Chapter 153: Farming points!
The entire cave shook.
One goblin flew into the ceiling.
Another spun across the floor like a bowling ball.
A third disappeared into the darkness.
Nobody knew where.
Leo’s voice echoed from within the light.
"...You..."
"...You little shits..."
The blue mana exploded again.
The goblins surrounding him were blasted backwards in every direction.
Kaizen grinned.
"There."
"I told you."
"The protagonist DLC just finished downloading."
The blue mana exploded outward.
BOOOOOOM!!
A shockwave ripped through the cave.
Several Corrupted Goblins were blown clean off their feet.
The chanting stopped.
For a brief moment...
Everything froze.
"..."
"...What the hell?"
Sera was the first to speak.
Her eyes were glued to the center of the crater.
Leo slowly stood up.
His clothes were torn.
His lip was bleeding.
One eye was swollen.
Yet...
The mana pouring off his body was noticeably stronger.
Hina’s pupils contracted.
"...His mana..."
She activated her Ghost Eyes again.
The blue glow in her eyes intensified.
Then—
"...He broke through?"
Her usually calm voice cracked.
"His mana density just increased!"
"It’s... it’s much higher than before!"
Sera’s mouth slowly fell open.
"No way..."
"He..."
"...He’s D+ Rank now?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Only Leo’s mana continued to surge.
Meanwhile...
Kaito quietly watched everything unfold.
Expressionless.
Almost emotionless.
Yet...
Deep inside...
Something cracked.
’...He broke through?’
’Just like that?’
’After getting beaten up for thirty seconds?’
His eyelid twitched.
’I spent six months training every single morning.’
’I nearly burned my eyebrows off learning Fire Burst.’
’I climbed mountains.’
’Meditated under waterfalls.’
’Got yelled at by my master every day.’
’And this idiot gets punched into a wall...’
’...and levels up?’
"..."
Kaito looked away.
He suddenly didn’t like caves anymore.
Off to the side...
Kaizen was smiling.
On the outside.
Inside?
His soul was flipping tables.
’WHAT THE FUCK?!’
’EXCUSE ME?!’
’HE GOT HIS ASS BEAT...’
’...AND THAT COUNTS AS TRAINING?!’
Kaizen felt his blood pressure rising.
’I grind.’
’I scheme.’
’I suffer.’
’I am on my way to become a femboy because of this garbage System.’
’And this bastard unlocks a breakthrough because twelve goblins used him as a communal punching bag?!’
His eye twitched.
Violently.
’Plot armor.’
’Bullshit protagonist plot armor.’
’The author isn’t even trying to hide it anymore.’
’"Oh no! The hero is losing!"
’"Don’t worry, readers!"
’"Here’s a free power-up!"
’Absolute terrorism.
Kaizen took a deep breath.
Exhaled slowly.
"..."
"...I’m reporting this stupid game."
Sera glanced at him.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
Kaizen forced a smile.
"I just hate talented people."
Leo, completely unaware of the emotional damage he had just inflicted on everyone around him, slowly cracked his neck.
Blue mana swirled around his fists.
He looked at the Corrupted Goblins.
They looked back.
Leo grinned.
Round two.
This time...
The tutorial monsters were about to learn what plot armor looked like.
Kaizen clicked his tongue.
’No time to be jealous.’
’That bullshit protagonist can enjoy his free power-up later.’
’I need levels.’
He clapped his hands.
"Alright!"
"Team meeting!"
Nobody looked away from Leo.
Kaizen coughed.
Louder.
"TEAM MEETING!"
Three pairs of eyes finally landed on him.
He folded his arms behind his back.
Put on the most heroic expression he could manage.
"Everyone has a role."
He pointed dramatically at Sera.
"Sera."
"Go support Leo."
"Heal him."
"Punch a few goblins while you’re at it."
His finger swung toward Kaito.
"Kaito."
"Target practice."
"You’ve been complaining your fire control sucks."
"Congratulations."
"Free moving targets."
Kaito nodded thoughtfully.
"...That actually makes sense."
Kaizen grinned.
Then dramatically pointed at Hina.
"Hina."
She blinked.
"...Yes?"
"Go kill them all."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Kaizen stood there proudly.
’Damn.’
’I really sound like one of those movie commanders.’
’Natural-born leader.’
The cave fell silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody cheered.
Nobody saluted.
Three people simply stared at him.
Sera tilted her head.
"...Why should we listen to you?"
The question hit like a truck.
Kaizen froze.
"...Eh?"
"Leo’s the party leader."
She folded her arms.
"Not you."
"We don’t exactly take orders from random idiots."
Critical hit.
Kaizen’s imaginary commander’s cape vanished.
His soul almost left his body.
"..."
"...That was mean."
He stepped closer.
Very casually.
One hand moved behind her.
Completely discreet.
Then—
Pinch.
Hard.
Right on her soft ass cheek through the tight leggings.
"Ackk—!"
Sera jumped half a step forward.
Eyes wide.
Face instantly red.
Kaizen’s expression stayed perfectly calm.
Like nothing happened.
"If you don’t go—"
"We are gone! Fuck off!"
Sera spun around so fast her hair whipped the air.
She sprinted toward the fight like the cave was on fire.
Kaito just shrugged and followed, already gathering flames around his hand.
Kaizen watched them leave with a satisfied nod.
Then looked to the side.
Hina was still standing there.
Fidgeting.
Not running.
Not even pretending to run.
Kaizen raised an eyebrow.
A slow, evil smirk spread across his face.
"What?"
"You want a pinch in the ass too?"
Hina’s eyes went wide.
Both hands immediately shot backward.
Covering her ass completely.
"N-No!"
Without another word she spun on her heel and sprinted after the others like her life depended on it.
Kaizen watched her disappear into the fight.
Then folded his arms again.
A smug smile slowly spread across his face.
"...Leadership."
He nodded to himself.
"I’ve got it."
From the battlefield ahead, Sera’s voice echoed back.
"No, you don’t!"
Kaizen’s smile froze.
"..."
"...They’re lucky I’m humble."
Sending Hina after the goblins...
Turned out to be a genius decision.
The moment she entered the battlefield—
She raised one elegant hand.
Wind mana gathered around her fingertips.
Shhhh—
A translucent blade of compressed wind shot forward.
SHWICK!
One of the heavily injured Corrupted Goblins froze.
Its head slowly slid off its shoulders.
Thud.
The body collapsed.
A familiar notification appeared before Kaizen.
[Ding!]
[A harem member has slain a Rank B Corrupted Goblin.]
[Reward: +10 Level Points.]
Kaizen slowly closed his eyes.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
’Beautiful.’
Ten Level Points.
Exactly one full rank.
No grinding.
No life-threatening battle.
No getting punched through walls like a certain protagonist.
Pure profit.
Another notification appeared.
[Congratulations.]
[Rank increased: F → F+]
A warm current spread throughout his body.
His mana instantly became denser.
His muscles felt lighter.
His senses sharpened.
Kaizen opened his eyes.
A satisfied grin spread across his face.
’Now that’s what I’m talking about.’
He glanced toward the battlefield.
Leo was still busy fist-fighting three goblins.
Kaito was lobbing fireballs from the back.
Hina...
She was practically harvesting heads.
SHWICK!
Another goblin fell.
[+10 Level Points.]
SHWICK!
Another.
[+10 Level Points.]
Kaizen’s grin grew wider with every notification.
’Keep cooking.’
’Daddy needs experience.’
He casually shoved both hands into his pockets.
Looking every bit like the lazy mastermind.
’At this rate...’
’I’ll hit D-Rank before we even leave this dungeon.’
His heartbeat sped up.
Not because of the levels.
Because of something far more valuable.
The real reason he had rushed into this dungeon so early.
An artifact.
Hidden somewhere deep inside.
One that shouldn’t appear until much later in the original story.
Yet here he was.
Already on the verge of getting it.
Kaizen’s smile became almost villainous.
His fingers tapped lightly inside his pocket.
’Once that artifact is mine...’
He chuckled under his breath.
’Professor Yori...’
’You’ll be easier than the tutorial boss.’
Another notification rang.
[+10 Level Points.]
Kaizen didn’t even bother looking anymore.
He simply tilted his head back with a blissful smile.
"...Ah."
"Nothing beats watching other people do all the hard work."
From the battlefield—
"KAIZEN!"
Leo’s furious voice echoed through the cave.
"STOP STANDING THERE AND HELP!"
Kaizen cupped a hand around his mouth.
"I AM HELPING!"
"I’M PROVIDING MORAL SUPPORT!"
A goblin immediately punched Leo in the face.
BAM!
"..."
The battlefield immediately split into roles.
Which...
Surprisingly...
Actually worked.
Sera slid beside Leo.
A soft green glow gathered in her hands.
"Hold still."
Leo wiped the blood from his mouth.
"I’m fine."
"You’ve got blood coming out of places blood shouldn’t come out of."
"...Fair point."
The green light spread across his bruises.
The swelling around his eye quickly faded.
His cracked ribs slowly stitched themselves back together.
Leo rolled his shoulders.
"...That’s better."
He flashed Sera a confident grin.
"I knew you’d have my back."
Sera didn’t even look at him.
"Go punch something."
"...Right!"
Leo dashed back into the fight like an overexcited golden retriever.
Meanwhile...
Kaito stepped forward.
His palm ignited.
The tiny flame from before...
Expanded.
WHOOSH!
Three blazing fireballs floated around him.
The nearest Corrupted Goblin charged.
Kaito calmly flicked a finger.
BOOM!
The goblin was blasted backwards.
Another rushed him.
A wall of fire erupted from the ground.
Forcing it to retreat.
"...Stay behind me."
His voice remained calm.
Almost emotionless.
Even while fighting.
Sera nodded once.
Immediately switching from healer to support.
Whenever Leo got clipped...
A green light landed on him before he even realised he was injured.
Further away...
Hina had become a blur.
She didn’t clash head-on.
She simply ran.
Elegant.
Fast.
Deadly.
Every Corrupted Goblin Leo blasted away...
Every goblin Kaito knocked off balance...
Every goblin lying on the ground for even half a second...
Hina appeared beside it.
A single wind blade.
SHWICK!
Head gone.
Another.
SHWICK!
Another.
SHWICK!
She wasn’t fighting.
She was harvesting.
Back near the entrance...
Kaizen stood with both hands in his pockets.
"Damn."
"They’ve got great teamwork."
Then—