The Kicked Out S-Rank Appraiser Creates The Strongest Guild

Chapter 151 The White Wolf Resistance

Leon was checking the damage to the unit alongside Laurent.

Despite the confusion caused by the attacks of the “Fire Dragon” and the “Giant Rock Ogre,” the damage to the unit was minimal.

It was all thanks to Jill’s efforts.

(Jill Irwin’s combat performance was truly exceptional. Her strength, endurance, and agility were all on a different level. As expected of an S-Class.)

There were some moments when he felt she was taking unnecessary damage, but aside from that, she was the strongest adventurer Leon had ever seen.

While he was checking the unit, Jill suddenly stepped in front of Laurent.

“Laurent!”

She held her shoulder with one hand, grimaced, and breathed heavily, clearly in pain.

“Jill, what’s wrong?”

“I took some damage in the earlier fight. Could I take a short rest?”

(It’s true; after taking so many hits from both the ‘Fire Dragon’ and the ‘Giant Rock Ogre,’ even for an S-Class, it must be tough.)

Leon thought.

“Alright, understood. Then we’ll rearrange the unit’s formation. Jill, fall back, and—”

“Wait, Leon.”

Laurent interrupted in a strangely cold tone.

“Laurent?”

“Jill, I told you to get accustomed to your equipment. What do you mean you want to rest when your compatibility rate hasn’t even increased yet?”

Jill flinched.

Her trembling was odd, almost like she was shuddering, rather than shrinking back from being scolded.

“I won’t allow you to fall back. You will continue to fight on the front lines.”

“Tch…”

Jill bit her lip and glared at Laurent with resentment.

However, Laurent did not soften his stern expression.

Jill squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

“…Understood. The captain’s orders are absolute. I will do as you say, Laurent.”

With those words, Jill turned and sprinted deeper into the dungeon.

(Damn it… To keep me fighting after I’ve been wounded and worn out by the ‘Fire Breath’ of the ‘Fire Dragon’ and the club of the ‘Giant Rock Ogre’… Laurent, you… you are simply… the best!)

Watching Jill head further ahead, Laurent turned to Leon.

“Leon. Increase the pace as planned. Make sure not to fall behind.”

“Huh? Uh, okay.”

“I’ll stay at the back and support the external guilds.”

“Got it.”

Despite receiving Laurent’s instructions, Leon felt unsettled.

(If an adventurer reports exhaustion and fatigue, they should be pulled back and allowed to rest. That’s normal, right? Am I missing something?)

Leon, who had recently started to feel more confident, began to feel his certainty wavering.

While Leon and the others struggled to coordinate with Jill, the thieves of the ‘White Wolf’ had gotten ahead of the ‘Spirit Alliance’ and were lying in wait.

The reinforced equipment provided by ‘Dragon’s Ember’ was a huge disappointment.

Most of it was no different from existing gear, and as for Edgar’s highly recommended Black Bow Mk II,’ it was a complete failure with no regard for the user.

(Useless fools. Edgar, I can understand, but even Raoul has fallen to this level. They’re just people who can’t show their strength without organizational support.)

Deciding he could no longer rely on the support from ‘Dragon’s Ember,’ Jamil resolved to manage things on his own.

(The top priority is to weaken the strength of the ‘Spirit Alliance.’)

What lingered in Jamil’s mind was the sight of Yugan, of the “Crescent Knights,” brimming with frustration.

Even though he was an S-Class adventurer, it was difficult to match the pace with adventurers ranked lower than himself.

More often than not, he would build up frustration due to the low level of those around him.

On the other hand, the surrounding adventurers would push themselves to keep up with the S-Class, leaving them utterly exhausted.

The coordination between S-Class adventurers and everyone else was still poor.

There was also not yet a complete trust established between the local and external parties.

If that gap were exploited, they might not be able to take down Jill, but they could at least bring about the failure of the subjugation of the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.”

If that were to happen, the “Spirit Alliance” would lose much of its prestige, and the external guilds would once again seek assistance from the “Dragon’s Ember.”

Jamil, who had assessed Jill’s status, realized that she was so agile that she couldn’t be caught even if all of them together were to chase her from behind.

Chasing from behind would never allow them to catch up.

In that case, they had no choice but to ambush her in advance.

As expected, when Laurent and his group reached the bottom of the cliff where Jamil and his group were hiding, there was already a noticeable gap between the advancing Jill and the trailing average adventurers.

Seeing that his intuition was right, Jamil smirked.

(Now, we just have to strike at the weakest point of the alliance…)

Fortunately, that was soon found.

[Status of Ike Belford]

Strength Power: 40 (↘︎30) – 100

[Status of Liz Leowill]

Agility: 40 (↘︎30) – 100

[Status of Archie Shetty]

Strength Power: 40 (↘︎30) -–100

The common point among the three was that they were wearing equipment that exceeded their minimum strength power or moving with agility beyond their minimum agility.

(It seems they are trying to raise their minimum values. Most likely, those three are candidates for A-Class development. However, at this point, it’s a clear weakness. Heh. The training principle of the S-Class appraiser has backfired.)

“Fire at those three. After that, hit the enemies who come in to support with the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet.'”

Following Jamil’s command, the thieves quickly sprang into action.

They unleashed a “bow shot” at Ike, Liz, and Archie, and then bombarded the unit that tried to cover them with the “Dragonhead Gauntlet.”

The unit was quickly thrown into chaos.

“Enemy attack! It’s the ‘White Wolves!’”

(They’ve come!)

Hearing the shout from behind, Laurent quickly realized the enemy’s intent and ordered his unit to take their positions.

Some of the external adventurers were still not accustomed to Laurent’s way of doing things, so it took more effort than usual.

Meanwhile, two or three more shots from the “Dragonhead Gauntlet” were fired.

The local adventurers grew frustrated with the poor coordination of the external adventurers.

By now, the positions of the locals and the outsiders had reversed.

(Instead of attacking while descending, they chose to strike while climbing. They’ve given up on stealing the ore and are instead trying to prevent the subjugation of the “Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir.” They’re targeting Ike and the others while they’re adjusting their statuses. Their ability to flexibly change tactics and accurately hit weaknesses is impressive. But this time, we have Jill on our side!)

When Laurent turned his gaze to the front line, he saw Jill already sprinting up the steep cliff toward the “White Wolves” without waiting for his command.

“Uooooooh!”

(Is that the notorious thief gang from ‘the Fire Dragon’s Island’? And the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet,’ which greatly enhances magical attacks… What a fantastic—or rather, terrifying—combination. I have no choice but to take the lead here!)

The thieves atop the cliff also noticed Jill’s presence.

“Jill Irwin is coming!”

“Alright, follow the plan.”

(Is it happening!?)

Just as Jill reached the top of the cliff and arrived at the forefront of the “White Wolves”…

The thieves turned their backs and started to flee.

(…What?)

Jill, who had expected to be subjected to an intense concentrated attack, was left dumbfounded.

(Oh, no!)

It was only at this moment that Laurent realized his mistake.

“Jill! What are you doing? Finish off the enemy quickly!”

“Huh? Oh, right, got it!”

Jill hastily chased after the fleeing “White Wolves,” but the thieves who were caught quickly surrendered.

(What is with these guys?)

Jill was dumbfounded.

In the end, Jill only managed to capture a few of the “White Wolves” thieves as prisoners.

(This is the worst.)

Laurent turned pale.

Jill’s motivation came from dealing damage, so her morale dropped when facing enemies that ran away.

For that reason, the “White Wolves” were, in a sense, the worst possible match for Jill.

Every time they were attacked by the “White Wolves,” Jill would react immediately, only to be repeatedly frustrated by the enemies’ quick retreats.

Jamil also noticed something was off.

(What’s going on? The pursuit by the S-Class heavy knight is sluggish?)

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

Strength Power: 85 (↘︎20) – 110

Endurance Toughness: 95 (↘︎20) – 120

Agility: 80 (↘︎20) – 105

Stamina: 175 (↘︎20) -–200

(What is this!? Jill Irwin’s status seems to be in decline?)

Jamil pondered over it.

Her reaction to their fleeing…

She looked both bewildered and somewhat confused.

(I don’t know why, but our hit-and-run tactics seem to be working effectively? In that case… maybe it’s worth targeting the area where Jill is?)

Laurent also noticed the decline in Jill’s status.

(Jill’s status is decreasing. She’s losing her rhythm and motivation due to facing enemies that don’t put up a real fight. I need to come up with a strategy.)

Leon, too, noticed that something was strange about Jill’s behavior.

(What’s going on? Jill Irwin seems off somehow?)

However, given the current situation where their marching speed was faster than usual, they couldn’t afford to assign anyone other than Jill to deal with the “White Wolves.”

“Hey, Laurent. What’s going on with Jill?”

“…”

“If she’s not feeling well, shouldn’t we change the strategy from being centered around her?”

“The strategy stays as is. We’re going with Jill at the center.”

While this conversation was happening, the “White Wolves” launched another surprise attack.

Jill finally stopped even attempting to attack the “White Wolves.”

“Jill, what are you doing? You need to counterattack!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m doing it…”

Jill ran toward the “White Wolves” as if she were merely fulfilling a duty.

(Sigh. What’s with these guys? Running away without even fighting? It’s so lame. And Laurent… he knows this isn’t what I’m looking for.)

(Now’s the time.)

Jamil sent the weakest members of his group toward where Jill was positioned.

Laurent turned pale.

(No, stop it, damn it!)

(Ugh… here come some more weaklings.)

Jill defeated the enemies with a visibly bored expression.

Because of this, the “White Wolves” were able to prolong their attacks.

By the time Hans and Elio flanked them and managed to drive off the “White Wolves,” the unit had taken unnecessary damage and was thoroughly exhausted.

Distrust in Jill grew stronger throughout the alliance.

Jill’s condition worsened even more.

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

Strength Power: 75 (↘︎30) – 110

Endurance Toughness: 85 (↘︎30) – 120

Agility: 70 (↘︎30) – 105

Stamina: 165 (↘︎30) – 200

(Gah… Jill’s status is dropping again…)

Laurent was troubled.

(All the effort put into adjusting Jill’s status is crumbling because of this. What should I do? Should I change the strategy, as Leon suggested? But if I do that, it might further lower her motivation before we even reach the ‘Giant Fire Dragon Grand Fafnir’.)

“Hey, Laurent…”

Leon spoke up with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Laurent headed over to Jill.

“Jill, can I have a word?”

“What is it?”

Jill, for once, looked at Laurent with a dissatisfied expression.

(Is Laurent going to scold me? But it can’t be helped. No matter how much he scolds me, I can’t just make myself feel motivated…)

“I’m going to give you a new order.”

“A new order?”

“It’s a challenge mode.”

“What!? A ch-challenge mode?”

Jill’s heart skipped a beat.

She couldn’t help but feel a thrill at the words “challenge mode.”

Her previously disinterested face immediately changed, and her cheeks flushed red.

“From now on, when fighting the ‘White Wolves,’ you’re to charge without your sword or shield. Furthermore, your primary target is the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet.’”

Hearing this, Leon was left speechless.

(He’s making someone with low morale charge at the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’ without any weapons!?)

“Laurent, that’s a cruel order… But I understand. I’ll do it!”

The “White Wolves” launched another surprise attack.

After being subjected to “arrow shots,” the “Spirit Alliance” faced a barrage from the “Dragonhead Gauntlet.”

Jamil, having confirmed Jill’s position, sent the weakest unit forward to act as a wall.

“Here we go again… Looks like we’re the punching bags.”

One member of the weakest unit spoke with a sigh.

“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s just part of the job.”

“Yeah. If our sacrifice helps the whole guild, then…”

“Well, we’ve just got to do it.”

They laughed wryly at their own situation as they moved toward the battlefield.

“Oh, here she comes. The lovely heavy-armored knight… huh? She’s not wearing a sword or shield?”

Jill charged into the weakest unit like a wild boar, sending about ten of them flying.

She continued to tear through the human wall, pushing her way toward the main force of the “White Wolves.”

“Gyaaah!”

“Oof! Ugh!”

The weakest unit of the “White Wolves” had no choice but to be completely trampled by a force that seemed beyond human.

“W-wait…”

“We surrender! We surrender!”

“Aaagh!”

Even in dungeon PK situations, excessive pursuit of a surrendering enemy is prohibited.

However, knocking out opponents or restraining them with bare hands was allowed.

As a result, even when they surrendered, they were still mercilessly tormented by Jill.

Jamil noticed something strange.

(What is this!?)

[Jill Irwin’s Status]

Strength Power: 95 (↗︎20) – 110

Endurance Toughness: 105 (↗︎20) – 120

Agility: 90 (↗︎20) – 105

Stamina: 185 (↗︎20) -–200

(What!? Her status is recovering!?)

“Damn it. Full retreat! Scatter to the designated point, now!”

The “White Wolves” scattered like baby spiders fleeing in all directions.

However, Jill didn’t let up; she continued to relentlessly knock down the fleeing thieves without discrimination.

(Where’s the wielder of the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’? Laurent gave such a brilliant order… And this challenge mode… Haa, haa… It’s a new sensation. Laurent, are you a genius?)

Zain managed to escape from the battlefield and took a moment to catch his breath.

(Phew. If I’ve made it this far, I should be safe. I managed to get away somehow. But that S-Class woman… what a monster.)

“Still, once you’ve managed to escape, it doesn’t matter how strong someone is. In this dungeon, running away is the real victory…”

At that moment, a scream echoed from the nearby forest.

Zain was startled.

Immediately, Jill burst through the bushes and appeared before him.

“I found you, wielder of the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’!”

“What—? Ugh, ahhh!”

Zain fired the ‘Dragonhead Gauntlet’ at Jill from close range.

The fireball struck Jill directly.

(Did… did I get her?)

Smoke billowed thickly around them.