Level 100 was regarded as the cap for shipgirls' training—simply because no shipgirl in the world had ever reached above level 100. But such beings did exist. The Abyssals were proof; there were Abyssal shipgirls above level 100.
Tirpitz's overwhelming strength, singlehandedly dueling three fully maxed-out Abyssal flagships, had baffled Naval Headquarters analysts again and again. In the end, they had only one conclusion:
Hikaru's Tirpitz had surpassed level 100—and by quite a lot.
Now Yamato was almost certain of it.
Never before had any shipgirl outside the Abyssals broken past level 100. Yet now, for the first time, such an existence seemed to have appeared—and not just one, but several in succession.
Hikaru's Naval District was so miraculous that Yamato had thought herself beyond surprise. Even the rare sight of Changchun, the little bunny-eared missile destroyer, hadn't rattled her.
But "tactics"… what was that supposed to mean?
And not just any tactics, but ones that boosted the firepower of carriers and battleships. Everyone knew: for carrier shipgirls, firepower directly determined how many aircraft they could control at once and how strong they were; for battleships, firepower was even more straightforward.
A seven-point boost in firepower could take a +24 five-star U.S. triple 16-inch gun and push it into a whole new tier—comparable to the six-star naval gun Barbarossa had given Tirpitz.
And from Changchun's words, this wasn't even a skill—it was a tactic.
That single possibility made Yamato tremble from head to toe.
Her voice shook as she carefully asked Changchun, "You're saying those two are tactics, not your skills?"
Changchun tilted her head at the woman, puzzled. "Of course they're tactics. Tactics are things everyone can learn. And mine aren't even that great—they only add ten percent damage and ten points of accuracy. Plus, they have such an un-cute name, 'The Four Heavenly Kings.'"
Yamato wanted to smack her.
Ten percent more damage and ten more accuracy—that was god-tier, and you dare call it unimpressive?!
She didn't even know that Changchun also had a skill that granted ten percent bonus experience, but since she was already maxed out, that effect didn't apply and she simply didn't mention it.
Either way, Yamato was shaken to her core. She licked her dry lips and pressed further. "Anyone can learn tactics? Even me?"
This was what truly made her lose composure.
Skills were unique to each shipgirl, inborn and unteachable. They couldn't be transferred or learned—only grasped through one's own experience.
But tactics, from Changchun's description, were clearly learnable abilities.
If all the shipgirls under Naval Headquarters—no, even just the strongest of them—could learn these two tactics, their combat power would leap by entire orders of magnitude.
But Hikaru mercilessly crushed Yamato's fantasy.
"You can't. None of you at Naval Headquarters can. Your training levels aren't high enough."
That statement basically confirmed what she suspected: his shipgirls had broken the so-called level 100 cap.
Yamato's spirit blazed anew. "Then… how high is their level? How much training do they have?"
"I'm busy right now. We'll talk later."
Hikaru brushed her off casually, then turned to Changchun. "These two tactics of yours—you can use them both at the same time, right?"
Changchun scratched her head. "Sure."
So this was another difference from the game.
In the game, shipgirls at levels 90, 100, and 110 could learn three tiers of tactics. You could study as many as you wanted, but only one of each tier would take effect at once.
But in reality, both of Changchun's tactics—each normally restricted to level 110—could function together.
That made slotting her into a fleet a bit of a headache.
In theory, she belonged best with the carrier fleet—since it had the most carriers to benefit. But this was a defensive battle, and her slow attack frequency was a liability.
If he put her with the battleship fleet, her survivability would be in question. After all, she was built like a destroyer, and charging into the fray alongside battleships was too dangerous.
Hikaru turned to Bismarck. "What do you think is the best way to use Changchun?"
"Assign her to the carrier fleet," Bismarck answered without hesitation. "Prince of Wales can at least share in her buff."
Hikaru frowned. "That'll just put more pressure on you."
[End of Chapter]
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