On the paper that Janus handed Najin, the following details were written:
* * *
Animos Najin
Lv. 1
Strength: I 0
Endurance: I 0
Dexterity: I 0
Agility: I 0
Magic: I 0
[]
[]
* * *
Looking at the prominent emptiness of what information had been contained in his Falna, Najin felt an expectant calm brewing in his mind. The power that he felt within himself was miles beyond the power he wielded just moments before.
It was the gift of the gods from a single drop of blood.
'My base state should already be superhuman compared to Earth's standards.'
Of course, it was not unbelievably superhuman. It was simply a physique beyond the capabilities of any normal human being.
Better than even the greatest of Earth's athletes, that was for sure.
So, if this was just the lowest of Level 1, then…
'The power scaling of this world is terrifying.'
Najin closed his eyes, feeling rejuvenated. His mind had cleared like a cloudless mid-noon sky. Sharpened senses peered through details that he had once overlooked.
For a moment, he wished to dive once more into his paranoia. However, Janus was still observing him with a polite smile.
"Thank you, lord Janus… Thank you for giving me a chance to live."
Janus let out a small laugh, turning around to head downstairs. Waving his hand languidly, he spoke:
"Come help me manage the store and adjust yourself to Orario. You have to change the way you look at people first and foremost. Not everyone is a threat to your life, my child."
Najin smiled wryly. Janus was right… at least now that he had the Falna, he had a little less to fear. There was no longer a need to be wary of the friction of his own clothes.
His skin wouldn't be cut by a few measly threads, nor would it be pierced open by a mosquito desiring his blood.
Now, all he had to fear were monsters. Regular insects would soon lose their lethality over him.
Najin had made it past the primary reason for the more genuine portions of his paranoia.
"…Thank you for your wise suggestion. I'll keep that in mind, my god."
Stepping down the staircase, Janus gave Najin a sidelong glance.
"You are now a part of my Familia, Najin-kun. You may opt to speak casually, but do not lose your polite tone."
Hearing his name with an honorific, Najin tilted his head slightly. Then, a relieved smile appeared on his face as he followed his god downstairs.
"Alright, Janus-sama. I'll speak comfortably then."
It was time to work for his meals and further the refinement of his [Divine Virtues].
* * *
Najin spent the next few days adjusting. Working at Thresholdings by Janus meant that he spent most of his time in the silent presence of aged weapons and artefacts. Different items, most of which were older than him, were all stored in unique ways.
Sometimes, a customer would walk in, carrying an old box. Janus would then emerge from upstairs, eyes shining as if he recognised the box and whatever was inside.
Then, the god would arrange a deal, and both parties would leave happily.
Just like today—Janus had just bought a small badge made out of rusted iron and brass. It wasn't anything special. However, to the god of doors, it aroused much interest.
"Curious, my child?" Janus brushed his gloved fingers over the rough badge. The image of a man strangling a snake while being strangled as well, had already lost its lustre.
Najin nodded, already growing fond of hearing about history from the point of view of these old trinkets.
"This was a badge handcrafted by an adventurer from the Hera Familia almost half a millennium ago. She was a regular here, leaving behind the things others have left behind."
Janus placed the badge back into the old box with a sigh.
"Now, everything she left behind had found new owners. This badge is the only one left… I didn't expect it to leave the grasp of her descendants."
Najin recalled the pallum who had left it behind for a pouch filled with Valis. He couldn't help but sigh too.
There were too many memories in this small shop, and he felt as if he'd lived many lifetimes with every question he asked his god. Janus had told him a story for several of the trinkets here.
He had barely scratched the surface.
…And he probably never would. Only Janus, god as he was, bore the natural desire to know what brought those items here.
Leaving Janus to his own devices, Najin resumed his mental exercises. Looking out the window, he observed the shoppers hopping from shop to shop.
No longer was it necessary for him to hear what people had to say to know what they were talking about.
Just reading their lips was enough.
Conversations bled into his mind, skipping all auditory necessities and giving him the information he needed.
'The Little Rookie, huh?'
Rumours of the fastest Level 2 adventurer circled faster than Najin predicted. The meeting of gods, the Denatus, had been held a few days ago, just after his arrival.
Now, Orario was bustling with the Alias, Little Rookie.
And Najin just smiled as he fell into thought. With DanMachi's protagonist, Bell Cranel himself, already making waves, a lot of events were bound to follow.
Luckily, he had done something significant as well.
Feeding his mind with an endless amount of observations, processing that information as fast as he could, making predictions given the provided data, and then acting based on these predictions.
Najin did not stop indulging in this perpetual flow. Even while engaging in conversation with a customer, his mind never stopped. Even when his brain was just moments away from bursting.
His eyes grew dark, his senses exhausted. But with his superhuman physique, it did not matter. Especially since he exerted no more effort than what was necessary to keep up his mental faculties.
Every day, he used his mind to its fullest, not allowing it a moment of blankness.
Predicting the exact moment someone blinked, as well as the specific rhythm of their footsteps. The rate of their breath, the fluttering of their clothes.
Manipulating the gaze of Janus' customers using the smallest of actions like tapping the shelves or suddenly looking out the window. Analysing the pattern their eyes darted around the antique-filled shop.
These small actions and thought exercises built up into something beautiful.
Najin felt it the moment he subconsciously started reading lips without prior practice and training. Something changed.
Drastically.
Beyond anything he had been able to do before.
So, he went upstairs to stand before his god. Janus felt that there was something different about Najin but he couldn't put his finger on what exactly that was.
The young man hadn't left the shop, hadn't fought in the dungeon, nor trained their physique in any way.
It was as if Najin hadn't just become an adventurer.
Still, Janus was observant in his own right, always wondering why the boy's gaze would follow the movements of the bustling and flowing crowd outside.
Now, looking at Najin, Janus had a guess. The god closed the book he was reading and spoke up:
"My child… I can see excitement overflowing out of your soul. What riles you up so much? You haven't slept for days. Are you not tired?"