Chapter 129 - Longhorn Trail and the E-Rank Promotion Exam
Raising your adventurer rank in Heilong was simple. First, you paid one gold coin to the guild. Then, accompanied by a guild member, you went to Longhorn Trail and entered the Area Guardian's room on a specific floor. If you made it out alive, you were officially promoted.
However, the only party members who could enter the Area Guardian's room with you had to be of the same rank or lower. You could challenge an exam up to two ranks higher. This meant for an F-rank like me to reach C-rank, I'd have to pass the D or E-rank exam, and then the C-rank exam. That was all there was to it. But it took courage to enter an Area Guardian's room with no escape.
The other option was to pay five silver coins for the semi-annual exam, but the next one wasn't until October. I couldn't wait that long.
"The designated floor for E-rank is the 5th, D-rank is the 10th, C-rank is the 20th, B-rank is the 40th… If you pass, Fam's rank and mine will go up too."
Mizuki explained. For reference, Mizuki and Fam were F-rank like me, while Cecily, Maira, and Aira were C-rank adventurers. They couldn't accompany me on my promotion exam. If I'd known this would happen, I would have brought them to the Chairman's place.
We had left Shizuka at the Chairman's, as she seemed like she would just get in the way. Her class was Righteous Thief, and as she leveled up, she would likely acquire useful support skills for exploration like Disarm Traps and Enemy Search, but she had no combat experience. I couldn't bring her along to an Area Guardian fight where she might break down in tears and disrupt the battle.
"So it's a doubling system. Does that mean A-rank is the 80th floor?"
That would be impossible for a normal person. How did Avea get promoted?
"It's the 60th, apparently. But if you take the D-rank exam and beat the 40th-floor Area Guardian, you get promoted to B-rank."
"You've got to be kidding. Risking your life against something like a Hekatonkheires just for an exam is insane. I'm fine with a rank that suits my abilities."
We were currently on the 5th floor of Longhorn Trail. The members were me, Fam, Mizuki, and three observers dispatched by the guild: two cat-eared girls and a human youth. They wouldn't participate in the battle; they were only here to witness us entering the Area Guardian's room.
I had always assumed that the dog-eared and cat-eared races didn't get along, but the cat-eared girls were constantly striking up conversations with Fam, and they seemed to be getting on well.
The 5th floor of Longhorn Trail was a jungle world. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead, blocking the light and casting everything in a dim gloom. Still, this was inside a dungeon. I had no idea if there was a real sky up there. I could hear the sound of flowing water, but I couldn't see a stream. Ferns grew thick underfoot, and a mountain path wound its way between tree trunks so massive it would take several people holding hands to encircle them. It was mostly a single path, but the continuous climb was winding me. There were also fallen trees here and there that drained our stamina to climb over. Being here felt less like being in a dungeon and more like being in another world. If we stepped off the trail and got lost in the jungle, we'd probably never make it back.
"But at least we're graduating from F-rank."
Fam's cheeks relaxed into a smile.
"What? Did you hate being F-rank?"
"It is embarrassing when you say it with such pride, Master," she replied.
"There's nothing to be gained by showing off one's strength."
"Is that so? By being seen as weak, there are things one cannot protect."
Was she talking about when her village was attacked? Fam's expression didn't seem any different from usual.
"The monsters here are Giant Bats, right? I'm not great with flying enemies."
Mizuki asked. Fam checked the map she'd bought at the entrance and nodded.
"Yes, and it seems there are also Seven-Colored Lizards. We need to be careful, as they use camouflage to launch surprise attacks."
Fam answered.
"Maybe I should take the lead…"
"No, Mizuki, don't push yourself. Walk behind me."
"Why?"
"Just walk behind me. You too, Fam."
"Hey! Your current equipment is a bow, right? You should be in the back!"
"Walking in front of me on an incline like this... are you trying to give me a show?"
"Hey! H-hey, the guild people are here, so stop saying things like that!"
Despite her words, Mizuki started walking in front of me. Fam followed her, bringing up the rear.
Then the two of them stopped, each drawing their weapon. Vines stretched between the massive trees, and hanging from them were two giant bats, each about fifty centimeters long. They had their wings wrapped around their bodies like cloaks, their eerie red eyes peeking out. They were too high to reach with a sword. If the monsters didn't attack, we could have just left them, but getting attacked while passing by would be a pain. I drew my bow.
But they must have sensed my killing intent, because before I could release the arrow, the Giant Bats spread their wings and charged. I quickly fired an arrow, but it missed by a wide margin.
"Tch!"
I nocked a second arrow, but it seemed unlikely I could hit a flying target. The monsters soared high into the air before diving down to attack Fam and Mizuki in the front. The two of them met the sharp-clawed attack with their blades, but the monsters dodged and flapped their wings, flying erratically through the air. Fam raised her sword toward one of the enemies.
"Kikuichimonji!"
As her voice rang out, a vacuum wave shot forth, tearing through one of the monster's wings. She then rushed toward the falling creature and delivered the finishing blow. Seeing this, the other monster flew away.
Fam picked up the magic seed.
"Looks like we can handle enemies of this level…"
As I caught my breath, Fam and Mizuki leaned in to look at my face.
"You look pale. Are you okay?"
Mizuki said.
"Are you okay?"
She looked down at her own body, patting the hem of her skirt to confirm everything was fine.
"I'm fine, see?"
"Just don't do anything reckless. You too, Fam."
I let my guard down and started walking along the trail again.
"Wait. Are you hiding something? What do you mean, 'reckless'?"
"Last night, when I fought in your body, Super Save activated twice. I realized just how much danger I've been putting you in…"
I whispered so the observers wouldn't hear.
"…You're a little late to be realizing that."
Mizuki sighed.
"It's fine, just act like you always have. This was my decision."
She said that, but I couldn't just say, "Okay." While I was mulling it over, we arrived at the Area Guardian's door.
"We didn't see any Seven-Colored Lizards."
"We encountered several, but they were far away and didn't seem to be preparing to attack, so we just passed them by."
I hadn't noticed at all, so Fam's answer surprised me. They must have blended in completely with the scenery.
"Did you know?"
I checked with Mizuki, and she shook her head too. The cat-eared girl from the guild turned to face us.
"Alright, we will watch you enter the door from here. Once you defeat the Area Guardian, please report back to the guild. After we return, you'll be promoted to E-rank, so do your best!"
I nodded at her words.
"You too, Fam-chan!"
Fam nodded shyly at the cat-eared girl's encouragement. Mizuki drew her sword, and Fam followed suit.
"Fam and I will be the vanguard. Mash, you support us with your bow and magic."
Mizuki opened the door to the Area Guardian's room.
Inside, the room was a dome, just like the dungeon in Richelle. However, the floor was covered in thick ferns, and it was muddy underfoot. Fam and Mizuki walked side-by-side toward the center, and I followed behind them.
"Master, there are two on the ceiling."
Hearing Fam's warning, I looked up. They were a size larger than the Giant Bats we saw earlier. What do you call a bat that's bigger than a Giant Bat? I nocked an arrow and took aim. But before I could shoot, the Giant Bats spread their wings, took flight, and began soaring wildly around the dome. It was the exact same situation as before.
"They aren't coming down."
Fam switched her weapon to a kunai. I tried to aim, but I had no confidence I could hit a target moving so erratically. I shot an arrow as a deterrent, but as expected, I couldn't hit the monster.
Suddenly, I heard the rustling of leaves from behind me. The moment I tried to turn, something pounced on me from behind, and I was thrown down into the ferns. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder.
"Gah!"
A Seven-Colored Lizard had its jaws clamped onto my left shoulder. The lizard was about the same size as me. I tried to pry its fangs off, but they were dug in deep, and the pain in my shoulder only intensified.
"Mash!"
Mizuki slashed at the Seven-Colored Lizard. The monster quickly detached from my back and retreated. Then it blended into the surrounding scenery and vanished. I instinctively fired a stone sphere with earth magic, but I didn't feel it hit anything.
"Dammit!"
I tried to stand, but my legs wobbled, and I fell to my knees. I tried again, putting more strength into it, but my vision swam, and this time I couldn't support myself and collapsed. I landed on my bitten shoulder, and a searing pain shot through me. A wave of intense nausea washed over me, and I vomited stomach acid onto the ground where I lay.
"Mash, it's poison! Take this medicine! And a healing potion!"
Mizuki handed me the potions, and I drank them.
In that time, Fam had come under a concentrated assault. Two Giant Bats repeatedly dived to attack her, while several Seven-Colored Lizards crawled at her feet, trying to bite her, forcing her completely on the defensive. Switching to a kunai had been a mistake. The weapon's short range made it impossible to deal with enemies attacking from above and below simultaneously.
"Mizuki, please… no, I'm begging you. Help Fam!"
"…But I can't leave you alone."
Mizuki hesitated at my words.
"I am fine! Mizuki, please protect Master!"
Fam shouted. But she was cornered, with no room to counterattack. What's more, they were trying to separate her from us, to isolate her.
I pushed myself up onto one elbow and fumbled around for my bow to provide support, but I couldn't find it. Reluctantly, I fired a stone sphere as a distraction, but with my vision blurred, it missed. I took out my katana from Storage.
"Mizuki, can you tell how many Seven-Colored Lizards there are?"
She carefully scanned our surroundings, then shook her head.
"I can't tell."
"Well, it's fine. I need you to go back up Fam. The two of you draw the Giant Bats' attention. I'm going to move to a spot with my back to the wall."
"What are you planning to do?"
I leaned on her shoulder to get to my feet.
"The medicine is starting to work. Looking at the monsters swarming Fam, they're clearly fighting with a strategy. I'll act as a decoy, and when the lizards get careless and approach, I'll cut them down. If I think it's hopeless, I'll summon Racshell."
"Got it. Don't push yourself."
Using my sheath as a cane, I made my way to the wall, then turned and readied my katana. After seeing me in position, Mizuki went to support Fam.
Mizuki, having gone to Fam's aid, slashed at a Seven-Colored Lizard crawling around her. Her special skill, Super Kill, must have activated. The monster vanished. With some breathing room, Fam threw a kunai at a Giant Bat. It seemed to do some damage, and the monster fluttered upward to create distance. In that time, she readied her next kunai. She tried to slash at the other Giant Bat, but a Seven-Colored Lizard crawling at her feet bared its fangs and lunged, forcing her to abandon the attack and leap back.
"Tch!"
The Seven-Colored Lizard pursued Fam, but Mizuki stepped in and cut it down. After watching them, I readied my katana and took a deep breath. The nausea from the poison and the pain in my shoulder were fading thanks to the medicine.
To find the Seven-Colored Lizards hiding in this room, I focused my senses on the sounds around me and the rustling of the ferns. The movement came from my left and right simultaneously. Straining my eyes, I could see the camouflaged lizards creeping through the ferns. I couldn't strike them both at once. And since my left shoulder was injured, I had to avoid any overhead swings. If I was going to do a sweeping cut, I had to start with the enemy on the right. I stepped toward the right-hand enemy and slashed at the creature crawling on the ground. The mud caused me to lose my footing and my slash was weak, but I felt it connect. Then, as I turned, I swept at the monster that had been closing in from behind in the same manner. I'd landed a blow on each, but neither was a fatal wound. The monsters crawled away, disappearing into the ferns. But their movements were sluggish due to the damage. I followed the trail of broken leaves and stabbed one from behind.
"KISSHAAA!"
The monster vanished. I looked for the other one, but it had already blended into the scenery. I gave up the chase. For now, after confirming there were no monsters nearby, I turned my attention back to Fam and the others.
Fam was handling the Giant Bats while Mizuki took on the Seven-Colored Lizards. Now aware of their strength, the monsters were hesitant to close the distance. Whenever a Giant Bat was in danger, it would fly up and escape. Fam and Mizuki couldn't move around freely either, not knowing where the lizards were hiding, which prevented them from making any decisive attacks. Right now, the Giant Bat's attention was focused on attacking Fam and the others, and it was paying less attention to me. I created a large stone sphere with earth magic and launched it at the Giant Bat. The shot hit its mark, and the damaged monster faltered. Seeing this, Mizuki thrust her sword into the ground.
"Fam!"
Mizuki shouted. Fam stepped on the hilt of Mizuki's sword and launched herself into the air. She arched her back in a mid-air flip, using the momentum to strike with a kunai at the enemy as it tried to right itself. One of the Giant Bats vanished.
As I prepared to fire a continuous barrage of stone spheres for support, I saw the ferns rustle.
"I'm not falling for that again!"
I thrust my blade at the Seven-Colored Lizard that had been hiding and waiting to pounce. My footing was unsteady and my left shoulder still hurt, so the blade got stuck in the monster and wouldn't come out. While I struggled with it, the remaining Giant Bat changed its target to me and flew in. I kicked the Seven-Colored Lizard to pull my katana free and cut down the diving enemy. Two more monsters vanished.
"Alright! The Giant Bats are down. All that's left is to mop up the Seven-Colored Lizards hiding in the ferns!"
We had successfully defeated the monsters in the Area Guardian's room. I picked up the bow I had dropped. The effects of the poison were gone, but the pain in my left shoulder remained. I'd have Maira heal it when we got back.
"Tomorrow, we'll take on the 20th floor. Then we'll be C-rank."
"Hold on! We struggled this much on the 5th floor, there's no way!"
Mizuki replied to my statement.
"I was the only one who struggled. Besides, if things get bad, I can always summon Racshell."
"But there's a real quest after that, right? One that requires C-rank or higher?"
"Maira, Cecily, and Aira will be there for the quest."
"Mash, you can't fight like you are now. Up until now, you've always assessed the situation properly and given clear instructions. I know you're worried about us, but it's a problem when you're indecisive or hesitant."
"Am I really okay to give orders like I used to…"
"It's not 'am I okay'! Fam, say something."
Mizuki turned to Fam.
"Master, I believe in you."
"Fam… that's not what I meant."
Mizuki said, exasperated.
"Mizuki, could it be that you actually find that sort of wavering from Master… rather endearing?"
"Well… I do. But there's no escape from an Area Guardian's room. We might be able to beat the monsters on the 5th floor, but I don't think it'll work on the 20th floor's monsters. It would be better to have someone who can use magic."
"I also agree with adding more members. I have someone in mind."
Fam said something unexpected.
"Really?"
She nodded in response to my question.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, or rated this story, your support is a great encouragement. Thank you for pointing out typos.