Chapter 24: Ready for an Upgrade?

The events that took place in Loki's divine chamber were known only to the heads and officers of Loki's Familia, and no one else.

However, starting from this day, the members of Loki's Familia were surprised to find that the officers, for some unknown reason, began to go out frequently.

Bert, Tiona, Tione, and even Aiz, who had recently become even more taciturn than before, drastically reduced their appearances at the House of Twilight. They would rush out early every morning, neglecting the processing of spoils and the celebration feasts for returning from expeditions.

This left many members of Loki's Familia puzzled, leading to widespread discussions.

"What's going on with the officers?"

"Why are they going out every day recently?"

"Is there something important they need to handle?"

"I heard someone saw the officers entering the dungeon before dawn and not returning until late at night. Are they suddenly working hard?"

"But why?"

Everyone was full of questions, and some even went to ask the three giants of the leadership, only to receive a response that was even more confusing.

"They're just feeling pressured. Don't worry about them, let them be."

This was the consistent response from the three giants, leaving the Familia members who received the news somewhat bewildered.

"Pressure?"

"The officers are feeling pressure?"

"Who could possibly pressure them?"

This was the most perplexing part.

Unfortunately, the leaders had no intention of explaining, merely smiling and brushing off the matter, leaving the concerned Familia members to suppress their doubts.

Rig also learned about this. While he found it somewhat surprising, he was not shocked.

As Loki had said, knowing that someone with a cheat is chasing after them, anyone with a bit of ambition and competitiveness would feel pressured, let alone these officers who were originally geniuses.

Unlike the three giants, who were older and had extensive experience, the officers still had a competitive and unwilling-to-lose spirit.

In fact, in terms of age, the officers were still quite young.

For example, the Amazonian twin sisters, Tiona and Tione, though they are already Level 1 adventurers, are only 17 years old, the same age as Rig in this life.

Aiz, the strongest female swordsman in Orario and the record holder for the fastest Level 2 promotion, is only 16 years old, one year younger than Rig in this life.

Bert is a bit older, at 22, but compared to the three giants of the leadership, he is still a young man.

Finn, the small human-like being who looks like a human child, is actually 42 years old, while Gries is 56. As for the long-lived elf, Riria, she is said to be the second oldest in the entire Familia, after Loki. No one dares to ask her age, for fear of being burned to ashes by the strongest mage in Orario.

Compared to such leaders, Aiz and the other officers are completely young, which is why Gries often complains about their impatience and lack of maturity.

In this situation, although Rig is a newcomer, he is in the same age group as Aiz and the others.

Given this, it is only natural that he would be seen as a competitor.

Even though Rig knows that if he counts his age from his previous life, he would be the oldest among the officers, and probably only younger than the three giants in the Familia, to outsiders, Rig is undoubtedly still a young junior.

This greatly stimulated the competitive spirit of the young geniuses.

"Loki clearly knew this would happen, so he deliberately used me to motivate them, right?"

Rig understood this but had no objections.

It is normal for the Familia's deity to want her children to work harder and improve.

If his presence could motivate the geniuses in the Familia to work harder, it would definitely be a good thing.

Of course, considering Loki's character, the deity might also have a bit of a desire to watch the show.

For this reason, Riria protested to Loki for a while, making the deity laugh and apologize for a long time before she calmed down.

Rig had heard Loki mutter something.

"The only thing to worry about is Aiz. If she gets too stimulated and does something rash, I'll probably get my head bashed in by Riria."

Rig took Loki's muttering to heart.

Because he had also noticed that since learning about his ability values, Aiz's emotions seemed to have become somewhat unstable.

Originally, she was not very good at expressing her feelings, appearing somewhat cold, which is why she was often called the "Doll Princess." She was usually very quiet, making it hard to understand her thoughts.

After that day, Aiz became even more taciturn, going out early and returning late every day, often dirty and disheveled. Compared to Rig, who sought thrills and often explored floors beyond his capabilities, she was not far behind.

Rig was somewhat concerned about this.

After all, he knew very well what kind of person Aiz Warrenstein was and the tragic wish she harbored.

When he asked Aiz to teach him magic, Rig had precisely this in mind.

"I really want to become strong quickly."

This sentence also reflected Aiz's deepest desire.

With this statement, Aiz was moved and agreed to teach Rig magic.

Therefore, Rig knew that the young girl named Aiz Warrenstein, like him, was desperately eager to become stronger.

If his growth stimulated her to the point of doing something rash, Rig would feel bad.

After all, she was his mentor in magic and sword skills, and he did not want her to lose her composure because of him.

Thus, Rig decided to talk to Loki about this matter.

However, Loki seemed completely unconcerned.

"Don't worry, we have it under control."

In the divine chamber at night, Loki updated Rig's ability values while talking.

"We know Aiz better than anyone. Finn and I are keeping an eye on her, so it's not something you need to worry about."

Loki showed no concern, instead appearing relaxed, one hand sliding on Rig's back, the other holding a wine bottle, drinking until her face was red.

"Are you sure you have it under control?"

Rig ignored the drunkard, frowning as he asked.

"Relax, relax." Loki laughed drunkenly, saying, "When it gets too much, Mama-san will step in."

Mama-san must refer to Riria.

Indeed, as the eldest in the Familia, Riria has a warm and caring side, showing more concern for the younger members than any other leader.

She is like a mother, watching over many in the Familia, especially Aiz, whom she has raised since childhood, almost like a daughter.

Even for a newcomer like Rig, Riria has shown warmth and care, and she is likely the one most closely monitoring Aiz's condition.

If she judges that Aiz cannot continue like this, she will indeed intervene.

"Alright!"

While Rig was deep in thought, Loki's relaxed voice sounded.

"Here, this is your latest ability values."

Loki handed the parchment to Rig.

Rig took it and read it.

Rig Brihaut

Level 1

Strength: D555 → C678

Endurance: D548 → C666

Agility: C623 → B772

Dexterity: C637 → B793

Magic: I0 → F314

"Tsk, tsk, another exaggerated growth."

Loki sipped her wine, unsure if she was trying to get drunk to numb herself from Rig's growth rate or if she was already used to it, smiling.

"All abilities improved by over 850 in total, especially the 'Magic' attribute. It's enough to scare a god. You've been using Aiz's magic a lot, haven't you?"

Loki marveled.

She was right.

To improve the 'Magic' attribute, Rig had recently focused on practicing magic, using it frequently.

In fact, his decision to learn Aiz's magic from the beginning was undoubtedly wise.

The ultra-short incantation附加 magic was very convenient and easy to use, with a one-second activation time, unlike other spells that lose their effect immediately after being cast.

The effects of附加 magic last for a while, not disappearing immediately.

During this period, Rig was essentially using magic continuously.

This frequent use of magic naturally contributed to the growth of his 'Magic' attribute. Additionally, the nature of附加 magic meant that even while using magic, he still had to charge into battle and engage in close combat, which also trained his other abilities, leading to balanced improvement.

"However, the growth rate of the other attributes has slowed down."

Rig mentioned this.

"Be content, brat." Loki rolled her eyes, saying irritably, "Look at what stage your abilities are at. If they don't slow down, I'd start to suspect you're not human but a demigod."

According to the principle that the closer one gets to the S stage, the slower the growth of basic abilities, it is natural that Rig, with two attributes already at the B stage, would not grow as fast as before.

The slowdown is entirely reasonable.

"By the way, with your current status, you should be ready for an upgrade soon, right?"

Loki, holding the wine bottle, looked at Rig and said.

"What do you think?"

Hearing this, Rig fell into deep thought.

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(End of Chapter)