Level Eater

The giant with the face of a mammoth-type monster seems eager to engage in a deadly battle with Tatsuro and the others, but they have no intention of confronting it directly. So, once again, they ask Jeanne for help and decide to have her finish it off.

"Jeanne, can you handle this?" (Tatsuro)

"Neigh." (Jeanne)

"Looks like you're fully charged with determination." (Jeanne)

Jeanne, who has spent more time observing than Tatsuro, seemed eager to showcase her skills as if it were an opportunity. However, the opponent was equally determined, and due to being forcibly induced into a manic state, its temperament had become quite aggressive.

The gazes of the two creatures intersected. Jeanne, being quicker, made the first move. Utilizing her impressive speed, she launched a straightforward but powerful attack, aiming to pierce with her prized horns.

If it were the same as before, the creature would have been taken down with its two-legged stance on the ground, but Paralaceus had undeniably evolved.

"Pooooo!"

"!? ──Neigh!" (Jeanne)

This time, it kept up with Jeanne's speed, dodging to the side and delivering a kick the moment she evaded. Although surprised that Jeanne was also able to dodge, her skillful footwork allowed her to narrowly avoid the attack.

Attempting a counterattack, Jeanne was about to strike, but electrical shocks emanated from the three eyes on the creature's forehead, forcing her to retreat to maintain distance.

"It's gotten faster. A bit slower than Jeanne now, I suppose." (Tatsuro)

"Enhancements through transformation are a given. But, Jeanne-chan is stronger for sure." (Ai)

"Indeed. So, let's leave that opponent to Jeanne and focus on taking down the main stronghold." (Tatsuro)

"Understood." (Ai)

Leaving Ennio, who remained absentminded, on the side was risky. Thus, Tatsuro cast a mix of curses and life magic on his necklace before slowly bringing Ennio back to sanity.

Ennio's focus gradually returned, and he could move again.

"How do you feel?" (Tatsuro)

"Oh? Somehow, my head feels clear, and I'm feeling good…" (Ennio)

"Can you move right away?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah………… Oh, Gregory! You…" (Ennio)

"Once again, before you get too angry, Ennio! Calm down. There's no need to concern ourselves with that creature. We're here, right?" (Tatsuro)

Although it seemed like Ennio might erupt with anger again, Tatsuro hastily used healing magic and spoke to him.

"Ennio! I understand it's frustrating, but calm down for now. There's no need to worry about that thing. We're here, right?" (Tatsuro)

"Grrr… But…" (Ennio)

"Hey, maybe you're just feeling irritable because you're hungry. Here, eat this and calm down. It's proper food." (Tatsuro)

Ennio grumbled, "Mmm, what's that! It's dragon meat! So raw!" while chewing on the offered meat. Tatsuro thought it might be because he hadn't been given decent food until now, but there was more to it.

Beast men naturally had a preference for meat, and the stronger the meat, the more appealing it seemed to them. Therefore, the flesh of a dragon, the strongest species, appeared more enticing to them than to other races.

And with the momentum as if Ennio was about to bite into Tatsuro's arm, Tatsuro handed him a chunk of meat without saying anything. Tatsuro thought it might be better to at least grill and season it, but it seemed unnecessary, so he watched Ennio eagerly devour the remaining meat, which was only enough for two or three bites.

"How is it? Are you feeling calmer?" (Tatsuro)

"I've calmed down…" (Ennio)

Ennio, still in ecstasy over the delicious dragon meat, had no time to spare. Tatsuro briefly explained what would happen next.

"So, Ennio, we're going to capture Gregory now. Is that okay with you?" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, it's fine. Gregory wasn't a good guy. …Looks like I was in the wrong too." (Ennio)

"In Ennio's case, I think it can't be helped. But even so, if you still feel it's wrong, think about it with us after this is over. If we handle everything smoothly, maybe the lord of this place will do something for us." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, Ennio. We still have time. Take your time and think about it." (Ai)

"Got it. Next time, I'll think about what I should do on my own." (Ennio)

With a somewhat relieved expression, Ennio said this, and the two nodded back in satisfaction.

"I see. For now, can you at least protect yourself? Gregory seems to be scheming something, but don't fall for his provocation, Ennio. If you recklessly charge in, you won't know what he might do." (Tatsuro)

"Are you guys going to be okay?" (Ennio)

"We're strong, so don't worry. This time, let's keep our distance from Gregory as much as possible and be prepared for anything." (Ai)

"Got it! If you guys are in trouble, call Ennio. I'll help you out specially!" (Ennio)

"Thank you." (Tatsuro)

"Thanks." (Ai)

Feeling a sense of unease, Ennio decided to focus on self-defense, and Tatsuro and the others launched an attack on Gregory, who was observing the battle between Paralaceus and Jeanne with keen interest.

As a warm-up, Tatsuro unleashed a flamethrower at the defenseless Gregory.

"Hmph. I've taken precautions against fire magic as well." (Gregory)

"Shaaah!"

"This guy, how many monsters does he have hidden?" (Tatsuro)

"It's like a surprise box." (Ai)

The flames released by Tatsuro were absorbed by a red snake-like monster emerging from Gregory's right sleeve. The snake, in return, spewed fire towards them.

However, Tatsuro nullified it with another fire magic spell. In the meantime, Ai swung her whip lightly, extending its tip towards Gregory's abdomen. The slime hidden inside his clothes dispersed the impact, rendering it ineffective.

"He also has anti-physical measures. Troublesome." (Ai)

"I thought tamers use flashy monsters, but they fight like this." (Tatsuro)

"Hahaha. Miss, that's not the case. Ordinary tamers couldn't control this many creatures." (Gregory)

Despite knowing that Tatsuro and Ai hadn't yet shown their true strength, Gregory exuded overflowing absolute confidence.

"So, why are you able to do it? Tell us if you want us to talk about ourselves." (Ai)

"I decline." (Ai)

"I see, then I won't tell you either!" (Gregory)

Saying so, Gregory aimed his left sleeve towards them. A blue snake emerged, and from there, it spewed a massive amount of water, covering an area except around Gregory.

"Paralaceus! Cast !" (Gregory)

"Poooow!"

"Ai!" (Tatsuro)

"Tatsuro!" (Ai)

Ai grabbed Tatsuro, and they jumped up together. Ennio, seeing them jump, followed suit. The beast-man lieutenant, Joaquin, ran to the rear to escape the range. Jeanne elegantly evaded the water with a back step.

"Hmm. Looks like we're the only ones affected." (Ai)

"This guy is a complete mess." (Tatsuro)

Upon landing, while being held by Ai, Tatsuro found that the needle dogs were convulsing due to the electric shock. Joaquin, who had run to the rear, returned and swiftly beheaded the convulsing dogs.

Despite the lack of any results from the ally's self-destructive attacks, Gregory's expression showed neither urgency nor anger. He observed the needle dogs, now lifeless like a disposable item, with an indifference akin to when the ink of a used ballpoint pen ran out.

Understanding that this Gregory, who didn't even see living creatures, evoked fear in both Tatsuro and Ai. Frankly, it was unsettling.

"Well, never mind. Let's go for the second round. Pagis! " (Gregory)

"Are you singling me out? I'd prefer to take you on directly!"

Pagis, the creature referred to as such, similar to the needle dogs from before, appeared in their thirties from the ground. They all simultaneously attacked Joaquin.

This time, the man was going to face another obstacle.

Tatsuro, uncertain about when he might be hit by electricity again, improved the drainage of the ground with water magic.

In the meantime, Ai, with even more momentum than before, extended the tip of her whip towards Gregory's head.

In response, a slime appeared to protect Gregory, nullifying the second whip attack.

"Even with this much power, it's useless, huh?" (Ai)

"Maybe we should take care of the slime first." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro then emitted a thick laser from the tip of his staff, incinerating the slime. Seizing the opportunity, Ai swung her whip.

"Hmm, you can use that kind of magic too?" (Ai)

"Another new slime appeared!?" (Tatsuro)

The slime that was incinerated by Tatsuro, and an identical one, protected Gregory. Without expressing any gratitude and with a curious gaze, Gregory observed Tatsuro's magic.

"Oh well, this is a pain." (Ai)

Annoyed, Ai swung her whip vigorously, attempting to attack Gregory from every angle. However, the single slime that existed multiplied instantly, piling up around Gregory, nullifying all the attacks with its soft body.

Moreover, it stored and amplified the impact, sending shockwaves towards them.

"This guy has a counter, too." (Tatsuro)

To counter the shockwaves, Tatsuro reinforced the thick wall of the earth with earth magic enhanced by light magic, blocking the waves instantly.

Once defended, perhaps due to Gregory's personality or perhaps because he only possessed a counter skill, there was no further pursuit.

So, they took the opportunity to discuss their strategy.

"A creature that can reflect both fire magic and physical attacks." (Ai)

"Yeah. And even if you defeat one, they instantly reproduce. It seems like physical attacks won't work literally. So, Ai" (Tatsuro)

"What?" (Ai)

"Could you lend me that whip for a moment?" (Tatsuro)

"Now? Well, sure, but why?" (Ai)

Tatsuro received the heavy whip from Ai, who tilted her head. Naturally, Tatsuro couldn't handle the whip himself. The reason for receiving it was the curse magic.

If he could enchant life magic onto the necklace, hastily made for Ennio, then he should be able to enchant it onto the weapon handled by Ai. So, using a mix of curse and wind magic, Tatsuro enchanted wind magic onto Ai's whip.

Due to the current low level of curse magic, Tatsuro couldn't unleash the same power as the wind magic he typically used. However, he believed that it would still be effective against a slime like that.

Once the enchantment was complete, Tatsuro confirmed that the whip wielded by Ai now held the magical power of the wind. All that remained was for the user to focus on their intent, and the embedded magical power would do its job.

When Tatsuro explained this to Ai, she suddenly hugged him and kissed him.

"Mmm, phew, Ai, we can save that for later—" (Tatsuro)

"Amazing, amazing! I can finally do something magical too! Thank you so much!" (Ai)

"Oh, is that how it is?" (Tatsuro)

Ai seemed to have more enthusiasm for the use of magic than Tatsuro had anticipated. Even Tatsuro couldn't deny that he hadn't envisioned a scene where he would protect Ai with a weapon in hand.

Watching Ai's excited expression, Tatsuro found himself wanting to see her even more joyful. As a result, he decided to prioritize leveling up the curse magic.

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