Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Elolo took the fluffy seahorse plushie from the stall owner, instantly overjoyed. She hugged it tightly and snuggled against it.

The stall owner was, of course, overjoyed too. It wasn’t often he met such a generous customer, let alone such a rare and handsome couple.

Only Lloyd wore a serious expression, still pondering, ’Is my aim really that bad?’

’It wasn’t like this back when I was fighting terrorists, was it? Besides, I even took it seriously for a while and reached a 500+ rating on the competitive platform.’

While he was lost in thought, Elolo suddenly reached out again, naturally taking Lloyd’s hand and pulling him toward the carousel.

Then she stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered:

"Lord Uther, I’m a little scared. Can you hold me while we ride?"

Lloyd’s ear tingled from her warm, fragrant breath, and he nodded subconsciously.

’I really don’t want to see her sad or upset...’

’I’ll worry about the future later. For today, at least, I’ll just stay with her and help her move past the shadow of ’domestic abuse’ as quickly as possible.’

And so, Lloyd relaxed. The two of them, like a couple deep in love, held hands the entire time as they experienced the amusement park’s many attractions.

Perhaps it was the enthusiastic, joyful smile on Elolo’s face, or perhaps it was the atmosphere of the amusement park, but Lloyd’s heart grew exceptionally cheerful too. He even began to hum a pleasant melody from Earth with great interest.

Elolo noticed and quickly asked:

"Lord Uther, what are you humming? It’s so beautiful."

"It’s a little tune from my hometown. It tells the story of the happiest girl in the world who is searching for her lost medal in a city full of monsters. Along the way, she meets a handsome young man, and the two of them look for the lost item while traveling all over...

Basically, it’s the kind of tune you’d hum when you’re out with a girl. It symbolizes happiness and beauty."

"Eh? There’s really a story like that? Then what’s the song called?"

"I can’t quite remember the name... I think it was called a market something? *Kakarot Market*? Or was it *Astarte Market*?"

"What happened after that? What about the story of the girl and the young man?"

Elolo pressed on curiously.

Lloyd scratched his head and answered:

"Um... I have to think back, I don’t remember a lot of the details. Let’s go get lunch first. I’ll tell you as we walk. Is there anything you’d like to eat?"

"As it happens, I like to eat the same things you do."

"Eh? But I never said what I like to eat. Are you teasing me?"

Lloyd replied instinctively.

Elolo’s cheeks puffed out at once, and she shook his arm incessantly.

"Hmph... Honestly, Lord Uther, you’re so dense! You’ll see if I’m teasing you in a little bit... Okay, hurry up and tell me the story. I love these kinds of stories the most."

"Alright, well, ever since they met that day, they had secretly fallen for each other. Then, as it happened, they were assigned to the same combat unit, a place similar to our Judgment Court..."

Lloyd tried his best to recall the story, adding his own embellishments where he couldn’t remember the details.

"The world they lived in was exceptionally cruel. Calamities struck one after another, the people lived in misery, and only the most talented could go out to fight the Demons..."

"Unfortunately, the young man’s talent wasn’t very good. His first evaluation only rated him at the ’Third Stage of Fighting Power,’ meaning he couldn’t pilot the Godslaying Armor, a crucial weapon. The girl, on the other hand, was astonishingly gifted and hailed as the strongest S-rank ’Envoy’..."

"Seeing the insurmountable gap that had formed between them, the young man refused to give up and worked diligently every day..."

"Finally, his efforts paid off. During a morning training session, he was unexpectedly bitten by a mutated spider and awakened an ability called the ’System’..."

"With the help of this ability, the young man’s power began to grow by leaps and bounds, leaving everyone else in the dust. His relationship with the girl also grew closer day by day..."

"But the good times didn’t last. The situation outside took a sharp turn for the worse. Humanity suffered one defeat after another against the Demons’ onslaught and was on the brink of annihilation. To protect humanity, the girl didn’t hesitate to use her power beyond its limits, paying a painful price for it..."

"Her long, sky-blue hair gradually turned orange-red, and her memories began to fade. Eventually, she couldn’t even remember where the pepper was..."

"Soon, the Demons launched a massive offensive to completely exterminate humanity. The young man fought bravely but was hopelessly outnumbered. He was surrounded by Demons and gravely wounded. To protect humanity and the man she loved, the girl burned away her own life to unleash her final burst of power..."

"The young man lay helplessly on the ground, watching the love of his life dance gracefully amidst the surrounding Demons, like a moth drawn to a flame. But the girl wore a smile. Even though she was gravely injured, she believed that to die for the one she loved made her the happiest girl in the world..."

"At the same time, they both began to hum the song from when they first met..."

"And then..."

"In his desperation, the young man finally awakened the full power of the ’System’! He suddenly erupted, going on a rampage. He not only casually annihilated all the Demons before him but also successfully saved the girl, healing all her injuries..."

"In the end, they joined forces and killed every last Demon in the world, creating a brand new world. And so, they went on to live a shamelessly blissful life together."