Chapter 16: Fast Recovery
After deciding to focus on his skills, Mikael reflected on the system. 'Is it just me, or is progress with the system becoming increasingly difficult? At first, the XP cost for leveling up a class increased progressively with each level, which made sense. But now, the XP cost is evenly distributed across all levels, making it harder. It's more difficult because, at higher levels, you would typically have extra stats, which allow for faster killing speeds and, in turn, faster leveling.'
'And now, it's become even harder with the race level cap. But when I think about it, it's not really a surprise. The only strange thing is that it wasn't shown in the status window, like with the class. Anyway, the real problem is the stat caps, which raise the difficulty of becoming stronger again. If this continues, the difficulty will quickly escalate to an extreme level.'
'At this point, I'll need to figure out a way to create a unique power system just for myself and use it to grow stronger. But until then, I'll stick with the class and stat system, at least until I hit this soft cap.'
After Mikael finished thinking, he decided to try resting. For a while, he couldn't fall asleep, but after some time, his injuries hurt less, perhaps because he stayed still. The important thing is that he eventually managed to sleep.
In this way, three more days passed before Mikael could no longer stand doing nothing. On the morning of the fourth day, he decided to go outside. It's true that, aside from sleeping, eating, and reading, he hadn't done much. On the second morning, when he was no longer considered critically injured, he had visited the Records and bought a few books on useful subjects: a survival guide, a first aid manual, and others. He spent most of his time reading but was incredibly bored.
A positive side to these three days of rest is the valuable knowledge Mikael gained and the fact that his condition has significantly improved. All his minor cuts and wounds have completely healed, and his broken bones have mended, though they're still fragile and could easily break again until he makes a full recovery.
When he stepped outside, he saw a lively city with many people moving toward their destinations. What fascinated Mikael was the diversity in the city—not only were there the usual humans, but also more fantastic races like elves and demi-humans. He continued to look around, enjoying this moment of respite compared to the recent boring days.
As he walked, savoring the relaxed atmosphere, he eventually arrived at a bustling market. He spotted a food stall and decided to buy something.
Approaching the stall, which was selling some kind of sweet on a stick, he asked, "How much for this?" while pointing to the item.
The vendor replied, "It's 1 copper coin."
Mikael nodded, handed over a copper coin, and took the sweet. He continued his walk through the city, eating the treat.