The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

4/5

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For a while after that, Yoru's life seemed to return to normal. He continued to wander the Dungeon—only to still encounter absolutely no monsters.

He had already burned through all his money, once again relying on Hestia's financial support.

With a helpless sigh, Yoru sat down randomly on the fifth floor of the Dungeon. Spending money feels effortless when you have it, but once it's gone, it's just painful.

He'd casually blown 2,000 valis that one night. Thinking back on it now, it was pretty extravagant—that was half a month's wages for Hestia.

By now, the fifth floor of the Dungeon had practically become Yoru's backyard. He was incredibly familiar with it… though still hadn't run into a single monster.

As for Eina, she had long grown numb to it. Even if she wanted to bang her head against a wall, she still couldn't figure out why Yoru just never encountered monsters.

Was it some kind of special constitution? Or was he just impossibly lucky? Or was there something else entirely?

Eina had no answer. And she had a feeling that, for a long time to come, she would remain Yoru's personal advisor—because he still hadn't completed his first task: kill a goblin.

On the other hand, the incident involving the Loki Familia had been kept under tight wraps. Everyone in the know had been ordered not to spread a word about it, so no rumors about Yoru had surfaced.

There were no tales like "a Level 1 adventurer defeating a Level 5" or "possesses an unimaginably powerful ice-type magic."

However, several different versions of Yoru and Riveria's "romance" had made their rounds.

But those kinds of idle gossip quickly died out. After all, everyone knew Yoru and Riveria weren't realistically possible. Not only was there a vast difference in status, but inter-familia marriages were practically unheard of.

As for the beastman Bert, after waking up, he seemed to have taken a major emotional blow. He hadn't gone to see Aiz Wallenstein even once, and instead quietly ventured deep into the Dungeon for solo training.

"It's already been half a month… I wonder how Riveria is doing."

Not seeing Riveria for two weeks left Yoru feeling dazed and unsettled. He wanted to see the girl he missed… but learned instead that the Loki Familia had gone on another expedition.

"Want to catch up to my Riveria? You'll have to work much harder than this. Right now, you might be a little interesting—but in terms of absolute power? You're still not worth mentioning."

That's what the red-haired, squinting goddess Loki had said. Remembering her words, Yoru unconsciously clenched his fist.

"Absolute strength, huh…"

What exactly counts as absolute strength?

With that thought in mind, Yoru slowly stood up, his hands brushing against the Dungeon walls. A biting chill spread from his palms—so cold it made one shiver. Filthy frost crept along the surface slowly and elegantly, coating the surrounding walls in pristine white.

"…So boring. Are you really that afraid of me?"

He murmured, his head lowered, voice barely audible. The walls around him seemed to shudder, as though answering his question.

Wherever the frost touched, the Dungeon's walls began to crack, and deep red liquid—like blood—began to ooze out. Accompanied by a beastlike wail of agony, the pristine frost was stained a ghastly crimson.

◇

Dungeon City Orario.

It had existed since the Age of the Gods, even before the deities descended—one of the greatest cities in the world, and the only city with a Dungeon.

It offered the thrill of the unknown, immense riches, dazzling fame, and power.

Everything a person could dream of.

So naturally, people flooded here—some even hoping for a fateful encounter.

The "hottest city in the world."

That's what people called Orario.

And inevitably…

Those who sought entertainment even more fervently than adventurers—the gods—flocked to this city as well.

"…A divine banquet?"

That night, Yoru sat on the bed, shirt off, as usual, letting Hestia check his status. Hearing the words from the goddess behind him, he tilted his head in confusion.

"Yup! This time, it's hosted by Ganesha—it's a 'Divine Banquet.' Basically just a private party for the gods."

"The so-called 'Divine Banquet' is just a gathering for us gods who descended to the lower world. There are no rules—any god can host one whenever they feel like it, and any god who wants to join, joins."

"Gods sure are capricious."

Yoru chuckled and shook his head.

"Right? But there's free food! So of course I'm going."

While chatting, Hestia finished transcribing his updated status.

"…Still no growth, huh?"

Hestia didn't say anything right away, and Yoru guessed the truth from her silence.

"Yeah… no changes at all," she sighed.

It had been twenty days since Yoru became an adventurer, yet not a single stat had risen.

"It's fine. No growth is no growth. For a mage, that kind of thing isn't that important anyway."

Yoru said it casually, but Hestia looked curious.

"Have you already figured out how to cast your magic?"

"Yeah, I think I've got the hang of it a bit… but I'm not totally sure."

He flipped his palm up. A wave of freezing cold burst forth from it, instantly coating the dimly lit basement in a thin layer of frost.

"Eek! So cold, so cold, so cold!"

The moment he released the chill, Hestia yelped and shrank back, trembling.

"Ah—sorry! Are you okay, Hestia?"

He pulled back the magic and gently wrapped the shivering goddess in his arms.

"I'm fine now… Being in your arms like this feels… unbelievably warm."

Nestled close, Hestia closed her eyes in contentment, like a kitten curled up with its master.

The cold came fast and left just as quickly—like it was completely under Yoru's control.

"Amazing! You're the only one I know who can control magic this precisely. Yoru, you're definitely the most powerful mage in all of Orario!"

Blushing, she said it with bright excitement. Yoru, however, just shook his head quietly.

Sure, it looked powerful. Even Loki seemed to acknowledge that. But it still wasn't enough—not true absolute power.

He recalled what Loki had said. What he lacked—what determined everything.

If he wanted to overcome that gap… to truly stand by Riveria's side—he was still far from ready.

He closed his hand around the sliver of frost floating above his palm, clearly aware of what he still lacked.

He seemed powerful—but in truth, he was still as fragile as a child. His lack of physical strength was a fatal flaw. Maybe he'd just been lucky that he hadn't encountered monsters in the Dungeon yet—otherwise, he might already be dead.

True strength came from within. Magic was just an external tool.

Take Riveria, for example. Even if she relied heavily on her powerful magic, her basic combat strength was far beyond what ordinary adventurers could match.

Magic was an incredible supplement—but without physical power to back it up, it was like giving a divine weapon to a child.

"I want to become stronger… Not just by relying on magic. I want all my other stats to reach the same level as my Magic."

Looking at the thin frost in his hand, Yoru spoke with quiet determination.

In his arms, Hestia smiled softly and nodded.

"Mm… I'll help you. I'll help you become even stronger, Yoru."

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