"So, it wasn't the will of the gods?"
"Indeed, it wasn't. Loki personally conducted the interrogation. Mortals can't lie in front of a god." Finn nodded in affirmation.
Although gods cannot use their Divine Power in the lower world, some passive abilities still take effect.
For example, the inability to lie in the presence of a god is a passive ability all gods possess. With this ability, gods are basically unstoppable during interrogations.
Naturally, the plans of Phryne and the others could not escape the sharp eyes of Chief God Loki.
"I see…" Hearing this, Ryoji fell into deep thought.
His only concern had been whether it was a god's will to come after him. Adventurers are forbidden from being disrespectful toward gods, which makes dealing with such trouble from a Chief God quite difficult. But if it wasn't on a god's orders, then there was nothing to fear.
So, how should this be handled?
Following the intent shown in Finn's gaze, Ryoji pondered for a moment.
"We can't let things escalate into a full-on feud between our Familia and Ishtar Familia, right?"
"Mm… if possible, I'd like to avoid that," Finn thought it over, and sincerely expressed his view.
As a comrade in the same Familia, he should respect Ryoji's opinion, but as the Captain of the Familia, he also didn't want them making unnecessary enemies.
Of course, being one of the strongest Familia in Orario, Loki Familia had never been afraid of trouble.
This time, it was clearly Ishtar Familia that crossed the line. No matter what Ryoji decided, Finn would be ready to go all in, and even Goddess Ishtar would have little room to object.
That's also why he asked Ryoji so publicly.
"In that case, let's strike a deal." Ryoji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
After pondering for a bit, he stepped forward and placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. Under Tione's suddenly dangerous gaze, he whispered:
"Let's squeeze them for… 800 million. We split it fifty-fifty. Sound good?"
Finn raised an eyebrow, smiling silently.
"Alright, sixty-forty also works."
"Heh…" Finn chuckled again.
"Seventy-thirty? I could live with that."
"Hmmm…" Finn made a contemplative noise.
"Eighty-twenty? You're getting greedy now!"
"..."
Finn looked up at the sky without replying.
"You're not thinking ninety-ten, are you?! In that case, I might as well just kill her!"
"Oh, you said it yourself."
Clap!
Finn suddenly grabbed his arm and flashed a dazzling smile.
"???"
Ryoji blinked in confusion, question marks practically floating above his head.
Then he lowered his gaze in brief reflection.
Fuck, I got played!
"But… you sure you don't want to get some revenge on them?"
Having finished negotiating their split, Finn looked at Ryoji again, a probing glint in his eye. "We can let the accomplices off. But Phryne, the ringleader, you don't want to chop off an arm or a leg or something?"
"Didn't think you were the ruthless type." Ryoji gave him a look like he was seeing him in a new light, then waved his hand breezily.
"A generous man like me would never do something so petty and villainous."
"Really now?"
"Have I ever lied?" Ryoji vowed solemnly.
For a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long.
I, Ryoji, am a gentleman.
"…Alright then, we'll do as you say." Finn didn't know what was going on in his mind but agreed straightforwardly.
He then casually strolled out of the hall and headed for the Familia's dungeon to discuss the specifics with Loki and the others.
Not long after, the rest of the Familia members rushed in and surrounded Ryoji, filling the entire lounge with laughter and lively chatter.
Afternoon, Finn found Ryoji again.
Loki had already negotiated with Ishtar. Ishtar's side offered a compensation of one billion valis, and in return, Loki Familia agreed to let the matter go and release all 16 Amazonesses, including Phryne.
As per the agreement, Finn handed over 100 million valis to Ryoji.
Originally, Ryoji had spent a fortune recovering from injuries on the 18th Floor, nearly exhausting his resources. But with this payout, he instantly became a wealthy man worth 100 million.
"From now on, when I buy Elixirs, I'll just get two bottles, drink one, pour one out!"
"But… isn't there no difference whether you drink it or pour it out?"
"Lefiya, are you trying to mess with me?"
Night.
Loki Familia held a grand banquet. They ate and drank all night in the dining hall. The entire building was brightly lit, echoing with laughter and merriment.
After the banquet ended, Ryoji didn't return to his room. Instead, he headed to the top floor of the central tower, Loki's room.
"Come in."
After knocking, a lazy voice full of alcohol fumes came from inside.
"Loki, can you update my ability values?" Ryoji stepped in and got straight to the point.
"Huh? Hasn't it only been two days?"
"I think it's about time."
"About time…?"
Though Loki's face was flushed red with intoxication, her mind was crystal clear. Upon hearing this, her eyes sharpened and her energy surged.
"Come, sit down!"
Ryoji walked to the bed, sat on a stool, took off his upper garments, and unwrapped some of his bandages.
"You've got pretty nice skin, better than mine. How do you take care of it?" Loki, cheeks flushed, gave his back a squeeze with both hands, her expression lecherous.
This drunkard's taking advantage of me?! Damn it, I'll definitely pay her back someday!
"No skincare."
"…That hurts my pride."
Loki looked dejected for a second, then pulled out a fine needle. She pricked her fingertip to draw divine blood and began painting runes on Ryoji's back.
First, she unlocked the ability values, revealing a sacred text with a jester emblem. Using divine blood as a medium, she overwrote the old values with the new ones.
"Whoa! Incredible!"
Loki gasped, her drunkenness seemingly sobered up.
"Your stats jumped massively! And there's a new skill, too!"
Ryoji – Level 1
Power: A (896) → S (999)
Endurance: C (663) → S (932)
Dexterity: S (967) → SS (1187)
Agility: SS (1051) → SSS (1459)
Magic Power: E (411) → D (502)
Magic: ,
Skills:
[Ten Years of Sharpening a Sword]
Unyielding: Can continue fighting even with near-fatal wounds.
Limits Broken: When using a sword, can fully unleash his potential as a swordsman.
[Brave Sword Heart]
Brave Heart: High resistance to mental/spiritual status effects.
Fierce Strike: Sword attacks receive power boosts based on bravery level.
Total Proficiency gained: over 1,000 points!
"Aiya! No wonder you could beat a Floor Boss at Level 1 when it was Level 4. That kind of growth is just insane! You even broke through to SSS Agility, and Dexterity hit SS! That's just unfair!"
Loki kept exclaiming nonstop.
Her surprise was justified; Ryoji's performance was completely illogical.
Even top-tier adventurers like Finn, Riveria, and Ais were standouts in their fields, but none of them had all their stats in the S-rank.
Take Ais, for example: her Magic Power had reached S-rank, and her Agility and Dexterity were at A-rank at most. Her weaker stats, like Power and Endurance, capped around D-rank.
But Ryoji? All his stats except Magic Power had reached S-rank. Even his Magic Power was at an average level. And both Dexterity and Agility had shattered the upper limits, completely unreasonable.
(End of Chapter)
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