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 14: Two Years Have Passed

~~Cea’s Perspective~~

Two years have passed since I was trained by my master. I’m currently 12 years old. I’ve become much stronger. Thanks to Gebarugonza, the greatsword wielder. She’s a woman over two meters tall, with muscles covering her entire body. Her face resembles a gorilla’s, but I keep quiet about that to avoid trouble. Under her training, I’ve become muscular. Well, at first, I felt repulsed, but with this power, it’s not so bad. I might have become the strongest existence. I’ve reached level 50. With this strength, I should be able to explore Infinite Dungeon Level 2. Level 1 of the Infinite Dungeon was empty of items. I can gather them by entering Level 2.

“Alright, I’m off to see the master.”

“Should I come along too?”

“No. It wouldn’t be training then. Besides, with these muscles, monsters are no match.”

“Heh. You’ve mastered the side chest pose.”

“Haha. Thanks to the training.”

This time, it’s the double biceps. Raising both arms emphasizes the biceps.

“Well, your muscles are still soft.”

And the master does the most muscular pose. I promptly respond with the admirable and scythe pose. Our muscles shine. We’re invincible.

“Well then, I’m off.”

I really need some equipment now. Muscles alone won’t make me a great hero. With powerful equipment added to this physique, my strength will increase further. And the coolness factor will also rise. I entered Infinite Dungeon Level 2. This dungeon spawns monsters endlessly. It seems to have been created by the Demon King’s magic thousands of years ago. There are 108 treasures, some containing valuable items. Recommended levels for infiltration are set; below 30 for Level 1, and below 40 for Level 2. As the dungeon level increases, it indicates the presence of powerful monsters inside. As soon as I entered, monsters attacked me.

“Hmph! Weaklings!”

I sweep them away with my strength. Monsters below level 40 are weaklings to this trained body. And I reached the first treasure chest.

“Haha! Found it.”

Excitedly, I opened the lid of the chest. However,

“It’s empty!!”

What the hell!? This is the same pattern as when I entered Infinite Dungeon Level 1. …No, wait. The pattern of the first one being empty and the rest having items could be possible. But even that expectation was betrayed.

“Damn it! The second chest is empty too!!”

Shit!! It was the same afterward. Third, fourth, fifth… tenth.

“They’re all empty… What’s going on!? There are no items in the dungeon!”

Shit!! What’s happening!? Is there someone ahead of me!? Who the hell is it!?

☆

~~Zaus’ Perspective~~

Meel brought certificates and trophies.

“This month, Gobtarou is the top scorer in Zaus Points.”

“Indeed.”

We’ve just conquered Level 3 of the Infinite Dungeon. Next, we’ll delve into Level 4. If we keep snatching items like this, the protagonist won’t get any items handed to them. Additionally, we’ll intensify our spying activities.

“Are you going to steal herbs from ordinary houses?”

Stasa blinks.

“Stealing sounds bad. Let’s call it discreet purchasing,” I say, handing over some gold coins.

While showing the map of the village, I explain, “Here, here, and here. There are three herbs in pots in the houses of Hajime Village.”

I remember the locations of the first items we obtained. Just press the A button towards the pot. If there are items, they’ll be obtained automatically. So, I entered houses and kept pressing the A button towards the pots.

“Since there are herbs in pots in the houses, leave some gold coins and secretly buy those herbs for me.”

“Aren’t herbs expensive for gold coins?”

“Well, because we’re buying them discreetly, I’ll throw in a little extra service.”

“Um… Shouldn’t we buy directly from the homeowners?”

“If we do that, there’s a chance they’ll restock. The goal is to empty the pots, and do it quietly.”

“I see…”

“I can only entrust this to you, Stasa, who can freely enter Hajime Village. Can you do it?”

“Yes, I can! I can discreetly buy herbs without a problem!”

“Good. I appreciate it.”

“I’ll do anything for Zaus-sama!! Just tell me!”

“Alright. When you bring back the herbs, I’ll reward you. What do you want?”

“Huh? Um… Well…”

She squirms.

This reaction is similar to a monster’s.

“Do you want me to pat your head?”

“Y-Yes…”

She says, getting all heated up.

Good grief.

If something like this is considered a reward, it’s a bargain.

“Understood. I’ll definitely do it.”

“I’ll do my best! I’ll be off now!”

Alright.

We’ll continue confiscating items like this.

We’ll make sure the protagonist can’t obtain any items from their surroundings.

I know the locations of all the items in Hajime Village and the capital.

I’ll buy them all.