The morning after Noah's stat update, Hestia paced the small chapel like a tiger in a cage.
Her arms were crossed. Her lips were tight. Her eyes burned with stress.
Noah sat at the table, calmly polishing Heaven's Judgement. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"You've walked a groove into the floor."
"Do you know what you've done?" she snapped.
"I survived. Got stronger. Bought dinner."
"You made enemies!"
He looked up, amused. "Did I?"
"You killed a Minotaur solo, while still level one. You're running around with weapons no one's ever seen before. And you've got skills I can't even read. People are going to notice!"
"Let them."
Hestia stepped forward, slapping her hands on the table. "You don't understand Orario. The gods here… they play games. Political, dangerous games. If someone like Freya decides she wants you—"
"Then she'll be disappointed."
"Noah…"
Her voice softened.
"They won't come at you directly. They'll try to bribe you. Steal you. Or worse... target me. Because I'm the weak link."
Noah's expression changed. His joking vanished like smoke.
He stood and closed the space between them, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen to me, Hestia. I chose you. I don't care how powerful they are, or what tricks they try. I'm not leaving."
"But if they—"
"They won't."
He leaned in slightly, voice firm.
"And if they try to touch you, I'll make sure they regret it."
Hestia looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat. His words weren't boastful. They were steady. Solid.
She nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
But in the back of her mind, she still felt the chill of something dangerous approaching.
---
Across the city, on the highest balcony of Babel Tower, Freya watched the Dungeon entrance with serene intensity.
She didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Just stared.
"Noah," she whispered.
Behind her, Ottarl knelt, waiting.
"Has he returned to the Dungeon?"
"Yes, my lady," Ottarl said. "Floor six. Alone."
She smiled. "Already pushing deeper. Good. He's not one to linger in the shallow water."
"And Hestia?" he asked.
Freya's gaze turned slightly colder. "Still clinging to him. How pitiful."
She turned away from the view and faced Ottarl directly.
"Keep watching. Do not engage him yet."
"And if another Familia approaches?"
"Then they die."
Her voice was gentle, almost musical. But her eyes gleamed like razors.
---
Meanwhile, in the Guild, Eina rubbed her temples and stared at Noah's file again. His growth was unprecedented. His rise too fast. She could already see the patterns forming.
People were talking.
Too many people.
And now, new names were starting to appear in conversations alongside his.
Bell Cranel, a white-haired rookie from Hestia Familia—except… there was no Bell. Not this time.
Just Noah.
The city would have to adjust.
And the gods wouldn't take it quietly.
---
Down in the sixth floor of the Dungeon, the air was damp and suffocating. The terrain shifted. Slippery moss coated the walls, and the monsters were faster now—needle rabbits that struck in swarms, giant frogs with whip-like tongues, and agile lizardmen that could block attacks.
But Noah… was smiling.
He danced through battle, pistols flashing fire and steel. Every step, every dodge, every shot—fluid, efficient, beautiful.
[Skill Acquired: Serpent Reflex Lv1] – Slight chance to auto-dodge physical strikes.
[Flame Core Resonance Lv3] – Critical rate +10% while dual-wielding.]
The deeper he went, the more his system evolved.
And he wasn't just fighting monsters anymore.
He was learning how to command the battlefield.
At one point, a team of three adventurers entered the room where he was finishing off a lizardman.
They froze.
He glanced back, half-turning with a grin. "Sorry, did I clear your spawn?"
"N-no," one of them stammered. "We were just… exploring."
"Careful," Noah said, spinning one of his pistols idly. "This floor's a bit too much for people who still flinch when they see blood."
They stared as he walked past them, cloak fluttering behind him like something out of a storybook.
"…Who the hell is that guy?" one whispered.
"Noah," the other replied. "From Hestia Familia."
"You're kidding. That Hestia?"
"The very one."
And just like that, the rumor spread deeper.
---
By nightfall, Noah returned to the surface, worn but not wounded.
Hestia was waiting on the steps of the church, hugging her knees.
She stood the second she saw him.
"You're late."
"You worry too much," he said, handing her a small pastry bag. "But here. Bribe."
She peeked inside. "Strawberry cream puffs?"
"Your favorite."
"…You're forgiven."
He chuckled and sat beside her.
For a while, they just watched the stars.
Then she said, "Do you regret joining me?"
He turned to her, surprised. "No. Why?"
"Because you're getting stronger faster than anyone else. And I… I'm just a tiny goddess with no money, no fame, no legacy."
He was quiet for a second.
Then he stood, stretched, and said, "Come with me."
"Huh?"
He held out his hand.
"Let's go inside. I want to show you something."
---
She followed him into the backroom where she usually updated his status.
He knelt, removed his shirt, and laid on the bed.
"You want me to check your progress again?" she asked.
"No. I want you to see how far we've come."
She hesitated… then sat beside him.
She pricked her finger and let her blood flow once more.
The blue glow returned.
And when she saw the numbers…
She gasped.
> [Noah – Level 1]
Strength: C
Agility: D
Endurance: D
Dexterity: D
Magic: H
Skills: Fusion Warrior, Human Chimera, Flame Core Resonance (Lv3), Rapid Step, Strength Boost, Serpent Reflex
Magic: Locked
Equipment: Heaven's Judgement (Sealed)
"These are mid-level two stats," she whispered. "And you're still level one…"
He looked at her over his shoulder. "Told you I'm not leaving you behind."
Her hands trembled.
She leaned over him, resting her forehead against his bare back.
"Noah… I won't let them take you from me."
He smiled.
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere."
---
But outside, in the highest reaches of the city, the gods whispered.
And in the depths of the Dungeon, something ancient stirred.
Noah's journey was only beginning.
But Orario?
It was already changing because of him