Chapter 17 – A Stolen Kiss and a Daring Escape
As one of the deities of a major Familia, Hephaestus had guided many children under her care.
But the growth Akira showed… defied all reason.
All his base stats had risen to G:299, and his Magic stat alone had leapt to D:599.
Even for someone considered a prodigy, such progress would normally take months.
Most individuals followed unique growth curves. Dwarves were known for their immense strength and endurance, but they typically lacked in agility and technique.
Elves, on the other hand, excelled in finesse and magic but were physically frail.
Humans usually had a balance of strengths and weaknesses, with no particular specialty standing out.
But Akira—who was growing evenly across all five stats—was something that only existed in theory.
And now, that theoretical myth had come to life.
The man who had literally fallen from the sky into her private bath was now displaying talents that couldn't be explained through logic alone.
After pondering it deeply, Hephaestus could only come to one conclusion:
It had to be the effect of the skill—[Greed].
The phrase "drastically accelerates growth" was no exaggeration. If anything, it was an understatement. This was practically cheating.
How strong did someone's craving have to be… to manifest a skill like this?
The Falna skill system itself was a divine miracle.
It absorbed obsessions, desires, and the hidden potential within a person to shape abilities that shouldn't exist in this world. That's what made skills so mysterious.
And it was precisely that uncertainty—those wild, unstable possibilities—that made the gods so fascinated by mortals.
Because humans were full of endless potential.
Greed, one of the seven deadly sins... A skill born from such a primal origin was bound to be overwhelming.
"Hephaestus-sama, are you finished?"
"Yes… It's done."
As if waking from a trance, Hephaestus engraved the updated Falna and handed it to Akira.
He glanced at it—and fell silent.
"…Whoa. This much?"
The increase he saw here far surpassed even Bell Cranel in the original story.
This is insane.
At this rate... it won't take long before he levels up, Hephaestus thought silently.
And this was just one day. If he kept this pace up for ten days—maybe two weeks—even if he didn't quite meet the threshold for Level Up, he'd be very close.
Yes, initial growth usually happened faster right after receiving a Falna, and would naturally slow down later.
But with [Greed] supporting him, Hephaestus estimated that within a month, Shin Akira would definitely reach Level 2.
And that was being conservative.
Once she saw his real progress over the next few days, she'd be able to gauge it more accurately.
Still, one thing was certain—his growth was nothing short of monstrous.
Meanwhile, Akira didn't notice the change in Hephaestus' expression. He was too caught up in his own sense of euphoria.
Compared to the boosts he had gained from his inherited template, this felt far more substantial and tangible.
Just a bit more training, and he was sure he could fully harness this newfound power.
"So... what are your plans for this afternoon? Heading back to the Dungeon?"
Seeing that he was fully dressed again, Hephaestus finally asked.
"Of course. I've eaten and rested. I'll be heading straight to the Dungeon. Might be back a bit late tonight."
"Wait, you mean—you're planning to stay here again tonight?"
"Obviously. I'm technically homeless now, Hephaestus-sama. You're not gonna kick me out, are you?"
"In your dreams. Last night was a special case. Tonight? Forget it."
"I believe in you, Hephaestus-sama. I know you'll open the door for me."
Akira flashed a smile.
That kind of smile—bright, charming, and effortlessly handsome—could melt just about anyone.
Hephaestus turned beet red. She quickly averted her gaze.
If Hestia weren't staying here with her, Akira might've already succeeded in stealing this blacksmith goddess's heart in record time.
Once everything was wrapped up, Akira tore the Falna report and followed Hephaestus back out to the living room.
But Hestia was nowhere to be seen. The door to her room was tightly shut.
Hephaestus sighed. Her divine roommate had gone back to her usual habit.
Once Hestia entered her "retreat mode," there was no telling when she'd come out.
Even in the Divine Realm, Hestia was the only goddess who didn't reject Hephaestus' company.
But between the two of them, it was always Hephaestus who took the initiative. Hestia rarely came over on her own.
She simply loved hiding away. Once she returned to her little temple, no one knew how long she'd stay cooped up inside.
"Hephaestus—!"
"Huh? What is—"
Before she could even finish her question—
Akira swooped in and stole a kiss.
And the moment their lips touched—
He bolted.
Straight out the door, like a blur of lightning.
Hephaestus stood frozen in the middle of the room, her face crimson with a mix of shock, embarrassment… and fury.
She had just been kissed. Again.
"You bastard, Shin Akira—!"
Her furious shout echoed through the marble corridors of Babel Tower.
But that was all part of Akira's plan.
Now that things between them were out in the open, all he needed was to gradually get her used to this level of intimacy. If he could pull that off, the rest would fall into place naturally.
— — —
It was around 2:30 in the afternoon when Akira arrived at the Dungeon once more.
Unlike that morning, he immediately skipped past the first five floors. The monsters on those levels only dropped tiny Magic Stones—not worth the time or effort.
Far better to descend and aim for better rewards.
Upon reaching the sixth floor, Akira summoned his shadow warriors, and from the darkness beneath him, he drew his weapon.
The hunt began.
Compared to other adventurers, Akira's combat pace was lightning fast.
Every strike was lethal. Every movement was clean and decisive.
It was thanks to the lingering instincts of the Beast King Enkidu—the raw, predatory combat sense of a wild animal.
Even though that skill was sealed, the experience it left behind was etched deep into his muscles.
Akira's fighting style had become fierce and feral, like a lone beast in the wilderness.
But in truth, it was because he had started from zero that he could now rebuild his power from the ground up.
Overwhelming strength could easily blind a person to direction. But this process—this raw and honest journey—was what would allow him to grow for real.
Especially when it came to his mindset.
That was the biggest change of all.
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