Chapter 146
Chapter 146
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Roughly Isekai's Greatest Lewdness 146
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They're swarming in disgustingly thick numbers.
But if I look on the bright side, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for rapid leveling.
Melbritt, the hero cultivation institution, was Daytoon Kingdom's ultimate national project, pouring every ounce of its power into it.
They select candidates deemed to have hero potential, then funnel souls—experience points—gathered from across the nation to forge pseudo-heroes akin to agents of the gods.
It's a system that only works because of the mental pillar called a hero.
This country has survived up to now through exactly that method.
It's almost like the incoming soul soldiers are proclaiming it.
"Behold. This is Melbritt. Your fodder."
...And I.
"Fireball!"
I unleash my strongest spell without hesitation, devouring them greedily.
Souls that some other bastard would snatch up if I didn't take them anyway.
No reason to hold back, right?
If I scrape every last bit right here and now with all my might, I can snag in one go what would take a year—no, ten years, or even decades of dungeon crawling to accumulate.
Even if someone whines that it's unfair for a true agent of the goddess to steal experience from these fake heroes, tough luck.
Only two women are out for my life right now. One of them's even a goddess.
I'm completely immersed in leveling up, forgetting everything else.
I spam Fireball nonstop, smashing any soul soldiers that cling too close with my fists.
Time slips into an intensely dense battle. Even the pain fades from my mind.
"Not yet...!"
Ava's knees trembled like they might buckle.
The soul soldiers multiply. Diana was deftly blasting approaching ones with magic,
but I've been casting spells while brawling hand-to-hand for a while now.
Is this the limit? Nah, not yet.
"Karen!"
I call out to Karen.
We lock eyes, exchanging a signal only we know.
That signal is the spirit nucleus.
Karen's and my spirit nuclei dance in sync.
"Here we go!"
At my shout,
the wind spirit whips up a gale.
It's not even really a technique. Simpler than a barrier, even.
I just draw out the spirit's power to its max to summon wind.
But the aftermath doesn't stop at mere wind.
By combining forces with Karen, we stir up a gust strong enough to bind the soul soldiers' movements.
"Duck!"
I hurl a Fireball, sweeping them away in a fiery storm.
"Ugh, uwaaaah!"
Ava clutches her head and drops flat.
I try squeezing out more wind, but regrettably, the gale cuts off after about ten seconds.
If only this were outdoors instead of indoors...
(Your level has risen.)
(Your level has...)
But with that last attack, I wiped out an insane number of soul soldiers at once.
A scorching heat surges through my body, hot enough to choke me.
(Strength has increased by one stage.)
(Mana has increased by one stage.)
(Vitality has increased by one stage.)
(Agility has increased by one stage.)
It's here...!!
The goddess's agent special bonus!
I remember first getting this when Karen and I hit the dungeon together.
This stat stage-up is the ultimate cheat, letting a nobody like me approach true hero-level strength.
Power floods my entire body.
Fatigue vanishes, and my senses sharpen like a honed blade.
The soul soldiers, which I could barely block before, now stand out crystal clear. Just a glance tells me exactly how many there are.
"Decal! This isn't the time to space out!"
Diana shouts.
I punch an incoming soul soldier, shattering it.
It crumbles as easily as an eggshell.
"Fireball."
I cast the spell.
I've used it so much that I can feel it. The heat condensing inside is on a whole other level from before.
I launch it straight into the clustered soul soldiers,
then suppress the bursting heat with a wind barrier.
The trapped heat thrashes like a dragon of flame, reducing every soul soldier inside to ash.
The explosion's pressure and blinding light draw everyone's eyes.
Ava mutters in shock.
"That was just now... a 'Fireball'?"
"Oppa, amazing!"
"...Decal. That was an incredible spell."
Everyone looks stunned.
Midway through a breathless melee with dozens of soul soldiers, one random spell goes off and clears the field—who wouldn't be shocked?
I'm shocked by my own magic.
That Fireball wasn't even compressed.
Plus, the barrier perfectly contained the way-over-the-top backlash.
If it hadn't, we'd be in deep shit. A chill sweat breaks out just thinking about it.
Physical abilities, destructive power of attack spells, spirit arts.
The moment I confirm every ability has dramatically improved.
Wave 2 ends.
I chug from the water bottle like a starving man to refill my depleted mana.
With my boosted abilities, my total mana pool has grown too—feels like no matter how much I drink, it won't fill up.
Just how much stronger did I get?
"Diana."
I toss the water bottle to Diana.
She's drinking while eyeing me warily.
I've seen that look in class once before.
Back when I mastered barriers faster than she expected.
"...Hmph. So Decal, you could pull off spells like that too?"
"..."
"Didn't have a clue. Must've been hilarious watching a smug know-it-all like me, clueless that you're some amazing mage."
Oops.
She thinks I've been humoring her from start to finish.
Can't blame her.
I've gotten strong like a whole new person.
Just look at the spell's aftermath.
My old Fireball could take down a pack of beasts. This one could drop an elephant in one hit, no sweat.
If I compressed it...
"Honest, I wasn't mocking you.
Truth is, I just figured that out myself."
"What...?"
Diana looks baffled.
Stia, Karen, and Ava don't know magic, so they just watch our exchange with curious eyes. But Diana's a mage from a noble house, elite course all the way.
Realizing a mere adventurer's pulled this far ahead? Gotta sting her pride.
I brace for some backlash.
But I miss the mark.
"..."
Diana's eyes burn with competitive fire.
"Next wave."
A new mana reaction flares from Diana's hand.
"I'll show you this time."
"Everyone, get ready!"
Stia shouts.
Just like wave 2, soul soldiers pour in from all sides.
"Thunderstorm...!"
Zzzt!
Diana casts a spell I've never seen.
Lightning webs out like spider silk across floor and space, claiming every passage spewing soul soldiers—just like Lightning Square, but dominating the doorways.
An astonishing sight.
Not just one door—every single path they emerge from!
Diana closes her eyes, controlling the electricity enveloping the entire trial room so it doesn't leak our way, all while holding the thunder ring steady.
Just watching tells me how grueling it is to maintain.
She has no spare attention for her own body.
Fists clenched tight, pouring every nerve into her spell.
Bringing down every soul soldier in the trial room.
"...Ngh, haa... haa...!!"
Diana's breathing grows ragged.
But no one dares tell her to stop or take it easy.
The scene's that overwhelming.
This girl's a bona fide genius, just like her sister.
That one fact—that she's fallen behind me—shattered her wall.
She whipped herself, refusing to stall here, showing what true talent really means.
That vow she once made, to wipe out the thieves' band solo? No bluff.
My strength's a cheat from being the goddess's agent.
Diana's growth is something else.
How dead serious this immature girl was about magic.
Feeling it sink in stirs a forgotten competitive spark in me too.
The endless battle has me fired up.
That's when it happens.
"Decal, second floor...!"
Stia snaps her head up and yells.
Doors open on the second floor too. From there, soul soldiers twice as huge grab the railing and leap down.
I shout immediately.
"Protect Diana!"
Karen, Stia, and Ava turn their backs to Diana.
The hulking soul soldiers charge with their massive bulk.
If they hit Diana, Thunderstorm cancels, and we're buried in soul soldiers—trial over.
But we could hold out a bit longer.
Diana instantly reshapes her spell to fit the trial room's layout.
No way my current self—superior in physique and mana—can't mimic that.
"Fireball!"
I think as I blast the incoming hulks with Fireball.
If I adapt my magic to the room, how should I do it?
Destructive power's plenty. More than plenty—overflowing.
Ideal if I could up the fire rate without losing punch, but not easy.
Fireball cast time's at least one second minimum.
Aiming precisely adds two more—three seconds total.
Plus flight time to target: four to five seconds overall.
Fast enough normally, but not here.
If I can't prep the next cast while aiming the current one, I can't keep up with their spawn rate.
But rushing shots isn't an option.
Fireball's dangerous.
Without suppressing the backlash with a wind barrier till the last second to spare allies, it's a disaster.
If it were just me, I'd unleash hellfire full throttle, let it consume my body if it has to. But nah, not viable.
Not like they're suicide-rushing to take us down together.
Damn, complicated.
Hard to think while fighting—can't focus.
"Oppa!"
"Urk!?"
A hulk drops right beside me.
The ground shakes; I stagger, regain balance, block its swung fist with my arm.
Counter right away, but its size makes fists ineffective for quick takedowns.
No choice—shove it back with raw power and retreat.
Wasted time on one, and now soul soldiers swarm unchecked.
Is it too much...!!
My eyes meet Neris's, watching from the corner.
She's waiting for her cue to jump in.
Stubborn pride flares; I resolve to drag it out as long as possible.
"Karen, barrier to cover us!"
"Yeah!"
"Fireball!"
Blast the hulks.
Stia handles any I miss.
Her swift triple-thrust pierces the hulks' limbs and heads in a flash.
"..."
Neris relaxes, arms crossed under her ample chest, watching us.
Eyes stripped of all expectation.
Makes me want to squeeze out even more.
This isn't a do-or-die duel—it's a bonus stage for max rewards.
With a top-rank adventurer on standby to save us, perfect conditions.
Way safer than real dungeon dives risking our lives.
So no one utters a word of surrender.
"Fir—"
Suddenly, an image flashes in my mind; I channel it to my fingertips.
Compressed flame erupts from my hand, engulfing the hulk.
"!"
The three excluding Diana stare at me.
I look at my hand in shock too.
What the hell. This?
Focus again.
Point at a soul soldier, start casting Fireball.
But don't release.
Compress the heat in the barrier, compress, compress.
Poke a tiny hole in the barrier.
The pent-up heat blasts forward.
"Eek!"
Karen and Stia shield their faces from the heat and backpedal.
More precise.
I pour max into spirit arts.
Used to be 2 spirit arts to 8 Fireball for compressed shots.
Now reverse: 2 Fireball, 8 spirit arts.
Not just compressing heat in the barrier—I carve a single path to guide the eruption.
A path of wind.
Heat surges along it.
Turning it into something entirely new.
From my fingertip shoots a laser of condensed flame, locally incinerating the soul soldier's body.
(Fireball proficiency has increased.)
(Fire Enchantment has been modified.)
(Magic Compression proficiency has increased.)
(Acquired Unique Skill, 'Doomflame.')
I've reached something.
Broken through another wall into a unique skill.
No longer a Fireball variant—a brand-new skill.
Thud, thud, thud!
Hulks drop one by one from the second floor like meteors.
They uncurl and charge.
I raise my hand, entranced, point.
"Flame's..."
I chant to amp the new skill's power.
Mana cost's actually less than Fireball.
But the pounding heart warning of danger feels way stronger than with Fireball.
"Doom."
A blinding heat ray lances out, slicing every soul soldier to pieces following my hand's path.