The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild

Chapter 128 Rivalry

The march of the “Grand Alliance” through the Forest of the Foothills was progressing at a frustratingly slow pace.

“Hey! Can’t you move any faster?” Neil shouted angrily at the troops. “The guys from ‘Spirit Workshop’ are already way ahead!”

The “Grand Alliance” had assembled in the square in front of the dungeon at the same time as the “Spirit Workshop” alliance, but they were now significantly behind.

First, there had been a minor mishap during the troop formation, preventing them from entering the dungeon on schedule. Then, in the Forest of the Foothills, every time they encountered monsters, they struggled to form proper formations, lacking cohesion.

Even now, while the monsters on the right wing and center—handled by “Crown of the Sage”—were dispatched with ease, the left wing, which had many local adventurers, was still embroiled in combat despite the battle having started several minutes ago.

“How long are you going to struggle with these weak monsters? If you don’t get it together, we’re leaving you behind!” Neil warned.

“Calm down, Neil,” said the elder Glen, trying to pacify him. “The dungeon exploration has just begun. If we rush too much from the start, we’ll run out of steam.”

“But at this rate, the ‘Spirit Workshop’ alliance will reach the mining site before us,” Neil argued.

“No need to rush. This dungeon has plenty of mining sites with high-quality ore. First, we need to establish cooperation with the local adventurers. Do you not remember last year? Last year, we advanced without securing enough coordination with the local guilds, and as a result, we fell apart in the latter half. It’s crucial to identify our alliance’s weaknesses while the early monsters are still weak, optimize our strategy, and prepare for the mid-to-late stages. In this dungeon—”

Just as Glen was speaking, the sky was suddenly pierced by the roar of a “Fire Dragon.” Moments later, the sound of angry shouts and clashing weapons echoed through the forest.

Glen looked up and saw the “fire breath” from what appeared to be the “Fire Dragon,” along with arrows shot by archers, flying through the air.

“Could it be… is ‘Spirit Workshop’ already fighting?”

“They’ve already reached the ‘Metal Line’!”

Glen wore a look of disbelief.

(This is impossible. There’s no way they could be moving that fast. At such a pace, their equipment and stamina would give out. Have they abandoned any hope of winning?)

The sounds of battle didn’t last long.

The “Spirit Workshop” alliance had taken down the mixed monster squad at the “Metal Line” with unbelievable efficiency.

There was no sign that they were straining themselves with an overly aggressive advance.

Yet, even so, Glen couldn’t bring himself to believe it. His common sense refused to accept what was happening before his eyes.

(The only thing we should have to worry about on this island is the Thieves’ Guild… and yet…)

“Hey, this is seriously bad, don’t you think?” Ian whispered to Neil.

“The adventurers on this island are fickle. If the ‘Spirit Workshop’ alliance pulls too far ahead, it will hurt our reputation. Some adventurers might even switch sides to them.”

This advice pushed Neil’s patience to its limit. He channeled magic into his staff.

“Neil!? What are you planning to do?”

“We can’t afford to hold back any longer. Let’s speed this up. Agility Boost!”

“The challenge this time is how to integrate the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ into the ‘Spirit Workshop’ alliance’s strength,” Laurent had said before entering the dungeon.

“Leon, Hans, Will. The ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are still unfamiliar with the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’ If you encounter the ‘Fire Dragon’ at the ‘Metal Line,’ I want you to demonstrate how to defeat it.”

“Got it.”

“Euphene, Shaqma. The adventurers on this island have a tendency to feel uneasy around outsiders. While it’s unlikely, if we end up facing the ‘Crown of the Sage,’ I want you to take the lead and guide the others.”

“Understood.”

“No matter how thoroughly we prepare, unexpected situations will always arise in the dungeon. We’ll need to make adjustments and improvements on the fly, so I expect every guild to voice their opinions actively.”

“”Yes, sir!””

Inside the dungeon:

“Karla, the ‘Fire Dragon’ is coming!” Jeff shouted.

“Leave it to me! Haaah!” Karla responded, unleashing her Spinning Sword Dance at the low-flying ‘Fire Dragon’ that was chasing after Jeff.

(Can I cut it?) Karla thought, startled by the sharpness of her new sword.

Normally, it would take multiple strikes to penetrate the ‘Fire Dragon’s’ tough skin, but with just one slash, Karla’s sword cut deeply, almost reaching the bone.

The unexpected ease threw Karla off balance, causing her to fumble her technique and nearly lose her footing upon landing.

Cecil, who was behind her, quickly stepped in and delivered the finishing blow to the ‘Fire Dragon.’

“What are you doing, Karla? You almost botched the final strike!” Cecil scolded.

“S-Sorry. My hand slipped a bit…” Karla replied, flustered.

(What kind of blade did Wayne give me? If I’m not careful with my Spinnning Sword Dance, I might end up missing the mark completely.)

Meanwhile, in another part of the dungeon, Elio was defending against the onslaught of the ‘Rock Fang.’

The ‘Rock Fang,’ known for its high agility, was incredibly difficult to block entirely.

But Elio was determined to do just that.

(Normally, I would accept taking some damage, but if I’m aiming to become an A-class shield bearer, I need to completely neutralize the enemy’s power.)

Elio focused intently on the ‘Rock Fang,’ which was circling him, waiting for an opening.

The ‘Rock Fang’ lunged at him.

(Now!) Elio thought, raising his shield to block the ‘Rock Fang’s’ claw attack.

However, he couldn’t completely absorb the impact and felt his equipment and stats take a hit.

(Damn, did I fail?) Elio glanced at Laurent, who shook his head slightly.

(Damn it. One more time.)

Elsewhere, Hans was chasing after a ‘Wyvern.’

(I can’t use ‘Rapid Fire’ like Alice or ‘Multi-Shot’ like Claire. To aim for A-class, my only option is to enhance the power of my ‘Magic Shot’ and strive for perfect accuracy!)

Hans launched a ‘Magic Shot’ engulfed in flames, but he couldn’t bring down the ‘Wyvern’ with a single hit.

(Damn. It’s no good. The shooting motion with ‘Magic Shot’ still feels delayed. I need to concentrate more.)

Meanwhile, Will was decimating the enemies from behind his allies’ lines using ‘Explosive Magic.’

The explosions he created were noticeably larger than usual.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Brother,” his sister remarked in awe.

“Yeah, this staff is incredible. Wayne did a great job, but…” (In this battle, I should have been able to take down the enemies more efficiently. I should have positioned myself faster and created explosions in more strategic locations. And…)

Will gripped his staff tightly. (I should be able to unleash even more power with this staff that Wayne crafted.)

Laurent surveyed the entire battlefield, focusing particularly on the performance of Elio, Hans, Will, and Karla.

He had instructed these four to prioritize their growth, even if it meant temporarily putting the needs of the unit aside.

(This is going well. I can see that all four of them have become more ambitious than before. Their determination to reach A-class is genuine. At this rate, with more experience, their skills will naturally improve. If we encounter an A-class monster, I won’t hesitate to pit them against it.)

“Karla, there’s another ‘Fire Dragon’ coming. This time, take it down with one strike!” Jeff shouted as he maneuvered to draw the ‘Fire Dragon’ closer.

Karla matched his movements.

(It’s difficult to execute the Spinning Sword Dance with this new weapon. In that case… I’ll use Sword Technique!)

In one swift motion, Karla severed the thick neck of the ‘Fire Dragon’ with a single slash.

[Karla Grazia’s Skills and Stats]

‘Sword Technique’: A (↑1)

Adaptation Rate: 80% (↑20%)

(Karla’s got excellent instincts. Her adaptation to the new equipment is improving as well.)

While the local group fought the monsters, the members of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ stood back, observing the battle.

Laurent had instructed them to watch the locals fight until they became accustomed to the monsters in the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’

Rick, who had also stayed in the rear since entering the dungeon, had been focused on his duties as a backliner. But after witnessing Karla slice through the ‘Fire Dragon,’ his patience finally snapped.

“Damn it! It’s always the local guys hunting the ‘Fire Dragon.’ I can’t stand it anymore. Lerio, let’s hunt one ourselves!” Rick exclaimed.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Lerio agreed, quickly positioning himself and shooting down a distant ‘Fire Dragon’ with his swift movements.

Jeff was stunned.

(He’s fast. His aim is precise. Is he an A-class Archer?)

Rick then cast ‘Agility Boost’ on himself, and despite wearing heavy armor, he moved with the speed of the wind, overtaking Lerio. He blocked the descending ‘Fire Dragon’s’ claws with his ‘Shield Defense’ and then finished it off with a ‘Sword Technique.’

(He’s expertly using support magic, shield defense, and sword techniques at a high level. He must be an A-class Magic Knight too, Leon assessed Rick.

Encouraged by Rick and Lerio’s success, the Archers and Warriors of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ also began challenging the ‘Fire Dragon,’ using their unique skills and stats to hunt the dragons.

Leon carefully observed their fighting styles.

(Impressive. As expected of the strongest unit from the ‘Adventurers’ Town.’ They’ve already mastered the technique for taking down the ‘Fire Dragon,’ despite being new to the ‘Volcano Dungeon.’ But… is it just me, or is there not much difference between our movements and those of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’?)

Leon glanced at his own unit.

(Could it be that we’re now on the same level as these outsiders? No, that can’t be…)

As the ‘Alliance of the Spirit Workshop’ advanced, the monsters grew stronger.

The local adventurers and the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ began competing fiercely to hunt the ‘Fire Dragon,’ turning the hunt into a contest for spoils.

When the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ took the lead, the local adventurers would push ahead and take the front position. Then the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ would move even further forward, stretching the formation longer and longer.

(Hey, this isn’t good, Leon thought, beginning to worry as the competition for kills intensified.

(It’s still early on, but if we push ourselves like this now, we won’t last. We’ve still got a battle with the ‘White Wolves’ on the way back. Maybe we should conserve our strength… But then again…)

Leon glanced over at the members of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree.’

(But am I really in a position to say anything? The ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ are a high-level guild from outside. If I interfere and things turn sour, there’s no going back. But still…)

Leon then looked at the local adventurers.

(The locals, who usually hide behind the outside guilds, are unusually fired up today. That’s a good thing, but… If this keeps up, it’s only a matter of time before tensions flare up between the locals and the outsiders again.)

Once again, the local adventurers pushed ahead of the ‘Guardians of the Magic Tree’ to take the lead, stretching the formation even further.

(What should I do? At this rate, the alliance might fall apart. Someone needs to stop this, but who? There’s no one here who can talk sense into both the locals and the outsiders…)

“Leon, Euphene, tell the troops to halt,” Laurent commanded.

“Today’s exploration ends here. Start setting up camp.”

Hearing this, Leon sighed in relief.

(As expected, he called for a break at just the right time. At least we can cool down for now.)

At Laurent’s command, the ‘Spirit Workshop’ alliance, despite it still being early in the day, took up positions on a nearby hill and began preparing to camp.