Danmachi: The Focalors Familia — Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Ever-burning Flame

Noah sat bare-backed on the edge of the bed, the faint, warm tingle of divine energy settling beneath his skin. Awakening a single magic upon first receiving a Falna was already considered a one-in-a-million miracle. Yet, barely a few days into his journey as an Adventurer, long before he had even caught sight of Level 2, a second magic had taken root in his soul.

Tifa and Robin leaned in close, their initial shyness completely eclipsed by intense curiosity. The soft, pleasant scent of their perfume mingled in the quiet room as they peered over his shoulders, trying to decipher the glowing, complex sacred text flowing across his skin.

Unfortunately, the divine hieroglyphs were impossible for mortal eyes to read.

Furina hastily grabbed a blank sheet of parchment. With practiced, delicate movements, she pressed the paper flat against Noah’s back, channeling a pulse of divinity to translate the sacred script into common text. As she pulled the parchment away, the fresh ink settled into place.

The three of them gathered around the sheet, and the room instantly fell silent. The first thing that captured their absolute attention was the terrifying leap in Noah’s Ability stats.

[Name]: Noah

[Level]: 1

[Ability Stats]

Strength: H-136 -> F-371 (+ 235)

Endurance: H-133 -> F-345 (+ 212)

Dexterity: H-143 -> F-381 (+ 238)

Agility: H-144 -> E-406 (+ 262)

Magic: H-150 -> D-506 (+ 356)

Just below the staggering numerical growth, in the magic column that represented the miracles of the soul, a brand new name sat quietly beside his initial [Ripples of the Past].

[Ever-burning Flame]

Type: Fire attribute attachment magic | Ultra-short chant

Effect: Releases magic power into flames, wrapping around the body to drastically increase all physical stats while allowing the fluid manipulation of fire for combat. At the same time, the user can highly compress these flames and attach them to weapons, granting them ultra-high temperature cutting capabilities. Weapons in this state theoretically possess the potential to cut through anything, but ordinary armaments cannot withstand the extreme heat and will shatter from overload after the battle concludes.

Chant (First stage): [Drive with this wheel of flame]

Chant (Second stage): [Grasp with this sword light]

The atmosphere in the bedroom sank into a heavy, prolonged stagnation.

On the freshly imprinted parchment, the single line reading ‘Magic: D-506′ glared back at them. Breaking through the D-Rank threshold meant that as long as Noah accumulated enough high-level experience points—a great achievement worthy of the gods’ praise—he could choose to Level Up at any given moment.

For the countless Adventurers struggling daily on the brutal line between life and death, this was the exact milestone they bled and dreamed for. But for any Adventurer possessing even a shred of true ambition, rashly leveling up the moment a single stat touched the D-Rank threshold was an act of sheer foolishness. It was tantamount to crippling their own future and squandering their latent potential.

Noah was naturally no exception. His ultimate goal was to push his foundation to the absolute breaking point, grinding his Ability stats until their growth became agonizingly slow, almost entirely stagnant. Only then would he even consider crossing the threshold into Level 2.

As for the newly awakened attachment magic, [Ever-burning Flame], it completely shattered his expectations. He had never imagined that deep within the recesses of his soul, alongside the lingering obsession with Alfia, such a scorching, destructive potential lay dormant.

The sheer combat value of an attachment magic was unquestionable. One only needed to look at the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein, who stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Loki Familia. She commanded the awe and fear of countless Adventurers purely by relying on her signature wind-attribute attachment magic. This new fire-attribute power of his was destined to become a devastatingly powerful trump card.

However, just as Noah was silently analyzing his new capabilities, an extremely dissatisfied voice shattered the quiet peace of the room.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Furina hopped down from the bed, planting her hands firmly on her hips. She puffed out her cheeks, her striking heterochromatic eyes brimming with theatrical grievance and loud protest.

“I, Focalors, am the Goddess of Justice who presides over the waters! Yet my chief Familia member, my very own captain, awakens a second magic that is entirely fire-attribute? Where does this leave my dignity? Water and fire—this is nothing short of a blatant betrayal!”

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, acting as though she had suffered some grievous, unforgivable insult. With a dramatic flair, she pressed the back of her delicate hand against her forehead, swaying slightly as if she might faint from the sheer audacity of it all.

Noah simply sighed, a faint smile touching his lips, while Robin and Tifa turned their heads away, struggling to stifle their laughter. They all knew perfectly well that Furina wasn’t genuinely upset; this was merely her daily dose of theatrical indulgence.

“Alright, alright.”

Noah sat up from the edge of the bed, calmly pulling his shirt over his shoulders. He reached out, gently patting her head to soothe her manufactured outrage. “It is just magic, Furina. It doesn’t represent anything. My devotion is always directed toward you, my great Goddess of Justice.”

“Hmph. Smooth talker.”

Furina snorted, turning her head away, though the tense, pouty expression on her face softened considerably. A sly glimmer flashed in her eyes as she immediately seized the golden opportunity.

“However… I suppose I can forgive you. Unless, of course, you agree to a few minor conditions to make up for the immense emotional trauma inflicted upon my fragile heart.”

By the end of the morning, Noah found himself signing away his freedom to a series of highly unequal treaties. The terms included a strict ‘double the dessert supply for the next week’clause, a mandatory’accompany me shopping tomorrow with absolutely no mention of the Dungeon’rule, and an ironclad agreement to’buy me the first beautiful dress I lay my eyes on’. Only after these demands were met did Furina magnanimously declare that she could temporarily overlook the eyesore of his fire-attribute magic.

And so, the very next morning arrived.

Bound by the treaties of the previous day, Noah took a rare, well-deserved day off to escort his high-spirited Goddess through the city. The consecutive days of high-intensity slaughter and exploration in the Dungeon had indeed left his mind feeling a bit taut, making this the perfect opportunity to unwind and reset.

Looking back, despite having lived in Orario for a decent amount of time, he had never truly wandered the sprawling streets of the labyrinth city. When it came to handling the commercial districts and hidden alleys, Furina was leagues ahead of him.

The morning sun hung bright and warm in the sky. The streets were packed with a bustling sea of people, overflowing with the raw, chaotic vitality unique to Orario. Fully armed Adventurers marched in tight-knit groups toward the towering silhouette of Babel, while the loud, rhythmic shouts of street vendors rose and fell in a lively chorus. The crisp, ringing sound of metal colliding at the smithies blended smoothly with the rich, mouth-watering aromas of roasted meats and sweet pastries wafting through the air.

Furina held firmly onto Noah’s hand, practically dragging him along with boundless energy. She pointed excitedly at an elegant dress displayed in a high-end boutique window one moment, only to be entirely distracted by the sugary scent of a nearby crepe stall the next, chattering happily without a single pause.

As they handled away from the main thoroughfare and passed through a relatively quiet, cobblestone street in District 7, two distinct figures approached from the opposite direction.

One was a slender elven woman with pale green hair, carefully balancing a large paper bag overflowing with fresh vegetables and fruits. Walking closely behind her was a beautiful young girl with short, soft gray hair and matching gray eyes, carrying a smaller basket of supplies.

The moment Furina spotted the green-haired elf, her eyes lit up like stars. She tightened her grip on Noah’s hand and practically hauled him over to intercept them.

“What a coincidence! Ryu, are you out shopping for the tavern?”

Furina spoke with the easy familiarity of an old friend, though in truth, they were only passing acquaintances. Still, she had always maintained a rather pleasant dynamic with the quiet, efficient elven waitress.

“Goddess Focalors.”

The green-haired elf, Ryu, stopped in her tracks. She offered a slight, respectful bow, her posture and manners remaining impeccably elegant and proper despite the heavy groceries in her arms.

Furina beamed, waving enthusiastically at the gray-haired girl standing just behind the elf. “Syr! Good morning to you too!”

Syr offered a warm, cheerful smile, dipping her head to return the polite greeting.

Ryu straightened up, her calm gaze shifting briefly to the young man standing beside the Goddess. “Yes. We are currently purchasing some fresh morning supplies for the Hostess of Fertility.”

Puffing out her chest with unmistakable pride, Furina pulled Noah forward, presenting him to the two waitresses as if showing off a priceless treasure. “Allow me to introduce you! This is the captain of my Familia, Noah. He is incredibly amazing, you know.”