Chapter 143: Slowing the Pace of Rapid Growth
[Name: Bell Cranel]
Lv.2
Development Ability:
• Stealth: I → H
Attributes:
• Strength: I0 → G274
• Endurance: I0 → G294
• Dexterity: I0 → F330
• Agility: I0 → F384
• Magic: I0 → B721
Magic:
'Four-Dimensional Space':
• Storage
'Lightning Command':
• Quick-Cast Magic
• Lightning Manipulation
Skills:
'Personal Training':
• Early Bloomer
'Heaven's Luck':
• High Luck
'The Poor Man's Desire':
• Power Charging
'So fast! It's only been three days and he's already grown this much!'
Anyone who saw this [Status] would be stunned. Just three days of effort had brought about this level of growth.
For a mage, these stats were already enough to qualify for a promotion. All that was missing was some Excelia.
And yet, Bell had reached this stage in just three days.
Of course, both Hestia and Hephaestus knew this was only the beginning. Especially after seeing Bell's final [Status] at Lv.1, they were even more certain of it.
'At this rate, it won't take long for him to accumulate enough to level up from Lv.2.'
'No wonder Zeus sent this child to Orario.'
Now that they understood Bell's true identity, it all made sense—why Zeus had placed his hopes on a human.
Although two of the world's three great quests had been completed, the final one remained. And if even one was left unfinished, it meant the mission as a whole had failed.
Zeus and Hera, who once ruled Orario with the strength of their great Familias, had joined forces to challenge the [King of the Land, Behemoth] and the [King of the Sea, Leviathan]. But they were ultimately defeated by the [King of the Sky].
In that failed campaign, both of their Familias were utterly annihilated.
That loss led to Zeus and Hera being exiled from Orario.
But in truth, rather than being driven out, it was more accurate to say they left on their own accord. A hidden force had nudged the outcome in that direction, prompting their departure.
Hephaestus had once thought Zeus and Hera had left too abruptly.
Now she understood.
They left so decisively because they had found a new hope. There was no need for them to remain in Orario—they just needed to focus on nurturing what they believed to be their final hope.
Hephaestus stared quietly at Bell's back.
'So this child is the final hero chosen by Zeus and Hera?'
Even she hadn't expected that answer.
No wonder the boy always seemed so extraordinary—his rapid growth and innate talent were far beyond normal. Then she glanced at Hestia, the idiot who had happened to pick him up.
'That idiot has always had absurdly good luck.'
'If we gods had past lives, she must've been someone who saved the world in hers.'
Hestia was surprised, but not as shocked as she used to be. She was already starting to get used to how fast Bell's [Status] improved.
"Bell-kun, at your current rate of growth, it won't be long before you reach the point where you can start considering Excelia for a level-up."
If anyone else had heard that, they would've thought it was a joke. But with Bell, it was no exaggeration.
"This time, it'll probably take longer to accumulate."
Bell had clearly noticed that his pace had slowed down—it wasn't as rapid as it had been at Lv.1. Accumulating [Status] now required more time and effort. Reaching Lv.3 quickly would take a while.
Of course, Bell understood this was normal. The experience needed to level up wasn't fixed.
Even the experience needed to increase each of the five attributes differed. That's also why the number of high-level Adventurers in Orario thinned out with each rank. By the time you reached Lv.7, there was often only one person at that level.
Hephaestus listened to that absurdly humble statement and couldn't help being a little speechless.
"You're already growing fast enough. You know, it usually takes an average Adventurer at least a year to go from Lv.1 to Lv.2, and you did it in less than half a month."
"Naturally, as your level goes up, so will the time needed to grow."
"At your pace, you might hit Lv.5 in under ten years."
"But precisely because you have qualities most Adventurers don't, you need to spend more time stabilizing your foundation. The experience of ordinary Adventurers won't help you much, so you'll have to figure out most of the path ahead on your own."
'Huh? Is she giving me advice?'
Bell was a bit stunned, but quickly grasped what Hephaestus-sama was saying.
Adventurers had to think about how to accumulate [Status], and how to earn Excelia to level up. Basic combat skills needed to be refined gradually through battle, and most had very little time to hone them outside the Dungeon.
But he now had that time—and it made sense to use it to focus on polishing his technique.
And just as Hephaestus-sama said, the experience of regular Adventurers might not be particularly helpful to him.
"I understand. For now, I'll devote my time to training my techniques."
Bell had always aspired to master technique.
Compared to raw power, he knew how important skill really was.
Of course, Bell had the foundation to pursue mastery in "technique."
Unlike others who advanced little by little, the life he'd experienced through the swordsman's memories gave him the qualifications to take a different path.
So he had a real chance of stepping into the realm of perfected skill.
After all, everything with Kojirou Sasaki had been part of his training. Now, he just needed to clear his mind and focus entirely on mastering his technique.
That would undoubtedly slow his overall progress.
But if he built up overwhelming strength without the skill to use it properly, then that power would be hollow.
And Bell could afford to make this choice. His growth rate was already leagues ahead of normal Adventurers. Even compared to his own earlier pace, his progress was extraordinary.
So taking a moment to slow down and shore up his technique wasn't just acceptable—it was necessary.
After all, it had only been half a month since he became an Adventurer.
Half a month, and he was already at Lv.2, even laying the groundwork for Lv.3. At that speed, taking things a little slower wouldn't hurt him at all.