Level Eater

Chapter 97: Hostage Rescue Operation

They managed to calm their emotions and, now watching the rising sun, glided through the sky on their boards. They had initially wanted to take their time to check their statuses on the ground, but it took longer than expected to come to terms with their feelings. As a result, they decided to check their statuses while on the move.

"So, it seems Tatsuro broke through the level 49 barrier. What exactly happened?" (Ai)

"Yeah, for now, I've only heard the announcement, so let's check it out together. Cardina, I leave the perimeter watch to you." (Tatsuro)

"Pewee" (Cardina)

With a swoosh, Cardina spun around in place and focused on Dispelling magic in front of Tatsuro and the others. They had chosen the aerial route, so they just needed to move straight ahead. Feeling safe, the two of them proceeded to confirm Tatsuro's status.

Name: Tatsuro Hasami

Class: Composite Magician

Level: 50

Ki: 40

Mana: 1,270

Dragon Power: 100

Strength: 100

Durability: 100

Agility: 80

Magic: 1,080

Magic Resistance: 1,030

Magic Control: 1,108

|Acquired Skills|

[Level Eater], [Composite Magic Skill Enhancement], [Light Magic Lv. 10]

[Dark Magic Lv. 10], [Fire Magic Lv. 10], [Water Magic Lv. 10]

[Life Magic Lv. 2], [Earth Magic Lv. 7], [Dispel Magic Lv. 8]

[Wind Magic Lv. 8], [Curse Magic Lv. 1], [Mana Purification Lv.3]

[Mana Regeneration Lv.3], [Mana Perception Lv.3], [Focus Lv.3]

[Universal Language Comprehension].

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|System skills|

[Map], [Item box +4]

Skill Points: 243

|Titles|

[Master of Light], [Master of Darkness], [Master of Fire]

[Master of Water], [Avatar of Destruction], [Perfect Harmony +1]

[Dragon Slayer], [Dragon Eater]

"Whoa, there are so many things I want to say, but the SP is (243)!? I mean, it should have gone up from (1) to (4) with a level-up, so does that mean you got (239) SP from [Level Eater] in just one shot? The calculations seem different from when you took SP from the Dragon" (Ai)

"Dragons, like other magical creatures, don't have the system installed, right? Could there be some difference there?" (Tatsuro)

"Oh, I see. Maybe." (Ai)

Tatsuro returned to the system screen and began mental calculations while looking at the skill acquisition section. He found that the calculation for the SP acquired this time matched perfectly.

"Do you figure it out?" (Ai)

"Yeah, it seems the SP for level cap release was included in the absorption as well." (Tatsuro)

"Level cap release, wasn't it the one you need to acquire to raise the skill level above 11 when you're at level 10?" (Ai)

"Exactly, you have to pay SP to release the level cap each time you want to raise the level beyond 10. In my case, if I release the level cap for all twelve elemental magic types at level 10, I can reach [Gravity Magic] and eventually obtain [Time-Space Magic], so I don't need to reach level 11. However, the required SP for level cap release increases as you go higher, and it's more efficient to acquire it from humans when raising levels above 11. This is because monsters that can reach level 11 and above without level cap release are considered exceptional individuals, and they can reach it even without level cap release. Therefore, that results in a decrease in SP." He explained

"Well, SP seems to be really important in this world, and unless we're in a worst-case scenario, we should manage it carefully. Besides, we don't know how the system judges levels that have dropped." (Tatsuro)

"That's a good point." (Ai)

With the excessive SP amplification issue resolved, they moved on to discussing significant changes in their statuses and new classes and skills.

"It seems like the impact of the new class has caused a downward adjustment in physical attributes, but it feels like it's been redirected to magical attributes. I wouldn't have minded having endurance and the like, but when using magic, it feels incredibly smooth compared to before. So, it's not too bad." (Tatsuro)

"It's better to specialize in something rather than being mediocre. I can cover the physical aspect, so leave that to me!" (Ai)

"Yeah, I'll leave that to you." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah" (Ai)

Ai seemed pleased to be relied upon and leaned back against Tatsuro.

"Another thing that concerns me is this [Composite Magic Skill Enhancement] that came as a bonus with the new class." (Tatsuro)

"What kind of skill is it?" (Ai)

"Um, it's pretty much what it sounds like. Normally, you use your own magic control to handle composite magic, but this skill lets you package it and turn it into a skill." (Tatsuro)

"Hmm? If you can use it on your own, why bother packaging it as a skill?" (Ai)

"Well, by turning it into a skill, you can skip the visualization process before activation and delegate some of the control to the system. Additionally, you can activate it with the utmost efficiency without being affected by your physical condition or current state. So, it helps conserve magic power and allows you to focus on other magic." (Tatsuro)

"That sounds really convenient." (Ai)

"Yeah, it is. However, it's worth noting that if it gets analyzed by Dispel Magic, you can't easily change the wavelength. So, that's something to be cautious about." (Tatsuro)

Even so, Tatsuro's recent use of magic involved a combination of several types of magic, making it difficult to dispel despite the exceptional benefits of Dispel Magic. As a result, there were virtually no drawbacks.

"Alright then, is there any magic you want to try with this skill?" (Ai)

"Yeah, the first thing that came to mind after learning the skill's overview is that thing that's been giving us trouble every time." (Tatsuro)

"You mean the one that gives you trouble every time Oh, you mean Cardina and the others?" (Ai)

"Yeah, that's it! With this skill, all the trouble and time we've had so far will be a thing of the past! What an amazing skill it's given us! Thank you so much, System!" (Tatsuro)

"It must have been really tough for you." (Ai)

As Tatsuro shouted towards the skies above, Ai embraced his hand, which was wrapped around her waist, as if to comfort him, realizing that he had struggled more than she had thought.

After a while, Tatsuro regained his composure.

"Sorry, I got a bit carried away." (Tatsuro)

"A bit?" (Ai)

"*Cough*, let's get back to the main topic. Apart from the mixed light and dark magic, I've been using combinations like earth-dark, wind-flame, wind-earth, and water-dark recently. It might be a good idea to try the five composite magic, like the Magic Dragon we fought." (Tatsuro)

"Can you do as many as you want?" (Ai)

"No, initially, I can set up to five, and as my level increases, the number of sets I can create also increases." (Ai)

After explaining, Tatsuro, along with Ai, deactivated the system and began setting up some composite magic. The conditions for setting them were based on what they had used before, so there weren't any issues. They imagined what they wanted to set and selected their preferences.

While doing this, they continued gliding on their boards and had a simple lunch in the sky. Finally, they could see Tofas in the distance.

"How are we going to reach the town mayor's residence?" (Ai)

"Well, we can go there from the sky like a mobile unit." (Tatsuro)

"You seem to like doing that." (Ai)

"Do you dislike it, Ai?" (Tatsuro)

"I love it!" (Ai)

After exchanging such a like-minded couple's appeal, Tatsuro and Ai passed above Tofas's city walls, entering discreetly to avoid detection, and started searching for their target residence.

"Is it around here?" (Tatsuro)

While checking their current location on the map, Tatsuro used water and dark mixed magic. He first created a tube of darkness, and then prepared three convex lenses made of water, placing two in front and one at the end of the tube. He adjusted the thickness of each lens accordingly.

Gradually, the focus became clearer, and although somewhat blurry, the distant view appeared upside down.

"What's that?" (Ai)

"It's like a telescope. I made something like this for a summer vacation project when I was in elementary school using a magnifying glass. I thought about trying to replicate it with magic. Even with vague memories, it somehow worked." (Tatsuro)

"Wow, really? But does it only show things upside down?" (Ai)

"I've never made one that doesn't, so I don't know." (Tatsuro)

Whether it was upside down or not didn't matter since they only needed a rough idea of the location of the residence. With their makeshift telescope, they identified their landing point.

Once that was done, they covered themselves in magic that made them appear as an entity similar to air using mixed magic of light and dark to counter the opponent's detection magic.

"Alright, if we land here, it should be right at the target location." (Tatsuro)

"Then, let's begin our operation." (Ai)

"Yeah, let's communicate using telepathy from here on." (Tatsuro)

"Understood." (Ai)

With that, the two of them launched their hostage rescue operation. First, they levitated their boards like balloons using wind magic, attached iron wires to them, and quietly descended. They reached the rooftop and gently dropped the boards, with Ai catching Tatsuro's board.

"All good, it seems we haven't been detected." (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, so where is the hostage?" (Ai)

"He is there. It seems like he is being held in what looks like an underground wine cellar. He doesn't seem to be dead, so there's no immediate danger." (Tatsuro)

"I see. So, all we need to do now is get him and escape." (Ai)

The two nodded to each other and used Ai's [Air walk] skill, combined with Tatsuro and Cardina's detection magic, which also included dark magic, to advance while choosing quiet and deserted areas.

At the right corner of the garden of the mansion closest to the underground room, they used earth magic to dig a hole and create an underground passage leading to the wine cellar. During this process, they cleverly camouflaged the entrance using the surrounding turf to ensure it wouldn't be easily spotted.

With Tatsuro's current map function, he couldn't access the layout of an individual's residence, so they relied on detection magic to confirm their location as they progressed. Eventually, they arrived directly beneath their target, the underground room.

"This is the right place" (Tatsuro)

"Any guards?" (Ai)

"There are two readings besides our targets. We're not sure if they're other hostages or guards, but they don't seem to be particularly strong based on their readings." (Tatsuro)

"How about we rush out and take them down before they can raise an alarm?" (Ai)

"Well, that might be the quickest way. I'll assist you, so can I count on you to subdue them?" (Tatsuro)

"You got it!" (Ai)

And so, the two of them were ready to infiltrate the mansion at last.