As someone who had once been a hardcore multi-account Guild Leader who never missed a single login streak, Aether (Renjiro) had long been trained in the art of no-lifting.
For him, if something piqued his interest, he could keep at it endlessly, even when it was a repetitive, mechanical grind that would bore most people.
Now, Dungeon Exploration was exactly the kind of thing he loved most.
To a modern man like him, it was practically the same as playing a VRMMORPG.
Both the novelty and the thrill were top-tier enjoyment.
"Men remain boys until death."
Aether knew well that being an adventurer was a high-risk occupation.
But precisely because of that danger, this new life was something he had never imagined, or touched, back in his old world.
And with the aid of the Genshin System, plus the stamina-ignoring state of Starfire's Flowing Light, he could fight day and night without rest.
For him, hunting monsters for days on end had become as natural as eating or drinking.
During this time…
"Tell me, where exactly did you find such terrifying rookie monsters?"
On the first night of Aether's second foray into the Dungeon, the two most powerful deities in Orario secretly met.
In truth, although the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia were rivals on the surface, Loki, Freya, and Hephaestus, the goddess of Orario's top smithing Familia, had long been close friends.
They'd once led their Familias to fight side by side.
How close were they?
Loki, the flat-chested Kansai-accented trickster, casually called Freya a "slutty goddess."
She nicknamed Hephaestus "Fei-Fei-tan," even sometimes acting cutesy around her.
As for Freya, though her Familia practically allowed her to run wild in Orario, she once snuck out alone to play, accidentally caused a huge mess, and tried to bluff her way through it… only for Loki to flick her forehead in public.
Even then, Otta and the others who witnessed it didn't complain.
Hephaestus, the gentle-hearted one, was considered harmless by both.
And since her smithing Familia was the backbone of Orario's logistics, both top factions kept close ties with her out of necessity.
Especially the Loki Familia, despite their grand Twilight Manor, their large numbers, and even seven Level 6+ adventurers, they often fell into financial deficits from their frequent Dungeon expeditions.
In such times, both Freya and Hephaestus would secretly send financial aid to keep them going deeper.
Tonight, however,
"Fought for seven days and seven nights without rest, triggering continuous Monster Feasts, and leveled up to Lv.2 from that single feat?"
In a luxurious tavern suite in the 5th District, close to the Freya Familia's base, Folkvangr, Loki squinted at the silver-haired beauty cloaked in a wide hood, asking curiously:
"Are you sure this is something a normal human could do?"
"If I'm not mistaken, even Silence and the ancient heroes of old didn't start out this terrifying, did they?"
That night, the Guild finally chose to compromise.
Because Allen from the Chariot of the Goddess delegation had been too firm, refusing to concede, the Guild decided: If we can't prevent future disasters, better to control the announcement ourselves.
So, they publicly revealed the details of how "Aether and Lumine" reached Lv.2.
This way, the Guild could at least stress the dangerous nature of this feat.
If people still tried to follow suit, well, the Guild could only wash its hands of responsibility.
Judging by Loki's reaction, though, any adventurer with a working brain wouldn't dare try.
At this moment,
"They're human, yes."
"But… mm, let's just say they're exceptionally talented."
Freya's lips curved in a pleased smile, like a proud mother speaking of her children.
"Just a few days ago, I personally gave them my blessing on top of Babel Tower. So yes, this one-week record is absolutely real."
"...Tsk. Times like these, I really envy your eyes."
Loki clicked her tongue.
Freya's divine beauty allowed her to see straight into the very essence of a mortal's soul, even without divine power.
Merely standing still, her gaze alone carried a passive charm.
With a thought, that charm skyrocketed.
If unleashed recklessly, she could enthrall the entire Lower World.
That was why she wore the hood, not just to hide her identity, but to suppress that permanent passive skill.
The last time she skipped that precaution, she almost caused a riot on the streets, and got a forehead flick from Loki for it.
Back to the present,
"At this rate, your Familia may soon gain two more Silence-class adventurers."
For once, Loki's always-squinting eyes opened slightly, revealing cunning red pupils.
"You think they might even have what it takes to slay the One-Eyed Black Dragon?"
"…They should."
Freya didn't mention that her encounter with Aether had been pure coincidence, bordering on farcical.
No need to reveal secrets unnecessarily.
As for Loki's question,
"In my view, based on their performance so far, they hold greater potential than any adventurer alive."
Her praise was sincere.
After all, who could see the BUG-like powers of Paimon Time, Genshin Descent, and Starfire's Flowing Light without thinking the same?
Loki's interest deepened, her smile sly.
"Oh? Greater than any adventurer?"
With a childish huff, she crossed her arms, her Kansai accent thick as she muttered:
"Some things you can only prove by competing. I don't believe your rookies will surpass my Ais-tan. Especially when it comes to slaying the One-Eyed Black Dragon."
"Is that so?"
Normally, Freya would've just laughed such words off.
She suspected Loki's confidence came from insider knowledge about The Sword Princess.
But she didn't care.
Some things simply weren't worth arguing over.
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Note: Hephaestus nickname "Fei-Fei-tan" comes from "phae" turns to "Fei" and "-tan" is a childish form of "-chan,".
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