[Single-Minded Admiration]
Increases the rate of stat growth far beyond that of other adventurers during training, even allowing the user to surpass the normal stat cap.
When paired with "Admiration for the Strong," the effect is maintained; the stronger the admiration, the greater the boost. Fighting against the admired person, Liang Yue, further amplifies the effect.
If the user ever betrays their original admiration, this skill will immediately go dormant and never activate again.
——
With this skill, Bell could break past the S-rank cap in his stats.
Because of that, Freya could already envision the heights her newly recruited child—whose soul shone so brilliantly—might one day reach.
And yet…
As she gazed at the description of Single-Minded Admiration, an uncharacteristic silence settled over her heart, tinged with the strange feeling that someone else had beaten her to it.
Admiration for the Strong.
"…Liang Yue."
Freya's deep gaze wandered back to her memory of the black-haired, red-eyed boy she had encountered at The Hostess of Fertility.
The boy with eyes that could see into the essence of a soul.
Their first true meeting had been nothing more than a customer interaction—especially since his soul, clouded as if tainted by some unknown existence, showed no light.
And he was the Familia child of Hestia, a goddess Freya respected in her own way. Now, somehow, he had formed a faint connection with Bell.
"How interesting."
…
Setting the parchment with Bell's updated status beside him, Freya crossed the room with elegant steps and sat lightly at the bedside.
She reached out, brushing back Bell's messy bangs.
Smiling with poised grace, she asked, "Bell, did anything unusual happen during your Dungeon expedition today?"
"Yes…"
"When I reached the 7th floor, I couldn't take down the Killer Ants quickly enough and nearly got surrounded by the swarm."
Fearing she might scold him for not taking his safety seriously, Bell quickly added,
"But there was an adventurer-senpai passing by… he helped me get out of danger."
When he spoke of this encounter, Bell's eyes held a trace of regret—because that adventurer had never told him his name.
Now understanding the full story, Freya's gentle smile lingered, her curiosity toward Bell's "Liang Yue" only deepening.
Seeing the boy's wistful expression, so full of admiration for the strong, she said softly, "You'll surely have another chance to meet him."
——
After updating his status, Liang Yue washed up briefly and prepared to rest. So far, everything was proceeding according to plan.
Level up the Sword Soul profession step by step.
Broaden his skill repertoire.
Reach the strength needed to explore deeper floors. And before every Dungeon dive, make thorough preparations.
"Using the Killer Ants' habits… if they call for three waves of reinforcements, killing them all nets enough EXP for one level."
"Guess that's like exploiting a bug."
In tonight's battle against the ant swarm, Liang Yue had already begun to refine his combat style—using his current skills to handle them without too much trouble.
And the stamina drain from skill use? Viewed differently, it was also a way to train his Endurance stat.
Exhaustion soon pulled him into sleep.
By the time he woke, it was already morning. Hestia was asleep on the sofa under a blanket. Leveling up was a long, tedious process—monotonous and tiring.
If he wanted greater strength, he had to be ready to grind every single day.
"Today…"
"…I should push my level to 18. Two more days to reach level 20, and I'll have some new power to work with."
With that decided, Liang Yue began his usual weapon inspection.
After so many days of Dungeon battles—even with Inner·Ghost Swordsmanship's short blade form letting him attack with sword energy—
…releasing sword energy still put stress on the weapon's structural stability.
A closer look revealed small cracks along the blade.
For a katana worth 130,000 valis to last this long was already impressive.
"So…"
"…I should stop by Hephaestus's main weapon shop before diving again."
He still remembered what Hephaestus had said to Hestia when he'd first come back from the Dungeon—the care she had shown her fellow goddess.
If a short detour could save him money and repair the weapon, of course he'd take it.
Compared to dealing with emergencies mid-battle, he'd rather eliminate the risk of a weapon breaking beforehand—especially since he hadn't yet mastered Formless Sword Intent.
A shattered blade mid-fight could be fatal.
Besides, repairs shouldn't take long.
And…
The Hephaestus main store in Babel Tower was near other, more ordinary weapon shops—so he could also try picking up a secondary blade in the 20,000–30,000 valis range.
If he could dual-wield short swords with Inner·Ghost Swordsmanship, his attacks might carry double the sword energy. Liang Yue was looking forward to testing that.
Seeing Hestia asleep on the sofa, he didn't wake her.
Instead, he called out lightly, "I'm heading out, Hestia-sama."
…
Leaving the desolate, abandoned street, the cool morning air met him as he made his way toward Orario's main thoroughfare.
It was still early.
The streets were relatively quiet, but shopkeepers on either side were already preparing to open.
Tasks had to be done in order.
Repairing and buying weapons could wait—first, he needed to stop by West Main Street to buy the day's lunch supplies.
As he passed The Hostess of Fertility, a familiar figure in a light green maid outfit caught his eye—directing the unloading of fresh ingredients for the day.
Syr Flova.
…
Liang Yue had never really interacted with her. The only time they'd crossed paths was two nights ago, during his brief outing with Eina.
Of course, he knew exactly who she was.
Meeting her gaze, he gave a small nod in greeting.
Syr, with her naturally charming air, brushed the grey hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear.
She smiled and called out, "Good morning, adventurer-san. Off to the Dungeon so early?"
…
There was no reason for hostility—especially since Bell was part of Freya's Familia. Liang Yue didn't feel the need for any particular caution.
"The early bird catches the worm," he replied lightly.
"It's the same for adventurers."
But as he spoke, his stomach—still empty from skipping breakfast—gave an ill-timed growl.
Syr's clear eyes sparkled, her lips curving in amusement.
Without a word, she turned and disappeared into the Hostess, returning with a white cloth-wrapped bento.
"You're right," she said with a soft smile.
"But an adventurer should still take care of himself. Don't make the people who care about you worry."
"For example…"
"…that half-elf lady you were with the other night."
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