"...And that's the deal. Hephaestus has agreed to help."
Hestia sat at the dinner table, hands on her hips, her face radiating pure smugness. On the other side, Levi nodded as he processed the details of the conversation with Hephaestus.
"Two million Valis for a Level 5 to protect me for a day? In some ways, that's actually a bargain."
Even between the closest brothers, accounts should be kept clear, and Hestia was never a Goddess who looked for a free ride. One reason she made so many friends in the heavens was her straightforward personality; she always paid her dues when asking for favors. Levi shared this sentiment; any problem that could be solved with Valis wasn't a problem at all.
As for the fact that he'd have to spend the next half-month grinding gold to pay back the debt, he didn't mind the delay in his growth. Reality wasn't a game. Unlike the Gods who could be sent back to the heavens and eventually return, mortals only had one life. The Dungeon was notorious for "accidents." Levi had no desire to be peacefully stacking his "Great Feat" only to be hit by a sudden monster surge—a "Monster Party"—or a high-level beast wandering onto the wrong floor.
"Delicious~" Hestia took a spoonful of rice drenched in tomato and egg sauce, chewed happily, and let out a sigh of bliss. "I've said my piece. What about you?"
"I went down to the seventh floor today," Levi replied between bites. "Spent about an hour adjusting to the combat rhythm of Killer Ants, and after that, it was business as usual. My income didn't beat yesterday's since there were no 'bonus' loot from idiots, but I still cleared over 100,000 Valis."
Ambushes by other adventurers weren't a daily occurrence. However, magic stones were a steady income since Levi made sure to kill monsters without damaging their cores. As the monsters grew stronger, their stone value increased. Even just loitering on the upper floors, Levi's efficiency was starting to rival individuals in Level 2 parties on the Middle Floors.
"Tomorrow and the day after, I'll try to go down two more floors. I won't consider going past the 10th floor until my Falna hits Level 2."
From the 10th floor onward, Monster Parties became a frequent hazard—the kind where even a Level 2 could easily die if they weren't careful. As a follower of the "cautious path," Levi wasn't about to gamble with his life.
Hestia nodded. "Fine. Just take it at your own pace." She was quite confident in her Captain—and currently only member. Despite being only sixteen, he was more mature than any teenager she'd met. He was ambitious yet grounded. Hestia had no doubt that even without his [Identity Unknown] cheat, his temperament alone would have carried him to Level 3 or 4.
Dinner ended, and after saying goodnight to Hestia, Levi returned to his bedroom for his "reward" time after a hard day's work. He had earned 100,000 today; adding his leftovers, he had over 130,000 in cash. He set aside 20,000 for emergencies and prepared to dump the rest into the gacha.
Since he already had the 3-star items he needed from the Genshin banner, he switched to the Standard Banner.
[3-Star Grimoire (Bound): After use, awakens a magic spell based on the user's instinctive desires. (Note: Cannot be used if magic slots are full.)]
[3-Star Specified Development Ability Activation Voucher (Bound): Allows the user to unlock a specific Development Ability upon leveling up.]
Levi needed both. The Grimoire would boost his immediate combat power, while the voucher would secure a powerful ability for his upcoming Level 2 rank—something like the protagonist Bell's Luck, Riveria's Spirit Healing, Ottar's Magic Resistance, or even the rarest of them all: Mystery.
Since he could only use two more Grimoires but would need a voucher for every level up, he set the voucher as his "Rate-Up" target, hoping to get a Grimoire through a standard pull.
The first ten-pull: nine whites, one green. No surprise. The second, third, fourth... nothing. By the eighth ten-pull: Whoosh!
Ten streaks of light appeared—one blue, one green, eight white.
[You obtained: Grimoire x1, Lv.1 Specified Stat Boost (+100) x1...]
"I knew it." Levi rubbed his temples. Having lived a past life of average luck, he didn't even feel a ripple of emotion at having to hit the "pity" threshold. He pushed through three more ten-pulls. No miracles occurred. Total investment: 110,000 Valis, and all it did was edge him closer to the next guaranteed 3-star.
Levi opened his inventory and burned through his stat vouchers.
[Strength: S905] [Endurance: S923] [Dexterity: S905] [Agility: S925] [Magic: S908]
With his stats boosted, he took a deep breath and activated the newly acquired Grimoire. In the next instant, a voice of indeterminate gender echoed in his mind.
"Levi Bright... what does magic truly mean to you?"
His consciousness was pulled into a pure white void. Standing opposite him was a hazy silhouette of a black-haired man in his thirties—his exact appearance from his previous life!
Levi had spent his nights studying Eina's lore books, so he knew he was in a mental space. He didn't hesitate. "Don't waste time. If you're really my other half, you know exactly what magic I want most."