Hachiman opened the door to his house, his body protesting with every movement. The fight against the irregular Wyvern and the subsequent escape from the horde had taken their toll, even with partial healing. He entered the living room, expecting to find Aqua perhaps dozing or reading, but she was on her feet, pacing back and forth, clearly anxious.
As soon as she saw him, covered in dried monster blood, the armor scratched and dented, she rushed towards him, eyes wide with genuine concern. "Hachiman! You look horrible! What happened?! You took so long! I was starting to think..."
"Calm down, Aqua. I'm fine," he interrupted, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "Encountered a... strong enemy in the dungeon. Had some trouble, but I handled it." He didn't go into details about the near-death experience, the savage fury, or the executions in the alley the day before; she didn't need to know everything. "I just need... a bath. And rest."
"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" she insisted, still examining him with worry.
"The kind that leaves you covered in Wyvern blood," he answered dryly, trying to end the subject. "I'm in one piece, that's what matters. Mostly thanks to the armor."
After a few more minutes of Aqua fluttering around him with worried questions, Hachiman finally managed to convince her he wasn't about to drop dead and headed to the bathroom. The hot water in the bath was an almost heavenly relief for his aching muscles and frayed nerves. As the dirt and blood from the Dungeon washed away, he let his head hang back, closing his eyes.
The relative tranquility, however, didn't last. His mind inevitably returned to recent events. The fight against the Wyvern, the intervention at Bell's scene, the confrontation with the Loki Familia, Finn's offer... and, above all, the unsettling sensation of Freya's gaze upon him. He no longer had any doubts. The Goddess of Beauty had noticed him. The chaos at Monsterphilia, the irregular monsters – it was almost certainly her doing, whether to test him, to observe Bell, or both.
'And now she knows that I know,' he thought, remembering the savage smile he had directed towards the top of Babel. 'This puts me in her sights much more directly.' The Freya Familia's "zealots," especially executives like Ottar and the Gulliver brothers, were notoriously dangerous and obsessive in carrying out their goddess's will. 'If she decides I'm an interesting toy, or worse, a threat to her plans for Bell... I'll have a lot of problems.' The alliance with Hephaestus was valuable protection, but he doubted it could stop Freya if she really decided to act. 'I need strength. Real power. As soon as possible.'
He got out of the bath, renewed determination overcoming exhaustion. He dried himself, put on clean casual clothes, and went to find Aqua in the living room. She was waiting for him, concern still visible in her blue eyes.
"Aqua," he said, his voice firmer now. "I think it's time. Update my status. One last time at Level 1." He had decided in the bath. That last day of hunting, even interrupted, and the fight against the Wyvern had to have yielded the final excelia.
Aqua nodded, understanding the implicit decision. She performed the ritual, the blue light enveloping his back. Hachiman picked up his mirror.
(Reminder: I:0-99, H:100-199, G:200-299, F:300-399, E:400-499, D:500-599, C:600-699, B:700-799, A:800-899, S:900-999, SS:1000-1099, SSS:1100-1199?)
Hikigaya Hachiman Level: 1 (Initial Status of the Day: Str:S-973, End:S-991, Dex:S-961, Agi:S-988, Mag:SSS-1100)
Strength: SS-1073 (Gain of +100) Endurance: SS-1091 (Gain of +100) Dexterity: SS-1061 (Gain of +100) Agility: SS-1088 (Gain of +100) Magic: SSS-1199 (Gain of +99)
Magic: [Unlimited Blade Works] (Hidden) [Single Strike]: An arcane technique of pure concentration and power. The user channels their mana into a single point, accumulating magical energy with lethal precision. The longer the time and the greater the amount of mana concentrated, the more devastating the impact will be. Upon releasing this power in a single attack, the Single Strike has the potential to be fatal, destroying everything in its path with the accumulated force of an unshakeable will. (Newly Acquired) Skill: [A Loner's Protection] (Hidden) [Savage Determination]: When the user fixes on a target and decides on an action, a primal fury awakens within. Their body is seized by an untamable savagery that drastically amplifies their focus and determination. This raw force significantly increases their physical strength, allows them to ignore pain, and hardens their mind against any type of manipulation or mental control. As long as their will persists, nothing will be able to divert them from their goal. (Newly Acquired) Development Ability: [Blacksmith: G]
Hachiman's eyes widened. 'SS?! I... I broke Rank S in basics too?!' Gains of 100 to 150 points on average, just from the fight against the Wyvern. And Magic reached SSS-1199. Was that the absolute limit? Furthermore... 'New abilities? A Skill and a Magic?' He read the descriptions that surfaced in his mind along with the update.
'Savage Determination... so that fury against the Wyvern... was this? Amplifies focus, strength, ignores pain, mental resistance... This is basically a berserker mode controlled by will.' And the magic... 'Single Strike... channel mana for a devastating attack...' He thought of the bow and the blade-arrow he used instinctively against the Infant Dragon. 'Maybe that was a raw manifestation of this?' The new abilities were powerful, dangerous, but potentially decisive.
He was so surprised by the new Skill and Magic and the SS stats that he almost didn't notice the other obvious change in his Falna: the clear, pulsating option to advance.
"Hachi-Hachiman!" Aqua stammered, eyes glued to his back reflected in the mirror, as shocked as he was. "S-S-S-SS in everything! And SSS Magic! And there's new stuff there! What are they?! And... and you can level up! Finally! You're going to level up now, right?! Right?!" Her excitement was palpable, almost vibrating in the air.
Hachiman took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts amidst the avalanche of information and power. Rank SS in basics, SSS in Magic. A focused fury Skill. A devastating concentrated attack Magic. And the option for Level 2. It was time. There was nothing more to gain at Level 1.
"Yes, Aqua," he said, his voice firm. "I'm going to level up."
The instant he made the decision, he felt the Falna react. A gentle warmth spread through his body, and new information surfaced in his mind – the options for his first Development Ability unlocked by the Level Up. The options were the ones he had already considered: Abnormal Resistance, Mage, Hunter, Metallurgy, and... Mystery.
The choice, for him, was obvious. His strength came not only from his stats but from the unique nature of his magic. 'Unlimited Blade Works. Projection. Noble Phantasms.' He remembered the knowledge about D-Rank NPs that emerged when his magic hit Rank S/SS. 'To enhance this, to perhaps one day project more powerful things... Mystery is the only logical choice.' The ability was notoriously rare and enigmatic, but it seemed the most synergistic with his core power.
"I choose... Mystery," he murmured, focusing his intent.
He felt another wave of energy course through his being, different from the status update. It was deeper, more fundamental. A feeling of... expansion. And then, a reset. He felt his basic stats – Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility – return to the starting point: I-0. Magic too, although he sensed the potential behind the SSS-1199 was still there, waiting to be rediscovered and surpassed at Level 2. Along with the reset came another influx of knowledge from UBW: he now understood the principles for analyzing and projecting Noble Phantasms up to Rank C. A new arsenal opened up to him.
He was now Hikigaya Hachiman, Level 2.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!" Aqua's cry of pure ecstasy nearly knocked him over. "LEVEL TWO! LEVEL TWO! MY HACHIMAN IS LEVEL TWO! HE DID IT! FASTER THAN ANYONE!" Before Hachiman could say anything, Aqua shot out the door like a blue rocket. "I NEED TO TELL THE GUILD! I NEED TO TELL HEPHAESTUS! EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW!"
Hachiman just stood there, watching the door slam shut. He brought a hand to his forehead, exasperated. 'Great. There goes any chance of discretion.' He sighed. In the original story, Bell Cranel had been the fastest to reach Level 2, in about a month and a half, causing an uproar. Now, Hachiman had shattered that record – about a month as an adventurer. And Bell? 'He must still be unconscious at Hestia's place. Probably will only update and find out about the Level Up tomorrow.' Once again, his presence had drastically changed the course of events. And with his new Level 2 strength and the attention it would bring (now guaranteed to be announced at the top of Aqua's lungs), things were about to get even more complicated.