Chapter 28

It was a day during winter vacation after the first-year middle school classes had ended.

He picked up the bottle of calcium supplements from his desk. Checking the label, it seems to contain not just calcium, but also magnesium and vitamin D. It’s strange to have so many ingredients mixed in a calcium supplement.

Doyugeon must have given this as a Christmas present, though I’m not sure what he was thinking. Was he joking around? Hmm. Considering our height difference of about 16 cm from last time we met, which seems to be increasing instead of decreasing, perhaps it was just a simple gift to help me grow taller.

I appreciate the thought, but over-supplementation can be harmful, so I don’t really want to take it. I don’t usually go out much, so I occasionally take vitamin D, but I question whether I really need to take calcium.

Although I don’t specifically pay attention to calcium intake during meals, I believe my daily consumption meets the recommended amount. My mom had read a nutrition book sometime ago, so she might consider these aspects while cooking. Right?

But thinking about it, my mom tends to be a bit carefree, so it seems unlikely she consciously adds calcium to her dishes. Isn’t that right? Nutritional balance depends more on menu selection than individual meals, so perhaps she considered that aspect. Then why am I not growing taller if I’m not lacking in calcium?

Shaking the supplement bottle produced a rattling sound. It’s been almost a month since I received this present, so I should take it out of politeness. Besides, leaving it untouched would make me feel guilty.

I prepared a cup of cappuccino. While waiting for it to cool slightly, I popped a supplement into my mouth. Though there’s a risk of excessive intake, any side effects would likely be caught early by my regular doctor. This might be a somewhat reckless thought, but surely nothing serious will happen from finishing just one bottle.

I drank the coffee along with the supplement. The coffee, not too hot but still warm, flowed down my throat, creating a comforting heat that spread throughout my body.

Coffee is nice for this feeling. Though it might be a common trait of warm liquids, coffee particularly stands out as the difference before and after drinking is immediately noticeable. It’s a cozy warmth.

Suddenly, I felt the medicine caught in my throat and began to cough. What’s going on? Did the pill get stuck? Checking by swallowing roughly, I found the pill had gone down but left an uncomfortable sensation. I must have swallowed it improperly.

I clearly remember swallowing pills easily, even without water, during my previous life, but why can’t I do it now? Is it a matter of technique, or simply that my airway is narrower now?

Then again, I am in middle school. As a minor, I suppose it makes sense that my body isn’t fully developed yet. It’s understandable to have trouble swallowing pills. So what?

Hmm.

Feeling uneasy, I picked up my smartphone. I sent Doyugeon four consecutive penguin-on-polar-bear emojis.

Not long after, a text asking about their meaning arrived. Having sent them thoughtlessly, I now struggled to find a proper response. I simply replied they had no particular meaning and moved on.

After finishing and cleaning up the coffee, a doubt lingered: Why am I not growing taller? It’s not that I’m not growing at all, but surely the growth rate for a middle schooler should be faster.

Perhaps it’s due to lack of exercise. Even though I log in with the intention of hunting and move around, it’s not as if I’m truly idle. Admittedly, I mostly fly around without much walking or running.

Doyugeon’s growth might stem more from deliberate exercise alongside his hunting.

Should I try exercising? While I’m not particularly fixated on height, exercise is beneficial for health. Height increase would merely be a supplementary benefit.

I didn’t exercise during my previous life either, though I had intentions. Starting from a young age could form good habits. Starting physical activity at an older age can be challenging due to initial fatigue. Thinking about it, starting now seems best.

There’s nothing particularly difficult about it, so I decided to give it a try. I stood in a suitable spot within my room and decided to start with push-ups.

Bending down, I suddenly felt bashful and stood up again. For some reason, the idea of doing push-ups at home seemed embarrassing. What if my mom or dad or someone sees me? Exercise should not be embarrassing, but still.

Should I lock the door? Though it might give me peace of mind, it also feels embarrassing to lock it for exercise. There’s nothing wrong with exercising, after all. Considering possible misunderstandings, locking the door might be excessive.

Placing my hands on the floor with my legs extended behind me, I adjusted my hand spacing to shoulder-width. Ah, my head feels like it’s rushing with blood.

I couldn’t quite remember the proper technique from exercise books I read in my past life. One should maintain tension in the lower back without overdoing it, I think.

While thinking, I hadn’t done anything yet, but my arms started to tremble and a pulling sensation began in the area between my thighs and buttocks. Ugh, what a waste of effort for someone who’s never been physically punished.

No matter the proper form, if I keep delaying, I might not even be able to do a single push-up. Instead of lowering my hips, I should lower my chest to the ground, supporting my upper body with arm strength while slowly descending to the floor.

My exhausted arms gave out and I collapsed. Ow! My forehead hit the floor. It’s painful. Rubbing it, I found no visible injury, though it still hurt. Without any visible wounds, I used a healing spell to alleviate the pain.

Phew. I can’t seem to accomplish basic exercise due to lack of strength.

Ah, now that I think about it, I attempted push-ups without stretching. It’s fortunate that I didn’t get injured. Attempting push-ups in a room and getting hurt would be embarrassing.

Rotating one of my shoulders produced a clicking sound accompanied by discomfort. It seems to be the typical sensation from not stretching properly.

Exercise is rather difficult, isn’t it? Such complicated tasks are best left to professionals while laypeople avoid them. Ideally, there would be a professional who could exercise on my behalf, with the results transferring to me. With the fantasy setting of level-ups, shouldn’t there exist such professionals somewhere in the world?

Why do I, nearing level 20, have such weak strength?

“Schrödinger.”

Waiting momentarily and locking the door, a white cat appeared.

“Yes, master, I’m here.”

“You receive level-up benefits, right?”

Level-ups enhance physical abilities in a non-scientific and non-magical manner.

“Yes.”

“I’m level 19, so why is my strength like this? Could it be that level-up benefits don’t apply to me?”

“I could answer, but last time you told me not to explain these things.”

This cat lacks flexibility.

“Then goodbye.”

“I’ll tell you. Since research facilities are studying this, you’ll find out soon enough.”

This cat actually has flexibility.

“Level-up benefits proportionally enhance the explorer’s original physical capabilities. Athletes receive greater benefits than average people, so as levels increase, the gap between them grows. Though stats improve, it’s more like a proportional stat boost. If regular individuals start exercising, the gap will narrow though.”

This lengthy explanation.

“On the contrary, the lower the physical ability, the weaker the level-up effect. It doesn’t continuously decrease to nearly zero, however. If physical capabilities fall below a certain standard, level-up effects are almost absent. Some aspects, like dynamic vision, are unaffected though.”

“So what about me?”

“You need to exercise.”

That makes sense, but hearing it from Schrödinger somehow irritates me.

—

Logging in isn’t all about hunting. Occasionally, silly endeavors occur, usually initiated by Doyugeon.

“I think I can cut rocks with a sword!”

“With a skill?”

The power of the one-sword enhancement skill is unclear, but it might be possible. Since the skill level has increased from frequent use.

“With a skill, it would be easy. But I want to cut rock without using skills!”

What is he talking about?

“Then let’s confirm if it’s possible with a skill first.”

Thus, Doyugeon stood before an appropriately sized rock, looking confidently at his sword. It wasn’t a special item weapon but an ordinary one from the preparation room.

“In this age of fantasy, surely I can’t cut rock with a sword.”

“It might not be possible.”

Hiding behind a tree, I observed. Doyugeon ignores the dangers, but I can’t be so careless.

“As always, if you’re hurt, it’s your responsibility?”

“Sure, sure. Watch well.”

Doyugeon raised his sword.

“One-sword enhancement!”

He exclaimed energetically, but there was no visible effect since the skill leaves no noticeable traces when used.

If I were to call out a skill with no visual effects, I’d be embarrassed, yet he does so cheerfully – impressive in a way I don’t wish to emulate.

The sword was swung down. A slicing sound followed as the rock was cut, but only partially before stopping.

“Still, it’s pretty easy to cut!”

Doyugeon attempted to pull the sword out by placing his foot against the rock.

“Just wait. It’s dangerous. Let me remove the sword with magical power. Don’t strain yourself.”

Supporting the sword with magical power from one hand and carefully dislodging it with the other, I managed to pull it out. It was embedded more deeply than expected.

“Here.”

“Great. Now let’s try without a skill!”

“Are you serious?”

“Well, will you let me?”

“What makes you think you can manage?”

“Because it’s a fantasy world!”

What?

“Hahaha. Don’t make that face. It was a joke. While using the sword, I somehow developed a sense.”

“What kind of sense? Like fruit?”

“While having the presence detection skill on, I sensed something mysterious that’s not magic.”

“…”

“Though I don’t know exactly what it is, I feel capable of achieving an effect similar to using a skill without actually using one. That kind of sense?”

So it’s baseless confidence, is it? Impressive but not very trustworthy.

“Haha. I’ll show you, so believe me.”

He laughs it off.

“Then why not try cutting wood instead of rock? If you can achieve something like one-sword enhancement, surely you can cut a tree.”

I pointed out a suitable tree. A tree offers a more predictable trajectory if the sword bounces off, and it’s safer than rock.

“Alright?”

“Yeah.”

Thus, Doyugeon stood before the tree. Concentrating, he swung his sword horizontally.

“Ha!”

Why the battle cry? Is it some form of self-efficacy?

The sword plunged slightly into the tree without any special effects, just from swinging it.

Doyugeon inspected the depth of the sword and looked at me.

“As expected, it doesn’t work yet since I haven’t properly grasped the sense. I’ll try again.”

I nodded. Afterward, I nodded at the same scene eight more times.

The tree was cut a little deeper compared to the start, but not enough to be severed or bent. Perhaps using an axe would be better than a sword.

“Ah! I think I get it now!”

Finally.

“Really, I can do it this time. Look closely.”

I nodded.

On the 10th attempt, the sword was swung horizontally and plunged into the tree. Observing closely, the outcome was no different from the beginning.

I hope the blade isn’t damaged.

“One more time!”

I nodded.

On the 47th attempt, there was no improvement. That’s a natural result, though. However, I have done a fair amount of grip healing; it’s increasing my proficiency.

After the 78th attempt, we ate lunch. The menu was bibimbap. The fried egg was particularly tasty.

“It’s not going to work. Still, I have to do this. Since I’ve reached level 20, I should hunt slime anyway. Consider this special training.”

Though I fail to see the commonality between level 20 fire slimes and cutting trees, I nodded.

The 247th attempt showed no improvement. Perhaps it’s time to stop.

The tree seemed slightly damaged, so we switched to another one.

“I think I’m getting the hang of it. A few more tries should work.”

Though I don’t understand the difference, I nodded nonetheless.

On the 1362nd attempt, the result remained unchanged from the start.

“Why isn’t it working? Why can’t I do it?”

Of course not, since it was baseless confidence.

“I won’t know unless I try more.”

On the 2645th attempt, it was the same result. He doesn’t seem tired at all. The level-up effect is really impressive.

“I’ll try a bit more!”

I nodded.

Doyugeon concentrated and envisioned enhancing his sword, according to him.

Embarrassing to watch from the sidelines.

On the 2983rd attempt, the tree was split in two horizontally.

What? Why did it break?

The tree fell with a loud crash.

What’s happening?

Looking at Doyugeon, he seemed dazed. Hmm. Though I don’t understand what just happened, clapping seems appropriate.

I clapped.

“Amazing. It worked as you said.”

Doyugeon tilted his head in confusion.

“It’s not what I meant.”

“What?”

He silently cut down three nearby trees. The crash echoed.

With a slightly disgruntled look, he approached.

“That’s not what I intended.”

“What’s the difference?”

“I originally intended to enhance my sword, remember?”

“Yeah.”

“Currently, I’m not enhancing my sword but simply using it. In other words, I can now cut down trees without enhancing my sword.”

Hmm. This defies conventional thinking. Let me put it in gaming terms…

“Like, while trying to master a buff skill to cut down trees, my swordsmanship proficiency increased so much that I no longer need the buff to cut trees?”

“Exactly.”

Though it’s not what he intended, the outcome is fantastical, so I congratulated him.

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