Seven days after the life-and-death struggle, the wound on Su Lun's leg had mostly healed, leaving only a faint, dull ache whenever he moved. At dusk, he made his way to the Divine Chamber.
Goddess Astraea gestured for him to sit. Her fingertips lightly brushed the Falna on his back, and as the golden sacred characters manifested, she began transcribing the update onto parchment. Looking at the numbers, she fell silent for a long moment.
[Name]: Su Lun [Level]: 1 [Ability Values]:
Strength: SSS-1099 -> SSS-1204
Endurance: SSS-1077 -> SSS-1210
Dexterity: SSS-1058 -> SSS-1230
Agility: SSS-1001 -> SSS-1240
Magic: SSS-1200 -> SSS-1301
"Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility... all SSS-rank. And Magic... SSS-1301." The Goddess raised her head, her blue eyes fixing on Su Lun. "This has completely surpassed the theoretical limits of Level 1."
Su Lun listened in silence.
"The subjugation of Blood Claw has been recognized as a 'Special Great Feat,'" Astraea continued slowly. "Combined with your previous kill of the variant dragon, your Excelia is overflowing. You now satisfy all the conditions to rank up to Level 2."
The room was still, save for the occasional soft crackle of the candlelight.
"Do you wish to level up now?" she asked.
Su Lun considered it for a moment. His ability values had reached a hard ceiling; leveling up sooner rather than later was the logical choice. He had a premonition that after the rank-up, he might finally be able to learn 2nd and 3rd-tier spells.
He nodded. "I want to try. I feel like... I can still become much stronger."
"Very well." Astraea stood up. "Then let us do it now."
She had Su Lun kneel with his back to her. A drop of ichor fell, and the Falna began to shift. When the light faded, the Level 1 mark on Su Lun's back had transformed, becoming more intricate, surrounded by a new ring of sacred text.
The Goddess picked up a new sheet of parchment and began transcribing the emerging characters. Her movements were slow, her eyes flickering back and forth between the mark and the paper.
"Your basic abilities have reset to I-0; that is normal," Astraea said. "First, you need to choose one Developmental Ability."
She pointed to three entries that had appeared side-by-side:
Mage: Enhances magic power and precision of control.
Hunter: Improves combat effectiveness against monsters previously encountered.
Luck: Subtly influences probability and opportunity.
Su Lun looked at the three options. Mage was practical and would directly strengthen his existing system. Hunter was valuable for long-term Dungeon exploration. But Luck...
He thought about the past three months—the higher quality loot he found compared to others, the perfect timing of certain events, and yet, the Dungeon's obvious, malicious targeting of him.
"I choose Luck," Su Lun said.
The Goddess nodded and recorded his choice. "Next is the update for your Skills and Magic..."
She continued transcribing, her quill scratching across the parchment. As she wrote, her movements slowed down. There was a long, drawn-out silence as Astraea carefully read the description of a new skill.
[Hero's True Nature]:
A skill that is a shared reflection of the soul's essence and past deeds.
Naturally attracts the attention and favor of the opposite sex who harbor good intentions or yearn for a hero.
For companions who establish a deep bond with the user and reach mutual recognition, their ability value growth will be significantly enhanced. This effect is weakened or nullified for individuals with established emotional anchors or specific mental states.
Likely to become the start of a legend... or the center of a vortex.
"What is it, Sister Astraea?" Su Lun asked, noticing her silence.
Astraea hesitated, then nodded. "I think there is a skill with content... related to the girls."
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Alise was the first to burst in, followed by Lyu, Kaguya, and Lyra.
"Well? Was the rank-up a success?" Alise asked urgently.
The Goddess placed the parchment on the table, gesturing for them to see for themselves.
Level: 2 Ability Values:
Strength: I-0
Endurance: I-0
Dexterity: I-0
Agility: I-0
Magic: I-0 Developmental Ability: Luck (I)
[Skills]:
Otherworldly Grimoire: Deep attunement with the Abyssal Grimoire is complete. Allows the learning and casting of DND-system spells up to the 3rd tier.
Metamagic Mastery: Allows the use of multiple metamagic feats without additional cost. New additions: Twinned Spell, Heightened Spell.
Multi-Casting: Allows for the simultaneous construction and casting of up to three spells.
Spell Sequence: Can preset up to two spells and their trigger conditions, which will automatically activate upon fulfillment.
Hero's True Nature: (See description above). Side effect: Likely to trigger lucky events or attract unexpected malice.
[Magic]:
Abyssal Grimoire (Short Chant): "[Spell Name]!"
The room fell silent for several seconds. Alise stared at the paper, blinking. When she reached the description of "Hero's True Nature," she suddenly burst into a laugh that was significantly louder than usual.
"Hahaha! Isn't this incredible? 'Attracting attention'?" She laughed, slapping Su Lun's shoulder with a bit too much force, her eyes avoiding his. "Does that mean Su Lun is going to be super popular? Like, beautiful girls welcoming him whenever he walks down the street? Well, if that beautiful girl is me, then it's only natural!"
Lyu, standing beside her, turned bright red. She pursed her lips tightly, her fingers unconsciously bunching up the fabric of her skirt. When Su Lun looked at her, her ears twitched visibly, and she snapped her head away.
Kaguya crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "A skill like that... leveling up really is just a recipe for more trouble."
Lyra stood on her tiptoes to look, then said with a smirk, "Don't worry, Su Lun. My heart belongs only to Sir Finn, so we're strictly good companions. But since you have 'Luck' now... I might have to let you walk in the front more often in the Dungeon!"
Astraea tapped the table gently. "'Hero's True Nature' is an exceptionally rare skill. It reflects your inherent traits, so you must be cautious of its influence." She then turned to the others. "Regarding the growth buff, that is for each of you to decide. Even without it, you are already excellent adventurers."
Alise immediately raised her hand. "I'm in! We've already got a 'bond' anyway!"
Lyu nodded slightly. Her face was still flushed, but her voice was steady. "I recognize Su Lun's value as a companion."
Kaguya added dryly, "As long as you don't hold us back."
Lyra giggled. "I'm definitely taking a companion buff!"
Astraea smiled. "Then, congratulations, Su Lun. You are officially Level 2."
As the group walked out of the Divine Chamber, the evening sun slanted into the courtyard. Alise was already talking in an exaggerated tone about a celebratory dinner, but her pace was faster than usual, as if she were trying to hide something. Lyu walked quietly a bit further away, her face still red. Kaguya followed with her arms crossed, her gaze occasionally drifting to Su Lun's back. Lyra was already calculating the potential extra profits from the "Luck" ability.
Su Lun looked up at the sky. The new Falna on his back pulsed with warmth, and the grimoire mark on his palm hummed with a clearer resonance. He could feel new knowledge waiting for him. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Fly, Dispel Magic... those names that were once just pixels in a game were now real powers he could learn.
But at the same time, the description of "Hero's True Nature" echoed in his mind: Attracting attention, echoing bonds, lucky events, and unexpected malice.
He looked at his companions walking ahead. Alise turned back and flashed him a brilliant smile, though her eyes were still a bit shifty. Lyu seemed to sense his gaze; her footsteps faltered for a moment, but she didn't turn around.
Once the children had left, Astraea looked down at the parchment in her hand. He has leveled up, which means his rank can no longer be hidden from the Guild. I should report it.
But... She thought of his stats and his specific skills. A jump in status like this, along with those skills—this information must not be leaked.
The Goddess pondered for a moment. I'll have to falsify the report for the Guild entirely.
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Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours ( 51 Chapters – Ongoing)
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