Chapter 5

"How about it? How does the feel of the clothes and equipment?"

"A bit stiff."

"That purple outfit seemed comfortable, but it's a cheap one for soldiers. Since it's provided for free, please bear with it."

---

The next day, the training led by Lieutenant Thunder began.

At first, it was just a matter of putting on the soldier's equipment provided and moving to the desert on the outskirts of the capital... but the desert was unbearably hot.

I felt like I was running out of stamina just by walking, while Lieutenant Thunder and the five soldiers walked through the desert as if nothing was wrong.

They didn't seem to find it particularly hot or difficult.

"It's hot... I feel like I'm going to collapse from heatstroke..."

"It's because you're still level one, Taro."

The Great Desert is eighty percent desert and only ten percent sea.

Therefore, it's abnormally hot.

It was still morning, but the temperature had already easily surpassed forty degrees.

And yet, it was terrifyingly cold last night.

Because there is little sea, the temperature difference between day and night is much more extreme than in Earth's deserts.

"Doesn't anyone collapse from the heat?"

"Ordinary people do, but ordinary people don't usually go to the desert. They usually work in town. As you can see, the Great Desert is very hot, so it's common for people to collapse while working."

"What's the difference between soldiers, hunters, and ordinary people?"

"Whether they can defeat sand beasts. That's all. Only about one in ten to twenty people have the aptitude."

"Doesn't leveling up help?"

"Of course. At level one, you can't even defeat the weakest sand beast, the Sand Lizard. Even if you level up, most people still can't defeat sand beasts. However, ordinary people become less likely to collapse from the heat as they level up."

Watching Lieutenant Thunder and the others, I realized that as your level increases, your heat resistance significantly improves.

Otherwise, an ordinary person would collapse after a day of fighting in the desert.

The Great Desert is extremely hot, so it seems you need to level up to increase your heat resistance.

Even working normally can lead to heatstroke, so leveling up is essential.

"First, we need to level up."

"To train, we first need to move through the desert without collapsing, right?"

"That's right."

"Do ordinary people level up too?"

"Yes. If they don't, it's difficult to work even in town."

Even in the city, which isn't a desert, it's hot enough to cause heatstroke at low levels.

So, this leveling isn't just for me.

"Those who can't defeat sand beasts and don't work and pay taxes are considered unnecessary in this country."

In a world with limited habitable areas and water, if you're deemed useless, you'll be ignored even if you collapse in the street.

Useless people are considered to be using too much water and are told to die.

"That's cruel."

"I feel sorry for them too, but that's the reality. However, when people turn ten, hunters and soldiers level them up to levels three to five. Once they reach that level, they rarely collapse from heatstroke. If they don't collapse, they can work normally, so they're not abandoned easily."

I'm apparently a "Reformer" with some special skills or talents, but first, I need to level up to a point where I won't collapse from the desert's heat.

"Do you see many sand beasts?"

"This area is where the kingdom is trying to expand the capital's territory, so sand beasts are being intensively hunted. Still, there are many."

"Is the land still unusable?"

"Until it's greened, sand beasts will keep coming in. It won't be part of the capital during my lifetime."

Greening the desert requires a tremendous amount of effort and time.

After exterminating the sand beasts in an area and greening it, it finally becomes habitable.

The process is long, so the habitable area doesn't expand easily.

A moment's carelessness can lead to strong sand beasts driving humans out and the area becoming a desert again.

Listening to Lieutenant Thunder, I understood the challenges of this world.

That's why I was summoned as a "Reformer."

"Still, I've never been involved in such rough work until now."

"Even if you're a noble, you were a civil servant, right?"

"Yes."

I'm not a noble, but as an administrative assistant, I'm like a civil servant.

"Let's get started. Take a look."

"There are so many..."

When we arrived at an area where sand beasts hadn't been exterminated, a large group of lizards was waiting.

They were bigger than the Komodo dragons I'd seen on TV before.

"Since we're in the desert, they're Sand Lizards, right? They're big."

"Even so, they're the weakest of the sand beasts. Most people can't defeat them."

If most people can't defeat large lizards, it's no wonder the habitable area is limited and doesn't expand easily.

"Then, we'll start defeating them. First, say 'Party.'"

"Party."

As Lieutenant Thunder instructed, I shouted, and my body glowed for a moment.

"What's this light?"

"It's proof that you've joined our party. You'll now receive experience points from the sand beasts we defeat."

"I see."

This world is becoming more and more like an RPG.

"Then, Taro, watch from a safe place."

At this point, if I joined the battle, I'd just add to the body count.

First, I need to level up and improve my basic physical abilities.

"Right. Show me the palm of your dominant hand."

"The palm? Ah, it says 'Level 1.'"

Looking at my right palm, it said "Level 1."

"That's good. I can't confirm it myself."

"Can't Lieutenant Thunder see it?"

"The level on the palm is visible only to the person. Rare skills like 'Character Appraisal' can see it, but only the level."

However, it's just the level, not the person's strength.

"Isn't it hard to judge someone's strength by just their level?"

"It's a rough guide, so it's best not to tell others your level, especially at first."

If your enemy knows your level, they can analyze your strength based on that number.

It can be fatal, so it's a rule not to tell even your family your level.

"Sometimes, a person at level one is stronger than someone at level ten."

"Because of that, ordinary people usually level up a little and then stop."

Anyone gets stronger as they level up, but whether they can defeat these Sand Lizards is another matter.

Still, leveling up makes you tougher, heals injuries faster, and prevents heatstroke.

There's no downside to leveling up.

"Then, we're going. Don't let your guard down!"

"Ooh!"

At Lieutenant Thunder's signal, he and the soldiers attacked the Sand Lizards.

Without using magic, they wielded large swords and cut down the Sand Lizards one after another, like samurai in a period drama.

The defeated Sand Lizards disappeared from the spot, just like in an RPG.

"But there are no drop items, right?"

"Lieutenant!"

"What's going on?"

"Don't panic! Keep fighting until a good stopping point! We'll talk later!"

It seemed there was an accident. The soldiers were surprised to see the Sand Lizards disappear, but Lieutenant Thunder tightened their focus during the battle.

After that, they smoothly defeated the sand beasts and returned to me at a good stopping point.

"Taro, what's your level?"

"Um, it's up to seven."

After defeating dozens of Sand Lizards, my level increased by six, divided among the seven party members.

I'm not sure if it's efficient, but I should ask Lieutenant Thunder.

More importantly, I need to ask why he and the others were so surprised when they first defeated the Sand Lizards.

"Taro, shout 'Party Out.' You'll temporarily leave the party, and that will help you understand."

"Got it. Party Out!"

When I shouted "Party Out," my body glowed again.

I think this proved I had left Lieutenant Thunder's party.

"Is that one at the edge okay? Hey."

"Understood."

Following Lieutenant Thunder's order, one of the soldiers killed a lone Sand Lizard with a large sword.

This time, unlike before, the Sand Lizard's body remained.

And then...

"Huh? A bag from the sky?"

A leather bag suddenly appeared a few meters above the Sand Lizard and fell onto its body.

If I wasn't in the party, or rather, normally, when a sand beast is defeated, its body remains, and you get something in a leather bag.

"Lieutenant Thunder?"

"As you can see, normally, when a sand beast is defeated, its body remains. Although sand beasts are troublesome for humans, we use their bodies in our daily lives."

The meat is used for food, and the skin for hunters' and soldiers' equipment.

"By the way, you don't use metal armor, right?"

"It would cause burns. There are special metal armors that don't, but they are very expensive, so only a few excellent hunters and high nobles can afford them."

Since most of the Great Desert is desert, ordinary metal armor can cause burns.

The sandy ground makes heavy armor difficult to move in.

There's also the risk of heatstroke.

"That's about it."

"What about this leather bag? What is it?"

"It's money. Currency. It's called 'Divine Currency,' given by the gods and usable throughout the Great Desert."

"In this world, the gods give out money?"

As the world changes, so do the norms. I realized this world is really like a game.