The Rise from Max Level 1: How I, the Lowest Level, Became the Strongest in Another World

Max Level of one?

Are you shitting me? I was level one?

Levels didn’t even go into the negatives, right? So that meant my level was as crappy as you could get?

That meant…I was the most pathetic individual on the face of this planet?

People burst into exclamations all throughout the room, with a slightly different feel to their outbursts earliers.

“What was that?! Level one, you say?!” yelled out the king quite angrily.

He shouted so loudly that I drew back in fear.

“He’s nothing but a defect, a mistake!That boy is an absolute blight to my palace! Execute him, now!”

Wait, what?

What did that guy just say?

“Execute”? Didn’t that mean, “kill”?

Are you kidding me right now? I’m not the one who wanted to be summoned here!You summoned me, remember?!

Everything happening was so outrageous, I couldn’t put it into words.

The moment the king’s vassals received his order, they quickly jumped into action, their swords out as they closed in one me. It all happened so fast, I couldn’t move a muscle.

“Wait!” the king cried. “Don’t let a single drop of his cursed blood stain my floors! Toss him into the Gorge of Death nearby instead.”

“By your command, sire!”

Each one lowered and sheathed their weapons, instead descending upon me and grabbing me tightly, with me being unable to resist whatsoever. I was hefted onto one’s shoulder with ease, and with that, they carried me out of the palace.

Throw me into the Gorge of Death? Are, you, shitting, me?!

They knew this would kill me, right? Only I could come to another world and just as quickly die in it!

I tried twisting my way out of the soldier’s grasp, but his arms were so strong, I didn’t budge an inch.

“H-Help! HELP!”

On the verge of tears, I saw the hoodlums look over me, smirks on their faces. I didn’t know what I expected – people like them were never going to help the likes of me.

“N-no, wait!” yelled the girl loudly, stopping them in their tracks. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears, she shouted, “Th-this isn’t right! How could you try to kill someone like that? Let him go!”

It was…reassuring to know that even I had my own allies.

“Sh-she’s right!” I yelled out desperately, myself. “Why do I have to die?”

“In your world,” explained Miem, no expression on her face, “the very concept of ‘levels’ does not exist. Here, a person whose level cannot develop or grow has little to no worth. Those whose levels cannot rise are also people who are weak, who cannot receive ‘skill points’, and as such, cannot gain new skills. While there are people who gain skills at the onset, as far as humans are concerned, we are not born with strong skills. That’s just a fact of life. Those with a low Max Level are considered defective and that’s why people with a Max Level in the single digits are disposed of.”

“I-I can’t believe you’re calling me defective…”

“I see you don’t agree. Then again, you are not a hero, and there is no real reason for you to agree. However, if one of these four is willing to save you from your fate, we will make an exception and allow you to live. What say you, Your Majesty?”

The king considered her words. “Hm, I would hate to incite their anger. So be it – if one of these four is against his death, he shall live.”

“You have your answer now. Well then, is there one among you who is opposed to this man’s execution? Speak now.”

Yeah, this wasn’t looking good.

Well, no, let’s give them the benefit of doubt. We were all born and raised Japanese, right? Obviously, they’d be against someone getting killed, even if they were a stranger. Right? Right?

I held out hope that they’d help me.

The hoodlum with long hair started: “Oh man, I don’t know about killing someone… If I could, I’d like to…”

Hang on, was it going just as I’d hoped? For a brief second, my faith in humanity was restored.

“Hah, YOU THOUGHT! Dude’s a fucking pain in the ass. Kill his ass!”

“Seriously! Level 1? You were trash back then, and you’re trash in this world, too! Why don’t you just lie down and die, dumbass? No point in you staying alive at all!”

The other hoodlums chimed in as well, wishing for my death.

What was wrong with these guys? Why were they smiling and laughing like it was another normal day?

They were seriously going to kill me.

Did you guys really not understand the severity of the situation? How could you treat another person’s life so lightly?

There was so much, so much, I’d wanted to say to them, but my disgust was so pulpent, I couldn’t say a word.

Miem nodded. “If that is your decision, then let us continue as planned. Take him to the Gorge of Death.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They started walking away with me in their arms once again.

“No, stop, this is seriously wrong!”

The girl tried to stop them once more until swords came up, pointing at her throat.

“Keep this up, and they will be taking your life next,” Miem threatened.

After giving a little shriek, the girl was no longer able to even lift a finger.

And like that, with no one to help me out of my situation, the soldiers carried me out of the palace.