I’m Just Leveling up Efficiently, but for Some Reason, the People Around Me Seem to Be Looking at Me With Disapproval - Chapter 10

At that time, on the edge of the village where the forest met the houses.

“Wait, Yujin… please, a little slower…”

“Sorry. But we have to hurry…”

Yujin and Erin had left the mother and daughter refugees with other villagers and were running toward the center of the village.

They knew they couldn’t fight.

They knew they wouldn’t be any help in battle.

Even so, they couldn’t stop.

Their son, their thirteen-year-old son, was fighting the Ugly Pig Captain Orc in the center of the village right now.

There was no way parents could just sit quietly deep in the forest doing nothing.

“Yushuu…”

Tears kept falling from Erin’s eyes without stopping.

Yujin was also running with his lips tightly pressed together.

From far away they could hear explosions and angry shouts.

The sounds of battle.

It was still going.

Yushuu was still alive.

“What have I even been doing as a village guard…”

Yujin muttered bitterly while running.

“Making my son carry the whole village while I run away… I’m a failure as a guard.”

“Yujin…”

“I’m sorry, Erin. I’m sorry, Yushuu.”

All he could do was apologize.

All he could do was run.

That was when the central square came into view.

In the middle of the square lit up by flames.

A horned Ugly Pig Orc swinging a huge battle axe.

And a small white figure darting around him at a speed that didn’t seem possible for a child.

“Yushuu…!”

A silent scream escaped from Erin’s mouth.

He was covered in blood.

Cuts all over his body, clothes torn to shreds, hair dyed red and black.

But he was still standing.

Still fighting.

Still smiling.

“That fighting style…”

Yujin caught his breath.

It wasn’t a smile of resolve or despair.

It looked more like he was actually enjoying it——

“…What is that way of fighting?”

As a warrior, Yujin was speechless.

No wasted movements.

No big swings.

He moved with the smallest actions and accurately struck only the vital points.

With every hit, more of Gald’s blood spilled out.

That wasn’t the movement of a kid fighting for the first time.

It was the movement of a veteran assassin or a swordsman who had trained for years.

“You… since when did you…”

Tears fell from Yujin’s eyes.

He had wanted to protect him.

He had always wanted to protect him.

Yet somehow, he was the one being protected now.

By his son.

By his thirteen-year-old son.

* * *

Gald’s breathing was reaching its limit.

I watched it calmly.

He had lost too much blood.

His left leg was basically useless, like he was standing on one foot.

Even the speed of his battle axe swings had dropped to less than half of what it was at the start.

This was the time to finish it.

“Gald.”

“…What?”

“Tell me one last thing.”

“Hmph. If you have the energy to ask questions, then come attack me.”

“Why did you attack my village?”

Gald dragged his battle axe and glared at me.

It wasn’t anger or mockery.

He just looked tired.

“…It’s the Dible Empire’s southern expansion policy. We’re building bridgeheads one by one starting from the edge of the Jen Archipelago Union.”

“Bridgeheads, huh.”

“We are simply following orders. We hold no personal grudge against you.”

“I see.”

“But since it’s an order, we have to kill everyone.”

There was no more panic in Gald’s eyes.

Only resolve.

The final resolve of a commander who was about to lose.

…Hmm.

I felt it was a little bit of a shame.

I didn’t actually hate this guy as an enemy.

If I had put off beating him a bit longer, he might have come back even stronger and given more experience points.

But that would be too greedy.

The efficiency addict’s iron rule is to securely take the experience points right in front of you.

“Don’t hold it against me.”

“I won’t. I’ve done the same.”

Good words.

I smiled and stepped in.

Gald gathered his last strength and raised the battle axe high above his head.

I slipped under it one final time.

I could see the light.

Strong, so strong.

Right in the center of Gald’s chest.

The strongest light was shining right in front of his heart.

I gripped the knife with both hands.

I twisted my body and focused every bit of enhanced sensation from my technique points.

From legs to waist, waist to shoulders, shoulders to arms, arms to wrists, wrists to the tip of the blade.

The power flowed like a single straight line.

The blade sank into Gald’s chest.

With a wet sound.

Like it was always meant to go there from the beginning.

“Ah…”

Gald’s battle axe stopped halfway through its swing.

His large eyes slowly looked down at me.

“You… your name…”

“Yushuu.”

“…Yushuu, huh. I’ll remember it.”

The light disappeared from Gald’s eyes.

His giant body slowly dropped to one knee, then fell forward.

The ground shook with a heavy thud.

In that moment.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep, beep, beep, beepbeepbeepbeepbeep!

Electronic sounds exploded inside my head.

“Nhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!”

I climaxed.

I came.

My brain exploded.

Everything in front of me turned pure white.

Th-that feels so goooooood!!

It feels way too good!!

Boss experience points!!

My body jerked and arched like a shrimp.

I dropped to my knees on the ground and bent backward.

Drool dripped down.

A massive flood of brain chemicals poured out.

What is this, what is this, what is thiiiiis?!

It was on a completely different scale from leveling up after a normal Ugly Pig Tribe Orc.

The digits were different.

The digits were totally different!

This was the boss bonus.

This was the stronger enemy bonus.

This was the ultimate answer that an efficiency addict had chased his whole life——!

“Nuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

I stayed crouched on the ground convulsing until the long level-up finally ended.

At last the electronic sounds stopped.

The afterglow hit.

“…Hah… hah…”

While catching my breath, I opened my status.

――――――――――
Level: 54
Exp: 3245/54000
Stamina: 48
Magic Power: 52
Endurance: 61
Strength: 38
Technique: 73
Durability: 54
Reason: 49
Faith: 35
Remaining Status Points: 96
Learned Skills: [Dagger Technique: Vital Point Sight]
Owned Skill Points: 120
――――――――――

…Yeah.

It jumped.

It really jumped big.

This is the best.

Way too good.

For a while I just grinned while staring at my status.

Where should I put points next?

What skill should I take next?

Just thinking about it made more brain chemicals want to come out.

No no, calm down.

Two times in a row would be too much.

I used every bit of my reason to close the status screen.