"Are you feeling alright?" Ptah asked, while giving Saly, wrapped in a towel, a gentle massage. He was using an ointment he had prepared from crushed medicinal herbs mixed with water and a few drops of healing potion. The mixture not only relieved fatigue and revitalized tired muscles but also accelerated the healing of minor scratches, improved blood circulation, and provided a sense of calm and overall well-being.

"Are you really okay with a god doing this?" Saly asked, her face reddening. She had never heard of a god giving massages to their members. Moreover, Ptah had been doing this for three days.

"It's for your own good. If you recover faster and more safely, you can fight at your full potential the next day. Besides, this is necessary for you; your ability overstimulates your body. So it's a good thing for you to adapt to this method in the long term," Ptah said calmly. The first members of his family had to be as strong as possible, after all, they would be the ones who might become future executives of his family and represent it. Though if he were a regular man, Ptah wouldn't do the same and just wants to take advantage of the situation a little to practice for the future.

Ptah ignored Saly's slight moans and continued massaging her body.

"By the way, did anything interesting happen today?" Ptah asked, referring to what Saly had seen about Aiz through the system, while continuing to massage her legs.

"Yes, while hunting monsters on the second floor, I saw the famous Doll Princess from the Loki Familia. Though she didn't show many emotions, I could sense a deep hatred in her eyes when she killed a monster that was coming toward me. For a moment, I even felt the urge to attack her, believing that all that hatred was directed at me. It gives me chills to remember her expressionless face, but despite that, I admire her. It's incredible how, being so small, she can take down monsters so easily," Saly said, as if she had witnessed something amazing.

"It sounds like you had fun. That's all for now," Ptah said with a kind smile before beginning to maintain and clean Saly's sword. He didn't want it to get damaged too quickly and have to buy a new one.

Saly took a short one-hour nap before heading to the guild to exchange the remaining magic stones, after giving some to Ptah and picking up her sword, which had been cleaned and sharpened. With her renewed sword and fully dressed in her adventurer's attire, Saly left the house.

As Saly observed her surroundings, she noticed that people still showed a bit of melancholy due to the Evilus attack, but the place had become lively again. Although only a week had passed, much of the destroyed buildings had been rebuilt thanks to the adventurers, especially those involved in architecture and construction.

After what felt like an endless walk, Saly finally arrived at the guild. Her steps echoed in the bustling building as she made her way to the exchange area. With a careful gesture, she pulled out the magic stones from her bag, which were next to some potions made by Ptah. She placed them in a drawer that closed, only to open again without the magic stones but now with a total of 2900 valis. Saly stored the money with a slight sigh of satisfaction and, turning around, headed to the reception, where a silver-haired elf watched her with curiosity.

"Sophie, I've finished my day in the dungeon," Saly announced, letting out a radiant smile that reflected the brightness of her recent adventure, showing that she had had a very pleasant day.

Sophie observed her for a long moment, her sharp eyes evaluating every detail. Saly's clothes were impeccably clean, and the freshness on her face, along with the relaxed curve of her lips, didn't match at all with the image of someone who had spent hours fighting in the dungeon. It seemed almost unreal, as if Saly had been enjoying a leisurely stroll instead of facing mortal dangers. If it weren't for the magic stones she had handed over, Sophie would have doubted that the young woman had even gone down to the first floor.

"Saly, I'm glad to see you. How did it go?" Sophie asked formally.

"Great, I had fun hunting monsters," Saly replied, her smile widening as she remembered the battles. "And there's something oddly relaxing about the moment you finally leave the dungeon... like the world falls back into place." She would never mention Ptah's massages to anyone.

"I'm glad for you," Sophie said, as she walked toward one of the private rooms to explain to Saly about the dungeon, as per her duty as a guild advisor.

As they entered the private room, the atmosphere changed instantly, enveloping them in an almost reverential silence. Sophie wasted no time and began to explain in detail the complexities of the dungeon, describing precisely the monsters lurking in its shadows and the tactics needed to survive their ambushes.

***

Ptah let out a sigh of boredom. He was mixing herbs, watching as the green powders blended with the liquids while stirring them into small whirlpools, creating potions that didn't need magic stones to improve because this is the traditional method. However, when he used the energy of magic stones as a catalyst, the potions turned out to be remarkably more efficient. Though he didn't mix the stones directly with the materials because it could be dangerous for consumers, and the reason he didn't use the most fundamental part of his knowledge was to see if it improved faster this way.

However, what really weighed on him was the monotony. Checking the system interface, there were no updates, no missions breaking the routine. The system remained inactive, denying him the chance to earn rewards for actions he would have done anyway. This lack of stimulation frustrated him.

Moreover, he had to consider the expansion of his family. He couldn't keep sending Saly alone into the labyrinth; her ability was too unstable, and the city of Orario was rife with dangers, especially with the constant threat of Evilus and other criminals. He needed to find her a partner, someone who could grow alongside her and support her in deeper floors of the dungeon.

But the choice couldn't be random; he didn't want to gamble like in a gacha, hoping to get an SSR by pure chance. Ptah needed to be meticulous, ensuring that the new member was more than just an addition but a true pillar for Saly.

As he continued immersed in his plans, the system, which hadn't appeared on its own unless Ptah checked the interface or asked questions, finally appeared without Ptah's initiative.

[New missions available. Select one]

-Get a stable job.

-Send Saly to the ninth floor of the dungeon.

-Rent a stall to sell the things you make.

Without hesitation, Ptah selected the second option. After all, there was no time limit. Even if no other missions appeared during this period, it was far better if the reward was multiplied rather than taking on other missions with lesser rewards. Additionally, the system had mentioned that the more difficult the mission, the better the base reward, as long as it was completed acceptably.

[Send Saly to the ninth floor of the dungeon: As the first member of Ptah's family, Saly must pave the way through the dungeon to assist and guide new members in the future.

Guaranteed Reward: Map of Avarice: A magical item that maps everything within a two-kilometer radius after use and marks locations with materials of interest (Works only on intermediate floors).

Additional Rewards: Will depend on how Saly reaches the ninth floor and the difficulties she encounters.]

Ptah didn't plan to send Saly immediately; he preferred to give her time to strengthen before facing that challenge. After this brief interaction with the system, he left the house in search of more materials and to buy basic necessities.

As he walked through the city towards the commercial district, he suddenly saw someone bump into a little girl.

Ptah observed as a small blonde girl fell to the ground after colliding with a robust man walking hurriedly. The girl seemed frightened and began to back away as the man looked at her with disdain.

"Watch where you're going!" the man grunted, walking away without paying her any more attention.

Feeling a pang of compassion, Ptah approached the girl and knelt to her level. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, extending a hand to help her up.

The girl looked at him with wide, frightened eyes, but upon sensing the kindness in Ptah's expression, she took his hand hesitantly. "Y-Yes, I'm fine... thank you, sir," she murmured timidly as she stood up, brushing the dust off her simple dress.

Ptah noticed that the girl was carrying a small basket with herbs and flowers, many of which were now scattered on the ground. With a gentle gesture, he began to collect the herbs and returned them to the basket. "Are these herbs for your family?" he asked, noticing the quality of the plants.

"Yes, my grandmother uses them to make potions and medicines," the girl replied, watching attentively as Ptah carefully gathered the remaining herbs.

"That's very admirable," Ptah commented with a smile. "You must be very important to your grandmother."

The girl nodded with a small smile, feeling a bit more secure. "Yes, I always try to help her. She says I'm her little apprentice."

Ptah felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing that. "You're a good granddaughter," he said as he handed her the basket. "Make sure not to lose these herbs; they're very valuable."

The girl nodded again, and just as she was about to say goodbye, Ptah sensed a faint divine presence in her that he hadn't noticed before. Deciding to follow her for a moment longer, intrigued by what he might discover, he asked, "Does your grandmother live nearby?"

"Yes, we live in a small house at the end of this street," the girl replied, seemingly comfortable with Ptah's presence.

As they walked, Ptah couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the girl and her grandmother.

When they arrived at the house, which was quite hidden with a rather rustic exterior that didn't attract much attention, the girl's grandmother came out to greet them. She was a very old woman with a hat, wrinkles, and a witch-like appearance, but she still looked strong and capable. Upon seeing Ptah, the grandmother looked at him with curiosity and something more that he couldn't immediately identify.

"Thank you for helping bring my granddaughter home, God," the grandmother said, bowing her head slightly in respect. "She is all I have left."

Ptah smiled and responded with a slight bow. "It's a pleasure. You have a wonderful granddaughter."

"Would you like to take a look inside?" the witch asked with a sinister look, and if Ptah's instincts hadn't sensed any danger, he might have been suspicious of the old woman.

"Of course." The three of them entered the place, and Ptah realized that there might be more to discover in this house or shop as he noticed the drawers and counter with a cauldron, as well as some staffs and what appeared to be magical tools.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Lenoa, the owner of this magical shop," the witch said. After hearing this, Ptah gave a slight bow. "I am Ptah," he said before asking, "Could I work here for a while to learn from you?"

This surprised Lenoa, as she hadn't expected the god who had accompanied her granddaughter to ask such a thing.

The witch, Lenoa, looked at Ptah with curiosity before glancing at her granddaughter, who seemed hopeful that a kind god would come to help her old grandmother.

The witch let out a sinister laugh before replying, "Very well, since you please my granddaughter, you can work here. Your pay will be 120,000 valis per month, and you can observe me making potions, mixtures, and items. Does that sound good, Lord Ptah?"

Hearing this, Ptah smiled before saying, "Of course, I look forward to it."