Danmachi, Ch 141-145

Chapter 141 – The Curious Smithing Goddess

Hestia...

Astraea’s mind immediately conjured up the image of that twin-tailed, busty little goddess who spent all her time at home. She remembered Hestia as an extreme shut-in—someone perfectly content to stay curled up indoors with a book, sprawled out lazily, with zero interest in the outside world.

“Loki, is Hestia’s personality even suited for life down here?”

“Knowing her, shouldn’t she still be holed up in a heavenly temple somewhere—reading, snacking, and never setting foot outside?”

Astraea knew Hestia fairly well. Their relationship had always been decent, so she had a good grasp of the other goddess’s habits.

And honestly? Hestia really wasn’t the type suited for the lower world.

While most gods descended out of curiosity and the thrill of the unknown, Hestia was the exact opposite—a pure homebody goddess. As long as she had food, drink, and something to read, she’d happily stay in her room forever.

In mortal terms, Hestia was built to be a couch potato, not the head of a Familia.

“Once she’s in the lower world, she can’t rely on divine power for anything. She’d have to handle all sorts of annoying mortal problems herself. That doesn’t sound like something Hestia would ever do.”

“Exactly.”

Loki agreed wholeheartedly.

From her point of view, Hestia would be completely lost once she descended. The shut-in goddess, suddenly stripped of her divine conveniences, would definitely struggle to adapt. It wouldn’t take long before she tried to recreate her old heavenly lifestyle.

“Knowing that little runt, she’ll find a friend to lean on—and then go right back to being a freeloading slug.”

“Hestia’s friends in the heavens, huh…”

Astraea began running through the list in her head. Hestia actually had plenty of friends up there—many of whom were doing quite well in the lower world now.

If she were looking for someone to mooch off of, it’d have to be a friend who was both close and financially stable.

Astraea quickly landed on a name.

“Hephaestus, right?”

“Hestia and Hephaestus were always pretty close in the heavens. And Hephaestus has the wealth to not care about Hestia crashing at her place.”

“If she found out Hestia descended, there’s no way she’d let her wander the streets homeless.”

Loki nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, those two have always gotten along.”

“And during that adjustment period after she descends, Hephaestus would definitely lend her a hand.”

“Speaking of which, we’ll need to strengthen our strategic relationship with Hephaestus going forward—especially when it comes to weapons.”

“So you’re planning to rope Hephaestus in too?” Astraea immediately caught onto her intent.

“Hephaestus isn’t the kind of goddess who joins sides easily.”

“Her Familia’s commercial, focused on crafting and trade. She doesn’t have the kind of grand ambitions that Hera or Zeus do. Convincing her won’t be easy.”

Hephaestus was the goddess of craftsmanship, a true master smith.

Her friendship with Hestia made sense—both preferred focusing on their own passions rather than chasing grand divine schemes. Hephaestus was simply a homebody artisan, though far less extreme than Hestia.

Still, no ordinary reason would be enough to make her join Loki’s side.

“No problem.”

Loki smiled confidently, completely unfazed. She glanced up at the clock.

“Looks like the timing’s just about right.”

“…”

At that very moment, Hephaestus sat in her office, staring at two mysterious objects laid out on her desk: a piece of crimson cloth and a silver ring adorned with an amber gem, its wings unfurled in delicate detail.

“This isn’t normal fabric.”

She could tell at a glance that the red cloth was anything but ordinary. When her fingers brushed against it, she felt her own strength get muffled, absorbed.

The entire material wasn’t woven from threads—it was seamless, forged as one whole piece.

It radiated a faintly divine aura.

Pulling or cutting it did nothing. No damage, no mark. That alone was enough to make Hephaestus raise an eyebrow.

“This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”

“It almost feels… saturated with divine blood.”

She frowned. “No, that can’t be right. Not even godly blood could create something like this—it’s too pure, too potent.”

For once, Hephaestus couldn’t determine what she was dealing with.

Setting the cloth aside for now, she picked up the ring and examined it carefully.

The craftsmanship was impeccable.

“This material… it’s unique. The gemstone itself seems to hold power.”

She let a trace of her divinity flow into it.

The ring pulsed in response. The energy resonated with her godly essence, sending faint ripples through the air.

Her single visible eye widened.

“Well, now… that’s interesting. It resonates with divine power.”

“How strange… what kind of ore is this?”

As the goddess of smithing, Hephaestus prided herself on knowing every material in existence. Yet even within her vast knowledge, she had never seen anything like this stone.

Her gaze drifted back to the red cloth on the desk.

“Almost forgot about you.”

She leaned closer, fingers brushing against it again. “You don’t belong to this world either, do you?”

“Who could’ve sent materials like these to my workshop?”

Hephaestus thought through the possibilities.

“Tsubaki? No… if that girl had gotten her hands on something this rare, she would’ve kept it to study herself. No way she’d just leave it in my room.”

She crossed her arms, thinking.

Then, a recent memory surfaced—an incident involving Soma.

That fool had apparently met someone under mysterious circumstances not long ago.

She’d been at the divine gathering where Ishtar and Freya discussed it—along with the part where Freya used Ishtar as a convenient scapegoat.

Hephaestus remembered clearly. The center of that whole discussion… had been Loki.

Speaking of Loki, her Familia had been unusually active lately. Too many strange things surrounding them.

Her finger traced the edge of the crimson fabric again.

“So… is Loki behind this too?”

“Maybe I should go ask her myself.”

Her gaze lingered on the two items once more.

That familiar spark of curiosity flared in her chest—the kind only a true craftsman could feel when faced with the unknown.

Decision made, Hephaestus stood up.

“Alright, then. Let’s go.”

Chapter 142 – Hephaestus Drops In

Driven by that gnawing curiosity, Hephaestus made her way alone into Twilight Manor.

Even for a goddess, curiosity about the unknown was something impossible to suppress.

And what sat before her this time—it was far too strange, far too tempting to ignore.

“It’s been a while.”

Her voice echoed lightly through the familiar halls as she stepped deeper into the Loki Familia’s home. Her gaze wandered across the corridors. It really had been ages since she’d last come here.

Ever since the Great Feud, she and Loki hadn’t had many one-on-one meetings.

And yet today, here she was—because of one wild, nagging suspicion.

“Lady Hephaestus.”

“Is Loki in?”

She didn’t bother with pleasantries when one of Loki’s children appeared before her. Straight to the point—as always.

“Lady Loki and Lady Astraea are in the tearoom.”

Astraea too, huh?

Hephaestus wasn’t surprised. She’d heard that Loki and Astraea had been unusually close lately.

That bond seemed to have formed after Loki Familia’s return from their last Expedition—apparently, it had something to do with Astraea’s own children.

Judging by the current situation, that rumor wasn’t wrong.

“I see,” Hephaestus murmured, nodding slightly.

She didn’t need anyone to guide her; she already knew exactly where the tearoom was.

On the first floor, sunlight streamed through a window beside a certain door. Hephaestus reached it, pushed it open—

Click!

The sudden brightness made her eyes sting for a moment. When her vision adjusted, she saw Loki and Astraea sitting across from each other at a low table.

Three teacups sat between them. Steam still curled up from the third. Clearly, it had been prepared for her.

“Well, well. You left something on my desk to catch my attention, Loki. I didn’t know you’d picked up such an odd habit.”

The goddess of smithing stepped inside, voice laced with thinly veiled irritation.

She had every reason to be annoyed. If it hadn’t been Loki who placed that mysterious stone and red cloth in her workshop, then she’d have to consider the possibility that the Dark Faction had marked her.

Facing her glare, Loki raised both hands in mock surrender, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry about that, Hephaestus.”

“My kid’s the cautious type. He prefers to stay hidden and uses Puppets to move around outside. So… he might’ve gotten a little too careful when he wanted to send you those things.”

“I’ll accept your apology,” Hephaestus said evenly, crossing her arms. “But since I’m already here, are you still going to keep that child of yours hiding in the shadows?”

Loki nodded with a sly grin. "Tsuna."

A pale, translucent barrier shimmered into existence. Within it stood a boy—young, unfamiliar, and definitely new to her eyes.

Hephaestus tilted her head, studying him. “So Ishtar’s information was real after all. I thought it was one of your fabricated rumors.”

And she couldn’t be blamed for that assumption.

Ishtar investigating Loki? That made no sense. The goddess of beauty was many things, but reckless wasn’t usually one of them—not after being burned by Loki before.

If anyone should’ve known better than to fall for Loki’s traps twice, it was her.

Still, Hephaestus had to admit—if Ishtar had been so certain, then Loki must’ve wanted her to believe it. The intelligence Ishtar “discovered” was clearly something Loki had allowed to leak.

“Puppets, spatial techniques… you really don’t mind tossing your kid’s secrets out there for everyone to drool over, huh?”

Hephaestus exhaled slowly. If it were her, she’d have locked a child like that away in a vault.

Showing off an ability like his was practically inviting trouble.

Loki only laughed. “It’s not without reason.”

“His power’s absurdly strong—beyond what anyone in Orario can imagine. Hell, maybe even beyond this whole world.”

“That’s exactly why I had to tone down the rest of his abilities. I let one small part show, so it could act as bait—to hide what really matters.”

Hephaestus's sharp eyes shifted toward Tsuna.

So that’s it. Reveal a fragment to distract the world’s attention… and bury the rest where no one can see.

But what could possibly be so powerful that even Loki felt the need to hide it?

The goddess of smithing’s curiosity flared again, but she forced it down. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out the crimson cloth and the strange ring.

“Well then, since you’ve dragged me into this already—mind telling me what these are made of?”

Loki’s grin widened. “I can, but… you’ll want to sit down for this one.”

That smile instantly made Hephaestus suspicious.

Still, curiosity won out—just as Loki had known it would.

Fifteen minutes later, Hephaestus sat frozen, one hand covering her face.

“…I really shouldn’t have sat down.”

Now that she understood the full picture, regret hit her like a hammer.

She’d learned far too much.

“Damn it, why couldn’t I just ignore it for once?” she muttered under her breath. “Curiosity really is a curse.”

Loki, of course, burst out laughing and clapped her on the shoulder.

“Come on, it’s fine! Just think of it as me tricking you into joining the fun.”

“And hey, it’s not like you don’t get anything out of it. Tsuna’s power can do a lot of crazy stuff. If you put a little faith—and resources—into him, he can make things. Literally.”

Hephaestus swatted Loki’s hand away, glaring. The nerve of this woman—to rope her into something like this and still talk like it was a favor.

In the end, she could only sigh.

“Fine. Like you said, there are some things even I can’t turn away from.”

“If the world really is heading toward its end… I can’t just sit in my forge pretending it isn’t happening.”

Her gaze shifted to Tsuna, disbelief flickering across her usually composed features.

“Still, your child’s power… that’s even more unbelievable than the world ending.”

To think—he could imagine monsters into existence.

Creatures that not only took shape, but could define their own nature and abilities.

It was ridiculous.

It was terrifying.

And to a goddess of creation like Hephaestus—

—it was fascinating beyond words.

Chapter 143 – Substitution

In the days that followed, the Hephaestus Familia quietly registered a new adventurer with the Guild under the name “Sawada.”

No given name. Just a surname.

The arrangement barely drew any attention. Unless someone intentionally dug into the records, no one would notice one more low-profile adventurer joining the ranks.

It hadn’t been done overnight—Hephaestus and her Familia had taken their time, carefully minimizing every possible trace and keeping prying eyes away.

And yet, to outsiders, the whole thing looked bizarre.

A member of the Loki Familia—one of their most talked-about rookies—was now registered under the Hephaestus Familia, disguised as an unremarkable level one blacksmith.

Even if some gods suspected collaboration between Hephaestus and Loki, no one would ever imagine that Loki Familia’s “special rookie” was hiding right under Hephaestus’s name.

Easy to say. Hard to pull off.

Thankfully, Tsuna had one particularly useful skill—he could alter memories. That alone made everything much simpler.

“Thanks for the hard work, Lady Hephaestus.”

Tsuna walked into her office, carrying a cup of water.

Hephaestus accepted it and took a sip before exhaling in relief. “You really made that whole process so much easier with your convenient little ability.”

Then she frowned. “But… was all that caution really necessary? You changed people’s memories and appearances just to handle a registration?”

It was extreme—even for him.

Hephaestus couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

Tsuna nodded slightly. “Some gods investigate from the very beginning. One tiny inconsistency is enough for them to see through everything.”

“Everyone in the Loki Familia knows my name and face. But outside, this—” he gestured toward the puppet that appeared beside him, “—is the only one they ever see.”

The puppet’s half-lidded eyes were striking, with dark circles that deepened the shadows of its expression—haunting, tired, but memorable.

“I also let word of this puppet leak through Raul,” Tsuna added. “Information confirmed through a god’s own eyes carries weight. Even if Lady Ishtar suspects something, she won’t doubt what she’s personally verified.”

Hephaestus smirked in admiration. “Using the gods’ own arrogance against them, huh? Clever.”

She leaned back in her chair. “They really do trust what they see, especially when it comes from someone ordinary. A goddess like Ishtar would never believe that a mere mortal could deceive her, not when she can literally see through lies.”

“So you used that truth-detection ability against them?”

The goddess chuckled lowly. “Impressive. You really know how to push your power to its limits—even memory manipulation, huh?”

“That’s how you tricked their divine sight, fed them false intel, and made them chase the wrong leads… Ishtar and Hermes included.”

“...Hermes?”

The name made Tsuna blink.

Hephaestus raised a brow. “What, you didn’t realize Hermes was poking around in Loki’s business too?”

“I knew about Ishtar,” Tsuna admitted, scratching his head. “But Hermes… I only remember what that story told me. Beyond that, I don’t know much. It’s been… a long time.”

He didn’t deny it—some memories had gaps, pieces missing between worlds and timelines.

To a god, a decade or two wasn’t much.

To a human, it was a lifetime.

“I’m not surprised Hermes got involved, though,” he said finally. “If there was information to chase, he’d be there. I figured there were other gods involved besides Ishtar anyway.”

“In the end, everything worked out.”

Hephaestus nodded slowly.

Tsuna might not have anticipated Hermes’s involvement, but the outcome spoke for itself. Even the god most skilled in gathering information had failed to uncover his secret.

That alone said enough about the boy’s precision—and caution.

Hephaestus smiled faintly. “You really are better suited for operating behind the scenes.”

“No wonder you decided to put one part of your power on display—to strengthen your Puppet while weakening your summoner persona.”

“The Labyrinth City is full of adventurers with overwhelming abilities and fragile bodies. One more like that won’t stand out.”

“And since you’re always lurking in the background, every god investigating you will just assume the same thing—that you’re another powerful but frail oddball.”

She knew the truth, but the others didn’t.

If those gods ever learned what he truly was capable of, they wouldn’t stay in the shadows watching. They’d storm Loki’s home without hesitation.

“The stronger the power, the bigger the flaw they’ll imagine you have,” Hephaestus continued. “Even the so-called ‘prodigy monster’ Silence wasn’t exempt from that.”

“The more brilliant your Puppets seem, the more they’ll think something’s wrong with the person controlling them.”

“That’s why you have to stay hidden, not stand in the spotlight.”

She gave him a steady look. “Most gods will think that way—but don’t assume all of them will. Hermes and Freya will definitely think deeper.”

“If Ishtar’s investigating you, she’s already guessed that what she found is just a piece of the truth—not the whole picture.”

“Even if you’re hiding in plain sight under my Familia, someone might still catch on. That’s why you need to stay careful.”

Tsuna nodded, his tone calm but serious. “Don’t worry. I made my choice to stay hidden, and I’m not about to ruin it by stepping into the open.”

“Outside the Familia, no other god will see me directly.”

He smiled faintly. “I won’t throw all that effort away.”

Hephaestus let out a quiet hum of approval.

For someone so young, his foresight was terrifying.

And for a brief moment, she wondered—just how far could this boy go before the gods themselves started fearing him?

Chapter 144 – Forging Weapons with Excellia

“Whoa! You’re telling me weapons like this exist in another world?!”

Tsubaki’s eyes lit up as she examined the gauntlet on her arm, the surge of strength coursing through her body making her grin from ear to ear.

“Doubling my power for ten seconds... that’s insane! What kind of world makes something like this? That’s terrifying.”

She’d never even heard of a weapon with such an effect.

Tsuna nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that other world is a lot more dangerous than it sounds."

He pointed to the gauntlet Tsubaki was wearing and explained, “That’s actually a Sacred Gear created by the God of the Bible using the soul of a red dragon—a weapon meant to slay gods.”

“Dragons never really belong to any side, but that red dragon was one of the most extreme cases.”

“When the other races went to war, it and a white dragon got caught up in the conflict between gods and devils. Their fight caused so much destruction that both sides had to stop their war just to deal with them first.”

“…They what?”

Tsubaki took a deep breath and looked down at the gauntlet again. The idea that dragons in another world would charge straight into a god-and-devil war and wreak such havoc that both sides had to call a truce—it was both ridiculous and impressive.

“In a way,” she muttered, “that’s kinda badass.”

“What were they even fighting over?”

“Interest,” Tsuna said simply. “They were born rivals. No matter how many times they died, they’d keep fighting.”

“…So they were just born stupid, huh.”

Tsubaki’s lips twitched. Okay, now she understood what dragons were like over there. No wonder gods and devils joined forces to kill them—having two idiots like that rampaging around would drive anyone crazy.

Still, her attention soon returned to the gauntlet.

“To make something like this, you’d need two dragons powerful enough to fight in a god-devil war. That’s way out of my league…”

She sighed. A level five adventurer like her had no business even thinking about that kind of hunt.

“And you’d have to capture their souls too… I don’t even know where to start with that.”

Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

The idea of forging weapons using monster souls was great in theory—but actually collecting those souls? That was the real problem.

“Honestly, Tsubaki,” Tsuna said dryly, “maybe don’t make that your goal. If Lady Hephaestus finds out you’re planning to sacrifice souls for a weapon, she’ll probably headbutt you.”

“…Fair point.”

Tsubaki hunched her shoulders. Yeah, that sounded exactly like something Hephaestus would do.

If her goddess caught wind of this kind of “sacrificial forging,” she’d absolutely drag Tsubaki into the forge and teach her a lesson—with fire.

“Tsuna, does your world have any other kinds of weapons like that?”

“Oh, plenty,” he said. “But if we’re talking about ones that can actually be crafted, with a touch of magic… the one that stands out most is from Fate.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing a radiant golden sword. When he opened them, the same holy blade appeared in his hand.

“A holy sword,” he explained. “Said to have been given to King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake.”

“Of course, that’s just how the legend goes. What I remember is that this sword could convert magical power into destructive light.”

He poured a little magic into the blade. The sword glowed gold, so bright it almost hummed with power.

“—!”

Tsubaki froze. Every instinct screamed danger. Her eyes locked on the sword, her heart pounding.

If it had just been a normal magic sword, she wouldn’t have cared. Her fists could outmatch most enchanted weapons easily.

But this sword… even without being swung, the sheer radiance of it made her skin crawl. That light alone carried the threat of death.

“What are you two doing?!”

Hephaestus’s voice snapped through the room like a whip. Her eyes went wide as she spotted the sword in Tsuna’s hand.

That thing looked powerful enough to blow Twilight Manor sky-high. She’d only stepped out to get a drink of water, and somehow, they’d managed to create this.

“Tsuna,” she said, rubbing her temple, “you’ve done it again.”

Then she glared at him. “And don’t indulge Tsubaki’s curiosity like that! The moment anything involves weapons, she turns into a total maniac!”

Ignoring Tsubaki’s flustered squawk, Hephaestus stepped closer and inspected the blade, tilting it under the light.

“Huh… this is definitely unusual. It doesn’t look like it was forged through normal means.”

“I’ve never seen a weapon quite like it.”

Tsuna scratched his cheek, a little sheepish. “Yeah, I was trying to recreate the real one, but… I’ve never actually seen the original.”

“So… what exactly is this weapon you made?” Hephaestus asked, still examining it closely.

“Annihilation Maker can materialize things using imagination as the framework,” Tsuna explained. “Normally, it’s used to create monsters, but I can also apply that to material objects.”

He pointed at the sword. “This one’s a physical manifestation of a weapon from a hero’s legend.”

“It did exist in that world, but the one I made here isn’t the original—it’s a version based on how that hero’s legend described it.”

“That’s why it doesn’t look like a normally forged weapon.”

A weapon born from the legend of a hero...

Hephaestus and Tsubaki exchanged stunned looks. For a moment, neither spoke. Then, almost in unison, their eyes lit up with realization.

“Excellia!” they both blurted out.

The goddess of smithing and the best craftswoman in the mortal world—both had the same thought.

They’d never once tried forging weapons using Excellia itself.

Hephaestus’s mind raced, her lips curving into a grin. “Forging with Excellia… that’s actually a brilliant idea.”

She nodded decisively. “It’s possible.”

“When adventurers face powerful monsters, they gain Excellia as a reward for overcoming the challenge. It’s the essence of their achievements—part of their legend.”

“If we use that very essence to forge a weapon, the result might carry effects we’ve never seen before.”

“Whoa!”

Tsubaki’s eyes sparkled as excitement flooded through her.

With Hephaestus’s approval, her enthusiasm exploded.

The possibilities of forging with Excellia—it was like handing her a brand-new world to hammer into shape.

Chapter 145 – Why’s the Two-Headed Dragon So Generous This Time?

Floor 27 of the Dungeon — the Great Falls.

“Gospel!”

A terrifying shockwave ripped through the air, sending the massive two-headed dragon, Amphisbaena, flying across the waterfall.

Dressed in a black-and-white dress, Silence wore her usual calm expression. Even against a Floor Boss like Amphisbaena, whose power had been amplified by the surrounding water to a full Level 6, she didn’t look the slightest bit concerned.

“Whoa…”

Tsubaki, hefting her great katana on her shoulder, let out a low whistle. Watching that silver-haired girl she knew so well, she was once again reminded just how abnormal Tsuna’s abilities were.

“Silence, huh? Your skill’s way too busted. You can even make something like that.”

“Silence isn’t even at her peak right now.”

Tsuna shook his head lightly.

Tsubaki blinked, stunned. Her gaze shifted to the Amphisbaena, which was already on its last breath.

“Wait, you’re saying that wasn’t her full power?”

A Level 6 Floor Boss had just been beaten down like a random roadside monster.

And yet, according to Tsuna, this wasn’t even Silence’s prime.

“Right now, she only has the strength that fits within the framework of a Level 6. Even that much is just based on what I imagine a Level 6 to be.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

That meant he had imagined power on par with the upper limits of Level 6—and she still wasn’t at her full potential.

Tsubaki couldn’t help but click her tongue in disbelief.

“So three years ago, Silence and Gluttony really were holding back…”

Just understanding what a real Level 6 could do was enough for her to get it now.

Even in this era, defending against Silence and Gluttony’s rampage would’ve been next to impossible.

Even if everyone joined forces, it wouldn’t make a difference.

“Tsubaki.”

Tsuna’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She nodded, tightening her grip on her blade before striding toward Amphisbaena.

Without hesitation, she swung her katana down and finished off the barely breathing dragon.

But death in the Dungeon wasn’t final until the monster’s Magic Stone was removed.

For Tsubaki, this was routine work. Her sharp blade easily pierced the creature’s scales.

She found one of Amphisbaena’s reverse scales, pried it open with her hand, and drove her sword straight in.

Crack!

A crisp sound echoed. In an instant, Amphisbaena’s massive body turned white. Its once-solid flesh disintegrated into pale ash, leaving behind only scattered blue scales, jagged fangs, a still-beating heart, and a few blue-green crystals.

“Oh ho! Looks like our luck’s pretty damn good this time.”

Tsubaki’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store as she looked over the rare materials.

Money wasn’t something she lacked—being one of the Labyrinth City’s most famous smiths made sure of that. What she did lack were rare materials.

Not just her—the entire city did.

Every dangerous monster in the Dungeon carried rare, valuable materials. But those monsters were few, strong as hell, and their drop rates were miserable.

Meaning that even with all the valis in the world, you might not get your hands on them.

“A dragon’s heart, huh? Now that’s a rare find.”

She placed both hands on the still-throbbing organ. The powerful pulse was practically overflowing with magic, proof of its extraordinary value.

“That rare, huh?”

Tsuna walked over, curiosity in his voice. His question immediately set off Tsubaki’s excitement.

“Extremely rare—absurdly rare, actually.”

“Normally, you only get dragon hearts from drakelings. Those are rare too, sure, but drakelings aren’t true dragons. Their hearts are tiny and, most of the time, already dead by the time you carve them out.”

“But this one? This is from a Floor Boss, Amphisbaena. And it’s still beating, still pumping out a ton of magic.”

“This thing’s prime material for forging a magic sword.”

Just the pulsing of a dragon’s heart could generate staggering amounts of mana, making it one of the best high-grade forging materials around.

“And the dragon blood inside? Makes top-notch coolant for forging—it strengthens a weapon’s toughness too.”

“Oh, and the fangs.”

“These babies are the sharpest part of a dragon’s body. Even with a little polish, you could make a dragonfang dagger sharp enough to pierce Amphisbaena’s own scales.”

To prove her point, Tsubaki grabbed one of the fallen fangs and slammed it down against a chunk of discarded scale.

Crunch!

The fang punctured the tough scale effortlessly, leaving a neat hole behind.

The sheer piercing power made Tsuna’s scalp prickle.

Just imagining those teeth once attached to Amphisbaena’s jaws—capable of tearing through an Adventurer’s armor and flesh alike—was enough to make anyone shiver.

With that kind of bite force, getting caught even once meant instant death.

Tsuna let out a low whistle. Forging was a craft with endless depth, and the Dungeon’s drops were an entire field of study by themselves.

It reminded him of that game he used to play—Monster Hunter.

Except, this wasn’t a game.

In the Dungeon, every hunt was real.

Watching Tsubaki’s excitement, he could tell these materials were worth a fortune—and a nightmare to collect.

Then something on the ground caught his eye—a glimmer of green and blue crystal. Tsuna crouched, picked them up, and raised an eyebrow.

Tsubaki glanced over and immediately explained,

“Those are the power crystals from Amphisbaena’s two heads.”

“Each of its heads breathes a different type of power, and those crystals are the solidified forms of that energy.”

“They’re excellent materials for magic swords too.”

“Since they’re the crystallized essence of Amphisbaena’s own strength, using them as the core material can increase a magic sword’s total number of uses.”

“Another extremely rare Drop Item.”

Tsubaki looked down at the small pile of loot. Aside from a single dragon scale, everything else was ridiculously rare.

That made her frown.

“Why is everything so high-grade this time?”

“Usually it only drops hide, claws, that kind of boring stuff.”

She’d joined Floor Boss hunts before, and Amphisbaena was stingy as hell—its usual drops were common and low-value. So why was it being so generous now?

Her eyes slowly turned toward Tsuna.

Compared to her past hunts, this time, she’d come with him.

…So maybe these drops had something to do with him?

She couldn’t help but grin wryly. “You’re seriously breaking the Dungeon’s rules, Tsuna.”

What kind of cheat luck did this guy have?