That's basically how he seems to be managing things. If I had to guess, it is just the result of Oomori being enamored with OPness and the underdog trope.

Bell's stats do have (or at least had) the purpose of having him punch above his league. As a low Level 3 he had Level 4 speed, as a mid Level 3 his entire status was Level 4 tier, as a new Level 4 he had Level 5 speed and so on. He had indeed been able to fight those above his level, even early on.

Only reason he was always struggling was because his enemies were overall better. Phryne had higher stats in everything, with even Bell's speed under Haruhime's level boost being slightly lower, and was obviously more skilled. Lyd is high Level 5 tier. Against Dix his status, even if in the same league as the hunter's, was still lower, not to mention Dix was way more skilled. Asterius, well, Level 7. And the Juggernaut was faster than him.

The thing is that Oomori hasn't been respecting it recently. Van being a threat even when Bell focused on him, and then it being said he had lost against him from time to time. And everyone do treating him as just a Level 5, when before you at least had characters note his prowess was abnormally high.

Of course, you can say it was to force Bell into the "scenery of despair" Oomori was going for, but he could very well have Bell dominate Van and the rest, and then have him be crushed by the executives. Though, Oomori isn't a stranger to having a character dramatically underperform for the sake of having things go how he wants them to. He had Bete, a Level 6, have troubles dealing with a few dozens of assassins, of whom the strongest was just Level 3, in SO8. But then he made a bunch of Level 6s defeat 10,000 soldiers each, soldiers among which there were some Level 2s and 3s in EF.

He also loves for Bell to be the "underdog", so maybe he just didn't want him overpowering "elite" Level 4s, although that is exactly what should have happened logically. He simply goes along with such things even if they are contradictory. Like him saying several times that Bell has no talent at all, but also that Bell is such a quick learner he impressed even Ais and Ryuu. The guy just can't settle with one line of thought.

So, in paper, yes, Bell should by now be above his level, even with zero in stats, based on early evidence. But in practice? It will be whatever Oomori feels like doing. Hell, Bell's next defeat may very well come from a Level 4 at this point.

@Rigel31415, Omori had said some time ago that he planned to slow down Bell's growth; When I saw that his growth rate did not decrease at all, in fact his level 4 statistics were the highest recorded to date, I thought that he had regretted about reducing said rate.

However, we see that he has done it through a technicality, Bell's statistics continue to grow as they always have but the real impact they have on his power has been significantly reduced.

Although it is somewhat questionable, it can also have positive aspects, how good would it be for the plot if Bell at this point were already as powerful as the other level 6s? If that were the case, when he is level 6, he would practically have to take on his adventures alone because all his possible companions will already be very weak compared to him, so it is more practical to put on the brakes at this moment to increase the "useful life" of the other co-stars, that's how I see it.

In order not to be very incoherent, it would be enough for Omori to make Bell the undisputed strongest of his own level even though he cannot be equal to those with a higher level than him, in order to maintain the initial coherence.

On the other hand, you are exaggerating too much by nerfing Bell for him to be defeated by a level 4, remember how easily he defeated Van in the wargame, thinking it was as if he moved in slow motion.

With all due respect, it is obvious and quite clear he meant the time it takes for Bell to strengthen himself. Which he has done. Reaching Level 3 took just one month, Level 4 took two, and Level 5 two and a half.

The guy is dragging along a bunch of Level 2s and is going to keep doing so until the end of the story. Like working along with people only one level below him would be that much of an issue in comparison.

And I was clearly joking about Bell being defeated by a Level 4.

@Rigel31415, I didn't see it on the time side, that is a variable in which Omori does not have much room for maneuver due to the self-imposition of the 1-year duration of the story.

A difference of half a month like the one between the duration of level 4 and 5 is almost imperceptible, you would only notice if when you read you are very aware of the dates as when you make a timeline.

The time is more noticeable if instead of the dates you look at it by the number of volumes that Bell was in each level, namely:

level 2 --> 3 volumes

level 3 --> 4 volumes (if you don't count 8)

level 4 --> 5 volumes (if you don't count 15)

We see that there is a dilation in his development time but very restricted, 1 more volume or a few more weeks per level, for this reason I did not think that Omori was referring to time when he said that he wanted Bell to grow slower, because it barely and it shows that he is taking longer.

On the other hand, if you look at it by general power there you do see a marked contrast in his growth rate, as you explained, until level 4 he could clearly match himself with opponents with a higher level than him, but now at level 5 that changed substantially, to the point that there was not the slightest doubt that Bell could not be matched by any level 6.

It's a matter of perspective of course, but that's how I analyzed it because time is not very noticeable, but power is. Of course, I could be wrong, do you know if Omori specified it?

Now regarding carrying people with a lower level/power than him, yes, he has always been doing it and will probably continue doing it until the end, but imagine a scenario in which he starts working with the young executives of Loki and from the beginning of their cooperation they are much weaker than him, man, that wouldn't look very good, it would be wasting narrative potential from my perception, that's why I think Omori put on the brakes.

This is the quote: 実際問題として、ベルの成長速度はちょっと早すぎるかなとは感じています。

The interview it comes from: https://ln-news.com/articles/109766

速度 means velocity/speed/pace/rate.

Rigel31415 Leinad91 In which volume do you think Bell will reach level 6? How many volumes are left to wait? at 20 or 21?And another question, does Bell know that Ice has wind magic? Has he ever seen her?

If Omori maintains the trend of 1 more volume for each level, he will have to be at level 5 for 7 volumes, that is, until 24, so he would be rising to level 6 on volume 25.

Regarding whether Bell knows about Ariel, the two of them have never gone on adventures or fought together so I don't remember any scene where Bell has seen Ariel, so I would say that he doesn't know it.

Rigel31415 Leinad91 So why should he do 6 more volumes for 5 levs, what nonsense. Well, 2-3 volumes maximum for him on this level with his characteristics. Since it should already be in E characteristics (400-500). And he still needs to go half the way in fact. Well, if Omori wants to fill these 7 volumes with such useless fillers as volume 19, well, excuse me, then he will simply destroy the history of the Khan with such nonsense. Bell needs to quickly become stronger if he is at the Battle with a vow of 6 levs, well, I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. And well, people won’t be interested in seeing how the character from volume 6 still costs 5 levs. He must reach level 6 by the end of this arc, for example in the adventure in the next volume with Leon (who is lv 7) or something like that. But the fact that in 2-3 volumes you need to get lv 6 is a fact, since it is nonsense to wait for people to wait for the volumes they will all disappoint, since the negativity about volumes 18-19 is quite large to come out so there is nothing else to fill these 6 volumes with. I hope in the next 2 volumes he will already receive 6 levs and will begin to develop the character Ais

@NoneNameNabe1, Omori has dilated the time/number of volumes that Bell spends in each level as it gets higher, although it is not a very large dilation (one more volume or a few more weeks per level) it is something coherent and necessary because as the level is higher there are fewer possibilities to progress, ergo, it is absurd that Bell takes less time to reach level 6 than he took to reach 5.

The desire for Bell to quickly increase his level was due to the assumption that he would have to reach a gigantic level (perhaps 10) to face OEBD. That was no longer fulfilled, it has been 7 months and he is at 5, so, maintaining the current pace, at most he will reach level 7 at the end of the year, so, whatever the method that Omori designed to defeat OEBD will not be through gigantic falnas, that's for sure, in that case, there is no worry because Bell isn't growing faster as time goes by.

Now, you're assuming that all the other volumes that Bell will go through in level 5 will be boring filler and I don't see why, they can be good adventures depending on how Omori writes them, plus the school district arc has good elements that can be used to this one is something very interesting.

As I see, your desire for Bell to be level 6 quickly, it is because you want to see Ais in the story, something understandable, but not absolutely indispensable, Ais was a recurring character when Bell was level 1 and 2, to the same extent, she could be it again in the volumes that Bell will be at level 5, that is, I don't see where the imagination comes from that Bell has to be level 6 for Ais to be in the story, if he goes on adventures with Leon who is level 7, won't he be able to do the same with level 6 Ais?

@Leinad91 The reason is not only because I want the Ais to be in the volumes and so on, we are just reading a story about the adventure of an adventurer boy in a dungeon (even the titles are about it). And now it has grown into something unclear. Omori has already confirmed that there will be more interaction with Ice when he becomes level 6, before that the trend will be the same as now. Regarding the time, more than 8 months have passed already at the state of volume 19, and Bell in the battle with the vow will be at level 6, not about anything 7 and above is out of the question if this is how the story continues to develop with a waste of time (like a school district - 1 month, it’s not clear what to charge a level 2 medic character with). And again, almost all the volumes that he is at level 5 will be like this as you saw now.Stupid fillers of the story and in the end he will do something heroic like defeat Leon and get level 6 or a boss of some kind, for example, Uedos or Ballor (well, or Asterius, etc. about the Expedition from Loki to 6 lv and there is no question). And the next volume which he wants to release, as I understand it, this is a volume about Haruhime, that is, family chronicles and not volume 20, it would be better if there were 20, but everything says otherwise. And by the fact that he posted, there is indeed a high probability of the Chronicles of Haruime, which are not fucking needed. So let's look at this farce and I hope we won't be disappointed, then with volumes 18 and 19 the fans have become very fascinated with the author