The moment Akira said those words, Hephaestus froze.

Her mind instantly spiraled into dangerous territory—her thoughts... not entirely wholesome.

She vividly recalled the reaction the man had shown earlier. That memory, coupled with his bold line just now, only painted her thoughts in redder shades.

"…That depends on how you behave~" she murmured, averting her gaze.

Akira, who had been mentally bracing himself for divine fury—or maybe even a celestial smite—found himself stunned.

No wrath. No curses. Just… a shy voice?

It didn't make sense.

This was a goddess who had lived for thousands—maybe even millions—of years. And yet, right now… she was acting like a flustered schoolgirl?

Toward him, of all people?

But then Akira remembered something.

Hephaestus wasn't like the other gods.

Her true face, the one behind that ever-present eyepatch, had long been the reason many deities and mortals avoided her. The source of countless emotional wounds, silent rejections, and deep insecurity.

In the original story, the only one who truly touched her heart was Welf Crozzo, who looked her straight in the eye—without fear or revulsion.

But Akira… he didn't just look at her face.

He had seen everything. And still, he called her beautiful.

Whether it was out of kindness or sheer male instinct, it had definitely left a mark.

…Though if we're being honest, his "beautiful" probably came more from the fact that she was, well, naked. A man's brain wasn't complicated.

Still, fate had a funny way of playing with moments like these.

"By the way… you're the goddess of which Familia?" Akira asked, smoothly shifting the topic.

"I'm the Goddess of the Forge. Etch this into your mind—Hephaestus."

"I understand, Goddess Hephaestus," he replied politely.

She gave a small nod. It had been a long time since someone addressed her so kindly—without fear, without pity, without condescension.

Sure, this guy might be a bit too flirty… and maybe way too honest with his eyes.

But it was nice. Surprisingly nice.

"Take off your shirt."

"…Huh? Right now? Here?"

Akira blinked.

Was this goddess really that forward?

"I meant your top. I'm going to give you my Falna. From today onward, you'll be my child—a member of the Hephaestus Familia."

"…Ah. That."

Disappointed, but obedient, Akira began peeling off his soaked clothes—still damp from the accidental bath.

Even with all his powers sealed, the body he inherited from the Enkidu template remained in prime condition. Well-toned, sculpted like a statue of a god—his physique looked more like divine art than muscle.

Hephaestus, who rarely had close contact with men, found herself momentarily stunned.

Her face flushed crimson… but her eyes didn't turn away.

"Please go ahead, Goddess Hephaestus," Akira said with a respectful bow.

"…Just call me 'Hephaestus-sama.' That'll do."

"As you wish… Hephaestus-sama."

The way he completely submitted himself—like a loyal servant—only made her thoughts stray even further.

But she shook them off, exhaling slowly to regain control.

"Alright. No need to face me. Turn around. The Falna is engraved on your back."

Akira obediently turned away, back exposed. He already knew the process, but… playing dumb wasn't a crime, right?

Hephaestus let out a breath and walked over.

From one of the drawers at her workbench, she pulled out a small box. Inside was a special needle—her tool of choice whenever updating the Status Boards of her children.

This one, though… had never been used.

With a sharp prick, she pricked her finger. A drop of divine blood—brilliant red and glowing faintly—dripped down onto Akira's back.

Using that sacred medium, she began drawing ancient symbols—marking his skin with the crest of her divinity.

And just as the ritual began—

— — —

[Ding!]

[You have gained +10% Template Progress!]

— — —

"…Huh?!"

Akira's eyes widened.

Ten percent?! That much, just from receiving a Falna?

In his previous world, even a mere 0.1% was a huge deal in the beginning. This was… absurd. Was this a miracle or a system bug?

— — —

[Ding!]

[Congratulations. You have acquired Skill: Shadow Summon]

[Congratulations. You have acquired Skill: Shadow Gate]

[Congratulations. You have unlocked Unit: Shadow Ninja Corps]

— — —

[Shadow Summon] – Summon warriors born from soul shadows, resurrecting soldiers of the shadow realm.

[Shadow Gate] – Opens a rift to the Shadow Realm, connecting dimensions through pure darkness.

[Shadow Ninja Corps] – Basic combat unit of the Shadow Realm. Fast, agile, close-combat specialists armed with ninja gear. Balanced and multipurpose.

— — —

He could feel it—deep inside. The powers were there now.

The power to summon Shadowkhan from the dark dimension.

It wasn't unlimited, though. Unlike the animated version, the system had placed a cap.

Maximum: 8 units.

Kind of a letdown… but honestly, way better than zero.

Meanwhile, the Falna engraving had finished.

"W-What… what is this?!"

Hephaestus's shocked voice pierced the silence.

Akira glanced back. It finally clicked.

That 10% progress increase… it had to be linked to the Falna ritual itself.

Was it possible… that Template progression depended on leveling up the Falna?

If so, this could be a serious challenge.

In Orario, leveling up wasn't fast. Many adventurers spent their whole lives just reaching Level 1 or 2.

Even geniuses took years to reach Level 3, 4, or 5.

Level 6? Only a handful had made it.

Level 7? Only one person in the entire city had ever reached that peak—Ottar of the Freya Familia.

And Level 8 or 9? Those were legends, from the golden era of the Zeus and Hera Familias.

Level 10?

That was… a myth. A dream no one had ever touched.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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