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11.52% Looking Forward to Another World / Chapter 40: Progression

章節 40: Progression

Twilight Manor, Courtyard.

At this moment, there were still people practicing in this place.

Riezel and Ais were unleashing a vast display of sword slashes, engaging in an intense sword dance.

Unlike before, today's sword dance not only surpassed any previous ones in intensity but also showcased a level of skill uncommon for both of them.

Riezel seemed to have transformed, effortlessly moving his body, creating bursts of energy with each casual motion. His speed was enough to break the sound barrier.

The sword in his hand sent out countless chilly sword slashes, resembling a storm of relentless attacks, ceaseless and boundless, an endless fast attack aimed at Ais.

Faced with this new Riezel, Ais no longer confronted him with just her scabbard as she used to. Instead, she wielded her silver sword, Desperate, maneuvering through the storm of sword edges that he weaved.

She swiftly parried and struck back, with no trace of her previous calm demeanor in every move.

In the relatively narrow courtyard, a swordsman and swordswoman fiercely battled, chasing each other at a terrifying speed. Their figures weaved through a flurry of sword glows and shadows, leaving traces on the ground. The atmosphere was completely disrupted, creating a scene that was soul-stirring, with the wind and dust in turmoil.

"A-Amazing..."

Lefiya, holding two towels, stood on the side while trembling in anxiety as she watched their battle—truly pitiable.

The sword clashes between Riezel and Ais had reached a point where onlookers were left awestruck.

*DING!*

At a certain moment, with the fierce clash of their two swords, the two figures, chasing and intertwining at astonishing speed, finally separated.

Riezel's figure kept retreating, moving back several meters.

Ais, on the other hand, only took a step or two back, faring better than him.

"..."

"..."

They stayed silent and looked into each other eyes, maintaining a standoff, creating a tense atmosphere in the gradually calming air.

It wasn't until after a while that the two finally broke the standoff, seemingly as if on cue, simultaneously sheathing their swords.

"Th-Thanks for your hard work! Mr. Riezel! Miss Ais!"

Seeing them finally stop, Lefiya snapped back to reality and quickly approached, handing towels to Riezel and Ais.

"Thanks."

"Thank you."

Riezel and Ais both expressed their gratitude and accepted the towels at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if looking into a mirror, giving off an incredible sense of understanding.

"Muu..." Lefiya, whether feeling heartache or jealousy, puffed her cheeks slightly as she observed this scene.

Unfortunately, neither Riezel nor Ais noticed her; their attention was focused on each other.

"Judging by your movements, you should be adapting quite well by now, right?" Ais spoke with an indeterminate emotion in her voice.

"Not bad..." Riezel said with a slight smile. "Although the transitions between some moves still feel a bit unnatural, it's close enough. Now, all that's left is to familiarize myself with the current power of my body."

"That's good." Ais nodded while staring directly at his face. "You've really become very strong now. Even though you just leveled up, you seem more powerful than many Level 4 adventurers I know."

Upon hearing her statement, Riezel maintained a calm expression on his face, but inside, he felt different.

After over a month had passed since the Crocodile Dragon's incident, he had progressed from a Level 1 low-class adventurer to a Level 4 second-class adventurer and was quite satisfied with the effort he had put into reaching this point.

Even the protagonist in the original work took four and a half months to go from Level 1 to Level 4, while Riezel managed to do it almost three months faster. If he wasn't satisfied with this achievement, he believed he would be tempting the wrath of the heavens.

Moreover, whether leveling up from Level 2 to Level 3 or from Level 3 to Level 4, he fully cashed in on his potential, choosing to level up only after achieving SSS in all basic abilities. This approach resulted in a better potential compared to the original work's protagonist, not to mention ordinary adventurers.

In addition, the development ability's choices of 'Swordsman' at Level 3 and 'Lightweight' at Level 2 significantly enhanced his power. Coupled with a month of frequent sparring with Ais, Riezel had acquired exceptional swordsmanship from her.

Despite having just reached Level 4, his power was already on par with the top Level 4 adventurers.

And this didn't even take magic into account.

Considering magic, including the overpowered one like 'Ariel', Riezel could probably compete with Level 5 first-class adventurers.

This was evident from the fact that he could push Ais, a Level 5 seasoned adventurer, back a step or two in a direct confrontation, unlike the surprise attack he launched over a month ago during a moment of her vulnerability.

However, every advantage has its downside.

Riezel's rapid improvements meant that every leveling up caused a surge in power that his body struggled to adapt to. Hence, the sparring sessions with Ais were crucial for him to acclimate to his current body's power.

In summary, he had indeed grown significantly, getting much stronger.

Although he still felt that his current self wasn't strong enough, achieving this level of advancement in just over a month still made him satisfied.

Of course, this kind of progress, if seen through the eyes of Ais and Lefiya, who were equally eager to grow and get stronger, would leave both of them with complex feelings.

Especially Lefiya, as Riezel's party member and witness to his struggles since Level 1, admired him but also felt frustrated with herself.

"Mr. Riezel is already at Level 4, yet I'm still at Level 3. It's really embarrassing..." Lefiya sighed in resignation.

Ais, standing nearby, wore a serious expression as she felt an indescribable pressure from him.

Even though she could currently outmatch Riezel slightly, witnessing his rapid growth at a rate bordering absurd, she felt that soon, he would catch up.

After all, she was Level 5, and with just one more level up, he would completely catch up to her. At that point, considering his displayed power, potential, and innate talent, could she still exceed him?

The more Ais thought about it, the more tense and pressured she felt.

"Please don't say that..." Riezel shook his head, addressing Lefiya. "I only took advantage of some convenient skills. With your potential, you should be able to reach Level 4 quickly, right?"

As far as he knew, Lefiya had already developed 'MAG' to C-rank. According to the leveling-up rules, achieving a D-rank in any basic ability would qualify her for a level up. She already had the qualifications; the only thing she lacked was an outstanding exploit to gain high-rank excelia, which wasn't too difficult for her to achieve.

Given the existence of several first-class adventurers in Loki Familia, they could assist and support her in accumulating enough high-rank excelia, as long as she genuinely wished to level up.

As long as Lefiya willed it, leveling up to Level 4 wasn't that difficult.

What was challenging was leveling up to become Level 5, the starting point of first-class adventurers.

To reach that level, mere exploits weren't enough. One must accumulate more high-rank excelia and defeat stronger enemies than before. Exploits sufficient to propel one to Level 5, even the Level 6 top executives might not be able to assist in completing.

It was precisely because of this reason that in Loki Familia, there were quite a few second-class adventurers at Level 3 and Level 4, but only four Level 5 first-class adventurers.

Probably because the high-rank excelia required to reach Level 5 wasn't something easily accumulated.

'I wonder how long it'll take for me to reach Level 5?'

Riezel, while comforting Lefiya, was also pondering this in his heart.

To reach Level 2, he took 7 days.

To reach Level 3, he took 15 days.

To reach Level 4, he took 30 days.

By this calculation, could he successfully reach Level 5 before the 100 days of dimensional travel end?

'It seems I'll need to put in more effort than before.'

That was what Riezel's heart was thinking, something that would once again make Ais and Lefiya feel emotionally complicated.

"By the way, Mr. Riezel..." Lefiya suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at him.

"What's up?" Riezel snapped back to attention and faced her.

"Just now, before I came here, I bumped into Lady Riveria. She asked me to tell you that after the sparring session with Miss Ais, you must go visit Captain."

"Captain?" Riezel puzzled. "Does Captain need something from me?"

"I don't know." Lefiya shook her head. "But since it's Captain, there should be something important to discuss."

"Is that so...?" Riezel pondered, and shortly afterward nodded. "Gotcha, then I'll go see him."

"Um." Lefiya had no objections.

"Be careful on the road." Ais also spoke up.

In front of the two girls, Riezel turned and walked into the manor while waving his hand.

"I-Is Miss Ais free now?" Lefiya, seeing him leave, immediately became somewhat hesitant and shyly asked. "Would you like to go out together?"

What a pity, her invitation was met with Ais's blunt refusal.

"No, I need to practice a bit more."

Feeling the pressure and stimulated by Riezel's rapid progress, Ais had no other thoughts and just wanted to seize the time to get stronger.

"..."

Lefiya's shy expression suddenly became forced, looking somewhat stiff and helpless, almost on the verge of tears.

===

On the other side, Riezel was making his way through the corridor, entering the northern tower.

Inside Twilight Manor, among the three towers designated for male use, Finn's private room and office were located in the northernmost tower, directly opposite of manor's main entrance.

Riezel, relying on memory, arrived at the room and knocked on the door.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

"Come in."

Finn's response came immediately from behind the door, prompting Riezel to push open the double doors and step into the room.

The sight before him was the office connected to Finn's private room.

Being the office of the familia's top executive and captain, the room was naturally quite spacious. The interior not only featured bookshelves covering an entire wall but also vibrant carpets and even an elongated grand clock, giving off a sense of steady warmth.

Finn was seated at the back of the office, behind a large desk that seemed mismatched with his small stature.

The office wasn't occupied solely by him; Riveria and Gareth, the other two top executives of the familia, were also present.

'They all here?'

Riezel expressed some surprise inwardly.

His instincts told him that something important might be about to happen.


創作者的想法
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章節 41: Expedition?

"Welcome."

As Riezel strolled through the door, Finn, engaged in a conversation with Riveria and Gareth, turned his head and greeted him.

The other two also simultaneously turned their heads, focusing their gaze on his body. Their eyes held a look one gives upon finding treasure—filled with satisfaction and contentment.

"Captain, Lady Riveria, Mr. Gareth."

Riezel greeted each of the three top executives of the familia one by one. His attitude wasn't overly respectful, but he maintained a proper amount of courtesy.

"Don't be too formal, just relax, okay? Just call my name directly."

Riveria, breaking from her usual seriousness and strict demeanor, smiled at him.

"Don't be nervous, kid. We old folks just want to have a chat with you, not to scold you. Regarding you going out on your own to take on the floor boss of the 17th Floor, Loki will be the one who will talk about it with you later. We're not playing the bad guys this time."

Gareth spoke with a smirk while stroking his beard, making Riezel feel a bit awkward.

Naturally, he wouldn't tell Gareth that Loki had already scolded him. After all, he hadn't informed anyone about his plan of soloing the floor boss. Even Lefiya had some complaints about it.

If he hadn't succeeded and leveled up, which diverted some of Loki and Lefiya's attention, he might still be getting scolded by those two.

Surprisingly, Ais seemed to be deep in thought since he successfully defeated the floor boss. She had been wearing a thoughtful expression all morning, making him somewhat worried that the doll princess might be influenced by him, leading to some reckless and dangerous actions.

In this situation, Gareth's teasing made him feel a bit uneasy.

"It's really a mess..." Riveria toned down her smile a bit, indicating that she didn't entirely approve of his risky actions.

"How's it going? Have you adapted to your new strength?" Finn asked with a smile.

Only Finn, who looked at Riezel, a super rookie who jumped from Level 1 to Level 4 in just over a month, spoke with a smile akin to a friendly brother, which relieved Riezel a bit. 

"It's getting there..." Riezel replied truthfully. "With a couple more real battles in the dungeon, I should fully adapt."

"That's good." Finn nodded. "The main reason we called you here this time is to check on your progress and prepare for the upcoming expedition."

"Expedition?" Riezel was surprised at first, but soon, his eyes lit up.

"That's right, an expedition." Finn, seeing Riezel's expression, was somewhat helpless but also understanding. "It's been over a month since our last expedition. It's time for our familia to venture into the dungeon again."

As one of the exploration-type familia in Orario, Loki Familia had always been at the forefront of dungeon exploration.

Just as adventurers explored dungeons as their main job, it was inevitable for big familias to launch expeditions into the dungeon.

However, for familia like Loki Familia, which needed to venture to the depths below the 50th Floor each time, the preparations alone took a lot of effort.

Not to mention the resources required during expeditions, which often involved spending a considerable amount of time preparing. Food and water were secondary, as they could be obtained in the dungeon. The main preparations usually involved weapons, equipment, medicine, and special items to deal with various situations.

Therefore, big familias generally embarked on an expedition every 1 to 2 months.

Now, it was the time.

Finn, Riveria, and Gareth called Riezel here for this reason.

"Even though you've only been part of familia for less than two months, technically, you shouldn't be immediately involved in such a significant familia activity like an expedition. But, hey, you're already Level 4 and we three want you to join us on the next expedition. It's a decision the three of us made, with Loki personally giving the green light. If you have any objections, feel free to voice them here." Finn explained with a friendly smile.

Objections? Riezel didn't have any.

Delving into the depths of the dungeon, battling high-level monsters that most people steer clear of—this was exactly what he had been hoping for. He had been eagerly anticipating an expedition for a while, and now that the opportunity was here, he wasn't about to pass it up.

"I have no objections." Riezel replied without hesitation. "Please make sure I get to participate."

He didn't hide his excitement and eagerness.

This left Finn and the other two exchanging puzzled glances, followed by awkward smiles.

"See? I knew this kid would be excited..." Gareth remarked, feigning irritation.

"We thought you'd be less trouble than Ais and the other kids, but it looks like we need to keep a close eye on you too..." Riveria sighed.

"No objections, of course, are the best..." Finn chuckled and shook his head. "But considering the importance of the expedition and it's also your first time, think about whether there's anything you need to prepare for."

His words prompted Riezel to sink into contemplation.

There wasn't much he needed to do to prepare.

For others, it might involve preparing armor and stocking up on medicines, but for him, thanks to his 'Lightweight' development ability, he preferred minimal equipment. Because of that, he had abandoned armor since reaching Level 2.

He also didn't need medicines to restore stamina or mind because his 'Endless' skill already granted him 'Healing Power' and 'Spirit Healing' development abilities at the highest rank, making him hardly feel fatigued. Coupled with the highest rank 'Abnormal Resistance', he was also fearless against abnormal statuses.

Apart from high potions and elixirs for treating injuries, he didn't have much of a demand for other types of medicine.

During the expedition, the familia would take care of most of the medicine preparation, while Riezel hardly needed to fuss over that.

In essence, his preparations were minimal. Though not entirely since there was one important thing he needed to sort out.

Riezel involuntarily shifted his gaze to his waist where a sword hung, strapped to his side.

Finn noticed this.

"Ahh, I see... Are you having trouble with your weapon?" Finn asked in one breath, hitting the nail on the head.

Riveria and Gareth exchanged a glance, surprisingly showing no signs of confusion.

"Is it because of Ais's magic?" Riveria spoke up.

"Yeah..." Riezel nodded, sighing. "Due to the magic, my weapon couldn't keep up with my current power."

The weapon he currently used was custom-made when he reached Level 2. In the past battle against the Crocodile Dragon, his main weapon shattered under the strain of Ariel's maximum output.

Afterward, he found a reputable weapon shop, provided the Crocodile Dragon's claw Lefiya had retrieved as raw material, and commissioned the blacksmith there to forge a new weapon.

In the end, for 800,000 valis, with some financial assistance from Lefiya, he successfully obtained third-class equipment, the sword he now wielded.

For third-class equipment, it should be more than enough for a second-class adventurer's main weapon. At least, if an average adventurer had it, they could continue using it even up to Level 4 without being held back by their weapon.

However, for him who possessed overpowered magic like 'Ariel', capable of putting an enormous strain on weapons at any time, using this third-class equipment made from the Crocodile Dragon's claw was becoming somewhat lacking.

Moreover, he had now reached Level 4; even when he was at Level 2 or Level 3, it was already quite risky.

For example, during the encounter with the monster feast on the 16th Floor, to break through and protect Lefiya, he once again unleashed Ariel's maximum output, resulting in a crack in the sword.

During the duel with the floor boss of the 17th Floor, he also once again unleashed Ariel's maximum output.

At this moment, not just one but several cracks already appeared on his sword, almost breaking it outright.

The damage from these two incidents forced him to spend a considerable amount of money on repairs.

Now at Level 4, his power had soared once again, and his Ariel was undoubtedly stronger than before. If he used Ariel in combat, even without reaching its maximum output, he could potentially destroy his sword.

It was seriously affecting his ability to fight.

Especially since he had acquired a development ability called 'Swordsman', not having a good sword in hand would greatly impact his combat power.

"If there's anything I need to prepare thoroughly, it's probably finding a strong and sturdy weapon." Riezel said earnestly to the three top executives, considering it the only thing he currently needed to focus on, a top priority.

""Weapon?"" Riveria and Gareth nodded simultaneously.

"Okay..." Finn hesitated for a moment. "In that case, come with me to Hephaestus Familia."

Hephaestus Familia.

This was the unparalleled blacksmith familia in Orario.

In Orario, there were familias of various types, from exploration-focused ones to those engaged in business activities. Hephaestus Familia fell into the latter category.

Their main business was selling various weapons and equipment, and most of the members were advanced blacksmiths, those who had acquired a development ability known as 'Blacksmith'.

"I have a batch of orders to place there. Since you need a good weapon, might as well come with me."

Finn extended an invitation to Riezel.

"Thank you!" Riezel nodded heavily.

Not long after, the two of them walked out of the office and left Twilight Manor.


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