After passing through the layer where a large number of monsters were welling up, the next place they arrived was dimly lit.
The space was five ters wide and ten ters high, with floors and ceilings made of a smooth material similar to linoleum, with thin horizontal lines like fluorescent lights spaced equally on both surfaces, casting a faint light around them.
The ceiling and floor extended straight ahead, with no end in sight.
When they looked to the side, there was a wall of water.
Upon analyzing the water, it seed to be a space with water pressure almost equivalent to that of the deep sea.
When they tried throwing a thinly stretched iron box into the water wall, it was instantly crushed flat and disappeared into the water bottom.
"It would be best to avoid entering the wall." (Tatsuro)
"It's a water cage, that's for sure." (Ai)
Indeed, only Jeanne's [Super Hardened Skin] form would likely be able to withstand entering here.
Cardina had already begun exploration, releasing water magic to control the area, while Tatsuro himself looked around using his [Spirit Eye].
"There are quite a few monsters hiding in the water, but nothing visible on this floor—wait, they're already coming." (Tatsuro)
"Which way?" (Ai)
"Over there." (Tatsuro)
"Pewee!" (Cardina)
Tatsuro and Cardina simultaneously turned back, pointing diagonally behind them with a finger and beak.
Everyone turned in that direction and imdiately prepared for battle.
"It has non-attribute magical skills. There are physical skills too, but the magical color is more intense." (Tatsuro)
"Magical skills, huh? Then I should probably step back a bit." (Ai)
"Right, Jeanne, spread [Magic Reduction Particles] around yourself and co forward." (Tatsuro)
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
Jeanne confidently spread [Magic Reduction Particles] around her [Super Hardened Skin] hardened skin, further reinforcing her defense against magical attacks.
Just then, the creature was approaching quite closely.
The monster had an unbalanced form: a long, thin black stick with enormous hook-clawed arms.
Swimming from the water wall on the left with its thick, large arms, it leaped towards Jeanne, who was closest.
It tried to rake its impressive hook claws across Jeanne's body and carry her into the opposite water wall with its forward montum.
However, Jeanne, as evident from her appearance, was the heavyweight of this group.
Unable to carry her away so easily, the creature's montum was killed, and it fell to the ground.
"Brrrr!"
Jeanne arched her back, raising her front leg to crush the hook-clawed arm.
However, at the exact mont, Tatsuro's eyes recognized the magical manifestation, magic was already being activated.
"So fast!" (Tatsuro)
It was an invisible hand created with magical power.
Extending thirty of these hands, twenty-nine barely held back Jeanne's stomping, while the remaining one stretched towards Nana, who seed the lightest in the area.
Faster than explaining the magical sight seen through Tatsuro's [Spirit Eye], he transmitted it to Ai by ntal imagery. She imdiately understood and deployed a black willpower shield in front of Nana.
Then, though nothing should be visible to normal eyes, a sound like sothing being repelled occurred in front of Nana.
While everyone was distracted by this, the monster, sensing its disadvantage, tried to escape. Using the magical hands still holding down Jeanne, it scratched the ground to flee into the water wall.
"Too naive!" (Tatsuro)
"Pewee!" (Cardina)
By then, their analysis was complete, and Tatsuro and Cardina's anti-magic was ready.
The mont that happened, the thirty hands restraining Jeanne's front leg disappeared, and they were crushed by gravity.
"─────"
"Another one is coming. Jeanne, finish that one off." (Tatsuro)
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
After stomping and finishing off two or three, another individual burst out. Then three more from the right, and five from the left approached.
The first was blocked by Ai's shield, then struck down to the floor by Leah's hamr.
Nana then delivered the final blow with her dragon fang [Bite].
Athena stood in front of the left water wall, transforming and donning her dragon armor, raising her scythe while discharging electricity.
The mont they erged, she sliced through three while showering them with lightning strikes. Two were beaten nearly to death by Ai's morning star, and Nana put them to sleep with poison magic.
For the three on the right side, Jeanne and Tatsuro took care of them.
As a result, two were captured, and one was killed, slashed by Jeanne's horn.
"Looks like there's nothing around us for now. Cardina, keep watch. I'll get SP from these." (Tatsuro)
"Pewee" (Cardina)
Tatsuro then used [Level Eater] on the monster to obtain its skill levels.
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Level: 40
Skills: [Scratch Lv.3], [Magic Hand Lv.7], [High-Speed Swimming Lv.3]
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(While it leans magical, [Magic Hand] seems like a skill that's both magical and physical. Maybe I shouldn't rely too much on the [Spirit Eye] color to determine if it's magical or not)
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Level: 40
Skills: [Scratch Lv.0], [Magic Hand Lv.0], [High-Speed Swimming Lv.0]
-------------------
While having these thoughts, Tatsuro absorbed skill levels from the other three monsters, obtaining a total of (164) SP.
Just as he finished using [Level Eater] and Nana and Athena were delivering the final blows, Ai spoke to Tatsuro.
"When I used the spiky staff earlier, my [Staff Arts] reached Lv.10 and I learned a title. This might have clarified the conditions for my skill level 10." (Ai) (T/N: I am also a little confused here, I actually thought she was using her whip in chapter 189 but maybe it's a mistake from the author)
"So that's how it is?" (Tatsuro)
"Yeah. It seems the theory about acquiring skills in order wasn't wrong." (Ai)
"So there's more?" (Athena)
Since they had been discussing this information earlier, Athena asked with great interest.
As if to say "Good question," Ai raised her index finger and gave a sly smile.
"That's right. According to our previous speculation, it's not just about using skills in order. I think you also need to acquire the derivative skills of the skills that can reach level 10. In fact, the mont I learned the derivative skill of [Staff Arts], Crisis Detection, it went up." (Ai)
"So next we need to get [Throwing] to level 10. What's its derivative skill?" (Tatsuro)
"Just like Martial Arts [Air Walk], Staff Arts [Crisis Detection], Archery's [Far-Sight], and Shield Arts [Parry], each skill has derivative skills that can be learned at level 5 or above." (Ai)
So Tatsuro, imagining what skills could be learned, asked what derivative skill [Throwing] might have.
While thinking, Ai drew small circles on her temples with both index fingers, trying to recall information from throwing-related books.
"Let's see... I think it's [Trajectory Correction]. After throwing, you can change the trajectory a number of tis equal to the skill level." (Ai)
"That sounds very convenient." (Tatsuro)
"But how would you even learn such a skill? You can't just try to change the trajectory." (Ai)
"You can't just wish it to curve, right?" (Tatsuro)
However, Tatsuro imagined Ai trying to use Ki power, but that was quickly denied.
"Apparently, you can learn it through curve ball practice." (Ai)
"Baseball? Is that really all it takes?" (Tatsuro)
"Yeah! The practice thod was also in the book, so it'll be perfect! When you're free, be my catcher, Tatsuro!" (Ai)
"...Alright, leave it to ." (Tatsuro)
At that mont, Tatsuro decided to create a ball made of material that wouldn't hurt even if hit.
After understanding Ai's skills, they continued forward, defeating monsters erging from the water walls.
They detected another monster approaching.
This one was much slower, leisurely swimming towards them.
"It'll be troubleso if it keeps following us. Let's intercept it here." (Tatsuro)
"What kind of creature is it this ti?" (Ai)
"About three ters long, and slow-moving so far. The overall form is quite round." (Tatsuro)
"Three ters is huge!" (Ai)
"Jeanne's bigger, you know!" (Nana)
"Haha, that's true." (Ai)
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
Ai laughed and stroked Nana's head and Jeanne's side, as if proud of her sister.
Maintaining their composure, they prepared and waited for the monster to approach at its own pace.
Finally, it appeared.
"Is that... no way." (Tatsuro)
"Big Piporin!" (Ai)
"It looks similar, but slightly different." (Tatsuro)
What appeared was a three-ter-long pufferfish-like form, overall round, with a donut-shaped mouth, two charming large eyes, and four crab-like legs on its belly.
Up to this point, it was identical to the Piporin they had previously captured for the doctor.
However, unlike the previous Piporin, this one didn't have hard ganoin scales, instead exposing a soft-looking skin.
Moreover, its legs were proportionally longer than the waterfall Piporin, with dully glowing, blade-like tips.
"That one was adapted to rivers, so this might be the true Piporin." (Tatsuro)
"Really? The other one was cuter." (Ai)
As they spoke, it approached right in front of them and swung its four long crab legs, as if reaping rice.
"I'll take that leg!" (Ai)
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
"Haah" (Athena)
However, those four crab legs were cut off—one by Ai's jewel sword, two by the willpower spears from Gundari Myoo's palm, one by Jeanne's horn, and one by Athena's great scythe.
Yet, seemingly without pain or surprise, it now opened its large donut-shaped mouth.
At that mont, Tatsuro's [Spirit Eye] detected magical power converging in the water magic system.
"Magic incoming. Ai, deploy a shield and fall back a bit with Jeanne and the others!" (Tatsuro)
"Understood." (Ai)
"Neigh!" (Jeanne)
"Roger!" (Athena)
Ai imdiately deployed a willpower shield and fell back with Jeanne and the others. The Big Piporin seed to have completed its magic.
The Big Piporin extended its mouth slightly from the water wall and began spraying slimy water.
However, it hit Ai's shield and flowed onto the ground.
The analysis magic revealed that the water itself was harmless, but it was so slippery that one couldn't stand properly on the floor.
"Cardina, anti-magic." (Tatsuro)
"Pewee" (Cardina)
Worried they couldn't move properly, Tatsuro quickly finished analyzing and canceling the magic.
The slipperiness disappeared, but now it was sticky like glue, adhering to their feet and immobilizing them again.
"Tatsuro, the previous magic was just water dispersal. The slickness and stickiness are from a skill called [Special Mucus Generation]! It creates a lubricant when wet and an adhesive when dry, mixed into the previous water magic!" (Leah)
"It's not even magic?" (Tatsuro)
During this conversation, the four legs they had cut off earlier had sohow regenerated and were now pounding against Ai's shield.
Reflecting on this complete tactical mistake, Tatsuro generated two red light spheres and leaped outside the shield, burning through the four legs with powerful lasers.
Then he tried to pull it towards them using plant vines created with wood magic.
But the creature was strong and resisted being pulled to their dry side.
So instead of pulling, he sharpened the vine tips like injection needles, penetrating the Big Piporin's interior.
The vines spread roots inside, eventually wrapping and breaking its bones.
Yet, it seed to feel no pain, accepting the invasion.
But it could no longer move, and they successfully dragged it out.
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