《Only I know about “Level Up” in this world》 CH 1 29/05/2022PC This town is a huge pen for livestock. A stock of humans that exist for the sake of monsters. The sturdy walls around the town reminds one of walls used to pen sheep and the exit is blocked by a massive iron gate. Every place in the town is under the surveillance of man-eating monsters called Ogres. No one goes against the monsters or rather they cannot. All the people in this town have resigned to a lifestyle as livestock for the monsters. So, youve gathered, you human trash., said the ogre who was satisfied after seeing us humans gathered in the open square on that day. Well then, choose the one to be sacrificed1 this time., ordered the ogre. Humans have no choice but to periodically provide sacrifices to these monsters. This was the reason for which we were all gathered at the open square today. Usually, the humans who are to be sacrificed are chosen beforehand through discussions and it was no different this time. Hoh, you sure made your choice without any fuss., sneered the ogre as everyone in the square pointed at me. Im sorry, Theo, my friend Thor apologized to me while hanging his head. But you know, its partly your fault too. If only you hadnt said something like that, he grumbled at me while having just apologized. Indeed, my selection was my own fault to a certain extent. It all started just the other day, when I brought up a certain topic with my friends. Do you want to escape from this city?. The answer to this question was neither YES nor NO but a fist. You idiot! There is no way humans can go up against monsters. Our Levels are 1, you moron., shouted Thor while showing me the back of his hand. Shining a pale blue on his fist was the Level Crest. In this world, a beings worth is decided by the numerical value of their Level. This Level is determined by ones race and is engraved somewhere on the body as the Level Crest since birth. For example it is said that, in case of a Goblin its Level 3, in case of an ogre its Level 10, for a Wyvern its Level 37 and for a human it is Level 1. A human with a Level of 1 can never go up against a monster. Neither can we use magic nor do we have any weapons or are naturally gifted like those monsters. If we defy them in such a state, all we will gain is needless suffering., admonished Thor while shaking his fist. Do you get it now Theo? Humans cant win against monsters. Since that incident I was treated as a dangerous individual in the city. Well, one would think that that was the normal reaction. I would have thought and acted the same way too if I had been born and raised the same way as them. Theo, Its because you are too dangerous. Even if you alone act against them the rest of us could be dragged into it and suffer unnecessarily. I know. I dont resent you for it. So, its him then., said the ogre while easily picking me up. Having picked me up, the ogre began to smell me as if he were a connoisseur and I the dish. He smells pretty delicious. I am really looking forward to eating him. Saying that, he locked me up in a human sized bird cage that was placed nearby and then carried it like luggage. I looked down at my feet as if I was too scared to look at anything or anyone else. I didnt want anyone to see the expression on my face right then because I knew that a smile had floated up on it. Well then, so far everything has gone according to plan While quietly chuckling to myself, I took out the wire that was hidden beneath my clothes and stealthily inserted it into the cages lock. I was carried to the ogres base which was the castle in the towns centre. When I entered the castles dining hall, the preparation for the meal had already begun. Preparations to eat me huh A long table covered with a luxurious cloth was neatly arranged with beautifully polished large plates, sake cups, silver knives and forks. And the ones sitting in front these luxurious tableware were Ogres. Oh! Youve finally returned!, Whoo!! The ogres that were seated were delighted by the arrival of the main ingredient. Took you long enough!, Thats todays main dish huh!, Cook him already!, Lets just eat him alive!, First we should decide who is going to eat which part. Hold on you lot. We need to properly butcher him first., said the ogre who was carrying the cage. I was sent off to the kitchen by such vulgar calls. Even though I called it a kitchen it was different from what I knew a kitchen to be. If I had to mention exactly what was different it would be the abattoir2. Well then, I should begin the cooking prep. The ogre put down the bird cage on the floor and turned his back to me. He was completely unwary of me and defenceless. He would have never even imagined that a human would or could ever show any resistance against him, moreover, he believed that the cage was also locked. ? The ogre was humming to himself while choosing which knife to use. Meanwhile, I quickly scanned the kitchens interior. The thing I want isthere. I found an edged tool on a stand nearby. It was a somewhat large butchers knife with a sharp tip. I quickly got out of the cage and stretched my hand towards that knife Haa? What are you doing? Tch, I guess he felt my presence when I moved. The ogre, who now held a meat cleaver, turned towards me. He grimaced after finding me outside the cage. Hmmm? Did I forget to lock the cage? Still, who the hell gave you permission to get out? . Thats quite the defiant gaze for a human. Did you really think you would be able escape form here? Impossible. You humans cant do shit. You know why that is dont you?, jeered the ogre. Its because your Level is too low., he declared as he looked down at my level crest which displayed a Level of 1. On the other hand, the Level engraved on his shoulder was 10. As for why, it must be becauseGod really hates you humans. Thats why he made humanity the weakest race and raised the Levels of us monsters. You humans exist to be eaten by us monsters! The ogre then brandished the meat cleaver. His blood vessels began to undulate as his boulder like muscles swelled, and then He swung down the meat cleaver toward me. A sound echoed as if the floor itself exploded as the iron cage near me was crushed and burst open. The fine debris and dirt began to dance in the air like a dust cloud. As expected of the brute force of an ogre with 10 times the Level of a human. You mere monster, arent you misunderstanding something? When the dust cloud cleared up, I wasnt under the meat cleaver but was standing on top of it. Wha? I sneered at the ogre who froze without understanding what had just happened. You bastards are going to eat me? No, its the other way round. The magic circle I had set up in advance began to gleam near my hand. Body Strengthening Matter Strengthening Magic, something that a human supposedly shouldnt be able to use. As both of them activated, I jumped from there and by using the ogres arm as a foothold I jumped even higher disappearing from the ogres sight. I then unsheathed the butchers knife hidden behind my back. I am the one who will eat you lot. T/N notes: CH 2 31/05/2022PC I am the one who will eat you. Aiming at the ogres exposed nape, I stabbed the knife with a backhanded grip and rammed it in deep by striking the knifes hilt with my left hand. Combined with the momentum of my fall, the knife went straight through and out his throat. ..Aaah..eh.? The ogre was in shock and utterly baffled about what had just happened to him. After a short frozen moment, blood began to fountain out of his throat in a neat arc. .Haa.Haaa, eh.? The ogre tried to raise a cry by stemming the flow of blood from the base of his throat. However, all that came out was the rasping of air escaping his throat. He then fell face down into a pool of his own blood. Subjugation complete. Phew. I could finally relax a bit. Its been 18 long years for this moment to arrive, I somehow managed it well. Even though Ive been hiding and training myself all these years, my body still doesnt move as well as I want it to at Level 1. Most of my magic was also used up in those few seconds, making me quite dizzy. (If its this bad, no wonder a normal human cant win against a monster.) There is a huge gulf between the physical abilities of an ogre at Level 10 and a human at Level 1. That difference is likely more than the 10 times indicated by their Levels. In addition, humans are always under the watch of these monsters and cant make any suspicious moves. Forget learning about magic, they cant even get their hands on something that could serve as a weapon. The only way to get a decent weapon was to enter the ogres kitchen like this. And if that weapon wasnt fortified using Material Strengthening magic it wouldnt have even managed to scratch the ogres skin. Even though I used a pretty fuel efficient magic like strengthening magic, at Level 1 I cant even use it for 10 seconds without my magic being completely depleted. (They are thoroughly controlling all aspects of humans lives so that they can never go against monsters.) I couldnt help but heave a sigh at such a situation. Due to it, it took me so long to kill just one ogre. I dont know what is going on outside the walls of this town either. Though, considering how the ogres treat the humans here, I can just about guess the state outside the town too. The other towns and cities are most likely in a similar state and probably no one has managed to defeat the monsters. In the first place, no one might have even stood up to them. (I am probably the only exception) The monsters could never have expected someone like me to exist. Since the day I was born, I knew how to use magic, various martial arts and I also knew the weaknesses of monsters. Most importantly, I knew for a fact that humans can defeat monsters. Indeed, I have such knowledge because I have the memories from my previous life. Theo Road, the Adventure King. That was how I was known in my previous life. Renown as the strongest human, the worlds only S-Rank adventurer. There was no place in this world I hadnt explored and no monster I couldnt defeat. Grasslands, mountains, forests, caverns, oceans, the skyI had ventured to every sphere without exception. I defeated every monster that appeared before me no matter how powerful it was. (No one would believe me even if I said all this.) If I had not actually been able to use magic, even I would have thought I was delusional. That was how absurd my memories were from the perspective of a human living in this time period. In the first place, I have no clue as to why I reincarnated. I did remember hearing from Morigana, an alchemist acquaintance from my previous life, that There have been cases were strong souls were reincarnated with their states preserved. However, Ive never heard of a case where someone retained so much of their past life memories. Besides, I dont remember how I died either. I get this feeling that I made a very important promise to someone before I died, but I dont actually remember what the promise was. (Still, these memories really saved my life.) If the knowledge of magic and martial arts werent so well preserved I would never have been able to beat an ogre at Level 1. In the first place, I wouldnt have even thought of fighting against them. Humans can never win against monsters. I would have joined this chorus like everyone else. However, only I know that Humans can win against monsters. No, not just winhumans have the potential to become the strongest race in the world because despite being born as the weakest, they have the greatest blessing that gives them that potential. (Ohits here.) A light bloomed from the Level crest on the ogres shoulder and began to be absorbed into the Level crest on the back of my hand. In that instant Tsu!! I shivered as if my body was struck by lightning1. It felt as if a surge of energy was directly injected into my blood stream. Simultaneously, the Level crest on the back of my hand transformed. (Level 5 huh.) Level, a metric that is determined by ones race, whose value signifies the worth of a life. That value is decided at birth and never changesunless you are a human. They are the only ones who are given the gift that can overcome this rule Level Up. A gift that allows them to receive the life force of a monster they killed and use it as fuel to raise their own level. Humans are born with a Level of 1, but if they manage to defeat monsters there is no limit to how strong they can grow. Thus, humans are the weakest in order to be the strongest. Still, the humans of this time who havent been able to kill monsters for so long have even forgotten that they can Level Up by doing so. Well, thinking about that now is not going to get me anywhere. Leaving that aside. (Shall I begin?) Now that Ive killed this ogre, there is no going back. Soon, the other ogres will discover his body. This is not the time to be lost in thought, I need to find a way to escape from this town. But, before that, -Lets subjugate every last ogre in this town. T/N Notes: CH 3 06/06/2022PC Lets subjugate every last ogre in this town. The main reason for it is to increase my Level. If I escape outside at Level 5 Id probably be eaten by some stray monster. Anyway, to escape from this town Ill have to fight with at least a few other ogres. So its better to press my advantage while the ogres guards are still lowered. First, Ill take care of the ogres in the dining hall. Most of the ogres in this town have gathered in the dining hall. Of course, its to eat me. Thats why I chose today, the election1 day, to break out of the town. With a lot of them gathered in one place, I can take them all out at once while they arent expecting it. Having said that, it will be difficult to fight all those ogres head on. Even with the knowledge and techniques from my previous life, my Level is still too low for that. It would be meaningless to use Advanced-Grade magic when it would fail to activate due to a lack of mana2. Moreover, the ogres Muscle Operation can be used for defence as well as offence. If an ogre uses the muscles in its neck for defence, then it would become very difficult to inflict a fatal injury using the knife. If possible, I would want to take them down one by one. Ive prepared a plan for doing that. First I took various knives from the kitchen, and then I doused the walls and floor with cooking oil. Well then, let the counterattack begin. Placing my hands on the floor, I chanted the Ignite3 magic. In that instant Guooooo!!! The kitchen was completely engulfed in flames. The entire field of vision was covered by flames and smoke instantly. The pots and plates fell and raised shrill keels, the entire castle shook violently, roars and screams began to rise from somewhere. I quietly concealed myself under the smoke cover in that ruckus. .Wind Manipulation I activated an elementary wind attribute magic. Manipulating a gentle breeze, I sent the flames and smoke into the dining hall. Soon, I could hear the ogres flustered voices. Wha? Whaaat?, Fire from the kitchen!!, Fire!!, Oii! Someone get water or sand!, If its alcohol, we have lots!, Protect the storage vault!, Open the windows! Let the smoke out!, Put those bloody humans to work! The ogres in chaos began to split up and act separately. It looked like they couldnt see each other well in the smoke. Nor could they see me hidden under cover. The fire and smoke have completely hidden my presence from them. .Wind Manipulation By moving my finger, I directed the smoke towards the face of an ogre who was at the end of the table. This magic was indeed an Elementary-Grade magic, but it was of the Wind attribute, which was my forte. I could easily manipulate the smoke and send it forcefully into the ogres nose and mouth. Geho! Goho! Shit! What the hell is happening!? The ogre doubled over coughing violently. After inhaling too much smoke, he became light headed and began to stagger. Hes full of openings. The ogre has little experience in being hunted, he still hasnt noticed that this place is already a battlefield, that is why he is this defenceless. There is no way Ill let such an opportunity escape. Body Strengthening, Material Strengthening While activating the strengthening magic, I jumped onto the back of the ogre who was bent double and swung my knife. Aaa.? Did he notice me? He began to turn his head as I severed it, it rotated once with that momentum and fell on the floor. That makes two. Thanks to my increase in strength, I was able to kill this one more easily. At Level 1 I wouldnt have been able to sever his backbone completely like this. I also have a little more mana left over than before. As expected, the benefit of Level Up is huge. Like before, a pale bluish white light bloomed from the ogres Level Crest and was absorbed into mine. The Level crest had transformed from Level 5 and now showed Level 7. It was still at a point where I would be anxious to challenge an ogre head on, but it would be more than enough to do one in by surprise. Now then, its about how much I can increase my Level before breaking out of this town. I couldnt help but smile in excitement after waiting so long. The reason I allowed myself to be ordered around by these ogres for 18 years was all for this day. To hunt and exterminate every ogre and leave this town in the best possible shape. This town was now nothing but a good hunting ground. Wha?? When I hid myself behind the smoke cover again, an ogre carrying barrels came back. Oi! Oi!! HeHes dead!? The ogre became flustered as he stooped and found his comrades body. What the? What the hell is happening here? Why was he killed? What the hell is.in here? He seemed to be terrified. Of course he was, these ogres have never stood in the shoes of the hunted. But unfortunately, this is a eat or be eaten world. If they remain weak, they will not always be the ones who eat. Justice, kindness, beauty.these things are irrelevant. The strong will eat the weak. If you dont eat, you will be eaten. If that is how it is I will be the one who eats I licked my lips in anticipation and crept up behind the ogres. The ogres still havent noticed me. I silently swung my knife. Its Level Up time. T/N Notes: CH 4 09/06/2022PC After killing all the ogres in the castle, I took down every ogre that had gathered near it because of the fire. A Human? It would have never occurred to them that a human was going around killing ogres. None of them were even armed and were completely focused on the fire raging in the castle. It was a simple task to sever the heads of these defenceless monsters. To think that I was ruled over by such small fry for 18 years. Without any prior battle experience or training, these ogres have no idea how to handle themselves in a fight. They were simply satisfied with torturing humans who were born with a Level lower than them. Now, the tables have turned. Alright, only the pair guarding the towns gate are left. I knew that having counted the ogres Id killed so far. I wasnt just living like a sheep these past 18 years. Not only was I aware of the number of ogres in the town but also where they were usually stationed. Well then, lets put on the finishing touches. I finally began to go towards the towns gate. The pair of ogres guarding the gate soon noticed me. They probably didnt know that all the others have been killed. The ogres exchanged glances and then, as if looking at a prey, they thrust their halberds towards me. Oi Human, stop right there. I quickly took note of their skill level. Either they dont consider me to be a threat or they have never used their weapons for anything other than threatening. Theyve already fully extended their arms by carelessly thrusting their halberds before I was in range. Even if you consider the crazy strength ogres have, there was no way for them to quickly switch over to the next attack. I just kept walking forward without minding them. Oi!! Who said you could move! Stop right there! Do you want to be eaten?! While the ogres were saying something, I kicked the ground. Eh? I closed the distance in an instant by ducking under their halberds and unsheathed the knife on my back. Eh Ah? I severed an ogres arm and let it fly. The halberd in his hand also danced in the air along with his arm. With the momentum of stepping in, I leaped and caught the halberd midair and then brought it down on the dumbfounded ogre. Eh Ah? The ogre let out an idiotic sound. His comprehension had not caught up with what happened to him in those few moments. Shortly before he could understand, a red vertical line split him in two. The halves slid, and two sounds echoed as he fell down on the cobblestones. Na The other ogre stood frozen for a while, when I turned towards him, he panicked and began waving around his halberd. You human! Dont you dare look down on me!! I met his halberd using the one I took from the other ogre. Kiiiiinnn!!! Sparks flew and the ogres halberd was blown away. His stance broke with the shock of my blow, and he fell backwards on his butt. Ha? The ogre gaped because he couldnt believe that he was overpowered. Why..? What..? He then saw me and his face stiffened in fear. Wha..? What the hell are you?!? Cant you tell? Im just a regular human. Dont lie!! There is no way a Level 1 human has such strength! We ogres are at Level 10 you know?! Is that so? Thats still lower than mine. Eh..? I am at Level 14. When I showed him the Level crest on the back of my hand, he stiffened in surprise. WhaWha? He couldnt believe his own eyes and was just staring. I had no need to wait for him to snap out of it. I approached the ogre to put an end to him. Dont worry, youre the last one., I told him dispassionately. Ive killed all your other friends. Whaat? Unfortunately, this is an eat or be eaten world. The weak will be eaten. So, dont resent me for it. If you want to resent something, resent the fact that you were born as a weak ogre. Hiiii The ogre finally realised that he was the prey and not the hunter. Leaking a high shriek and dragging his butt, he tried to retreat. Wait, please! Let me go! Ill do anything you want! You want to leave through here right? Ill let you go! Th..Thats right! If youre a human you cant open this gate right? If you kill me you wont be able to leave easily. Tell me, I interrupted his blithering. have you ever let your prey go? Wellthat Of course you havent. Declaring that, I beheaded him using the halberd. Nor have I. The final ogres head fell on the ground as his death throes still echoed. .. And then, silence fell. Only the dispassionate crackling of the distant fire was heard. I wiped the spurts of blood off my face and discarded the halberd. With this its Subjugation Complete1 for all the ogres. When I checked the Level crest on the back of my hand, it showed Level 15. Ive managed to raise it this much after killing every ogre in the town. This should be more than sufficient for any stray monsters around this area. All thats left now is to leave this town. I walked up to the enormous iron gate that blocked the towns exit. A symbol of oppression for the humans, the thing that kept them imprisoned for so long. This gate is so solid and massive that there is no need to lock it. Even if a bunch of humans at Level 1 try to open it together, they would manage to move it a few millimetres at best. Thats why no one has opened this gate for so long or rather no one has even thought about opening it. I placed my hands on such a gate and Theo, is that you? heard someone call me from behind. T/N Notes: CH 5 07/07/2022PC The moment I placed my hands on the gate Theo, is that you? someone called me form behind. When I turned around, I found the townspeople staring at me from a distance. The ogres were screaming quite a bit until now, they might have come to see what it was all about. I wanted to slip out while they were focused on the fire, but I guess I created too much of a racket for that. It is you, Theo. The one at the head of the townspeople was my friend Thor. His gaze was moving to and fro between me and the ogres bodies. He probably saw me fighting them, so there is no point in trying to hide it now. Yeah, its me., I nodded slightly in reply. Why Why was a human able to defeat a monster? And so easily too My Level increased, thats why., I said shortly and showed him the back of my hand. The crest engraved there was clearly different from how it looked when I was Level 1. My current Level is 15. There Theres no way!! Why has your Level increased?! That is humanitys Gift. Eh? Gift. That is a singular race specific power granted along with Level at the time of birth. But But humans arent supposed to possess a gift. We have one, to Level Up when we kill monsters. A gift that can transform us from the weakest race to the strongest. Having said that, I turned away form Thor and towards the gate. The gate that towered above us all, and penned us inside the town like livestock. I couldnt overcome it at Level 1, but its different now. I lightly made a fist and Body Strengthening punched the gate while reinforcing my fist to the maximum. Gakiiinnnn!! The metal screamed and the gate reverberated as my fist sunk into it like a battering ram. The hinges that supported the gate broke free. And then Zuuuuuuuunn! The solid iron gate began to slant and fall outward. The entire town shook with the quake caused by the gate when it slammed into the ground. Everyone was dumbstruck because the gate that confined them for all their lives was destroyed so easily. In front of us was, for the first time, the towns entrance without any obstruction. The light from the outside world that was wished for many long years filled the passage below the town wall. I turned around once more to face the townspeople as if I carried the light itself on my back. This is the ability of humans., I told the dumbstruck townspeople. We are not a race who are only meant to be eaten. In fact, once there was a time when humans hunted monsters. As the only ones capable of raising our Level, humans have the potential to become the mightiest of all the races., I declared fiercely. And then, I asked Thor once again, Shall we get out of this town together? Eh? Thor widened his eyes in surprise. The proposition caught him completely off guard. It wasnt grounded in logic even from my perspective . When thinking in terms of pros and cons, there should be no merit in taking along other humans. I guess at some point, without noticing, I began to feel sympathetically towards them. I believed that I had erased all sympathy for people who lived in fear not knowing when they would be eaten. It goes to show long these 18 years have been in this town. Is that really fine with you? I I betrayed you The one who induced you to betrayal was me. That was convenient for me too. Thats why, its not like I resent you for it. Ha ha ha So I was dancing in your palm huh?, laughed Thor drily. Youre amazing Theo. If I went with you, I feel like I could be truly free. Then Im sorry, but thats impossible for me. I was flatly refused. Why? Even if you remain in this town, wouldnt other monsters come here soon enough? Despite that, I cant. Why not? Its terrifying. Adventuring is impossible for me. Unlike you, I dont have the strength or courage to face monsters. I finally realised. Despite the fact that the gate that confined them was broken, not a single person in this town tried to leave. Learned helplessness1 huh It reminded me of the things I saw in my previous life. When humans are confined and abused for a long time, they cant escape even when the door to their prison cell is wide open. The begin believe that they are completely powerless and that there is no hope in trying to do anything. If they try something they think that they would be subjected to even worse abuse. Even if I go with you, I would just be a hindrance right? Yeah, youre right. My chances of survival will skyrocket if Im alone. Ha ha, you never mince words. Just that, I still find the situation to be regrettable. I know that there is little I can do. It would be one thing if he were able to fight to a certain extent. It was foolish to try and take an amateur who would only be a hindrance. Right now, I am only able to fight and protect myself. This world is not so kind that it would allow me to protect someone else at this Level. However, in that case Then, sit tight. Eh? I will Level Up even further from now and become the strongest. And then one day, I will subjugate every last monster in this world and free all of humanity. Ha, ha. Thor stared for a while and then smiled wryly. (T/N: and I cringed.) Seriously You always spout such crazy words. Its insane because you seem like you would actually try to do it. Not seem like, I will. Thats a promise. (T/N: Stop! youre killing me!) I know. Youre that kind of a guy after all. Our conversation broke off there. If I want to leave the town, I cant stand around talking here all day. Thor understood that too. Leave already. Youre not the kind to be shut in this cage for any longer are you? Yeah I shook off any lingering regret and turned away form Thor. Dont get eaten, Theo To the words of farewell uttered to my back, I replied without turning around, You dont too, Thor. And then one man walked down the road leading to the exit. With every step the light from outside grew in intensity until it became dazzling, and then burst apart. .Aaa I inadvertently let a contented sigh escape. Spread in front of me was the wide ocean lit by the setting sun. Right before of me was a rock cliff jutting over the ocean. Opposite it was a red horizon that seem to stretch till the ends of the world. Its a sight Id grown tired of seeing in my past life, but now it makes my chest tighten and my feet stop in awe. Ive finally set foot in the outside world huh? I felt the salty breeze on my cheek. The sudden cold wind felt good on my flushed skin. I could feel each breath renewing my lungs, like a stagnant backwater fed by a fresh stream. I wonder when was the last time I felt that the wind was so fresh. Since I reincarnated the sky was always boxed by the huge town walls. Thats why Id forgotten. The sky has no boundaries and the world is truly free. Now I can go anywhere I want in this world. For some reason I felt the same exaltation Id felt while setting out for my first adventure. I could stare at this beautiful scenery forever, but I cant afford to come to a stop here. The price for such a scenery is never cheap. A pursuer might come behind me at any time. I then looked around and found some stairs that were gouged into the cliffs side. Below them was a wooden pier where a small boat was docked. I suppose it was used to bring in supplies. That works out perfectly for me, setting sail is the best way to start a new adventure. Well then, lets go. I voiced it out to give myself a push. I stepped forward towards the world beyond and began my first adventure. And then Ha? Without any warning, it felt like the flow of every natural phenomenon was disrupted by a discontinuity and the entire world pulsed. Simultaneously, the air around me changed in quality like Id suddenly stepped into the spirit world. And then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed flaming feathers fluttering about. - - This is quite strange. I suddenly heard a girls voice. I came around to see what was burning, but why is there a human fallen over here? A voice as beautiful as the call of a songbird. It had a disparate tonality compared to a humans voice. The difference was so stark that it could no longer be called a voice but a timbre2. I slowly turned towards that voice. It was the same scenery Id started at all this while. In front of that scenery, it was there. For just how long has she been there? At some point3 a girl had appeared in front of me. T/N Notes: CH 6 I came around to see what was burning, but why is there a human fallen over here? I was breaking out of the town, but am now confronted by a little girl all of a sudden. A girl that looked red enough to put the evening sun to shame. Fine red hair that danced like flames, and deep crimson pupils that shone like they were on fire. And supporting that small but brilliant stature were two flaming red wings. Thats no human. There is no way someone like her could be human. No matter how well shes mimicked the human form, the air about her was far too alien. She was just floating there. That is all. But my instincts were screaming at me to run. Shes definitely a monster. Fuck! I cursed myself for letting my guard down once I left the town. Obviously, there was no guarantee that the monsters were only inside the town. I never had the leeway to be the admiring natures beauty. Everything I can see from here is ruled by monsters. You, why do look so appetizing? I am usually very particular about the meat I eat, pretty girls exclusively. But you, you look far more appetizing than any girl. I wonder why that is, its quite the mystery. The girl wet her lips as she softly landed on the ground. Moreover, how did you get so far? How did you slip through the monsters cage? Dont tell me, is that fire your doing as well? If thats the case, it would be even more incredible, colour me impressed. She drew closer to me, step by step. Every step felt like the whisk of a whetstone across the executioners blade. The gulf between my Level and hers is simply too wide right now. At this rate, Ill be eaten! The girl continued her and casual gait and entered my range. That instant, I put strength into my legs while activating Body Strengthening! reinforcement magic and leaped towards the girl. Closing the distance to her in a breath I cast Material Strengthening and swung the strengthened knife at her white neck. She should still believe that Im just a run-of-the-mill Level 1 human and not consider me a threat. Of course, there was no way I would have been able to kill this monster with just this one strike. She would probably evade it with ease, but thats fine. Even if its only slightly, if I could manage to disturb her balance, I might just be able to jump into the ocean behind her. That was the only way I could extricate myself from this predicament. But my expectations were completely betrayed. . Wha? She didnt try to evade it, didnt try to defend herself, or try to counterattack me. She just stood there. Swish. Her head was severed off too easily. Blood fountained from the cleanly severed cross-section of her neck. The head spun slowly in midair, and both eyes in it were slightly opened wide. Shocked, I even forgot about running away. Did I kill her? For just one moment, such an incredulous hope sprouted inside me. Hahahahahahahaha! Of course, the severed head was laughing. As if in concert with her laughter, flames erupted explosively from the body. Shit?!! Since my body was still in the air after my large leap forward, I couldnt even brace myself and was sent flying by the shockwave. I immediately rolled to absorb the impact of landing and faced forward only to find a sea of flames. Hahahahahahahaha!! Her laughter resounded all around me like it came from everywhere and nowhere. One would believe she would be dead after being turned to charcoal and ash by her own flames. But like they possessed a will, the ash swirled in a whirlpool and formed a human shape in its centre. Youre really, really, really fascinating. There are such incredible things in the world, huh? And the one who appeared from the ashes was same girl looking as she did until a little while ago. Yes, exactly the same. Not a single scratch or burn mark on her. She continued talking nonchalantly like shed never had her head severed or been burnt to charcoal and ash. Looks like humans that can stand up to monsters havent been eradicated yet. Moreover, one who actually managed to kill me once. I dont think Ive been this shocked in my entire life. How does a Level 1 human have such strength? Naturally, her sight moved to the Level crest inscribed on the back of my hand. I tried to hide it immediately, but I was a beat late. For a long breath she just stood there, eyes wide. You. Why has your Level increased? I didnt respond. I simply watched her, cursing myself for not being quick enough to hide my Level crest. Tell me. How did your Level increase? And where did you learn the spells you cast before? I dont get it at all. It really is fascinating, and youre incredibly interesting. This is great! If the world didnt have any wonders left, there would be little point in living for me. But you, I suppose you can only curse your luck for running into me., said the girl smiling impishly. I am one of the Seven Dukes of Hell, Fifi Le Birthday, the one who dies and is reborn time and again for eternity, a Phoenix. And my Level is 77., she announced. Even with her surrounding completely engulfed in flames, the Level crest on her chest shined through in a pale blue. The Level inscribed there was 77, just like she said. A phoenix, Ive heard about them before. A name assigned to one of the highest ranked monsters, purported to be an Avatar of the sun. Far above in the sky, a flaming bird, like a torus of fire going round and round the world for eternity. An immortal bird that is reborn from its ashes every time it dies. Like the numbers show, the difference between our Levels is simply too much. A monster that I could only curse my luck for meeting right at the beginning of my adventure. You must have had so many hopes and dreams. You must have worked really hard to reach this point. I applaud your efforts. However, The girl snapped her fingers, the flames surrounding her moved in concert like they possessed a will of their own and formed a cage to confine me. humans cannot win against monsters. You will never be able to defeat me. Your grand adventure will end here at its first step. She smiled mischievously like shed pulled the grandest prank in the world and began walking toward me with a cheerful gait, almost skipping with pleasure. She brought her face close to mine and said, But, since youre really fascinating, I shall give you two choices. Choices? I asked half in doubt and half in trepidation. Yes, so make sure to consider them well before you choose. She then let the silence between us stretch, enjoying the drama of it all, before stating the choices. One, be devoured by me right here and now. Or, She reached through the cage and caressed my cheek. live on as my pet. To sum up, the reason why Fifi the Phoenix didnt eat the human in front of her immediately was because it was a whim. It could have also been because of the ennui of an eternal existence. Rebirth by Fire. That is the name of the Gift possessed by a Phoenix. It is a gift that allows one to be resurrected infinitely and also a curse that does not allow one to rest even in death. She yearned for a stimulus strong enough to drive away this eternal boredom. She felt that if its this human, maybe he can do it. This human was clearly different from the rest of his ilk. Hes not one of those resigned to their inevitable fate under the rule of monsters. Moreover, for some reason he can use magic, weapons and has even managed to raise his Level. Hes way too interesting. Thats why, even if it meant violating the laws of Hell, and defying her King, she felt that it would be a pity to simply kill him. But, since youre really fascinating, I shall give you two choices. Fifi gave the human his choices as she caressed his cheek through the cage. Would he choose to be eaten here or live on as her pet? These were choices only in name. In effect, he had only one option. Well, which do you choose?, taunted Fifi. There is nothing to choose here., replied the human glaring. The glint in his eye made her think of a blade drenched in blood. Even in this situation the defiance in his eyes hasnt faded a whit. It wasnt mere defiance, she felt in her bones that he would attack if she showed the smallest gap. Fufu You really are fascinating. I wonder when was the last time Id felt this excited. A really mysterious, fascinating and stimulating human. Simply killing and eating him would be such a waste. Well, go on, be a good boy and use your words., prompted Fifi. Well, at the end of it, he has only one choice. In the first place, this is simply a lesson to teach him who his master is. The human bowed as if he were presenting her with his head and life, and then Fifi felt a sudden impact on her breast. Eh? For a moment, she couldnt understand what had happened. Before her thoughts could catch up blood began to ooze from her mouth. And then she finally noticed the knife stuck in her breast. The one tightly grasping that knife was the human in front of her. I told you right? There is nothing to choose here. She finally saw the intrepid smile that had appeared on his face. I should put in proper words right? Well then, my answer is, Idiot, like I give a fuck about your choices.