I arrived at the southern exit of town, flanked by my parents on both sides. I was wearing my full regalia, the metal parts now coated with an outer layer of fantastreel.

Fantastreel was a high-quality metal, typically only used by those at level 20 or above, which was already a high milestone to achieve for the common people. At least, for those that started at level 0. The metal was tougher, denser, and heavier than steel. A full suit of it would interfere with my movements too much, and Moonwash was only able to work with it because some of her Mutations had actually evolved well past Level 10 already. She was older than me, and her rate of leveling was also undeniably faster.

Another interesting thing about her prowess was that her levels could be very lopsided. There was this generally accepted theory called Level Equalescence. It's a bunch of complicated stuff, but the gist of it is that Mutations equalize in level because higher-level Mutations somehow pull the lower-level ones up. The existence of the crustecars seemed to prove this as their shells actually started at a level 10, and they experienced faster leveling speeds in general for those earlier levels, but they plateaued like so many people when their mutations finally balanced out. It also made their young especially vulnerable and slow, because their shells were just a little bit too heavy for them to lift properly.

It was strange how their carapace alone was at level 10 to start. Wasn’t that basically their bones, which should be synced together with their muscles and flesh?

But it wasn’t. That bones, muscle, and flesh were to be synced was never a hard rule of the Status System. Rather, there were no absolutes at all when it came to this world, only suggestions.

“Let’s go!” I enthusiastically declared, and my mom and dad giggled at the way I took the lead.

We climbed up the stone ramp and towards the large metal gate beyond. The guards nodded to my parents as we walked past them and onto the sturdy wooden bridge beyond. The construction ran across the tree wall, splitting it in half and protecting those who cross from the dangers therein. But I knew that was only a facade, as the guards had access to a switch that could collapse the bridge at any moment, dropping the people crossing down to the most dangerous of plants yet waiting right below the bridge.

That didn’t stop anyone from crossing the bridge, and neither did I hesitate. I walked the solid planks with a spring in my steps, waving to the belfegors and the other people on the tree wall, who enthusiastically returned the greeting.

“Hi there!”

“Good luck out there little soldier!”

“You’re a child! It’s too dangerous out there!”

I smiled. I loved how they were some of the happiest people here, when they were the ones actually living most dangerously. The other people around us however murmured, and I could tell the opinions they held were mostly negative, be they humans, ogres, ishkawtans, or otherwise.

“What are they trying to do to that child?”

“Mom, look look! Tree people!”

“Ssshhhh! Be quiet or they might eat you!”

“Yeah! I heard about that! Why are they even allowed to be here!?”

“I don’t know… They sound cheerful and nice.”

“Idiot! They’re away from proper civilization, away from proper laws, and the churches they have access to are led by mere deacons! They have no proper shepherd priests.”

I found the stupid rumors to be stupid, so I just rushed ahead for the gate on the other side, navigating around a wagon, and then quickly hopped down the ramp that led away from the bridge. I did not let whatever was said earlier dampen my enthusiasm.

“Freedom!” I shouted, not caring for the looks people gave me as came and went through Latarus, taking the unpaved road that led through the untamed wilderness beyond.

I scurried off to the side and ran around the wide clearing that surrounded the whole of town, doing some stretches and feeling the clang of my armor as I moved my body. I tried for a cartwheel, flipping and jumping through the ground, laughing the whole way. I loved the open space that this provided, but what I wanted more was murder.

I grinned and sprinted off into the distance, away from civilization and into the dangerous woods.

…

I made no progress. My legs were certainly trying, and my feet were exerting themselves to move forward, but I found all of my momentum stopped. I slowly turned my head around and waved at my father.

“Hi Dad!”

He sighed, though couldn’t hide the small smirk.

“And where are you going young lady?”

“Over there!” I pointed at the treeline opposite the tree wall. The forest was generally shorter than what we had made of our defenses, but while the tree wall was definitely far more dangerous in sheer murdering power, the untamed lands beyond felt far more ominous because its violence could very well be aimed right at us.

Exciting!

“Haell, don’t just run off!” Mom scolded from beside us, both stern and amused.

I finally stopped struggling against Dad’s grip.

“Ah, right. Of course. I knew that.” I gestured them forward. “Lead the way, Mom, Dad!”

They chuckled and Dad took the vanguard while Mom brought up the rear, myself sandwiched in between them.

I couldn’t help but gawk every which way as we made our way into the forest, listening for every sound. The comforting rays of the sun dimmed, blocked out by the canopy. I heard birds singing, monsters roaring, and animals scurrying around the bush.

That bush in particular. I screamed out a warcry and drew my greatsword, slashing into the thick brush with my heavy weapon.

It suddenly caught on fire, and I felt the heat lick at my arms, burning me. A shape darted out, a horned rabbit with a ruby-colored horn. I gritted through the pain in my arms, remembering the way I died, and drew a wand from my belt. I molded and strung the mana like yarn, and then shot it at where I last saw the bunny disappear to. A fireball roared to life, and set another bush on fire, also lightly burning a tree.

“Haell!” Mom shouted, swiftly grabbing my arm and making me wince from the pain. She shone a light upon my wound, and the burns rapidly began to mend. “There, there. You’re alright. You’re fine.”

“Mmm,” I grunted, almost feeling like crying.

Mom stepped back after I was fully healed. Dad stood with her, and the both of them looked at me worriedly.

“Haell,” Mom crossed her arms, not nearly as amused as earlier. “What happened?”

I looked into the brush and pointed. “Uh. It escaped?”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

My mother sighed. “We’re not worried about the hunt, okay? We’re worried about you. Why did you just… run off?”

“Oh. Well, I found some prey that was scurrying through here.”

“Did you know what it was?”

“Well, no… But it was small! And it really was just a horned rabbit. They’re weak.”

She held my arm and ran a hand through the newly healed skin.

“Not weak enough.” Mom shook her head. “Please listen to our instructions and don’t dash off by yourself, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I sniffed at the care they showed and blushed. “Okay Mom… I’m sorry...”

Her heart melted and she pulled me into a hug, our armor pieces clanging together.

“It’s fine,” she smiled. The cheer had returned to her face. “I’m just glad you’re okay!”

“All the things your mom said,” Dad ruffled my hair and retook his position at the front. “What we’re doing is dangerous. Hunting, killing… adventure. So keep that in mind.”

“Yep! All in my head now!” I walked behind him with a new respect for the dangers of this place.

~~~

Ten or so minutes later, we finally encountered another monster. This time, it was the one charging at us, a fat turtle-esque lizard monster the size of a bear. It was called an armozard.

I immediately drew my sword, eager for a fight. Mom held my shoulder before I could run off.

I never got the chance to do proper battle as Dad’s sword crashed into its head. The animal buckled, it nearly bounced from the force. The shell-like scales cracked, and large chunks of grotesque flesh and brain matter leaked out. The next slash came before I could even fully register the first, and that pulverized the monster’s head and part of its torso.

“Hey, what gives!” I complained, the wind taken out of my steals. “Why you kill steal Dad!? Not cool!”

He looked back at me with a very mild chuckle. “Kill steal? What?”

“I was going to kill it, and then you stole my glorious combat?”

He looked at me, and then at the corpse of the monster that died. “That would have been reckless, Haell. Don’t do that.”

“That’s right!” Mom nearly shouted into my ear from behind. “You were about to rush off again! What did we just talk about? I always thought the priests were just being stupid again when they talked about the dreaded rebellious phase!”

“Eh, didn’t you also have that phase, Mom?”

“I wish! But I didn’t rebel until the end, and then I left for good. Also, we’re talking about you right now, Haell!”

“The monster was coming at us, I didn’t pick the fight!” I complained and pointed at the dead animal. The difference between a monster and an animal was murky, and almost purely cultural.

“You still should’ve waited for our go-ahead. Which we would not have given. You would have gotten yourself seriously injured or even killed.”

“Aww, come on, Mom! It’s real combat. Of course there’s always a risk, but I gotta take a chance at some point.”

She stared at me for a moment, before tearing up and then hugging me close. “No Haell! Don’t die!”

Dad also hugged us from behind. “That’s right, Haell. Please don’t.”

“Wha– Mom, no! I’m not planning on dying! I don’t want to die!”

“But you just said you’ll take all the risks!”

“Ahhh! Objection! I didn’t say all!”

“Okay, some…”

“No… well, okay, yes.”

“See!?” She started bawling again.

I looked to my dad for help. He was keeping an eye on our surroundings while giggling softly to himself.

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around us as well. “I get that you will have to take risks, but you did not think about it at all. That was not an opponent you could beat.”

We finally broke the hug and sat on some nearby boulders. The once proud rocks were how reduced to being our chairs!

“How do you know that, Dad? I could’ve won!”

He chuckled. “No. You couldn’t have.”

“Yep. No such way!” Mom wiped the tears away, and was back to being cheerful.

“Ehh… I’m being bullied.”

“No, no. We’re not bullying you! That monster was over level 20!”

“What!?” I shouted, pausing for a moment. “Okay… Maybe you’re right…”

“You couldn’t have known,” Mom shook her head. “But that’s precisely why you should listen to our instructions and not just run towards whatever dangerous thing you see next.”

“Oh look a dragon,” I replied, looking up at the sky. I promptly began to jump up and down, trying to fly toward it.

“Haell, don’t joke about that!” Mom chided angrily, having actually looked up in search of the mythical creature that could potentially end whole nations. “We don’t know what we might encounter out here, and I can’t be second-guessing if your alerts are serious or not!”

Her voice was serious and enraged in a way that rarely ever happened, not even with my earlier mistakes. She was always so loving and understanding, and I realized that I really did go way too fucking far with my joke. My actions had been the very height of Mount Stupidity ever since this adventure started. Why did I even do that!? Am I truly fucking stupid!??

My mind protested at the accusation, but my actions spoke differently. I had to change course and not wait for something truly bad to happen before I learned.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted and bowed deeply. “I’ve been a little shit. And I could’ve gotten myself and everyone hurt. I’ll do better from now on, and I won’t do that again, I promise!

“Language, Haell!” Mom said. “But, yes. I don’t enjoy… this, you know? Getting mad and scolding you. But… well, that’s a great promise. I’ll be holding you to it!”

We hugged again, we were doing that a lot today.

I returned to the earlier topic after a while. “How did you know that armozard was level 20 though? Is there an Identify Skill!?”

“An Identify Skill?”

“Oh, it’s a concept from my world. Where someone could find the level of someone else.”

“...Huh? I thought your world was like… no magic? Just… well, magic is everywhere, so that’s fuc-fudging weird! So how could there be such a thing…”

“Fiction. By a concept from my world, I meant in fiction.”

“Ah,” Mom said, understanding. “Okay, yeah. I get it.”

She explained to me how she actually knew the monster’s level.

“First off, you should know that armozards are born at level 10.” I did know that, from the education and access to monster encyclopedias I’d received. “You shouldn’t have picked a fight with one in the first place!”

“Eh, I think I can maybe take on a level 10.”

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“I mean, I have great gear, and I’m really good at fighting, I think, even against children with higher general levels! I could even take some over level 10!”

“Haell…” Mom sounded very concerned, and I deflated.

“Okay, okay. Never mind.”

She patted me on the head. “You are amazing, stronger than we ever were at your Levels, and I’ve no doubt you actually stand a solid chance.” My face lit up, and my Mom huffed in annoyance when she noticed. “But! It’s an unnecessary risk. You haven’t even fought for real against a monster yet!”

“...Yeah. That’s a good point, Mom.” I looked at the forest around me. “This has just been so exciting that I got carried away.”

She finally actually explained how to tell someone’s Levels.

“It’s all instinct.”

“...So you're not sure?”

“Haellllllll…! Come on…”

I laughed. “Sorry, Mom. Continue, continue.”

“Okay…” she pouted. “It’s called Level Sense, in that it gives you a general sense for someone’s level. It’s an instinctual reaction that can be found in many wild animals, either because they live in the constant dangers of the wilderness, or are just born with the ability somehow.”

I looked her up and down. “Mom. If you are a monster in disguise, I still love you all the same.”

“What? No, I’m not. But… thanks. Yeah. That’s a good thing.” She convinced herself that it was true. “Anyway! The actual way to get it is to well, hone your instincts. Be on the constant alert, use your senses to feel the world around you, and face genuine… danger.”

“So I gotta live in the wilderness?”

“That’s definitely an effective training method! But just adventuring and fighting and killing monsters regularly should allow you to get it. The struggle of life and death hones your burgeoning Level Sense like a blade through a whetstone.”