Chapter 34 - 034 Ability to Challenge Across Grades

——— "Wind Spirit Swift Walk".

As everyone had mentioned before, this wind-attribute enhancement magic was very special.

No, it should be said that it was abnormally powerful.

Although general enhancement magic could boost a caster’s abilities and add magical properties to themselves and their weapons, the effects of those spells were not outrageously strong.

At least, enhancement spells like "Wind Spirit Swift Walk" with Super Short Spell chantings were definitely not overly powerful.

Unless it was one of those extremely long chantings that could rival large-area annihilation magic, augmentation and enhancement from enhancement magic would be quite limited.

But "Wind Spirit Swift Walk" was different.

This Super Short Spell enhancement magic that required only a single chant to activate had outrageously powerful effects. It allowed for an explosive increase in abilities and was versatile in offense and defense, with nearly all-purpose utility beyond long-distance attacks. This had surpassed the category of enhancement magic; even those ultra-long chanting enhancement spells could not quite match up, let alone the more ordinary ones, which couldn’t possibly unleash such a significant effect.

A magic that fell short of ultra-long chanting enhancements, yet could be activated with just a single chant, showcased the abnormality and unique nature of "Wind Spirit Swift Walk".

Ais, who possessed this magic, was able to hold the title of the strongest female swordsman at Level 5, becoming one of the mightiest adventurers in the city, precisely because of the boost from such extraordinary magical power.

It was a kind of magic that allowed one to challenge others beyond their level.

Ais, who wielded this abnormal "Wind", had abilities that were only at the top of Level 5, yet she was equal to or even stronger than the city’s highest-level adventurers, including Level 6 ones.

This was not the same as Rephia, who sacrificed her abilities in other areas to specialize solely in "Magic Power", raising it to the highest stage and augmenting it with skill effects to achieve cross-level firepower.

Ais, without sacrificing any abilities, simply relied on the boost from one spell to possess the capacity for cross-level combat, which was stunning indeed.

Frankly, if one spoke solely of pure surface capabilities, that is, basic abilities, Ais imbued with the "Wind" could possibly outperform even Level 6 adventurers like Finn and the others.

It was precisely for this reason that this spell placed an excessive burden on both the body and the weapon, and a slight misstep could result in catastrophic damage to the body.

Instead of considering this a side effect of "Wind Spirit Swift Walk", it was more appropriate to regard it as the cost of using such magic.

Overwhelming power that didn’t burden the wielder would have been odd indeed.

Thus, outsiders might not believe that a mere Level 1 novice adventurer could defeat a Level 2 dragon-type monster.

However, the leaders of the Loki Familia were well aware that Reiger now possessed such ability.

"Basically, the boy’s ability values have already reached the upper tier of Level 1, and he’s comparable to the veterans among lower-tier adventurers," they said.

"With the addition of that abnormal ’Wind’, it’s not impossible for Reiger to defeat a Crocodile Dragon above his level."

"Not to mention, the boy has also learned Rephia’s magic; even the only weakness of ’Wind Spirit Swift Walk’, the lack of long-distance attacks, has been compensated for."

Loki crossed her legs and looked at the Clan leaders present with a giggle.

"I don’t believe that with the boy’s growth potential, he would be inferior to that love-struck pig."

With such a malicious comment, Finn and the others immediately looked away and took deep breaths as if they hadn’t heard.

But they also admitted that they saw the potential for Reiger to surpass that particular person.

That’s what Finn and the others were eagerly looking forward to.

"Looks like those cocky juniors and young ladies who serve as officers are really in for some pressure."

Grace grinned broadly.

"Rephia also needs to work hard."

Revilia, closing one eye, thought of her Direct Disciple and silently decided to give her extra lessons later.

Only Finn, biting his finger, suddenly asked Loki.

"Defeating a Level 2 dragon-type monster as a mere Level 1, that counts as a grand achievement for Reiger, doesn’t it?"

At these words, everyone fell silent.

"Loki." Finn looked towards Loki and said, "Is he going to level up?"

Revilia and Grace also turned their gaze towards Loki.

In response, Loki had but one thing to say.

"Although I haven’t seen his ability values yet, if all goes as expected, yes."

With that, the impact on Finn and the others was evident.

"A Level 2 after less than a week of receiving blessings?" Revilia murmured, "The entirety of Orario is going to be shaken now."

Even Grace grimaced with a wry smile, saying, "Even the fastest, Ais, took a year back then, and that kid did it in just a week. Incredible."

"How’s his accumulation?" Finn was somewhat concerned, "With his potential, reaching an all-S status in ability values should be possible. It would be a waste not to fully utilize that potential."

When people of the same level contend, what factors determine victory or defeat?

Undoubtedly, it’s the differences in basic abilities.

But the ability values nurtured before leveling up also play a decisive role.

Just as was previously stated, someone who leveled up at the S stage, compared with someone at the D stage, it’s clear who’s stronger without the need for debate.

Since everyone gains the same increase when they level up, the discrepancy in abilities prior to leveling up naturally becomes the difference between two people.

Of course, an adventurer’s combat techniques, tactical intelligence, strategies, magic, and skills are also decisive, and relying solely on the raw numbers of basic abilities does not guarantee victory. Nevertheless, such an advantage is not to be discarded lightly if one can help it.

In such circumstances, unless growth had truly become impossible, Finn was not very supportive of Reiger leveling up now.

For a typical member of a familia, it would be a different story, as exploring the underground city was an inherently life-threatening endeavor. Rather than fretting over a few stages of basic abilities, it was more practical to significantly enhance combat power through leveling up.

No matter how you looked at it, the improvements gained from leveling up were incomparable to the modest increases provided by a few stages of basic abilities. Additionally, leveling up could unlock new potential, elevating to another tier. Considering these undeniable benefits, it was wiser to forego growth at the current stage (the present level) and focus directly on the next stage (the next level).

However, Reiger’s growth rate was astonishing, and his potential seemed bottomless. For him, taking some time to accumulate experience was indeed a very cost-effective deal.

Therefore, Finn had this to say.

"His growth rate is already very fast, so slowing down a bit wouldn’t be a bad thing."

This was what Finn thought.

Loki, although agreeing deeply, chose to respect Reiger’s wishes.

"Let’s wait until the kid wakes up," said Loki. "If he wants to level up, as his guardian, I can’t simply stop him directly. After all, it’s his decision. We can only offer advice, not make the choice for him."

Finn and the others immediately nodded in agreement.

"I’m quite looking forward to it," Loki said with a playful laugh. "After this ordeal, just how exaggerated will his growth be?"

Loki, smiling with anticipation, had no idea what she was about to witness.

...

The Mansion of Twilight, Reiger’s room.

When sunlight shone in from outside, passing through the window and hitting the bed, Reiger woke up.

"So bright..."

Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh sunlight, Reiger squinted and slowly sat up.

As he did so, Reiger immediately felt a slight soreness throughout his body.

This condition did not spoil Reiger’s mood; rather, it made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"It seems the injuries aren’t serious."

The soreness was a sign not of injuries, but that the strain on his body from forcefully increasing the output of "Wind Spirit Swift Walk" had not fully subsided.

Even though this was a problem, compared to being injured, a bit of soreness was something Reiger could tolerate.

He certainly didn’t want to lie in bed for a month to recover from injuries again.

"Rephia’s Spiritual Medicine works wonders. If I had the money, I’d definitely keep some on me, even considering spending energy to bring it back with a Dimensional Cube."

Having fully experienced the effectiveness of Spiritual Medicine, which could heal even fatal wounds, it was best to always have it on hand to avoid being in trouble or danger when injured.

Fully understanding the value of Spiritual Medicine and not wanting to lie down and recover from injuries like before, Reiger seriously considered this matter. He got out of bed, dressed himself, and left the room.

His destination was Loki’s Divine Room.

Yesterday, after the chief deity visited Reiger, he was told to come see her once he woke up.

It was still early, and the Mansion of Twilight felt rather empty. He wasn’t sure if everyone was still asleep or had already gone out.

Reiger didn’t encounter anyone on his way and walked directly to the top floor of the central tower, arriving at Loki’s Divine Room.

At this moment, Loki still looked sleepy.

"You’re really early."

The chief deity looked at Reiger with eyes full of complaint, as if blaming him for disturbing her beautiful dream.

"Did you drink all night again last night?"

As Reiger entered the Divine Room, he immediately smelled the pungent scent of alcohol, and seeing several empty bottles on the ground, it didn’t take much to know why this unreliable chief deity was cranky.

"I didn’t drink all night, just a little bit more than usual," Loki said, stretching out her finger to show a small gap.

Unfortunately, Reiger could only see a vast universe between those fingers.

"You should drink less."

Reiger gently offered some advice.

"Yes, yes, yes," Loki verbally agreed, clearly not taking it to heart. She just patted the seat in front of her and smiled, "Let’s get on with updating your abilities."

Reiger nodded, took off his shirt, and sat down in front of Loki.

"Ah, I’m really looking forward to this."

Loki seemed to be in a good mood. As she pricked her fingertip and began operating on Reiger’s back, she shook her head and hummed.

"Let’s see what this little guy has gained this time..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Loki suddenly stopped.

The next second, Loki cried out in alarm.

"What the—what in the world is this!?"