Between Pessimism and Determination

|Name- Xaren

Race- High-Demon

Gender- Male

Age- 12

Level- 101

Existence Level- Master (Inferior)

Titles- Low-Rank Newborn Demon, Irregular, Lesser Giant Slayer, Black Fire Demon, Grey Demon.

Class- Graviton Swordsman

Health– D+

Energy- C-

Strength– C-

Agility– D+

Durability- D

Intelligence- D+

Condition- Slightly Tired.

Magic Tiers- Fire Tier 2, Darkness Tier 1, Gravity Tier 2, Space Tier 0.

Skills- Language Comprehension, Energy Control, Energy Blast, Swordsmanship (P), Gravity Magic (T), Gravity Sphere, Tenacity, Danger Sense.

Unique Skills- Child of Gravity. |

'My stats have changed more than I expected.

I thought I'd only get one C- stat, but I've got two. Everything else, except Durability, is D+.'

After examining his stats, Xaren noticed something he had overlooked earlier, as it had been empty before.

'Oh, I got a Combat Class. Graviton Swordsman?'

He focused on the Class, and another diaphanous board appeared in his field of view, detailing its description.

|Graviton Swordsman;

Type; Uncommon Combat Class.

Description:

A warrior who integrates gravity magic into their melee combat. This class specializes in using weapons, particularly swords, to manipulate the battlefield with gravitational forces.

Abilities:

Enhanced swordsmanship with gravity-infused strikes, localized gravity manipulation to hinder enemies or enhance movement, and the ability to create gravity-based shields. |

'Gravity-based shields? That would be useful for defence, especially since my Durability is lower than my other stats.'

Xaren's mind first focused on the defensive abilities of the Class, then moved on to the support and offensive aspects.

After studying the Class, he turned to his Magic Affinity list and saw that his Fire and Gravity affinities had been upgraded by a Tier.

'Well, one's main affinity can't stay at Tier 1 when they're a Master Realm. No surprise there.

Guess I can use higher-level magic now without issues. I do have to learn said magic, though.'

He quickly glanced over that part and then scanned his skill tab, noticing a new addition at the end.

'Danger Sense?! I got an Ultra Rare Skill!?'

Xaren knew the Danger Sense skill. It had belonged to the Adjutant of his Brigade's Commanding Colonel in his previous life.

It was a sensory skill that would trigger an alarm in the user's head in response to 'dangerous' phenomena.

Unlike other similar skills that required specific triggers, Danger Sense worked relative to the situation of its user, and alerted them to danger, or whatever would constitute a danger in their current situation.

Whether visible or hidden, imminent or distant, the skill would always detect danger relative to the situation.

What's more, it didn't cost too much energy to maintain.

"Are you that happy about becoming a Low Rank?"

Ilya's question broke Xaren's train of thought, drawing his attention to her. She was staring at him with her obsidian eyes, her head tilted slightly in curiosity.

"Why do you ask?" Xaren responded, mirroring her head motion.

"Well, you were smiling from ear to ear…"

Her remark made Xaren realize she had mistaken his excitement over acquiring the Danger Sense skill for joy at reaching Low Rank. Rather than correcting her, he simply nodded and turned the question back to her.

"What about you? Aren't you happy?"

"I am. Just not as much as you seem to be," Ilya responded as she pushed the blanket off her legs and swung her feet to the floor. Rising from the bed, she continued.

"After all, becoming a Low Rank is just the beginning. Sure, we're above Level 100 now, but levelling up is only going to get harder from here.

Can you imagine how tough it's going to be when we reach Level 200? 400? 800?"

She let out a small sigh, her expression thoughtful.

"When I think about all the effort it'll take to reach those levels, it kind of dampens the excitement."

Her pragmatic reason struck a chord with Xaren, though it carried a tinge of pessimism that he wasn't expecting. 

He leaned back slightly, his arms resting on the bed behind him as he observed her pacing slowly by her bedside, probably trying to regain feeling in her legs which hadn't been active for days.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke calmly, "Yeah, it's going to get harder."

Xaren knew this from first-hand experience.

"But isn't that what makes it worth it? If it were easy, it wouldn't feel like much of an accomplishment." 

Ilya paused at his words, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her expression didn't change a bit as she responded.

"I guess. But it's easy to say that now, when we're still at the beginning. Let's see if you still think that way after weeks or years of grinding for every tiny gain." 

The young demoness recalled a conversation she had overheard months ago between two Mid-Rank demons. They had been mocking each other, and one had remarked about the other being over a hundred years old.

'A hundred years and still a Mid-Rank Demon? How many years would it take to reach High-Rank—or higher?'

The mere thought stirred a wave of pessimism in her, a creeping weight that settled in her chest. She only snapped out of it when she heard Xaren chuckle at her earlier response to him, a sound that carried both amusement and resignation.

"Fair enough. But I think it's better to focus on the progress we've made rather than worrying too much about what's ahead. We just became Low Rank. That's worth celebrating, isn't it?"

As Xaren spoke, he climbed out of bed, stretching his arms and letting out a faint yawn. His gaze shifted around the room, taking in the neat arrangement of clean beds in the ward.

"The level of technology here is higher than I thought," he muttered the observation to himself, his attention settling on the devices placed neatly on the desk beside his bed.

Each bed had its own desk, complete with high-quality equipment—at least, from his perspective.

"Level of techno-what now?"

Ilya tried parroting his words but gave up halfway, her brow furrowing in mild confusion.

Xaren simply gestured around the room.

"The beds, the equipment, the whole room. Everything is higher in quality than the stuff we've been using up until now."

When he explained it like that, Ilya nodded in agreement, glancing around. Compared to their previous accommodations, which felt like they belonged to a poor rural village, this place was more akin to a bustling city's modest three-star hotel.

"That makes sense. I guess this is the treatment reserved for demons who've gained a 'Rank'—not the 'Unranked' status we had before."

Her reasoning was sound, and Xaren found himself nodding along as he continued stretching to work out the stiffness in his limbs. Ilya, however, wasn't done talking.

"Speaking of ranks, I think you've probably broken some kind of record.

You've only been out of the newborn stage for a few days, right? I overheard one of the Mid-Rank demons mentioning it before I lost consciousness."

Ilya's words caught him off guard, and he stumbled slightly, nearly losing his balance—not because of the idea of breaking a record, but because she had inadvertently reminded him of a fact he had been trying to forget.

In just eight days, he had achieved what had taken him nearly eight months in his previous life.

'Is this the levelling speed of a High Breed? Then how fast do Arch and Greater Breeds level up?'

Xaren was intrigued by the thought but knew it wasn't a question he'd get answered anytime soon. Deciding to set it aside for now, he finished his stretches and turned to ask Ilya something.

Before he could speak, the sound of a door opening caught his attention. From the far end of a short passage connecting to the ward, someone entered.

"Oh, you two are finally awake? Good. Any longer, and I might've kicked you off those beds myself."

Floch's familiar voice filled the ward as the towering 7-foot-tall Fire Demon strode in. His gaze landed on Xaren, and one of his eyebrows quirked upward.

"And you're bigger as well."

When Floch pointed it out, Xaren noticed that his line of sight was a bit higher than before. It seemed his body had grown to accommodate the power he now possessed as a Level 101.

Though he'd only grown two inches—now standing at 4'8"—he wasn't aware of the exact measurement. After all, he hadn't had the luxury or tools to check his height so far.

"Honestly, when I picked you up, I had a feeling you'd be different. But it's only been a few days, and you're already a Low Rank. What's your secret?"

Xaren blinked in surprise at Floch's question. After a moment, he gave a small shrug and replied.

"I wish I knew."

He had assumed his rapid levelling speed was tied to his Race Breed, but if Floch—who knew he was a High Demon—was asking, then it raised some doubts.

Either his levelling speed wasn't due to his breed, or it was, and Floch simply wasn't aware of such a feature.

To Xaren's answer, Floch burst into hearty laughter.

"So even you don't know your secret. Bahaha!!"