Chapter 21

All Boomerang!

"――You guys, do you have any intention of receiving my guidance?"

At Rex's sudden proposal, we jumped at the chance without a second thought.

I admit it's a bit embarrassing to say, but I do respect his skills. If he's willing to teach us, I'd be more than happy. Besides, Mana seems to have a bit of a thing for Rex. There's no way we'd turn him down.

After that, even Prana, who always complains, didn't object, and Nue, who surprisingly has a strong ambition, eagerly agreed.

Rex, taking our reactions in stride, said, "First, we'll start with some theory," and led us to the edge of the training ground.

"Shouldn't we rent a classroom or something for this kind of thing?"

"It's not necessary. It seems to be free today anyway."

Indeed, when I looked around the training ground, it was much emptier than when we were training yesterday. I think I heard something about a famous adventurer visiting the guild.

"Besides, if you're going to give a lecture, shouldn't you talk to other newbies as well...?"

Rex's cold gaze made me stop mid-sentence. His eyes seemed to suggest that the value of knowledge decreases as more people know it.

"Sorry, but that's not an option. Let me make this clear from the start. What I'm about to say isn't something to make your adventures more enjoyable. It's a curse that will bind you."

"A, a curse?"

"Yes. A curse called 'the optimal solution,' which has no caster and thus cannot be dispelled by any magic."

I tilted my head. Sometimes, I don't understand what he's saying.

I'm sure our confusion was evident, but Rex decided to continue without hesitation. He hesitated over his words as he asked us:

"Right. First, what do you think is the most important thing to become a 'top-tier' adventurer?"

"…Maybe a never-give-up spirit?"

"Hah."

Ah, he just laughed at my words through his nose.

"What's most important varies from person to person, but I believe it's 'efficiency.'"

"Efficiency…?"

The sudden appearance of such a dreamless and hopeless word made us exchange glances.

"Some people say that if you're ten times less efficient, you just need to work ten times harder. But by that logic, you can't beat someone who works three hours a day. That's because life is finite, and there are only twenty-four hours in a day."

"Well, that might be true, but..."

I felt like the image of the 'adventurer' we had always admired was starting to crumble.

"That's why what I'm going to teach you now is 'how to become a top-tier adventurer efficiently,' not 'how to survive as an adventurer.' I've cut out everything except becoming stronger in the end, so be prepared for that."

A cold feeling settled in my stomach. I was certain that Rex wasn't joking.

"Anyway, let's get to the specifics. As you know, when you defeat a monster, you 'grow' and your stats increase. Those stats are as follows:"

Strength: Physical attack and equipment restrictions

Health: Physical defense and HP

Magic: Magic attack and MP

Spirit: Magic defense and healing magic

Agility: Action speed and stamina

Focus: Magic learning and skill success rate

Rex's open notebook listed the six stats and their specific effects.

"Also, it's said that each stat corresponds to different races, and indeed, top adventurers called heroes tend to show such tendencies. However, for ordinary adventurers, this is completely irrelevant. A dwarf can still be weak, and a fairy can still be slow. Additionally, your initial job and aptitude might not match, so this can't be used as a metric."

"Wha—!"

Nue, who is well-informed, exclaimed. He probably had this information.

On the other hand, Rex, without any particular concern, muttered, "Random character stats are just dice rolls, after all," but I didn't understand what he meant.

"Anyway, here's the main point. All six parameters are important, but if you distribute your stats evenly, you'll just end up with a useless character. So, what becomes important is...?"

He paused for effect.

"―Cutting out unnecessary stats."

He said this with a cold, detached face.

"Wait a minute! Warriors need magic to use arts, and mages need strength to wear powerful equipment! There's no such thing as an unnecessary stat..."

Nue, unable to hold back, interjected. Rex nodded.

"You're right. There are no truly unnecessary stats. However, there are stats with minimal effects. I'm not saying you should cut out strength or magic. The first stat I think should be cut is 'agility.'"

His outrageous statement made us exchange glances again.

Even we, who aren't experts in this, know that speed is one of the most important abilities in combat. Cutting it out...

"Of course, agility is one of the stats you want to increase first because it affects all actions. However, it hits a plateau the fastest due to its significant impact."

"Plateau?"

"The more your stats increase, the less effective they become."

According to Rex, "agility 100" is the most effective stat for adventurers up to the intermediate level. The difference between agility 0 and 100 is like the difference between an adult and a child.

"However, from 100 to 150, the difference is minimal, and from 150 to 200, it's almost negligible. Unless you're aiming to be a professional thief or assassin, warriors and mages shouldn't increase their agility too much. Unless your aptitude is particularly low, your agility will increase with each level up. If you plan for the future, it's more efficient to suppress the increase in agility."

We exchanged glances again, but this time for a different reason.

A long-term growth plan that involves objectively evaluating oneself. I've never met anyone who thinks this way.

"To achieve this, you need to carefully consider your job and equipment, especially the equipment. The stronger the equipment, the higher the 'efficiency' it produces."

Nue let out another "eh?" but Rex didn't give him time to voice his doubts, instead asking us:

"For example, Rad, if you had an Iron Sword, a Mithril Sword, and an Orichalcum Sword, which one would you think is the strongest?"

"Of course, the Orichalcum Sword."

Mithril is a higher-grade ore than iron, and orichalcum is a higher-grade ore than mithril. Even a child knows this.

"No, the strongest is the Iron Sword, right?"

However, Nue shook his head and said this.

"Why?"

"Strong equipment requires corresponding skill. Mithril and orichalcum equipment are beyond our current capabilities. Therefore, the Iron Sword provides the highest attack power."

He confirmed with Rex, who nodded vigorously.

"Nue is correct, but in this case, Rad is right."

Surprisingly, he declared my answer correct.

"Indeed, strong equipment often requires skill to handle. However, magical metal equipment like orichalcum and mithril is light and easy to handle despite its strength. With Rad's current strength, he won't hit the equipment restriction for an orichalcum sword."

"But, but, I read in a book that for beginners, the Iron Sword is stronger than the Mithril Sword..."

"True, for beginners, the Mithril Sword is weaker than the Iron Sword, but that's not because of the equipment restriction."

Rex explained calmly to the confused Nue.

"Weapons have a 'fixed attack power' that doesn't change regardless of who uses them, and a 'variable attack power' that changes based on the user's strength. The Iron Sword is stronger than the Mithril Sword because the Iron Sword has a higher 'fixed attack power,' while the Mithril Sword has a higher 'variable attack power.' Conversely, when you become stronger, the Mithril Sword, with its higher 'variable attack power,' can be stronger than the Orichalcum Sword."

My head was spinning.

Until now, I had only judged weapons by whether they were "strong" or "weak." But it seems that equipment is much more complex than that.

"That's not all. Some equipment affects growth, and others can increase your stats through enchantments. Choosing equipment is the most important factor in determining an adventurer's strength. Therefore, don't compromise for unreasonable reasons like 'it's not suitable for me' or 'it's too early for me.' If you can't handle it, find a reason why you can't handle it, or if higher-tier equipment is too difficult, aim for even higher-tier equipment. This greedy attitude of always seeking your best is what adventurers need, in my opinion."

Rex spoke with conviction.

His logic was sound.

Or so it seemed...

"I understand the logic, but..."

Nue said hesitantly. I didn't say it out loud, but I felt the same way.

Indeed, Rex's method might be more efficient, but I still believe that an adventurer's strength comes from the individual. I couldn't shake the doubt about whether it was necessary to go to such lengths.

We, as adventurers, grow.

Even if we take a few detours, if we keep adventuring, we'll eventually...

"Hey, maybe you guys are misunderstanding. 'Even if you don't use a stat, a higher value is better' and 'Even if you level up inefficiently, you can make up for it by leveling up more,' right?"

"Eh..."

My breath caught.

It wasn't just because he read my thoughts. I had a premonition that Rex was about to say something that would shatter my worldview.

"Growth is a system designed by some deity. There are strict rules. First, when you defeat a monster, you gain 'experience' and level up. However, the higher your level and the higher your total stats, the harder it is to grow. Do you understand this?"

"..."

Only Nue seemed to realize something. He looked pale and stared at his hands.

"It seems you understand. Imagine a monster that you can barely defeat. If your level is lower than the monster, defeating it will level you up and make you stronger. The next time you meet, you can crush it. But what if your level is higher than the monster?"

Finally, I understood what Rex was trying to say and the fear it carried.

"Defeating a lower-level monster won't give you much experience. So, even if you put all your effort into defeating it, your level won't increase. You might level up after dozens or hundreds of attempts, but the next level will be another desperate battle against a monster of the same or higher level. Meanwhile, a 'lower-level' adventurer who was once at the same level as you will have defeated stronger monsters and gained even greater strength. Do you see? If you can't defeat a monster of your own level, your adventuring career is over."

My throat was dry.

The image of the adventurous and hopeful adventurer was crumbling.

"Get rid of the idea that 'it's fine as long as I level up, even if it's not my strength.' Each time you grow incorrectly, the next level-up becomes harder. Defeating enemies becomes more difficult, and the amount of experience needed increases. While someone who grows efficiently can defeat ten monsters and grow, you'll end up hunting a hundred of the same monsters, covered in blood and mud!"

Rex, unusually passionate, his words hit us hard, freezing us to the core.

"Understand? We're not just fighting the monsters in front of us. We're being chased from behind by a more terrifying 'ideal self' boundary line."

I had a vision.

Another me, lurking behind me, waiting for me to fail.

(Ah, ah...)

How many times have I grown?

How many times have I grown without thinking, without researching, and missed the chance to grow correctly? How close is the other me, running behind me?

"Let me make this clear. The idea that adventurers are free beings is a delusion! Always take the shortest path! Don't slack off in your efforts to find shortcuts to become stronger! Do only the best, struggle, don't take detours, don't fail, think, never make a mistake, and never... compromise!!"

There