Chapter 39

Here's the English translation:

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Part 3 begins!

The day after the dungeon attack, November 11th.

Rexia and I were walking leisurely towards the guild.

"Brother, what do you plan to do today?"

"Hmm. I think I'll check their stats today and then reveal a new training program."

Yesterday, Rad and the others successfully completed the dungeon, but they were so busy with the mission completion report and other things that they didn't have time to check their stat growth.

It's important to show them how much they've grown in the dungeon with numbers to boost their motivation.

"A new training program?"

"Yeah. Before we dive into the next dungeon, I'm thinking of giving them training related to their <Classes>, which are essentially their jobs. If we had done this training first, it would have been easier to defeat the slimes, but..."

However, there's a reason to let them struggle here.

While I generally rely on game knowledge and see the world through a game perspective, I don't underestimate the existence of "invisible parameters" like "combat experience" and "motivation" in reality.

The turning point for this realization came from Rad and the others' training.

Looking back, their stat growth was abnormal.

I don't have the exact values for stat increases from training, but it seems that Rad and the others surpassed the growth in the game, where the party's training effect is boosted by the "protagonist" bonus.

I hypothesized that the "quality" of the training might be the key.

Training in games is mechanical and uniform.

If the same person with the same stats and potential does the training, the results will always be the same.

However, this world is both a game and reality.

If the training in the game is the result of "standard enthusiasm and standard training," then it's not unreasonable to think that training with more enthusiasm and intensity could yield better results than in the game.

In other words, the growth from the training is the result of combining the "digital efficiency" of the game and the "analog motivation and skill" of the individuals, which is my theory.

"Of course, the motivation is different when you know what you lack and train accordingly, rather than just following orders."

When we were planning to tackle the Lava Cave, I didn't let Rexia join the battle from the start for this reason.

To be clear, Rexia is strong.

At level one, she has a third-class job, which is equivalent to a level twenty character. In the Lava Cave, she wouldn't be outmatched.

The important thing is that with her level, she can allocate all her equipment to offense without needing to enchant for defense like Rad.

By equipping two rings with selected strength enchants and a small shield, her strength value exceeds 300, allowing her to wield the <Metallic King's Sword>, the current strongest weapon, which she obtained from the casino.

Additionally, she has more skills that she can use manually than Rad, making her strong enough to potentially solo the Lava Cave.

Naturally, if Rexia had joined from the start, the slime hunting would have been much easier.

Since Rexia is still at a low level, there would be no negative experience point penalty for her joining the party, and from a game efficiency standpoint, this would be the optimal solution.

However, opportunities to struggle safely are rare.

While I, who have little real combat experience, can say this, the feeling of fighting an equal opponent and making judgments in a pinch can only be gained through actual experience.

In the final battle against the boss, Rexia did join, but that was inevitable.

The boss in the Lava Cave, like other bosses, is exceptionally strong.

If it took Rexia five hits to defeat, the exhausted Rad and the others probably wouldn't have been able to win without her.

"Well, thanks to that, they're all fired up, so it's all good. Once they learn their class skills, they should be able to handle the Lava Cave boss, I'm sure."

As we walked and talked, we arrived at the guild.

Rad and the others should be waiting in the guild's training area as usual.

I opened the guild door without hesitation.

"..."

When I opened the guild door, I could feel the attention on us.

While it's a common occurrence, today's gazes were different from before.

(Their successful mission completion must be a hot topic.)

I had heard from the veterans while waiting for Rad and the others yesterday.

Before the "Oracle of the Savior Goddess," the spawn rate of monsters was slow, and the growth of adventurers was slow. It was not uncommon for new adventurers to take several years to become strong enough to tackle the <Seven-Colored Lava Cave>.

Seeing Rad and the others report back to me after coming out of the Lava Cave, the veteran muttered, "The times are changing."

The fact that Rad and the others completed the boss defeat mission was guaranteed by the trusted veteran of the guild.

While no one outright denied it, from the quality of the gazes, it seemed that many were still skeptical about whether Rad and the others had really cleared the Lava Cave.

(Well, whether they believe it or not, it doesn't really matter.)

The level-up growth boost is used up, but Rad and the others' levels should have risen sufficiently.

Their true strength will eventually become clear, and it's just a matter of time.

In the Brave Blade party, especially the kind-hearted Mana, seems to be worried about my bad reputation...

(Actually, it's the opposite...)

At least in this case, I am right, and since this is a game world, most of the people in the town, including the NPCs, are generally good.

The future is already promised to be in our favor.

No matter how much they gossip, I honestly feel a sense of superiority. Thinking that I can sell them a moral victory when they realize the truth and feel guilty, like the veteran who apologized after realizing his mistake, I can only think, "Say more! Say more!"

(Well, that's probably because I have a bad personality.)

In that regard, I wish Mana would learn from Rad and Plana, who wouldn't bat an eye no matter what is said about me.

In any case, what I need to do doesn't change.

I walked to the training area, feeling the gazes from a distance, and headed towards Rad and the others.

"..."

However, when I entered the training area, I immediately noticed something was off.

There was an unfamiliar figure next to Rad and the others.

(Maybe they're causing trouble over yesterday's incident?)

As I approached, something seemed strange.

The woman talking to Rad and the others was a young adventurer, a bit older than them.

From the quality of her equipment, she seemed to be around level ten.

She was dressed in a rather provocative leather outfit, typical of a "fantasy female warrior."

She had a strong and confident appearance, and it wouldn't be surprising if she were acting like a senior adventurer and intimidating them... but from a distance, it didn't seem like that at all. In fact...

"Ah..."

When Mana saw me, she turned her head, and the woman who was talking to Rad and the others noticed me as well.

After a moment of hesitation, she ran over to me.

"Y-You're the Rex that Rad was talking about... No, are you the A-rank adventurer, Sir Rex?"

"Indeed, I am Rex, but..."

Her formal language was clearly not natural, but her respect and desperation were evident.

As I was at a loss for how to handle the situation, she bowed deeply, almost folding her body in half, without caring about the people around us.

"Please! Please tell me what my talent is!"

Just to clarify, this girl is not a heroine or anything.