After gaining a rough understanding of how this world worked, Ye Yu finally realized why the girl—Hestia—had tried to tear off his shirt earlier. As it turned out, once a contract was formed with a deity and one became a member of their Familia, they would be granted the qualifications of an adventurer—complete with attributes, skills, and even magic.
And all of those things appeared quite literally as stats, carved into the adventurer's back in a divine script only the gods could read.
"Hurry up, hurry up, Ye Yu! Let me check out your stats already!" Hestia chirped excitedly. "You used magic just a moment ago, right? That means your attributes must be incredible!"
"Yes, yes, I get it, my great goddess," Ye Yu sighed, half amused, half exasperated, as he lay down on the bed and lifted his shirt to expose his back.
"Ohhh, let me see, let me see... Hmm… this status… uhh…"
"What is it?" Ye Yu asked, glancing back curiously. Hestia's expression had turned oddly complicated.
"How should I put this…? Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility… all at the lowest level: I. But I mean, that's normal for a total beginner! Still… why is your Magic stat… marked with a question mark?!"
"Uh… what rank is a question mark supposed to be?"
"A question mark means not even I, a goddess, can identify it! That's not right! That's impossible! It's neither scientific nor magical! How can someone's fundamental stats be unreadable?!"
Hestia's baffled face said it all as she scrolled her finger further down his back. While the section for skills was still empty, the section for magic wasn't.
"Aha! I knew it! You do have magic!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "To have magic right after forming a contract—this is amazing! Let's see what it is… um… 'Unclean Frost… ???'?"
She fell silent again, stunned by the strange name of the spell—and the triple question marks that followed it, just like his Magic stat.
"'Unclean Frost'?" Ye Yu muttered under his breath, repeating the name as if it might somehow explain itself.
Something about the spell unsettled him. The name alone stirred a deep discomfort in his chest, like a dark part of himself had been dredged up from beneath the ice. It was as if there was another version of him—one he hated. Cold. Cruel. Empty. A self sculpted entirely from frost.
His fragmented memories were sealed in that same bitter cold, buried so deep he wished they'd never surface again.
"Well… regardless, it's still magic!" Hestia said cheerfully, trying to lift the mood. "And do you know how rare that is? Many people don't even awaken magic until they're Level 2 or 3! You're a natural, Ye Yu. Judging by your stats, you'd make a perfect mage!"
"Mage… huh? Me?" Ye Yu murmured, still unsure of what to make of it all.
Even as Hestia prattled on enthusiastically, Ye Yu remained at a loss. He had no idea how to cast magic or even what it truly meant to wield it. But that didn't matter. Whatever this power was, it was his. A strength he could hold in his own hands.
Though both his stats and his magic seemed unusual—bizarre, even—Hestia, being the scatterbrained goddess she was, completely overlooked the implications. Ye Yu, for his part, remained just as clueless.
To Hestia, all of it could be explained with a single phrase: "He's a genius." If someone was truly exceptional, it made sense for them to be a little different.
And so, with the basics now behind him, Ye Yu was ready to begin his new life as an adventurer. From now on, it was up to him to fight monsters, earn money, level up—and most importantly, support the goddess who had taken him in.
When he found out that said goddess had actually been selling fried potatoes on the street to survive, Ye Yu could barely keep a straight face. He forced down a laugh and offered his most sincere sympathy.
"What's wrong with fried potatoes?! You got something against fried potatoes?!" Hestia puffed up in anger, her face flushed. "I'll have you know, they're delicious, and selling them let me truly experience the struggles of mortal life!"
"Okay, okay, I get it, my dear goddess," Ye Yu replied with a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I'll make enough money so you can eat more than just fried potatoes from now on."
Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, Hestia puffed and fumed, while Ye Yu coaxed her back to calm with a soft voice. The two of them soon arrived at an impressive building adorned with banners and stone pillars.
The Adventurers' Guild—the largest and most influential organization connected to the Dungeon. It handled everything from exchanging monster crystals to guiding and supporting new adventurers.
Each rookie was assigned an advisor—a dedicated mentor to teach them the ins and outs of the Dungeon, to prevent them from making fatal mistakes.
For Ye Yu, this was only the beginning of a much longer journey.
Eina Tulle—half-elf and one of the many advisors employed by the Guild—was known for her kind demeanor, gentle voice, and sweet appearance. Unsurprisingly, she was quite popular among male adventurers.
So, when she spotted the unusual pair of Hestia and a young man entering the guild hall, she immediately took notice.
"Welcome, Lady Hestia," Eina greeted warmly. "And… could it be you've finally recruited a Familia member?"
Eina was no stranger to Hestia. Her impression of the goddess was that of a lone, struggling deity with no followers to speak of. But judging by the proud gleam in Hestia's eyes today… something had clearly changed.
"Of course I have!" Hestia declared, puffing up her chest with pride. "This is my Familia's very first member—Ye Yu! Handsome, isn't he? And full of potential!"
Eina gave a soft chuckle, shaking her head lightly at the goddess's exuberance.
"He certainly does look promising," she said politely. "So, I take it you've brought him here today to register?"
"Exactly!" Hestia beamed. "From today onward, he's an official adventurer under the banner of the Hestia Familia!"
"Then, please follow me."
With a professional smile, Eina gestured for them to come along. As she turned, she stole a subtle glance at the young man beside the goddess.
Ye Yu hadn't spoken a single word so far. He simply stood quietly, observing the bustling guild hall with calm, obsidian eyes. There was a distant, almost indifferent air about him, as though he were only half-attached to the world around him.
Eina had met countless adventurers in her time. And in that brief moment, she couldn't help but feel that this young man… might truly be someone special.