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Elizabeth had come across a friendly dwarf during the trial. She found it surprisingly easy to chat with him about her life, even though she had to keep most of the important details hidden.
"I see… me too!" she said. "I was bored back home. My parents are way too overprotective. I'm pretty strong though, so I wanted to explore the world, see what this kingdom is really like, and meet its people."
"W-What? Wow, well, okay… hahaha! I guess you really are just a kid, huh? Maybe you should wait until you're a little older?" the dwarf asked
"Hmm, I can't wait!" Elizabeth pouted.
"Baahahahaha! You're a bold one for someone so young. Be careful though. There are plenty of bad people out there who love taking advantage of the young and naïve."
"I will, don't worry. I'm not naïve though."
"Heh, we all think that."
As they stepped into the elevator together, it descended smoothly until they arrived at a vast open area. The space truly resembled a grand arena, just as the elf had described earlier. The examiner guided them all inside at the same time. It seemed there would be no taking turns here.
Alfrion smiled as he walked up to an elevated viewing platform. Multiple seats lined the edges of the arena, occupied by a handful of observers who studied the candidates closely.
"Alright, the second test, combat, is about to begin," he announced. "You will face several monsters, and you must defeat at least one. You are allowed to work together, and every action you take will be carefully calculated into your final score. One monster will be released per person."
"W-What?!" Borfus panicked as the heavy gates around the arena began to open. "Are you serious?! We're fighting thirteen monsters right now?!"
"Rules are rules. They will come one after another," Alfrion replied calmly.
"Are you trying to kill us?!"
"We're low level!"
"T-This is abuse of power!"
"I had no idea the adventurer guild was so ruthless with those who didn't want to share information…!"
"Maybe I should've just shared it?!"
"Shit, they're coming!"
Alfrion smiled like a cunning fox while watching the candidates tremble. His usually closed eyes opened slightly, revealing sharp golden irises that shone with cold intelligence.
"Well, what did you expect?" he asked. "Those who refuse to show us their identities and statuses are usually criminals. We have to intimidate them to prevent anyone from taking advantage of our organization. And if they are not criminals but truly talented, then they will obviously pass. The adventurer guild does not care much for those who refuse to be sincere with us about who they are. Everyone has secrets, but your status is vital information we require. If this is too difficult for you… well, too bad."
His harsh and cold words sent shivers down everyone's spines. Their eyes widened as they glared at the elf, who continued smiling at them with gentle politeness.
"D-Damn two-faced sly bastard! I knew it! Never trust an ice elf! That's what my grandma always said!" Borfus roared in anger. "Are you going to let us die?!"
"Heavens," Alfrion shook his head. "Why would we do that? If you become incapacitated, you will be swiftly teleported out, healed, and then… well, you will fail the test. So please don't worry and simply do your best!"
"Yeah, but what if we suddenly get killed and not just wounded?!"
"This isn't a surefire way!"
"Is this even legal?!"
"Dude, we signed the papers. They got us good! They can do whatever they want with us!"
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Elizabeth calmly analyzed the panicking candidates around her. She noticed Reinhardt gripping his sword tightly, his skinny arms trembling. Archivald remained completely silent and composed, closing his eyes in meditation before retrieving a heavy polearm from his inventory and settling into a solid battle stance. Borfus was sweating heavily and clearly nervous, yet he still raised his shield and axe, preparing himself. The rest of the group showed a mix of panic and despair, but she also spotted a few who seemed somewhat ready.
Among them was a blue-skinned Oni girl dressed in elegant oriental-style armor and wielding a long naginata. Her long white hair was tied neatly in a ponytail, and her sharp red eyes stared silently at the approaching monsters. The air around her felt distinctly powerful. There was also a gray-haired, very pale girl wearing ghostly clothes, with tiny spirits floating around her. She clutched a small black cage containing Will-o-Wisps. Though she trembled with fear, her unique power was unmistakable.
An Oni from Zipangu maybe? Or Yamato… Elizabeth thought. And that girl is probably a necromancer. Her appearance… is she an Undead?
In this world, all kinds of races existed. Among them were the Undead Races. Unlike typical undead monsters, these were intelligent beings who were technically dead yet capable of thought, emotion, and in some cases, even reproduction. The most famous were vampires, but there were others such as banshees and ghouls. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and studied the pale girl, concluding she might be a ghoul. These people possessed incredible affinity with death and ghosts, often recognized by their gray hair and pale skin.
Such individuals were very rare on Earth. They mostly lived on Yggdrasil, originating from its Underworld, the realm governed by the Death Dragon Primordial Mother, Hel. Elizabeth wondered how this girl had wandered all the way here.
"Um, mister ghosty, please protect me… I-I'm so scared. This wasn't what they said it would be…" the girl cried softly, trembling. The ghosts around her made playful smiley faces as if laughing at her nervousness. "So mean!"
"ROOOAARRR!"
RUMBLE!
Meanwhile, the monsters drew closer. Large figures towering over four meters tall stepped into the arena. Even Elizabeth felt slightly surprised. She had never seen these particular monsters before.
"Are you kidding me?!" Reinhardt recognized them immediately. "I thought we would fight something like goblins or giant rats, but this?! Are you really pitting us against Rank 3 monsters?!"
"Rank 3?" Elizabeth wondered, narrowing her eyes as she analyzed them carefully.
They were towering, muscular creatures covered in thick brown scales, with fierce dog-like faces and razor-sharp claws. They were known as Thrallgus, and every single one was Rank 3.
Rank 3 monsters were formidable opponents, easily capable of killing untrained civilians.
"If there's a problem, you're free to forfeit!" Alfrion called out, waving his hand casually.
"Tsk!" Reinhardt cried. "I won't— Ahhhh!" He panicked as three Thrallgus charged straight at him, their mouths wide open and drooling. "S-Shit! Get away from meeeee!"
Elizabeth was about to step in when another figure flashed forward. Archivald charged valiantly, swinging his polearm and striking one Thrallgus directly in the head. The other two attacked him. He managed to resist a deadly claw strike, while the second missed narrowly after he was thrown to the ground.
"Y-You…!" Reinhardt gasped, coughing. "You saved me…!"
"Stand up!" Archivald roared. "Does the noble elf bloodline really flow through your veins?! Stand up and act like a man!"
"A-Ah! I'm scared…!" Reinhardt cried, clenching his teeth and sweating as he forced himself to stand. "We're going to die, man!"
"Weakling."
"Huh?!"
And then, from the shadows, a new figure stepped forward. She moved at lightning speed, appearing like a blur of blue light and darkness.
"Black Lotus Naginata Art – Umbral Garden."
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
She swung her naginata with masterful dexterity, cutting and impaling the Thrallgus. She finished off the one Archivald had injured and sent the other two tumbling backward.
"Hmph. They're big masses of muscle, but nothing a good blade cannot cut," she said, her sharp eyes gleaming. "Stand up or forfeit. We don't need dead weight here."
It was the blue Oni girl Elizabeth had noticed earlier. She was ruthless with her words.
"W-What?! I'm not dead weight!" Reinhardt shouted as he stood up, clenching his teeth. "I-I'm my dad's son! I inherited… the Yggdrasil Knight lineage! I can… I can fight!!!"
He roared and rushed toward the nearest Thrallgus. The dog-faced monster bellowed and smashed its giant fist down on him.
CRASH!
"Gaaahaa?!"
Reinhardt groaned in pain. He had failed to block or evade the attack. He bounced off the floor, and if not for his armor, his ribcage would have shattered. He lay there vomiting blood.
"Nnggh…! D-Damn it…!" he coughed, blood spilling from his mouth. "It hurts…!" Tears streamed down his face.
The other warriors glared at him with clear discontent. His eyes widened in shame.
"D-Don't look at me like that! I…! I am not weak…! I…!"
He forced himself up once more, gasping for air and clenching his teeth so hard they ached. His eyes were bloodshot, but he was trying his absolute best.
"I can fight!!!"
His aura surged, and his sword blazed with sword energy for a brief moment.
"!!!"
Everyone expected a powerful strike. Yet when his sword connected with the Thrallgus' hard scales, it bounced back effortlessly.
"W-Wha…? What?!"
Alfrion smiled and readjusted his glasses. "These are special lab-grown Thrallgus. They possess… unique qualities. Low-level skills and basic techniques will not work. You need real technique."
"?!" Reinhardt's eyes widened in horror as a massive claw hovered above him and came rushing down. "Ah! Shit!"
CLASH!
As he closed his eyes, certain it was over, a small figure suddenly appeared before him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
The one who had blocked the deadly claw was…
"Damn knife ears, stop trembling and crying like a damn pussy! Get your shit together and channel more mana into those weak-ass swings. You've got twig arms, huh? Do you even exercise?!"
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