Barely seconds into this Familia, and I already feel like I'm home. Hestia wraps me in a joyful hug, and I can't help but smile—not just because her bosom is pressed against me ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), but because she welcomed me without needing power, royalty, or wealth. Just... me.
"Are you really joining my Familia?" the Goddess asks, her hopeful eyes staring deep into my soul.
"Yes! I would love to join your Familia, Goddess," I reply.
She squeals with joy and hugs me even tighter.
Just from one look around, I can tell—this Familia is brand new. Hestia probably would've accepted anyone who asked. For a moment, I wonder if all this could be fake… but no. The warmth in her embrace, the excitement in her voice as she repeats "thank you" over and over… it's real.
"Uhhh... Goddess? You can let me go now," I mutter, my voice slightly muffled.
Hestia snaps out of it and quickly releases me, blushing as she tries to compose herself. Then, with renewed determination, she says,
"Let me give you my blessing. You'll officially be part of my Familia."
She grabs my hand and leads me into the basement of the church.
A church with a basement? That's... odd, I think to myself.
"I need you to remove your shirt," she says suddenly.
"What?!" I shout, shocked—not by the request itself, but the way she phrased it.
"Oh! Don't be nervous. I'm just giving you my blessing," she says reassuringly.
Slowly, I lift my shirt and pull it off. Hestia pricks her finger with a needle and begins the ritual. She places a paper on my back to transcribe my status. But when she sees the results, she gasps and nearly faints.
Bell, alarmed by her scream, rushes into the room and draws a dagger, holding it to my throat.
"What did you do to my Goddess?!" he demands.
He glances at me, then back at Hestia. Seeing that I did nothing, he lowers his weapon with a sigh.
"Why did you scream, Goddess?" Bell asks.
Still trembling, Hestia hands him the paper.
"L-look at h-h-his le-level..." she stutters.
Bell's eyes widen. "LEVEL 20?!"
Even I'm stunned. I snatch the paper and read it.
<><><>
Tristan's Status
• Level: 20
• Strength: S 999
• Endurance: S 999
• Dexterity: S 999
• Agility: S 999
• Magic: S 999
Magic:
• Entity's Grasp – A gift for a poor soul longing for family. Allows user to merge with the souls of powerful beings known as "Killers," gaining their powers. User cannot level up normally.
• Killers (Each Killer = 1 Level):
- The Trapper
- The Wraith
- The Hillbilly
- The Nurse
- The Hag
- The Doctor
- The Huntress
- The Cannibal
- The Clown
- The Spirit
- The Legion
- The Plague
- The Ghost Face
- The Demogorgon
- The Oni
- The Deathslinger
- The Executioner
- The Pig
- The Shape
- The Nightmare
• Skill Borrow – Can borrow one Killer's special power at a time.
• Spies from the Shadows – Summons crows to scout for enemies or allies.
Skills:
• Distressing – Instills fear and stress in nearby enemies.
• Deerstalker – Detects the location of injured individuals.
• Sloppy Butcher – Identifies the most painful or weakest point to strike.
• Unrelenting – Quick recovery from missed attacks and increased attack speed.
Development Skill:
• Stone Hearted – Ability to suppress emotions during battle, avoiding fear, stress, or rage.
<><><>
"Uhh... Goddess, what's the highest level in Orario?" I ask.
"Ottar, from the Freya Familia. He's level 7. The strongest adventur—" she starts, but Bell and Hestia freeze mid-sentence as the realization hits.
"We're going to be the strongest Familia in Orario!" Bell shouts in excitement.
"But we can't tell anyone!" Hestia snaps.
"Huh? Why?" Bell and I ask at the same time.
"Because other Gods and Goddesses will try to steal you from me," Hestia says, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Don't worry, Goddess," I say, trying to reassure her.
She tackles me with another hug, clearly overjoyed. I can see the hope in her eyes, the pride in Bell's smile. Eventually, she breaks the hug and tells us both to get some rest.
"I'm just going to get some fresh air," I say as I head upstairs.
I sit quietly on one of the pews in the church.
"I made it, Mom. Dad. I'm finally an adventurer… with Goddess Hestia, no less. I hope you're proud of me."
I return downstairs and drift off to sleep.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I wake up earlier than the other two. Sitting up, I notice Hestia asleep… sprawled out on top of Bell.
Now this… this is going to be fun, I think, grinning.
"He's waking up," I whisper to myself, barely containing my laughter.
Bell stirs. The moment he realizes where Hestia is sleeping, he jolts upright and quickly changes into his adventurer gear. He turns and sees me snickering in the corner.
"H-how long h-have you been there?! H-how much d-did you s-see?!" he stammers.
"The whole thing. I never took you for a God-stealer, Bell," I tease.
Bell groans and lowers his head in embarrassment.
"I'm headed to the dungeon… you coming?"
"Yeah, but I need to register at the Guild first," I say.
"Sure! But… won't that alert everyone to your level?" he asks.
"LEVEL 20?!" Eina shouts, her voice echoing down the halls of the Guild.
We're in a private room at the Guild. Bell had arranged for us to share the same advisor—Eina. But her shout still draws unwanted attention.
She rushes out and hastily lies to the nearby adventurers, claiming she misread my stats. But it's too late. The rumor spreads like wildfire. When she returns, her face is pale.
"How is this even possible? You're stronger than every adventurer in Orario!" she says in disbelief.
Bell crosses his arms. "So, are you going to tell the others?"
"No! If the Gods hear about this, they'll demand War Games to win you. If multiple Familias start fighting… it could destroy the city!" Eina exclaims, clearly stressed.
"What do we do?" I ask.
"We hide your level—for now. While we figure something out."
"Wouldn't it be bad to lie to the Gods?" I ask hesitantly.
"I don't know. This has never happened before. But for now… you're officially registered. You can enter the dungeon. Just—don't show your full power. Let the others think the rumor is just that. A rumor."
With that, she leaves us in silence.