Invited, Currently in Honkai, Grinding Stats to Level Up

However, despite saying this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Otto's eyes—

Otto thought of another, more secure piece on the board, but the right time hadn't arrived yet. Revealing it prematurely might introduce more variables, leaving Otto somewhat undecided.

"But the best doesn't always lead to a good outcome... like Welt Joyce..."

Void Archives seemed genuinely unconcerned about Otto locking him in a dark room, kindly reminding Otto.

"Heh..."

In response, Otto merely let out a light chuckle.

"Why not?

At the right time, in the right place, make the right choice that benefits the world..."

Chapter 25: Half a Month's Results and an Upgrade

"Ninety-seven..."

"Ninety-eight..."

"Ninety-nine..."

His throat, dry as cracked earth after a long drought, could barely make a sound. Gwen felt as if all the moisture in his body had left with his sweat. He could only count silently in his mind, his trembling arms, having reached their limit, shakily lifted the barbell, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

With only the final step left to complete today's training, Gwen didn't slacken at all. Following the training principles, he slowly bent his arms, his trembling hands placing the barbell back onto the rack. The tension Gwen had held finally dissipated, and he gasped for air.

Two weeks had passed since he had started learning these basic training equipment under Anna's guidance.

During these two weeks, Gwen's days had been incredibly fulfilling—

Every morning, he would train with You Lan Dai Er and Anna. After breakfast, he would study theoretical knowledge with the cadets, who were four or five years younger but generally taller than him. After lunch, he enjoyed a high-quality sleep like a dead dog, and in the afternoon, he underwent physical training...

Because his body was too weak, Gwen couldn't even train at the same intensity as his peers. He could only train alone following the plan given by the two active B-rank Valkyries, You Lan Dai Er and Anna.

Although the training plan, supported by data and scientific evidence, wouldn't damage Gwen's physical foundation, each day's workout left him exhausted, allowing him to fall asleep instantly upon hitting the pillow and enjoy high-quality sleep.

With such continuous training and nutritional supplementation, despite only half a month having passed, Gwen's body had already shown visible changes.

His originally fair and slender limbs had noticeably thickened, making Gwen no longer look as frail as before. His entire physique had bulked up.

Even without looking at the stats on his panel, Gwen could feel that his body had become stronger.

The upgrade system's panel clearly displayed Gwen's progress—

Gwen - Lv1
Strength - D511
Endurance - D599
Dexterity - E413
Spirit - EX
Energy - D500
Energy System: Nothingness

In just half a month, both Gwen's Strength and Endurance had broken the 500 mark, and his Dexterity had barely reached level E—a remarkably swift rate of progress.

If the early stats of this upgrade system were anything like the Blessings in DanMachi, Gwen might become a new urban legend in that world—

Before the appearance of the protagonist with the "One True Heart" experience buff, the fastest leveling record holder, Ais Wallenstein, took a full year to reach Lv2.

And if he could maintain his current pace, Gwen estimated he could max out his stats and upgrade within a month.

This was almost equivalent to the speed of an overpowered protagonist like Bell, far surpassing Ais, whom Loki had praised for years.

Of course, although Gwen had shed countless drops of sweat for these results, he didn't attribute it all to his own effort and exceptional talent.

Gwen clearly recognized that his ability to reach a level comparable to an overpowered protagonist without an experience buff was partly due to external help—

In the past half-month, Gwen was called to a laboratory every few days, where he would spend a few hours in a nutrient pod, similar to soaking in medicinal baths in adjacent wuxia or fantasy settings.

Although he never learned what it was from the staff, the sense of comfort he felt after the soak confirmed its immense value.

Gwen didn't have the audacity to attribute this substantial financial investment, which he likely wouldn't have earned in a lifetime in his previous life, to his own efforts.

The medicinal baths every few days, followed by physical examinations, were also one of the reasons Gwen dared to train so intensely, without worrying about damaging his physical foundation due to this exhausting training.

His gaze slowly shifted from the dramatically changed ability stats, focusing on the still dim "Lv1" next to his name, which didn't display any upgrade text.

Although there was still some distance to go before his stats reached 999, Gwen had already begun to consider how to upgrade.

"If upgrading here is also like in DanMachi, then I might need to apply for the virtual training room..."

Recalling the limited information he had about the DanMachi world in his mind, Gwen pondered.

With his previous invitation letter not receiving a response and no opportunity to undertake missions as a cadet, the only way he could think of to obtain a "Great Achievement" for now was through the virtual training room.

Although it was simulated, the combat power of the enemies within was guaranteed.

At the very least, the vast majority of the enemies recorded there could overwhelm Gwen.

Defeating the enemies simulated in the virtual training room might also earn him a "Great Achievement."

Of course, because his upgrade system felt so similar to the Blessings in DanMachi, Gwen had been viewing his system through the lens of that world's circumstances.

However, this didn't mean Gwen forgot it was just speculation.

While contemplating ways to achieve a "Great Achievement," Gwen was also considering other possibilities for upgrades...

Just as Gwen closed his eyes in thought, waiting for his body's fatigue to lessen, a hint of coolness suddenly touched his forehead, jolting his mind, which had been dulled by physical exhaustion.

Consciously opening his eyes, Gwen met a pair of bright, wine-red eyes, accompanied by a charming smile on a delicate face.

"Rita?

You're back?"

With just a glance, Gwen recognized the person; it was Rita, who had been on a mission for half a month.

"Mhm, to be recognized at a glance, it seems Rita holds some importance in your heart..."

Though her words were humble, Rita, with a finger to her lips, wore a smile that hinted at playful mischief.

"After all, Rita, you were the one who visited me every day with You Lan Dai Er for that entire month. How could I possibly forget?"

Facing Rita, who seemed intent on teasing him, a boy who could barely be called a young man, Gwen chose to speak truthfully, meeting her wine-red gaze without evasion.

"..."

"It seems Rita made the right choice to come here first after finishing her mission..."

Hearing Gwen's answer, the corners of Rita's lips curved deeper, her smile softening, and her hand, which was wiping away Gwen's sweat, became even gentler.

"Come, close your eyes..."

"Mhm..."

Gwen nodded slightly and, as Rita had instructed, closed his eyes, letting her small hand, holding a cool handkerchief, wipe his face, enjoying the refreshing sensation of the coolness.

Chapter 26: An Unspoken Agreement with Rita

Gently wiping the sweat from Gwen's cheeks, Rita looked at his face, which, while having gained a bit more definition than she remembered, was still undeniably cute. A sigh escaped her lips—

Both for the fact that the world would soon lose a cute child, and for Gwen's future.

Although her mission had taken half a month, Rita, who hadn't been in communication silence, had learned of Gwen's general situation from You Lan Dai Er.

While she didn't know why Gwen had chosen to embark on his current path, Rita unhesitatingly pinpointed the culprit: her beloved Lord Bishop—

Based on her interactions with Gwen over the past month, Rita couldn't believe he would suddenly decide to join the reserves, a decision that didn't suit his physical condition.

The only person capable of orchestrating such a thing was clearly Otto...

Unlike the relatively naive You Lan Dai Er, Rita was more aware of Otto's true nature hidden beneath his sunny disposition. She was also more privy to Otto's unusual attitude towards Gwen, and had reached a conclusion similar to Gwen's—

Gwen was likely a crucial pawn in some plan.

There was nothing Rita could do about it; all she could do was offer what little help she could and pray that Gwen would survive until the unknown plan concluded.

As for the possibility that Otto genuinely just wanted to nurture Gwen, a visitor from the Sea of Quantum?

Seeing no benefit, it was pure fantasy.

"Thank you, Rita."

Soon, Rita had wiped away all the sweat from Gwen's face. With a faint floral scent about him, Gwen slowly sat up and smiled at Rita, thanking her.

"You're welcome... Consider it compensation for me not being able to pick you up from the hospital as promised..."

Looking at Gwen, who carried himself like a little adult, Rita felt a surge of affection—

Though different from Lord You Lan Dai Er when she was little, he was still a very cute child...

"It's just a shame that such a cute child, after training so hard, will grow up so quickly..."

Despite harboring a slightly "unfair" thought, Rita's smile remained perfect, leaving no room for criticism.

"Eh, Rita, you have your own missions. Do I seem like someone who would quibble over such things?"

Gwen, not yet aware that he was currently a young boy, naturally didn't understand what the maid before him was thinking. He shook his head with a smile.

"Then Rita will take that as your agreement..."

Rita chuckled lightly and stood up. The smooth black stockings on her long legs shimmered enchantingly under the light.

She reached out and pulled Gwen up. Seeing that Gwen didn't sway, Rita couldn't help but smile:

"It seems your training over this period has been quite effective..."

Even without Gwen's current detailed stats, Rita, who was familiar with his physical condition, knew that completing this level of training would have been impossible for Gwen just two weeks ago. Even if he had managed it, he would have collapsed completely, perhaps even ending up bedridden for a while.

Yet, in just half a month, Gwen had made such tremendous progress, which even surprised Rita.

"As the saying goes, 'Frequent sweating in peacetime prevents bleeding in wartime.' If training isn't rigorous, you'll bleed on the battlefield."

Hearing this, Gwen simply chuckled heartily and replied with a smile.

Gwen took the praise from the charming maid as recognition of his hard work—

He was certainly aware of the abnormality of his rapid progress.

However, at Destiny Headquarters, equipped with the world's most advanced facilities, Gwen couldn't pretend to be weak even if he wanted to, so he decided to show his true capabilities.

After all, with You Lan Dai Er as a precedent – "If you work hard, you can definitely achieve it" – Gwen estimated that Destiny, or rather Otto, would be more accepting of his rapid progress.

Given Gwen's understanding of Otto, even if he, as a pawn, displayed an extraordinary rate of progress, as long as he didn't become uncontrollable like Siegfried during the Second Honkai War, the chances of him being eliminated were not high.

After all, You Lan Dai Er and Rita might just be coincidences, but adding Amber's visit and the instructor Anna Schariac, who seemed to be arranged by the System…

If Gwen's predictions were correct, these women, who had no deliberate connection with him, were all part of the larger net Otto was using to restrain him as a pawn.

As long as these bonds were numerous and strong enough, the chances of him breaking free from control, and thus being directly discarded, would be lower…

And as long as he was given time to develop, it was uncertain who would be the hunter and who would be the prey—

With over a thousand points of ability gained in half a month, Gwen had basically abandoned his worries about being one of the countless mediocre, lifelong level 1 adventurers.

"Hmm, it seems Gwen, you already have the resolve of a warrior. Then, keep up the effort…

But be careful not to overtrain…"

Upon hearing Gwen's words, Rita nodded gently, her gaze towards him softening even further.

A cute, well-behaved, and sensible child was truly endearing to Rita.

"Don't worry, I may not be smart, but I won't act recklessly. I'll definitely train according to the plan."

Sharply sensing Rita's genuine concern and affection through his mental perception, Gwen's smile became more sincere as he promised, "Then… Gwen, my diligent trainee, is there anything you'd like to eat tonight?"

Seizing the precious, dwindling opportunity before Gwen's body had fully developed, Rita patted his head and asked with a smile.

"As for me, I don't really know much about fine dining…"