"I know I shouldn't be surprised… but what the hell is this?!"
Hestia's voice shot up into a full-on shriek as she stared at my status, her hands gripping the parchment tightly. She was still perched on my back, leaning forward just enough to get a better look, but judging from the way she was reacting, that might've been a mistake on my part.
"Let me see?" I asked, pushing myself upright.
The moment I sat up straight and glanced at the status sheet, I immediately understood why she reacted like that. Every single stat… was already at SSS.
Well, it wasn't like I had stopped at just the Amphisbaena. By the time night had fallen, I had already pushed as far as the 36th Floor. I did consider continuing toward the 37th, but I could feel it by then—I had already reached the current limits of my status.
Besides… Hestia was waiting for me.
"Oh… nice."
I nodded to myself, more or less satisfied as I looked over the numbers.
Hestia, however, did not share that sentiment.
"…Nice?"
Her voice dropped, dangerously quiet this time, which was somehow worse than the earlier screaming. I could feel her staring at the back of my head, disbelief practically radiating off her.
"Nice?! That's all you have to say?!"
She grabbed the sheet again, as if making sure her eyes weren't deceiving her, scanning every line with growing agitation.
"This—this isn't normal! This isn't even supposed to be possible!" she snapped, jabbing a finger at the status. "Do you even understand what I'm looking at right now?!"
I tilted my head slightly. "SSS?"
"That's not the point!"
Hestia practically wailed in frustration, her composure completely gone.
It was the first time she had ever seen anything beyond S-rank. Not just SS—but SSS. Something that, as far as she knew, shouldn't even exist within the system of Falna.
And yet, there it was.
On my status.
Clear as day.
"Meh…"
I waved a hand dismissively, cutting her off mid-spiral. "Enough about that."
Hestia froze, clearly not done panicking, but I didn't give her the chance to continue.
"Can you help me level up?"
That, at least, made her stop.
"…Huh?"
She blinked, as if the question itself had caught her completely off guard. Slowly, she lowered the status sheet, her expression shifting from outrage to confusion.
"Level… up?" she repeated, like she needed to hear it twice to process it. "You're asking that now? After this?"
I shrugged lightly. "Why not?"
For a moment, she just stared at me, trying to reconcile the absurdity of the situation. Then she let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of her nose like she was already exhausted.
"…You really don't get it, do you?"
I raised a brow but said nothing.
Hestia looked back down at the status, her expression turning serious this time—less emotional, more thoughtful.
"Leveling up isn't just about maxing out your stats," she said slowly. "It's about a feat. Something significant. Something that proves you've surpassed your current level."
Her eyes flicked back to me.
"And whatever you did today…" she hesitated, clearly weighing her words, "…it might already qualify."
I paused at that.
"…Might?"
She frowned. "Don't rush me! Even I've never seen something like this before. SS… SSS… this isn't exactly in the handbook."
Then she crossed her arms, thinking.
"But if we're talking about guaranteed conditions…" she continued, her tone turning more certain, "you'd need something undeniable. A feat no one at your level should be capable of."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"Something like defeating a floor boss solo."
I was quiet for a second.
Then—
"…Already did."
Hestia blinked.
"…What?"
"I defeated a Level 5 Monster Rex," I said casually. "Solo."
Silence.
Then—
"EH?!"
Her scream probably echoed across the entire building.
"Can you please keep it down, my goddess?" I said, rubbing my ear as I winced from the sheer volume of her scream. "It's already night."
Hestia froze mid-panic, her mouth still slightly open as if another outburst was ready to escape. Then, slowly, she clamped it shut, glancing around as though she'd just remembered other people existed.
"…S-Sorry," she muttered, though her voice was still trembling with barely contained shock.
But her eyes snapped right back to me.
"You—you defeated a Level 5 Monster Rex…Solo?"
For a moment, she said nothing, just looking between me and the numbers on the parchment, trying to piece everything together.
Then she took a slow, steady breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"…Leon," she said quietly, her tone turning serious in a way I hadn't heard before, "if what you're saying is true… then you've already fulfilled the requirement."
I blinked.
"…So I can level up?"
She nodded slowly.
"Yes. A Level 1 defeating a Floor Boss alone… that's more than enough to qualify as a great feat."
A pause.
Then her brows furrowed slightly.
"…Actually, it's beyond 'more than enough. It's absurd."
Hestia let out another long breath, still shaking her head as if trying to steady herself.
"Alright….Lie down."
I shifted slightly before lowering myself back down onto the bed, resting on my stomach out of habit. The mattress dipped under my weight, and a second later, I felt Hestia climb on top of my back again, settling into position like this was something she had done countless times before.
"Don't move," she warned, placing the status sheet aside and reaching for the needle.
"Yeah, yeah."
There was a brief pause as she pricked her finger, a small drop of divine blood welling up before falling onto my back. The moment it made contact, a faint warmth spread across my skin, familiar by now, yet still strange in its own way.
Hestia placed her hand over it, her expression turning completely serious as she began the process.
The air shifted.
A soft glow spread beneath her palm, the Falna on my back reacting instantly, lines of light tracing themselves across my skin like a living script. I could feel it—something deep within me stirring, responding, changing.
The glow intensified for a moment, then settled into something steady.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the subtle but undeniable shift within my body, like something had just been pushed past a threshold.
Then, after a few seconds, the light faded.
Silence followed.
"…It's done," Hestia said softly.
I pushed myself up slightly, rolling my shoulders as I sat upright again.
It wasn't dramatic, not like some explosive surge of power, but it was there—subtle, refined, like everything had been sharpened just a little further.
Behind me, I heard Hestia go quiet.
Too quiet.
"…What?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared down at the status sheet in her hands, her expression slowly flattening into something that looked like a mix between disbelief and exhaustion.
Then she let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
"…Of course," she muttered. "…Why am I even surprised at this point?"
I raised a brow. "What now?"
Hestia looked up at me, then back at the sheet.
"You…" she started, then paused, clearly trying to find the right words. "…You have multiple Development Abilities available."
"…And that's bad?"
"That's not the problem," she said, rubbing her temple. "The problem is how many there are."
"Normally, adventurers are lucky if they qualify for one. Maybe two if they're exceptional." She let out another breath. "You… have a list."
I blinked. "…A list?"
"Yes, a list," she repeated flatly. "As in I actually have to choose which ones to give you because there's too many options."
I leaned back a little, considering that.
"…Huh."
Hestia's eye twitched.
"'Huh'?" she echoed, her voice rising just a bit before she forced it back down again. "That's your reaction?"
I shrugged. "What do you want me to say?"
She stared at me for a long second, then groaned, dragging a hand down her face.
"…Unbelievable," she muttered again.
Then, after a moment, she straightened slightly, her expression turning more focused despite the lingering exasperation.
"Alright," she said, tapping the sheet lightly. "Since I actually have options here, I'm going to pick something that suits you best."
Her eyes flicked up to meet mine.
"Which means you don't get to complain."
"…Wasn't planning to."
For a while, Hestia remained silent as she carefully went through the list of Development Abilities available to me, checking them one by one with a level of focus I hadn't seen from her before.
Her earlier frustration had faded, replaced by quiet concentration. Every now and then, her eyes would narrow slightly, or her lips would press into a thin line as if she was weighing each option against something only she could see.
I didn't interrupt her.
I trusted her.
Whatever she chose, I knew it would be something that suited me.
After all, out of everyone… she was the one who understood my growth the most.
"…I'll choose this one," she said at last.
I glanced at her for a moment, then simply nodded. I didn't bother asking what it was—not yet. If she had taken that long to decide, then it meant she had already weighed everything carefully.
So instead, I let her do it.
Hestia placed her hand back on my back, her expression turning serious once more as she activated the Falna. The faint glow returned, softer this time, more controlled, as if responding directly to her will. I felt it again—that subtle shift, something being etched into me, not as overwhelming as leveling up, but sharper in a different way. More precise.
Like something new had just been added to the foundation of what I was.
The light lingered for a brief moment before fading once more.
"…Done," she said, exhaling softly.
Only then did I tilt my head slightly.
"So… what did you pick?"
Hestia hesitated for a moment before answering.
"…It's called Limit Break," she said slowly.
I blinked. "…Limit Break?"
Her expression turned a bit complicated, like she still wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at. She glanced back down at the status sheet, reading the description again, almost as if confirming it hadn't changed.
"To be honest… this is the first time I've ever seen a skill like this,"
"Based on the description…" she said, her voice lowering slightly, "it's… absurd."
She looked up at me.
"Limit Break," she repeated. "Nothing can shackle you. Your potential is fully released."
A brief silence followed before she added—
"It allows your stats to go beyond the limits of the system… beyond 999… beyond S-Rank… even beyond SS and SSS."
I stared at her for a moment.
"…Seriously?"
Hestia nodded slowly, though there was still disbelief in her eyes.
"Yes… and considering what your stats already look like…" she trailed off, clearly realizing the implications.
Then she let out a quiet, almost helpless sigh.
"…I might have just given you something completely ridiculous."
Then her expression changed.
"Leon," she said, her voice firm.
I paused.
"No one can know about this," she said. "Not your abilities. Not your skills. Not this. Absolutely no one."
"If word gets out—if anyone finds out you have something like this…" she continued, her voice lowering, "you won't just attract attention. You'll become a target."
I stayed quiet, listening.
"Familias, gods, the Guild… even people you've never met," she went on. "Some will want to use you. Others will want to control you. And there are those who would rather get rid of you before you become something they can't handle."
For a moment, the room felt heavier, the weight of her words settling in.
Then I reached out and gently lifted her chin, guiding her gaze back to mine.
"Hestia."
I held her gaze, not wavering, letting her see there wasn't even a trace of doubt in me.
"You don't need to worry. Nothing is going to happen to me…"
"But—"
I raised a hand and pressed a finger lightly against her lips, stopping her before she could continue.
"Trust me."
My voice was calm, steady, leaving no room for uncertainty.
Then slowly, Hestia nodded.
"Mmm.."
=====
If you'd like to read ahead and support me, feel free to check it out: [email protected]/VashFF