The ladies were already starving. Nobody had the energy to roast Leon right now. Eyes locked on the fragrant, steaming feast in front of them, nothing else mattered. Filling their stomachs came first.
"Mmmmm! The happiest moment of every day in the Dungeon is this little window of hot food!"
Laurier tore into the skewers with her flatbread, savoring every bite. The soul-crushing weight of the Dungeon's oppressive, damp environment felt like it was being scrubbed clean by the meal. Her whole body felt refreshed, inside and out.
"Good thing we packed plenty of food. At least we don't have to torture ourselves with tasteless rations like other adventurers."
A rare smile lit Jeanne's face. The stern commander from combat and exploration was gone. She was completely relaxed.
Leon sank his teeth into a skewer speared on Holy Sword, and his eyes narrowed with bliss.
Cheeks stuffed, he chewed and mumbled through a full mouth:
"Mmph... food is fuel. How do adventurers in Orario not get this? Eating isn't just about filling your stomach. In a high-stress environment, it's comfort for the soul."
"You're already stuck in this tense, suffocating place long-term, and your mental state's under constant pressure. Then you go and torture yourself with garbage rations on top of that? Of course it's gonna mess with your head eventually."
Everyone nodded.
"That's a fair point, actually. Did you already know that? Is that why you've always been so obsessed with hot meals?" Jeanne asked, the realization dawning. She thought back to when she'd first met Leon and found it ridiculous that he insisted on wasting time cooking proper food in the Dungeon.
Leon wiped the grease from his mouth, chugged a long gulp of water, then answered:
"Nah. Even outside the Dungeon, I'm the same way. I just like hot food. Always have."
...
...
After dinner, the group turned in early to get whatever rest they could after a full day of fighting.
In the Dungeon, keeping your energy and focus topped off was critically important.
Even more so during a long Expedition.
Night and day didn't really differ in the Dungeon. Some monsters were actually more active at night due to their behavior patterns, which was exactly why very few adventurers explored during nighttime hours.
The campfire crackled softly, bringing a sliver of warmth and light to the dark cavern.
Leon sat alone by the fire, his shadow swaying with the flames behind him. He poked at the firewood with a branch to keep it burning strong, and split his attention toward his Falna panel.
...
Assets: Reserves: 3,620,000 | Cash: 453,210,000
Excelia: 14,333
...
After a grueling week of fighting in the Dungeon, the Excelia in his System's Excelia Pool had climbed back into five digits, and the thousands place wasn't some pitiful one or two. It started with a four.
Looking at the massive haul of Excelia he'd ground out, Leon grinned, a surge of excitement hitting him.
"Everything I have today, I earned with my own sweat and effort!"
He took a deep breath, eyes sharp.
"System, show me your limits!"
"All in!"
The moment he spoke.
3,169 Excelia and 31,690,000 Valis vanished from his Assets and Excelia totals in an instant.
In return, every potential stat was maxed out to the ceiling of 1,599.
"Maxing all potential only costs three thousand and change?"
"Heh."
Looking at the 11,164 Excelia still sitting in his Excelia Pool, Leon cracked a lopsided smirk.
"What am I saving Excelia for? It's not gonna breed."
"System, keep going! All in! Max out my Basic Abilities too!"
Ding...
The next second, another 6,455 Excelia and 64,550,000 Valis evaporated from his panel.
...
Assets: Reserves: 3,620,000 | Cash: 356,970,000
Excelia: 7,878
...
"The Excelia and gold aren't gone. They just found a different way to stay with me."
Resources he'd painstakingly accumulated, blown in one go. Half his Excelia, gone. A third of the Valis he'd gotten for free, spent.
Saying it didn't sting would be a lie.
But the moment Leon's eyes landed on his Basic Abilities, that sting evaporated, replaced by a rush of satisfaction.
Name: Leon Hart
Title:
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Affiliation: Hart Familia
Level: Lv. 3
Floors Reached: Floor 27
Basic Abilities:
Strength: SSS1599
Endurance: SSS1599
Dexterity: SSS1599
Agility: SSS1599
Magic: SSS1599
Development Abilities:
Versatility H | Hunter H | Magic Guide H | Abnormal Resistance H
Strong Body H | Magic Resistance H | Escape H
Magic: (omitted)
Skills: (omitted)
...
With a mountain of Excelia and Valis backing him up, Leon's leveling speed was like going from jogging on foot to climbing into a mech suit.
Absolutely maxed out.
"System, what are you standing around for? Level me up!"
"..."
...
Level: Lv. 3. Great Feat requirement met. Level up available. Confirm?
Confirm / Deny
Confirm!
Ding! Level up successful!
Congratulations. Your Level has increased to Lv. 4.
Congratulations. You have gained +3 selectable Development Abilities.
Congratulations. Your Development Ability Versatility has been promoted from Rank H to G.
Congratulations. Based on Versatility's trait, all Development Ability ranks have been synced to G.
...
...
As the level number on his Falna panel ticked upward, Leon's Level jumped from Lv. 3 to Lv. 4 in an instant.
Lv. 3 and Lv. 4 were both classified as Second-Class Adventurer in Orario, but there was still a massive gap between the two. Even if that gap wasn't the kind of qualitative transformation you saw between Lv. 1 and Lv. 2, or Lv. 4 and Lv. 5, or Lv. 5 and Lv. 6, leveling up was still leveling up. It was a fundamental evolution of a living being, an all-around enhancement. No single magic, skill, or Development Ability could compare.
Among all paths to growth, leveling stood above everything else, and remained the sole benchmark for measuring an adventurer's strength. This was a truth universally acknowledged by gods and mortals alike.
Even if some individual possessed the power to fight above their level, the world would never treat their actual Level as "plus one."
A Level was a Level. Whatever it was, it was. No exceptions.
That was how much weight the word "Level" carried.
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