We were currently a few days away from Targashar. The journey had settled into a steady, rhythmic pace, with the swaying of the carriage and the rhythmic clopping of the horses’ hooves serving as a constant backdrop to my thoughts. According to Copez, Targashar was a medium-sized city known primarily for its proximity to several dungeons, one of which was located curiously within the city walls themselves. It fell on the southeastern side of Hajzenfels, marking a significant transition from the isolated frontier into the more civilized heart of the kingdom. On the way, we had passed several villages, some significantly smaller than Hajzenfels and others large enough to possess their own stone walls and guard towers.

  Now that I possessed a basic understanding of the world, the Targonia Kingdom, and the urban destination we were heading toward, I realized I needed to use my points more effectively while I still had some quiet leeway. I couldn't afford to be reactive; I had to be proactive. I was determined to use the knowledge I had gained and the system points at my disposal to become stronger in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Safety was paramount, but speed of growth was a close second.

  I focused my mind, bringing up the blue translucent screen that had become my most trusted companion in this new life.

  ***

  Player Window

  —

  Name: Han

  Sex: Male

  Age: 20

  —

  Total Points: 98

  Remaining Points: 19

  —

  Stats: Job Bonuses: Total:

  HP: 140

  MP: 50

  SP: 58

  —

  Equipped Jobs:

  Swordsman Level 8

  Hunter Level 13

  Villager Level 13

  —

  Acquired Jobs:

  Villager Level 13

  Hunter Level 13

  Swordsman Level 8

  —

  Equipment:

  *One-handed Iron Sword

  *Middle-scale Iron Shield

  *Leather Breastplate

  *Leather Helmet

  *Leather Gloves

  *Leather Footwear

  —

  Shop

  ***

  I spent a long time analyzing my point distribution. Currently, I was using 50 points for skills and 9 points for stats, totaling 59 points actively invested. Once I reached the city and could purchase new equipment with actual money, I planned to return the gear I had purchased with points back to the shop. This would free up a significant portion of my total pool—roughly 39 points would be unused once the equipment points were returned.

  There was more than one thing to consider while spending these points. I had developed a flexible strategy: by default, I would keep the ‘Identify’ skill active until a fight actually started. This allowed me to gather intelligence on my surroundings and potential threats. If a conflict became inevitable, I would immediately swap those points into stats, other specialized skills, or even temporary equipment depending on the tactical demands of the situation.

  I mapped out several potential combat scenarios in my head to ensure I wouldn't freeze up when the time came. The first scenario involved facing enemies who were clearly not strong enough to threaten my life. If I were facing this type of opponent, my priority would be purely economic: gaining as much experience and money as possible. I would keep my experience-boosting skills at their maximum level, even at the cost of some raw power.

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  Of course, there was no clear line defining exactly how safe I was as I faced them. Therefore, if I sensed a situation becoming unexpectedly dangerous, I would pivot, investing points into the stats that would provide the most immediate defensive or offensive benefit. I would also keep the shop window ready to purchase better equipment if my current sword were destroyed or proved to be ineffective against a specific type of hide or armor.

  The second scenario was the most daunting: facing a truly strong opponent. In such a case, I would have to spend as many points as possible to maximize my battle prowess. For example, if we were to face a coordinated bandit attack and I judged the attackers to be high-level or well-equipped, I would dump every available point into increasing my Strength, Agility, and Dexterity. I would even sacrifice experience-gain skills for raw survivability. This scenario was the most critical; if I were not prepared for a sudden spike in difficulty, I would end up dead, and a dead man has no chance to grow stronger.

  There was also a third, more nuanced scenario that I kept in mind. I had to consider a way to balance keeping my power at a respectable level while still maximizing experience gain. I began to weigh the benefits of different hunting grounds. For instance, I could hunt in a relatively safe area where I could boost my experience skills to their limit while spending only the bare minimum of points on combat stats. Alternatively, I could seek out a more dangerous area where I would have to spend points on stats to survive, but where the stronger enemies might provide a higher base experience that surpassed the gains from a safer area. I decided that I would finalize this decision based on my direct observations of the dungeons once we arrived in the city.

  As the carriage rolled on, we approached our destination steadily. The isolated, wild environment that had characterized the land around Hajzenfels began to change. The dirt path widened into more lively roads, and the dense, untamed forests gave way to rolling farmlands and organized orchards. We saw more travelers on the road—merchants with their own guards, lone messengers on horseback, and farmers bringing produce to local markets.

  We stopped by several villages and towns to rest, but I noticed that the main reason for these stops was for Copez to conduct business. He seemed to be surprisingly well-known in these places, often greeted warmly by local innkeepers and shop owners.

  Considering he had been a merchant for years, this was expected. I watched him handle coins and ledgers with practiced ease, and I wondered if he had raised his level on these very roads. If I remembered correctly, he was at Level 22. Given the dangerous nature of the world, I began to wonder if he had gained those levels by fending off bandits.

  “Hey, Copez. How many bandits have you encountered on this journey so far?” I asked, leaning out of the carriage to catch his eye as he sat on the driver's bench. I was curious to find out how he had managed to level up so high while seemingly avoiding combat.

  “Hmm, I nearly never encountered them on my way between the city and the village,” Copez replied, his eyes fixed on the horses’ ears. “Half of that road is rather safe since it is quite unpopulated; bandits have nothing to steal there. But I sometimes have to deal with them on the road between this point and the city.”

  He explained that as the road became more crowded near the urban centers, it became more dangerous as well. Thieves and brigands preferred areas with a high volume of wealthy travelers.

  Sometimes? Is that really enough to reach Level 22? I thought, my confusion growing. Does he have other means to level up that I don’t know about?

  “How do you deal with them?” I pressed, trying to clear up my confusion while sounding like it was merely idle curiosity. “You don’t have guards or anything for protection. If you're attacked, what do you do?”

  “Of course I don't hire guards,” Copez said nonchalantly, laughing as if I had suggested something absurd. “How much profit would I even make if I had to pay for a private army? I just deal with them by giving them some coins, of course. Giving a small tribute to bandits is much more profitable than hiring bodyguards. Most bandit groups make a living through these tributes. They prefer it because attacking merchants and travelers can be dangerous for them, too. If they constantly cause trouble or kill people, there is a high possibility of a royal bounty being placed on their heads. It’s easier for them to take a few silvers and let the wagons pass.”

  He stated quite clearly that he preferred paying tribute to killing.

  What? Then how did he level up? This made me pause. I had to rethink my entire approach to the leveling system. I had operated under the assumption that the world functioned like a classic RPG, where killing monsters or enemies was the only way to gain experience. I had not considered that there might be other paths to growth.

  “You said merchants have a level,” I noted, trying to sound thoughtful. “If they don’t fight, how do they level up?”

  Since I couldn't guess the answer, I decided to ask him directly.

  “By trading, of course,” Copez answered with a shrug. “The bigger the transaction and the better the profit, the quicker you level up. It’s the same for many other professions. Why do you ask such a strange thing?”

  He answered nonchalantly, as if it were common knowledge that even a child would know.

  “It is just that I thought you could level up only by killing your enemies,” I admitted. I thought it was the fastest way to clear the situation and understand the rules of this world.

  “Huh? Why would you think something like that?” Copez laughed, clearly amused by my ignorance. “The only ones who level up primarily by killing enemies are explorers and dungeon raiders. Their job is combat, so their progress is tied to it. Actually, there are not many jobs in the first place that can level up significantly. Most commoners stay at a low level their entire lives. Why did you think that way anyway?”

  I realized then that I had been viewing the world through a very narrow lens. Because they couldn't see numerical levels, they viewed progress as the refinement of their professional skills. I was likely the only one who could see the literal numbers. It was reasonable for him to find my question odd.

  So, you can level up by taking actions that are associated with your job, I realized. Merchants level up by trading, just as farmers might level up by harvesting.

  “It is probably because I hunted so much after I arrived at the village,” I said with a light, embarrassed chuckle. “I must have been confused by my own experiences.”

  It was true. Everything I had done to level up since waking up on that straw bed had involved hunting, which meant killing. I had not even considered other possibilities because the system interface made the world look like a game. But this was a vital piece of information; it meant the world was more complex than a simple slaughterhouse.

  We continued to ride as I processed this new information. There was something that bothered me, though. After I learned that bandit attacks were relatively rare and easily handled with a small bribe, I should have been relieved. Instead, I felt a strange sense of disappointment.

  Am I actually hoping to be attacked? I questioned myself, disturbed by the thought.

  I could have understood this feeling if I were confident enough to defeat any threat, but I didn't even know how strong bandits in this world could be. If I thought rationally, it was obviously best for us not to encounter any of them. My primary goal was to reach Targashar, enter a dungeon, and build my strength in a controlled environment. Defeating bandits could wait for later when the risks were lower.

  But it seemed my rationality was currently having a stroke of bad luck, unlike my instinctive feelings. As the road narrowed ahead, I felt the familiar tingle of anticipation in my spine.

  [Edited]