Chapter 266: Advancement to Lv.3

[Name: Bell Cranel

Lv.2 → Lv.3

Development Ability:

· Stealth: H → E

Attributes:

· Strength: D589 → ??? 1712

· Endurance: C631 → ??? 1834

· Dexterity: C612 → ??? 1801

· Agility: C627 → ??? 1824

· ???: 1345 → ??? 1979

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 Accumulation]

It had been a month since Bell handed over the Jewel Fetus.

During that time, Bell had been moving back and forth between the middle floors of the Dungeon and his Familia. Thanks to the secret base he'd built on the eighteenth floor, the travel time was short, and he had plenty of time to rest.

With the time saved, Bell devoted himself entirely to accumulating Status and refining his techniques.

This time, the majority of his effort went into training his parameters, and once again, he pushed them close to the limit.

When Hestia and Hephaestus saw the updated stats, they couldn't help but be impressed.

"His stats before his last level-up were already incredibly high. I didn't expect there to still be so much room for growth."

Back when he advanced to Lv.1, his attributes had already reached a level ordinary Adventurers couldn't even imagine. Hestia had thought that was the upper limit—but seeing today's updated data made her realize that even near-limit stats could go higher.

"His parameters are even closer to the limit than before, but more importantly, his Development Ability has made an even more astonishing leap."

"Yeah… going from H to E, skipping G and F entirely. And Development Ability is supposed to be way harder to improve than attributes."

The Development Ability increase Hephaestus pointed out hadn't escaped Hestia's notice.

Compared to Development Abilities, accumulating attributes was relatively easier. What truly took time and effort was raising Development Ability ranks.

And yet, Bell had managed to raise his to E in such a short span of time.

Most Adventurers, even after over a decade of experience, never make it past G—many stay between I and G their entire careers.

But this only confirmed one thing: Bell's "Personal Training" might be just as effective for improving Development Ability as it was for his attributes.

"Bell-kun, how did it go this time?"

After explaining the status update, Hestia asked—as usual—whether Bell-kun wanted to proceed with the level-up.

There had already been one status update earlier this month, but the level-up had been postponed. Bell-kun had wanted to see if he could push his parameters even further.

As it turned out, his judgment had been correct. The previous update hadn't reached the limit—not even close.

Listening to the values reported by the goddess, Bell began to think.

'Compared to the limit I had at Lv.1, this is far beyond. It's probably because the concept of "Robust Health" has boosted my physical potential.'

'The last update was two weeks ago. Back then, aside from Strength being 1500, everything else was above 1600. Now, two weeks later, the growth has slowed considerably. Looks like I've hit my current limit.'

Based on the time between updates and the pace of growth, Bell was now certain—he'd reached his peak.

Having realized this, he no longer planned to keep grinding for more Excelia.

"Goddess-sama, this is enough. Please, proceed with the level-up."

"Okay, I'll begin."

Hestia used her own blood to add a new section to Bell's back, triggering the level-up.

The process itself wasn't complicated. The more complicated part came afterward—deciding the new Development Ability.

When the list appeared, Hestia wasn't the least bit surprised.

"Hunter, Abnormal Resistance, Mage, Swordsman, Mystery, Spirit Healing, and… Cognition?"

"Strange. Hephaestus, have you ever seen 'Cognition' as a Development Ability?"

A row of normal Development Abilities ended with something unusual—Hestia couldn't help raising a metaphorical question mark.

"Cognition?"

Hephaestus furrowed her brow at the term.

"I've never seen that Development Ability before."

But Bell had already guessed the reason. Over the past month, he'd frequently used a weapon that enhanced cognitive awareness. It was likely that influence had affected his Development Ability.

Bell also felt that "Cognition" might be the most compatible with another one of his weapons.

"Goddess-sama, please choose 'Cognition' for me."

"Huh? Bell-kun, are you really sure?"

"No problem. Development Abilities are a reflection of my experiences. If 'Cognition' emerged as one of them, then I believe it aligns best with my growth path."

If it really was the result of the enhanced abilities from "Kuji Kanesada," then Bell was confident that "Cognition" was the most fitting choice.

"I understand."

Since Bell-kun had decided, Hestia respected his choice without question.

The upgrade was completed quickly.

His level rose, and his attributes reset to zero—just like when he advanced from Lv.1 to Lv.2.

Leveling up didn't instantly grant new power. Instead, it expanded the capacity of his "vessel," letting the overflow from the previous level become the foundation of the next. That way, his potential would grow by a significant margin.

Bell didn't know if others felt the same, but each time he leveled up, he could clearly sense that his past efforts had widened his future. His potential was renewed, and everything he'd accumulated now felt like fertilizer nourishing his body, helping him take another step forward.

That tangible sense of growth reassured him.

And perhaps because of that, Bell didn't experience much mental or physical dissonance after leveling up.

'Maybe it's because I'm adaptable.'

'Or maybe "Personal Training" has helped my body and mind adjust faster after leveling up.'

He didn't dwell on it.

At least for now, he could simply enjoy the moment.