Genichi LV.2
Strength: SSS 1499 → 10
Endurance: SSS 1499 → 10
Dexterity: SSS 1499 → 10
Agility: SSS 1499 → 10
Magic: SSS 1499 → 10
Development Abilities: Mystery H, Magecraft H, Luck I
Magic: omitted
Skills: omitted
Genichi slowly sat up and rolled his shoulders. He could clearly feel it: the invisible boundary inside him, the limit that had been binding his growth, had been broken.
A brand-new LV.2 vessel, hungry for fresh power.
"Congratulations. You're officially an LV.2 adventurer now."
Demeter looked at Genichi with undisguised joy, almost motherly in its warmth.
Seven days.
Just seven days ago, the boy in front of her had still been a newborn adventurer who'd only just received a blessing and hadn't even set foot on the Dungeon's Third Floor.
Now he stood on a step that countless adventurers needed months, even years, to reach.
This kind of pace, even if it wasn't completely unprecedented in Orario's history, was more than enough to be the opening page of a legend.
Yet compared to Demeter's overflowing excitement, Genichi's face was nearly blank, calm to the point of indifference.
To him, this wasn't a miracle worth celebrating. It was simply the expected result of doing what had to be done.
"If I couldn't reach LV.2 in seven days with skills and magic like mine, then I'd be worthless."
His voice was flat, emotionless, like he was stating something obvious.
Devour. The abnormal growth from Greed and Ascension to Godhood. Plus that near-cheating spell catalog.
With factors like that stacked together, the "miracle" wasn't strange at all.
Demeter didn't seem surprised by his reaction. Over these days, she'd come to understand that harsh practicality and urgency embedded in his bones.
"About my level up," Genichi said, meeting her eyes, his tone absolute, "don't tell anyone."
Demeter's brows drew together slightly. Her fingers unconsciously wound a loose strand of hair.
"As your goddess, I can keep your secret and avoid registering your updated status with the Guild. But Lunoire…"
She paused.
"She's been your guard these past few days. I warned her not to pry too much, but in the Dungeon, especially during the fight where you killed that black wyrmling, she was there. Your growth rate… she's probably guessed most of it."
At the mention of Lunoire and that brutal battle, a faint, razor-like glint crossed Genichi's eyes.
Genos Angelus being exposed had been an accident.
But his level had to stay hidden.
"That's why I need you to handle it," Genichi said. "Talk to her. Properly."
He stressed the word "properly."
If he were strong enough, the cleanest solution would've been silencing her for good. But he couldn't. All he could do was rely on Demeter to at least buy him time to grow.
Demeter looked at him. Her child had just leveled up, and this should have been the moment he brimmed with pride. Instead, his gaze held only deep, still calm and an unyielding insistence.
She sighed, and the sound carried complicated feelings: pride in his growth, worry about whatever unseen pressure he was carrying, and a faint, helpless resignation.
"I'll speak with Lunoire. I'll make sure she doesn't leak anything about you. At least not for a while."
With the goddess's promise, the tension in Genichi's chest loosened a fraction.
He knew Demeter's gentle persuasion. If she intervened, Lunoire would likely keep quiet for some time.
Then Demeter stepped forward, opened her arms, and pulled Genichi into a soft embrace.
It was warm, caring, filled with a goddess's almost maternal presence.
Genichi stiffened slightly, but he didn't push her away.
Demeter's voice sounded near his ear, gentle but firm.
"I still can't fully understand what's forcing you from behind, making you fight so hard, making you so desperate to become stronger… but don't be so harsh on yourself. Don't carry all the pressure alone."
She loosened the hug, hands on his shoulders, looking at him with a serious gaze.
"Remember this. No matter what happens, no matter what enemy or hardship you face, you have me behind you. You have Demeter Familia. We may not be Orario's strongest faction, but this will always be your support. This will always be your home."
Her intention was pure comfort and support. She wanted him to know he wasn't alone in this city where gods walked openly, that there was still a place that would shelter him.
But hearing it made something complicated rise in Genichi's chest, almost a wordless, tired disbelief.
Support?
Home?
The words were warm, but in Genichi's worldview, they were also thin.
It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for Demeter's kindness and acceptance. It was that the cruelty inside him had already prepared a different kind of clarity.
In a world where gods set the rules of the game, gods themselves were heavily restricted.
They couldn't casually use divine power to interfere with the lower world, especially when it came to competition and killing among adventurers.
Most "protection" was either symbolic comfort or limited assistance within what the rules allowed.
If he truly got dragged into conflict with a powerful familia, or if certain gods with bad intentions set their sights on him, there was only so much Demeter could do.
She couldn't step in and fight for him, because that would violate divine law and the basic agreements between gods.
In the end, everything would still have to be solved by the power in his own hands.
And more than that, Dionysus was already watching Demeter Familia like a hawk.
When that situation boiled over, Demeter Familia becoming his support would be the least likely outcome. If anything, it would be fortunate if they weren't dragged down because of him.
"Thank you, Demeter-sama."
In the end, Genichi didn't say any of those cold, near-ruthless thoughts out loud. He only nodded slightly.
"I'll remember your kindness."
He gently stepped out of her hands and moved to the side of the room, picking up his gear: a fairly sharp longsword taken from a Mid-Level monster, and a bottle of low-grade healing potion provided by Demeter Familia.
"Next, I need to go deeper into the Dungeon," Genichi said as he checked his equipment. "An LV.2 vessel needs to be refilled. A base of 10 is low, but it also means the feedback loop for growth is faster. And with Greed and Devour together, hunting stronger monsters deeper down should be more efficient than grinding the shallow floors."
Demeter watched him snap back into planning mode, mapping his next steps as if the level up and the brief warmth had been nothing more than a minor interruption. She sighed again.
She knew it would be hard to change his pace or his mindset.
"I understand. Should Lunoire protect you again?"
"Not for now," Genichi said, shaking his head. "I just leveled up. I need to adjust to LV.2 physical specs and mana capacity on my own. And there are some fighting methods that aren't convenient with someone nearby."
What he meant, of course, was using the things that couldn't be seen: the forbidden magic and the Sacred Gear.
Going alone increased risk.
But it also gave him more freedom.
Demeter considered for a moment, then nodded. "All right. But be careful. At least rest with the familia today and leave tomorrow."
"And one more thing. I heard something vague about Loki Familia. After Riveria returned to the surface, she did go to see Loki immediately. I don't know what was said, but their interest in you probably won't fade quickly."
Genichi's gaze tightened.
Of course.
What was coming would come, sooner or later.
(End of Chapter)
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