Chapter 4: The Talk and the Test
"Boy, aren't you too violent ? Trying to kill someone just over a small matter ?" The Guild master said as he took his seat.
"Old man, If I was not strong enough, I would have been seriously hurt, by your subordinate's attack. Given that he attacked me out of the blue, isn't it logical that I will retaliate in kind ? Or is your old head unable to understand this simple logic ?" Add flatly rebutted.
"Damn boy, you sure have guts! Trying to kill in my Guild, do you think you would remain safe if you killed here !?" Jim glared at him. This boy was too arrogant and violent.
Add's eyes narrowed and he said with a chilling tone.
"You can try, but I assure you that I won't be the only one getting hurt."
Guild Master Jim didn't speak anymore. He was in a dilemma.
He looked carefully at the boy before him, sizing him up, as if trying to unlock some profound mystery. But sadly for the Guild Master, he was bound to be disappointed. Finally after few minutes of futile inspection, he sighed in defeat. He was unsure of what to do with this boy before him. At first glance he looked like a handsome pretty boy. But Jim knew, behind that face, was a ruthless person. He clearly knew that if he hadn't stopped this boy, Lee would have died already. He looked at Add trying to figure his intentions but all he saw was the expressionless face with the chilling cold eyes.
"Never mind that...back to the point, you say you were the one who killed all the goblins ?" He asked
"En" Add nodded.
"Including the Goblin Lord ?" he asked again, with doubt evident in his voice.
"En" Add nodded again
"Boy you better not be joking with me." The old Guild Master stared at him menacingly, trying to intimidate the boy.
"Why would I joke with you ? Do I look like someone who needs to joke with an old fogey like you ? As if I have nothing better to do...."
"Boy you....." Jim's forehead had blacklines. This boy was too arrogant. No one had dared talk to him in such a manner in a long time. Still keeping his cool he asked...
"Well, then can you show me any proof ?"
"What proof do you want ? They're dead, you didn't kill them, I did. I don't see what I need to prove anyway ?
The Guild Master felt helpless. Even with his years of experience he couldn't tell if the boy was lying or not. Or simply tying to swindle for money.
"You see boy....I doesn't work that way. Just you saying won't prove anything."
"Then what should I do to make you believe ?" Add asked, he was getting irritated on the inside. If not for he wanted the money, he would have left already.
The Guild Master thought for sometime and then said...
"First of all, assuming that you really did what you claim, how did you kill so many goblins in such short time ? Even an A rank adventurer such as me would take a few hours if not many, to deal with such a large horde..... And you, claim to have done it within such a short time ?"
"Ah that....You see after I got separated from my group due to an ambush, I found myself wandering alone in the forest. And while wandering I chanced upon the nest of goblins.
And then, well lets just say that they attacked me and I retaliated.....and killed them all somehow. As for how, I naturally have my ways, and I don't see why I have to tell you that ?" Add said calmly.
Jim's eyes landed on the strange object hanging from the boy's shoulder. He felt that it must be a weapon, since the boy kept it tightly on him, within arms reach. Just that if it was a weapon, it was one he had never seen before. Hearing Add's evasive answers, he frowned.
"Look boy, I get that you don't want to expose your secrets, but this way won't do. You have to give some evidence of your ability! We cannot have some random wannabe pretend to be a powerhouse now can we ?"
The Guild Master was already being extremely lenient. If it were some other brat in Add's place, he would have slapped him, broken his legs and thrown him out. But there were two reasons why he didn't do so. First : Add definitely had some skills. He had stopped Lee's attack with ease. Jim was sensitive to mana and so he knew that Add had little mana in his body and he had only used his pure physical strength to stop the punch. From this Jim figured that this boy was equal to Lee, if not stronger in terms of raw power.
Secondly, from Add he felt a dangerous vibe. His aura was strange, at the same time it was quite familiar. His aura seemed to be a mixture of auras from people like battle hardened soldiers, and also deadly assassins who had reaped countless lives. Add had such an aura. And although he didn't want to admit it, he felt what the boy was saying was true. But he had the dignity of a guild master, so he could not just accept the boy's words now could he ?
Add fell silent. He closed his eyes and didn't anything for a long time. In his mind, he was weighing the options. On one hand he didn't want to expose his abilities completely, as having a hidden factor, was always the best deterrent. While on the other hand he needed the money. He had decided to live in this world, and for that he would have to ensure that he wasn't a poor person, he didn't need a sea of gold, but at least a stable income was a must. As he was deliberating when a blue panel suddenly began flashing before him...
[Ding! New Mission Initiated !]
[Mission : Veteran Adventurer
Description : Your strength is being questioned by the people! Prove your power to them and obtain reverence and respect!
Objective : Become an A – Ranked Adventurer!
Time Limit – 5 days
Rewards : 5000 Exp. and 1000 CP
Penalty : You will be chased out of Rigel]
"Right on time huh? Are you always waiting for a correct time to post a mission, you blasted System ? And now there is a penalty as well ? How amusing" he thought sarcastically.
[....]
"Never mind, I'll do it anyway."
He then looked at the guild master and spoke, "Fine then. Since you want proof, Ill give you proof. If I have enough strength, it solves all troubles doesn't it ?"
"Naturally..." Jim wondered what he was going to do.
"Well then, I want to take an A rank promotion Exam. That would suffice right ?"
"What !?" Jim nearly fell down from his seat.
"Are you serious !?" He asked with widened eyes to which Add nodded with hi usual "En"
A promotion test, as it implied, was a test to qualify for a promotion, in this case for an increase in rank. Promotion of Adventurers had many criteria, and seldom were Adventurers directly promoted to higher ranks. In most cases, they had to work their way up, from the bottom ranks.
"Boy....don't be too full of yourself. First of all an F rank taking a A – Rank promotion exam is against the rules of the guild. Secondly, the criteria for promotion is tough, you who have barely been here half a month, want to be and A - Rank ? Aren't you taking this Guild too lightly ?"
"Cut the bullshit, old man. I know you can arrange for the test with your authority, you are not a Guild Master for show right ? And as far as my ability is concerned I have full faith in myself."
The Guild Master felt like punching this rude brat before him. From the start he had never given any respect to him. But even if he attacked the brat, he was not sure he would come out unhurt. Plus he was an elder, he could not bring himself down to fight with a junior now, could he ? Yes, the second reason was why he didn't take action.....probably.....
"Humph! You have too much confidence in yourself ! Fine I won't stop you then! Let me tell you, since your situation is special, there are two ways for you to give this exam. First, you spar with me, one on one, and if I judge that you are strong enough, I will directly promote you to A – Rank. Again, the second way is that you complete an A – Rank quest by yourself, without any outside help. If you can complete it, You will be promoted."
Add thought for a while. Sparring with the Guild master 1 on 1, would be disadvantageous for Add. He was confident on dealing with this old man in a Life or Death battle, but in sparring, he would probably loose. Also, he didn't trust this old man. He looked quite scheming and cunning.
"Ill choose, the second option then"
"Are you sure ? A – Rank quests are nothing like goblin subjugation, mind you." The Guild master warned him. 'Looks like this brat is very cautious, if he chose to spar with me, he would have to expose his skills. How shrewd ' he thought.
"Yes, I am sure" The latter nodded.
Jim rang a small bell kept by his table and after a sometime Clara entered the room. She avoided looking at the boy, and went beside the Guild Master.
"Clara, bring me all of the A – Rank quests which we have....."
The woman looked at him questioningly, and went to fetch the papers. After a few minutes Jim was holding the various papers of A – Rank quests in his hand. He skimmed through the quests, searching for a suitable quest.
"Here you go brat this alight with you ?"
_ _ _ _ _
Quest : Orc Subjugation | A – Rank
Details : A tribe of orcs is causing trouble in the surrounding regions. Many villages have been attacked by them recently. It is suspected that a tribe has formed a nest in the region.
Requirements : Find the nest of the Orcs and eliminate all of them. Bring their right ears as proof.
Rewards : 1 silver coin for every orc killed.
Time limit : 7 days.
_ _ _ _ _
Orcs were another humanoid type of monster, bearing close resemblance to hobgoblins, yet very different from them. They are usually as tall as humans, however often being taller than humans as well. They posses brutish strength and raw power, and had a humanoid shape. They were generally, broad shouldered with a slightly bent posture, flat-nosed, with wide mouths and slant eyes, long arms, dark skin, and large fangs. Their skin colour ranged from murky grey to bland shades of dull green. Most Orcs however had darker shades of black or brown skin. They had deformed faces which were a bit more similar to humans than goblins. They have a good sense of smell and hearing but their eyesight is average. But some orcs tend to have a more 'human' shape and stronger than their peers. They have higher bloodlines than regular orcs and often lead their tribes.
Orcs lived in tribes of a few dozens to hundreds, where the strongest one ruled. They had primitive ways in which the females stayed in the nests while the males went out to raid . They had their own coarse language and were more intelligent than goblins. Their tribes had various classes of orcs, some more deformed short and weak, which were of the lowest position, while others were strong and occupied the mid level in the hierarchy. The average Orc was a C ranked Monster while the stronger ones would be B – ranked and their tribe leaders even reached A – ranks.
The leaders of the tribe were the strongest individuals. Orcs were inherently, evil, cruel, wicked, hateful, black hearted creatures, and hated everybody and everything even their own kin, but particularly humans and other prosperous races However, despite their abominable nature and form, they are not dim-witted but clever and crafty.
They primarily used weapons made of bone and wood, but could also use human weapons with ease. They were omnivores who ate almost anything, but preferred meat above all else. Especially Human meat. To them it was a delicacy.
Orcs often raided settlements of other races pillaging and slaughtering, which earned them hatred from all other races. Many times they would be killed by the other races, yet their breeding abilities were second only to goblins, and coupled with their intelligence, they thrived in the dark forests and woods, while some tribes also preferred caves and tunnels as their homes.
"No problems"
"Then ill leave it to you, your time will start from tomorrow. Prepare what you need. I will send Vlad to take you to the place where the Orcs are frequently seen. Here are 100 copper coins. Use it to buy rations for your trip. If you successfully complete the promotion Exam, You will get 50 silver coins in total as reward for killing all the goblins ."
The Guild Master then recorded the quest in his name. Add took the small pouch of money and stood up.
"Fine then, I should leave now" Add stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving he turned to look at the Guild Master, "And to Inform you, I don't like people following me. If I find anyone doing so....well it won't be pleasing...."
After he left the Guild Master slammed the desk in anger.
"Damned Brat!"
_ _ _ _ _
The next day, Add led by Vlad left Rigel. Their destination was around 30 kilometres away from Rigel. Luckily the Guild had given him a horse to travel. Add have never ridden a horse in his past life, but for 200 CP the skill [Basic Horse-riding] was his.
He had purchased a 55L Tactical Rucksack with 200 CP and filled it with some spare clothes, bread and dried ham and chicken jerky. He also bought a 2 litre tactical water bottle for 50 CP. He now looked like a complete soldier.
On the way Vlad looked at his clothes and armour strangely, but didn't say much. After a few hours they reached the area. A road from Rigel passed through the forest here, and many Orcs had been sighted around here. He bid farewell to Vlad who returned to town and went into the forest.
A group of 5 Dire wolves came in his way but he killed them immediately. After levelling up, keeping track of their movements was easy. He obtained 400 Exp. and 250 CP from them.
When he reached, the estimated area where the orcs had been seen, he began surveying the surroundings. Add's black combat gear blended well into the darkness of the forest and made him difficult to spot. After searching for sometime, he climbed up a tree to get a better look of the area. He purchased a pair of advanced binoculars from the system for 400 CP
_ _ _ _ _
Item : Steiner 220 MM1080 Military 10×50 Tactical Binoculars and Rangefinder.
Description : Unbelievable toughness, exceptional clarity and consistent optical performance these are the traits of Steiner 220 MM1080 Military 10x50mm Tactical Binocular and Rangefinder. This STEINER's binocular also features Fine -Tuned-Laser-Calibrated-Focal lenses. No other binocular/rangefinder combo will deliver the image and ranging accuracy and reliability of this military veteran.
It provides a clear image of objects from 20 metres to infinity. It also features a Carbon composite housing which is made of durable polycarbonate, high density polyethylene and NBR rubber armouring that can withstand 12 Gs of impact.
Durability : 400/400
Effective range : 20 – 2,000 metres
_ _ _ _ _
He now had 1620 CP.
He looked around and soon found what he was looking for. About two kilometres away from him, in a clearing in the forest, there were a few crude shacks made of branches, thin trunks of trees and leaves. Looking carefully, this was a small village of orcs. He could see many of them moving about and estimated that their numbers were over a hundred. After observing for some more time and he returned to the ground.
"There sure are a lot of them....That old man surely gave, me a good one. Well, at least I can earn some Exp. and CP."
He went around the village, surveying the area, avoiding a few orcs which were moving around. Add then made some preparations and returned to observing the orc village. After sometime he saw a large group of 44 orcs leave the village.
Orcs usually hunted in groups, and almost half of the orcs had ventured out this time. Add had made a plan to lure out the orcs away from their nest. While he was surveying the area, he saw a few wild boars grazing around. These boars were not your ordinary boars, they were over 3 metres long and 2 metres tall at the shoulders. Their bodies were covered in thick layer of fat and thick rough fur like a lion, giving them the name [Mane Boar]. These also had very long and pointed tusks which were very dangerous. These were classified as D – Rank monsters, known for their violent tendencies. However, before the AK-47 bullets, that was of little help. They were less than sitting ducks. Add killed three boars before the rest escaped.
Orcs were known to be scavengers as well. They would never refuse free food. He then found a vantage point up a small cliff. There was enough shrubbery and bushes to hide his figure. Add adjusted his AX338 sniper rifle on its bipod after finding a proper position and lied down. His eyes glued to the scope. From his position, the orc group was about 2 kilometres away and slowly approaching. They had got the smell of the spilling blood and were approaching the dead boars.
*Click – Clack*
The bullet was chambered.
The Orcs came closer.
The crosshair on the scope found itself onto an unsuspecting orc who was looking around for prey.
*Pshh*
Following the sound of the suppressor, the bullet left the muzzle.
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Comrade_Weismann
Comrade_Weismann Enjoy~
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