The Fukaros Familia, starting from DanMachi.

Chapter 154 Upgrade

When Joan of Arc learned that her next task was not to fight, but to "read" and "study," her bright blue eyes instantly lost all their luster, turning into ashes.

Heaven knows how painful and torturous learning was for an illiterate village girl who grew up in the countryside and could barely read a few words.

Although the system gave her basic language and writing knowledge, so she wasn't truly illiterate, asking her to sit down quietly and study was more terrifying than facing a thousand troops.

When the tutoring session ended, Joan of Arc became somewhat dazed, as if her soul had left her body.

Eina's gaze toward Joan of Arc was also filled with an indescribable strangeness.

She simply couldn't imagine that this saintly lady, with her holy and awe-inspiring demeanor as if she had stepped out of an epic hero's tale, would actually be an incurable academic failure.

Heaven knows how much effort she put in to get Joan of Arc to barely remember the basic rules of the dungeon and the types of common monsters in the upper levels.

In fact, it was only after she discovered Joan of Arc's illiteracy that she worked overnight to condense the textbook into an illustrated BabyBus version, which barely made Joan of Arc pass the test.

After completing her theoretical studies, Joan of Arc finally stepped into the dungeon.

To help her adapt better, Fenyu and the others strictly followed the beginner's guide, leading her from the first level, from the weakest goblins to the slimes rolling around on the ground, and then to the Hilichurls wielding wooden clubs, allowing Jeanne to become familiar with these enemies that were so different from humans.

No one doubts Joan of Arc's fighting prowess.

Although this was her first time entering the dungeon, in terms of actual combat experience, she was even more experienced than Burning Feather and Robin combined.

Especially in the realm of combat against people, Joan of Arc was undoubtedly the strongest among them.

All she needs to learn is how to fight monsters.

After all, the attack patterns and logic of monsters are completely different from those of human soldiers.

The fourteenth level is a cave maze.

Joan of Arc, holding the battle flag, stood solemnly at the rear of the column, guarding the robin and the wind violet who were preparing their magic.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she abruptly shone the light onto a flat, unremarkable patch of ground to her left.

The next second, an ice-blue flower burst forth from the ground; it was the Frost Deception Flower, known for its stealthy attacks.

However, in the face of Joan of Arc, who possesses the [Revelation] skill, any form of sneak attack is like a firefly in the dark.

Before the liar could even open its petals, Joan of Arc's battle flag had already transformed into a silver lightning bolt, crashing down with immense force, slamming the poor monster back into the ground with a resounding "bang."

It is worth mentioning that on Joan of Arc's brand-new battle banner, the fluttering flowers were no longer irises, but scales and water droplets representing water and justice—the emblem of the [Fukaros Familia].

The armor she wore, crafted by Tsubaki herself, finally made Robin and Kazesaki understand why the master blacksmith had commented that it was "very fancy."

After all, what kind of saintess armor would have an exquisite metal collar around her fair neck?

Who would use several thin chains to secure their breastplate?

In particular, this design, combined with Jeanne d'Arc's "Justice" which far surpasses that of the Familia of Fucarus, along with the knee-high black stockings and heavy metal boots, unexpectedly creates an indescribable sense of astringency.

However, Joan of Arc herself was completely unaware of all of this.

In her opinion, the equipment was sturdy, fit well, and did not hinder her movements at all; it was perfectly normal.

Today marks the tenth day since the war game came to an end.

The commotion caused by the Fukaros Familia in Orario gradually subsided over time, becoming just another topic of conversation.

After Eina's hellish "Baby Bus" cram school and practical training starting from the first floor, Jeanne d'Arc was completely familiar with the combat rhythm of the dungeon.

Now, she can follow Fenyu and the others without any pressure, moving freely in the mid-level area where the monsters' strength has suddenly increased.

And the speed at which she grew was terrifying.

The robin's skills, [Tone Harmony] and [Harmony Family], played a crucial role in this success.

With the help of these two skills, the team's experience gain efficiency has seen a qualitative leap.

As a "newcomer" to the dungeon, Jeanne enjoys the double benefits of the beginner period and skill enhancement, and her ability value increases at a speed that is like taking a rocket.

In just ten days, after Fukalos's latest update to the ability values, the results were clearly reflected on everyone's panel.

Joan of Arc

Level: Lv.1

Strength: 1—0→C

Durability: 1—0→A

Dexterity: I—0→G

Agility: 1—0→G

Magic: 1—0→C

【Burning Feathers】

Level: Lv.2

Strength: S→ SSS

Durability: A→SSS

Dexterity: S→ SSS

Agility: S→ SSS

Magic: S→SSS

The Robin

Level: Lv.2

Strength: H→G

Durability: H→G

Dexterity: GF

Agility: F→D

Magic: E→A

Tifa Lockhart

Level: Lv.1

Strength: S → SS

Durability: D→C

Dexterity: A→S

Agility: SS → SSS

Magic Power: S→SS

【Wind Violet】

Level: Lv.1

Strength: D→B

Durability: E→C

Dexterity: D→C

Agility: C→B

Magic: SS→SSS

After ten days of hard work in the middle level of the dungeon, the members of the Fukaros Familia reaped fruitful results.

Tifa and Violet already have plenty of experience points and can reach Lv.2 at any time.

As for Fenyu, with his previous feat of defeating the Apollo Familia and his crazy "grinding" experience in the secret realm dungeon over the past ten days, he has accumulated enough qualifications to launch an attack on Lv.3.

More importantly, by repeatedly clearing the "Palace of Unjust Suicide" dungeon, he successfully farmed a complete set of four-star [Guardian Heart] artifacts for Joan of Arc.

Tifa, Robin, and Windfury also donned the complete [Adventurer] and [Berserker] sets according to their respective roles.

This set of artifacts is sufficient until a more suitable five-star artifact set is found.

"It's time to go back."

Fen Yu sheathed his weapon and looked at his companions. "Everyone has reached a bottleneck. When we get back, we'll have Funina update our stats and upgrade us."

No one objected.

However, amid the joy of the upcoming upgrade, there is also a sense of urgency.

There are less than a few days left until the next "Gathering of the Gods".

Fen Yu knew very well that Hermes, who was always looking for trouble, would not let this opportunity pass. He was bound to stir up a storm at the conference and reveal the secret of the Fukalos Familia's rapid leveling up.

At that time, they will be completely exposed to the sight of all the gods and their families in Orario.

Therefore, they must improve their overall strength as much as possible beforehand to cope with any risks they may face.

"As long as I can reach Lv.3," Fenyu thought to himself, "with my magic and the Robin's [Star Fugue], I might not be without a fighting chance even against a Level 1 adventurer."

Only then could the Fukaros Familia barely gain a foothold in this dog-eat-dog city.

Furthermore, given the cautionary tale of the Apollo Familia, those gods or adventurers who like to cause trouble in the shadows will have to think twice before taking action.

Back on the ground, instead of heading to the new headquarters, "Mo Mang Palace," which was under construction, the group returned to their old place where they had originally rented in District Seven.

Funina was already prepared and waiting for her retinue to return.

"Oh, my dear children, welcome back in triumph! Quickly, let your goddess witness your growth, a growth worthy of being written into an epic."

With Funina's excited expression, the upgrade ceremony began.

As divine blood dripped down, the sacred text behind it surged and reconstructed at an unprecedented speed.

First was Fenyu; his level jumped from 2 to 3, and a brand new development ability was imprinted on his stats—

[Swordsman].

Next up is Kaze Sumire, who successfully advanced to Lv.2 and gained the development ability [Harmony], which perfectly matches her own positioning.

Finally, there's Tifa, who also leveled up to Lv.2 and gained the [Fist Fighter] ability, which further enhances her fighting skills.

At this point, the Fukaros Familia now has one Lv.3, three Lv.2, and one Lv.1 adventurer with immense potential.

Although the number of people is still small, each one is an elite among elites.

They are undoubtedly following the path of the Astrea Familia of yesteryear – an elite-first society.