636 – Miia’s Thoughts

The battle over, we gather in front of the xiangliu’s dead body.

『Amazing… You were able to kill such a tough monster while still in human form…』

“It’s easier for me to move this way.
It’s how I’ve always fought.
Besides, my [Underworld Mirror] skill cuts down the MP I need for [Humanisation Technique] to almost zero.
It also softens the sinister aura I’d have otherwise.”

Miia replies, smiling lightly.
This battle raised Aro from level 97 to 102 and treant from level 99 to 102.

Aro was pretty much the only one to attack, but treant’s level still rose by quite a bit.
I guess the effect of [Death God Seed] can’t be overlooked.
It can be used on any target no matter, no matter how much stronger they are, then as long as he can endure, it’ll eventually be defeated.

　『It didn’t go up by as much as I was expecting… For me and for Aro-dono.』

Treant says with a note of disappointment, having returned to tree spirit form.

“It’s true that your level would have probably risen more if you had ridden Irushia-kun’s back.
If you could attack from safety, you probably could have defeated it without our interference.
But, I wanted you two to gain the practical experience of fighting a Legendary monster.”

『I-I see…』

Treant says as he hides behind my foreleg, peeking out at Miia… He’s probably scared that something he says could cause Miia to become enraged.

“But wouldn’t it have been better for dragon-god-sama to defeat it, since you’re at maximum level?”

Aro asks.

『A-Aro-dono!』

Treant flaps his wings in panic.
Miia looks at him and giggles.

“Thanks for trying to be considerate, but it feels lonely if you’re that scared of me.”

『S-sorry…』

Treant bows profusely.
Miia watches him with a bitter smile.
Then, with a “hmm,” she nods.
It looks like she was organising her thoughts.

“I don’t think Irushia-kun’s level is much of a problem.
It’s true that the stats of a Legendary raise a lot with each level, but I think practice, technique, and information are more important.
Whether his attack value is stronger by one or two hundred doesn’t matter as much as whether or not his attacks hit.
Of course, it would be better to have the levels than not.”

I think a gain of two hundred to attack or speed would make a large difference… No, well, Miia did overwhelm the xiangliu through technique rather than stats I suppose.
What she’s saying is certainly convincing.

When I was unable to catch Howgrey, I had the fact of my poor combat skills thrust in front of me.
I’d like to believe I’ve pulled through plenty of life-or-death struggles.
However, the [Spirit Servants] that I’m going to have to fight were all chosen from the strongest divine skill holders of history.
They’re all at least as strong as Miia.

“Also, Irushia-kun apparently has a skill to double his experience gains.
There’s the battle with the hecatoncheir to come, so he’ll still reach the maximum right away.
Lifting his evolution limit won’t be easy though, so I thought it’s better if he sees how I fight.
It would be bad for us to fight the hecatoncheir without any idea of how to coordinate, and there might be even stronger monsters inside the tower.”

That makes sense.
It’s not as though I wouldn’t like to have a little more damage output to fight the hecatoncheir, but Miia is plenty strong.
Besides, Aro and treant’s levels are also higher than last time.
Rather than worrying about my level, it makes sense to think about what we can do to efficiently earn damage.

Once we defeat the hecatoncheir, my level should be close to the maximum.
It might not actually reach the maximum, since the experience will be split four ways, but as Miia says, reaching my maximum level won’t particularly help.
It would be better to have it than not, but right now it’s more important that we know how Miia fights.

Also, having seen her fight, I’m reminded of how much I’m still lacking.
Of course, just because I’m conscious of it doesn’t mean that I’ll suddenly develop technique and wisdom overnight.
But that doesn’t mean I can give up.
I just need to keep striving to improve myself with each battle.

When I fought Lilixira, I could tell how good she was at predicting her opponent.
I was overwhelmed at the beginning, but through the desperate struggle, I finally got the hang of it myself.
If I hadn’t, I would have been the one who lost.
In that way, whenever I fight a more powerful opponent, I need to absorb their techniques.
Seeing Miia battle the xiangliu has made me realise this anew.

Aro stares at Miia, still looking unconvinced.

Miia’s way of thinking is very different from my own.
There might be a lot that Aro and treant are unable to accept right away.
I also wouldn’t have been able to accept her reasoning if I hadn’t had the experience of being overwhelmed by Howgrey and Lilixira.

Miia looks at the distant tower.

“…We’ll be fighting the hecatoncheir soon.
How about we take a meal break to deepen our friendship? You wouldn’t want to trust a stranger with your life after all.”

Miia grins and looks away.
Following her line of sight, I see the xiangliu’s corpse.
Its organs have spilled out from her attack, and a lot of its eyeballs were crushed by hitting the tree.

『…Seriously?』

“At this point? You’re overly sensitive, dragon-kun.”

Miia says, apparently amused by my response.

『W-well, it doesn’t have a human face, so I guess it’s okay…』

As I say that, I notice the xiangliu’s eyes look more human than snake-like.