Chapter 352: C-Rank Advancement Examination (7)

“Ahh. Halt’s entered ‘that mode’, meow.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Merdie muttered while watching Halt smile as he whipped up the colossal flaming lance, to which Ryuushin agreed. Their expressions looked as if both of them recalled something nasty.

As for ‘the mode’ that Merdie referred to —

“Isn’t it a while since Halt entered Extreme S-Mode, right?”

“Yeah, that’s true, meow. Halt already defeated Evil God and we’re also became pretty strong ourselves, so haven’t seen him in that mode for a while now, meow.”

Halt’s [Extreme S-Mode].

It’s a nickname that Merdie and the others came up with for Halt, who fired spells and attacks that were unbelievably harsh towards people supposed to be his comrades with a smile plastered on his face during their training sessions.

The strongest sage rebelled against the Evil God. Ever since the moment he first defeated a majin, he already considered, anticipated even, the possibility that the Evil God would retaliate against him.

Of course, he would protect his family and friends whenever he could.

However, the opponent in question was a deity. There’s no telling when he would attack. His not an existence that can be reasoned with by mere people.

That’s the reason why Halt wanted to strengthen and fortify his family. He was determined to push their abilities to their extreme limit.

The demons were considered the most powerful subordinates of the Evil God, so it’s only natural that they would be the most powerful entity capable of working in the Human Realm. Halt prepared his family so that all of them would be able to defeat the demons and protect themselves.

Merdie, a beastkin and Ryuushin, a dragonoid, had great potential to grow in strength, partly because they were blessed with the status of their race. Thus, it was only natural that the Sage, who wanted to increase the number of people who could protect his friends and family even in his absence, decided to focus first on strengthening these two.

It could also be said that Merdie and Ryuushin became the guinea pigs because of their growth potential.

He wanted them to imagine him as the demon king. Demon kings had the unlimited magical power that could bring forth an infinite number of powerful enemies who would kill you in a blink of an eye the moment they let your guard down even just a little bit. Not only that, matter how badly the enemy had been injured they could heal themselves instantly. They would always be able to recover their physical strength and mana even without thinking about it.

There was no other choice but to take that demon king (in this case it’s Halt) down in order to stop the battle.

Merdie and Ryuushin experienced multiple sessions of that hellish training. Thus, they could sympathize a bit with Gad.

However, they were actually more immersed in excitement than sympathy.

“Ryuushin, why are you grinning ear to ear, meow? That’s creepy, dude.”

“Sorry, can’t help — hey, Merdie. You’re sneering like crazy too!!”

“Eh?”

They had been unconsciously laughing.

Apparently, they were subconsciously rejoicing that there was another victim who would experience the same horrors as them.

Not only that, it was now their turn to be on the side who tortured.

“That guy harassed Luna, meow. He forced her, meow. A, One more thing. He also looked down on me, telling me that I’m from a feral race, meow.”

Actually, Merdie didn’t mind the slightest that he had scorned her. However, she also added that in order to increase the reasons to punish Gad.

“Ah, that’s unforgivable. Irina also said that guy bothered her.”

When Halt took off earlier, Irina told Ryuushin about the horrible things that Gad did.

Some male adventurers had their future cut off by Gad.

The women were also almost forcibly attacked in a different sense.

However, Gad was the commander of the chivalric order of the kingdom. He could be considered one of those who held power and authority within the Glendale Kingdom. Thus, Irina couldn’t go against him despite being the master of the Adventurer’s Guild.

That’s because the guild could benefit in many ways if its existence was recognized by the kingdom.

Because Irina had to manage the Adventurer’s Guild, she couldn’t lay a hand against Gad.

Nevertheless, accidents that occurred during the advancement examination wouldn’t be questioned. In fact, Gad had brushed off the incident with the male adventurers as an accident.

Moreover, even if Irina was the Guild Master, because Gad instructed that ‘outsiders aren’t forbidden to interfere’, she couldn’t do anything to stop the match.

Originally, it was a rule made so that nobody could stop Gad even if he beat the adventurers black and blue, but now —

“If I forgot myself and completely dragonize and went on a rampage and end up killing him… It’s still an accident, right?”

It had become a shackle that would prevent anyone saving Gad from being killed.

Gad had to say ‘stop’ himself, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Yup, can’t do anything about it, meow. And me too, I might accidentally punch him with my flying fist that can obliterate a demon…”

“Merdie, that’s an accident alright. That’s the rule that this guy set for this exam, after all. Even if we go all out, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“I’m relieved if you say so, Sylph meow!”

Sylph, who also registered as an adventurer together with Halt and the others, also came along to today’s advancement examination. In reality, she’s the Wind Spirit King, and spirit kings were supposed to protect the world by monitoring people with power and making sure they won’t go on a rampage and restrain them if they did.

However, since Halt had turned this arena into his dungeon, she no longer had to consider such an obligation.

Dungeons were considered spaces isolated from outside, so it could also be said as an autonomous world on its own. The one who manages that world was not the Creator God, but the dungeon master.

And right now, the deity of this arena was no other than Halt.

Naturally, Sylph, a Spirit King, would never stop a deity.

Irina also gave them her approval.

“Ahhh, accidents can’t be helped. I also agree with that, so go wild, go all out, okay… But, is it true that you can defeat a demon?”

“Yup, that’s true, meow.”

“Ah, other than us two, I guess everyone here pretty much can defeat a demon?”

Today, Halt, Luna, Merdie, Sylph, Akari, Sitri, Ryuushin and Hinata — the eight of them were here to take the advancement exam.

Akari also accompanied Halt when he went to the abode of the Evil God. She’s a hero who received a cheat skill from the deity of another world. And as for Sitri, she’s the former demon king, and she’s the most powerful being in this world, even including the deities.

Merdie is a beastkin who had already passed Lv. 200, and she’s highly proficient in using the magic suit. Ryuushin was now in complete control of his full dragonification, and he could fight against multiple demons simultaneously and still emerge the winner.

Sylph is the Wind Spirit King created by Yggdrasil to protect itself from demons, so naturally she’s capable enough to defeat them.

Hinata became Ryuushin’s wife. Her husband had nearly died in front of her once, and out of the desire to protect him, she trained under the strongest sage, heroine, and headmaster of the magic academy until she’s powerful enough to subdue a rampaging Kokuryuu.

The problem was —

“I-I can’t defeat a demon on my own.”

Luna was an Enchanter, a support magician, so no matter how high level she becomes, she won't be powerful enough to defeat a demon on her own using magic.

“If it’s a majin then I can do something about it…”

Actually, a person who could defeat a majin was already considered on Bakemono level already.

However, for the Ernol family, that level would still warrant protection from them.

“Luna, you got ‘that’ so you’ll be fine meow. Be confident, meow!”

Merdie cheered up the dejected Luna.

It was right then that the first ‘accident’ happened.

“FIRE LANCE!”

Halt fired the colossal flaming lance towards Gad and —

“Wha!? Wai —”

Gad’s body was instantly vaporized on the spot.

Right after that, the center of the arena glowed brightly.

When the light subsided, Gad was spotted still standing there.

“...Huh?”

It was too instantaneous that he hadn’t grasped yet what just happened.

In order to break his spirit, the Extreme S-mode Sage started preparing his next attack.