Chapter 17

While the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

---

As I thought about the character's status and class, I became incredibly excited and ended up fiddling with Excel all day, making class tables and simple status calculators, and before I knew it, the day was over...

But since yesterday crossed over to a new date, my daily updates haven't been interrupted! Right?

"Level and status... you don't know...?"

Hearing these incomprehensible words, my mind went blank.

"No, I'm sorry. To be precise, I don't know the word 'status,' but I understand what 'level' means. It's the stage of 'growth' after defeating monsters, right? However, I don't know how to measure my own level. Since I haven't experienced growth, I think my level hasn't changed..."

Resilia corrected me, but for me, it was more of a blow.

In RPGs, status is one of the most important elements, if not the most important. Not knowing it... how ridiculous.

(...Wait? But, how do I check my own status?)

It was such a basic question that I hadn't even considered it. Whenever I used arts or the inventory, it felt like my body had memorized the process, and I could use them smoothly even for the first time. But when I tried to "check my status," there was no such feeling.

(Maybe it's because I'm not the 'main character'? ...No, it's probably because this is something the game player does, not the game character?)

I suspect that saving, loading, viewing quests, and help functions are also the same. This information is disclosed to the person operating the game, not the characters within the game.

Still, this is a problem. Without knowing my stats, I can't gauge my growth or plan against enemies. But in games, the only way to know your status is to open the menu...

Thinking this, I suddenly had an idea and ran to the mirror.

(Maybe this will work...)

Guided by a near-certain premonition, I shouted at my reflection in the mirror.

"---Pierce!"

Then,

---

Lex

LV 50

HP 530 MP 265

Strength 200 Vitality 200

Magic 200 Spirit 200

Agility 200 Focus 200

---

(Yes!)

The same ability values I had seen in the status screen appeared. I sighed in relief.

(Pierce is a technique to discern the strength of an opponent. Normally, it can only target enemies, but it seems to work in this world.)

It was a gamble to see if it would work on my reflection, but I'm glad it did.

(But, Lex is still weak.)

In the Blurry World, adventurers generally gain about four points per level in their stats. So, having 200 points at level 50 is average. However, since the initial value at level 1 is around 20, Lex is 20 points lower in all stats compared to a typical character.

Moreover, the average of four points is just that. Normally, there are variations like "a warrior gains six points in strength but only two in magic." So, even if the total is the same, a level 50 character might have 300 strength and 100 magic.

And of course, 300 strength and 200 strength make a big difference. Lex might be versatile, but he is decidedly weak in combat. Furthermore, the average growth of 4 points applies to general adventurers, but characters used as main players in games typically exceed this.

Moreover, this gap becomes more pronounced in the later stages of the game. In Blurry, you can change classes, but the conditions for class changes require specific ability values.

The higher the class, the stricter the conditions, but the stronger the skills and the greater the class-based stat bonuses. So, the strong get stronger, and the weak fall further behind...

"Are you okay?"

Resilia's voice brought me back to reality.

"Ah, yeah. No problem."

"Are you feeling unwell? You should rest..."

Resilia, though expressionless, seemed genuinely worried and spoke with concern.

But it's an unnecessary worry. I was a bit shaken mentally, but it's not a big deal.

(Well...)

Being able to see Lex's status was a good start, but I already knew his stats. The main issue is Resilia's status.

(I can probably use <Pierce> to see it...)

The question is, how high are her stats?

Even at level 1, her stats would give a good indication of her growth potential. The initial stats at level 1 are generally equal to six levels of growth. For example, if the average growth is four, the initial stats would be around 24.

(...Growth values and character potential are the unchangeable disparities in this world.)

Of course, to some extent, love and efficiency can compensate, but there are limits.

While the average growth for adventurers is four, non-adventurers can have much lower values. The average growth for city dwellers is about two.

(The threshold is 18.)

If the average stat is 18, meaning a growth value of three, with support, they can function well in a party. But below that...

(I might have to keep her out of combat for her own good.)

With this resolve, I used <Pierce> on Resilia, who was looking at me curiously. Her stats were...

---

Resilia

LV 1

HP 232 MP 71

Strength 118 Vitality 100

Magic 55 Spirit 88

Agility 124 Focus 64

---

"......What?"

Faced with the unbelievably high stats, I could only gape in astonishment.

---

When I woke up, I was drenched in sweat.

"A dream, huh."

The dream I had just seen left me in a terrible mood.

In the dream, I was playing an MMO and, following the advice of an elf with green hair, I created a balanced character. However, this character was useless in combat and was mocked by others with comments like, "Hey, that guy's a balanced character," "Wow, equal distribution is only allowed in elementary school," and "Trash character."

I knew the cause.

It was the shocking stats of Resilia I saw yesterday.

Being level 1 with those stats was simply abnormal. I had never seen such a bizarre set of stats in a game.

Moreover, what bothered me was something else.

When I saw those stats, I couldn't help but think...

(If Lex had this power...)

Of course, I knew that was impossible. But...

"Did you wake up?"

Turning to the voice, I saw Resilia, Lex's sister. The memory of yesterday made me feel complicated, but I tried not to show it and spoke to her.

"Yeah, good morning. I caused you trouble yesterday."

I don't remember what happened after that. The shock must have left me dazed.

"No, please wait a moment."

She dismissed my apology without a change in expression, opened the door, and walked away. A few minutes later, she returned with a dish that looked like food.

"...It's egg porridge. I don't know if you'll like it."

She offered it with a gentler touch than yesterday.

"I heard from the inn. The day before yesterday, you protected a new party and defeated a demon despite sustaining severe injuries."

"Ah, well..."

Depending on how you interpret it, that's what happened.

"Probably, you were very tired. ...Please."

"Ah, yeah."

Following her lead, I scooped up the porridge with the spoon and brought it to my mouth.

"...It's delicious."

The taste healed not just my body but my soul. Even the unromantic thought of "rice in a fantasy world" was swallowed along with the flavor.

"Thank you. Did you make this, Resilia?"

"...Yeah, just a distraction."

She said it while looking away, seeming unhappy. I sensed she didn't want to talk about it further, so I slowly finished the egg porridge.

"Thank you... Oh?"

Before I could express my gratitude, she snatched the dish, saying, "I'll clean it up," and hurried out of the room. However,

"...By the way."

Her steps stopped at the door. Then,

"Thank you for saving me."

"Eh...?"

"I couldn't say it yesterday."

She said it quickly and left the room without looking back. But for a moment, her face, which I glimpsed, seemed slightly flushed.

The sound of her hurried footsteps gradually faded away.

"...How embarrassing, me."

It's not good for a grown man to be worried about by a girl like this. Worse, I felt small for feeling a bit jealous of such a kind and younger girl.

I knew from the start that Lex was weak. Yet, seeing the ability gap in person, I suddenly said, "It's tough," which was a poor show.

(...I need to change my mindset.)

I had been thinking in terms of the game Blurry. Even though I kept saying, "I'm not the main character," I was still acting like one.

Blurry is an action RPG where you become a hero to save the world and cut down enemies one after another.

But the role I should play is probably different. To put it another way,

---I should think of this world as a simulation game.

Instead of focusing on myself, I should cultivate others, build a group capable of defeating monsters, and conquer this world. That is the best and most optimal choice for me now.

4. Strengthen the forces

The answer to the last goal I set is probably here.

(I'm glad I met Resilia here.)

If I had remained half-hearted, I would have hit a bigger wall eventually. Now, I can genuinely celebrate Resilia's strength without comparing it to my own.

"Resilia..."

So, when Resilia returned, I naturally asked her. Looking her in the eye, I spoke the words that were my answer from yesterday.

"---I want to borrow your strength. Will you fight with me?"

Surprised by the sudden question, she opened her eyes wide for a moment,

"...This sword is yours."

She said it with a mischievous smile.