Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

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He thought this setup was just right.

August understood the new additions to his skill board right away. In the Danmachi universe, skills and magic manifested from the user's recent experiences and environment.

[Magic: Magic Sword]

August knew why this magic showed up: the Apollo Familia. Their constant pressure made him quickly learn sword techniques for fighting people, and that experience was now part of his Status.

[Magic Sword] worked a bit like Projection Magecraft from the TYPE-MOON universe.

By chanting, he could give his weapons different effects. Since he already knew how to cast spells this way, he could now send that magic straight into his blade, making a Magic Sword whenever he needed.

It was a big tactical upgrade, useful with any spell. The Dungeon's rules made sense: his recent battles taught him to fight with a sword, and now [Magic Sword] made him much stronger up close.

Then there was the new skill.

[Five Elements Spellcraft]

The five elements represented the fundamental forces: Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth.

[Effect: Allows the user to shorten or accelerate the incantation time for spells tied to these five elements. Grants the user the ability to imbue attacks with these five elements. Increases the destructive output of all five-element attacks by 50%.]

This skill packed a real punch. It was all about boosting offense.

He got a new magic and a new skill, both focused on offense.

Before, he had miracle-level healing and powerful spatial abilities, but these new powers made up for his lack of physical strength. Getting stuck on the 19th Floor still bothered him, and these new abilities were exactly what he wanted after that loss.

"Still, making it to Level 3 feels good," August said, a genuine smile forming.

He was now officially a high-tier Adventurer.

From Level 1 to Level 3 in less than a month, it had been one hell of a ride.

Lili poked her head into the room.

"Did it work?" she asked, buzzing with anticipation.

"It worked." August grinned. "I got a massive boost to my offensive output. It basically patches up my weakness in close-quarters combat."

With these new abilities, he had moved past his old limits with elements and magic. He was no longer just support or long-range firepower. Now, he could fight up close.

"As expected of Lord August," Lili cheered, watching him sit up. A level-up that delivered a versatile skill and a combat magic was a double win.

"Still, Lord August... things look pretty chaotic out there." She pointed toward the window.

"..."

August could hear the noise from the street even in his bedroom. The pillar of light had attracted a crowd from nearby, and the military had already moved in to secure the area.

"Commander James is here." Lili gestured outside.

A spectacle like that was bound to attract attention. The commander had even moved his wife into the neighborhood just to live closer to them. Living under God's protection had its perks, and the area felt secure and welcoming.

"Alright. Go ahead and let them in," August said.

"Yes, sir."

August grabbed some fresh clothes. When he went downstairs, he saw a few familiar faces in the living room. Commander James and several department heads were sitting on the couches, all looking at him.

"August, my boy. What happened out there?" James asked, almost shaking with curiosity.

"I successfully reached Level 3," August replied plainly.

With Hestia backing him, he saw no reason to hide his abilities. "The new magic and skill are pretty standard, though. A Magic Sword ability, and a skill tied to the five elements."

"Oho..." The department heads murmured in awe.

With their experience, they figured it out right away. These were clearly offensive abilities.

"You've been under a lot of pressure," James noted.

For a Falna to create combat-focused abilities, August must have really wanted more fighting power. An Adventurer's will shapes their growth, and that's a firm rule. Getting two strong offensive abilities showed just how much the Apollo War Game and the sudden summons had affected him.

But the worst stress came from losing on the 19th Floor. James and the military strategists had spent hours going over what went wrong.

Using powerful weaponry in the Dungeon's thick, forest-like setting had been a huge mistake, and the leaders saw it as a real embarrassment. They kept working until they had come up with at least a dozen ways to beat that Floor.

"Pressure is part of the job. It got me to Level 3, so I'll take it," August said. "If I head back down to the 19th Floor now, I can put up a real fight."

He hadn't let that defeat go. Getting walled down there stung, and until he personally marched back and cleared that Floor, he wouldn't sleep right.

"Haha, don't push yourself too hard," the Logistics Director chuckled, shaking his head.

August really held a grudge. No wonder he got such aggressive skills. When it came to facing his own problems, he never hesitated to act.

"Don't sweat the circus outside," James assured him, thinking of the crowd trying to peek into the building. "We'll handle it."

Half the city thought someone was undergoing a magical ascension inside the apartment building. A spectacle that massive was impossible to ignore.

"Appreciate it." August nodded.

Letting the military handle his public messes was a huge relief.

The neighbors would probably just tease him about it for a few days. No one asked why he leveled up on Earth instead of Orario. To the officers, it was obvious: leveling up at home was safer than risking an ambush in a monster-filled Dungeon.

Earth felt peaceful compared to Orario.

Once the level-up was finished, they went back to their usual routine.

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Back in Orario, things were far from calm.

As soon as Artemis returned—the Gods who had been watching from afar crowded into her compound.

Artemis sat at her dining table, surrounded by a crowd of major and minor Gods. They drank their tea, staring at her and hoping she would share everything she knew.

But Artemis wasn't one to break easily. Her lips were sealed.

"What are you all staring at?" she deadpanned. "Glaring at me isn't going to make me talk."

Any male Gods who tried to linger outside had already been chased off with her divine weapon; Miach and Takemikazuchi knew better than to intrude. So the room was packed exclusively with Goddesses—minus the Goddesses of Beauty, of course.

"Come on, Artemis. We're friends, aren't we? You can't just leave us hanging," Loki wheedled, rubbing her hands together like a scheming merchant.

Hestia and Artemis were the only goddesses who had ever set foot in an entirely different world. What sort of world had they stumbled into? What rules governed it? And, most importantly, what kind of premium entertainment did it have to offer?

Artemis kept her mouth shut, taking a slow sip of tea and refusing to give an inch.

"Fine. Keep your secrets," Loki scoffed.

If a Virgin Goddess decided to stay silent, dragging it out of her was impossible. She shifted her intense gaze to Hephaestus and Demeter, hunting for a weak link.

The other Goddesses flinched under Loki's intense stare. They wanted to avoid attention; if Artemis would not talk, they could not make her. Still, Loki kept staring, and their own curiosity was almost too much to handle.

"Artemis, come on. What is really happening over there?" Hephaestus eventually cracked. "Just give us a hint. A world actively summoning August... we're dying to know."

"The premise is pretty simple..." Artemis said with a sigh. If she did not give them something, these guests would never leave her dining room. "A distant future timeline called for destruction, trying to erase an unstable existence."

She knew how persistent these Goddesses could be, so she only shared the basics.

"As for the new world itself... it does have Gods. It works a lot like our world, with a similar relationship between Heaven and mortals. Their Gods live in a higher dimension."

Artemis took a sip of tea, then dropped the bombshell casually, "In fact, I strongly suspect that world has alternate versions of us. Gods with the same powers, the same domains, and even the same true names."

When she stepped through the portal, she felt a familiar presence watching her—a divine signature almost like her own, but still different. If she was right, that world, which followed TYPE-MOON rules, had its own Moon Goddess named Artemis.

"Oho? Is that so?" The whole room gasped.

The idea of parallel-universe versions of themselves existing somewhere was impossible to resist.

"Honestly... that world is quite interesting," Artemis admitted.

She did not share all the details about how things worked, but the stories of Heroic Spirits and Servants had caught her attention. She fully intended to get involved later.

"Hmmm..." The Goddesses narrowed their eyes, studying her like a puzzle.

They could smell the omission. What exactly made it so "interesting"? They wanted the juicy details. If the typically stoic Artemis called something interesting, she was definitely planning a return trip, and the only way back was through August.

Demeter watched Artemis act so secretive. The Virgin Goddess was behaving like a smug schoolgirl hoarding a juicy piece of gossip.

"Artemis... are you in love?" Demeter put down her teacup and looked closely at her friend.

Artemis had the unmistakable glow of a maiden nursing her first crush...

"WHAT? DON'T BE RIDICULOUS." Artemis's hand jerked, rattling her teacup against its saucer. She rushed to dismiss the claim.

Love? No way. She was Artemis. Romance was impossible for her. If she ever fell in love, it would be the worst kind of embarrassment.

"The Artemis I know never hesitates. She never shows her feelings so openly." Loki said, sensing an opportunity.

Loki studied her closely. Artemis was showing an unusual amount of curiosity and a clear wish to be close—and to a God, that kind of emotional shift was clear as day.

For a Virgin Goddess to try to hide her feelings from a room full of romantically experienced Goddesses was simply naive. Now that her secret was out, Artemis looked flustered.

Oh, this was too good. Which lucky mortal had managed to seduce the unseducible Artemis?

"You have a crush on August, don't you?" Loki pressed.

It all clicked. One brief trip across worlds, and Artemis's affection for the rookie had skyrocketed. The real question was how August had charmed her right under Hestia's hyper-vigilant nose.

Hestia was notoriously territorial. Every God in Orario knew she guarded her prized child like a dragon hoarding gold; she wasn't letting him go without a bloodbath. If August had not been so loyal to Hestia, the other Gods would have tried every trick to take him.

Now even Artemis, the eternal virgin goddess, looked as though she regretted not making a move sooner.

"I don't! Why would I ever fall for him?" Artemis shot back, her voice tense. "I am Artemis. I do not fall in love."

Was she really in love? Even she could not explain it...

August had always been honest with her, never hiding his intentions, and she respected him for that. After the intense events of the previous night, she found herself drawn to him.

This was not just a simple crush on a hero. It was a consuming longing. Now that her secret was out, she felt a bitter jealousy growing inside her.

'Why did he choose Hestia?'

Artemis thought. 'Hestia isn't the only option. Logically, if he liked me, pursuing me wouldn't be entirely impossible. Yes, I forbid marriage and strictly enforce chastity, but... I could make exceptions for a courtship.'

These rebellious thoughts grew stronger. She kept comparing herself to Hestia. Romance had taken over her mind, and now she had a simple goal: she wanted to win August for herself.

But as soon as she thought that, a more reasonable voice spoke up in her mind. 'Stop it. You are being foolish. You do not really love him. Hestia chose him first. You are just late.'

Guilt weighed heavily on her chest.

But a moment later, her pride pushed back.

'Hold on. Didn't Hephaestus meet him first? Hestia only got him because she played the damsel.'

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