Chapter 66: Breaking Records Again... and Leveling Up!
Even if neither of them dared to say it out loud, both Akira and Hephaestus understood it perfectly—only a thin, fragile wall remained between them. When that wall would crumble… was a matter of time and choice.
After getting dressed and washing up, the reddish hue on Hephaestus' face had mostly faded, though a hint of it still lingered at the edges of her cheeks.
"All right, let's update my Falna," Akira said with a relaxed grin.
"Mm. Lie down, I'll begin," Hephaestus replied.
Once Akira removed his shirt and turned his back to her, Hephaestus deftly picked up a silver needle from her box.
She pricked the tip of her finger, letting a single drop of divine blood fall onto the emblem of blessing etched on Akira's back. The Falna shimmered faintly, greedily absorbing the drop—awakening the hidden potential lying dormant in his body.
— — —
Shin Akira
Level: 3
Strength: I·0 → SSS·1199
Endurance: I·0 → SSS·1199
Dexterity: I·0 → SSS·1199
Agility: I·0 → SSS·1199
Magic: I·0 → SSS·1199
— — —
Magic:
Touch of Shadow
Shadow Domain
Flame of the Red Dragon
— — —
Skills:
King of the Shadowkhan
Greed
Shadow Force
Dragon Blood
— — —
Development Abilities:
Mage: D
Hunter: E
— — —
All of his stats had maxed out—each one surpassing the usual S-rank cap and soaring into SSS territory, reaching the absolute limit of 1199.
Even his Hunter ability had jumped to E-rank in a matter of days. Hephaestus had expected a significant boost after his clash with Ottar and the chaos in the Dungeon, but this… this went beyond expectations.
And to top it off—the requirements for a level-up had been fulfilled.
It was only natural. After all, a Level 3 adventurer defeating someone at Level 7? That alone was more than enough to qualify as a Feat of Achievement.
"Akira, you're ready to level up," Hephaestus said, her voice tinged with awe.
Her surprise this time was far greater than the last. It hadn't even been that long since his previous level-up… and here he was again, pushing beyond the limits like some kind of divine anomaly.
"Then let's do it," Akira said casually, though even he was a bit stunned.
He thought his stats might fall short, even if the feat itself was grand enough. But clearly, he had underestimated just how much that battle had changed him.
Hephaestus nodded and began the level-up process, updating the Falna once more.
"This time, you've unlocked quite a few new Development Abilities," she said. "So, which one do you want to pick?"
"What are the options?" Akira asked, curious.
"Let me see… Healing, Abnormal Resistance, Physical Resistance, Magic Resistance, Berserk, Mystery, and Luck."
"'Berserk'? What's that one do?"
"It's rare. It significantly boosts your combat power the longer you stay in battle. Think of it like a snowball effect—the more you fight, the stronger you become."
"Ah, like a Berserker class," Akira mused. "No, not for me. Just give me 'Luck.'"
"'Luck'? Not 'Mystery'?"
Hephaestus blinked in confusion. Mystery was one of the rarest and most powerful abilities out there.
Across all of Orario, you could count on one hand the number of adventurers who possessed it. It granted not just enhanced magic affinity—but also the ability to create magical tools and grimoires that few others could.
One member of Hermes Familia with Mystery had even revolutionized the market with his enchanted gadgets.
If Akira had taken it, and learned forging under Hephaestus… he could've crafted magic weapons that rivaled even divine-class relics.
But Akira simply shrugged. "Maybe later. For now, I'll take Luck."
"…If that's what you want, then okay."
— — —
Luck, too, was a strange and elusive stat. Unquantifiable, unpredictable—but never useless.
As someone who had crossed dimensions and lived to tell the tale, Akira valued luck more than most.
After all, it was luck that brought him here in the first place. Luck that gave him a cheat-like system. Luck that kept him alive in a world where death was just around every corner.
Take it all away—and he might've been just another nameless soul, lost and forgotten.
— — —
"All done," Hephaestus said with a soft exhale. "From today, you're officially a Level 4 adventurer."
If news of Akira's progress ever leaked out, Orario would explode with shock.
From Level 1 to Level 4 in under a month… Even Hephaestus doubted anyone would believe her if she told the truth.
— — —
[Ding!]
[You have gained 10% Inheritance Progress for Template!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You've acquired a new Skill: Shadow Canopy!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! You've unlocked a new Unit: Ogre Legion!]
One new skill. One new army.
Shadow Canopy—a terrifying ability that unleashed the full might of the Shadow Realm.
With it, Akira could blanket entire regions in shadow. Once engulfed, the area would become part of the Shadow Realm itself.
It reminded him of Tarakudo's final move in the anime—the moment when the King of the Shadowkhan released his Ultimate Darkness, consuming the world.
The Eight Generals split across the globe, spreading the darkness in all directions—north, south, east, west—transforming everything into shadow.
Akira suspected Shadow Canopy was a prototype of that same ultimate move.
If he could control it fully, he could flood an entire battlefield in shadow—making it his domain.
And if the entire world were to fall under that veil… then as the King of the Shadowkhan, Akira would truly reign supreme.
Even in the original series, Tarakudo didn't waste time battling every enemy directly. He drowned the world in darkness and ruled from there.
Now… Akira had taken a step closer to that same throne.
— — —
Shin Akira
Level: 3 → 4
Strength: SSS·1199 → I·0
Endurance: SSS·1199 → I·0
Dexterity: SSS·1199 → I·0
Agility: SSS·1199 → I·0
Magic: SSS·1199 → I·0
— — —
Magic:
Touch of Shadow
Shadow Domain
Flame of the Red Dragon
Shadow Canopy
— — —
Skills:
King of the Shadowkhan
Greed
Shadow Force
Dragon Blood
— — —
Development Abilities:
Mage: D
Hunter: E
Luck: I
— — —
As the new power surged through his body—and his inheritance progress climbed to 40%—Akira could finally feel the deepening connection with the Shadow Realm.
A comforting strength wrapped around him like a second skin.
He was getting closer.
Closer to becoming the undisputed ruler of shadow.
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