Ottar Level 8 (Lv.8)
Strength: I0 | Endurance: I0 | Dexterity: I0 | Agility: I0 | Magic: I0
Development Abilities: Hunter: D | Abnormal Resistance: E | Magic Resistance: F | Strong Body: G | Spirit Healing: I
Magic: [Hildisvini]
Skills: [Vana Arganture (Summon War Boar)] • Optional activation. • Transformation into a beast, granting a massive boost to all abilities and attributes. • Consumes significant physical and mental energy upon activation.
[Freyr (I am Combat, I am Existence)] • During continuous combat, the development ability "Recovery" manifests temporarily. • During continuous combat, the development ability "Mind Heal" manifests temporarily. • During continuous combat, all acquired development abilities are enhanced. • Conditions for continuous combat depend on the ability ───────.
"The accumulated achievements are engraved here. Congratulations, Ottar, on reaching new heights."
"Ha! I thank you most graciously. I apologize for my long absence from your protection."
The Tower of Babel, Orario's tallest structure, was built at the city's heart a thousand years ago by a genius of the divine era.
On its topmost floor stood the silver-haired goddess who seemed to be the divine embodiment of beauty itself ─── Freya, leader of the Freya Familia, one of the two ruling powers in Orario. Beside her stood her captain, the boar-man Ottar. Having been updated with divine blood, his attributes had reached a new threshold: Level 8.
No one had witnessed a promotion to Level 8 in over a decade, not since the city's previous two great powers—the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia—had departed.
"Hehe, it is fine. By the way, did you know? Al has also ascended, just like you."
"What?!..."
Ottar knew the Loki Familia had ventured into the uncharted floors, but he hadn't expected a level up. Despite knowing Al's unnatural growth rate, he never imagined the boy would ascend less than six months after reaching Level 7.
With this achievement, both had truly surpassed the heroes of the former two great Familias: "Boushoku" and "Silence."
While they had not yet reached the rank of the "Empress"—the strongest and most dangerous subordinate at the peak of the divine era—Al would likely reach her soon. Ottar, who had lived through the previous golden age and possessed the qualities of a hero himself, had never known a subordinate so overflowing with talent.
The boy seemed like a reincarnation of the woman known as "Silence," an anomaly even within the terrifying Hera Familia of the past.
He possessed the potential to become the hero that appears once in a millennium. Perhaps his talent was even enough to reach a level no mortal had ever touched ─── Level 10.
"No matter how much he is cornered, his soul remains stainless. It is like polished obsidian—or rather, a soul so black it resembles a void in a deep canyon, untouched by any other flicker of light."
Ottar resolved once more to continue growing. As he sank into thought, Freya continued, her expression like that of a girl lost in love. At the same time, she smiled with the tenderness of a mother looking at her child—a gaze reserved for something incredibly precious.
Was it love, tenderness, or something else? Regardless, Freya clearly held extraordinary feelings for Al. Perhaps it was something akin to a maternal instinct.
"In truth, I wanted to claim him, but his soul is already complete. Neither I nor Loki can lighten that darkness or deepen it."
Pitch black yet pure. Innocent yet flawed. A contradictory soul that seemed never to have known defilement, while simultaneously appearing as though defilement itself had condensed within it.
An impenetrable soul, towering in its isolation and solitude. All of it combined to form a perfect masterpiece. This was Freya's assessment of Al. A soul like obsidian, appearing as though dyed in all the world's vices, yet never stained by them.
"..... For some reason, I feel that Astraea or Artemis might be the ones capable of changing him."
Freya whispered as she recalled two goddesses she hadn't seen in a long time; one had left the city, and the other.....
"As for me, I want to obtain his brother, that incomplete radiance. .. Will you help me?"
Despite everything, her interest in Bell, who was still growing and incomplete, far outweighed her interest in the already-finished Al. To Freya, Al was merely a display piece—a masterpiece to be contemplated. She could touch him if she wished, but she never intended to interfere with him.
In the past, she had exerted every effort to claim him at any cost, but no matter what she did, she couldn't shake Al's soul. So, she had given up. Now, simply looking at him was enough to satisfy her completely. But Bell, with his beauty born of incompleteness and potential, was the one Freya truly wished to bring into her fold.
"I am at your command."
●○●○●
"Lord Helios, I hear luck is exceptionally on your side today..... I have a proposal. Would you care to join us in the VIP room?"
A stout dwarf appeared before Helios ( Al's alias) as he continued his winning streak. This man, dressed in high-quality attire, was Terry Cervantes, the casino owner and the man responsible for buying Anna.
He spoke with a smile that appeared friendly but reeked of a merchant's cunning.
"The VIP room, you say?"
"─── Yes, please do not worry. It is simply an invitation to enjoy higher stakes. I will provide games found only in that room, along with the finest services."
Terry gestured toward a door at the end of the hall. Behind it lay the space reserved for only a select few—the entrance to the VIP lounge.
"The elite and the wealthy gather there, Lord Helios. Perhaps there are conversations to be had that only those of your status would understand."
Contrary to his sweet words, a suspicious glint flickered in Terry's eyes as he appraised Al like merchandise. Al feigned ignorance and nodded. Terry smiled and turned to lead the way.
Al followed Terry toward the VIP room. When the large double doors opened, they revealed a vast space adorned with lavish, extravagant decorations.
The room was bathed in the soft glow of magic stone lamps and featured expensive tables and chairs. The people seated around them wore clothes even more refined than the wealthy patrons outside.
The feverish atmosphere of the common gambling halls was absent here. Instead, it felt like a social salon. Servants moved with practiced grace to serve drinks and snacks while the guests enjoyed their conversations.
On the heavy round tables, playing cards were laid out, and white betting chips were piled high like mountains. The dealers were attractive men and women, while the players engaged in their matches with serious looks and cards in hand.
"By the way, isn't that the one who shone in that War Game....."
The gaze of Terry, who was leading the group, shifted toward Bell. The name of Bell, who had achieved greatness in the War Game against the Apollo Familia by facing several high-level adventurers led by Hyakinthos—who had been far stronger—and had leveled up at a near-world-record pace, was known even to non-adventurers. How could a prominent merchant managing a vital Orario business like a casino not know him?
Bell grew flustered under the sudden scrutiny. Before he could make a mistake, Al intervened.
"Yes, I met him when I recently arrived in Orario. Isn't it better to establish ties with promising adventurers early on?"
"Haha, that is quite true."
As their conversation paused, one of the wealthy men in the room rose, approached them, and spoke to Terry in a friendly tone.
"I am enjoying myself tonight as well, Manager."
"And who might these be?"
"Allow me to introduce them. This is Lord Alec Helios, visiting our establishment for the first time. Beside him is his wife, Lady Siri."
"I have come here thanks to the Manager's generosity. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It is a pleasure to meet you all."
Amidst the welcoming atmosphere for the new face, Al felt internally bored but maintained a polite smile as he greeted everyone. As Al and Cassandra (under her alias Siri)—who was trembling at being treated as a wife—nodded, followed by Bache and Bell acting as guards, a beautiful demi-human woman served them drinks.
While Cassandra took her glass with a shaking hand, Al quietly observed Bell and Bache. Both seemed overwhelmed by the room's opulence but appeared to have regained their composure after the initial shock.
"By the way, these beautiful ladies I've been seeing....."
Al directed a casual, probing comment to Terry while looking at the beautiful Elf and human girls wearing stunning dresses.
"They are, well—it might sound bad—but they are my mistresses....."
"Ho....."
"It might sound arrogant of me to say, but they truly responded to my advances."
Ignoring Terry's boastful words, Al looked at the beauties standing behind him. They were truly beautiful, but their eyes were hollow, and their faces lacked any vitality. They were as emotionless as dolls.
Al concluded that they, like Anna, were mere acquisitions whom Terry had forced into submission using his wealth.
Terry admired the girls behind him for a moment before looking back at Al. Although he tried to hide it superficially, his eyes oozed a sense of superiority and a vulgar gaze. Around the necks of these doll-like women were collars indicating they were Terry's private property—a sign they were mere objects, their will entirely ignored. It was a heinous act permitted only in this space beyond Orario's laws.
Al narrowed his eyes for a moment, then regained his fake smile and turned to Terry. Surely the other guests were of the same ilk—scum who profited by following Terry. As for Bell and Cassandra, who knew the full story, their expressions turned slightly bitter.
Furthermore, Al noticed a human girl with flaxen hair among those women. The girl, wearing a pure white and exquisite dress, looked at first glance like a noble's daughter. But like the others, she wore a collar. Her beauty, which might drive gods to seek her hand, was drowned in darkness, leaving no trace. The bright, gentle aura she once had as a flower shop girl had vanished completely, replaced by a bleak and oppressive atmosphere.
Although her appearance—eyes downcast and head bowed—was beautiful enough to charm any man, the sight was not pleasing to Al. For Al, his preference in women depended on whether their souls were bleak or not, so he cared little for outward appearance. However, he wasn't depraved enough to feel comfortable seeing this. In the depths of Al's eyes, a cold, sharp light ignited.
Whether Terry realized what was going on in Al's mind or not, he began to brag after noticing the curious glances directed toward Anna. While Al simply nodded in agreement with Terry's boasting, he continued to think internally.
Suddenly, his eyes met Anna's as she raised her head. She looked at him with surprise, her eyes widening. It seemed she had realized Al's true identity. Only a day had passed since then; magic disguises aren't so absolute that they can fool someone who met the person just yesterday. Terry noticed.
"Lord Helios, is something wrong with her face?"
"No, just that I know someone who looks exactly like her."
"According to what I heard from an acquaintance, that girl was sold because her father lost a bet offered by some low-life adventurer."
Terry's face hardened at Al's words. No one but Terry knew Anna's origins.
"And when I looked into it deeply, it turned out that incident was orchestrated by someone....."
When Al hinted that he already knew what Terry had done, the latter's face visibly distorted.
"They say that person hired a low-life adventurer, threatened her father to force him to give her up, and then detained her—all just to have her."
Once Terry realized Al knew everything about Anna, his friendly smile vanished completely. Veins of anger bulged on his forehead, and his face took on a terrifying expression. The women trembled in fear at Terry's ominous rage, while the shrewder guests realized the situation and broke into a cold sweat.
"... Lord Helios. By the way—and though it is a bit late—I heard you belong to the royal family of that Sea Kingdom....."
"No, no. I am from a very distant branch. I am but a minor member at the tail end of the list."
If he made an enemy of a royal family member, even Terry, with his absolute power in the Grand Casino, wouldn't escape the consequences. In truth, this identity was forged by Asfi, and there was no way for Terry to know.
"I do not know who you think she looks like or what you are confusing things with... but it seems you, Lord Helios, regardless of your wife, are quite interested in this one called Anna."
"So, how about a gamble?"
"A gamble?"
"Yes. The winner of the bet earns the right to have a request granted by the loser. Furthermore, we will use only the highest-value chips for this wager."
At a signal from Terry to the servants, a cart loaded with an immense quantity of chips was brought forward. Platinum chips were piled like mountains, their total value far exceeding what Al had won from his previous gambling.
"I will lend you the money. Without this, the gamble we seek would be incomplete."
Tough men surrounded the table as if to say, "You have no choice but to accept." The guests held their breath before these guards, who didn't look like ordinary people. They were trying to intimidate Al and his companions with hostile glares at Terry's signal, but none of them were a match for Al. They were inferior even to Bell, and unfortunately, none among them possessed the skill to see through the "disguise" of Al and Bache.
"Fine. I accept this gamble."
Terry smiled inwardly as Al accepted without hesitation and tried to regain his composure.
"What about you gentlemen!! Whoever wins, I shall grant their wish!!"
At Terry's words, which regained their confident tone, the guests who had recovered their calm announced their participation.
"Do you have a preference for the game? If not, we shall play Poker."
"That is up to you."
"Then, victory and defeat are decided by the presence or absence of chips; the person who loses all their starting chips is the loser."
The platinum chips were distributed. One of Terry's subordinates stood before Al and the others to act as the dealer.
"Then, I shall start the betting with twenty chips."
Terry bet twenty chips first. Al's response was ────.
"All-in..... I'll bet everything I have."
" ────── What?"
Al pushed all the chips he had just been handed. Terry and his followers stared, unable to process what was happening, while Cassandra and her companions were in a state of shock. Increasing the bet based on the cards received would make sense, but betting everything before the cards were even dealt was nothing short of sheer madness.
Terry's mind stalled for a moment, but he quickly regained his footing and spoke with a smile.
"Very well, let us begin."
●○●○●
I don't care who succeeds or who achieves their goals, whether they are evil or not—it is none of my business. I am in no position to judge others.
But I consider anyone who succeeds in plotting evil schemes better than I do, within my sight..... an enemy.
... Therefore, I will crush them.
I will return the blow twofold even if I am not attacked.
─────── I'm just venting my rage!!
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