19 - Training

The next morning, the group gathered in the dining room of the inn.

"Good morning," Rimuru greeted.

"Morning," the others replied.

"So, we're training today, right?" Klein asked.

"Yeah," Rimuru confirmed.

"So, where are we doing this exercise?" Utaha inquired.

"I have an idea. We'll train at the same place where we arrived yesterday. I sense the presence of some monsters there, and their levels are not too high, so you should be able to defeat them," explained Rimuru, who was currently in his slime form, resting on Yukari's lap.

"Fufufu... I agree with Rimu-chan," Yukari chimed in.

"Yoshaa! Let's do it," Kazuma eagerly exclaimed, though he couldn't help but cast envious glances at Rimuru, secretly thinking, 'Why didn't I ask to become a slime when I was given a wish? Instead, I got stuck with that useless goddess!'

Yukari enjoyed holding Rimuru due to the slime's cool body temperature and softness. Even while sleeping, she would tightly embrace Rimuru, causing its slime body to change shape.

Utaha also cast a jealous look at Yukari, as she too wanted to hug Rimuru, though she would never admit it.

They finished their breakfast and teleported to the location where they first arrived in this world. Upon arrival, a tiger-like monster of abnormal size attacked them. However, before it could reach them, it suddenly vanished, as if it had been erased by an eraser.

"Ara~ a disrespectful cat," Yukari remarked with a smile. The others were shocked by her action, and Rimuru immediately asked Raphael for an explanation.

"Raphael-san, do you know what she did?" Rimuru asked telepathically.

"Most likely, Yukari erased the monster's boundary," Raphael responded.

"Erased the boundary?" Rimuru questioned.

"Yes, by erasing the boundary of Existence/Non-existence, Yukari is able to erase the existence of a target," Raphael explained.

"Woah. If that's the case, then she could potentially destroy this entire world," Rimuru realized.

"It seems the monsters can't wait to fight. Are you all ready? Rimu-chan and I won't intervene unless you're in danger," Yukari announced as she observed a group of monsters rushing toward them. Hearing her words, Klein, Utaha, and Kazuma prepared for battle.

Utaha utilized her Shadow Summoning skill to summon five shadow knights. With her considerable mana, she was able to summon them as frontline troops, while Utaha, Klein, and Kazuma positioned themselves as rear troops.

Utaha created seven darkness spears and launched them at the monsters. Upon impact, the spears exploded, causing damage to the surrounding area. Kazuma, equipped with the bow and arrows he had purchased with Yukari and Utaha the day before, targeted the monsters that evaded Utaha's attacks. Klein, who lacked direct offensive abilities, provided strategic guidance to ensure accurate spellcasting. Their teamwork appeared a bit shaky at first, but as time passed, they improved their coordination. With Klein taking command, Utaha dealing area damage, and Kazuma eliminating stragglers and utilizing his ground magic to exploit the environment, they proved to be a formidable team.

Moments later, the monsters that had attacked them were defeated through their combined efforts. Rimuru and Yukari smiled, pleased with their performance, especially Utaha, who had transitioned from being an ordinary high school girl to an effective combatant.

"Good work, everyone. Let's take a break and recover your stamina," Rimuru suggested.

"Fufufu... You can also check your progress by examining your status," Yukari added with a hint of a smile.

"Huh... Yes, let's rest for a while. I'm really tired," Utaha admitted, sitting down to catch her breath.

"Yeah... Huh... I agree," Kazuma concurred.

"Hahaha... I didn't do much," Klein chuckled modestly, feeling less tired compared to the others.

"What are you saying, Klein? Your guidance was invaluable and made a significant difference in the battle. Don't underestimate your contribution," Utaha praised with a smile.

"Yeah... That's right," Kazuma agreed, acknowledging Klein's role.

"You're right, Klein. Your direction was vital in a battle like this. Don't feel guilty," Rimuru affirmed.

Klein felt slightly embarrassed by their compliments.

"Ara~ our great Mr. Fool is feeling embarrassed, it seems?" Yukari playfully teased, refusing to let the opportunity to tease him pass.

"Uh... please ignore that," Klein muttered, feeling even more embarrassed to be called "Mr. Fool." At this point, Klein remained unaware of his future moniker.

"Enough of that, Yukari-san. How was your first battle experience?" Rimuru inquired.

"Very tiring~," Yukari replied.

"Agree!" Kazuma and Klein chimed in.

They proceeded to check their status.

Klein Moretti:

Level: 60 Job: Seer Strength: 220 Vitality: 300 Defense: 210 Agility: 200 Magic: 3100 Magic Defense: 2800 Skills: Divination, Supernatural Intuition, Spirit Vision, ?@#@#@?!

Kasumigaoka Utaha:

Level: 56 Job: Sage of Darkness Strength: 120 Vitality: 150 Defense: 120 Agility: 145 Magic: 5000 Magic Defense: 4500 Skills: Darkness Affinity, Curse Magic, Mana Manipulation, Darkness and Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Summoning

Kazuma:

Level: 63 Job: Magical Thief Strength: 295 Vitality: 180 Defense: 170 Agility: 535 Magic: 2100 Magic Defense: 1300 Skills: Thief Hand, Mana Manipulation, Basic Elemental Magic, Earth Magic Affinity

Their statuses had significantly improved because they defeated monsters with levels far above their own. This progress was made possible by their unlocked potential, thanks to Yukari, who had also secretly set up barriers to weaken the monsters, unbeknownst to Rimuru.

"Finally... I've become stronger. This feeling reminds me of leveling up my game character," Kazuma remarked.

"Yeah, you're right. It's addicting," Klein agreed.

"Even though I don't play games, the feeling of leveling up seems really fun," Utaha added, supporting their sentiments.

They continued to level up Utaha, Kazuma, and Klein, then returned to the inn to rest and ensure they were in optimal condition for challenging the dungeon. After leveling up, Klein reached level 86, Kazuma reached level 89, and Utaha reached level 90. Utaha had the highest level because she had slain the most monsters with her magic, followed by Kazuma and then Klein.

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