The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild

Chapter 26.2 S-Class Adventurer

“The boss is just beyond this mist. Follow me!” Yugan called, running towards the mist.

Monica and her team hurried after him.

(Heh, once we’re in the boss fight, it’s all in my hands. Contracts can always be renegotiated later,) Yugan thought, a sly smile crossing his face.

Monica’s team couldn’t see his expression. They all moved into the mist, which closed behind them like a door, enveloping everything in a thick fog.

Savast’s team soon followed but found themselves disoriented. No matter how they tried to proceed through the mist, they kept ending up back where they started.

Monica and her team emerged into a wide, long corridor lined with columns. The light between the columns was a deep, blood-red sunset. There was no ceiling, and the columns seemed to stretch infinitely into the sky. Through the gaps in the columns, glimpses of the dungeon stages they had traversed could be seen.

From here, it was clear at a glance that each floor of the dungeon was stacked hierarchically, and the view was convincing, making one understand the structure.

However, there was no time to admire such scenery.

At the end of the corridor was a throne, and in front of it, as if guarding the throne, were eleven magic circles drawn.

Behind them hung the mist they had just passed through.

The magic circles at the end of the corridor emitted a strong glow.

It was a sign that the boss would appear soon.

“They’re coming!” Yugan shouted briefly.

The magic circles shone brightly, and ten Battle Elephants were summoned.

The Battle Elephants immediately started running.

With sharp spears attached to the sides of their noses, they charged toward the adventurers.

Behind the Battle Elephants, a Turtle Dragon clad in armor emerged from a particularly large magic circle.

Yugan dashed forward.

“Yugan-san!?”

“I’ll take care of the Turtle Dragon! You guys handle the Battle Elephants.”

(Well, I’m not expecting much anyway.)

Taking advantage of the Battle Elephants being distracted by Monica and the others, Yugan aimed to defeat the Turtle Dragon. His plan was to take down the Turtle Dragon while Monica and her team struggled with the Battle Elephants, then swoop in to assist them, securing a greater reward.

(Both the items and the dungeon’s ownership will be mine!)

Yugan took a running start, leaping effortlessly higher than the Battle Elephants’ heads. Using them as stepping stones, he vaulted over them.

The charging Battle Elephants, unable to stop easily once they began, simply passed Yugan by as he soared over them, heading straight for Monica and her team.

Monica and her team formed a defensive line. However, the Battle Elephants, impervious to formations, plowed through their ranks, knocking aside shield-bearing soldiers and trampling the troops.

As Yugan sprinted towards the Turtle Dragon, he couldn’t help but notice the clumsiness of Monica and her team’s fighting style.

(Ugh, they’re too honest, forming a battle line against the Battle Elephants. They need to learn how to fight smarter.)

Although it wasn’t his fight, Yugan felt like shielding his eyes from Monica and her team’s ineptitude.

Dust billowed up from where Monica and her team were stationed.

By now, they were probably being trampled one by one by the Battle Elephants.

(I can’t afford to dawdle. If I’m going to defeat the Turtle Dragon after handling the Battle Elephants, I need to do it quickly.)

Lost in these thoughts, Yugan was suddenly attacked by a bladed tail.

It was the tail of the Turtle Dragon.

Despite the monster’s weight, many times his own, Yugan effortlessly intercepted and even deflected the attack with his slender longsword.

Handling the subsequent attacks from the bladed tail as if it were a routine wrestling match, Yugan closed the distance and struck at the Turtle Dragon’s neck.

In a split second, the Turtle Dragon withdrew its head into its shell.

Yugan’s sword merely scratched the surface of the shell.

The Turtle Dragon rotated, attempting to crush Yugan with the weight and momentum of its shell at close range.

But Yugan effortlessly deflected it with his sword.

The Turtle Dragon was sent flying, crashing into one of the pillars.

The pillar collapsed, raising a cloud of dust in the vicinity.

However, the Turtle Dragon itself poked its head out nonchalantly, seemingly unharmed.

It didn’t appear to have suffered significant damage.

(Tch. This is it. The Turtle Dragon’s high defense is troublesome. Given enough time, I can definitely defeat it, but I need to hurry. Dealing with the Battle Elephants’ charges while handling this one is going to be tough. How are they doing?)

While keeping his attention on the Turtle Dragon, Yugan glanced sideways at Monica and her team, and what he saw astounded him.

An unbelievable sight unfolded before his eyes.

Yugan had hoped they would at least hold out and buy some time until the Battle Elephants were dealt with, but what he saw was a squad fighting unscathed, with two Battle Elephants lying defeated.

(Unbelievable… Unscathed after the Battle Elephants’ charges!? Moreover, they’ve managed to take down two of them in such a short time? How…?)

Yugan continued to observe Monica and her team while evading the bladed tail of the oncoming Turtle Dragon.

The Battle Elephants were regrouping and preparing to charge again.

The shield-bearers formed a tight block formation.

They arranged themselves vertically, ensuring multiple attackers could hit each target.

“Protect Euphene! As long as we protect her, no matter how much damage we take, we can rise again!” shouted one of the shield-bearers.

Despite being knocked back by the Battle Elephants’ charge, the shield-bearers managed to redirect their path away from Euphene, preventing them from reaching her.

(With my current abilities, I can manipulate the magic circles freely!)

Euhene manipulated her staff to move the magic circles.

Recovery magic had already been activated.

Under Euphene’s control, the magic circles beneath the knocked-back soldiers chased after them, healing their wounds.

(Moving magic circles…!?)

Yugan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

The Battle Elephants reached the end of the corridor, then turned around once more, preparing to charge again.

They had high offensive, defensive, and endurance capabilities, but apart from their repetitive attacks, they lacked versatility.

“Got it!”

Seizing the opportunity created by their vulnerable moment as they changed direction, the offensive mage unleashed a blast of flames.

One Battle Elephant screamed in agony, stomping its feet.

Taking advantage of this opening, Monica finished off another one with a “one-hit kill.”

The Battle Elephants charged again, but once more, they were thwarted by the adept blocking of the shield-bearers, unable to sink their tusks even into the rear guard.

In the midst of this, Shaqma found an excellent shooting point that was not exposed to the Battle Elephants’ attacks and had a clear view of the entire corridor.

(There it is!)

Slipping between the columns and into the space behind the fallen Battle Elephants, Shaqma built a bulwark with “Crust Magic.”

A vantage point was rapidly taking shape.

“Monica! It’s all clear up here.”

With Shaqma’s signal, Monica raced up the stairs and stood atop the vantage point.

From there, Monica surveyed the corridor below.

(She can oversee the entire corridor without missing a spot. As expected of Shaqma. She created an excellent shooting point.)

With the entire corridor within range, Monica began picking off the Battle Elephants one by one.

Already empowered by Shaqma with “Attack Enhancement Magic,” Monica could take down the Battle Elephants with a single blow.

The last Battle Elephant, mustering its final strength, charged at the shield-bearers’ block.

The spear of the Battle Elephant clashed violently with the shield of the Warrior, causing the spear to snap and fly through the air.

Unfortunately, the broken spear flew in Shaqma’s direction and struck her armor.

Shaqma was knocked back by the impact, rolling on the ground, and her armor slid off his body.

“Shaqma!”

Euphene paled.

(This is bad. If Shaqma goes berserk now…)

“Someone, restrain Shaqma!”

“I’m okay, Euphene.”

Shaqma, leaning on her staff, gestured to Euphene to stop worrying.

“Shaqma?”

“Laurent taught me something. He taught me the true role of a support mage… I won’t lose sight of myself anymore or abandon my role.”

Freed from the weight of her armor, Shaqma closed her eyes tightly, suppressing her surging emotions, then dashed up the stairs of the bulwark.

Monica took down the last remaining Battle Elephant.

“This is the last one!”

“Now, it’s just the Turtle Dragon left.”

Shaqma, who had come to Monica’s side, looked towards the Turtle Dragon, still evenly matched with Yugan.

Then she began to chant “Illusion Magic.”

(Damn. Did they already take down the Battle Elephants? The tables have completely turned. I was planning to use them and gain their favor, but now I’m the one being used to buy time.)

Yugan sensed the mist starting to envelop the area as he faced off against the Turtle Dragon.

(Is this “Illusion Magic”? Is that brat of a support mage doing this?!)

Monica was about to unleash her one-hit-kill strike on the Turtle Dragon.

(No good. The light spots aren’t appearing. Does that mean the damage accumulation isn’t enough yet? But if Shaqma’s Illusion Magic takes effect…)

Thus, as the mist thickened, the Turtle Dragon fell into a state of confusion, banging its head against the pillars.

Yugan frustratingly looked at the Turtle Dragon obscured by the mist.

(A chance to take down the Turtle Dragon… But the mist is too thick. I can’t get close or aim with a bow and arrow.)

(Still… I have “Hawkeye.”)

Monica switched her perspective to “Hawkeye.”

While the mist completely blocked the Turtle Dragon’s figure from all sides, it was clearly visible from above.

Monica’s arrow struck the Turtle Dragon’s neck.

The Turtle Dragon wheezed in pain.

(There it is. The light spot of “One-Hit Kill.”)

“That woman. Is she shooting arrows into the mist? Can she see the enemy in this thick fog?”

Yugan’s face twisted in astonishment.

“What are these guys? With their biased composition, unique tactics, and exceptional skill level equivalent to Class A archers, support mages, and healers. Why was such a squad unknown until now? No, wait…”

Monica let loose her arrow.

The arrow pierced the Turtle Dragon’s vital spot without any deviation.

“I’ve heard of this before. Behind Lilianne’s rise to Class A within a short period as the Guardian of the Magic Tree, there were master trainers and S-class appraisers involved. Could these guys be…?”

The Turtle Dragon collapsed, its strength depleted.

The scenery of the corridor changed dramatically.

The color of the sky, once tinted with the hues of sunset, shifted as morning arrived with white light.

The throne disappeared, replaced by treasure chests that had been hidden.

New emblems appeared on the back wall: the emblems of the Guardians of the Magic Tree and the Crescent Knights.

Bells rang from the sky, celebrating the victors loudly.

Simultaneously, changes were evident in the dungeon visible between the columns.

Signs of conquest appeared throughout the dungeon.

The changes in the “Divine Realm” were particularly dramatic.

The mist cleared, the sheen vanished from the trees and fruits, replaced by freshness.

The chirping of insects and the singing of birds began, while wildflowers and trees teemed with vitality.

Immortality departed, and life and death arrived.