Kuro Lv1
Strength: I127→H153
Endurance: D598→C666
Dexterity: I81→H103
Agility: I75→I92
Magic: I0
Magic: -
Skills: Revenge Flame, Suffering Mask, High-Level Player
"Kuro-kun, you're developing fast today. Did something happen in the dungeon?" Hestia asked while sitting on Kuro's back, looking at his status improvement with surprise.
"Today I went down to the sixth floor, cough cough!"
After pressing the blessing's light back into Kuro's back, Hestia took out a sheet of white paper and placed it on his back. With her index finger, she drew a circle on the paper, and the blessing status was printed on the white paper.
Hestia sat to the side and handed the paper to Kuro.
"Even though Kuro-kun's status is already enough to go to the sixth floor, the time you've been an adventurer is still too short. The dungeon is a very dangerous place, so be careful."
Looking at the back that was already full of crisscrossed scars now with several more wounds added, Hestia couldn't hold back her feelings of pity.
"Mm, I'll be careful."
After wrapping the bandages, Kuro took out the jacket he'd bought earlier.
"This is a gift, thank you for making me part of the familia, Hestia-sama, cough cough!"
Receiving a gift from family for the first time, Hestia happily put it on and jumped down from the sofa, spinning in place.
"Kuro-kun, how is it? Does it suit me?"
"It suits you perfectly, Hestia-sama."
The jacket wasn't luxurious clothing. The clean white jacket wrapped around Hestia's beautiful petite body, reducing the sensual impression and adding an innocent feel.
Kuro had only bought it so Hestia could stay warm, but it turned out to suit her perfectly.
Hestia, who was overjoyed, also took out protective gloves from behind her and gave them to Kuro.
"Hehe, I didn't expect Kuro-kun and I would be so compatible. Here, this is my gift to celebrate the founding of the Hestia Familia."
Kuro accepted the arm guards and put them on his hands.
"Perfect fit!"
Even though when watching the anime before, Kuro's impression of Hestia was of a sensual goddess who liked young boys, after interacting with her, she turned out to be a very gentle and reliable goddess.
It's a shame Kuro could no longer smile, otherwise he'd definitely be smiling very happily right now.
After selling potato balls for more than a year, Kuro knew very well what the daily profit limit was.
And these hand guards couldn't be obtained without four-digit valis.
When was the last time he was cared for like this?
Kuro's pupils contracted, as if remembering very painful memories.
But he quickly returned to his usual cold demeanor.
'It's not time yet.'
Seeing Hestia still enjoying playing with her jacket, Kuro left the church and practiced sword swings in front of the door.
Becoming strong wasn't something that could be achieved instantly. Even though his status was increasing rapidly now, he was just like a giant baby with empty strength.
Only by mastering one's own power could someone truly be called strong.
What Kuro lacked most now was habit—fighting habits, sword-holding habits, cutting habits, and so on.
Just by adventuring in the dungeon, he could only attack a few times and swing his sword a few times each day.
But by practicing swordsmanship for two hours every day, he could at least make thousands or even tens of thousands of swings.
...
The next day, when dawn was just breaking, Kuro had already gotten up from the sofa.
After putting on his clothes and arm guards, taking his weapon, he prepared to go to the sixth floor of the dungeon again to continue exploring that 'Goblin Nest.'
But Kuro hadn't walked far when three familiar figures appeared from around the street corner beside him.
"Well, isn't this the adventurer from the 'Soma' familia!"
Looking at the beast-man walking toward him, the memory of despair when he was deceived a week ago, when his last hope was shattered, still felt clear.
The beast-man brought his two subordinates, surrounding Kuro in a triangular formation.
"What do you want?"
Kuro's cold voice rang out.
The beast-man approached enthusiastically and put his arm around Kuro's shoulder.
"Aren't we 'friends'? I heard you made a lot yesterday. How about joining us brothers today? We'll help you share the burden."
While talking, he placed his hand on his weapon, and the two people behind him also laughed coldly while staring at Kuro.
The beast-man's name was Zagg, he'd been an adventurer for several years. As a member of the notoriously bad Soma Familia, he often blocked adventurers from small familias to extort them.
Kuro stared at Zagg's face full of fake smiles, and a red glint appeared in his pupils.
"Alright!"
Seeing Kuro answer with a flat expression, Zagg felt very pleased.
He liked seeing people's expressions when they didn't want to but had to comply. Even if someone occasionally resisted, it didn't matter after being beaten up, they'd agree too.
Zagg put his arm around Kuro all the way into the dungeon.
Even though he was continuously stared at with looks like he was garbage all along the way, Zagg didn't care.
What mattered was getting valis. With valis, he could drink god's wine.
Thinking about being able to drink to his heart's content tonight, Zagg couldn't hold back his drool.
Quickly, the four of them entered the dungeon.
Arriving at a secluded corner, Zagg pushed Kuro, drew his weapon and pressed it to Kuro's neck, pressing him against the cold dungeon wall.
"Trash, tell me, how did a sick old man like you get twenty thousand valis?"
Zagg brought his face close fiercely, while pressing his weapon to Kuro's neck, making a bloody scratch.
Since they'd already reached the dungeon, there was no need to pretend anymore.
"I found an unexplored area with lots of weak monsters, cough cough!"
Looking at Zagg's vicious eyes, Kuro felt that if he pretended to beg now, maybe his words would be more believable.
Unfortunately, after trying, Kuro found he still couldn't control his expression, so he gave up.
The dungeon was a place where danger and opportunity coexisted.
The deeper you went, the higher the danger level of monsters, but the profits were also greater.
Because of this, the Babel guild divided the dungeon into upper, middle, lower, and deep layers.
The Loki Familia, one of the strongest familias in Orario, could earn eight-digit valis or more in a single expedition to the deep layers.
But the deep layers were full of dangerous level 4 monsters according to guild assessment.
Don't even mention ordinary people—familias other than the very top couldn't conduct expeditions.
And what Orario had most of were ordinary adventurers. Nearly 80% of all adventurers in Orario were Lv1, so adventurers Lv2 and above were called high-level adventurers.
More than 80% of these high-level adventurers had joined top familias.
So even though the dungeon was very large and got bigger the deeper you went, more than half the adventurers in Orario stayed in the upper layers of the dungeon, floors 1-12.
This caused even though the dungeon had unlimited resources, it still couldn't meet the demand.
So being able to find an unexplored area in the upper layers with no people, weak monsters, and large numbers this was the same as finding treasure.
"Haha, I didn't expect you sick old man to be so lucky." Too happy with this big surprise, Zagg turned excitedly to his subordinates: "Looks like this is profit for us brothers."
"You sick bastard, you'll definitely want to guide us brothers, right!"
Even though Zagg said it with a smile, his threat was very clear.
"..."
Even at this point you don't suspect anything? Where are there so many coincidences in the world what if I'm lying!
Kuro was somewhat puzzled why they so easily believed his words.
So under the watch of the three people, he led them toward the 'Goblin Nest!'