Chapter 9: The 11th Level
Inside the rocky cave, the air was cool, a stark contrast to the outside.
“Just a little more… Please stay still,” .
“Sorry. Thanks for your help,”
I was being treated for wounds inflicted by monsters, healed by Miree’s magic.
It had been about two weeks since we started living outdoors. During that time, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Sigitt’s last words, “You can’t defeat Gordon,” echoed in my mind. Was simply climbing the rank enough? Shouldn’t I be doing more…?
With these thoughts swirling in my head, I stared at Regress, who stood before me.
Regress’ strength was extraordinary. Even in the presence of high-level monsters, he exuded an air of calm. I could tell that my iaido was probably faster, but his balance and instincts were on another level.
In the world of iaido and swordsmanship, there’s a technique called metsuke—focusing on the opponent’s chest to anticipate their movements by sensing subtle muscle twitches.
Regress seemed to have this sense in all directions.
Even if I were to suddenly strike at him from the front, I was certain he’d dodge it. That’s how abnormal he felt.
Noticing my gaze, Regress gave a wry smile, as if he knew what I was thinking.
“What’s wrong, Sensei?” he asked.
“Nothing… I was just wondering if it’s possible to cut something that can’t be cut,”
“Hmm. That’s an interesting question. Well… does it have to be cut?”
“Huh?”
What was he trying to say? A sword is meant to cut, right? Well, there’s also thrusting, but that requires changing the vector of the draw.
Then an idea crossed my mind.
“…Stab it?”
“Fufufu. That’s one answer,”
But could I even pull that off now? I suddenly remembered my grandfather’s words:
—”Once you can do this, you’ll reach the rank of Kaiten.”
I see. So it’s not just about climbing the ranks. If my rank improves…
Maybe there’s a chance.
As I began to grow accustomed to the stronger monsters of Gallar Blue, I started experimenting with new techniques.
At first, Miree was always on edge, but as Regress and I consistently handled the monsters without issue, she seemed to relax a bit.
Miree had been a great help too. She’d heal me with her magic and, being skilled at cooking, she’d prepare meals using monster parts, making our harsh camping days a bit more bearable.
“Alright, your wounds seem fine. Your magic should be back to normal soon,” Regress said.
Miree turned to him with a hint of frustration.
“Regress, shouldn’t we let him rest a bit…?”
“Well, yeah, but I’d like to reach the 10th Level today,” Regress replied.
What was Regress seeing? I wanted to meet his expectations as much as possible, but…
“But we just reached the 9th Level, didn’t we?” I asked.
“It’s fine. It’s fine. If you push yourself to the limit, you’ll make it,”
“Pushing myself to the limit…? Isn’t climbing levels supposed to take more time? Are the monsters here giving unusually high experience or something?”
“They’re strong, so the experience is high. But you’re the one who’s abnormal, Sensei,”
“If that’s the case, then you’re the one who’s…”
I retorted with a wry smile, placing my hands on my hips.
“Haah… haah… haah… I made it…” I
“Congrats on reaching the 10th Level,”
“I can’t believe we actually reached it in such a short time…”
Miree couldn’t hide her surprise at my rapid progression.
True to Regress’ words, I was hit with a fever that same day, a sign of reaching the 10th Level. After the battle, I took a moment to steady my breathing. The cool air inside the cave felt comforting against my heated body.
“So, is this it? I’m starting to miss a proper bath,”
“Hmm… Yeah,”
“Huh?”
“Well, actually, Sensei, you’re still going to climb higher,” he said.
“What?”
“That’s impossible!” Miree exclaimed.
As a priestess in this world, Miree was an expert on the step system, which was considered a gift from the gods. According to her, no one in recorded history had ever climbed beyond the 10th Level.
“Yep, yep. You see, Sensei’s spirit is a Zan spirit, right?” Regress said.
“Just because it’s a Zan spirit doesn’t mean…” Miree trailed off.
“Zan spirits are the ones that couldn’t be categorized by the ranking system. You know about that, right?”
“Yes. Wasn’t the one who founded the Wilbrand Theocracy had divine protection,”
“That’s right. He couldn’t categorize all spirits, so he lumped the weaker ones together as Zan spirits,”
“I see.”
I had heard of various Zan spirits whose true nature was unknown, but Miree’s reaction was more intense than I expected.
“But… if that’s the case…”
Miree started, but Regress cut her off.
“Well, it’s just my hypothesis, but I think some of those Zan spirits might have come from other worlds,”
“Other worlds?”
“Yep. After all, people like us fell into this world through distortions in space, right? So why couldn’t spirits have done the same?” .
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s rare for such large rifts to appear that spirits could fall through, but the possibility can’t be ruled out,”
“…So, does that mean my spirit is from another world?”
“Well, that’s possible, given how unique your spirit is,”
So it was just a hypothesis… Huh? Unique? Does that mean I can still climb higher?
“But how do you know my spirit is unique? Are you saying I can still climb higher? But why?”
“Yes. Well, I’ll explain once you climb one more level,”
“You’ll really tell me?”
“Yep. I’ll tell you. So let’s leave the mine and rest for today,”
“…Alright.”
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Even after spending over two weeks with Regress, he was still full of mysteries.
It was said that my body was more suited for climbing levels than others, but even so, the time it took to climb each level increased as I progressed. Regress insisted I could still climb higher, but I couldn’t shake the fear that it might all be for naught.
Still, perhaps because I hadn’t been in this world for long, I wasn’t as rigidly bound to the notion that the 10th Level was the limit. I found myself taking Regress’ words positively.
Miree had been quiet since hearing the explanation, but since Regress was the one who spoke to her, I felt like it would be alright.
The next day, we re-entered the mine. The entrance was vast, with several trolley tracks running through it. The trolleys themselves had been scattered and destroyed during the monster parade.
“Why would they use trolleys when there are bags that can hold so much?”
“Mines are usually like that. You see, mithril ore is worth a fortune per piece, right?” Regress explained.
“Is it really that expensive?”
“Yep. But if people could just carry it out in bags, the mine managers would be in trouble,”
“I see.”
“So mines usually ban carrying bags inside,”
In a world where magic was commonplace, it was interesting to see how it created new problems. I realized I needed to learn more about these things to avoid being tricked or harmed.
“Let’s go this way today,”
I wasn’t sure what his criteria were, but we followed his lead through one of the mine’s many tunnels. The main paths had trolley tracks, so we didn’t get lost.
Miree still seemed unsettled, but she followed silently.
“Still, this place feels like a dungeon,” I remarked.
“Huh? It is a dungeon,”
“Ah, really?”
I felt foolish for stating the obvious, but Regress explained that the mine had already become a dungeon. This was a common phenomenon at the site of a monster parade, and depending on the parade’s scale, the dungeon would gradually deactivate over decades or centuries.
That’s why this mine was said to be the source of the monster parade.
“So, are there treasures or a boss deep inside the dungeon?”
“I don’t think there’s treasure, but there might be a boss,”
“Uh… Is that safe?”
“Well, with the two of us? Maybe. But I think the deepest part is still a bit early for us,”
“Right, right.”
“But if you defeat the dungeon boss, your levels will skyrocket. So once those kids get stronger, you should all challenge it together,”
“Ah, okay.”
I was sure those three would grow stronger. Maybe the time would come when we’d need to face it.
This was another of Regress’ hypotheses: that monsters weren’t native to this world either, but were instead brought here from elsewhere. Unlike humans who were sporadically drawn into this world, monsters might have been transported in a different manner.
Three days later, my body suddenly felt hot and feverish. No doubt about it—this was proof that my step had increased. I looked at Regress, half in shock.
“Yep. You’ve climbed higher,”
“But… why?”
Regress’ demeanor shifted subtly. His gentle smile remained, but there was an undeniable pressure emanating from him.
“My guardian spirit is called Signo… the spirit of tuning,”
“Tuning?”
“Yes, of the world,” .
Hearing the name Signo, Miree, who had been silent until now, widened her eyes.
“Then, you are…”
“Well, let’s talk about that later. First, I’ll explain Signo to Sensei,”
“Ah… okay…”
Regress turned to me again after seeing Miree fall silent.
“Well, one of Signo’s traits is that it grants the ability to see the future.”
“The future… like precognition?”
“Yeah, but it’s a bit different from precognition. Still, I think it’s something similar. Precognition can’t see a definitive future, but mine can. Though it’s not like I can see anything I want, you know.”
“So, you saw that my level would surpass ten?”
“Exactly. I thought, ‘Wow, a fantastic transfer has arrived,’ so I came to help.”
To help? But why? I couldn’t help but wonder about the reason for making me stronger, or if there was something in it for him.
“In this world, there are good people and bad people. Right now, I want to increase the weight of the good people. To prepare for the future. After all, Sensei, you’re such a kind person. Hehehe.”
Regress laughed as usual, but Miree looked puzzled and opened her mouth to speak.
“W-well, I do think Shigeto-san is kind, but this is…”
“I know that. That’s why I asked Miree-chan to come along, right?”
“Huh? What do you mean…”
“The current Holy Kingdom is quite rigid in its thinking. Well, the problem is that most of its doctrines are based on what Fehlraben the founder left behind.”
“But… the Holy Kingdom is also revising its doctrines to keep up with the times!”
“Well, on the surface, maybe… So, how do you think the Holy Kingdom would view Sensei’s uniqueness? They might see it as dangerous, don’t you think?”
“That’s not…”
“That’s why I want someone within the Holy Kingdom who understands Sensei, someone who can be an ally.”
“Someone who understands Shigeto-san…”
Leaning against the cold stone wall, I listened to Regress and Miree’s conversation while cooling my heated body. As I listened, it seemed Miree was concerned about the dangers of stepping outside the Holy Kingdom’s framework. I couldn’t help but feel anxious, wondering if we’d be targeted by inquisitors like in medieval witch hunts.
Certainly, having Miree here alone in such a situation would ease my worries a bit… Still, it felt like something enormous was about to begin.
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