Chapter 2

An adventure island said to have been created by a certain goddess for her amusement—Eldias.

Vast underground labyrinths, infinite towers reaching the clouds, dense jungles teeming with monsters, and scorching deserts where not even grass can grow. This island is packed with all sorts of dungeons, each hiding precious treasures. Moreover, even if someone obtains the treasures, the goddess whimsically replenishes them.

Adventurers from all over the world gather here, and over the course of hundreds of years, people have built their lives on this island, forming a society.

Their goal is not just the treasures.

What they aim for is the complete conquest of the seven major dungeons. Those who achieve this are granted a single wish by the goddess, no matter what it may be.

Some wish for immense wealth, others for eternal life. Believing in the goddess's power, which is said to be capable of anything, countless adventurers have plunged into the dangerous dungeons—

Rio Niebuer arrived at the "Town of Beginnings" at the southern tip of the island. He secured a base by agreeing to work at a certain inn and tavern.

At just 12 years old, he first saved a little money from his work there and equipped himself.

Thus, armed with an iron sword and a shabby light armor, he ventured out on adventures during his breaks.

However, he was a beginner at level 1. Naturally—

"Haa, haa, haa..."

In a grassland dotted with thickets, Rio, panting heavily, stood before a large ant monster that was twitching in convulsions. This monster, about as tall as his waist, was the lowest threat level on the island, the "Soldier Ant."

His cheap sword was chipped, and his light armor was riddled with scratches. After nearly thirty minutes of struggle, he finally dealt the final blow.

—You have gained 5 experience points.

Hearing the emotionless voice in his head, Rio slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

(All that effort, and just 5...?)

To reach the next level—just level 2—he needed a little over 100 million experience points.

(At this rate, it could take tens of thousands of years.)

Defeating weaker monsters yielded only a small amount of experience. While defeating stronger opponents would grant bonus experience, he, at level 1, didn't even have the right to challenge them.

When Rio focused, a status screen appeared before his eyes. It was his personal data, visible only to him.

===

HP: 72/150

MP: 30/30

STR: 45/141

VIT: 67/157

INT: 65/104

MAG: 15/65

AGI: 48/126

DEX: 50/103

===

On the adventure island, the concept of levels existed, and people were governed by a status system that quantified their abilities. This system was applied the moment one entered the island.

The numbers on the right were the maximum values for that level, which wouldn't change no matter how hard one tried unless they leveled up.

The numbers on the left represented the current status. Levels didn't immediately increase; for example, strength would improve with daily training. Conversely, it would decrease if not exercised, and could temporarily drop due to illness or fatigue.

Rio's status wasn't far from average. At level 1, most stats were around 100, so his strength, vitality, and agility were slightly above average. (His magic power, on the other hand, was lacking.)

(I guess I need to focus on building my body first.)

Fighting monsters was undoubtedly efficient, but if one monster took this much effort, he needed to reconsider his approach.

Two copper coins lay where the monster had vanished.

(Not even enough to buy a loaf of bread.)

It seemed he would have to continue his live-in job for a while.

Just as he sighed,

"Kiki..."

Another Soldier Ant appeared.

(I can't fight now—!)

Trying to flee with his remaining strength, another monster emerged from the grass behind him.

"Damn it!"

Swallowing his fear, he swung at the monster in front of him. He couldn't afford to try and defeat it; he needed to find an opening to escape.

However, his sword felt heavy from fatigue. His all-out strike was deftly avoided and struck the ground.

(Ah, bad...)

The avoided monster, being the weakest, didn't immediately attack. But the other one, which had leaped from behind—

Clank!

"Ugh..."

It bit into his leg. The wound was shallow, but being clamped by its large jaws, he couldn't move.

"Ah..."

The other monster, now ready, charged at him.

The rest was one-sided.

Rio curled up, enduring as much as he could. Desperately, he tried to think of a way to escape and survive. But his vitality was being drained, and he was bleeding profusely. His life was hanging by a thread.

In his fading consciousness,

—Your Unique Skill [Embrace of the Goddess] has been activated.

The voice in his head. His body was then enveloped in a faint rainbow light.

The Soldier Ants, however, didn't seem to notice this strange sight. Confident that they had finished him off, they left Rio and disappeared into the grass.

The island's monsters didn't attack humans for food. Once they believed their target was defeated, they lost interest and either attacked another enemy or moved to a different location.

Rio lay on his back, gazing at the clear sky. Or rather, he stared at the status screen that appeared before his eyes.

===

HP: 150/150

===

His HP was fully restored, and the other status values that had dropped due to fatigue were back to their original levels.

The Unique Skill [Embrace of the Goddess]. Given to him by the goddess who raised him, it was the ultimate skill to avoid death. It instantly restored all injuries, illnesses, and status abnormalities, even if his HP dropped to 0 or he suffered major injuries like limb loss. There was no daily limit on its use.

While he knew the skill's effects, he only truly realized their magnitude now.

(I never imagined it would be this powerful...)

Grateful to have been saved, Rio then heard a strange voice.

—You have gained 2010 experience points.

How could he have gained the equivalent of 402 Soldier Ants' experience points?

Next time, we'll investigate the secret behind the massive experience gain.

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