Chapter 837: The Illusion of Progress
[Would Host Like To Use Rewards]
“No! No!” Ryuk called out, jumping to his feet.
His sudden outburst caused two heads to bubble out of the sea, both staring at him suspiciously.
“I just want to change clothes… so, I need a private place,” Ryuk said, hovering into the air before rushing toward the distant island.
“What is he hiding?” Iris muttered, and Zaffree replied with an uncaring shrug.
“His Dick?”
PLAAAAAAANNNKK!
An eel fish was slammed onto her head, sending her plunging deeper into the sea.
Her hands shot up to cover her head from the sharp sting of pain.
GIGGGLEEE
Giggles burst from Iris’ lips as she quickly swam away.
“Tch, come back here!” Zaffre roared in pain, and soon enough, it turned into a full-blown chase.
__________
Ryuk appeared above the island, slowly descending onto a humongous tree branch before taking a seat.
“Hey, system?”
[Yes.]
“What do you mean by Maximum Level?”
[Maximum Level is the level that the Host reaches, which cannot be surpassed. It is the absolute limit within the system’s creation.]
[Host started from Level 1, the Beginning Level. He surpassed Level 100, which was the Mid Level, and hence obtained the runes of strength. And now…]
[Host has reached Level 200, which is the absolute maximum possible.]
[Does Host understand now?]
“I… What happens to… You now?” he asked, his voice calm but cracking despite his effort to suppress it.
[Nothing?]
“Huh?”
[What?] The system panel flashed as Ryuk’s lips opened and closed before he finally forced out,
“I thought you would be gone…”
[Host might have reached the Maximum Level achievable, but the system’s main goal is to ensure Host achieves the peak of his potential.]
[This means the system will remain, recording Host’s additional stats, pets’ attributes, and even his personal attributes, including those of all his skills, while still running the shop tab.]
“What about quests? And obtaining EXPs?”
[That is no longer possible. Host has reached Maximum Level, so EXPs are useless now, and level-up cards serve no purpose either.]
[Quests may still be issued, but when completed, the rewards will no longer include level-up cards or experience points.]
[Instead, Host will receive more Ability Upgrade Cards, Skill Fusion Cards, or Evolution Cards.]
“Without level-ups, I can’t get attribute points to grow my stats.”
[Yes. You can no longer grow your physical stats directly through the system anymore.]
[However, if you encounter a fortuitous opportunity, your stats will grow and will be recorded by the system.]
[The only difference is that the system can no longer influence them directly.]
“But,”
[I believe you already sensed this, Ryuk.] The system panel flashed as he paused.
[You are starting to outgrow the system.]
[The 100 or 200 attribute points you were receiving from Level Ups were no longer effective against the massive number of stat points you already have.]
[You Have Come A Long Way. Perhaps, too long a way.]
The system panel blinked, and there was nothing he could say to refute it.
Truly, towards the end, the attribute points he had been receiving no longer made any noticeable difference.
Even if he amassed a thousand attribute points, which would require hundreds of level-ups, it still wouldn’t significantly change any of his stats that had already surpassed 10,000.
“But… I don’t feel like I’ve grown that strong at all,” he muttered, clenching and unclenching his fist.
He could feel the power within him, but…
[It doesn’t feel enough, does it?]
The system panel flashed, and he remained silent.
[How you feel, Ryuk, is the same thing that happens to everyone climbing the ladder of Growth.] The system panel’s glow flickered, drawing him back in.
[One who starts on the path of wealth from nothing may once feel satisfied with just 100 Amma coins and a simple tent to sleep in instead of the streets he normally sleeps on.]
[But as they gain more, they move to a new house, then buy a car. The sense of achievement lingers for a while, but soon enough, feeling comes… It’s not enough.]
[New needs arise, ones they never even imagined before, but which are not in any way less necessary than their previous and soon they require two cars and three houses.]
[But that too fails to fulfill them. So they set their sights on an estate, then a collection of cars, and eventually, even planes and boats.]
[Through all this, they know they’re rich but…]
“It’s just not enough…”
[Yes. That’s what it feels like to keep climbing the ladder.]
[That ultimate sense of achievement always seems to elude them. It lingers close, but fades the moment they think they’ve caught it.]
[The same is true for you, Ryuk.]
“It is?”
[At first, all you wanted was revenge for your uncle. Then, the nightmares caused by Zar’kull forced you onward.]
[You killed Morne and got revenge.]
[You killed Zar’kull and stopped the nightmares. But in doing so, you birthed a new goal.]
[To reclaim your missing body parts.]
[You were strong when you defeated Zar’kul, but… it isn’t enough to defeat the other six Calamities.]
[If you had stopped at Zar’kull, then reaching Level 200 of the system would have given you a great sense of accomplishment.]
[But now, all you feel is that it isn’t enough.]
[You don’t know whether to be happy or sad, or if you should feel accomplished after coming this far, because… it just isn’t enough.]
[To you, the journey only feels like it has just begun.]
“Is it wrong to feel this way?” he asked.
[No. That is simply how it feels when one continues to walk the path.]
[The system’s maximum level was set from the very beginning, and now you have reached the peak of it.]
[But, it seems you have not yet reached the peak of your potential.]
[It is only natural to keep going.]
“So… this empty feeling I have is natural.”
[It is.]
The system blinked, and he remained silent for a long time.
Empty.
That was how he felt now. Empty.
But it did not last long.
‘One day, I will grow strong enough. I will reclaim my body parts from the Calamities and become whole. I will uncover the full truth, avenge myself, and ensure that all those who died so I could continue to breathe find their justice.’
‘And when I finally do everything I have dreamed of, I know I will feel fulfilled.’
‘I will find my peace then…I will.’
Will he?