Merit. It referred to the effort and work that was put into completing a job or fulfilling an achievement. In other words, it was the embodiment of one’s self-worth. Merit was based on how much positive impact one made in their work. Thus, the reason why Chi-Woo was able to obtain amazing merits every time was obvious. A good example was the Zepar expedition. At that time, Chi-Woo’s achievements went far beyond the original purpose of just rescuing a comrade in need. They extinguished the 16th-ranked great demon, destroyed the fortress plan that the Demon Empire had been ambitiously preparing, and resurrected a new Saintess. Those results went beyond simply completing an expedition and had a considerable impact on the flow of the world; therefore, Chi-Woo obtained millions of merits thanks to his enormous contribution.

Of course, not all heroes could act like Chi-Woo. The standards of the growth system weren’t overly tough or rigid. If a hero faithfully worked for the desired purpose in an expedition and gave it their all, they could receive a sufficient amount of merit points as well. However, this wasn’t the case for Ru Hiana.

—You did nothing.

Ru Hiana paled. Of course, it wasn’t as if she really had done nothing. First, she had protected Airi and defended against the incoming tentacle attack when they opened the first door. She also battled a thorn wolf by herself in the seventh compartment. But these were the only things she had done. The expedition members were given the task of conquering the first floor of the Narsha Haram. In the process of achieving this goal, did Ru Hiana have a positive...