If you asked an adventurer what change they anticipated the most in their status, their answer was likely to be only one—'Level'.
It wasn't about obtaining magic or skills with peculiar effects, nor was it about a significant boost in basic abilities. It was about the evolution of body and mind, the increase in level.
Especially for a Level 1 beginner adventurer, leveling up was undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited thing. Because, from this step onwards, they truly embarked on an extraordinary path.
Falna existed as a catalyst for growth, an accelerator for getting stronger. In other words, it didn't enable those who couldn't get stronger to break their limits and get stronger. Instead, it accelerated the process for those who could continue getting stronger.
It all boiled down to whether a person had the growth potential. If there was growth potential, Falna could expedite the process by accumulating Excelia to stimulate growth, becoming a nourishment for growth.
Unfortunately, without growth potential, even with Falna, one could not grow further. This was why people who could develop basic abilities to S-rank were rare, and even those at A-rank and B-rank were scarce. Their potential was depleted, preventing any further growth. Accumulating Excelia wouldn't increase proficiency even a bit.
In light of this, despite the disparities in strength at Level 1, people in this level still belonged to the realm of the 'ordinary'. They could accumulate Excelia to push their bodies to the limit of mortal but couldn't truly transcend and possess monstrous strength.
Especially for mortals without any racial advantage, even if they pushed their bodies to the limit through training, at best, they could only shatter a rock.
Could they really bring down a whole mountain?
It was unattainable.
The mortal body had its limits, no matter how one grew, one wouldn't become godly. But once they experienced leveling up, everything changed.
The so-called 'body and mind evolution' was just as it sounds, a genuine transcendence, officially entering the realm of superpower.
Whether 'Human' or 'Demi-Human', even if they exhausted their potential at Level 1, reaching the limit of their mortal body, once they successfully leveled up, a transformation worthy of being called 'body and mind evolution' occurred.
This transformation was not only evident in getting stronger but also in the 'vessel' becoming larger and broader.
After leveling up, the body transcended to another level, bringing forth new potential and possibilities. It gave a chance for those who reached a bottleneck, unable to progress, to have the opportunity to grow and get stronger once again.
This was leveling up.
As Loki had said, leveling up was approaching the level of the Gods. The higher the level, the more frequent the transcendence, the more thorough the evolution of body and mind, and the closer one got to the Gods.
So, the phenomenon of leveling up could be seen as a step-by-step becoming a God. Who wouldn't yearn to level up?
However, leveling up was not something that could be casually done.
"In general, to level up, you need to meet two conditions."
Loki swayed the bottle of wine in her hand, intentionally or unintentionally remarking.
"One is to bump up one of your basic skills to the sixth rank, that is, D-rank. Second, obtain 'High-Rank Excelia' by pulling off a remarkable exploit, mostly by defeating opponents stronger than yourself."
The first condition provided a solid foundation for leveling up.
If the basic accumulation was insufficient, it was like building a tall skyscraper on an unstable foundation. Even if you built upward, the only result was likely to be a collapse.
Similarly, to achieve body and mind evolution, to bring about individual sublimation, it was impossible without a certain foundation.
The second condition was to provide an ample supply of the so-called nutrients for leveling up and evolution.
Just as ordinary Excelia could promote the growth of basic abilities and even awaken magic and skills, to level up, one still needed enough Excelia.
However, at that point, the required Excelia was not something ordinary Excelia could satisfy. As Loki had said, it had to be 'High-Rank Excelia'.
This kind of advanced Excelia was what Loki referred to as an exploit.
That is, defeating opponents stronger than oneself.
That is, taking life-threatening risks.
That is, creating challenging endeavors that leave a lasting impact.
Once these actions were accomplished, the recipient of the blessing would obtain more advanced Excelia than usual, achieving the so-called exploit.
When the accumulation of exploits was sufficient, the evolution of body and mind would be triggered, allowing individuals to advance and enter higher domains.
This was leveling up.
"Defeating opponents stronger than myself, huh...?" Riezel muttered and a smirk unconsciously appeared on his lips.
Seeing him like this, Loki sobered up from the alcohol.
"Well, well... It seems this didn't just fail to scare you, but got you excited instead?" Loki retorted speechlessly. "Usually, when people hear they gotta take down opponents stronger than themselves, they'd be hesitating, maybe even freaking out, y'know? But you're truly something else... Instead of hesitating or scared shitless, you're practically sounding the war horn for battle."
Wasn't that the case?
Fighting against opponents stronger than oneself usually meant having no chance of winning, right?
No chance of winning implied a high possibility of death.
Upon hearing that leveling up required such conditions, who wouldn't hesitate?
Only Riezel, unexpectedly, was smiling.
"It's not that bad..." Riezel quickly hid the uncontrollable twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Even if the opponent is stronger, there are examples of the weak overcoming the strong, and there are many of them. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many high-class adventurers in this world."
Indeed, even though the requirements for leveling up were strict, there were still quite a few who managed to achieve it in the end.
Why?
Because being weaker than the opponent allowed for compensation through skill, reversal through tactics, and even a plethora of plots and tricks.
To be more direct, wasn't magic also a miraculous trump card?
If you happened to encounter an opponent stronger than yourself, then, by risking it all and casting a super-long chant wide area annihilation magic, unleashing the power to scorch the sky and boil the sea, could it be that it was impossible to burn down a stronger opponent in one go?
All these possibilities hinged on the potential of the weak triumphing over the strong.
Of course, there was also a simpler method.
"I suggest you find someone to form a party." Loki advised. "Facing stronger enemies, challenging them in a party setup, using the combined strength to tackle the opponent—that's the shortcut to obtaining High-Rank Excelia and achieving exploit."
In short, if you couldn't win a duel, you just ganged up on them. Challenging stronger opponents in this way could also yield exploits.
However, by doing so, Excelia was distributed among all the members of the same party, which might have led to insufficient accumulation of High-Rank Excelia for a one-time level-up.
But if once wasn't enough, then didn't a few more times enough?
This was why the conditions for achieving exploits were so strict, and yet many people still managed to level up successfully.
Challenging in a party setup was both safe and reliable.
"Luckily, this Familia's got loads of kids, and there are plenty of high-level kids. They can guide you safely as you level up." Loki glanced at Riezel and grinned. "If you need anything, just give me a shout."
The meaning of her words was clear; he just needed to directly tell her if he needed help and she would help arrange a party to guide him.
This was also one of the advantages of joining a big Familia—someone to lead you, someone to take care of you, someone to guide you, and someone to protect you. There was no need to worry about not progressing; only the concern of whether one's potential was enough.
In a weaker Familia, finding a companion to form a party was a big problem.
From this perspective, Riezel's initial choice to join Loki Familia was undoubtedly a wise one. Otherwise, why would so many people have hoped to join a big Familia?
It was clear that the connections and resources of a big Familia were too advantageous.
Only...
"Party, huh?"
Riezel unconsciously furrowed his brow, leaving Loki at a loss for words.
"Oh, c'mon, kiddo! Wouldn't it be awesome if someone had your back? You never know what kind of troubles might come your way if you go solo!"
Looking at Riezel's hesitated face, Loki ground her teeth, holding back the urge to smash his head with the wine bottle.
"Meh, fuck it. Expecting you to grow up all nice and steady is probably wishful thinking. Since your status hasn't hit its peak, let's get you used to group combat first. We'll figure out the details when it's time to level up!"
Looking at Riezel's growth potential, there was no doubt that he hadn't fully unleashed his potential at Level 1.
Given this trend, upgrading all his basic abilities to the A-rank was undoubtedly possible, and even reaching the highest S-rank was a visible possibility.
But could the power after leveling up from the strongest S-rank be the same as leveling up from the minimum D-rank?
Both were level-ups, and the power gained after leveling up was the same. However, it was clear that those with higher status in the initial S-rank would be stronger.
"Heh, I'm actually looking forward to seeing if you can pull off the miracle of hitting S-rank on all basic abilities." Loki chuckled.
"All S-rank?" Riezel muttered quietly.
That was indeed a miracle. At least, as far as he knew, even in the original work, only one person came close to this achievement.
That legendary character, dubbed Orario's ultimate weapon, with a staggering Level 7, had four basic abilities in his status reaching S-rank, just one short of achieving S-rank on all basic abilities.
Apart from that individual, there was no second person in the original work with such terrifying basic abilities.
Of course, the protagonist of the original work was an exception.
He not only achieved S-rank on all basic abilities but even surpassed them, reaching a realm unheard of and unseen by even the Gods.
Riezel looked at the parchment in his hand, his eyes flickering. Compared to the protagonist, could he touch the possibility that made the Gods amazed?
'I'm kinda looking forward to it.'
Riezel smiled and said with anticipation inside his mind.
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The next day.
After Riezel finished preparing, he didn't immediately leave Twilight Manor to head to the dungeon. Instead, he stayed in the courtyard like other members.
In his hand, he held a piece of parchment with a scribbled message written in common language.
—I've found you a party member. Although her level is higher than yours, I and the other three top executives, feel that she still needs to hone her combat ability. Perfect timing, you two team up, form a small party, and train together.
Clearly, it was a message written by Loki.
In the morning, just as Riezel stepped out of his room, the message was already placed on the floor by the door, waiting for him to pick it up.
'Looks like Loki really found me a partner, planning to train my combat ability in a party, huh?'
Riezel was somewhat helpless, but he didn't oppose the idea and silently came here, waiting for his party member to arrive.
Although going into the dungeon with someone meant he couldn't act as freely as before, honing group combat was indeed necessary. Especially when his level increased, and he needed to delve into deeper floors or even go on expeditions. Most likely, he would have to go with the other members. Considering this, starting to train group combat now, though a bit early, was acceptable to him.
Of course, Loki's arrangement probably had something to do with preparing him for future exploits and leveling up. He might be planning to have him join the Familia's seniors for a secure experience gain.
Riezel had no choice but to follow the Goddess's arrangement for now.
'I just wonder who my partner will be... Would it be a first-class adventurer from the Familia executive?'
'No, definitely not.'
If they went into the dungeon with him, it wouldn't be honing group combat; it would be showing off in front of the rookie and overpowering monsters for the rookie to see.
Considering Loki's message, the party member should be a junior member within the Familia, not too different in level from Riezel, and with some apparent issue in their abilities.
'Who could it be?'
Riezel searched his memories of the original work.
But before he could come up with an answer, hurried footsteps echoed through the courtyard.
"So-Sorry! I'm late!"
Accompanying the frantic footsteps was a nervous, timid voice filled with anxiety.
In front of Riezel appeared an Elf girl dressed conservatively with a touch of natural elegance while holding a staff. She had tea-colored long hair tied behind her head, and like a small animal, she swayed her tail-like hair in panic.
From the slightly tender face of the girl, it was clear she was no older than fifteen. Indeed, she was a junior member from Loki Familia, just as Riezel had expected.
However, he never expected that the one assigned to be his party member would be such a highly anticipated rising star in the eyes of the Familia's higher-ups.
"Are you Lefiya Viridis?" Riezel expressed his surprise.
Yes.
The newcomer was precisely Lefiya Viridis.
Capable of using more than three types of magic, and proficient in the special magic called 'Elf Ring', one of the only two in Loki Familia who could do so.
"Eh?" Lefiya slightly surprised. "D-Do you know me?"
"Of course." Riezel regained his composure and gave a faint smile. "You're the vice-captain's chosen disciple and successor, the future executive member of the Familia. Even as a rookie like me who recently joined the Familia, I've heard about your name."
Not to mention, this girl was an important supporting character from the original work and one of the heroines.
It would be strange if Riezel didn't know her.
However, in his view, the behavior of this girl seemed to become more anxious and nervous.
"Successor and all that... I'm still too early for that!" Lefiya wore a stressed expression.
Clearly, the expectations of the Familia's higher-ups had put considerable pressure on her.
Seeing her reaction, Riezel naturally wouldn't continue adding pressure to this girl who was younger than him. So, he slowed down his tone a bit.
"Since you're here, it means you are indeed my party member, right?" Riezel confirmed, just to be sure.
"Yes!" Lefiya nervously said. "Although I'm not very reliable, I'll do my best to keep up with you. Please advise!"
After saying that, she even gave a deep bow to him.
As he saw this, he took a step back, avoiding this gesture.
"Don't do that..." Riezel said with a somewhat subtle look. "Technically, I should be the one saying that. You got the roles mixed up, y'know?"
Lefiya was a Level 3 second-class adventurer, two levels higher than Riezel, who was just Level 1. Moreover, he was a rookie who recently joined the Familia. Even though she was still a Familia junior, her seniority was much higher than him.
Under such circumstances, logically speaking, what she said should be said by him. He should be the one feeling nervous and anxious, not the other way.
However, why did the position completely flip, with her seeming like the rookie, and him the senior?
It was nothing but absurd.
But his expression and response, once again, didn't make her feel at ease; instead, it made her even more nervous.
"I'm still immature, unable to care for juniors as Lady Riveria does..." Lefiya looked like she was on the verge of tears.
She clearly wasn't the type with a stable mindset. In her eyes, she wasn't mature enough. Yet, was she supposed to guide a rookie relying on level and seniority, who also happened to be two years older and seemingly tough like Riezel?
It was definitely impossible!
"Okay... Calm down..."
Seeing the girl in a panic, Riezel tried to calm her down.
"From now on, we'll be forming a party and fighting together. In that case, let's be more natural with each other. You don't have to be too polite, and definitely don't use honorifics with me."
"I-Is that okay?" Lefiya, after hearing this, relaxed a bit but still seemed somewhat tense.
"It's okay."
Seeing Lefiya finally calm down, Riezel spoke straightforwardly since he wasn't a fan of beating around the bush.
"Honestly, I've got the upper hand in this situation. It's a bit unexpected to be on equal terms with a senior in the Familia who's at a higher level than me. If you're not into it, I'll tone it down and switch to using polite speech with you."
"Well... Okay then..." Lefiya carefully observed his expression and, seeing that he maintained a clear gaze without any emotional changes, reluctantly nodded.
Only then did Riezel smile, while pondering the thoughts of the Familia's higher-ups.
Without a doubt, the fact that his party member would be Lefiya, the future backbone of the Familia, was definitely an arrangement made by the higher-ups.
Even though she had some immature aspects, the significance of sending the vice-captain's successor to his side, forming a party with a rookie who had recently joined the Familia, to hone their group combat ability was absolutely not ordinary.
Upon careful consideration, Lefiya would be the one likely to inherit Riveria's position in the future and possibly become the Familia vice-captain. Clearly, she had to be someone who could become the future backbone of the entire Familia.
In this regard, the fact that the higher-ups sent Lefiya to form a party with him held a meaningful implication.
'Are they already treating me like another Lefiya, someone in need of special training and attention?' Riezel pondered, unsure of how to express his feelings about this.
Was he happy about this attention? Or did he feel pressure for his future?
'Loki really put me in a position where I don't know whether to be happy or not...' Riezel thought wryly.
Nevertheless, despite his inner thoughts, he maintained a natural and calm demeanor on the surface.
"Are you ready?" Riezel looked at Lefiya's face and asked.
"Yes, I'm ready!" Lefiya nodded heavily. "I've got twenty regular potions, ten high potions, ten poison cures, twenty magic potions, and I even prepared two elixirs. Nothing can go wrong!"
Riezel was left almost speechless by her words, and couldn't help but look at her with an extremely strange expression.
"Wha-What happened?" Lefiya asked nervously. "Is my preparation not enough?"
"No..." Riezel sighed. "Your preparation is more than enough. It's so much that I feel overwhelmed..."
Potions, especially the high ones and magic potions, were valuable recovery items that only skilled pharmacists with the 'Mixing' development ability could create. Their effects were almost instantaneous, surpassing the speed of ordinary medicines and providing recovery in just a few seconds.
Lefiya had prepared a large quantity of these expensive recovery items, including regular potions to quickly restore stamina, high potions to treat most injuries rapidly, and magic potions to swiftly recover the mind.
But what caught him off guard was the addition of elixirs, the most effective high-ranking recovery potions on the market. Each elixir was worth a fortune, with a market price of 500,000 valis, comparable to some third-class equipment.
Lefiya had prepared two of them, spending at least 1 million valis for this party operation alone.
Was this girl that rich?
Riezel, who usually only brought weapons, armor, and a bit of food and water when heading into the dungeon, looked at the visibly nervous Lefiya in silence.
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