Level Eater-Chapter 230

While Tatsuro's frugal nature was at work, storing even the smallest fragments that weren't completely destroyed by Ai's attack in the [Infinite Item Field], the raft began to show strange movements.

"What's this? It suddenly started meandering."

"Yeah... But there's no monster reaction for now."

"But given everything that's happened so far, there's definitely going to be something."

"Indeed. It would be best to recover while staying alert."

While saying this, Nana went around applying life magic to restore everyone's health, magic power, spirit power, and dragon power through curse magic.

As they stayed quietly alert on the meandering raft while recovering, Ai's danger sense showed an intense reaction.

"--Something's coming from above!"

"""""What!?"""""

While warning Tatsuro and the others of the danger, Ai deployed a spirit power shield above them at full power, and further transformed it into a turtle shell shape with green spirit power, creating a dome-shaped shelter that covered everyone.

At that moment, giant spear-shaped lightning began raining down like hail from the sky.

"--Ugh. This is tough..."

"I'll help too!"

Even with Ai's shield that utilized spirit beast technique, the impact and power were tremendous.

If Ai were to lose focus for even a moment, it would easily pierce through and turn Tatsuro and the others into charcoal.

So Tatsuro, Cardina, and the others quickly took a stance and deployed their respective elemental magic barriers to help lighten Ai's burden.

"--Phew. It's a bit easier now. Thanks, everyone."

"That's only natural. But since there was no reaction to dispel magic despite this sudden attack, it must be a trap rather than a monster."

"Compared to previous ones, the power is on a completely different level. This isn't just a trap-level attack."

"If we couldn't defend against it, we'd be sent to the afterlife in an instant."

Though the thicker barrier gave them room to talk, they still couldn't move.

In such a state, Tatsuro held hands with Ai to increase their natural recovery while supplying excess magic power to Cardina and others as they endured for ten minutes.

Suddenly, the rain of lightning spears calmed down. However, it seemed that wasn't the end.

"No way-- a supermassive strike is coming! Deploy full defense quickly!!"

A lightning spear larger than Jeanne in her [True Form] began forming as if chasing above their raft.

The pressure was so intense that even those without detection abilities could feel it on their skin.

To face such a huge thing, everyone worked together to strengthen their defenses.

Tatsuro, Cardina, Jeanne, Nana, and Athena used magic, Ai used her shield, and Leah selected hard metals from her [Item Box] and constructed an even thicker membrane through blacksmith transformation and creation.

This maximum full defense layer that Tatsuro and the others could currently create collided with the supermassive lightning spear boasting tremendous power.

"Guooo!"

"Ugugugu!"

"Peewee--!"

"Brrrr!"

"Muu!" "--!"

"Hang in there--!"

The lightning spear began to rotate while pushing against their defense layer, trying to break through and eliminate the challengers.

But such a thing couldn't be allowed, and Tatsuro and the others put in even more spirit to push back-- after enduring for about ten minutes, the lightning spear finally disappeared.

Then the raft stopped meandering and began moving straight ahead leisurely.

"Haa, haa-- somehow, we made it-- haa, haa"

"But. The raft is in tatters..."

"Once we can rest a bit, we should probably do some repairs"

"That would be good"

Finally catching their breath and removing the defense layer, they saw the raft was in terrible condition, burned by lightning with holes and cracks everywhere.

If left alone, it could fall apart at any moment. So after a short rest, they immediately began repairs.

After the lightning spear incident passed, they continued to slip past monsters and traps while being carried by the raft.

However, during this journey, the raft which should have been about twenty-five meters square had been destroyed down to about ten meters on each side.

In such conditions, land finally came into view in Ai's far-sighting eyes.

"There's land over there!"

"What!?"

When Tatsuro extended his search range along with Cardina to investigate the direction Ai was pointing, they confirmed there was indeed land, and furthermore, there was a point to the next floor after walking a bit from there.

When they conveyed this to everyone, cheers arose at finally seeing an end in sight.

However, it seems a wall they must overcome stands in their way before that.

As if to dampen the spirits of the celebrating Tatsuro and others, ground tremors reached all the way to their distant raft from the direction of the land ahead.

"Looks like another big one's coming..."

"Well... But isn't this one too big..."

Just as what appeared to be a rock mountain over fifty meters tall emerged from the water surface right before the land, it had clearly biological organs including a huge mouth with flat stone teeth arranged in rows staying open near its peak, and two round red eyes aligned vertically above and below it.

And furthermore---

"AAAAAAAAAAAA------!!"

"""""""-----!?"""""""

It began screaming toward them with such volume that the water surface shook, and even at this distance, they wanted to cover their ears.

Then the surface of the rock mountain monster began to bubble, and it started shooting out rock bubbles nearly two meters in size in all directions.

Though they were just rocks, their momentum carried them all the way to this distant location, with thousands of rocks raining down.

"Leave this to me!"

"Counting on you!"

While it would be tough for someone like Tatsuro to take directly, it was an attack level that Ai and Jeanne could easily deflect.

So Ai deployed only minimal shields, deflecting everything while minimizing consumption.

During this time, the raft continued approaching the monster that was so huge even Jeanne had to look up at it.

"I'd like to keep our distance from that thing... Alright. We've found the next point, so let's abandon the raft! Get on Jeanne!"

"Neigh!"

"Finally saying goodbye to Ika-maru. Bye bye, Ika-maru!"

"When did you give it a name..."

While waving to the raft, Ai carried Tatsuro and Leah and jumped onto Jeanne's back. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Nana and Athena joined them there and held on tight. Meanwhile, Cardina flew around the area with her own wings.

As Jeanne took off, the raft -- or rather Ika-maru -- which had lost its protector from the rock rain, helplessly received the attacks and easily shattered.

Only Ai saluted to bid it farewell. But she quickly stopped, apparently not feeling particularly sad about it.

"So, what should we do? The point to the next floor is behind that thing, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. But it's not an opponent we should foolishly approach and fight, so here we should attack from long range---!?"

Interrupting his suggestion to defeat it from a distance, part of the rock mountain monster began to swell up and extend multiple spear-like projections straight toward Jeanne.

"Neigh!"

Jeanne protected herself by striking with plant fists created from wood magic imbued with dragon power. Tatsuro and the others somehow dealt with the ones that couldn't be knocked down.

"Looks like they've got variety in their long-range attacks too. I don't even want to imagine what kind of attacks they have up close"

"Indeed. As expected, taking it down from here would be optimal"

"What should we do? Want me to do another rocket dragon punch?"

"That would work but... hmm... This time, let's go with magic bullets. That way we can distribute the consumption"

"Peewee!"

Cardina chirped energetically as if saying "Leave it to me!"

And so, they began forming magic with Cardina as the core.

Tatsuro put in all the explosion, fire, and light he had. Jeanne put in all the wind magic she had. Nana cast magic power amplification curse magic on the magic team to the maximum extent, and Athena packed in all the lightning magic she had.

Then Cardina combined all of those into a giant one-meter bullet and began charging to increase its power.

During this time, Ai and Leah dealt with the rock rain and rock spears.

"Peewee!"

"Looks like the charge is about to hit its limit!"

"Got it. This should reach all the way over there, and even if it doesn't kill them, it should at least deal heavy damage. Alright Cardina, fire whenever you're ready"

"Pew...... --Peewee!!"

Seizing a momentary gap in the rock mountain monster's attacks, Cardina fired the magic bullet carrying tremendous power.

It flew toward the rock mountain monster at blinding speed--- but then it spewed massive amounts of white powder from its permanently open mouth.

When the magic bullet touched that powder, it began turning to stone, and though it managed to hit, almost none of its magical function remained.

Unable to inflict even a single wound, it turned into white rock and sank into the water surface.

That shot was fired disregarding magic consumption, intending to at least bring them to the brink of death even if it couldn't kill them...

Tatsuro and the others were stunned, eyes wide open, at its complete failure.

"The magic was turned to stone..."

"So petrification works on non-living things too... Which means my rocket dragon punch would probably meet the same fate"

"I think so. To think it would use such powerful petrification magic..."

"Is that magic? If so, couldn't Father and big sister Cardina counter it?"

"Let's investigate. Cardina"

"Peewee"

Since the petrification powder was still floating around the monster, they investigated it.

They discovered that it apparently possessed both non-elemental and earth attributes.

They also found that creating its inverse phase would require at least a higher skill level in ice magic than Tatsuro currently possessed.

"Even if I used my remaining SP to raise ice magic... since it's last in order, the multiplier is too high for my current SP amount. I might be able to weaken it somewhat, but that wouldn't be enough to break through that seemingly hard rocky skin..."

"Then what should we do? Should we try ignoring it and passing through?"

"It uses such terrifying magic as petrification. I'd rather not get close if possible..."

"We do have ways to recover, right? We got those status recovery potions before"

"Yes. Those should be able to cure petrification too. Well, returning home as we are is also an option... In terms of profit, we've obtained more than enough"

While listening to everyone's opinions, Tatsuro pondered to make the final decision.