The sky over Orario was already turning golden orange, probably around 3 PM—when I finally made it to the front of the old church that had become my home.
I pushed open the heavy wooden door I knew so well, and the familiar creak of its hinges greeted me like always.
"Goddess!" I called out while closing the door.
"I'm home!"
No answer.
I walked past the dusty church pews toward the stairs leading down to the basement...
our real living space.
The moment my feet touched the last step and I entered our familiar basement room, I was immediately welcomed by the warmth of our little space.
"Kaen-kun! You're home!"
Suddenly, a small figure launched toward me at full speed from the corner of the room.
Long black hair flowing freely like silk in the wind, and sapphire blue eyes sparkling with pure joy.
Goddess Hestia!
My reflexes kicked in instantly.
Without thinking, I raised one hand and gently stopped her head before she could crash into my body that was still covered in blood and sweat.
"Goddess Hestia..." I mumbled, holding her head gently.
"Ehh?" Hestia flailed her arms in the air, like someone searching for something in the dark.
Her eyes blinked in confusion when she realized she wasn't hugging anyone, just empty air.
"Why'd you stop me? I missed you!"
I pointed to my clothes that were still covered in monster blood and sweat.
"I'm still dirty, Goddess. Your clothes will get dirty too if you hug me now."
"Ohh..." her previously excited face immediately turned into a pout.
She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lip like a little kid who wasn't bought candy.
"Fine then!" She turned her face away.
I slowly released my hand from her head, and that's when I really noticed how she looked today.
"..."
"..."
"Goddess," I said with a slightly surprised tone.
"Why isn't your hair tied up today?"
Her long black hair that was usually styled in twintails now flowed freely over her shoulders, giving off a completely different vibe.
She looked more... mature?
Or maybe more feminine?
Even though I'd seen it a few times before. But... it still felt different every time I looked at it.
"T-that..." Hestia immediately looked down while playing with the ends of her hair with her fingers.
Her cheeks started turning red.
"Yesterday you... you said it looked prettier when it's down... s-so... so I tried..."
Her voice got smaller at the end of the sentence, almost like a whisper.
But then she immediately looked up with eyes that sparkled with insecurity.
"But is... is it weird? Do I look ugly?" she asked while puffing out her cheeks, staring at me with fiery eyes waiting for me to answer.
(´･ω･`)?
(￣△￣;)ゞ
I reflexively smiled a little seeing her changing expressions.
"Kaen-kun... don't tell me... you forgot?"
I furrowed my brow. "Forgot? Eh... that's not what I meant..."
"That's why you just stayed quiet!"
"Goddess, there's no way I forgot!" I said while smiling.
"Goddess Hestia, you're always beautiful. Whether your hair is tied up or down, I'll always say you're beautiful."
"Ehehe~" her laugh came out spontaneously as she jumped a little in place.
"Really? Really? I really am beautiful!"
But then she immediately realized what she'd just said and her face turned completely red.
"N-no! I mean..." she immediately turned around and ran toward the bed, rolling around while screaming.
"Ka-Kaen!! You're teasing me again! Your own goddess!? How rude! So rude!"
I chuckled softly while setting down my weapon.
"If teasing my own goddess is wrong... then let me keep being wrong."
Hestia went quiet for a moment, her lips moving soundlessly, as if she wanted to protest but couldn't find the words.
Then finally she just looked down, staring at me and said.
"Just hurry up and take a bath! You smell like sweat! I don't want our holy home smelling like the dungeon!" she said while pointing toward where the bathroom was.
I smiled seeing her adorable behavior.
"Yes, Goddess. Oh, by the way," I pulled out a package of bread from my bag and put it on the table.
"This is bread from Uncle Boros. If you're hungry, you can eat it first."
Hestia's eyes immediately sparkled seeing that bread package, but then she shook her head firmly while striking a pose with her hands on her hips.
"Nope! We're eating together!" she declared in a tone that couldn't be argued with.
"I've been waiting for you since this afternoon! So we have to eat together!"
"But Goddess, you must've already—"
"No buts!" she cut me off while pointing at me with her index finger.
"Hurry up and take a bath, then we'll eat! And don't take forever in the bathroom!"
I raised my hands in a gesture like surrender, as if saying 'okay.'
"Alright, alright. I'll go take a bath first."
I went into the small bathroom in the corner of our basement room. The water from the bucket felt cold as I poured it over my body, washing away the monster blood and sweat that had stuck to me all day.
A few minutes later, I came out while drying my hair with a worn towel.
"I'm done, Goddess."
Hestia, who had been waiting on the bed, was now sitting on the sofa and immediately looked up.
Then quickly turned her face away.
But in an instant, her expression brightened again.
I was a bit surprised. That fast at changing her expression?
"Kaen-kun, let's eat together~!" she called out while patting the chair next to her.
I nodded, then sat next to her and started eating.
After eating, I cleaned up the table, putting the plates and glasses to the side of the room. I yawned several times, maybe the bath and meal made me relaxed and ready to sleep soon.
Then, without realizing it, I stared at Hestia's face for quite a while with a serious expression.
Goddess Hestia, noticing this, immediately furrowed her brow.
"Kaen-kun... what's wrong? Why are you staring at me so seriously? I-is there something on my face?"
I took a breath, then leaned forward slightly.
"Speaking of which, Goddess... it's been a while since we did that, hasn't it?"
Hestia immediately tensed up.
"D-did... t-that!? Ka-Kaen!! You... you mean... w-what!?"
"W-we've never done it before!"
Her cheeks turned red, her eyes widened in panic.
She covered her face with both hands while rolling slightly on the bed.
"Improper! So improper to ask about that so suddenly!"
I slapped my forehead in confusion.
'Why is she reacting like this?' I thought while frowning, trying to connect Hestia's logic that jumped from A to Z.
"Goddess..." I said in a tired tone.
I wanted to update my status quickly and then sleep. Almost dying in the dungeon had made me mentally exhausted.
"I meant... it's been a while since we did a status update."
"Eh?" Hestia turned with her face still bright red, but now mixed with confusion.
"E-eh!? Y-you mean... status! Right, yeah! S-status!"
I nodded slowly, looking at her strangely.
"Yeah, status. What else did you think I meant?"
"I've been going down to the dungeon for quite a while, but we haven't checked my progress again. I think... it's about time."
Hestia still stared at me for a few seconds, before finally her face exploded into total red.
"Kaen-kuuun!! If you meant status update, say it from the beginning! Don't make your goddess misunderstand first!"
I frowned, really not understanding.
'Misunderstand about what?'
'Am I too tired that my focus in processing information has slowed down? Did I miss something?'
"What's wrong? I only asked about status."
Hestia peeked a little from behind the pillow, her face red like a boiled crab.
"Uuuhh... don't talk about it! Embarrassing!!"
I could only sigh in resignation, still not understanding what made her so embarrassed.
I wanted to sleep soon!
"Geez, Goddess... I'm being serious. I said status update, not... other things." My words seemed to make things worse.
"D-don't say 'other things' with such a calm face, Kaen-kun! Auuuhhh!!" Hestia covered her face again.
I shook my head, giving up trying to understand.
"Alright, so there's no more misunderstanding... and also to make it faster..."
Without any preamble, I immediately took off my shirt. The sound of worn fabric coming off was clear in our quiet room.
"W-wha—!?" Hestia immediately looked up, her eyes wide.
"K-Kaen-kun!! Why are you suddenly taking off your shirt like that!? At least give me a warning first!!"
I looked at her even more confused.
'Isn't taking off your shirt the basic rule when updating status?'
For a moment I doubted myself. Am I the one who misunderstood social norms in this world? Or is it really my goddess whose mind wanders too wildly?
"Eh? Is it wrong? Don't you have to... take off your shirt for status updates?"
"I-it's not like you have to immediately strip like that, Kaen-kuuun!!" Hestia's face exploded red.
It was so red, I could almost see steam coming out of her head.
'Am I hallucinating?'
"You could give me a warning first, dummy!!"
I blinked innocently.
"So... do I have to ask your permission first every time?"
"Uuuwahhh! Don't ask me with such a calm face like thaaat!!" Hestia screamed while covering her face with the pillow again.
I just shrugged, then lay on the bed like a dead fish.
"Well then, let's just start, Goddess. I really want to sleep after this."
Hestia puffed out her cheeks, clearly still annoyed.
"Kaen-kun is... geez! Not romantic, not sensitive, not sensitiiive!!"
Hestia slammed the pillow while pouting.
But even though her mouth was grumpy, her hands still moved to take the divine pen.
She sat gently on my back.
"Auuuhh... this makes your goddess feel so conflicted, you know? Embarrassed yes, annoyed yes, but... well, I can't ignore you either."
I just hummed shortly, too tired to respond at length.
"Thank you, Goddess."
For a moment, I felt the weight of her small body on my back, then her gentle voice was heard.
"Geez... if it weren't because I care about Kaen-kun, I would've refused your request and let you sleep," she mumbled quietly.
With her face still slightly red, Hestia began placing her hands on my back, preparing to start the status update ritual.
As soon as Hestia sat on my back, I could feel her small fingers touching my skin.
But instead of immediately writing the status, her hand stopped at one point.
"...Kaen-kun," Hestia's voice sounded hesitant, very quiet.
"This scar... when did it appear?"
I held my breath for a moment and realized something.
So she just noticed it now.
No wonder, since I was freed from prison and came home, she had never really seen my upper body without clothes.
"Ah... that," I opened my mouth, trying to choose the right words.
"When I was in prison... I met a friend. We fought accidentally, and... I got hurt."
Hestia was quiet for a few seconds.
"...Friend?" she asked softly, her tone clearly disbelieving.
"If he's really a friend... why did he leave a scar like this?"
I just smiled slightly, even though she couldn't see my face from this position.
"Yeah... he's still my friend."
Hestia didn't reply, but I could feel from the touch of her hands that she knew I wasn't lying.
Then her voice was heard again, full of confusion.
"The potion I gave you back then... even that couldn't heal this wound? How is that possible...?"
I fell silent.
Honestly, I didn't know what to answer.
Even the potion I bought from Ukyo... which was clearly not cheap quality, also couldn't erase the mark of this cut.
'Strange. Very strange. Even a potion of that class didn't work. The only possibility... the knife Zagan used wasn't an ordinary knife.'
'As for how I think it was a knife. Since Zagan is an ordinary person, it's impossible he slashed me with his bare fingers, right? No... clearly he was hiding something. A weapon? Or... some kind of artifact?'
'Yeah, he must be hiding a unique weapon. No matter what, Zagan didn't look like an ordinary prisoner. I can only guess... for now.'
"Kaen..." she whispered, her voice trembling.
Then I heard Goddess Hestia sigh softly.
"Kaen-kun... do you want me to heal this scar? I can try another way, I have a friend who might be able to help."
I was quiet for a moment, then shook my head gently.
"About that scar, just leave it."
"Eh? Why?" she asked, clearly confused.
I smiled slightly.
"I think... this scar is pretty good. I like it."
Hestia fell silent, her eyes tracing the scar on my back.
"...You're right. The mark is so smooth... strangely, it actually looks good."
Her fingers slowly traced the line of that wound, then unconsciously slid to the muscle parts that were now harder than before.
"Kaen-kun... your body... why do I feel like your body has changed? More muscular than before..." she mumbled almost inaudibly.
I immediately cleared my throat loudly.
"Ahem! G-goddess, when are we updating the status?"
"A-ah?!" Hestia quickly pressed my head with both hands, preventing me from turning toward her.
Her face was clearly red.
"D-don't look! I...! And... yes, let's start the status update now!" said Goddess Hestia while still keeping her hands on my head.
After a few seconds, I could feel her take a long breath to calm herself.
"...Alright. Enough joking around. Let's begin, Kaen-kun," she said softly.
I nodded, lying more comfortably on the bed.
"Mm."
Slowly, the pressure of her hands on my head lessened, then Hestia moved her palms back to my back. This time her touch was more careful, as if she wanted to erase traces of her embarrassment from earlier.
For a moment, the room became quiet.
Only the sound of our breathing could be heard.
Then I felt a warm flow from Hestia's fingers, like energy flowing into my body.
Just like before, I knew that at this moment divine writings were starting to appear on my back, visible clearly only to the Goddess.
"...Yeah, it's starting to come out," Hestia mumbled softly, her voice becoming serious again.
I closed my eyes.
"Heh... finally. Let's see what's changed."
It didn't take long before I felt Goddess Hestia get down from my back. I heard the soft rustle of paper behind me, indicating she had started copying carefully.
Meanwhile, I grabbed my shirt and put it back on.
Hestia's breathing was soft, but occasionally she sighed slightly, as if something was bothering her mind.
Seems like it's usual for status to be easily read by adventurers that the gods copy it onto paper.
Not long after, a sheet of paper was handed to me.
"It's done. This is your status, Kaen-kun."
I took the paper and looked at it. Rows of numbers, letters, and strange writing that I was used to started to read clearly.
My eyes widened unconsciously when I saw how my status had changed...
Name: Kaen
Level: 1
Familia: Hestia Familia
ABILITY
Strength: I-67 → F-327
Endurance: I-89 → D-471
Dexterity: I-94 → E-436
Agility: I-71 → F-302
Magic: I-0 → I-0
DEVELOPMENT ABILITIES
None
SKILLS
『Survival instinct - K..N os』 (Passive / Active Conditional)
Passive – Permanent Effect:
Threat Perception – High-level intuition to detect internal and external dangers.
『Battle High』 (Passive Skill) NEW
Effect:
•Every time taking an attack, the body triggers adrenaline release that temporarily increases Strength and Agility.
•High adrenaline makes pain feel faint, allowing the user to continue fighting even when suffering severe injuries.
•The enhancement effect increases with the number of attacks received.
•Effect gradually decreases if not receiving attacks for less than 3 minutes.
My eyes were fixed on the paper in my hands, almost not believing the row of numbers displayed there.
My heart beat a little faster as I read it.
Even my sleepiness decreased a bit.
Endurance had already broken through to rank D, while Dexterity followed in rank E, with Strength and Agility solid in F.
Crazy improvement in just a month. it felt almost impossible.
However, when those past shadows flashed again. every pain I felt after the fight with Zagan, every life-and-death battle against monsters in the dungeon, every second where life felt on the edge, I took a deep breath.
A wave of cold and hard satisfaction swept over me.
'This... is a reasonable result. A fair price.'
When my gaze shifted to the Skills section, that strange sensation I felt when fighting gobs returned.
『Battle High』?
Of course.
I remember now.
The pain from every wound seemed to become fuel, fading and replaced by an intoxicating wave of strength and speed.
The more I got hurt, the sharper my senses, the stronger my punches.
'So, that was the cause,' I thought.
A passive skill that turns suffering into fighting power.
However, when I was about to smile with satisfaction, something odd caught my attention.
I examined the paper more closely, squinting my eyes.
There were several ink traces that looked like they were deliberately erased hastily, leaving faint stains.
My suspicion focused on my first skill: 『Survival instinct - K..N os』 (Passive / Active Conditional)
The name felt awkward, like there were missing parts, and the description was too brief for a skill with such a big name.
A flash of memory from prison crossed my mind... the feeling of death under Zagan's grip, consciousness fading to black, then... emptiness.
But I knew, even in that emptiness, my body didn't stay still.
It moved by itself, driven by a primal instinct to survive by any means necessary.
That wasn't just ordinary instinct.
That must be a skill.
An ability that took over when I lost consciousness.
I glanced at Goddess Hestia.
She sat beside me, but her gaze was deliberately averted, her fingers suddenly busy examining her nails while humming softly.
Movements that were too forced.
Her suspicious behavior immediately reminded me of the original story about how she initially desperately hid Bell Cranel's rare skill.
If history repeats itself, that means the skill she's hiding from me is...
very powerful?
Dangerous?
Or maybe... a unique skill?
"Goddess," I called, deliberately making my tone calm but investigative.
"There are many erasure marks on this paper. Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
Hestia startled as if just electrocuted. She looked at me with wide, panicked eyes, her nervousness clearly visible.
"Eh? E-erasures? Where? I don't think there are any!" she said quickly, while laughing awkwardly.
"Maybe it's just my fingers that were a bit itchy, hehe~ Nothing's wrong! Everything's normal!"
...Her stammering answer, the way she avoided my gaze... Ugh.
Goddess, if you want to try lying, don't do it so obviously like that!
Anyone would know you're lying!
Looking at the status paper again, I started thinking.
'These ink marks... their position is right above the second skill. The distance is too long for just a mistake. The name also feels strange, incomplete. So, there's an important part that was deliberately erased.'
I glanced at Hestia's still-panicked face.
'The question isn't what she's hiding anymore, but 'why.' Goddess Hestia couldn't possibly do it with malicious intent. This must be... to protect me. Just like what she did for Bell Cranel in the original story. Bell's skill was indeed dangerous if others found out because it was too OP. If that's the case, my situation might be the same.'
I sighed slowly.
'Oh well... if it's really for my own good, I don't need to force myself to know now.'
When I looked at her again, Hestia still looked nervous. Her stammering answers, the way she avoided my gaze... all of that was more than enough confirmation.
I knew I wouldn't get anything if I kept pressing her now.
Forcing a goddess, especially my own protective goddess, wasn't a wise move.
She would only become more closed off and anxious.
Seeing her acting awkward and restless, a much better idea crossed my mind.
Instead of continuing this pointless interrogation, I'd better change the game.
Without saying a word, I moved my body close to Goddess Hestia.
Before she could react or ask what I was doing, I confidently rested my head on her soft lap.
"Eeeh?!" Her startled shriek echoed clearly in our small room.
I could feel her body immediately tense stiffly under my head, and a strange warmth began to spread... clearly her face was now red as an apple.
"K-Kaen?! What are you doing?! Get up! Why did you suddenly..."
I cut off her words, my eyes already closed, enjoying the comfort I was already feeling.
"Goddess," I said in the lowest and calmest voice possible, "didn't you already promise?"
"Promise what?!" she exclaimed, still trying to push my shoulder in panic, even though her strength wasn't enough to move me even a little.
"Every time I update my status," I continued, ignoring her protests.
"I have the right to get 'premium lap pillow' service."
Silence.
Her protests stopped instantly.
I could imagine the confused expression on her face as she tried to remember, then the increasingly deep red blush when she realized she had indeed said something silly like that.
"T-that... I was just joking back then, geez..." she mumbled softly, no longer any resistance in her voice.
I didn't answer, just let the silence take over.
The exhaustion that I had been suppressing with adrenaline and alertness finally demanded its payment.
The warmth from her lap, the faint flower scent that somehow always clung to her, and the sense of safety from being 'home' began eroding the remnants of my consciousness.
I felt a hesitant hand land on my head.
At first it just stayed still, maybe she was still fighting with her embarrassment.
Then, very slowly, her small fingers began stroking my hair gently.
That touch was the peak.
All the tension in my body melted away instantly.
Questions about hidden skills, plans to become strong, and other things—everything faded into the background.
What remained was just this warmth, this caress, and the comfortable darkness that pulled me deeper.
With that gentle caress as the last anchor of my consciousness, I fell asleep.
— Hestia's POV —
I gazed at Kaen's sleeping face on my lap.
He looked so peaceful, so different from the calmness he showed a few moments ago.
I called his name several times softly, "Kaen? Hey, Kaen-kun?"
Only soft snoring answered.
He was truly exhausted.
I sighed with relief mixed with worry.
My hand didn't stop stroking his hair.
The status paper he was holding earlier slipped from his grip and fell beside him.
I took it carefully.
While staring at the paper, I focused a bit of remaining Ichor still at my fingertip.
I dropped it onto the parts I had deliberately obscured.
Instantly, the faded ink shone again with blue light, turning into divine letters that formed the terrifying truth.
This was Kaen's real status.
SKILLS
『Survival instinct - Kaen Virelios』 (Passive / Active Conditional)
Passive – Permanent Effect:
• Threat Perception – High-level intuition to detect internal and external dangers.
• Eternal Muscle Memory – The body subconsciously slowly adopts posture, balance, and fighting techniques from experience equivalent to <1,000 years of martial arts training, improving combat efficiency, athletic ability, and acrobatics far above basic parameters.
Passive Description:
The consciousness of a warrior who has been through thousands of life-and-death battles merges with present consciousness. That experience flows tactics, corrects posture, and sharpens body instincts.
Active – 「Puppet」
Activation Requirements:
• Automatically triggered when the user loses consciousness and faces a threat deemed fatal by the remnant consciousness dwelling within.
Effects During Activation:
• Complete Takeover – Remnant consciousness controls the body entirely, ignoring mental limitations and physical pain.
• 0-Second Reflexes – possesses inhuman processing speed of "0," meaning the brain requires no time to send information to body parts.
• Total Optimization – All movements are optimized to survive and kill opponents as efficiently as possible.
• Instant Adaptation – Fighting techniques can change every second adjusting to enemy patterns, exploiting weaknesses instantly.
• Unknown
• Unknown
• Adjustment – adjusts to opponent's strength level, the stronger the opponent the stronger the power. If opponent is weak, power becomes weak too.
• After threat is eliminated or body is no longer able to move, control is returned to the original user.
『Battle High』 (Passive Skill)
Effect:
• Every time taking an attack, the body triggers adrenaline release that temporarily increases Strength and Agility.
• High adrenaline makes pain feel faint, allowing the user to continue fighting even when suffering severe injuries.
• Enhancement effect increases with the number of attacks received.
• Effect gradually decreases if not receiving attacks for less than 3 minutes.
『One Pain, One Kill』(Active Skill)
Effect:
• Accumulates all physical pain experienced by the user.
• When activated, channels accumulated pain into one physical attack.
• Target hit will feel suffering equivalent to the pain experienced by the user, in addition to receiving physical damage from the attack.
• User's pain doesn't disappear after the attack; only the sensation is transferred to the opponent.
- forbidden ability - burning life can kill enemies instantly at the cost of existence disappearing and never being able to reincarnate again.
My hands trembled as I reread that description.
His first skill... wasn't just survival instinct.
That was another consciousness inside him. An ancient warrior?
Remnants from a past life?
I don't know, but what's clear is this isn't a good thing.
"Are you... a reincarnation of someone powerful from the past, Kaen-kun? Or not?" I mumbled to this young man sleeping on my lap.
If it's true, then Kaen is destined to become strong.
Very strong.
But this power comes with a terrifying price.
The 「Puppet」 skill takes away his consciousness.
I don't know if this is good or bad.
And the last skill... 『One Pain, One Kill』... that's a curse.
Especially its final effect.
"Burning life... existence disappearing... never reincarnating again."
My heart felt cold. This was a skill that could erase a soul from the cycle of life forever.
A final suicide technique that must not be known by anyone,
especially by Kaen himself. If someday he's cornered and knows he has this option...
I won't let him.
"Forgive me, Kaen," I whispered while brushing hair from his sleeping face.
"I'll hide this. This is for your own good."
I will never show him the last part of his third skill.
For me, that forbidden ability doesn't exist. It's better if Kaen never knows at all.
A skill like that, it's better if Kaen never had it.