"Oh!"
It was hard to believe this red cloak had once been Goliath's hide.
The texture wasn't stiff at all—it had an extraordinary elasticity. Even when pulled with full force, it wouldn't tear.
"Goliath's hide has strong tensile resistance. It's naturally tough enough to withstand attacks from Level 4 monsters. But the one you fought seemed to be a specially reinforced variant, so its hide was even more durable."
"I see. No wonder Goliath's flesh felt so tough back then."
Bell finally understood the recoil he'd felt through the dagger. Even though the "Hydra Dagger" wasn't the sharpest weapon, with his strength and speed at the time, it shouldn't have just bounced off Goliath's hide—and yet, that's exactly what happened, with the impact even rebounding back.
"Hephaestus, was that Goliath considered a reinforced variant?"
"No, not exactly. It was only partially reinforced—just enough to make things harder for challengers."
"...That's so cheap!"
Bell couldn't help but complain.
Hephaestus simply smiled. After all, the Dungeon was full of tricks like that. This was nothing.
"That's the kind of thing you face when taking on a floor boss solo."
"If you were part of a group assaulting Goliath, the fight would be much easier, and you wouldn't encounter those partial reinforcements. But... would you ever do that?"
"No."
Bell didn't hesitate, and Hephaestus already knew that would be his answer.
"That's why you need to be extra careful when taking on floor bosses from now on. Whether it's to break past your limits or to take them on more effectively, you'll need to sharpen your Status to the limit before going in."
"Next time you face a floor boss, you'll have to take it more seriously."
Hephaestus had seen how easily Bell had taken down Goliath—barely a scratch on him by the end.
But Goliath was really just the gatekeeper. The floor bosses that come after won't be nearly as easy to defeat.
"Yeah, I'll definitely need to take things more seriously. But that's for after the expedition."
There was no need to worry about that kind of thing during the expedition.
Hephaestus picked up the cloak and helped Bell put it on. She looked pleased as she adjusted it.
"How does it feel?"
Bell moved his arms and tested it out. There was no restriction to his movement at all. It fit snugly, and it didn't feel heavy or cumbersome during motion.
"It's great—fits way better than my old cloak."
"Of course it does."
She raised an eyebrow and smiled, pride clearly showing on her face.
"I tailored it specifically to your body measurements. It wraps around your body perfectly, so it covers you as much as possible. The tight fit also minimizes any hindrance during movement."
Since this was a rare chance for her to make something for Bell, Hephaestus had put in more care than usual. She even added special adjustments to make the cloak more practical for use in combat.
"Bell, channel your magic into the cloak."
Following Hephaestus's instruction, Bell poured magic into the cloak.
In response, the fabric quickly shrank and hugged his body, clinging tightly and feeling very different from the slightly loose fit it had just moments ago.
"It shrunk?"
"That's right. I designed it to react to your magic, keeping your mobility in mind. I also wove wind-attribute materials into the outer layer to reduce drag and make movement smoother."
Hephaestus spoke proudly. She hadn't added any complex functions—just features that were perfectly tailored for Bell. It was clear this cloak had been crafted specifically with him in mind.
Bell could feel the care Hephaestus had put into it.
For someone like him, who rarely stored his cloak in spatial inventory even during battle, this kind of design brought real, practical benefits...
"Thank you, Hephaestus."
"It's not often you come to me for help, so of course I had to put in a little extra effort. Otherwise, wouldn't I be just like Hestia?"
Bell gave a helpless smile and shook his head.
"To me, you and Hestia have been the biggest support in my life."
"If it weren't for the two of you, I wouldn't have come this far."
Suddenly, Hephaestus wrapped her arms around him, offering him the blessing of a goddess. She held him for a while before slowly letting go, her arms lingering around him.
"Don't say that. It wasn't our support—it was your own effort that brought you here."
"For us, meeting you was the greatest gift."
Her warm smile radiated with a beauty even brighter than sunlight. At that moment, Bell realized just how captivated he was by her.
Hephaestus wasn't like Hestia, whose charm was all cuteness—she was more composed, intellectual, with a big-sister warmth that made him want to stay in her arms forever.
"Alright, time to let go now."
"...Can't I stay like this a little longer?"
That slightly spoiled tone almost made Hephaestus pull him even closer, but she resisted the urge.
"Aren't you supposed to be sneaking over to Loki's place to establish that spatial passage today?"
"You'll have plenty of time to be clingy tonight."
Bell sighed. Thinking of the task ahead, he gave up the desire to stay in Hephaestus's embrace a little longer.
Putting it off until tomorrow would be too late—today was the best time to act.
Though reluctant, Bell prepared to leave.
Just like Hephaestus said, there would be time to indulge tonight.
"I'm off, then."
With those words, Bell vanished like a gust of wind.
Hephaestus remained where she stood, feeling a slight pang of regret as she looked out at the darkening evening sky.
"Talk about bad timing... the mood was perfect."