Ai Yue used Appraisal over and over again, trying to confirm if the Identification Magnifier was broken from years of neglect. However, the result was exactly the same every single time.
“It really is Level 82…”
What did that even mean?
Comparing it to the combat power of the Demon Race, the Personal Guard Maids of the Great Demon King — responsible for logistics, scouting, and other specialized tasks — usually fell between Level 50 and 60. This was considered high-tier C-Rank, and it was the peak the game development team led by Ai Yue predicted most players would reach. Those responsible for actual combat could reach the lower tiers of B-Rank, ranging from Level 61 to 70. Level 70 was the average level for generals in the Demon Army, representing the level of high-tier players willing to invest significant time and effort.
As for Level 81 and above, one could only get there by investing massive amounts of time, energy, and even money — plus a bit of luck. Every such individual was a top-tier player. The First through Sixth Demon Kings all fell within this bracket.
In other words, if a Seventh Demon King were to be added, Bululu’s current strength would make her selection an absolute certainty.
But… the problem was still her age.
Even for players who could keep trying after dying, the game time synchronized with reality. Thus, it was impossible to reach such a high level in a short period. This was the meaning behind the phrase “enjoy your game life to the fullest” mentioned in the announcement. The game was truly equivalent to letting players live in another fantasy world.
Though, Ai Yue herself was already actually living in this world.
Even for a goblin, a race known for fast growth, reaching Level 82 in just four or five years — excluding the childhood period when cultivation was impossible — was undeniably abnormal.
Of course, the time required for players to level up was much faster than for NPCs. Four to five years was enough for many players to reach Level 80 or higher. If leveling was too slow, no one would want to play. However, Bululu was clearly not a player.
‘It’s probably because she’s a mutant…’
That was the only explanation Ai Yue could think of. After all, while goblins grew quickly, their upper limits were usually strictly fixed. Furthermore, a goblin of the same level was generally weaker than other long-lived races. This was a form of balance. However, as a combination of an atavism and a mutation, Bululu likely grew even faster and had a much higher ceiling.
‘What kind of cheat race is this…’ ‘If a player managed to roll such a special race, becoming the top player in the entire server wouldn’t be difficult.’
By the way, players were free to choose their race. The game system would also assign different special races based on player data. Different races had different traits, varying levels of favorability with different factions, and more. Thanks to the Automatic Element Generation System, different races could even trigger unique quests and events in different situations and locations. This was why luck was also considered a condition for becoming stronger.
“Master Ai Yue, is something wrong?”
Seeing Ai Yue lost in thought, Bululu tilted her head in confusion and asked.
“It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask when you became so strong.”
“I’m not strong. Compared to Master Ai Yue, I’m just…”
“Alright, just say it. Don’t use me as a point of comparison.”
“Yes…”
Bululu thought back to her past training when she was still very young…
“At first, I was only a little stronger than the rest of my kin. It was only afterward that I trained to get stronger…”
“Wait, how much is ‘a little’ stronger?”
“…I was probably able to solve the Lich problem that was attacking the village on my own?”
“A Lich? Are you talking about that kind of Lich!?”
According to Ai Yue’s memory, a Lich was an undead creature skilled in using various spells and summoning low-level undead. They were at least Level 30.
Don’t let the fact that it was only Level 30 fool you. In fact, the undead were named as such because they were very difficult to kill through conventional means. Since they had already died once, they were naturally immune to many status ailments, including poison and sleep. They could even replenish their energy by killing living creatures and turning them into their own kind. This was why most undead were treated as monsters to be subjugated. Mindless undead would attack other races indiscriminately and constantly increase their numbers, posing a massive threat if left alone. Furthermore, sentient undead generally ignored low-level ones.
If it were the Human Race or other races capable of using Holy Magic, they might handle it easily. But for the Demon Race, who lacked specialized counters, they were a tough nut to crack.
Given the development level of a goblin village, most were likely still using ordinary stone weapons. Only warriors would use metal weapons.
This meant that Bululu, while using inferior stone weapons, had soloed a Level 30+ Lich capable of summoning a horde of undead and using magic. And at the time, she probably hadn’t even started her formal training yet.
Although most undead summons were skeletons, making blunt weapons more effective, a Lich could use magic. As long as the damage output wasn’t high enough, the type of weapon didn’t matter.
This was no longer a goblin. She wasn’t even a normal living creature. She was even more ridiculous than the naturally powerful Dragon Race.
“No wonder you could become a Personal Guard Maid at such a young age.”
“Yes. I trained for that very purpose.”
Bululu said as she pumped her fist.
To her — or rather, to all of the Demon Race — being able to serve at the Great Demon King’s side was the ultimate honor. After all, the Demon Race admired the strong. Great Demon King Ai Yue, who had conquered the entire Demon Realm single-handedly, was the supreme existence.
Now, however, Bululu’s loyalty to Ai Yue was not just because of that power, but also because of the gentleness that stood in contrast to it.
“I… I see…”
Feeling the sparkle in Bululu’s eyes, Ai Yue felt a bit embarrassed.
To be honest, now that Ai Yue knew Bululu’s true strength, she was a bit afraid to recklessly touch — *cough cough* — dote on her. Given her near-Demon King level strength, if she failed to hold back her power, a single punch could shatter the severely weakened Ai Yue into pieces 1,000 times over.
It was no wonder Bululu could have a staring contest with Egrette, the First Demon King, a little while ago. Although there was still a gap in their levels, both were A-Rank. It wouldn’t be a completely one-sided fight.
“Are you talking about something interesting?”
Just then, Kurimu, who had grown bored of playing with the pile of shurikens, walked over.
“Nothing. By the way, you… didn’t really use these, did you?”
Seeing Kurimu still holding an armful of shurikens, Ai Yue spoke up.
…But why did she feel like the pile hadn’t just not decreased, but actually grown larger?
“About that… I was curious about what would happen if I threw these blades and they split, so I threw them and then chased after them to catch the split blades. It ended up becoming this many.”
“…?”
‘Wait, is she exploiting some kind of duplication bug?’