At night, in the inn.
Moonlight, like water, poured in through the window, plating the inn room with a silver sheen.
Natsuki Subaru slowly exhaled, walked to the bedside, and sat down, resting his hands on his knees, deep in thought.
Scenes from the daytime battle flashed repeatedly in his mind: Julius's sword techniques, the brilliant lights of spirit magic, and the final moment of victory. Although he had won in the end, the duel had been far more challenging than he had anticipated.
"Fighting humans is indeed much more complicated than dealing with Mabeasts..." Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but mutter.
Mabeasts have simple attack patterns and act on instinct. But Julius is different. His combat rhythm constantly changes; every attack, every defense, even every adjustment of his footing, contains meticulous calculation. This instinct to integrate thought into combat is the most fundamental difference between humans and Mabeasts.
"Combat, in the end, is a contest of comprehensive strength," Natsuki Subaru murmured thoughtfully. After all, strength alone isn't enough; skill, experience, and on-the-spot judgment are all indispensable. Just like playing chess, one wrong move can lead to losing the entire game.
"In the original work, even when the Natsuki Subaru used Shamak, he was still beaten by Julius with a wooden sword, completely unable to fight back..." Recalling this scene, the corner of Natsuki Subaru's mouth twitched unnaturally.
Back then, Julius hadn't even used spirit magic, relying solely on pure sword skills to completely suppress him. Such a disparity in skill level is by no means something that can be easily overcome with brute force.
In short, he needed not only to increase his strength but also to hone his mind and perfect his techniques.
"Speaking of which, in terms of pure physical constitution, I indeed have the advantage—strength, speed, reflexes, all several times greater than an ordinary person's." Natsuki Subaru clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and analyzed inwardly.
"Even the elites of the Knightly Order, or even a Sword Saint like that cheat Reinhard, probably can't match me in pure physical ability."
However, battles in this world weren't decided by brute force alone. Divine Protections, magic, Authorities... the existence of these extraordinary powers made combat incredibly complex.
Julius, just with spirit magic, could compensate for the disparity in physical constitution, and those powerhouses with special Divine Protections could exert combat strength far beyond common sense.
"But I'm not without advantages. To be precise, my advantage is exceedingly powerful." Natsuki Subaru raised his hand, gazing at his palm, feeling the power within his body.
The ability to level up independently, granted to him by the system, was his greatest reliance. Whether it was level increases, attribute point boosts, or the unlocking of various special skills, all allowed him to grow at an astonishing rate.
This potential for limitless evolution was unique in the entire kingdom—no, it should be said, in the entire world.
"So what if Reinhard has hundreds of Divine Protections?" A confident arc lifted the corners of Natsuki Subaru's mouth. "My system allows me to grow infinitely; there's simply no upper limit."
But on second thought, he couldn't help but purse his lips. "Then again, aren't that guy's hundreds of Divine Protections equivalent to carrying around hundreds of skills?"
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, and Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but press his forehead and retort, "What's even more outrageous is that cheat actually has a broken ability like the Phoenix's Divine Protection, allowing automatic resurrection after death, and there's even a sequel version, Phoenix Divine Protection: Continued... This kind of treatment, no one would believe he isn't this world's favored son, right?"
"Although it's said that true strong ones do not fear death, they also do not waste life easily."
It was worth mentioning that the Natsuki Subaru of the original work had suffered immensely through countless cycles of Return by Death. Each rebirth meant having to redo all previous efforts from scratch. That sense of despair was enough to crush anyone's will.
Hard-earned achievements instantly turned to nothing in the face of death... and then, he had to start all over again. This recurring torment was far more terrifying than physical pain.
"So, I must become stronger!" Natsuki Subaru's gaze became exceptionally firm. "Confidence and arrogance are separated by only a thin line. The current me is still far from enough."
"Forget it, I won't think about these things... Let's check the rewards for completing the hidden quest this time."
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru willed it, and the system interface appeared to check the rewards for completing the hidden quest.
A translucent blue light screen unfolded before his eyes, the familiar system interface appearing:
[Hidden Quest: Clash of the Strong, Completed.]
[Quest Rewards:
Status Recovery.
Attribute Points +10.
Blessed Random Box.]
"The rewards for completing this hidden quest are quite generous this time." Natsuki Subaru looked at the system interface, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
He remembered that the last time he completed a hidden quest, the system only gave 5 attribute points. This time it directly doubled, clearly an extra reward for defeating a strong enemy like Julius.
"The first reward is still the same old status recovery..." Natsuki Subaru's fingertip lightly tapped the light screen, checking the first reward, and he murmured to himself, then showed a look of relief.
"But this ability is indeed practical. During the duel with Julius in the daytime, if I hadn't used status recovery the moment I was severely injured, allowing my wounds to heal completely, the outcome would have been really hard to say."
"Speaking of which, status recovery is simply the most perfect life-saving ability!" Truth be told, among these three rewards, Natsuki Subaru valued this status recovery the most.
Because the effect of this ability was nothing short of heaven-defying. It was like suddenly obtaining a revive coin at a critical moment of life and death, allowing a near-dead self to instantly return to full health.
"This status recovery reward must be kept in reserve." Natsuki Subaru made a mental note.
Currently, by completing the system's daily tasks, I can get one status recovery that's effective for 24 hours. Adding the status recovery obtained this time, it means I have two chances for a full-health revival within a day.
Furthermore, Natsuki Subaru also understood the system's reward mechanism well. As long as he didn't actively claim them, the rewards would remain, like unread mail in a game. Such life-saving trump cards were naturally to be kept for critical moments.
"Next are the 10 attribute points. How should I allocate them?"
Then, Natsuki Subaru brought up his character attribute panel, which only he could see:
[Host: Natsuki Subaru]
Level: 19
Class: None
Title: Wolf Slayer
Spirit: 90
Strength: 120
Agility: 92
Stamina: 79
HP: 1350/1350
MP: 2200/2200
EXP: 1040/550000
Distributable Points: 10
Skill List:
Life Resilience (Passive)
Advanced Dagger Arts (Passive)
Throwing Dagger (Active)
Blessing of the Great Shaman Kandiaru (Active)
Sprint (Active)
"Agility represents movement and attack speed; no need to add to it for now, as the Sprint skill can increase speed by 50%." Natsuki Subaru looked at his character attribute panel, stroking his chin and thinking seriously.
"Spirit affects willpower and reaction speed, Stamina determines endurance and damage resistance, and Strength is my main advantage, representing physical attack power... It's a bit of a dilemma."
His gaze lingered on the Strength attribute for a moment. Natsuki Subaru recalled the battle with Julius during the day. It was precisely because of his three-digit strength value that he was able to turn the tide at a critical moment.
"Indeed, I still need to continue strengthening my advantage!"
After a little thought, Natsuki Subaru unhesitatingly allocated all 10 attribute points to Strength.
In an instant, a scorching energy erupted from within his body, flowing through his meridians to his limbs and bones. Muscle fibers swelled and reorganized at a visible rate, and his bones emitted slight cracking sounds, becoming denser and harder.
The Strength attribute on the panel also jumped from 120 to 130.
"This increase in power... it's truly fantastic!" Natsuki Subaru repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, clearly feeling himself becoming even stronger.
"The last reward, the Blessed Random Box. It's finally here." His gaze shifted to the last reward, that Blessed Random Box exuding a mysterious luster. Natsuki Subaru's breathing couldn't help but quicken.
This box was clearly much more exquisite than ordinary reward boxes, its body entwined with colorful energy light bands, making it exceptionally eye-catching on the system panel.
"The dungeon key I got last time allowed my strength to advance by leaps and bounds..." Natsuki Subaru recalled his gains from the special dungeon instance last time, his eyes filled with anticipation. "I wonder what surprise there will be this time?"
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Natsuki Subaru extended his finger and lightly tapped in the air. The system immediately displayed a prompt:
[Open the Blessed Random Box now?]
[Yes / No]
"Wait, what if I get something useless this time?" This thought flashed through his mind, but Natsuki Subaru quickly shook his head to dispel it. "No, since it's a 'blessed' box, the quality is definitely guaranteed."
"Open!" Natsuki Subaru's fingertip hovered over the option, his heart unconsciously accelerating. This kind of anticipation, like opening a blind box, always made one both nervous and excited.
A dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth from the box, the 刺目 (blinding / glaring) light forcing Natsuki Subaru to narrow his eyes.
"Going to get a gold drop again... Strange, why did I say 'again'..."
Once the light dissipated, an ancient-looking pitch-black key lay quietly in Natsuki Subaru's palm. The key was entirely black yet possessed the unique cold gleam of metal, its handle carved with intricate patterns.
"Another dungeon key?" Natsuki Subaru raised an eyebrow, then a satisfied smile appeared. "Not bad. The rewards I got from the dungeon instance last time were quite substantial."
The system panel automatically expanded, and azure text appeared line by line:
[Item: Temporary Dungeon Teleport Key]
[Type: Consumable (One-time use)]
[Quality: Rare]
[Usage Limit: 0/1]
[Description: A special key forged by some unknown monarch, capable of opening an entrance to a randomly generated temporary dungeon. The internal structure of the dungeon and the types of Mabeasts are completely random. Successfully clearing it will grant generous rewards commensurate with the difficulty.]
[Warning: The flow of time inside the dungeon is different from reality, but the risk of death is real.]
"Last time I cleared a dungeon instance, I leveled up ten times directly and even got a rare weapon. This time shouldn't be too bad either..." Natsuki Subaru caressed the patterns on the key's surface, his eyes shining with both excitement and anticipation.
"Looks like I need to prepare thoroughly before entering the dungeon again." Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself. Then, with a thought, the key vanished from his hand, stored away in the system inventory.
Speaking of which, despite possessing the system, an extraordinary cheat, a shadow had always loomed over Natsuki Subaru's heart since the first day he transmigrated to this other world.
Unease, pressure, even a faint sense of fear, had never truly dissipated. After all, in the original story, he had experienced countless death loops, struggling forward through despair and pain.
"If I take one wrong step, will I repeat the same mistakes?" This thought often flashed through Natsuki Subaru's mind.
He knew the cruelty of this world better than anyone. Roswaal's schemes, the threat of the Witch Cult, the terror of the Sin Archbishops... a slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation.
However, this victory over Julius had finally allowed Natsuki Subaru's tense nerves to relax a little. At least now, he was no longer a weakling with no strength to even truss a chicken.
Although his current strength was still far from that of a peak powerhouse, he at least possessed enough power to protect himself.
And he would never again be like the Natsuki Subaru in the original work, who was frequently and tragically killed, unable to even guarantee basic survival, forced to repeatedly taste the agony of death in desperate loops.
"Only absolute power can bring true fearlessness!" Natsuki Subaru gazed at his own palm, feeling the power surging within him.
The growth rate granted to him by the system far exceeded ordinary people's imagination; this was undoubtedly his greatest reliance in this other world. Every battle, every trial, allowed his strength to improve rapidly, at a visible rate.
"What's more... I still hold this final trump card." Natsuki Subaru subconsciously touched his chest, as if he could feel that forbidden power—Return by Death.
As long as this ability remained, he would always have a chance to start over. But this time, he would absolutely not let himself fall into that kind of desperate loop. Because the existence of the system gave him the possibility to break fate.
"This time, I will definitely change everything." Natsuki Subaru clenched his fists, a resolute flame burning in his eyes.
No matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, he would overcome them. Because the current him was no longer alone.
Rem, Emilia, Ram, Beatrice... and that unyielding heart, would all become his driving force.
The road ahead might still be full of thorns, but he was no longer afraid.
"Then... it's time to be a bit more radical." Natsuki Subaru raised his head, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.
Since I've already established a firm foothold in this world, next, it's time to take the initiative.
_
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