Silence!
The five members watched me with utter shock and silence. I may not have felt anything special about what I had just done but the same was not the case with Party No. 2.
When they had started, they had thought of this task as a waste of time. They were talking of showing the veterans that they were just as good as them and refused to be treated as subordinates.
They only respected Stivi because she was a R2 member and a Ranker. Had it not been for my Ram Shroud Set, they would have also treated me just as poorly as they treated others.
However, the battle just now flipped their perception of veterans. They had struggled against a single Yellow Tusk Boar and I had wiped out 300 HP of the same Boar with just one of my skills!
The shocking factor of the incident was immense for the Trainee Party.
They could not wrap their heads around the fact that the attack of a Veteran could be so high!
I was also an Lv5 Player, just like them; I also suffered the same 10% attribute penalty for challenging a higher leveled monster.
Yet, the highest damage they dealt was in 30s while the lowest damage I dealt was 39 points!
Only when they saw the damage numbers did they acknowledge just how big of a difference existed between a veteran and a trainee of the Grandeur Guild.
It shook them to the core and their respect towards me skyrocketed.
Seeing their worshiping gazes, I was unaffected. It even annoyed me. They possessed such great physical abilities, a hundred times better than mine, yet they failed to utilize their gifts properly.
In the beginning, I had high hopes from their performance since they had started off so well. Yet, their coordination was shit and they had crapped their pants in the end, forcing me to step in.
I shook my head and reminded myself that they were still newbies; not trained veterans like Stivi and my old team.
Most of them were recruited only because they had shown promise.
Then a thought struck me. These guys were like uncut diamonds. If I could guide them well and help them rise to their potential, they could become my loyal followers in the Grandeur Guild!
I did not know whether it would work but it was worth the try!
Looking at their excited faces and listening to their excited chatter, I realized they still had not recovered from the shock over what had happened. If anything, this event had only solidified their belief that I was an R4 of the Grandeur Guild in their minds.
I realized that this was the best time to tender advice, as they would be more receptive towards my criticisms and suggestions to improve. Gathering them, I began to point out the mistakes they made during the fight.
"The defeat you suffered just now is not because you guys are weak but because of a series of flawed decisions."
"Mochi you chose to show off instead of practicality. Yes, Fire Ball deals huge damage but Icy Wind would've been a better first spell to start off with. It would've slowed the Boar and made dodging its attacks much easier for Romero."
Mochi fidgeted under my intense stare. His first instinct was to rebuke my analysis but he remembered who I was. He swallowed the words on his lips and accepted his mistake. Then I turned to Romero.
"Vigor is an essential attribute for Tankers but that does not mean it is the only stat necessary. Enduring all the incoming attacks by utilizing your high HP and high defense makes you a qualified meat shield; not a qualified Tanker.
"Along with good defense and HP, a good Tanker should also possess the ability to dodge and redirect the attacks by the monsters and bosses. Now answer me Romero, were you a good Tanker in this battle or did you simply act like a meat shield?"
I paused for a moment and let my words sink in. Romero looked more and more embarrassed and frustrated as he recalled his actions during the battle and meekly uttered a word, "Meat Shield."
I nodded and moved on, understanding that Romero had already started his journey of introspection. Then I turned to the duo who had the most frustrating performance.
If they had shown a little courage, they could've dealt with the Boar by themselves. Instead they had fled from the action scene, forcing me to step in.
"Katsu, Latsu, the two of you have disappointed me the most. You possess great coordination and have enough skill and agility to toy with the Boar. If Katsu distracted the Boar, Latsu could've continued to bleed its HP and the two of you could've taken down the monster by yourself!"
I took a breath to compose myself and regain my cold persona but I was a bit late. The two boys had already noticed the agitation in my voice, realizing just how much their performance had displeased me.
I decided to take advantage of their eagerness to look good in my books and drive my point home.
"Yet, You Decided To Flee." I said, emphasizing every word. "You did not even stall for time until Romero recovered…"
The twins were now fully aware of why I was so disappointed in them. Combined with their (mis)understanding of who I was, they trembled in their shoes.
I looked at the two of the most promising seeds in the eye and said, "You have displayed your coordination and skill so far. If you do not show you have the courage to use your ability to the greatest extent, I will have no choice but to report you two to RedQueen."
My ultimatum only made it harder for them to keep their composure.
It not only served as a warning for the twins but also reminded the other Party No. 2 members that they were still trainees and not actual members of the Grandeur Guild.
A sword of Damocles was hanging over their heads. If they could not show a noticeable improvement in the upcoming battle, they could lose their chance to join one of the Top 1000 Guilds.
The realization turned the atmosphere somber but it also ignited the fire in these trainees. They wanted to prove to me that they were worthy of becoming Grandeur Guild's members.
With determined expressions, the party regrouped and ventured further into the Amber Woods in search of a new prey.