4. Temporary Champion Promotion Test (2)
Test Site 4.
Because of its name, it is easy to associate it with a neat building.
But it is a dungeon.
A place like a labyrinth with tunnels extending deep underground.
The dungeon manager and test guide guarded the shady entrance to the basement.
Vivian and Ian arrived first.
“This is Ian.”
“I’m Vivian, an aspiring wizard.”
The receptionist checked them both.
“Ian, Vivian. Has confirmed. The test guide will proceed when all participants are gathered.”
Vivian consciously breathed slowly.
Ian told me to sleep well yesterday, but I couldn’t sleep at all.
Did you barely get a good night’s sleep?
Even if Mercy hugged her and sang her a lullaby, it was no use.
Kati, who had turned into a cat, allowed me to touch even the tips of her paws, but I still couldn’t fall asleep easily.
The whole time I was lying down, my heart was beating fast as if I was running.
‘Calm down, calm down… .’
Mercy, who knew that fact, patted her from the side.
“No need to be too nervous!”
“Ugh… .”
“You are not alone! Ian couldn’t have slept last night either!”
“really… ?”
“yes? Did I get a good night’s sleep last night?”
“Ah, the ignorant bastard!”
Mercy slapped her back, but Kati’s palm blocked it.
-match!
The two suddenly had a high-five.
“This female cat!”
“Both of you are crazy, so stay still.”
Mercy and Kati glared at each other, then turned their heads.
It was a landscape where there was no sense of tension.
Vivian laughed a little.
Mercy and Katy argue lightly from time to time, but eventually acknowledge each other as close friends.
Ian seems indifferent, but he never treats anyone carelessly.
Among them were Vivian and herself.
‘Yes, I’ll be able to do it well.’
After the pledge, a question suddenly came to mind.
‘By the way, why the hell was Ian kicked out? There doesn’t seem to be any reason for that… .’
With Ian like this, what is the reason for being kicked out?
If it’s about the 1st party, maybe there’s a reason you can’t understand.
‘Thanks to that, I met Ian, rather… .’
Vivian quickly shook her head.
‘What a bad imagination! Even so, I’ve been in charge of the first party for a long time, and I’m sure it will be heartbreaking. I don’t know how good I can be, but I have to work harder… .’
Even though I can’t be Sylvia myself.
To be Ian’s Vivian.
Soon after, the second party arrived.
A woman in a loose hooded robe stood in the forefront.
It was a woman with curly brown hair.
“Manager, Marie.”
The blunt tone made me feel like a tired person.
“Knight, Leon. Archer, Yeats. Wizard, Carlz.”
The name of the aspirant was also called out as if spitting out.
It was a tone that contrasted with his cute expression.
“Marie, Leon, Yates, Carlz. Has confirmed. The test guide will proceed when all participants are gathered.”
Marie nodded.
As Vivian observed it quietly, her expression looked as tired as her tone.
Somehow dull, seemingly indifferent to everything, and a tired face.
‘Somehow, I resemble Ian… .’
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Just then, Ian and Marie met their eyes.
The two managers who looked alike greeted each other politely.
It was similar to just bobbing my head once.
“Puff… .”
Seeing the two days standing face twisted, Vivian smiled for no reason.
“yes? Why?”
“Oh, no. Hmmmm.”
The tension I had until just now melted away.
Vivian cleared her mind and focused on training to open the mana circuit.
I had to practice a bit more.
You shouldn’t get lost in practice.
“You’re coming filthy late.”
muttered Marie.
His mouth was as rough as his impression.
Thinking of the late target, Vivian’s tension suddenly surged.
‘Felix… . No, never mind.’
Recognize the incoming and outgoing breath, and open the circuit one by one.
As I was concentrating on my practice, I heard a number of footsteps.
His concentration was broken, but he pretended not to be Vivian and closed his eyes.
Several steps stood between Ian and Marie’s party.
“This is Felix. Aspiring… .”
As Felix recited, Marie glanced at him and murmured.
“To be late and pretend to be relaxed… .”
Ian took out a sugar bar and asked.
I quickly reviewed the information I received from Taylor yesterday.
‘Felix. Quite a famous figure in the guild. Good grades in promoting aspirants. However, many unfortunate incidents occurred along the way. Either the other party gets hurt or the test progress is abandoned. He claims it was a coincidence or an accident, but well… .’
Taylor’s message was a warning.
Watch out for Felix.
Ian glanced over at the four wannabes Felix had brought along.
‘Knights, archers, priests, wizards. It’s stereotypical Armed condition is also great. I don’t know if my skills are good enough.’
Although he was aspiring, he was in good spirits.
Felix’s determination to subdue Vivian was visible.
However, from Ian’s point of view, it wasn’t that level of skill.
‘I think I’d bring four people and make a skewer with that big ice spear.’
“Felix. … Has confirmed.”
There are a total of three participating parties in Test Site 4.
All parties gathered.
“Let me introduce you to the test.”
The guide opened his mouth.
*
“Test Site 4 is the ‘three-way dungeon’.”
Ian listened to what he knew.
There may be some changes from previous episodes.
“As you can see, the structure is simple. At the entrance you split into three separate paths, each entering a different straight path.”
The guide unfolded a large map.
There was a big circle up and down, and I saw three roads connecting the middle.
“You will come across green slimes along the way. Take care of all the slime, and the last place, the joint.”
The guide pointed to the circle at the top.
“You can kill all the remaining slimes here. As soon as all the slimes are eliminated, the contribution check will proceed.”
Contribution verification work.
It is a task to find out who contributed the most to clearing the dungeon.
It was not done artificially, the dungeon proceeded directly.
Ian couldn’t figure out the principle until now.
“Only the party that came out last with the magic stone can pass the test.”
When all the monsters in the dungeon are killed, the ground in the center of the dungeon rises like a circular staircase.
On top of that, the reward ‘Magic Stone’ is prepared.
Only the hero with the highest contribution can climb the stairs and grab the magic stone.
Others can’t even step on the stairs.
An invisible barrier is blocking it.
Magic stones have a variety of uses and are traded at high prices.
This is also the reason why the vast majority of superhumans aspire to become warriors.
After collecting the magic stone, the portal closes and the attack ends.
Perfect winner-takes-all.
Because of this, there are many cases where they refuse to enter the same dungeon as a strong party.
This is the reason why the last seat at the 4th test site, where Vivian participated, was filled up late.
“The management, including the manager guild, is not responsible for any casualties that occur during the test.”
It was harsh, but natural.
Even in the temporary test, if it’s a skill that can get hurt or die, there’s nothing to say after becoming a hero.
They say they are warriors who want to become the hope of mankind, but behind them lies the reality of sleeping with death.
“Any questions?”
The guide turned around and asked.
No one raised a hand.
“Then, I will enter immediately. One last thing. Mutations such as Big Slime may appear in the test site. Even in that case, the test will continue, and no one will pass if the dungeon is not cleared.”
Hearing the final warning, Felix chuckled.
‘In preparation for that, I made a party with all my strength to hunt even the big slime.’
Felix’s gaze returned to Ian.
Leaving Vivian, who was clearly nervous, Ian carelessly chewed on the sugar cane.
‘Today will be the last time you pretend to be relaxed. Cheeky kid… .’
Compared to Felix burning competitive spirit.
Ian had no idea.
‘I’ve only heard about King Slime, but I’ve never actually seen it. How big is it?’
The caretaker removed a pile of stones blocking the entrance.
“I will enter. You just need to choose the crossroads freely and not overlap. No one except the manager and the inquirer is allowed to enter.”
Felix was the first to step out confidently.
Passing by Ian, he snorts and mumbles.
“I wonder if they think they are Philip and Sylvia… .”
There are two epidemics circulating among camp managers.
One is ‘Philip’s Disease’.
Inspired by the fact that Philip brought Sylvia, a beggar girl, to her current position, it is a symptom of picking up aspiring people who lack skills.
In Felix’s eyes, Ian was exactly like that.
‘It looks like Vivian’s magic is only destructive, so she’s trying to imitate Philip, but that’s okay.’
Felix, who took Vivian to the test, knows.
That her magic is completely useless in real combat.
Even with such nice clothes and a cane, it was still Vivian.
“Then, I hope you have good test results.”
Felix laughed and sarcastically went inside.
Kati’s glare from behind was so fierce.
“Go carefully! Vivian! Cheer up!”
“Yes, yes… .”
Ian and Vivian also entered the dungeon.
Felix is the middle way.
Ian on the left, Marie on the right.
The test has begun at Test Site 4.
***
After a damp, dark downhill road, we entered the left path.
The road that stretched far ahead was so dark that I couldn’t see the end.
The candles were lit in the middle, so I could see ahead.
“Ian… .”
“yes?”
“Can I really do well… .”
… Oh, the switch was hit because of Felix.
It was fine for a while.
There are two epidemics circulating among camp managers, one of which is ‘penny disease’.
Something that mimics Penny, who squints, smiles, and scratches at each other with respectful words.
The other is called Phillip’s disease, but I think everyone is insane.
Anyway, I don’t know why an idiot who imitates Penny is provoking other people’s wizards.
“I wonder if someone like me can really do well… . I’m not confident… .”
“Vivian.”
Even when I called her, she didn’t raise her head.
It was such an environment.
Test failed 10 times in 2 years.
The many insults I’ve heard so far.
A testing ground like a manager who pushed himself there.
It wouldn’t be strange if the wounds that had been buried so far burst open.
“Do you remember the promise you made with me last time?”
“A promise… ?”
“yes. Something like me, something like that, I decided not to say things like that.”
“ah… . yes, sorry… .”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, but I decided not to say sorry.”
“Ugh… .”
Crying, she covered her face with her cone-shaped hat.
“If you do it again in the future, there will be a penalty.”
“Penalty… ?”
“yes. Anytime, anywhere, whenever I want. Shouting, ‘Sylvia is a nerdy wizard of a lower level than me-!’”
“Yes Yes?!”
Vivian suddenly raised her head.
A face that looked like it was going to cry was stained with embarrassment.
“That, how could someone like me… !”
“uh? just now?”
“oh! I’m sorry… . oh!”
“In addition?”
“Ugh… .”
Vivian covered her mouth.
“I can’t do this… .”
“Oops!”
He couldn’t say anything, just shook his head while covering his mouth with his hand.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t do anything just now, so don’t do it from now on. OK?”
“Oops… .”
He still covers his mouth and nods his head.
“And, if you don’t trust me, trust me. The 1st party manager was also a body, isn’t it worth trusting?”
… no no
I’m just embarrassed
I looked away shyly, but I heard Vivian’s voice.
“yes. I will believe you.”
When I turned around, she was looking at me with a bright smile.
“then Let’s go.”
“yes!”
As we entered the road, a green slime appeared.
A rough explanation of the green slime on the way is finished.
Now only practice remains.
“Are you ready, Vivian?”
“yes! Ian!”
Vivian answered confidently.