"Tsuna, show Finn and the others how much you've grown."
"Okay."
Now that the expedition plan was settled, Loki shifted her attention back to Tsuna's progress. She had a feeling his growth rate would shock everyone.
Tsuna handed over the sheet with his updated Status to Finn. The Pallum captain glanced at it casually—then his eyes widened as he zeroed in on the numbers.
"!?"
This much!? Finn was so stunned by the rapid increase that he almost doubted the Status was real. He looked up at Loki for confirmation.
"Are these numbers legit?"
Loki gave a small nod.
So they were real. Finn had thought it had to be a mistake, but Loki's answer left no room for doubt.
"What kind of Status needs double-checking to believe it's real?"
"Let me see, Finn."
Riveria and Gareth, both intrigued by Finn's reaction, leaned in from either side. The moment their eyes fell on the numbers, both of them froze for a split second—then looked straight at Tsuna.
"This is one day's growth?" Riveria asked. "Even if Level 1 adventurers grow the fastest at the start, this speed is… excessive."
Even if the data was real, it almost felt fake. Riveria herself had climbed from Level 1 to her current position through decades of effort. And now there was someone who'd achieved in a single day what most adventurers struggled to gain in a week—or even a month.
"I thought Ais's growth was already abnormal," she muttered. "Didn't expect to see someone who makes even Ais look ordinary."
"Yeah… this is pretty outrageous," Gareth agreed, recovering faster than the others. But when he looked back at the numbers, he couldn't help but grin.
"Still, lad, don't let this first day get to your head. Adventurers always slow down as they climb higher—the further you go, the harder every bit of progress becomes. You'll have to put in way more effort for smaller gains."
He crossed his arms, his tone carrying the weight of experience. "Don't lose your drive just because tomorrow's growth isn't as dramatic as today's."
It was a veteran's advice—half warning, half encouragement.
"I understand. The first step doesn't mean much by itself," Tsuna said with a small nod. "This is just the beginning of my path as an adventurer."
He was surprised by his own rapid growth, sure—but he also knew raising one's Status was never easy. His power wasn't like Liaris Freese that naturally accelerated development. Fast growth at the start didn't mean it would last forever. He'd already braced himself for the slowdown ahead.
"Good mindset," Loki murmured approvingly. "Gareth's right—how you handle your pace matters a lot."
Leaning lazily against his back, she spoke softly near his ear, as if trying to soothe a restless kid. But she'd guessed wrong—Tsuna was far calmer than she'd expected.
"The biggest spike's in your Magic stat," she went on. "Your Annihilation Maker boosted your magic growth the most. But your Agility and Dexterity are also impressive. Even your weakest stats—Strength and Endurance—are higher than the average adventurer's. Honestly, they're nearly on par with Tiona and Tione."
The Amazoness twins were born warriors, blessed with extraordinary physical ability. Yet even compared to them, Tsuna's natural potential in his "weakest" stats stood out.
By all logic, he should've been categorized as a summoner—someone fragile, meant to stay in the rear lines. But his body was sturdy enough to rival front-liners. That contradiction amused Loki.
"As a summoner, you shouldn't be stronger than the muscleheads up front," she chuckled. "But in your case, it works out nicely."
She ruffled his hair with an impish smile. "Since you're gifted in so many areas, that means you've got plenty to train."
Tsuna gave a quiet, wry smile.
Then Loki suddenly remembered something.
"Tsuna—what's your take on this upcoming expedition into the Dungeon?"
"You mean the search for the source of the Dungeon's 'anomaly,' right?"
"That's part of it," Loki said, tilting her head. "But I mean—do you plan to take part?"
"Me?"
The question caught Tsuna off guard. Honestly, he hadn't even considered it. He didn't think his current abilities qualified him for an expedition.
"Right now, my abilities are still pretty lacking. Given my situation, if I joined this Dungeon expedition, I'd mainly just be observing. If it were a normal expedition, I'd go to gain experience. But this time is different."
He paused. "With the Dungeon confirmed to be in an 'abnormal state'—if I go, I'd probably just become a burden."
"Smart answer," Loki said with a grin, clearly pleased. That was exactly the level-headed response she'd hoped for.
"If it were a normal situation, that'd be right. But your situation is a little different. Your ability can help Finn and the others a lot, and you can better handle special situations. That's why I want you to participate in this Dungeon expedition."
Her eyes swept briefly over Finn, Riveria, and Gareth.
"No matter how well prepared we are, when we encounter the Dungeon's 'abnormal situation,' it's still not enough. So your ability is crucial."
Ah. Tsuna finally understood what she was getting at. Annihilation Maker was the ultimate contingency tool—it let him create countermeasures on the fly. Flexibility like that was worth more than perfect planning.
"Miss Loki, when does the expedition depart?"
"In a week."
Not too long, not too short. Tsuna ran the timing through his head—it was enough to prepare. Understanding the role he needed to play, Tsuna accepted the suggestion.
"Should be enough time to prepare. I'll set up emergency contingency plans and take care of myself. This time, I'll participate in the Dungeon expedition."