Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 118
118. Mari-nee and Overprotective? Leveling-Up (Part 1)
After welcoming Piyoko- or rather, Vel, the chick—we set out for the “Great Demon Forest” to the east of the royal capital, Caldia, to level up and test Vel’s abilities.
The “Great Demon Forest” is a vast woodland separating Caldia and Xenoa, known for its increasingly formidable monsters the deeper one ventures. We heard that the outskirts of the forest are ideal for leveling up, as the monsters there are not particularly strong.
However, this leveling-up spot was mainly beneficial for me, and not so much for the others. Since the incident with Legios, I hadn’t gained a single level.
Well, to be precise, I hadn’t leveled up at all since the last event. My skill levels have increased significantly, but my overall level has remained stagnant due to a lack of battle opportunities and other priorities.
Given these circumstances and the birth of Vel, along with the events in the “Cave of Vows,” Roulette-san and the others urged me to focus on leveling up. The strongest advocate was Graham-san, along with the members of the Young Saint Sect. Graham-san emphasized that leveling up was crucial for my safety, especially after the incident where I lost my family, for which they felt responsible and had been rigorously training since.
Despite my reassurances that it was unnecessary, they were adamant, citing “doctrines”—though I’m not sure what these doctrines are or when they came into existence. It’s probably best not to dwell on it. Thanks to my upgraded [Switch] skill, I managed to minimize my emotional damage.
Whew, that was close.
Among the sect members was Bart, who seemed outwardly integrated but occasionally had a distant look in his eyes. Just like me…though it’s not like I think of him as a comrade or anything.
With the reasons for testing Vel’s strength and my own leveling up, we headed to the “Great Demon Forest.”
Joining us were Gils, Vel, Roulette-san, Kanna-san-san, Mareus-san, Graham-san, and the sect members. Vel perched on my left shoulder, clinging tightly to withstand the motion of walking, yet still diligently keeping watch. Gils watched Vel with satisfaction, ready to help at a moment’s notice.
He’s quite the protective older brother.
To my right were Roulette-san, Kanna-san-san, and Mareus-san. Graham-san led the way in front of me, while Bart took the rear. This configuration, forming two four-member parties, seemed reasonable for a leveling expedition.
But having dozens of sect members surrounding us seemed excessive. This is just a leveling trip, right? We’re only facing moderately strong monsters suitable for my level 20, right? We’re not going after a boss or anything, right?
Sensing my doubts, Graham-san spoke up.
“If we’re dealing with monsters, honestly, I could handle it alone. In fact, it might be better if only I… never mind.”
Yeah, let’s pretend I didn’t hear that. Also, the moment Graham-san let that slip, a wave of killing intent was directed at him from the sect members.
Is this organization really okay?
“This is for caution. Our enemies are not just monsters. It’s not certain that all the PKs (Player Killers) targeting the Holy Leader were eliminated in that battle. On the contrary, it wouldn’t be surprising if new threats emerged because of it. We never want to see the Holy Leader suffer like that again—or at least, we don’t want to stand by helplessly if such a thing happens again. We are determined to prevent it, by our doctrine and pride.”
“Graham-san…”
“That’s why we’ve leveled up to the point where we won’t lose to PKs and enhanced our equipment with the cooperation of the Three Saints.”
The level cap during official events was thirty, which was then raised to forty with the implementation of the Five Nations, and further to fifty with the arrival of the Second Wave.
Despite the short time since the Second Wave, Graham-san and his group had already reached the high forties. Though his usual behavior might be questionable, the sincerity of Graham-san and his group’s efforts was undeniable.
“Thank you for doing this for me, I really—”
Just as I was about to express my gratitude…
“Ten o’clock direction, detection response!”
“Alpha, defensive stance! Beta, continue scouting! Gamma, annihilate!!”
“Understood!!!”
“Execute without hesitation or mercy. All for the Holy Leader!”
“For the Holy Leader!!!”
…They are being considerate, right? Really?
I don’t think anyone could blame me for halting my words of gratitude and reconsidering my opinion. No one could.
Moreover, these people were clearly enjoying themselves, smiling as they unleashed spells and skills.
Thanks to them, I was showered with numerous buffs. Buffs can sometimes cancel each other out or overwrite, but it seemed like they had everything planned in advance. Their coordination was impressive, but there were definitely too many buffs.
The same excessiveness applied to their attacks, causing explosions that altered the landscape. It was clearly overkill. After all, the monsters here should be around level twenty or so.
I assumed they would handle any sporadic PK attacks due to their scouting, but what if they exhausted themselves? MP potions were still expensive and scarce despite becoming more available.
For the record, the monster they fully defended against and annihilated with maximum force was a lone level 21 monster. The monster must have been as shocked as I was.
I sympathetically bowed my head internally for the monster and continued onward.
By the time we finally reached the “Great Demon Forest,” after taking several times longer than usual, many of Graham-san’s group were nearly out of MP.
Seriously, what were they thinking?
Feeling incredibly uncertain about the pride Graham-san spoke of, my leveling-up adventure was about to begin.
…Actually, I probably shouldn’t even consider that it hasn’t even started yet. I’m trying not to think about it myself.