Fool's Obsession

"..."

Loki's words made Riezel raise his hands and look at them.

They were still covered in blood, mud, and dust, a sorry sight visible to the naked eye.

Yet these very hands had fought nonstop for an entire day and night.

The benefits Endless Path had brought him seemed far greater than Riezel had imagined.

That was only natural.

"Only by Leveling Up does one have a certain chance of obtaining Development Abilities. In other words, anyone who possesses a Development Ability has to be at least Lv.2." Loki glanced at Riezel from the corner of her eye and spoke as if casually. "Yet because of your skill, you gained three at once, and all of them are at the highest rank. How could that possibly be of little help to you?"

Whether it was "Healing Power," "Spirit Healing," or "Abnormal Resistance," since they were Development Abilities similar to Basic Abilities, even without proficiency values to indicate progress, Ability Stages still existed.

The lowest was Stage I, the highest was Stage S. Just like Basic Abilities, Development Abilities had ten stages.

And the effect of Endless Path was to grant Riezel three Development Abilities, all at the highest rank.

What did that mean?

It meant that all three Development Abilities Riezel had gained through his skill were at Stage S.

That was an incredible thing.

"I can't speak for other Familias, but in our Familia, not a single member has raised a Development Ability to Stage D. The highest is only Stage E."

Loki revealed this secret.

"Yet you started out with three Development Abilities equivalent to Stage S. And if you learn more Development Abilities in the future, the effects of your skill can raise their ranks too."

That showed just how powerful Riezel's Endless Path was.

After all, the Loki Familia was no ordinary Familia. It was one of Orario's strongest.

And Orario possessed the secret realm known as the Dungeon, with countless monsters for people to defeat and countless enemies to challenge. Reaching the top here was equivalent to standing at the highest level in the entire world.

That was why Orario was known as the center of the world.

The Loki Familia was filled with powerful people, including several great figures who stood at the very peak and were renowned across the land.

Compared to the ancient heroes who had once driven monsters back into the Dungeon and reclaimed dominion over the land for humanity, they were probably not much inferior.

Even among such a group of powerhouses, no one had raised a Development Ability beyond Stage E. Didn't that alone show how astonishing Riezel's skill was?

If "Healing Power" and "Spirit Healing" had only just been acquired, they certainly would not have had such astonishing effects that they allowed someone to fight without rest for an entire day and night without feeling tired.

But "Healing Power" and "Spirit Healing" were both at the highest rank. That was another matter entirely.

"Right now, you've only experienced the effects of 'Healing Power' and 'Spirit Healing.' Once you descend a few more floors and encounter monsters that can inflict abnormal statuses, you'll see that your 'Abnormal Resistance' is just as absurd."

As Loki spoke, her mood finally improved somewhat.

"With Abnormal Resistance at the highest rank, I reckon that unless it's a poison capable of killing even gods, there probably isn't any abnormal status in this world that can affect you."

At that point, Loki could not help thinking of Riezel's other skill—Self-Salvation.

Setting aside its ability to independently update Ability Values, an effect outrageous enough to make gods curse, its other two effects were already absurd enough.

Immunity to physical interference meant that no one could tamper with Riezel's body. Whether they used mysterious powers to control him, tried to fool his senses, or even if she, his chief deity, wanted to do something improper to his Falna, it probably would not work.

Immunity to Mental Interference meant that any methods targeting things such as memories and the soul could be declared ineffective. Even charm, confusion, and the like would not work.

Those two effects, combined with Abnormal Resistance at the highest rank, were practically unbeatable.

At the very least, Loki felt that if someone wanted to defeat Riezel with these two skills, there were probably very few options beyond winning through a direct contest of strength.

And yet, the skill had a third effect, allowing beneficial enhancements that normally could not interfere with the body or mind through external means to take effect on Riezel.

That was simply ridiculous.

However, in Loki's view, even those two skills might have to take a back seat in both effect and importance compared to Riezel's first skill.

Thinking of that skill's effects, then thinking of how Riezel had fought for an entire day and night, Loki's narrowed eyes opened slightly.

She fell silent for a moment before turning her gaze toward Riezel.

"Take off your shirt."

Loki suddenly said that.

"What?"

Riezel, still lost in thought, froze for a moment.

Seeing that, Loki grinned.

"I'm curious just how much you've grown after this day and night."

Loki spoke each word distinctly.

"Let's update your Ability Value."

At those words, an unusual gleam flickered in Riezel's normally calm eyes.

An Ability Value update.

This was what everyone who had received a Falna looked forward to the most.

After undergoing countless adventures, committing all kinds of deeds, and accumulating Experience Points, once their Ability Value was updated, that Experience Points would become tangible nourishment, allowing them to grow stronger.

During this process, not only would their Basic Abilities improve, but those who had experienced deeply unforgettable events might awaken magic and skills, or even acquire new magic and skills, greatly increasing their strength.

Especially for those who had never possessed magic or skills, what they looked forward to most during every Ability Value update was for magic or skills to appear afterward.

Compared to such people, Riezel was undoubtedly fortunate.

He had only just received a Falna when magic appeared, and he had even obtained three skills at once. He was truly blessed by heaven.

For an ordinary person, unless they were a genius with extraordinary potential, it was normal to receive a Falna and have neither magic nor a single skill.

They desperately looked forward to magic and skills appearing, yearning to obtain extraordinary mysteries and supernatural power.

This could practically be called a process that the vast majority of those who received a Falna had to go through.

Riezel was not quite like that, but at this moment, his anticipation was certainly no less than theirs.

Because excluding magic and skills, his Basic Abilities had never undergone growth or improvement. Whether in physical ability or combat strength, he was still within the bounds of an ordinary person.

In other words, Riezel had yet to experience supernatural power.

For that reason, he was also full of anticipation for his first Ability Value update.

Under such circumstances, Loki began updating the Ability Value of Riezel, who had taken off his shirt and sat before her.

The specific process was similar to when she had bestowed his Falna. She took out a needle, pricked the pad of her index finger, touched Riezel's back with divine blood, and moved her Fingers with practiced motions, drawing crimson trails across his back.

Loki first unlocked Riezel's Ability Value, causing scarlet markings resembling inscriptions on a monument to rapidly emerge across his previously unmarked back.

Then Loki squeezed out another drop of divine blood and let it fall onto Riezel's back, creating circular ripples that spread through the entire marking.

Only from this step onward did the actual updating of the Ability Value begin.

The accumulated Experience Points were drawn out through the hands of a "god," used as material to alter the foundation of his growth.

New Divine Script replaced the old Divine Script and was inscribed into Riezel's back.

As the process continued, Loki's eyes suddenly widened again.

After a long while, Loki revealed an expression that seemed unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Fuck!"

The noble goddess suddenly swore, startling even Riezel.

"What is it?"

Riezel turned his head and looked at Loki in confusion.

"...See for yourself."

With a numb expression as though her worldview had been shattered, Loki copied Riezel's Ability Value onto parchment, translated it into the common tongue, and tossed it to him.

Riezel accepted the parchment and saw his latest Ability Value.

Riezel Brihaut

Lv.1

Strength: I0 → H184

Endurance: I0 → H177

Dexterity: I0 → G202

Agility: I0 → G215

Magic: I0

His magic and skills had not been copied or translated, likely because there had been no changes.

But among his Basic Abilities, Riezel's changes were immense.

His "Strength" and "Endurance" had both broken through Stage I and entered Stage H.

His "Dexterity" and "Agility" had even skipped straight past Stage H and entered Stage G.

His "Magic" had not changed at all, likely because Riezel had not used magic.

The result of that day-and-night battle was that Riezel's total Basic Ability proficiency had increased by more than seven hundred points.

"Damn that growth speed!"

Loki cried out.

"I knew Fool's Obsession was definitely the most absurd skill!"

Loki was going mad.

She could not help it.

As the chief deity of a large Familia, Loki had updated the Ability Values of many members and had even handled quite a few people regarded as geniuses.

On top of that, Loki was well-informed, so she knew very clearly what the growth speed of a newcomer who had just received a Falna was like.

In such a short time—just one day and one night—even the geniuses of the Loki Familia could only raise their proficiency by a few dozen points at most when they first started out.

A total proficiency increase of more than seven hundred points, nearly eight hundred?

Loki stared with her divine eyes fixed on the skill on Riezel's back.

Fool's Obsession

· Greatly increases growth speed.

· Greatly increases growth limit.

· The deeper the obsession, the stronger the effect.

· The effect is greatly enhanced when crossing perilous situations.

Without a doubt, the reason Riezel had grown at such an abnormal rate was entirely because of this skill.

It was a unique skill unlike anything Loki had ever seen—not meant to increase strength, nor to provide assistance, but to aid growth itself.

"The skies over Orario are about to change."