On North Main Street, the two groups headed back to their respective bases together.
"So Roland already has the strength to solo the middle floors? That is startling," Finn remarked.
"Aye," the dwarf Gareth added. "If I were your age, I'd still be messing around in the upper floors."
Alise suddenly scooped Roland into a hug, nuzzling his cheek. "Hehe, Roland is the genius I personally scouted in Orario! Under my expert training, he'll become our Familia's undisputed ace!" She even started spinning him around in the middle of the street, laughing happily.
When the spinning stopped, Roland placed his hands on Alise's cheeks and said flatly, "Captain... could you... please... let... go?"
Their faces were inches apart. Roland stared directly into her eyes, their breaths mingling in the cool air.
"Ah, sorry! Ahahaha!" Alise's face turned beet-red. She let go and hurried to the front of the group, her ears glowing crimson.
Roland let out a small, satisfied smirk. While Finn and the others didn't pay it much mind, Kaguya and Lyra noticed Alise's unusual reaction immediately. Only Ryuu remained focused on checking Roland's body for injuries.
"Don't you have any shame, hugging and kissing in front of everyone? You idiot captain!" Kaguya shouted, wrapping a tight arm around Alise's neck. Then, she whispered in her ear, "I didn't think you were the type to blush like that."
Lyra nudged Alise with her elbow, teasingly. "Yeah, usually you're so thick-skinned. Now you're blushing just because you locked eyes with Roland? That's not like you at all."
Alise stammered and fumbled with her hands, taking a while to regain her composure. "It's because... our faces were so close! We almost kissed!"
While the girls whispered at the front, the veterans talked about the monster. Finn looked at Roland with a steady gaze. "You were the one who killed the Enhanced Species attracted by the Arcanum, weren't you?"
"Yes, that's right," Roland answered casually, his eyes fixed on the three girls whispering ahead.
Finn was surprised by the blunt honesty, but continued. "Did you see a god with black robes and purple hair? Did he say anything to you?"
"Yeah. He talked a lot of nonsense, basically trying to get me to join the Evilus," Roland replied.
"I see. That sounds exactly like what happened with Aiz," Riveria recalled.
"But why did he release his Arcanum this time?" Finn wondered.
"Oh, that was probably because I was trying to solve the Evilus problem once and for all by sending him back to Heaven," Roland said matter-of-factly.
The entire group froze. Even the girls stopped whispering and stared at him in total shock.
"I mean, I didn't succeed, unfortunately," Roland added with a shrug.
Finn spoke in a complex tone. "The fact that you even had the thought is shocking enough... but you actually acted on it."
Ryuu and Kaguya immediately grabbed Roland's head, checking him from both sides. "My head is fine! Stop it!" Roland groaned.
Riveria looked at him skeptically. "Are you truly one of our kin? I know our people back home are obsessed with knowledge, but this is a bit much."
Ryuu was worried, pleading with him. "Roland, having thoughts like that is very dangerous for you."
Only Aiz and Gareth had different reactions. "Roland... so cool," Aiz whispered. "Hahaha! With that kind of mindset, kid, you'll definitely surpass us one day!" Gareth roared.
Riveria chopped Aiz on the head. "You are not allowed to have those thoughts! It's fine to be disrespectful to Loki since she's your goddess, but you should maintain respect for other deities. That goes for you too, Roland!"
Finn stepped in to de-escalate. "Well, at least no one was hurt. Roland was just trying to contribute to peace in his own way."
"Hahaha! As expected of my member—he even dares to judge the gods!" Alise said, finally back to normal.
In Astraea's room, the whole Familia had gathered. They were curious to see how much Roland's stats had grown after killing a Floor Boss and an Enhanced Species.
[Roland - Status Update]
Level 1
Strength: SS1064 → SSS1626
Endurance: SS1041 → SSS1627
Dexterity: SS1121 → SSS1638
Agility: SS1116 → SSS1639
Magic: SSS1384 → SSS1950
"Skills"
[Abyssal Eye]: Infinite change, limitless evolution, near-infinite mana.
[Undying Body]: Greatly increases recovery speed. Upon death, provides instant resurrection and enters an accelerated recovery state. If killed again during recovery, enters a slow recovery state as long as the [Abyssal Eye] remains.
[Awakening]: Defines one's path, self-awakening, accelerates growth.
Astraea looked at his back for a long time. "Roland... before you fought the Black Wyvern, did you challenge the Floor Boss, Goliath, on the 17th Floor?"
There was no other way he could have gained so much Excellia or had his skills evolve so drastically.
Roland looked confused—how did she know? "Yeah. I fell through a collapse on the 15th Floor and landed on the 17th. I just wanted to see the scenery on the 18th, but the Goliath spawned right as I got there. I had to kill it to get through." He explained his "bad luck" with an aggrieved face.
Alise and the others felt a "psychological blow." To him, killing a Floor Boss was just an inconvenience.
"Since your stats have reached an unprecedented level and you have achieved a Great Feat... Roland, are you ready to level up?" Astraea asked.
"Yes. I'm ready."
The Goddess smiled and asked the others to give them some privacy. Roland lay on the bed, feeling the itching sensation of the divine blood on his back. He was finally becoming a Level 2.
"Roland, the level-up is almost complete. You have several Development Abilities to choose from," Astraea's voice brought him back to reality.