Chapter 283: Hephaestus's Reminder

After scrubbing his whole body with the fruit juice, Bell's previously dry skin felt as if it had absorbed a full dose of moisture—restored to a soft, supple elasticity.

"...I really shouldn't have added any random extras to these fruits. Just using them as-is for baths makes your skin feel like it's been through some luxury skincare routine."

Bell wasn't entirely happy with his skin.

If only it looked a little rougher and more solid—something that looked a bit more masculine.

But because of the "Robust Health" trait, his muscles weren't just exceptionally resilient—they were also incredibly flexible. As a result, his skin didn't look tough. Instead, it looked springy and smooth.

When he raised his arm, all he could see were faint outlines of muscle along his slender limbs. This was the optimized form granted by "Robust Health," which balanced flexibility, endurance, and explosive power. It acted like a kind of camouflage for the human body.

Even if Bell didn't particularly want that feature, he couldn't deny how much faster and stronger his current body had become.

Aside from the lack of visible muscle definition and his overly refined skin, there were virtually no downsides.

Bell pinched his forearm.

'Is it because my body looks so submissive that I always act so passive around Hephaestus-sama?'

He wasn't sure if that was the right answer—after all, he had no idea what Hephaestus-sama was really thinking.

'Should I try doing something to make myself act more assertive?'

Bell did want to take the lead when he was with Hephaestus-sama, but every single time, she ended up seizing the initiative and even directing how things played out.

But the more he thought about it, the more he decided to drop the idea.

"Sigh... Instead of worrying about who's in charge in a relationship, it's probably better to focus on getting stronger."

Yes, this world wasn't anything like the peaceful one he had in his past life. Here, if your strength wasn't enough, you'd die—no second chances.

In the Dungeon, aside from the "Xenos," who would play at love with you?

Even the "Xenos" wouldn't open up to just anyone. If you didn't treat them with genuine sincerity, they wouldn't treat you the same way either.

So the foundation for everything was strength.

But Bell couldn't afford to push his growth rate any further. Forcing it now would only lead to negative consequences.

In under three months, he had gone from no foundation at all to rising two full levels—from nothing to Lv.3. That kind of speed could practically be called unprecedented.

For Bell, this pace of advancement was perfect. With the "Early Bloomer" trait, his "Personal Training" was active almost constantly. As long as he was training, his strength increased rapidly.

It was like every workout, every battle, every moment of struggle was being converted directly into growth. After almost every training session or fight, he got stronger.

It was thanks to that that Bell had pulled off the astonishing feat of reaching Lv.3 in just three months.

Now that his growth rate was practically maxed out, Bell was putting more focus on training his "skills."

The true strength of "Personal Training" lay in its support for skill development as well.

But because both his growth rate and path forward were already established and progressing smoothly, Bell found himself unsure about where to go next to keep improving his strength.

"Runes?"

"My current research is focused on poison and curses. Both are incredibly useful in combat, but it'll take time before they can truly become part of my strength.

Research is never something you can rush. At this stage, it's hard to chart a clear path to enhancing Runes."

"Swordsmanship?"

"But I'm still in the middle of studying the ultimate technique—'Tsubame Gaeshi'. Right now, I can only manage a two-slash combo in one breath. I'm still far from mastering it. Shifting to other techniques now would just be putting the cart before the horse."

The peak of technique lies in perfecting 'Tsubame Gaeshi'. Looking for breakthroughs elsewhere would only distract from that goal and lead nowhere.

"Then... what direction should I be aiming for?"

Bell sank into deep thought.

"How about support and coordination?"

The voice startled him.

Standing at the entrance of the bath was the very person he'd been struggling to act more assertive around—Hephaestus.

Only... something about her didn't feel quite right.

"Hephaestus-sama, did you walk into the wrong place?"

She wasn't wearing her usual black slacks and white blouse. Instead, she was wrapped in nothing but a towel. Those pale legs that were always hidden away were now right in front of him, leaving Bell dazed and unfocused.

Gulp—

So white.

What legs.

Rin Tohsaka might be the gold standard for "legs you could play with for years" in the 2D world, but right now, Bell felt Hephaestus-sama completely outclassed her.

Was this the power of a mature woman? Bell felt the pressure mounting.

Wrong place?

Of course not.

With a charming smile, Hephaestus stepped further into the bath. She obviously knew Bell was here—why else would she come?

Her fair toes gleamed under the bathhouse lights, and her long legs—slim yet shapely—left Bell wondering where to focus his eyes.

Truthfully, he had no idea where to look. But after sneaking a few glances, he forced himself to look away using sheer willpower.

Once he diverted his gaze, his clouded mind cleared up quite a bit, and he exhaled without realizing it.

"So, that's what this is."

The sound of water splashing and her sudden comment made Bell turn his head in confusion.

"Hephaestus-sama, what did you mean by that?"

Hephaestus's crimson eyes reflected Bell's image—but the Bell she saw was tinged with a faint red glow.

"Bell, your emotions have been slipping out of control lately."

Bell paused, then his expression turned serious as he began checking himself using Runes.

Hephaestus remained quietly at the side, waiting until the Runic symbols dimmed, and Bell's face darkened further.

Only then did she speak.

"Did you feel it?"

"Yeah."

It was only now that Bell noticed the red aura faintly clinging to the surface of his body.

It was extremely subtle, like it could vanish at any moment. Without close inspection, it was almost invisible.

After a quick scan, Bell finally realized what it was... some kind of curse.

"Hephaestus-sama, what exactly is that red substance?"

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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