Orario, beneath the abandoned church.
Lin Dong's consciousness had barely returned from the Misty Plaza when he felt a strange sensation on his body.
Looking down, he found Hestia straddling his waist, staring in confusion as she traced his abs.
"Hestia… what are you doing?"
"Inspecting my child's training results," she said, dead serious.
Her hand slid up his abdomen.
"Lin Dong… did you get even more built again?"
"A bit."
"Weird. Falna brings out potential, but it's not supposed to reshape your body like this. How are you changing every day?"
"I'm talented."
"Liar!"
She didn't buy it for a second.
"Spit it out. Did you secretly buy some steroid potion and train behind my back?!"
"No."
"Then what is this? Your body changes daily. Even drugs don't work this fast!"
"I found myself."
"…?"
Hestia's interrogation cut off mid-sentence.
She stared at him, then asked cautiously, "So you're saying… you got more muscular because you 'found yourself'?"
"Yes."
Lin Dong nodded.
JOJO Lin Dong's baseline physique was far beyond normal humans. Sharing that power strengthened Lin Dong's body too.
But unlike JOJO Lin Dong's full-on bodybuilder form, Lin Dong didn't balloon outward. Fully clothed, you could barely tell.
Only when he took his shirt off did the change show—sharper muscle definition, fuller lines, a stronger masculine presence.
Hestia slept in the same bed with him. Not noticing would've been impossible.
To avoid getting interrogated every few days, Lin Dong decided to "half-reveal" the truth.
"Hestia, you remember Unify's effect?"
"Of course. 'The greater the number, the stronger the effect.' But I still don't understand what 'number' even means."
"The number is… my selves."
Lin Dong tapped his temple.
"Every time I 'find myself,' Unify strengthens, and my power rises a bit."
Hestia tilted her head.
That didn't sound like "finding yourself" at all.
Normal people "find themselves" and get clarity or stronger resolve. Sometimes, Falna might awaken a skill.
But directly boosting physical stats?
That sounded less like enlightenment and more like… recovering some kind of separated power.
"Hestia. Update my Falna."
"Didn't we just update it?"
"I updated, laid down to rest, and then found myself. So we need another update."
Hestia's soul wanted to scream.
Why does sleeping equal 'finding yourself'?! Is your 'self' on clearance sale?!
But she still fetched the needle.
Blood fell onto the text on Lin Dong's back, and she updated with practiced ease.
Lin Dong — Level 1
Strength: G201 → D578
Endurance: H157 → C633
Dexterity: G230 → D553
Agility: G224 → D548
Magic: I0
Spells: None
Skills: Unify, Courage Anthem
Courage Anthem:During combat, you remain calm. Your brain enters an active state, making it easier to catch an enemy's weaknesses and openings.
Hestia copied the results onto paper and handed it to him.
"New skill. And your four stats jumped by fifteen hundred points total. Any idea why?"
"I worked really hard sleeping and finding myself," Lin Dong said with a straight face. "Getting stronger is only reasonable."
"Reasonable my foot!"
Hestia was now fully convinced: whatever Lin Dong meant by "self" was not what she meant by "self."
"Lin Dong, Hestia-sama—everything's washed."
The door opened. Lili stepped in.
But the moment she saw the scene, she froze.
Falna status was an adventurer's biggest secret. Walking in during an update was, in some circles, basically declaring war.
Realizing what she'd done, Lili snapped her head down.
"I'm sorry… maybe I came at the wrong time."
"No," Lin Dong said. "You came at the right time."
He stood up, tossed the status paper into the brazier, and burned it.
"Come here, Lili."
"Since we have time, it's time to talk about how you'll leave Soma Familia."
Lili's eyes widened.
She hurried over, stunned that the "good news" hit this fast.
"Captain Lin Dong—please tell me. Lili will do anything if she can leave Soma Familia."
"Then can you get me a grimoire?"
"..."
"So," Lin Dong said calmly, "don't make promises you can't keep. What if some blue octopus shows up and takes responsibility for your life? Wouldn't you explode?"
"A blue octopus…?" Lili didn't understand.
"It's a god," Lin Dong said with absolute conviction.
"…There are gods like that?" Hestia blinked, confused.
"Yep. A blue octopus is a beauty goddess. She has a hypnosis app and keeps charming people into forming bands together."
"That does sound like something a beauty goddess would do," Hestia said thoughtfully. "What's her name?"
"Toyokawa Sakiko."
"Toyokawa… Sakiko?" Hestia searched her memory. She knew the major beauty goddesses in Heaven—but that name was new.
"…Are we getting off-topic?" Lili raised a timid hand. "Weren't we discussing how Lili leaves Soma Familia?"
"Oh. Right." Lin Dong snapped back. "Almost forgot."
He walked to a cabinet and pulled out a blanket.
"Captain Lin Dong… what is that?"
"Your bedding."
He handed it to Lili. "Your job is to go sleep on the couch."
"Wait! What does sleeping have to do with leaving Soma Familia?!"
"Nothing."
Lin Dong took out the vault key he'd confiscated earlier and waved it.
"I told you. I'm short on money."
"Helping you leave Soma Familia is the return for the money you provided."
"When I deal with Soma Familia later, I'll personally arrange your 'retirement ceremony.'"
"…That's not right!"
Lili stood there, bewildered.
"If I don't need to do anything, why did you bring me here in the first place?!"
"Because I took your savings," Lin Dong said as if it were obvious. "Now you can't afford an inn. I have to provide a place to sleep."
He shrugged. "I'm not a devil. I'm not going to let you sleep on the street."
"…Then why did you say I had to behave and cooperate?"
"You're really slow," Lin Dong sighed, pointing at Lili's massive backpack in the corner.
"I told you, I'm saving for a grimoire."
"I'm hiring you as a supporter. You'll pick up loot for me."
"Any more questions?"
"…No."
"Then sleep. Tomorrow at dawn we go to the dungeon."
"…Okay…"
Lili walked out holding the blanket, mind blank.
One thought repeated in her head:
Did I… accidentally win the lottery?
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty…then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (75 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (65 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (90 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (70 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (70 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it