Chapter 98: Caught at a Weak Spot

'Ah, that really is just like him.'

Hestia and Hephaestus couldn't help but think to themselves.

Both gods, familiar with Bell's usual behavior, understood that this outcome suited him perfectly. Wearing a trench coat and hood while heading out wasn't something a typical adventurer would do—yet it was exactly what Bell would do.

But the fact that the same held true even in the Dungeon genuinely surprised them.

In Orario, blending into the crowd made it easy to go unnoticed. But the Dungeon was a different story—it wasn't a place where one could hide easily. With so many adventurers moving around, even in such a large space, there were bound to be encounters with familiar faces.

So, for no one to have noticed him at all was definitely strange.

Even if Bell stayed alert and paid attention to his surroundings, surely someone would've caught a glimpse of him from a distance?

Just how lucky would someone have to be for that not to happen... Ah!

Speaking of luck, Hestia and Hephaestus suddenly remembered—Bell had a "High Luck" skill. And that skill could directly influence the Dungeon.

Under its effects, paired with his natural caution and a stroke of luck, it was entirely possible that Bell really had managed to avoid detection.

'This outcome really caught us off guard... to think his luck skill could even affect something like this.'

"Ahem, Loki, can we get back on topic?"

Hestia abruptly cut Loki off.

Loki gave the shorty a slightly odd look but didn't press further about the investigation.

While the results were clearly questionable from her perspective, the investigation had been handled by her own familia. Criticizing it would be like slapping herself in the face.

If it wasn't her children who'd made the mistake, then it had to be the shorty's familia.

"Let's talk more about the Rune Stones."

"I want to ask—are there still many functions of the Rune Stones that haven't been uncovered yet?"

"That's right."

Hephaestus made no attempt to hide it. There was no need—any god who saw the Rune Stones would naturally think the same.

And indeed, it was true.

"Weapon enchantment, healing, curse removal, enhanced weapon sharpening, and direct-attack magic of other attributes."

"Comprehensive stat enhancement and further upgrades, specialization in a single attribute, even the creation of internal organs and severed limbs."

Those functions made Loki's eye twitch.

Even just the upgraded weapon sharpening was enough to make her pulse race.

Loki had already seen the Rune Stones. Finn had tested one himself. When used on a basic third-tier weapon, it instantly boosted the sharpness to top-level quality. Used on a top-tier first-line weapon, it could even raise it beyond measurable standards.

And now there was an upgraded version of that?

If Hephaestus hadn't said it herself, Loki would've thought she was being lied to.

Not just weapon sharpening—there was an upgraded version of stat enhancement too? That was absurd.

After Finn used the Rune Stone, his stats had increased by 200 points across the board.

If Loki hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed a single rune could raise stats by that much.

Especially since this Rune Stone's boosts exceeded the gods' restriction limits.

After using it, Finn's Agility alone had broken past the 999 cap and shot up to 1199.

And every stat had risen by a set amount—1,000 points total across all five parameters.

That wasn't just a moderate increase.

It was an explosion.

Even that one effect alone would be enough to drive any adventurer crazy.

And now Hephaestus was saying that even this enhancement magic had an upgraded version?

'Can you not be so over the top!?'

Loki was practically grinding her molars as she screamed internally.

That only made her more certain: She had to fully uncover this hidden list within ten attempts—no matter what.

But at the same time, it helped her calm down.

She knew that losing her cool now would mean giving up the initiative, and that wasn't an option. This was a moment where clear thinking was critical.

There was no need to worry about Hephaestus actually selling those ridiculously powerful Rune Stones. The fact that she hadn't already proved those hidden Rune Stones weren't something to casually throw on the market.

The real focus was her position in this deal, and the benefits she could tightly hold onto.

'The shorty probably has more than just me as an option. She could always choose to connect with Freya...'

As one of Orario's current Twin Kings, Loki understood better than anyone just what Freya was capable of.

'So then, why didn't the shorty choose to partner with Freya?'

Then, a thought struck her.

Hestia's child was a boy.

'Ah... so that's it.'

'Shorty, no wonder you're not willing to work with Freya.'

Loki, who knew Freya's personality all too well, suddenly realized that her own position in this deal was far stronger than she'd originally thought.

With that understanding, Loki's scowl vanished. She smiled wide, squinting as usual like everything was normal.

"Hey, shorty, you don't want to team up with Freya, do you?"

"!?"

Hestia, who had been smug just moments ago, froze on the spot.

Seeing that, Loki grinned even wider.

"Hoho~ Looks like I guessed right."

"I thought partnering with Freya would be the smarter move here, but you came to see me instead."

"I was wondering what your reason could be... and now it's clear—you're protecting your child from Freya's gaze."

Caught red-handed, Hestia puffed up her cheeks and glared at Loki, fuming.

She knew Loki had just seized the upper hand, and her position had turned completely passive.

...

Watching from the sidelines, Hephaestus had seen it coming. Loki wasn't an idiot—once she got over the initial surprise, she'd start thinking and quickly find the most troublesome weak point.

"Hestia, I told you—you can't outplay Loki."

"She's a lot sharper than you give her credit for."

"Hmph~ Naturally."

Loki accepted Hephaestus' praise without the slightest hint of modesty.

"Hey, Phae-Phae, today's meeting was arranged by shorty's kid, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then let him come out and talk to me. For him to make such a decisive move... he must've already figured out a way to deal with me, right?"

"I'd like to hear what kind of plan shorty's kid has cooked up to go against me."

As shorty's backing force, Loki didn't mind stepping in.

Even if it meant clashing with Freya, the benefits of those Rune Stones weren't something she was willing to hand over.

But right now, what she really wanted was a conversation with that kid she'd met before—to see just what kind of idea he had in mind to counter her.

...

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