In a hidden part of Orario, Ishtar walked through a dimly lit passage.
Walking in front of her was her vice-captain, Tammuz, who held up a lamp, his expression alert for any unforeseen danger as he acted as his goddess's bodyguard.
'There are only two days left until the Wargame begins… which means we have to depart soon.'
Ishtar thought as she continued walking forward.
Eventually, after making a few turns, they finally arrived at a massive chamber.
There, surrounded by massive pillars, was a giant circular hole in the center.
Grrrll…
A low, guttural growl reverberated from the dark pit, followed by the heavy clinking of massive iron chains.
Tammuz instinctively tensed as he approached the ledge.
Even from a distance, the overwhelming pressure radiating from the pit was undeniable… it was obvious that an abomination was being chained up in that hole.
Peering over the edge, his eyes locked onto a colossal, bull-like beast tearing violently through a pile of magic stones.
But it was neither a Minotaur nor a monster spawned by the Dungeon.
If Ais and Judas were here, they would realize that this thing was another Demi-Spirit, one that had been parasitized by a Jewel Fetus.
'This thing… it's terrifying.'
Even as a Level 4, Tammuz knew with absolute certainty that the creature could tear him to shreds in seconds if released.
It was a calamity comparable to a Floor Boss... or perhaps even greater.
A trump card that Evilus had prepared.
Just as they were about to step closer…
"My, my… if it isn't Ishtar. I hear you've found yourself in quite the predicament lately."
Ishtar and Tammuz halted.
Two figures stood shrouded in the deep shadows along the far wall.
Tammuz raised the lantern, its orange light illuminating their faces.
"Thanatos."
"Arachnia."
Ishtar spoke solemnly, looking at the god and the pink-haired woman who stared at them with amusement.
"Cut the crap… I'm not in the mood right now."
She snapped, glaring fiercely at Thanatos.
"Hehe… for someone who came here to ask us for help… you're not helping your case if you keep adopting that kind of attitude."
Thanatos replied, his smile widening.
"I've been sponsoring you and your creepy little group for a while now… I came here to reap the benefits of my investments."
Ishtar's fists clenched at her sides.
"Ah… right, right! I suppose we do owe you quite a debt."
Thanatos said, tapping his temple with a knuckle and cheekily sticking out his tongue.
"However… as for the Bull of Heaven… we simply cannot allow you to take it."
Arachnia, also known as Valletta Grede, spoke as she stepped forward.
Thanatos' grin widened when he saw Ishtar's increasingly frustrated expression.
"What do you mean you won't allow me to take it!?"
Ishtar shouted.
"Is the brain inside your skull only for decoration? Even if you managed to release that thing… how are you going to control it?"
Thanatos taunted, folding his arms.
"Don't you have tamers for that?! Make yourselves useful for once and bring them out!"
Ishtar spat back.
"Unfortunately, they're not available at the moment. Olivas is dead, and Revis… last we heard, she was deep within the lower floors trying to recover her strength. We've lost contact entirely. Whether she's alive or dead is anyone's guess."
Valletta interjected with a casual shrug.
"But fear not… we consider the Ishtar Familia a valuable asset to us… we aren't going to sit around and do nothing after seeing you in trouble."
Thanatos added, a sinister gleam dancing in his eyes.
"The Loki Familia… and especially that brat named Judas Spade… have been thorns in our side for a while now. We want nothing more than to see him erased."
He clasped his hands together in mock delight.
"Which is why we've prepared a special surprise just for you."
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps reached their ears as someone appeared beside them.
A rotund figure that Ishtar was all too familiar with.
'Phryne?'
The Amazon was covered in fresh blood, her armor torn to shreds.
She knew that Phryne had gone down into the Dungeon after getting beaten by Judas.
Although she had been beaten bloody, that experience had fueled Phryne's desire for revenge, reigniting her thirst to grow stronger after years of complacency.
'What happened to her?'
But as Ishtar looked at her now, she noticed that something felt different about her, as though something about her was off.
There was an aura of dense malice surrounding Phryne that made even Ishtar feel uneasy.
It was as if the very nature of her divinity felt a sense of revulsion.
"Congratulations in advance on your victory, Lady Ishtar."
Thanatos said with a menacing smirk.
…
Later that day, a rank-up announcement was posted on the Guild's notice board.
Phryne Jamil, the Man-Eater.
Level 6.
With this announcement, the Ishtar Familia officially became the fourth familia in Orario to welcome a Level 6 adventurer into their ranks.
Even setting aside the impending War Game, a Level 6 rank-up was a monumental event that instantly set the streets abuzz.
Judas, who was walking toward Tsubaki's workshop, paused as whispers from passing adventurers caught his ear.
"Oh? She became Level 6?"
Judas recalled that back when Ais had first ranked up to Level 4, Phryne was already a Level 5.
Yet in the years since...even as Ais surged ahead to Level 6, Phryne had remained stuck at the same level, her growth seemingly having come to a complete halt.
It was clear that Phryne had reached the limit of her talent long ago.
The fact that she had finally become a Level 6 now was nothing short of a miracle.
'Even in the original story, I don't think she had ranked up even after the Ishtar Arc, right?'
Judas thought.
Was he worried?
Not at all.
By now, the current Judas, in his base state and relying solely on his Falna, had already surpassed Level 6 and had now entered the realm of Level 7 in terms of combat ability.
Phryne ranking up to Level 6 barely changed anything.
After stopping for a few seconds, he continued walking until he finally arrived at Tsubaki's smithy, where red and orange light seeped through the gaps in the door.
Even from where he stood, Judas could feel the intense heat from the furnace as the sound of a hammer striking metal reached his ears.
His gear had remained unchanged for months, and he had to admit he had neglected his equipment for a while.
"Come in."
Tsubaki's boisterous voice called out from inside.
Judas turned the handle and stepped inside without hesitation.
"You really worked us to the bone with this ridiculous request of yours, Judas!"
When Judas entered the smithy, he found that Tsubaki wasn't the only one inside.
The red-haired Goddess Hephaestus was also present, holding a hammer, her face glistening with sweat.
"Getting the two best blacksmiths in the city to collaborate on a single adventurer's gear… you might be the only person in Orario arrogant enough to pull that off."
Tsubaki said with a teasing grin.
"Hey, I invested a massive pile of Valis into this."
"It's only natural I'd hire the best for top-tier quality. Besides, I know you two are thrilled to work with rare deep-floor drop materials that rarely see the light of day."
Judas replied with a smile, stepping closer.
"Judas, great timing. I was able to craft the shell and inner structure of the upgraded version of Járnglófar… it's pretty much almost done."
Hephaestus said as she grabbed a towel and wiped her face.
Ever since the first Járnglófar had broken, Judas required a replacement.
A weapon that could not only withstand his strength but also endure the immense strain caused by his mana.
"To be honest, this was the most… well, I want to say complex, but a more fitting word would be… the most intricate weapon I've ever made since my time in the Lower World."
Hephaestus admitted.
Judas turned his attention to the pair of metal gloves resting on the anvil.
They were silvery black with purple trims along the edges, while specialized high-grade magic stones had been embedded into each knuckle.
Compared to the original prototype, these were significantly more refined.
The metal was lighter, yet significantly denser, allowing the gloves to withstand tremendous force without restricting the user's movements.
"The main body is made from refined adamantite mixed with orichalcum and Dragon Scales from the Valgang Dragon on the 58th Floor."
Tsubaki explained, tapping the metal with her tongs.
"We forged the materials together repeatedly before tempering them to stabilize their properties."
"The magic stones were the most troublesome part. They needed to be connected directly to the gloves' internal channels so their power could flow through the entire weapon."
She gestured toward a glass bowl containing a shimmering liquid compound.
"We used mithril powder and powdered magic stones to create the conductive compound. But the mixture still needs to be properly stabilized before we seal the channels."
Judas crouched down and examined the compound.
"Let me handle that."
He picked up the container and inspected its contents.
"The binding agent is slightly too dense. Once the magic stones are activated, pressure could build up inside."
Tsubaki raised an eyebrow.
"You know alchemy?"
"A little."
Judas shrugged.
If this had happened before he received Maxwell's memories, he wouldn't have been so confident. However, since that day, he had gradually begun inheriting more of Maxwell's memories.
That's right… he had begun walking the path of an alchemist, even if he had inherited only 0.0001 percent of Maxwell's skills.
Still, by DanMachi's standards, Judas was already skilled enough to be considered a second-class alchemist.
"I think I've got this."
He began refining the compound, carefully adjusting the proportions of mithril, magic-stone powder, and the binding agent before applying it to the gloves' internal channels.
With Judas handling the alchemical work and the two master smiths taking care of the forging, the final stage of the second Járnglófar's creation had finally begun.
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