Kopii woke up, he felt truly renewed. His body felt light, compared to the days when he stretched out after the dungeon.
He lay there, in no hurry to open his eyes, enjoying the silence. How good it would be to earn a lot of money and do nothing but nothing all day.
But however pleasant that might be, he did not have the money to lie around all day and do nothing.
Getting out of bed, Kopii walked to the window and flung it wide open, that was his mistake.
– Agh, my eyes!
Kopii instinctively covered his eyes with his hands. Only seconds passed before his eyes already adjusted to the sunlight.
He intended to spend the whole day in the dungeon today and nothing more; they needed money, so he could no longer rest as before.
Kopii left the room and went downstairs, he, as always, barely caught the sleepy eyes of Naaza, who looked a little out of sorts. For him, this was a rare sight, very much so, but even if he was curious, he did not want to think about it. Passing by, he simply nodded to her.
No sooner had he taken even a couple of steps from the pharmacy than he quickly found the reason for Naaza's bad mood.
Kopii stared at Miach, who was once again surrounded by girls who, at the same time, using their beauty and Miach's kindness, were coaxing potions out of him.
«I'm not jealous!»
He shouted in his mind, perfectly understanding that this was not true, but still he did not want to admit it.
Having watched this spectacle a little too long, his mood worsened, and with such a mood he began his run straight to the tower.
Having reached the Tower of Babel, he stepped inside and, without a second thought, again immediately headed for the entrance to the dungeon.
«What is this?»
But the crowd that had gathered near the entrance did not allow this to happen so easily, yet the answer came to him faster than he expected; from the conversations, he understood that the Loki Familia was preparing for an expedition.
He knew that the Loki Familia was one of the strongest and most influential familias in Orario, and, seeing them for the first time, he felt a slight trepidation. Perhaps he had seen them once, but simply hadn't paid due attention, but to tell the truth, he simply did not know what they looked like, that was all. Kopii glanced at them fleetingly and did not linger, slipping past the bustling adventurers, trying not to draw attention to himself. He did not want to get involved in other people's affairs, especially when it came to such large-scale undertakings. His goal was more modest – simply to explore the second floor of the dungeon and become stronger.
He was terrified to imagine which floor they had descended to.
Having descended the steps, Kopii felt the familiar surge of energy.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
Kopii strode across the first floor and suddenly heard a familiar sound. He saw a kobold; he saw one for the first time on the first floor, though of course he knew that they also inhabited it. Having spent an instant on it, he picked up the magic stone and, satisfied, moved on towards the descent to the second floor.
Kopii spent the whole day in the dungeon, he earned approximately 40 small magic stones, which gladdened him, but at the same time saddened him; he had killed so many, but not a single one had dropped an item.
«Maybe this is also false information?»
But even so, satisfied with his catch, Kopii decided to head back. Ascending back to the surface, he reflected on today. The second floor had not presented any particular surprises, but he had gained the necessary experience and was very tired; his clothes were dirty and stained with monster blood, but he paid no attention to it. He would have to change clothes again, and he needed to buy himself light armor for greater comfort and to use fewer potions. But then he would be spending on armor. Kopii pondered on what would cost less as he ascended.
Exiting the Tower of Babel, Kopii headed to the guild to receive his due for the magic stones. He chatted with Rose, and then he became curious.
— Lady Rose, I was wondering how deep the Loki Familia has gone.
Rose paused briefly with her answer and said:
— At the moment, the record of the Loki Familia is the 50th floor.
«What! THE 50TH FLOOR!»
Kopii was in shock, his eyes widened from shock and disbelief.
– Are they that strong? – He uttered incredulously, not fully understanding how it was possible.
He thought that they were at most at the 30th or 35th floor, and even that he himself did not believe, but they surpassed all his expectations. He began to regret a little that he had not stayed to look at them in the morning.
— It is an exceptional familia. After all, they are one of the strongest familias in Orario.
– Just how much?
– Indeed. For example, the Sword Princess at the age of seven set a new record. – She said, not in a cold voice, understanding that Kopii knew rather little. Which was actually surprising, not in a good sense.
– A record? What kind? – With a questioning expression on his face, he looked at her.
What kind of record could a child set at seven years old, he could not even imagine.
Seeing his face, she did not keep him in suspense.
– She was able to reach the second level in a year.
– ... what? – With shock and disbelief, he stared at her, unable to believe it.
A child who had turned 7 years old set a record for leveling up; he could not believe it, it was hard to believe at all. Six years old, descending into the dungeon, and in a year she was able to rise to the second level.
At six years old, he could not even remember what he was like then, but he knew that he would never in his life have even been able to hold a weapon at that age, and as for descending into the dungeon, it was out of the question.
Seeing Kopii's shocked and incredulous face, she could only sigh.
– You must understand that she is simply an exception to the rule, and you must also understand that from the very beginning a powerful familia stood behind her.
– ...
– So do not, upon learning this, become more reckless, it could end badly. Do you understand?
– ... Yes... I understand.
But even so, he could not believe it; three months of his training, and if he were to be placed against a seven-year-old child now, he... would lose. The realization of this only made things worse.
– ... And how old is she now?
– 15 years old. – She answered confidently.
«A year older... But already so different.»
His mood, already not good, fell even lower.
– And her level? What is it now?
– Fifth.
«Fifth... too different.»
Kopii talked with Rose a little more, and, crushed, went home, pondering along the way everything he had heard.
And he began to wonder what made her so vastly different from others; maybe not a special skill, while his... was so useless.
And the more he thought about her, the more he began to envy her. Insanely envy her, and if it was truly a skill that allowed her to rise so quickly, then it was unfair.
His skill was completely useless in his opinion, and from this news, in his eyes his skill fell even lower.
Upon returning home, Naaza and Miach were asleep; it was already late. I put the money where I always put it, but again returned to those thoughts.
Throwing his dirty clothes on the floor, Kopii collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, which seemed endless and oppressive. The room felt oppressive, the walls seemed to be closing in, emphasizing his loneliness and powerlessness in this vast world.
He closed his eyes, trying to distract himself from the burdensome thoughts, but they, like persistent flies, kept returning, painting in his imagination the image of a child that, no matter how hard he tried, he could not defeat. And his self-esteem began to fall lower and lower the more he thought about it.
A thought about training flashed through his head. Maybe he was not diligent enough? Maybe he should spend more time in the dungeon, honing his skills.
Doubts tormented Kopii; he tossed and turned in bed, trying to find a comfortable position, but his body would not obey, filled with leaden heaviness, as if the entire weight of the world had settled on his shoulders. Fragments of phrases heard during the day swarmed in his head: "an exception to the rule."
In the end, Kopii could not bear it. Jumping out of bed, he silently left the room, trying not to wake Naaza and Miach, immersed in sweet sleep. The silence of the night pressed down, but at the same time soothed, like a warm blanket. He went to the kitchen to pour himself a strong, invigorating coffee, and then headed to the window.
Taking a sip of cold coffee, he did not even notice it. His entire mind was filled only with the Sword Princess.