Spirits, ancient heroes—whether in the past or in the present, both were synonymous with power. And as their descendant, what might that girl have inherited from birth? Extraordinary talent, perhaps.
If possible, everyone wanted that child to join their little family. After all, they were a familia; bringing in promising newcomers with the right character was something every one of them hoped for.
Besides, Xien was the one who had awakened her. By all logic, that meant they had a very good chance of winning her over.
Everyone chimed in one after another, discussing the matter.
As they gradually absorbed the information Xien had brought back, they could only say that, when it came to him, they were almost getting used to the unbelievable. Whatever strange or miraculous thing happened to the young man before them—this boy who was already beginning to carry himself like a leader—it somehow felt natural.
In the end, the conclusion of the meeting was simple: do their best to recruit her, but if it truly proved unsuitable, then they would not force the matter.
After dismissing the other members, Xien followed their goddess to her bedroom.
With a gesture, Astraea had him lie down on the bed and began the usual process.
Updating his Falna.
As the sacred text gradually appeared, Astraea's expression became exactly what one might expect—of course it's like this.
XienLevel: 3
Strength: SSS1499Endurance: SSS1499Dexterity: SSS1499Agility: SSS1499Magic: SSS1499
Development Abilities:Braver GLuck H
Magic:Touch of AbundanceOne Thought, Divine or DemonicAvalon, the Utopia That Cuts Off the Dust of the World
Skills:Blazing Heart RevealedBody of AbundancePath of Life
Every stat had once again broken past the upper limit—completely the kind of status that could level up at any time. And there was a new magic spell besides.
Such a terrifying increase would have made most gods ecstatic.
But Astraea merely looked as though she had expected it all along.
After hearing about everything Xien had been through, it would have been stranger if his numbers hadn't turned out like this. Especially with that skill of his still so vividly in mind.
Once Xien confirmed it, Astraea performed the level up for him.
And so, he advanced to Level 4.
"What a fortunate thing. A new Development Ability, and the previous ones advanced as well."
Thanks to this expedition, Xien selected the Development Ability that had inevitably appeared:
Mage.
There was nothing to think about. He had already experienced for himself just how powerful magic could be.
In the end, his new status appeared:
XienLevel: 4
Strength: 10Endurance: 10Dexterity: 10Agility: 10Magic: 10
Development Abilities:Braver GLuck HMage I
Magic:Touch of AbundanceOne Thought, Divine or DemonicAvalon, the Utopia That Cuts Off the Dust of the World
Skills:Blazing Heart RevealedBody of AbundancePath of Life
His vessel had undergone yet another refinement and expansion. Combined with the steady reinforcement of the power of Abundance, Xien's body was gradually developing in a direction that was no longer entirely human.
"Congratulations, Xien. You've now stepped into the ranks of first-class adventurers. You're one of the very strongest people in Orario now."
Astraea's voice remained as gentle as ever. Her tone sounded calm, but inside she was anything but calm. Knowing very well what made the boy before her special, she understood exactly what this meant.
With Xien alone, the Astraea Familia now had the right to stand among the very strongest in all Orario.
"Thank you, Lady Astraea."
"Is something troubling you? If you don't mind, you can tell me. I'm always here."
She did not immediately send him away. Instead, Astraea looked at this child she loved most with quiet concern.
Xien froze for a moment when he heard that, then smiled bitterly.
"Was I really that obvious?"
"No. It's just... something about you feels a little different. Everything about you is slightly... off from usual."
Looking at the beautiful goddess before him, Xien felt a warm current stir in his heart. To notice such minute changes in him, it could only mean how deeply she cared for them.
To someone who truly cares about you, even the smallest change stands out.
At that moment, he understood those words profoundly.
That love was also the foundation of his resolve to face everything ahead of him. So, unwilling to lie, he told her the truth.
"The power I carry... was stimulated during this operation."
"That sounds like it should be a good thing. Is there some kind of limitation?"
Seeing the expression on his face, Astraea knew it could not be that simple.
Even she could not discern the true nature of the power inside him. If something unusual had happened now, it would not be surprising. The unknown always contained both good and bad.
Xien then slowly explained everything.
"It's like a seed needing nutrients to sprout. My power has started to sprout as well, and the nourishment it requires is unimaginable. Right now there's still some stored up because of the expedition, but that won't last long. If I can't replenish it in time, there's a good chance it'll spiral out of control."
The more Astraea listened, the more wrong it sounded.
This ability... why did it sound so strange?
"I see... that's been hard on you. Do you have any idea how to solve it?"
"For now, the only solution seems to be the Dungeon. If I become stronger myself, the consumption can be reduced to some extent. And... a sufficient number of magic stones can also provide the nourishment it needs."
"Magic stones... replenishment... don't tell me...?"
Astraea gasped softly, because she had already thought of a horrifying possibility.
And Xien's next words shattered the last of her hope.
"That's right. This time, that power awakened the ability to devour—the ability to consume everything and turn it into nourishment."
As he spoke, the power of Abundance in his hand transformed into a vine. The instant it appeared, the special aura of wanting to devour all things was so intense that even Astraea was struck by the illusion that she herself might be eaten by it.
She was a god.
That meant this power was something that could continue growing by devouring the very world itself.
Astraea suddenly felt as though all strength had left her body. She sank onto the bed, staring blankly.
So it was such a terrifying power...?!
Of course she understood what that meant.
It meant that once this secret leaked, Xien would, by his very nature, become an enemy of the entire world.
This was not alarmism.
To use the simplest analogy: if everything else—people, elves, even gods—could be called sheep, then Xien was now like a starving wolf that had entered the pen. Even if he had no desire to harm the sheep, once that fact became known, people would be ruled by fear and inevitably force him toward the most extreme outcome.
In other words, from this moment on, he bore an original sin in this world.
A sin that would be understood by no one.
Not by mortals.
Not even by gods.
(As the goddess of justice, what should I do?)
(Destroy what I love for the greater good and report him? No—I know this child's character. He possesses the brightest, purest justice, and the fact that he is telling me this means he still has it under control...)
(Hide it? But if something happens, then I would be failing everyone. If it came to that, even the most basic justice of protecting the continuation of life itself would cease to exist...)
Astraea fell silent.
For the first time since descending to the lower world, the scales of justice inside her wavered so violently.
Her body trembled faintly. Her fists clenched before she realized it.
For that one moment, she was truly shaken.
"And what... do you intend to do?"
Xien had not noticed anything strange in his goddess's state. He was only gazing seriously at the terrifying power in his own hand.
"The power itself isn't what matters. What matters is what I choose to use it for."
"If not for the enemy we faced being too difficult to handle, it wouldn't have awakened this quickly."
"But I don't regret choosing to awaken it. It truly carried out my will—my will to save my comrades."
"Even if it now comes with incredibly troublesome side effects, in my eyes... they're only trouble. Nothing more."
As he looked at the power in his hand, Xien's resolve grew ever firmer. He had already decided what place it would hold in his life.
He would be the master who wielded it and imposed his own will upon it.
And for that, he was willing to make any effort.
"It's just a power. I have confidence that I can control it. I will be the one who commands this power—not some puppet to be commanded by it!"
"Even if the essence of this power can never be accepted by the world, my will can still decide to use it where it ought to exist..."
Xien closed his hand, his eyes burning with determination. As if responding to that resolve, the power in his palm gradually became more docile.
Astraea's pupils trembled faintly at the sight. She drew in a breath, and then slowly calmed.
Her beautiful body relaxed. Her spirit lifted, stirred by the boy's words and the strength in his gaze.
It was as though the choice she had always insisted upon had just been proven right.
And as a goddess, at this moment she was so moved by the "growth" of the child before her that she could hardly contain it.
(That's right... he's always been like this. From a child who knew nothing, he has grown into the radiant sun standing before me now.)
(So what is there for me to fear? He understands this better than anyone. And no matter how dreadful this power is—even one that frightens the gods themselves—his indomitable will shall ultimately conquer it.)
(And yet... I am a little unwilling. As your "mother," there has been so little of the sort of crying in my arms, of the dependence I might have known from the others. So little with you, Xien...)
The hotter her heart burned, the gentler her actions became.
In silence, she stepped before him and cupped his face with both hands, as if holding some priceless jewel in her palms.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"That... is wonderful. Thank you, Xien. In the name of justice, I, Astraea, offer you my blessing. So long as you do not stray from Justice, then I shall always be with you."
And then, before Xien's startled gaze, her warm lips touched his forehead.
(I lend Justice itself to the child I treasure most. May his road ahead shine forever—Astraea's Justice.)
A power Xien could not understand flowed into his body. It was not divine power, but something else—something even more precious.
True justice was the light that broke through the fog and brought hope.
It did not care about circumstances. It existed only to give those in need the truest warmth and comfort within their hearts.
This was the most sincere blessing of Justice itself.
She wished to give everything she could to this strong soul before her.
Xien's eyes widened. He was completely bewildered by what his goddess had suddenly done.
(What is happening here? Lady Astraea... has your maternal love just overflowed or something?)
"Lady Astraea... this is...?"
"A tiny little gift. Just pretend it isn't there. Someday, you may need it. Consider it your reward for showing me something wonderful."
For some reason, Xien thought he glimpsed something almost playful—something even a little cute—in this goddess who always seemed so gentle and maternal.
It was so unexpected he almost thought he was hallucinating.
He stared for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head, flustered.
"Uh... thank you?"
"Hahaha... I didn't expect I'd get to see this side of you. That alone makes it worth it."
A few days later, Xien and Goddess Astraea were invited to the Loki Familia's home, the Twilight Manor.
The reason was simple.
That girl had awakened.
When they arrived, they had barely even reached the gate when the guards recognized Xien after he lowered his hood. Their faces immediately lit up, and they excitedly waved both him and Astraea right in without any need for formalities.
After this expedition, Xien's prestige within the Loki Familia had soared.
Among the ordinary members, he was now already a figure who stood shoulder to shoulder with their top leaders.
And there, once again, he saw their goddess Loki.
Only this time, when she looked at Xien, her expression was strange.
It wasn't dislike.
But it wasn't exactly not dislike either.
It was such a tangled feeling that she almost wanted to avoid him altogether.
She couldn't help it.
Xien's contribution in this expedition had simply been too great.
Not only had he single-handedly turned around what might have been a disastrous outcome, he had also brought them an enormous number of benefits. Setting aside everything else, the members of the expedition had all gained huge increases in their ability values, and quite a few had leveled up. Not to mention the mountain of materials they'd brought back—just a few days ago, when Loki saw the returning troops hauling back so many resources they practically needed wagons, even she had been dumbstruck.
And most crucial of all—
they had brought back that "treasure."
That adorable little thing.
Loki adored her already.
But since it was that brat Xien who had played the key role...
Agh, what a pain. She just couldn't bring herself to like him no matter how much she tried.
That cute little beauty absolutely could not be allowed to be taken away by Astraea and that brat.
Loki nodded solemnly to herself.
Which left the two guests and the three captains standing awkwardly at the side, utterly baffled.
While inwardly complaining about their own goddess, they had no choice but to step in and smooth things over.
A short while later, in the Loki Familia reception room—
Riveria walked in, leading a little girl by the hand.
....
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