Stardust and Ascended

The tavern kitchen was thick with steam, the air heavy with the scent of dish soap and food scraps.

Thor and Bell pulled on rubber gloves and stood before the sink, facing off against a mountain of greasy dishes.

Bell scrubbed at a plate clumsily, though his gaze kept drifting toward Thor beside him.

Even while performing the lowliest of chores, the god's posture retained an indescribable elegance, as if he were not rubbing away grease, but polishing a dust-covered star.

Yet, the more he looked, the more Bell felt a heart-wrenching sense of shame.

He lowered his head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Lord Thor... it's all because I'm so useless. If I were just a little stronger and could earn more Valis, you wouldn't have to be here doing this with me..."

He recalled the desperation he felt when he first arrived in Orario, rejected by countless familias, until Lord Thor reached out his hand, offering him his only home and hope.

But now, the only way he could repay his god was through the humiliation of washing dishes in a back kitchen to pay off a debt.

Thor's movements did not falter; he didn't even look at Bell, yet his tone was exceptionally calm, as if stating a universal truth.

"Raise your head, my child. Grease and sewage cannot stain your pride; only bowing your head in defeat can."

He picked up a plate, and as the water rushed over it, the surface became clean and new.

"In my long life, few things have moved me. There are only two: the wisdom to perceive the essence of all things, and... the will to remain unchanged even when facing the end of all things."

He turned his head, his star-like eyes looking at Bell through the swirling steam.

"I accept your apology, but I am even more pleased to see your heart, which refuses to let me be tarnished. I believe that with a soul like yours, you will one day fulfill your promise and help me reclaim my former greatness."

"Yes! I will work twice as hard!" The light of hope flickered once more in Bell's eyes.

After a brief pause, Thor shared a piece of good news with Bell: "Besides, our toil these past few days has not been entirely without meaning."

Bell looked up, puzzled.

Thor raised his wet right hand, and at the tips of his gloves, a tiny pinch of dreamlike, shimmering dust had gathered, though it was unclear when it had formed.

They swirled slowly, as if containing a miniature galaxy within, looking completely out of place in the greasy environment, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Look, this is [Stardust], the cornerstone of all creation, and the smallest fragment of my power."

Thor's tone carried a hint of imperceptible relief.

"Although it is only this sliver, it is enough to serve as a medium to open a door to star magic for you."

[Stardust] was the foundation of his power; the more Stardust he had, the more he could reclaim the power he once held when creating the stars.

At the same time, he could use [Stardust] to bestow power upon his familia.

As for how [Stardust] was obtained.

The simplest method was to kill monsters in the Dungeon, consume their magic stones, and refine them into [Stardust].

A slightly more complex, but more efficient way, was to cultivate his familia and receive [Stardust] as feedback from their growth in strength.

"Ma... magic?!" Bell's eyes widened sharply, and he let out a near-scream, his voice loud enough to drown out the clatter of the kitchen.

From the direction of the bar, Mia's dissatisfied roar immediately followed: "You lot in the back! Keep it down! You haven't finished the dishes, are you trying to blow the roof off?!"

Bell finally realized his lapse and quickly covered his mouth, but the ecstasy and urgency in his eyes were nearly overflowing.

He leaned toward Thor and whispered excitedly, "Lord... Lord Thor! Is what you said true? Can I... can I really learn magic?!"

Thor nodded affirmatively, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips: "Of course. It is time for you to glimpse a corner of my supreme wisdom."

"That's... that's wonderful! That's wonderful!" Bell muttered to himself in a frenzy of joy.

He felt as if he had been injected with the most potent stimulant; he didn't know where to put his hands or feet, and his dishwashing became frantic and chaotic.

His mind was completely filled with words like "magic" and "stars."

Extreme excitement had clouded his judgment.

Was he finally going to learn magic?!

Just as he danced about and picked up the next piece of glazed tableware, which looked quite expensive, his slippery gloves failed to get a firm grip.

Clatter—CRASH!

A crisp, heartbreaking sound exploded against the floor.

All movement and sound came to an abrupt halt.

The expression of ecstasy froze on Bell's face, and Thor's elegant smile stiffened.

Their gazes moved downward in slow, rigid synchronization, finally focusing on the floor, on the now-shattered, magnificent plate.

The air was deathly silent.

Thor was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly in a tone of profound grief, as if announcing the extinction of a star:

"...Oh. It seems that tonight, on the list of 'great deeds,' we must add another heavy debt alongside the dishwashing."

"Magic! Magic!"

Even though it was already 3:00 AM, Bell was still incredibly excited! He felt as if he were floating as he walked.

Because he was finally going to start learning the magic he had dreamed of.

Thor's residence was tucked away in a corner of the labyrinth city, an unremarkable two-story building with outer walls scarred by wind and rain, looking exceptionally shabby compared to the gleaming headquarters of other deities.

Creeeak—

The old wooden door was pushed open, its hinges letting out an unbearable groan.

In stark contrast to its dilapidated exterior, the interior was small but kept in an unusually cozy and tidy state.

The ground floor hall was furnished simply, with a few old sofas arranged around a low wooden table; cold ashes remained in the fireplace, yet the room possessed a strange sense of tranquility.

Thor casually took off his coat and hung it on the rack by the door.

"Bell," he commanded without turning his head, "take off your shirt. I'm updating your Status."

"Yes! My Lord!" Bell didn't hesitate to pull off his battle-worn burlap shirt, revealing a relatively lean upper body that had already begun to show the contours of training.

He sat down on the low stool in the center of the room as instructed, his back to Thor.

Thor stepped behind him and extended his index finger, a bead of blood containing imperceptible starlight seeping out.

He let the droplet fall onto the center of Bell's back.

Hiss—

After a faint, strange sound, a soft radiance bloomed instantly from the spot where the blood had landed, rapidly outlining a complex and arcane circular formation composed of tiny stars—this was the Star Blessing unique to Thor.

Countless shimmering streams of data rose from the formation, projecting into the void before Thor, clearly listing each of Bell's ability parameters.

Thor gazed at the values that flickered and finally settled, a hint of understanding and faint appreciation appearing in his eyes.

He muttered to himself, evaluating the situation.

"Although the power of the gods is not even a ten-thousandth of mine, I must admit that the Star Blessing system they constructed is unexpectedly suited for the fragile shells of you humans. It can safely draw out your potential without letting this power turn around and devour you..."

The so-called Star Blessing was the power bestowed upon the children of the lower world when the gods descended a thousand years ago.

Through the Star Blessing, even the weakest human could rely on training to defeat powerful enemies and gain great strength.

In a few moments, Bell's status update was complete. Thor took a piece of paper, imprinted the values onto it, and handed it to Bell to review.

Bell Cranel

Lv.1

Strength: i77 → i82

(Physical attack power. Affects muscle strength, load-bearing capacity, and melee physical damage.)

Endurance: i13 → i21

(Physical defense. Affects physical toughness, resistance to impact, stamina recovery, and poison resistance.)

Dexterity: i93 → i96

(Body control. Affects balance, agility, attack speed, and hit rate.)

Agility: h148 → h172

(Movement speed. Affects running speed, reflexes, evasion, and jumping power.)

Magic: i0 → i0

(Magic-related. Affects magic power, magic defense, mana capacity, and recovery speed.)

Development Ability: None (Passive skills obtained based on experience and desires after leveling up.)

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 points; every time one leveled up, the attribute values would reset to zero to begin calculating again.

However, this did not mean that the previously accumulated abilities disappeared; these attributes would transform into the individual's base abilities and remain hidden.

It could be said that between someone who reached Level 2 with all attributes at 999 and someone who reached Level 2 with all attributes at only 500, there would still be a certain gap in combat power.

At the same time, attribute values from 0–99 were graded as I, 100–199 as H, and so on, with 900–999 graded as S.

Bell's gaze swept across the paper, finally resting on the abrupt and unfamiliar column at the very bottom.

"My Lord," he pointed to the Ascension column, looking up with curiosity, "what is this Ascension...?"

Thor glanced at it and explained in a flat tone.

"There once existed some... well, you can understand them as beings similar to gods, but far more unpleasant. They stole my power and used it to modify certain surface creatures, creating so-called powerful Ascended."

His voice carried a trace of imperceptible coldness, but he quickly reined it in.

"Although I loathe those thieves, the underlying logic of this Ascension technology is similar to the Star Blessing bestowed upon you by the gods; both are elevation rituals that can perfectly adapt to the shells of you surface creatures. You can consider this a... small perk unique to our Familia."

"Ascended?!" Bell's eyes lit up instantly; the term sounded brimming with power. "Lord God... is it possible for me too?!"

"Of course it is." Thor nodded affirmatively. "But with your current physical constitution and soul capacity, you couldn't possibly bear even the most basic Ascension ritual. Once you promote to Lv.2 and your body has been strengthened by the level-up, I can perform the ritual for you and grant you the power of the Ascended."

"Lv.2... Ascended..."

Bell gripped the status sheet tightly, his excitement nearly overflowing from his body.

"I can ascend at level 2! When on earth will I be able to reach level 2?"

Watching his impatient demeanor, Thor couldn't help but chuckle. "Ascension is a gradual process; there is no need to rush right now."

He shifted the topic, pulling Bell's thoughts back to the present.

"For now, let me teach you how to use magic."