By this time, the Loki Familia had successfully returned from the dungeon.
Their arrival caused quite a stir, especially given the state of their battered armor, which raised many questions.
But none of them were in the mood to explain.
Led by Finn, the main members hurried back to their family's headquarters to report their findings to their goddess, Loki.
Given the gravity of the situation, it was best to let Loki decide.
Whether to conceal the truth or report it to the Adventurers' Guild was up to her.
Declining Finn and the others' invitation, Yami returned to the Hephaestus Familia's residence with Tsubaki and the other members.
The blacksmiths all rushed back to their respective forges, Tsubaki included.
Left with no other choice, Yami could only go to Goddess Hephaestus's room to report the situation alone.
After all, he was back, and he needed to communicate with her.
Knock, knock, knock.
"The door's unlocked. Come in."
A familiar voice called out, and Yami skillfully pushed the door open.
The beautiful woman behind the desk came into view immediately.
"Hephaestus, I'm back!"
"It's you, Yami. Is the expedition already over?"
Hearing his familiar voice, Goddess Hephaestus looked up suddenly, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Yes, it's over. We returned not long ago. Tsubaki and the others couldn't wait to get back to the forging room, so I'm the only one here."
"Did something happen?"
Sensing something unusual about Yami, Hephaestus stopped what she was doing and asked softly.
Yami didn't hide anything.
"Yes, something did happen."
"Do you remember the commission from Ouranos that I mentioned earlier?"
Yami's reminder made Goddess Hephaestus raise an eyebrow slightly. "You mean you encountered something strange during the mission?"
"No, I encountered a former spirit, which has likely been corrupted."
As Yami explained the details of the expedition, the expression on Goddess Hephaestus's face grew more serious.
She understood the basics of spirits. Even beings once sent by the gods to save humanity had been corrupted by the dungeon? This was troubling news.
"Yami, what do you think of the Corrupted Spirit's strength?"
"Honestly, it's not much. I didn't feel any pressure at all."
Yami shrugged casually, responding to Hephaestus's inquiry with an air of ease.
"It seems someone is trying to use this method to destroy Orario. The dark faction, perhaps? These pests lurking in the shadows are truly troublesome!"
Goddess Hephaestus, who had been in a good mood, now felt quite helpless.
One problem after another, never-ending.
"Forget it; these are matters for Ouranos to deal with. If he needs our help, he'll come to us. We don't need to worry about anything else."
"You've worked hard on this expedition, Yami. Go rest for now."
At Hephaestus's words, Yami didn't say much. He nodded, turned, and headed for the door.
But just as he was about to step out, the voice of the red-haired goddess stopped him again.
"By the way, Yami, when do you plan to go to the new world again?"
Yami paused, turning slightly to see the expectant expression on Hephaestus's face. After a moment of thought, he smiled.
"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be within the next few days."
"It's likely to get more complicated in the future, so even I need to continue improving my strength to better protect all of you."
Yami's words left Hephaestus momentarily stunned. Then, a beautiful smile spread across her face.
She slowly walked over, wrapped her arms around Yami's waist, and gently closed the door.
——
The next day, Yami rose early.
He kissed Hephaestus on the forehead before quietly leaving the room.
A soft bed and a hero's tomb—one cannot indulge in them for too long.
He still had work to do!
"Yami-san, someone's here to see you!"
As he walked through the corridor, a uniformed companion recognized him and hurriedly informed him.
This made Yami, who was planning to return to his room and open a new simulation world, stop in his tracks.
A quick scan with his senses revealed the presence outside the weapon shop.
Yami's face showed a helpless expression as he realized who it was.
"Thank you," he said briefly before stepping outside.
Several people who had been waiting for him smiled brightly when they saw him.
"Master, we're here!"
Tiona quickly ran to Yami's side, her expression playful.
Yami's helplessness became even more apparent.
"Why the rush? I said I'd take you, didn't I? I just came out of the dungeon yesterday, and you're already here today."
"Besides, do they both want to go too?"
Yami turned to Tione and Lefiya, who stood beside Tiona, and asked softly.
After all, these two weren't part of his original plan.
Ais, who was unsure what to say, had originally intended to come alone with Tiona but had run into Tione and Lefiya along the way.
She didn't know what the two were thinking, but they insisted on coming along, and Tiona had agreed.
Unable to resist the combined pressure from the three, Ais and Lefiya eventually joined in, assuming everything would go smoothly.
But things weren't as simple as they had imagined.
Just when the blonde girl was at a loss, Tiona spoke up.
"Oh, Master, what's the matter?"
"Tione and Lefiya were worried about our safety, so Riveria appointed them to take care of us. After all, fighting powerful monsters requires backup, right?"
"So, just let them come along!"
As she spoke, Tiona took Yami's hand and shook it playfully.
Her elbow brushed against Yami's side as she attempted a cutesy tactic, blinking her eyes in an exaggerated manner, though she wasn't very good at it.
But her efforts weren't as effective as she had hoped.
She didn't realize she simply didn't have the charm for it.
"You should cut back on that kind of behavior! Tiona, it's not working."
Yami gently pulled his arm away from Tiona's grasp, lightly patting her head as the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"Be serious!"
After scolding Tiona for her antics, Yami's gaze shifted to Tione and Lefiya.
The two girls were also feeling a bit nervous.
"Alright, let's all go together," Yami said softly after a moment.
"Great!"
Hearing this, the girls let out sighs of relief, their faces lighting up with smiles.
"Don't get too excited. The place we're going is quite dangerous, so be prepared."
"We're ready, Master!"
Ais's words were full of determination.
The other girls also looked confident.
Seeing this, Yami nodded slightly and didn't try to persuade them further.
"Okay, I hope you can maintain this optimism later. I won't be offering much help. Whether you survive and grow stronger is up to you!"
"Let's go!"
With those words, Yami changed their destination instantly.
The power of space enveloped the four women, and they vanished from the entrance.
When they reappeared, they were in Yami's own room. This sudden change made Ais and the others feel a bit uneasy.
And with a snap of Yami's fingers, a pitch-black portal appeared before them.
"Let's go."
Yami disappeared into the portal first.
After exchanging glances, Ais, Tiona, and the others followed without hesitation.
The scene changed instantly, and after a brief bout of dizziness, they were once again greeted by blinding light from above, making it hard to open their eyes.
Once they had fully adjusted, the strange surroundings made them feel disoriented.
"Master, where are we...?"
"Ais, Tiona, welcome to another world."
A faint smile played on Yami's face, though it appeared oddly ominous to the others.