The Primordial Runes (Incomplete) gave Levi sixteen modern runes and eight true Primordial Runes, alongside some foundational Talisman scripts. Because this was "Knowledge" rather than a direct "Application" like Edict, Levi would need significant time to research how to use them effectively.
Fortunately, while he was short on some items, he had a stockpile of "Proficiency Boost Tickets" from his previous Gacha pulls—items that could turn a second in the mental space into ten or even a hundred days of study.
He dove into his mental workshop. By the time he arrived at Hephaestus's workshop that afternoon, his mastery had climbed to "18% (Expert)," and his "Mystic" ability had hit E-rank.
The red-haired goddess had just finished lunch. She was sprawled across the sofa in the workshop lobby, legs crossed, humming a soft tune as she swung her foot back and forth. Hearing the door, she turned and raised a hand to the boy with the pale-gold hair. "Yo. You're here."
"Good afternoon, Lady Hephaestus," Levi replied politely.
"Take a seat," she said, patting the cushion beside her. "The merchant guild rep I called will be here shortly."
"Yes, Ma'am." Levi sat down, but chose a separate single-seater chair instead of the spot right next to her.
Hephaestus smirked at his caution. "What? Afraid I'll eat you? Or is Hestia that scary when she's jealous?"
Levi looked puzzled. "What are you talking about, My Lady? I'm afraid I don't follow."
"Don't you know you can't lie in front of a god?"
"I do," Levi shrugged. "But a lie is sometimes just a different way of giving an answer."
Hephaestus snorted. "You've awakened that kind of magic, and you're still playing the innocent boy for me? Please."
"Tch. All the lust, none of the guts," she teased. Seeing the boy remain silent, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the Class Card she had spent all night and morning studying. She flicked it toward him like a playing card. "Here. Take it back."
Levi caught it. He paused for a fraction of a second, feeling the warmth of the goddess's touch still lingering on the card, but quickly composed himself.
Hephaestus didn't miss that tiny hesitation. Her laughter rang out, more vibrant and joyful than before.
Terminology & Context Note:
Magic Lead/Mage : The development ability that increases magic power and efficiency.
Proficiency Boost Tickets : A meta-item in this fanfic that allows for accelerated training.
Purple Matriarch : A common fandom nickname for Scáthach from Fate/Grand Order, who is the master of Primordial Runes.
Level 7 Upper : Levi's calculated power level, which puts him above almost everyone in Orario (where Level 7 is currently the peak held by Ottar).
Levi has secured a major power-up before the War Game! Would you like me to translate the meeting with the "discreet" merchant to see what Levi's Dungeon haul is worth, or should we skip to the training of Alise and Kaguya using their new "Familia Points"?"I knew you were up to no good, you little rascal," she said, though she didn't continue to tease the person across from her. While toying with a handsome young man was indeed beneficial for one's mental health, it was best to quit while ahead, especially when not fully prepared for it.
On the other side, Levi wasn't embarrassed when his little scheme was exposed. He simply changed the subject, "So, Lady Hephaestus, have you discovered anything?"
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi : I'm Surrounded by Goddesses (153 Chapters, Ongoing)
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The red-haired goddess shook her head at his question. "The previous God's Eye, excluding the power of the constellation within, was merely a replication of basic effects. Even if it wasn't me, someone like Tsubaki could achieve it given a few years of research. But this card Hestia calls her 'trump card'... hmm, I believe it's called a Class Card? The difficulty in creating it isn't that high. The real challenge lies in the fact that this world lacks a 'Realm Record Belt.' Even those like 'Yamato Rindou' and 'Crimson Blossom,' whom you pulled back from the reincarnation system to the lower realm, are essentially 'undead,' not true 'Heroic Spirits' that transcend the timeline."
"Of course, if those old geezers like Uranus and Odin agreed, and we gathered a group of gods genuinely benevolent towards the lower realm, constructing a similar system wouldn't be impossible."
"But..."
—Time is running out.
Hephaestus didn't voice the latter half of her sentence. Many things weren't for the children of the lower realm to worry about.
Seeing the red-haired goddess suddenly fall silent, Levi chose not to press further. "By the way, after meeting with the head of the merchant guild, may I borrow your workshop, Lady Hephaestus?"
Hearing his request, Hephaestus squinted her left eye. "What do you plan to do?"
Since he intended to operate right under the goddess's nose, Levi didn't hide anything. "To forge an item, or perhaps a few."
"You can forge?" The red-haired goddess straightened up slightly, intrigued by the mention of her specialty.
To her surprise, Levi shook his head. "I can't."
Hephaestus frowned. "Then how will you forge equipment?"
Then, she saw a confident smile appear on the young man's face beside her. "I can't, but with your blessing, I can."
...
Hephaestus was quite attentive to Hestia—or perhaps more accurately, to Levi. She even brought in the head of her familia's external merchant group. With her direct supervision, the other party was exceedingly polite from the start. The purchase price for the materials wasn't above market average, but Levi wasn't shortchanged either. Coupled with over 3,000 magic stones from the middle floors, his wallet, which had dwindled to just over 27 million, suddenly bounced back to over 150 million!
"Thank you, Lady Hephaestus, for your help this time," Levi said sincerely after parting with the merchant guild's head.
Normally, the red-haired goddess might have teased him a bit after hearing this. But at this moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed—not from shyness, but from curiosity. "Enough with the pleasantries, show me your magic!"
As she spoke, she reached out and pulled Levi towards the workshop. With the goddess expressing such interest, Levi couldn't refuse. Once inside, he softly chanted, "Hephaestus, I pray to you, grant me the blessing of the goddess!"
The phantom of the red-haired, one-eyed goddess appeared behind Levi, right in front of the real Hephaestus. Though she had anticipated it, seeing this scene still made Hephaestus feel a mix of awkwardness and shyness.
"Oh my~" she murmured, scratching her cheek as her face grew warm. "This magic is quite embarrassing."
As the actual caster of the 'Goddess's Blessing,' Levi, perhaps due to thick skin or familiarity, felt nothing unusual. Once the 'Forging' skill temporarily unlocked on his character panel, he retrieved the twin-headed dragon's liver and scales from his inventory.
"Lady Hephaestus, I'm starting now."