After leaving the Guild, the sky had already darkened.
Phaethon took Kanae shopping for some essential supplies—
now that the Familia had one more member, many items needed to be replenished.
Though their base was still simple, it was important to create a sense of home.
After shopping, they returned to their modest residence in the western district.
Back at their base, Phaethon didn't let Kanae rest immediately but instead called her back to the same room on the second floor where he'd granted her blessing.
"Kanae, come over. I'll update your status."
Phaethon sat at the bedside and patted the spot beside him.
"Yes!"
Kanae's heart was filled with anticipation. She knew that every status update meant a leap in strength.
She'd slain so many monsters today—including a powerful Minotaur—this update would surely be massive!
Following instructions, she came over, a little shy but far more practiced this time as she removed her outer garment.
Kanae lay face-down on the bed, revealing her smooth back.
Phaethon extended a glowing golden fingertip and gently tapped the sacred inscription on her back.
A warm light radiated as the blessing system activated, converting the experience gained in the Dungeon into stat improvements.
A torrent of experience surged in, and her status numbers began rising rapidly!
Moments later, the light faded—update complete.
Phaethon smiled in satisfaction.
"All done. Put your clothes back on and take a look."
Kanae quickly dressed and eagerly accepted the sheet of paper Phaethon handed her.
When she saw the values, her eyes widened in delight.
[Name] Kanae Kocho
[Level] LV1
[Stats]
Strength: I0 → A815
Endurance: I0 → A805
Dexterity: I0 → A830
Agility: I0 → A825
Magic: I0 → A800
In just one day, all five basic stats had skyrocketed from zero to A-Rank, all over 800 points!
Although she had already felt the physical boost when she first received the blessing yesterday—
That had only been the base enhancement.
Now, with all that experience converted into hard stats, it felt solid and transformative.
Kanae clenched her fists and could feel the power inside her body—several times greater than before.
Her muscles, bones, reflexes—even her spiritual senses—had been completely reborn!
She even felt that if she fought that Minotaur again now—
She could probably defeat it without using any breathing techniques—just with raw power!
"So strong…"
Kanae muttered, her eyes shining with excitement.
"This… is the growth earned through adventure?"
"Exactly!"
Phaethon nodded with a smile. "This is the power of a god's blessing—and why adventurers seek it so desperately.
As long as you keep pushing your limits, you'll continue growing stronger."
Feeling the power surge within her, Kanae's confidence in saving her sister grew even more.
As long as she continued growing like this, someday—she would gain the strength to rewrite that tragic fate!
"Lord Phaethon!"
Kanae looked up, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"I feel like… I gained a ton of experience today. Isn't that enough for me to level up?"
Phaethon explained:
"From a pure experience standpoint, yes—you've far surpassed the usual threshold.
But leveling up isn't just about experience. You must also achieve a 'Feat'."
"Feat…?"
It was her first time hearing the term.
"Think of it as a great accomplishment or achievement that proves you've exceeded your current level's limits."
Phaethon explained patiently:
"For Level 1 adventurers, the minimum recognized feat for leveling up is typically defeating a monster far above your current level—
Either solo or as a key contributor—demonstrating abilities beyond what's expected of Level 1."
"You defeated a Minotaur today—which is a solid feat.
But it was only one battle, and the Minotaur was already weakened after being chased—
So it falls just short of the standard needed to level up."
Kanae nodded in understanding—it wasn't as simple as just grinding experience.
"But that's not a bad thing."
Phaethon's gaze sharpened with ambition.
"My intuition tells me—if you push your base stats to their limits while still at Level 1,
then when you reach Level 2, your gains—and the potential awakening—will be even more powerful."
He looked at Kanae and laid out a bold plan.
"So I suggest: over the next week, dive into the Dungeon daily.
Your goal is to raise all five of your core stats to S-Rank—max out your current level!"
"All to S-Rank?!"
Kanae was stunned—that was a massive leap and would take a huge amount of experience.
"Exactly!"
Phaethon nodded confidently. "With your current power and Breath of Flowers swordsmanship,
as long as you're careful, the upper floors shouldn't pose any danger.
We can hunt monsters more efficiently."
"Then—"
His tone grew mysterious and full of anticipation.
"Once all five stats reach S-Rank, we'll head for the twelfth floor—
And challenge the floor boss: the Young Dragon!
If you defeat it, that feat alone will definitely qualify you for a level-up!"
Challenging a floor boss!
The strongest monster on a given stratum!
Kanae's heart began to race—nervousness and excitement stirred within her at the thought of such a powerful enemy.
Seeing the fire in her eyes, Phaethon smiled and added:
"I have a strong feeling that once you reach S-Rank across the board and defeat the Young Dragon—
The resulting level-up will come with an extraordinary surprise.
It may be the very key to changing your destiny."
A great surprise? The key to changing fate?
His words dropped into her heart like stones on a lake—sending ripples through her soul.
Kanae clutched her status sheet tightly, her gaze blazing.
For Shinobu—for slaying Doma—for all the people harmed by demons—
And to live up to this god who believed in her—
"Understood, Lord Phaethon!"
Her voice rang out like steel:
"In the next week, I'll give it everything I've got—max all my stats to S-Rank and take on that Young Dragon!"
Her resolve was firm—stronger than ever before.