Alex effortlessly managed to evade and counter the attacks of the E-rank Golem, matching its speed and strength.
Though his strikes left visible marks on the golem, its relentless assault persisted due to its mindless nature.
After two and a half minutes, it was evident that Alex hadn't inflicted any substantial damage. Yet, he remained composed, unfazed by the situation, even during a standstill.
"I guess I've seen all your attack patterns now." he declared, eyes flashing with newfound focus. "Time to wrap this up; my day's already packed."
Unlike its predecessor, this Golem displayed strategic attacks, knowing when to strike and when to defend. It utilized agility, employing not only hammer-like hands but also incorporating its legs in its offensive maneuvers.
The training puppets at the academy proved stronger than this current opponent Alex aimed to defeat.
"The playtime's over." Sidestepping a incoming attack, Alex moved behind the Golem, exploiting its blind spot. A relentless barrage of slashes followed, rendering the Golem defenseless.
The Golem, attempting to block the onslaught with its hands, found itself quickly succumbing to the fury of Alex's blade as its limbs got sliced up.
Disarmed and defenseless, the Golem flailed about, a headless chicken on borrowed legs. Alex, a blur of controlled motion, weaved through its desperate attacks, delivering rhythmic, calculated blows.
In a few more swings, the Golem crumbled, and the entire structure stumbled like stones falling.
The timer stopped at 3 minutes and 19 seconds, declaring Alex the victor. The test invigilator congratulated him.
"Congratulations, Mr. Alex, defeating it on your first try and in such a short time as a non-magic user."
"Thank you. Is it rare for a non-magic user to achieve a quick victory?" Alex inquired with curiosity.
The invigilator chuckled. "It might not be an extraordinary feat on its own; many have defeated it in even less time. However, your performance could rank within the top 1000 of this guild."
'What! Only top 1000? That means there are 1000 people ahead of me who defeated it in less time.'
Feeling disappointed, Alex expected a better ranking. The guild representative continued, "Mages, particularly those from prominent noble families, have even defeated it in under 10 seconds."
'Well, I'm not sure about under 10 seconds, but if I used my magic, I could have defeated it in around 30 seconds for sure.'
Now, all that stood between Alex and his promotion to E rank was the completion of a guild-assigned quest.
Returning to the reception on the ground floor, he was warmly greeted by the earlier receptionist.
"I've received your details, and you've successfully completed the strength assessment. Your next step is to complete the quest, which has already been updated. You can check the system for more information."
Inserting his adventurer's license into one of the booths, a flashing bell symbol indicated a new message or notification. Clicking on it revealed a new tab titled "Rank Promotion Quest."
[Objective: Go to watchtower C and assist the watch guards in warding off monsters from entering the red zone. The quest is monitored and timed, with assessment based on 24 hours of performance.]
[Completion Status: 0%]
Alex smirked, 'In simpler terms, I have to hunt monsters. It seems pretty easy and doable.'
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
The Lunar City boasted six watchtowers strategically positioned around the borders of the red zone. Following the map's compass, Alex found Watchtower C guarding the city's eastern flank.
This towering structure served as a fortified outpost for monitoring and observing the surrounding area.
It played a crucial role in preventing monsters from encroaching upon the city and also served as an early warning system for potential monster stampedes.
The watchtower guard, assigned as the overseer of Alex's quest, awaited him. This individual would be responsible for task assignments and monitoring Alex's performance.
Standing before the massive fortified tower, Alex pondered how to contact the guards stationed on top. Before he could make a move, a man emerged, in his mid-twenties, with brown hair and eyes.
"Mister Gary?" Alex's asked in surprise.
"Oh, it's you, kid. Gary's fine. I'm not much older than you."
Both Gary and Alex immediately recognized each other, reminiscing about the Grim Hound incident.
"I never thought I'd see you back so soon, venturing into the wilderness after that Grim Hound incident."
"Well, I couldn't let that hold me back, now could I?" Alex chuckled, brushing off the grim encounter as a mere setback.
"It's good to see that you're okay. Leaving that aside, it seems I've been assigned as your invigilator for your E-rank promotion quest."
Alex nodded, relieved to encounter a familiar face. Gary, a B-rank adventurer and city guard, had been assigned as the watch guard at Tower C.
He was the same person who intervened when Rex and his party used Alex as bait for the Grim Hound. Thankfully, Sherry arrived in time to rescue him, leading to his acquaintance with Gary.
"Take this band; it will monitor your location and tell how much time you've spent in the red zone. You know your task, right, kid?" Gary handed a monitoring band to Alex.
"Clear the area, keep monsters out. Got it."
"Correct. I'll be following you and assessing your performance. If you ever need my help for a low-rank monster, you'll immediately fail the test. Let's begin."
"Gary, can I go alone, please? I won't need your help unless it's a very strong monster."
"You sure, kid? D-rank monsters often trespass here." Although Gary was required to monitor the candidate during the rank promotion test, he didn't object to Alex going solo.
If the person himself asked for it, he wouldn't mind, making the task easier for him.
"Listen, kid" Gary's voice grew serious. "This ain't a playground. Encounter something fierce, hit the band's SOS button and it will signal me. I'll come to your rescue, but you'll fail your quest."
Gary emphasized that while he wasn't directly responsible for Alex, if something unforeseeable happened, he wouldn't be held accountable. However, it would generate a considerable amount of paperwork.
Looking serious, Gary patted Alex's shoulder, a final warning glinting in his eyes. "Kid, don't be foolish. Always remember your life is more important than completing a quest. Call me if you have a problem."
Alex didn't require much persuasion for Gary to allow him to go solo. Gary agreed readily, prompting a sigh of relief from Alex.
'If Gary kept monitoring me, how could I have used my magic? According to everyone, I'm not supposed to be able to use magic. That sure would have created a lot of problems.'
Despite Alex's proficiency with a sword, his true strength lay in magic. Combining swordsmanship and magic was his preferred hunting style.
Magic was his primary source of strength, and without it, monster hunting would become significantly more challenging.
With Gary no longer shadowing him, Alex could now freely tap into his magical abilities, making his approach to hunting monsters more dynamic and effective.
Assigned to guard a specific portion of the red zone, Alex had the liberty to move freely within this area, as long as he didn't venture beyond its boundaries.
A feral grin split Alex's face as he bolted towards the red zone, out to hunt monsters.
'Let's farm some system points and prepare myself for the upcoming academy exam.'