On the way back to the headquarters with Hestia, Levi had spent his Valis to push every single one of his stats to exactly S999. Because of this, he avoided the tragedy of having a stat fall just short of perfection before the "reset."
While Hestia was busy obsessing over the data on his back, Levi opened the newly unlocked Dimensional Gacha panel with a thought.
[Standard Banner: Danmachi Lv.1]Featured Items:
3-Star (Unspecified): Grimoires, Specified Development Ability Activation Vouchers.
2-Star: Lv.1 Specified Stat Boost (+100), Skill Proficiency Boost (+100 days).
1-Star: Lv.1 Specified Stat Boost (+10), Skill Proficiency Boost (+10 days). Cost: 1,000 Valis per pull / 10,000 Valis for 10. Note: 10-pull guarantees a 2-Star. 90-pull pity guarantees a 3-Star.
[Event Banner: Genshin Impact Lv.1 (Ends in 30 days)]Featured Items:
3-Star (Unspecified): Specified Elemental Vision (No Constellations), Millelith Swordsmanship, Favonius Bladework, Hunter's Markmanship, Cool Steel, Dark Iron Sword, Black Tassel, Slingshot...
2-Star / 1-Star: Same as Standard. Cost: 1,000 Valis per pull / 10,000 Valis for 10. Note: Standard pity rules apply.
"..."
Even though he had expected it, Levi couldn't help but grimace. It reminded him of the "gacha hell" from his past life—his luck had always been legendary for being absolutely abysmal.
No, no, look on the bright side, Levi comforted himself. At least this isn't a Tencent or NetEase clone where I have to collect shards for every skill and item. That would be true despair.
By then, Hestia had recovered from her initial shock and finished transcribing the Falna onto parchment.
"Here, Levi."
She hopped off his back and handed him the sheet. Levi sat up and scanned it quickly. He hadn't intended to look closely, assuming his system panel was more detailed anyway.
However...
Below his Level, Stats, and the skill [Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu • Menkyo], there was a line of text that didn't appear on his system panel:
[Identity Unknown]
Seeing her first follower turn from playful to pensive, Hestia asked curiously, "So... do you know what this ability of yours is?"
"I do."
Levi nodded. He didn't deny it. As he grew stronger, it would be impossible to hide everything. "I can strengthen my stats, learn new techniques, or manifest items out of thin air by directly consuming Valis."
"Huh?"
Even for a Goddess who had lived for millions of years, she couldn't help but look at him as if he were pulling her leg.
But a moment later, Levi pulled a 100-Valis coin from his pocket (actually his inventory) and watched it dissolve into smoke. He asked her to update his status again. When she saw his Strength stat jump from I0 to I1 instantly, Hestia fell into a stunned silence.
She wasn't stupid. Gods in this world, having lived so long, were rarely dim-witted unless it concerned their specific divine domain. She immediately realized why he had waited so long to join a Familia.
"So..." she whispered, her voice slightly dry. "Before you accepted my invitation, your stats had already reached..."
Levi smiled calmly, finishing her sentence. "The limit for a Level 1. S999 across the board."
Hestia didn't know how to react. She thought she had gotten lucky and picked up a nice 4-Star SR card before the other Gods noticed.
Instead, Levi was telling her: No, you actually pulled the only 6-Star UR card on the server.
"Haaa—"
Hestia took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. Pushing down her swirling emotions, she took the parchment from his hand and held it over a candle flame. Once it turned to ash, she looked at him with absolute seriousness.
"I've locked your skills on the status screen. And even though I don't think you're foolish enough to do it, I have to warn you: Never, ever let anyone see your real information."
"I understand," Levi nodded. Then, slipping back into his playful persona, he added, "After all, I only show my body to the people I love."
At this borderline confession/harassment, Hestia's cheeks flared. She began flailing her arms at him. "Waaaah! I told you to stop teasing me!"
As a Goddess, Hestia was more than competent—she was exceptional. Upon learning that Levi's growth required massive amounts of Valis, she didn't suggest a celebratory feast. Instead, she pulled out all the money she had earned from her part-time jobs and told him he could use it as he pleased. She even considered asking Hephaestus for a high-interest loan.
Levi was touched, but he didn't accept. It wasn't about pride; it was because Hestia's money was earned through hard, physical labor. If he spent a day in the Dungeon, even on the shallow floors, he could earn what she made in a week.
Still, after the Falna was set, Levi went to a nearby market and spent 2,000 Valis to cook a lavish dinner for them both. Being an orphan in two lives had made him quite a skilled cook.
After they had their fill, they stood before their respective bedroom doors.
Hestia's face turned slightly pink as she remembered something. "Levi... even though we're family now, you can't do... that... until I say it's okay."
Levi played dumb. "What's 'that'?"
"You know... that... that..." Hestia started to explain, then realized he was messing with her again. She puffed out her cheeks. "Levi, you little pervert!"
She slammed her door shut. Levi shrugged and entered his own room. He didn't go to sleep immediately. Instead, he began his daily training: Mana Control.