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?