Chapter 160 - A Man with Iron Will (1/2)

Ka—Boom!

”Ha... this satisfying feeling deep within me...Did I level up again?”

Mia murmured after sending a few fireballs at the group of slimes in the distance. She didn't know where the feeling came from but from what she understood for the past few hours of spending her time here, it was most likely due to leveling up. it was faint at first, but she could definitely feel it and thought she was just imagining it since she was simply too happy upon finally seeing her level increased to 2. But as she progressing further, the moment she levels up the second time, the feeling grows a bit stronger but not as strong as just now which is the third time as her level now stood at 4.

Mia just pulled out the card out of her pocket to look over her status and she was right on the mark. She does level up.

『 Mia LV.1->4 』

『 HP: 15/15->15/25 MP: 10/50->10/75

Class: Mage

—STR: 4->10

—INT: 10->15

—AGI: 4->6

—VIT: 3->5

—LUCK: 2 AP: 15->0 』

”I can feel it... I can feel the mysterious strength deep inside of me.”

Mia couldn't help but uttered a line that one would mistake her for having an eighth-grade syndrome after feeling her strength increasing at an alarming rate. The feeling was just like a drug that can make one addicted to it, it was to the point that one thought they become an omnipotent god who could destroy anything with a simple flick. Of course, that was all merely an illusion of becoming stronger.

Just like the other times, once the smoke dispersed from the explosion spot, nothing remained other than a blackened ground. Once she was sure of that, Mia could finally take a breath since that means she had completed another quest which in turn, makes the zone becoming safer since the slimes have all disappeared upon quest completion. To be honest, she had wanted to accept another quest right after leveling up to 2 when Sheila had left. But to her disappointment, she couldn't take another one unless the timer of thirty minutes disappeared.

Mia didn't need to guess further as she judged it must have been the work of Sheila. It seemed Sheila had prepared in the situation that Mia won't listen to her advice and implanted a countermeasure against it before leaving. With no other choice, Mia finds herself seated on the ground before looking for something to do inside her inventory. She could just exit the Trial Tower and reenter which would put the timer rendered useless, but she didn't do so. After all, Sheila went out of her way to do this for her own sake, it would be rude of her if she disregards the advice completely.

Most importantly, just as Sheila said, if she went too far without taking any break, sooner, she would be overwhelmed and die at the hand of the slimes. Dying, that's not a topic she or any normal person would like to joke around. If she dies here, everything's over. She still hasn't repaid her adopted family just yet, and the kindness from her teacher who still supports her till the very end. She needs to repay them before moving on to another life, at the very least.

Plus, she also wanted to know about her real family's identity and, are they still alive somewhere out there. Moreover, why do they left her alone at the Orphanage Center? She had so many questions for them. There's no way she would let herself get killed at this point in time.

”Hmm? Why is there a book in my inventory?”

While Mia was browsing through her inventory, she stumbled upon a few things which she didn't remember adding in. The books were one of them.

”Is this... Light Novel? A fiction one at that?”

Mia slowly muttered while she was flipping over the pages and managed to read a few lines which she immediately concluded as fiction light novel. She had never read a novel before, but at least she did know that there exists a different type of novel out there. If she remembers correctly, was reading one of Sheila's hobbyist? Mia still wasn't sure whether her guess was right but, she still faintly remembers finding a few books in Sheila and Ria's bedroom. She didn't know what kind of book it was but certainly, the size of the book was almost the same as the one in her hands, that's for sure.

The only one who could access her inventory was also none other than Sheila beside herself, so it has to be her. It seemed Sheila has thoroughly been prepared for any kind of situation. If Ria had come to know about this information, she would begin to doubt whether the lie was the truth because of how unbelievable it is to her.

Without anything to do other than staring at the endless field of grassland or the always-sunny sky, Mia decided to read the light novel to pass the time. When she was living in the Orphanage, reading is considered as studying rather than something like a hobby where one spends their time leisurely. It's not that kind of luxury. Rather than doing that, it would be much more productive if she studies instead. A family would prefer adopting smart kids than idiot one, after all. Of course there a few cases differ.

Mia didn't believe it at first yet still diligently studying when she heard some of those kids who only cares about having fun wasn't able to get adopted due to such a reason. If she had decided to ignore the advice given by the Caretaker, she might still live in that Orphanage. It wasn't bad living there but it wasn't good either. She came to know about it after living for a few years with her adopted family. She came to know about the luxury of spending her free time on some of her hobbies after finishing the homework given by the adopted mother.