CH 95

Chapter 95: The A-Rank Adventurers’ Level

Yuto: “Please……..please use…...this Staff.”

Tia was about to dismiss the boy’s idea as silly nonsense.

The Staff she is holding right now is made from Mithril and is of the highest caliber.

She could not imagine that the boy would have a Staff that would be of a higher quality than this one.

But as soon as she saw the Staff with her own eyes, she changed her mind.

Tia: “.........are you sure about this?”

Yuto: “There’s no one more fit for the role than you.”

Tia: “Have you not considered that I may not return it?”

Yuto: “If that happens, then I would have to accept that I misjudged.”

Tia felt a prick of anger from the boy’s words.

What he meant by “misjudged” is his ability to assess the situation..

But Tia couldn’t help but hear Yuto say that “he misjudged her character.”

Like most living beings with long lifespans, her pride was stung by the words.

Tia: “Then that is fine. I shall personally test how well that Staff stands up to my standards.”

Yuto: “Th…….thank you very much.”

Disgruntled, Tia takes the Staff from the boy.

As soon as her hands touched it, goosebumps ran up her entire body.

Tia: (What……...what is this Staff……..?!)

The Staff clearly has more Magic Power enhancement than any of the highest quality Staffs sold in the markets.

If the Mithril Staff can double the Magic Power, this Staff quadruples……...or even quintuples the Magic Power.

Tia understood this the moment she held it in her hands.

Tia: (With this Staff…..maybe……..)

ーーShe may be able to destroy every Monster here without leaving a single survivor.

Seeing such a future as a possible reality, her lips curl upwards.

Tia: “Hehe…….hehehehehe……….”

Tia chuckled hysterically as she concentrated the Magic Power inside of her and poured it into the Staff.

When she did, the jewel that was placed at the end of the Staff began to glow blindingly bright.

This jewel is the core of the Magic Power enhancement.

She uses her Specialty [Double Magic Power].

On top of it, she stacks her Specialty [Dual Spell Incantation], and upon a single Spell initiation, she places the effect of another on top of it.

No matter how much Magic Power she poured into it, the Staff continued to receive all of it without limit.

Within the Staff, Tia’s Magic Power churns intensely.

A Magic Power so concentrated that touching it would cause your body to dissolve began looking for an exit ー a sensation like the universe is about to give birth to a new star.

Tia: “Hehehehehehe……”

Tia laughed at the possibility of firing a large-scale Attack Magic at a level she had yet to experience.

ーーand around the same time, Kratos, who was busy cutting down the Monsters directly below……

Kratos: “............aw crap.”

Sensing a scale of Magic Power he had never felt before, his face drained of color.

Kratos knew that this Magic Power belonged to Tia ー a product of his long experience getting blasted by her Spells.

Though he was in the middle of battle, he turned around and looked at the top of the City Wall.

And Kratos saw.

The sight of a Demon, Tia, who stood hysterically laughing atop the high walls as she continually poured more and more Magic Power into the Staff……

At that instant, cold sweat burst out of Kratos’ entire body.

Kratos: “CRAP, CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!!!”

Kratos cuts down the Monsters surrounding him with his [Thousand Blades].

And at the same time, he began running back to Kronos at full speed.

Kratos: “EVERYONE, RUN!! THAT IDIOT’S ABOUT TO FIRE SOMETHING THAT COULD KILL US ALL!!!!!!”

Even Kratos, the Adventurer who is just about to reach S-Rank, ran pale-faced with his tail between his legs.

At that sight, all of the other Adventurers who came down to the ground to fight the Monsters immediately sensed that something was amiss.

One by one, they began to frantically run back for cover.

By the time most of the Adventurers took cover….

Tia: “Now bloom to your heart’s content. {BLOOM・PLOSION}!”

The A-Rank Spellcaster, Tia, fired off her Highest-Class Spell at her maximum Spell Power and a devastating wave of fire was released.

In the middle of the plains that were swarming with Monsters, countless flowers made of hell’s flames bloomed everywhere.

Tia gazed lovingly at her creation, the largest scale flower she ever cast, and fell backwards.

Tia: “Ahhhhh……….that felt so gooooooooooooood……..”

With those final words, she passed out from Magic Exhaustion.

After Tia’s burst of {Fire} Magic swept over the lands, the sight was nothing less than horrifying.

Bits and pieces of the land still roiled, bubbled, and boiled with heat.

If you accidentally stepped in any of the reddened areas, your leg would probably instantly dissolve and melt.

Kratos: “Yeeeeeesh………..”

At the miserable condition of the land, Kratos could not stop the cold sweat spilling out from him.

If he did not catch Tia while she was preparing her Spell, Kratos would have been joining the charred and broken Monsters on those plains.

This was absolutely no joke.

Kratos: “THAT CRAZY-WITCH!! SHE WENT WAY TOO FAR THIS TIME…..!!”

He finished off the Monsters who barely managed to remain alive, and Kratos walked towards the forest.

The Monsters were flooding out of the forest.

Then the source of the Monsters would have to be in the forest ー was Kratos’ line of thought.

In fact, he could feel a strong presence that made his skin crawl.

Kratos readied his sword as he slowly approached the forest.

Kratos: “Hey, c’mon. Come out already.”

He surrounded his body with an intimidating aura, and sent out a strong bloodlust towards his target.

And sensing Kratos’ presence and bloodlust, a giant Monster appeared out of the forest.

The Monster was at least two stories tall, and looked similar to a turtle.

Kratos: “Hu～h? An Earth Dragon? ……….no, that’s not it. That must be a unique mutation.”

The Monster that appeared was similar to the Earth Dragon that resides on the 50th Floor of the Base Dungeon.

But if you look closely, its skin texture was slightly different.

And what’s very different is the tail.

The Earth Dragon’s tail is quite long.

In order to birth many Monsters, a long tail might have been in the way.

Kratos: “........well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

If he defeats that, the Stampede will end.

Being certain of that, Kratos approached the Dragon.

In a blink of an eye….

The 500 meters (～550 yards) disappeared.

The Dragon loses sight of Kratos.

It looks around left and right, and above its head…..

Kratos: “See ya”

….Kratos brought down his large broadsword.

Kratos: “Slice till it’s deadーー[Thousand Blades] {Endless Strike}!!”

From a single swing of his large broadsword, countless blades stacked on top of it.

The [Thousand Blades] that lined up neatly sideways cut through the Dragon’s neck.

The first strike cut into its skin. The second strike cut a little deeper, and finally, with the 3rd strike, it was slightly wounded.

The wound was gradually widened, and with the 100th strike, the Dragon’s neck fell to the floor.

During a timespan that was no more than a tenth of a second, Kratos delivered 100 cuts at the Dragon.

A Dragon is not a weak Monster by any definition.

At the very least, they are the Highest-Tier of A-Rank. Depending on the Dragon, some will reach S-Rank. They are one of the strongest Monsters around.

If this individual attacked Kronos, most of the Adventurers would have been powerless to stop it, and there would have been tens of thousands of victims.

But for Kratos, even that Dragon was no more powerful than a child.

That’s how much Kratos exceeded it in terms of strength.

The rumors that he is about to reach S-Rank is no gimmick.

Kratos: “.........okay, let’s go home.”

Although he just defeated an A-Rank Monster, Kratos returned with light steps with the Dragon’s head on his shoulder like a cat returning to its home with a rat in its mouth.