Chapter 12 — Rank-up Again?

Editors: PROCRASTINATOR & GREETER

 

[Ei’s POV]

 

“Celes! We’re back!”

 

I wave. Luna said that apparently there’s a special reward for being the first party to beat the dungeon.

 

“Luna, Ei, what brings you here today?”

 

“We cleared the dungeon!”

 

“Eh?” “How?” “Just the two of them?” “Already? The dungeon opened yesterday…”

 

“I’ll call the guildmaster…”

 

After a few minutes, Celes returns with Jouh. 

 

“So, you two cleared the dungeon, eh?”

 

Jouh looks at Luna.

 

“Hmm… You feel like you’ve gotten stronger. Well then, you brought proof I presume? What was the boss anyways?”

 

“A chimera.”

 

I took out the chimera’s heads.

 

““Eeeehhhhhhh?””

 

“You beat a chimera. As a two person party. With magic.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Once you’ve been around Ei for a while, you get used to it.”

 

“Hey! I still had to snap you out of it after this one!”

 

“Uhhhh… I’ll take your word for it. Celes, go help the other adventurers. I’ll take these two to negotiate a price for the materials.”

 

“O-okay!”

 

I think I might have broken Celes a bit. Oh well.

 

We walked over to the warehouse and I brought the heads out again.

 

“So, do you have the body as well?”

 

“Umm… about that… I kinda vaporized it.” 

 

“You did what now? How? Fire magic?”

 

“Nope. Lightning.”

 

“Eh? Lightning can do that much? I thought it just paralyzed things…”

 

Silly guildmaster. Lightning magic is amazing.

 

“As I said, you’ll get used to it eventually! So, how much are the heads worth?”

 

“Probably around three small gold coins total.”

 

“Deal! Ei, you get the larger portion.”

 

“No, you keep it. I don’t need the extra coin.”

 

“But you did more work!!”

 

“And you need it more than I do! Besides, we have a platinum coin to split!”

 

“Oh… fair point.”

 

“Hahahaha… You two remind me of before I retired. If you want, we can do the coin conversion.”

 

“…There’s no fee for it?”

 

“Normally there would be, but I’m feeling nice right now.”

 

“Alright then.”

 

Eventually, I forced Luna to take all three small gold coins and six of the small platinum coins. I mean, I have like 10 platinum coins already. 

 

“So Luna, what should we do now that we’ve finished the dungeon?”

 

“I dunno! Let’s just take some random quests until then. Ooo! Maybe we can rank up soon! A chimera subjugation is normally A rank, so it would count as three B ranks for us! The dungeon exploration was also B rank, so we just need two more requests to be eligible!

 

“Let’s take some requests then.”

 

We turned back towards the guild and took a look at the B rank requests.

 

Request: Find the true identity of the “red assassin”.

 

Ha… not happening.

 

Request: Wyvern extermination (x5)

 

I just fought some wyverns. I’d rather try something new. 

 

Request: Naga subjugation 

 

I hate snakes, so that’s out the window. Well, unless we want to destroy the entire surrounding area for a few hundred yards. Maybe more if I put more power into it?

 

Request: Hobgoblin elimination (x20)

 

Eh… we already did that.

 

Request: Rogue iron golem subjugation

 

Oh, that sounds fun.

 

“Luna! How’s this?”

 

“Iron golem? Do you have anything that can damage it?”

 

“Luna, did you forget my magic?”

 

“Yeah, but iron golems are immune to most magic!”

 

“I think I can brute force it. Besides, my weapons are made of a mithril-adamantine alloy. They should cut. Also, your weapons are magic. I think they should be effective.”

 

“Ah… I forgot! Well, let’s do it then!”

 

“Celes! We’re doing this!”

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

We reached the location of the rogue iron golem and the forest looks really destroyed. Luna also looks really mad. Let’s just stay away from her for a bit…

 

We had to walk for a while following a path of destruction, but eventually we found the iron golem. 

 

「KORA」

 

Huh. It makes funny noises.

 

*crash*

 

And another tree dies.

 

「HAZ KORA」

 

Oh, it saw us. I run up to it but it jumps back. Then, it puts its hands into the ground and some silos open up on its back. Is it going to launch missiles? I pull out my shield and put it in front of me.

 

「ZORA HAZ」

 

*tvfoo* tvfoo* tvfoo* tvfoo* tvfoo* tvfoo* (A/N: Blame PROCRASTINATOR for the sounds) (P/N The other option was pew pew so…)

 

*boom*

 

*boom* *boom*

 

*boom* *boom* *boom*

 

Ha! Take that, missiles! My shield moved and blocked all of you. Behind me, Luna’s sword bursts into flame while her other seems like it would freeze anything it touches.

 

“Die you hunk of junk!”

Luna jumps at the golem with both swords crossed.

 

“Improvised sword art: [Antipode Bomb]!” (A/N: Physics only works when I want it to)

 

Smart. Luna slashed first with the Frostbite, then slashed with the Flame Tongue. 

 

*zoop* *BOOOOOOM!!!*

 

The iron golem got launched backwards through a few trees, but I think it survived. Luna was also sent flying into the sky, but I reduced the density of the air around her so she should fall more slowly.

 

「HAZ KORA」

 

It jumps back all the way to us. I dodge its fist and Cthulhu slashes its arm off. Inside of the body is… nothing. Just some weird tubes. I thought it would have been made of wires or something. Guess I got my hopes up for nothing.

 

「ZOR KRAZA」

 

The arm which I just sliced off flies back to the arm socket and reconnects. That’s cheating!

*wooo*

 

Eh? It’s spinning?

 

*woooooooooo*

 

*thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*

 

It’s spinning and walking towards us. Do you really think that can stop us? Look up. Luna is above you.

 

“Luna! Drop onto its head!”

 

“Got it!”

 

I cancel the spell and Luna enters freefall.

 

“[Gale Burst]! Sword Art: [Double Spinning Edge]!”

 

Luna comes crashing down onto the golem’s face…. Is it really a face? It’s just a large yellow eye. Right before hitting it, she spins with both her swords. First, the face is slashed with fire, then with ice, then with both at the same time. You won’t survive that, silly construct.

 

“[Gale Burst]!”

 

I blow Luna back away from the golem. I think it’s dead, but to make sure I’m going to zap it with lightning.

 

“[Chain Lightning: Implosion]!”

 

*zzzaaaapppp*

 

*crack*  *crack* *crack*

 

I put less power into it so it didn’t bounce around as much. The golem falls face first into the ground.

 

“Well, that's it.”

 

“Yep! Let’s go tell the commissioner.”

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

We returned to the guild with the completion certificate and made our way to Celes’s desk.

 

“Celes! We’re back!”

 

“Incredulously fast once again I see. I’ll process the request real quick.”

 

““Thanks!””

 

“So, can we need one more request… Any ideas?”

 

“I’d recommend looking at the request boards, but we got a request for some for a large amount of mythic iron. You can probably just use the iron golem for that.” (A/N: Mythic materials = an alloy of that material with mithril. It’s about 95% the original ore, but it’s a lot rarer)

 

“Let’s do that! Can you contact the seller for us?”

 

“Yep. Just wait here for a bit.”

 

After about 20 minutes Gold walked into the guild and up to the desk. How they managed to call him, I have no idea.

 

“Ah, Luna, Ei, so ya two have some mythical iron I might be interested ‘n?”

 

“Hi Gold! Also, how do you know Ei?”

 

“You introduced me to his shop, remember?”

 

“I gotta thank ya for that, I made more ‘an I had made in months for that missy.”

 

“...Ei, what did you do?”

 

“I bought my glaive there.”

 

“Oh, makes sense then!”

 

“Well, show me what ya got.”

 

I pull out the iron golem. It falls face first into the ground again with a loud thud.

 

“An iron golem, eh? Well, the iron looks to be o’ good quality. I’ll take it. Celes, process the request. Shouldn’ need a certificate since I’m here.”

 

“Do you need help carrying anything, Gold?”

 

“Nah, I got it. I may look short, but this much iron ain't much.”

 

He picks up the iron with the help of some magic. Or I assume it is at least, since there’s no way a normal dwarf can carry that iron alone. It probably weighs a few tons.

 

“Well, Celes, can we rank up now?”

 

“I’ll call the guildmaster.”

 

“Boo!”

 

“Really, guildmaster? That’s the fifth time you tried this today.”

 

“Aww… I thought I’d get someone this time. Well, unfortunately our guild is too small to administer tests. We can help you with the first part though. There should be an escort quest to the royal capital which is still looking for adventurers. They leave in a month, but it’s the only escort request of a long enough length to qualify. I’ll write letters of recommendation for the guild in the royal capital.”

 

“Alright. Thanks!” 

 

“Guess we have to kill time for a month…”

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

[???’s POV]

 

“Brothers… Sisters… and everyone else… the hour is nigh.”

 

We relocated successfully… Now it is time for us to begin summoning him.

 

“I have prepared a special… catalyst… I shall use my own soul… to bring forth the will of… o̷͓̅u̶͇̎̀r̴̳̪̀̕ ̶̪̲͑͒Ḷ̸̜̒ŏ̵̝r̶̟̼̈ď̶̮̈́.” (our Lord)

 

Six of our followers stand around a circle… a circle I am in the center of. Lines connect together from the staffs they place on the floor… They draw a circle with a star. It ignites with a purple light…

 

“Now, we call upon o̷͓̅u̶͇̎̀r̴̳̪̀̕ ̶̪̲͑͒Ḷ̸̜̒ŏ̵̝r̶̟̼̈ď̶̮̈́’s… presumed general… INSANITY come forth…”

 

The chant begins now. We shall gather our offerings… for his arrival.

 

“Ḭ̵̄ ̷̨̇t̴̳̅e̸̦̎a̴͈͋r̷̼͐e̵͎͛t̵͚̑h̴͚͒ ̸̞͝ò̴͚p̵̤͐e̴̲̓n̵͓͂ ̸̗̚t̴͕̄h̷̯̏e̸̟͝ ̶̘̋ŵ̷̞a̵̗͊l̷̫̒l̷͇̾ ̸̤͛b̶̮͝ḙ̷͌t̷̥́w̷̭̎i̷̻̽x̶̟̄t̶̻̑ ̸̦͂t̶͎͊h̸͉̄è̴͓ ̷̗̆g̵̮͆ő̷̼d̸̥̊l̴̩̎y̶̲̍ ̴̧̀ḽ̵̚á̵͉n̵͍͐d̵̖͐ ̶͕̇ō̷͉f̷̉ͅ ̶͚̀C̸̲͠e̵̳͘l̷̥̔e̵̖͗s̸̙͐t̶̞̃i̷̧͋a̸̹̽ ̴͔̚a̵̝͂n̷͔̊d̸͙̿ ̷͒ͅt̷̰͝ḧ̸͉e̵̬͋ ̴͇̔l̵̊͜o̴̥͒w̵̢̏l̷̪̇ỳ̴̙ ̵̠̆p̴͔͆ļ̸͑a̶͍̋n̷̥̾ę̵̛ ̷̖̕ơ̶͇f̷͖́ ̴̼̈́m̴̞̓ȏ̴͉r̷̙̈́t̶̡͝a̴̬̿l̷̩̔s̶̺͒…̶̜̏”

 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

 

[INSANITY’s POV]

 

What is this? Someone is trying to summon me… Fools. They do not even know I have been sealed. I suppose I shall see who it is.

 

The cult of N̵̙͐̈́̕Ȗ̸̬̺͓̌̈͒L̷̢͔͚̔̃̇L̵͍̐̑͛? Those fools would dare disturb my slumber? What is it they hope to accomplish? Do they not know that I am INSANITY, the third apostle of ENTITY? Well… as the sworn enemy of N̵̙͐̈́̕Ȗ̸̬̺͓̌̈͒L̷̢͔͚̔̃̇L̵͍̐̑͛, I suppose I shall have to judge them.

 

And they even messed up my gender. Do they not know that all entities are genderless? Well, I suppose my expectations of the scum of Andromeda should be low. Prepare to die, you utter fools.