Anime: Passive Inheritance System

Three days had passed since the chaos on the 18th floor. Adventurers who survived the "safe floor" were tirelessly recounting what happened—not just to boast of their feats, but to honor the comrades who had fallen in battle.

As the person who killed the most Goliaths, Kai's name once again echoed throughout Orario. Nearly every tavern had bards putting on dramatic performances, singing about him in ballad-like tones.

A lone figure from the Far East arrived in the labyrinth city, joined the Hestia Familia with nothing to his name, rose to Level 2 in just over two weeks—breaking the fastest record in history. He slew the Minotaur and the Lone King of Labyrinth, Goliath, all by himself. He defeated Loki Familia's "Ferocious Wolf" Bete. His radiant sword shone like a star in the night sky. This tale of his meteoric rise became a living legend once polished by the bards' embellishments.

In a city built on adventuring, life and death were everyday matters. People admired strength and worshiped heroes. And now, this living legend of a hero shared their very city. Every day, countless adventurers made pilgrimages to the Hestia Familia chapel in the outer slums—just to catch a glimpse of the famous black swordsman.

Today was no exception. Early in the morning, over a dozen adventurers had gathered outside the spire-shaped church bathed in sunlight, eyes gleaming with expectation, hoping to see a black-haired, black-eyed young man open the doors.

But they would be disappointed today…

---

On the sixth floor of Babel Tower, soft yellow lamps on both sides of the street cast a warm glow, illuminating the enclosed level. It was early, so other than store clerks waiting at the doors, the streets were deserted.

That quiet was suddenly broken by a bell-like laugh.

"Hey, Kai-kun! I know a place nearby with the best desserts. They're doing a discount promotion too. Let's check it out?"

His arm hooked by a certain busty loli goddess, Kai sighed as he looked into her bright blue eyes filled with excitement.

There were only ten days left until the trial mission the system had mentioned. He should've been hunting monsters every second to boost his stats and skill proficiency. Today he had stayed out of the dungeon just to buy new swords—but now that plan was derailed.

"…Fine."

Letting out a sigh, he gently patted Hestia's head, then took her hand and walked toward the dessert shop she had mentioned.

Orario did have sweets—honey cakes, baked cookies, and the like. While not as varied as modern ones, they existed. Still, because most adventurers were men—and those burly guys preferred booze, meat, and women—desserts had only a small niche market.

One of those niches included the gods.

Having shed their arcanum to descend to the lower world, the gods were here to enjoy mortal life. Delicate pleasures like sweets aligned perfectly with their refined tastes.

As Kai and Hestia entered the shop, two catgirl attendants at the door bowed their heads. Their brown tails swayed elegantly before they greeted them in soft voices.

"Welcome, esteemed Lady Hestia. Welcome, respected adventurer."

Kai wasn't surprised they recognized him as an adventurer. In Orario, nearly all men were. Anyone who had fought monsters carried a certain sharpness that trained eyes could detect.

What did surprise him was how familiar the girls were with Hestia.

While she was once known as a poor goddess, she was still goddess. Many in Orario knew her face. But these girls spoke as if welcoming a regular customer.

Glancing at the polite catgirls, Kai turned to Hestia.

"You've been here before?"

"Ah… Well, a friend brought me here a while ago…"

Hestia looked away shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Lately, thanks to you, our familia's finances have improved a lot, so…"

Her voice trailed into a whisper.

"I'm not blaming you."

Seeing her act like a child caught sneaking snacks, Kai shook his head and led her to a round table. Then he called over a waitress.

Another beastgirl approached, holding a wooden menu in both hands. Behind her swayed a pale yellow, spotted tail.

A leopard girl...

Watching her approach, Kai suddenly felt a powerful sense of déjà vu.

Back when he had just graduated college and got his first paycheck, he had visited a beastgirl-themed café—just to fulfill a gentlemanly dream.

He never imagined such a thing would exist in a fantasy world.

Truly, a true gentleman is never alone—no matter the world.

"Hey, Kai-kun. That look in your eyes right now… it's no good."

Hestia's voice snapped him out of his trance.

Turning, he met her mildly annoyed stare.

Kai shrank back guiltily. "W-What do you mean… no good?"

"You look like you're in heat."

"…"

Stunned by her blunt words, Kai quickly looked away from the leopard girl. Flustered, he muttered, "I'm a healthy adult man, alright? Having these thoughts is perfectly normal…"

"Then just look at me!"

Hands on her hips, Hestia stood up and glared.

"You've got such a perfect woman right here with you. Why do you need to look at anyone else?!"

Perfect, huh…

Kai's eyes briefly drifted toward her chest.

Well, in a certain way… very perfect.

"—Alright! It's settled then!"

"Eh? What is?"

"Since you're free today anyway, why not go on a date with me?"

"D-Date?!"

"Yup—boy meets goddess!"

She struck a pose, one hand on her hip, the other giving a thumbs-up, flashing a sly smile.

"And by the way, this is an invitation from a goddess. Refusing might get you smited, Kai-kun."

…Hey, is it really okay to use your god status to force people into dates?

Speechless at her shameless proposal, Kai could only nod and silently shelve his plans to grind in the dungeon that afternoon.

"Fine. I get it."

Strictly speaking, a relationship between gods and mortals can't go anywhere.

When Kai first arrived in Orario, he used to imagine pink, romantic scenes with Hestia. But over time, reality sank in.

To gods, mortals were like toddlers—emotionally and intellectually. That's why they always said "your kid" instead of referring to adventurers by name or title.

Such a gap in life experience could never produce real love. It's like… a shut-in falling for a 2D waifu—yeah, something like that.

Once Kai understood that, he gave up on Hestia romantically, treating her solely as his goddess.

This "date" he agreed to was more like taking a niece to the amusement park. And Kai was quite experienced at keeping kids entertained.