[FGO]: 17

"This news is truly surprising. Is it your speculation?"

Finn instinctively sat up straight.

"Yes, because that chef also appeared around that time, and you all saw it—he was able to overpower Bete."

Riveria's words immediately made their expressions serious.

Bete was an LV5 adventurer, and he specialized in strength. In Orario, the strength of adventurers formed a pyramid structure. There were very few who could overpower Bete in terms of strength, and Ryou was clearly not among them.

"The most crucial point is that I noticed traces of magical disguise on him. His appearance is likely disguised by a magic item..."

Riveria added another key point, which was the most critical piece of evidence.

Unknown origins, and strong abilities, and using an item to disguise his appearance.

Everyone's faces changed instantly.

"Loki, is there any way for an ordinary person to reach the level of LV5?" Finn turned to Loki, who was acting indifferent.

"There are many ways," Loki replied nonchalantly.

For a moment, the three leaders even found their breathing slightly more rapid.

"But 99% of those methods require divine assistance, and they all have significant side effects," Loki said as if to tease them, speaking only halfway.

"Indeed, shortcuts to power are tempting, even for me," Finn said with a self-mocking smile.

"There's no need to feel ashamed. Without the ambition to keep getting stronger, we wouldn't be where we are today," Riveria consoled.

"For once, I agree with Riveria," Gareth nodded with a smile.

Although Loki squinted her eyes, a satisfied smile was evident on her face.

As expected from the heroes chosen by me. Even without Freya's cheating eyes, they are just as impressive.

After a moment of self-indulgence, Loki continued, "Most of those methods can be dismissed. Mortal bodies have limited capacity and can't handle sudden increases in power. Forcing it would result in a 'boom'! An explosion. That's why the gods found that 'blessings' are the safest way, gradually unlocking mortals' potential while expanding their capacity."

The three leaders nodded at this explanation; it made sense.

If you want something, you have to give up something.

If you want to rise quickly, you have to pay the price.

"But there is one type of person who transcends common sense..."

The three leaders, who had just relaxed, were on edge again.

"And that would be those you call 'heroes.' Since they are 'heroes,' their capacity is naturally far greater than ordinary people. Rapidly becoming stronger in a short time is not impossible."

Loki's words made the three leaders fall into deep thought.

"Loki, are you suggesting that this young man might not be a descendant of a 'hero' but is a 'hero' himself!?"

"I didn't say that. This is all your speculation," Loki said with a mischievous smile.

Finn resisted the urge to punch and said to Riveria, "In any case, investigate his background, especially when he appeared at Hostess of Fertility..."

Before Finn could finish, Loki suddenly said, "Aren't you guys overthinking this, acting like old people?"

"It's not about that. As leaders, we must be responsible for the whole Familia!"

Riveria immediately retorted.

"Since he has shown his ability, he has no ill intentions. As for unknown backgrounds, who doesn't have a few secrets?"

Loki said with a dismissive expression.

Riveria was momentarily speechless.

"Loki does have a point; we might be overly cautious," Finn suddenly laughed.

"This expedition is extremely important. The 59th floor—this is an area even the Zeus and Hera Familias never reached."

"I've decided to invite that young man to join this expedition. I'll take full responsibility for any consequences!"

Finn stood up abruptly.

"But!..."

Riveria was about to say something.

Finn immediately waved his hand to stop Riveria.

"Riveria, I know what you're going to say. But you also need to trust our Familia's companions. Those young people have grown up completely. Even if he has ill intentions, we are fully capable of dealing with it."

"Because we are the strongest Familia in all of Orario—the Loki Familia!"

A powerful leader's charisma surged from that small figure.

"Indeed, choosing you as the captain was the right decision," Loki praised.

"Such a small body carries such great spirit. It's never boring following you, Finn," Gareth laughed heartily.

"Ahh! If anything goes wrong, I won't take responsibility!"

With two of the three leaders and the Familia's goddess agreeing, Riveria naturally had no grounds for opposition.

"Also, until we can fully trust him, I'll have Ais keep an eye on him."

"Ais? With her, it will indeed be reliable. Then it's settled!"

Captain Finn made the decision firmly.

...

Ryou was naturally unaware that his plan had succeeded, but at the same time, the Loki Familia had begun to suspect his identity.

He had more important matters to attend to now.

"What is this?"

Ryou looked at the book in Mama Mia's hand.

The book seemed quite old and thick, with pages made of high-quality parchment. The title boldly read: Modern Magic Even Goblins Can Learn.

No way...

Seeing that humorous and familiar title, Ryou broke out in a cold sweat.

"This is a gift! From the goddess herself. Here, take it," Mia said grumpily as she shoved the book into his hands.

"Uh~ please thank Goddess Freya for me," Ryou accepted the book with both hands.

Ryou's magic attribute had just risen to 20, and Goddess Freya had sent this Magic Book that could make someone learn magic instantly.

The timing was too perfect. Could that goddess be watching his every move from Babel Tower every day?

Recalling the original work and the obsessive behavior of this goddess, Ryou felt conflicted.

If it were some pervert doing this, he would find a way to destroy them. But if it were a peerless beauty...

Indeed, in this world, looks are justice!

Moreover, the value of such a magic book was nearly immeasurable. Buying it could bankrupt a small Familia.

Now I owe another huge favor.

The more I owe to beauties, the more sinful a man I become.

Ryou mocked himself inwardly.

As he held the magic book and flipped through it, Ryou did not notice Mia looking at him with a complex expression, occasionally glancing at Syr in the distance.

Back in his dormitory, Ryou quickly tidied up his things, then climbed into bed, finding a comfortable position to open the magic book.

According to the original work, one would fall into a deep sleep after reading this book. Ryou didn't want to wake up in the morning to find himself forced into some kind of performance art.

Just as Ryou was feeling delighted and about to touch the book's cover, without even opening it, a delicate hand swiftly snatched the magic book away.

Ryou was furious.

He looked up to see who dared to snatch food from a tiger's mouth, only to find Scáthach looking at him with an amused expression, the magic book flipping in her hands.

Seeing Ryou look over, Scáthach raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a problem?"

Ryou instantly understood the meaning in his Shishou's eyes; if he dared to say "yes," he would immediately receive a severe beating under the guise of "teaching."

Ryou decisively shook his head, giving in.

Scáthach nodded in satisfaction.

"Reading this fast-track magic book won't do you any good. From today, I'll teach you the Original Runes."

Ryou immediately tossed the priceless fast-track magic book to the back of his mind.

The Original Runes, according to Norse mythology, was an ancient universal language obtained by the god-king Odin at the cost of one of his eyes.

Once he fully mastered these nearly omnipotent runes, Ryou could instantly transition into a super mage, comparable to a mage from the Age of Gods, akin to the Five Great Magics in the Type-Moon universe.

What you can't have is always the best!

Just as every mage has a heart for close combat, every close combat profession dreams of becoming a mage.

Mages are so cool; with a wave of their hand, enemies turn to dust. They're so powerful that when they act, it's on a large scale.

Moreover, what Scathach is teaching him is the Original Runes, which is like transitioning into a hidden class among mages—the Archmage.

Learn it! Not learning it would be unthinkable!

"Shishou! I want to learn!"

Ryou shouted without any hesitation, fearing that Scáthach might change her mind.

"Shishou?"

Ryou just realized that he was so excited that he accidentally called Scáthach by her affectionate nickname.

But that didn't faze Ryoou.

He said earnestly, "Since you're teaching me the Original Runes now, you're my Shishou. Calling you Shishou isn't wrong."

Although Ryou's reasoning was logical and convincing, Scáthach's top-tier warrior intuition sensed something amiss.

However, the Queen of the Land of Shadows never cared about such things.

"Shishou it is, then. After all, it's just a title."

"Then, Shishou, let's begin."

Ryou immediately assumed a proper seated posture.

He was fully expecting Scáthach to either pull out a room full of magic books for him to memorize, construct a massive magical illusion for self-study, or even transport him to the outer side of the world to comprehend directly from the Root.

But to his surprise, Scáthach simply extended a jade-like finger and pressed it against his forehead.

So simple!? So straightforward!?

He then lost consciousness.

...

Ryou had a dream.

In his dream, he seemed to see the world in its primordial state, shrouded in mist; he saw the progenitor of the frost giants, born between ice and fire, covering the sky; he saw the gods battling this giant, using its defeated body to shape the world; he saw the World Tree growing and supporting the world; he saw Odin losing his right eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom; he saw Odin hanging upside down from the World Tree for nine days and nights to obtain the primordial world language... and finally, he saw Ragnarok.

Then Ryou understood.

Seeing him fall asleep, Scáthach laid him on the bed, picked up the magic book, and leaped out of the window.

Even under the night sky, Orario was still brightly lit, looking like a sleepless city from above.

Located in the center of the city, atop the tall Babel Tower, was the base of one of Orario's strongest Familias, the Freya Familia.

The lady of the Familia, Goddess Freya, was wearing a highly revealing dress, holding a glass of red wine, savoring it while admiring the labyrinthine city under the night sky.

Behind her, Orario's ultimate weapon, the only level 7 adventurer Ottar, stood like an iron statue, motionless in his duty to protect her.

Freya swirled her wine glass, seeming somewhat absent-minded, her gaze frequently sweeping over a certain direction, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and regret.

"It's useless to keep looking; I've already set up a bounded field in his room."

A cold voice suddenly echoed in the room.

Freya was startled, and Ottar instantly sprang into action, his calloused hand gripping the hilt of his massive sword behind him.

However, as fast as he was, the intruder was faster!

A silver flash streaked by, and Ottar's massive figure was pinned to the wall as if struck by a dragon, rendered completely powerless. The object pinning him was nothing more than an ordinary silver candlestick.

"It's you!"

Freya barely had time to react before a purple-black silhouette appeared before her, seemingly teleporting.

It was Scáthach.

Scáthach reached out with one hand, gripping Freya's slender neck, lifting her effortlessly with a single hand.

Seeing his beloved goddess captured, Ottar struggled frantically and shouted, "Help!"

His voice was so loud that the glass windows shook.

However, it was as if the room was isolated from the world. No matter how much Ottar shouted, no one came to check.

"Stop wasting your strength. I've already set a bounded field around this room," the Queen of the Land of Shadows said coldly.

"Let her go!"

Ottar tried to break free from the grip of the silver candlestick, but what he could usually crush with one hand now felt as unbreakable as orichalcum.

Scáthach ignored him and turned her sharp gaze to Freya in her grip.

"What... what do you want?"

Freya's face turned red as an unfamiliar sense of suffocation surged through her.

Smack!

The priceless magic book was thrown onto the carpet like trash.

"I warned you not to do anything unnecessary," Scáthach said coldly.

With a slight wave of her hand, a blood-red magic spear appeared in her grip.

Scáthach pointed the spear's tip at Freya's heaving chest and slowly, yet steadily, pushed it forward.

"Wait, wait!"

"Begging for mercy?"

The iron-blooded queen of the Land of Shadows showed a rare, mocking smile.

"I'm just unwilling! We have the same goal, to help that child grow quickly, so why exclude me?"

Scáthach's expression turned slightly contemptuous, clearly implying, "Because we have the strength. What do you have? That piece of flesh between your legs?"

"But I have resources. You should know that some things can't be achieved by strength alone."

The spear's tip halted against Freya's chest.

"You don't seem afraid of death?"

Seeing the stubbornness and determination in Freya's eyes, Scáthach couldn't help but ask.

"Afraid! Of course, I'm afraid! But if I can't get what I want, I might as well be dead!"

Freya's madness moved even the iron-blooded queen of the Land of Shadows.

After a moment's contemplation, Scáthach slowly placed Freya back in her seat.

"I'm starting to like you a bit." Scáthach's lips curled slightly as if she were smiling.

"Cough, cough! Well, that is an honor," Freya said with a bitter smile.

"Stop meddling in his growth. Just keep arranging suitable opponents for him."

As Scáthach said this, she made a few gestures in the air.

Boom!

A portal the size of a round plate opened in the void, exuding an aura of curses and death.

"You should know, sometimes death is not the end but the beginning of suffering..."

Feeling the curses and resentment of countless dead gods emanating from the portal, Freya's face turned pale.

Snap!

With a snap of her fingers, Scáthach made the terrifying portal disappear.

Without another word, she vanished as quietly as she had come.

As soon as Scáthach disappeared, Ottar immediately noticed the candlestick lost its power. Despite his injuries, he pulled it out and knelt on one knee by Freya's throne.

"I've been acknowledged..."

Freya murmured to herself. Only then did she realize her clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

Seeing Ottar standing silently beside her, his face full of guilt, Freya sighed and gently stroked his chin with her slender hand.

"Stand up, Ottar. You must understand, there exist opponents in this world that even gods cannot defeat."

...

Ryou naturally had no idea that the iron-blooded queen had gone to severely threaten the infatuated goddess for his sake.

Ding!

[ You have mastered Primordial Rune E-Level. ]

Ryou slept soundly through the night, and when he awoke, the system dutifully delivered a message.

Ryou's mood brightened immediately. That sleep was worth it.

After checking the detailed information, he began to ponder.

The system was clear: although he had mastered the Primordial Rune, the extent of its power depended on his exploration.

Simply put, his proficiency was not yet sufficient.

Since the Primordial Rune was one of the original world scripts, its maximum power could only be unleashed when combined.

A single Primordial Rune was only marginally stronger than a modern rune, but combining two would double the power. Each additional character would double the power again, and naturally, the complexity and mana consumption would also double.

Moreover, the effects he could achieve depended entirely on his experimentation and combinations.

Primordial Rune was a highly flexible and versatile magic system. Indeed, to Ryou, it was a system.

It felt like learning a new skill in a game; naturally, he wanted to test its power.

Ryou quickly got up and headed to the base of the Tower of Babel.

From a distance, he saw Lily already waiting there with a large backpack.

"Gudao-sama seems particularly happy today."

Perhaps Ryou's mood was too obvious, even Lily noticed.

"Do I?"

Ryou smiled and, almost involuntarily, reached out to pat Lily's little head, making her pout playfully.

"By the way, Gudao-sama, these are the valis from yesterday's magic stone exchange, a total of eighty thousand valis."

Lily's eyes flickered slightly as she pulled out two equally sized pouches from her bosom.

"Is that so? You've worked hard. You can keep half of it."

Ryou's expression didn't change. He directly took one of the pouches filled with gold coins and put it into his bosom.

Seeing Ryou's lack of suspicion, Lily secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't notice the fleeting coldness in Ryou's eyes. Her little tricks might fool someone as naive as Bell.

Ryou didn't care about the gold coins but found them useful for testing character.

"Let's go," Ryou said, leading Lily toward the dungeon without making a scene.

They went straight down to the seventh floor. Facing the man-eating ant that had just emerged from the wall, Ryou didn't approach as usual.

To Lily's astonishment, Ryou raised his hand and drew a symbol resembling an uppercase 'F' in the air.

A blue magical glow flickered in the air like a malfunctioning light bulb, struggling briefly before dissipating.

"Tch~ Failed, huh."

It was expected; even with Scathach's Wisdom of Dún Scáith skills, this was his first practical application. Success on the first try would be a miracle, not a cheat.

"Gudao-sama!"

Seeing the man-eating ant charging towards them with its six long legs, and Ryou seemingly drawing in the air like a madman, Lily shouted nervously.

"Don't rush!"

Ryou continued drawing symbols, ignoring her.

After failing four or five times in a row, he still hadn't succeeded, and the ant was now right in front of him.

Ryou's eyebrows twitched with impatience. He kicked the ant ten meters away and resumed his previous actions.

Thus, a comical scene unfolded before Lily.

The adventurer-sama she resented so much didn't draw his weapon to kill the monster; instead, he kept drawing symbols in the air as if drawing circles could kill the creature. When the monster got close, he kicked it back and repeated the process.

=====

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