(A/N: Currently I am giving huge Christmas Discounts for my Patreon! Join my discord with the code given at the end of this chapter and just go to announcement channel there to see the code and claim the discount! Respected Member is 50% off!)
Alternative Title: Goddess of the Dawn.
...
{Ember POV}
Yesterday's incident turned out to be an absolute shock for everyone, including me.
I had just been wandering casually through the forest when a deep, beastly roar suddenly echoed across the area.
My instincts immediately flared up, and I sprinted toward the source of the sound.
From the experience I've gathered over the years, I could tell that the creature was most likely an Orc — that kind of roar usually meant it had found some prey.
My only concern at that moment was to make sure that the prey wasn't a human.
Unfortunately, when I reached the spot, I realized that it indeed was.
The victims turned out to be Maria and Jason; one of them was severely injured, while the other was desperately running for their life with the monster right on their tail.
Without wasting a single second, I climbed up a nearby tree to get a better vantage point, and from there, I immediately launched an assault on the Orc.
Thanks to my flexible and agile body, combined with my sharp reflexes and well-honed swordsmanship, I managed to slay the creature after a tense and risky fight.
I would have preferred to use magic instead of engaging it directly, but finishing that long, drawn-out chant in time to save Maria would have been nearly impossible — it could have easily cost her life.
Because of that, I had no choice but to engage in close combat.
Thankfully, it was only a single Orc and not a whole group of them.
If I hadn't had prior experience fighting in close quarters, the situation could have gone very differently, possibly ending with me in a serious bind.
After dealing with the monster, I helped carry the unconscious Jason back to the village, and the rest, as they say, is history.
I'll admit, I did feel slightly conflicted when I decided to hand over one of my High-Potions to save Jason.
Technically speaking, he and I were still nothing more than acquaintances — we just happened to know of each other.
To him, I was merely a wandering traveler who would soon be leaving the village behind.
I wasn't exactly some selfless hero with a heart of gold, but neither was I a cold-blooded bastard who'd ignore someone dying in front of me.
I had eight High-Potions in total, along with two Elixirs that I had reserved strictly for emergencies.
So, even though I hesitated for a brief moment, it didn't take long for me to make my decision.
In the end, saving the poor guard's life seemed like the right thing to do — and it also earned me the gratitude of everyone around.
During that time, I also took the chance to observe and analyze Goddess Aurora.
From what I gathered, she seemed to be one of the benevolent deities, similar in nature to Njord — unless, of course, this world follows an entirely alternate timeline.
I had been observing her closely for several days, watching her actions, her behavior, and how she interacted with others.
After spending enough time doing that, I finally came to a solid conclusion about her character.
With that in mind, I made a clear decision — I was going to join her familia.
To be completely honest, as tempting and lucrative as it sounded to join one of the already well-established familias, only the Zeus and Hera familias were truly worth the effort and reputation at the moment.
However, joining them also came with enormous risks that could easily outweigh the potential benefits.
I had no intention of throwing myself into unnecessary danger when I could take a safer and more calculated path.
After all, as the saying goes, "slow and steady wins the race," especially when you have enough time on your side to build strength and influence gradually.
And that brings me to the present moment — standing right in front of the house where the Goddess herself lived.
Amusingly, despite being a divine figure, she lived all by herself.
Her residence was fairly large and quite elegant, but even then, it still fell short compared to the house of the Village Chief.
As for the reason why she didn't simply live with the Village Chief, I could only make a guess.
Perhaps she didn't want to interfere with the Chief's family life or disturb their relationship in any way. Of course, that was just my own assumption — nothing more than speculation.
I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and knocked on the door.
For a moment, I waited silently, and after a short while, the door finally opened.
"Ah, Sir Ber, you're quite early today. It's barely 4:00 A.M.," she said, letting out a small yawn, clearly still half-asleep.
"I apologize for the early visit, Goddess Aurora," I replied respectfully.
"But I have something important I need to discuss with you."
I won't lie — despite all my preparation, I was still a bit nervous at that point.
A few doubts were swirling in my mind, questions like, 'What if my decision turns out to be wrong?' or 'What if she isn't the kind and benevolent Goddess she appears to be?'
Honestly speaking, though, those thoughts were nothing but my paranoia acting up.
I had already made up my mind, and backing out now would only show hesitation.
"Well, come in," she said casually, stepping aside to let me enter.
[Aurora's Image]
I walked into the house, quietly closing the door behind me.
She led me toward the guest room, where we both took a seat on a comfortable sofa.
Before I could even begin to speak, she smiled warmly and said, "Sir Ber, you can just call me Aurora. There's really no need to use the 'Goddess' title every time — it sounds so long and formal. And, well… thank you for yesterday."
As she said that, she actually bowed slightly before me, which caught me off guard.
"You don't need to thank me," I said quickly.
"You and the others already paid for the High-Potion."
She looked up at me with a soft yet sincere expression and replied, "It isn't about the money, Sir Ber. You saved Jason's life… and I can't thank you enough for that. I've known his parents since they were children — I practically watched them grow up. I've watched Jason grow up too, since he was just a kid. Seeing someone I've known for so long, someone I used to play with, lying there dying right before my eyes while I was powerless to save him… it was one of the worst feelings I've experienced. It truly wasn't a good experience — and it never will be."
"I see…" I began, pausing for a brief moment to collect my thoughts before continuing, "First of all, how should I say this? My name isn't actually Ber. Although, to be honest, I'm sure you must have already figured that out by now."
I looked straight into her eyes as I spoke, deciding that there was no point in hiding the truth any longer.
Aurora chuckled softly, her lips curling into an amused smile.
"Indeed," she said with a teasing tone, "children can't lie in front of Gods — that's one of those old, cliché truths that always end up being correct. But tell me, what's your reason for coming clean now? Just so you know, Ber — or should I say, whatever your real name is — it doesn't really matter to me. I've lived long enough to tell when a person is good or bad at heart. And even if you lied about your name and even went as far as secretly following me around, I knew from the start that you weren't a bad person."
The moment she mentioned me stalking her, I winced internally.
Yeah… that stung a little.
I had honestly thought I'd done a decent job keeping my observations discreet, but apparently, I had overestimated myself.
I guess I really did fall short when compared to a Goddess who's been alive for centuries and has probably seen every trick in the book.
I let out a quiet sigh and met her gaze again.
"My real name," I said firmly, "is Ember Ljos Alf. And yes — I belong to royalty. Not too long ago, I left the Alf Forest and have been wandering ever since, looking for a familia that I could join."
Her eyes widened slightly, clearly intrigued by my admission.
"Oh! So that's the reason you were observing me so carefully?" she said, her tone quickly shifting from surprise to playful teasing.
"Ara, ara~ and here I was thinking that you had fallen in love with this voluptuous and irresistible body of mine."
She puffed out her chest dramatically as she spoke, causing her… well, assets to jiggle in a way that was clearly meant to provoke a reaction.
The old me — the naïve version of myself from a few years ago — probably would've turned red as a tomato, gulped down hard, and looked away awkwardly.
But those days were long gone.
Growing up surrounded by High Elf beauties whose charm could put most mortals to shame had completely desensitized me to such things.
My sense of beauty had been practically destroyed by overexposure, so I simply stared back at her with an unamused, deadpan expression.
Aurora noticed my lack of reaction almost immediately.
Her confident smile faltered, and she let out a small, embarrassed cough before quickly straightening her posture.
"Ahem, anyway…" she said, regaining her composure, "Your Highness Ember, let's get back to the actual matter. Are you truly serious about wanting to join my familia?"
Her tone became more formal, though there was still a trace of warmth in her voice.
"I'll be honest with you," she continued, "while I would be more than happy to grant you my falna, and I'd probably feel quite honored to have a High Elf of royal blood as one of my children, I must warn you that I don't have much to offer beyond that. Apart from the falna itself, the best I can provide you with is a roof over your head, some decent clothing to wear, and enough food to keep you fed. That's about it. I don't possess the resources or the influence that the larger familias have — I think it will be never."
She then looked at me with a serious and calm expression, her crimson eyes showing no trace of mockery or arrogance.
"Honestly, Your Highness," she began, her tone completely sincere, "you won't accomplish much by joining my familia. Someone of your background and potential deserves far better opportunities than what I can currently provide."
She wasn't putting herself down or trying to sound humble for effect — she was simply stating the truth as she saw it, plain and direct.
I couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her honesty and said, "I wasn't looking to join some grand, extravagant familia in the first place. If that were my goal, I would've already made my way to Orario and tried my luck with the Zeus or Hera Familia instead."
I leaned back slightly, letting my words settle in, before continuing with a more genuine tone.
"What I really wanted… was to find a God who would actually care about me — someone who would truly cherish their children and not treat them as mere pawns in their endless divine games. That's all I ever wished for."
As I said that, I looked at her directly, meeting her gaze with complete sincerity.
My words must have caught her off guard because, to my surprise, she blushed faintly and quickly looked away, avoiding my eyes.
"Your Highness," she said softly, a teasing lilt creeping back into her voice, "you're pretty handsome… and even a little cute on top of that. If you keep staring at me so intensely like that, I might not be able to hold myself back."
Her tone was playful, but I could tell she was trying to deflect the seriousness of the moment.
My eyebrow twitched slightly at her nonsense, though I didn't bother commenting on it.
I had already gotten used to her unpredictable personality by now.
"Anyway," I said, exhaling through my nose and crossing my arms, "Goddess Aurora, you really don't need to call me 'Your Highness' or anything formal like that. It feels unnecessary, especially since we're alone here. You can just call me Ber or Ember — whichever you prefer. And, if you don't mind, please give me your answer."
Aurora blinked at me once, then smiled — not her teasing kind of smile this time, but a genuine one that carried a strange sense of warmth.
"Ember," she said softly, "it's been exactly three hundred and fifty-two years since I descended to the Lower World. In the beginning, I lived in a city that was governed by one of my closest friends and her familia."
"It was purely by chance that I ended up coming across this village," she began, her voice calm but tinged with nostalgia.
"Unlike how it is now, back then the place was in a truly miserable state. The land was barren, the people were starving, and the atmosphere was heavy with despair. The villagers were extremely poor, living each day in harsh conditions with barely enough food or resources to survive. Their faces were filled with hopelessness, and their children didn't even know what it meant to dream of something better."
She paused briefly, her expression softening as if recalling the faces of those villagers from long ago.
"I couldn't just turn my back on their suffering," she continued.
"So I decided to stay here, to make this small village my home and dedicate my efforts to improving the quality of life for the people who lived here. It wasn't an easy task — the process was slow and exhausting, but over time, things began to change. After nearly two decades of effort, the villagers became literate, self-sufficient, and far better off than before. By then, however, I had grown deeply attached to this place. It was no longer just a settlement to me — it had become something close to my heart."
She let out a long sigh and gave a faint, bittersweet smile.
"I began to fear what might happen if I ever left," she admitted quietly.
"What if, after a few years, everything went back to how it was before? What if my departure caused the village to crumble again into poverty and despair? That fear kept me bound here. Even though my friends from the divine realm often insisted that I should return or at least move on, I simply couldn't. So, I chose to stay — year after year, generation after generation. I watched new villagers being born, growing up, living their lives, and eventually passing away. Time moved on, but I remained. And you know what? Despite all that, I don't regret a single moment. Because the truth is… I'm genuinely happy that I stumbled upon this village that day. For the first time in my existence, I've found real happiness here."
As she said that, Aurora stood up from her seat, her demeanor shifting entirely.
The playful and teasing Goddess I'd come to know moments earlier was gone — replaced by someone composed, resolute, and completely sincere. "Ember," she said, her tone serious and steady, "I can't grant you a lofty title or any kind of noble status. I can't provide you with powerful weapons, rare potions, or luxurious meals. I joke around a lot, often saying things that sound like nonsense to others. My… let's say, otaku side tends to show itself at the worst times. But despite all that, I promise you this — if you choose to have me as your Goddess, I will never betray the trust that you place in me."
Her words carried a weight that couldn't be dismissed easily.
They were spoken without hesitation, filled with genuine conviction.
Still, as I listened, small, intrusive voices began to echo in my mind — 'Don't trust her, she might be lying,' and 'She could betray you someday for the sake of this village.'
The thoughts were unpleasant, cynical, and honestly irritating.
It wasn't even funny how easily my mind jumped to suspicion.
But I decided to ignore them.
Instead, I let out a calm breath, smiled faintly, and reached out toward her. Gently, I took her hand in mine and lowered my head slightly, pressing a polite kiss on the back of her hand.
"Nice to meet you… my Goddess," I said softly, my tone filled with quiet determination.
Aurora blinked once, then let out a soft giggle.
Without warning, she suddenly pulled me into a hug, catching me completely off guard.
"Nice to meet you… my child," she said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
The joy and warmth in her tone were so real, so heartfelt, that for a moment it almost felt unreal — as if the entire world had gone still, leaving only the two of us standing there, bound by a new, unspoken connection.
Soon after that, I found myself lying face down on her bed, completely naked, with my back exposed to her.
The atmosphere in the room was quiet and strangely solemn, a sharp contrast to her usual lighthearted attitude.
I could feel her gentle yet deliberate movements as she pricked her finger, a small drop of divine blood forming at the tip.
Without hesitation, she let that drop fall onto my back.
The moment her blood made contact with my skin, I felt an indescribable sensation — as if invisible shackles deep within me were being shattered one after another.
It wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming, like something ancient and dormant inside me had suddenly awakened.
The process was quick, yet strangely profound.
And just like that, it was done — I had received my falna.
From the corner of my eyes, I could faintly see a glowing, holographic figure appear above me, displaying my newly awakened status.
Aurora quickly closed the display before I could read too much of it and copied everything down neatly onto a piece of paper, which she then handed over to me.
"You're really talented," she said, her tone filled with genuine surprise and excitement.
"You already have one skill and one magic right from the start!"
I took the paper from her hands and looked over it carefully.
My eyes scanned through the familiar format of the status sheet:
[Level 1]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
Skills:
Decipher — Allows the user to logically interpret, analyze, and deduce the truth, theorems, and underlying mechanisms of the world through reasoning, observation, and calculated prediction.
Magic:
Cremation (Chant):
"O' Flames of Legends! Burn brighter than thy enemy! Turn them into cinders! Let their ashes wash in your blue flames! Cremation!"
N/A
N/A
It was a pretty simple and straightforward status sheet, nothing overly complicated.
Contrary to what many people outside assumed, a falna record didn't actually display the name or race of the person.
It only contained their level, basic parameters, any development abilities (if they existed), personal skills, and magic slots.
The familia to which a person belonged was represented through an emblem — a small tattoo-like mark that appeared on the side of the body, symbolizing one's bond with their deity.
Looking at my new status, I couldn't help but smile a little.
Having both a skill and a magic from the very beginning was already a strong starting point, especially considering how rare that kind of thing was.
Most adventurers started with absolutely nothing — so this alone was a major advantage.
"Well then, Ember," Aurora said, drawing my attention away from the paper.
"Now that you've officially received your falna, let me explain how it all works and what you need to know about it."
I turned my head slightly to look at her and nodded, ready to listen closely.
She smiled in response, then stood in front of me with a confident and almost teacher-like posture.
"Firstly," she began, "you need to understand what the falna actually does. It doesn't grant power out of nowhere, nor does it directly amplify your innate abilities. What it truly does is break the natural limitations — the inherent shackles — that exist within every mortal being. In other words, falna doesn't expand your talent; it simply frees you from the restrictions that prevent you from reaching your full potential."
Her tone was serious but clear, and I could tell from her expression that this was something she had explained countless times before — yet, for some reason, she seemed particularly earnest when saying it to me.
"Now then," Aurora began, shifting into a more instructive tone, "you currently have five fundamental parameters that define your overall capabilities — Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic. Each of these attributes functions exactly as their names imply. To increase these parameters, you must accumulate something known as excelia — the experience and essence you gain from your actions and achievements. There are multiple methods to gather excelia, though some are far more effective than others. Physical training is one option, of course — consistent workouts, endurance drills, and practice will help you improve slowly. However, the most efficient way to accumulate excelia is through real combat — by battling opponents, facing challenges, and defeating monsters."
She spoke clearly and patiently, making sure that I understood every word.
"The rate of growth in your parameters," she continued, "depends heavily on your own innate abilities and racial characteristics. To put it simply — let's compare a normal human and a beastman, both at the same Level 1 and both possessing Strength: A800. Even though the numbers are identical, the beastman will still be far stronger than the human. That's because his natural physicality, muscle density, and inherent senses already surpass what humans are born with. The falna only measures the limit within each person's species and potential — not an equal comparison between races."
I nodded slowly as she explained, understanding her logic perfectly.
She was right — even if the numerical values matched, the biological foundation varied greatly from one race to another.
Aurora suddenly leaned forward, her face lighting up with visible excitement as she grinned at me.
"Which means," she said, almost bouncing with enthusiasm, "you'll already be much stronger than most people at the same level! Think about it — your body is already at the peak of what an Elf can achieve naturally. On top of that, you're a High Elf, which gives you an even greater advantage in both physical and magical capacity. I'm sure you already have innate control over some form of congenital magic too. Combine all that, and it means that at the same level and parameter range, you'll be physically stronger than most humans — and even capable of surpassing many beastmen and amazons! I mean, you literally managed to kill an Orc without even having a falna — that alone proves how exceptional your foundation is!"
Her words made complete sense, and her enthusiasm was contagious.
I couldn't help but grin myself.
Hearing her praise filled me with a mix of pride and anticipation.
For someone like me, who had trained endlessly even before gaining a falna, this was more than just good news — it was a confirmation that my efforts hadn't been in vain.
Aurora coughed lightly, regaining her composure after realizing how excited she had gotten.
"Ahem, right — I may have gone a little off track there," she admitted with an embarrassed smile.
"Let's get back to the explanation."
She stood up straight again and resumed in a more formal tone.
"Your parameters are represented using both letters and numbers. The numbers range from 0 to 999, while the letters go from I to A, and finally S. They're arranged in ascending order of strength — meaning 'I' represents the lowest tier, while 'S' represents the highest. To give you an example, 0–99 falls under rank I, 100–199 is rank H, and this pattern continues upward until 900–999, which is rank S. That's the known upper limit of a falna container — at least, based on everything I've learned and observed over the centuries."
I nodded again as she spoke, fully attentive to every word.
This part, at least, I was already familiar with — but hearing it directly from a Goddess gave the information a different kind of weight and certainty.
Aurora's tone remained calm and confident, making it clear that she knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Then comes the matter of natural talent," Aurora continued, her voice carrying a more thoughtful tone as she folded her arms.
"In the earlier stages of growth, the amount of effort and hard work required to raise one's parameters is more or less the same for everyone. Whether someone is exceptionally gifted or just average, the results they get from their training are roughly equivalent during the initial levels. However, as they progress further and their parameters climb higher, that balance begins to shift. For some individuals, it becomes significantly harder to increase their status compared to others — even when both are putting in the same amount of effort. That's the major difference created by natural talent and inherent potential. This is precisely why not everyone manages to achieve an S-rank in their parameters before leveling up — even with constant training and experience."
She paused briefly to make sure I was following along, then continued without breaking her calm rhythm.
"Now, let's move on to the concept of Level Up," she said, her tone becoming more instructive again.
"A person's level starts at one — that's the base level everyone begins from. From there, it gradually increases through achievements and the accumulation of high-quality excelia. As for the upper limit of levels, well… that still remains unknown to this day. No one truly knows what the maximum level one can reach is, because no mortal — and no familia for that matter — has ever reached such a point. What we do know is that your basic parameters increase through ordinary excelia, while Level Ups require high-ranking excelia. This higher type of excelia is obtained only through performing feats that can genuinely impress the Gods — things that go far beyond what is expected of your current level, such as defeating opponents who are far stronger than you or accomplishing great, nearly impossible achievements."
She gestured lightly with her hand as she continued, emphasizing her next point.
"Each time someone ranks up — that is, when they level up — their parameters are reset back to I0. However, that doesn't mean all their progress disappears. Their previous parameters remain stored beneath the surface, layered within their falna. This stored excelia manifests as a permanent enhancement to their overall abilities. That's why every time an adventurer levels up, their physical and magical prowess increases exponentially, even though their visible stats return to zero. In essence, the process of leveling up allows one to continue improving even after hitting the so-called 'limit' of their parameters. It's a form of rebirth, in a way. Many adventurers choose to level up as soon as they hit the required threshold, while others — quite ironically — prefer to hold back and remain at their current level to push their limits even further before ranking up."
She took a small pause here, drawing in a quiet breath before continuing.
"Ember," she said seriously, locking eyes with me, "something very important that you must understand is that Gods have direct control over the excelia gained by their children — both the normal and the high-ranking kinds. This means that a God can choose to apply or restrain the excelia earned by their followers. In other words, if a God wishes to, they can completely stop their children's basic parameters from increasing or even prevent them from acquiring new development abilities. Of course, very few Gods actually go so far as to restrict their children's growth out of malice or pride. Usually, the reason for restraint is purely strategic — to temporarily hold back the accumulated excelia so it can later be released all at once, resulting in a tremendous increase in parameters later down the line."
Aurora's tone softened slightly as she went on.
"On the other hand," she said, "many Gods prefer to specifically restrain only the high-ranking excelia instead. This approach allows their children to continue building up their basic parameters before leveling up. It's a highly efficient strategy — one that was originally developed about a century ago by none other than the Zeus and Hera Familias. It allowed their members to achieve astonishing growth, pushing their parameters to the very limit before each level up, resulting in far more powerful adventurers overall."
She stopped for a moment, letting me digest everything she had just explained, before finally concluding with, "Now comes the topic of Development Abilities. These are special traits or enhancements that can only be acquired after a level up. They don't appear at Level 1 no matter how much you train or fight — they only manifest once your falna evolves alongside your soul during a rank up."
"Development Abilities," she began, swirling her finger lazily in the air as if tracing invisible patterns while she spoke, "are special abilities that a person acquires based on their experiences and the circumstances they go through in life. For instance, if someone has trained extensively with the sword, they might develop the Swordsman Development Ability. Similarly, if a person has repeatedly ingested or been exposed to poisons and gradually built a resistance to them, they could acquire the Abnormal Resistance ability. In short, these abilities are reflections of one's accumulated efforts, habits, and endurance."
She leaned slightly forward as she continued, her tone growing more explanatory.
"Development Abilities are categorized using the same alphabetical ranking system as other parameters — from I being the lowest to S being the highest. These abilities increase in rank through continuous practice and repetition of the actions that gave birth to them in the first place. For example, a swordsman can further refine his Swordsman ability by engaging in more battles with the sword, while a craftsman might improve their Smith ability through constant forging and creation. The more you practice, the stronger the Development Ability becomes. These abilities are extremely useful since they allow adventurers to enhance their skills, talents, and overall capabilities much faster than they ever could through purely natural growth or conventional training."
Aurora gave a small smile as she finished that explanation, then sat down beside me on the bed.
Her crimson eyes shifted toward the paper in my hand that displayed my status, and she pointed at the section that contained my skills.
"Now, let's move on to Skills," she said, tapping lightly on the spot where my skill was listed.
"Skills are somewhat similar to Development Abilities in the sense that they both influence your growth and performance, but they are entirely different in how they manifest. A Skill is something far more personal — it's something born from the individual's own innate nature, their strongest desire, or a particular talent that defines them. It's not something learned or trained into existence; it's something awakened."
She paused briefly, then elaborated further.
"In essence, a Skill can be considered a crystallization of one's will or identity. It can grant various effects depending on what kind of person the user is. Some Skills may increase one or more of your basic parameters — like Strength or Agility — temporarily during combat or even permanently if the Skill is passive in nature. Others might sharpen your intellect, enhance your perception, or even influence your surroundings. Skills are already at their maximum potential from the moment you gain them, but through practice and experience, one can learn to use them more efficiently and effectively."
She took a small breath and leaned back slightly before moving on.
"Now comes Magic," she said, her tone shifting to one of interest.
"Magic is, without a doubt, one of the most mysterious and defining parts of a person's Falna. The number and type of magic a person can wield are entirely dependent on their individual talent and affinity. Some people are simply born with no aptitude for magic at all — they might not even have a single magic slot in their status. On the other hand, the most gifted individuals are born with a maximum of three magic slots, which means they have the potential to acquire up to three different spells over the course of their growth. The longer and more complex a chant is, the stronger the resulting spell becomes, whereas short chants usually result in weaker but faster-casting magic. In your case, Ember, you're exceptionally talented — possessing three magic slots from the very beginning. That's the limit for a normal adventurer's body and soul, which already puts you at the top of the scale."
Her words made me glance down at my status again, but before I could say anything, a question popped into my mind.
"Is there any way to increase the number of magic slots?" I asked curiously.
Aurora smiled faintly, clearly pleased by the question.
"I was just about to get to that," she said, nodding.
"Under normal circumstances, no one can exceed three magic slots — that's the natural limit established by the system of Falna. However, there is one known way to bypass this restriction. By using a Magic Grimoire, a person can gain a new magic spell or, in extremely rare cases, even unlock an additional magic slot beyond the normal limit. Grimoires are special books imbued with the condensed knowledge and essence of magic, and when used correctly, they permanently integrate new spells into your soul. It's one of the few sure methods to gain new magic or expand your magical capacity — though, as far as I know, even among the Gods, not all the details behind their true workings are fully understood."
She then straightened her posture slightly and continued, her tone turning more serious.
"Lastly, there exists another, lesser-known method of combat — one that's often compared to magic but is fundamentally different. These are called Curses. Curses, much like magic, use either the Mind of the user or the Magic parameter as their power source, but unlike traditional spells, curses are primarily of a restraining or debilitating nature. They specialize in weakening the target rather than destroying them outright."
Aurora tapped her chin thoughtfully as she went on.
"Curses, like Development Abilities, don't appear on one's status unless they are actually acquired. They are learned or obtained in a similar way to magic — often through experience, emotional strain, or the influence of certain external conditions. However, while magic tends to manifest from one's affinity or imagination, curses are often born from negative emotions, suffering, or extreme willpower. Depending on their type, curses can affect the target's strength, endurance, agility, perception, or even their senses. Some can dull pain, others can slow movement or drain vitality. There are countless variations, and their effectiveness depends heavily on the user's mental strength and magical control."
She exhaled deeply, as if wrapping up a long lecture, and gave me a small smile.
"And that," she said, "is everything there is to know — at least from what I understand — about the Falna, its Status,Parameters,Development Abilities,Skills,Magic, and Curses. Each of these aspects intertwines with the others to shape the growth of an adventurer. Mastering their use and understanding how they connect will be your first step toward real power."
After finishing, she took a long, steady breath, her expression finally relaxing after the lengthy explanation.
I had already absorbed and processed every bit of information she had given me, carefully analyzing it within my mind while realizing just how vast and complex the entire Falna system truly was.
Honestly, the anime never did this system justice — not even close.
It only scratched the surface, presenting it as a simple mechanism for power progression, while in reality, it was a deeply structured, interconnected web of divine logic and mortal growth.
The level of detail and balance within it was incredible, something that clearly required divine-level design to function properly.
Thankfully, I had read a good portion of the original novel, so I had some foundation of understanding, though I had unfortunately stopped reading it midway.
As for the anime, I had only watched up to Season 6 before getting busy with other things.
Now, with all that fresh in my mind, I turned my gaze toward the sheet of paper that held my status.
The neat arrangement of parameters, skills, and magic reflected a piece of my soul.
As I looked closer, I began to piece together the reason behind one particular skill — Decipher.
It wasn't difficult to figure out why I had obtained it.
Since my birth, I had been doing nothing but deciphering everything around me — the nature of my race, the identity of my parents, the truth about myself, the structure of the world I was born into, and the methods of training and learning that governed it.
I had even deciphered the workings of magic before I ever had a Falna.
Every logical deduction, every carefully planned step, every truth unraveled by reason and instinct — all of it had been a continuous process of deciphering the world.
I had even managed to analyze and construct the entire escape plan from Alf's Forest completely on my own.
It made sense — this skill was a perfect reflection of who I was.
A small, satisfied smile crept onto my face as I realized something else — Decipher was already working subconsciously.
The very fact that I had been able to figure out why I possessed it was, ironically, due to the skill itself.
A skill that allowed me to understand the world was helping me understand itself.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of appreciation for the irony and perfection of that moment.
As for my magic, I decided to leave any experimentation or testing for later.
There would be plenty of opportunities ahead to explore what "Cremation" could do and how powerful it truly was.
For now, I wanted to organize everything I had learned and move on with the morning.
My Goddess, who had been quietly observing me, suddenly spoke up, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall.
"Ember, it's already five in the morning," she said, stretching her arms lightly.
"Some of the villagers will be waking up soon."
I stood up from the bed and nodded in acknowledgment, ready to take my leave for now.
However, a question had been lingering in my mind since earlier, so I turned toward her and asked, "Goddess, what should I do about my name?"
She tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment before replying, "Indeed… that's a valid concern. You're of Elven Royalty, and you've run away from Alf's Forest. If someone were to recognize your true name, it could cause serious problems. We can't risk that."
"Then what if I use an alias?" I suggested, speaking my thoughts aloud.
"Technically, my name is Ber — taken from my full name, Ember. But if I were to use a proper alias, something that isn't directly linked to my real name, it should reduce the chances of being found out."
Aurora nodded approvingly, a soft smile spreading across her face.
"That's actually a very smart approach," she said.
Then her tone shifted slightly, as if she were about to share something most mortals would never hear.
"Ember, did you know that while Gods can always sense when a mortal lies before them, that ability is limited to what the mortal themselves believes to be true? So when you said your name is Ber, it was, in your mind, the truth — meaning to us, it was the truth as well since we detect lies by psychological hint- never mind you won't understand it, just remember what I said."
Her words surprised me for a moment, even though I had suspected something similar before.
I nodded gratefully — she had essentially given me a rare piece of divine insight, a loophole in the very laws that governed truth before the Gods.
That kind of information was something no God was supposed to reveal so casually.
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
She waved it off with a light laugh.
"As for choosing an alias," she continued, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "I'm not exactly great at naming things. The last time I tried naming someone, it was a newborn villager… and I ended up calling him Babyboo."
She sighed, her expression becoming a mix of embarrassment and resignation.
"He still resents me for that, by the way."
I couldn't help but stifle a laugh and silently offered an Amen in my mind for the poor soul who had been cursed with that ridiculous name.
Truly, Babyboo was the kind of name that could haunt a person for life.
As I thought over my options, an idea — or rather, a name — began forming in my mind.
It carried weight, history, and purpose.
A name that would represent both who I was and who I intended to become.
My lips curved upward slightly as I turned to face Aurora.
She immediately noticed the change in my expression and smiled knowingly.
"So," she said with a teasing glint in her eyes, "you've already thought of one, haven't you? What will your alias be, then?"
Without a moment's hesitation, I looked straight into her eyes and said clearly, "Tithonus. I want my alias to be Tithonus."
She blinked for a second, processing the name, before smiling softly — despite not understanding the weight behind it, or perhaps simply approving of my choice.
To be continued...
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