7.5K words.
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"Aoharu!"
"Aoharu!"
""Aoharu time!""
"Ugh…"
'Someone… someone save me.'
A single tear ran down Ais' right eye as she stood at a classroom's podium beside a god.
'How... how did I get here?'
…
/Later that day…/
"Ehhhhh…"
Ais' face was pale, cold sweat running down her forehead as her spirit seemed to float above her…
"…"
Leon stood before the collapsed Ais as she lay down on a bench in the middle of the road. He looked between her and the slightly embarrassed deity beside her and couldn't help but exhale loudly.
After sighing, he looked at the deity and asked, "How did this happen?"
The deity scoffed, "First Class adventurers aren't as robust as I imagined. All this melodrama for nothing, humph." Idun said, crossing her arms and looking away
Leon looked at Ais with pity, "I don't think the issue here is her stamina…"
'It's more that she's mentally exhausted?'
'Also, why do I feel this scene is rather familiar?'
"… How did she get here in the first place?"
"I saw her gawking at the School District at the pier this morning as I came back from doing some groceries and thought she'd do a fine assistant… Blond hair and all, her looks fit perfectly for the quiet and cold assistant type I've always wanted to have." Idun replied as she looked at Ais' suit
Idun brushed her hair aside, "But she left me disappointed. Absolutely no sexiness! I didn't take her for the airhead type… such a waste…"
Leon brushed his eyebrows, trying to make sense of the situation, "… I'll skip the details… Do you even know why she's here? The children of the Loki Familia don't come by often."
"Who knows?" Idun said as she shrugged
"…"
'She definitely knows something…'
"Ugh…"
Ais grumbled as her eyelids trembled. Whatever she had experienced, it came back to her in her dreams…
"She seems fine to me. I'll go get someone to escort her out then. I wager she had enough for some sightseeing… and some more."
/Shuaa…/
The cold wind of winter blew past them as Idun held her dress. Between Ais and Leon, she clicked her tongue in disappointment as Ais trembled on the cold bench like an abandoned puppy.
"I didn't even do that much. How can she be as frail as she looks? Compared to him, the term First Class is lost on her… I'll have to remind Loki how to raise children." Idun added as a flash of light passed by her eyes
"Please don't." Leon voiced as his face slumped
He remembered the last time she and Loki bickered… he definitely didn't want the trouble again.
"#!! You…"
"Te…"
Before Idun could complain, Ais reached out to Leon's leg and held it.
"Hm?"
"Teach… me…"
"…"
Things finally seemed to click. Seeing her look at him and hold on to him reminded him a little of a certain someone.
'Could they have a connection? They do say the world is quite small…'
While Ais barely moved, she seemed to be recovering her mental power.
"So that's what you wanted… anything to say for yourself?" Leon asked as he turned to Idun
Idun tapped her chest as she looked proud, "It is merely my job as a professor to profile our students, especially those who wish to go under your wing, Professor Leon."
"We can't have those unwilling to take up your precious time."
"Haaa… and since when were you the one to decide that?"
"Since the time you caused half a classroom to spend an afternoon in the infirmary! I'm doing this for them, not you!" She spat out as her eyes sharpened
"…"
'Fair enough.'
"As for her… poor thing doesn't deserve whatever you're going to throw at her. It's unfit for a lady, so I got her worked up through the day. So how about we just go our ways…"
"No…" Ais said as she pushed herself off the chair, "I came here… to grow stronger!"
Idun grimaced while Leon chuckled.
"You heard her. I didn't say a thing."
"You're making this overly complicated… fine. But when Loki comes and starts complaining, it's between you and Baldr. I'm not talking with that rude troublemaker again!"
"She's your responsibility now."
Idun left with a puff of her cheeks as she walked down the street.
"Haaa… there she goes… she's going to be pissed about this for at least half a month." Leon said with a sigh as he turned to Ais
Placing one arm behind his back, he reached out to her and helped her stand.
"I suppose introductions are unneeded… Sword Princess."
"Knight… of Knights." She replied with a nod
"Here, I'm called Professor Leon, and if you wish to learn under me, get used to calling me that as well."
"Yes, Professor... Leon…"
The words didn't feel right in her mouth. If anything, it reminded Ais of a time she'd rather forget…
Leon smirked, "Not much of a talker. Very well, that makes things simpler… you aren't that different from him in that regard."
'Although he doesn't hesitate to throw some snarky comments my way…'
"… Him?"
"My other student. Perhaps you met him? Young man with rare platinum-colored eyes and the smug expression of someone who's up to no good. Loves to show off, from looks to the way he speaks."
"…"
Despite the somewhat vague description, a single person passed before Ais' eyes… before she nodded, "I've met him before."
"It really is a small world out there. Given you've done something as daring as come all the way here to challenge me, I wagered it was his idea. Only he would have the gal to do such a thing." Leon added with a smile
"Or coerce someone else to do the same… To think he'd throw someone like you my way. He sure loves to work me to death… At least you took the proper way inside… albeit the both of you ended up in Idun's hands."
"Proper way inside?"
"Ah, yes…" Leon said as he smiled awkwardly, "You tried to come in through the front gates, correct? He… flew here." He added with an awkward smile as he scratched his chin
"…"
Ais looked at the sky and pictured the scene. Why did it sound so… clear?
"Looks like I wasn't the only one he left a powerful impression on… Well… shall we begin? Or would you rather we schedule a proper meeting?"
His smile deepened, "I'll say this now, but I'll only give you one chance. You heard her, my training is by no means light."
Ais' grew serious, stepping forward without hesitation, "I will fight."
Leon smiled, but did not reply.
He merely walked away, and Ais followed.
…
Ais stepped inside the gymnasium as Leon walked to a sword stand on the side.
She looked around, signs of damage and tear, with strange sights such as charred ground and puddles of water, were scattered everywhere, together with ominous patches of red.
'What happened here?' She thought as she looked around
Seeing this, Leon sighed in helplessness, "These guys… sigh… Can't say if this is laziness or a form of protest… but that works just fine for us."
'They must be getting tired of cleaning this up every morning... can't say I blame them.'
He smiled lightly, "Phew… I feel like I've been here more than I've been in class… it's a change of pace."
Leon turned around, now facing Ais, "Pick a weapon that most fits you. You'll find them lacking compared to your traditional equipment, but don't hold back. We can always get more if one breaks."
"I wasn't expecting someone of your caliber to seek me out, so we'll have to make do with this for now."
"Alright."
Ais agreed with little hesitation, taking hold of a long and somewhat thicker rapier, just short of a longsword.
"Excellent. I don't think I need to remind you not to hold back."
She nodded, getting into a stance.
"Very well, then. I've always been curious about Loki's most favored child. The record holder that's on everyone's lips."
Leon unsheathed his training sword, "Show me your skills, Sword Princess!"
/Fwoosh!/
Ais dashed forward, her golden hair waving in the frigid wind.
…
Time passed, amidst the constant preparations, Silver found himself immeasurably busy as he spent most of his time, if not all of it, on the Dungeon.
From morning till dawn, except when he had critical business, such as paying his debts or meeting with the Loki Familia, or his training with Leon, he spent little time outside the Dungeon.
Thankfully, most were busy with their own activities, so he wasn't requested more than needed, cooperating when requested.
Three days passed, and the fourth day of the year ended as Silver and Hestia welcomed the fifth day.
Today, he wasn't going to the Dungeon for the day before, the Loki Familia loaded many of their supplies into his storage, and to comply with their agreement, he avoided going into the Dungeon on his own, spending his time at home furthering his research and tying loose ends before the expedition the day before.
The sixth day of the year, that would be the time their expedition would commence!
…
/CLANG!/
Leon parried Silver's attack, swiping his sword, he sent him flying across the arena.
/Boom!/
Despite Silver's ragged looks, Leon was perfectly fine, only slightly dirty in some areas but not because of struggle.
/Tap…/
Leon tapped his shoulders, wiping off the dust and smog Silver had thrown at him moments before.
"Hum…"
'There hasn't been much progress. Could it be that his unique magic is not applicable? Or is something else inhibiting him from performing it?'
'Nonetheless… if he can't learn it like this, then I'll just have to teach him directly. I'd preferred if he achieved it the same way I did, but sometimes, children need a little push to start running.'
/Crackle…/
Silver coughed dust as he pushed a small stone from his chest. He wiped the corners of his lips, spitting some blood on the ground afterward.
"Let's close it here for today." Leon declared as he rested his sword of light on his shoulder
"Huff… you sound disappointed."
"It isn't as much your fault as it is mine." He said as he looked at his hands, "I'm just trying to do things the old-fashioned way."
Snowflakes flew into the arena from above, some falling into his hands, melting soon after.
"We'll continue this training after you return. Just in time for I needed to take care of some personal issues."
Silver was lost in thought. He had noticed long ago that Leon had another goal in bashing that golden blade against his head every morning.
At first, he didn't quite know what he was trying to teach him, but amidst the flurry of strikes, his blade would often shine brighter or dimmer, as if the very magic within it was being manipulated.
Silver knew mages could alter the potency of their spells, and although Leon wasn't one, he never doubted his skill to have reached such a level… yet a part of him felt it wasn't quite right.
What exactly what that strange flow whenever he swung his blade? What exactly was he expecting him to perform?
He drew attention to his blade. Shatter it, he demanded… an impossible task for a Level 1 like him. His magic alone couldn't achieve it, so what was his true intention?
"…"
Silver looked at his ragged clothes and injured palms. How many times had his skin peeled and reformed?
'I had my doubts… but I think I get it now, what he's been trying to teach me. I figured something was off about his actions. If he wanted to teach me how to fight, there were better ways to do it.'
'If he wanted to teach me discipline, there were better ways to do it. Leon isn't the kind of guy to beat someone up for no reason. And he isn't someone to waste a week taking blows from me without a reason either.'
'He wanted me to see something and repeat it… I figured that was his goal sometime ago, but when I came to terms with it, I was in disbelief for I didn't even think such a thing was possible, but I have to face reality here.'
"Don't go looking all depressed just yet." Silver said as he clenched his fist
"I still have one last trick left to show you."
'If it works or not, it doesn't matter! I'll try it at least once, my terms!'
'This technique of yours…'
/Crack…/
He closed his fist as red energy enveloped it.
Lightning…
Fire…
Ice and even the rocks on the ground.
Chaotic energy spun around his right fist as he entered a stance.
Leon smiled as he turned his head. The golden blade was drawn before his chest as his eyes seemed to invite him in.
A warrior's agreement ensued, and with it, Silver vanished.
/SLASH!/
Leon cut down with one hand, already anticipating where Silver would strike… or perhaps… he knew Silver would strike true and without fear, exactly where he was most vulnerable.
To stand before the blade of a champion, his student had never flinched.
Silver reappeared directly before him, his fist, covered in gray light, collided with the blade!
/BOOM!/
/SHUA!/
A wave of energy was released from the fist, only to be cleaved by the sword as the air and ground behind Leon split open!
In that split second, Silver noticed Leon's expression.
For a second, his expression was not knightly at all. He put all his being, all of his experience, into that strike, cleaving through everything Silver threw at him effortlessly.
A wide smile appeared on his lips as his expression grew ferocious. His blond hair flowing behind him, he seemed to realize why people called him a Lion.
/CUT!/
What followed was a flash of light. Silver's strike was enveloped by the Lion's charge, engulfed by its all-consuming maw.
The lion's teeth sank into his flesh, from his fingers to his elbow, his forearm was cleanly split in half, the light cutting through beyond, it reached from the ground, leaving behind a deep scar of light that made its way into the distance, exploding as it collided with the gymnasium's wall.
/Booom!/
As the echoes and airwaves burst behind him, Silver looked upward to see a satisfied man, his white teeth looking down at him from above.
Without him even noticing it, his legs had given in, the ground beneath him cracking and collapsing as he sank down from the pushing force of their collision.
He looked at his arm, a clean cut had been left from the right side of his middle finger all the way to his elbow. Feeling a little numb, the flowing blood came to a halt as Silver got to his feet, rising from the rubble.
As the fallen piece of flesh that was his forearm flew to his arm, his bones, muscles, and skin bubbled as his blood steamed, reattaching each part and fusing them into one once more, "That hurt." He said as he opened and closed his fist.
"…"
Leon didn't seem to mind the body horror before him; he had seen this student of his do much worse in the time they had spent together.
Meanwhile, Silver then looked at his hand, the feeling of what he had done still strong, "How was it?"
He was ready to be praised. To be reinforced by the hero's words as always… as even a beating could be considered praise, for he knew that the greater the intensity of their training was, the greater the faith the Knight of Knights put in him.
But instead of that, Leon stepped forward, holding onto his arm, his eyes bulging, he showed another expression he had never seen before, "What the hell did you do?!"
"Huh?"
Silver's expectations were shattered by Leon's disbelief. This was the first time he had seen the lion so lost and confused.
Even when he cut off his arm in an attempt to land a hit on him, he showed little reaction when he reattached it. So what could've made him like this?
"How did you perform afterglow with only your fist?!"
"What?"
'Was there such a condition?'
Now that he thought of it, Silver had never seen Leon use his technique on anything else besides his golden blade. At first, he thought it was part of his training, but perhaps there were other reasons he stuck with it instead of an ordinary blade?
…
After a short moment of rest, Silver finally approached Leon who was now in deep thought on the arena's side next to the training weapons.
Leon did not turn back, focusing instead on a sword he took from the training rack, "Most aren't aware of it, but Afterglow isn't originally my technique."
"It was a technique created by the champions of the past. An exclusive technique of the male and female deities that shaped this era… and one I stole from them."
Leon continued, brushing his disorderly hair aside, "There aren't many still able to use this technique. And if there's any sort of manual out there… it is not available to anyone, for all that possess it acquire it the same way, just like you."
Leon turned to face Silver, "We took it from another through combat… I called it Afterglow, a name that has stuck around it seems."
"That… seems like an extremely ineffective training method…" Silver pointed out as he pinched his arm, slowly getting the numbness out of his bones
Leon let out a dry laugh as he put the sword back on the training rack, "You're right."
"The Hera Familia was known for being lazy in sharing information with the Guild, while everything else shared by the Zeus Familia… well, who can confirm exactly how much the Guild itself says they shared?"
"The Guild fears their achievements, for the people of today are nowhere ready to face the brilliance of their predecessors… they fear they will be crushed by the realization of their own ineptitude when compared to theirs."
"Ironically enough, this small part of them moved on with time… unintentionally, it became known as the sharpest blade of modern times."
"… What a way to flaunt your own ego." Silver snickered as he applied a potion to his forearm
/Bonk!/
"ARG!"
Leon smacked Silver's head without even moving from his eyes… only before this young man could he act a little more freely, a fact he appreciated quite a bit.
"Afterglow is a technique that utilizes a strengthening magic or Skill on a bladed weapon to create a shockwave slash that can reach a target beyond one's reach."
"While strengthening magic can be limited to only enhancing physical strikes, we generate a shockwave to reach said targets while retaining, if not enhancing, its destructive potential."
"For being nothing but a simple strike, there is no need to chant or charge to use it, and therefore it can be performed multiple times in a row for as long as one has the stamina."
Silver brushed his forehead, "I think I get it? Somewhat… I still haven't finished my theory books on that subject…"
Leon rolled his eyes as he kept his small lecture, "Over the days, I deemed your magic fitting." He said as he gestured with his hands.
"And because of my own stubbornness, I wanted you to achieve it the same way I did… and I wasn't disappointed." He added with a smile as he put one hand behind his back while Silver massaged his head
"… So what's the problem?"
"Can't you already tell? The Afterglow I know uses a blade as a medium, while you used nothing but your hand. I've never heard of such before."
Silver shrugged as he tilted his head, "And until now, I didn't even know Skills could be employed in such a manner. So I guess we're even."
'I knew magic power could be employed in many ways. Magic is just one such method, and for long I believed it wasn't the only way through which intelligent beings could draw upon it.'
'I suppose this proves it. A way to bypass the ordinary casting method and create something new out of the old system… now… how the hell do I explain Skills being used in this process?'
'Can one's own Falna be employed as a weapon? How does one channel a Skill through a blade and shoot it outward? I can't even begin to fathom the underlaying principles that explain this phenomenon.'
Silver's forehead tensed as he tried to make sense of it all, 'I'll have to sit down and finish those books on magic theory after I'm done with all of this.'
Seeing his expression, Leon exhaled once again, "… Sigh… I suppose we each interpret what we see in our own way. Even Ottar's Afterglow differs from mine slightly in its execution."
"Ottar's?"
'So that burly guy knows how to do this too? Who am I kidding? Of course he does...'
"In truth, no two Afterglows can ever be the same, for in the end, it is merely a process. The magics and Skills utilized in it are what define one's Afterglow."
"Perhaps this characteristic of yours is also a factor to be studied and refined. Over time, a new paragraph to this technique may be added in its description." Leon added with a smile as he nodded to himself
"… What now?" Silver asked as he recovered simple motion on his arm
"I was thinking of cutting this lesson for the day, but we can't stop here, can we?"
Leon grabbed another weapon; this time, it was a large hammer.
He rested the hammer on his palm, looking at him with a faint smile, "Let's see how much we can refine that."
"..."
"Student, your goal is simple… nurture this light as much as you can, and one day… devour mine... otherwise... you'll serve as kindling for my own."
"… Can we just… not do that?"
Leon smiled… and disappeared.
/SLAM!/
/CLANG!/
Silver barely blocked his strike by raising his arms and turning them into a pseudo-metal.
"Urg… can you be a little lighter? I think my arm's about to fall off again."
"Then you can just reattach it again, can't you?"
/SLAM!/
Leon swung his hammer sideways, sending Silver flying again amidst the echoes of cracking bones.
"Don't grow soft on me now, of all times! Show me how bright this light of yours can become!"
Silver, his arms trembling, slowly pushed his face from the ground, "Haa… crap."
'I don't think I'll be able to do anything but rest today…'
Silver rose to the challenge, facing the greatest knight in modern times once again.
…
/Later…/
/Bubbling…/
Back in his workshop, Silver watched a vial of acid bubble as it turned darker and darker.
Amidst the heavy smell of whatever he was corroding, he coughed faintly.
"Alright… all of those expensive chemicals… and I only have one shot at this mess." Silver mumbled out loud
'Next time won't be as expensive since most of it was for experimentation… but it doesn't change how painful it is that it cost me so much to get here.'
'My diet is on point and more or less mentally prepared. Should I do it now or later?…'
"… I'll think about it after a meal."
Silver remained in his workshop, tinkering with his chemicals for another hour before he left.
…
"Um… Sh… Shelvir…" Hestia mumbled in her sleep as she rolled to the side
"Um… Mnn?"
Hestia dreamed of a happy land where she had an infinite amount of sweets at her disposal, all the while being hand-fed by her most loyal subject…
Amidst that vision, she opened her eyes…
"Ugh…"
/Sniff/
And immediately felt something delicious in the air.
"This is!"
'Cake!'
Hestia got up from her bed as she ran to the side, meeting Silver on her way.
"You woke up." Silver said with a smile as he took a cake out of the oven
"Cake!…" She said with a smile as she stood next to him, "But why now?"
"Can't a guy cook a cake? You made one for me last time, besides, this isn't a party cake… I just felt like baking a simple one."
"Now, if you want it, how about you help me set the table? That is… after you go wash up your face."
"Huh? I'm fine…"
"Says the girl with the pillow mark on half her face."
"… I'll go to the bathroom…" She replied dejectedly as she walked away
"Haha…"
…
/Later…/
"... These stats… I still can't believe they're real."
Hestia shook her head as she finished writing his stats down.
"Here, take a look, Silver."
As she stepped out of his back, he took a seat beside her, "I'm not expecting much, it's only been five days since the last update, and I didn't do anything unusual."
"Whatever you define as "unusual", certainly isn't, by any means, ordinary!"
"Haha… you got me there."
'I spent all my time in the Upper Floors and only stepped in the Middle Floors yesterday after the Guild announced that it was safe again and that the strange monster had been exterminated.'
'Rivira is still under construction, but there are adventurers hunting monsters in the Middle Floors again to raise money to rebuild the city, so Loiju deemed the early floors safe enough for me to traverse.'
'For everything he usually throws at me, Loiju supports and puts a lot of faith in me. I often forget, given I've never experienced the usual.'
Hestia pouted as she noticed his absent gaze, not even caring about his Stats, "How about you go into detail on what you did? Mister ordinary guy?" She asked as she poked his face.
"Hm? Well… I just hunted. What more is there to the story?"
'I did start training again on my second day… I got bored with doing the same routine everyday so I resumed with my ordinary training…'
'Weights, poison, low-protection, intense mind consumption… I actually avoided using my Plasmids since my Magic Stat was already high enough…'
'But nothing topples whatever Leon had me go through this morning... if not for this expedition, he might've beaten me up to a pulp.'
"How do you explain these stats, then?!" She exclaimed as she shoved the paper up his face so he'd finally pay attention to it
—
Mellios Silver
Level 1
Strength SS 1131 -> SS 1199
Vitality SS 1199
Dexterity S 908 -> SS 1087
Agility SS 1041 -> SS 1177
Magic SS 1199
>Magic:
- Magnum Opus Ambrosia
Body manipulation-type magic?
>Skill:
- Vit Alhjin
Body strengthening-type Skill.
Raises the starting ceiling of basic abilities to H-100, reducing the difficulty of raising them by one rank in the process.
Passive magic interference from all sources, beneficial, or even self-originated.
- Oculus Davidis
Conditional and growth boost-type Skill.
Activates in challenging scenarios, supersizing rewards from a given situation.
—
"Your only stat that isn't maxed is Dexterity!… And Agility, but its so little it doesn't count!" She said as she pointed at him, the other hand on her hip as she stood before him
She kept pushing herself closer to her, forcing him to tilt further and further as she shoved her chest up his face...
"I've studied dozens of stat archetypes in the past few weeks, and you fit none!" She claimed, growing bothered by the minute
"You're not a brawler, you're not a mage, you're not a bulwark… I don't understand!"
Silver finally pushed back by shoving a pillow on her face, "Is that a complaint?"
"No…" She said with a pout as she looked away, putting the pillow away, "You're just… weird."
She then hugged him, "But you're my weird adventurer!"
Silver smiled, "And you're my weird…"
"Did you say something?" She asked with a threatening smile
"… You're my cute and beautiful goddess!… That definitely doesn't snore and kicks me at night…"
"What was that?!"
Hestia went on the offensive, jumping onto his shoulders, yet Silver was like a pillar, unmoving.
"Hey there, calm down! I'm not a tree! Ouch! That tickles… alright… if you're going to bite, I'll bite you back!"
Silver rose Hestia in the air with telekinesis, and she immediately raised her arms in surrender.
"White flag! White flag! I surrender! Telekinesis is unfair!"
"Humph…" He grunted as he brought her into his arms before putting her on the ground, "And using your divine might on this mere mortal is fair?"
"What do you mean by divine might?!"
This time, Silver merely tapped her forehead, and he sat down on the couch again, checking his Status.
'Strength must've risen from my weight training coupled with my physical clashes with monsters. Though I should thank my Skill for doing most of the work for me.'
'Agility likely rose for similar reasons, albeit rather than direct confrontation, it rose because I ran around the place all day long looking for my commissions… not a fun time at all.'
'It does raise the question of how much inhibiting my abilities truly does to raising my Stats. It should have an effect merely from the fact of making my life harder, but how much does it strengthen my Skill? Perhaps I'll never get an answer…'
'As for the rest… given my work, I wager the only reason Dexterity even rose was because of my side activities throughout the night.'
'Fighting Upper Floor monsters isn't taxing in the least for my skills… although some of them, like the Infant Dragon, are still considerably stronger than me.'
'There was my side project in the Middle Floors… but I couldn't tend to it very well in these recent days.'
'My training with Leon, no matter how light, also played its role in enhancing my Stats.'
Silver took a deep breath, "... I don't think there's much else I can do with these…"
'I've taken my time to think about my Rank Up, and after coming to terms with it, what I'm about to do today will determine weather or not I do so after I return from the expedition.'
From his tone, Hestia misunderstood his intentions… "Wait… are you ranking up?!"
He shook his head as he walked away from the couch, "Not yet, there is one last thing I want to try doing…"
But Hestia intervened in a tone as if she had been wronged… She grabbed his shoulder as she shook him fervently!
"HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?! You rile me up and now you are leaving me hanging! Don't you know that's forbidden to do with a lady?!" She asked as small tears formed in her eyes
Silver smiled awkwardly, "Oi oi… calm down… I'm going to fall…"
'If someone heard you, they'd think I'm a playboy… And you're the one who's riling yourself up!'
He exhaled, "It's nothing great. Just a small experiment I've been running this past month."
'And a few years if I add my time in the village… but those conditions were sub-par and cannot compare to my recent progress. Nonetheless, they are the foundation to make this possible.'
"It's not going to take long."
She just stared daggers at him. Since when were any of his ideas, "just that" and simple? "…"
"Sheesh! I will do it right now, so please! Stop looking at me like that! You're going to drill a hole through my forehead…"
Silver walked away to his workshop and returned moments later with a box full of items.
He sat down near the fireplace after placing a long black mat underneath him, as Hestia sat opposite from him.
He took out several smaller objects from within, including what seemed to be a thin book… those were his research notes he had made over the years since he got his powers back.
The full documentation of his progress in figuring out the changes and properties of his Plasmids.
"After much work... I think I am ready to try this out." He mumbled aloud as he opened the book
Hestia approached him, curious given he wasn't trying to hide anything from him, "What are you doing?"
On the open page, she saw several drawings of the human body and its complex organs. Including a full-size body of what seemed to be Silver's outline, however, her main target didn't seem to have been drawn…
"Tche..."
"..."
'I know what she is looking for...' He thought with a slight frown as he glanced at her
/Poof!/
Silver closed the book. Just when Hestia's gaze fell on the cryptic letters that seemed faintly familiar…
"Like what you see? I have a scaled diagram of it…"
"AHHHH!!! I don't want to hear it! I'm not hearing anything! Lalalala…"
/Whistle…/
Hestia turned around and acted as if she wasn't doing anything… mumbling to herself: "What kind of man says such a thing to a caste goddess? Surely a very vulgar man… indeed!"
"Sigh…"
He reached for the box, taking out a strange yellow potion from within before taking a deep breath and drinking it all down.
/Gulp!/
"What are you doing?" She asked as she shyly looked in his direction
"Something I couldn't quite do earlier. With the recent increase in my Stats, things have changed."
Silver stomach started to… glow?!
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Hestia asked in distress as she crawled to him, looking him up and down in concern and fear as Silver remained utterly calm
"Calm down, I'm fine. This is of my own doing. The potion has nothing to do with it."
"But what's going on?!"
"Erm…"
'How do I explain it to her so that she can understand?'
After putting some thought into it, he replied, "As you know, my magic allows me to change my body. Your own description was that of a body-manipulation type spell."
"That's only because there's no other way to explain it! I based that merely on your description…"
"I know… anyhow. This transformation allows unique effects to be achieved, akin to those of a monster's biology."
/Glow…/
"Uhh… Silver? Is it just me, or is the light growing stronger?"
"Pay attention to me first… However, those changes are but temporary, disappearing once I stop feeding them with Mind." He said as he raised his right hand
'Or if I don't have the means to transform... there's a reason why I eat so much every time.'
/Crack…/
Purple crystals grew above his skin. Sparks jumped between them as his veins turned a phosphorescent blue and his skin itself paled...
"However, I had long ago theorized that it was possible to change it permanently— or at least give my body an effect that could last for very long periods of time."
She opened her eyes wide, trembling, "WHAT?! Why would you want to look like this forever?! I reject it!"
"There are powers that are too great! And this is one of them!"
'I don't want my Silver to look like a boat full of barnacles! I'd still love him, but…'
"I'm not done… I have no intention of looking like this either. I care greatly for my appearance, you know?"
"…"
That she couldn't deny. Perhaps if there was one thing she could put her faith in, is that Silver would always try to look his best if it was possible.
She had forgotten such a thing, given how beaten up he was returning every day… which only reminded her of the nightmares she had of whatever training he was having at the School District.
/Shine…/
"S-Silver… I think your stomach is… is it getting translucent?!" Hestia said in absolute horror as her face paled
Silver smiled faintly, "It's nothing too great. I know what I am doing, every potential side effect has been accounted for long before I even met you."
'That said, the process was made easier once my Stats grew. I should say the operation is far stabler… although I'll be honest, it came far earlier than I could've ever imagined.'
He closed his eyes, 'So far, I've relied mostly on my training and experience to grow, but it's time to give my past self a nod of acknowledgement and make use of his expertise once more.'
'I never believed that simply raising my Stats would be enough, and that was before I realized that with my Skill, my Stats would remain extremely high every level…'
'Before I realized the true potential of my abilities.'
'I always had plans of enhancing my body. If I were to be blessed by a deity or not, I had plans to live longer, in a healthier body of my own design.'
'For such a goal, I will replicate Gene Tonics in this world!'
'… to a meager degree…'
While Hestia looked at him, in extreme worry, Silver patted her head, still focused on his thoughts, 'To fundamentally change the characteristics of the body, that is a proper description of the Gene Tonic's goal.'
'Simple applications were within the realm of fixing spot baldness or even giving one the ability to grow multi-colored hair… more advanced ones were within the realm of altering one's bone composition into a composite stronger than steel, or even giving one vision stronger than an antelope's.'
'And that's just what I sold to the public. I got my hands on far more advanced applications… albeit they were all within Ambrosia's control.'
'I can do it all to some degree now, but its but temporary… they may look the same, but what I do with my Plasmids is not the same as this process even if the result is the same.'
'Unfortunately, given my lack of control over my Plasmids and my lacking mind, I can barely manipulate certain things, and even if I could, my mental faculties are nowhere near the required to manage such extensive operations… and its not like I have the patience to change my body one spot at a time…'
'I won't give myself permanent invisibility or metallic-composite bones within a day… but I can start the process.'
'Even if a fail, a try is a try. Failure is also a success.'
'I did not build Rapture within a day! Nor did they build Rome in one dynasty!'
As the operation continued, Hestia gulped dry, "You... you know what you are doing, right?" Hestia asked as she looked at the bizarre yet amazing scene.
"Yes, I do. And if by the slightest miracle anything goes wrong, I am confident in minimizing any potential side effects in a manner that won't affect my work too much."
'Worst comes to worse, I'll only need to act as a mule for the Loki Familia for a few days and make a killing. It's not too bad of a time to try it out.'
A gray bottle filled with a strange purple liquid flew into Hestia's hands under Silver's telekinesis.
"This is?"
"Something in case of emergency. Just feed me its contents and I will be fine." He replied as he smiled
Truth is… that "potion" was just an ordinary Mind potion with lots of sugar.
Silver believed that if anything went wrong, rather than try to devise a potion to fix his problems, it was far easier to just give himself more juice so he could fix whatever issue he had himself.
Not even he could fully prepare for what was to come. How could he devise a potion for the unknown future?
"Okay... good luck." Said Hestia as she nodded
She could do little but believe in her adventurer, the first child she had ever contracted.
"There is no need for luck here. I only work with numbers."
"Can you stop being so dull?"
"My apologies..."
…
The process continued as the strange light spread throughout Silver's body, causing him to glow like a light bulb.
Nothing much happened at first, but after half an hour, Silver started to sweat, as if he had just returned from a hike.
That much was acceptable, but it didn't take long for Hestia to notice Silver's veins burst under his skin. Thankfully, the light didn't shine far, else she might've fainted, but seeing that scene already made her tremble in fear and worry for him, far more than anything she'd ever felt before.
The only time she ever felt something similar was when she first sent him down the Dungeon. She always welcomed him back with a smile, but she never told him how worried she was whenever he dove into the Dungeon.
During those times, even brief delays in his return would leave her faintly euphoric, the mere thought of losing the first person to look in her direction… was unbearable.
As one of the most compassionate of deities, learning how to cope with such emotions was something her friends had been teaching her in recent times. She believed herself stronger now, that she was taking the right steps in becoming a dependable deity worthy of leading a Familia…
So why did she feel so useless now?
"..."
She gripped the bottle as if Silver's life depended on it.
…
/Later…/
Two hours had passed. After keeping herself attentive to any changes within his body, Hestia was now exhausted, barely able to keep her focus on him.
But she remained there, looking at Silver… waiting.
She couldn't miss anything… She didn't want to. This was her duty, and she wouldn't fail this time.
Despite having looked at every change within Silver throughout the past two hours, Hestia still couldn't understand what was going on no matter how much she thought.
In the first place, Silver's actions went against common sense, even for a God like her. It made keeping track of his thoughts and activities difficult, even when she knew he was up to no good.
Silver was a good person with well intentions. She knew that from the moment she saw him, but she couldn't even begin to grasp the changes happening inside his body right now…
For a moment, she wished to access her Arcanum and get her doubts done with, but even she knew there were lines better not crossed.
'Perhaps I should've brought someone familiar with biology to get a good look at him… they might've been able to explain what Silver's magic truly is…'
…
Time passed… The bonfire grew weak, crackling with the embers of a now dead fire…
/GASP!/
Suddently, Silver opened his eyes wide and gasped for air, falling on the ground before him.
He raised his right hand to gesture to Hestia that he was okay. However, Hestia did not intervene… "ZZZzzz"
Hestia had fallen asleep… the bottle still in hand, her posture still upright.
"Urg…"
'I feel terrible…'
He took the potion from Hestia's hands, "Gulp!"
Silver sweated profusely, but he continued to power the process, 'Almost there… its almost over… but if I can't keep myself awake… who knows what might happen?'
'The last thing I want is to find a tumor growing inside my head!'
"Focus..." He said as he gritted his teeth
…
/COCKRICKOOOOOO!/
The roosters sang outside their old church, their call ringing inside its halls…
"Huh?"
Hestia opened her eyes in surprise, slowly coming to terms with the world as she smacked her lips together… But then it came to her…
She was actually in her bed?… She…
She Fell asleep?!
"Silver!..." She exclaimed as she jumped, tripping over the blanket and falling face-first on the ground, yet the pain did not deter her one bit
She looked around but couldn't find him. Concern overwhelmed her before she consequently calmed down.
"If he isn't here, it means he is fine…" She mumbled, almost in prayer
/Shuaaa…/
It was then that she heard a shower.
Her expression eased… but then it twisted! "So he was taking a shower… #!!"
'That dummy! Worrying me like that!'
"Humph!"
She looked to the side and noticed that there was some food on the table. It was slightly warm, and the thought of that made her stomach feel funny…
/Growl…/
But perhaps she was just hungry.
/Chomp!/
Hestia bit into the small cupcake.
"It's too sweet…"
She soon forgot whatever displeasure she had with Silver… perhaps if she thought a bit longer, she might've realized something was off about this… but alas…
Her stomach was louder.
…
/Creek…/
After about ten minutes, Silver opened the door and left the bathroom in his pajamas, still drying his hair as he closed the door behind him.
"Ah Silver! Good morning… huh?" Hestia said before she dropped her toast on the ground
/GASP/
"W-Who are you?!" She exclaimed as she jumped towards Silver
…
.
.
.
Notes
Next chapter will be the start of the Arc.
Thank you all for reading. Peace!