The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 25

Chapter 25   Mysterious World

Laurent and the others were walking through a snow-covered world of silver as far as the eye could see.

(Cold.)

Monica exhaled white breath and warmed her hands.

Anticipating the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus Quest, Laurnet had provided coats, boots, and gloves for them to wear. However, their bodies, suddenly thrown into the snowy mountains from the previously warm climate, were screaming at the temperature difference.

“There it is! The Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus!”

A warrior, standing next to Monica, shouted sharply.

Suddenly, the surrounding soldiers began to clang their weapons and prepare for battle.

“This time we’ll finish it!”

The warriors, recognizing the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus standing at the summit, drew their swords and rushed up the snowy mountain, trying to shorten the distance.

“Hurry! Close the distance before the enemy breathes the ‘Freezing Breath’!”

Despite being tripped by the snow, the warriors ran up the slope at a fast pace.

Just before engaging, the Blizzard Hippopotamus opened its big mouth and spewed out a mixture of snow, ice, and water from its mouth, the “Freezing Breath”.

“Stop for a moment! ‘Wide Area Recovery Magic’!”

Euphene chanted the recovery magic spell and deployed the “Recovery Magic Formation”.

A fierce storm of snow and ice, almost blinding, assaulted them.

Furthermore, Yetis lurking in the snow emerged and attacked the adventurers.

At the last moment, the adventurers stood on the magic circle.

The “Freezing Breath” drained the adventurers’ stamina, and the Yetis attacked with clubs, but soon recovery magic restored their stamina.

The blizzard, reaching its limit in density, sapped the adventurers’ stamina and further whiteout conditions stole their visibility.

The adventurers found themselves trapped in a white darkness where they couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, the Yetis struck accurately at the adventurers.

For a while, the unit was overwhelmed by the Yetis and the blizzard, but as the blizzard cleared and visibility improved, they turned to counterattack.

Eventually, they routed the Yetis.

However, by that time, the Blizzard Hippopotamus had unexpectedly withdrawn from the battlefield with surprising agility despite its short legs.

“Darn it. Did we let it get away?”

“Looks like we have to start over from scratch.”

This was the snowy plain of the 14th floor.

While the dungeon was generally characterized by a lush early summer climate, the snow-covered landscape here was the work of none other than the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus.

Laurent and the others, who had reached the 14th floor, were attempting the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus Subjugation Quest.

The Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus was a troublesome monster that constantly spewed out its “Freezing Breath” as its name implied.

Wherever the Blizzard Hippopotamus was, the surroundings would be covered in snow, regardless of the terrain.

Only monsters resistant to cold could inhabit the area around the Blizzard Hippopotamus.

In the face of the Blizzard Hippopotamus’s “Freezing Breath,” armor and shields were useless.

No matter how sturdy the armor, the icy breath would cause frostbite on the adventurers’ skin, halt the function of their blood vessels, and eventually lead to necrosis throughout their bodies.

Furthermore, around the Blizzard Hippopotamus, there were always Yetis that were unaffected by the “Freezing Breath,” protecting the Blizzard Hippopotamus.

Although the Yetis didn’t have armor or swords, they were troublesome monsters with thick fur, muscular bodies, keen eyesight even in dense snow, and the ability to traverse the surrounding blizzard.

The adventurers had to fight the Yetis while enduring the “Freezing Breath,” meaning they constantly needed healing.

This was why the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus Subjugation was classified as a quest for healers.

And now, Laurent’s unit was actually chasing the Blizzard Hippopotamus, relying on the ‘Recovery Magic Formation’ but they couldn’t seem to clinch the deal.

They managed to repel the Yetis, but eventually, the crucial Blizzard Hippopotamus slipped away.

Furthermore, while the Yetis were repelled, they never reached the brink of death. They would retreat before losing all their strength, dig out nuts stored throughout the snowy mountainsides, recover, and then come back to fight again.

Laurent’s unit struggled against the enemy’s guerrilla tactics, steadily losing stamina and depleting items.

Nevertheless, the unit fought desperately.

Without flinching at the monsters’ persistent hit-and-run tactics, they steadily cornered the enemies to the corners of the dungeon.

Despite the Blizzard Hippopotamus’s “Freezing Breath” and the blinding snow, Monica’s “Hawkeye” prevented enemy ambushes, and every time the enemy approached, Euphene used “Wide Area Recovery Magic” to heal the unit, steadily cornering the Yetis and the Blizzard Hippopotamus.

While healed by “Wide Area Recovery Magic,” the unit felt warm as if sitting by a campfire.

During their march, the unit members eagerly anticipated the benefits of “Wide Area Recovery Magic,” secretly wishing that monsters wouldn’t attack soon.

Having driven away the nearby Yetis, Laurent and his team finally cornered the Blizzard-Spewing Hippopotamus to the edge of the snowy plain.

The Blizzard Hippopotamus, emitting even colder air than before, restrained the unit.

While the Blizzard Hippopotamus expelled its chilling breath, the unit couldn’t break free from Euphene’s magic circle of “Wide Area Recovery Magic.”

“Gah, what a cold!”

“We can’t move forward.”

Faced with the intense cold of the Blizzard Hippopotamus, the melee combatants couldn’t help but curse.

However, no one complained or showed weakness.

Stopping the unit’s advance was out of the question.

Enduring the enemy’s attacks, the unit slowly approached, pushing through the snow every time the Blizzard Hippopotamus stopped emitting cold air.

Another opportunity was approaching.

The Blizzard Hippopotamus closed its gaping mouth, storing up cold air inside.

It would soon release another icy breath, but this was an invaluable chance to close the distance.

If Monica could catch it within her range, they could turn the tide.

However, to achieve that, they first needed Euphene’s ” Recovery Magic Formation.” (Facing the “Freezing Breath” without recovery magic was dangerous at this point.)

“Euphene, use recovery magic. Advance the battle formation,” Laurent commanded.

In response, Euphene activated “Wide Area Recovery Magic.”

However, the magic circle scattered completely.

(Darn, another miss.)

Laurent inwardly clicked his tongue.

Euphene’s low accuracy with recovery magic was still an issue, with only about a one-third chance of forming a proper battle formation.

It wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say that they had been missing opportunities because of it.

(Indeed, this low accuracy is unsatisfactory for a healer class. However, being directly attacked in the rear without forming a battle formation is frightening. We have no choice but to continue until we succeed.)

“Euphene, use recovery magic again… Euphene?”

Despite the failure of the recovery magic, Euphene continued to cast spells.

(Eupehen? What on earth?)

Meanwhile, the Blizzard Hippopotamus was preparing to exhale its icy breath.

If they hesitated any longer, the unit would suffer devastating damage.

“Euphene, what’s wrong? We need to hurry…”

“Laurent-san, my… magic circle…”

Laurent was taken aback by Euphene’s words.

Her magic circle was moving, despite the spell missing its target.

(The magic circle is moving? But once activated, the magic circle should remain in place. Why?)

Laurent appraised Euphene’s skill.

Her “Wide Area Recovery Magic” had reached Class A.

(Can she manipulate magic circles freely? Is this what Class A “Wide Area Recovery Magic” entails?)

She had gained the ability to freely manipulate the deployed magic circles.

Laurent’s devised tactic of continuously activating recovery magic not only compensated for her low accuracy but also inadvertently awakened her true power.

The circular magic circles, which had been scattered all over, began to connect like beads under her control, forming a battle formation.

Furthermore, they created a path with the magic circles leading directly to where the Blizzard Hippopotamus was positioned.

The Blizzard Hippopotamus opened its mouth wide, ready to exhale the stored cold air.

“Monica! Use ‘One-Hit Kill’!”

“Yes!”

With just that exchange, Laurent and Monica communicated their intentions.

Monica fearlessly dashed through the raging cold air, running through the path of magic circles, and unleashed ‘One-Hit Kill’ on the Blizzard Hippopotamus from close range.

The Blizzard Hippopotamus shattered like ice, breaking into pieces.

In Euphene’s hands appeared the pale blue tusks of the Blizzard Hippopotamus, the item ‘Ivory of Chill’, coming to her on its own.

(Alright. With this, Euphene has also reached Class B.)

Laurent looked at Monica, Shaqma, and Euphene once again.

(Once we conquer the quests for Class A, their growth will hit its limit. My mission… is it complete?)

Having conquered the Blizzard Hippopotamus, Laurent and his team utilized Monica’s ‘Hawkeye’ to collect health recovery items while reaching the 15th floor via the shortest route.

The 15th floor served as a resting point and save point.

“All right. Now, each squad, give your reports.”

Upon Laurent’s call, each squad began their reports.

“Squad 2, no issues.”

“Squad 3, no issues.”

“Squad 4, we’re running low on potions. Please redistribute from squads with extras.”

“Squad 5, please wait a moment as we replenish our mana.”

Euphene said as she took out the ‘Magic Cherry’.

“We’re also low on consumption, and our items are in perfect condition.”

“You’re not going to suggest we return, are you?”

“Laurent-san, we still have plenty of exploring left.”

Monica and Shaqma demonstrated their readiness by putting their fists forward in a fighting pose.

Laurent chuckled at the squad’s minimal depletion.

“(Even after the 10th floor, there’s hardly any problem… huh. Well, it makes sense. With Monica’s ‘Hawkeye,’ Shaqma’s supportive magic, and Euphene’s healing magic, we can clear any dungeon.)”

“That’s right. We can still explore.”

“(But… this is where it ends.)”

“Listen up, everyone.”

When Laurent called out, everyone turned their attention to him.

“You’ve all done well to get this far. From now on, we’ll be heading into the ‘Divine Realm’ from the 16th floor and beyond. But, there’s nothing to fear. We have an A-Class Archer in this squad. Shaqma and Euphene also have skills equivalent to A-Class. The rest of the members are also elite fighters comparable to B-Class. Even though we’ll be facing monsters from the ‘Divine Realm,’ they’re no match for you all.”

The members of the squad expressed satisfaction uniformly, enveloped in joy.

“This time, dungeon conquest might be difficult. Considering the usual pace of conquests, it’s about time for the main force’s second team of the ‘Golden Hawks,’ the Savast Squad, to reach the deepest part of the dungeon. Soon, this dungeon will be off-limits to anyone other than the ‘Golden Hawks.’ However, there’s still time. I want you all to advance as much as possible now, clear quests, and get as close as you can to the deepest part of the dungeon.”

(What about you?)

Monica sensitively responded to Laurent’s ambiguous phrasing.

“Monica, Shaqma, Euphene. Take this…”

The three received quest information distributed by Laurent.

“This is the quest you should aim for. Clear it as soon as possible before the dungeon is conquered by the ‘Golden Hawks.'”

“Laurent-san… Are you not coming with us?”

Monica said with a worried tone.

Laurent shook his head sadly.

“My skills, stats, and equipment have reached their limit here. Truth be told, just keeping up with you all is already my maximum effort.”

Laurent smiled with a resigned expression.

Despite all the squad members wearing equipment equivalent to Class B, Laurent still had equipment equivalent to Class D.

For Laurent, who decided to specialize in Appraisal skills, reaching the deepest part of the dungeon was a dream he had long given up on.

“If I keep up with you any longer, I’ll just hold you back. Besides, students eventually leave the hands of their mentors and fly on their own.”

Laurent said with a tinge of loneliness.

“You should be able to explore the dungeon without me now. Or rather, perhaps I delayed your independence for too long. I got carried away with the joy of being entrusted with adventurers’ guidance after a long time.”

Laurent showed a faintly sad expression.

(Laurent-san…)

Monica vaguely sensed the sad background and past experiences behind Laurent’s expression, as well as the painful experiences he had gone through before.

And perhaps his wounds were still not healed.

He had likely experienced things much more painful than what he had gone through in his life.

Monica felt a tightness in her chest.

She desperately wanted to share Laurent’s sadness and pain somehow.

She wanted to be his support, but it was frustrating that she couldn’t.

Seeing Monica’s poignant expression, Laurent looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Monica, what’s wrong? Why the long face?”

“Laurent-san… I… I just… I want to be by your side, Laurent-san.”

“It’s just for a little while. Once the dungeon is conquered, we’ll see each other again soon.”

“No, it’s not that. What I want to say is not about that…”

“Come on, chin up. You’re our ace, you know. From here on out, it’s a place even regular adventurers couldn’t reach in their lifetime. It should’ve been your dream, and now you have the qualification to open the door to that dream. You have to move forward with confidence.”

“Uh… Okay.”

Laurnet hugged Monica to cheer her up.

He gave words of encouragement to Shaqma, Euphene, and the others as well.

“Monica, Shaqma, Euphene. From now on, you three are the commanders of this squad. Consult with each other and proceed through the dungeon. Farewell.”

With that, Laurent stepped onto the “Return Magic Circle.”

“Laurent-san, until we meet again!”

Shaqma waved her hand dramatically to bid farewell to Laurent.

Laurent waved back.

Soon, light enveloped Laurent.

The magic circle transported Laurent back to the town.

While Monica held onto the feelings she couldn’t express, she regained her composure and turned towards the teleportation magic circle leading to the 16th floor.

Euphene flicked away the stem of the Magic Cherry she had finished eating with her finger.

The stem of the “Magic Cherry” fell to the floor with a soft plop.

“Alright. Magic replenished! We’re good to go anytime,” Euphene said in a crisp tone, as if shaking off any lingering gloominess.

Even in situations like this, she maintained a dry demeanor, not showing her emotions outwardly.

With preparations in place, the squad positioned themselves on the teleportation magic circle leading to the 16th floor.

As they prepared to teleport to the 16th floor, the squad members couldn’t contain their excitement.

“It’s the 16th floor, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, have you ever been to the 16th floor?”

“No, this is my first time.”

They spoke with anticipation, facing the imminent arrival of a new adventure.

Beyond the teleportation magic circle, they found themselves in a mysterious world.

The lush trees, growing plants, and hanging fruits all gleamed like gemstones.

Both living creatures and plants, the ground, and the air emitted a faint white glow.

There was nothing in this place that didn’t shine.

(…It’s beautiful.)

Monica was awe-struck by the overwhelmingly beautiful world before her.

There were no ordinary monsters here anymore.

Only monsters known as Divine Beasts, considered to be the messengers of the gods, were allowed to inhabit this place.

Monica stepped outside the magic circle and onto the 16th floor.

Now, she was undoubtedly about to embark on an adventure in the “Divine Realm” under her own power.

A few hours after Monica and her team stepped onto the 16th floor, Savast and his team, who had taken items from Cotter’s squad, also arrived at the 15th floor.

“Well, well. Thanks to Cotter’s lot, we’ve wasted quite a bit of time,” Savast muttered in frustration as he crossed through the room containing the resting point and save point.

“However, it’s puzzling. What were they doing in such a place? Even they should have known they couldn’t explore beyond the 10th floor with such a fragile squad and equipment,” remarked Savast’s deputy with a puzzled expression.

“Hmph. They probably thought they could outsmart us and overestimated their own abilities. Foolish lot,” Savast responded dismissively.

“Well, I suppose so,” the deputy agreed.

“Forget about Cotter and his bunch. What matters now is what lies ahead,” Savast declared, settling himself heavily on the edge of the fountain and casting a scrutinizing gaze over his team.

“We’re about to enter the 16th floor, the ‘Divine realm.’ Get yourselves pumped up. First of all, assess the level of exhaustion in each squad—”

“Captain! Captain! Something terrible has happened!”

“What’s with the sudden panic? Calm down a bit,” Savast frowned as one of his deputies rushed forward in distress.

“Take a look at this,” the deputy said, holding up something thin and stem-like in front of Savast’s eyes.

“What is this?”

“It appears to be a stem from a ‘Magic Cherry.'”

“What?”

“We haven’t consumed any ‘Magic Cherries’ here. In other words…”

“Someone other than us has reached this place,” Savast’s expression turned grim.

“Idiot. Who else besides us would be in this hierarchy?”

“Calm down. Let’s figure it out with ‘Item Appraisal.'”

Within the Savast unit, someone with the skill of ‘Item Appraisal’ appraises the bunch of ‘Magic Cherries.’

In his mind, he vividly recalls Euphene tossing the bunch of ‘Magic Cherries’ onto the floor.

And also, the emblem of the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ engraved on her clothing.

“Well? Did you find out anything?”

“Yes, Captain, I understand clearly now. The person who discarded this bunch of ‘Magic Cherries’ here is an adventurer affiliated with the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree.'”

“You scoundrel! Planning something!”

Savast eyes widen, and he stands up as if struck.

Grasping his favorite axe, he rallies the entire unit.

“You, ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree.’ You dare to stoop to such low tricks. Arm yourselves, everyone. We’re going after them right away.”

(For the crime of outsmarting us, you shall pay with your own flesh!)