Too fast!
Even though she'd already expected that her child's growth rate wouldn't be too slow, this kind of speed was still amazing.
So he really was using that skill.
Even though he didn't have magic, Kuro's magic attribute kept growing, making Hestia can't help but sigh in her heart.
Since becoming an adventurer, including the time he was unconscious, only half a month had passed.
Even though he didn't intend to be compared with Bell who reached Lv2 with all SS in one and a half months, Kuro really did plan to raise his level to Lv2 before Bell arrived in Orario.
Not for any other reason—he just wanted to have enough qualifications to gather experience under the protagonist's aura, instead of always playing the role of a side spectator.
Ever since Bell set foot in Orario, this world's story would begin, with life-and-death battles happening almost every month.
Under high-intensity battles like this, Bell only needed half a year to grow from a rookie adventurer to a first-class level 5 adventurer.
As long as Kuro could board this express train, he could rapidly improve his strength.
However, since being transported to this world, Kuro clearly felt the world's malice targeting him.
Kuro felt this deeply—if it wasn't because he'd already been transported here.
Kuro wasn't willing to give up just like that, otherwise he would've already ended this life full of suffering.
To preserve the original plot as much as possible, Kuro didn't take any actions that might affect the storyline. He just wanted to quietly hunt monsters to improve himself, silently waiting for the story's protagonist to arrive.
After all, Kuro didn't have the confidence to challenge the black dragon, but after he got the weapon Hestia gave him.
Kuro realized—everything had changed.
When Bell appeared, would Hestia's sword still appear?
No, he had to face reality. If he kept going with the flow like this.
That kind of situation was no longer possible.
Could Bell, who lost that artifact, still successfully defeat the black dragon?
Only now did Kuro realize how ridiculous his actions had been all this time.
In Kuro's head, that phrase suddenly echoed.
"Can't forgive myself for doing nothing but hoping for that thing."
'So I've always been like this!'
Closing his eyes, at this moment, Kuro's pitiful self-esteem was completely shattered.
Tonight, Kuro didn't sleep, but instead worked hard to remember every useful piece of information about this world in his head.
If the world treats me like this, then let this world be turned upside down.
...
The next day, Kuro still woke up early, dressed neatly, carrying two long swords on his back.
Different from usual, this time when going out he brought the cloak he used to wear often.
Since joining the Hestia Familia, he rarely wore clothes to hide this face anymore.
He left under Hestia's confused gaze.
Kuro didn't choose the main road he usually took, but quietly entered a small path, until his figure was swallowed by darkness.
Realizing that he might be being watched, the first thing to do was immediately disappear from everyone's sight.
Kuro didn't go straight to the dungeon, but went to the guild first to post a quest, putting up a bounty for searching for specific monsters.
After that, Kuro entered the familiar yet strange dungeon, going to the ninth floor.
Kuro kept swinging his black sword, killing various monsters that kept emerging from the stone walls, trying to use techniques to fight.
However, without a teacher's guidance, relying only on his own exploration, progress seemed very difficult.
After fierce morning battles, besides the light armor on his body being full of scratches, his joints also gained several more wounds, but Kuro didn't get substantial progress.
Combat experience was gained through years of training—it couldn't be achieved overnight.
Until the evening.
Facing monsters that were about to come, several unforgettable memories from the past surfaced in his head.
Instantly, hatred turned into blazing flames of anger, igniting his chest.
Every breath was like pouring oil on fire, making the anger burn even fiercer.
'Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it...'
Slowly, black flames like thin threads appeared on the surface of Kuro's body.
Kuro kept feeling the flames of anger ignited by hatred, while trying to maintain his sanity.
Sss~
A dungeon lizard attacked Kuro through the side wall. When approaching three meters, it decisively opened its large mouth, showing sharp teeth, directly biting toward Kuro's throat.
Black flames surged up, Kuro's red pupils reflected the monster split in two.
"Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it..."
Suppressing the crazy urge to destroy this world, Kuro slowly adapted to this state.
Learn to adapt first, then you can master it.
If you only have power but lose your sanity, what's the difference from a wild beast?
What Kuro sought was power that could break through desperate situations, not madness that pushed him to the edge of danger.
The flames of hatred triggered by memories once ignited, how could they be easily controlled?
After three days of hard training, on the dungeon's ninth floor, a black-haired, red-eyed figure wrapped in black flames kept dodging the vicious attacks of War Shadows.
Finally, he successfully blocked the claw attack with his left arm armor, then with strong force delivered an uppercut from the War Shadow's chest to its shoulder.
Crack!
At the wound, black flames quickly spread, instantly covering the entire body.
Soon, the War Shadow became ash along with its magic stone.
After defeating the monster, Kuro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
The black flames surrounding him slowly died out.
'As expected, I still can't control it freely. Right now, I can only trigger Flames of Revenge by awakening memories. However, if I don't release the murderous aura surging in my heart, the skill won't stop, the flames won't die out. Besides, if it goes on too long, I might even lose control again.'
Finding a quiet corner to sit, Kuro ate lunch while reviewing the morning battle details.
Tap tap!
Clear footsteps could be heard from ahead.
Raising his head, Kuro was delighted to find the person he'd been waiting for had finally come, couldn't help but say: "You're finally here!"
Standing in front of Kuro was a figure whose entire body was wrapped in a black robe, face completely invisible.
"Oh, from your tone, it seems you know me." The black-robed person initially seemed confused, but soon felt relieved: "No wonder this quest seemed deliberately published to attract me so that's how it is."
The black-robed person pulled out a sheet of paper from within their robe, waving it casually. It was exactly the quest Kuro had posted at the guild.
"It seems you know about 'them'."
"No need to hide it—I know a little about the Xenos situation." Kuro said while eating: "You must've already investigated my background these past two days, otherwise you wouldn't have been late meeting me."
"Kuro, real name unknown, suddenly appeared in Orario two years ago, cared for by the founder of Jagaimo Union, only joined the Hestia Familia half a month ago."
The black-robed person recited smoothly.
"From the information, it doesn't look like you've ever contacted Xenos was it before arriving in Orario?"
"You know how I arrived in Orario, Sage... no, Fools Fels." Kuro wiped the corner of his mouth: "Before arriving in Orario, I used to be a slave. However, during the buying and selling process, I did encounter some interesting things. Out there, intelligent monsters that can speak are very valuable."
"..."
Looking at the silent Fels, Kuro continued: "How about it, need this information?"
Fels: "What do you want?"
"Three magic books, ten million valis." Kuro said flatly.
Fels: "No problem."
As an existence with eight hundred years of life, these things meant nothing to him.
Otherwise, before the war game, he also wouldn't have been willing to spend dozens of precious magic books to help Haruhime awaken magic.
After knowing his opponent agreed, Kuro told Fels some information: "At that time, the slave group that sold me was already completely destroyed by Astrea, but the familia they followed, I once accidentally heard them mention. if I remember correctly, it should be called the Ikelos Familia."
"Ikelos Familia!"
Clearly, this answer also shocked Fels. He hadn't expected the Ikelos Familia to not only be involved in slave trading, but also know about Xenos.
"How do they transport Xenos out of the dungeon?"
"Who knows, maybe the dungeon doesn't only have one exit." Kuro shrugged.
"I see." Fels already had a premonition about this result: "Any other information?"
"What do you expect a slave to overhear? But you could try Daedalus Street."
"I understand, this is for you. If you remember something later, you can contact me through this." Seeing Kuro continue eating, clearly his opponent didn't intend to continue the conversation, so he gave Kuro a yellow glass ball.
"I'll prepare the necessary items... come to this place tomorrow to pick them up."
After telling him the address, Fels disappeared.
Thinking that the Xenos issue had been exposed and involved dark factions, he also had to prepare.
About whether the person in front of him was lying, don't underestimate the insight of a sage who's lived eight hundred years.
After realizing Fels had really disappeared, Kuro couldn't help but sigh.
Even though everything he said was fact, all these words were fabrications... like assembling various fragments into a truth that seemed complete but was full of lies.
About whether to tell him everything about Daedalus, after thinking, Kuro decided to give up.
He didn't have Bell's succubus constitution that made everyone trust him. If he revealed everything, who knows what would happen.