In RPGs, there's a term called "Power Leveling," where a low-level character gains levels exponentially by defeating enemies much stronger than them. It's a common cheese strategy that lets players immerse themselves in diverse tactics to enjoy the game. In this world—or rather, this novel—the level system exists, but it works differently than in a typical game.
Here, people don't magically get stronger by defeating a dragon and then suddenly gain stats. That's not how it works. In this world, talent and effort are everything. According to Adele, while defeating monsters can raise your stats, it only works up to a certain level—there's a cap, and we call this cap a "breakthrough."
No matter how many monsters you kill, you can never grow stronger until you break that cap. The only way to do that is through training or items. However, items that break caps are incredibly rare. Discussing breakthroughs in detail would take forever, but to keep it brief, mages and fighters have different breakthrough methods.
Take the Philosopher's Stone I consumed a few weeks ago—an example of a breakthrough item. But it's a terrible example since it's practically impossible to make (except for me, of course), and even I don't fully understand its limits.
[Answer: Your breakthrough in both magic and physical abilities is already maxed.]
Ugh, I hate those notifications. Anyway, breakthroughs come in different levels, and the higher the level, the harder it is to achieve. Items like the Philosopher's Stone are rare because they require skilled alchemists to craft them, and guess what? The only skilled alchemist in the entire empire is [Rhinedottir], which, by the way, is one of my pseudonyms. As I mentioned earlier, the higher the level of breakthrough, the rarer the item required to shatter that cap.
That brings us to the only real option most people have—training. By whatever means, whether it's through physical exertion or mental fortitude, you break through your limits by refining your knowledge or whatever specialization you pursue. For example, a swordman breaks their cap through a combination of physical prowess and philosophy, and it's the same for other specializations.
Oh, and as I mentioned, this world has levels, or as we call them, tiers. The lowest is 1st tier, and the highest is 9th tier. However, you can't break through tiers with sheer effort alone, and this is where talent comes into play. Talent dictates what you can achieve in life. In Josephine's case, when she was baptized, it was revealed that her potential maxed out at 3rd-tier mage and 2nd-tier swordsman.
This was the reason the Konrow Duchy looked down on Josephine—she was never meant for great things and became a disappointment. Meanwhile, Adele was destined to become a 9th-tier mage, making her valuable even though she was an illegitimate child.
In her past life, Adele wasn't baptized, meaning her talent was wasted. However, in this timeline, she schemed to get adopted by the Duke early, ensuring her talents would be revealed. This was her first move toward revenge. And so, it spiraled into her current situation—becoming the villainess, shunned by everyone. Josephine tried her best to get her family's attention, knowing full well that no matter how much she trained in magic or swordsmanship, her abilities would never improve beyond her revealed potential.
Instead, she turned to craftsmanship and alchemy, which weren't bound by her talent in magic or combat. She strove to become the best craftsman and alchemist on the entire continent, but still, her family ignored her other skills. Even after creating a Philosopher's Stone, an item that for some mysterious reason broke the limits of her talents, they continued to look down on her.
The Philosopher's Stone was special—it elevated her to the 11th tier in all specializations. But what does that really mean? Is she truly skilled enough now?
"I know how to use a sword," she muttered, thinking back to her previous life. "But magic? I barely understand it, let alone the complex formulas..."
Her worries lingered, but that could wait. For now, she needed to focus on power leveling her companions, Jane and Peter. They needed battle experience, and the darkness incarnate they faced would push them to their limits.
The fight raged on, with Jane and Peter constantly being beaten back by the darkness incarnate, yet taking no real damage thanks to Josephine's protection. Peter struggled to keep up, while Jane was flung across the battlefield. They weren't improving fast enough.
"My Lady! I can't do this any longer—" Jane began to shout, but before she could finish, she was tossed aside once more. Peter wasn't faring any better as the darkness incarnate continued to absorb their attacks with little effect.
"Cruel," Trynda whispered.
"Shut up," Josephine hissed. This was a test, not just of their skills, but of their loyalty to her. If they broke now, she would have no choice but to abandon them. But...
Even as the two struggled, they began to adapt, moving in sync and slowly finding their rhythm against the relentless attacks. The situation looked grim, but they held on.
However, just when they began to gain some ground, another darkness incarnate appeared out of nowhere, delivering a devastating kick to Jane.
"Another one showed up..." Josephine muttered, watching as the odds shifted once again.
Now, what will they do?