It had been more than a month since the incident, and many things had changed since then.
For one, our Dungeon expeditions with the familia had become far smoother. What once felt chaotic and uncertain had slowly turned into something stable, almost routine.
Of course, that didn't mean we became reckless.
We still kept our dives within a reasonable range because of Grokk and Mira. While both had grown significantly stronger over the past month—with Grokk reaching Level 3 and Mira advancing to Level 5—they still lacked the experience needed for the deeper floors.
Even so, our progress had been impressive.
We were now consistently reaching around the forty-fifth to fiftieth floors without major issues. Compared to before, the difference was night and day. Coordination had improved, everyone had settled into their roles more naturally, and battles that once required effort were now dealt with efficiently.
Honestly, watching their growth this quickly was rather satisfying.
At the same time, the time for me to leave was drawing closer.
Only a month remained before the dimensional cube fully recharged.
To be honest, there was nothing left for me here. I had already achieved what I came for in this world — skills.
Danmachi had served its purpose.
Monas and Arete Ascension alone made this entire trip worth it.
Over the past few months, I had been studying and experimenting with them relentlessly.
Well… I also cheated a little.
I ended up creating an appraisal item just so I could properly understand their true nature.
And what I discovered was absurd.
Without it, it probably would have taken me years before I realized just how broken these abilities truly were.
Monas (EX)
(Μονάς – "Singularity" / "The One")
A point in existence where all paths converge.
Where the world meets a hero, and the hero shapes the world in return.
Description:
A skill of absolute potential. Leon's Falna evolves autonomously, reflecting every feat, adaptation, and challenge he overcomes. The user becomes a singular point where experience, skill, and destiny converge.
Effect:
• Autonomous Growth: Leon's Falna updates itself without divine intervention.
• Adaptive Skill Manifestation: He can temporarily manifest skills learned through observation or experience. Repetition may make these abilities permanent.
• Rule-Bending Potential: The Falna recalculates stat growth, allowing temporary surges beyond normal limits.
Arete Ascension (EX)
(Ἀρετή – The perfection of a hero)
A hero who pursues perfection beyond mortal limits.
Effect:
Leon's abilities grow in proportion to the greatness of his achievements.
Mechanics:
• Extraordinary feats grant massive excelia.
• Surpassing impossible trials grants temporary stat amplification.
• Legendary accomplishments permanently raise growth potential.
The more I studied them, the more terrifying the conclusion became.
These weren't merely skills. They were cheats designed to create a monster.
Monas ensured that I would never truly stagnate.
Every battle, every hardship, every encounter would eventually become fuel for my growth. Even failure itself held value under it.
Meanwhile, Arete Ascension rewarded one thing above all else.
Greatness.
Not effort.
Not talent.
Not potential.
Greatness.
The more impossible the achievement, the greater the reward became.
It was no wonder my growth had become so abnormal recently.
Fighting spirits, surviving impossible situations, training under beings far beyond my level, crossing worlds itself… every single thing I had done was being converted into strength at a ridiculous rate.
And perhaps the most dangerous part was that the two skills complemented each other perfectly.
One ensured constant evolution.
The other multiplied the rewards of that evolution.
A feedback loop.
One that, if left unchecked, would eventually turn me into something completely beyond the system the gods created.
Honestly, even I was beginning to wonder where my limits actually were anymore.
Yet despite that, there were still things that needed to be done.
And one of them was ensuring the Hestia Familia became strong enough to survive what was coming and at the same time make it the strongest.
I couldn't exactly leave everything to Bell anymore.
Not after all the butterflies I had caused in the timeline.
The original future was already long gone.
And because of that, the responsibility now fell on me as well.
To ensure they would still reach the destiny meant for them, even if the path leading there had already changed completely.
And I couldn't exactly leave Hestia's Familia undefended either.
As strong as Ais, Grokk, and Mira were, unfortunately, they still weren't enough to guarantee everything would turn out fine.
Which is what the next manifestation is mainly focused on—helping the three of them grow stronger.
But I made sure not to push it too far.
As after all, hard work and experience is needed to gain Excelia.
I couldn't just hand them some deus ex machina solution and call it growth.
That would defeat the entire purpose.
Still, at the same time, I planned to bring more members into the Familia.
More importantly, I intended to make sure the original members from the canon timeline would still end up joining Hestia Familia somehow. Bell and the others included.
Their presence was far too important to simply erase because of my interference.
Not just for Hestia Familia's growth, but for its future as a whole.
Some people weren't merely strong.
They were pillars that held the fate of an entire Familia together.
Bell especially.
No matter how much the timeline had changed, I couldn't deny that his existence itself carried weight. The kind that naturally drew people, miracles, and change toward him.
And honestly, trying to completely replace that role myself would be stupid.
I already altered enough as it is.
There was no need for me to completely destroy the foundation of the future on top of that.
Not with me planning to leave anytime soon.
Sure, I could just stomp practically everyone standing against the Familia if I really wanted to. But I had no intention of turning Hestia Familia into the enemy of the entire world because of my actions.
Power solved many things.
But it also created just as many problems.
If I pushed too hard, expanded too quickly, or made the Familia grow at an unnatural pace, the other factions in Orario would eventually see them as a threat instead of an emerging Familia. And once fear entered the equation, conflict would inevitably follow.
That was the last thing I wanted to leave behind.
The goal was stability.
A strong Familia capable of surviving the future without needing me constantly standing behind them.
Not a ticking bomb held together by my presence alone.
Speaking of which…
I gazed at the white-haired kid standing in front of me.
Small frame. Red eyes. Nervous posture.
Yet hidden beneath all of that was someone who would one day shake the entire world.
"So," I said casually, looking down at him, "what do you think, kid? Want to join our Familia?"
Bell froze.
In front of me stood the protagonist of this world.
The future captain of Hestia Familia.
A future hero.
Honestly, seeing him like this felt surreal.
The Bell Cranel standing before me now was still inexperienced, naive, and painfully awkward. Nothing like the legend he would eventually become. If anything, he just looked like an ordinary village boy that had wandered into the city too early.
Yet despite that, I could already see it.
That strange quality around him.
The pull.
Like the world itself naturally bent around his existence.
It was subtle. Weak for now. But it was there.
And honestly? It was terrifying.
Because unlike talent or strength, this was something far more absurd.
Potential.
The kind capable of overturning fate itself.
Bell visibly fidgeted under my gaze before hurriedly straightening himself.
"R-Really?!"
His voice cracked midway through the sentence.
I almost laughed.