Chapter 666

Thinking of how Broly nearly died, Hestia couldn't help but feel sad; she hugged the boy's waist and said while crying, "Broly, how about we just don't go into the Dungeon anymore? The money we have now is already enough for us to spend."

"Lady Hestia, don't be sad, I'm perfectly fine now. Actually, Goliath didn't pose any threat to me at first; mainly I was a bit careless at the time, thinking that chopping off that big guy's head meant I'd won, so I accidentally got a little injured."

Broly comforted the Loli Goddess while also thinking about the matter of not going to the Dungeon. Hestia was right; the money he'd earned in the Dungeon these past days was already enough to cover expenses for a while, so not going on Dungeon adventures wasn't a problem.

However...

Broly recalled his battle with Goliath. Although the near-death experience made him annoyed, to say that a battle with such danger of death didn't make him feel refreshed would be a lie.

Broly was certain that during his battle with Goliath, he had been deeply immersed in and enjoyed the process of racking his brains to solve that big guy.

Of course, if Hestia insisted, he wouldn't ignore the Goddess's thoughts either.

It was merely a slight sense of pleasure brought by fighting his hardest under the Super-Weighted Training Skill's effect... just that.

"Hestia, don't say such willful words. As an Exploration Familia, there is an obligation to go into the Dungeon and explore."

At the side, Hephaestus gave a reminder.

"Then I'll just change the Familia type."

Hestia replied.

"That's not such an easy thing. The Guild's level of support differs for different Familia types; Exploration Familias receive the best treatment among them, but if you want to change, the restrictions are also the greatest."

"Haha, if the Guild doesn't allow me to change the Familia type, then I'll take Broly and leave Orario. At least the world outside Orario would be a bit safer."

"That's true, but the Guild also has restrictions on Adventurers. Without permission, Familia members who have already become Adventurers likewise cannot leave Orario at will."

This city was once a cage for the Dungeon's monsters, but now isn't it also a cage for those High-Level Adventurers who are like monsters?

If powerful High-Level Adventurers could leave Orario at will without any restrictions, the outside world would probably have long since become a scene of chaos. So Orario imposes significant restrictions on Adventurers leaving.

Of course, what Hephaestus didn't say was that for an Adventurer like Broly who appears to be merely Lv. 1 on the surface, the restrictions on leaving Orario wouldn't be that great.

However, if a child with combat talent like Broly were to leave here, that would absolutely be a huge loss for Orario.

Whether human or god, this world yearns for the appearance of a true hero. A boy with such talent is highly likely to be the hero the Lower World has been waiting for a long time.

The Zeus and Hera Familias accumulated power for a millennium, yet only completed two of the three Great Adventurer Quests. But when dealing with the final Subjugation of the Black Dragon, they suffered a crushing defeat over a decade ago.

And when the appointed time set by the gods and the Dungeon arrives, if the children of the Lower World still cannot subjugate the final Black Dragon, the Lower World will welcome a miserable bad ending.

This world needs a hero. Broly might be that hero.

But these utilitarian words, Hephaestus couldn't bring herself to say so bluntly to her close friend who was currently worrying about her Familia boy.

Thinking it over, Hephaestus decided to be more roundabout: "Moreover, the Dungeon is dangerous because Adventurers go challenge enemies exceeding their own strength, wanting to achieve great feats.

In other words, as long as one doesn't think about achieving great feats, the Dungeon's actual danger is controllable. Like Broly, if he hadn't gone to subjugate Goliath, wouldn't he have avoided danger?"

"Ugh, that's true as you put it..."

"Also, Hestia, look at this new Skill that appeared on him."

Hephaestus pointed again at the boy's back, at the description representing the 【Warrior Race】 Skill.

"Do you know what this Skill means?"

"Broly will experience more dangerous battles?"

"No, this means that Leveling Up is no longer a necessary thing for Broly.

Adventurers Level Up to reach limit Ability Values and continue raising them further.

But this Skill of his can let him achieve the thing of continuing to raise Ability Values even without Leveling Up."

A Skill that breaks limit values — Hephaestus had never seen one before.

"And as long as this child doesn't Level Up and continues maintaining Lv. 1, then under the rules of the God's Blessing, he can still gain Excelia from subjugating Lv. 1 Monsters.

In other words, this child has the capability to become the strongest Adventurer just in the Dungeon Labyrinth's Upper Floors."

Broly looked at Hephaestus in puzzlement. He only knew a new Skill had appeared, but wasn't clear on the specifics of the new Skill.

"Broly, is the Dungeon Labyrinth's Upper Floors dangerous for you?"

Hephaestus suddenly asked him.

"No, the Dungeon Upper Levels are not dangerous."

Broly shook his head and answered.

"See, your kid says so himself."

Hephaestus looked at her close friend.

"Broly, after encountering a near-death danger, do you still want to go on Dungeon adventures?"

Hestia asked the boy.

"Lady Hestia, to tell the truth, I still want to. Saiyans are a Warrior Race; I am a Saiyan, and I have a certain yearning for battle.

It's just that before, my strength was too strong, so I rarely encountered enemies who could make me go all out. Most battles were crushes, or I intentionally suppressed my strength for less enjoyable sparring.

Instead, now relying on the Super-Weighted Training Skill, my strength is restricted, and fighting some opponents has brought a different kind of enjoyment."

Broly thought for a moment and chose to speak his true thoughts honestly.

Hestia looked at the 【Warrior Race】 Skill on the boy's back and believed his words.

And since the boy leaned toward adventure and battle, then she...

"Fine, I'll support you. But you must promise me that from now on you absolutely cannot be like today — saying you're going to the Middle Floors to explore, then directly running off to challenge the Middle Floors' Layer Lord."

"Uh, I promise. If I have to run off to challenge a Layer Lord in the future, I'll definitely report to Lady Hestia in advance and only go after getting Lady Hestia's agreement."

Broly agreed.

Hestia updated his Skills for him.

Hephaestus, for her part, found this result — having dispelled her close friend's idea of taking the boy and leaving Orario — fairly satisfactory.

She continued looking at the other Skills on the boy's first Ability Value Panel. Besides one new Magic and two new Skills appearing, some of the original Skills had also undergone some changes.

Like 【Swordsmanship Pinnacle】 and 【Fist Technique Master】, their descriptions had gained an additional line: 【A Hand-Sword is also a Sword. When you use your hand as a Substitute Sword, you will obtain the simultaneous Amplification of both Skills.】

Also the 【Natural Stat Monster】 Skill. After Broly's Ability Values on the second Panel broke through the limit values, this Skill also lifted the restriction of only taking effect within limit values.

【Natural Stat Monster】: At the moment of 00:00:00 each day in Orario, gain a total of 1000/2 ability value proficiency.

This description of 1000/2 is quite interesting; Hephaestus also judged from this that Broly's ability value upper limit after breaking the limit should not be merely at the level of 2s (1000~1999); as for the specific upper limit, Hephaestus doesn't know, but guesses it might very well be that there is no upper limit.

However, a situation where proficiency experience points increase might appear; for example, within S999, if 1 experience point can exchange for 1 ability value proficiency point.

Then, the 2s (1000~1999) range might require 2 experience points to exchange for 1 ability value proficiency point.

And this is inferred from the introduction information of the 【Natural Stat Monster】 skill; whether it is actually like this specifically still needs actual verification to know.

"Broly, here, this is your latest ability value panel."

After finishing updating all of the boy's ability values, Hestia used the ability record paper to print out the information of both ability value panels, then handed them to Broly.

Broly took them, and after finishing reading his two ability value panels, a strange thought surfaced in his consciousness:

【Ten Li Slope Sword God of the Dungeon's Upper Floors, after sealing true strength, I become the world's strongest by beating the lowest-level monsters?!】

This sudden thought gave him a subtle feeling, but he still accepted his current ability value panel situation.

"Bell-kun, you can come in now; I'm going to bestow Falna on you."

Finished with Broly's ability value panel update, Hestia opened the door and called the boy waiting outside to enter.

"Then I'll go find Miss Chun to coordinate."

While Bell was being directed by Hestia to take off his upper garment, Broly shouldered Goliath's loot and walked out.

"Eh, Broly-san, you're not staying to keep me company?"

Seeing the boy about to leave, thinking that he would soon be alone in a room with two Goddesses, the boy instantly became somewhat nervous.

"Ability value panels are private matters; children of the same Familia don't share them with each other."

Broly still remembered what Hestia had just said to Bell.

"Don't be nervous, Falna doesn't hurt; it's just using blood to engrave divine script on your back, you don't need to feel uneasy."

Broly comforted the boy with one sentence and walked out, leaving only a somewhat nervous boy in the room, as well as two deities looking at his inexplicably nervous appearance feeling somewhat helpless.

"Alright, you child just sit up straight obediently and let me engrave divine script on your back."

As Hestia spoke, she pressed her blood-stained fingertip onto the boy's back.

The ability value panel brought by Falna quickly condensed into form.

"Eh, this is?"

And looking at Bell's ability value panel, Hestia's small mouth gaped open.

Beside her, Hephaestus was in the same situation.

Only to see, on the boy's initial panel, in the skill column, a skill emerged.

【One Heart Admiration】

Effect ①: The youth admires a person; when he increasingly admires the object of admiration Broly, he will gain an experience acquisition bonus; the deeper the admiration emotion, the greater the experience acquisition bonus magnitude.

Effect ②: Wanting to become the admired person; when the youth and the admired object make contact, there is a certain probability of learning skills or magic displayed by the admired object Broly; the learning probability depends on the intimacy relationship with the admired object; the higher the intimacy, the easier it is to learn skills or magic.

People who can directly manifest a skill the moment they receive Falna are undoubtedly guys possessing talent.

However, the youth's skill description is somewhat subtle to a degree; even Hephaestus doesn't quite know how to evaluate the youth's this skill.

Hmm, although this place doesn't have Degree, in the hearts of this world's people and gods, there is nevertheless a great mountain named Prejudice.

Undoubtedly, the One Heart Admiration skill description, paired with the white-haired youth's suffering and a fairly cute external appearance, pulled Hestia's vigilance to the extreme in an instant.

"Goddess-sama, is there something wrong with my Falna?"

The youth keenly sensed the atmosphere in the room was off, and asked cautiously.

"Bell-kun, can you answer a question for me?"

Hestia narrowed her eyes.

"Goddess-sama, please ask; as long as it's something I know."

Bell hurriedly said.

"The question I want to ask you definitely know, Bell-kun, do you like the same sex or the opposite sex?"

Hestia asked directly.

"Ah?!"

Bell was somewhat stunned; what kind of question is this.

"This question is very important, even relating to whether you'll be driven out of the Familia; answer me now, Bell-kun……"

Hestia's eyes rippled with a mysterious unknown pale blue; to verify the authenticity of the answer she would get next, this Goddess-sama even used her Divine Eye, and mortals find it difficult to lie before a Goddess-sama, a sentence even people outside Orario know.

"That is of course the opposite sex."

Bell didn't know why this question could decide whether he'd be driven out by the Goddess-sama, but still gave an answer following his own true heart.

Hestia stared at him for a while, the serious expression on her face gradually dispersed, a clap of her hands and she said: "Alright, Bell-kun, you've passed for now, but remember, I'll be watching you from now on; once you go back on today's answer, believe me, at that time, as a Pure Virgin Goddess, I will unhesitatingly drive you out of my Familia."

Bell: "……"

The meaning of these words is that if he changes his sexual orientation, he'll be driven out of the Familia, right.

But the problem is he's a normal boy, how could he possibly come to like a person who is also male.

"Also, this matter you're not allowed to tell Broly, understand?"

Hestia added.

"How about it, Bell, was getting Falna pretty smooth?"

After the boy came out, Broly had also finished the handover; the boy walking back directly asked the youth.

"Ah, pretty smooth……"

Bell originally wanted to tell the truth 【somewhat not smooth】, but feeling the Goddess-sama behind him staring at him with a death-gaze-like gaze, he could only change his words.

"That's good; right, you're still living at the inn, right; want to move over together……"

Broly's words had not yet finished when Hestia interrupted him.

"No, Broly."

"Lady Hestia?"

Broly looked at his own Goddess in puzzlement.

"This is the Hephaestus Familia's place. Hephaestus willing to let us stay temporarily is already very righteous of her. How can we trouble her further to arrange for another person to live here? You say I'm right, don't you, Hephaestus?"

The Loli Goddess spoke, then asked her close friend beside her.

The Red-haired Goddess showed an embarrassed expression, but still cooperated with a nod.

"Then when our own Familia residence is built, Bell, you can..."

"Broly, this is also not allowed."

"Hm?"

Broly looked over in puzzlement again.

"Cough cough, I already discussed this matter with Bell just now.

He said he prefers to be independent, and absolutely will not live under the same roof with us.

Right, Bell, you say I'm right, don't you?"

Bell: "..."

When the Goddess asked him, with a look of gritting his teeth, what else could he say.

"Yes, Broly-san, the Goddess is absolutely right. I prefer to be independent, prefer to live alone."

"Uh, alright then."

Broly scratched his head, feeling Hestia seemed somewhat rejecting of Bell, as if she had also forgotten her own words that 【Familia is like family, living together is the normal situation】.

"Alright, Broly, you're hungry too, right? Let's go eat."

Hestia pulled him away, the Giant Breasts Loli's figure like an old hen protecting chicks, separating Broly and the white-haired boy.

"Bell, this is also a welcome party for you joining our Familia. Additionally, what I want to say is, the first rule of the Hestia Familia is that impure same-sex love is not allowed. Once discovered, the culprit will be stripped of clan status and directly expelled from the Familia."

Bell was also called over to dine together. At the dining table, Hestia loudly proclaimed her first Divine Will rule regarding the Familia.

At the same time, on the 39th floor of the Dungeon Labyrinth's Safe Floor, the Loki Familia had also arrived here.

"Captain, an adventurer says he might know the cause of the Dungeon's vibration."

The Amazon girl Tiona walked into the tent and reported the information to the Pallum Captain who was thinking.

"Hm?"

Finn raised his head in surprise and asked for details, and the adventurer who provided the information was quickly brought in.

"Captain Finn of the Loki Familia, I can share the intelligence I know, but you must promise to take my team and leave the deep floors."

"No problem, but that is after we investigate the cause of the Dungeon's abnormal vibration. We came down precisely accepting the Guild's investigation mission. Going back before investigating clearly would lower the Guild's evaluation of me, of the Loki Familia."

Finn nodded agreeing to the other's condition, then said: "Alright, you can speak the intelligence you know. What is the cause of the Dungeon's abnormal vibration?"

"Honestly, I actually can't be too sure if the abnormal vibration is related to this. But at the time, my companions and I were chased by monsters to near the 37th floor Deathmatch Arena. Suddenly there was a Bang! sound, and then we saw a large breach appear above the Deathmatch Arena. Immediately after, a black-robed figure fell from above. The other party used some unknown trick, and in a single instant exterminated the Deathmatch Arena's monsters. Then continuing not to walk the normal path, it seemed they directly smashed through the 37th floor Deathmatch Arena's ground, heading toward the deeper floors of the Dungeon Labyrinth..."

An adventurer who encountered the Saiyan's great fortune three days ago narrated the matter he caught a fleeting glimpse of.

"After that, not long after, the Dungeon depths produced the abnormal vibration you are preparing to investigate. That vibration caused the 37th floor monsters to riot somewhat. Our group also risked our lives to escape to this 39th floor Safe Floor..."

"Finn, how is it?"

After the adventurer left, Riveria, titled Nine Magic Princesses, walked in to ask the situation.

"If that black-robed person the adventurer saw is truly the guy who caused the Dungeon's abnormal vibration, then the place we need to investigate is probably the 40th floor or even the deeper Labyrinth."

Finn answered.

(Chapter End)