Communicating with a God, Receiving Blessings

Liber followed Loki into Twilight Manor.

The top floor of the central tower in Twilight Manor was Loki's private room, which also served as the deity's chamber for her familia.

Loki walked with a light, brisk step toward the storage chest in the room—her private liquor collection—which held a colorful array of various bottles.

Liber stood at the doorway and peered inside for a moment.

Loki's room appeared somewhat chaotic and disorganized.

The large, high-end desk in the center of the room was scattered with all sorts of books and papers. Fluorescent ink was splattered everywhere, and various precious crystals and gemstones were strewn about at random.

Messy bedding and an assortment of flashy clothes were piled haphazardly on the bed, with disheveled shoes and socks heaped beside it.

The surrounding walls were adorned with various retro, ornate decorations and paintings.

In the corner opposite the storage chest, various small weapons such as short swords, daggers, and knuckle dusters were left lying about.

After Loki excitedly tucked her liquor bottles away, she swept the clutter on the center desk aside, pulled up two chairs, and sat down of her own accord.

"Come on in," Loki said, sitting casually in her chair. "No need to be so stiff."

Liber looked suspicious. "Then... excuse the intrusion."

He stepped into the room with a slow, cautious gait. He placed his luggage by the leg of the desk and pulled out a chair to sit.

Liber looked at this free-spirited, flat-chested red-haired goddess. Although he had gained some understanding of the gods of this world beforehand, he was still taken aback to see someone who cared so little about the eyes of others.

After all, this was a god; whether in his past life or his current one, this was his first time seeing one.

The existence of gods was, most of the time, a title that commanded great nobility and reverence.

As the first god he had met in this world—and the one he would likely be spending a long time with—her words and actions truly reshaped his perception of divinity.

Ever since putting down the liquor bottles, Loki had been squinting at Liber from her chair, a cunning smile hanging on her face.

"Sorry about that. The other children of the familia just went on a short-term expedition a while ago, so there's no one around to help host you. Otherwise, we could've thrown a lively welcome party today," Loki said with a grin.

"Ah, it's fine, anything is fine." Withdrawing his gaze from the room, Liber shook his head. "Whatever is convenient is fine."

"Is that so? Independence is a good thing, but everyone still cares about each other here."

Loki stroked her chin and shook her head. "I'll take you around to see the neighborhood when I'm free so you can get to know the familia members. Usually, there's a welcome party for new recruits. Everyone is part of the familia, so remember to interact more. Being too antisocial isn't very group-friendly."

"That works," Liber said softly, nodding calmly upon hearing Loki's words.

"As for the welcome party, since we're short-handed today, we'll make up for it later. We're all family here, looking out for one another. Plus, I can see how you grow within the familia, which I imagine will be its own kind of fun. Hehe."

Saying this, Loki leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, with her legs propped up on the desk. The front legs of her chair hovered in the air, rocking back and forth with her movements.

Loki sized Liber up, her smile deepening. "You haven't received a Falna yet, have you? You're a complete newcomer, kid, am I right?"

Liber forced himself to stay calm, deliberately ignoring Loki's gaze, which felt as if it were stripping him bare. He nodded.

"I have not received any Falna. I only arrived in Orario today. I had gathered some information about Orario before coming here, and once I arrived, I asked for directions and headed straight here."

Liber knew that in front of a god in this world, people could not lie. Besides, he had his own confidence and saw no need to deliberately hide or deceive.

Loki grinned. "I thought so. If you had any outstanding ability or fame, you wouldn't have been waiting at the door for me."

Liber adjusted his mindset and said, "I am very grateful to you for letting me join the familia, but do you really not need to test me? I prepared quite a lot for this."

"There are countless people who want to join my familia, both those who have received a Falna and those who haven't. Since I've already agreed to let you join, I have no intention of prying further. The city of Orario will naturally filter out those who are suited for it. After all, if it's just a boy's delusions, he won't survive the hardships of adventuring."

As she spoke, Loki stopped rocking her chair and put her legs down. She rested her hands on the desk and leaned forward, bringing her face close to Liber's.

Liber looked helpless. "As expected of a goddess. I even did a lot of preparation for this; this is truly... a dramatic turn of events."

With that, he took a thick, well-packaged box from his luggage. He opened it to reveal a simple liquor bottle to Loki.

"However, you must accept this gift, even if it isn't anything expensive."

"...Your confidence isn't based on this, is it? If so, I might have to reconsider the wisdom of letting you join," Loki said, looking stunned.

"That's not it at all. This was just prepared out of courtesy; it's just some homemade fruit wine, nothing of great value. This is what actually gave me the confidence to make you agree."

He hesitated for a moment, then reached into his waist pouch to pull something out.

"Nah, no need to show me. If I know the answer ahead of time, it won't be any fun," Loki interrupted, suddenly sitting back in her chair and speaking to herself.

"I've already agreed, so everything else is irrelevant. Everyone has their own secrets. Not knowing everything makes the story much more interesting."

Loki then picked up her chair, moved behind Liber, and patted his back.

"We can talk about other things later. Once you've joined the familia, there will be plenty of time for that. First, take off your shirt."

Liber nodded, unbuttoned his shirt, and bared his back to Loki.

Loki rummaged through a box and sat behind Liber. "You should have already learned about the information regarding the Falna, right?"

Liber nodded. "I know the basics."

The Falna is a special power based on sacred text, using divine blood as a catalyst.

Gods bestow this power, known as the Falna, upon the people of the world, allowing them to gain extraordinary strength far beyond others through the Grace. Gods use the Grace to extract the experiences, wishes, thoughts, and expectations of the people of the Lower World, turning them into nourishment that allows mortals to grow at an unimaginable speed.

The Falna is generally expressed through status and other means. Sacred text is rarely learned by ordinary people, but anyone who can read it with the naked eye can confirm the content of their own Grace. Under normal circumstances, the status is told to the individual by the god. Status is basically divided into four parts: Basic Abilities, Development Abilities, Magic and Skills, and the most important: Level.

Development abilities are generally only obtainable when one levels up. Basic abilities are divided into five categories: [Strength], [Endurance], [Dexterity], [Agility], and [Magic].

Each category is typically represented by ten ranks—(S), (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I)—to indicate the level of that ability; the closer to S-rank, the stronger the ability.

Level, as the name implies, is the most intuitive standard for strength. The higher the level, the greater the ability and the stronger the individual. Compared to the increase in a level, the growth of basic abilities at each stage is incomparable. Basic abilities are merely enhancements within a level, whereas a level-up can be described as a total evolution of the body and mind. Therefore, the (Falna) is often referred to by the world as the path to godhood.

As for magic and skills, the former is the most intuitive type of superpower. Before the appearance of the (Falna), only a very small number of races with excellent magical aptitude could use it, but after receiving the (Falna), every race has the opportunity to acquire it. Depending on individual potential, one can obtain a maximum of three magic slots.

Skills, on the other hand, are extraordinary abilities that provide special effects under certain conditions. Although they are not as intuitive or idealistic as magic, they cannot be ignored due to their unique effects and the fact that there is no limit to the number one can possess.

"Not bad, not bad. It's good that you have some understanding. It seems you've done your homework well." Loki held the box she had rummaged out and took a thin, silver-glowing needle from it.

After setting the box down, she held the needle in one hand and pricked the finger of her other hand. Once blood began to flow, she used her injured finger to carve onto Liber's back.

Only then did she, usually so frivolous, reveal a serious expression.