#liliruca

Anyway, the basis of the show is that there is a Dungeon that is insistent on flooding the world with monsters. So much so that literal Divine Intervention happened and Adventurers were Blessed to deal with this shit. And also to make their Gods a lot of money in the process, as they are technically on vacation in the world of mortals. I have had a person describe the gods as a 4chan board and they are Not Wrong.

This blessing works under JRPG logic. You fight monsters for Excelia, cough exp cough, and gain stat points and eventually level up. And in the story levels are gained when you 'impress the gods'. This means a shit ton of grinding and doing shit that would be stupid for anybody sane. Like fighting a Minotaur at level one.

Now Leveling Up is Difficult, it is Hard. Reaching Level 2, yeah you read that right -Level 2, separates the chaff from true Adventurers. Level 5 is the level when you're cream of the crop.

Now there are several requirements: having at least one stat above a certain Rank and doing something impressive. It doesn't really give a clear definition, just 'something they impresses the Gods'.

Now to the core reason of why I lore dumped on you for context.

In this story there is a character named Lilli, a Pallum (halfling) that I personally believe should have leveled up So. MUCH. SOONER.

Basically her original God was Soma, a God of wine, whose whole group is pretty much addicted to the wine he makes. It's just that Good, others outside the group pay out the nose for the failed versions of it. He's very apathetic to them, focused solely on making wine. A means to an end.

Lilli has a lot of trauma revolving around how this group treated her, her short stint addicted to this wine which she quit cold turkey due to its cost rather then any willpower. She was born into this situation, her parents were addicts. She has been used as literal monster bait by these people. Trauma. Like a lot.

So when shenanigans happens she eventually begs this God to let her leave. And he agrees, if she will drink his perfected wine and repeat her request.

Which. Holy shit. See Above.

And her found family is literally fighting to rescue her, risking dying and worse things so... she does. She takes a drink.

After a moment, when this God scoffs and turns away, she begs him once more. To let her free.

This is such a huge moment. It's impressive. Its fits her character narrative. She was always afraid of becoming addicted again, of being trapped in that hell once more. And here she is, a mere mortal, refusing to take another drink of perfected Divine Wine.

She had gone years as an adventurer, she met the stat requirements. She had the impressive achievement.

But she didn't level up until book 15 in the light novels. And only because the author thought it would be weird for her not to. After all the Shonen cliches. And it feels fucked up that she is supposed to represent talentless people. Like what?!

She's their battlefield commander, in a Dungeon that wants to kill them in the most gruesome ways possible. She manages all of their finances, despite their group being in Heartattack levels of debt due to their Goddess BEFORE she joined. This woman plots out their trips, logistics and supplies! Carries all of their gear and loot for every inch of that hellscape. And she's supposed to be talentless???