With Gandr’s perfect recall ability, he was able to detail all the rules and regulations of the 3rd Floor without a single mistake. This earned him some credibility with the more detail-oriented members of the group, chief among them being the duo of Shibisu and Khun.
Using the information provided by Gandr, Khun was the first to propose, “I suggest we form two teams, one to gather information within the Town and another to scout the surrounding area. Since there is a requirement to spend ten days outside the Town, it is best to get it out of the way as soon as possible.”
Though he didn’t disagree with Khun’s proposition of splitting into two teams, Shibisu ended up shaking his head, crossing his arms as he said, “The Rules say nothing about what happens outside of Town. There are probably settlements or encampments where we can gather some information, but, considering the heavy cost of living on this Floor, there are bound to be a lot of people prepared to rob other Regulars. If there wasn’t some kind of danger waiting outside of the walls, there wouldn’t be so many people walking around the Town…”
Hearing Shibisu’s point, Khun emulated the man’s action of crossing his arms, both closing their eyes as various thoughts danced across their minds. This caused an oppressive silence to descend upon the group, at least until Hwa Ryun remarked, “You are thinking too much like a Regular. We are not in the same boat as everyone else on this Floor. We have the Blessing of our God and the support of numerous Irregulars. Our priorities should be completing Quests, obtaining Variable Experience, and doing everything within our power to increase our fame.”
With Hwa Ryun’s reminder, a look of realization donned on Khun’s and Shibisu’s faces. Since the previous evening’s events were ‘very’ strange, it hadn’t even crossed their minds to make use of the tremendous boon Vahn had given them.
Unable to restrain himself, a light chuckle escaped Khun’s throat before he stated, “You make a fair point. With that in mind, the best course of action would be to consult the Quest Board and plan our actions from there. We have more than enough Points to remain in the Town for a few days…that is assuming our gracious Benefactor is willing to provide us with food and other supplies…?”
Responding with a curt nod, Vahn went on to reply, “Once we are finished here, I will help get everyone settled into their respective rooms. This Inn will serve as our base of operations until we get a better grasp of the situation. As for food and other basic supplies, let me know what you need and I can most likely provide it. For anything more advanced, you will need to prove yourself or complete a Quest. I am not here for your convenience.”
Even if he made no effort to sound intimidating, the impression he had cultivated over the last month caused everyone to tense up in response to Vahn’s words. This created an opportunity for Phae to step in and mediate, her elegant laughter drawing everyone’s focus to her as she playfully remarked, “Don’t let him scare you. My Lord is a big softie who enjoys pampering his Children quite a bit. Still, I would rather you come to me before troubling him. So long as you have a legitimate need for the thing you are requesting, I’m certain I can convince my Lord to provide it~.”
Without needing to pretend, Vahn’s expression became somewhat helpless in response to Phae’s words. They might have been spoken by ‘him’, but it was becoming increasingly clear that both she and Gandr were gradually developing their own Egos. All they really needed at this point was a catalyst to spur the awakening of his Mind Innate. From that moment on, he would become a being comprised of many consciousnesses, all working in perfect harmony to achieve the same goal…
Seeing the helpless look on Vahn’s face, all remaining tensions completely drained away as Gandr added, “Phae is right! Master has always been a kind man. Just don’t get too carried away and it shouldn’t be a problem. After all, we’re all part of the same Familia now. It is only natural that we help each other out~!”
Inspired by Gandr’s words, Baam put the final nail in the coffin by adopting what could best be described as a ‘sun-like’ smile. It was so radiant that it naturally attracted the attention of everyone at the table as he happily chimed, “That’s right. We should all do our best. So long as we work together, there is nothing we can’t overcome…!”
With Baam seated right next to him, Khun was the most affected by the boy’s aura, a helpless sigh escaping his lips before he adopted a confident smile and said, “With that in mind, we’ll go with this plan of action: Shibisu and I will compile a list of everyone’s available Quests and try to organize them in a manner that will allow us to efficiently stockpile Variable Experience. While we handle that, I would ask that Gandr, Anak, Hatsu, Aleksai, Nare, and Chunhwa form three teams to scout our immediate surroundings. As for everyone else, you will help set up the rooms and arrange camping supplies. We’ll be aiming to complete this Floor within two weeks so prepare for an extended stay outside the walls once we gather information.”
Though Rak had been designated as the leader of Team Wolf Pack, everyone knew that Khun was in charge unless countermanded by Vahn or Phae. The former had the highest authority within the team, for obvious reasons. As for the latter, she was the most respected member of the entire party. She also spoke on Vahn’s behalf, so, while their ‘God’ ultimately held the highest position, it could be argued that Phae possessed the greatest authority…
—
With Anak following close behind, Gandr immediately made his way over to the East Gate in order to ascertain the location of Marble’s Administrative Office. The Ranker had clearly taken a liking to him, so, before she could simply forget him among the endless sea of Regulars that passed through the 3rd Floor, he wanted to capitalize on their burgeoning friendship.
Fortunately, though there weren’t any signs designating which Rankers occupied each of the buildings, Gandr’s sense of smell allowed him to track Marble to a small building located very near the actual gate. This indicated that she had a relatively high status, but, considering she was an adopted daughter of the Ari Family, this wasn’t particularly surprising.
Though she had followed along silently thus far, Anak couldn’t resist asking, “What is this place?” the moment she saw Gandr’s smile. In response, the latter turned to her, his smile becoming a mischievous grin as he asked, “Feel like passing a Special Test with me? We’ll have to fork over 2,000 Points, but it’ll be worth it just to see the surprise on everyone else’s faces~.”
Before Gandr had even finished speaking, a vicious smile had spread across Anak’s face. She enjoyed fighting, but, even more than that, she enjoyed being the first person to complete an objective. She could easily imagine the annoyed expression on Endorsi’s face when the latter learned what they had done, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, she answered, “Hell yeah! Let’s do it…!” in a motivated tone.
Following Anak’s exclamation, Gandr led the way into a massive colonial-style house. There, a number of other Regulars could be seen speaking with various uniformed Receptionists. This reminded Gandr a lot of the Guilds back in Danmachi, but, rather than look like Adventurers, the majority of the people present within resembled vagrants with relatively modern clothing and virtually no equipment…
After standing in the shortest line for a few minutes, Gandr and Anak came face-to-face with a skeletal man with ghostly flames where his eyes should be. Despite this, none of the people in the surroundings paid him any attention, as, compared to the more ‘peculiar’ races within the Tower, a skeletal man with burning eyes wasn’t particularly rare.
Though he had no muscles to facilitate facial expressions, the skeletal man was somehow able to give off the impression he was smiling as he as mused, “My, what an adorable duo. Tell me, young ones, what brings you to Ms. Marble’s Vocational Office? Would you like to purchase a License?”
Before Anak could lambast the man for effectively calling her a child, Gandr preempted her by producing his Pocket and saying, “We would like to take Ms. Marble’s Special Test. Please inform her that Gandr has come alongside one of his friends.”
Hearing Gandr refer to her as a friend, the very tip of Anak’s tail began to waggle despite her expression remaining a moderately annoyed deadpan. As for the skeletal man, he seemed legitimately surprised, somehow giving off the impression his brows were raised as he said, “Oh my! It’s been quite some time since anyone attempted Ms. Marble’s Special Test! You must be quite confident in your skills, young man!”
Since the man hadn’t exactly kept his voice under control, nearly everyone within the office, both Staff and Regulars, shifted their attention to the child-like duo standing at the counter. This caused a few of the older-looking Regulars to scoff, but, as appearances meant very little within the Tower, most people expressed more curiosity than disdain.
Noticing the scene he had caused, the skeletal man performed a series of apologetic bows before guiding Gandr and Anak to a private waiting room. Then, after around twenty minutes had passed, a petite figure appeared at the entrance to the room, her expression displaying mild annoyance as she said, “I thought the name Gandr sounded familiar. Let me tell you this right now, kid. If you think I’ll go easy on you just because I was nice to you before, you’re in for a rude awakening.”
Rather than display any signs of fear of perturbance, Gandr just smiled back at Marble as he said, “Ms. Marble is mistaken. Both Anak and I really enjoy fighting against strong opponents, so, rather than say we are underestimating you, it would be more accurate to say we are looking forward to a tough battle.”
Though she didn’t completely believe his statement, Marble nodded her head in response to Gandr’s words before shifting her attention to the green-skinned girl at his side. She could tell that the latter had a very strong body, and, though she gave off a very ‘unrefined’ impression, Marble’s instincts told her the girl was a diamond in the rough.
After briefly considering the matter, Marble decided she would use this as an opportunity to teach the duo a lesson. She had an appreciation for talents, and, though she often pretended it didn’t bother her, Marble took exception to the fact she was often regarded as a child. This made her a little lenient towards any Regulars who appeared on the younger side, as, better than most, she knew how annoying it was to climb the Tower with such an appearance.
Having made up her mind, Marble half-turned towards the room’s exit before saying, “Let’s go. There is a training arena located within the basement. The walls there were produced by the Workshop so we don’t have to worry about damaging the rest of the building during the Test. Since the two of you have already paid the fee, I have no reason to refuse your request.”
Without waiting for a response, Marble promptly exited the room, her hooved feet making a loud clopping sound as she departed. In her wake, Gandr and Anak exchanged glances with each other, both smiling excitedly before quickly following after her. Neither showed even a hint of fear, and, though she knew her skills were no match for a Ranker, Anak believed Gandr wouldn’t have invited her if he didn’t believe she could pass alongside him. This gave her a strong desire to meet his expectations, not because she wanted his recognition, but because she didn’t want to be left behind as he continued growing stronger…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Hwa Ryun be like, “Bruh, we already have cheats turned on…”‘,’Nothing to see here. Just a talking skeleton. Move along~’,’Don’t abandon Cucumber (o x o)…’)
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