Level Eater

2nd Chapter for the week

Enjoy~~~

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|You have Levelled up to Lv 30|

Three lumps rolled with a thud.

Meanwhile, Ai retreated cautiously, paying no heed to the level-up announcement, ensuring she stayed clear of the blood.

Suddenly, a gush of blood erupted, splattering the surroundings in crimson.

Observing this, Tatsuro swiftly cast detection magic to check for any remaining mobile monsters. He found one, frozen but still alive, and promptly dispatched it.

|You have Levelled up to Lv 30|

At that moment, the levels absorbed from the Bullhead Creature by the Level Eater were finally converted, raising Tatsuro's level as well.

While confirming the defeat of all the monsters and reuniting with Ai, Leela arrived with her escort, carrying Cardina with her.

"This is a Trofrogaros… A creature from the middle to deep layers of the Amneri Great Forest… You managed to defeat it quite easily." (Leela)

Leela, upon seeing the two standing unscathed beside the creature lying lifeless with three heads and six arms missing, remarked as her first words, "Quite an impression you've made."

However, it was thanks to the weakening effect of the Level Eater that it was not a formidable foe, as it would have been quite troublesome otherwise.

"It wasn't as easy as all that, though." (Ai)

"Despite being monsters, they had oddly human-like movements. Are creatures like that common?" (Tatsuro)

"Monsters with humanoid shapes often use skills similar to humans." (Leela)

It seems that monsters having skills like martial arts are not very rare. Tatsuro realized this and adjusted his assessment of their danger accordingly.

While they were discussing, Ai, who had disappeared unnoticed, returned with all the equipment from the Bullhead Creature known as Trofrogaros.

The sight of her stacking and carrying items larger than herself, using a large shield as a makeshift tray, was quite remarkable.

"I brought them because they seemed useful." (Ai)

"It doesn't appear to be iron, but is it a material that can withstand the flow of energy?" (Tatsuro)

"It should be fine; the monster was also channeling its energy through this." (Ai)

While magical energy had become visible, Tatsuro, an outsider to Ki manipulation, could not help but be impressed by the versatile Trofrogaros. He became curious about how monsters acquired their weapons.

It was at that moment that Leela conveniently explained Trofrogaros's weapons.

"It seems that these weapons are made from the same components as Trofrogaros's bones. Weapons held by monsters are, in fact, a part of the monsters' organs and may not be separated from their bodies until a certain point in their development. There's a theory that suggests this, and the weapons also improve in quality as the monster's strength increases." (Leela)

"So, does that mean it's a part of its body? Hearing that, I'm not very keen on using it." (Ai)

"It's not a bad idea. The weapon itself seems usable." (Tatsuro)

Indeed, it is not a pleasant thought, but having more options can also enhance their safety. Therefore, Tatsuro persuaded Ai to keep it.

"Are there any other places we should set aside items?" (Ai)

"Well…" (Leela)

They inquired about items that seemed to fetch a high price, materials suitable for weapons and armor. Additionally, they collected from the numerous monsters around and shared these with Leela.

"Is this enough?" (Tatsuro)

"Today, we made quite a fortune!" (Ai)

After disposing of unnecessary parts, while discussing this, Leela was contemplating something else.

Why had these monsters surged in such a large army? She wondered.

However, they would soon find out.

From the direction of the Amneri Forest, a disturbing voice resonated loudly.

"Jaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!"

"What's that!?" (Tatsuro)

"Ugh." (Ai)

"What's going on!?" (Leela)

"Eek!" (Cardina)

Tatsuro, Leela, and Cardina turned in the direction of the voice and looked up. There, a creature with a body about twenty-five meters long, resembling a dragon with wings and scales, flew majestically. It swam through the sky towards the direction of the lake from the Amneri Forest.

Amidst this spectacle, Tatsuro realized that only AI had not reacted yet.

"Ai, what's wrong!?" (Tatsuro)

"Ugh… Ah…" (Ai)

With her mouth agape, Ai trembled, kneeling on the ground, clutching herself. Tatsuro, on the verge of panic, immediately used magic to investigate the cause.

"This is… the same attack as earlier! Cardina, help me!" (Tatsuro)

"Piwi!" (Cardina)

Ignoring Leela, who watched with concern, Tatsuro and Cardina analyzed and neutralized the magical power behind the voice from earlier.

It seemed that the voice of the flying dragon from earlier contained magic, which forcibly induced a state of panic in those unable to resist it. It did not affect those with strong magical resistance like Tatsuro, Leela, and Cardina, but for those with lower resistance, it could result in a state similar to Ai's current condition.

After about three minutes of neutralizing the attack, Ai, still looking pale, finally returned to her normal state.

"Are you okay!?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, I'm fine now." (Ai)

"My reaction was too slow… I'm sorry, Ai." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro, using [Life Magic], hugged Ai tightly with an apologetic expression. Ai, in response, returned the hug and shook her head.

Even Tatsuro, who was still inexperienced despite his growing strength, the sudden appearance of the dragon and its cry triggered an attack aimed at everyone.

Ai understood that it was still impossible to predict and anticipate such events.

"It's not like you could have known something like that was going to happen." (Tatsuro)

"Even so, I'm sorry." (Ai)

With a smile that seemed to say ‘It can't be helped,' Ai continued to receive Tatsuro's embrace and apology.

Once Ai had fully recovered, and Tatsuro felt relieved, they finally shifted the conversation to the monsters they had encountered earlier.

"What was that monster earlier?" (Tatsuro)

"It is most likely a type of magical dragon." (Leela)

"Magical dragon?" (Ai)

Once again, both of them tilted their heads in confusion at the unfamiliar term from this otherworldly creature. Leela quickly provided some context.

"A magical dragon is essentially a dragon without intelligence, or that's the closest way to describe it." (Leela)

"So, dragons are pretty dangerous, right?" (Ai)

"Yes. Despite lacking intelligence, they are at the top of the hierarchy among monsters. Just one of them going on a rampage can cause tremendous damage. They are like living disasters." (Leela)

With this information in mind, Leela directed her gaze towards the direction where the dragon had descended.

"That place it landed, it right by the salt lake, isn't it?" (Ai)

"Yes, that's correct. The lake there spews out not only a large amount of salt but also magic energy, which probably attracted it." (Leela)

"But in that case, what about Zendo-san and the others?" (Tatsuro)

"They probably can't produce salt there, and there's a possibility that the town of Obsul itself might have to be abandoned." (Leela)

"What?" (Tatsuro)

"No way…" (Ai)

Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation, both of them were left speechless. Leela, after calmly acknowledging the gravity of the situation, spoke up.

"For now, it seems like the magical dragon isn't showing any signs of moving. Let's return to the town for the time being." (Leela)

"…Indeed. Ai, let's head back for now." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah…" (Ai)

With that, the three humans and their companion quickly made their way back to town. By the time they arrived, it had grown dark, and a crowd of people had gathered at the gate.

"What's going on?" (Ai)

"Maybe news about the dragon from earlier has already spread to everyone?" (Tatsuro)

"And now people are trying to get out of town in a hurry, pushing to be the first through the gate. Not surprising at all. Let's make our way to the Adventurer's Guild quickly." (Leela)

Nodding in agreement to Leela's cool-headed words, Tatsuro put Cardina away, and the three of them maneuvered through the crowd.

Once inside the town, they found a scene of chaos with people shouting and angry.

Ignoring the commotion, the three quickly entered the Adventurer's Guild, where the exploration team had gathered.

"Everyone, glad to see you're all safe." (Leela)

"Yeah, you took your sweet time coming back. I thought you'd bitten the dust." (Aggra Ba'it)

"I plan to outlive you by a long shot, so no need to worry." (Leela)

"Haha, no doubt about that." (Aggra Ba'it)

After this brief exchange with Aggra Ba'it, a seasoned adventurer, and Leela, they shared the information they had gathered. According to the reports, while not as intense as Tatsuro and his team, every party had fought a considerable number of monsters. Furthermore, the number of monsters in the entire region was still increasing.

In particular, a veteran party that had been exploring near the Amneri Forest reported strange behavior among the monsters. They seemed to be fleeing from the forest. The monsters they had failed to defeat had ended up coming toward Tatsuro and his group.

"With this, we've identified the cause of the irregular monster distribution this time." (Leela)

"We initially attributed the cause to an earthquake, but what if the earthquake itself was the work of that magical dragon?" (Carney)

As Carney, the leader of a party consisting of only women, summarized this thought, it seemed that everyone had arrived at the same conclusion, as there was no dissenting opinion.

"So, what do we do now?" (Ai)

"There's not much we can do It is not as if we alone can change the situation. While that magical dragon is quiet, we should escape from this town for the time being." (Aggra Ba'it)

"…I see." (Ai)

When Ai, with a hint of hope, suggested if there was anything they could do, Aggra Ba'it advised her in a calming tone, causing her to look a bit disheartened as she retreated.

It was frustrating to just back down without trying anything, but none of them here were willing to risk their lives for a small town. Moreover, if they escaped now, there would be no loss of lives.

The best course of action was to leave it to experienced adventurers who had experience in subduing magical dragons.

Tatsuro and Ai had resigned themselves to this line of thought when suddenly, a cry rang out.

"Something's wrong!"

With that voice, a male adventurer unrelated to the exploration team burst into the room, looking visibly distraught.

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