Chapter 233: From F-Rank to B-Rank

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: From F-Rank to B-Rank

Back in the forest, Ares walked calmly between Selene and Leon, his gaze moving across the unfamiliar landscape as they continued deeper into the territory of the Dwarf Kingdom.

The forest was enormous, far larger than the forests surrounding Galvanian, and even the atmosphere felt noticeably different. The races they had encountered so far also possessed a completely different attitude toward strength and social status, which made it increasingly clear that Ravellon followed rules that were very different from the world Ares had known.

’No matter how I think about it, this place is completely different from Galvanian.’

Ares continued walking without showing much emotion, quietly observing the surroundings while Selene walked beside him.

"The more I see of this continent, the more interesting it becomes," Selene said, her expression thoughtful as she looked through the trees. "The races here seem to hold themselves in very high regard, and some of them appear to believe that their strength gives them the right to look down upon others."

"Indeed," Leon replied in his usual composed manner. "It appears that the hierarchy between races is deeply rooted within this continent. However, such arrogance is hardly proof of true superiority. Those who possess genuine strength rarely need to constantly remind others of it."

Selene glanced at him before giving a small nod.

"I agree. Still, I have to admit that it makes me curious about what else we will encounter."

"Seems like our journey will be interesting," Ares said calmly.

"Yes, I am thinking the same, Master," Leon replied, his expression carrying a faint smile. "I am also becoming increasingly curious about the vampire race of this continent. If the vampires here are descendants of ancient bloodlines, there may be individuals among them who have reached considerable heights of power. I would very much like to discover whether any of them are truly strong."

Leon’s interest was genuine. After spending thousands of years in isolation, the prospect of encountering other vampires was something he had not expected to experience again.

Selene, however, seemed to have developed an entirely different interest.

"I feel like I want to conquer the Dragon Kingdom," she said with a small smile.

Ares glanced toward her.

"You seem rather enthusiastic about that."

"Of course," Selene replied, her smile widening slightly. "I am curious about how powerful the dragons of this continent are. If there is a Dragon Kingdom, then there should at least be some individuals worth meeting."

She paused for a moment before her expression became noticeably colder.

"Although, for now, I suppose we should keep it low-key. Who do they think they are? They are nothing more than ugly and disgusting creatures. How dare they disrespect Master in front of us."

Her voice remained controlled, but the irritation behind her words was unmistakable.

"If it were not for Master, I would have already burned that entire place into ruins."

Ares sighed quietly.

"Let’s not destroy an entire kingdom just because of a few arrogant individuals."

Selene looked at him for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"Very well. Since you have said so, I will refrain from doing anything."

Leon gave a quiet chuckle.

"Your restraint is commendable, Lady Selene. Although I must admit, had Master not intervened, I suspect the unfortunate inhabitants of that town would have witnessed a rather unfortunate demonstration of your temper."

Selene glanced at him.

"Do not provoke me, Leon."

"I merely made an observation."

Ares continued walking, ignoring their exchange as they proceeded farther into the forest.

Their exploration soon turned into a hunt.

The monsters inhabiting the forest were considerably stronger than ordinary creatures, but none of them posed even the slightest threat to the three.

A wyvern descended from the sky with a furious roar, only for Ares to cut through its body with a single swing of his sword.

A giant spider attempted to ambush them from above, but Leon calmly raised one hand and pierced it with several blood-red threads before it could even touch the ground.

Later, a gigantic horned bear charged through the trees with enough force to crush everything in its path. Selene merely raised her hand, releasing a concentrated burst of power that brought the enormous creature down instantly.

One after another, the monsters fell.

By the time they decided to return to town, they had accumulated dozens of monster cores, including several high-ranking cores from powerful creatures that ordinary adventurers would have struggled to defeat.

Ares looked at the collection they had gathered.

"That should be enough for now."

Selene nodded.

"It should be more than enough."

Leon calmly gathered the cores.

"Then perhaps we should return to the guild and see how they evaluate them."

The three returned to town and entered the Adventurers’ Guild.

The moment Ares placed the monster cores onto the counter, the female receptionist stared at the collection in complete disbelief.

Dozens of cores covered the table, and several of them clearly belonged to monsters that were far above the level normally hunted by newly registered adventurers.

Her expression gradually changed from confusion to shock.

"Y-You hunted all of these?"

She looked from the cores to Ares, then to Selene and Leon, as though expecting someone to explain that there had been some kind of mistake.

"And you managed to obtain them in such a short amount of time? It has not even been a full day since your registration."

Ares simply nodded.

"Yes. We encountered them while exploring the forest."

The receptionist swallowed nervously as she examined several of the cores more closely.

"Please wait here for a moment. I will call the Guild Master immediately."

She hurried away.

The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the adventurers inside the guild.

"What? They hunted all of those monsters themselves?"

"That cannot be possible."

"They were only registered as F-rank adventurers earlier today."

"They are humans, aren’t they? How could three lowly humans possibly accomplish something like that?"

Several beastfolk began whispering among themselves, their disbelief gradually turning into suspicion.

Selene heard every word.

Her expression hardened, and she slowly exhaled through her nose as she forced herself to remain calm.

’They really do enjoy looking down on humans here.’

Her fingers tightened slightly.

’If Master were not here, I would have already taught them the meaning of respect.’

Leon noticed Selene’s expression but remained completely composed.

"Lady Selene," he said quietly, "there is no need to concern yourself with the words of those who have yet to understand the difference between confidence and arrogance."

Selene glanced toward him.

"I know. I am simply becoming tired of hearing it."

Leon gave a faint, dignified smile.

"Then allow them to continue speaking. Their words diminish them far more than they could ever diminish you."

Selene’s expression softened slightly.

"You are surprisingly reasonable for someone who is just as arrogant as I am."

"I prefer to call it dignity."

Before Selene could respond, the doors at the far end of the guild opened.

A tall human man in his forties entered the room.

He wore the formal attire of the Adventurers’ Guild, and although he did not possess the intimidating appearance of some of the beastfolk present, there was a quiet authority in his posture that immediately distinguished him from an ordinary adventurer.

His eyes swept across the room before settling on the reception counter.

"Where are they?"

The receptionist quickly pointed toward Ares, Selene, and Leon.

"They are over there, Guild Master."

The Guild Master walked toward them and stopped in front of the table.

His gaze immediately fell upon the monster cores.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

He carefully examined them one by one, checking their quality and the traces of magical energy contained within them.

Then his expression changed.

"These are genuine."

He looked toward the three of them.

"You three must be considerably stronger than your current ranks suggest."

Ares remained calm.

The Guild Master smiled.

"I will promote your ranks immediately."

He extended his hand.

"May I see your adventurer cards?"

Ares handed over his card, while Selene and Leon did the same.

The Guild Master took all three cards and walked over to the guild’s registration equipment. After verifying the cores and recording the results, he returned several moments later.

He placed the newly issued cards on the counter.

"Congratulations. Your ranks have been raised to B-rank."

Selene looked at the card for a moment before raising an eyebrow.

"B-rank already?"

Ares picked up his new card and examined it briefly.

"Are you certain that promoting us this much is appropriate?"

"Of course," the Guild Master replied without hesitation. "No ordinary adventurer could bring this many cores to the guild after a single hunt, especially when several of them belong to high-ranking monsters."

He gestured toward the cores on the table.

"Even experienced adventurers would consider some of these creatures dangerous opponents. The fact that the three of you hunted them without sustaining any injuries is more than enough evidence that F-rank is completely inappropriate for you."

Ares gave a small nod.

"I understand. Thank you."

"Do not mention it," the Guild Master said with a friendly smile. "In fact, I am glad that three strong adventurers like you have appeared in this town."

His expression became more serious as he glanced toward the other adventurers in the guild.

"Especially humans."

Ares looked at him.

The Guild Master sighed.

"You have probably already noticed how humans are treated here."

Ares did not answer immediately.

"We have."

The Guild Master lowered his voice slightly.

"Humans are constantly mocked by some of the beastfolk in this region. Unfortunately, there is very little we can do about it because most humans simply do not possess the strength necessary to stand against them."

He looked at Ares, Selene, and Leon.

"That is why seeing three humans capable of defeating high-ranking monsters is rather reassuring. Perhaps things can change someday."

Ares remained silent for a moment before giving a calm nod.

"I understand."

The Guild Master smiled again.

"I will not keep you any longer. You have earned your promotion, so feel free to walk around the town and explore the area. If you require anything from the guild, you are welcome to return at any time."

"Thank you," Ares replied.

The Guild Master nodded before returning to his duties.

Ares placed his new B-rank card away and turned toward Selene and Leon.

"Let’s go."

Selene nodded.

"Yes, Master."

Leon gave a slight bow.

"As you command."