After finishing the day's work, Tsuna returned to his room.
He drew the curtains closed, switched on the magic-stone lamp, and let the soft amber light fill the space. The dim glow made it easier to unwind and think.
"The situation's almost exactly how I imagined it would be."
His reflection in the glass flickered as he spoke quietly to himself.
"My power really has helped push the Familia forward. Even those who'd been stuck in place finally found release from that pressure. Their talents and potential are surfacing through their own effort."
"In just a month, the teams that used to stagnate have earned the right to advance."
"At this rate, the Familia's minimum level will keep rising—eventually hitting an average of Level 3, maybe even Level 4."
"And once we reach that point… we'll be able to stand on equal footing with the Freya Familia."
He leaned back in his chair. Everything was progressing as he'd predicted.
"After the first Level Up, everyone pushing from Level 2 to Level 3 will work even harder to build up their Status."
They'd lacked the harsh conditions needed for growth before—without challenge, there was no progress.
Now that he'd created that harshness for them, advancement came naturally.
"After that initial shock, once they realize they really can Level Up, they'll start thinking about their next goal."
"When they see how training in that kind of environment can make up for limits in talent or potential, more of them will start striving to perfect their Status."
"Finn and the others won't be exceptions either."
"They didn't push before because they lacked the means. But now, not pushing would be wasting the opportunity."
"For a long while from now, they'll be charting their own paths from Level 2 onward."
That was Tsuna's prediction for most of the newly promoted adventurers.
Self-management.
Once the initial excitement of leveling up faded, every adventurer would start planning their own path forward.
Of course, some would still focus only on raising their level—but when their Excellia wasn't enough to progress further, even those people would cool off and start thinking more seriously about their future.
It was a natural development.
And Tsuna was no exception.
Still, his own preparations weren't limited to raising his Status. Having experienced what Level 1 growth felt like, he knew that from here on, he didn't need to burn himself out to keep improving. Steady, consistent progress would do.
His focus now was mastering the power of Annihilation Maker—refining his creations, stabilizing them, and expanding what that ability could truly do.
And beyond that… exploring his own inner power.
The Dying Will Flame.
In his original world, it had been the very root of strength itself.
Those who couldn't ignite it naturally could still awaken their flames through sheer resolve, using external catalysts as a spark.
Tsuna extended his hand, imagining it—
and fourteen ornate rings appeared atop his desk.
Each bore a unique design: engraved family crests, gemstones of different hues, and the unmistakable insignia of the Vongola—seven rings representing the Sky Flames, alongside the Mare Rings, each with twin wings extending from the sides.
He picked up two of them—the pair that symbolized the Sky.
The moment his fingers brushed the metal, both rings flared to life, blazing with orange-gold light.
"Hm. Not bad. The purity of the Dying Will Flame's increased—it channels the power much more smoothly now."
He turned his wrist, watching the flickering glow dance across his skin.
"But for me, it's not particularly useful anymore."
Ever since his Dying Will Flame had evolved into "magic," Tsuna's flames were already at their purest state.
He could summon and control them anytime, anywhere—no rings required.
It was likely a benefit tied to having the Dying Will Flame as one of his Development Abilities.
For Tsuna, it was never about gradual growth. Either he couldn't use something at all… or he started right at the pinnacle.
He'd gained the most refined version of the Dying Will Flame outright.
Because of that, the rings no longer held any real purpose for him.
"I wonder, though…" he murmured, turning one of the rings between his fingers. "Would these work on people from this world? Could they awaken their own Dying Will Flames?"
He smirked. "Guess I'll have to test that."
The first candidates that came to mind were Tiona and Tione.
He was closest with them, and their personalities made them the easiest to approach for help.
Besides, they both had strong, distinct traits—perfect for an experiment like this.
Tiona, all smiles and energy, bright and carefree, strong as hell and able to trigger damage boosts when hurt—she fit the "Sun" flame attribute perfectly.
Tione, on the other hand, had a fiery temper under her composed exterior—also strong, but with a sharper, more explosive fighting style. That aligned well with "Storm" or "Sun."
Since the rings amplified the flame's resonance through personal resolve, all they really needed was… conviction.
And adventurers, more than anyone, thrived on that.
If the sisters succeeded, it'd prove that the Dying Will Flame wasn't limited to his world alone.
If they failed, he'd just analyze what went wrong and use Annihilation Maker to correct it.
That Sacred Gear gave him all the freedom he needed to experiment.
"Yeah," he decided, leaning back. "Tomorrow, I'll talk to Tiona and Tione about testing it."
The twins had already perfected their Status and hit the upper limits of their agility and dexterity. They'd been holed up in the Training Space for weeks now.
With Loki enforcing a rest period for them, they'd finally have some downtime.
Perfect timing.
"Next," Tsuna mused, "I should work on developing weapons that'll actually help me."
He glanced at his reflection again, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I can't keep hiding in the shadows forever. If someone drags me out into the open before I'm ready, that's going to be a problem."
"I need equipment that can cover the gap I'm in right now—something to fill that vacuum until I'm at full strength."
He didn't have to think long to find inspiration.
The Red Dragon and the White Dragon—two sides of the same coin.
One doubled strength every ten seconds.
The other halved the enemy's power every ten.
Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing.
Enhancement and reduction—offense and control.
Not to mention, they could grant the power of flight.
"They really are useful…" Tsuna murmured, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "Crossing the vacuum between worlds… even in the dark, they'd make excellent tools."
He reached for his notebook, already sketching ideas.
"The Boosted Gear… and the Divine Dividing."
"Yeah. It's time I started developing my own versions of those."
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You can read up to chapter 160 on patreon.com/NiaXD.