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"This must be the legend of a hero straight out of mythology."
The dark-skinned sisters, their curvaceous figures practically sizzling, gazed with eyes that shimmered like water in the light. Witnessing this spectacle, they nearly forgot to breathe.
A roaring inferno surged forth, engulfing the entire forest in its fiery grasp. Every monster on the 24th floor was incinerated, reduced to nothing but ashes. Black smoke billowed upward, resembling volcanic ash spewed from an eruption, blanketing the sky and blotting out the sun.
Against this apocalyptic backdrop stood a boy, radiating an aura akin to a demon king reigning supreme over the world. Even Ais Wallenstein, the famed Sword Princess, couldn't help but question herself as she beheld the world-ending flames. 'Could I escape alive from something like this?' she wondered.
The air was pierced by the anguished wails of the labyrinth's monsters. As the final flicker of flame died out, every last monster dissolved into wisps of black smoke, vanishing from the world. Dark motes of light danced across the white expanse of the dungeon floor.
Amid the swirling clouds of smoke and dust, the boy stood like a divine being from ancient legends, his presence otherworldly. In that instant, Yuto felt it. He had ascended to Level 3.
"Such incredible power. So the tales in those ancient texts were true all along," Tiona Hiryute murmured, her body trembling as the words slipped out unconsciously.
"The hero of legend, he's here!" Lefiya Viridis's eyes sparkled, unable to tear her gaze away from Yuto's tall, slender silhouette.
"A hero forged in battle, triumphing over monsters, undefeated through a hundred clashes..."
Ais's mind drifted back to her childhood, to the gentle voice of her mother reciting tales of ancient heroes. For a fleeting moment, the girls' emotions grew tangled and complex.
Yuto, the center of everyone's attention, couldn't help but notice the shift in the way these girls looked at him. But right now, he was far more curious about what new abilities he'd gained from this battle after reaching Level 3.
As the group emerged from the dungeon, a faint yellow sunset painted the horizon. After exchanging farewells with the girls who'd accompanied him, Yuto strode through the fading glow of dusk, making his way back to Hephaestus's weapon shop.
…..
"This little punk, does he think this place is his own house?!"
Hephaestus watched, her ears flushed with embarrassment, as Yuto strolled into the back room without so much as a greeting, as if he owned the place. Stomping her foot in a mix of shame and frustration, she muttered, "Unbelievable. Meeting you two has got to be the worst luck I've ever had!!"
While the forging goddess fumed outside, inside, Hestia stripped Yuto of his shirt, beginning to inspect his stats.
…
Yuto Arari
Level: 3
Strength: SSS (2000) → I (0)
Endurance: SSS (2000) → I (0)
Dexterity: SSS (2000) → I (0)
Agility: SSS (2000) → I (0)
Magic: SSS (2000) → I (0)
Magic:
[Divine Step][Empty][Empty]
Skills:
[Omniscient][Baptism Chant][Magic Release][Primordial Runes of the Age of Gods][Robust][Dragon Slayer]
…
…
Hestia handed him a fresh parchment, its surface gleaming with updated details. The two leaned in close, heads nearly touching, as they examined his new ability chart post-level-up.
Upon reaching Level 3, all his basic ability proficiencies had reset to zero. No longer shrouded in mystery, his stats now shone with peak values, a testament to his newfound power.
"Leveling up is the sublimation of strength. After this upgrade, your power's increase might be subtle, almost negligible, but it's there, just a little," Hestia remarked with a serious tone.
Gather experience to the limit, then break through to the next level.
This endless cycle was the ladder every adventurer in this world climbed. The higher an adventurer's level rose, the closer they drew to the gods perched atop their divine thrones. Yet, such claims lacked concrete proof. The gods themselves had never confirmed it. After all, the only being in this world to reach Level 9, an elf, had taken an unfathomable span of years to do so. Humans, not being a long-lived race, could hardly witness such miracles within their fleeting lifetimes.
"Nice work! This level-up has netted you a ton of new abilities," Hestia said, her slender fingers brushing lightly over Yuto's toned back, his breath growing slightly heavier at her touch.
Currently, the most promising adventurer in all of Orario was Finn Deimne, the prum captain of the Loki Familia. At Level 6, Finn boasted five skills and three magic spells. Yet Yuto, freshly ascended to Level 3, already matched Finn's power configuration. And that didn't even account for the terrifying strength he already wielded. Just these handful of newly awakened skills and magic alone made Hestia believe her familia member had thoroughly outclassed that little prum.
…[Divine Step] The trails of the gods span the world.
Across the continent of Orario, any path you've tread can be reached in an instant with a single thought.
(Note: This ability consumes magic power; the farther the distance, the greater the cost.)
[Skill: Omniscient] A special memory-based magic.
Records any spell cast by another, allowing you to replicate it by recalling the memory.
Strength depends on your own "Magic" stat. Effective only for spells you've witnessed.
…
This was the only "magic" Yuto currently commanded. Its description alone marked it as absurdly versatile and borderline broken.
"My goodness!!!"
Hestia's shock deepened the more she read, her eyes flicking up to meet his. "With this skill's effect, you could unleash every spell locked in your memory, effectively wielding all magic!"
Mentioning this nigh-omnipotent ability, Hestia, pressed against Yuto's chest, gazed at him with an increasingly peculiar expression, as though she were staring at a "monster."
It was common knowledge that adventurers, throughout history, could awaken a maximum of three magic slots. Of course, having only three slots didn't mean they were limited to just three spells. Some, with unique magic, could twist theirs into multiple forms. Take the Loki Familia, for instance. Riveria Ljos Alf, the Nine Hell, stood out as a prime example.
This era's greatest mage excelled at morphing her magic power through multiple stages. The effects varied wildly depending on the length of her incantations. She could wield a single spell as if it were three, and those three could shift into nine distinct variations, practically like mastering nine spells at once. That was already impressive. Riveria had leveraged this talent to claim the title of Orario's strongest mage.
Yuto, though, had awakened just one "magic" so far, yet its potential outstripped even that.
Finally, this skill called "Divine Step" is even more abnormal, allowing instant appearance with just a thought. It's like the "Flying Thunder God" technique in Naruto. Even with Hestia's vision as a god, she has never seen such a bug-level ability like cheating.
After the shock subsided, the goddess with the blue ribbon lay in Yuto's arms and asked, "After leveling up, there is also the choice of development abilities. Now you have three ability options, which one do you want to choose?"
In the world of adventurers, "Development Abilities" are special talents unlocked when one levels up—numerical boosts granted by the gods that amplify an adventurer's core skills. What you gain depends on how you spend your time: blacksmiths often earn Forging, enhancing their craftsmanship, while those who excel in magic might learn Magic Guidance, sharpening their spellcasting. Fighters who slay hordes of monsters under pressure can acquire Hunter, a coveted bonus that boosts combat prowess. And sometimes, an adventurer wakes up with Luck, a blessing that twists fate in their favor.
Yuto, through his recent exploits, has unlocked three such abilities: Magic Guidance, Hunter, and Luck. Hestia, astonished, exclaims that Luck is so rare it might itself be regarded as a divine boon, a power that could change his destiny.
"Then I'll choose this one." Yuto decisively chose to acquire the [Luck] ability. For him, good luck is more important than anything. Although magic abilities like [Omniscient and Omnipotent] have some uses, they are obviously not as good as improving his own luck.
In the Fate world, there is also the concept of "strong luck." The famous Cu Chulainn has a luck of E, which makes him very prone to bad luck and defeat in battles. While King Arthur Artoria is different, her luck value is very high, forming a stark contrast with the unlucky Cu Chulainn. Sometimes, luck is more important than strength. Yuto never thinks that good luck will always favor him. So, whenever there is a way to improve his own luck, he will choose to master it without hesitation.
Hestia nodded and helped him complete this upgrade. "Yuto, are you really not a god who came to the mortal world?" Wave after wave of shocking facts made the blue ribbon goddess begin to doubt life. She poked her little head out of the young man's arms, touching his face, carefully examining him.
Seeing the girl's eyes that seemed afraid of losing him, Yuto couldn't help but reach out and touch her little head. The strength he showed was too overwhelming. It has exceeded the limits of all adventurers in this world.
Hestia was very worried that such a talented genius would be snatched away by those ambitious gods. After all, she is a lonely person with nothing, while those peers are all rich, having various forces and privileges in this world.
"Don't worry, I won't leave you. In this world, you are my only goddess." Yuto smiled as if seeing the worry hidden in her eyes.
"Hehe." Looking at her dependent's serious face, Hestia's round little face couldn't help but show a happy silly smile.
All along, her luck has not been very good. After coming to the mortal world from heaven, "useless goddess" became her nickname, causing many adventurers to avoid her when they saw her. Even many gods looked down on her.
But now, not only did she meet a treasure-like dependent like Yuto, she also has someone to rely on. "Meeting you is really great, Yuto!" Hestia rolled around in his arms like a hamster, completely unaware of how attractive her gourd-shaped plump figure was to the young man.
Yuto touched the girl's little head, watching her squint her eyes in satisfaction. "Meeting Hestia is also my luck."
"Really? A useless god like me?" Feeling Yuto's warm hand, her heart also stirred with emotion. Her blushing face lifted, her watery beautiful eyes shyly looking at him.
Yuto, determined to prove his devotion, sweeps the bashful goddess Hestia into his arms. Though she's one of the divine trio, Hestia's heart races as Yuto boldly claims her as his "only goddess," gently cradling her slender waist beneath the soft glow of moonlight.
As she nestles against him, her worries about leading the familia surface vanished. In that quiet, intimate moment, Hestia finds the security and love she's longed for, and together they reaffirm their bond beneath the night sky.
…..
The next morning. Hephaestus, who had been listening at the door all night, rubbed her sleepy eyes and was about to sneak away. But she saw the extremely intimate couple walking out of the room. "You two… Big sister is really going to be angry!!"
The goddess of forging, who was about to lose her temper, saw Yuto handing over a forging material she had never seen before, and couldn't help but show a surprised look. "What is this?"
"Magic guidance material," Yuto replied. This is a god-era magic material from the Fate world, given to him by the female Hero King, which has a strong magic guidance effect for forging weapons.
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