Orario, Babel.
At the top of the tower that seemed to suppress the entrance to the dungeon like a lid, the highest floor was extravagantly decorated, equipped with everything one could imagine.
The interior was lavish to the extreme, allowing a sweeping view of the entire city's district in the eyes of the room.
Soon, a giant shadow pushed the door open and walked in.
It was a huge Beastman, with short, earth-red hair and boar ears, possessing a robust physical body resembling rock, standing over two meters tall.
The Beastman entered the high-class room as he was the only one allowed to freely pass in and out. He reached the deepest part of the room, facing a rectangular observation glass that occupied an entire wall.
There, wrapped in a black sheer evening dress, with a slender yet voluptuous figure and waist-length silver hair, was a stunning Goddess.
"Lady Freya."
The Beastman halted not far from the Goddess, as if a devout believer, bowing respectfully to the beautiful Goddess known as Freya.
"Ottar?"
Freya didn't turn around, only swaying a cup of red wine while responding casually.
Her voice was extremely sweet, like heavenly nectar or earthly wine. Even catching a hint of it gave the sensation of wanting to be intoxicated by it.
"What happened? Is there something you need?"
Freya inquired with her sweet voice, making the Beastman known as Ottar, show even more reverence.
"I have something to report to you." Ottar solemnly said. "It's about a rookie from the Loki Familia."
Hearing this, Freya finally took her gaze away from the beautiful scenery outside the window.
"Loki?" Freya swayed the wine in her hand as if recalling or savoring something. After a while, she indifferently said, "I have heard recently that her familia has recruited a rookie with an amazing talent."
"Yes." Ottar said indifferently. "I believe attention should be given to that rookie, so I came here to report."
"Oh?" Freya suddenly became interested and smiled slightly. "A child that can make you say something like that has piqued my curiosity."
With that, she finally turned around.
With this turn, as if all the light in the world gathered simultaneously on her body, the surroundings dimmed.
This was only natural.
Because Goddess Freya was exceptionally beautiful.
As beings that came from heaven, Gods generally possessed near-perfect appearances. Except for some deliberately existing in the world in the forms of the elderly or children, almost all Gods had faces that could cause national disasters.
And the beautiful appearance of Freya was exceptional even among these generally perfect Gods.
In this world, there were various Gods of Fire, Gods of Water, Gods of War, or Gods of Death, controlling various concepts in various fields, with each God being unique.
Among these numerous Gods, the concept controlled by Freya was precisely the concept of 'Beauty'.
She was a genuine Goddess of Beauty.
"Tell me..." Freya, gazed at Ottar with her autumn-like beautiful eyes, her most powerful and loyal follower. "What kind of child has caught your attention?"
At her question, Ottar answered with a calm and steady voice.
"His name is Riezel Brynhart, a rookie who joined Loki Familia just over a month ago. He is a Human, 17 years old this year, but has caused a huge stir in Orario several times and gained considerable fame."
His eyes glowed with deep radiance as he explained.
"His growth speed was astonishing. In just over a month, he went from being an ordinary mortal who had never received a blessing to someone who achieved incredible feats repeatedly. In that short time, he leveled up from Level 1, a low-class adventurer, to Level 4, a second-class adventurer. The Guild was so surprised that they sent people to Twilight Manor several times to verify."
His explanation left even the Goddess of Beauty amazed.
"What? He leveled up from Level 1 to Level 4 in just over a month?"
Such an absurd piece of news would have made Freya think Ottar was intentionally teasing her if she didn't know he couldn't joke like that. Even so, she remained somewhat skeptical.
"Does such a mortal really exist?" Freya wondered, still in disbelief.
No choice.
Even the Sword Princess, who held the record for the fastest level up to Level 2, took a whole year to achieve such a feat, becoming the most talented individual acknowledged by the world and various Gods.
Now someone was telling her that a rookie, who had received the blessing not long ago, shattered this record in just over a month and leveled up not just once, but several times during this short period.
How could the Goddess of Beauty not be surprised?
The incredibleness of such a feat was unimaginable, even for the Gods.
However, all of this was reality.
"Fifty-two days ago, Riezel Brynhart officially joined Loki Familia and received a blessing."
"Forty-five days ago, Riezel Brynhart defeated an irregular known as Crocodile Dragon on the 6th Floor and officially leveled up to Level 2."
"Thirty days ago, Riezel Brynhart, along with one party member, encountered a monster feast on the 16th Floor during exploration. After a battle lasting several hours, he successfully defeated all the monsters and leveled up to Level 3."
"And as of today, Riezel Brynhart has been confirmed to have gone alone to the 17th Floor, awakened Floor Boss Goliath, and ultimately succeeded in defeating it, officially leveling up to Level 4."
Ottar listed Riezel's feats as if they were treasures in a deep voice.
"All these feats have been officially acknowledged and recognized by the Guild, and the Guild has made them public."
Hearing all of these, Freya fell silent.
Because each of Riezel's accomplishments was enough to shock the world.
Forty-five days ago, the irregular on the 6th Floor was self-evident. After the inspection from the Guild, it was confirmed that the Crocodile Dragon born at that time could be classified as a Level 2 dragon species. To defeat such a monster at Level 1 was truly incredible.
Similarly, 'Monster Feast' was also considered as irregular, a phenomenon commonly witnessed only from the 10th Floor onwards.
Generally, the number of monsters appearing on each floor of the dungeon was fixed. They wouldn't increase beyond a certain number, and when they decreased, new monsters would break through the dungeon walls. During this period, the interval between the birth of the next monster varied depending on the floor, but it never exceeded about a day.
But Monster Feast was different.
This was a phenomenon where numerous monsters were born instantly in the same area.
Once this phenomenon occurred, even a place that was empty just a second ago would be filled with monsters in the blink of an eye, trapping adventurers in a life-or-death situation.
Such a predicament typically occurred in the middle floors where Level 2 monsters were prevalent.
At that time, Riezel, who was also Level 2, managed to engage in a death battle with Lefiya and successfully defeated all Level 2 monsters. It was nothing short of a miracle.
As for floor bosses, they were even more terrifying than irregulars.
Monsters in the dungeon were usually born in no more than about a day, but some monsters required a specific cycle before spawning.
These monsters appeared only after several weeks or even months and were restricted to specific floors. They not only possessed bodies that far exceeded the size of large-species monsters but also exhibited unparalleled strength compared to other monsters on the upper floors, leaving adventurers and monsters on the upper floors in awe and fear.
The Guild officially named these monsters 'Monster Rex'. However, adventurers usually called them 'Floor Boss'.
Their strength was speculated to be the level of monsters on the floor they were on, plus two.
In other words, if the other monsters on the floor were mostly classified as Level 1, the floor boss would be on Level 3. If the other monsters were classified as Level 2, then the floor boss would be on Level 4.
Floor bosses were monsters that adventurers had to form a large party to challenge and conquer.
The first floor boss in the dungeon was residing on the 17th Floor, known as 'Goliath'—a monster with a large body reaching seven meters.
Although Goliath was classified as a Level 4 floor boss, due to its massive size, it was essentially an 'Endurance (END)' specialized monster.
This floor boss could easily compete with Level 5 adventurers in terms of 'END' alone. It was impossible for a Level 3 adventurer to single-handedly defeat such a monster without leveling up.
Yet, Riezel did it.
All of his deeds eventually create a stir in Orario, prompting the Guild to send someone to Loki Familia to verify.
"Riezel Brynhart..."
Freya whispered softly, her eyes filled with an inexplicable radiance.
"Loki is still as fortunate as ever, actually finding such a child. I wonder how brilliant this child's 'brilliance' is..."
Her sensual whisper did not shake Ottar.
"How should we deal with this situation, Lady Freya?" Ottar asked respectfully.
He came here and reported Riezel's situation truthfully for this reason. After all, Freya Familia was one of the strongest familias in Orario, along with Loki Familia.
Loki Familia was both a competitor and a formidable rival with whom a clash was not surprising at any time. For this reason, he came to report to his Goddess as soon as he received the news.
Hearing Ottar's question, Freya extended her slender fingers, tapped her cheek, and fell into thought.
After pondering for a while, she finally spoke.
"Ensure everyone keeps a close eye on this child. If there's any news, report it to me right away."
After saying that, a beautiful smile appeared on her stunning face.
"As for me... I'll find an opportunity to personally taste him myself."
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
Twilight Manor, Courtyard.
At this moment, there were still people practicing in this place.
Riezel and Ais were unleashing a vast display of sword slashes, engaging in an intense sword dance.
Unlike before, today's sword dance not only surpassed any previous ones in intensity but also showcased a level of skill uncommon for both of them.
Riezel seemed to have transformed, effortlessly moving his body, creating bursts of energy with each casual motion. His speed was enough to break the sound barrier.
The sword in his hand sent out countless chilly sword slashes, resembling a storm of relentless attacks, ceaseless and boundless, an endless fast attack aimed at Ais.
Faced with this new Riezel, Ais no longer confronted him with just her scabbard as she used to. Instead, she wielded her silver sword, Desperate, maneuvering through the storm of sword edges that he weaved.
She swiftly parried and struck back, with no trace of her previous calm demeanor in every move.
In the relatively narrow courtyard, a swordsman and swordswoman fiercely battled, chasing each other at a terrifying speed. Their figures weaved through a flurry of sword glows and shadows, leaving traces on the ground. The atmosphere was completely disrupted, creating a scene that was soul-stirring, with the wind and dust in turmoil.
"A-Amazing..."
Lefiya, holding two towels, stood on the side while trembling in anxiety as she watched their battle—truly pitiable.
The sword clashes between Riezel and Ais had reached a point where onlookers were left awestruck.
*DING!*
At a certain moment, with the fierce clash of their two swords, the two figures, chasing and intertwining at astonishing speed, finally separated.
Riezel's figure kept retreating, moving back several meters.
Ais, on the other hand, only took a step or two back, faring better than him.
"..."
"..."
They stayed silent and looked into each other eyes, maintaining a standoff, creating a tense atmosphere in the gradually calming air.
It wasn't until after a while that the two finally broke the standoff, seemingly as if on cue, simultaneously sheathing their swords.
"Th-Thanks for your hard work! Mr. Riezel! Miss Ais!"
Seeing them finally stop, Lefiya snapped back to reality and quickly approached, handing towels to Riezel and Ais.
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
Riezel and Ais both expressed their gratitude and accepted the towels at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if looking into a mirror, giving off an incredible sense of understanding.
"Muu..." Lefiya, whether feeling heartache or jealousy, puffed her cheeks slightly as she observed this scene.
Unfortunately, neither Riezel nor Ais noticed her; their attention was focused on each other.
"Judging by your movements, you should be adapting quite well by now, right?" Ais spoke with an indeterminate emotion in her voice.
"Not bad..." Riezel said with a slight smile. "Although the transitions between some moves still feel a bit unnatural, it's close enough. Now, all that's left is to familiarize myself with the current power of my body."
"That's good." Ais nodded while staring directly at his face. "You've really become very strong now. Even though you just leveled up, you seem more powerful than many Level 4 adventurers I know."
Upon hearing her statement, Riezel maintained a calm expression on his face, but inside, he felt different.
After over a month had passed since the Crocodile Dragon's incident, he had progressed from a Level 1 low-class adventurer to a Level 4 second-class adventurer and was quite satisfied with the effort he had put into reaching this point.
Even the protagonist in the original work took four and a half months to go from Level 1 to Level 4, while Riezel managed to do it almost three months faster. If he wasn't satisfied with this achievement, he believed he would be tempting the wrath of the heavens.
Moreover, whether leveling up from Level 2 to Level 3 or from Level 3 to Level 4, he fully cashed in on his potential, choosing to level up only after achieving SSS in all basic abilities. This approach resulted in a better potential compared to the original work's protagonist, not to mention ordinary adventurers.
In addition, the development ability's choices of 'Swordsman' at Level 3 and 'Lightweight' at Level 2 significantly enhanced his power. Coupled with a month of frequent sparring with Ais, Riezel had acquired exceptional swordsmanship from her.
Despite having just reached Level 4, his power was already on par with the top Level 4 adventurers.
And this didn't even take magic into account.
Considering magic, including the overpowered one like 'Ariel', Riezel could probably compete with Level 5 first-class adventurers.
This was evident from the fact that he could push Ais, a Level 5 seasoned adventurer, back a step or two in a direct confrontation, unlike the surprise attack he launched over a month ago during a moment of her vulnerability.
However, every advantage has its downside.
Riezel's rapid improvements meant that every leveling up caused a surge in power that his body struggled to adapt to. Hence, the sparring sessions with Ais were crucial for him to acclimate to his current body's power.
In summary, he had indeed grown significantly, getting much stronger.
Although he still felt that his current self wasn't strong enough, achieving this level of advancement in just over a month still made him satisfied.
Of course, this kind of progress, if seen through the eyes of Ais and Lefiya, who were equally eager to grow and get stronger, would leave both of them with complex feelings.
Especially Lefiya, as Riezel's party member and witness to his struggles since Level 1, admired him but also felt frustrated with herself.
"Mr. Riezel is already at Level 4, yet I'm still at Level 3. It's really embarrassing..." Lefiya sighed in resignation.
Ais, standing nearby, wore a serious expression as she felt an indescribable pressure from him.
Even though she could currently outmatch Riezel slightly, witnessing his rapid growth at a rate bordering absurd, she felt that soon, he would catch up.
After all, she was Level 5, and with just one more level up, he would completely catch up to her. At that point, considering his displayed power, potential, and innate talent, could she still exceed him?
The more Ais thought about it, the more tense and pressured she felt.
"Please don't say that..." Riezel shook his head, addressing Lefiya. "I only took advantage of some convenient skills. With your potential, you should be able to reach Level 4 quickly, right?"
As far as he knew, Lefiya had already developed 'MAG' to C-rank. According to the leveling-up rules, achieving a D-rank in any basic ability would qualify her for a level up. She already had the qualifications; the only thing she lacked was an outstanding exploit to gain high-rank excelia, which wasn't too difficult for her to achieve.
Given the existence of several first-class adventurers in Loki Familia, they could assist and support her in accumulating enough high-rank excelia, as long as she genuinely wished to level up.
As long as Lefiya willed it, leveling up to Level 4 wasn't that difficult.
What was challenging was leveling up to become Level 5, the starting point of first-class adventurers.
To reach that level, mere exploits weren't enough. One must accumulate more high-rank excelia and defeat stronger enemies than before. Exploits sufficient to propel one to Level 5, even the Level 6 top executives might not be able to assist in completing.
It was precisely because of this reason that in Loki Familia, there were quite a few second-class adventurers at Level 3 and Level 4, but only four Level 5 first-class adventurers.
Probably because the high-rank excelia required to reach Level 5 wasn't something easily accumulated.
'I wonder how long it'll take for me to reach Level 5?'
Riezel, while comforting Lefiya, was also pondering this in his heart.
To reach Level 2, he took 7 days.
To reach Level 3, he took 15 days.
To reach Level 4, he took 30 days.
By this calculation, could he successfully reach Level 5 before the 100 days of dimensional travel end?
'It seems I'll need to put in more effort than before.'
That was what Riezel's heart was thinking, something that would once again make Ais and Lefiya feel emotionally complicated.
"By the way, Mr. Riezel..." Lefiya suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him.
"What's up?" Riezel snapped back to attention and faced her.
"Just now, before I came here, I bumped into Lady Riveria. She asked me to tell you that after the sparring session with Miss Ais, you must go visit Captain."
"Captain?" Riezel puzzled. "Does Captain need something from me?"
"I don't know." Lefiya shook her head. "But since it's Captain, there should be something important to discuss."
"Is that so...?" Riezel pondered, and shortly afterward nodded. "Gotcha, then I'll go see him."
"Um." Lefiya had no objections.
"Be careful on the road." Ais also spoke up.
In front of the two girls, Riezel turned and walked into the manor while waving his hand.
"I-Is Miss Ais free now?" Lefiya, seeing him leave, immediately became somewhat hesitant and shyly asked. "Would you like to go out together?"
What a pity, her invitation was met with Ais's blunt refusal.
"No, I need to practice a bit more."
Feeling the pressure and stimulated by Riezel's rapid progress, Ais had no other thoughts and just wanted to seize the time to get stronger.
"..."
Lefiya's shy expression suddenly became forced, looking somewhat stiff and helpless, almost on the verge of tears.
===
On the other side, Riezel was making his way through the corridor, entering the northern tower.
Inside Twilight Manor, among the three towers designated for male use, Finn's private room and office were located in the northernmost tower, directly opposite of manor's main entrance.
Riezel, relying on memory, arrived at the room and knocked on the door.
*Knock!* *Knock!*
"Come in."
Finn's response came immediately from behind the door, prompting Riezel to push open the double doors and step into the room.
The sight before him was the office connected to Finn's private room.
Being the office of the familia's top executive and captain, the room was naturally quite spacious. The interior not only featured bookshelves covering an entire wall but also vibrant carpets and even an elongated grand clock, giving off a sense of steady warmth.
Finn was seated at the back of the office, behind a large desk that seemed mismatched with his small stature.
The office wasn't occupied solely by him; Riveria and Gareth, the other two top executives of the familia, were also present.
'They all here?'
Riezel expressed some surprise inwardly.
His instincts told him that something important might be about to happen.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT