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Passing through the towering stone city gate, the view before Jason suddenly opened up.
During this time, the city gate guards looked at Jason as he passed by, their expressions cold. They neither did anything nor said a word.
Jason vaguely remembered that the city gate guards had warmly greeted Iwatani Naofumi, but when it came to him, their attitudes were the same.
He suspected that this might have something to do with Myne, but he didn't bother to think about it any further.
Continuing to walk out of the city for about 100 meters, the endless grassland expanded completely into his field of vision, with the setting sun adding a touch of magnificence.
Although a narrow gravel road stretched into the distance across the grassland, the blades of grass grew at least to an adult's knee. If one stepped into the grassland carelessly, it would be easy to lose sight of the main road.
After determining his direction for a moment, Jason stepped directly into the grassland.
The grass blades rustled against his trouser legs.
Jason was not disturbed by the sound, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. He soon spotted a few arrows darting quickly through the seemingly endless grass.
"Does each arrow represent a monster approaching me? How considerate," Jason thought with a slight smile, slowly extending his fist from the folds of his black windbreaker.
The arrows drew closer, and when they were about two meters away, three balloon-like creatures leaped out of the grass.
They opened their mouths wide, displaying sharp teeth, and lunged directly at Jason.
"In my recollection, this is a type of monster known as a Balloon Monster. Though weak, they are extremely aggressive."
Thinking this, Jason threw a punch forward as if nothing had happened.
The first balloon monster exploded on contact with his fist, leaving no chance for struggle.
Jason's fist didn't stop there; it continued on to blast the second balloon monster before landing on the third. Unsurprisingly, they too became nothing more than fragments scattered in the air.
In the original book, Iwatani Naofumi had taken several minutes and spent a lot of stamina just to kill a single balloon monster.
Yet Jason had effortlessly dispatched three of them with just a casual punch. The difference between the two Shield Heroes was undeniably vast.
However, Jason didn't feel any pride. After all, he had completed 8% of the Garp template, and faced with just a few low-level monsters, he could easily dominate.
At that moment, he noticed a dinging sound in his ears and saw the number EXP3 flash before his eyes.
"This should be experience points. A mere 3 experience points for three balloon monsters is just not enough. With this kind of return, using a double or triple experience card would be pointless. It would be better to save them for later."
Jason shook his head, contemplating whether to venture deeper.
But after a moment of consideration, he dismissed the idea.
This grassland was clearly the so-called novice leveling area. Even if he went deeper and encountered slightly stronger monsters, the experience gained would likely not be significantly higher—and the numbers would certainly be fewer than those from the balloon monsters.
When considering the overall return, the potential rewards did not justify the energy expended.
Furthermore, the sky was growing dark, and he needed to return to the city for rest. It would be too troublesome to run back later.
"Let's explore farther tomorrow and take today to get accustomed to my current body," Jason decided.
While he could clearly feel power surging in his body after obtaining the Garp template, he still felt a bit off-balance, as if he had all this strength yet couldn't utilize it properly.
He guessed it was due to his body having suddenly become too powerful, while his mind hadn't fully adjusted. It needed a bit of activity and combat to synchronize.
"Let's check the attributes, hmm? Can I see my stats?"
Before fully acclimatizing to his body and leveling up, Jason resolved to examine his current attributes to get a rough estimate of his capabilities.
As he thought this, a status bar floated into view, displaying a multitude of data.
Jason wasn't sure if Iwatani Naofumi had this function in the original book or if it was unique to him, but being able to see his own attribute values was undoubtedly a benefit.
[Jason]: Human.
[LV]: Level 1
[HP]: 1350
[SP]: 300
[Strength]: 65 (ordinary person 5)
[Agility]: 53 (+3)
[Defense]: 103 (+5)
[Spirit]: 30 (+1)
[Lucky]: XX
Note: (+x) indicates equipment bonus.
"In other words, my current physical strength is at least ten times that of an ordinary person. My defensive capability is twenty times that!"
To be honest, Jason was taken aback by some of his extraordinarily high attributes.
Especially his health and defense; considering he was only level 1, he suspected the attributes of the other three heroes were likely still in single digits.
If his guess was correct, it must be a result of the Garp template, granting him attributes that surpassed those of the others.
"The attributes are impressive, but I must not be careless. The numbers on the page are merely a reference. Since my brain hasn't fully adapted to my body yet, I'm far from tapping into the power those stats indicate. In other words, if I don't continue to hone my skills, I might unleash a strength that exceeds what the data suggests."
With a clear goal in mind, Jason rushed towards the balloon monsters in the grassland without hesitation.
One by one, the balloon monsters burst under Jason's fists.
Gradually, he discovered a strange thrill in the act, reminiscent of the satisfaction that came from popping bubble wrap.
In the end, he became completely immersed in the relentless onslaught against the balloon monsters, losing track of time, even forgetting his intention to return to the city for the night.
At the city gate, the chief guard checked the time and scanned the surroundings as if searching for someone. When he saw no one, he shouted to the other guards, "Close the gate!"
"Captain, it's not time to close the city gates yet! I just saw the Shield Hero go out, and he hasn't come back!" a guard replied suspiciously.
"Are you an idiot? If the Shield Hero is coming back, why should we keep the gates open? Don't you know the king is angry with him right now?" the chief guard scolded angrily.
Understanding what that meant, the guard hurriedly closed the city gate.
"Very good!"
The chief guard nodded in satisfaction. His intention was clearly to lock Jason out of the city, leaving him to spend the night with the monsters.
He could already imagine Jason panicking as he was chased by those creatures, running to the city gate, desperately knocking and shouting for help.
Then, when he appeared and asked Jason to kneel in supplication, he would coldly reply, "I have my position, so I'm sorry!"
The thought of Jason's desperate expression made the chief guard chuckle, letting out a standard villainous laugh of 'haha.'
However, an hour passed... then two hours... then three hours...
The sky had turned pitch black, illuminated only by the moonlight.
Still, Jason's figure did not emerge.
The chief guard, who had stood up all night, was now standing on the city wall, his eyes red from fatigue. The cold wind blew around him, causing him to shake his legs to warm himself.
"Damn! That Shield Hero, why hasn't he come back yet?"
Gradually, the sun began to rise.
The chief guard's eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks had lost all color.
He began to wonder why he had stood on the city wall enduring the wind all night.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 50+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 50+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11 Additionally, I have many other works you may be interested in. Please enjoy!
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The armor, which had been buffeted by the cold wind all night, had become extraordinarily frigid.
Despite wearing an inner shirt, the chief guard could still feel the armor sapping his body heat.
"Aqiu~~~"
The chief guard sneezed forcefully. After staying awake all night without spotting the person he was waiting for, an inexplicable irritability began to bubble within him.
A cloud of frustration loomed over his heart, yet he had no means to express it. This sensation left him feeling particularly aggrieved.
"Open the door!!!"
Suddenly, a male voice pierced the morning stillness, shattering the tranquility with its urgency.
"Damn it! Which fool is yelling? Don't they know it's not time to open the city gate yet?"
The chief guard, eager for an outlet for his pent-up anger, lashed out at the source of the disturbance, his voice full of rage from a night of restlessness.
"Yelling so loudly at the break of dawn, I ought to throw you into the dungeon for disturbing the peace!"
The chief guard continued to bark as he marched towards the city gate.
However, when he spotted a group of figures standing at the city gates, he froze in surprise.
This group consisted of spear hero Motoyasu, bow hero Itsuki , sword hero Ren, and the adventurers who accompanied them.
As if that wasn't surprising enough, Myne, the princess of this kingdom, was among them. How could he not recognize her?
Myne, who had just been humiliated by Jason the day before, shared a mood not unlike that of an angry storm cloud. Hearing the crude utterances of the chief guard, her face turned frosty, her eyes filled with a murderous glare that seemed ready to blast the guard where he stood.
Under Myne's fierce stare, the chief guard began to sweat profusely. Kneeling on the ground, he stammered, "I'm sorry! I didn't know it was all brave warriors! I truly did not mean to offend you, esteemed heroes!"
Motoyasu and the others misinterpreted the chief guard's fear as respect for their heroic status. Although their expressions were mostly neutral, Motoyasu held his chin slightly higher, as if proudly declaring his nobility.
"Alright, hurry up and open the city gate. Before the next wave of beasts arrives, we need to bolster our strength quickly. We cannot afford any delays!" Ren commanded coldly.
"Y-yes, yes! I'll open the city gate right away!"
The chief guard quickly scrambled to his feet and opened the gates for them.
The trio of brave warriors strode forward, followed by their band of adventurers, making their way onto the grassland outside the city.
...
Meanwhile, Jason lay sprawled lazily on the grassland, a multitude of balloon monsters nipping at his body.
Strangely, the bites from the balloon monsters elicited no pain; it seemed that their sharp teeth couldn't penetrate his defenses at all, even providing a soothing sensation akin to a gentle massage.
Indeed, Jason had spent the entire night battling these balloon monsters on the grasslands.
He embodied the very spirit of a hardcore gamer, reminiscent of the days when he would tirelessly grind for levels without rest.
Back then, he could stay awake for three days and nights purely to level up in online games.
Of course, fighting real monsters in the wild consumed far more energy than mindlessly clicking away in front of a computer screen.
Yet, thanks to the Garp template, Jason felt no fatigue, instead simply lying on the grass to unwind after a rather monotonous evening of combat.
Little did he know that the chief guard was about to make trouble for him. If he had been aware, he would surely have regretted delaying his return and losing the opportunity to grow stronger.
"Just a bit more, and I can reach level 5. Leveling up in this world sure is tough. I hope the returns are worth it."
Jason opened his eyes, casually plucking one of the balloon monsters from his body and crushing it without a second thought.
Along with the notification of EXP +1 appearing in his vision, the words 'level up' illuminated his display.
"Level 5—what's changed in my attributes?"
Muttering to himself, Jason accessed his status panel.
[Jason]: Human.
[LV]: Level 1 → Level 5
[HP]: 1350→1400
[SP]: 300→325
[Strength]: 65→65 (ordinary person 5)
[Agility]: 53→57 (+3)
[Defense]: 103→115 (+5)
[Spirit]: 30→34 (+1)
"Looks like I've gained a few points after reaching level 5, but why does my strength remain unchanged?"
Gazing at his attributes with a frown, Jason felt a hint of disappointment.
In truth, if it weren't for the Garp template bonus, the increase in his attributes would have seemed rather impressive.
It was simply unimaginable for Jason, who feasted on lobster and geoduck every day, to catch sight of wild vegetables.
Just as he was about to dismiss his status panel, he suddenly noticed that the display in his vision had gone haywire, as if some sort of virus had infiltrated the computer interface.
In that moment, he felt an unnatural force surge within him, as his attributes flickered erratically.
"Ding dong! The Garp template has reached 8% completion!"
A notification echoed in his mind, and his status bar stabilized, freezing the attributes in place.
[Jason]: Human.
[LV]: Level 5
[HP]: 1500
[Strength]: 70 (ordinary person 5)
[Defense]: 130 (+5)
[Spirit]: 39 (+1)
The increase in the Garp template's completion stood at a mere 1%, yet the boost to his attributes had skyrocketed compared to the previous level.
What thrilled Jason the most was the revelation that leveling up could actually contribute to the completion of the Garp template.
This meant that the benefits he reaped from gaining experience had multiplied manifold.
It also implied a path to faster growth in power.
Just as Jason was savoring his excitement, he heard voices nearby.
"Master Motoyasu, here are some creatures referred to as Balloon Monsters. They look like balloons and, although weak, exhibit a great deal of aggression. It would be ideal for you to test your skills against them!"
"Balloon Monsters, huh? They don't sound too formidable. Where are they?"
Motoyasu, eager to wash away the humiliation of being defeated by Jason the previous day, raised his holy spear, ready for action.
However, as he looked around, the grassland seemed unremarkable—no signs of any strange movements, only the whispering sound of the wind brushing through the grass.
"This is odd. There are usually a lot of Balloon Monsters around here. Why can't I see even one today?"
The adventurer accompanying him expressed confusion over the serene landscape.
"Could they be migrating?" Kitamura Motoyasu proposed.
"Impossible. Regardless of the type of monster, they maintain a strong sense of territory and will not vacate that area without a compelling reason," the adventurer replied, shaking his head and dismissing Motoyasu's theory.
"Motoyasu, have you encountered a monster called Balloon Monster?"
A voice rang out nearby, catching Motoyasu's attention.
"It seems I've been mistaken; there's nothing here, not even an insect!"
Turning to see Ren leading a group of adventurers toward him, Motoyasu felt a mix of anticipation and curiosity.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 50+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11