Level Eater
Chapter 160

While searching for surprise clams, Tatsuro found something.

It was a return stone, a tool for returning from dungeons that he had received from another female adventurer before entering this place.

Comparing it with analysis magic to the one he had received, it was exactly the same reaction, so it was probably genuine without a doubt.

And there were about a dozen more of the same items scattered around this small island.

"That means we can return anytime, right?" (Ai)

"Yeah. It wasn't called that, but it's the same as what we got when we entered. And there are several of these scattered around this small island." (Tatsuro)

"Does that mean it's not actually that valuable?" (Ai)

"Well, we got it for free, so it's actually more reassuring if it's a common item." (Tatsuro)

"That's true. If it was an extremely rare item, we might worry there's some catch to it." (Ai)

For now, since it was convenient to be able to return from the dungeon at any time, Tatsuro processed all the remaining surprise clams and safely obtained a total of sixteen return stones.

There didn't seem to be anything else noteworthy, as just as he was about to suggest heading to the next island, Nana spoke up.

"So, has Leah reached [Hammer Technique Lv.3] yet?" (Nana)

"Not yet, of course. As a dwarf, I'm more inclined to improve [Hammer Technique], but not as much as Ai-san." (Tatsuro)

"Ah, but you don't have to just use it against monsters, right? Skills can level up just from training too, can't they?"  (Ai)

"That's right. Ai even learned the skill just by swinging a wooden stick at first." (Tatsuro)

"Oh yeah, that happened. So when you say that, Athena-chan, do you mean we should try some training?" (Ai)

"That's right. I want a weapon too~" (Athena)

"I'd like mine processed as well~" (Nana)

Apparently really wanting proper weapons, even Nana pleaded like a spoiled child. Tatsuro checked his watch and saw it was almost lunchtime.

"It's already this late? It's almost lunchtime, so should we do a bit of training on this safe small island?" (Tatsuro)

"Oh, just to be clear, it's not forced. If Leah-chan doesn't want to, we'll respect that, okay?" (Ai)

Ai spoke considerately in case Leah didn't want to do it, but when they looked at Leah's face, it was burning with fighting spirit rather than reluctance.

"Training. I'd love to do it!" (Leah)

"Alright! Then I'll help! It'll probably be faster to improve with a partner!" (Athena)

"I'll help too!" (Nana)

{Oh my, unexpectedly she's the hot-blooded type, Leah-tan...} (Ai)

{Tan...? Well, she couldn't move her body properly until now, but now her stats are increasing and she can move as much as she wants. She's probably eager to do all sorts of things.} (Tatsuro)

{I see. That's true.} (Ai)

While Tatsuro and Ai were having a telepathic conversation, the enthusiasm of Nana, Athena, and Leah was heating up.

So as not to dampen their motivation, Tatsuro silently handed Leah the large hammer he had put away earlier.

Leah lifted it, took a middle stance, and faced Nana and Athena.

"Is it okay if I go all out?" (Leah)

"Sure~ Your level is higher now, but the base strength is different." (Athena)

"That's right. The current Leah isn't at a stage where you need to worry about such things. So come at us with all you've got!" (Nana)

"Athena-san, Nana... I understand. I'll make the most of this opportunity! Haaaa!" (Leah)

As some kind of passionate story of effort seemed to be starting, Tatsuro had Cardina and Jeanne keep watch while he set up simple chairs and a table to leisurely observe while flirting.

Then, although he had set out two chairs before he knew it, Tatsuro had Ai sitting sideways on his lap, and as they gazed at each other and talked, Leah came running up with a vibrant expression despite being out of breath.

"Tatsuro-san, Ai-san! I finally reached [Hammer Technique Lv.3]!" (Leah)

"Oh, congratulations!" (Tatsuro)

"Now Leah-chan can become a blacksmith too!" (Ai)

"Yes!" (Leah)

Seeing her beaming smile like never before made them happy too, and Ai took out a towel from her [Item Box] to wipe Leah's sweat while praising her efforts.

"Th-Thank you very much." (Leah)

"You're welcome." (Tatsuro)

Finally realizing how elated she had become, Leah cooled down a bit, and Ai put away the towel with a gentle expression.

"Now then, I'd like to convert [Hammer Technique Lv.3] to [Blacksmithing] right away." (Leah)

"Ah, that's right. Leah has +8 [Earth Spirit's Blessing], so that's all you need, right?" (Tatsuro)

"Yes, that's correct. If it's +6 or lower, you'd need fire magic, and +2 or lower would require earth magic too, but with +7 or higher, you don't need either." (Leah)

"That's quite an advantage, isn't it?" (Ai)

"It is. But there are people in the world who start with [Blacksmithing] at +10 or higher, or even at level 2 or above. So I'm not that special— Ah, I got it." (Leah)

While conversing with Tatsuro and the others, Leah operated the system, and her [Hammer Technique Lv.3] changed to [Blacksmithing Lv.1], and her class changed from Hammer Technician to Blacksmith.

"How is it?" (Tatsuro)

"Can you do it right away?" (Ai)

"No, please let me start with tool making first." (Leah)

"Tool making? Can you do that in a place like this?" (Tatsuro)

"Yes, Tatsuro-san. Do you have any metal ingots or ores that haven't had magic passed through them?" (Leah)

"I do. If it's without magic, I have some iron, Phoebus steel, copper, and a bit of light silver. As for ores... um, what was the official name... that one with a bear-like appearance and crystals stuck on its back." (Tatsuro)

Having not seen it for a while and with various events piling up in the meantime, he only remembered the name Golden Bear, which only those close to him would understand.

When he conveyed the general characteristics to Leah from his vague memory, she tilted her head and seemed to think for a moment.

"Hmm... a bear with crystals... Is it Defurstal?" (Leah)

"That's it! If you want the crystals from that, I have white, blue, and gold." (Tatsuro)

"Golden crystals from Defurstal!? Why do you have such valuable items..." (Leah)

"We happened to encounter them when we came to this world, and after some things happened, we defeated them and got them as spoils." (Tatsuro)

"Spoils... You mean a whole body's worth?" (Leah)

"Yeah, that's right." (Tatsuro)

"No wonder you're not too concerned about money... Oh, that's not it. If it's okay, could you bring out a little bit of that too?" (Leah)

"Sure, that's fine. I still have plenty, so feel free to use whatever I bring out now." (Tatsuro)

Saying that Tatsuro brought out the iron, Phoebus steel, copper, light silver metals, and white, blue, and gold Defurstal crystals.

"Just this much golden crystal... With this much, I could make tools that would last a lifetime just with the golden crystals, but it might be too early to make something of that caliber..." (Leah)

"It seems like you need tools to make tools, but how are you going to make them?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, I'm a bit curious too." (Ai)

"Alright." (Leah)

After assembling the creation process in her head, Leah psyched herself up, placed both palms facing up and overlapped them, then thrust her arms forward and commanded her skill to activate.

Then, a reddish-brown hammer about 30 centimeters long appeared from her overlapped palms.

Leah grasped the hammer in her right hand and first picked up the iron from the materials Tatsuro had brought out.

Then she wrapped her left hand in reddish-brown flames and transferred the fire to the iron.

After that, she swung the hammer in her right hand to strike and shape the iron, which had somehow become as soft as clay.

When that was done, she returned the enveloping fire to her left hand. There, an iron hammer identical to the reddish-brown one Leah was holding had been created. (T/N: More like item creation skills from games)

"Oh, something's been made!" (Ai)

"It's certainly impressive, but is there a need to make a hammer when you can produce one on your own?" (Tatsuro)

"Of course. By overlaying the hammer created with this skill onto the hammer I just made, I can enhance it. Then, using that enhanced tool, I can create tools from higher-grade materials, and then use those to make even higher-grade items... and so on, gradually elevating to more high-performance items step by step." (Leah)

"That sounds kind of troublesome~" (Tatsuro)

"People who don't enjoy this kind of work might indeed dislike it. Well then, I'll make the same thing with Phoebus steel next, then create a few alloys and do the same with those, and finally work on the golden crystal tools." (Leah)

"...How long will just the tool-making take?" (Tatsuro)

"Let's see if you could give me about ten hours, I think I can do it." (Leah)

"Ten hours!?" (Nana)

"T-ten hours?!" (Athena)

Tatsuro wasn't too shocked as he had expected it to take a long time based on the conversation, but it was a big shock to Nana and Athena, who had helped with the special training because they wanted the items made quickly.

"In that case, let's camp here for today, and Leah, you can focus on tool-making to your heart's content. We'll take care of lunch preparations and such." (Tatsuro)

"Thank you very much. In return, I promise to produce something excellent." (Leah)

"Mm-hmm, we're looking forward to it." (Tatsuro)

Leaving Nana and Athena, who were still dumbfounded, Tatsuro and Ai began preparing lunch.

Then, since there was some time, Tatsuro decided to use the SP he had just acquired.

Previously, he had SP (-153), but now it was (355).

He was impressed that he could repay it in just one floor when he thought it might take longer, as expected of a level 7 dungeon, and began to consider how to use it.

"How about raising Lightning Magic to level 8 and Life Magic to level 6, using a total of (330)?" (Tatsuro)

"Lightning Magic for strengthening Athena-chan, and Life Magic as insurance for fighting strong enemies?" (Ai)

"Yeah. Even on the first floor, we were a bit flustered, so I thought I'd raise our recovery methods just in case. Is this good then?" (Tatsuro)

"Yep, that's fine." (Ai)

So Tatsuro raised his Lightning and Life Magic and then retransplanted those factors to Athena and Nana.

Time passed, and although it was as bright as noon, it was night by the clock.

While remaining vigilant, everyone killed time, ate a late-night snack, and just as they were thinking about preparing the bath, Leah, who had been working almost nonstop except for meals, looked up.

"It's done!" (Leah)

"Oh, is it finished?" (Tatsuro)

"Let's see" (Ai)

Everyone, who had been keeping their distance so as not to disturb Leah, gathered around with interested faces.

Around Leah were various hammers made of different materials, anvils to use as bases when using them, and several tongs.

There were also tools that even amateurs couldn't tell what they were used for, and everyone was amazed that she had managed to create all this in just about ten hours.

"Did you make all of this by yourself? That's amazing." (Tatsuro)

"Hey, is that a golden crystal hammer?! How did you process it?!" (Ai)

"Ah, this? It was impossible with [Blacksmithing Lv.1], but after my level increased to [Blacksmithing Lv.3] midway through, I was able to do it by using these eyes to their fullest extent, although the process was complex and intricate." (Leah)

"Then, these - for example, the iron tools - are they no longer needed?" (Nana)

Nana pointed at the iron tools, which looked the most inferior among those scattered around.

Leah slowly shook her head in denial.

"No. While the golden crystal tools are indeed the most superior among these, using only those doesn't necessarily mean you can create good items." (Leah)

"But I feel like the best tools would be the best!" (Nana)

"Yes. Of course, these will be the main tools, but depending on various conditions such as materials and processing methods, sometimes the cheapest iron tools might be the most suitable." (Leah)

"That feels very artisan-like." (Ai)

"Yeah, it's probably something we'd never understand." (Tatsuro)

As Tatsuro and Ai looked at Leah with admiring eyes, she smiled awkwardly, seeming slightly uncomfortable.

"True artisans, I believe, are those who learn and accumulate knowledge about which tools to use for what through experience and teachings from their predecessors. But in my case, I'm a cheater, so I can't become a true artisan." (Leah)

"But the things Leah will create from now on in her life aren't from [All-Seeing Eyes], but from Leah herself, right? So just like other artisans, there must definitely be things you'll accumulate." (Tatsuro)

"That's right. And in a world that's not equal, where some people are born with [Blacksmithing] from the start, it's too late to talk about being a cheater. Leah-chan just happened to have an advantage in terms of information, but that doesn't mean you can't become what they call a true artisan." (Ai)

"That's— Yes, you're right. I'm sure I'll continue to have doubts, but I'll try to accumulate at least one thing on my own." (Leah)

Although not completely sunny, Leah smiled at Tatsuro and the others with a face that somehow seemed to have found some resolution.