Vol. 13 - Ch. 16 - C-Rank Advancement Examination (11/16)

Two years ago —“O-Oh Thou Hammer of the Thunder Beast, come hither and strike my enemies down! Thunder Hammer!”

The D-rank adventurer released a mid-tier lightning and thunder spell that only selected few among the B-rank adventurers could wield. He was so capable that he could’ve been a B rank adventurer and no one would question it.

A colossal lightning hammer came rushing down towards the C-ranked adventurer in charge of the advancement examination.

“Pierce through it, Earth Spear.”

The man fired the lowest earth magic spell without even taking a step from where he stood.

The spear made out of dirt stretched out and pierced through the lightning hammer.

The hammer didn't disappear, but the Thunder Hammer spell, which split in two, deviated from the trajectory that was about to hit the male exam supervisor, and instead landed on the ground on both sides of the man.

"W-What?!"

"Impossible! That's intermediate-level thunder magic!"

"And yet, it was deflected with the lowest level magic... I-impossible."

The mage who casted the spell and two party members who were taking the promotion exam with him were shocked.

"The three of you are only D-ranked, yet you can use intermediate-level thunder magic, huh. Well, isn’t that amazing. Yeah, awesome, awesome."

The exam supervisor clapped his hands at the adventurers, speaking in a tone that made fun of them.

"Actually, you could’ve been promoted to C-rank, but unfortunately for you guys, you failed this time. Wanna ask why? It’s because you don't have a woman in your team, got it."

The man who served as the exam supervisor, Gad, the captain of the kingdom’s knights' 20th squad, raised his hand over his head. The adventurers who saw that gesture turned pale. Their gazes were pulled towards the object above his hand — a huge hammer of fire appeared in the sky, and it was something they had never seen before.

"What...what?"

"A-Advanced-level fire magic!?"

"...N-No, i-impossible."

"Next time, recruit a pretty girl to your team and try again. Oh well, if you can endure this magic, that is."

Gad swung his hand down.

Pyro Hammer, a high level fire magic, mercilessly rained down on the adventurers. The hammer of fire struck on the ground, and a huge pillar of fire rose.

"...Hoh. You guys can withstand that, huh."

When the pillar of fire subsided into nothing, all that was left were the bodies of the adventurers splayed on the ground. Fortunately, although they couldn't stand up, all three of them were still alive.

Their equipment had high magic resistance, and the mage who could use intermediate-level thunder magic managed to deploy a magic barrier, which somehow withstand Gad's magic. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ N0vᴇlFire(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"Ugh..ggh.."

"Argh, it’s hot! It hurts!"

They didn't die, but the adventurers had suffered severe burns on almost their entire bodies.

"T-This marks the end of the test!"

"Are you arlight!?"

"Cast healing spells on them! Hurry up!!"

The Guild staff who were watching the exam hastily started to heal the injured adventurers.

"Gad. Are you aware that you've gone too far?"

Guild Master Irina was frustrated and annoyed at Gad, who had crushed adventurers who could have become the guild's future power.

"The country doesn't need weaklings who are knocked out by this level of magic. If you say you'll let me have your body for a night, I'll let these guys pass for now. Anyway, they seem to have some potential."

“... You scum.”

Irina ignored Gad’s taunting and turned on her heel. She went to heal the adventurers.

“Ahh, so boring. Okay then, I’m going home now.”

“Wrgh… Wa…it.”

The mage who received the full brunt of Gad’s spell first and foremost tried to stop him despite his burnt throat.

“Ah? You got something to say to me?”

“Y..ou..Y..our…not a kni..ght…w-weren’t….y…our…occ…upa…tion…the… phy…si…cal cla…ss?”

The mage was aware of the level of his strength as a B-rank adventurer. He believed that in magical combat, he could demonstrate his strength even against a knight of the kingdom.

However, he had suffered this much damage from the magic of Gad, who was supposed to be a physical class.

He didn't understand the meaning of it. He didn't want to understand it. It felt like all of his previous efforts had been invalidated.

Gad understood his point, and yet he still went ahead to deliver the final blow to the mage's heart.

"I am undoubtedly in a physical class. To think you’re in this state because of the magic of a physical class like me."

This alone had inflicted great damage to the mage's heart, but Gad continued on dealing the final blow.

"The country doesn't need weak mages who can be defeated by physical class magic. Got it, loser?"

"Gad!! You bastard!"

"Oops, the Guild Master’s mad at me now. I'm outta here."

Gad sauntered out of the guild.

The mage who was left behind quit being an adventurer afterward.

──＊＊＊──

Time passed by, bringing us back to the present time.

Hinata, who wore the Magic Suit of Light, successfully defeated Gad and forced the word "pass" out of him.

Ryuushin, who was pointed earlier, was currently fighting against Gad.

“Urk!? S-Sto —”

Gad could be on defense mode under Ryuushin’s relentless, powerful attacks.

“Hyah!!”

“Gfftpft!!”

Ryuushin punched Gad on the pit of his stomach with great force.

Gad, who was quite tough, did not die like when he received Hinata's attack. He barely retained his consciousness, but since his body ‘could not die’, the damage it received kept on accumulating.

By the way, Ryuushin didn’t even dragonized, nor did he cast any body strengthening spell on himself.

‘If you think you can win against him without using any magic, then I want you to beat his item until it’s battered nicely.

Irina requested that to Ryuushin.

She knew that Ryuushin was a dragonoid and that his combat class was a mage warrior..

"N-No way this is happening... I'm a holy knight, for crying out loud!"

The pure swordsman who fights only with swordsmanship, the holy knight who incorporates magic in combat, the magic swordsman who balances both magic and physical attacks, the guardian warrior who excels in defense, and the warrior who fights only with fists — These were the five combat classes, which are the strongest "third jobs" in close combat.

Gad's combat class was a holy knight. In other words, he was one of the strongest combat forces in this world, just like Cain and Halt.

"Old man, you got a third-tier occupation? But you’re too weak despite that, huh."

Ryuushin accidentally slipped out those words. Well, that couldn't be helped.

Gad was at level 160 and had just become a third-job. In contrast, Ryuushin had grown to the point where he could defeat several level 200 equivalent Flame Knights created by Halt the Demon King, and all at the same time at that.

It was no wonder that Ryuushin felt that Gad was weak. Of course, Gad couldn't have known that, and he was furious when he heard what Ryuushin said.

"You f^#$%g underestimate me, huh... If only I had it… If only I had my sword, then you’re nothing against me!"

Gad's sword had disappeared with Halt's first magic spell. Since it was a magic that could make a demon disappear, it didn't matter even if it was made of oricalchum.

"Huh, but even if you have a sword... Nope, that won’t make a difference, I bet."

"S-Shut up!... That kind of power, you're a arrior, right!? I’m a Holy Knight. I have an occupation that uses a sword!! Even if we both have third-tier occupations, I won’t be able beat you without a sword, and that can’t be helped!"

Gad was fuming as he boldly declared that, but Ryuushin simply retorted.

“Eh, but mine is a magic occupation, though?”