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>VROOOOOOOOMMMM<

My car sped through the rough road as I drove, seemingly without a care in the world.

"A-Amazing!"

"This Legendary Black Beast is... so amazing!"

"The Hero truly is amazing!"

I heard words that sounded fresh in my head. Why? Because this wouldn\'t be the first time Sarah and Byron would sing my praises while being astounded by my regular vehicle.

We were currently on our way to the Adventurer\'s City, Dulum—again.

Things were going to play out a bit differently than before, though. I didn\'t have the time or heart to go through the entire process again.

That meant I had to take the fastest route.

\'Let\'s go!\'

**************

Zabdel Forger took his duties as Vice Guildmaster very seriously—perhaps even more than his superior himself.

Not only did he handle the everyday affairs of the City, but he was also responsible for collecting information throughout Dulum, while also managing their economic and administrative affairs.

Needless to say, he was a busy man.

Of course, to prevent working himself to death, Zabdel delegated responsibilities to people. By assigning capable individuals to various sectors, his burden lessened considerably. He was able to create an intricate network of affairs within Dulum.

Perhaps it was because he was a Mage, but Dulum preferred sophisticated methods like this compared to the straightforward and brute way the Guildmaster preferred to lead.

"Haa... I should take a break soon." Zabdel sighed as he rested his back in his sparse office.

Looking at his wooden desk, filled to the brim with lots of parchments and documents, as well as ores of various qualities, the Mage was on the verge of breaking down.

The only thing that brought him great joy was staring at the wooden furniture itself.

Usually, the furniture in Dulum were made of metal—even homes were built with the same materials. Wood was rare, after all.

However, after achieving such high status—as a Mage and as the Vice Guildmaster—Zabdel was able to get his hands on the desk he used.

It was rare furniture, and the stuff costed a fortune, but he didn\'t mind. Looking at his precious desk never ceased to cheer Zabdel up.

"Maybe I\'ll work for a bit lon—"

"Vice Guildmaster!!!" A voice interrupted the man\'s attempt at finishing his work... or at least some part of it.

His door was flung wide open, and someone entered abruptly. The intruder had a very bulky body, and his bloodshot eyes were widened to a scary degree.

"Gerund? What are you doing barging in like this?" Zabdel asked, a little irritated.

Gerund was one of the few Adventurers Zabdel liked, and they had a close-enough relationship. However, even relationships had limits.

Unless it was important, Zabdel did not appreciate actions like this.

\'Maybe work is just getting to me... haa, I\'m so tired.\' He tiredly stared at the Adventurer, who was in the process of forming the words that he so desperately wanted to say.

\'Spit it out already!\' Zabdel eyed the paperwork on his desk.

"Vice Guildmaster... a man just appeared... he demanded to see you."

The veins in Zabdel\'s head became even more evident upon hearing the bizarre news.

"And? What kind of person is he? If he\'s an aspiring Adventurer, he should go through the due process and—"

"N-no, it\'s not that..." Gerund struggled to form more words.

It seemed whatever he experienced was shocking enough to put him in such a state. This interested Zabdel a little, so he decided to listen attentively.

"[Basic Spell: Calm]"

Upon saying this, Zabdel sent a wave of Magic in Gerund\'s direction, completely curing the buff man of his shock.

"A-ah, tha—"

"So what is it?" He also cut Gerund\'s expression of gratitude short.

He was currently not interested in formalities. Zabdel simply wanted to know what happened.

"About that..."

And so, Gerund explained.

...

"WHAT?! Take me to him now!"

*************

Zabdel was beyond confounded.

Amazement and curiosity filled his eyes as he proceeded down the stairs to witness what Gerund had told him.

They finally got to the designated floor for sparring among Adventurers and Zadbel opened the door in a hurry.

"A-ah..." What he saw was enough to make even him speechless.

"H-he did this...?" The auburn-haired man murmured.

Right before him, a multitude of Adventurers was on the ground. Zabdel could see a bunch of B Ranks, A Ranks too. Finally, he saw an S Rank on the floor, completely passed out.

"A-ah...?" Zabdel raised his head to see the flickering light that was coming from a single location.

"T-this is...!"

A lone man stood, appearing to be no more than a young adult.

He had a unique blade in his hand, and blue energy swirled around him.

"This bountiful amount of Mana... Sword Aura... Absolute Form! Who is... this person...?!" Zabdel couldn\'t contain his shock any longer.

The black-haired man, who had been stationary for some time, glanced in Zabdel\'s direction. His stare was enough to send shivers down his spine.

\'Me? A Mage of the Highest Caliber... I\'m shaking?\'

It sounded absurd, but he was currently experiencing the seemingly impossible.

\'Even the Guildmaster can\'t—!\'

"So, you\'re finally here..." The man\'s voice sent another jolt down Zabdel\'s body.

His deep voice commanded power and authority that the Vice Guildmaster had never seen before.

This man—if he could even be called that—was truly the real deal!

"A pleasure to meet you, Vice Guildmaster. Do not worry about your Adventurers. They\'re not dead or gravely injured. I just had to teach them... a little lesson."

Zabdel understood that those words carried more meaning than he could comprehend, but he nodded anyway.

He doubted he could win against this monstrosity.

\'They all came at him together, yet he defeated them so easily. There\'s not even a scratch on him...\' Zabdel gulped and decided to be as cordial to the stranger.

"I understand. Someone of your caliber need not apologize."

He found it weird that he was talking so politely with someone much younger than him, but the Vice Guildmaster could not afford to offend someone so oppressive.

Zabdel noticed the man was smiling after hearing his words. It was a cold smile, almost as though the young dominator could see through every facade the older man was putting up. More fear and respect permeated his body instantly.

"I have come only to ask for a mere favor. If you listen well, you\'ll understand that this could prove beneficial to you too..." As calm and smooth as could be, the stranger\'s words flowed.

Zabdel grew even more interested, but he still treaded carefully.

"May I ask what the subject matter is?" It was an impudent question, but not unreasonable.

If the man came in peace, surely he would see no harm in answering such a simple query. Of course, if he chose not to, there was nothing that could be done.

"It\'s about the Monster that is giving you problems... that Earth Dragon."

Zabdel\'s eyes widened the moment he heard the man utter those words.

"H-how do you—?!"

"There\'s no need to explain. However, I understand your situation completely. That beast has claimed so many lives of Adventurers, hasn\'t it? How many more need to die?"

Zabdel understood what the stranger was saying, but it was easier said than done.

The opponent was a Dragon. While it wasn\'t a very powerful one, it still transcended the limits of human ability. Plus, its defense and tenacity were on another level entirely.

Once, they gathered the strongest of Adventurers to face it, and while sacrifices were made, they were close to finishing the monster off.

However, it was able to escape by burrowing a hole underground.

This evasive ability made it too tricky to handle—so much so that it became a thorn in their flesh. It was Zabdel\'s ultimate wish to get rid of the creature, but there was no one strong enough to kill it.

\'If we attack in a group again, it\'ll retreat...\'

And, the worst part was that no one knew where next it would strike—making it the most unpredictable monster in the Labyrinth.

Sealing the Labyrinth off was also not an option.

Not only did Dulum get a great deal of their resources from there, but Adventurers obtained most of their proceeds from challenging the Labyrinth. Besides, if they didn\'t occasionally clear floors and defeat monsters, there would eventually be an outbreak of them.

Ultimately, there was no other choice than to keep sending Adventurers.

The only means the Guild devised to prevent more meaningless deaths was to make a compulsory exam for aspiring Adventurers.

At least, that way... some could be spared.

"Why are you so deep in thought?" The stranger\'s voice roused Zabdel from his myriad of thoughts.

"A-ah, apologies. It\'s just that—"

"There\'s no need to think too hard about it, neither do you need to worry..." The young man slowly began approaching Zabdel.

His fierce aura was so oppressing that the Vice Guildmaster unintentionally took a few steps back.

\'A-ah...\'

It was a simple expression of fear.