Level up

Nahza and I set out to the market district. We sell the Drop Items she doesn't need to make potions. Man, she is a really good haggler.

I leave the money with her as we had agreed before that money from Drop Items will be saved for our Familia's debt.

In one of the shops we visited, we heard that a large group of Minotaurs wreaked havoc on the Middle Floors. The monsters escaped from Loki Familia members when they were returning from an expedition.

'So, Bell has found his love last night'. Oh, Bete will insult the boy today in the Benevolent Mistress. Then, the girls will hang Bete on the door for the night.

Ha-ha, there is no way in hell that I'd miss this show.

"Hey, Nahza … Since we're already out here, how about you show me around the city? Maybe eat dinner together afterward?"

"Huh? … I'm already interested in someone, sorry."

Ah, shit! She said it in a cold scary voice, I can swear that I felt killing intent erupting from her for a moment there.

"Uh, whoa … I didn't mean that … Who the hell would ask a girl on a date this way? It's just that I heard about a restaurant called Benevolent Mistress, I wanted to eat there but it felt weird to do it alone. Besides, I already saw the way you look at him."

"W-what? … L-look at who?" Wow, I haven't seen her show her emotions like that before. Let's change the subject then.

"So, how about it? Will you show me around?"

---

We go to Hephaestus shops in Babel Tower to buy armor. I don't care much about it, since I know that this armor will be temporary.

Items from instant dungeons' bosses will be way better than anything I can afford here. Koffac's Cloak is good proof of that.

'Such a shame it's made of fur in this warm town'.

Anyway, I tell Nahza that I want the lightest armor possible and she happily brings a leather body armor.

It actually looks cool. It's basically a shirt made of soft black leather with its shoulders covered by three pairs of hard golden leather pads, there are also a few golden decorations distributed on the armor.

Then she picked a durable pair of black steel arm-guards and boots.

'They are of good quality and practical too, as they barely restrict my movements.'

I also buy a sheath for the Beast Lord Sword, I pay a bill of 56 thousand Vals and then we wander around the city.

She showed me places that any adventurer should be aware of. Then, we started walking through the city districts aimlessly.

We talked about a lot of things. She asked about the way I fight and gave me some advice.

She said that I should make use of my Tamer Ability and suggested that I attend Monsterphilia (which is only four days away) and watch the tamers so that I can learn taming from them. 'Good point. I think I'll do that'.

She told me about her accident on the Middle Floors, how she lost her arms, what Miach did for her, how the former members of the Familia left, and how useless she is.

After listening to her, I tried to find some words to soothe her but I failed.

So I just told that I'm sorry for what happened to her, that it was good that those former members left since they were bastards who couldn't be trusted, that she doesn't have the time to feel useless and she should focus on her work, and that her abilities in making potions are exceptional so she should use that to be useful.

'I'm not exaggerating, her potions are truly unique'.

----

We finish our tour and arrive at the Benevolent Mistress. I take a look around the place, looks like neither Loki Familia nor Bell has arrived.

The waitress led us to a table, I pull a chair for Nahza to sit on, deliberately making her back facing the counter. This way she wouldn't see Bell, I don't want to make any unnecessary disturbance.

We enjoy the food and continue our talk. Bell arrived, as planned Nahza didn't see him. Then, Loki Familia entered the restaurant.

The Aura being emitted from the group is scary, every single strand hair on my body stands on end. No surprise there, this group includes seven Top-Ranked Adventurers, even one of them can frighten my sense stat.

This is Finn Deimne. When I saw him in the anime, I couldn't take him seriously because of his child-like appearance. Well, one look at his Aura is enough to shatter any impressions I had.

Oh wow, would you look at these two sexy Amazonesses! They are just … Wow!

The goddess of mischief, Loki … The half-closed eyes and the cunning smile on her face say it all.

Bete and Gareth … Next!

The beautiful and graceful young lady Aiz Wallenstein, I can see why anyone would fall that.

Behind her is the cute and elegant teen elf Lefeya Viridis. She's beautiful, it's a shame that she's lesbian… isn't she?

Some other members I don't know and… Whoa!

How can someone be so beautiful? The novel said that her beauty can make even goddesses jealous, I can see that.

Pretty, beautiful, elegant, graceful … Those words are insults if used to describe her…

"Hey, hey… Stop drooling! Who do you think you're staring at?" Nahza snaps me out of my daze. I didn't realize it, I must've looked like an idiot staring like that.

Riveria Ljos Alf, the High Elf Princess … It looks like I got partially charmed by her.

Nahza makes some fun of me before we move on to talk about some trivial things. I couldn't help but steal some side glances at Riveria, 'I hope she doesn't notice'.

Then, the show starts. Bete started talking and laughing loudly, telling the story about the tomato boy "Bell". The patrons in the restaurant started laughing with him.

"I don't know what's so funny about that! That's why I hate Top-Ranked Adventurers". Says Nahza with an annoyed voice.

I look around the place, the only ones not laughing are Aiz, Riveria, Nahza, the waitresses, me, and Bell. Bell's head only gets lower and lower.

'How can he accept this humiliation? Even if you're weak, you can't let this pass'.

If it were me, I would've stood up right now and demanded an official apology about this farce from their Familia's head and physical compensation for putting my life in danger in the dungeon.

And even if I didn't get an apology or compensation, at least I would've ruined their laughing mode.

'Well, it isn't me … So I don't care … I came here for what happens afterward anyway'.

Bete takes it too far and is being a total jerk. Bell can't take it anymore and runs out of the restaurant, Aiz follows him. Then the real show starts.

Tiona beats Bete to the ground, Riveria steps on his head, Tione ties him down, and they hang him on the door of the restaurant. Then, everyone from Loki Familia leaves except for Tiona and Tione who stay to beat him some more.

'Priceless!' This is totally worth wasting the day for.

---

In the following days, I raid the dungeon more moderately, one Floor deeper per day.

Every day before I go to sleep, I recall everything that has happened in the dungeon then I recite my skills and abilities.

'I will never miss anything again'.

Adventurers who have Ability points similar to mine, can't go past the 14th Floor, since Minotaurs and Lygerfangs start to appear on the 15th Floor.

But I can because of the Beast Lord title, which gives me +40% in all stats against them (Beast-Type monsters).

'I have to always be aware of this fact'. If I face another type of monster on the same level as Minotaurs, I will be a hard fight.

And also, the Agility Stat of the system has a different effect from the Agility Ability of Falna Status.

In Falna, Agility means speed.

In the system, speed comes from muscles i.e. the Strength stat. As for Agility, it makes me see things move slower. So I have more time to think about my reaction.

That's why, when someone sees me fight they wouldn't say 'Rick is fast', they would say 'Rick is good at reading movements'. Because I can see things move slower but I also am slow.

I start taming beast-type monsters to help me fight. Fortunately, most monsters on the Middle Floors are beast-type.

'It looks like taming isn't guaranteed, it relies on circumstances and chance'.

To tame a beast, it has to be alone and not accompanied by any other monster. The difference in power must be accomplished. The more afraid the monster, the higher the chance for taming to succeed.

When I fight a group of monsters I kill them all but one, then I try taming that one.

I can only tame one beast at a time.

Once I succeed in taming one beast, any attempt in taming another one always fails. At least until the tamed one is killed.

So far, I've only succeeded in taming Silverbacks, Hell Hounds, and Almirajs. I guess that Minotaurs and Lygerfangs are too strong for my Ability.

Once a beast is tamed, all the monsters in the dungeon become hostile to it. I come up with a few strategies to use in dividing big groups of monsters and diverting the attention of strong monsters.

Tamed monsters are pretty stupid, 'I guess all monsters are!'

They don't understand any orders other than Attack, Stop, and Wait. So, I form my fighting strategies according to that.

I have two strategies:

1. I tame a Silverback and use him as a Tank while I flank the enemy.

2. I take the Tank role while my tamed Hell Hound shower the enemy with Fireballs.

Usually, I fight with my tamed monster until it's killed. If not, I kill it myself.

'To take a monster to the surface, I have to acquire the Guild's permission'. And as a low-class adventurer, there is no way I can acquire that.

So, I either kill my familiar or leave it in the dungeon, only to get killed by adventurers or other monsters.

I once tried to store the beast inside my inventory like in the games and it wasn't possible. 'Well, no surprise there'.

----

One day, while having Miach performing my usual Status Update,

"Congratulations Rick, you have just leveled up. With this you have set a mind-blowing record, becoming a Higher-Ranked Adventurer in seventeen days only".

"What?" Even I am surprised by this. I'm curious about what would happen when my status levels up. But Miach is too good-natured, he would report to the guild once he updates my Status. I won't let that happen.

"Now, for Advanced Abilities ... I previously thought that you would not get any because you already have three Advanced Abilities... But surprisingly, you have two options to choose from; Hunter and Abnormal Resistance.

Abnormal Resistance: negates the effects of abnormalities such as poison. Most adventurers obtain it at Level One due to being exposed to the Purple Moth's poison.

Hunter: Improves abilities against monsters that the user has fought before and gained excelia from. It is rare and can only be obtained at Level Two

I recommend that you choose Hunter because it is a once in a lifetime chance. You can obtain Abnormal Resistance later".

"Um, can you please hold that off? I don't want to level up after 17 days only. So, can you please not upgrade my status for now?"

"It is understandable you would say that... Becoming a Higher-Level Adventurer so fast and breaking the record set by 'Sword Princess' will bring too much attention ... Very well ... But how long do you intend to delay it? The record is one year, can you wait that long?"

"No... I want to have my Status just before the Denatus meeting".

"It would a month and a half ... That's still pretty fast".

"It's not about the record, I just don't want the guild investigating and monitoring me to understand the reason for my fast level-up... They might find out about my extra Advanced Abilities".

After the meeting, there will be no reason for the Guild to monitor and investigate me.

Even though I'm curious about what would happen when my Status levels up, I don't think that leveling up my Status would mean anything to my strength.

Leveling-up in DanMachi is supposed to provide a bigger vessel that can contain more Excelia.

As for me, I have the system, I can't possibly get bigger a vessel than the skill "Unknown (Lvl: MAX)".

And I don't need Status Updates to get stronger, the system's Stat points do that for me. So, I won't lose anything by delaying the level-up.

Miach theorizes that my fast level-up is due to the Advanced Ability "Sense" that allows me to sense and avoid dangerous situations and that I depend on it to venture deeper than I should.

'In DanMachi, to level up you must have an "Adventure" and that means you have to do something that shouldn't or can't be done'.

A level one adventurer can't solo his way to the 15th Floor (i.e. something that can't be done), which means I had an adventure just by hunting on the 15th Floor.

'Actually, that's a good explanation.

***

[*Name: Rick Stark *Miach's Blessing (Level: 1)

*Level: 29

*Class: None *Title: Beast Lord

*HP: 13,050 *MP: 1,102 *Fatigue: 0

*Stats:

Strength: 57 Endurance: 44 Agility: 57 Intelligence: 38 Sense: 45

(Available stat points: 0)

*Damage Reduction: 10%

*Skills:

- Passive Skills: Unknown (Level: MAX), Advanced Sword Technique (Level: 1)

- Active Skills: Swift Strike (Level: 1), Whirlwind (Level: 1)

*Equipment: - Koffac's Cloak 'A' (10%)

*Gold: 10,740]

---

Rick Stark - Level One

Strength: S 999 Endurance: A 899 Agility: S 999 Magic: B 760

Sense: I Tamer: I Swordsman: I

Magic: -

Skills: - Swift Strike - Whirlwind

***

A few days pass like that and today is the day of Monsterphilia.

I go there with Nahza, we became good friends after the other day. The long diverse talks we shared seemed to have shattered the wall between us, she trusts me now.

I deliberately made it so we enter the Colosseum through the northern gate. I don't want to take part in what will happen near the eastern and southern gates.

We watch a few shows before the event ends abruptly due to monsters escaping.

Coming to this event didn't help me improve my Tamer Ability but it wasn't useless. I learned that other tamers use weapons to beat the monsters and force them into submission.

I don't do that. I just think of using "Beast Taming" and then a message appears. It's either 'Beast Taming has failed' or 'Beast Taming has succeeded. You have tamed (the target) monster'.

Knowing that, I can't show my taming process to anyone.

On our way home, we pass by an elven clothes shop. They sell the most graceful robes and cloaks here.

I remember the worn-down robe the Miach always wears. So I ask if Nahza would like to give him a present and we buy him a few expensive outfits.

'He is the patron of my Familia and his clothes should reflect that'.

---

On this day, I double on my daily quest,

[Daily Quest: "The Preparation to Become Powerful"

Do 100 Push-ups: (complete) (200/100)

Do 100 Sit-ups: (complete) (200/100)

Do 100 Squats: (complete) (200/100)

Run 10 kilometers: (complete) (20/10).]

[You have completed the "Hidden Quest: The Preparation to Become Powerful".

The reward for completing the quest has arrived.

Would you like to verify it?]

Ring~

[You've received the below rewards.

Reward 1: Status Recovery.

Reward 2: Stat points +3.

Reward 3: Blessed Random Box x1.

Accept all?]

'Only Blessed? Jinwoo had to choose between a Blessed Random Box and a Cursed Random Box.

"Accept the third reward."

'If it's like the original then I will find the Demon Castle key'

[Shadow Catacombs Key

Difficulty: S-rank

Type: Key

Key to access an Instant Dungeon.

Usable on the 1st Floor of Dungeon of Orario.]

'Hmm, it's different ... and I don't like the name'.

If it's the same difficulty as the Demon Castle, then I'm not ready.

'I think I'll wait till after I finish my class advancement quest'.