"Mr. Levi, why did you sneak into the Dungeon on your own again?!"
Inside the Guild Hall, Eina Tulle—a half-elf clerk with short brown hair and glasses—glared indignantly at the teenager sitting across from her. "How many times do I have to tell you? Adventurers are supposed to avoid unnecessary risks, let alone an ordinary person like you who hasn't even received a Falna yet."
Levi wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, caught red-handed once more. He offered a sheepish grin. "That's why I only hang around the first floor, right?"
"You!" Eina huffed, exasperated. She knew all too well that her advice was likely falling on deaf ears. Taking a deep breath, she tried a different approach. "Mr. Levi, if you're so determined to be an adventurer, why don't you just join a Familia? The Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Ganesha Familia... even several mid-sized exploration Familias are recruiting right now. With your strength and guts, you'd easily pass their trials."
At the mention of serious business, Levi's expression turned solemn. He hadn't traveled all the way to Orario for nothing; his goal was indeed to obtain a God's Grace.
However...
[Levi Bright]Level: 0 Strength: S952+ / S999 Endurance: S951+ / S999 Dexterity: S954+ / S999 Agility: S951+ / S999 Magic: S938+ / S999 (Values after '/' represent the potential stat cap)
Development Ability: Swordsman (H)
Magic:
Mana Burst • 4-Star (Master 17%+): Rapid attack; significantly increases all stats except Magic.
[Empty]
[Empty]
Skills:
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu • 3-Star (Proficient 6%+): Grants 'Swordsman H'; allows use of all techniques except 'Kuzu-ryusen' and 'Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki'.
Equipment: > * Flying Sky Sword (Hiten Mitsurugi) • 3-Star: Indestructible; slight boost to Mana recovery; slight boost to all stats after using Magic or Active Skills.
Apprentice Blacksmith's Leather Set (Armor, Boots, Hood) • 1-Star.
Items: HP Potion x5, MP Potion x5, 32,718 Valis.
Main Quest: Join a Familia and receive Falna. Reward: Level up to Lv.1, All Stat Caps +100, Unlock Lv.1 Dimensional Gacha.
This translucent status panel, visible only to him, was the "cheat" Levi had awakened ten years ago when his memories of a past life returned. It was a system tailored to fit the supernatural laws of the Danmachi world.
His current arsenal—Mana Burst from the Type-Moon universe, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu from Rurouni Kenshin, the Flying Sky Sword from Genshin Impact—had all come from a "Newbie Starter Pack."
Unlike the standard Falna system, where stats grow through grueling training and life-or-death battles, Levi could increase his stats and skill proficiency directly by spending Valis. Currently, 1 point cost 100 Valis, and 100 Valis could buy one day's worth of training memory.
While others might have rushed to join a Familia the moment they got such a system, Levi was patient. In his previous life, he had died in his thirties; he knew the dangers of being hasty. Orario was not a safe place. Beyond monsters, there were bandits and slave traders. Without power, a child traveling alone was more likely to end up in a noble's dungeon than a hero's tale.
More importantly, Levi was a perfectionist. He suspected that, much like the Falna system, his current stats would be "fixed" and converted into his base potential upon leveling up. As a certain villain once said, "A battle between soul reapers is a battle of spiritual pressure." In this world, a battle between Falna users was a battle of cumulative stats. With high enough base stats, one could easily fight above their Level.
Levi wasn't Bell Cranel. He didn't have Liaris Freese to accelerate his growth, nor did he have a circle of goddesses gifting him magic swords and grimoires. But his "cheat" was formidable. If he maxed his stats before receiving Falna, he would possess the combat power of a Level 2 while officially being Level 1.
For ten years, he trained. Two weeks ago, he finally arrived in Orario. Instead of looking for a Familia immediately, he dove into the Dungeon. He had been grinding 15,000 to 30,000 Valis a day—a steady pace to push his stats to the absolute limit.
He would have stayed under the radar if Eina hadn't asked about his Familia while he was exchanging stones yesterday. Now, he was facing his second day of lectures.
"I do plan on joining a Familia," Levi said, calculating that he would hit his stat caps by the end of the day. "After all, without Falna, I can only bully Goblins and Kobolds."
Bully them? Defeating those monsters without a Falna at all is already incredible! Eina screamed internally, her cheeks flushing with exasperation.
"How about this, Miss Eina," Levi continued. "Does the Guild have a handbook of Familias currently recruiting? I'll try to find one to join in the next few days."
Relieved, Eina stood up. "Wait here. I'll go get one for you."
The walk to the counter took barely a minute, but in that brief silence, a voice chirped in Levi's ear:
"Hey, young man! Would you like to join my Familia?"
Levi turned his head. The first thing he saw was a pair of... remarkably large assets, supported by a distinctive blue ribbon that seemed to defy gravity. Behind them was a black-haired girl with twin tails, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
A Goddess.
Though he recognized her instantly from his past life's memories, Levi feigned confusion. "Your Familia? Excuse me, Goddess, but could you introduce yourself first?"
He stood up and gave a polite bow. "My name is Levi Bright. As you probably heard, I'm a newcomer to Orario looking for an exploration-type Familia."
A newcomer... my foot! Hestia thought. She had overheard the whole conversation. Even without "Divine Wisdom," it was clear this boy had extraordinary talent. He was like a lottery ticket that was already half-scratched to reveal a jackpot.
But as soon as he asked for details, Hestia's confidence wavered.
"I... I am Hestia. The Goddess of the Hearth."
Levi nodded. "And?"
"And what?" Hestia took a nervous step back.
"The members of the Hestia Familia, your headquarters, and your short-term goals."
"Uh..." Hestia looked away, her lips trembling. She had been kicked out by Hephaestus only two weeks ago. She had no members, and her "headquarters" was a run-down church basement her friend had taken pity on. She was penniless and possessed nothing but her divinity. She had tried inviting other promising adventurers, but they had all turned her down for the exact same reasons.
Is it going to end like this again? Hestia bit her lip, looking defeated.
Watching her, a smile tugged at Levi's lips. He had confirmed one thing: he had arrived before the main story began. In his past life, he had always liked Hestia—her cheerfulness, her spirit, even her jealousy.
The thirty-something man inside him had long outgrown idle fantasies, and his priority for the last decade had been survival and strength. He had even considered the Freya or Soma Familias as back-ups. But now, he didn't need to choose.
He wanted power. And he wanted the Goddess's love, too.
"I guess I'm not good enough..." Hestia muttered, turning to leave.
Suddenly, her wrist was caught.
"Lady Hestia, where are you going?" Levi's voice was warm.
"Where...? Home, I suppose," she replied instinctively.
"Aren't you taking me with you?" Levi smiled.
"Why would I take—huh?!" Hestia started to ask, then froze as the implication hit her. "You... you mean?"
Levi's smile widened, his pale-gold hair swaying as he spoke with absolute certainty.
"Lady Hestia, I love you."
"Please allow me to join your Familia."
"..."
The moment those words left his mouth, the buzzing Guild Hall fell into a sudden, heavy silence.
Three seconds passed. Then, accompanied by an adorable "Ehhhhh?!" from Hestia, the atmosphere exploded.
Half an hour later, inside the basement of a long-abandoned, crumbling church—the current headquarters of the Hestia Familia.
"Levi, you little pervert!"
Even though some time had passed, the memory of being confessed to in public still made Hestia's face flush a deep crimson as she sat astride Levi's back.
Levi lay flat on the wooden bed, his chin resting on his hands. He let out a soft chuckle. "Hestia, I wasn't lying."
"I—I haven't said yes to you yet!"
"I believe sincerity can move even mountains. Or... do you actually hate me, Hestia?"
"Just shut up already!"
Hestia huffed and swatted the boy's back, though her heart did a little flip at the feel of his well-defined muscles. To break the increasingly suggestive tension, she quickly grabbed a prepared silver needle, pricked her finger, and squeezed out a drop of blood. Her expression turned solemn.
"Levi, I'm asking you one last time. Are you certain you want to become part of my Familia?"
In response, Levi gave her a look that said: (←_←).
Hestia blinked. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Levi grinned. "Didn't you just tell me to shut up?"
"You little—!" Fuming and realizing he was just teasing her again, Hestia stopped talking. She ran her finger, stained with divine blood, straight down Levi's spine.
As the sacred hieroglyphs began to form, she froze. Her eyes widened, and she whispered in disbelief, "This... what on earth is this?"
Almost at the exact moment the Falna was bestowed, a system notification that only Levi could hear rang in his ears:
[Main Quest 'Join a Familia and obtain Falna' completed. Distributing rewards...]
[Levi Bright]Level: 0 → 1 Strength: S999 / S999 → I0 / SS1099 Endurance: S999 / S999 → I0 / SS1099 Dexterity: S999 / S999 → I0 / SS1099 Agility: S999 / S999 → I0 / SS1099 Magic: S999 / S999 → I0 / SS1099 (Remaining details omitted)
[Lv.1 Dimensional Gacha unlocked.]
[New Main Quest generated:]Quest: Reach Level 2. Reward: Level up to Lv.2, All Stat Caps +200, Unlock Lv.2 Dimensional Gacha.