RPG Veteran Possesses Their Main Character

The novice adventurer smiled as he saw Lumiel standing blankly without any reaction.

"What, are you scared?"

He continued to mock Lumiel with his arms crossed and one corner of his mouth raised.

"If you were going to be so scared, you should have run away earlier."

Lumiel tilted her head and looked at the novice adventurer.

"...Scared?"

"Yeah! Do you think I'm warning you for no reason? I'm telling you this for your own good!"

The novice adventurer shouted loudly and thumped his chest.

"But don't worry. Because I'm here. Prepare to be amazed! I am... a level 8 adventurer!"

He looked proud as if boasting about a great achievement.

Lumiel blinked and quietly looked above his head.

[Lv.8 Novice Adventurer]

"..."

"What do you think? Surprised?"

The novice adventurer continued with a smug expression.

"Do you know how hard it is to reach this level? I'm a veteran who has defeated countless Totos around the village and faced dozens of slimes!"

The novice adventurer looked down at Lumiel with his arms crossed solemnly.

For some reason, his eyes were filled with pride and a sense of superiority.

"You've probably never even fought properly, right? But don't be scared."

He waved his hand with a confident expression and poured out words like a machine gun in water.

"Seeing that such a fragile-looking kid came all the way here, you seem to have quite some courage... Well, those kinds of kids often end up in more danger."

The novice adventurer made a somewhat serious expression, then added with a playful smile.

"But don't worry! As I said before, this great level 8 adventurer will protect you! Hahaha!"

He was laughing cheerfully, but Lumiel still had a blank face.

Lumiel rolled her eyes once, looking at the greedy slime behind the novice adventurer, then opened her mouth to look at him.

"Is level 8 very high?"

"...What?"

For a moment, the novice adventurer's expression hardened.

"...Don't tell me you still don't understand how strong I am even after all that explanation?"

"Yes."

The novice adventurer gaped for a moment, then closed his mouth as if coming to his senses and looked at Lumiel with a dumbfounded expression.

"This is really an ignorant kid... Alright, I'll explain it in a way you can understand."

He spoke while folding his fingers one by one.

"A level 1 beginner can't even catch one monster. At level 2-3, you can barely catch a Toto."

He continued speaking while folding his fingers.

"And from level 5, you can catch slimes. But! The greedy slime, which is one of the stronger slimes, can only be dealt with at around level 6-7!"

He lightly flicked his finger lastly.

"But I'm level 8! I'm already almost the strongest in this beginner village!"

He thumped his chest once again and let out an artificial laugh like "Umhaha!"

"So, kid. If you're that scared..."

He leaned down slightly and looked down at Lumiel.

His voice, which was slightly low-pitched, had suddenly become husky, clearly trying to sound cool on purpose.

"Your big brother will protect you, so don't worry and just watch quietly from here!"

Lumiel still had her characteristic blank face.

She was quietly blinking with her eyes half-closed.

"...Big brother?"

"Uh, um. Yeah! Big brother!"

When Lumiel asked again, the novice adventurer blanked out for a moment and blushed, then soon made an even more triumphant expression and laughed loudly.

"You're still a child, so I, your big brother..."

"...Are you older than me?"

"What?"

The novice adventurer was taken aback by Lumiel's question.

"Of, of course! I'm an adult, and you're a kid! So of course I'm stronger!"

Lumiel looked the novice adventurer up and down again.

[Lv.8 Novice Adventurer]

Lumiel tilted her head.

Then she tilted her head very slowly and quietly muttered.

'...Why does he think that?'

It was a pure question.

"Alright, since you don't seem to properly realize my strength yet, I'll show you directly!"

As if he couldn't stand it anymore, he drew the sword at his waist.

"Watch closely, kid. I'll show you the skills of a level 8!"

Saying that, he rushed towards the slime in front of him.

Then he confidently swung his sword at the greedy slime.

Swoosh—!

Splash!

-《9》

Damage appeared.

A weak, single-digit damage.

"...Huh?"

The novice adventurer swung his sword again with a confused face.

Swoosh—!

Splash!

-《8》

"Wha, what?"

The novice adventurer made a dumbfounded expression. He had clearly attacked as usual, but the damage wasn't going through properly.

The usual 'feel' he got when his attacks connected wasn't there.

"This is strange? I've caught many greedy slimes before... Was this one always this tough?"

The novice adventurer muttered and swung his sword once more.

-《8》

Numbers appeared, but the greedy slime was still just rippling and wriggling.

It didn't seem to be in pain.

Lumiel quietly watched the scene and nodded.

In Lumiel's eyes, she could see why the novice adventurer was struggling.

[Lv.10 'Tough' Greedy Slime]

A creature slightly larger than regular monsters, with more health, and occasionally coming out with special debuffs.

It was an elite monster that appeared occasionally in the game as well.

An existence like a bonus that was much tougher and stronger than basic mobs, but gave more experience in return.

But the novice adventurer seemed unaware of this fact.

"Ugh, something's not right..."

The novice adventurer continued his attacks several times, but the damage didn't change much.

Nevertheless, perhaps because of Lumiel's presence watching from behind, he put on unnecessary airs.

"Don't worry! Your big brother will handle this!"

Even though Lumiel hadn't said anything in particular, he continued talking as if making excuses.

"Today I'm just... not in good condition. Usually, I would have caught it more easily..."

He must have really wanted to look cool.

Lumiel quietly watched and tilted her head.

'...Why does he keep talking to me?'

Lumiel was just watching, but the novice adventurer kept adding comments about how he wasn't in good condition today, or how he would usually catch it easily.

To that, Lumiel muttered quietly.

"You look like you're really struggling."

It was an honest assessment.

But the novice adventurer seemed to take it differently.

As soon as he heard Lumiel's mutter, he flinched and started to get angry.

"Wha, what!? Struggling, you say! What are you talking about?!"

Lumiel blinked innocently and said.

"The slime looks fine."

"...!"

The novice adventurer was momentarily at a loss for words.

It was the truth.

But he didn't want to admit it.

He frowned.

"Ah, really... This is why kids are... You just be quiet! Big brother will handle this, so just stay still! It's all part of the plan!"

But sweat was already beading on his forehead.

The slime in front of him was much tougher than he expected.

'What the... Why isn't it getting even a scratch...!?'

The novice adventurer was getting more and more flustered.

He kept swinging his sword at the greedy slime, but couldn't land a single effective hit.

Eventually, the novice adventurer, exhausted by his own efforts, started to be pushed back.

Suddenly, the slime that had been still for a while started to move its heavy and bouncy body.

Splash—

"Ugh!?"

The slime's rippling body suddenly stretched out and lunged at the novice adventurer.

"Oh no...!"

The novice adventurer hurriedly stepped back, but couldn't avoid part of the slime's mucus wrapping around his arm.

"Aaargh! It's, it's cold! I'm all wet!"

Having allowed the attack, he desperately shook his body to shake off the mucus.

Lumiel quietly watched the scene.

And after letting out a very small sigh, she calmly opened her inventory.

She rummaged through the inventory for a while, then took out a small twig.

While the novice adventurer was desperately avoiding the slime's attacks, Lumiel held the small twig in her hand.

It was-

[Beginner's Wand]

A newbie weapon with a level 1 restriction.

Lumiel slowly stood in place and lightly swung the twig.

At the same time, she chanted a spell in a very low voice.

"Shining Ball."

Flash—!

Suddenly, a dazzling light extended from the tip of the weapon.

A small sphere of light popped into existence, and that sphere of light flew straight towards the slime.

"Uh, uhh...?"

The novice adventurer looked bewildered at the sight.

Shining Ball.

It was a skill that existed in the novice adventurer's memory too.

It was exactly the same skill that an acquaintance had shown off excitedly when they finally became an apprentice priest, saying "Look at this. This is magic."

But-

'Something's different.'

Somehow, that Shining Ball looked very different.

Unlike his acquaintance's skill which was full of muddy mana, this sphere of light scattered such a clear light that it was mesmerizing...

While the novice adventurer was staring blankly at the sphere, the sphere of light slowly flew in and touched the greedy slime.

And at that moment.

-Boooooom!!!

A huge explosion engulfed everything.