Everyone finally understood what "a helping hand" meant. With this power, Tiona, Tione, and Bete had all vaulted to Level 5—proof enough that the flames could help an adventurer break through a wall.
Heads went down; numbers were crunched.
Their first promotion from Level 1 had come after Sawada Tsunayoshi's help—before that, raising basic abilities had been their biggest roadblock. Now the next hurdle was the leap to Level 2. Since the training space appeared, building up abilities was no longer the bottleneck; the key was gathering excelia. Harder than back at Level 1, true—but with effort, not impossible.
Thinking it through, getting to Level 4 didn't sound so farfetched either. With Tsuna smoothing the grind on ability growth, the only limiters were effort and excelia. You don't need it all at once; bit by bit adds up. A few years of steady work and—
Level 4 stops feeling like the moon.
They had never allowed themselves to think like this before. Only now did it hit them: the conditions they enjoyed already eclipsed any other familia's. What compares to direct help on growth and, eventually, on promotion?
And once they reached Level 4, they could receive one more shove toward Level 5 from Tsuna's flames. If Level 4 was the minimum to qualify, then so be it—meet the bar, earn the boost.
"Captain… does it really have to be Level 4? Why?" someone asked.
"The first reason is to control exposure," Finn said. "If these flames spread too widely, Orario will fixate on our familia—and on Tsuna. Without a proper explanation, this power can't be paraded around."
Heads nodded. A craft from Sawada Tsunayoshi that could engrave itself as a Skill and act like chantless magic? That was beyond the curve by any measure. If too many adventurers started flaunting it, chaos would follow.
"So we limit who displays it," Finn went on. "That reduces the odds of the city catching on. All of us in Loki Familia know exactly how important Tsuna is. He cannot be exposed. If he is, the benefits you're enjoying now might never come back to us again."
He paused, then added the second point.
"Beyond that, Level 4 is also your whetstone. Your incentive. With the conditions you have now, don't tell me you can't reach Level 4 through effort and accumulation."
"I believe you can," he said, firm. "If you can't, you don't qualify to receive the flame. Tsuna's push is for the already-advancing—those who've crossed Level 4 and proven they need a hand to sprint for Level 5. If you can't clear the first bar, you don't need the boost."
Hard truth, laid bare.
With such favorable conditions, anyone who still couldn't put in the work didn't deserve the power. Level 4 was the gate. Only those who showed grit and persistence earned the right to that final nudge toward Level 5.
"So if you want it," Finn said, "then be ready to grind. Use this Joint Expedition to seize your promotion chances."
The room ignited.
"This time I'm getting the excelia to rank up!"
"Yeah! I'm not wasting this chance!"
"We're tackling Deep Floor monsters next. The Dungeon should trigger a few 'monster feasts'—plenty of opportunity for us."
Finn's words set the dining hall ablaze with intent. They weren't Level 1 newbies anymore. They'd shed their skin—and it was time to challenge something higher. With clear heads and a clear path, they only had to hold on and climb.
First step: secure the ticket to Level 3.
"Alright. Eat up. We start the push soon."
Finn sat, and the chatter died. Everyone shoveled breakfast with purpose; they needed calories and a nap, or the Deep Floors would chew them up.
Watching, Tsubaki felt a tug in her chest.
"His power really has changed the familia," she thought. "Those who lacked the stats to level up have a road, and even the tactically clumsy can grow."
"The only pity is—our people are smiths. Aside from me, no one's keen on promotions. A shame."
She let the thought go and focused on her food.
Breakfast ended quickly. Adventurers streamed out to the outer workshops to collect their repaired arms and armor. Gear in hand, they fell into synchronized morning warm-ups. Against stronger monsters, courage mattered—but so did teamwork.
This expedition wasn't just about seeing deeper sights with the main force. It was about earning the right to go deeper again.
And that started now.
(End of Chapter)
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