Kenji tossed a heavy pouch of gold coins onto the table.
"Here, Hestia. This is for you."
The tiny goddess blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What is this?"
She grabbed the pouch and peeked inside.
Then—
"SO MANY GOLD COINS?!"
Her blue eyes widened, practically sparkling with excitement.
Even Hephaestus, who had been standing nearby, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
---
Hestia clutched the pouch to her chest, her mind already drifting off into fantasy.
A massive, luxurious mansion.
A big family hall filled with servants.
Kenji and her, enjoying a carefree life in their own grand familia estate…
She giggled to herself.
"Hehehe… this is just the beginning!"
Kenji, watching her comical reaction, sighed and shook his head.
---
Later that night—
Kenji lay shirtless on his stomach, his back fully exposed.
Hestia sat on top of him, straddling his waist in a rather odd position.
She bit her finger lightly, letting a drop of divine blood fall onto his back.
The moment it made contact, a series of ancient symbols glowed brilliantly.
The Gift of the Gods—the sacred blessing that recorded an adventurer's growth—was being updated.
At first, Hestia hummed happily as she watched the symbols shift and change.
But then—
Her cheerful expression froze.
Her smile disappeared.
Her hands trembled slightly.
---
"This… this is impossible…!"
She stared at the numbers, her voice barely a whisper.
Kenji, still lying down, frowned slightly.
"Something wrong?"
Hestia didn't answer immediately.
She quickly copied the updated stats onto a piece of paper and handed it to him.
---
Name: Kenji
Level: 1 → 1 (Unchanged)
Strength: I0 → C504
Endurance: I0 → C524
Dexterity: I0 → C576
Agility: I0 → C543
Magic: I0 → C511
---
Hestia stared at Kenji, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.
"Kenji… what exactly did you do today?"
"This level of growth is… unheard of!"
Kenji studied the numbers on the page.
It was just as he expected.
The Gift of the Gods rewarded adventurers based on their combat experience.
He had spent half the day fighting nonstop, using thunder techniques, magic, and swordsmanship to push his limits.
With no one else in Orario training like him, his growth was bound to break the norm.
He sighed and smiled.
"I just… trained a little."
Hestia puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"That's NOT 'just a little'!"
---
Kenji met her gaze seriously.
"Hestia… I have some secrets I can't tell you yet."
"But I promise—someday, I'll explain everything."
Hestia pouted, crossing her arms.
"Hmph… keeping secrets from your goddess?"
"You're so mean, Kenji!"
Still, despite her words, she didn't push further.
She could sense his honesty.
She knew Kenji wasn't hiding anything malicious.
With a dramatic sigh, she gave up.
"Fine, fine. But you owe me!"
Kenji chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her twin-tails.
"Alright, alright. I'll make it up to you later."
Hestia pouted harder.
"Ugh, why do you always treat me like a child…?"
Kenji only smirked.
"Because you act like one?"
"HEY!"
---
Later that night, Kenji collapsed onto his bed, feeling the weight of his strength increase.
His body felt stronger—his movements sharper.
His progress had been ridiculously fast.
If he kept this up, he could probably reach Level 2 within days.
As he drifted off to sleep, he didn't notice—
A shadow moved beside his bed.
A tall figure, her long purple hair flowing silently in the moonlight.
Medusa.
Without hesitation, she slipped under his blanket.
She wrapped herself around him, resting her head gently against his chest.
"Master's scent… so warm."
With a soft smile, she closed her eyes.
---
The next morning—
Kenji woke up feeling strangely refreshed.
He stretched, then sniffed the air.
"Weird… why does my bed smell… familiar?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"Must be my imagination."
He quickly got up and changed into fresh clothes.
Today, he wasn't going to the dungeon.
Instead—
He had a mission.
---
Kenji and Hestia walked side by side through Orario's streets.
"Are you sure about this, Kenji?" Hestia asked.
"You really want to buy a house for our familia?"
Kenji nodded firmly.
"We need a place of our own."
"Hephaestus has been kind to us, but we can't rely on her forever."
Hestia looked up at him, eyes shining with gratitude.
"You're the best, Kenji!"
She grabbed his arm tightly, pressing her face against it.
Kenji sighed.
"Alright, alright. No need for the dramatics."
They soon arrived at—
The Adventurer's Guild.
---
Hestia tilted her head.
"Why are we at the guild?"
Kenji smiled.
"The guild handles property transactions for adventurers."
"They can find us a good house quickly."
Hestia's eyes sparkled again.
"Kenji, you're a genius!"
Kenji smirked.
"Took you long enough to realize."
As they stepped inside, the search for their familia's first home began.
=========
Support and read 10+ advance chapters on Patreon.com/Zexxxxy