The World Is Out to Get Me
Right now, my level is 39.
Reaching Level 40 is a hard requirement for the 2nd Advancement, so before going live, I'd deliberately ground out that last level first, then headed to the place where the muscle-bound old man worked.
“Came alone this time, eh?”
“It felt easier to talk to you like this.”
His remark back then—you've got a good eye—had clearly never been about Yena alone. I could have come here with the stream running and still advanced my class, but coming alone meant there might be something he wanted to tell me in private, didn't it?
The old man studied me for a long moment.
“You seem quite different.”
“I've grown.”
“Grown, is it... now that's an amusing thing to say.”
You were already plenty strong to begin with.
“...Is there something behind that?”
“Hmm? Behind what? All I meant was that you're already strong where it counts, on the inside. Your body could still use a little work, mind.”
“Nothing else you'd like to tell me, then?”
“Hard to say. If it were a matter of helping you get stronger, I'd gladly do it—but there's nothing worth telling, I'm afraid.”
Was that really true?
Or was he keeping something from me?
...If my body were in proper condition, I'd have seen straight through him by now.
I couldn't get a read on what lay beneath this hearty old craftsman's exterior.
I nodded, then rose from my seat.
“I'll be back later, then.”
“Didn't you come here to get stronger?”
“I'll do that later, with everyone watching.”
A class advancement was good stream content, after all.
...Come to think of it, somewhere along the way I'd started putting the stream first, too.
Maybe that's not a bad sign.
The old man sent me off with a rolling laugh, and I stepped out the door. For a moment he gazed at the space where Lily had stood, then smiled and picked up the weapon he'd been working on.
“...An interesting one, that girl. Crops didn't mention her for nothing.”
“Welcome, every—L-LilHi?”
Was that the right way to do it?
I'd known what LilHi meant for ages, but actually saying it out loud myself was a first. It felt a little strange.
“Ah, the editors and managers are all hired already. I can bring on more managers down the line, but there's nothing planned at the moment.”
Managing the chat of several tens of thousands of people with only two moderators would be a stretch, but for now slow mode was on. And thanks to my politely deleting a few line-crossers early on, outright toxic messages were nearly nonexistent these days.
“Thank you for the $23, LilyLily. Today I'll be doing my class advancement right away, and then probably a duel stream after that.”
From what I'd heard, the 3rd Advancement—the step after this one—came at Level 60, and getting there would take a good three months or so. Pushing higher than that before the Mock Siege Battle would be a stretch, I figured. For now, the plan was to climb my rank score after the 2nd Advancement and get regular practice against the rankers.
“I already hit Level 40 before the stream started. All that's left is the advancement itself.”
I swept a hand back toward the smithy behind me. Smoke curled steadily from the workshop chimney, as if something was being forged inside. I'd already been here once today, but I pushed open the wooden door as if it were my first visit.
“Welcome! Come in looking plenty stronger, I see.”
The muscle-bound old man, treating me exactly as if he were seeing me for the first time today. I gave a small bow of gratitude for the consideration and stepped slowly into the workshop.
“Let's see now... you've certainly grown stronger since last time.”
“A lot has happened.”
“So it would seem. Good—then let me help you along.”
The moment the 2nd Advancement completed, my physical abilities climbed again. It didn't show on the surface, but the most important thing of all—my mana reserves—had roughly tripled. At this level, the range of usable techniques and spells widened enormously.
Divinity is still out of reach, though.
I understood why. Divinity, like demonic energy, was a fuel-efficient nightmare of a resource that gnawed away at the body itself. Celestials and demons could wield it as easily as breathing, but ordinary humans and lesser races who tried to use even a fraction of it tended to come apart at the seams. As a Heaven-Scented Human, I didn't devour my own flesh when using it—but pushing divinity beyond the body's limits placed a terrible strain on me all the same.
“And I'll hand over your third request now.”
“Pardon?”
Class Advancement — Spear Artist 3.?
🎯 Objective: Hunt 30 boss monsters of Level 40 or higher, OR land the killing blow on 1 world boss.
🎁 Reward: 300,000 EXP, 500 gold coins, ? unlocked.
“...I'm sorry, what?”
Thirty of them?
Level 40 or higher, no less?
“Is this right?”
“That it is. A man's got to go through this much if he wants to grow stronger.”
“...What if I hit Level 60?”
“You'll finish the request I gave you all the same.”
“......”
How many bosses had I actually killed in my time here?
Level 40 or higher... four, at most?
When was I supposed to hunt thirty of them?
When I fixed him with a look of wounded betrayal, the old man pointedly turned his head away. He seemed to be fighting down a laugh, somehow.
“Ahem. Off you go, then.”
“...Yes, sir.”
“Suddenly the whole world feels like it's out to get me.”
“Killing one would be nice, but... do you really think one will show up?”
They were supposed to be absurdly rare—and absurdly strong on top of that.
“Lily's First Sword, thank you as always for the incredible support. Then, let's head into ranked.”
I muted donations for a moment, left the smithy behind, and made for the Duel Stadium. The instant I asked Moco to set up a match, the queue popped at remarkable speed.
Your ranked match begins shortly.
Gold — 500 Points
Format: Single round · Stat adjustment · Equipment adjustment
A room of pristine white.
Beyond it stood a man holding a long blade.
Heterochromia.
The red and blue eyes framed by his black hair pulsed with a violet aura, as if they mirrored the mana within him. And little by little, the silver of his blade began to bleed purple.
The magic swordsman flinched visibly when he saw me, but quickly said nothing and settled into his stance. Facing the fight in dead earnest. A good mindset to have.
This is what ranked should be.
The countdown began, and we both pushed off at the same instant.
The opening move was his. The violet mana coating the magic swordsman's blade roared to life like fire. Where his sword passed, flames lingered in the air. It was a somewhat wild, space-cleaving swing, yet the fire that followed moved as though it were alive, hurling itself at me.
A magic swordsman. A swordsman who wielded magic. For a human to handle both at once was close to impossible—sword masters aside. Yet this man bent both to his will freely. Even granting that it was a class trait, the sheer strangeness of his attacks deserved recognition.
Could I pull it off?
I poured wind into my spear and batted the flames aside, all while weighing the balance between my physical output and my mana. At my current state, I might just manage that technique. With the spirit's wind on hand, the ingredients were all there.
The magic swordsman flailed his blade wildly at me as I weaved and slipped around him. A brutish sword style that didn't seem to care whether it connected. As swordsmanship went, it was an utterly foolish approach—but wherever his blade passed, homing flames bloomed in its wake. That was his way of fighting, and it had apparently carried him to victory every time.
Before I knew it, countless lines of sword-fire filled more than half the arena. There was no room left to dodge.
“Then let me show you something fun.”
My body had more or less recovered, too. And there was one technique that suited an opponent like this perfectly.
I twisted the spear.
The mana steeped in my flesh seeped into the spearhead, and the guardian wind drew in the fire strewn chaotically around the arena. The gathered flames, caught in the spirit wind, began to swirl in an endless cycle.
A storm of fire erupted across the Duel Stadium.
“...Eh?”
“This isn't a party trick, you know.”
From here on, it was the real thing.