The so-called Potential Ability level is a measurement standard used by the Guild headquarters to gauge the danger coefficient of a certain type of monster.
Broadly speaking, it roughly corresponds to the adventurer's rank needed to handle it.
For example: a monster with Potential Ability Lv.4 means that under normal circumstances, only an adventurer of at least Lv.4 can deal with it effectively.
Of course, there are abnormal situations.
Sometimes, within a monster group, there exist enhanced variants that far surpass others of the same species.
And on the human side, plenty of players are capable of challenging above their level.
Take Aether's side, for instance...
Currently, the Traveler Aether has a Genshin level of Lv.20, with combat power equivalent to an extreme limit Lv.2 adventurer.
At this stage, he can easily kill monsters with Potential Ability Lv.2, and even regularly challenge Lv.3 enemies.
But facing higher-tier Lv.4 monsters, he's still far from the mark.
Hmm? You say he just killed a Worm Well?
Sorry, that was a very rare, specific case.
Normally, if any other Lv.2 adventurer gets swallowed by a Worm Well, their body would be corroded clean before long.
The acidic stomach fluid at that level requires at least Lv.3 potential ability and abnormal resistance to survive even briefly.
Even Lv.3 is only enough to buy some time.
Look at Lefiya's current condition, comparable to severe burns.
Although she's a fragile mage, she's a high-value Lv.3 with decent gear. Yet after being swallowed whole by the Worm Well, she hasn't woken up since.
Compared to her...
Traveler Aether is an energy lifeform, and he could summon Diona to temporarily cast a cat shield on himself.
Even so, he lost quite a bit of health.
In short, the Monkey King act he just pulled off is impossible for anyone else to replicate.
Aether also knows he's no match for a true Lv.4.
At best, by maxing out Genshin summons, he can surround and fight Lv.4 normal monsters like bosses.
But if outnumbered, it's better not to force it.
So...
"You just run now~"
The elf girl, just gently set down, hadn't even warmed the seat before Aether picked her back up.
Then he and Diona immediately took off without waiting for the monsters to land.
Undoubtedly, with a teleport anchor on the Babel Tower's top floor, Aether can slip away anytime.
But if he really left just like that, and Lefiya died because of the butterfly effect...
Well, then Lumine's recently established good relations with the Loki Familia would go completely down the drain.
Even if they don't become enemies, they would become strangers forever.
On the other hand, as long as Lefiya is saved this time, future chances won't be lacking.
After all, the moral line cultivated in his hometown doesn't allow Aether to just abandon the situation.
"Heh, I really am a hypocritical snob, huh."
"But whatever, hypocrite or not, I'll give it my all. If it really doesn't work out, I'll run."
"At least I'll have tried."
With that thought, Aether made a plan:
"Speaking of which, Lefiya's output firepower alone is Lv.5 level..."
While running, he looked down at the elf girl in his arms.
If this little girl could join the fight, then maybe we can take on Lv.4 monsters.
"But before considering that, I need to wake her up first."
Aether's mind was clear:
If Lefiya's injuries aren't treated soon, she won't last long.
He then focused on the gradually appearing and multiplying red arrows in his field of vision.
Soon...
"Since I'm going to find a chance to pause briefly, I need to put out a decoy first, to draw these monsters away."
After deciding quickly, Aether summoned his second Genshin nearby, a five-star Anemo (wind) Genshin: Xiao.
"A bit painful, but..."
He sent a mental message through their spiritual link:
"Quickly destroy the Worm Well's magic stone, and meanwhile... make as much noise as possible on your side."
With no unnecessary words, Xiao responded briefly:
"Understood."
He immediately split from Aether and Diona.
Meanwhile...
Offense and defense combined!!!
After Diona quickly cast a temporary cat shield on Renjiro (Aether), she withdrew to conserve mana.
No choice, the surface of Orariede wasn't dark yet.
Though Aether was on the 37th floor, his mana regeneration boosted by the Starry Abyss skill was only 16.8x normal.
In these conditions, he could only maintain one Genshin summon at a time.
And since this was the first time in the deep area, mana was a critical strategic resource.
Not to mention when treating Lefiya's wounds, they must avoid making too much noise, so as not to attract nearby monsters.
Therefore, Diona couldn't use her Elemental Burst, the Most Intense Special Treatment, to generate a large healing field.
Instead, she had to rely on the mana-consuming self-developed ice-element healing spells.
In short, mana had to be conserved, at least until nightfall on the surface, when the Night Sky mana efficiency buff would double.
At that moment...
BOOM~
From behind, a loud explosion echoed as Xiao destroyed the Worm Well's magic stone.
Instantly, the large body, previously turning to ash, shattered completely.
Aether noticed: the higher the monster's potential threat, the slower its body turns to ash.
If these were upper-level goblins or mid-level hellhounds, they'd have disintegrated within a second and returned to the dungeon's mother's embrace.
But this Worm Well lasted until its magic stone, its energy core, was shattered, only then losing the ability to maintain its form.
Sigh, it still feels like a loss... even though I'm not short on money.
With a little hoarding syndrome flaring up, Aether couldn't help but grimace:
Such a huge magic stone, did Fried Potato Ball eat too much and get sick?
"Sigh~"
He sighed again, looking over at Xiao...
"Those monsters, are they called 'Spartoi'?"
The tattooed youth held a Refined Level 2 white tassel spear, expression calm but frowning slightly as he stared at the roughly 1.4-meter-tall Spartoi ahead, about half a head shorter than him.
According to Aether's plan, destroying the Worm Well's magic stone had two purposes:
One, to attract nearby monsters' attention.
Two, to prevent any monsters from eating the magic stone and spawning even stronger enhanced variants.
As for these three newly hatched Spartoi... uh, Aether didn't know how these skeleton-type monsters digest magic stones, and frankly, he didn't have the strength to experiment right now to satisfy his curiosity.
"There are three Spartoi in total."
The youth stood firm with a spear in hand.
"Let's try to fight them first."
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