Danmachi: A Despicable Stranger

Chapter 71: Izzy's sense of crisis...

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The news of Izzy's unprecedented monthly upgrade spread rapidly throughout Orario.

With the aid of a bard who lingered briefly in the city before departing, his "remarkable feat" began to reach far beyond Orario's borders, spreading to all corners of the world.

Six or seven years ago, an eight-year-old girl had achieved Level 2 at an astonishing pace, a memory still vivid in the minds of many.

What made her feat even more extraordinary was that she was human—a race often considered inferior in terms of physical strength and intelligence compared to others.

Her record, which matched the fastest known progression to Level 2, had shocked not just Orario but the entire world.

Now, Izzy had shattered that record by an impressive eleven months. It was only a matter of time before this news resonated worldwide. For now, it was still in its early stages of spreading.

The reach of the news extended outward from Orario in ever-expanding circles. The closer one was to the city, the faster they learned of this astounding achievement.

Meanwhile, in Izzy's Room

As the subject of all the buzz, Izzy remained quietly in his room, delving into the details of his newly acquired skills.

Leaving aside the mysterious nature of his developing abilities, Izzy focused on Dark Star.

This ability imbued his magic with a devouring characteristic, allowing it to drain the enemy's physical and magical energy while enhancing his control effects.

Then there were his new skills:

『Morning Star』

A heightened sixth sense that illuminates the path to achieving one's goals, applicable across a wide range of situations.

During combat, it temporarily grants the ability "Intuition," blocking enemy attacks while strengthening all acquired development abilities as the battle progresses.

This sixth sense, comparable to a certain world-renowned revelation ability, allowed Izzy to accomplish his goals with remarkable efficiency.

Whether it involved acquiring knowledge, developing magic, or navigating unfamiliar environments, Morning Star guided him as though by instinct.

It could even alert him to potential crises before they occurred.

The Intuition aspect functioned exactly as Izzy recalled, enabling him to discern "the most optimal action" in combat. He could predict the trajectory of attacks using auditory cues like the sound of wind while significantly reducing interference to his vision and hearing, effectively halving sensory disruption.

Satisfied with his understanding of these abilities, Izzy summoned the system's observation task panel, which he hadn't checked in quite some time.

---

[Main Quest Completed: Adventurer level increased to Lv.2 (Rewards Issued)]

[Current Adventurer Level: Lv.2]

[Updated Main Quest: Adventurer level increased to Lv.3]

[Reward: Weapon Blueprint]

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A New Weapon

Initially, Izzy thought his current silver-gray spear was more than adequate. However, upon reviewing the blueprint , his opinion quickly changed.

The weapon was described as being uniquely bound to its wielder, capable of growing alongside the user's abilities. It boasted indestructible sharpness and carried additional enchantment powers.

"This is on par with the legendary 200-million-Vali black sword!" Izzy thought, his excitement barely contained.

As if a devilish voice whispered in his mind, a sly inner voice suggested:

"Go grind… Just reach Level 3, and this artifact will be yours~"

Though skeptical at first, Izzy couldn't resist the allure.

---

Testing His Strength

A few minutes later, Izzy found himself on the streets, heading toward the Tower of Babel.

It wasn't just about the artifact. He also wanted to test his newly enhanced abilities and gauge his strength after the upgrade.

As he walked through the bustling streets of Orario, brimming with adventurers and merchants, his resolve was clear:

To push his limits, grow stronger, and claim the rewards waiting for him at his next milestone.

What was Izzy's first impression after the upgrade?

He didn't quite know how to describe it.

After all, leveling up as an adventurer wasn't just about increasing strength—it was a profound sublimation of one's very essence, drawing them closer to the divine.

To put it simply, it was as if they had taken a step closer to becoming like the gods themselves.

When an adventurer upgrades, their basic abilities and proficiency are reset to their initial values, beginning anew from I0. However, the accumulated ability values don't vanish. Instead, they are stored as potential and reflected in what the gods call hidden ability parameters.

The true nature of these improvements only becomes evident in battle.

This was why Izzy's first thought after leveling up was to drag Raul along for a dungeon exploration.

---

"Congratulations on leveling up, Izzy! That was so fast. Just one month, and you're already Lv.2. At this rate, you'll catch up to me soon, won't you?"

Raul gave a nervous laugh, scratching his hedgehog-like hair while trying to sound encouraging.

Izzy smirked. "Aren't you still chasing me? Let's talk after you catch up, huh? And… what's with that sinister grin, Raul?"

"Well," Raul said, chuckling mischievously, "I was just thinking… if I want to mess with you, now's probably my last chance. I doubt I'll be able to in the future."

Izzy gave him a skeptical side-eye, the look of someone silently saying, "Are you okay?"

"Hahaha, I'm joking! I'd never actually do that," Raul reassured him, waving his hands. "Speaking of which, though, it's not every day you level up. Once we're back from the dungeon, how about we celebrate?"

Though Loki had already thrown a party that evening to commemorate Izzy's upgrade, everyone could tell her real motive was to drink openly and indulge herself.

Raul, feeling the celebration lacked sincerity, decided to pitch his own idea to Izzy.

"Celebrate? Where are we celebrating?" Izzy asked, blinking in confusion.

Raul smirked, wrapping an arm around Izzy's neck and giving him a meaningful look as he gestured southeast.

"Ah, uh… isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Izzy stammered, pretending to be reserved but already guessing Raul's intentions.

"What's wrong with it?" Raul laughed. "With our income, we can afford to go once. And as long as we keep it discreet, it'll be fine."

Raul's recent financial success from working with Izzy seemed to have awakened a mischievous streak in him. He wasn't just entertaining the idea—he clearly wanted to drag Izzy along with him.

Izzy hesitated, torn between his gut instinct and his rationale.

For some reason, his intuition was warning him that agreeing to this might lead to trouble.

But his reasoning countered: "You could increase your favorability with the charming fox girls. This is an opportunity!"

After a moment of deliberation, Izzy was still hesitant, so Raul tried again to sway him.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Nothing bad will happen! If something does, I'll take full responsibility."

"Oh? You said it, not me." Izzy took mental note of Raul's words, then nodded decisively. "Fine! Let's go check it out"

He reassured himself that he wasn't a lecher, so he wasn't interested in anything beyond curiosity. If anything went wrong, the blame could easily be placed on Raul.

With their plan agreed upon, the two strode toward the Tower of Babel, laughing like old friends embarking on an adventure.

---

Meanwhile, in a small village not far from Orario, the scene was peaceful.

The sky was clear and blue, the forest lush and green, and a gentle stream meandered through the landscape...

The picturesque scenery turned the village into a breathtaking haven.

However, amidst such natural beauty, blood-curdling howls shattered the serenity, echoing through the forest.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh—!"

As the final monstrous scream faded into silence, the forest grew still.

A group of beautiful, determined girls stood at the center of it all, having just finished their hunt.

But was slaying the monsters enough?

Of course not.

The group swiftly split into smaller teams, each tasked with dismantling the defeated monsters' corpses.

Unlike the monsters born within the underground labyrinth, these forest-dwelling beasts produced smaller magic stones. Once the stones were removed, the monsters' remains dissolved into black ash.

Among the ashes, "dropped items" such as claws, teeth, and fur were salvaged.

For these girls, who primarily hunted outside the city, these "dropped items" were a crucial source of income.

The earnings were used to replenish and repair their weapons during their journeys or donated to villagers and communities afflicted by monster attacks. This practice aligned with the teachings of their patron deity, who harbored no material desires.

In earlier battles, the main goddess herself had fought valiantly alongside the girls. Now, however, she found herself cast aside as her companions busily cleaned up the aftermath.

"It's alright, Lady Artemis! Leave the monster corpses to us!"

"That's right, as our goddess, you should act with dignity!"

"..."

The fairy leading the group firmly rejected Artemis' attempts to assist.

The subtle phrasing of their words—"We can't ask you to help clean up the battlefield"—betrayed their unspoken thoughts: they didn't wish to trouble the goddess further after the battle.

After all, this hunt was merely a side task on their way back from fulfilling a commission. The villagers had requested their help in driving away the monsters lingering near their settlement.

For these girls, such a task was simple and routine. Yet, out of respect, they had involved the goddess in their endeavor.

Now, however, Artemis stood at the edge of the battlefield, wearing an indescribable expression as she was politely but firmly dismissed from assisting further.

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