the horizon.

After a good night's sleep, the fatigue from cleaning the house yesterday disappeared.

As the first ray of sunlight came through the window and shone on Link's cheek...

"Well..." Under the dazzling orange sunlight, Link subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to block it.

In that moment, Link realized that his hands seemed to be held, and there was a gentle touch on his arms.

Link frowned, enduring the dazzling sunlight and squinting to look to his side.

"Hestia?" The person hugging his arm at his side was Hestia, with whom he had joined her family. At this moment, Hestia was holding his right hand tightly, dressed only in a thin nightgown.

She was sleeping soundly, her arms intertwined and lying on his side. As a result, Link's arms were deeply sunken into the indescribable softness of her body; he was enjoying the embrace of her soft warmth. Moving slightly, he could even feel the two soft mounds beneath the thin nightgown.

This... Even though they were in separate rooms, she had come in here in the middle of the night?

And she was so defenseless against him. Link felt a sense of helplessness.

Although her body was enjoying the contact in his arms right now,

Link finally pulled his hand away carefully. Indulgent enjoyment was not what he should seek at this moment.

Link knew exactly what he needed most right now.

.

In his previous life, to have a relationship with a woman, he needed a house, a car, and money. Even if he wasn't good enough, he had to be handsome and capable, along with personal capital.

In this world, the most important personal capital is one's own power. And he didn't have that power yet, so all other thoughts were just rebellious notions.

Thinking from another angle, was he worthy of it now? He had to hurry up and find a way to become stronger.

Link warned himself in his mind. After pulling his hand away, Link took a deep breath and, while mentally encouraging himself, carefully turned around and got out of bed.

However, even though his movement was gentle, it still woke up Hestia in bed.

"Link, dawn has just begun. It's so early. Why don't you sleep a little longer?" Hestia narrowed her eyes as if she hadn't fully woken up yet. She didn't usually get up this early and sometimes even slept until noon.

Link quickly got dressed by the bedside and said, "I'm going to the dungeon to take a look. Sorry to wake you up."

"Be sure to pay attention to all!" 

Hearing that he was going to the dungeon, Hestia stood up from the bed with a sudden jolt and looked at Link very seriously. "Don't worry; it's a place I have to go after all. I won't go deeper. I'll just walk around the upper floor to familiarize myself with it." 

The further down the labyrinth you go, the more dangerous it is. Conversely, the closer to the surface, the lower the level, and the safer it is. The upper level is usually where new adventurers gather. In short, newbies. It's a place for new adventurers to gain experience without too many dangers. 

Even so, Hestia still couldn't help but feel worried.

The situation in the dungeon is unpredictable, and there are many unexpected situations, such as a 'Monster Party,' where many monsters suddenly appear and attack at the same time, or high-level monsters from the lower floors come to the upper floors.

Countless adventurers have failed in the treacherous dungeons. 

But Hestia also knew in her heart that Link had to leave and that his wish was to become stronger.

"Link, you must remember that you have just become an adventurer. As a newcomer entering the dungeon for the first time, you must be more careful. I will wait for you to return home." 

"Hestia, I promise you I will return safely." Link readily accepted Hestia's instructions and directions, opened the door, and disappeared before Hestia's eyes. 

... 

After washing up, Link left a vali bag on the living room table as Hestia's pocket money for today, then left the residence. First, he found a breakfast shop. While enjoying breakfast, Link also looked at the people on the street. Every morning is a relatively busy time for adventurers. There are a lot of people on the road. Adventurers of all races bring their weapons and walk toward the dungeon. 

It's like the rush hour of the previous morning, and the dungeon is the workplace. Countless adventurers head to the dungeon to check in for work.

After all, killing monsters, collecting magic stones and materials from dropped monsters, and finally going to the guild to exchange them for mana is the fastest way to earn money.

*If you want to live, you can't survive without money.*

Link quickly finished his breakfast, bought some more food as a spare, and stored it in the system space. Then he joined the crowd and started his first day of "work."