Adventurers depicted their designated rankings in a pendant through the following order: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Adamantium for Master and Customized for Hero, with the latter being the highest and most powerful. This was the standard hierarchy, developed by the Guild and eventually becoming publicly known throughout the world.
Aqua had learned Adventuring 101 from the conversation with the Moonlight White Cats.
"What does it take to become a Master-tier?" Aqua continued to ask, wanting to learn so much more about the adventurer world now that she was officially a Bronze-tier adventurer.
Maybe... maybe, I'll reach there one day!
Aqua smiled sheepishly as Mana gulped down her beer like water — she seemed to be a natural drinker. With a burp of satisfaction, she bellowed:
"Okay!!~ So there are a bunch of requirements like being able to cast 5th tier magic, having five years of adventure experiences, be in the top one hundred in the overall ranking and... Wait. I'm legit too tipsy to think right now. Help me Tetsuo? Sachi?~"
The other guildmates stared at Mana and laughed.
"Come on!! Fine then, you tell Aqua cause you're always crazy about climbing the ranks."
With a bump of a shoulder, the torch of information was passed to the only sober guildmate. He let out a sigh and continued where Mana left off.
"The most important is performing a major feat."
Kirituna sipped on his apple juice with a straw. He was a black-haired swordsman who was the other Platinum-tier. The others were all Gold-tier with two more that could not make it today.
"Like Duality with slaying the Elder Hydralisk or XIV writing a manifesto on casting fourteen variations of fire-based spells. Being Master-tier is all about having an achievement that distinguishes you from others."
Writing a book?
"You don't need to slay monsters to become a Master-tier?"
"Nah," Keida laughed out loud as he was as wasted as Mana. "Although most adventurers hunt da monsters, there are others who collectin' rare materials, providin' protection, explorin' the unknown, volunteerin' for da public services."
"Being an adventurer is being an advocate for humanity." The adventurer called Sachi chimed in softly. She gave the presentation of a wise yet shy lady, although her cheeks were slightly rosy.
"Amazing..."
Aqua could only fall in love with her childhood dream once again. After hearing the details, this career sounded so noble! A great adventurer was something she definitely wanted to be.
"For Master-tier, these criteria only satisfied the bare minimum. Unlike other rankings, where you would typically ascend after a Promotion Exam, Master-tier has a limit of ten spots and is insanely competitive."
Ten spots...?! There are over thousands of adventurers...
And that's just only in the Capital of Libertea...
This must mean that the likelihood is lower than 1%!
"Yeah, so you are basically considered the elite of the elites." Mana nodded, resting her head tiredly on the table. "DAMN! I want to at least Diamond-tier before I retire..."
"Oi oi, ya alright, Miss Mana?" Keida grinned. "Didn't know ya such weakling."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just resting my eyes!"
"Typical Mana," Tetsuo shook his head. "I swear you do this every time when there's alcohol."
"If only she was as serious about the quests as drinking." Kirituna chuckled to himself as Sachi walked over and covered her with a coat.
"I'll get there!!" Mana sang out as the group laughed. "Just you wait..."
Realistically, Aqua knew that she could never achieve such status that was Master-tier. Heck, even Platinum-tier. She was far too noob. Still, it was interesting to know and fun to talk about. In her dreams, maybe she could indulge in it just a bit.
Aqua, the Master-tier adventurer.
Saving the world and becoming famous for slaying dragons and monsters!
At the same time, known for summoning cute animals made of liquid...
Wah~ Aqua could feel her cheeks glow warmly. Perhaps it was the thought of being a top-tier adventurer or the alcohol messing with her brain. Thus, the Bronze-tier adventurer returned to the conversation, and will probably return to her fantasy later on in bed.
♦ ♦ ♦
Master-tier adventurers mainly help resolve problems at the national level such as the Ancient Dragon Incident that happened three years ago. In the guild, these elites stood near the pinnacle, directly below the zenith of humanity known as Hero-tier. Right now, Mana was a newly promoted Platinum-tier.
With her eyes closed and the fluffiness of Sachi's coat, she mused to herself while hearing The Moonlight White Cats chattering in the background.
Next goal — Diamond-tier.
Realistically, that would take at least a decade. The journey only gets harder. Because if all adventurers in the world were to form a hierarchical pyramid, then Master-tier would be scarce. For Hero-tier, it would be similar to searching for an oasis in the desert.
That was because there were only four living Hero-tier adventurers, with one busy devoting himself to the research of ancient-tier magic and one far away in a magical expedition to search for the hidden ruins of Palantis. The remaining two were the famous pair called Duality.
But they disappeared about a year ago.
And no one knew where they went or why they decided to vanish without a trace.
While a few assumed that the legends had finally perished in glorious combat, many adventurers would immediately disagree. How could living legends die so suddenly?
Their sudden disappearance only added fuel to the flames of their publicity.
That was because they were still alive. Many theories were formed behind their disappearance such as retiring to the rural countryside with their life savings or operating undercover in classified missions. Mana's personal favorite was that the two finally decided to marry and settle down.
Gah~ I would love to attend their marriage ceremony. And maybe see the two take off their mask and then lean in for that magical kiss!!
Love was a ubiquitous topic associated with Duality and many admirers shipped the duo together.
If people analyzed their fighting style, they would find themselves admire their absolute synergy and trust with one another. Plus, many agreed that it was romantic that they were mutually exclusive and sworn to protect each other. And Mana was one of the numerous who supported that one true ship; Yin x Yang.
Duality... I wonder if they'll ever come back again.
There were boisterous murmurs near the entrance. A wave of commotion then swept through the guild like a surging gust of wind.
Mana vaguely understood the reason for that disturbance as she opened her eyes towards the same direction to where everyone was looking at. There, she saw them. Her idols. In the living flesh.
It was the Hero-tier guild team; Duality.
Wait...
What...?
What?!?!
As their name implies, Duality comprised of only two members: Yin and Yang. A guild that lived fully up to its title, refusing membership to any who tried to apply. Rumors had it that they even turned down Master-tier adventurers.
No way-!
Their faces were covered with their signature crimson-trimmed Wolf-Kabuki and Fox-Kabuki Masks, paired with midnight-black cloaks that concealed the rest of their bodies. The two mysterious adventurers radiated an air of gravita.
At the very most, the people here knew the two were male and female by their physique and how they carried themselves.
"Look at their pendants..." Someone whispered. "The color and design..."
"It's real... they must really be..."
Located at Yin's neck and Yang's wrist hung a custom-made pendant — one that belonged to living legends, an object of worship for adventurers, the trump card of humanity that would protect them from being ravaged by the 'God-tier' monsters like the Ancient Dragon or Elder Hydralisk — an onyx-black one for Yin and a pearl-white one for Yang.
Their accomplishments had long surpassed other teams.
Duality completed seven 'God-tier' quests, the highest difficulty in the adventurer's guild, setting a world record in the history books. Even that alone was too far in excess to any other parties. The team in second place only finished three in mere comparison.
This was the solid proof that Yin and Yang stood above and beyond the pinnacle of humanity.
And now, these two, famed in bard's songs and stories throughout the world, had appeared before them after a year of hiatus.
What do I do...?
Shit. I'm so drunk right now...
Mana was utterly speechless. Her head was throbbing. Exhaustion was constant. With the alcohol inhibiting her brain and vision, she could only glance at the two, barely making out their form in the distance.
But it was obvious that their appearance stirred the Adventurer's Guild into a speechless frenzy.
"The heroes of all heroes..."
"They look even more compelling in person..."
"That must be... the Elemental Princess, Yin... And behind her is Yang, the Legendary Swordsman... I can't believe my eyes...They're here..."
"I never saw that type of blade before... I wonder if it's a drop or custom-made."
"That's her that's her!!! That's the mage that can cast all the elements."
A group of adventurers sitting nearby whispered amongst each other.
"Yo dude. I heard they were responsible for the destruction of Temecula half a decade ago..."
"No way, how could that be? Against King Hurley and his elite squad of magicians...?"
"Come on, dude? It's Duality we are talking about. Not even Boba or Shen could pull off such feat."
"Yeah, those Hero-tiers got nothing on Yin and Yang."
"Still... to think they managed to withstand against the Unpolites... Weren't they suppose to be the most feared mercenary group in the world?"
Yin and Yang advanced calmly to the standing maid under these adoring looks. The adventurers nearby all instinctively stepped back and made a clear path. On their faces was an emotional mixture of respect and fear.
After the crowd had finally silenced, the Fox-Kabuki stepped forward and addressed the maid with a nod.
"Yin of Duality. We are here to discuss the upcoming quest, Mari."
The muffled yet elegant voice reached out like a sweet lullaby.
Yin sounded a lot more soothing than Mana had expected.
The mask she wore did not seem particularly thick, so it should have been easy to make out the feminine qualities of her voice. Somehow, there was no way to tell Yin's age or any emotional inflections from it. At the very most, Mana could assume that she was a young maiden. But that was already given based on her lustrous black hair that flowed out on the sides of her hood.
"Thank you for coming, Hero Yin and Hero Yang. Please follow me to the meeting room."
"Lead the way, Mari."
Despite being an Elite Five, Mari nodded in deference and bowed deeply before them. That was only to be expected in the sheer presence of living legends who had saved the world from its demise.
As the maid turned on her heels, the duo adventurers slowly trailed behind her and headed upstairs, leaving a huge crowd of adventurers murmuring amongst themselves.
"I wonder what they are doing here...?"
"They said they're here for a quest, did you not hear? I bet you it's another God-tier quest."
"Oh my god, that was freaking Duality... In. The. Flesh!"
"That must be why they disappeared. They were questing all along!"
"I still ship the two together, did you see how close they were walking?!"
As the commotion dispersed, all of the members of Moonlight White Cats turned their heads towards Mana, wondering what sort of reaction she might have.
Many thought that she might possibly just explode in utter happiness, whenever the topic of Duality was mentioned. Maybe even cry out tears of joy. It was hard to tell because the Platinum-tier adventurer had a blank expression, looking mighty drunk.
After a few seconds, Mana examined her guildmates. They seemed to be leaned in, waiting for her response.
Letting out a deep sigh and a huge facepalm, Mana bellowed out with her face as red as a tomato:
"I'M NEVER DRINKING EVER AGAIN. NEVER EVER AGAIN!"
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章節 11: Adventurer's Guild II
A bespectacled maid stood attentively by the wooden staircase, as if waiting for her master to arrive. In the place of a hat, she wore a white-brimmed headdress that contrasted elegantly to her wavy navy-blue hair. Within her white gloves, she held a notepad and a feather pen.
Despite her domestic outfit, the maid possessed an aura of a veteran. Judging from her mature facial expression and unyielding body posture, she seemed to possess years of battle experience.
I wonder which household she belongs to... She's so pretty.
In the main lobby, warriors in full armor, archers with bows behind their back, and mages in gaudy robes were relaxing and chatting to their guildmates.
Some were enthusiastically swapping key information about the monsters and dungeons nearby while others were analyzing the various parchments on the huge 'AVAILABLE QUESTS' noticeboard. There were a few grinning, thrilled about their newly-purchased gears and the rewards for quest completion.
Scary...
This place made Aqua unsteady on her feet. After all, she was in the center of unrelenting scrutiny and constant tension — the Adventurer's Guild.
"Over here, Aqua!"
Mana called out from the distance. Her jade-green pendant danced around her neck as she waved her hand back and forth. She was a few tables away but stood out amongst the others due to her enthusiasm.
Thank god I found her...
I didn't know what to do...
After witnessing Mana's brilliant self-introduction, Aqua felt that this was her perfect chance. Ever since at a young age, she had always dreamed of becoming an adventurer and embark on quests with a guild.
The thought of exploring the world while surmounting challenges together with a group of close companions resonated with her in an inexplicable level.
Tragically, her social anxiety and awkwardness held her back from realizing that dream.
With her heart still beating rapidly, Aqua sat down in one of the chairs near the wooden round table and made herself as small as possible. She felt like a stray kitten, taken far away into a foreign land.
Breath.
Calm down.
You'll be fine.
After a few seconds, Aqua glanced up and felt... captivated.
This was her first time inside and she wanted to cherish this ineffable moment.
For years, she would silently observe the Guild from the outside, often times walk around the streets nearby during her free time. Being a village girl, Aqua had no real reason to step inside.
Thus, Aqua felt a profound sense of accomplishment, even though sweat ran throughout her body.
"Make yourself comfortable! We are quite lucky that one of the best seats is available tonight."
The two young ladies sat in a lounge area that appeared to be for a party of ten. Given Mana's Platinum-tier status, she had priority seatings. Aqua kept her head low and silently apologized to any large groups who might actually need this space.
"Is this really okay, Mana? I don't think it's okay for me to sit beside you... Maybe I should stand..."
"Don't worry, don't worry! It's weird if you stand and besides, you're an honorary member of my party right now."
Mana twirled her pendant playfully on her index finger as a small group of Silver-tier adventurers scowled and turned away, cursing to themselves.
"All we need to do is pray that a Diamond-tier doesn't show up! Now come sit down."
"Thanks for being so considerate to someone like me."
Mana patted lightly Aqua's back and beamed in a jovial manner.
"I'll take care of everything — you can trust in me."
Aqua felt the butterflies inside her stomach slowly flying away. Despite the first day of Academy, she somehow made a friend. And the fact that she was talking to someone for more than ten minutes was a notable victory in the history of Aqua.
I'm doing it.
I'm having a conversation-! But...
It was starting to die. If this continues, it will become awkward. And once it reaches that point, the topic will be beyond saving.
Aqua frantically scanned her surroundings, in search of something interesting. Then she remembered the beautiful maid standing by the staircase.
"Who's that over there?"
She lifted her hand above her chest and pointed discreetly.
"I didn't know Adventurer Guild had maids. Her hair looks gorgeous and her outfit is so cute too."
Mana leaned in close to her ear and whispered.
"That's Mari, the guild master."
"Guild master...?"
"Yeah, she manages the guild here in the Capital of Libertea."
Aqua studied the maid more carefully. She loved the outfit she was wearing, which seemed to be handsewn. If only she was as gorgeous as her, then she might have been able to pull off that domestic lady look. Aqua silently cursed her genetics as her breasts remain flat like a cutting board.
"Do you mean that she's the guild master's personal maid?"
Mana giggled and shook her head, indicating that she was, in fact, the boss that ran this place.
"Gah, I'm sorry for being so dumb."
"No worries, take it easy. It's funny you thought Mari was actually a maid. I don't blame you since she's famously known for dressing up like one so don't get trolled. Anyways, I might as well teach you the basics."
Mana gave a thumbs up and handed Aqua a flyer that had the fundamental information, "So basically, there are four other Adventurer's Guilds — located in the four elemental nation."
Aqua nodded, recalling a conversation she had accidentally eavesdropped during her past observations.
"I heard the guild work as an alliance... right?"
"I'm surprised you know that!" Eyeing the maid, Mana continued in a soft voice. "Mari is one of the Elite Fives. Basically, they are a powerful group of individuals that manage the entire Adventurer Guild and make decisions that impact the world. Do you remember the Ancient Dragon incident three years ago?"
Aqua nodded instantly, remembering the infamous event that led to one of the greatest battles in humanity.
"Guess what? She was one of the generals that led the assault."
"Woah... That's just... amazing."
Aqua's eyes gleamed in reverence, admiring the maid in a new light. Who knew that right inside of Adventurer Guild lived such an extremely talented tactician? Aqua felt truly blessed being able to witness a war-hero on her first day here. It was like a dream come true.
Aqua closed her eyes and muttered a prayer of gratitude—
—A voice bellowed behind her. Her entire body jolted in response.
"Yo, I'm Keida!"
"Come on baldie, mind your manners. Don't scare my classmate like that."
"Sorry sorry, Miss Mana. So this da new member that I been hearin' bout and wanna join?"
"Aye. Aqua meet Keida. Keida meet Aqua!"
The person who introduced him was a middle-aged man who looked like the team's leader, speaking in a strong accent. Like his nickname suggested, his head was shaved completely bald and there were some noticeable scars on his face as well. He wore some sort of light armor — strips of metal woven together with metal threads over a leather or chain backing — and carried himself like a fine warrior.
"So ya from Temple Academy. Impressive! What's ya specialty, Miss Aqua?"
"Well, I can move water around and manipulate them into shapes..."
Keida's facial expression instantly lit up and nodded in a satisfactory manner. Aqua did not understand what was so amazing about that.
Back in Dali village, her task was to move water from the well to the irrigation system so that it provided the community drinking water for the day. It was an assignment that was bestowed by the elders since she was lacking in other aspects like farming the crops or tending the animals.
Aqua did not mind.
In fact, she had fun with her chores.
With enough concentration and mana, she could make certain shapes out of the water. During her free time, she would transform the liquid into cute animals and have them run around before filling the supply reserve.
"Well, this an instant yes from me, we been lookin' for a support magician like you."
"Told you, Aqua!" Mana lightly bumped her shoulder and smiled. "You'll fit right in with the rest of the crew."
"Aye. The others should be da arriving so we wait. Happy to meet ya, Miss Aqua! And welcome to da Moonlight White Cats!"
The two veteran adventurers applauded to the admission of their new recruit, ordering drinks and snacks while Aqua found herself unexpectedly welcomed. She did not know how to properly react. She thought she was going to be rejected.
After all, this was a guild team that ranked at the Platinum-level. And she was but a new adventurer that was in the lowest class of Temple Academy.
But as Keida and Mana continued cheering, she could not help as her lips curl up into a smile.
I'm so glad I went out of my comfort zone and came today. It seems like good things do happen after all!
♦ ♦ ♦
"Miss Mana, ya saw Hero-tier adventurers walkin' around Rose Entrance earlier?"
Keida asked with curiosity in his voice. Aqua was also interested in learning more about the adventurer world and its celebrities.
"Yes! It's Duality!" Mana exclaimed in excitement. Her eyes seemed to shine as she uttered their guild name. "They're here! Right in this city!"
"I see. Who da members?"
Mana furrowed her brows as though the question itself was ridiculous to ask, "Whaaaaat? I am utterly shocked that you never heard of them. Come on, Keida, you're not that out of touch with the present right?"
"Aye. I never been bothered with da famous hero rankin' stuff. I think ya told me before but the old man just have bad memories."
"Well, you should remember it this time! Okay so there's Yang — the 'Legendary Swordsman' and his partner is Yin, a magic caster known as the 'Elemental Princess'."
"That's it?" Keida scratched his head. "Only two people?"
"Yep!"
Mana seemed to beam proudly at their odd team composition.
"I thought the typical guild team is six to eight members in da party...?"
"Exactly! That's what makes them so interesting! The fact they attained the highest rank with only two members... they overcame the impossible and truly lived up to their title — Duality. Ah~ I want to know what they look behind their mask."
"Wat da! They never showed their identity too?"
"Nope. Never! There are lots of theories circulating around on what they look like."
"Dats crazy man..."
Although Aqua was from a rustic village near the far outskirts of Libertea, even she remembered the names that once raved throughout the entire continent. Many travelers and passing adventurers often praised them as living legends they aspired to become.
In fact, she was somewhat surprised that Keida had no idea of who Yin and Yang were.
This was a team that had obtained 'Hero-tier'. The epitome of all adventurers. Yin and Yang must have embarked on all manner of adventures and just hearing about their experiences would set many people's hearts aflutter.
Mana smiled, indicating that she was a Duality expert.
"Okay. So first they began their debut by eliminating a Goblin Tribe in just three days near the Northern Front. Then they helped defend Himeji Castle against the undead horde in the East. Some of their other notable achievements included escorting the Second Princess of the Shui Kingdom, uncover the ancient ruins of Samu Rai, slew an Elder Hydralisk and gah! I can't remember the top of my head but there's so much more."
"An Elder Hydralisk...?"
The latter was new information. Aqua could not keep silent and muttered in a breathless voice as she imagined standing before the Legendary-ranked monster. She trembled quietly in her thoughts.
"Is that even possible with only two people...?"
"For Duality it is!"
It was an enormous monster that was as tall as a house, appearing like a hybrid breed of a hydra and a basilisk. Instead of arms, it had a pair of tri-bladed scythe. Not only that, its ranged attacks consisted of volleys of armor-piercing spines. Its bodily fluids constantly pumped adrenaline into the bloodstream to effectively force it to live in a perpetual fight response and its armored skin rivaled adamantium in toughness.
Beyond its monstrous physical capabilities, the Elder Hydralisk was once known as a sadistic creature who would often play with their prey before eating them. It was even listed on the emergency quest by the Guild.
"That's... just amazing!" Aqua felt her jaws drop. "Did they really kill something that powerful by themselves?"
"Yes, that actually happened! Some of the Master-tiers were there to watch it all happen. It was the quest that promoted them into Master-tier too... Ah, I wish I could have seen them in action as well. I'm so freaking jealous."
"Of all da monsters, I can't believe that they managed to deal with an Elder Hydralisk on their own..." Keida shook his head in disbelief. "It must be da legend. This is too da crazy to be true."
Logically, Keida was right.
It was nearly impossible for only two people to accomplish such mission, especially if they were a swordsman and a magic caster. Even with a proper team composition, many of the best guilds would still have trouble.
Aqua had heard that a Legendary-ranked monster required a joint operation — the combination of multiple guilds. Against a monster of that level, at least twenty members were needed, with a few of them needing to be above Diamond-tier.
Besides, how would the two heal themselves? How could they juggle aggro so perfectly? How could they coordinate the attacks and layer combos? How would the swordsman tank all the damage? How could the magician avoid being focused? How would they deal with its minions — the onslaught of zerglings?
There were too many questions but not enough answers.
"And that's where you're wrong, Keida!"
Mana pointed at him dramatically and chortled with a smirk. It seemed like she was waiting for this moment so she could educate her clueless guildmate.
"You have to realize that Duality is beyond the scopes of our imagination. Something that we can't possibly to achieve, even if we spend the rest of our life grinding in battle."
There was only truth in Mana's voice as she continued.
"Long ago, before I was an adventurer, I saw them. I was on a trip to Alusc and my wagon was ambushed by The Dark Triad."
Aqua and Keida's faces turned sullen.
They heard of the infamous syndicate group that still work behind the scenes and dealt with illegal services — drug production, human trafficking, assassination, political lobbying.
"Luckily, the two were resting nearby and saw what happened. Against a group of twenty warriors and magicians, they stood up against them and won. The battle was over in mere minutes. I couldn't believe it myself but it happened. Without Duality, I would not be here today. Yin and Yang were the inspiration to why I became an adventurer."
Mana smiled in a bittersweet manner as she continued to reminiscing about the incident.
"Just like what they told me that day, you don't need a reason to help someone. You just do it."
"I see, Miss Mana. While I still find their power hard to believe, their heroic act has earned my respect."
"Mana... I'm so glad you are okay..."
Aqua could feel tears forming at the corner of her eyes. Seeing her sentiments, Mana gave Aqua a quick hug.
"Ah~ Don't worry, I'm A-okay now. But I do want to meet my saviors again. It sucks that they have been less active after they attained Hero-tier. Even if it's for a few minutes, I'll live happily for the rest of my life."
From the intense admiration in Mana's voice to the glow in her emerald-green eyes, it was obvious that she was a fangirl. A huge fangirl.
The rest of the Moonlight White Cats shortly joined after the intense conversation. Including Aqua, there were a total of seven members. Even though it was completely different than what she imagined, Mana and the rest of the party drank to the new member.
For the first time since forever, Aqua felt that she actually belonged somewhere.
And that she was one step closer to actualizing her dream of becoming an adventurer.
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