996. Gods and Their Familia / 997. The Goddess Grants Shirou a Blessing ...

"Yes, Bell, the only enemy this world truly needs to defeat is its own weakness," Shirou said.

"Yes, I know! Big brother! I'll do my best! Thank you! Miss Eina!" Bell cheered up even faster at the thought, his eyes burning with fire, truly befitting the passionate young man of the dungeon.

Chapter 996 Gods and Families

Bell came here from the countryside to join the Adventurers' Guild, and he spent all the money he brought with him to complete the formalities, buy equipment and weapons, as well as food and lodging.

So if he doesn't go into the dungeon to earn Magic Stone during the day, he'll go hungry. In fact, his Goddess even took a job as a waitress at a fast food restaurant selling fries. It's really unfair to her, considering she's Goddess.

Bell made up his mind that he must work even harder to conquer the dungeon tomorrow, improve his strength as soon as possible, and one day become a capable adventurer so that the Goddess could live a good life.

After saying goodbye to Eina, Shirou was led by Bell to the camp where his Familia was located.

The two walked through the depths of a deserted alley and arrived at a two-story church built to worship the gods. It was a historic building, but due to years of neglect, it was in a state of near collapse. The broken and crumbling stones on its exterior displayed a dizzying display of time's ravages and the sorrow of being forgotten. Directly above the entrance stood a stone statue of a goddess, her body damaged and half her face missing, yet still bearing a smile.

Stepping through the doorless entrance and into the church, the interior was even more dilapidated than the exterior, a scene of utter chaos. Cracked floorboards and tiles were covered in lush weeds, creating a strange fusion between human creation and nature.

Most of the ceiling above had collapsed, revealing a large hole. The warm sunlight streaming through the hole illuminated the altar, which had barely managed to retain its original shape.

Shirou looked at the enthusiastic boy with a pang of sympathy. In general, people wouldn't call this place a base, but rather ruins.

Familias vary in size, ranging from elite, raid-focused teams dedicated to conquering dungeons and labyrinths—these are generally the most popular and powerful members. Others are all-encompassing, accepting anyone who wants to join.

If it were a business deity, it would form a vast business guild with a huge chain of interests, capable of reaching city-states millions of kilometers away.

Hephaestus, for example, has many famous blacksmiths under her command, and has reached a tacit understanding with other gods who like to create objects, thus forming an authoritative artisan guild. The weapons she forges are even at the level of Noble Phantasm, and a single piece can sell for hundreds of millions, which is an astronomical price given the purchasing power in Orario.

For example, during the heyday of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera ruling the labyrinth city of Orario, their heroes had already ventured into the deepest parts of the dungeon. Other powerful Greek gods were also formidable, some even building their own cities outside the city and becoming powerful forces capable of establishing their own kingdoms.

Of course, there are also some low-key gods. After all, gods are a group of beings full of personality. Some are flamboyant and willful, while others are gentle and loving. Some like excitement, while others prefer quiet. They have lived in the upper realm for a year and have maintained their immortality, which is something that cannot be understood by human thinking.

Some deities typically only rent a house or open a small shop in the mortal realm. They only extend invitations to those they find agreeable to be their familiars. Some deities simply need someone to take care of them or to assist them, which is why they choose someone to be their familiar.

For example, Ereshkigal never considers anyone except Shirou as her familia. Unfortunately, due to his special constitution, Shirou is unable to respond to her in any way.

Even so, at least they had their own independent property. In comparison, Bell's place was far too shabby and dilapidated. It was more like a shelter from the wind and rain that a scavenger had stumbled upon than a proper dwelling.

"Big Brother Shirou, it's over here." Bell didn't seem uncomfortable at all. He walked briskly through the room as usual and came to the small room behind the altar. The dimly lit room was filled with bookshelves that were empty of books. Behind the innermost bookshelf was a staircase leading to the basement.

"My Goddess, I'm back!" Bell called out loudly.

Shirou followed him down to the basement, where a small, habitable room, spacious enough for living, was found. It turned out that Bell's residence was a family compound, and they had only rented a basement in this remote place.

"Yes, yes, welcome back~! You're back earlier than usual today?" The person Bell was calling out had a melodious, bell-like girl's voice. She was lying on the purple sofa that you could see as soon as you entered, her bare, pink and white feet crossed, reading a book.

"Excuse me," Shirou said, standing in the doorway.

"Whoa!!!" She noticed Shirou and jumped off the sofa to stand there.

This deity, judging by her appearance alone, looks like a little girl, or perhaps a young woman, somewhere in between. She's half a head shorter Bell, the boy, and her childish appearance makes her seem more like Bell's younger sister of similar age than a deity.

However, the other party was a very ancient deity, and should be a virgin goddess symbolizing purity. Shirou sensed an aura from her similar to that of the eldest and Second Sister eldest Gorgon sisters.

Ugh... I really don't want to see those two. To be honest, Shirou's situation is already bad enough.

No, perhaps she's a bit more childish? At least she doesn't have the sadistic or teasing tendencies of those two goddesses.

"A guest? A friend of Bell's?"

The girl, her youthful face beaming with a smile, approached the boy with light footsteps.

As a goddess, she was an absolute beauty, with large, clear blue eyes that created an atmosphere of fantasy within her breathtaking beauty. Her glossy black hair covered her ears, and her twin ponytails reached her waist. A small silver bell was pinned to the ribbon that held her hair up. Her round face and cheeks gave her a childlike appearance.

Her figure, however, has a different kind of allure. Her fullness, even under the thin white clothes, is undeniable, and her prominent humps, which would amaze even mature women, are particularly striking against her petite frame.

It's what's called a baby-faced giant...

Like an apple about to ripen, blushing beautifully and emitting a sweet fragrance, she will forever remain as she is, unable to grow, for she is a goddess descended from the mortal realm.

She was Hestia, one of the Twelve Olympians of Greece, and belonged to the same clan as Bell.

Chapter 997 The Goddess Bestows Shirou

"Eek, if it weren't for Big Brother Shirou, I would have almost died," Bell said with a sigh, recalling his previous harrowing experience.

He was already no match for a level two Minotaur, and then it suddenly mutated, spewing flames and growing several times its original size. That meant it was at least a level three monster, no, its power was already threatening Miss Ais, it was very likely a level four or higher monster. Only then did Bell realize that he had survived by sheer luck.

"Hey! What happened? Are you hurt somewhere? Let me see!" The goddess was startled and quickly threw herself on Bell, feeling him up and down as she asked anxiously.

"My Goddess, that's too much of an exaggeration," Bell said, embarrassed.

Shirou nodded to himself. Although the room was small, he could feel the goddess's sincere affection for Bell. Although there were all sorts of gods and familiars, and their ways of getting along were all kinds of strange, this harmonious, family-like environment was a rare sight, which made Shirou smile with satisfaction.

It seems Bell has a very good god.

Bell, who had just arrived in Orario from the countryside and wanted to become an adventurer, was looking for a familia to join when he happened to meet the goddess Hestia, who was searching for familia members all over the streets.

Most famous [families] are already saturated with talent. Even small and medium-sized [families] will prioritize hiring people with some combat or professional knowledge rather than seemingly unreliable country bumpkins. After being turned away many times, Bell agreed without hesitation when Hestia persuaded him.

The goddess Hestia tells Bell that she recently descended from the heavens and, before meeting Bell, had been a guest in her friend's [familia].

Previously, like many immortals, she stayed at home idly, indulging in her favorite books from the mortal realm and living a decadent, parasitic life. As a result, she angered her diligent friend and was kicked out of the house.

This room, located in the basement of the church, was the last act of kindness that divine friend bestowed upon her.

It took Bell a lot of effort to calm Hestia down. The two of them, along with the goddess, sat down on the sofa. Bell brought over some brewed tea, and the refreshments were potato balls from the fast food restaurant where Hestia worked.

"I'm sorry, Bell, it's all my fault for being a useless god. If I were more charismatic, you could recruit new members and you wouldn't have to work so hard," Hestia said sadly, tears welling in her eyes.

"No! This is absolutely not the fault of the Goddess." Bell shook his head repeatedly.

Although Hestia is a small goddess who spends most of her time working and reading human novels, seemingly a bit unreliable, her feelings for Bell are genuine.

However, in reality, the "favors" bestowed by each deity are essentially no different.

Everyone who receives a "favor" starts from the same point; how things develop afterward depends on their efforts and the choices they make.

In fact, societal evaluation of a [family] is much like that of any store or country, largely influenced by the abilities of its members.

Bell suddenly stood up from the sofa and shouted emphatically:

"It's alright, my Goddess! Our [familia] is just getting started, in other words, it's still developing! I know it will be a bit tough at first, but once we get through this phase, life should improve. We'll have a better life then, and I'm sure more people will want to join us!"

"Bell, you really are..." Hestia looked up at Bell with deep emotion.

Okay... Actually, these were all things that Miss Eina said to Bell in the guild to encourage him.

Of course, Shirou wouldn't expose him.

No matter what he did, Bell was trying to make his Goddess happy.

"Actually, the reason I came here is because of Big Brother Shirou," Bell suddenly remembered the important matter and said.

"Huh? No favors? That means you don't intend to join a familia?" Hestia tilted her head and asked. This boy didn't seem like someone who couldn't find a familia.

However, if it's a male, it doesn't seem to matter much if he joins your own familia, as long as he's clever enough not to disturb your time with Bell.

"No, Big Brother Shirou actually knows quite a few goddesses, and they're all willing to let Big Brother Shirou become their familiar. But the problem is, for some reason, he can't successfully sign the contract," Bell explained, bringing up what had happened earlier. Whether it was Venus, Hades, Libra (representing justice and fairness), or Ganesha (the Hindu god), they all showed strong interest in Shirou. He truly lives up to his reputation as the eldest brother!

"Ah, those ladies..." Hestia looked knowing, clearly having heard of their fame. She then turned to Shirou's body and said, "So you're unable to make a contract with the gods?"

"Yes, there are very complicated issues here, and I can't explain it clearly either," Shirou said calmly.

Hestia looked at Shirou curiously and said in a melodious voice, "How strange. The Grace system is a collection of the wisdom of the gods and has been polished to its limit. There shouldn't be such a flaw. There has never been a case like yours in all these years."

"Well, even without this favor, I can still improve my strength through training. So there's no inconvenience at all," Shirou said with a light laugh.

"Eh? Even Goddess can't help it?" Bell said disappointedly. He still hoped that his respected Shirou could obtain the power he deserved.

"Hmm, let's give it a try! How about we make a contract?" Hestia said.

"Yes, brother! The Goddess is amazing, let her give it a try. Maybe she can find a way to change things." Bell also said, if he could be in the same familia as Big Brother Shirou, it would be like a perfect dream.

"I know." Shirou couldn't refuse the kindness of the two people in front of him, so he nodded.

"Then offer me one arm, just make sure your clothes don't cover it," the petite Hestia said to Shirou, having moved a chair over and stepped onto it.

Shirou had no choice but to do as he was told, extending his arm to the goddess.

At that moment, Hestia took out a needle, pricked her finger, and dripped the blood onto Shirou's arm.

Chapter 998 Kama, the Goddess of Love

When the blood of the god touched Shirou's skin, it acted like an insulator, remaining fixed on his skin without flowing or staining it red. If the blood were wiped away, his arm would likely be completely untouched.

"How strange! Shouldn't there be a reaction at a time like this? After all, it's the blood of a god. Even if a contract couldn't be formed through calculation, there should still be some reaction," Hestia said, frowning, looking quite puzzled.

"I'm used to it, so it's okay even if there's nothing I can do," Shirou said softly.

"Well, let's test your approximate ability stats first." Hestia turned to her boy and said, "Bell, could you demonstrate? I want to compare and see how it feels. Besides, you should probably update your stats a bit."

"Yes, Your Goddess."

Bell walked to the bed on one side of the room, removed his adventurer's light armor, and took off his shirt. His back, with its short white hair and light-colored skin, was reflected in the light, revealing dense black writing on it.

These are all the contract texts that the goddess Hestia inscribed on Bell's back; these are the blessings bestowed upon adventurers by the gods—"the God's Blessing)."

Hestia took out a needle again and pricked her fingertip. When she pressed the blood she squeezed out onto Bell's back, a vertical line slid down his spine. The red droplets that dripped onto his skin "really" created ripples, and the words on them began to glow, and the numbers changed accordingly.

This involves inscribing the [hieroglyph] used by the gods onto the object's body using divine blood to enhance its power; it is a power that only the gods can wield.

There is a numerical value called [experience value]. It can be obtained through various behaviors, and as the name suggests, it is the phenomenon of having experienced something.

Of course, experience is invisible to the naked eye; it's not a substance that people in the lower realms can hold and utilize. (Monthly fee group 694936135) In other words, this value is the history one has lived through. The gods will extract a trajectory from this history, such as "defeated the monster," and turn it into nutrients for growth.

The quality and quantity of success in one's career are determined by [experience points].

The gods could see these numbers and even take action. This is perhaps somewhat similar to the ancient custom of praising and blessing victories against enemies.

Rewrite or add the [sacred text] on your back, level up, and increase your abilities.

It is because of this power that the gods are revered by the people of the mortal realm.

For adventurers, these stats are also important secrets, as they contain a complete list of physical abilities, skills, and mastered True Magic. If others were to use this information against them, it would be extremely dangerous, as all their trump cards would be exposed.

Fortunately, this type of script is the script of ancient gods, and apart from the gods, only a few learned, long-lived top-level True Magic might understand it.

At this moment, all of Bell's information appeared.

"A new skill? It's appeared!" Hestia exclaimed in surprise as she looked at the newly appeared words.

"Wow! Really?!" Bell exclaimed excitedly.

Bell Krune

LV.1

Strength: I77→I82 Endurance: I13 Dexterity: I93→I96 Agility: H148→H172 Magic: 10

True Magic

<Skills>

[Aspiration]

·precocious.

• Maintains the effect while simultaneously expressing feelings of longing

The stronger the longing, the greater the effect.

This is a summary of Bell's updated abilities.

The basic abilities—"Strength," "Endurance," "Dexterity," "Agility," and "Magic"—are five in total, and further subdivided into ten stages: S, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I, representing the level of ability. The higher the stage, the more our ability is enhanced.

The number under the "I" is called proficiency. For example, 0-99 is I, 100-199 is H, and so on, which is related to the stage of basic ability. By the way, the upper limit is 999. The more frequently you use each ability, the more your proficiency will increase. However, I heard that the closer you get to the maximum value of 999 - ability rating S, the slower your growth rate will be.

The most important thing is the level. As long as you level up, you will receive a boost to your basic abilities. I've heard that the degree of enhancement can even be described as an "evolution of body and mind".

As it turns out, there is indeed an absurd power gap between LV.1 and LV.2. Just like how Bell, at LV.1, was utterly defeated when he encountered a Minotaur classified as LV.2, he had no chance to resist. If it weren't for Ais and Shirou, he would have been completely slaughtered.

However, adventurers at level 2 can generally fight two or more ordinary Minotaur at once. This is because of the benefits of leveling up; each higher level makes them much stronger.

It's not just a change in numbers; the quantitative change has also brought about a qualitative change.

"Now it's much easier to guess Shirou-kun's abilities; we just need to compare him to Bell," Hestia said, clapping her hands as she held up a piece of paper with Bell's ability stats printed on it.

"Um?"

"Um."

Bell and Shirou simply put their arms together on the tea table and tried to arm wrestle.

At first, Bell wanted to give it his all, but when he realized that gripping Shirou's arm felt like gripping a steel bar, he gave up his pride. In the end, Bell used all his strength, but he still couldn't move Shirou's arm an inch.

"Well, judging from the current situation, since Bell's strength is I, Shirou can easily fight against both of Bell's hands, his strength is at least G or F, which is in the range of three hundred to five hundred."