Level Eater

Chapter 17: Despair

"Commence Operation!" (Ai)

As she announced that, Ai broke into a run.

(Sorry, Tatsuro)

She felt a sense of guilt when she said those words high-handedly. However, she tucked that guilt away and activated her [Body Strengthening] skill to increase the flow of Ki inside her.

|Skill [Body Strengthening] has leveled up to Lv 7.|

|Skill [Body Strengthening] has leveled up to Lv 8.|

(Looks like I hit the limit.)

Feeling the flow of Ki within her, she felt that she had reached a bottleneck. Her Ki would not increase any further. With that said Ai's movement and senses were still sharper than ever, making her feel as though she was on top of the world. Taking out the stone spear from her [Item Box], Ai threw it right at the golden bear.

The spear flew at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye but the bear perceived it and rolled itself up like an armadillo.

BOOM

Like two trucks crashing into each other, a thunderous sound rang out as the spear made contact. Hitting the shell on the back of the bear, the spear shattered into thousands of pieces.

"Fu" (Ai)

Ai took a deep breath and suppressed her [Body Strengthening] skill down to Lv 6. This time, she held the kunai knives in her hands and got into a stance while facing the blue bear.

"That's it. Come here!" (Ai)

The bear charged forward. In one fluid motion, she threw a kunai towards the bear while its weight was on its front paws. Standing firm on her spot, Ai took out another kunai and stared the bear down.

"HAAAAAA!" (Ai)

GROOOWL!

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Both parties shouted their war cries. The bear lowered its head in preparation for the kunai. It wanted the kunai to hit its shell or so it planned.

In that small lapse of attention, Ai instantly closed the distance and delivered a kick to its exposed jaw. Experiencing a sudden blow below its head, the bear was sent flying up, exposing its abdomen.

"TERYAAAA!" (Ai)

Ai jumped up to deliver another kick, this time towards its neck. Stabbing both its eyes with her kunai knives, Ai gave it another kick at its jaw as a parting gift.

|Skill [Sword Arts] acquired.|

After landing, she delivered yet another kick a roundhouse kick, this time to the bear.

Suffering a barrage of attacks, the bear could not even let out a scream. It wavered where it stood, looking like it would fall over at any moment.

But just as Ai was going in for the kill, something else asserted its presence.

GROOOWL!

The golden bear was right behind her, swinging its paw down at Ai.

"Tsk" (Ai)

Ai managed to successfully sidestep its right paw and took a step back when it was about to attack with its left.

"It would have been fine for you to play around over there for a bit longer, you know? I didn't expect you to care about your lackeys, you see?" (Ai)

GRRRRRR

Angered by the nonchalant words of the human in front of it, the bear was starting to lose its patience.

"I told Tatsuro I'd hold you guys here for a bit, but if I can, then it'd be better if I can take one out, right? You're in my way so can you move away for a bit?" (Ai)

The bear got more enraged as Ai continued taunting it.

"I knew it. You wouldn't agree to that's dangerous!" (Ai)

As she moved to the side, the golden bear's swipe missed her completely.

Meanwhile, as Ai was having a pleasant conversation with the golden bear, the blue bear had recovered enough to send a [Claw Attack] flying her way. Ai, who only noticed at the last second, somehow managed to avoid the attack and threw another kunai at the blue bear.

However, that kunai was blocked by the golden bear while the blue bear quickly raised its paw for a follow-up attack.

"It's a bit troublesome if you work together like that, huh? Then how about this?" (Ai)

Dodging the flying claw, Ai started to observe her enemies.

(Knew it! You only use Ki when you use that flying claw, don't you?)

While evading the flying claws sent by the blue bear, the golden bear started to attack her too.

Even though the golden bear was only left with melee skills, it was still enough to cause Ai to have a huge headache.

The blue bear itself was already enough to keep her occupied and now, with the two of them coordinating their movements together, Ai could only dream of counterattacking.

Ai started to rethink her approach. If she can't beat them together, then all she has to do is to separate them.

"Isn't it precisely because I can't fight them one-on-one that I'm stuck here?" is not what would normally come to mind but for Ai, who had already exchanged blows with them, she seriously considered that.

If she wasn't able to find an opportunity, all she had to do was to create one.

"Here I go" (Ai)

Ai continued to skillfully dodge the real paws and the ones made from Ki. For Ai, this fight would be hard for her to win by overpowering her opponents. That was why:

|Skill [Body Strengthening] has leveled up to Lv 9.|

Right as she heard that, Ai initiated her counterattack.

Ai's current speed could be compared to that of a bullet coming out of a firearm, but along with it came the difficulties of setting the initial direction. Even a few degrees of miscalculation could send her on an entirely different trajectory. That's why she only made the simplest of movements.

Ai lowered her body to evade the golden bear's right paw swipe. Before the left paw's combo attack could touch her, she dodged diagonally to the right with her body low enough to graze the ground. Doing so allowed her to successfully get past the golden bear. With that, she instantly kicked off the ground and closed in on the blue bear, delivering a massive kick to its wide-open chest.

The bears did not have a reply to Ai's sudden burst of speed. They had no idea where Ai was or what was going on at all.

The blue bear was the first to notice, but only after it was sent flying in the air. It saw a lone female standing right at the place it was going to fall the female that its leader was supposed to stall in place.

Everything was already a mess and the blue bear ceased thinking about the situation.

Standing right below the blue bear that she launched into the air, Ai fell in thought for a moment.

(I can't afford to let this perfect chance go. But this thing wouldn't die even when I kicked as hard as I could. Maybe it'll go down once I give it enough damage, but the other one would not stand by seeing that happen so I want to finish this in one attack. Don't I have anything more powerful in stock?)

Following her line of thought, she was reminded of the bears' [Claw Attack].

(Can't I do that thing too? If I used the Ki surrounding my hands only But I haven't done that before I don't think I can put that much power on the first try Hmm? If I need to release Ki, can't I just use all the Ki surrounding my body? If I gather them on my fist, then I just punch, won't that be enough?!)

That slight moment was enough for the golden bear to start towering in their direction.

However, being the muscle-head that she is, Ai can no longer stop herself.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" (Ai)

With a war cry, she gathered every bit of Ki that was spread around her body into her right fist.

When the blue bear finally fell into her attack range, she released her attack.

"SORYAAAAAA!" (Ai)

BOOM

Ai's fist, which was basically a massive lump of Ki, completely penetrated through the bear's stomach, breaking a few ribs and greatly damaging its internal organs.

Along with a squelch, Ai was showered by a rain of dark red blood.

|You have leveled up to Lv 20.|

|Skill [Unarmed Combat] has leveled up to Lv 6.|

"You're next." (Ai)

Drenched in bear blood, Ai glared at the golden bear.

Ai thought that it would immediately chase her to exact revenge but contrary to her expectations, the golden bear could not muster the strength to do so.

GRRR

For one that has always been treated as a king within its species, it looked down on every other crystal-shelled bear, killing all that dared challenge its rule. With nothing in its way, it felt like it was on top of the world, doing whatever it wanted.

That's why, right at this very moment, It learnt a new feeling

DESPAIR