"What happened? Is something wrong?"
The sudden brief silence seemed to not affect Riezel as he calmly asked the lady receptionist who stared blankly at him.
"No-Nothing wrong!"
The receptionist realized what she had done, hastily apologized, and continued filling out the registration form for him. However, whether it was his misconception or not, the receptionist's hands seemed faster than before, accelerating the registration process.
The surrounding silence was once again filled with noise as if nothing had happened. Yet, if one listened closely, there were still many people discussing one after another.
"Is he really from Loki Familia?"
"Just registered as an adventurer? A rookie, right?"
"Loki Familia added another rookie..."
"It's probably not a simple guy."
"Human, huh? Seems to lack good racial skills compared to other races. Could he be someone with outstanding personal skills?"
"Who knows..."
The discussions continued endlessly, and some of it reached Riezel's ears. However, he paid them no heed.
After all, it wasn't something particularly strange. As one of the strongest Familias in Orario, Loki Familia was destined to be a focus of attention wherever they went. Since he had declared his affiliation with Loki Familia, it was normal for people around to discuss it.
Moreover, he felt that his presence might soon catch the eye of observant and conscientious individuals through various channels.
The addition of a rookie to Loki Familia might not be a big deal, but for those closely monitoring Loki Familia's movements, it was worth gathering information. Of course, they could only gather the information that Loki Familia had a new rookie named 'Riezel Brynhart' and nothing more.
As for specific information about him, it wasn't so easy for those people to find out.
Not long after completing the procedures, Riezel left the Guild and returned to the street. Instead of leaving directly, he wandered around on the street.
This street, located in the northwest direction of Orario, known as Northwest Street, was mainly frequented by adventurers due to its proximity to the Guild headquarters that managed the city and adventurers. Thanks to this, Northwest Street seized the opportunity and opened numerous shops catering to adventurers.
There were shops specializing in weapons and armor equipment, shops selling potions and special items, and many more. Such establishments were abundant on Northwest Street, to the point where the street had earned the nickname 'Adventurer's Street'.
Following Loki's instructions, Riezel needed to purchase weapons and armor, so there was no reason for him to leave directly.
'100,000 valis?'
As Riezel strolled down the street, he weighed the amount of startup capital he had.
'In Orario, 100,000 valis might not be chump change, but it's not exactly a fortune either.'
Here, a serving of fried noodles costs a few hundred valis, and a regular drink rarely exceeds a thousand valis in value. Determining whether this purchasing power was significant or trivial was a bit of a delicate matter.
'A bottle of ordinary potion for stamina recovery is worth around a thousand valis. A basic, cheap standard short sword is valued at a few thousand valis. When you calculate it like that, 100,000 valis does seem like a decent sum...'
However, Riezel knew that for truly powerful adventurers, 100,000 valis might be no more than pocket change.
Without delving into specifics, the equipment wielded by top-tier adventurers typically didn't fall below a million valis, often surpassing 10 million valis.
For instance, weapons ranged from a few thousand valis for standard ones to tens of millions or even over a hundred million valis for top-notch ones. Due to the ability of mortals to receive blessings and level up, there was a chance to obtain 'Blacksmith' development abilities. Depending on the blacksmith's skill and the level of the 'Blacksmith' ability, the crafted equipment varied in strength.
Generally, people classify special equipment into first-class equipment, second-class equipment, and third-class equipment based on these levels. Only top-tier blacksmiths with the 'Blacksmith' ability could craft equipment that fell into these graded categories, especially the magical ones with special effects.
In other words, even though Riezel had a startup capital of 100,000 valis, he might not have been able to afford a single piece of the lowest-level third-class equipment, let alone gather weapons and armor.
'It seems like I won't be able to afford special equipment for now.'
Riezel felt a bit disappointed.
Of course, it was only a slight disappointment.
It wasn't strange for a Level 1 rookie to be incapable of affording special equipment. Even Level 2 adventurers would generally find it challenging to afford special equipment. The use of special equipment was concentrated, around 90%, among adventurers at Level 3 and above.
Riezel thought he would have to wait a while before he could use special equipment with levels and effective effects.
'I'll just buy some higher-quality ordinary products then.'
Having accepted this reality, Riezel began browsing through the storefronts along the street.
Two hours later, he successfully gathered the equipment he needed.
Firstly, he spent 24,000 valis on a sword.
The sword was the kind that could be used with one hand, slender and lightweight, with relatively weak attack power but fast in speed, agility, and easy handling. It was the weapon Riezel found most suitable for himself after considering various options.
From the growth trends in his status, it was evident that his 'DEX' and 'AGI' had developed more, while 'STR' and 'END' were relatively less. This indicated that he leaned towards a faster, more skill-oriented fighting style.
Therefore, he chose a lightweight and slender sword as his main weapon, aiming to maximize his proficiency in speed and skill.
Besides the slender sword, he spent 11,000 valis on a short sword as a backup weapon, just in case.
As for armor, since heavy armor would hinder his movements and affect his speed and skill, he ultimately decided against high-defense metal armor. Instead, he opted for leather body armor.
This leather armor consisted of an inner layer protecting the upper body, armor for vital joints such as elbows and knees, while gloves and boots emphasized protection for hands and feet.
Whether it was the body-protecting inner layer or the joint-protecting armor, both were lightweight and could be worn under clothes, making them convenient protective gear.
Since they added almost no weight when worn on the body and didn't hinder movement, Riezel was immediately drawn to them and decided to put on this set of armor, especially the gloves and boots, which he knew from his earlier battle in the dungeon were highly practical.
It was all because he didn't bother with proper protection for his hands and feet yesterday. After a day of intense fighting, the hands that gripped the sword were literally worn down to the skin, and the fists pounding on the monster's body had some unknown injuries, bleeding who knows how much.
The same went for his feet; running around in a dungeon with regular shoes meant his feet ended up with skin scraped off in just a fraction of a minute. If it weren't for the Familia's senior providing him with a potion to quickly heal his injuries when he returned to the Familia yesterday, Riezel wouldn't be bouncing around like this today.
Adding the injuries from the intense battle that lasted one day and one night, it can only be said that, thankfully, the remarkably effective potion saved him. Otherwise, Loki, who saw his sorry state yesterday, wouldn't have let him off easily.
The whole set of armor alone cost Riezel a whopping 48,000 valis. With the expenses for the main and sub-weapons, he spent a total of 83,000 valis, leaving him with only 17,000 valis from the initial 100,000 valis.
This level of spending, this kind of pricey equipment, said with no trace of politeness, was definitely beyond the reach of a newly debuted Level 1.
Even the seasoned low-class adventurers among Level 1, with all their equipment combined, probably wouldn't surpass 30,000 valis. They pale in comparison to the quality of his equipment.
His equipment was already at the level of Level 2 adventurers.
'Is this good enough?'
After preparing the equipment, Riezel finally couldn't hold back and headed to Babel, entering the dungeon.
He couldn't wait.
Eager to test his new weapons and assess his current strength.
And the results were naturally pleasing.
*GRRR!*
When the Kobold, like an unyielding ferocious beast, lunged at Riezel as usual, he boldly charged forward incredibly fast.
*Pu-chi!*
A silver arc tore through the atmosphere, cutting through the Kobold's head as it pounced. The Kobold even maintained its pouncing posture in midair, unable to react at all, and its head was severed by the slender sword.
Blood sprayed, dyeing the ground red and the corpse of the Kobold in the bloody pool.
'So easy...'
Standing in front of the corpse, Riezel looked at his hands in amazement.
'My speed has become so fast, and I feel much stronger than yesterday. Just by enhancing basic abilities by one and two ranks, can there be such a significant change?'
This surprised and excited him.
'I am indeed getting stronger...'
After realizing this, he no longer felt just excitement but also a surge of determination for the efforts he had made so far.
'It's just a bit unfortunate that after getting stronger, enemies at this level probably won't excite me anymore.'
Riezel greedily eyed the corpse at his feet, his expression turning regretful. He still preferred challenges that were a bit more thrilling.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
The improvement in strength seemed to make it impossible for Riezel to engage in tense and thrilling battles with monsters as he did yesterday, leaving him without the excitement he felt before.
He moved forward, even descending through several floors, engaging in battles with monsters. Whether it was Kobolds or Goblins, renowned among the small fry, no matter how many gathered or what kind of attack they launched, he effortlessly dealt with them.
Not a single monster could react to his movements.
Not a single monster could withstand his strikes.
All Riezel needed to do was charge, swing his sword, and he could instantly kill any monster, easily breaking through their encirclement and wiping them out.
This gradually left him feeling dissatisfied.
'Just because my basic abilities have grown by one and two ranks, the monsters on the upper floors are completely insufficient to challenge me?'
Ignoring the monsters fallen all around, Riezel frowned deeply.
At this point, he had descended to the 4th Floor and reached the entrance to the 5th Floor.
'It seems like I need to continue pushing forward.'
Staring at the entrance to the 5th Floor, which resembled a cave opening, his eyes flickered.
'According to the records in the book and the experiences of the Guild and Familias, adventurers at my level are generally considered capable of exploring floors 5 to 7, right?'
Level 1 adventurers could conquer floors between the 1st and 12th. From the 13th Floor, Level 2 monsters appear, and the dungeon environment and monster output efficiency undergo a significant change. Floors starting from the 13th were considered forbidden zones for Level 1 adventurers.
The difficulty of conquering floors between the 1st and 12th was outlined by Guilds and Familias. For example, the 1st to 4th Floors were areas that adventurers with basic abilities between I and H could conquer. The 5th to 7th floors were for adventurers with basic abilities between G and F, and so on.
'My DEX and AGI are both at G-rank. According to the standards, the 5th floor should be relatively safe for exploration.'
Unlike last night, when he reached the 5th Floor and faced numerous life-threatening situations, Riezel should be able to safely conquer the floor now.
But...
"A safe conquest?"
Riezel murmured, then made a decision.
"Let's go to deeper floors."
Exactly.
He didn't need a safe conquest. If safety was the priority, he wouldn't have ventured into the dungeon alone without wearing any armor, wielding a mere decorative short sword, and challenging the dungeon right after receiving a blessing.
At that time, he didn't even reach G-rank; he didn't have any abilities at H-rank. His status proficiency was zero, and his physical qualities were no different from an ordinary person.
In such circumstances, he dared to enter the dungeon alone, even reaching the 5th floor. Now that he had grown, why would he settle for the so-called 'safe' conquest on the same floor?
Of course, such a decision was bound to be dangerous.
But so what?
Death isn't terrifying. What's terrifying is waiting for it.
At least, that was how Riezel saw it.
If he was destined to die, he'd rather it be on a path he chose, chasing freedom until he was worn out, rather than waiting for someone else to plot his murder, like in the main world.
So, he was running.
Running towards higher ground.
Sprinting towards bigger challenges.
"Let's go."
Without hesitation, Riezel charged towards the entrance of the 5th Floor.
===
It was night.
When the day had completely darkened, Riezel finally escaped the dungeon and returned to Twilight Manor.
This time, he managed to restrain himself and didn't spend another day and night inside the dungeon.
After dark, he had to go back to Orario and return to the manor, which was a strict order from Loki to him.
Given this, although somewhat reluctant, Riezel still followed her command and left the dungeon after dark.
Back at Twilight Manor, he cleaned himself up, changed into a set of clean clothes, and once again entered Loki's divine room.
The purpose, of course, was to update his status.
Perhaps because Riezel had been obedient, Loki, who was drinking in the room at that time, filled with the scent of alcohol, seemed quite pleased and readily agreed.
...
Riezel Brynhart
Level 1
STR: H184 → F385
END: H177 → F380
DEX: G202 → E431
AGI: G215 → E449
MAG: I0
...
Looking at the ridiculous growth status etched on Riezel's back after the updates, Loki's mouth twitched repeatedly.
'An overall ability proficiency increase of over 800...? Isn't this even more significant than yesterday's growth?!'
Loki felt her head buzzing.
What on earth was happening?
What in the world was going on?
The growth in status, especially as it approached S-rank, shouldn't slow down?
But this kid not only didn't slow down, he became even faster!
Last time, after battling in the dungeon for a full day and night, the total ability proficiency increased by just over 700. This time, in just a daytime, with time spent on adventurer registration and purchasing equipment, the growth speed not only didn't slow down but instead became faster?
It made no sense at all!
"You..."
Loki wanted to ask Riezel what he did after entering the dungeon, but upon careful consideration, she gave up. Her divine intuition told her that if she pursued this matter, she would likely be angry.
This kid surely did something dangerous again.
And indeed, he did.
If Loki knew that Riezel not only reached the 5th Floor today but also descended to the 7th Floor, she would absolutely be furious.
To ensure a good night's sleep tonight, Loki sensibly chose to change the topic.
"At this rate of growth, it won't be long before you can compete with some seasoned veterans who have struggled for several years at Level 1."
Loki's tone was somewhat lamenting.
Completing the journey that takes the average adventurer years in just two days? It was truly unbelievable.
"Perhaps you'll break the record for the fastest ascent to Level 2 and become the new record holder."
Loki's evaluation was extremely high.
"I hope so."
Riezel put on his clothes while looking at the translated status, lost in thought.
"Why do you look so concerned?" Loki, seemingly carefree, spoke bluntly. "Don't tell me you're dissatisfied with your growth speed. If you dare to humblebrag like that, I might just have to throw a punch at you."
"...You, a Goddess, actually use the term 'humblebrag'? I'm surprised..." Riezel, somewhat helpless. "I was thinking about MAG."
Loki understood Riezel's meaning.
"Are you concerned that your MAG hasn't grown at all?"
Loki voiced Riezel's thoughts.
"Yeah..." Riezel nodded. "The basic abilities are improving, but MAG remains the same. It feels very wasteful."
"I understand, I understand." Loki nodded repeatedly and wholeheartedly agreed with his train of thought. "With your inhuman growth speed, if you can't take advantage to boost MAG it does indeed feel like a waste of an innate skill."
'MAG' was different from the other basic abilities. While abilities like 'STR', 'END', 'DEX', and 'AGI' determined physical qualities and close combat abilities, 'MAG' belonged to a different system. It determined the strength and effects of magic.
For mages who relied on magic for victory and were not skilled in close combat, the importance of 'MAG' outweighed the other four basic abilities.
Even if one didn't train the other four basic abilities, focusing solely on the 'MAG' could still yield powerful combat strength, possibly even surpassing that of close combat specialists.
Magic, being a symbol of supernatural power, equivalent to a miracle, inherently possessed extraordinary power. In terms of status and power, it outclassed close combat.
Therefore, anyone with the opportunity would want to develop 'MAG', including Riezel.
'In the main world, I couldn't use magic anymore. Now, with new possibilities, having a chance to use magic again, if I don't make an effort, then it's my fault.'
Riezel silently contemplated in his mind.
The issue lay in—
"Kiddo, your magic doesn't seem like something you can use casually, yeah?"
Loki raised this question.
"Yes..." Riezel sighed, recalling his own magic.
...
MAGIC
Almighty
- Memorize magic.
- Activate specific magic based on memory.
- The strength of the magic is determined by the basic ability of 'MAG'.
- Only effective for valid magic.
...
This was the only magic that Riezel possessed, and it was an extremely versatile and potent magic with a high potential.
"Judging by the magic you've got, you should be able to activate any magic you've memorized. It's like being able to use all kinds of magic at once."
As Loki brought up this topic, Riezel's expression started resembling that of a monster, at least in her eyes.
'This magic, isn't this too outrageous?'
Loki couldn't help but complain inwardly.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR