Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Like a bolt of lightning piercing the sky.

More than anyone else, more than anyone else, more than anyone else.

Faster than anyone else.

Go to that person's side.

To enter that person's eyes.

"that's all?"

If it can be achieved. If it can be achieved. If it can be achieved.

I want to be a hero.

I want to become the hero I've longed for since then, a dream I still have like a fool.

I want to be like those characters in fairy tales, a hero admired and recognized by everyone. Even if it's a pathetic delusion, an ugly vanity, a miserable wish I don't deserve to hold.

I still want to be a hero that that person appreciates.

"How childish."

……sorry.

"But that's me (you)."

In the book, I finally smiled.

Then, I lost consciousness.

★

"...Er...Bell."

I heard a voice.

A melodious and beautiful sound echoed in the darkness of consciousness.

Impatiently, light pierced the darkness.

"Bell!"

The next moment, I regained consciousness.

"Ah... gods, immortals?"

"Yes, it's me. What's wrong with you? Why are you slumped over the table? If you want to sleep, you should go somewhere more decent."

Looking at the face of the deity so close to my eyes, I rubbed my sleepy eyes hard. I looked up and around.

This is headquarters. A hidden room in the church. The time is... 7 PM. It's already dark.

With my mind still not fully awake, I checked the situation one by one.

"Are you reading? Hmph... I think you've completely succumbed to sleepiness because you're not used to doing something, haven't you?"

"Huh... Ah, right... I guess so?"

...Asleep?

The book borrowed from Miss Xier was still open on the table.

It seems I used this as a pillow and fell fast asleep.

Finished watching...?

I pressed my temples. My mind was a jumbled mess, my thoughts disjointed and disorganized.

What flashes through my mind are vague memories. It feels like a daydream, completely devoid of reality.

Was I just talking to someone? Was I asked some questions? Or are these fragments of memory all just a dream?

No, I'm confused...

"Haha, you're so cute. Seeing Belle acting silly makes all my work fatigue disappear."

"Playing around, being silly..."

"Hehe. Come on, let's start preparing dinner."

After being spoken to so harshly, I hung my head in dejection, my face turning red all the way to my ears, and walked towards the wardrobe with a beaming smile.

I left the hidden room and waited until the fairy had changed her clothes and her tiny face peeked out, saying "Alright!" before I started preparing dinner. I felt a little guilty for coming back first without preparing anything, but the fairy blushed, clearly happy that we could stand together in the kitchen. I chuckled too.

"Bell, where did that thick book come from? You didn't buy it, did you?"

"It really makes me sad that you're so sure... but you're right, it was borrowed from an acquaintance."

"Oh, let me borrow it later too. Such an old book is a rare find. It's really tempting."

"Because immortals love books."

After a simple dinner and cleaning up the dishes, the two of us took turns showering, and now it's time to update my [ability stats]. Compared to before, the update frequency has increased these past few days.

It seems the gods have finally gotten used to working at the Hephaestus Familia branch and are able to find time to do other things.

When the deity took out a needle and pricked his finger to let divine blood (ichor) seep out, I took off my shirt and borrowed the bed.

"Hmm—...Hmm?...Ugh!"

"Gods... immortals... has the rate of increase in my proficiency changed?"

"...Hmm, nothing's changed. It's in top form, absolutely unstoppable!"

Hearing the deity's displeased voice, I asked in fear, only to be met with an extremely displeased reply from behind me.

She's still angry... No, should I say she's angry again?

It seems like she does this every time her [ability stats] are updated lately...

"Ah, right, because you're so stubborn. Yes, I knew that all along, I knew you wouldn't change your mind over such a small thing!"

The deity grumbled and muttered complaints, unsure how to respond.

I was at my wit's end and could only silently endure this awkward situation.

I kept getting poked and poked from behind, as if I were being deliberately pricked with needles.

Ouch, wait a minute, it hurts, it hurts so much!

"God, that hurts! You definitely did it on purpose!"

I'm ignoring you.

"Don't just ignore me and call it a day!"

I cried and complained, but the deity poked my head with a needle, as if telling me not to talk back. *Pfft*

All I could do was cry until my pillow was soaked, as a weak act of resistance against the gods.

Waaah, I'm going to make you uncomfortable lying down...

"...Well, after all, apart from 'endurance', the other basic abilities are all close to S, so the numbers aren't skyrocketing like before."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes. But that's already running way too fast."

The highest level for each basic ability in the [Ability Values] category is S. As you approach the limit, the increase in proficiency decreases significantly. I've heard that sometimes even defeating hundreds of monsters won't add to your proficiency score.

For me right now, the increase in proficiency has decreased. Rather than saying that the growth efficiency has decreased, it's more accurate to say that there has been no change, and my abilities are still growing.

But as the gods said, perhaps he ran too fast...

"..."

"……immortal?"

The deity stopped speaking and his hands stopped moving, which surprised me.

I called her and waited for a while...

"……magic."

"what?"

"The magic has been revealed."

The answer was explosive.

"Eee ...

"Wow!"

I was terrified.

The shocking content made me stand up like a shrimp.

With that movement, the fairy sitting on my waist was thrown off with a thud and fell off the bed, her head slamming into the wooden floor.

Uh, ahh!

"God, God—! I'm so sorry, is everything alright?!"

"I...I never expected to be retaliated against in this way...You've got some serious skills, Bell..."

The deity, now tragically upside down under the bed, trembled uncontrollably with tears welling in his eyes.

More importantly... the breasts are defying the laws of gravity...! Wait, why am I even thinking about this?!

Fear gripped me at the sight of those perfectly undeformed breasts, and I rescued the deity. Then, I immediately performed the dogeza (prostration bow) that was so popular among the Hestia Familia.

It was a long time before I learned the details of the [Ability Values].

Bell Craney

LV.1

Strength: B701→B737 Durability: G287→F355 Dexterity: B715→B749 Agility: B799→A817 Magic: I0

〖magic〗

【Flame Lightning】

·Quick Attack Magic

〖Skill〗

【】

"...!"

I had to go through a lot of trouble to suppress my voice.

With trembling hands, I held the record sheet the deity had given me, desperately swallowing the jubilant urge that almost escaped my lips. I knew without looking that my eyes were shining and my lips were curving into a smile.

"Even magic is manifesting... That skill can affect magic? Hmm—I don't understand."

Unlike me, the immortal frowned, his hand on his chin, lost in thought.

She looked at my back and face alternately, but I didn't care at all.

"Gods, gods... magic, it's magic...! I can use magic now...!"

"Yes, I know. Congratulations, Bell."

I expressed my joy to the fullest.

Body temperature rises due to excitement. The whole body feels hot.

I was almost moved to tears; the overwhelming emotion made my whole body tremble.

"...Saying that's an exaggeration, or perhaps you're just being tactless."

I crumpled the paper and squatted down on the spot, feeling as if the deity was giving a bitter smile.

I'm so happy. I'm really so happy. I can finally use magic again.

That magic! The magic that the heroes in the book used as their ultimate trump card!

"Sorry, but I have to dampen your enthusiasm. Let's examine this magic quickly. There are some things that bother me."

"yes!"

I stood up and shouted.

I told myself to calm down for a moment. I took a deep breath and let my excited body return to calm.