Chapter 2: Dirty Tricks
In Kizuyoru, there are some weapons that can be equipped in both hands.
For example, there’s the two-handed axe I initially found and gave up on, along with swords, spears, two-handed swords, and one-handed swords that allow for dual-wielding.
Among these, only the one-handed swords have the unique feature of overlapping special effects when equipped.
For instance, if I equip one-handed sword A with a paralysis effect in my right hand and one-handed sword B with a critical rate enhancement in my left hand, both effects will activate.
Now, what happens if I equip two one-handed swords with exactly the same effects and stats—the ones I just dropped that boost experience points?
The answer is simple: the experience point boost effect is doubled.
Thus, to hit the level cap, it’s clearly noted in the wiki’s trick and tips section to secure two one-handed swords with experience boosts, and I obediently followed that advice in my previous life to level up.
Additionally, in this world where games have become reality, it’s quite lucky that the weapons from the Hidden Area look no different from the cheapest weapons available at the weapon shop.
Putting it meta, it probably reflects the designer’s sentiment of not wanting to have dedicated graphics for every random drop item! But anyway, it was psychologically reassuring that a design like this wouldn’t get stolen from someone like me.
Anyway, after finishing my equipment retrieval marathon in the Hidden Area, I bid farewell to the Underground Sewer and finally accepted a request for the classic monster hunt.
By the way, around this time, my brother and his fiancée officially married and solidified their base, while my parents said, “You can have this house we live in, but once you graduate from the Royal Magic Academy, get out,” further neglecting me. Still, I was happy that the chances of them intervening carelessly had decreased, allowing me more freedom to move.
So, I bribed a maid for a special allowance, got her to act as my guarantor, and opened a personal account. I was making preparations for independence by depositing the money from selling the items I’d collected in the Hidden Area, but that’s a different story.
Now, the first monster I would face was the Work Bee, a monster with the ability to summon a horde of its kind when it sees a human.
It doesn’t have particularly high attack power on its own, but due to its sheer numbers, it’s recognized as dangerous by rookie adventurers, while seasoned adventurers ignore it because the drop items are underwhelming and it’s annoyingly tough, earning it the nickname “Adventurer Guild’s Nightmare.”
However, having obtained two one-handed swords from the Hidden Area with experience boost effects, I saw this as a perfect prey that would continuously deliver experience points.
Additionally, the Work Bee was level 10. If I, being level 1, defeated it, the level difference would grant me an experience boost, allowing me to level up from just one kill.
Moreover, in Kizuyoru, when levels increase, all stats are fully restored except for abnormal statuses.
In other words, if I carefully adjusted the number of monsters exterminated without wiping them all out, I could level up as much as I wanted.
Thus, I continued to swing my sword at the endlessly spawning Work Bees.
Eventually, once I reached a point where I could easily withstand their attacks, I began experimenting with sword techniques in preparation for battles against stronger monsters, and by the time I felt satisfied with my skills, night had completely fallen.
Finally realizing I needed to head back soon or the Adventurer Guild would close, I cleared out the remaining monsters and sprinted back to the Royal Capital.
On that day, I defeated around 394 Work Bees, and my level shot up from 1 to 30.
Considering that the recommended level for the final boss of the common scenario is 25, I’d say I had significantly grown stronger.
Plus, the cash from selling the items dropped by the Work Bees added up nicely. Combined with what I’d earned from the Hidden Area, I had saved enough to build a house in a prime location in the capital that was better than the one my parents currently lived in.
Well, it would certainly draw attention if a second son of a lower-rank noble, who wasn’t even of age, did something like that, so I’d remain quietly in the current house until I entered the Magic Academy.
Still, I felt a bit bad for making the reception lady at the guild teary-eyed by dumping a massive load of Work Bee corpses and loot for exchange.
But it was fortunate that I learned other adventurers were mostly gone by the time the guild’s reception counter was closing.
After that, I repeatedly spent mornings and days defeating monsters until just before the reception counter closed, and by the time I entered the Royal Magic Academy, I’d managed to raise my level to 50 and save enough to live a comfortable laid-back life without extravagance.
However, further leveling beyond that might be only possible in the last dungeon of the original story.
The highest level for monsters appearing outside the Hidden Area and final dungeon is level 40. Even then, it’s just a special monster that appears only once a day, and apart from that, the monsters in the dungeons include Lizardmen at level 30.
And these Lizardmen, since they wield swords and shields, take a considerable amount of time to defeat one.
Even when I mindlessly swung my sword as I did when I first killed a Work Bee, I found that I could only take down about 20 a day.
Moreover, the cash reward from 300 Work Bees was considerably better, so I was definitely hitting a wall for both leveling up and collecting cash items.
However, on the other hand, my interest and enthusiasm for leveling up had mostly vanished by that point.
I wouldn’t be inheriting the Reuben family. Actually, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Moreover, I heard that once you’re the second son of a former noble, a lot of people start crawling out of the woodwork.
In that case, I’d settle for living lazily in that house after graduating from the Academy.
After all, the heroine would take care of the world’s crisis, so there’s no need for me to worry about it.
That’s what I thought…
“Who would’ve thought I’d be entering a bad end route… achoo!”
Maybe it was because I got drenched in the rain and wind; shivering, I stuffed the clothes I’d worn into the magical washing machine and hit the bed early.
In all likelihood, in the not-too-distant future, the final boss, the Demon King, would resurrect.
What would happen to this world without the Saintess of Light when that happens?
“—Ugh, my head’s starting to hurt. Time to sleep.”
I relinquished my thoughts due to fatigue and a headache, trying to drift into sleep.
“Thank you for your concern. But I’m fine. I’ll just lie here and die.”
(Damn… I can’t shake off that thought at all.)
But I just couldn’t forget Fine’s face from that time, and I ended up falling asleep well past midnight.
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