Knock, knock, knock!
Just as Tsuna finished training and was resting in his room, he heard a knock at the door.
When he opened it, he was greeted by Bete's grin.
"You did it?"
Tsuna already knew the answer, but he couldn't help asking anyway.
"Of course. The Dungeon instills into every monster it spawns the concept of 'kill every Adventurer.' Even in a favorable environment, that instinct never fades. Just like you said—it only tries to flee when it's in danger."
Bete couldn't help but laugh, a sharp, mocking laugh. The idea that a Floor Boss would try to run away was almost ridiculous.
"That tells us something," Tsuna said. "The Dungeon doesn't just create them or give them strength—it also grants them an instinct to sense danger. That instinct might someday evolve into intelligence, though right now it's probably still just raw instinct."
Normally, Bete would have laughed out loud at the notion.
Monsters developing intelligence? The biggest joke in the world.
But when that Floor Boss had turned to flee right before his eyes, Bete realized it wasn't impossible after all.
A true monster wouldn't feel fear—unless it had awareness. Unless it had cognition. Unless it could think.
Only then could fear and the will to escape even exist.
And what caught Bete's attention even more was the deeper meaning behind Tsuna's words.
"You think the Dungeon really has intelligent monsters?"
"I can't say for sure," Tsuna admitted. "But I know they exist. I haven't seen one myself, but I've learned of them… from elsewhere."
Bete nodded slightly. He knew this must be the same secret Finn and the others had been keeping about Tsuna.
Where Tsuna had learned such things from was another matter entirely.
He was curious—but not enough to ask.
"Forget it," Tsuna said, shaking his head lightly. "That's not something we can clear up in a few words."
"Bete, keep what I said to yourself for now. Once I've learned more—tested more—I'll explain everything."
"Want me to keep an eye out in the Dungeon?"
"Eh?"
Tsuna blinked, surprised by Bete's sudden seriousness. He hadn't expected his casual comment to get that kind of response.
After a moment, he nodded.
"Yeah. If you don't mind, keep an eye out while you're exploring. I'm looking for people wearing cloaks who smell like monsters. With your senses, you should be able to spot them easily."
Bete agreed. If something reeked of a monster but tried to disguise itself under a cloak, that was all the clue he'd need.
"As for contact… don't. Not yet. It could startle them—and draw attention."
"From who?"
Tsuna's lips curved slightly. Though no sound came out, the shape of the word "Guild" was unmistakable.
Bete's pupils contracted.
The Guild? Intelligent monsters born in the Dungeon—connected to the Guild? That would mean…
He stopped himself. Thinking along those lines was dangerous. If any other God caught wind of this, it would bring serious trouble.
"We'll discuss that part once we have more information."
"Got it."
Bete took a deep breath and steadied himself. That topic was off-limits for now.
I'll just keep my eyes open when I'm in the Dungeon from now on, he thought.
"Since you managed to defeat Amphisbaena, I'd say that means my creation worked pretty well, huh?"
"It did," Bete admitted.
When the talk turned to the Amphisbaena battle, his interest sparked again. Tsuna had told him in advance that the monster might try to flee, and had given him a charm engraved with a monster's mask.
"What was that charm, anyway? Why did it affect that thing so much?"
He had done exactly as Tsuna instructed—thrown the charm the moment Amphisbaena tried to escape—and the creature had immediately gone berserk, charging straight toward it like it had been provoked.
"That reaction was expected," Tsuna explained. "The charm was made using Miss Loki's divine blood."
"To the Dungeon, a God is far more detestable than any Adventurer. Monsters born of the Dungeon carry a deep hatred for the divine—especially the Floor Bosses."
"So tossing that charm would naturally draw them in."
"But for now, it only works well against Amphisbaena," Tsuna continued. "Other Floor Bosses can't run far enough for it to matter. Amphisbaena's the exception—it can move freely thanks to the terrain in the Great Falls."
Tsuna let out a quiet sigh.
Most Floor Bosses didn't even think of running during battle; their territories kept them in place. Only Amphisbaena, dwelling within the vast expanse of the Great Falls, could flee so easily.
That charm had been designed specifically for it.
Bete couldn't help but chuckle at that, though when he recalled how the creature's head had burst under his kick, how it had been driven into a corner—and still tried to run—his laughter faded.
If not for Tsuna's charm, he might not have won today.
"So you just came here to share the good news?"
"Not exactly. The good news is just a bonus."
He crossed his arms. "I wanted to recommend two people. They've both been training hard lately—I think they deserve a chance to gain that power."
"Two people?"
"Alicia and Aki. The first's a blonde elf, the second's a black-haired catgirl."
"Ah, the two female Adventurers I often see in the Training and Challenge Spaces," Tsuna recalled. "Their Levels aren't low either. I saw them once challenging the Black Goliath."
Thanks to Bete's reminder, Tsuna immediately remembered who they were.
Anyone brave enough to team up and face the Black Goliath in the Challenge Space clearly had the ambition to climb higher.
And for people like that, Tsuna never hesitated to create the tools that could help them move forward.
"In that case," he said, "after tonight's celebration, I'll speak with them myself."