"Lucky Rabbit???"
Tsubaki's jaw dropped as she stared at Tsuna. The word lucky alone made her brain short-circuit for a moment.
"You're telling me… you can even create luck?"
Tsuna nodded slightly. "As long as it's something that can be conceptualized, I can make it. But the degree of luck depends on the limits of my imagination."
Of course, what he didn't say was that luck needed a reference point. Without a defined "target" for what luck meant, it was impossible to create something that would actually boost his own fortune.
So, to define that standard, Tsuna simply used his own experiences as the baseline for "luck."
And sure enough… it worked.
He'd successfully created a Lucky Rabbit—a creature that genuinely brought good fortune. It constantly boosted his luck in a stable, measurable way.
Its effect? Mostly noticeable when gambling or hunting in the Dungeon—rare Drop Items would practically rain down nonstop.
The phrase "limits of imagination" made Tsubaki glance down instinctively at the pile of rare materials scattered from Amphisbaena's corpse.
"This is definitely beyond the normal limit."
But then, excitement quickly replaced her shock.
"In that case, I'll never have to worry about running out of rare materials again!"
"Next time, I can just borrow Tsuna's creations and farm the Dungeon myself!"
The thought of being self-sufficient in materials made her swallow hard.
For a smith, could there be anything more thrilling than that?
"Tsuna, lend me that rabbit next time!"
Caught up in her excitement, Tsubaki suddenly leaned in until her face was right in front of his.
Tsuna froze for a second, then gave a small nod. "Sure. Just come to me directly when you need it."
That was all the answer she needed. A grin spread across Tsubaki's face—and in her rush of joy, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
Her monstrous strength pinned him completely, pressing his face deep into something soft and suffocating. Under normal circumstances, this might've been heaven—but right now, it was pure suffocation.
He quickly flailed a hand and patted her shoulder, and only then did Tsubaki snap back to her senses and let go.
"Ha…"
Tsuna exhaled heavily, finally able to breathe again. His lungs felt starved for air, his chest aching from the compression.
"Tsubaki, next time, go easy on the hugs. My body can't handle that."
"Ah—sorry, sorry!"
She rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. She'd only wanted to thank him, but this time she held back her strength and pulled him in again—gently.
Same gesture, completely different experience. It was softer now, more affectionate—and for Tsuna, a bit too stimulating.
When he froze up in her arms, Tsubaki immediately caught on, a teasing grin spreading across her face.
"Oh? So that's what you're into."
Tsuna didn't even try to deny it. "Pretty normal for a guy, isn't it? I mean, what guy wouldn't like being hugged by a hot older woman?"
The "hot older woman" in question burst into laughter. She placed a hand behind his head, pressing him lightly against her chest again.
"Exactly, exactly. Nothing wrong with having healthy tastes."
"Tell you what, Tsuna—if you ever feel like it, just come find me. I like you, you know."
Thinking about the Loki Familia, Tsubaki realized there weren't many who fit that description.
Tione was hung up on Finn.
Riveria? A perfectionist elf with a stick up her ass.
So really… no one else could spoil Tsuna quite like she could.
A sly smile bloomed on her face.
"Well, if no one else's claimed him… then I won't hold back."
A capable, clever kid who could offer insight and even help her improve her craft—how could she not like him?
If Tsuna didn't belong to the Loki Familia, she probably would've dragged him straight back to Hephaestus's forge and never let him go.
"I'll remember that," Tsuna said with a small smile. And he meant it—if she was offering, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"Mhm."
"Oh, right," Tsubaki suddenly said, eyes brightening. "About that Excellia extraction method you mentioned earlier—how exactly does it work?"
"Ah, that."
Tsuna gently slipped out of her arms and summoned one of his Puppets. Placing his hand over its abdomen, he activated it. The Puppet's body turned partially translucent, and within it, golden fluid flowed like liquid light.
"Whoa!!!"
Tsubaki's eyes widened in awe. It was her first time seeing Excellia with her own eyes.
"So it's… real."
"Of course it's real," Tsuna replied. "Though I haven't studied it much yet. I only know that with a proper containment process, it's possible to store Excellia instead of letting it disperse when earned."
"That's… perfect!"
To materialize Excellia—
Even if it had to be gathered through his Puppets killing monsters or Floor Bosses, the ability to capture that energy was revolutionary.
If Excellia could be stored, that meant it could also be used as a material!
Tsubaki's imagination took off instantly, her breathing quickening. She could already see it: forging weapons infused with Excellia itself.
Just picturing it made her giddy.
"Tsuna, you genius!" she shouted, grabbing his face and kissing him before he could react.
"Come on, let's head back already—Lady Hephaestus is waiting for us!"
Now she was practically vibrating with excitement, eager to start forging right away.
Using Excellia as a new forging material… she could barely contain herself. The possibilities were endless.
Tsuna could only sigh. He knew how she got when inspiration hit—but did she really have to ambush him like that every time?
Still, he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.
He opened a spatial gate leading to Hephaestus's workshop.
Tsubaki, meanwhile, effortlessly hefted the enormous dragon heart—over a meter in diameter—onto her shoulder and walked through the gate like it weighed nothing.
Before disappearing inside, she glanced back and called, "Tsuna, hurry up!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
Tsuna shook his head with a helpless smile.
He was starting to get a pretty good grasp of the blacksmith's personality.
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You can read up to chapter 180 on patreon.com/NiaXD.