My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 164, page 163: An upgrade strategy costing 500 million, exploring the dungeon.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

Just as Gu Yuan stepped into the depths of Hephaestus' workshop.

The Twilight Mansion, the Loki Familia's main base in the heart of Orario's bustling city, was filled with a solemnity unlike any other.

The leader, Finn Dimna, was sitting at his desk, reviewing the list of members spread out on the table, his fingertips tapping lightly on the surface, making a rhythmic sound.

"So, this reconnaissance really requires us to team up with those arrogant Freya Familia members?"

A mocking voice broke the silence.

Loki, the chief god—a red-haired goddess with squinty eyes and a flat chest—sat nonchalantly on the edge of the table, swinging his legs, a knowing smile on his face. "I know Freya's kids all too well. They're all so arrogant. Working with them will probably be a lot of trouble."

Finn's azure eyes never left the list, his calm voice as solid as a rock, revealing the caution befitting a "hero": "I understand your concerns, Loki, but this is a necessary trade-off."

If that stronghold is indeed a trap set by the dark faction, then only a Level 1 adventurer of Lv.5 or higher would be capable of bringing back crucial information from such a perilous situation.

He paused, then continued his analysis: "Currently, the only Familias in the city with Lv.3 as their core strength are us, Freya Familia, and Astrea Familia."

"Only by joining forces can we minimize the risks and maximize the safety of the city."

Upon hearing this, Loki let out a somewhat displeased shout, but did not utter a word in rebuttal.

Finn ignored her minor tantrums and quickly circled a few names on the list: "We will send Grace Landrock (Lv.5) to lead the team, accompanied by several Lv.3 and Lv.4 members."

"Ais is also included in this group; those who participate are prioritized based on their keen senses, excellent durability, and high agility."

He read out the selected names, handed the list to Loki, and added, "The Freya Familia's forces should be similar to ours. As for the Astrea Familia—their main fighting force will probably be that Gu Yuan, and their captain, Alexie Rofer."

"Hmm—" Loki snapped out of his daze, took the list, and a glint of light flashed in his narrowed eyes.

She stared at the red circle above, her heel unconsciously tapping the table leg lightly: "So, when does the operation begin?"

"Around dusk," Finn replied decisively, "under the cover of night."

At the same time, in the core area of ​​the Hephaestus Familia workshop.

The scorching air seemed to be burning, and the enormous furnace emitted a deep rumble.

Hephaestus, the god of forging, stood before the furnace, the leaping flames illuminating her tall figure.

She didn't exchange pleasantries, but simply extended her hand to Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan understood, took the divine sword off his back, and handed it over.

The moment Hephaestus took the sword, his arm noticeably sank downwards, and surprise flashed in his single eye.

"—So heavy?"

She muttered something under her breath, then carefully ran her fingers over the blade, closing her eyes as if listening to the metal's whispers.

After a while, she opened her eyes and looked at Gu Yuan with a more serious expression: "Adjusting gravity—this idea is ingenious, and the execution is even more brilliant."

She held the sword level in front of her eyes, carefully examining its smooth blade lines. "Do you always carry something this heavy around?"

"I'm used to it."

"So——"

Hephaestus tilted the blade slightly, letting the firelight flow across its surface like a river of light. "You came all this way to see me. What do you want? This sword is already nearly perfect. Chun can easily handle the usual maintenance and polishing."

Gu Yuan looked directly at the goddess and said clearly, "I want it to become stronger, and more importantly, heavier. While maintaining its current strength and sharpness, I want to increase its weight as much as possible."

Upon hearing this, the workshop seemed to fall silent instantly, with only the roar of flames echoing in the scorching air.

Hephaestus stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.

"Want it to be heavier?"

She tapped the sword with her knuckles, producing a clear, melodious sound, then shook her head. "Difficult."

She uttered a single word and handed the sword back to Gu Yuan, "The person who forged this sword has reached the pinnacle of mortal skill; he has almost squeezed the potential of the material itself dry."

"In other words, the sword's potential is fixed from the very beginning of its forging. To improve it according to your requirements, it would probably have to be completely reforged."

She walked to the scratched workbench beside her, picked up a quill pen and quickly sketched, continuing, "And for me to rebuild it myself, the cost won't be small. A conservative estimate—"

She paused her writing, glanced at the estimated figure, and wrote, "Five hundred million Faris."

"Five hundred million?" Gu Yuan confirmed.

"Yes, five hundred million." Hephaestus nodded, while observing Gu Yuan's reaction.

This number is enough to bankrupt the vast majority of first-level adventurers.

But Gu Yuan merely lowered his eyelids slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then his mind returned to its usual calm.

Although the price was astonishing, it was still within his budget.

The bounties accumulated from the few powerful figures from the dark factions that were eliminated earlier far exceeded this amount, not to mention their wealth in other worlds.

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by his composure: "It seems I underestimated your wealth. Very well, since money is not an issue, then the remaining key is this."

""

She pushed the list she had just written in front of Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan took the list and quickly scanned it.

All the rare metals listed above, including the hardest "Orichalcum", are marked "well stock".

However, his gaze eventually settled on the last item, the only one highlighted in red:

【Heavy Earth Core】

Origin: Level 49 of the dungeon, dropped by the rare monster "Crystal Shell Earth Mother" (with a chance).

Features: Possessing extreme density and a stable energy structure, it is a top-tier material for amplifying and solidifying gravity-related effects.

Note: No stock available.

"49th floor —" Gu Yuan murmured.

He clearly remembered that the Astrea Familia's current exploration record only reached the 37th floor, and that was with the entire crew participating.

The difference is a qualitative leap.

"This material is key to achieving your requirements." Hephaestus's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "I don't have it here, and it's almost impossible to buy it on the market."

"If you can get it, I'm 90% confident I can complete the recasting. If you can't—"

She shrugged. "Then the effect would be greatly reduced, and rebuilding wouldn't be very meaningful."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuan looked up from the list, his eyes showing no sign of backing down.

"Understood." With a flick of his fingertips, the list instantly turned into a small pile of ashes. "I'll get the materials as soon as possible."

Hephaestus looked into his unfathomable eyes, a smile of appreciation appearing on his face for the first time: "Interesting. I'll await your news then. Until then, I'll reserve this deal and the corresponding ore for you."

Gu Yuan nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to leave this scorching land.

Back in the lobby, he paid Chun a huge deposit directly.

When Alexie and Ryu saw the staggering amount, they were secretly taken aback again, even though they were mentally prepared.

What level of weapon is that?

A typical first-tier armed force costs around 100 million.

But Gu Yuan obviously didn't offer much explanation.

He calmly finished handling the matter, then turned to his two companions and said, "Let's go back. For the next plan, I need to update my ability stats immediately. Do you want to come with me?"

Leaving aside the matter of weapons penetrating the dungeon, according to previous discussions within the guild, there is an important operation scheduled for this evening.

If there are Level 7 enemies in the enemy stronghold—then every bit of strength gained means a greater chance of survival.

Even the bargaining chip to break the crisis.

"Yes!" The two nodded emphatically.