The copper sword was nothing, it was the raising 9827658365823658236587645982365 gold for theFlame Sword and Silver Shield that made me want to slash my wrists, but it was all worth it in the end. Also, this game can be beaten on level 18. That's right, LEVEL 18! As in, those "countless hours of levelling up" aren't all that countless. Most people finish the game at level 23 or so.