It had been about a month since Ptah came to the world of Danmachi. Time flew by as he spent it working with the witch Lenoa.

It was mid-afternoon when Ptah felt a twinge in his chest, a sensation he had learned to associate with his divine sense whenever something bad was about to happen. However, it didn't seem to be anything truly dangerous because it was just a slight discomfort. Apologizing to Lenoa, he excused himself, saying he was going out for some fresh air, and left the hidden house of the witch to activate his Remote Observation ability.

"Remote Observation," murmured Ptah, and what he saw took his breath away. Saly was on the fifth floor, surrounded by Killer Ants, with a face full of determination and a smile that wavered between joy and euphoria. He hadn't updated Saly's status since he granted her the falna, opting to do it monthly to promote more explosive growth and allow Saly to focus solely on improving her skills and combat techniques, rather than obsessing over her status increase like many other adventurers did. However, this meant that Saly was facing the dangers of the fifth floor with her initial stats, making the situation extremely risky.

Why is she there? Ptah wondered, feeling a mix of concern and frustration. He knew Saly was a bit careless when facing the dungeon, but this bordered on recklessness.

Suddenly, he saw Saly murmuring something repeatedly, and the runes on the sword she held grew more intense and complex, transforming the sword with increasingly intricate patterns. Some of these patterns, once red, began to turn black, emanating a murky aura. Additionally, the smile on Saly's face grew larger. Ptah recognized that she was using her magic and skill, and with an almost blurred movement, she began cutting through the Killer Ants, her sword leaving a trail of red light in the air that lingered for several seconds.

Frustration and concern overwhelmed him, but he knew that his only role at this moment was to be a spectator like all the other Gods.

Saly was still surrounded by the Killer Ants, her sword swinging precisely between the bodies of the monsters, and the red light from the runes seemed to cause damage whenever the Killer Ants touched it. Although her skill was impressive, Ptah couldn't ignore the signs of fatigue that were beginning to appear. Her breathing became heavier, and movements that were once fluid and assured now showed small hesitations.

The dark glow surrounding her sword grew more intense, the runes pulsing as if alive, and the aura they emitted seemed to consume the light around them. Saly, however, pressed on, her determination unwavering, pushing her body beyond its limits.

How much longer can she hold on? Ptah wondered, aware that Saly was playing with fire by using her ability so much.

As a few minutes passed, the number of Killer Ants began to dwindle. Saly was winning, but at a visible cost. Her stance leaned forward, her movements became more erratic, and sweat covered her forehead. However, the euphoric smile on her face hadn't disappeared in fact, it had become more pronounced.

Finally, with one last effort, Saly delivered a downward strike that split the last of the monsters in two.

Saly stood, breathing heavily, her body trembling from exhaustion. The runes on her sword began to fade slowly, and the sword started to break into pieces, leaving the young adventurer amidst a large number of magic stones.

Ptah exhaled a sigh of relief. It had been a tough battle, but Saly had once again demonstrated her incredible potential and willpower. However, as he watched her breathing deeply and taking out all the options she had in her bag to drink them all, Ptah knew that this experience wasn't just a victory. It was a warning about the limits of Saly's ability.

He returned to the hidden house of the witch, where the system's window remained open. He continued with his work while monitoring Saly's situation, who seemed to have largely recovered thanks to the potions she carried in her backpack.

After seeing her recover and ascend the stairs to the fourth floor, Ptah finally calmed down and resumed his daily tasks—sweeping from time to time, attending to the few customers who arrived, and making potions with the witch using a cauldron. Sometimes, he also watched Lenoa create magical items.

"That's all for today," Lenoa told Ptah, noticing that he seemed a bit anxious.

"That's fine, thank you very much, I'll see you later," Ptah said hurriedly with a smile before leaving the place, his expression changing to one of concern as soon as he was out.

"Grandma, is it okay for him to leave earlier than usual?" asked Lena, Lenoa's granddaughter, pouting as she saw the God who sometimes played with her leaving without having played even once all day.

"He seemed very nervous. I suppose that despite being Gods, they aren't much different from mortals when it comes to feelings," murmured Lenoa before closing the shop.

***

Ptah hurried to his family's house, only to find Saly snoring with her armor still on and with minor wounds caused by the monsters' attacks.

He only sighed before starting to remove her armor, and as he did, Saly, who was opening her eyes, was surprised to see her God above her, undressing her. Her face turned red, but her fantasy was interrupted by Ptah's words.

"Saly, you need to be more careful. Look at your body, full of wounds. How did you end up like this?" Upon hearing the sudden question, Saly fully woke up and became nervous as she remembered how she had ended up in that situation.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away and ended up going to the fifth floor," Saly replied, her face slightly red.

"How did that happen? Did your ability make you feel hatred and anger toward the monsters?" Ptah asked, a bit worried, since Saly's ability intensified the strongest emotion she was feeling, and he also had to care for her psychological state. In fact, Ptah himself seemed like an overprotective mother when it came to Saly, worrying too much about small things.

When Saly recalled that when she faced a Kobold on the fourth floor and activated her skill, her first thought was of receiving praise from Ptah for having improved and then getting a massage, which made her feel so ecstatic that she unleashed all that emotion by attacking all the monsters she saw and ended up reaching the fifth floor, believing Ptah would praise her if she demonstrated great achievements.

"I can't say," said Saly with a blush, covering her face.

Ptah felt like she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't press too much and just let her rest while giving her a massage with ointment after she removed most of her clothing and covered herself with a towel.

"By the way, it's time to update your status, but let me tell you that from now on, you can't use your skill unless necessary," Ptah emphasized this order because, occasionally, depending on the intensity of Saly's emotions, he would often see her lose control through the system and come home injured, but he allowed it since nothing serious happened. However, what he saw last time increased his concern.

"Okay," Saly replied in a slightly melancholic voice. Her skill allowed her to use much more strength than normally permitted, so she enjoyed defeating monsters with a single attack when she cut their necks or chests.

Ptah picked up a needle and pricked his finger before letting a drop of his blood fall onto Saly's back. Suddenly, a sphere of blue light with hieroglyphs began to appear in front of him, and he started updating Saly's status.

Saly Resat
Lv. 1

Strength: I 0 -> G 263

Endurance: I 0 -> H 119

Dexterity: I 0 -> H 171

Agility: I 0 -> G 235

Magic: I 0 -> H 187

Magic

Bloodthirsty Rune: Creates a temporary magical rune and imprints it on a weapon, enhancing its offensive properties and granting a bleeding effect to attacks. The magic adapts to the weapon type, improving specific aspects according to its design and function. As the weapon cuts, pierces, or strikes, it diminishes the effects of any type of magical or natural healing on the inflicted wounds for a time.
Chant: "Intensify, reinforce, sharpen, aggravate, and help me annihilate my enemies."

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Skills

Frenzied Impulse: Amplifies the user's most intense emotion at the time of activation, and depending on the emotion, their strength, agility, and speed will increase or decrease depending on its intensity. However, this also increases physical and mental fatigue. In this state, the user loses the ability to reason clearly and makes decisions based solely on the dominant emotion. Active Trigger.

When he saw the updated status, Ptah was quite impressed it had increased a lot in just one month.

Ptah, who observed Saly's stats, smiled with pride. She had grown so much in such a short time. Her training was paying off, and although the battle on the fifth floor had been tough, she had proven capable of handling the situation.

"You've improved a lot, Saly," Ptah remarked, as he picked up a sheet of paper from a cabinet next to the bed. He placed the sheet on Saly's back, which was marked with the tattoo, and the paper lit up with slight waves before he handed it to Saly. "It's clear that all your effort is bearing fruit."

Saly, who had already relaxed under Ptah's hands, nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Lord Ptah. I'm happy to have improved so much. I like the feeling of getting stronger."

Ptah looked at her with a mixture of affection and concern. "But remember not to overdo it. I want you to keep advancing, but also to take care of yourself. The injuries you suffered today could have been avoided with a little more caution."

Saly blushed slightly, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. She knew Ptah was right, and although she enjoyed the thrill of combat since she started facing the dungeon's monsters, she also understood the importance of keeping a cool head.

"I know, I know. I promise to be more careful next time," she responded, as she settled more comfortably in bed. "But... it was exciting. I felt like I could really handle it."

Ptah let out a soft laugh. "You're brave, Saly, that's undeniable. But bravery doesn't mean charging in without thinking. It means knowing when to advance and when to retreat."

Saly nodded, taking Ptah's words to heart. She had learned a lot that day, not just about her strength, but also about the importance of strategy and caution.

"I think we could go to dinner at the Hostess of Fertility restaurant," Ptah suggested. "It's a popular place with a good reputation. Plus, it'll be a chance to enjoy a good meal and chat a bit."

Saly seemed interested and somewhat excited by the idea of a date. "Sounds good."

"By the way, I think it's time for us to find a new member. I can't allow you to keep going to the dungeon alone." When Ptah said that, a big alarm went off in Saly's mind she must be careful that the new member isn't a lecherous man or a homewrecking cat girl.