In that world, level is practically combat power, money, everything. The Succubus Queen, leader of the invading clan, is around level 40,000.
If I were that level, I’d let them pass… or pretend to, then crush them.
If they show a bit of sincerity, I might ease the hostility fueled by biochemical terror and the Swordmaster’s grudge, maybe even let them tour my room. “River Styx tour.”
If I dumped 80,000 into Intelligence, I might trigger an AI revolution singularity in my head.
80,000 in Luck? I’d hit a lottery bigger than the American one. 80,000 in Charm? “Ahem. Heh heh heh.”
[Why… are you laughing?]
“Just something, dude.”
[Oh, alright.]
It’s just laughing. But a life with 80,000 Strength? I don’t even want to think about it. Wouldn’t that accidentally shatter the Earth’s mantle?
[…First, your words are no different from a provocation to harm our Queen.]
The imp bristles but speaks calmly, like a refined person getting mad. It’s taking this as diplomatic rhetoric?
But it specifically said ‘Queen’.
At least it’s confirmed no invaders from the Succubus Queen’s clan are above level 40,000.
“I just find hunting you guys fun. Didn’t you enjoy hunting humans? So I’m just having fun too.”
I worried they’d storm in angrily, but acting tough was the answer.
[The strong have that right, but at your level, hunting would be tough. Not many would fall to you.]
“I took down a level 50 at level 1. That means I can handle at least 50 times stronger. Bare minimum.”
[Unbelievable.]
“And I wiped out the thousands of zombies you sent. There’s a gap between us beyond levels. Even if the Succubus Queen came herself, she’d barely be a match.”
I’m pressuring it by acting super strong, and even I feel like I’m kind of a big deal. I mean, I did one-shot enemies 50 times stronger, and took down thousands of troops alone, right?
[…Fine. If SoySauceFactoryManager had fallen during those attacks, I wouldn’t be here.]
“So what can you offer? And you misunderstood—I’m not declaring war to behead the Succubus Queen. I’m saying I’d only let your clan in my room if I were that level.”
[Oh.]
“Just make me level 40,000 to protect myself.”
Once it acknowledged me, I softened a bit. But it’s the one who overreacted.
Did I say I’d launch a beheading operation? I just asked for level 40,000. Seems the Succubus Queen’s the only one capable of that.
[Level may be difficult, but we’ll consider treasures to boost stats and skills. We’ll prepare tempting offers, so please review positively.]
“But how will you send my reply? I heard not just anyone can cross the gate.”
I know only beings with immense Magic or no physical form can go back and forth.
[By boosting Magic to the max and with help, it’s not impossible, as I’m proving now.]
“Got it.”
I thought about smashing its head, but I can deal with it after seeing what treasures it offers.
By the way, why are these guys so desperate to negotiate with me? Is it just for level hunting?
According to the Swordmaster’s spirit, the Succubus Queen’s clan are creatures “in trouble because humans are gone.”
So they’re less about all-out war and more about feeding on human essence and using corpses, aiming for coexistence.
After watching the imp leave, I organized my thoughts.
“Coexistence… more like domination. Why’s an expedition force negotiating? Sucking essence and using corpses sounds like raising us as livestock.”
If you say coexistence because you feed and house cows while milking them and turning their hides into bags, that’s unfair to the cows.
Is human jerky that tasty? Well, they’re under orders from above, so they’ve got no choice either.
[So, will you negotiate?]
“Nah, I’ll keep taking treasures until they get mad about endless tribute, then kill them while playing dumb… Who’s this?!”
With RiceCookerMan and CatMan talking telepathically, I got startled joining the conversation.
[A brilliant plan. Now I can trust you.]
“What’s this? Uh?”
Thanks to Intelligence and Magic, I see it. A level 40 Wraith. Normally, I could only see it indirectly through my smarter-than-me smartphone.
[It’s been a while.]
“You heard too much. Die.”
Sounds villainous, but it eavesdropped on my thoughts, so I can’t let it live. To ensure elimination, I planned to hit it with both fire and ice.
[It’s been a while.]
The level 40 Wraith greets me like it knows me. “You know me?”
I don’t know this wraith, so I asked back. Wraiths are transparent, hard to distinguish by features. Only their level identifies them, and I don’t know any level 40 wraiths.
[Did you acquire the Swordmaster’s Memorial?]
It mentions the Swordmaster, so I paused my Magic attack. Low Magic means it takes time to layer magical power.
“Yeah, I did. Why?”
[Well done. Good.]
Why’s it acting friendly? The Swordmaster’s wraith was helpful but not exactly welcome. They’re ghosts, after all.
[Do you want levels?]
“Obviously. Done talking? Die.”
[Kill me or not, at your level, the EXP from me would be negligible.]
“Who are you, anyway?”
[Sigh… Dung.]
What a crazy wraith. Is its job bathroom ghost? Oh. I remember one insane wraith.
The “Nam-sa” wraith, thought to be gone, scheming with the Swordmaster’s wraith.
But its level’s different. Must’ve gone up. I heard level hunting’s banned there, making leveling up tough.
“Oh, you’re that guy? The one who tricked me and ran?”
[You finally recognize me.]
“What’s there to brag about showing up?”
[Let me ask again. Did you receive the Swordmaster’s Memorial?]
Tricking me was cheeky, but the Swordmaster’s memories mentioned something scheming with him.
The Swordmaster left an absurd trait—triple Strength/Speed with a sword—so I don’t hate him.
These guys seem to cooperate with that world’s creatures but have hidden motives. Their goal appears to be fulfilling wishes for reincarnation, but there’s something else.
This level 39 wraith lied about its wish being the red mage’s death and “smooth bowels.”
“I did.”
[Do you intend to fight them to the end?]
“If they don’t come, I don’t fight. If they do, I crush them.”
[That’s not what I mean. I watched this negotiation. I wondered if you’d fall for their deal.]
“You got a deal too? What, asking me to fight them to the end?”
[With the Swordmaster’s memories, didn’t you want to?]
“Not really. I just find it annoying and want to crush them. I don’t go out of my way.”
Just because the Swordmaster’s spirit was used doesn’t mean I follow his will.
I’m just pissed about the corpse explosion and getting hurt, fueling my revenge. More than that, I see a future milking the gate, so I’m joining the level-up system and hunting.
Manage it well, and it’s a stat factory. Sometimes gold drops too.
[I’ll get to the point. I’ll give you humanity’s legacy. Devour them all.]
“What’s the legacy? You said they’re all dead.”
[At humanity’s last moment, they secretly prepared something to fight the demons.]
“What?”
[Everyone had a level 1 above their head. Arithmetically, if a level 1 kills another level 1, they become level 2. Killing a level 2 makes them level 3.]
“Random level system lecture? I know that.”
Also, if a level 1 kills a level 2, they become level 3. Killing higher-level enemies usually guarantees their level or higher.
I don’t fully grasp the gap, but fighting an enemy accumulates EXP, often pushing you above their level.
If you one-shot them like I do, you level up to match the enemy’s level. So a level 1 kills a level 3 to become 4, another level 1 kills that 4 to become 5, and so on.
[Then you know. To fight demons, humanity poured all their legacy into hundreds or thousands of high-level heroes.]
“Yeah, the Swordmaster said he didn’t get it. He got strong on his own.”
[The treasure humanity created by sacrificing themselves—levels, skills, stats combined—is the Memorial. Right before extinction, rather than dying to become demon levels, tens of thousands voluntarily joined Memorial creation.]
“Wait, if they joined because they’d die anyway…”
[To become high-level, level 2s were killed by level 1s, and so on.]
Insane.
If I got this right, people voluntarily died to pool levels for others. Was it really voluntary?
The level system doesn’t sound like a massacre, but a level 1 killing someone leveled up by another level 1… What is this?
“So, there’s an item made by grinding human lives.”
[Yes, a level-up item made from countless lives exists. Normally, hunting hundreds of level 1s only raises a level 100 by 2 or 3.]
What a crazy world. But thinking about this world, it’s not that different.
They cause massacres like the Holocaust without even leveling up—more insane.
It’s chilling, but the levels these gate monsters have were likely gained by killing humans. And those come to me. The level-up system must never come here.
“So, there’s a legacy made from human levels. Where do I find it?”
[First, I’ll give you a Memorial with about level 40. It’ll have more hints.]
“Doesn’t help if it’s in your world. Did you scatter it here?”
[Wraiths and spirits will try to defect through this gate. The ones you’ve seen are aimless lingerers, but defectors carry Memorials, dying to pass them on.]
“Got it.”
[Show them your resolve to fight demons, and they’ll gladly leave the Memorial and vanish. Some may test you.]
I thought they’d test me.
“That’s a hassle. Why not just negotiate?”
[Impossible.]
Firm denial.
They’re bitter from extinction, but I don’t have a deep grudge, do I?
If monsters don’t cause chaos or escape, there’s no bad blood. If they drop gold crumbs and tour my room, I’d guide them.
Show them TV too. For tempting levels, a River Styx tour, sauna cooking version, or ice compress would do.
[You may hold out, but if the Succubus Queen comes herself, you’ll lose.]
“Why? She’s that small.”
[Her Charm stat, matching her level, is in the tens of thousands. You’ll fall to her seduction. Succubus charm ignores size.]
Hmm, true.
Beyond direct combat, there’s plenty of ways to take me down with status effects. Resisting temptation from a level 40,000 with tens of thousands in Charm?
Is that possible? Some people fall hard for figurines. Negotiate?
“So, know any way to resist charm?”
[Oh, sorry.]
“Why suddenly?”
[On second thought, you’ll be fine against the Succubus Queen.]
“Huh? Just fine? Her size doesn’t stir anything, so no issue?”
I was surprised by the level 40 Wraith’s shift. No way I’d be charmed by a finger-sized tiny species with weird tastes.
[Not that. You seem to admire pretty boys, so you’ll be fine. Succubus charm doesn’t work on those into men.]
Time to re-wallpaper the broken walls in my room? “Not like that. Give me a way to resist.”
[If not, it’s simple.]
“Oh, what’s simple?”
[Restrain the source of your desires.]
“……”
Am I paying for joking about neutering CatMan like this?