“Bloody hell, my shoulder hurts,” Enki groaned, stretching his arm. The burn’s completely healed thanks to the combination of torrent and potions, but his clothing was far from it. His top half was burned off, so he replaced it with a spare armoured shirt from Lilly’s bag.

“Good thing we had a spare shirt, huh,” Bell said.

“Mn, and we got a great haul today!” Lilly cheered as they made it out of the dungeon.

“Oh, the sun’s going down. We should hurry.” He said as Bell took Verde home exhausted, leaving him and Lilly to exchange the magic stones for money.

Entering, he spotted Rose with her back facing him. Not sure what she was doing, he grinned and waltzed up to them.

“Hey there,” he said, surprising the wolf girl.

“Y-your back, ahem, how was it? The fifth floor.”

“Good, the minotaurs were a challenge, but nothing that we didn’t handle though we came across a wyvern there and it was terrifying.”

“What are you okay!?” She forced herself on him, turning him around and checking for any marks or wounds.

“Ha, I’m fine. I got burnt badly. It was a breath attack that hit me, but in the end, I won and came out of it. Better relax, Rose. I’m good,” he smiled, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“I- I know that now. I’m sorry if I was forceful.”

“It’s fine. Honestly, I was hoping for a kiss or something along the lines, though we aren’t a couple yet. I’m just waiting for you to ask me out when you were fine with me.”

“I’m not asking you to ask me out, of course. I’m saying it’s your choice and I’m rambling haha. Do you know anything about the goliath on the 17th floor?” he let out a dry laugh.

She blushed slightly, “... about the 17th floor, the boss. I don’t remember the details other than there’s a level 4 monster that is seven meters tall.”

She finished the small end of her tail wagging back and forth, “come back tomorrow and I’ll be ready.”

“Okay then.”

...

[Hostess of fertility]

The hostess was busy, as always, with adventurers returning from the dungeon drinking and relaxing their worries away.

Enki walked in and smiled, seeing his favourite elf love standing behind the bar pouring drinks. Once she saw him, she smiled, calling him over.

“Welcome back,” she handed him a drink. The two had a light conversation about the 15th floor and the reactions of her friends.

“So, how did everyone react?”

“Everyone thought we had sex,” she said, blushing.

“Oh.”

“Hihi, I told them it didn’t happen, not yet anyway,” she said.

Enki nervously blushed and finished his drink whole, she tried to mess with him and be honest about it too, which made him more excited. “You’re not getting under my skin.”

Seeing the opportunity, she blushed, saying, “I-I’d rather I get all over it,” she said, turning her back to him and hiding her blushing face.

‘This girl, alright,’ he ginned, “deal, after this we can go.”

“No, wait I was-“

“Oh, I know, and I took it seriously. Why do you not want me?” His grin grew as the elf blushed to shake her head no. Ryuu was just as willing as he was. One small night of passion wasn’t enough.

And so the night went on till closing hours. The two lovers, after helping to clean and being teased by Syr and Anya, left the hostess and went back to the church.

They climbed in through the window into his room. The moment they both landed, Enki slowly walked up, snaking his arms around her.

“I can’t wait to do this. Let’s sleep.”

Their lust for each other was strong but nothing compared to the overwhelming power to sleep on a comfortable bed, so she slipped into her green nightgown and Enki stripped down to his boxers and both cuddled in the warmth of each other’s presence. Sleep always wins.

“This is the perfect reward.”

...

Like any morning, the sun had a vendetta against Enki and he wasn’t the only one as a groaning Ryuu woke up rubbing her eyes.

“Mornin,” he said, getting up himself.

“Mn, why don’t you get blind?”

“I like it wakes me up every time,” he shrugged and for out of bed starting his morning stretches.

“Do you prefer sleeping almost nude?” She averted her eyes slightly. She knew she’d have to get used to a naked Enki, but it still made her uncomfortable.

He shrugged, giving a vague answer, “so are you going to sleep from now on? If so, then I might as well sleep nude.”

“N-no, just once or twice a week.”

“Cool.” He smiled and got dressed. “I’m heading down to get my status updated. Want to tag along?”

“Shouldn’t that be done in private? What if I leak this or someone finds out?”

Enki shrugged. “you know most about my skill and magic. I can just ask Hestia to block my development abilities, but it doesn’t change much. You don’t know my level 1 status.”

She thought it over, slipping back to her maid uniform, “I am curious about your growth rate.”

With that, they went to the Goddess’s door-knocking lightly. Her voice welcomed them in. “Hi, Enki oh Ryuu’s here too?” She noticed the elf shaking her hand before glancing back and forth.

“We did nothing. I wanted to get my status updated, is all.”

“Alrighty, then get on the bed and I’ll do my magic!” She gave a thumbs-up as Enki lay on her bed. “You’re watching too?”

“He’s fine with it,” Ryuu answered. Hestia shrugged, drawing blood and dropping it on a piece of paper.

“So your alchemy appears as a skill and not a development ability like a blacksmith or the other alchemy,” Ryuu muttered, looking at his status.

“Yeah, yeah, he’s special, we know, but what’s this?” Hestia said, getting off his back.

Enki Flamel

Level 2

Strength: I-63

Endurance: H-109

Dexterity: H-116

Agility: I-59

Magic: I-87

Hunter: I

Memory Retention: F

Magic: Torrent - When cast, the host will be surrounded by a water aura, increasing physical abilities by half-fold, granting a minor healing factor and the ability of water magic.

Skill: Alchemy - The ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of manipulating and altering matter using natural energy with your own hands or a transmutation circle.

ąɾմȺ ʂ,ցղìҠ:ӀӀìҟϚ

“This must be a skill in development,” Ryuu said, looking at the scramble of words.

‘I can only make out the first word saying aura? I think I might be wrong,’ he thought.

“She’s right. It might appear today or tomorrow Enki. You just have to keep doing what you’re doing,” Hestia smiled, patting his back.

“Mn, I might know what I have to do to unlock this, but we’ll have to go to the dungeon, thankyou Hestia. Breakfast will be ready in a moment, Ryuu.”

He called to her as they stepped out of the room. Hestia could only sigh, watching the couple leave. “must be nice.”

-Pah!

She smacked her cheek jumping off the bed, jiggling “alright time to work!”

...

As the two arrived downstairs, they met with Lilli already geared up and raring to go, “Where’s Bell?”

“He’s spending time with Verde,” she said, reading her book.

“Alright then,” Enki shrugged, leading Ryuu out the door. The two shared a small kiss before separating.

“Let me know once you reach the 18th floor, there’s something I want to show you.” She said with a small smile.

“No problem,” he flashed a grin. He planned to reach that floor on this day, ‘I can also use it to gain my new skill.’

He sighed, watching Ryuu disappear before him, ‘I need to get strong, quick,’ “I’ll get ready, then we head down to the 16th and 17th floor.”

“Wait, what the 17th is the boss floor?” She yelled, putting down her book.

“I’m well aware, and we’ll turn it to ash,” Enki flashed a grin.