Aozaki Aoko Case File [210]

And so, Aoko, Lina, and Gourry set up camp on a patch of open ground near the town. This spot was often used by caravans, so it couldn't be considered a remote wilderness. Quite a few other groups were camping nearby, just like the three of them, along with several vendors selling food and water.

Gourry had no complaints about not having a tent to sleep in. He'd been traveling this way since the start of his journey and was long accustomed to it.

As for Aoko, her current physical condition didn't require sleep. Even though the Fifth Magic, which allowed her to lock her body's state, wasn't usable for now, she only needed to remain in a meditative state to take a long rest. Thus, setting up a tent mainly benefited Lina Inverse the most.

That night, while Aoko and Lina exchanged magical knowledge from their respective worlds, Gourry, who had no interest in learning magic, went off on his own to make some snacks. He skewered some food on wooden sticks and roasted them over the fire, preparing himself a late-night meal.

The town itself wasn't very large, and Aoko and Lina hadn't found any magic shops there. As a result, they couldn't deal with the magical items Lina had taken from the bandits' hideout, nor could Aoko acquire the spellcasting materials unique to this world that she wanted. They would have to wait until they reached the next town for that.

Still, the day hadn't been entirely fruitless. Late at night, as the world grew quiet, Aoko entered her meditative state and discovered that, after killing the black dragon, she had accumulated enough experience to level up.

Of course, the experience gained from the dragon itself was relatively limited. Most of the experience she needed to progress from level 13 to level 14 came from her regular research and study of magic, as well as the feedback she received from defeating the Ancestor of the Dead Apostles.

The dragon, however, had provided the final piece of the puzzle, completing her spirituality and allowing her to reach the threshold for leveling up.

Speaking of which, the term experience points felt somewhat crude. From now on, she decided to call it spirituality—it sounded more professional that way.

With a ripple of energy from the magical weave, Aoko's level rose to 14. Nearby, Lina, who was fast asleep, twitched slightly as though she sensed something, but she didn't wake up. She simply turned over and shifted her face in the opposite direction.

Level 14 brought Aoko significant improvements. Not only did she gain an additional metamagic feat—Spell Extension—but she also acquired the ability of Area Metamagic.

This ability allowed her to apply metamagic effects to spells that were already cast and still active, provided she remained near the spell's area of effect or within its range.

For example, if she cast Wall of Fire and its duration was about to end, she could approach the wall and use metamagic to extend its duration with Spell Extension.

This ability could also be applied to spells like Wall of Force, which required sustained defensive measures. By extending such spells after casting, she could enhance their duration with metamagic effects.

In essence, it was a sort of regret remedy, providing her with greater flexibility in unexpected situations and improving her margin for error during adventures.

In addition to the extra metamagic feat and special abilities, Aoko also gained two points of Intelligence, raising her Intelligence attribute to an astounding 26. This was an incredibly high number, but Aoko herself didn't feel much different from before.

For those within the mage archetype, Intelligence primarily enhanced memory and willpower, allowing them to focus more intensely during magical research. Aoko felt this effect keenly—her elevated Intelligence made it much easier for her to participate in university research projects. She could outperform her classmates with ease, work more efficiently, and achieve far more impressive results.

The last time she had leveled up was during the Holy Grail War, which felt like a distant memory. It seemed that leveling up her class became more difficult the further she progressed, even with all the knowledge she had gained and the formidable enemies she had defeated.

Although arriving in this world had been an accident, the way commoners calmly dealt with the sight of a dragon attack suggested that, while dragons were rare, they weren't unheard of. This fantastical medieval world seemed to be teeming with all sorts of bizarre creatures and monsters. It was likely that Aoko would find even more opportunities to grow stronger through battle.

Determined, Aoko resolved that before returning to her world, she would make the most of her time here and gain as much as she could.

Finally, her caster level increased to 14, granting her an additional 6th-level spell slot and a 7th-level spell slot. It was a straightforward but substantial boost in power.

If she pushed herself a little further, once her caster level reached 15, she would gain her first 8th-level spell slot. She wondered if she would be lucky enough to acquire Sunburst by then. That would depend on her luck.

...And so, Aoko remained in her meditative state until dawn. By then, all the spell slots she had expended the previous day were fully restored.

She took out her spellbook and began preparing spells she might need for the day. The day before, she'd had to prepare some rarely-used spells, like Plane Shift, for interdimensional travel. But now that she had confirmed this world's environment was suitable for her survival, she would swap out such spells.

For her 7th-level spell, she replaced Plane Shift with Banishment and Spell Turning. Given how many spellcasters seemed to exist in this world, she was certain she'd eventually face battles between mages. Preparing Spell Turning was undoubtedly a wise choice.

"Hmm~~~" With a soft groan, Lina, who was sleeping next to Aoko, seemed to have woken up. She rubbed her eyes and was surprised to see Aoko already sitting nearby, engrossed in her spellbook.

"Miss Aoko, you… didn't sleep at all last night?" Lina, still in her pajamas, pulled back her blanket and sat up to ask.

"Hmm… My situation is a bit special," Aoko replied after some thought. "Sleeping is more of a pleasure for me, but I don't need it. I can recover my spell slots through deep meditation instead of sleep."

"Wow, that's a convenient ability," Lina said, tapping her chin thoughtfully with her finger.

The two didn't dwell on the topic for long. They changed into their clothes, used magic to freshen up, and then went to wake Gourry, who was still sound asleep by the campfire. Together, they enjoyed a delicious breakfast purchased from the nearby vendors.

By noon, the three of them planned to reach the next town with a magic shop. They needed to sell Lina's treasures, restock magical supplies, and make a spellbook for Lina. There was still plenty to do.