The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild - Chapter 46

Chapter 46   The Sound of Something Crumbling Under My Feet

“What are you doing?! The front line is lagging! Form a proper wall!”

Monica shouted as she rushed to cover the gap in the front line with her bow. Rick, who had fallen behind, could only watch the frontline battle with frustration, breathing heavily.

“Damn it. How are they not showing any signs of fatigue despite keeping up this high pace for so long?” Rick’s arms were already trembling.

“Damn it, my arms won’t lift,” he thought.

Laurent also noticed that something was off with Rick’s movements.

“Rick’s movements are slowing down…”

He used his status appraisal skill on Rick.

[Rick Dyer’s Status]

• • • • Strength: 40-90

• • • • Agility: 10-40

“His strength is now at 40-90. His agility has also dropped. Because he tries to gain an advantage with his not-so-high agility, he ends up exhausting his strength.”

Rick had a habit of using his agility to dodge enemy attacks and try to flank or get behind them during close combat. However, because his agility was not high enough to consistently gain the upper hand, he ended up unnecessarily depleting his strength.

“Since you have high toughness, you should focus on utilizing it more in battle. It’s not just about your mentality; your experience is lacking too. With your current strength, you won’t be able to handle the 15th floor and beyond in the ‘Netherworld.’ Barely usable is…”

Laurent shifted his gaze to other stats.

[Rick Dyer’s Status]

• • • • Toughness: 70-80

“Toughness is all you’ve got left.”

“Ugh, I can’t go on anymore,” Marina said, collapsing in another area.

Laurent appraised Marina’s status as well.

[Marina Faltuna’s Status]

• • • • Magic Power: 10-90

“It seems she’s really exhausted this time,” Laurent thought with a wry smile.

“Alright.”

“Rick!”

“Y-Yes?”

“Change your equipment. Remove your sword.”

“Huh? My sword?”

“Yes, your strength has reached its limit. Without the sword, you can still move with just your armor and shield. Forget about attacking; focus on being a wall.”

“Wait, but I can still…”

“No. In the ‘Netherworld,’ your strength won’t cut it.”

Hearing this, Rick was taken aback.

“So, from the 16th floor onwards, it’s the ‘Netherworld.’ Only B-class adventurers or higher can handle it. We’ve come this far while desperately trying to keep up with the main force.”

Reaching the 16th floor would mean being recognized as a notable adventurer in the city.

“In the ‘Netherworld,’ you need to maintain stats above 70 to be effective. Your current strength is 40-90, which is too unstable.”

“Ugh…”

“If you insist on fighting with your sword, I’ll have to remove you from the unit. What will it be?”

“I… I understand.”

“Marina, store Rick’s sword for him.”

“Got it.”

Marina used her skill ‘Equipment Possesion’ to store Rick’s sword.

Rick immediately felt lighter and more agile.

“And Marina, the ‘impaler’ won’t be needed from this point on. Focus on supplying items to the unit.”

“Okay, understood!”

Marina replied with a beaming smile.

Euphene frowned at Marina’s reaction.

(She’s way too happy about having her tasks reduced.)

Laurent continued giving orders.

“Monica, as I mentioned, ‘Impaler’ is out. We’ll base our tactics on ‘One-Hit Kill’ from now on. For enemies that can’t be taken down in one hit, weaken them with the front line and then finish them off with ‘One-Hit Kill.’ Remember the V-formation?”

“Yes.”

“Shaqma, you’ll take charge of overall command.”

“Understood.”

“Euphene, you’re the new team leader. If the unit faces a crossroads and a decision needs to be made, it’s your call.”

“Got it.”

Laurent continued to issue orders to the others.

He then turned to the swordsman with the highest attack power.

“Freddei, stay behind Rick.”

“You mean to cover for Rick’s lack of strength with my attack power?”

“Exactly. The strategy is for Rick to block the enemy’s attacks with his shield and armor. Then, you jump in from behind and switch places, striking the enemy when they’re off balance.”

“Got it.”

“Sharon!”

Laurent called to the archer with the highest agility in the team.

“Support Marina with item distribution. If any team member at a distance needs an item, take it from Marina and deliver it.”

“Understood.”

“If we encounter Acid Slimes and Zombie Archers from both sides…”

Laurent gave detailed instructions to each team member, making sure their strengths and weaknesses were balanced and their efforts coordinated.

Rick listened to Laurent’s directions, catching his breath, and felt a renewed sense of respect.

(Adjusting tasks to match each member’s traits and fatigue levels… This isn’t something just any appraiser can do. Who is this man, really?)

After giving all the instructions, Laurent checked the team members’ statuses one last time.

“If we reach the 20th floor and there’s no boss, we’ll return to the city.”

(Alright, this is as far as I go.)

At the 15th floor, Laurent parted ways with the unit.

With the new orders from Laurent, Monica and the others swiftly advanced through the dungeon. By the time Alric’s unit reached the 15th floor, they had already made it to the 17th floor.

Meanwhile, at the quest reception’s astrology department, an astrologer was monitoring the dungeon.

(A Zombie Wizard appeared on the 17th floor.)

Confirming the appearance of the quest target monster through the crystal ball, the astrologer spoke to the nearby clerk.

“A Zombie Wizard has appeared on the 17th floor, coordinates 32-41.”

“Understood. Zombie Wizard at 17th floor, coordinates 32-41.”

The clerk began to add the map and the Zombie Wizard’s location onto a blank sheet of paper.

This map would then be taken to the Quest Department, where a reward would be determined before being officially announced as a quest.

The clerk left the room with the map and the document.

(Well, it’s probably pointless anyway.)

The astrologer sighed.

Laurent’s unit was heading towards the Zombie Wizard.

As expected, within less than an hour, the Zombie Wizard was defeated with Shaqma’s support magic.

(This means Shaqma is now an A-rank adventurer too.)

“Hey, add a note about the Zombie Wizard from earlier.”

The astrologer instructed a different clerk.

“Yes. What’s the note?”

“It’s been defeated. The Zombie Wizard is no longer in the dungeon.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise for a moment but quickly remembered her duties. She documented the note, stood up, and ran to the Quest Department.

(Still, Laurent’s team is incredibly fast.)

Despite encountering several A-rank and B-rank monsters, their pace hadn’t slowed at all.

The gap between them and Alric’s unit continued to widen.

(At this rate, in three days… what?)

The astrologer frowned at a sudden black shadow that appeared in the crystal.

(A black shadow. And it’s huge.)

This indicated the appearance of a powerful monster, but he had never seen such a large shadow before in his career.

(This is… the 12th floor? It can’t be!)

Focusing his vision, he saw a massive dragon, stripped of all skin and flesh, walking with only its bones.

(A Skull Dragon. Just as I thought! An S-rank monster!!)

“You there!”

The astrologer called out to the remaining clerk.

“Yes.”

“A Skull Dragon has appeared.”

“Huh? Does that mean…”

“It’s an S-class monster.”

Tension filled the room.

“This matter cannot be taken to the Quest Department based solely on my judgment. Contact the director immediately! Hurry!”

The secretary rushed out of the room in a flurry.

A strategy meeting involving the director was convened immediately.

The Quest Reception Office made a grand announcement about the appearance of the S-class monster and began recruiting applicants for the subjugation quest.

However, strict conditions were attached to accepting the quest.

Adventurers below C-class were not allowed to participate.

Only upper-level B-class adventurers were eligible.

Even A-class adventurers couldn’t take it on alone.

Only S-class adventurers could accept the quest unconditionally.

“Everyone! An S-class monster has appeared. Accordingly, we are urgently seeking adventurers to undertake the subjugation quest. However, do not approach the S-class monster recklessly. Average adventurers will only end up defeated. Adventurers below C-class must not approach the 12th level of the ‘Mine Dungeon.’ It’s dangerous for B-class adventurers as well, so please have your status and skills evaluated at the Quest Reception Office first. Henceforth, we prohibit anyone other than high-rank adventurers certified by us from entering the ‘Mine Dungeon.’ Please make sure to inform other adventurers of this information. Do you understand? Never…”

“Hey, hey. An S-class monster, huh? What are you gonna do?”

“Are you stupid? That’s way beyond our capabilities.”

The adventurers exchanged rumors about the news.

Among the adventurers, Deanna was listening intently to the announcement at the Quest Reception Office.

(They said it was a special report from the Quest Reception Office, so I wondered what it was about. An S-class monster appearing, huh.)

However, what concerned her more was the battle between Alric’s team and Laurent’s team in the ‘Mine Dungeon.’

The difference between the two teams, as indicated on the bulletin board, spanned two levels.

(Tch. Alric’s situation looks bad. They’re two levels behind.)

Deanna bit her nails irritably.

“Wow, Monica’s team has already reached the 17th level.”

Deanna was startled by the familiar voice.

“You are… Claria.”

“Oh, Deanna. We meet again.”

“Did you come to check the bulletin board too?”

“Yes. I’m just an errand girl. I have to do all sorts of odd jobs.”

Claria sighed.

“I have a ton of work lined up after this. It’s really getting to me. But if I slack off even a bit, I’ll probably get fired right away.”

Deanna looked at her curiously.

“You became Laurent’s mistress, didn’t you? Shouldn’t you be able to get some work exemptions?”

“What are you talking about? No, I didn’t.”

“Really? As his secretary, you must have plenty of moments alone together.”

“Not at all. Laurent’s very guarded. The competition is fierce.”

“Is that so.”

“Well, I guess I’ll try to slip into one of the higher positions somehow.”

Claria spoke with a slightly jaded tone.

“Oh, I see. That must be disappointing. Your expectations were dashed.”

Deanna smiled cheerfully.

“By the way, Deanna, don’t you think it’s about time?”

“Time? For what?”

“Time to get rid of Lucius.”

Claria lowered her voice, whispering into Deanna’s ear.

Deanna’s face tensed for a moment.

“To be frank, Lucius is on the decline, isn’t he? Isn’t it time to switch sides?”

“…”

“Why not join us? Laurent is very magnanimous. He will surely overlook your past rudeness.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Deanna spoke with an air of confidence.

“Don’t underestimate me. I admit things are a bit tough right now, but ‘The Golden Hawk’ is not so fragile that it would be shaken by this.”

“Oh, I see. Well then, that’s fine. I’ll find someone else.”

With that, Claria quickly walked away.

(Tch. That little girl…)

A few hours after the announcement of the S-class monster subjugation quest, a man was invited to the headquarters of ‘The Golden Hawk.’

Lucius greeted the man with an unusual level of politeness.

“Thank you for coming, Yugan.”

In front of Lucius, lounging on the sofa with his back and arms resting and his legs crossed, was Yugan, an S-class adventurer of ‘The Crescent Knights.’

Despite being invited by ‘The Golden Hawk,’ he did not seem particularly honored, rather, he appeared reluctant.

Lucius felt irritation at Yugan’s attitude but managed to suppress it.

(With Alric being unreliable, I have no choice but to depend on this guy.)

Realizing the disadvantage in dungeon exploration, Lucius decided to focus on the S-class monster.

Defeating the S-class monster would yield profits comparable to conquering a dungeon.

The investors might be appeased.

As he was planning the quest, he heard that Yugan, attracted by the news of the S-class monster, had arrived in town.

Lucius immediately made an offer to Yugan, inviting him to the guild.

“Having you with our guild would be like having the strength of a hundred men. To start with…”

“Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Huh?”

“The only reason I’m taking on this request is for the money. I have no intention of siding with you. My participation will be under ‘The Crescent Knights,’ not ‘The Golden Hawk.'”

Though Lucius felt inner dissatisfaction, he managed to keep smiling.

“Twenty million gold.”

“What?”

“I’ll take twenty million gold as an advance. The success fee is one hundred million gold.”

(Tch. Twenty million gold in advance and one hundred million gold for success?)

“Isn’t that a bit too outrageous?”

“If you don’t like it, I don’t mind. I’ll just decline the job.”

“…Understood. We’ll manage somehow.”

At that moment, someone rushed into the guild master’s room.

“Guild Master! Urgent news. Jill Irwin is going after the S-class monster… Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

The messenger turned pale upon seeing Lucius and Yugan in the middle of negotiations.

(Tch, this idiot, saying unnecessary things in front of Yugan…)

Lucius glared sharply at the messenger.

However, Yugan seemed amused and addressed the messenger cheerfully.

“Ah, it’s fine. We were just discussing that S-class monster with the Guild Master. So, what about Jill Irwin?”

“Uh, um…”

The messenger glanced at Lucius for permission.

“It’s fine. Continue.”

Lucius said, sounding resigned.

“Y-Yes. Jill Irwin has taken up the S-class monster subjugation quest under the name ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.’ She’s already received approval at the quest reception and is heading to the dungeon.”

Lucius clenched his fist in anger.

(Damn you, Jill. Are you going to interfere with me until the end?)

“Hey, hey. Jill Irwin, wasn’t she the promising newcomer of ‘The Golden Hawk’? I heard she was an S-class candidate. She’s targeting the S-class monster… under ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’? Is it okay if I go ahead with the S-class monster subjugation?”

“No problem. We are already taking legal action against Jill’s betrayal. Besides, heh, we’ve already taken other measures against her.”

“Is that so?”

Yugan replied, feigning disinterest but inwardly exasperated.

(The guild is falling apart. I’ve never heard of a guild master and their top ace being in such open conflict. And I’ve been catching murmurs of what sounds like a protest for a while now.)

The protest was calling for Lucius’ resignation.

(This guild won’t last much longer. I should take what I can and get out quickly.)

“Well, anyway, I’m clear to proceed with the S-class monster subjugation, right? I’ll be on my way then.”

“Heh. I’m not to blame. It’s that woman’s fault.”

Lucius had a dark smile as he looked down.

(What’s with this guy? What’s he thinking? Creepy.)

Meanwhile, Jill had arrived in front of the dungeon with just a few supporters.

“Alright. Let’s go. We’re going to take down the S-class monster, the Skull Dragon!”

(The guild’s issues, even my fate, don’t matter anymore. I will prove Laurent’s strength. For that, I…)

With determination in her heart, Jill ventured into the dungeon.

By the time Jill entered the ‘Mine Dungeon,’ Laurent, who had returned from the dungeon, woke up after twenty-four hours of sleep.

He boarded the carriage Claria had prepared and headed to ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ with her.

“In the ‘Mine Dungeon,’ Monica’s team has reached the 17th level. Alric’s team is still at the 15th level.”

“I see.”

Laurent felt relieved upon hearing that.

(Good. Monica and the others seem to be doing fine without me.)

“What about the other dungeons?”

“Yes. In the ‘Forest Dungeon,’ ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are at the 9th level, as are ‘The Golden Hawk.’ In the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon,’ ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are at the 9th level and ‘The Golden Hawk’ at the 8th level. Overall, ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are in the lead.”

“The ‘Forest Dungeon’ is still in a stalemate. We should take some measures just in case.”

Laurent muttered to himself.

“About the S-Class monster…”

“! So, it appeared after all?”

“Yes. On the 12th floor of the ‘Mine Dungeon’. Jill is already on her way there.”

“I see… What about the S-Class weapon?”

“Well… it’s not finished yet. So, Jill is going with her previous equipment…”

(Stat-wise, she’s fine, so she probably won’t die even against an S-Class monster, but I’m not sure if she can defeat it…)

“Got it. Then I’ll meet with the Guild Master at the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ headquarters, and then head to the ‘Spirit Workshop’.”

“The ‘Spirit Workshop’?”

“Yes. We can’t take down an S-Class monster immediately. It will probably take several days of effort. I want to be ready to deliver the S-Class weapon to Jill as soon as it’s finished, even if it’s a bit late.”

“Understood.”

After that, Laurent met with Lilianne at the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ headquarters and discussed strategies regarding the dungeon.

They decided to maintain their current advantage in the ‘Mine Dungeon’ and prepare additional forces to deploy once Monica and her team return from the 20th floor.

Lilianne would join the team in the ‘Forest Dungeon’, which was in a stalemate.

Laurent would stay with the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ and act as the Deputy Guild Master.

With those decisions made, Laurent headed to the ‘Spirit Workshop’.

As planned, when the team returned from the ‘Forest Dungeon’, Lilianne joined them along with reinforcements and re-entered the dungeon.

Among the reinforcements was Lerio.

Laurent saw them off in front of the dungeon.

“The Guild Master is a top-notch commander. Lerio, make sure to learn from her.”

“Yes.”

In front of the dungeon, Lilianne felt relief rather than tension, as she was freed from her Guild Master duties.

(After all, my true calling is as an adventurer.)

“Alright, Lilianne’s squad, let’s go.”

With that, Lilianne led the way into the dungeon.

Once Lilianne and Lerio joined the squad, the delicate balance between the two guilds began to shift. ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ started to gain the upper hand.

The next day, Monica and her team returned from the 20th floor of the dungeon to the city.

After a 24-hour rest, they headed back into the dungeon.

Despite their rapid progress through 20 floors, Monica, Shaqma, and Euphene were remarkably energetic.

Rick and Marina, unable to recover within a day, temporarily left the squad to rest at ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ headquarters.

Laurent also designated other members to stay behind at the headquarters.

Two days later, Alric and his team finally returned from the 20th floor to the city.

Alric had been desperately trying to catch up to Monica’s team, but the gap between them never closed. It was an insurmountable difference.

(We can’t match them in terms of team operation. Is this Laurent’s true power when he’s unfettered?)

Unable to use his magic, Alric contributed to the dungeon conquest with his sword, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being a burden.

Even after a day of rest, Alric’s stats did not fully recover, leading to his withdrawal from the squad.

Still wanting to contribute in some way, he decided to at least see his subordinates off in front of the dungeon.

On their way to the dungeon, they saw the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’s team heading towards the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon.’

“Is that… the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’s squad?”

“It looks like they’re heading to the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’.”

“Alright, everyone, let’s go.”

Shaqma was at the front, leading the squad.

“Is that… the support mage who used to belong to Laurent’s squad?”

“Why is she heading to the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’?”

Seeing this, Alric realized Laurent’s intention.

The outcome of the ‘Mine Dungeon’ had been decided.

There was no longer a need to deploy three A-Class adventurers.

(Lauent, are you saying I’m not even worth your full effort anymore?)

“Damn it!”

Two days later, Monica and her team effortlessly defeated the 26th-floor boss, the Zombie King, conquering the ‘Mine Dungeon’.

It was the tenth day since the dungeon appeared, setting a new record for the fastest dungeon conquest.

“‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ has conquered the ‘Mine Dungeon’!”

An employee at the quest reception announced this in front of the bulletin board.

A cheer erupted among the adventurers.

“Whoa, that’s amazing!”

“Too fast!”

“They broke the record!”

Deanna looked at the bulletin board with a pale face.

(No way. They conquered it this quickly?)

‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ was also leading in the other two dungeons.

Moreover, from now on, the A-Class adventurers who were part of Laurent’s squad would be joining other teams.

The situation was expected to become even more unfavorable.

“My, my, this is quite a predicament, isn’t it, Deanna?”

“You… Claria…”

“Having lost three dungeons, your investors must be furious, right? Your income this month is practically zero, isn’t it?”

“We still… we still have the S-Class monster to defeat.”

“But Jill seems to be ahead on that front too. It’s not a sure thing, is it? And besides…”

Claria leaned close to Deanna’s ear.

“The ‘Spirit Workshop’ has finally developed S-Class equipment.”

“!?’

“Sorry, but we’ll be taking everything this month. My Laurent will take it all… you see.”

Claria flashed a triumphant smile.

Deanna felt as if she could hear the ground crumbling beneath her feet.

Simply losing her job wouldn’t be the end of it.

Deanna had been involved in various financial irregularities orchestrated by Lucius.

What would happen if those were discovered?

She would be pursued as a criminal.

She might have to flee with Lucius in the night.

They would live in poverty, constantly on the run, fearing the judgmental eyes of society.

(No, I don’t want that. I have to do something, anything.)

However, at this point, there was nothing she could do.

“Oh, I should be going now.”

Claria said, glancing at her watch.

“Deanna, I know things will be tough for you from now on, but good luck with your job search. I’m always cheering for you. See you.”

Deanna watched Claria’s back in a daze.

But she quickly snapped out of it and chased after Claria.

“Wait!”

Deanna desperately called out to Claria’s back.

“Please, let me meet Laurent! I’ll tell you all about Lucius’s wrongdoings, any weaknesses. I’ll do anything to work against Lucius!”

Around the time Monica and her team conquered the ‘Mine Dungeon,’ Jill had reached the 11th floor.

(Ghosts are fleeing from the mine… Did Laurent’s team conquer the ‘Mine Dungeon’? That was fast, probably a new record.)

Monsters were leaving the dungeon.

Despite this, Jill felt it.

The presence of the S-Class monster.

The hostility of the Skull Dragon seemed to grow stronger instead of weaker.

“Heh. Even though the dungeon’s master has left, it stays behind. It must be really upset that the dungeon was cleared in record time.”

The air vibrated with tension.

Even though the enemy was a floor away, its killing intent was palpable.

It seemed desperate for human blood.

Facing an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, Jill trembled with anticipation as she advanced through the dungeon.