novelraw Chapter 132 132: Ascension!
Chapter 132 132: Ascension!
Ron
Level: Lv2
Strength: SSS1356
Endurance: SSS1457
Dexterity: SSS1130
Agility: SSS1201
Magic: SS1076
...
Up until the moment before the level ascension, Ron's various attributes had already reached an extremely astonishing degree. Looking across Orario, there was absolutely no adventurer who could compare.
Thinking of the talent he possessed, as well as the effort and sweat he had poured in, Hestia instead felt that—his ability values ought to be this high. Using the great feat he had already accomplished, she carried out the level ascension.
All the ability values of Lv2 were completely transformed into the foundation of Ron's body, emptying the cup that had long been filled to the brim with water, making room for the brand-new level that would come next.
"Hard to believe..."
"But this is the miracle you created, Ron."
After the level ascension was carried out, an adventurer could choose a Development Ability according to their own experiences. Hestia briefly scanned through them before finally stopping on the available options.
[Escape]
[Monster Hunter]
"Ron."
"The Development Abilities are Escape and Monster Hunter. Which one will you choose?" The girl handed the choice of Development Ability over to Ron, who was seated beneath her.
The so-called Development Ability was something that could produce unexpected effects when fighting monsters in the Dungeon.
"Of course Escape."
If it were the conventional Dungeon, then 'Monster Hunter' would be the unquestionable choice. But after heading toward the Middle Floors, that was equivalent to leaving the newbie-village area of a Soulslike Dungeon.
The difficulty that came next…
Ron simply did not dare to imagine it. Nothing was more practical than running away. After confirming the Development Ability, the ascension of this level finally came to an end.
The most intuitive feeling—was that, compared to when he had ascended to Lv2 before, the increase in strength this time was extremely obvious, as if every cell in his body had been infused with vitality.
And after his strength increased so rapidly, even while lying on the soft bed, he could still clearly feel that the limbs of his body were noticeably uncoordinated.
He smiled easily, yet his tone was especially firm: "Only by staying alive and leaving the Dungeon safely can one go farther and farther on the path of being an adventurer."
"That's only natural."
"After all, I'm still very worried about you."
Hestia did not deny it. Compared to the shock brought by the first level ascension, the miracles that frequently appeared on Ron had already made her accustomed to them.
If there was really something she wanted to say…
That was probably it—hoping that this bond with him could continue in Orario.
The girl lightly clapped her hands, her tone full of excitement. "From now on, Ron, you're also a Lv3 adventurer in Orario."
"Keep up the good work!"
"I might still need Lady Hestia to update my ability values." Ron had no intention of getting up for the moment. Feeling that softness unique to Hestia, there was something more important he needed to deal with at this stage.
Merely mastering the 'Tarnished' and 'Sekiro' templates… was already enough for him to fight above his level. And before initiating the War Game, the high-intensity Dungeon battles, making use of the Monster Feast mechanism bug, had allowed Soul Shards to accumulate to a considerable degree.
Extract a Character Save Slot.
It might even bring a qualitative change to his combat methods!
Thinking of this, he could not help feeling anticipation, like a gacha hoarder in a two-dimensional game who had finally saved enough primogems to pull characters from the banner.
'I can't even imagine how strong I'll be after obtaining a new Character Save Slot!'
Most importantly, the 'Tarnished' and 'Sekiro' Character Save Slots he currently possessed would also gain even stronger abilities as his adventurer level increased.
As the Soul Shards disappeared, a prompt appeared before Ron's eyes.
[Consume 1000 Soul Shards to draw a random character card?]
[Obtained Character Save Slot: Ashen One.]
"?!"
Ashen One.
There was no detailed annotation about this Character Save Slot, yet it still gave Ron an overwhelming sense of familiarity. Compared to Elden Ring, it was likewise a Souls-type game.
One that he would never forget, Dark Souls!
'Are we about to begin linking the fire in the world of DanMachi?'
Ron felt an indescribable sense of strangeness in his mood. Yet without a doubt, this brand-new Character Save Slot 'Ashen One' would absolutely bring unexpected surprises.
"Sorry for the trouble, Lady Hestia."
"For something like updating ability values, I'm willing to help you anytime." Fully aware of the special nature of Ron's skills, even though Hestia still could not interpret his abilities up to now, she only needed to know that Ron, who possessed such talent, was her familia member.
And that, deep in her heart, he occupied an extremely important place.
[Skill: Character Save Slot]
Can consume Soul Shards to draw character cards and obtain different abilities
Only one character card can be used at the same time
The number and strength of character cards increase as personal level rises
Current character cards: (Tarnished / Sekiro / Ashen One)
[Ashen One]
Innate Potential: Absorb flames to temporarily increase Strength and Endurance.
Excessively powerful strength will erode one's own life force. Precisely because of this, such power remains deeply concealed.
Sunlight Healing: Greatly restores one's own condition and that of nearby targets.
"..."
'Ashen One'
Hestia did not know how to describe it. She always felt that the name of this so-called skill sounded somewhat strange. Just from the implications that spread from the name, it did not seem particularly good.
As for the effect, compared with the 'Sekiro' Ron previously possessed, it was simply not the same type at all.
She could not understand it.
But the girl was deeply shocked in her heart. She handed the parchment to Ron.
"These are the updated ability values. 'Ashen One' somehow sounds a bit strange?"
"..."
Ron did not continue lying prone on the bed. His gaze swept over the parchment containing the updated ability values. After performing the level ascension, all ability values had been initialized.
There was nothing much to look at.
He chose to ignore it directly, his gaze locking onto the detailed abilities of the Character Save Slot.
'Innate Potential'
'So…'
'So… the route the Ashen One Character Save Slot gives me is a pyromancer-caster build?'
A very common skill combination.
This had already begun to show signs in the 'Tarnished' and 'Sekiro' templates—passive skills that provided practical combat buffs, as well as methods that offered bodily recovery.
As for the strange feeling mentioned by Hestia, Ron was not in a position to comment. After all, in the worldview of Dark Souls III, Ashen One were those failures who had failed to link the fire, undead who were resurrected upon being summoned.
And Hestia was the goddess who presided over the sacred flame…
Placing such a strange combination within the world of DanMachi, where the crisis of the Black Dragon destroying the world was about to arrive, he unexpectedly found a kind of bizarre sense of logic in it.
Facing the girl's probing gaze, as well as that almost tangible gentleness, Ron did not explain. He smiled and changed the subject: "At least during the next Dungeon explorations, even if we encounter large numbers of monsters, the fear of insufficient firepower has now been completely solved."
"That's good."
The trace of worry that had arisen in Hestia's heart gradually disappeared. After all, the abilities of the Character Save Slot required paying a corresponding price. After receiving a clear answer, she chose to trust Ron unconditionally.
However, the girl did not notice that when Ron switched back to the 'Tarnished' save slot and saw the additional ability obtained after the save slot level rose to Lv3, complex emotions flowed through his eyes.
'Sacred Seal'
'Frenzied Flame incantations…'
'With Innate Potential that absorbs flames… pairing it with Frenzied Flame incantations—is that even balanced?'
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