Chapter 346 - Breaking the Limit

“Now then, Gaelion. I’m leaving the limit breaking Class Up to you.”

“KYUA!”

Because Raphtalia and Firo were selected by the legendary vassals, it’s unnecessary for them. But those unchosen ones still need it.

We ended up getting permission to use the Dragon Hourglass at night.

Gaelion jumped on top of the Hourglass, and cried out.

By the way… it seems that a vassal or legendary weapon is required to break the limit.

『Let us start.』

After getting a large portion of the fragments, True Gaelion became able to use something like telepathy.

He still won’t use it on Ren, or Taniko, though. He refuses to interact with them.

“Then first is onee-san!”

Sadina skips forward as she announces her candidacy.

But it’s a valid choice.

She’s top class in the village, and her base abilities are high.

And she hasn’t even been taught Hengen Musou.

Recently, she’s been watching the Granny’s son, and her disciples training, and she’s picked a little up.

Just how high are her specs?

Naofumi: “Well, that’s about right. You’ve been helping out with quite a bit lately, and you are acting as a test subject here.”

Sadina: “That’s right~ onee-san’s been dyed with Naofumi’s colors.”

Sadina seems to be in high spirits as she uses both hands to cover her face in embarrassment.

By the way, there’s a reason why we didn’t perform the Class Up as soon as Gaelion got hold of the Fragments.

It was because of the Growth Elevation from the Whip.

It was a useful enhancement that could be granted onto people other than the possessor of it.

It truly is the Whip… it may be a bit cruel to say, but it’s perfect for Slaves and Animals… In this case, I guess it’s the perfect method for one who raises monsters.

But there’s a large flaw in this method.

For people who aren’t Heroes, they can only level down within the scope of their Class Ups. In this case, it would be from 1-40, 40-100, or 100+.

Heroes have no concept of classing up.

So we can sacrifice our levels, and downgrade ourselves to level 1.

And proportional to our sacrifice, our growth will increase.

But if we fall two low, with the monsters around the world experiencing a spike in level, it’s exceptionally dangerous and inefficient.

Apparently, Class Ups in themselves can be divided into those that magnify stats, and those that amplify certain possibilities.

The first one does something like doubling one’s current stats, while the latter lets you add a percent modifier onto a certain stats.

In the former, it’s the stats right after the class up that are important, while in the latter, it amplifies for times to come, so they balance out.

In order to figure this out, I have to do some experimentation.

The Class Up at 40 was the latter.

So I think it will turn out fine, but just in case…

The Level 100 Class Up being the former sounds likely.

If we mess up, it’s not like we’re going to do something complicated like starting over from level 1. We don’t have too much time.

We have to quell the waves worldwide.

Though we’re able to buy a bit of time with all the Legendary Weapons and vassals gathered.

The Test Subjects were to be Firo and Sadina.

These two were the ones in the village with the quickest level growth.

Of course, their battle abilities are also high.

But Firo became the Hero of the Claw, so Sadina became our main testee.

We do have the consent of the individual.

Sadina: “Take responsibility~.”

Naofumi: “Ah, yes, yes. When must I do that?”

Refusing her has gotten to be a pain, so I just go with the flow of her conversation.

Sadina: “Let’s see~. Then tonight, won’t you do something fun with me?”

I get the feeling that Raphtalia is looking upon the situation with envious eyes.

Perhaps Sadina realized this. She grabbed and wrapped herself around my arm.

She’s definitely playing around here…

Naofumi: “Do you mean something 18+? Or do you mean drinking?”

Sadina: “Let’s see… Which one would you prefer, Raphtalia-chan?”

Raphtalia: “W-why are you asking me?”

Sadina: “Because it’s fun.”

Raphtalia: “I will get angry.”

Sadina: “Ahaha, it’a joke~.”

She sure likes teasing the girl.

Though I do believe Raphtalia’s good reactions are the cause of it all.

If I were asked if I were an appealing person, I would deny it.

But for Sadina, who treasures the village, she’s thinking about the future. Perhaps she’s merely pretending to be smitten with me.

She is one of the people I have to answer eventually.

… I put my hand on Sadina’s face.

Sadina: “Ahn, Naofumi-chan. Save that for when we return to the village.”

Naofumi: “Hah…”

It’s really hard to tell whether she’s being serious or not.

Sadina closes in on my ear, and whispers.

Sadina: “If you’ve cleared up your doubts, and you still seek me, I will be nothing but happy, you know. This isn’t a lie, or a joke, or anything.”

This whale woman is…

Let’s return to topic.

Recently, I’ve been going with her to raise my level in the sea.

Me, and the other Heroes are helping raise the villagers’ levels. We’re also patrolling, and visiting various places.

And I was left in charge of the coast. It’s not like I was forced into the job, or anything.

It was quite an efficient place, and and I was interested in Sadina’s way of levelling. Under the pretense of patrolling we went to level grind.

The amount of aquatic Demi-Humans in my village isn’t a small one.

There are ones like Dolphins and Octopii.

I’m had them level with Sadina, but according to them, Sadina was strong, so it was too easy… apparently.

If you ignored Hengen Musou, perhaps she’s the strongest in the village.

Atlas couldn’t see, but she could fight by sensing Chi.

And Hengen Musou is a style that trains people to sense things the same way. To hit pressure points where Chi is lax.

On the Contrary, like Firo, Sadina specializes in overpowering the enemy.

Well, Firo was able to do Hengen Musou’s Mussou Kassei.

There seems to be a difference between being able to do is consciously or unconsciously… but Sadina can’t grasp it at all.

In simple fighting power, in a battle without bluffs, she falls into Firo’s category.

Probably, if Fohl wasn’t recruited by that old woman, he would grow into a style like hers.

Another reason I’m leveling in the sea is because Fitoria notified us that there was a high chance the next wave would be happening over the ocean.

According to the convenient teleporter that is Fitoria’s carriage, in an underwater temple, there’s a single hourglass overgrown with moss.

Of course, its surroundings are underwater as well

We can probably combat it above water, but if the boss remained under, then we’d have to beat it to end the wave.

Now that I think about it… Ren’s face was a bit pale, but could it be that he can’t swim?

I’ll have him spit it out later.

Fitoria prepared some underwater fighting equipment, and among them was a certain penguin suit.

What’s more, its stats were higher than the one in my possession, and its color was different.

I really didn’t want to, but when I trained underwater with Sadina, I was forced to wear it.

Yeah. It was a world of difference fighting with or without it.

But I’d really like to do something about its appearance.

And I’m digressing again.

In fights underwater, the physics were different, and I was pressed into a difficult stream of battles.

I mean, as if I were flying in the sky, I had to defend from attacks both above, and below.

And I had to go up for air at regular intervals.

Luckily, the special equipment let me breath in water to some extent, but it still requires regular resurfacing.

Additionally, water wraps around my body, making my body feel much heavier.

Many times, I could only stick to Sadina, ans deploy something like Meteor Wall X.

I understand the importance of the Harpoon. I’ll bet Motoyasu will be the most capable of the Four Heroes in this field.

Next would be Itsuki. He seems to have a special bow, and bow-gun.

“Sadina sure has grown.”

When the wave caused the increase in monster levels worldwide, she went into the sea as a test run, and still easily came out victorious.

I think she fought… level 150 monsters. Monsters like that frequently appear about the coast.

Even if she had some support magic on her, I think she’s way too strong.

Naofumi: “At that time, when you asked me to drop you to level 40, I thought you had a death wish.”

Sadina: “Ara~? You worried about this onee-san?”

Naofumi: “I shouldn’t?”

I’d like to teach her the concept of recklessness.

Heroes have their own forms of strengthening, so we can manage against Level Gaps to some extent. It’s too much a responsibility for one who isn’t a Hero like her.

I cautioned her time and time again, she would shout, ‘It’s alright~, follow me!’ and I would reluctantly move forward.

When it got too hard, I planned to have us flee through the portal, and level aboveground.

But… Level 40 Sadina with support magic beat a level 150 monster.

The fight lasted around three minutes.

What the hell is with this?

Sadina: “Oh my, I’m happy.”

She acts lax, but now that we’ve lost Atlas, the strongest slave in the village is definitely her.

After that fight, Sadina dragged me all over the ocean, and we encountered plenty of monsters.

I’ve heard that some aquatic mammals use sound waves to get a feel for their surroundings, but Sadina was able to sense the prescense of monsters from a long ways away.

Well, it’s no different from Firo on Land.

And while she was only level 40, she was able to get up to 70 while fighting with me.

The next day, she reached 90, and had me give her Growth Increases again.

When we dived down real deep… the monsters were all 200.

But with support magic, they came down relatively easily, and our levels rose higher, and higher.

The ones with us were Raphtalia, and Firo. Also Raph-chan. It seems Raph-chan can swim. But if you think about it, he swam all the way from that island to the village.

Right now, I also dropped my levels to raise my abilities. I dropped to 80.

The increase from Growth Elevation… can’t be laughed at.

And the villagers also have my growth corrections, so their growth is even higher.

In general, Sadina’s stats are… past what could be called human.

Even after rising that high, Sadina said, ‘I still don’t think I can beat that monster I encountered last I went salvaging~.’ These waters sure are dangerous.

Just how high is this world’s max level?

Are the monsters outside of Human reach entering levels humanity can never surpass?

Are Dragons okay?

I also have to raise Gaelion’s level.

It would be humiliating if he got attacked by another Dragon, and died.

And after repeating Growth Elevation a few times, Sadina’s Status became something amazing.

She was ready to break the level 100 limit.

Sadina: “Then let’s start~.”

Gaelion: “KYUA!”

Sadina touches the Dragon Hourglass, and Gaelion begins chanting magic.

『Here… to save this world alongside the legendary Heroes, let us awaken the warrior of this world to their duty. Oh, world, oh Dragon Pulse, oh manifested destiny. Release the power stored within him !』

Through Telepathy, only I heard the incantation.

In truth, he did nothing but call out GyauGyau over and over again.

When I thought the chant was over, the gems raining down inside the Dragon Hourglass let out a single beam of light that extends out to my Shield before glittering to show their confirmation.

And as always, the display asking which route to take appeared before me.

Are there no special Class magnifications here?

I think as I look through the options before me.

… Um, raise her abilities in Human form, or raise her abilities in Beast Form. These are quite restrictive.

There are also options to grant her special abilities.

It differs greatly from when the villagers chose not to use Gaelion or Firo on their first Class Up.

Those were small changes in status. Of course, special abilities were included.

But this time is different.

The scopes are much larger.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Is what I think… but perhaps Gaelion’s divine intervention is the cause of all this.

“I pass on the right to decide to Sadina.

Sadina: “Ara~? I wonder what I should pick. Which one do you like, Naofumi-chan?”

Naofumi: “It’s your choice.”

Sadina: “Hmph. Listen here, sometimes women like to have things picked out for them by the person they like.”

Naofumi: “Is that how it is?”

I look towards Raphtalia.

Raphtalia: “Hmm… yes.”

Naofumi: “so it was true.”

Even so… can I really choose Sadina’s future like this?

Sadina: “Otherwise, I’ll choose the option that produces plenty of children when I do something fun with Naofumi-chan.”

Naofumi: “For realz!?”

This is bad. I don’t want to to bear that much responsibility.

No, just how serious is she?

And wait, am I really doing it with her after this?

Honestly, I can’t really imagine the two of us doing that sort of thing, you know…

Raphtalia: “Sadina-onee-san? Please don’t trouble Naofumi-sama too much.”

Sadina: “I know. I was just teasing him a little.”

She chuckles to herself.

Ah, for the love of all that is divine… please don’t play around with me.

Naofumi: “Hmph!”

Sadina: “I wanted Naofumi-chan to choose, but I guess there’s no helping it.”

Sadina picked her choice, and the hourglass began emitting light. The light slowly soaks into her.

Eventually, the radiance dies down to reveal Sadina smiling.

Sadina: “Well, I guess that’s about it. Naofumi-chan, please confirm my status.”

Naofumi: “Sure.”

I bring up her Status screen.

Uu… it’s elevated to an even higher level.

Her basic stats are many times greater than mine. Of course, I’ll bet there will be a bit of a gap between us when factoring in the power of the legendary weapon, but it’s the highest status I’ve ever seen.

It’s twice that of Firo’s when she grew with my growth corrections.

The stat amplification of the level 100 Class Up seems to be… percent based. I don’t really know what Sadina chose, but her evenly distributed stats are now all over the place.

Of course, it may just be brought about by the path she chose.

Naofumi: “What did you choose?”

Sadina: “Agility and Strength, also Magic.”

Naofumi: “I see.”

If she mastered Hengen Musou like this, then she truly would have entered the realm of true monsters.

I learned later, but apparently above level 100, the Whip’s Elevation can sacrifice level for special abilities as well.

In Sadina’s case, she had me grant Magic Enhancement, and Underwater Activity Time Up.

Transformation… are the modifications the strange me left behind still active?

That’s how it went.

Honestly, we’re becoming quite strong.

It seems I can count on our non-hero forces as well.