Chapter 351 - C-Rank Advancement Examination (6)

Halt, Luna and Merdie reconvened with Ryuushin and the others who were walking with Irina, who then led them toward the venue where the C-rank advancement examination was to be held.

Gad was waiting for them there.

“Whoa, that’s him!”

Merdie frowned when she spotted the irritated-looking guy standing in the middle of the arena that had been prepared beforehand inside the guild.

“What happened, Merdie?”

“That’s the scum who harassed Luna earlier!”

“...Heh. So that’s the guy, huh.”

Halt quietly vented out his bloodlust.

“What the heck, Gad. You even tried to lay your hands on a member of the Ernol family… What a stupid guy.”

“Irina-san, who is he?”

Halt deduced that Irina knew who he was based on her words.

“That guy standing there, that’s the person assigned to oversee your advancement exam, Halt. His name is Gad.”

“S-So he’s really the proctor….”

Luna, the victim who had been harassed by Gad, muttered anxiously, triggering Halt’s anger and taking it to another level.

“It’ll be fine, Luna. I’ll do something about it.”

Halt gently soothed Luna and patted her on the head.

He then started releasing strong bloodlust that he usually had when dealing with a majin and monsters. Gad trembled for a moment when hit by that.

“I’ll talk to him for a bit.”

Upon seeing Halt walking towards him on his own, Gad also released his own bloodlust towards the other guy. That’s because he saw the woman he had his eyes set on a blush when Halt stroked her head.

“You… Are you that blue-haired girl’s man?”

“Yes. She’s my wife.”

“Huh? A-Are you serious? N-No, it’s alright, given how high quality she is, I don’t mind.”

Gad hadn’t given up on Luna, apparently.

“Hey, Mr. Husband, why don’t you lend that woman to me for a night? If you do that then I’ll make sure you guys —”

“I don’t want to.”

“...Huh?!”

“No matter what the reason is, I will never let my wife be embraced by another man.”

“Hey hey hey hey. Don’t be so cheeky, you’re just a D-rank adventurer, you brat.”

“Isn’t it fine? We’ll be C-ranks by today after all.”

“Nah, in your dreams. I will definitely fail you.”

“... Aren’t you the Commander of the Royal Knights? Such a VIP, are you sure it’s okay for you to be saying things like that?”

“Yah, it’s fine! I’m the one overseeing this exam. Pass or fail, I get to decide that, boy.”

Gad firmly believed that he was almost the strongest person in Glendale. It couldn’t be helped since only the royal family, the ministers, and the nobles that have a status of a Count and above knew about the Ernol family, the existence of Tina, and their activities.

That’s why Gad foolishly set the stage for this advancement exam.

“We’re going 1v1 for this exam. You have to fight against me, and if I acknowledge that I lost, you pass. Ah, and you’re free to use whatever weapon or magic tool you have.”

Gad perfectly understood how desperate people would be the moment they realized that they wouldn’t win no matter how hard they tried.

People could blame their failure on the weapon they were assigned to use. Gad was confident in thinking that the weapons and magical tools available to D-ranked adventurers were not worth anything, much less to be feared. And so he dared agree to let Halt use whatever weapon he had at his disposal.

On the other hand, Halt was satisfied with the arrangement he proposed.

Permission to use magical tools—this was the first and foremost problem that Halt considered.

Halt wanted to persuade Gad to allow him to use a magical tool no matter what happened even if that’s the only thing allowed to him. If he got permission, then he would happily accept whatever conditions were imposed on him.

However, Gad voluntarily gave his permission first, allowing Halt to use a magic tool. The sliver of anxiety vanished from Halt.

“I understand. So, using magic tools are okay, right? Well then, I’m in your care.”

“...The nerve.”

Gad interpreted Halt’s words as a declaration that the latter could win if he could use a magical tool. Actually, he wasn’t wrong.

“Then, can I go first?”

“Yeah, go ahead. You won’t be able to stop even if you beg for your life, so come at me prepared to die.”

“Yes! Looking forward to working with you.”

Gad tried to threaten him, but Halt just bluffed it off with a smile.

“Tsk… Oy, Irina!”

“Yes yes, what is it?”

Irina approached them.

“It’s a 1v1 battle, and until I say “I’m done for,” they won’t pass. That’s the condition for this exam. Ah, and once the exam starts, nobody’s allowed to interfere. Got it?”

“Hmm. That’s how it goes, it seems, but Halt, are you okay with that?”

“He doesn’t get a say on —”

“It’s alright!”

Gad was annoyed that Irina asked Halt’s opinion, but Halt promptly replied that he didn’t have any problem with the conditions.

“Okay then, that’s the conditions. No matter what happens, I won’t interfere.”

Actually, Irina was also one of the women that Gad peskily pestered. And so, she inconspicuously muttered in Halt’s ear just as she was leaving.

“Just go at him with all you’ve got. I’ll do something about it after.”

Halt smiled and nodded.

“Alright, let’s do this… Where’s your weapon?”

Gad held up a World Level sword partly made from orichalcum. In contrast, Halt didn’t have a single weapon or tool on him.

“I will use this first.”

Halt suddenly took a crystal that was as big as a head from who knows where.”

“W-What’s that? And where did you just get that?”

“This is a dungeon core.”

“—What?”

Halt ignored the dumbfounded Gad and lightly pushed the dungeon core onto the arena floor.

In that instant —

The arena had turned into Halt’s dungeon.

And Halt had a reason to do this.

“Next is this.”

Halt took out a bracelet differently colored from the ones he and his family were wearing.

“It’s alright to start now, isn’t it?”

Halt then did a final check.

Gad agreed, but he didn’t have any idea that it was akin to confirming his execution himself.

“Dunno what you’re up to, but… You can have the first move.”

“Thank you so much!”

Halt said, and right at that instant, he vanished from Gad’s field of vision.

“Excuse me.”

“ — What!?”

Halt suddenly appeared beside Gad and slipped the bracelet on him.

“Don’t f!@* with me!”

“Oops”

Shocked, Gad immediately reacted by swinging his World class sword with great speed, but Halt easily evaded and moved away from him.

“You said I can use magical tools, right?”

Halt didn’t use the tool on himself, but prepared it for Gad.

“Tsk! What the heck is this thing!! Why won’t it come off!!”

The bracelet shrank the moment it was clasped onto his wrist and Gad couldn’t remove it no matter what he did.

Gad was flustered. He feared that it was a cursed tool that could cast debuffs on him.

However, contrary to his thoughts, this bracelet didn’t cast any debuffs and didn’t have any negating effects.

If it’s an adventurer trying to conquer a dungeon, they would desperately do anything to get their hands on this bracelet.

[Bracelet of Infinite Revival]

It’s an item that was obtainable from one of the treasure boxes within the dungeon ruins managed by Halt, and it’s extremely rare.

Those equipped with this bracelet can be revived no matter how many times and no matter what manner they die, as long as they’re still within the dungeons managed by Halt.

And this place—this entire arena had now become Halt’s dungeon.

In short, no matter how many times Gad died here, he would come back to life.

“Okay, that’s it for now. I will begin now!!”

Halt invoked that spell that almost killed the heroine, Tina Harrivel, had the magic of absolute defense not been activated.

A ginormous, colossal flaming lance.

“...Huh?”

All blood drained from Gad’s face the moment he saw that.

Alright, his never-ending despair and hopelessness begin now!

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Author’s Note: The [Bracelet of Infinite Revival] is an extremely rare item, but apparently ordinary adventurers can’t handle the repeated death and revival, so most of them would try selling it off after earning a certain amount of money.

The H&T Trading Company would purchase the bracelet back at a price that would allow a C-ranked adventurer to live the rest of their life at ease, and Halt would put it back inside the treasure box.

It’s like winning the lottery.

Of course, it didn’t have any such effect outside dungeons controlled by Halt. This is the setup of this story.