The tavern's back kitchen was thick with steam, and the air reeked of dish soap and food scraps.
Thor and Bell had pulled on rubber gloves and stood before the sink, facing a mountain of greasy dishes.
Bell clumsily scrubbed a plate, but couldn't help glancing at Thor beside him.
Even while doing the lowliest chore, the god still carried an indescribable elegance, as if he weren't rubbing away grease but polishing a dust-covered star.
Yet the more Thor acted that way, the more a pang of shame twisted inside Bell.
He lowered his head and apologized. "I'm sorry, my god... It's all my fault for being so useless. If only I were stronger and could earn more Valis, you wouldn't have to do this kind of work with me..."
He remembered how wretchedly he'd felt when he'd first arrived in Orario. Countless Familias had turned him away, until Lord Thor reached out to him and gave him the only home and hope he had.
And now, all he could offer his god in return was the humiliation of working off their debt together by washing dishes in the back kitchen.
Thor didn't pause in his work. He didn't even look at Bell, yet his voice was remarkably calm, as if he were stating a universal truth.
"Lift your head, my child. Grease and dirty water cannot tarnish your pride. Only bowing your head in defeat can."
He picked up a plate. Water ran over it, leaving it sparkling clean.
"In my long life, there have been few things that could move me. Only two, really: the wisdom to understand the true nature of all things, and... the will to face the end of all things without wavering."
He turned his head, his starry eyes looking at Bell through the steam.
"I've heard your apology, but what makes me happier is seeing how much you care about keeping me from being tarnished. I believe that one day, someone with a soul like yours will fulfill your promise and help me reclaim the power I once possessed."
"Yes! I'll work twice as hard!" Hope shone once more in Bell's eyes.
After a brief pause, Thor shared some good news with Bell. "Besides, all our hard work these past few days hasn't been for nothing."
Bell looked up in confusion.
Thor raised his dripping right hand. At the tip of his glove, a tiny pinch of dust had gathered at some point, sparkling with a dreamlike shimmer.
It slowly swirled, as if it held an entire miniature galaxy within it. Completely out of place amid the greasy surroundings, it was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Look. This is Stardust, the foundation from which all things are created, and the tiniest fragment of my power."
There was a hint of quiet satisfaction in Thor's voice.
"Even this tiny bit is enough to serve as a medium and open a door for you to the magic of the stars."
Stardust was the foundation of his power. The more Stardust he had, the more of the power he'd possessed when he created the Starry Heavens he could reclaim.
At the same time, he could use Stardust to grant his Familia power.
As for how to obtain Stardust...
The simplest way was to kill monsters in the Dungeon, devour their Magic Stones, and refine them into Stardust.
There was also a slightly more complicated, but more efficient method: raise a Familia, then earn Stardust in return as its members grew stronger.
"M-Magic?!" Bell's eyes flew wide open. He practically shrieked the word, his voice so loud it drowned out the clamor in the back kitchen.
Mia's annoyed roar immediately came from the direction of the bar. "You in the back! Keep it down! You haven't even finished washing the dishes, and now you want to tear the roof off?!"
Only then did Bell realize he'd lost control. He hurriedly covered his mouth, but his delight and eagerness were practically spilling out of his eyes.
He leaned closer to Thor and excitedly whispered, "My god... Lord Thor! Is that true? Can I... can I really learn magic?!"
Thor nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Of course. It's time you got a glimpse of my unparalleled wisdom."
"Th-That's wonderful! Wonderful!" Bell murmured ecstatically to himself.
It was as if he'd been injected with the strongest stimulant. He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and his dishwashing grew quick and completely haphazard.
His mind was already filled with words like "magic" and "stars."
His excitement had completely gone to his head.
He was finally going to learn magic?!
Just as he was waving his arms about and picked up the next plate, an expensive-looking one decorated with colored glaze, his slippery gloves failed to hold on.
Clatter—crash!
A clear, heart-wrenching sound rang out as it smashed against the floor.
Every movement and sound stopped dead.
Bell's delighted expression froze on his face, while Thor's elegant smile stiffened at the corners of his mouth.
Their gazes slowly and stiffly shifted down together, finally settling on the floor, where the once-grand plate lay in a sorry heap.
The silence was as complete as death.
Thor was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke in a voice so mournful it sounded as if he were announcing the death of a star.
"...Oh. It seems tonight's list of 'Great Feats' will have another heavy debt added to it, along with the dishwashing."
"Magic! Magic!"
Even though it was already three in the morning, Bell was still bursting with excitement! He practically floated as he walked.
At long last, he was about to learn the magic he'd dreamed of.
Thor's home stood in a corner of Orario, a nondescript two-story house. The outer walls were mottled with marks left by wind and rain, and the place looked especially shabby beside the gleaming headquarters of the gods.
Creak—
The old wooden door swung open, its hinges groaning under the strain.
In sharp contrast to the dilapidated exterior, the inside was small but exceptionally warm and tidy.
The furnishings in the downstairs hall were simple. A few old sofas surrounded a low wooden table. Cold ashes remained in the fireplace, yet the room had an oddly peaceful feel.
Thor casually took off his coat and hung it on the rack by the door.
"Bell," he instructed without turning around. "Take off your shirt. I'm going to update your Status."
"Yes, my god!" Bell promptly pulled off his coarse shirt, worn and scarred from battle, revealing a relatively slender torso that was beginning to show signs of training.
As instructed, he sat on a low stool in the middle of the room with his back to Thor.
Thor came up behind him and held out an index finger. A drop of blood imbued with the faintest trace of starlight welled up.
He let it fall onto the center of Bell's back.
Hiss—
After a faint, strange sound, a soft radiance burst from the spot where the blood had fallen. It quickly formed an elaborate, mysterious circular pattern made up of tiny stars—the Star Blessing unique to Thor.
Countless streams of data shimmered up from the pattern, appearing in the air before Thor and clearly listing all of Bell's ability parameters.
Thor gazed at the values as they flickered before gradually settling into place. His eyes held a glimmer of understanding and quiet admiration.
He murmured his assessment.
"Though the gods' power is less than one ten-thousandth of mine, I have to admit this system of Blessings they created is surprisingly well suited to your frail human bodies. It can safely draw out your potential without letting that power turn around and devour you..."
Blessings were powers the gods had bestowed upon the children of the lower world when they descended a thousand years ago.
With a Blessing, even the weakest human could train, defeat powerful enemies, and grow strong.
In a short while, Bell's Status was completely updated. Thor brought over a sheet of paper, copied the values onto it, and handed it to Bell to look over.
Bell Cranel
Lv. 1
Strength: I 77 → I 82
(Physical attack power. Affects muscle strength, carrying capacity, and melee damage.)
Endurance: I 13 → I 21
(Physical defense. Affects toughness, resistance to blows, stamina recovery, and poison resistance.)
Dexterity: I 93 → I 96
(Body control. Affects balance, agility, speed of movement, and accuracy.)
Agility: H 148 → H 172
(Movement speed. Affects running speed, reflexes, evasion, and jumping ability.)
Magic: I 0 → I 0
(Related to magic. Affects magical power, magic defense, mana capacity, and recovery speed.)
Development Abilities: None (Passive abilities obtained after leveling up, based on experience and wishes)
Magic: None
Skills: None
Ascension: None
The basic attributes were divided into five categories: strength, endurance, dexterity, agility, and magic.
The maximum attribute value was 999. Each time someone leveled up, their attributes were reset to zero and started over.
That didn't mean they lost the abilities they'd accumulated. Those attributes became part of their hidden base capabilities.
In other words, even if two people had just reached Level 2, the one who'd leveled up with all attributes at 999 would still be stronger in battle than someone who'd leveled up with all attributes at only 500.
At the same time, attribute values from 0 to 99 were ranked I, 100 to 199 were ranked H, and so on, with 900 to 999 ranked S.
Bell's eyes scanned the sheet before settling on the unfamiliar heading at the very bottom.
"My god," he asked, looking up curiously and pointing to the Ascension section. "What's this 'Ascension'...?"
Thor glanced at it and explained in an even tone.
"Long ago, there were certain... beings you could think of as similar to the gods, but even more unpleasant. They stole my power and used it to alter certain surface-dwelling creatures, creating what they called powerful Ascended."
His voice carried a faint chill, but it quickly faded.
"Though I despise those thieves, the underlying principles of their Ascension technique are similar to the Blessings the gods bestowed upon you. Both are rituals that can perfectly adapt a creature of the surface to its body. You could say it's a little perk unique to our Familia..."
"Ascended?!" Bell's eyes lit up instantly. The word alone sounded powerful. "My god... Can I become one too?!"
"Of course." Thor nodded. "But with your current physical strength and soul capacity, you wouldn't be able to withstand even the most basic Ascension Ritual. Once you reach Lv. 2 and your body has been strengthened by a level-up, I'll be able to perform the ritual for you and grant you the power of Ascension."
"Lv. 2... Ascension..."
Bell clutched the Status sheet in both hands, his excitement nearly overflowing.
"I can Ascend at Level 2! When will I finally reach Level 2?"
Thor couldn't help laughing at his impatience. "Take your time with Ascension. There's no need to rush."
Then he changed the subject, bringing Bell's thoughts back to the present.
"For now, let me teach you how to use magic."
Before you continue