Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Level Up Chance (2)
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"Miss! Miss, I get your courage, but it's way too dangerous for an ordinary person to take it on...!"
"I'm definitely finishing this bastard off myself! Just try taking one more step closer...!!"
"No...!"
This fucking idiot. Do you have any idea what kind of opportunity this is?
Not some level 1 or 2 slime—this is a level 10 monster, right on the verge of being taken down, and you're telling me to back off?
Screw that. Even if I die fighting here, I absolutely cannot let this chance slip away.
This was Lilith, stripped of even the chance to grow due to all sorts of restrictions.
Sure, if I held out long enough, some other opportunity might come along eventually.
If I built up enough trust with the head maid and got permission to go out on my days off, I could probably hunt down a couple of slimes or shell beetles in the back hills.
But what the hell would that even mean?
Monsters that give maybe 10 or 20 EXP at best, ones I'd have to struggle against with this pathetic Lilith's stats—what's the point?
Meanwhile, this level 10 monster in front of me drops over 200 EXP. That's more than ten times as much, all from just one kill.
Just one more hit to go!
I'd sooner die to a blind arrow from one of those guards than let someone steal the finishing blow in a situation like this.
No matter what, absolutely not.
'Kweeeeeek...!'
Maybe because we'd kicked up such a fuss arguing with the guards, the hook-tusked boar glared at me again, eyes bulging as it fixed its gaze on me.
Yeah, you'd rather settle this with me than get offed by those guards, right?
If you're gonna die anyway in a 2v1 gank in lane, you'd at least want to take one of them down with you, yeah?
We exchanged glances like we'd confirmed each other's resolve.
And soon enough, the hook-tusked boar charged at me for one final attack.
'Kweeeeeeek!!'
"Miss, watch out!"
"Lilith...!!"
"L-Lilith, Miss Lilith...!"
The tension was so thick that the voices around me felt distant, like they were fading away.
Even in that moment, I kept my cool until the very end, gripping my last iron skewer with both hands.
Just as the hook-tusked boar's fangs were about to slam into me, I mustered every last ounce of strength and leaped high into the air.
'Kweeeeeek...!'
I slipped my body between its two spread tusks and drove the final skewer straight into the hook-tusked boar's forehead.
I felt it pierce through something solid, and the skewer went clean through the massive boar's head.
...And right after that.
-Thwack!
"Aaaagh...!!"
"Lilith!!"
At the same time, I failed to dodge its final body slam and went flying through the air.
It was an unavoidable choice if I wanted to land a solid finishing blow.
For a level 2 body like mine, the hook-tusked boar's body slam was a brutal hit, but this game Luminor Academy was designed so you could tank at least one like that.
Thinking I'd manage somehow, I took the level 10 monster's attack head-on and tumbled across the dirt ground.
"Lilith...! Pull yourself together...!"
"L-Lilith, Miss Lilith...!"
...Ah, seriously. Stop calling me "miss."
After Isabel and Katarina's voices, I heard murmurs from other citizens and guards, but honestly, I didn't have the luxury to make out what they were saying.
As my consciousness faded, I kept my eyes on the hook-tusked boar until the end.
'Kweeeeeek...'
"......"
'Guhhh.'
With a thud, it lost its balance, collapsed sideways, and breathed its last.
A straight-up level 2 Lilith with no real attacks or skills taking down a level 10 hook-tusked boar.
If this were the actual game, even hardcore content wouldn't be this insane.
"......!!"
"......, ...!"
Even Isabel and Katarina's voices grew hazy as my vision started to blacken bit by bit.
Feeling a faint warmth, I slipped into a deep sleep.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Lilith has reached Level 3! Lilith has reached Level 4! Lith has reached Level 5! ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
And the next morning.
"......"
I'd clearly fallen asleep on the market floor in downtown Blackwood, but I woke up in some unfamiliar bed.
It definitely wasn't the second-floor bunk I shared with Isabel at the Blackwood estate.
Judging by the strangely clean scent and the room's vibe, I could guess where I was.
'A church.'
...Not that I'd died and come here, obviously.
I had no idea how death worked in this world, but it sure as hell wasn't like regular games where you respawn at church after dying.
If it were, Thanacia, Duke Harold's wife, dying wouldn't make any sense.
In Luminor Academy, they used "incapacitated" instead of "dead" when characters fell in battle.
The game system prevented extra damage once you were down, but there was no guarantee that held true in real life...
'If that happened for real, it'd be game over—straight-up death.'
This place resembled the game world in many ways, but assuming it was identical was dangerous.
Waking up in a church bed was proof enough that I'd come damn close to dying for real.
If this world was exactly like the game, a quick prayer would've brought me back to full HP with a cheerful jingle.
Not lying here getting nursed back to health.
'...But who paid the church tithe?'
A debt-ridden maid like Lilith couldn't possibly afford it, so did Isabel or Katarina cover it for me?
The moment I checked the items on the bedside table—a leather pouch that seemed to clink with coins and a letter left for me to read—I realized my guess was wrong, thankfully.
「To the Brave Maid Miss Lilith Rosewood.」
「We extend our deepest gratitude for your efforts in subduing the hook-tusked boar that appeared in the heart of Blackwood's commercial district. As the Security Captain of the Blackwood Territory Guard, I sincerely apologize for the fact that an ordinary citizen like Lilith Rosewood nearly lost her life.」
「The enclosed amount is the payout for the materials from the hook-tusked boar you defeated. Due to the circumstances, we disposed of them without your consent—please forgive us for that.」
「Additionally, the church tithe for treating your injuries was covered by the Blackwood Territory Guard. We earnestly pray for your swift recovery, and once more, on behalf of our unit, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for protecting the peace of Blackwood's commercial district.」
「Blackwood Territory Guard Security Captain, Ser Blacksong」
"......"
The security captain—that dark-haired knight who'd told me to back off, right?
I'd figured as much from how he'd tried persuading me instead of yanking me away by force. Definitely a capable, courteous guy.
This letter reeked of proper education, too.
Well, someone who'd climbed to security captain of the Blackwood Territory Guard had to have at least graduated from the academy, so basic manners were a given.
...Come to think of it, before I passed out, I'd yelled something at this guy.
'Get lost, all of you!'
'I'm definitely finishing this bastard off myself! Just try taking one more step closer...!!'
"Ah."
A wave of shame crashed over me, and I clutched my head right there on the bed.
Even in the heat of the moment, I'd spewed curses like a total moron.
Lucky for me he was a gentleman—otherwise, he could've picked a fight over it.
'...Gotta apologize if I get the chance later.'
Not that he was a major NPC in the game, so who knows if I'd even run into him again.
A gentleman like that would probably forget some immature maid's foul mouth soon enough.
Yeah. He'd have to. For my sake.
The second I decided not to stand out anymore, I'd gone and soloed a monster in the middle of the commercial district, then cussed out the approaching security guards.
'Too late for keeping a low profile in every sense.'
Well, what was done was done—dwelling on it was pointless.
My little outburst wasn't the priority anyway.
Right now, I needed to check what I'd gained from killing the hook-tusked boar before worrying about any reputation hit to Lilith.
Something way more valuable than a few coins in this pouch: EXP.
"...Hoo."
With a touch of tension, I quietly clasped my hands together on the bed.
And at once, Lilith's status window appeared before me like a massive screen.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Lilith Rosewood 🏷️ Title: Brave Junior Maid ♀️ Gender: Female 🎂 Age: 18 💼 Job: Maid 🏰 Affiliation: Blackwood Family Servant ⚔️ Attack Power: 3 → 12 🛡️ Defense: 5 → 17 🧠 Intelligence: 4 → 13 😊 Charm: 12 → 40 🍀 Luck: 0 → 1 ⭐ Current Level: 2 → 5 📈 Remaining EXP: 83 🎯 Skills: >> ❤️ HP: 15/15 → 47/47 ✨ MP: 282/282 → 855/855
Kuh.
Yeah, this is what leveling up feels like.
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