Danmachi: A Despicable Stranger

Chapter 68: Don't stare at me so straight...

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Um?

There was murderous intent.

This was Izzy's first impression as he arrived at the reception room of the Twilight Manor. After knocking politely and stepping inside, an overwhelming feeling washed over him.

"Rua!"

"Izzy! You dared to torture our Ais-tan like this! Prepare yourself!!!"

A certain scarlet figure darted toward him at a speed faster than that of a first-Class adventurer.

But it was pointless.

Izzy, having sensed the peculiar atmosphere the moment he entered, instinctively sidestepped the incoming figure.

Clang!

The room echoed with a sharp thud as the figure's forehead collided with the door.

All eyes turned toward the source of the sound: Loki, now sprawled limply on the ground.

However, the reaction was subdued. After a brief glance, everyone returned their focus to their own tasks.

No one seemed surprised.

Why? They were used to it.

"Ah, you're back, Izzy. Did your morning exploration go well?" Finn asked, smiling warmly.

"Exploration?"

Izzy blinked, confused for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I didn't explore the dungeon this morning… I just wandered around the city."

This time, it was Finn's turn to blink in surprise, his lips curling into an awkward smile.

He had fallen victim to an adventurer's habitual mindset.

After all, most adventurers head out early in the morning to explore the dungeon. While not universally true, it applied to about 90% of them.

Finn had assumed Izzy was no exception, but apparently, he was mistaken.

After an awkward chuckle, Finn quickly moved on.

"Let's get to the main point, Izzy. Can you explain the details of your magic—the one you used on Ais and the others today?"

"Yes, of course."

Izzy nodded decisively. He had anticipated this question before coming.

For a moment, all eyes in the room turned to him, waiting intently.

Izzy began to explain, repeating the same details he had shared with Ais and the others earlier.

However, by now, his explanation was no longer mere speculation. Ais and the others had already confirmed its feasibility.

To further clarify, Izzy provided an overview of how his magic worked.

"In other words," Loki interjected after listening to Ize's explanation, "with your magic, Izzy, we could potentially break through the bottlenecks in everyone's ability values?"

"It's not quite about breaking bottlenecks, Loki," Izzy corrected.

"Let's clarify something: bottlenecks are caused partially by internal factors but, more importantly, by external restrictions."

He continued patiently, outlining his perspective for Loki.

"The strength of one's opponents and the difficulty of the battles they face play a significant role. I believe the reason ability growth slows isn't because of some inherent limitation, but because the opponents are too weak while you've grown too strong."

Loki tilted her head thoughtfully, listening as Izzy explained his reasoning.

Her perspective on bottlenecks had always included the notion that they stemmed from the limitations of an individual's talents.

But Izzy didn't agree.

'Think about it—who among you lacks talent?' Izzy thought, sweeping his gaze over the room.

'Take Ais, for example. Is her talent poor? No. She reached Lv.6 at just sixteen years old—an extraordinary achievement.'

'And that's just personal talent. If we consider racial talent, Ais has the blood of the immortals in her veins. How could that be considered lacking? Is she any less capable than Ottar from Freya's Familia?'

His thoughts carried a sharp clarity.

'So why did Ais hit a bottleneck?' Izzy posed the question rhetorically, then answered it himself.

'In my view, the issue lies with external factors.'

When Ottar reached Lv.6 and Lv.7, it was largely due to Zeus and Hera's Familias. Even though he personally felt those victories were not entirely fair, the fact remained: a major "big shot" had essentially handed him experience boosts.

In contrast, when Ais isn't on expeditions, she's left training in the "lower" floors. This is where the gap becomes apparent.

Faced with this disparity, Izzy couldn't directly control the strength of Ais' opponents, so he could only focus on increasing the difficulty of her battle situations. His magic offered assistance in this regard.

Everyone in the room, though diverse in personality, was sharp enough to grasp the implications. Even if they didn't fully understand the intricate mechanics of Izzy's theory, they understood its significance—he could help accelerate their ability growth.

Suddenly, Izzy seemed to transform into a helpless little lamb, and the room filled with a pack of big bad wolves, their eyes gleaming red with intent.

"Ahem… Stop staring at me like that… I get shy too," the little lamb muttered nervously, taking two hesitant steps back.

But it was useless. The wolves were determined—they wouldn't let him leave without wringing every bit of potential out of him.

In the end, except for the four still lying on the sofa and Loki, the god, Finn and the others each received a "Star Cage" experience boost from Ize.

Even the second-echelon members—such as Raul, Alicia, and Cruz—were summoned to partake in the training. Though Izzy didn't exactly relish this kind of "performance," it became part of his new routine.

With the distribution of boosts complete, the discussion about Izzy's magic temporarily ended, and everyone dispersed. Even Finn, usually the most diligent, took half a day off to familiarize himself with the effects of Izzy's magic.

After all, the sensation it created—of suppressed ability—was something they'd all face in the dungeon soon. Better to get accustomed to it now.

From that day forward, Izzy gained a new daily task alongside eating, sleeping, and dungeon crawling: providing training buffs to the clan's main force.

Each member received a boost once a day. As compensation, Finn arranged a monthly salary of 10 million Vali's for Ize.

"A great gig!" – Izzy's personal account.

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The Next Morning

As per his arrangement with the elven royal family's mama-san, Izzy arrived early at the Familia's library.

Yesterday had been a rest day decreed by Loki, so the previously scheduled magic lessons were set to begin today.

Bang—bang—

"Come in."

After two gentle knocks, a clear voice called out. Izzy pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The vast library looked much the same as before—rows of neatly arranged books stretching endlessly. However, today the atmosphere felt different.

Deep within the space, Lefiya sat studying intently, clutching a thick book. Beside her, Riveria was flipping through a hardcover tome, occasionally answering Lefiya's questions.

"Good morning, Mr. Izzy," Lefiya greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Lefiya," Izzy replied.

It seemed Riveria had told Lefiya to expect him, as she didn't seem surprised by his arrival. Izzy then turned to Riveria and greeted her warmly.

"Good morning, Teacher Riveria~"

"Good morning," she replied with a small nod, closing the book she'd been reading.

"Since you're here, Izzy, Lefiya can continue studying on her own for now. I'll help you find some books suited for your learning."

"Okay…" Lefiya nodded obediently as Riveria gestured for Izzy to follow her.

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