Cursed to level 1 with an Ego weapon

Aurelia's new pet is resting nearby. It is so out of place to have a giant black lizard that spits fire in the middle of town, but this is our current situation.

"Everyone is so impressed with my little boy here!" Aurelia comments, extremely happy. She jumps directly on its back, making it growl. "Who is going to be hunting large monsters in the Nothing?"

"She is so weird with it." Karina says.

"It's like she is treating it like a baby." Lisa comments, and somehow she is smiling like it is the most impressive and sweetest thing she has seen.

"It is a baby!" Aurelia answers. "I will train it so it becomes strong!"

"Then you better be ready to pay for its food!" I point at her. "We are going back to base. I need to talk with Keith and Felicia before I return here."

"I will get some cows to eat!" Aurelia says smiling.

Of course she will.

We teleport back to base when I receive a message I forgot I should be getting by now.

[Welcome Back to Nothing Base]

I need to change the base's name.

[Total members reached at least 5.

Congratulations. From now on, production and actions made by any member, including yours, will generate Base XP and Base Management Skill XP.

Make your base be anything you need, and continue developing your land to fulfill your needs.]

[Base Level 1

Type: General Base (No bonus)

Members: 6/10]

[Base Level]

>>Base level affects the amount of registered members you can have by 10 per level, revenue from stores, museum donations and inn income. Increases naturally as Members gain XP on their own skills. Experience is rewarded at the end of the day.

[Base Management Lv1 CHAR SKILL]

>>Affects max registered members by 0.1 per level, revenues from bases and unlocks special structures. If you assign a manager, their skill will be considered instead of yours.

When I said that you could do anything in this game, I meant it. Some players have built entire kingdoms in the game by training this skill and improving their bases instead of being an adventurer like I decided. Others turn the game into an inn management sim, or even build resorts around the world to attract tourists.

What is the plan here? Well, simple: Base management increases as the base develops, but thanks to the curse I cannot level up any skill... So... Everything goes to Bloodless! If I funnel money into the base, develop it and bring people to join me with varied skills and have them improve their craft, that means I will level up my sword faster than before with passive XP!

That doesn't mean I can slack off. I need to pay out of my pocket if I want people working in town. I will have to go out and adventure for resources, money and to see if I can hire more people and capture monsters to train.

We quickly go inside only to find out...

"Welcome back, master!" Felicia receives us the moment we go through the door.

"W-woaaahh!" Aurelia exclaims and enters running once we see one of the most stunning views we have seen in a while.

In the table, with the biggest care decorating it, is a set of dishes and food waiting to be devoured.

"Ah... Thanks, Felicia." I say. "You prepared this?"

"It was my brother, Keith. He has been cooking since he got here. We figured that when you returned you would be hungry."

"These two are amazing!" Leiva says, who was reading a book in a corner. "They have been working around the house..."

It is a small house, I doubt it is that impressive.

"And good, all of you came! They told me I had to wait to eat and I am starving with the aroma in the room."

And as I inspect the food on the table.

This is amazing! I can see boar, cow meat, chicken, salads and dressings... And the aroma!

"Hope you like it! I am kind of proud of my skill..." Keith, who is by the kitchen, is smiling while baking something.

"Boss! We can keep them!" Aurelia screams while shoving food down her throat.

I am not complaining.

I sit and get a taste of some strips of beef with a red sauce. It is kind of spicy, but the flavor is strong and delicious.

"Yep! This is good!" I comment, impressed. Although, I wanted to be the cook here.

"I am happy you enjoy it, nyah!" Felicia says with a wide smile.

"I still don't know why Russell told you two to come with us?" Lisa asks.

"He thought that, maybe, we could become better at our jobs as help if we came with you! Adventurers tend to need a lot of help dealing with their property." Keith explains.

This is the perfect deal then! We train them, they work here... And I have a catgirl maid to booth! Probably the best benefit from this whole arrangement! She looks so cute with her heterochromatic eyes and lean figure under that cute dress!

"You are already thinking something perverted! You are looking at the poor girl up and down!"

"Shut up, Karina!" I answer under my breath and my face goes red.

"What can you two tell me about yourselves?" better change topics before anything else.

"Ah... Well, our parents work at Russell's manor, so we have been learning to be helped since we were littles."

"Sometimes I wish I could be an adventurer, though." Keith continues. "But I am good at cooking and I enjoy it too!"

"And I am good at keeping records, mom is the head maid in the manor and I learned to keep records for shopping for anything that is needed. I will be sincere, it makes me sad to part from them... But they insisted that this was a good choice."

"It is sad... But I wanted to come! I am sure you will bring some nice meat to cook!"

So far, they sound like nice help to have.

This means I have a Manager and Barter (Felicias). A cook (Keith). An appraiser (Leiva). A healer (Lisa). And two combatants in different areas (Aurelia and me).

This is a good floor to start this base.