First class adventurers like them knew the chasm between level 1 and level 5 better than anyone.
They leaned toward Bete's theory: some trick hid Roy's true status.
"Any chance they used a new method to mask it?" Finn mused.
Familias could lock Falna to hide status, viewable only with unlocking potions.
A technique to falsify Falna wasn't unthinkable—more plausible than a level 1 toppling a level 5.
"Hey, Loki, you saw his status yourself. Nothing fishy?" Bete asked, impatient.
"If I'd spotted a trick, you think I'd have lost over 20 million Valis to that punk?" Loki grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Can't you see through lies?" Bete pressed.
"He's… odd," Loki said, shaking her head.
"Probably not lying."
Her godly instinct to read mortals faltered with Roy, unable to pinpoint why.
Something about him eluded her divine senses.
"Even you, a god, think he's off. That kid's shady. No way a level 1 beats a level 5. He's gotta be doctoring his Falna somehow."
"Fake or not, his strength's real," Loki added.
"Tiona didn't throw the fight."
"Half a match, and she quits? Maybe this lovesick Amazon let him win," Bete said, glancing at Tiona.
"I'm not that low," Tiona snapped.
"Roy's strength is legit. If my weapon wasn't better, I'd have lost faster."
"Bete, if you're so skeptical, fight him yourself," Loki taunted.
"No time for cheaters," Bete scoffed.
"Keep your mouth shut about Roy cheating," Tiona said, bristling.
"Bete, I'd bet you couldn't handle me, let alone him."
"Lovesick Amazon, you mocking me?" Bete growled.
"Enough," Finn interjected. "True or not, it's not our problem. It'll come out eventually."
"Finn, that punk swindled two months' pocket money," Loki whined.
"Noted," Finn said. "I'll tell everyone to ignore your borrowing attempts for a while."
Twenty million Valis was trivial for the Loki Familia—first class adventurers could earn that in a dungeon run.
"Finn, that's harsh!" Loki pouted.
"You won't starve," Riveria said, amused. "Familia meals are solid. You'll survive two months."
Loki's wails followed.
"Tiona, is Roy's swordsmanship that good?" Ais, silent until now, whispered to Tiona.
Tiona gave a wry smile.
"Really good, Ais. His swordplay's probably way beyond yours."
"Really?" Ais's eyes narrowed.
"I can hold my own against you," Tiona said, sheepish.
"But with Roy, I felt like a toy in his hands. That's why I surrendered."
"Thanks, Tiona," Ais murmured, turning away, muttering, "Hestia Familia?"
Unmatched swordsmanship—it matched the intruder in her room last night.
Ais pieced it together: Roy's break-in, followed by his arena spectacle, wasn't random.
Even her simple mind sensed intent.
At the Hestia Familia's new mansion, Roy and Hestia finished tidying their rooms.
"Why not hire a maid? This place is huge—cleaning's a chore," Roy suggested.
"No need to waste money," Hestia said, shaking her head.
"I'll handle it. I've got time, and you'll be busy earning as the Familia grows."
"Hey, Roy, want to update your status?" Hestia asked, her face alight with excitement.
"It's been one day. Will it change?"
"Dunno, but after today's fights, you must've grown a bit," Hestia said, unsure.
"Updating can't hurt—maybe you'll unlock skills or magic."
As an inexperienced god, Hestia was still learning.
Roy didn't object, baring his back as he sat.
Hestia pricked her finger, letting her blood drip onto his skin.
Ripples spread, and the divine text shifted, revealing new abilities.
Hestia scanned them—minor gains—but gasped at the skill section.
"What's up?" Roy asked.
"Skills appeared!" Hestia exclaimed, her voice a mix of joy and shock.
"Oh?" Roy's face lit up.
Hestia steadied herself, suppressing her awe, and transcribed Roy's status onto paper, translating the text into common script before handing it over.
Pride: Immune to mental interference. Allows ranking without much excelia, requiring maxed basic abilities. Can use any god to rank up or independently rank up.
Greed: Greatly accelerates growth rate. Increases basic ability caps. Increases skill and magic caps.
Lust: Boosts appeal to the opposite sex. Grants top-tier charm, effective on one target when active.
Envy: Briefly seals a target's skill or magic.
Wrath: Temporarily boosts own basic abilities significantly.
Gluttony: Rapid recovery via consuming absorbable items.
Sloth: Immune to negative physical effects (poison, sluggishness, etc.).
"I figured your skills would be rare, but this is absurdly overpowered," Hestia exclaimed.
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter