The reincarnated mid-boss welcomes the protagonist with a level of 999 ~ It seems the hero is mistaken about having a max level of 99 ~

Episode 12: Obtaining the Strongest Weapon

~~Zaus’ Perspective~~

It’s no wonder my subordinates are surprised. After all, the sword in front of us is a cursed weapon when equipped.

“Doubling attack power at level 2” and “HP always reduced to 1 when equipped.” These are the emblematic features of this Demon Sword.

I remember it being quite popular online.

Hehehe. This weapon appears as a cursed weapon in the early stages of Brave Sword Quest. That event serves as a tutorial to inform players of the effect called “curse.”

When equipped, your HP drops to 1, and what’s worse, you can’t unequip it. If cursed, you have to go to the town’s church and have it removed with a curse-removing magic, which costs 100 cozons.

100 cozons are a significant sum in the early stages.

Well, as a relief measure, if you inform the old man at the shrine that you’ve been cursed, you’ll receive 100 cozons. So, if cursed, you can remove it for 100 cozons. That’s the basic rule of the game, Brave Sword Quest.

What’s interesting is that even if you sell this sword at a weapon shop, it only fetches 1 cozon. Consequently, many players ended up discarding it. However, this sword is ranked as the strongest weapon after defeating the Demon King. Surprisingly, the protagonist can obtain the skill “Curse Nullification” possessed by the Demon King.

If you can nullify the curse’s effect, you can enjoy only the benefits of “doubling attack power” from the Demon Sword. As a result, the Demon Sword becomes the strongest weapon from the endgame onwards.

Arjena was fixated on the Demon Sword. “What a sinister aura this sword emits… I feel like I’d be cursed if I equipped it.”

“It’s better not to touch it. Ordinary humans will be cursed if they touch it. Only chosen demons can wield it.”

“Huh?”

I equipped the Demon Sword.

“Aren’t you afraid of the curse?”

“I’m not cursed. I have the skill ‘Curse Nullification.'”

“I see! So you can only enjoy the benefit of ‘doubling attack power.'”

“Yeah. This weapon effectively doubles your level just by equipping it.”

What’s remarkable is that it also doubles the benefits of other weapons. So, if you have another sword, it doubles that sword’s attack power as well. Therefore, it becomes the strongest weapon for endgame content. It’s quite a rare scenario to obtain such a powerful weapon in the early stages of a tutorial. Those who sold or discarded it must be regretting it. It was the correct choice to deposit this weapon in the storage for collection purposes. When I was playing, I certainly kept it stored.

It played a significant role in endgame content after defeating the Demon King. That sinister aura… It really leaves an impression. The protagonist having a somewhat darkened demeanor was quite cool too.

But wait, something’s strange. The shrine where the Demon Sword is stored should have a powerful barrier, preventing monsters from entering…

“Hey, Gobtaro. Did you really pick up this sword?”

“It was lying there, gob.”

Hmm. That shrine is a place only accessible to heroes. In that case, it means a hero got the sword and discarded it. Right now, the protagonist is 10 years old. He’s supposed to obtain this sword after the Hero Certification Ceremony at age 15. Does that mean he’s already active? A 10-year-old boy? Hmm, that’s hard to believe. Without the hero’s proof, the places he can enter are limited. So why did he go to the shrine?

“Zaus, it’s so cool that only you can equip such a cool sword. Maybe I should become a demon too… Hehehe, just kidding.”

Arjena might be the cause… Originally, she was supposed to be the hero’s mentor. In other words, fate changed when I scouted her. Additionally, I confiscated all level 1 Infinite Dungeon items. It means I took away the options for the hero to strengthen himself. Therefore, the hero’s actions changed. It’s natural to think so. This is evidence that we’re making efforts to make the hero stronger. I can’t be careless.

“Everyone! Tighten your focus and train harder! Let’s become even stronger than we are now!”

I want to make everyone stronger. Ideally, we should win easily against the hero in battle. So, the rewards must be lavish.

“This month, the one who had the highest level up will receive a special invitation ticket!”

The monsters were intrigued.

“The one who gets this ticket will have dinner with me! It’s like a dinner invitation ticket!”

“Eeeee! I absolutely want that, gob!”

“I want to have dinner with Zaus-sama, gob!”

“Eating dinner with Zaus-sama feels like a dream, Hapi!”

“I’m definitely getting it, liza!”

We must become stronger and stronger. We will definitely not lose to the hero.

☆

~~Cea’s Perspective~~

I want to become stronger… Yet, I can’t find a mentor. I don’t even have weapons or items…

“Cheer up, Cea.”

Saying so, my childhood friend, Mishiri, massages my back.

She’s the kindest person in the village, and also the cutest.

Snow-white skin like snow. Large eyes, shining golden hair. All of these are elements befitting a beautiful girl. And yet, despite being 10 years old, there’s a strange allure about her. Lately, it seems like her chest has started to develop a bit. Wh-what is this surging impulse? My heart won’t stop pounding when I look at her. In the future, I’ll definitely make her my bride. I’ll make her mine, absolutely. Those cute lips, lovely eyes, and even that slightly swollen chest… Hehehe. I’ll make her mine, no doubt about it.
But…
If I don’t become stronger, Mishiri might turn away from me too. I need to think of a way to get stronger…
“Did you find Arjena, the demon-slaying warrior?”
“Yeah. I searched everywhere, but no luck. Where on earth is she working? Maybe I should go back to Tsurugi Village and squeeze the villagers for information. They might confess if I torture them.”
“S-stop it. That’s cruel.”
“Huh? I’m going to be a hero! I’ll be tortured because I have secrets!”
“Maybe she really doesn’t know. And if she’s hiding something, she must have her reasons. It’s not for others to pry into.”
“But, I need efficient special training to get stronger. For that, I need someone skilled to teach me.”
“Got it. I have a relative who’s a master swordsman, so I’ll ask them.”
“Is that person strong?”
“Yeah. There’s a mountain village called Masuru Village, beyond three mountains. They’re said to be the strongest there. They even defeat bears with a flick on the forehead.”
“Oh…”
“The Bear Slayer, Gebarugonza. That’s their alias.”
They seem pretty muscular.
And “flicking” bears…?
“T-they seem strong. But I don’t want to bulk up. I want to learn swordsmanship.”
“She’s a master swordsman.”
“She? W-wait, she’s a woman?”
“Yes. A genuine woman.”
O-oh, a woman… That might be okay.

“She has quite a large chest, you know. In that area, she’s very popular with the men.”
“R-really…”
Yes! A beautiful busty swordswoman!! This is the development I’ve been waiting for. My fixation on Arjena was actually because of this.
I heard she’s quite the beauty. I wanted to learn swordsmanship from such a cute girl.
Ms. Gebarugonza is a beautiful woman with long black hair. She’s 20 years old. An older sister type, huh. Hehehe. Maybe I can rely on her.
One week later…
Mishiri brought her over.
“Cea. This person is the master swordsman, Ms. Gebarugonza.”
She’s a woman towering over two meters tall. Her entire body is muscular, with a face that’s hard to tell whether it’s male or female.
“Huh. A cute kid, huh. I’m Gebarugonza Woh. A greatsword wielder.”
She refers to herself with “I” instead of “me”…
“I only take on people I like as disciples. I’m here because of Mishiri.”
She’s definitely busty.
Or is it all chest muscles?
An impressive chest. Is she really a woman?
“She’s a gorilla.”
“W-what did you say!”
Gebarugonza grabbed me and started spanking me.
“This brat doesn’t know common sense!! Calling a woman a gorilla is unforgivable!!”
Smack!! Smack!!
“Aaaahhh!!”
O-ow!
Why do I have to go through this!
“But I like you. Educating cheeky brats is my hobby. I’ll make you my disciple.”
“I-I refuse! Who wants to be a gorilla’s disciple!! I’m a man who will become a hero!”
“You’re still talking back! You’re really cheeky! This is educational guidance!”
Smack!!
“Aaaahhh!!”
And so, I became her disciple half against my will.
Ms. Gebarugonza even prepared meals as part of the training.
“Huh? More lean meat? You had it yesterday too.”
“High-quality protein builds good muscles. If you don’t eat properly, you won’t become as muscular as me.”
“N-no. I don’t particularly want to become muscular. I just want to learn swordsmanship.”
“Don’t talk back! This is an order! If you don’t listen, I’ll spank you on the butt!”
“Y-yikes!!”
Dammit!!
I’ll definitely get stronger!!