On the tranquil night, Asta could faintly hear familiar voices lecturing in his ears.
He could probably guess what was going on.
In his heart, Asta silently mourned for Lante and another girl named Chloe for half a second.
Listening to the crackling sound of burning firewood, Asta slowly settled his mind.
In this quiet environment, a small red exclamation mark in the lower-left corner of his vision became very conspicuous.
It gave him an urge to click on it…
So, Asta clicked on it, to describe it, it was like clicking with his mind.
Immediately, a virtual screen, visible only to Asta, unfolded, with several lines of text clearly written on it.
[Host: Ize Elward]
[Skills: Stars Favor (Semi-Activated)]
[Current Mission: Join a Familia (Incomplete)]
[Reward: Gain Skill: Heart of the Earth]
[…]
Yes, Ize Elward, as a Transmigrator and a despicable outsider, naturally had a system, a characteristic of Transmigrators.
However, this system, rather than being called a system, was more like a game menu from an old online game.
Currently, it had three modules: Personal Information, Mission Panel, and Achievement List, which could be understood based on their namesake game terms.
Normally, it remained hidden in the lower-left corner of Asta’s vision, appearing as a small arrow symbol.
If he didn’t deliberately look for it, it wouldn’t appear on its own.
The small red exclamation mark indicated an incomplete mission status.
Missions appeared randomly, and their freedom was also very high.
The appearing missions were not mandatory to complete, but if he didn’t complete them, he wouldn’t get the rewards.
The skill named ‘Stars Favor’ was the reward Asta received after completing the achievement ‘First Arrival in Another World,’ although it was not yet fully activated.
Asta guessed this was probably due to the special nature of the DanMachi world.
Because’Skills’ in the DanMachi world seemed to be the crystallization of one’s will, something formed from the potential within Adventurers’ bodies and their inner hopes.
The ‘Falna’ developed by the gods, on the other hand, was the key to unlocking Adventurers’ physical potential.
It was precisely because of this special existence and correlation that his skill was only in a semi-activated state.
Currently, it could only slightly enhance his physical attributes, and more power was buried deep within his body, settling as his potential.
To fully activate and awaken this power, it would probably require the key of Falna.
At that time, Asta’s strength would also experience a rapid increase.
However, the achievement ‘First Arrival in Another World’ once caused Asta to ponder whether he first had the system and then transmigrated, or first transmigrated and then had the system.
It was like thinking about whether the chicken or the egg came first.
But that was only for a while at the very beginning.
Asta understood the principle of ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’; thinking too much would lead to overthinking and unnecessary worries.
So Asta very simply lay down like a salted fish, choosing to give up thinking.
“Speaking of which, I have a god right beside me now…”
Looking at the familiar mission panel, Asta suddenly began to murmur to himself.
“But Artemis…
I don’t feel the need to ask her~”
The goddess Artemis, also known as Cynthia, is the goddess of the hunt in ancient Greek mythology, referred to as the Mistress of Beasts and Lady of the Wilderness.
She is considered one of the three virgin goddesses of Mount Olympus, along with Hestia and Athena.
She is free and independent, loves outdoor life, and opposes marriage between men and women and impure interactions with the opposite sex.
She prefers unwed virgins and young men and women who disdain Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of beauty).
Such was Artemis in mythology.
In Orario, even though years of Familia life had somewhat changed her, giving her more human warmth, the Familia still adhered to the principle of prohibiting romance.
The difficulty of changing her was exceptionally high.
Unless she met the legendary destined Orion.
On a side note, according to Asta’s reliable sources, no matter how Fujino Omori originally wrote it, at least in this real world, Artemis’s Orion could absolutely not be Bell Cranel.
Asta swore on his future status as a god, it was absolutely impossible…
However, based on the above, the idea of joining Artemis Familia was also unrealistic.
At least for now.
After stargazing on the rock for a good while, Asta finally rolled back into his tent to sleep.
After all, Artemis Familia generally didn’t stay in one place for too long; it was already a habit.
Tomorrow, they would embark on their journey back to Orario.
As the ‘weakest’ among the group currently, Asta felt it was better to go to bed early.
Speaking of which, where did the black iron spear he originally equipped go?
Asta: “Hey, where’s my spear?”
…
The night passed without incident.
In the early morning, as the morning sun washed away the blush, the early-rising girls had already finished breakfast, packed their belongings, and were eager and ready to depart.
Asta was also ready.
He was currently carrying a large leather backpack, acting as a supporter.
The captain, Rethusa, was beside him, telling him some important things to note.
From Rethusa, Asta also learned that…
The black iron spear he brought with him had gloriously sacrificed itself during his fight with the two-legged dragon…
However, having been used for several months, the spear had certainly served its purpose in its lifetime.
Hmm, probably.
For this, Rethusa specially gave him a spare longsword.
“…Well, those are pretty much all the things to note.
Oh, right, how are you feeling now?
Do you feel the backpack is heavy?
If it’s heavy, you need to say so immediately, don’t keep quiet, it would be life-threatening if you fall behind.”
After finishing the instructions, Rethusa pointed at the backpack behind Asta, which was taller than him, and asked with concern.
“I feel fine, I don’t feel tired.
Maybe I’m naturally robust.”
Asta lifted the huge backpack and didn’t feel any discomfort.
It looked big, but it was actually filled with bedding and folded tents, etc., so it wasn’t really heavy.
At least, it wasn’t heavy for Asta.
“Is that so?
That’s good.”
Seeing his relaxed expression, which didn’t seem forced, Rethusa nodded and moved on from the topic.
“Don’t worry, Asta!
From now on, even if we encounter danger, there’s no need to be afraid.
I’ll protect you all the way; you can always trust Lante!”
At this moment, the lively blue-haired half-elf ran over to join the fun, standing on tiptoptoes and patting Asta’s shoulder like a little adult.
Among the long-lived elf race, thirteen-year-old Lante was undoubtedly still a child, as both half-elves and pure-blooded elves were very long-lived compared to humans.
And Lante’s personality also carried a hint of childishness.
Yesterday, she was still complaining about the monsters Asta brought, but now, she could very familiarly say things like she would protect Asta.
Perhaps this was ‘revenge is a dish best served immediately’…
After all, she forgot about it the next day~
“…”
No, where did you see that I was afraid?
Not knowing how to respond, or rather, not knowing where to begin to retort, facing the lively half-elf girl, Asta merely pulled at the corners of his mouth, forcing a smile as he looked at her.
His gaze was very gentle.
The surrounding Familia girls couldn’t help but smile at the scene.
In this warm and lively atmosphere, Artemis Familia began their journey towards the Maze City Orario.