The next evening, when Genichi returned to Demeter Familia's compound with a stronger air of battle clinging to him than yesterday, he went through another status update. As he looked down at the fresh sheet in his hand, his brow tightened almost imperceptibly.
Genichi
LV.1
Strength: H198 → G246
Endurance: H109 → H189
Dexterity: H167 → G207
Agility: H114 → H165
Magic: H183 → G215
A full day's effort had produced the following: Strength up 48 points, reaching rank G; Dexterity up 40 points, reaching rank G; Magic up 32 points, reaching rank G. Endurance jumped 80 points and Agility rose 51 points, both still sitting at rank H.
Roughly speaking, his total gain today was around 250 points.
For a normal adventurer, that was still an astronomical number. Enough to make people go insane with envy.
But Genichi's frown only deepened.
Compared to yesterday's near-700-point surge, today's efficiency had cratered by more than half.
Even though he'd killed far more monsters at a higher tempo than he had yesterday, the Greed skill had kept diligently siphoning off thin traces of essence, and the magic stones he devoured still contributed their meager share. The sharp decline in growth was undeniable.
Genichi understood immediately.
Even with a near-cheating skill loadout, he couldn't completely bypass this world's underlying logic.
When you kept slaughtering the same kind of weak monster, the "raw" energy you stole and the magic stone yield stayed the same, but the strengthening effect on his body diminished as his base grew.
This was only day two, and the efficiency had already been cut in half.
If he kept going like this, day three, day four…
It wouldn't be long before he could grind himself to death and still only scrape together a pathetic ten or twenty points a day across the board.
A year and a half?
Sure, maybe he could crawl to the LV.2 threshold on the first floor eventually. But that speed was nowhere near what he wanted.
Standing nearby, Demeter saw the numbers too. A hint of understanding flickered through her amber eyes, but what surfaced more strongly was relief, almost like she could finally breathe again.
She stepped closer and, seeing his faintly furrowed brows, tried to soothe him gently.
"Honestly, this is already very impressive. In just two days your Strength and Dexterity have broken into G rank. It's stable, there's no risk. If you keep steadily farming on the first floor, at most one year, no, maybe even half a year, you'll have enough ability points. Then you can pursue a feat and level up to LV.2 naturally. That's a speed ordinary adventurers wouldn't even dare to dream of."
To Demeter, this kind of safety-first, steady advancement was practically the perfect model.
No reckless dives. No injuries. Just time and repetitive effort, turning into reliable strength. What could be happier than that?
Genichi exhaled slowly, raised his head, and met her gaze. There was no happiness in his black eyes, only cold dissatisfaction with the status quo.
A year?
Even half a year, just to reach LV.2?
Was she joking?
Leaving aside the "template" from other isekai stories he remembered, where protagonists blasted through levels in months or even weeks, even the comparison to this world's canon was humiliating. The one mocked as a "rabbit," Bell Cranel, had gone from LV.1 to LV.2 in only a month.
And during that month, Bell had survived multiple life-or-death crises and earned ridiculous feats and skills.
Genichi, carrying Devour, Demon, Seven Deadly Sins, Apotheosis, A Certain Magical Index, and a whole lineup of absurd, rule-breaking abilities… was he supposed to be slower than that wide-eyed rabbit who just wanted to admire someone?
Spend a year hiding on the safest first floor, harvesting monsters like a farmer cutting wheat, inching toward LV.2?
Unacceptable.
That pace didn't match the hunger for strength clawing at his chest, didn't match the looming threat of the arena's death returning at any time, didn't match the blueprint he'd drawn in his head, one that demanded he gain enough power to defend himself and confront threats as soon as possible.
Safe?
Steady?
That was how weak people thought. That was the choice of the mediocre.
He wanted efficiency.
Explosive growth.
The kind of aggression that accepted risk in exchange for far greater returns.
"Too slow."
Genichi's voice stayed calm, but there was an unyielding finality in it as it cut straight through Demeter's pleasant picture.
Demeter froze, the relieved smile on her face stiffening.
Genichi looked directly at her and stated his decision clearly.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm going deeper."
Deeper.
Those three words made Demeter's heart lurch.
Worry flooded her amber eyes instantly.
"No. It's too dangerous."
She opposed him almost reflexively, her voice rising.
"Genichi, you're only LV.1. Even if your base stats are higher than most LV.1s, deeper-floor monsters are different. Their strength, their variety, how they attack, even the terrain and environment… none of that is comparable to the first floor. Accidents can happen at any time. There's no reason to take that risk."
She tried to reason with him, almost pleading.
"Please, listen to me. Just keep farming on the first floor. In one year at most, you'll level up to LV.2 safely and steadily. Safety matters more than anything."
"In one year," Genichi said flatly, "I plan to go from LV.1 to at least LV.5."
Demeter almost thought she'd misheard him.
LV.1 to LV.5.
In a year.
This wasn't "aggressive." It was insanity.
Even Orario's fastest historical records took years to reach LV.5.
A year to LV.5 was a fairy tale.
But when she saw his eyes, devoid of humor and filled only with cold, serious intent, Demeter knew he meant it.
This boy's standards for himself, his thirst for power, were harsh to the point of obsession.
Talking him down was clearly impossible.
Demeter drew a deep breath, her chest rising and falling with it.
The worry in her gaze didn't lessen, but something firm settled into place, an unmistakable resolve.
If he insisted on stepping into danger, then at the very least she would reduce that danger as much as she could.
"I understand."
Her voice dropped, heavy and forceful now, no longer soothing, but declaring.
"Then I'm assigning you a guard."
Genichi's brows knitted, and he immediately started to refuse.
"No—"
"Refusal denied."
Demeter cut him off cleanly. She stepped closer, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. In her amber gaze, something divine flared, authority that did not allow retreat.
"I know what you're worried about. Exposure. Secrets leaking. But Genichi, safety comes first. Going into the deeper floors alone is too risky. I can promise you this: the person I bring will not, absolutely will not, leak any information about you. She's someone I trust completely. And she's… not quite like ordinary adventurers to begin with."
Her tone was decisive, her eyes bright with certainty, like she was making it clear there was no negotiation. Either he accepted the guard, or she might take harsher measures to stop him from diving alone.
Genichi opened his mouth, then stopped.
Looking into Demeter's eyes, he saw the blend of concern, determination, and a faint, barely veiled threat. His rational mind weighed the situation at speed.
Forcing a refusal would only escalate things. It might even push Demeter into placing restrictions that would derail his plans.
Accepting a guard increased the risk of exposure, yes. But if, as Demeter claimed, the person was absolutely trustworthy and fundamentally "different"…
Then he might gain something in return: experience with the deeper floors, faster adaptation, higher survival odds, higher exploration efficiency.
And with a guard present, Demeter would be calmer, less likely to meddle afterward.
More importantly, Demeter's line, "not quite like ordinary adventurers," made something stir in Genichi's mind.
Could it be…
After a few seconds of silence, Genichi gave a slow nod.
"…Fine. But I need to know the basics about this guard. And unless it's necessary, she can't interfere with my battles or my actions."
He set his terms.
Only then did the tension in Demeter's expression loosen. Relief flashed through her eyes, quickly replaced by a faint, mysterious smile.
"Don't worry. She'll be a guard who surprises you. As for interfering, she knows where the line is. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring her to meet you."
She sounded utterly confident in her choice, and there was a hint of anticipation in it too.
Genichi didn't say more. He gave a small nod, then turned and left Demeter's room.
(End of Chapter)
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