บท 20: Chapter 19
The two A-rank missions Gin accepted were to eliminate a certain poisonous magical beast and to explore a recently discovered underground labyrinth.
The poisonous beast was reportedly a giant lizard whose toxic breath had severely affected nearby villages, causing many to fall ill.
As for the underground labyrinth, it was discovered recently. Judging by the monsters inside, the labyrinth's level wasn't high, but the boss monster inside was incredibly troublesome.
The guild master, knowing about Gin's Shakkaho, assumed he was proficient in fire magic and thus assigned him the labyrinth mission as well.
Both the poisonous beast hunt and the labyrinth exploration were not tasks that could be completed in a day. Considering the distances, it was unlikely to make a round trip in a single day.
Gin was tired of eating tasteless roasted beast meat, so he needed proper food and water supplies. Although he didn't need armor, a decent sword was essential.
The bone knife Gin had used was crafted from the rib of a slain magical beast. When he split the Shakkaho, the bone knife couldn't withstand the mana and shattered into powder.
Penniless, Gin couldn't afford a suitable weapon or even food and water. Reluctantly, he borrowed money from Soya once again.
Having already relied on her, he figured it didn't matter if he borrowed more.
The long sword he obtained from the weapons shop couldn't compare to his Zanpakuto but was far superior to the bone knife.
After acquiring the weapon and plenty of food, Gin didn't rush to leave but instead went to the house Soya had lent him.
He tidied up his room and prepared to depart, though he didn't encounter the other strong female tenant Soya mentioned. He wouldn't have minded meeting her, considering they were living under the same roof.
...
Five days later.
Gin finally arrived at the poisonous beast's habitat, a few hundred kilometers south of the town, holding a map.
In the past few days, Gin had first explored the underground labyrinth. It took him less than half a day to clear it, despite it being labeled as an A-rank adventurer challenge.
The labyrinth's boss was a massive ice serpent capable of exhaling extremely cold breath. Gin found several frozen adventurers who had failed before him.
Adventuring had its lucrative moments, but it was also a job where one risked death. The frozen adventurers were stark reminders of this danger.
Sensing an intruder, the ice serpent hissed menacingly at Gin. Magical beasts had stronger instincts than humans. The ice serpent, as the labyrinth boss, sensed that Gin was no ordinary opponent and tried to scare him away.
Unfortunately for the serpent, Gin was unfazed. He drew his long sword and prepared for battle.
There was no fierce fight. To Gin, the ice serpent's strength was comparable to a Gillian from the Bleach world. Its icy breath was noteworthy but not impressive. Under the bombardment of Gin's Shakkaho and Sōkatsui, the serpent fell in less than a minute.
After collecting rare materials from the serpent and obtaining proof of his success, Gin hurried to his next destination.
After days of travel, Gin arrived at the plains where the poisonous beast supposedly resided. He was stunned to find a massive creature snoring at the entrance of a cave.
The giant creature was nothing like the "giant lizard" described in the report.
"This is a dragon! How can this possibly be a lizard? Dragons look like oversized lizards, but who ever heard of a lizard with horns and wings?"
According to the adventurers' guild information, the target was a three-meter-long giant lizard-like magical beast that emitted poisonous gas. Its strength was supposedly within the range of an A-rank adventurer.
But seeing the actual creature and comparing it to the rough drawing on his commission document, Gin realized the discrepancy. The creature before him was at least fifteen meters long, far exceeding the reported size!
Moreover, it wasn't just a "lizard-like magical beast"; it was at least a subspecies of a dragon.
Dragons were apex predators in any world. The massive purple dragon before Gin was undoubtedly not an A-rank threat!
"Damn, either the intel is wrong, or I've been tricked! A five-meter lizard couldn't grow to this size in just a few days!"
Gin suspected the local villagers or lord who issued the commission might have lied. This was a common occurrence since lower commission difficulty meant lower fees.
If the adventurer succeeded, the villagers profited. If they failed, they could claim misjudgment and raise the commission level, paying a bit more for higher chances of success.
Seeing the dragon, Gin decided to leave. He had no habit of being taken for a fool.
However, just as he was about to leave, he noticed an exceptionally beautiful elven girl with orange hair and a sword approaching the toxic dragon...
(End of Chapter)
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