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By the time Yuto stepped out of the dungeon, the sky outside had already been painted a vivid golden red. The brilliant setting sun, as if threatening to ignite, pierced through the drifting clouds above, casting one final glorious and radiant glow across the surface before sinking fully below the horizon.
After exchanging all the magic stones he'd collected for Valis and picking up some local ingredients, Yuto strolled casually toward Hephaestus's weapon shop. He was looking forward to spending a delightful dinner with the two goddesses.
…..
"I'm here, I'm here… Quick, let me check if you're hurt!"
The moment his figure appeared at the street corner, Hestia, who had been eagerly waiting at the door all day, couldn't contain herself and dashed over. Her hands patted and prodded his body, checking him over from head to toe.
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine," Yuto reassured her, letting the girl's soft little hands roam freely over him. With a light chuckle, he handed her a seemingly heavy black bag.
"Here, a gift for you."
"Eh? What is it? It's so heavy!" Hestia instinctively took the weighty bag. Her face lit up with delight at first, but then her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she whispered, "You don't have to fuss over gifts for me or anything…"
"We're just getting started, and everything costs money. You're risking your life in the Dungeon…don't go wasting it on me!"
What makes a good woman? Someone like Hestia, who constantly thinks about easing your burdens. In modern society, a girl like her is rarer than a giant panda.
Yuto affectionately ruffled her smooth black hair. "Relax. With me around, you'll never have to worry about money. Go on, open it and see."
"Eh, alright… I'll take it this time, but next time, you better not…" Hestia mumbled on, though the joyful smile creeping across her face betrayed her true feelings. After being alone and overlooked for so long, this was the first time she'd received such heartfelt care.
"Wow, a necklace! It's gorgeous… Eek, and so many magic stones?!"
"One, ten… H-how many are there? Yuto, I can't even count them all!!"
Inside the black bag, alongside a pile of hefty magic stones, lay a stunning sapphire necklace in a deep, oceanic blue. Watching the blue-ribbon goddess gape in shock, Yuto's lips curved into a faint smirk.
"I cleared out every monster on the 15th floor, plus a few Minotaurs. Adds up to about this much, I guess."
"Eh? Minotaurs? Don't they usually show up on the 17th floor? Why were they on the 15th…?" Hestia's eyes widened even further. "And… the monsters down there aren't exactly pushovers! I remember big tigers, lion-tiger fangs, worms, bats, all those tough beasts. How did you, at Level 1, get that far in just half a day?!"
Yuto shrugged nonchalantly and slipped the sapphire necklace onto the still-dazed goddess. "Pretty normal, honestly. With my strength, clearing the whole Dungeon in a day wouldn't be a stretch."
"T-this… how is this normal?!" Hestia, floored by this surreal bombshell, nearly blurted out a snarky retort at his casual flex.
'The 15th floor, seriously!!'
Most newbie adventurers would be lucky to reach the second floor solo on their first run. Yet her Familia's leader had stormed straight to the 15th on his debut?! Even with her inklings of his potential, this sheer power left her utterly floored.
Seeing Hestia's mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg, Yuto's expression turned a bit helpless. "This is just the start. With my skills, shouldn't you be expecting even more from me?"
"Hehe… I didn't think that far!" Snapping back to her senses, Hestia giggled and tugged at his arm playfully. "I've hit the jackpot with you! Hurry up, let's go, I need to see if your level's gone up!!"
Without waiting for a reply, the blue-ribbon goddess dragged him into a room, yanked off his shirt, and shoved him onto the bed.
Drip…
As divine blood began to trickle, Yuto's personal stats underwent a fresh transformation:
Yuto Arari
Lv. 2
Strength: ???
Endurance: ???
Dexterity: ???
Agility: ???
Magic: ???
Magic: [ ], [ ], [ ]
[Skills]: [Baptism Rite], [Mana Burst], [Primordial Runes], [Robust], [Dragonslayer]…
…..
In the original Danmachi story, only Bell, with his growth-hacking "Liaris Freese" skill stands out. Normally, no one's stats break past S (999). But Yuto's absurdly broken numbers, too high to even display, show that leveling up barely boosts him anymore. His strength has already blown past level caps, hitting the absolute limit of human potential.
Leveling up once in a single day? That's rocket speed. Even Sword Princess Ais took a full year to reach Level 2, at age eight, tying a historic record and stunning all of Orario and beyond. But compared to this guy, who levels up like it's nothing, even a shock-numbed Hestia couldn't help trembling.
"What's wrong? Are my stats bad or something?" Seeing the silent goddess perched on his back, Yuto flipped over, pulling the curvy little goddess into his arms. He leaned in to peek at the parchment.
"Looks solid to me."
"(＞0＜) You… are you a reincarnated god or what?!" Hestia didn't resist his closeness. She wiggled her perky hips, settling more comfortably in his embrace, then turned her head to squint suspiciously at his handsome face. "One level in a day? I bet you'd hit Level 6 in less than a week!"
"Pretty standard. I wiped out almost everything on the 15th floor. Oh, and earlier, I took down some of Goddess Freya's Familia warriors; four Level 5s. Probably racked up a decent chunk of experience there."
Thanks to Danmachi's quirky leveling system, he didn't skyrocket to Level 7 in a day. Still, this insane pace was enough to leave anyone jaw-dropped and doubting reality.
"Freya? You mean… the Goddess of Beauty, Freya?!" Hestia, who'd been happily nuzzling his chin, froze at the name. She flipped over, straddling him with a nervous glare. "She's gorgeous, but don't you dare let that vixen trick you!"
That beauty goddess, always sporting a sultry smile, outshone even the divine crowd, ensnaring countless gods' hearts. But her loose morals? Infamous. For profit, she'd bed anyone who joined her Familia, even the ugly Gulliver Brothers weren't spared. To Yuto, a "public bus" like her wasn't worth a glance.
He sat up, pinching her soft, springy cheek with a serious look. "Chill. I've got zero interest in her."
"Hehe, good!" Hestia, ever easy to please, beamed innocently. Seeing her pure, radiant smile, Yuto couldn't bear to let his sweet goddess feel slighted. Why chase Freya when one of the heavens' three pure goddesses, Hestia, was right here?
The two cuddled a bit longer, Hestia's face flushing as Yuto sneakily took some liberties. Her big, pretty eyes started to glaze over…
Yuto took a deep breath, ready to push further, when Hephaestus's impatient voice cut through from outside.
"Hey, you two! Weren't you supposed to treat me to dinner? What're you hiding in there for? My stomach's about to cave in!!"
"Goddesses get hungry too?" Yuto teased, leading a disheveled, red-faced Hestia out.
"Hmph!" Hephaestus shot him an irritated glance. "Kid, there's a time and place for flirting. This is my turf."
Though the sexy forging goddess remained pure and untouched, she couldn't ignore these two getting cozy in her office.
"Aha, got it," Yuto replied lazily, buttoning up his shirt. His gaze, though, lingered briefly on Hephaestus's long, toned legs hugged by black pants. 'Huh… why's the fabric near her thighs darker, like it's wet?'
"Y-you… what're you staring at?!" Caught off guard, Hephaestus's mature, striking face turned beet red. Her plain suit and jeans actually flattered her tall, graceful frame, the tight fabric accentuating her curves, especially the eye-catching sway at her chest, despite the buttoned-up collar.
A mature, athletic build like hers might not appeal to everyone, but to Yuto, she radiated undeniable allure.
Hestia, oblivious to her friend's fluster, still had a faint blush as she clung to Yuto's sleeve. "Yuto, I wanna eat your cooking~~"
"Alright, I'll whip something up," he said, heading to the kitchen. Eyeing the pile of otherworldly ingredients, a smirk tugged at his lips.
…..
Two hours later, the two goddesses with round bellies, slouched in the dining chairs, grinning with rare, unladylike satisfaction.
"This is way too good!! Yuto, are you some secret master chef?!" Hestia's watery eyes sparkled with awe. "I've never eaten anything this delicious!!"
"Gotta hand it to you, kid, you've got skills," Hephaestus admitted. Even she, usually indifferent to food, had dug in today. Her dark red eyes studied Yuto's tall frame, a plan brewing.
'Handsome, crazy strong, and a killer cook… this guy's gonna be drowning in girls someday. Should I snag him for my familia?'
Her radiant face flushed red. 'N-no, it's not like I like him! Just… his food's really good, that's all!'
"Hey, Yuto, wanna be my personal chef? Money's no issue."
"Hey!!! Yuto's mine! How dare you steal my man!!" Hestia leapt up, glaring at the goddess in menswear, cheeks puffed in fury.
"Call it rent for all the time you've mooched off me," Hephaestus quipped, rolling her eyes elegantly. "You know how much it costs to keep you fed and housed here daily?!"
"Hmph, big deal… I-I'll pay you back!" Hestia's bravado fizzled, her guilty glance betraying her.
"Wanna see the bill first?" Hephaestus sighed, watching Hestia cling to Yuto's arm like a lifeline.
"Thanks, but I'd rather stick with my goddess," Yuto said with a smile.
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