Evilus's base lay hidden within an artificial floor deep in the Dungeon.
It was their territory—a sealed domain filled with carefully prepared traps.
If members of the Loki Familia entered an unfamiliar section unknowingly, they'd likely be separated by those traps almost instantly.
And once their formation broke apart—if Finn, Riveria, and Gareth weren't together—the Dark Faction's odds of defeating them one by one would skyrocket.
After all, those three weren't perfect all-rounders. They excelled in their own specialties but couldn't cover every front. Once separated, their combined threat dropped sharply.
Bell understood that better than anyone. Ordinary adventurers couldn't grow that quickly—and even someone like him, whose growth was abnormally fast, knew it well.
In his previous life, every "growth arc" he'd read about emphasized the same truth again and again.
Leveling up and raising one's stats wasn't just the foundation of an adventurer's life—it was also the hardest challenge to overcome.
That was why Bell could easily conclude that Finn, Riveria, and Gareth wouldn't see any rapid improvement from here on. If a single expedition earned them a few dozen ability points, that would already be considered excellent.
"Captain Finn and the others are exceptionally gifted—otherwise, they'd never have reached Level 7. But even so, they can't accumulate strength any faster."
His words were pragmatic—harsh, but true.
And what he really meant was that they'd already reached the limits of their potential.
"Yeah," Freya agreed softly. "Those children are rare talents, one in a thousand. But that's as far as they can go."
"When Ottar reached Level 7, his growth slowed down drastically too."
"Of course, higher levels naturally make stat growth harder—but I also think his potential itself is nearly spent."
Freya had always believed deeply in Ottar's strength. Level 7 wasn't his end point—but expecting him to reach Level 9 was unrealistic.
Since the descent of the gods, only one person had ever reached that height: the Empress of the Hera Familia.
Back then, Hera's Familia and Zeus's Familia had been fighting Behemoth and Leviathan—two monsters equal in renown to the Black Dragon. The Empress had earned the right to break past Level 8 by triumphing in those impossible battles.
But now, breaking through Level 8 would require facing a foe far beyond one's own power—an enemy that couldn't be overcome through ordinary effort.
To put it bluntly, the age of steady advancement through teamwork was over.
These days, any adventurer wishing to transcend Level 8 had no choice but to face an opponent vastly stronger than themselves.
Yet when the difference in power was that great, no amount of cleverness or magic could close the gap.
That was why Freya firmly believed Level 8 marked the true ceiling for any child in this era.
"Level 8…"
The road beyond it was a massive wall—and Bell understood that perfectly.
"Level 7 isn't Ottar's limit," he said quietly. "But Level 8 probably is."
Freya didn't deny it. "If that child had been born twenty years earlier, he might have become the second Level 9 in Orario's history."
"The difference between eras," Bell murmured.
He understood the feeling behind Freya's words. Ottar undoubtedly had the potential to reach Level 9—but the world itself no longer allowed such monsters to exist.
"Then what about you?" Freya's eyes turned sharp. "Have you decided what enemies you'll face beyond Level 8?"
More than Ottar's limits, what mattered to her was Bell's path.
Ottar's end point was determined by his time.
But Bell's limit would not be Level 8. He possessed things no other child did—qualities, and powers that transcended the ordinary.
Which was why Freya wanted to know: had Bell already chosen the enemy that would carry him toward Level 9?
"The choice has already been made."
"Really? You found it that quickly?"
"The Sword Princess's parents. Out of curiosity once, I'd tried stimulating the soul fragment inside her body—and unexpectedly, it temporarily summoned the souls of her parents."
"Oh~ Ais Wallenstein's parents, huh."
A knowing glint flashed in Freya's eyes. That couple had indeed been powerful, especially the man who wielded the greatsword. Though he had never received a god's Falna, his own strength had been extraordinary.
"Another Dungeon matter, then."
"...Yeah."
Freya smiled with understanding, while Bell could only nod helplessly.
It seemed that everything somehow traced back to the Dungeon.
If it wasn't the troublesome Spirits stirring up chaos, it was the Evilus lurking within its depths. Anything tied to the Dungeon never turned out well.
"But if your target is the Sword Princess's parents, then that raises a serious problem, doesn't it?"
Freya's words carried a subtle implication.
"The Sword Princess herself."
Seeing Bell's bitter face, Freya couldn't help but laugh softly.
"Level 6 is far too low. To challenge the Sword Princess's parents, she'd at least need to reach Level 7—otherwise, she'd just be walking to her death."
Bell knew that perfectly well, which was why he preferred not to think about it yet.
"Even if her parents go easy on her, a baseline of Level 7 is still required. Otherwise, she wouldn't stand a chance, even against them holding back."
That couple had clearly retained their reason. The soul fragment they deliberately left within Ais made that evident—they were waiting for that day to come and had prepared for it in advance.
...
Bell didn't doubt that the pair would hold back against their daughter, using their own strength to help her prepare for the leap to Level 7.
"They've likely left her a way forward," he said. "So Ais's greatest challenge now is how to surpass Level 6."
That was the trial her parents had left for her.
But who would have thought that in pursuing his own key to advancement, Bell would have to consider Ais's growth as well? It was an exasperating complication.
"That child of the Loki Familia has the talent and potential needed to break through Level 6," Freya said thoughtfully. "But relying solely on her own effort, it'll take too long."
Freya had no doubt about Ais's potential. Her natural talent was exceptional—but transforming potential into true power took time.
Most children in this world lacked Bell's abnormal ability to convert potential into strength so rapidly, and the Sword Princess was no exception.
"Looks like you'll have to spend some effort on her," Freya remarked, amused by Bell's troubled expression.
He sighed. "There's no helping it. That's the price of using someone's path."
Bell had no choice but to go along with it. After all, he couldn't afford to overlook the Sword Princess's advancement route.
If helping her reach Level 7 meant paving the way for his own ascent from Level 8 to Level 9, then it was a fair exchange.
...
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