Leon had always known Kureha was the type of broken specialist who'd maxed out one particular area to an absurd degree, but he never expected...
She'd broken the cap on two stats.
Strength: I999 Endurance: I999 Dexterity: I1001 Agility: I1001 Magic: I900
Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
Jeanne and Rose had each only broken the cap on one stat. Kureha had done it on two.
As far as Leon knew, setting aside his own shameless cheat-code existence, there should only be three people in this era capable of breaking the stat cap. Two of them were the ladies currently chatting with Laurier and Aura right over there. And the third... was the woman hailed by the gods and Adventurers of Orario with titles like Monster of Calamitous Talent, Incarnation of Talent, and Silence. The very same "thunder witch" who'd once beaten him senseless.
As for that other one who'd come later... best not to bring her up.
"That's insane!"
The Sword Saint's eye twitched, and she discreetly rolled her eyes.
Leon didn't reach for any fancy words to describe her ridiculous talent. He just expressed his admiration in the most straightforward way possible.
"Level up?"
"Level up!"
...
Name: Kureha Clyret Title:Race: Human Class: Adventurer, Swordswoman Affiliation: Hart Familia Level: Lv. 2 Floors Reached: Floor 25
Basic Abilities:Strength: S999 → I0 → E455 Endurance: S999 → I0 → E400 Dexterity: S1001 → I0 → E498 Agility: S1001 → I0 → D501 Magic: S999 → I0 → E401
Development Ability: Hunter I
Weapon: Sword of Clyret
Equipment: Casual wear, uniform, formal wear, training wear Combat gear: Silver light armor (silver with purple trim), pleated skirt (black and white), white thigh-high stockings, tall boots (purple)
Magic: Holy Sword Sharpens weapons with keen magical energy, greatly boosts all Basic Abilities, and extends attack range. Attached magic. Metal attribute.
Skills: Beloved's Crest Sword Saint's Duel Clyret Bloodline Battle Strife Sword of Atonement
...
...
After updating Kureha's stats, and with her consent, Leon quickly completed her level-up.
Not only that, but the Excelia and Great Feats she'd accumulated were, just as Leon predicted, massively over the threshold for a Lv. 1.
A single level-up to Lv. 2 didn't even come close to burning through everything she'd stockpiled. It wasn't until Leon pushed her stats back up to an average of E rank that her reserves finally ran dry.
Leon handed her the transcribed parchment and said, looking genuinely envious, "That's you for you, Kureha. Not only did you level up, you've already cleared half the road through Lv. 2."
Kureha pressed her lips together, a little embarrassed by how bluntly he'd put it.
"I'm not as amazing as you make it sound... I'm just good at fighting, that's all. There's still a lot I need to learn in other areas."
Humble-bragging, are we? Do you even hear yourself right now?
...
With her level-up complete, Kureha Clyret had reached Lv. 2. Having taken that crucial step, she now had the opportunity to select a Development Ability.
Kureha chose Hunter, a perfect match for her personality and strengths.
Hunter: When facing monsters the holder has previously fought and defeated, the holder's abilities are strengthened to a degree.
Unlike Leon, who was aiming to develop into a well-rounded all-rounder, Kureha had dumped every single skill point into combat.
...
Nearby, Persephone was on watch duty. She pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses that a certain someone was so fond of, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
Something's off about how fast these girls are leveling up. They haven't even been part of that bastard's team for that long, have it? A year? Maybe two?
Completing a level-up in that short a timeframe, and with no shortcuts on their stats either, every single one pushed to the cap...
How the hell did they manage that? Something's weird...
Could it be... that bastard Leon has some kind of strange skill?
The thought sent Persephone into deep contemplation, her gaze sharp and searching.
...
After that, Leon updated Rose's and Jeanne's Basic Abilities in turn.
No surprises there. They both leveled up with ease.
Compared to the others, Leon had a near-perfect read on their progress. He'd already asked them before whether they wanted to level up, since their Great Feats had been sufficient for a while. They just hadn't hit the stat cap yet at the time, so there was no rush.
Now, after another stretch of accumulation, both of them broke past the Endurance cap once again and completed their ascension to Lv. 3.
As for their Development Ability selections, Leon wasn't surprised at all. Both chose Abnormal Resistance as their second Development Ability.
"Rose, Jeanne, congrats on hitting Lv. 3. And on top of the level-up, your Adjudication and Guard both went from I to H."
He handed them their transcribed parchments with a smile.
"With this, our team's got four Lv. 3s and three Lv. 2s. That kind of firepower is going to take a ton of pressure off us in combat. And maybe even..."
Leon trailed off, turning to look at the dark, fathomless pool of water beside the embankment. The corner of his mouth crept upward uncontrollably.
Jeanne and Rose noticed that expression. They exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing. Here he goes again.
"You want to fight the Monster Rex Amphisbaena?"
Persephone walked over, pushing her glasses up. Her blue eyes narrowed, gaze cutting straight through Leon.
Faced with his beautiful superior's questioning, Leon smiled silently. He glanced at the cast-iron pot bubbling away, filling the air with its aroma, and raised an eyebrow.
"Was I that obvious? How'd you all figure it out so fast?"
He stood up, pulled on his work gloves, and grabbed the lid off the pot.
The next second, a devastating aroma bomb detonated right in front of everyone.
"It smells... so good!"
Laurier's throat bobbed. Her eyes locked onto the rice stew like a heat-seeking missile, and whatever joy she'd felt about leveling up was instantly wiped from her mind.
Was leveling up more important than eating? You could skip a level-up, but you couldn't skip a meal!
"Dig in!"
Before Leon even finished speaking, everyone was already moving. Bowls grabbed, food served, eating commenced. All in one smooth motion.
Leon stood there, lid still raised, watching the food disappear before he'd served himself.
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