Kazu pushed open the door, his voice ringing through the house. "Nay! I'm home!"
Rosalia rushed to him, her face a mix of relief and concern. "Oh, my child, have you eaten? You've been gone for almost three days... Were you able to eat well?"
Kazu smiled. "Yes, Nay. While Kazike and I were in the dungeon, he brought food, and we shared it."
Nozue's eyes lit up as he saw Kazu. "Kazu! You're back!"
"Yes, I just arrived," Kazu said, his excitement palpable. "I have so many stories to tell you later! The dungeon was amazing!"
"Really? I hope I can become an adventurer someday, too," Nozue exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with dreams.
"You can, but it's dangerous," Kazu cautioned.
"I have mana, and I can use magic like you," Nozue insisted.
"If you really want to, I'll help you," Kazu said with a smile. "But first, we need to strengthen our bodies. I plan to increase my strength skill, so join me starting tomorrow."
"What's a strength skill?" Nozue asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing," Kazu replied. "Just come and train with me starting tomorrow, okay?"
"Of course! I want to join you on your adventures, best friend!"
"Best friend," Kazu echoed, hugging Nozue tightly.
"Alright, kids, it's time to eat," Rosalia called out. "The food is ready."
As they settled down to eat, Kazu's thoughts drifted.
Status reveal...
[STATUS]
Level: 79
Name: Kazu Gonomiya
Age: 13
Job class: God
[Passive]
Divine Knowledge
Infinite Mana
Maximized Self Healing
[Active Skills]
Blink
Explosive Blink
Bloodlust
Blood Steal
Rage: Locked
[Magic Spells]
Fire Pierce
Fire Spirit Flare
[Unique Skills]
Exploration level: 88
Assassin level: 91
Cooking level: 8
Mining: 1
Smithing: 1
Kazu thought to himself, "I need to get my strength skill to level 70 to unlock the Rage skill. I'll start working on it tomorrow."
Rosalia interrupted his thoughts. "How was your quest, my child? Did you complete it?"
"Yes, Nay. I even found a rune stone with a [C] on it. It was a reward from the dungeon."
Rosalia's eyes widened. "[C] Rune stone? How did you find that? Usually, you need a high mining level to get one."
"I just found it by chance. Maybe I have a mining skill too," Kazu speculated.
"Can you show it to me?" Rosalia asked.
Kazu pulled out his weapon. "I had it forged into my first weapon. They call it 'Wrath of God.' It's my reward for completing the quest."
"A divine artifact... 'Wrath of God,'" Rosalia mused, her eyes filled with wonder. "Take good care of it, my child. It's in good hands with you."
"I will, Nay. It's my first weapon, so I'll treasure it."
"Oh, and tomorrow is your birthday, right?" Rosalia asked.
"Yes, Nay."
Nozue looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I don't have a gift for you, Kazu."
"That's okay! Just being with my family is the best gift," Kazu said with a warm smile.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Nozue vowed.
"Don't worry about it, Nozue. This food is amazing, Nay Rosalia!"
"You're always so playful, Kazu," Rosalia said, laughing.
"Thank you for the meal, Nanay Rosalia. I'm done," Kazike said.
"Me too," Nozue added.
"Let's head to our room, Nozue," Kazu suggested.
"Sure, Kazu," Nozue replied, standing up.
"Wait! I forgot to bathe! I haven't bathed in three days. Sorry, everyone," Kazu said, embarrassed.
"Go take a bath, then rest, my child," Rosalia said kindly.
"I just finished bathing, so I'll head to the room," Nozue said.
Bathroom
Kazu sighed as the warm water washed over him. "Ahh, it feels so good to bathe at night."
He glanced at his reflection.
"Status reveal..."
[STATUS]
Level: 79
Name: Kazu Gonomiya
Age: 13
Job class: God
[Passive]
Divine Knowledge
Infinite Mana
Maximized Self Healing
[Active Skills]
Blink
Explosive Blink
Bloodlust
Blood Steal
Rage: Locked
[Magic Spells]
Fire Pierce
Fire Spirit Flare
[Unique Skills]
Exploration level: 88
Assassin level: 91
Cooking level: 8
Mining: 1
Smithing: 1
"I'm already level 79 and have been in this world for almost a year. I wonder if I can return to my world with these powers... Maybe I shouldn't think about it too much."
He dried off and headed to his room, where Nozue was waiting.
"Kazu, I want to be an adventurer too," Nozue said earnestly.
"Alright, Nozue. Join me for training starting tomorrow," Kazu replied.
"I will! I can handle it."
"It will be hard and tiring."
"Kazu, you're my friend. I want to join you. You're my first real friend."
"Alright, let's sleep. We have an early day tomorrow," Kazu said, smiling.
Early Morning
"Kazu, wake up! We need to train!" Nozue called out, shaking him gently.
"It's too early..." Kazu mumbled.
"The earlier, the better!" Nozue insisted.
"Okay..." Kazu yawned.
"What's first?" Nozue asked eagerly.
"Stretching. We need to warm up our bodies. But first, let's wash our faces. Follow me outside," Kazu instructed.
After stretching for ten minutes, they started doing push-ups.
"Kazu, I can't do any more... My arms hurt," Nozue panted.
"Me too... My arms are burning," Kazu admitted.
Suddenly, a notification appeared.
[Strength skill reached level 2]
Kazu thought, "So, I can gain strength skill by doing push-ups. Interesting..."
"Let's rest, Nozue. We'll do jogging next."
"Alright," Nozue agreed.
After thirty minutes of jogging, they took a break.
"Here's some water, Nozue. Drink up. Do you want something to eat?" Kazu offered.
"No, I'm not hungry yet," Nozue replied.
"If you want to be an adventurer, you need skills. Do you know any magic?" Kazu asked.
"I can use water element magic. Like this," Nozue said, creating a ball of water in his hand.
"Wow! How did you learn that?"
"No one taught me. I just figured it out," Nozue said.
"You learned it accidentally?" Kazu asked, amazed.
"Yeah, kind of," Nozue confirmed.
"Can you teach me? I'll teach you fire magic in return," Kazu proposed.
"Sure! But most people can only learn one or two element magics. It's rare to know two," Nozue explained.
"Hmm... Let me try," Kazu said, focusing mana into his palm.
A drop of water floated in his hand.
"You can use water magic too, Kazu! That's amazing!" Nozue cheered.
"Thanks, Nozue. Is there an easier way to learn element magic?" Kazu wondered.
"Not that I know of, but some people study at magic schools," Nozue said.
"Magic school?"
"Yes, at the Divine Magic Academy."
"Hmm... I should try there sometime," Kazu mused.
The morning training session ended with Kazu and Nozue feeling accomplished despite their exhaustion. The sun had barely risen, casting a gentle light over the quiet village. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, mingling with the crisp morning dew. Kazu looked at Nozue, who was panting heavily but smiling.
"You did great today, Nozue. We'll keep this up, and soon you'll be ready for any adventure," Kazu said, patting Nozue on the back.
"Thanks, Kazu. I'll work hard," Nozue replied, his determination unwavering.
They walked back home, the sounds of the village beginning to stir with the start of a new day. Kazu felt a sense of peace and purpose, knowing that each day brought him closer to unlocking his potential and understanding his place in this world.
As they approached their home, Rosalia was already outside, tending to her small garden. She looked up and smiled warmly at them. "Good morning, my boys. How was your training?"
"It was good, Nay. Nozue did really well," Kazu said, beaming with pride.
"That's wonderful to hear. Come inside and have some breakfast. You both must be hungry," Rosalia said, ushering them into the house.
As they sat down to eat, Kazu couldn't help but feel grateful for his family and the life he was building in this new world. He knew challenges lay ahead, but with his family by his side and his growing skills, he was ready to face whatever came his way.