Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Interest
In a manor that is only slightly smaller than Demeter's familia home, a red haired goddess had her eyes open in shock.
"Loki? Loki? Are you okay?" Riveria tried to get her back from la la land.
"Let her digest the information Riveria. It must be shocking... I was shocked to the bone too." Finn smiled wryly.
"Yeah... The fastest level up in history, past, future, and present..." Gareth couldn't believe it either.
And everything started a little bit earlier.
Finn who was trying to get information in the guild about Evilus was about to return to their familia home; the Twilight Manor.
He was also hoping to get any information about the Pallum that decimated the parade pass in the 27th floor.
As someone who wanted to be the symbol of hope for the Pallum race who was seen as weak, he wanted to thank them.
It was really good PR. Because if it wasn't for him, dozens upon dozens more of adventurers would've died.
"Did you hear? It's crazy the Demeter familia must be creating an expedition group." An adventurer started to partake in gossip.
"Yeah man, insane... A freshly minted level one? Reaching level 2 in just two months?" The man shook his head in disbelief.
'Two months!?' Finn strained his ear to listen to them.
"I heard it's a silver haired warrior princess on the rise." One of the adventurers were spreading false information.
And if Airmid was to hear it, she would die of embarrassment.
"Um, excuse me. Is this perhaps true?" Finn asked a guild employee.
"Ahh, mister braver. Yes, this has been confirmed. A new adventurer that hasn't received a previous falna leveled up.
She's in the Demeter familia. And it only took her two months, amazing right?" The woman was awestruck.
And her appearance won't lose to the sword princess too. The people are even starting to call them the silver and gold princesses.
"Is that so, thank you for the information." Finn quickly went back to the twilight manor to report this.
'A new variable just appeared... Everyone should know this.' Finn hurried.
Arriving at the familia home, he called Riveria and Gareth.
"What's the matter Finn? You look rattled?" Gareth was worried for his friend.
"Did something happen, Finn?" Riveria raised a brow and Finn who is normally calm doesn't get like that often.
"It's about an adventurer. Someone from the Demeter familia broke Ais' record by 10 months..." Finn revealed.
"T-ten months? Are you sure you aren't doped as hell right now?" Gareth didn't believe him at all.
"Are you sure about that, Finn? We all know how Ais got to level 2. She was like a girl possessed, killing anything in the dungeon." Riveria furrowed her brows.
If that was true, then a monster just appeared. And they were in the Demeter familia.
An agricultural familia. And their little sword princess was trained by the warriors of the Loki familia.
"It's true... A guild employee confirmed it." Finn nodded at them.
"What a damned monster... Who is she? What's her name?" Gareth imagined someone like that growing with proper guidance.
And due to Airmid having been a new arrival in Orario. Coupled with the fact that they don't really talk with their familia members.
She boasted that all her stats were at S rank. And it was confirmed by the guild.
"All at S rank? In two months? Are you trying to prank me, Finn? Ais leveled up when her agi got to D, immediately. That's how she broke the record..." Riveria was doubtful.
"Everything was confirmed true by the guild. There's a monster in the Demeter familia that's going to take Orario by storm.
And she's just 13 years old right now. Not to mention that she has magic, but she didn't share it." Finn frowned.
"Whatcha talking about?" Loki saw their glum faces and she thought they lost a bet or something.
"Loki, Finn just learned that there's an adventurer in the Demeter familia that broke Ais' level up record." Gareth informed her.
"What!? Demeter? How can she have someone that talented?" Loki's closed eyes suddenly opened.
"Guess how fast she did it too?" Riveria was amused by Loki's reaction.
"It shouldn't be too far right? About 10 or 11 months?" Loki guessed.
"Correct, she did it 10 months faster." Finn revealed and Loki bugged out.
Now, we return to the present. "I need to meet up with Demeter. She must be planning something." Loki gritted her teeth.
"She's an agricultural goddess, Loki." Finn deadpanned at her.
"I don't care! With boobs like that, she's not trustworthy! Just like that loli cow!" Loki stormed out of the place.
"Oh boy, we better think of an apology now or we'll be eating rotten vegetables for a year." Gareth shook his head helplessly.
"Demeter-sama won't do that, but we must apologize..." Riveria frowned at Loki's antics.
"Hah... Come on, let's follow her." Finn rolled his eyes and they followed their whimsical goddess.
__Wheat manor__
"You didn't gain much excelia, Lars." Demeter handed him his status sheet.
Lars Johansson; Level 1
STR: I0 -> I87 (1534) -> (1786)
AGI: I0 -> I78 (1489) -> (1677)
DEX: I0 -> I53 (1732) -> (1792)
VIT: I0 -> I37 (1684) -> (1843)
MAG: I0 -> H105 (1943) -> (2345)
Lars checked his stats and they didn't grow much for a level 1 adventurer. Which was to be expected.
'Cursed exp gains, this excelia crap is pure ass. Though my hidden stats are growing nicely.' Lars rubbed his chin.
All in all, his stats were approximately as high as a fully maxed out level 2.
Which was unrealistic, because people don't max their stats before leveling up. Except a single person.
A complete newb mistake, he thought. So in his current state, he could beat up weaker level 3's by pure specs alone.
"Demeter! Explain yourself!" Loki was making a commotion in the front gates of the wheat manor.
"Hah, I knew that some troublemakers would arrive. But Loki huh? I guess that's par for the course." Demeter sighed.
"Hmm? Loki? Why is she here to cause trouble, Demeter?" Lars raised a brow.
If they were going to bully his goddess, then two can play at that game. He's got a bomb waiting to explode and he wasn't afraid to sicc it on them.
"Come, walk with me and let's talk about it." Demeter chuckled.
"It's actually because of Airmid, she broke a record by hitting level 2 the fastest. And Loki has a child that was the previous holder of it." Demeter explained.
"Ohh, then that person must be impressive. After all, to be compared with Airmid that used my super powerleveling strat." Lars nodded sagely.
Demeter chortled. "Ais Wallenstein, she broke the record for leveling up to 2 in a year. That's why Loki is suspicious." Demeter looked at the gates.
And her executives looked at the farmers of the Demeter familia with apologetic expressions as they tried to stop her.
"Wait, what? A year? If that's the fastest, then aren't the adventurers in this city a bunch of hopeless newbs?" Lars was shocked for a different reason.
"Newbs huh? I guess if compared to Airmid's feat, it was really slow." Demeter shrugged.
But she looked at him, he was the one who powerleveled Airmid in the dungeon.
'Just what did you put her through to beat the sword princess' record by miles?' Demeter almost shudder at the thought.
"Ara~ Loki? It seems that you are quite distressed?" Demeter smiled at her demurely.
"Muu! What are you planning, Demeter? Those with huge tits like you can't be trusted at all." Loki stared at her in suspicion.
"Mah, I don't think your children are appreciating your actions, Loki." Demeter pointed at her executives.
"Oi! Let go of me, ya hear me!?" Loki was struggling like a kid that was having a tantrum.
"Loki, you better stop this nonsense... Or I won't let you drink for a year." Riveria glared at her.
The goddess gasped immediately. "You wouldn't..." Loki's closed eyes opened up.
"Try me." Riveria stared right at her and Loki started coughing.
"Hello, my fellow goddess Demeter. Can you explain why your new adventurer hit level 2 so fast?" Loki's tune changed so fast.
"Kuhahaha! She's funny as hell, isn't she?" Lars pointed at Loki and the orange haired goddess snapped her neck towards him.
"Who?" Loki raised a brow at him. The kid was a little too fearless.
"This is Lars, one of my new adventurers." Demeter gestured for him to introduce himself.
"Yo, I'm Lars." He had a confident smile on his face and the Loki familia actually thought he was the one who leveled up.
But Riveria checked him out, he was too small for a 13 year old. And it was also established that the adventurer has silver hair.
Not to mention that it was supposed to be a she.
"Hello, Lars. Sorry for the behavior of our goddess, her antics can get a little..." Finn apologized.
"It's fine, Loki huh?" Lars' eyes suddenly went towards the goddess and he observed her with a critical eye.
For a split second, his pupils turned to slits and his golden eyes glowed.
'With her divinity, she must be holding back a lot of her impulses to trick people and kill them for fun.' Lars squinted his eyes.
Loki wasn't just a playful god. Loki was malicious and an agent of chaos.
So he was surprised that she could even form a familia. 'Their divinities must be really suppressed here in Gekai.'
"It's nice to see you, goddess Loki." Lars bowed and the others saw the blatant change in his behavior.
"Why so formal, kid?" Loki tried to play it off, but his words shook them.
"It's simple, I don't trust you at all. A god that plays around with human lives, you think all of this is a game, don't you?" The tension increased suddenly.
They could feel his hostility. And the executives started sweating at the otherworldly pressure he was starting to emit.
"If you were serious in trying to close the dungeon, then why did you exile Zeus? Their familias finished 2 of the 3 great quests." Lars was getting heated.
"Lars, how about you go and play outside for a bit?" Demeter was panicking inside. The malice coming from him started to make her nervous.
'His skill is starting to activate... That kind of hatred can only be matched by the dungeon.'
"We're not finished here, Loki." Lars looked at her like she was a heinous criminal and he went to the dungeon.
"Who... Who is that, Demeter?" Loki furrowed her brows.
"Airmid's partner, don't take it against him Loki. He has a bad experience with gods." Demeter explained and Loki nodded.
"It was all directed at you Loki, that malice and hatred. It felt like the dungeon was walking around." Riveria who was sensitive to things like that furrowed her brows.
"My thumb's hurting, we need to look out for him." Finn was worried. He could feel it in his bones, he wasn't normal at all.
"The lad's just a wee boy, what are you so worried about? He most likely has a past trauma." Gareth reasoned.
"He moves like her, Gareth... I will never forget the sheer confidence and movements of that person..." Riveria furrowed her brows.
"Who?" Gareth couldn't remember, but then. Someone suddenly entered his mind. They were but level 5 then.
"The monster of calamitous talent? But how?" Gareth shuddered when he remembered that woman.
"I don't know... But I don't want to know... If he's the next incarnation of her." Riveria was scared.
He definitely didn't like Loki. And when they fought Alfia a year ago, she was obviously holding back against them, by miles.
And here he was, walking around in broad daylight, someone like her. "Wait, is he perhaps the reason why Demeter's adventurer leveled up to 2?" Finn wondered.
"I think you've overstayed your welcome, Loki~" Demeter didn't want them there for a single more second.
"Y-yeah..." Loki hasn't seen someone look at her with such cold eyes before.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.
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