Level Eater
Chapter 136

When Jeanne carried him to a little distance away, he finally healed Ai's ears with his own Life magic, and then finished healing his own ears as well.

They thanked Jeanne for carrying them here and she squealed, as if to say she had done what she ought to do.

Tatsuro and Ai watched Cardina and Nana flying and tossing about in the air on their own, feeling dependable in their appearance and reflecting on the fact that they had underestimated that giant Frog too much.

The giant frog then flattened its body like a cracker cracker and glided around like a glider to escape from the two bodies, even detaching its eggs and launching a drop bomb attack.

“He's quite a handy guy. How many cards do you have in your hand?" (Tatsuro)

“But, well, if you're going to earn SP, it's nice to have a variety of skills, isn't it?” (Ai)

“Yes. But to do that, you have to attack it without killing it. Then you have to be able to penetrate the mucus secreted by its body with enough force to do so without killing it. ......” (Tatsuro)

“Hmm? You're not very articulate. What is it?" (Ai)

“The most important thing to remember is that the frog protection magic is not that powerful, so if I use my magic with all my might, it will be ignored, but if I fail to go easy on it, there's a good chance it’ll end up in a pile of dust or a pile of charcoal. If I were to kill it, I can't make SP from the guy in front of me who seemed like he could give me a lot” (Tatsuro)

Then they came to the conclusion that it would be easiest to concentrate on magic to stall and support, and have Ai attack with moderate strength.

However, if they get too close, they are likely to experience those blasts again, so they want to attack accurately from a distance if possible.

Another option is to let Cardina and her sisters, who are magical body creatures and resistant to popping sounds, handle the whole thing, but Tatsuro and Ai would like to challenge it on their own for now, when they can afford to do so, so that they can properly handle the situation themselves in the event they encounter a similar situation again.

“As I recall, when you were dealing with Ennio before, you were able to release your energy with your sword, right?" (Tatsuro)

"That ...... probably could be done if I am serious, but if you're asking me if I can go easy on the frog, I don't think I can. Unless you want me to cut it in half." (Ai)

“I'm not going to do that. That looks gross, so give me a break." (Tatsuro)

“I know. I don't want to see a cross-section of a frog. So I was wondering if I could do something with it." (Ai)

Saying this, Ai took out her Celestial bow.

But with that weapon, a spear strike extending from the bow might be manageable, but that is a medium-range weapon and cannot reach long distances.

Furthermore, the power of the bow and arrow for long-range attacks is constant, and no matter how much energy is poured into it, it cannot shoot an arrow stronger than it is now. So it is also impossible to break the mucus on the surface.

What is required this time, however, is a long-range attack with moderate to medium power and energy.

Wouldn't it be out of place in Ai's hand right now? When Tatsuro conveyed such a question to Ai as it was, he brought his index finger forward and smiled wryly while waving it to the side.

“I used to think that way too. There was a time when I thought so, too. But it seems that there are still more secrets to this one I am going to introduce to you today." (Ai)

“I'm not sure what you mean by that. What's going on that makes you think that?" (Tatsuro)

“I had a strange feeling that I could do something new, just when I was getting used to operating the spear. So this time, I wanted to let that feeling take over." (Ai)

“I understand ....... If you say so, let’s give it a try. If by some chance you get too vigorous with it and knock me over, don't worry about it, just do what you think is right." (Tatsuro)

“Mm-hmm." (Ai)

Ai nodded with a smile and immediately set up her bow as usual to create an arrow of energy.

Then, next, without thinking, she tried to imagine that the Celestial bow would move as she wanted it to, and both spear handles consisting of three spherical joints from the bow were rolled inward in a U-shape, and when she brought the spear tip part of the energy close to the arrow part, a huge energy arrow was created by fusing the spear tip with the energy of the arrow.

"Oh, this is just like a big bow." (Ai)

“If you do that, you'll be able to use your energy to become the tip. At this rate, it seems like you still have some other secrets." (Tatsuro)

“Yeah, I think so too. Well, I guess I'll go for it. Follow me." (Ai)

“Yeah, leave it to me.” (Tatsuro)

Ai then readies her bow and arrow and takes aim at the flattened, gliding giant Frog.

The giant frog, while minimizing the effects of the [Dragon Drain] with its magic-repelling mucus, was still able to cross paths with both Cardina and Nana, albeit not in earnest.

Tatsuro wondered a little about the boss, who was very troublesome even though it was a level 3 dungeon, but he created just darkness with dark magic and asked Jeanne to carry it to the giant frog with wind magic.

Cardina and Nana noticed this, and they flew around the giant frog, solidly out of its way, and guided it to land in a place where Ai could easily target it.

The moment it landed on the scaffold after gliding in a rice cracker shape, Tatsuro put darkness in the form of an eye mask over the giant frog’s eyes, and continued to blindfold it while maintaining the shape of the darkness in coordination with Jeanne whenever it moved.

The giant frog, unexpectedly blinded, panicked and started spraying egg bombs in a messy manner, circling around on the spot, but Cardina and Nana successfully escaped into the sky to avoid being caught in the middle of it.

Ai, seeing this, aimed a bow and arrow, perfectly sized for the huge bow she was holding, at the thigh of the giant frog and fired.

“Gwaegghhh?"

“Not yet!"

Ai's large bow and arrow, while slightly misaimed by the mucus, pushed through, piercing the area above the left knee and sewed the giant frog to the ground.

Then, without missing the moment when its body stiffened in surprise from the sudden intense pain as the arrow struck, she fired a second shot, sewing up the right hand needed to throw the nasty egg bomb, then the left hand with the third shot, and finally the other leg with the fourth shot, hitting it accurately.

“Perfect! Then, let’s hurry Tatsuro. It's a bow and arrow of energy, so it will disappear after a while!" (Ai)

“I understand. Jeanne, hold us up and fly us all the way over there at once!" (Tatsuro)

“Neigh!" (Jeanne)

This time it's a big arrow, so there's a bit of time before the energy fizzles out.

During the grace period, they ride on Jeanne's big hand toward the giant frog, which is sewn and jittery on the scaffolding.

And in the meantime, Tatsuro activated his [Level Eater] and sprayed a black ball at the moment Jeanne landed in front of the giant frog.

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Level: 18

Skills: [Strengthening shackles], [Sleep resistance Lv.-10], [Shark fear resistance Lv.-10]

[Body Shape Change Lv.2(8)], [Anti-Magic Mucus Lv.2(8)], [Air Bullet Lv.2(8)]

[Egg Bomb, Lv.2(8)], [Throwing, Lv.1(7)]

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(Lv.2(8)......(8)?　And Lv.-10, what the heck, the skills section is a mess. But if this isn't wrong ...... maybe)

Tatsuro made a deduction and took out a container made of light silver from the [Item Box] while using the [Level Eater] to absorb the skill level.

While everyone else except Tatsuro looked on in wonder at this sudden action, he sprinkled the sleeping scale powder in the container, guarding it with wind magic, so that only the giant frog would absorb it.

Then, the giant frog, which had been flailing about with its limbs sewn to the scaffold by a giant arrow of energy, inhaled just a little powder and fell asleep with a snoring snore, as if it had fainted.

Ai, while showing her dismay at the nervous frog that had suddenly fallen asleep in front of the enemy, asked Tatsuro, who was sure to know all about what had happened.

"It asleep, what's going on?" (Ai)

“This guy had a skill called [Strengthening shackles], which I think is a skill that allows you to put shackles on yourself so that you get clogs in your stats and skill levels.” (Tatsuro)

“And now we're in this situation because of those shackles?" (Ai)

“I'm not sure how much it can do. So, if it fight seriously, I think it was a monster that was strong enough for the level of this dungeon and could be easily defeated by taking advantage of its weaknesses." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro's guess was correct: [Strengthening shackles] is a skill that can be used to strengthen oneself by daring to inflict a weakness. The rate of strengthening increases the more weaknesses are present.

So in this case, sleeping scale powder, which you have the opportunity to get as much as you want in the previous layer.

And, by making the shark-type monsters swimming in the thunderclouds at the place where it spawned, it became so terrified that it would be unable to do anything just by seeing a shark's face in its field of vision, it made it easier for it to adjust to the conditions and considerably increased the rate of reinforcement.

“Well, wait, then the SP that can be sucked up by the [Level Eater] is...” (Ai)

“…considerably less." (Tatsuro)

“What the hell is that?....” (Ai)

Tatsuro tried to see if he could suck out the level of the one in parentheses with a ray of hope, but in the end he was only able to target the actual skill level before enhancement next to the parentheses.

Ai and Tatsuro's shoulders slumped as they felt exhausted by the results, which were not worth the effort.

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Level: 18

Skills: [Strengthening shackles], [Sleep resistance Lv.-10], [Shark fear resistance Lv.-10]

[Body Shape Change Lv.0(-)], [Anti-Magic Mucus Lv.0(-)], [Air Bullet Lv.0(-)]

[Egg Bomb, Lv.0(-)], [Throwing, Lv.0(-)]

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It may be that the level 0 skills have no legs to clog up, or it may be that the Strengthening shackles enhancement remained, but the others disappeared, leaving only the weaknesses in the skills.

He didn't have the courage to try a negative test, so he left it alone.

The only enemy in the area was a large frog that was sleeping on the ground, even though its energy arrows were gone.

“...so let's put an end to it. Right?" (Ai)

“Yes. Let's just relax outside the dungeon for the rest of the day." (Tatsuro)

After consulting with Nana, He asked her to end the frog with a [Bite].

|||||Skill points (3) have been awarded. |||||

Then, the moment the frog became a carcass - its shape began to change.

And when everyone was paying attention to what was going on, the change was quickly completed.

“What is this, a toy?" (Ai)

"A stick with a frog on it ...... or is it more of a cane?" (Tatsuro)

“This frog is adorable.” (Nana)

“Yes. It looks like something out of a children's cartoon or something." (Tatsuro)

As Tatsuro and Ai watched, Nana, who had returned to her adult form, picked up the cane and showed it to them.

The figure looked like a little girl holding a toy cane and looking at the cane, her cheek muscles relaxing at the adorable sight, she saw a frog figure about 20 cm in size attached to the head of the cane, the color and shape of which looked just like the monster she had just fought. It has a cute animation touch, and Nana can handle it in a way she likes.

“That seems to be one of the boss drop items, and I don't think it's just a toy, but does it feel weird when you hold it?” (Tatsuro)

“Since it’s a cane, I feel like my magic has been modified a bit. Now all I have to do is hit something with this frog and I’ll be able to kill all the monsters!” (Nana)

"Well... despite being so cute, you treat it so poorly..." (Ai)

The sight of the young girl swinging her baton around dexterously with one hand, handling a stick with a frog on it as if it were a blunt instrument, and swinging it as if she were punching an imaginary monster, was even a kind of horror.

So they decided to put the cane aside for once and casually fade away from that topic to another.

“Well, anyway, there must be a return point somewhere out there, so let's put that stick away and look for it first." (Tatsuro)

"Oh, that's right!" (Ai)

"Then I'll put this away." (Nana)

Nana casually puts it away in her [Item Box], but Tatsuro doesn't need it, and if She likes it that much, it's okay, he says nothing in particular, and they all split up to search for a foothold where the return point might be.

Soon after, Cardina found a point leading to the room of return on a scaffold slanted to the left a short distance away, gathered everyone together, and they all jumped into it at once.

Then, for the third time this time, they went out into a room with white walls.

Since this was the same dungeon as the previous ones, Tatsuro and his team went up the stairs without thinking anything in particular.

“It's been a long time since we’ve been out of a dungeon." (Ai)

"We were in a place where morning and night didn't matter, so my sense of time is a little off, but we were holed up in the dungeon for about three days." (Tatsuro)

“As expected, it was quite different at level 3.” (Ai)

At Ai's words, Tatsuro, , Cardina who had turned into a Juvenile, Jeanne, and Nana who was in her usual young girl form all nodded in unison.

In the level 1 dungeon, there were no instant-death traps, and all the tricks were so simple that it was not even necessary to use Dispel magic, and the monsters were not much different from wild beasts.

Furthermore, even if one was unlucky enough to follow the longest route, it was still large enough to be conquered in a day.

In contrast, in the level 3 dungeon, traps for instant death were commonplace, which could be easily detected by Dispel magic, and the monsters were fighting with their own skills.

And the scale had grown so large that it could no longer be conquered in a day trip.

After a thorough discussion of these differences, and using them as a reference for future dungeon challenges when they arise, Tatsuro and his team entered a large, modest wooden store with a sign that read "Buyers' Shop" in two lines so as not to disturb other passersby.

Then there was an old-aged woman with light brown skin and long black hair with a sprinkling of gray tied back, sat at the counter and greeted them.

When everyone returned their greetings and entered the store, the employees, except for the first woman, were dealing with several customers.

“It's pretty crowded." (Ai)

“Well, most people who go to that dungeon are there looking for something to buy, and it's illegal to sell magic stones except in stores licensed by the government, so this is what happens.” (Tatsuro)

Because magic stones, a valuable energy resource, are strictly controlled by the government, they cannot be sold or bought except at stores with a seal of approval from the government.

And it seems that the screening process for trading licenses is quite strict, and only one or two of those stores are built near the dungeon.

It is a little past midday now, so it is only this crowded, but it will be crowded around evening with people who are there to explore, not to conquer the dungeon.

So, in fact, the store could be said to be currently vacant.

And while passing many people, Tatsuro and his team, who did not know that much, talked to the elderly woman sitting at the counter who seemed to be the most bored of all.

“I'm sorry. Could you please buy the magic stone?" (Tatsuro)

“I'm not sure if you just want to sell the magic stone. If you just want to assess the price, it's free, and if you have other items, I think it's a good idea to assess them first and then decide.”

“Really? Well, there are a few other things..." (Tatsuro)

With that, Tatsuro, Ai, and Nana put the items they obtained in the dungeon on the counter, including materials for monsters that could be sold from the [Item Box] and items of which they wanted to know how much they were worth.

“Is that all you got?"

"Huh? Nana?" (Tatsuro)

When Tatsuro looked over the counter, he noticed one thing missing and looked at Nana, who had buried her face in Ai's waist to remove any sign of her.

Then, after a moment of silence, Nana glanced at Tatsuro from behind Ai with wistful eyes.

“What is it?” (Nana)

“Where is the frog cane…?” (Tatsuro)

“O-Oh, I almost forgot.” (Nana)

“I'm not going to sell it to anyone else. So it okay” (Tatsuro)

"I'm sorry about ......." (Nana)

It seemed to be Nana's favorite, and Tatsuro had no intention of taking it away from her, but since he seemed to have misled her, so Tatsuro patted her on the head to reassure her.

Then, reluctantly, she took a frog cane from the [Item Box] and placed it on the counter which was a little high for her.