Charlie Avalon
Level 1
Strength: I (98) → H (194)
Endurance: I (99) → H (162)
Dexterity: I (83) → H (186)
Agility: I (80) → G (220)
Magic Power: H (120) → D (530)
Magic:
[Spirit Art]
Skills:
[The Chosen Savior]
[Prodigy Swordsman]
______
"You never stop surprising me, Charlie. What exactly did you do today?"
Updating Charlie's status, Hera was astonished by the sheer number of points he had accumulated in just one day—specifically, 1,292 points.
Reading the parchment, Charlie himself was surprised by the result.
"I just killed the monsters I encountered. As you said, Goddess Hera, the fastest way to gain Excelia is by killing monsters."
"Even so, getting this many points in just one day is unreasonable. It seems I've underestimated the power of your Chosen Savior Skill."
Sensing Charlie's honest answer, Hera suspected that The Chosen Savior Skill was responsible for this abnormal growth rate.
"Every time I update my status, the feeling of getting stronger is really addictive."
"That only applies to you. For other adventurers, they barely feel any increase when updating their status, except when they level up. After all, their basic abilities only increase by a few points."
"I see."
Hera's words reminded Charlie that the leveling system in Danmachi's world is somewhat different from other Isekai worlds.
In other Isekai, one only needs to kill monsters to level up, but in Danmachi, the rules are different.
To level up, an adventurer needs to gather enough Excelia to reach rank D in one of their basic ability statistics. Then, the adventurer needs to acquire "high-quality" Excelia, which means having significant and memorable experiences, usually something very difficult or something that puts the adventurer in serious danger.
Due to the extreme difficulty of leveling up, most adventurers remain stuck at Level 1 or Level 2.
"Your Magic Power stat is already at rank D, so you've fulfilled one of the requirements to level up. What remains is to achieve something significant."
"Goddess Hera, you know I won't choose to level up with just a D-ranked basic stat, right? I want to level up only after all my basic ability statistics are at least rank S or higher."
"Good, I would be very disappointed if you rushed to level up."
Hera was very pleased to hear Charlie's ambitious response.
There is a difference between adventurers of the same level. For example, an adventurer who levels up when their basic ability statistics are at rank D will be weaker than a Level 2 adventurer who waited until their basic ability statistics were at rank B before choosing to level up.
Leveling up with D-ranked basic ability statistics is considered the weakest among adventurers of the same level.
'In just three days after receiving Falna, Charlie has already surpassed the hard work of most adventurers over the years. If they knew this, I think they would question their own lives.'
Seeing his growth rate, Hera was confident that Charlie would likely break the record for the fastest level-up to Level 2, currently held by Ais Wallenstein of the Loki Familia, which is one year!
"Among your five basic ability statistics, your Magic Power increased the most. Is that because of the Spirit Art?"
"Yes, Goddess Hera, you're right. I constantly use Spirit Art, even outside of battle. Flying, enhancing physical strength, and increasing extrasensory perception—these three techniques are all applications of Spirit Art. So it's not surprising that my Magic Power exceeds my other basic ability statistics."
Charlie and Hera chatted late into the night.
Although she is a goddess, Hera has sealed her Arcanum, so she needs to sleep and eat like a mortal. If her body weakens to the point of a fatal illness that would kill her, her Arcanum would activate automatically to heal her, and she would be forced to return to Heaven.
Due to this rule, the gods also rest like ordinary people.
On the other hand, Charlie wasn't sleepy; his body was brimming with energy after his status update.
"Everyone does something that leaves an experience. Falna just draws that experience into power; the gods' blessing is truly magical."
In the courtyard, Charlie was adapting to his newfound strength.
"Let's train in swordsmanship."
With a simple wooden sword he had made himself, Charlie began his training. The first step he needed to master was his stance. He positioned his feet slightly wider than his shoulders, maintaining his balance, and bent his knees.
"A solid stance is the foundation of all techniques. If your stance is strong, your attack and defense will be firm."
After feeling confident in his stance, Charlie continued with the basic technique of a horizontal slash. He swung his sword in a decisive motion from right to left, making sure his wrist stayed firm and strong.
*SWOOSH*
The first slash felt stiff and awkward, but Charlie didn't give up. He repeated the motion over and over until, gradually, his sword swings became smoother and more powerful.
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
"Rio was a genius swordsman. Even at a young age, his swordsmanship was formidable. On the day of his master Celia's forced wedding, Rio crashed the wedding, kidnapped Celia, and even fought the Sword King Alfred Emerle."
Perhaps due to the Prodigy Swordsman Skill, Charlie found no difficulty in practicing basic sword techniques. Moreover, Rio's swordsmanship talent was already exceptionally high.
The combination of these two factors was immediately noticeable to Charlie.
"Huff... Next."
He then moved on to the thrust technique, one of the basic techniques requiring precision and speed. With sharp focus, he held the sword with both hands and pushed it straight forward, as if stabbing an invisible enemy in front of him. He had to do it quickly, but with stability.
*WHOOSH* *WHOOSH* *WHOOSH*
His movements became increasingly agile and firm. Each sword swing felt more solid, and each thrust more precise.
Because he was so focused, Charlie didn't notice that Hera was watching him from behind the window.
"This boy is not only a genius, but he also works hard. He has a bright future ahead of him."
Seeing Charlie's figure diligently training, Hera closed the window curtains. No longer watching, she lay down on her bed and slept.
Charlie continued to swing his sword under the cover of night.
❀❀❀
*SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*
Charlie looked up at the sky, where the sun was slowly rising, signaling the start of a new day.
"Morning already? Time flies when your mind is distracted."
His breath came out in rough gasps, his body radiating heat as white steam rose from his skin.
After carefully swinging his sword for several minutes, Charlie took a deep breath and discarded the worn-out wooden sword he had used repeatedly.
"My body is covered in sweat. I should bathe before making breakfast."
He used Spirit Art to manipulate the earth, creating a large bathtub. Then, he filled it with water using Spirit Art.
The use of Spirit Art in daily life was the biggest factor in the increase in his Magic Power stat compared to the others.
Charlie employed Spirit Art to simplify his routine.