Denatus.
An event that happens once every three months. It calls forth every single god available and registered to Orario. This meeting determines the direction of Orario's development and its adventurers. It is when the epithets (aliases) of the newbie adventurers are decided. Horrendous names like "Angel of Judgement" and "Dark Demon Warrior" would occasionally appear, though adventurers from high-level familias were spared.
Who would offend a strong familia by giving them an unreasonably bad alias?
As for the lower-ranking familias, they could only play along.
"Oh? You dressed up unlike usual, Fei-Fei!"
In contrast with other Denatus, Hephaestus made an effort to dress up. Her perfectly proportional body and slim muscles stood up, further accentuating her black dress. It is a perfect match for her eyepatch.
"Why can't you call me with my full name?"
"Nah, that'd be no fun!"
The easy-going goddess has a chest flatter than a board. Many wouldn't be fooled by her façade, however.
"What brings you, Loki?"
The auburn-haired woman is none other than Loki, the god of tricksters.
"Do I need a reason to talk with you?" She rhetorically asked. "Though I am curious about something."
Hearing this, Hephaestus sighed inwardly. The trouble she's looking out for has arrived.
"Go ahead."
"How did you find such a monstrous child?!"
Ganesha might be hosting today's Denatus, but Loki and Freya could see the list of adventurers who leveled up in advance. It isn't an exaggeration that Nobu's feat will shock Orario to its core.
Defeating Goliath as a level one.
Leveling within two weeks.
"By luck." She replied calmly. "That child is simply a prodigy. No, not just that. He's the most talented child I met."
"I see."
Loki shrugged it off and returned to her previous self. She did not pursue this matter since she knew well Hephaestus wouldn't easily divulge more info this time.
"Hephaestus."
Another god called out her name. His looks made him reminiscent of a country's prince. Coincidentally, Loki is familiar with him.
"Are you causing her trouble, Loki?" He asked seriously.
"Not really. Do you have business with Fei-Fei too, Dionysus?"
"I just want to thank her child for saving my familia member. If he hadn't…"
The god wore a melancholic expression. The events a few days ago were worth celebrating, but many gods like him lost their beloved children to the 27th-floor nightmare.
Thus, the complicated atmosphere in the current Denatus. Some were happy about the extermination of Evilus but there are also gods who lost their beloved children.
"I will pass your words to him."
Seeing her response, Dionysus guessed she does not want others to know much about that incident.
"Oh? Arty is here?
Swiftly, the god of tricksters went to her side. Artemis seemed surprised at her arrival.
"Loki."
"This feels new. Not seeing you around Itty-Bitty."
In Tenkai, the two goddesses were often together. It is due to Hestia's insistence on her company whenever she gets the courage to come outside.
"She must have her reasons."
"You mean, slacking off?"
"...That could be one."
This time, Artemis could not defend her friend. After all, that was all Hestia did—to coop up inside her temple.
"I want to ask something."
"Oh? Aren't we being too hasty?"
Her casual remark was ignored by Artemis.
"The truth behind Astraea's children. What is it?"
Artemis knew how Loki Familia once cooperated with Astraea Familia. It is possible Astraea told her about the incident before leaving Orario considering their previous cooperation—taking down Erebus, the leader of Evilus, twelve years ago.
"What should I do? You see, I made a promise to someone."
"That stubborn one…" Artemis realized what happened. "You wouldn't say anything?"
"Right! There's that promise, but I don't know when it slips into my mouth. A good wine, maybe?"
Loki hinted with a smile. From the beginning, she knew Artemis would not stop with her investigation. Rather than bring them into danger, it is better to tell what she knows than for them to step into danger without their knowledge.
Orario had just left its Dark Age. Having more lawful familias like them is a necessity, more so when they have Astraea Familia's potential. Their years outside Orario were not for naught.
"I understand."
"Finally..! I won't have to sneak around Riveria…" Loki mumbled. "How should I begin? What they faced is an Irregular. An unseen one on top of that. Even the old man was alerted when it happened."
She began narrating the day the dungeon shook.
*****
After the intermission took place, the Denatus proceeded to the most awaited part—the naming phase. The names of newbie adventurers that rose to level two are listed on the paper.
"I am Ganesha!"
The man with the elephant mask shouted. The deusdea did not mind his antics since they are long used to it.
"Here are the rising stars of this month! The first one—"
Many names were mentioned along with their feats. They all averaged four to seven years before they leveled up. It is due to the lack of high-level excelia that a normal level one adventurer could acquire—mostly due to their weak status and lack of skills. It was evident when they hit level two.
They gain a development ability and possibly a skill. It becomes possible to challenge stronger foes as a result.
"—Akasaka Nobu from Hephaestus Familia."
There was not much reaction until Ganesha revealed his achievements.
Two weeks.
Fighting against Goliath.
Two achievements that should not have made sense. One of them is already impossible, but both of them together?
That mortal would be on another level.
"How was that possible..?"
"A human mage without falna?"
"Killing Goliath as a level one is impossible! No doubts!"
"Two weeks. Did I hear it wrong?!"
"I must've gone deaf too."
Their looks shifted to Hephaestus who casually scanned her surroundings.
"Give him a reasonable alias."
That was all she said before she paid them no heed. She knew their curiosity was brewing at the moment. Gods are the kind who would not stop until it is quenched. Nobu will step in Orario's limelight after tonight.
"Should we call him 'Unparalleled Black Knight'?"
"Shut it. You'll just offend Hephaestus if you suggest that name."
"How about 'Blood Knight'?"
"Too brutal."
"True."
"Then—"
Once the discussions died down, the gods collectively decided on his epithet.
The brightest star that could be found in Gekai—
Tenkou (Heavenly Wolf) • Sirius.
*****
{Please wake up, Goshujin-sama.}
"Mn..?"
I opened my eyes. I saw the brief portion of the window outside. The sky's orange, indicating the sun has just risen.
I stretched my body as I got up from the bed. After washing my face, I changed into the custom outfit I requested. It is a gray jacket made out of wool coupled with a skintight black T-shirt and cargo pants.
After placing the smartphone in a safe area, I took a long box. It is a weapon case filled with my creations. It has nearly the same space as the bracelet storage. I strapped it to my shoulder.
I wore the hood as I began jogging. From the Northeast district, I traveled to the Northwest district. As I had expected, I saw the pallum girl standing in front of the store.
"You're earlier than I thought."
"I don't want to make you wait…"
It seems like her emotional quotient is high. Then again, she grew up in that horrendous environment. She needed to avoid decisions that would anger her superiors, even by instincts.
"Being disciplined is commendable." I said. "For now, jog while following me."
"Yes!"
Few mists are made as I exhaled now and then. The usually bustling Orario did not have many people in the morning except for those who are opening their stores.
Soon, we arrived at our destination.
"Isn't this…"
"That's right. Daedalus Street."
This street is found in the south-east district. It is infamous due to its overwhelming complexity. It is easy to get lost, hence many criminals from the slums transformed it into their base. At the same time, it is something that could be used to train one's spatial sense.
"Follow me closely. While we jog, try to remember the place we went. We'll do this every day until you remember the entire place."
"I understand."
I saw some doubts in her eyes but she chose not to question it.
"Well, the dungeon is a complex maze. If you manage to pick up this skill in Daedalus, you would not have problems being lost inside it."
"Ah?"
A few seconds later, she clapped her hands in realization. It didn't take long before she followed. She looked around the area with determined eyes. Though, it did not take long before she began having difficulties.
There are times when she was too caught up observing the place. Her stamina also pulled her down.
'Strange… She could survive well inside the dungeon with this level?'
As if sensing my gaze, Lili began explaining her skill.
"Actually… Huff… I have a skill that assisted me as a supporter."
Artel Assist. It is a skill that compensated her whenever she carries a certain amount of weight. When she was working as a supporter, she carried a heavy bag, enough for her abilities to be enhanced.
When she finished explaining, I was surprised. While her body needed a balance with her weights, it could become her strength. How much would her strength increase if she wore more than a hundred kilograms while fighting?
Proper training and guidance are all she needs to tap into her potential—something she didn't have before.
For now…
"Take these."
Click-!
I opened the case and grabbed something.
"Uhm?"
It was a huge leather sheath. It has straps on its ends so that the person could attach them and easily carry the sword. I asked Lili to put it on before taking out another weapon.
Bam.
The blade of a huge brown greatsword fell to the ground. Its blunt side bore the brunt of the impact, saving the floor from being broken.
Easily, I lifted the greatsword and placed it on the sheath on Lili's back. She was surprised when she saw it at first but became at ease. It seems like she's trusting me now.
Shiing.
When the entire greatsword fell in its place, I loosened my grip. Soon, I removed my hand from it.
Her knees sunk slightly. Even so, she did not struggle much.
"Whoa..? I feel lighter!"
"That sword weighs sixty del kram."
For reference, del kram directly translates to 'great kram', or 'kilogram' in our world.
"S-sixty?"
Lili was confused.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
"T-there's nothing much except slight fatigue. It is not noticeable."
I understand.
While her skill compensates her for the weights, she would still feel some of its burden. In a sense, she feels a small fraction of sixty kilograms with her enhanced body. A small price to pay for power, indeed.
Not long after, we continued on our way through Daedalus Street. Lili did not have trouble after carrying the giant sword on her back. She could catch up while losing herself memorizing the place.
In the end, we arrived at the vicinity of the walls. I asked for the guard's permission to do so, but he recognized me first upon handing out the Hephaestus Familia emblem.
"Golden eyes and white hair… Are you Sirius?"
"Sir—what?"
Hearing a stranger call me by a random name confused me.
"The results for last night's Denatus are out. It was announced that a super rookie rose from Hephaestus Familia." He explained.
"Ah… I see."
I wryly smiled. The trouble I wanted to avoid is here.
"Anyways, are you him?!"
"I am."
"Whoa… Keep up the good work, man!"
"Yes, yes…"
After that small fiasco, we arrived on top of the walls.
"Nobu-san must be amazing..!"
Even Lili could deduce what happened based on that reaction alone.
"Do you know why I chose this place as the training ground?"
"Uhm… because of its space?"
Orario's walls have limited space. The ones fighting would not have the chance to run away from their enemy. Moreover, training in the morning does not disturb the guards.
"Exactly. It forces us into confrontation easily."
I took out a sharpened dagger and gave it to her.
"Try and hit me with your best attacks."
My first day as a trainer began.
*****
Overwhelming.
That was all Lili could think of after failing to hit him once. Her Level one status and enhancements are not enough to reach him. She tried to do some movements she mimicked from others but it was not enough.
"I understand. You learned some moves but couldn't properly execute it."
It was expected from an untrained twelve-year-old girl.
"What weapon do you want to learn?"
'Learn…'
She looked at the dagger in her hand. Its flexibility was something to be praised for. Only, it didn't feel suitable in her hand. Rather, something with a longer reach fits her better…
"Hm. A spear, then?"
Nobu took out his silver spear and unfolded it. From its small form, it became a spear with a long reach.
Swish-!
He demonstrated his spear art before handing it out to her. The moment she touched it, she felt more satisfied. She mimicked some of his movements, only to fail.
"The spear is a beginner-friendly weapon. It has a perfect reach and could be learned in a short time."
Her teacher began explaining its advantages and disadvantages. In a sense, it is easy to learn and safer to wield. At the same time, it exposes a bigger flaw once a mistake is made. Fortunately, the latter could be removed with enough training.
"I will take it."
"Are you sure? There's no turning back."
"I am."
"If so…"
Nobu took another spear from his weapon case.
It is a simple metallic spear. It followed the design of a Qiang. It is often used in war, thus its practicality is high.
What made it special is the spell engraved into it.
Lili caught it with her other hand. A single moment was enough to let her know how high its quality is.
"This is…"
"My gift."
"..?!"
In shock, she nearly released it from her grasp.
"Nobu-san, isn't this expensive?!"
"Not much. I could just create another one. Though, I am lucky while making this one."
Nobu asked her to hand him back the silver spear.
"Try chanting 'Wind Dance'."
Hearing that, she did exactly as she was told.
"Wind Dance."
Swoosh-!
Suddenly, she felt her body becoming lighter. Gusts of wind surrounded her as she moved.
"[Wind Dance] improves your movement speed. If you say 'Cancel', it'll deactivate."
"Cancel!"
Just as he said, the wind disappeared. She lost some of her mind, but it was not a large consumption.
"T-this..!"
"Go try 'Flame Dance' next."
Nobu left her no choice but to accept it. Seeing this, she no longer asked him for fear of making him annoyed.
"Flame Dance."
This time, crimson flames surrounded the spear. It spread from its tip up to its handle. Strangely, she was not burned by it.
"[Flame Dance] imbues flames to your spear. It will help disorient your enemies."
Intimidation is a factor in fighting. It is the root cause of feints. Simply speaking, it increases one's chances of victory.
'Those should be enough for now.' Nobu thought. 'I'll tell her the third spell later. She wouldn't dive to the dungeon yet.'
Nobu is familiar with complacency. It is fine to depend on something, but they should still be able to struggle even without it. As an example, his combat skills did not disappear despite his combat suit's disappearance.
There are cases when one's weapon would not be with them. It was this reason that pushed him to learn different fighting styles.
"You can deactivate it the same as earlier."
"Cancel!"
When the flames died down, Nobu made a request.
"Try fighting me again. This time, with a spear."
"Ah? A-alright!"
The walls' space is less than 20 meters. Meaning, weapons with a longer reach are limited in this place. As if to remedy this mistake, Nobu wielded his silver spear too.
Again, Lili mimicked him. It didn't take long for her to reduce some of her discomfort while wielding it.
Clang-!
******
A week later.
"I should try it."
Currently, I am inside the dungeon when I recalled something. In my world, magicians have their signature spells. It is the source of their epithets. For example, Suimei is called 'Starfall' due to his spell that summons forth stars—similar to my Orion.
There is also Yakamitsu-san who has the title 'Magic King Nestaheim' because of his standing in the supernatural world.
As for me, I am called 'The Machinist' due to my weapons. Though, my spells do not fall behind. I am fairly confident [Orion] could reach the power of a level four back then if not for the unfamiliar star positions.
I planned to correct it to have the same power as when I use it on my own but I changed my mind.
I was weak. I did not have the monstrous mana reserves that Suimei and Yakamitsu-san have. My body has to be protected by a combat suit in fights or else I'll die. As a result, the spells I use on my own are downgraded. Only when I am with the suit could I use them to their fullest.
Orion at its peak could destroy an entire city. It is simply incomparable to the one I am using. Hence, I corresponded the corrections to the advanced version of it instead. This process went on since I arrived in this world.
It totaled twenty-eight days before I finished it—a miraculous feat. Parallax—the measuring of stars' distance—is a complicated process. If not for Lady Artemis' support and Miku's arrival a week ago, it won't be done this quick.
"I wouldn't be in danger if I had it."
Tap.
Tap.
I am currently on the 24th floor. Vegetation covered the surroundings, with plant monsters waiting in ambush.
"Let's see… There are no people within the five-hundred-meter radius."
I started chanting. It did not have a vast difference from before, but the calculations are on another level. My mind kept on being expended while my mana reserves began dropping. I am fortunate enough that mind potions affect mana too.
A large magic circle spawned on the ground below. Smaller circles followed. At the same time, the sky is enveloped by dozens of magic circles.
"—Dea Obsignum Fatum." (I entrust my fate to you, goddess.)
Rays of white light briefly lit the majority of this floor. Soon, a resounding explosion followed.
BAM-!
BOOM-!
After they passed, all that was left are some patches of trees and bushes. The entire floor became a mess. Craters littered the ground along with the corpses of many monsters.
Seeing this—
"I'm this strong now?"
It won't be long before I could use Orion's peak on my own.