The Mythical Level Advancement

At noon, Levin and his three companions were seated at a café in the eastern district of the city.

"Levin, is there something between you and that Miss Vera that I don't know about?" Aili asked, her curiosity evident.

Levin nodded in acknowledgment. "Indeed, Miss Vera has now become one of my informants."

"An informant? So soon?" Aili furrowed her brow. "You mean you approached Miss Vera immediately after our investigation the night before?"

"Yes, that's right. I suspected that Miss Vera might be involved in something, so I decided to investigate," Levin replied quietly, glancing at Monica and Frey, who were engaged in conversation across the table.

"Being promoted to an informant suggests that the issue is not too severe, correct?" Aili inquired, uncertainty in her tone.

"Let's discuss this in detail when we're back. It's not suitable to talk about it here…" 

"What are you two whispering about?" Frey interrupted playfully, noticing Aili and Levin's secretive exchange.

"It's nothing important, just work-related matters," Aili responded with a smile.

"Frey, don't pry too much. It might be confidential information related to the task," Monica advised Frey.

"Alright, if you need any help, do let me know. By the way, that Miss Vera we encountered earlier—she's the owner of the Vera Alchemy Workshop you asked me to investigate, isn't she?" Frey suddenly remembered and inquired while holding her fork.

"Yes, that's her," Levin confirmed with a nod. "I had some matters to investigate with her and also purchased a few potions."

"The restorative potion you gave to Aili was made by her? Hmm, she's indeed a skilled alchemist. Although she appears quite young, her expertise is impressive," Monica complimented Vera's skills.

"If she hears you, she might redefine your understanding of youth," Levin mused silently.

"Yes, yes, and she's so adorable and petite, like a little doll. I just want to hug her and shower her with affection~" Frey said with her hands resting on the table.

"Don't let her size fool you. She's already twenty-three," Aili reminded Frey, noting that Vera was no longer at an age when she could be frivolously cuddled.

"Really!? She's that old? She looks so small…" Frey scratched her head in disappointment.

In reality, she's much older than you'd guess. The entire gathering might not even match her age, Levin thought inwardly.

"This café has a delightful flavor, and the owner even gave us a discount," Monica remarked, savoring a bite of curry-covered noodles.

"Although the owner mentioned a discount, we still need to pay the full amount. Otherwise, it could involve corruption, and the guard force monitors this strictly…" Aili said with a smile. "Besides, discounts aren't everything. This café has a little rule: if a guest can perform a flawless trick on the stage without using magic, they get their meal for free. But it's limited to one performance per person."

"Free meal? What's the rule?" Frey asked, intrigued.

"As long as a guest can perform a trick on the café's stage without using magic, and it's flawless, they can get their meal for free. However, it can only be done once per person," Aili explained.

"Wow, that's wonderful! Too bad I don't know any tricks," Frey lamented, leaning on the table as if seeing her chance slip away.

Hmm? A trick?

Levin's interest was suddenly piqued.

On Earth, the most memorable aspect of magic was its ability to mislead.

So, isn't performing magic also a form of misleading the audience?

If done successfully, it could earn me some Myth Points!

With this thought, Levin became eager to give it a try.

"What's the matter, Levin? Are you going to perform a trick?" Aili asked in surprise as Levin prepared himself and approached the stage.

Hmm, with my amusing passive skill enhancement, performing a coin trick or card trick should be a breeze. Levin thought to himself.

"Of course. Watch closely, and don't blink," Levin said confidently, pulling a silver coin from his pocket and stepping onto the stage.

"Oh? Deputy Levin? What are you…" The manager approached Levin, inquiring.

"I'm here to perform a little trick. Is that alright?" Levin smiled and asked.

"Certainly! According to our café's rule, if you succeed, your meal will be free!" The manager responded with a smile.

"Free meal isn't necessary. I just want to entertain everyone," Levin quickly declined, knowing that the inspector would question such matters.

The manager nodded in understanding, then clapped his hands twice to warm up the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the trick performance by Deputy Levin!"

"Yay!" Frey clapped enthusiastically from the audience, while Aili and Monica also applauded softly, waiting for the performance.

Levin swirled the silver coin he had brought out, displayed it to the audience, and then flicked it into the air. He caught it with the back of his hand and performed a flourish.

"Wow! So impressive!" Frey exclaimed in awe, and even Aili's eyes glinted with surprise.

Didn't expect this guy to have such skills, Aili thought with a faint smile.

"Don't get too excited. This is just the warm-up for a typical trick. Although I've never seen a coin trick before," Monica said, munching on her curry noodles and urging Frey to calm down.

Next, Levin held the coin in his left hand, displayed it to the audience, and with a grasp of his right hand, the coin vanished from his left hand.

"Ah, it's on the right hand! What happens next?" Frey guessed excitedly from the audience.

Levin blew on his right hand and slowly opened it.

The right hand was empty.

Levin then raised his left hand to show the audience, which was still empty.

"Wow! It's disappeared!" Frey clapped vigorously.

From the audience, gasps of astonishment and sporadic applause erupted.

"How did he do that?"

"It vanished suddenly!"

"So magical!"

Levin did not explain. He smiled faintly, mimicking a grasping motion with his empty right hand and drawing the coin back out of his left hand.

"It's back!"

"Is this… not magic? Some kind of illusion?"

The citizens of Weima City, having never seen a coin trick, were left dumbfounded by Levin's performance, and the applause grew louder.

Levin took a bow to the audience and returned to his table.

"Levin! Your trick was amazing! How did you do it?" Frey clapped as if welcoming a hero, then eagerly inquired about Levin's technique.

"Just a bit of sleight of hand; it shouldn't be too difficult to deceive Deputy Aili, right?" Levin remarked with a faint smile, glancing at Aili.

Aili returned a gentle smile. "Although I'm unsure how you managed it, the coin was indeed in your left hand throughout, wasn't it?"

"Precisely. While it appeared I transferred it to my right hand, in reality, I concealed it in the palm of my hand," Levin explained.

"But you also showed your left hand. Why was it empty as well?" Frey asked with curiosity.

"Because I moved it from my palm to the space between my fingers. From the front view, the coin was invisible," Levin replied with a smile.

"A brilliant illusion, almost akin to magic," Monica commented, swallowing a bite of curry noodles with a neutral tone.

"Such techniques may seem straightforward, but they require exceptional speed and skill," Aili said, clapping lightly. "Where did you learn these tricks?"

"...The former headmaster of the orphanage taught me," Levin resorted to the story of the deceased headmaster to cover his lie.

"I see," Aili said, not pursuing the matter further.

Frey persisted, asking Levin to perform the trick several more times. Levin complied, demonstrating the coin trick from various angles until Frey was satisfied.

The four resumed their meal, while Levin discreetly accessed the system panel.

[Fraud Successful!]

[Acquired Trickster Myth Points: 9]

[Mythical Rank Upgraded!]

[Current Rank: Two (0/1000)]

[Mythical Ability Upgraded!]

[Amusing (Second Rank):

Passive: Your dexterity, agility, coordination, communication, and perception skills have improved.

Active: Twice daily, you can create two illusory duplicates that last for one minute. These duplicates mimic your movements, voice, and actions perfectly. When attacked or targeted by a spell, the attacker might strike these illusions. If an attack hits an illusion, it is destroyed. This ability is considered similar to spellcasting.]

[New Mythical Abilities Acquired: Mythical Trick (Agility), Mythical Trick (Dexterity)]

[Mythical Trick (Agility):

You can escape an enemy's grapple with a single struggle. Since grappling is a restrictive effect, you can also break free from other restrictive effects, provided you struggle intensely enough.]

[Mythical Trick (Dexterity):

Every part of your body is highly flexible, and when combined, your movements become exceptionally swift. Consequently, your speed increases, allowing you to maneuver effortlessly among enemies.]

Success!

Levin's eyes brightened as he saw that not only had his original Amusing ability been upgraded, but he had also acquired new Mythical abilities—Mythical Tricks.

Both new abilities were highly practical: one for escaping control effects and the other for significantly enhancing mobility and effectiveness in combat and skirmishes.

However, advancing to the next Mythical rank required a full 1000 Myth Points...

Oh well, accumulating them slowly should be manageable. At this rate, performing magic tricks daily might suffice in about six months, right?

At the very least, even an initial-tier warrior-type transcendent would now be no match for Levin. He should handle most cases with ease, and even if the organization that attempted to assassinate him sent a mid-tier transcendent, he could either escape or await reinforcement.

Finally, he had some initial self-preservation capability. Levin clenched his fist and sighed in relief.

"Levin? What's wrong? You seem lost in thought," Aili said, waving a hand in front of him.

"Oh, nothing, Aili. I was just reflecting on a few things. Let's continue with our meal," Levin responded with a smile, much more at ease than before.