The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild

Chapter 48 Heroes and Sinners

“Tch. No matter how many times I cut it, it regenerates! This is endless!”

Yugan was running while deflecting the bone arrows falling around him with his sword.

Despite being an S-class adventurer, his endurance and toughness were weak. However, his agility was exceptional.

The Skull Dragon leaped to cut off Yugan’s escape route, blocking his path. It slashed at him with its claws. However, Yugan anticipated the attack, moving to the small blind spot created and instantly maneuvered behind it.

No matter how high the Skull Dragon’s agility was, its massive body couldn’t prevent blind spots from forming.

“Haaaa!”

Yugan slashed at one of the Skull Dragon’s wings from behind. The numerous bones making up its wing were sliced apart by Yugan’s sword, which was just over a meter long. It was like trying to split a stream with a stick.

“Raaah!”

Nevertheless, Yugan’s blade cut through the wing bones unwaveringly, severing dozens of them.

“Gruaaaaaa!”

The Skull Dragon roared and swung its claws at Yugan, but he dodged nimbly.

(Alright. I can do this.)

Yugan was becoming confident in his victory.

(My agility is far higher. I’ve memorized and anticipated all its attack patterns. If I keep chipping away like this, it will eventually run out of stamina.)

Yugan continued to deflect the falling bone arrows with his sword.

(Next, it should start regenerating the severed wing. I’ll take that chance to land one or two more slashes.)

Yugan continued to run in a circular pattern around the Skull Dragon, his sword ready, looking for an opening.

However, the Skull Dragon acted contrary to Yugan’s expectations. It grabbed its remaining left wing with its right hand and tore it off.

(What!?)

The discarded wing’s bones disintegrated and crumbled away.

(It tore off its own wing?)

The Skull Dragon started running towards Yugan. Once again, a battle of positioning began between them, each trying to find their optimal range.

The Skull Dragon’s agility was noticeably higher than before. It took small, rapid steps, trying to lure Yugan into the range of its claws.

The swung claws grazed Yugan’s cheek, leaving a shallow cut.

(Its agility has increased!? Stay calm. I can still anticipate its attacks.)

Yugan moved behind the Skull Dragon, exploiting its attack-induced unbalance.

(Hmph. If it doesn’t hit, no matter how powerful the attack is, it means nothing!)

Yugan quickly maneuvered to the enemy’s back as he had done many times before.

(Once I’m behind it, it can’t do anything!)

But, contrary to Yugan’s expectations, the Skull Dragon counterattacked. It raised one of its skeletal legs, never used in an attack before, and performed a backward roundhouse kick reminiscent of capoeira.

(What!? Kicking with that huge body?)

But it didn’t stop there.

The Skull Dragon launched a second and then a third kick in quick succession. Yugan couldn’t dodge completely and was grazed by the third kick.

Even though it was just a graze, it felt like being hit by a truck.

“Gah!”

Yugan coughed up blood as he rolled across the ground, barely managing to evade further attacks. He stood up and put some distance between himself and the dragon.

(Damn. I got careless.)

Yugan struggled to fend off the relentless bone arrows while trying to regain his stance. He dodged the Skull Dragon’s slamming attack by jumping sideways and drank a potion to recover his stamina, but his body wasn’t responding as well as it should.

(Damn it, my agility has been reduced.)

Although he could still anticipate the Skull Dragon’s attack patterns and dodge them, he could no longer maneuver behind it as he had before. He couldn’t find an opening for a counterattack.

(This is bad. If this turns into a war of attrition…)

Seeing Yugan’s fatigue, the Skull Dragon aimed to finish him off, launching a barrage of bone arrows.

(Damn it, it keeps doing exactly what I hate.)

Yugan tried to fend off the rain of bones with his sword while running, but his sword was nearly knocked out of his hand.

(Ugh, my strength is weakening too.)

Reluctantly, Yugan stopped moving and gripped his sword with both hands.

In that moment, the Skull Dragon moved to his rear.

Yugan barely managed to dodge the Skull Dragon’s attack.

However, his arms started to feel numb.

(Damn it. I need to recover, or this is going nowhere. Should I retreat?)

Yugan glanced at the Skull Dragon while nursing his arm.

(The problem is… how to escape from this thing.)

The Skull Dragon launched another volley of bone arrows.

“Damn it, give me a break!”

Once again, the Skull Dragon moved to get behind him.

(This is bad.)

Yugan braced himself for death.

But then, a shield flew through the air and struck the Skull Dragon on the head.

(This shield…)

Yugan looked in the direction the shield had come from and saw Jill running towards them, dragging a massive sword.

(Jill Irwin!? What’s with her? Her equipment is different!)

Earlier, Jill’s greatsword had been large but manageable, small enough to be carried on her back. Now, her sword was so enormous that even slung over her shoulder, its tip dragged along the ground.

(So she changed her equipment.)

Jill was grimacing as she dragged the “Dragon Slayer Hammer” behind her.

(Damn, this “Dragon Slayer Hammer” is so heavy. Just carrying it like this is draining my toughness and stamina. But…)

Jill glared intensely at the Skull Dragon.

(I can’t betray Laurent’s expectations. I won’t let him be further from his rightful recognition and brought down.)

The Skull Dragon locked onto Jill and lunged towards her.

(Is she really going to fight in that condition? It’s insane.)

To Yugan, Jill’s actions seemed reckless.

(She can’t even carry her sword properly. How is she going to keep up with the Skull Dragon’s agility in that state?)

Jill recalled what Laurent had told her.

“With your current stats, you can use the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ only twice.”

“Twice…”

“Part of it is that we couldn’t fine-tune it for dungeon use, and above all, it’s extremely heavy. There’s no way you can swing it multiple times.”

“Understood.”

“You need to finish the enemy with a single strike. Do you know how to do that? Just fight the way I taught you. Can you do it?”

“Yes!”

(Laurent taught me to fight not by evading gracefully using agility, but by using toughness and strength to face the enemy head-on. That’s my way of fighting!)

Jill mustered her strength and carried the “Dragon Slayer Hammer” forward.

By doing this, she conserved her agility, while saving her strength and toughness.

The Skull Dragon flexed its bones like muscles, swelling its arm, and extended its claws towards Jill.

(No way. You can’t dodge it.)

“Idiot! Get out of there! You’ll die!” Yugan shouted.

Yet Jill didn’t flee. Her determined eyes never wavered from the Skull Dragon.

The Skull Dragon’s claws struck Jill’s body directly.

A tremendous impact hit her, but her body didn’t fly back; she merely stepped back slightly.

In fact, the Skull Dragon’s claw broke instead.

“What!?” Yugan’s eyes widened in shock.

(That armor isn’t just unscratched; it didn’t even budge? It’s unbelievably heavy! Is it made of some new material?)

“I’ve got you now, Skull Dragon.”

(To bring you down for sure, this is the only moment when your stance is broken!)

Jill forced her severely wounded body to comply, gripping her sword with both hands.

She had thrown her shield to free both hands for this moment.

She had dragged the sword to conserve her strength for this moment.

She activated the skill “Focused Burst” (significantly drains all stats, but temporarily doubles a chosen stat to its maximum value).

“Take this!”

Jill swung her greatsword with all her might, striking the Skull Dragon’s claw.

The dragon’s arm exploded from the palm to the shoulder.

The Skull Dragon looked bewildered, not understanding what had just happened.

With all her strength, Jill pushed off the ground and lunged at the Skull Dragon’s chest.

She brought the “Dragon Slayer Hammer” down in a diagonal slash from the shoulder.

The “Dragon Slayer Hammer” crushed through the thick ribs and shattered the core.

Despite its sword-like shape, its weight allowed it to smash any giant enemy, truly living up to its name as a hammer that could bring down dragons.

The light of life completely vanished from the massive skeleton.

The bones crumbled and fell apart on the spot.

Jill collapsed onto the ground, buried under the disintegrating bones.

Yugan stood there in stunned silence, watching the scene unfold.

(No way. She did it. She took down the Skull Dragon’s thick ribcage in one blow…)

“Jill!”

While Yugan was in a daze, a man ran over to the collapsed Skull Dragon.

(That guy…)

At a glance, he didn’t seem to possess much combat ability. Judging by his equipment and movements, he seemed at best a D-class adventurer.

Desperately, he dug through the pile of bones and pulled out Jill, who was buried underneath.

“Jill. Hang in there.”

He examined Jill’s condition as if he was measuring her stats.

(Is he… an appraiser? Could he be the S-class appraiser that Monica and the others mentioned?)

Yugan recalled what Monica had said about the appraiser.

(So he’s the one who brought Jill that new weapon. Not only can he identify hidden skills, but he can also develop such weapons?)

“Ugh, Laurent…”

Jill groaned as she regained consciousness.

“Jill, thank goodness.”

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

- - - Strength: 1-110

- - - Endurance: 1-120

- - - Agility: 1-105

- - - Stamina: 1-200

(All her stats are at their minimum. She really used up all her power. What a reckless thing to do.)

“Laurent… what about the Skull Dragon?”

“Don’t worry. It’s completely silent now. You defeated it. Congratulations. You’re officially an S-class adventurer now.”

“Really? Thank goodness. Finally, I can earn the title worthy of you. I can finally repay you a little…”

“Jill, you… Anyway, let’s get you treated first. Can you stand?”

“Yes.”

With Laurent’s help, Jill managed to stand.

“The mission is over. Come on, let’s go home.”

As Laurent glanced to the side, he noticed Yugan, who was glaring at him.

Laurent instantly gauged his strength.

(I can tell without appraising him. An S-class adventurer… ‘Crescent Knight’ Yugan…)

“Hello.”

Laurent bowed his head politely.

“Hmph, so you’re the S-class appraiser.”

“You know about me?”

“Yeah, there’s quite a rumor going around. About a skilled appraiser who can turn drop-out adventurers into top-tier ones. Only in a small circle, though. So, your name is Laurent.”

“…”

“Finally, I get to see your face. You look harmless enough, but you’ve got some sharp fangs.”

“Thanks…”

“Ugh…”

“Jill? Are you alright?”

Laurent saw Jill groaning and had a healer treat her.

“Yugan, I’m sorry, but I need to take Jill back to town. Excuse us. Goodbye.”

Yugan watched Laurent’s back for a while.

“Tch, he snatched my earnings again.”

(So that’s it. No wonder Lucius fears him. Laurent… After this, his name will definitely spread far and wide.)

“He’s not the type to stay confined to this town. We’ll meet again… someday.”

“The Skull Dragon has been defeated. An S-class monster has been vanquished!”

The town’s residents erupted in excitement at the announcement made at the quest reception office.

Finally, an S-class adventurer had emerged.

Eager to catch a glimpse of the heroic adventurer, the people rushed to the front of the dungeon.

Soon, Jill appeared.

The crowd burst into applause and cheers.

Jill looked bewildered.

“Jill, everyone has come to see your heroic figure. Make sure to respond to them.”

“Yes.”

Jill held up a fragment of the Skull Dragon’s heart.

The crowd’s excitement grew even more fervent.

“A new S-class adventurer is born!”

“Hooray for the town of adventurers! Bless the brave adventurers!”

The area was soon filled with the cheers and blessings of the people.

People gathered along the sides of the path, creating a parade-like atmosphere.

When Laurent and Jill arrived at the square, the excitement reached its peak.

“Blessings to the S-class adventurer, Jill!”

“Blessings to the ‘Golden Hawk’!”

“Blessings to the ‘Guardians of the Magical Tree’!”

“Blessings to the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’!”

The people, unsure which guild to cheer for, shouted various guild names.

Jill and Laurent smiled wryly.

“Laurent, could I borrow the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ once more?”

“What!? But Jill, you…”

“It’s fine. I won’t overdo it.”

Jill took the ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’ from Marina and held it up for the crowd to see.

The sword bore the emblem of the ‘Arsenal of the Spirits.’

The crowd responded enthusiastically to Jill’s gesture.

“Blessings to the ‘Arsenal of the Spirit!”

“Blessings to the ‘Arsenal of the Spirit’!”

“Now, Laurent, you should raise the sword too.”

“Really? Is that okay?”

“Of course. Please, go ahead.”

Laurent placed his hand on the sword that Jill was holding up.

A member of the crowd tilted his head in curiosity.

“Who’s that guy?”

“That’s Laurent. The appraiser.”

“Appraiser?”

“Yeah, I heard he’s the guild master of the ‘Arsenal of the Spirit.'”

“So, he made that weapon too?”

“Yeah, it must be him.”

This conversation quickly spread among the people.

“Blessings to the appraiser Laurent, creator of the S-class weapon, ‘Dragon Slayer Hammer’!”

“Blessings to Appraiser Laurent!”

The crowd erupted with these cheers.

Laurent, feeling a bit overwhelmed, accepted the blessings of the people.

“Oh, it feels great to be blessed by everyone,” Marina, walking beside him, proudly remarked.

“Why are you puffing your chest out like that?” the male healer interjected.

Laurent and Jill exchanged looks and chuckled at their interaction.

Meanwhile, Lilianne observed the parade from above.

She had returned to the city ahead of the parade after conquering the ‘Forest Dungeon.’

“I’m so happy for you, Laurent. You’ve been able to nurture Jill and earn rightful honor,” she thought.

“Congratulations, Laurent!” Overwhelmed with emotion, Jill hugged Laurent and kissed him.

She planted the kiss on his cheek, dangerously close to his lips.

Lilianne tilted her head in confusion.

Jill’s lips lingered for multiple kisses, and Laurent, though embarrassed, accepted them.

Eventually, Laurent returned the gesture, planting a kiss on Jill’s cheek.

Jill closed her eyes in contentment, enjoying Laurent’s reward.

“Well, it’s just a display of mentorship and camaraderie. Mentorship and camaraderie. Let’s overlook it today,” Lilianne thought, deciding not to dwell too deeply on the matter.

In a room of a certain hotel,

The backers of the “Golden Hawk” guild had gathered in what seemed like a conference room.

They looked out the window with bitterness, observing the parade.

“What a disgrace!”

One of the backers exclaimed.

“To think they couldn’t conquer the dungeon, let alone subdue an S-class monster.”

“And to be betrayed by Jill Irwin of all people.”

“It seems all the profits from the subjugation of the S-class monster will go to the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree’ guild.”

“The profits for ‘Golden Hawk’ this month are zero.”

“Not only that, but within the guild, movements to oust Lucius are growing increasingly intense.”

“How much more of our profits does that man have to damage before he’s satisfied?”

“How does he plan to take responsibility for this mess?”

The backers exchanged complaints and grievances.

Then, the banker, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“Everyone, isn’t it time we pass judgment here?”

“Judgment?”

“Yes, judgment on Lucius. We’ve given him enough time and chances. We’ve been patient enough. And he has utterly betrayed those expectations. I propose we remove Lucius from his position as guild master of ‘Golden Hawk’ and hire a new guild master.”

As the banker spoke, the backers began to feel deflated, and everyone looked downcast.

“If we fire Lucius, who will replace him?”

“Everyone in ‘Golden Hawk’ relies solely on their martial prowess, swinging their weapons in the dungeon. They’re nothing but a bunch of near-rogues.”

“There isn’t a single person knowledgeable in management.”

“On the other hand, ‘Golden Hawk’ is a complete mess now.”

“The finances are in shambles, and the organization is falling apart. It’s only big in size and hard to handle.”

“There’s no suitable person within the guild. Especially in this crisis, finding someone who can steer us in the right direction…”

“I have one person in mind.”

The banker said.

“Someone in mind?”

“Yes, he was once a member of ‘Golden Hawk’ and one of the driving forces behind its success. He currently serves as the guild master of the Alchemy Guild ‘Arsenal of the Spirits’ and has succeeded in producing numerous A-class adventurers as a special advisor to the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree.’ It is said that his achievements played a significant role in nurturing Jill into an S-class adventurer.”

“What? Such a person exists?”

“I didn’t know that.”

“So, who is this individual?”

“His name is Laurent. He’s an S-class appraiser. How about having him become the guild master of ‘Golden Hawk’ and entrusting him with the reconstruction of the guild?”

Meanwhile, Lucius was bustling around the headquarters of ‘Golden Hawk.’

“Deanna. Deanna. Where are you?”

Lucius called out loudly, but there was no response.

“Deanna. It seems that Jill’s group has taken down the S-class monster. Those useless fellows Yugan and Milko, couldn’t do anything despite their big talk. Those good-for-nothings. ‘Forest Dungeon’ has also been conquered by Lilianne, and it won’t be long before the ‘Demon Realm Dungeon’ falls into the hands of the ‘Guardian of the Magic Tree.’ It’s a total wipeout. We’re really going to have zero income this month. Damn it. That jinx of an appraiser. Anyway, at this point, no matter what excuses I come up with, I won’t be able to deceive anyone. I’ll be fired. In that case, I should try to secure as much severance pay as possible. I’ll cover up all the accounting irregularities and pass the blame onto my successor. I’ll make them suffer as much as I can. For that, I need to buy time, conceal the evidence, and forge new documents. Help me out, Deanna. Deanna? Where the hell are you, Denna? Stop hiding and come out.”

Lucius looked around his spacious room frantically.

However, she, who should always be there, was nowhere to be found.

Thinking he might have overlooked her, he scanned the room once more, but still found nothing.

Suspicious, Lucius entered his office.

There, he noticed that the filing cabinet had been ransacked.

It seemed that every piece of evidence of the inappropriate accounting practices had been removed.

“What nonsense. Why would the documents… Who on earth?”

Lucius pondered various possibilities regarding the suspect who stole the documents.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, he could only think of one person besides himself who could freely enter this room.

(Could it be Deanna? Has she betrayed me?)

Handing over Lucius’s weakness to the enemy, while she alone escapes unscathed. It seemed like something Deanna would consider.

However… Lucius thought.

Would Laurent really be pleased with such a thing?

The tide has already turned.

Even if Laurent were to take further action, Lucius’s downfall is inevitable.

From Laurent’s perspective, there is no obligation to help Deanna.

Unless Deanna has something else to offer.

However, among the things Deanna possesses, there is only one thing that Laurent would desire.

Laurent would demand it.

Deanna would be more than happy to offer it up.

She exposed her chest, spreading her legs, surrendering herself to the relief of escaping guilt and the newfound pleasure it brought.

Laurent toyed with her body, reveling in the modest triumph.

At that moment, Lucius was overwhelmed by intense feelings of inferiority.

From palpitations to dizziness, his consciousness grew hazy.

“Damn it, what… what is this…”

Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door.

Lucius was startled.

“Lucius, are you in there? It’s the police. You’re suspected of financial irregularities and tax evasion. We want to question you. Will you come quietly?”

“Damn it!”

Lucius grabbed the sword displayed on the shelf and rushed towards the window.

The sound of shattered glass echoed down the hallway.

“Lucius? Hey, Lucius. Are you there? Answer me. We’re coming in!”

When the detectives entered, all they found was shattered glass scattered about.

Lucius was officially declared a fugitive that day.

Learning from the Savast incident, the police monitored the city’s exits to prevent Lucius from escaping.

However, amidst the bustling city, with the emergence of an S-class adventurer, no one paid attention to Lucius.

That day, the voices praising Laurent and Jill’s glory in the city never ceased.