Su Mo had no intention of training Daigo until he became a warrior on par with Gaia—capable of delivering nuclear-level Rider Kicks. That kind of power wasn't necessary. Still, the essential combat skills were something Daigo had to learn. He couldn't let the boy waste the potential of his newly acquired, always-on "Happy Daigo" red form.
While Su Mo, in the world of Ultraman Tiga, was putting his junior through a special training regimen, over in the world of Danmachi, things were progressing differently.
After returning from the Mist realm, Su Mo opened his eyes to find the blue-ribboned goddess, Hestia, staring blankly at him.
"Hestia?" Su Mo called out with a hint of confusion.
The blue-ribbon goddess blinked and gave him a suspicious look. "Su Mo… did you get stronger again?"
As a deity, even though she couldn't use divine power in the lower world, her divine perception remained intact. Hestia clearly sensed it—just a single breath from Su Mo, and his entire aura had shifted drastically.
Gods in the lower world possessed the inherent ability to see through the lies of mortals. This wasn't magic or trickery, but a natural consequence of their superior soul structures. From their lofty vantage point, they could peer into the truth of those beneath them. Even sealed of their divinity, their spiritual presence was so overwhelming that it couldn't help but affect mortals around them. Just a few words from a god could ensnare a human's soul, driving them to obey without question. Not through hypnosis, but through a natural domination—like how fallen leaves are caught in a storm. A simple, inevitable force.
That's precisely why the gods, upon descending to the mortal world, had collectively agreed not to use their divine powers—to preserve balance and avoid disturbing the mortal realm with their overwhelming presence.
But now, Hestia realized something. Su Mo's soul, which had already been more resilient than most mortals, had suddenly become so deep and vast it was practically unfathomable—like that of a god.
He had ascended in some way.
If Su Mo were to lie now, Hestia wouldn't be able to tell.
Still, she didn't mind the minor details. With the bond they shared, there was no reason for Su Mo to lie to her. And even if he did, she believed he'd only do so if it was truly necessary. She trusted him that much.
What truly unsettled her was the way Su Mo's strength had grown. It wasn't a gradual process. It had happened as naturally as breathing—an effortless breakthrough. Power, in itself, wasn't a problem. But strength gained without clear cause? That was something else. It left Hestia worried that he might've resorted to some kind of forbidden method.
Yet, knowing his personality, she doubted he'd risk something that reckless.
She looked at him searchingly.
"Yes," Su Mo nodded calmly, "I did get a bit stronger."
There was no point in hiding it from Hestia.
"Hmm..." Her suspicion confirmed, the blue-ribbon goddess looked genuinely concerned. "Su Mo, you still have to take care of me in the future, so no doing anything dangerous, okay?"
"Don't worry." Su Mo chuckled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "All of my power comes from myself, so there's no need to worry."
Hearing that, Hestia finally relaxed and chose to trust his word.
Looking at her now—flustered and pouting—Su Mo couldn't help teasing her. "Even for Hestia's sake, I'd never do anything risky. After all, my goddess is lazy, greedy, and hates working. She's a complete shut-in who spends all day holed up at home. If I weren't around, you'd probably turn into a mummy from never going out."
"I am not a shut-in!" Hestia's cheeks flushed crimson in protest. "I used to work part-time, you know! And my fried potato balls sold really well! The shop's owner and all the staff praised me!"
Clearly feeling misunderstood, Hestia tried to salvage her image in the eyes of her Familia child.
Su Mo nodded playfully. "Of course, of course. A mighty goddess who ended up as the store mascot to attract customers—that's very impressive. Actually, I think I heard a rumor in the marketplace. Something about a loli-sized goddess who became known as the 'Calamity of North Street' or something... You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Hestia?"
At that, Hestia immediately stiffened, her expression betraying her panic.
"W-what Calamity of North Street? I-I've never heard of such a thing!" she stammered. "Anyway, giving a goddess such a rude nickname is just disrespectful. Su Mo, you should steer clear of those bad influences!"
Her attempt at deflecting was obvious, her face now bright red with embarrassment.
She was just too cute.
Seeing her like this, Su Mo decided not to push further.
"Well, since Hestia says so, I won't dig any deeper."
"Whew..." Hestia let out a sigh of relief. At least for now, her divine dignity had been preserved—or so she thought.
"Right," Su Mo said, changing the topic, "Hestia, could you help me level up? I think my experience points are full."
"Sure, no problem!" Hestia answered almost on reflex—then froze two seconds later.
"Wait, WHAT?!"
She looked completely dumbfounded.
"I said, my experience points should be full," Su Mo repeated casually. "I'll leave the level-up to you."
With that, he pulled off his shirt and lay down on the couch.
Meanwhile, Hestia stared at him in complete disbelief. Hadn't they just done a level-up yesterday?
What was this, time travel? Or had she lost her mind?
Still dazed, she climbed onto his back at Su Mo's prompting and pricked her fingertip with a thin needle. A droplet of divine blood emerged and pressed against his back.
And then she saw it—Su Mo's stat board.
She blinked, stunned.
There was no mistake about it.
This child was about to reach Level 3.