Arthur POV:
I watch Noland exit out of the reinforced steel door with a smile on his face. Behind him, I see Shane and an unknown girl. He walks nonchalantly as he sways side to side approaching me(NOT menacingly). He raises his arm as I raise mine in return. We slap our hands together with a satisfying pop sound as we pull each other closing in for a one-handed back pat.
"Top of C-. That the rank you gotta beat."
"You know I can't compete with you interms of combat, Noland."
"I thought the older brother was supposed to set a good example for the younger one."
I keep silent as I decide that now is not the time to get into an argument with Noland. Not in front of everyone. After a moment of silence, the little girl spoke up.
"Damn never knew the that the older brother was such a bitch. You letting him talk to you like that like he yo daddy. Personally, I would not let that slide. "
"Who is this sassy lost child?"
Instantly the adventures guild burst out laughing. The walls echoed the roar as adventures started cheering and whistling. The little girl raised her open hand and slowly started to close it. A barrier at that same time surrounds me and slowly started closing.
"You will call me by proper name, Nell. I'm fucking sick and tired of all of you disrespecting me."I reinforced myself with mana to protect me from what she was going to do next. She clenched her fist causing the barrier to instantly tighten around me. It felt like I was 1000 feet under the ocean. She slowly let go as I quickly exhale my breath and collapse to my knees to throw up on the floor. I take quick ragged breaths as I desperately try to gain my composure.
"Nell don't treat the rookie like that. Where here to determine his rank, not determine his fate."
"Fine, No fun crushing a toddler. Come on brat your gonna get your ass kicked."
I mustered all my willpower to refrain from calling Nell THE toddler to no avail. I'm sorry but it was too perfectly set up for me. I will execute this to the full extent of my abilities even if I must die for it. I'm sorry Noland but you will have to reach S-Rank by yourself. I am sorry for all the sins I have committed my lord. Forgive me for committing gluttony each time we have any form of food I made sure to give Noland the smaller amount. Forgive me for me committing lust every time I stare at that one MILF librarian at the library. Actually, I'm not sorry about that one. She was a baddie though and though. I would do it again without a shred of regret. Forgive me for my sin of pride as I thought I was superior because I wasn't a neanderthal who talked with my fist like a certain someone. Forgive me for my sin of greed as I would check out more library books than I could read only to return them on the latest possible day not even finishing half of them. Forgive me for my act of envy as I stared at kids going to school wanting enough money to go to school myself. Forgive me for the sin of wrath I would exhibit when losing a winning streak. (damn that 28-year-old bum with nothing better to do than try hard at a wordle and break my 17-win streak. Just because your wife cheated on you for a 6,6 big black man name Jamal doesn't give you the right to cheat an opponent half your age out of their win streak.) Forgive me for the sloth I would exhibit until 10 in the morning. And lord forgives me for the bitch I'm about cook up.
"Fine, No fun crushing a toddler." I mocked in a high-pitched voice as she wipes her head around."Girl if you don't get your fucking bimbo baggins ass out here."
"Damnnnnnnnn!"
"Fucking nock off tatsumaki ass. Fucking wash board ass, cutting board chest. "
"Let him cook. Let him cook."
"Goofy ahh witch hat covering up that megamind chromedome. Yo Hair line probably worse than vegeta's. Giant crimson crystle ball overcompensating for something. Mannn you born with all that daddies money yet you still can't be drippy."
"Ohh he snappin."
"Fuck npc anime tsundere built ass. Bootleg chinese knock off roxy ass. You looks like a child and acts like one too."
"YoU wIlL CaLl mE By pRoPeR nAmE, nElL. I'm FuCkInG sIcK aNd tIrEd oF aLl oF YoU diSresPecTinG mE." I mock with a voice crack "Fucking throwing a temper tantrum when you don't get your way. Did you turn out this way because you didn't get enough attention from your family?"
"Nan not the family."
"How can you talk to me about drip when you look like a peasent from the fucking 14th centrey. You talk all this shit but when it comes down to it your just a bitch. You talked all this smack about my hairline but look at yo yeeyee ass haircut. Fucking bowl cut ass. What are you 15-16 yet you still got no bitches or riches."
"Damnnnnn. Oh she popping off."
"Boy if your don't get yo..."
"Nell that's enough."
"No this is not enough baldy, let me finish roasting his ass."
"Nell! It is almost 7. Lets go assess his strength so the brothers can get a chance to compete in the morning stampede."
"Oh Hell Naww, I'm gonna..."
"Nell I don't have time for this. Do as I say or else."
"Oh? You wanna pick a fight with me? Over here baldy! Fine by me"
The two stared each other down as they let their mana surge. I could tell by the violent streams of mana clashing that Nell wasn't even trying when she was squeezing me. Their intensity filled the adventures guild transforming everyone's eyes into dinner plates. Unanimously, holding onto their breath fearing that the smallest breath would dilute their attention over to whoever dared to take it. The tension is so brittle, yet deadly that not one lets out a peep to break it.
"You grown weaker baldy,I could actually beat now ya know."
"Stand down!" Shane sends a huge wave of his magic as the tension squeezes tighter around my throat causing me to silently choke. I claw at my throat as I open my mouth agape futilely trying the breath. The lump in my throat grew at a concerning rate until the mana is retracted.
"Hmph, fuck around and find out." She pivots her high heel as she clicks away to the assessment room that Noland came out of. The Adventures guild gasps for air imitating a fish out of water. I breathe a sigh of relief as I praise the lord for letting me live to see another day to potentially see that MILF librarian's ass cheeks. I follow Shane's lead as I go into the assessment room.
I see Shane pull out two stuffed potato sacks with an identical smiley face drawn onto them. He sets it down with a plop and begins to explain the rules. "In order to assets your value as a support I will be putting you in a commen protection scenario. You will be shielded by Nell and your only goal is to prevent me from damaging the two bags. Ready?" I give a nod as my body gets covered in a thin protective aura.
I quickly slapped the two bags as Shane charged at them. His acceleration was monstrous as he reached the bags in less than a fraction of a second. I haven't moved a step from where I started as he punches both of the bags with tremendous force. The bag flies back alongside his fist as he crashes into the wall with them. I don't even have to look back to confirm if there was no damage done. His Tch reaffirmed my conclusion. I then turn as I run back to where he and the bags were.
He picks up one of the bags and futilely tries to break it. The bag stretches like it is a rubber band. I casually walk towards him as he steps on the bag and then uses one of his hands to stretch it as wide as he can. He then infuses his other hand with mana as he sticks out his finger. He then shifts his mana from his hand to his one finger shaping it into a sharp point. Before he jabs at the bag, I touch it one more time as it reverts to its original shape below his feet. He tries crushing it but fails as the bag withstands his force.
"That confirms it."
"Wow you figured out my ability faster than I would have liked. "
"Your ability soft and hard refers to you transmuting the properties of a tangible object into the properties of soft and hard. Your "soft" mimics the property of rubber. It can withstand multiple C rank attacks from me without you breaking a sweat. Soft is incredibly affective against blunt attacks but weaker against piercing attacks. Your "Hard" mimics the property of a rock. Hard is affective against piercing attacks while weaker against blunt. With your small amount of mana this means that the ability drains mana per second rather than the damage suffered. It must have a start up mana fee considering how you don't even try to release the ability when I wasn't not attacking and/or you have to contact with the tangible thing."
"You really have the time to talk away isn't the timer going down."
"Nan I already got a gauge as to your physical abilities. Tell me more about your ability soft and hard and I will rank you based on that."
"Your hypothesis are correct about soft and hard. I have to come into contact with the tangible thing and it cost mana to start up. Additionally I can use soft and hard on living things including myself. Soft and hard doesn't harm the living organism just changes the properties of them. For example using soft on myself would make me lose all motor controls and hard would make me stiff to the point of not being able to move. Your constant barrage of attacks was close to breaking soft and hard. Changing between soft and hard also takes up mana."
"Does soft and hard affect the mana properties of the affected?"
"Not in the slightest just the physical. This might change with greater mastery over the ability but I doubt it."
"How long can you maintain soft and hard for?"
"About five minutes for both of them if I start out with maximum mana and don't have to change between the two."
"Lucky brat. My barrior magic sucks me harder than a high school thot."
"Nell, I am thinking that because of arthurs amazing defensive magic versatility, even at the cost of physical immobilization. He should be around the middle of D+ rank. The main thing holding him back is his physical and magic level."
"Yeah if he gets isolated, focused, or zoned he's fucking donezo."
"Arthur, I under the name and honor of the golden clan officially grant you the title of D+ Adventurer. You can take a rank revaluation once every year on march 24 the same day as today your first evaluation. Different ranks give different benefits in the guild. A D+ rank adventure will have a two-and-a-half-month grace period of no new quest completions before they will be kicked out. If you get kicked out you can reapply for adventure at any time. However, you will not receive a rank or any of the benefits attached to said rank. A general rule of thumb for your rank is that you can take on a quest of 1 letter grade lower than your current rank. For more information please check out our article 3 section 7b of the adventures handbook.
"Thank you Shane."
"Arthur, please use your magic to protect Noland to the best of your ability.It's been a while since I've seen such an adventure with a heart of gold. He'll be the type to wanna take on missions a letter grade above his rank. please don't let him die."
"I love my brother with all his faults. I will protect and assist him as is my duty as an older brother. I will follow him to the ends of the earth because that what else is an older brother for?"
"Arthur you are now one of us!"