Puppeteer of the DanMachi World

This meant that after becoming an adventurer, one could still improve hidden ability parameters through training, though it was also true that most of one's potential would be lost.

And it was not just the basic stats; there were also certain intangible benefits.

Mind, skill, body—these were hidden factors of strength that adventurers overlooked while intoxicated by the powerful numbers granted by Divine Blessing.

"Is... that so?"

Meitellia hesitated slightly.

She felt that what Ming Ge said made sense, yet she still felt that something was off.

In truth, it really was an illusion, because Divine Blessing was simply too convenient for people in this world.

So convenient that they believed Divine Blessing was everything, whereas Ming Ge's views were different—indeed, precisely the opposite.

No matter when, Divine Blessing was only a catalyst, not the core.

"Don't overthink it."

Ming Ge rubbed her head. "Progressing in strength, researching magic—we haven't fallen behind in either of those during this time."

"Don't think that I've sacrificed a great deal. In fact, many things become a 'win-win' if viewed from another angle. I haven't sacrificed anything, nor is there any need for me to."

"Because I know that if I 'sacrificed' something for you, you would definitely be sad."

Hearing Ming Ge's words, Meitellia finally felt at ease.

Just like the story Ming Ge had told, when JoJo and DIO both fell into the sea, Elena was the one most deeply hurt.

If Elena had not been pregnant, she would surely have followed JoJo and taken her own life.

For family, self-sacrifice was the greatest harm.

Entering the Dungeon for the First Time

A week passed in the blink of an eye—the news of the Hera Familia's return to Orario spread, and Meitellia also left the church and returned to the Hera Familia's residence.

Over that week, Meitellia prepared a set of novice equipment for him, along with several essential potions for entering the Dungeon.

The four types were for restoring stamina, restoring magic power, detoxifying, and healing.

Though she was somewhat worried, Meitellia would not stop Ming Ge.

In fact, the upper levels of the Dungeon were close to Uranus's altar, and powerful monsters generally did not appear there, so there were no real safety concerns.

Yet worry was still unavoidable.

The reason Ming Ge wanted to make a trip to the Dungeon for practical combat training was that his combat magic had matured.

The growth in the quality of his magic power and his magic was already enough to support a round trip through the Dungeon.

During this period, he had been developing his existing magic and becoming proficient with his old spells.

After so long, even Meitellia had learned the chantless Vacuum Blade, while Ming Ge had finally found a new direction for magic.

Not only had his research into "negative skills" made breakthroughs, Ming Ge had also discovered more of magic power's essence.

Changes in the form of magic power were not limited to attacks such as Magic Bullets and Vacuum Blades; those were merely basic applications of magic power. In reality, there were more fundamental transformations.

Following this line of thought, Ming Ge discovered a new form of magic power while practicing spiral magic.

At first, Ming Ge had defined magic power as a tangible spiritual energy similar to air. Later, he realized that he had defined it too soon.

This definition could not be called wrong. It was simply "incomplete."

Just as gases consisted of tiny particles such as molecules and atoms, mental power, Mind, could also manifest in particle form.

Gathering magic power in the form of particles could compress more powerful Magic Bullets, allowing stronger attacks to be completed through a more efficient charging method.

Furthermore, the particle form of magic power more readily produced a state of magical enhancement. When gathered around the body and used to trigger magical phenomena, it could achieve effects similar to Enhancement-type Nen abilities in Hunter × Hunter.

Although it could not yet strengthen "physical ability," it could strengthen "attack power."

It could also cast spells through particles and, after triggering magical phenomena, form an ability like an invisible hand that suspended things in the air.

Making himself float was still somewhat difficult, but that was merely a matter of control and the quality of his magic power. He would be able to do it sooner or later.

For now, however, suspending blades in the air was no problem.

This move could be used to seize other people's weapons, trip enemies through binding, and cosplay as a sword immortal with Flying Sword techniques.

Having reached this point, ideas surged through Ming Ge like a spring, and he then thought of a technical term.

"Wave-particle duality."

In 1905, Einstein proposed the photon explanation for the photoelectric effect, and people began to realize that light possessed the dual nature of both waves and particles.

In 1924, de Broglie proposed the hypothesis of "matter waves," believing that, like light, all matter possessed wave-particle duality.

According to this hypothesis, electrons would also exhibit wave phenomena such as interference and diffraction, which was later confirmed by electron diffraction experiments.

In 2015, scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland successfully captured photographs of light simultaneously displaying wave-particle duality.

All matter possessed wave-particle duality. Following this theory, Ming Ge used magic power to produce shockwaves.

After undergoing a qualitative transformation, he developed magic similar to Alfia's sound magic.

At this point, he had mastered several spells: Magic Bullet, Vacuum Blade, enhanced attack power, levitation, shockwave, and Detection Wave.

Ming Ge's magical abilities now included attack, defense, movement, perception, and other innate magic with fixed attributes.

Though they were not yet comprehensive enough, his combat strength had already surpassed that of ordinary lower-class adventurers. All that remained was to see how much of that strength he could display in actual combat.

"It's time to go."

He organized his luggage.

The waist pouch on his back contained potions, along with enough space to store magic stones.

He had already memorized the maps of Floors 1 through 18. After making his preparations, Ming Ge set off.

Passing through the passage beneath Babel Tower, Ming Ge entered the Dungeon.

Glowing crystals illuminated the path. Countless chambers, tunnels stretching forward in every direction, monsters born from the walls—everything was astonishingly strange.