Mana Burst was a no-chant magic, and the training space replenished his energy instantly. By practicing every second without rest, Levi successfully pushed his second skill to its peak.
However, the magic still had potential. Currently, only "Shroud" and "Circle" were truly maximized. "Blade" and "Shield" were limited by his Mana Manipulation proficiency—he could buff his gear, but he couldn't fire off mana waves like sword beams or create a barrier around his body yet.
Levi didn't obsess over it. Since Mana Burst had hit a temporary ceiling, he turned his focus to other skills that could boost his immediate combat power.
For example...
— Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
Levi had acquired this skill ten years ago, alongside Mana Burst. However, the growth rate of their proficiencies was on entirely different levels. It made sense; Mana Burst was limited only by Levi's own mana pool, while martial arts like swordsmanship and archery required not just physical stamina, but the tempering of actual combat.
In fact, from the moment he entered the Labyrinth City until today, his proficiency in Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu had risen from Adept 1% to 9%. This wasn't even his limit—given his cautious nature, he had yet to truly challenge a powerful foe. While real combat accelerates martial growth, day-after-day practice is far from useless.
A 10-day Skill Proficiency Voucher burned in his inventory. One second later in the real world, the experience bar ticked up by 1%.
10%... 11%... 12%... 21%... 31%... 40%...
Each 10-day voucher provided roughly 1% of Adept-level proficiency. A 100-day voucher was ten times that. When his stockpile of five Mana Recovery Potions—held for ten years—was finally depleted, the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu proficiency on his status panel had quietly reached Adept 61%.
Levi was someone who could endure long periods of solitude; he had trained himself for a decade, after all. If he had a way to recover mana faster than just potions and sleep, he would have burned through every voucher he owned. Even so, the boy lying on the bed decided that after coming out of the Dungeon tomorrow, he would hit a pharmacy for more mental recovery potions. He was determined to push his swordsmanship to Master rank before entering the Middle Floors the day after.
Time to sleep.
It was still early, but his mental energy was depleted. He wasn't at the point of fainting, but his focus was starting to scatter. Just as he was about to close his eyes, the bedroom door was pushed open.
Pure moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating the face of a twin-tailed Goddess who had just finished her bath and changed into a robe. She looked so holy it felt like one shouldn't approach her—yet it paradoxically made one want to defile that sanctity.
"Hestia?"
Levi's drowsiness vanished instantly at her appearance. Seeing his shocked, confused expression, Hestia smirked, an ambiguous smile playing on her lips. "Yes, it's me~"
"Why are you here?" Levi asked, despite having a good guess.
"Me?" Hestia pointed at herself. Instead of playing the shy little girl, she threw a direct "Fastball." "Hehehe~ I'm here to sleep with my boyfriend, of course!"
With a little "Heup!", she hopped onto the bed and pounced on him.
Levi rubbed his nose. "Isn't this moving a bit... fast?"
He loved Hestia, and because of that, he wanted to win her heart piece by piece. However, whether in his past life or this one, he was only human. As a short-lived race, it was impossible for him to truly grasp the concepts of a long-lived race, let alone an immortal one.
"Eh? Fast?" Hestia tilted her head, not quite catching his meaning at first. But as a Goddess who had lived for millions of years, even a virgin one knew plenty. She covered her mouth and giggled. "I didn't think you were so pure, Levi. I expected you to be more of a predator~"
Levi shrugged. "I can't help it. I want your body, but I want your heart too."
"My, you certainly have a way with words, especially for someone with such a clean scent."
"That's because from the first moment I saw you, I decided I'd give my 'first time' to you."
Hestia pushed against his chest. "A boy saying that isn't charming at all."
"Really? I don't believe you. Your heart is beating quite fast right now, Hestia."
And why do you think that is? Shouldn't you ask your hand, which is moving further and further down my waist?
Hestia puffed out her cheeks and pinned down his wandering right hand. "Stop moving. I'm just here to help you rest today."
"Alright." Levi had just finished a grueling training session. Though his instincts were stirred by the Goddess's presence, his energy was low. He pulled the lovely girl into his arms and lay back down, his eyes slowly closing. "Goodnight, Hestia."
Hestia snuggled into his chest. She was about to say something when she heard light snoring. Realizing he was truly exhausted, she smiled and hugged him back.
Goodnight, Levi.