"That settles it, then. I guess I'll just be patient."
The smiling Ater nodded as Rey made his conclusive statement.
"That is most respectable."
Rey pushed himself from the ground, and in a huff of wind, he was right on his feet. Ater was right behind him, and they were both smiling.
… Almost as if they just finished having a round of fun.
"So what now, Master?"
"Well, the most urgent matters have been dealt with already. The only thing of immediate concern is completing the Royal Dungeon Raid." Rey answered.
After that was over, he suspected there would no longer be any reason to remain in the Capital.
"Calculating their current growth rate, they should be done with the Raid in about two weeks." He turned back to look at Ater.
"Then what?"
"Well, I suspect we'll finally get drafted to the battlefield. It's about time, considering we would have spent three months here." Rey replied.
"True. And do you think they will be ready for the Dragons by the end of the two weeks?"
Ater's question caused a moment of silence to permeate the room. Despite the decorum, however, there was no tension.
Rey's expression remained as relaxed as before.
"I guess we'll see once the time comes. Besides, there's no reason for them to be anxious…" His confident grin complemented his words.
"... After all, I'll be there."
Ater's smile deepened and he nodded at his Master's words.
"Fair enough. I look forward to seeing your exploits in battle." He bowed his head while placing his hand on his chest.
"Likewise. I still haven't seen you fight."
"Haha!" The Familiar laughed in delight. "Then, I suppose we both have something to look forward to."
Once they were done conversing, Rey opened a portal and the two departed away from the 99th Floor, and by extension the Royal Dungeon.
—Ready to visit it the next day.
*********
[Two Weeks Later]
"Alright, everyone…"
Ralyks stood in front of the team of nine—ten, if they counted Snow—who were currently on a Raid of the Royal Dungeon.
They were on the 97th Floor, the last viable Floor of the Royal Dungeon, and not only had they finished dealing with the mobs, but they now stood in front of a very massive double-door.
The thing looked like a fortress—an impenetrable wall—only divided by a thin line. All they had to do was push the two sides to open the door, but its imposing presence made the entrance seem a lot more difficult.
… At least, this was what they would have thought two weeks ago.
However, these Otherworlders were not the same as before.
Despite standing before their final—and probably most difficult—hurdle, they all had smiles on their faces.
Excitement flowed within the room as Ralyks stood to address them.
"As agreed on, I won't render any assistance, no matter how bad the situation is. This is your final test, and if you are unable to cross this hurdle, none of you will be qualified enough to go to the War."
Despite saying that, however, Ralyks had a mild tone.
He was merely following formalities, as he already knew the capabilities of the Otherworlders and there was no doubt in his mind about the outcome.
"Don't slack off or embarass yourselves here." He said, almost in an amused chuckle.
"I expect nothing short of flawless victory."
The looks on the faces of Adonis, Alicia, Billy, Belle, Clark, Justin, Eric, Trisha, and Rey all showed the same expression.
"Is that understood?" As the question was posed to them, they unanimously gave the same reply.
"Understood!"
And so, the gates were opened, and the group of nine charged forth to meet the denizens of horror.
What they met… was an army.
Not just any army resided in this massive hall that was the 97th Floor's Boss Room, but Monsters that looked incredibly similar to the S-Tier creature they defeated before.
Of course, these ones were a lot smaller, but they also had Mana Crystals protruding outside their bodies, and their entire self reeked of immense power.
Them there was the Boss.
It was much larger than the horrid creature they faced that day
—undeniably a more powerful S-Tier Monstrosity.
Having to fight an army of A-Tier Monsters was not enough, but they also had to defeat an S-Tier Monster as well.
It was an impossible task to ask of teenagers.
Fortunately, these weren't ordinary teenagers. They couldn't even be considered mere Otherworlders any longer.
No… they had become more.
Each and every one of them were at least in Level 90, and they possessed even more Skills than they previously had before.
Some—like Eric Belle, and Rey—had even gotten advanced variants of their initial Class.
Needless to say, they were even more monstrous than the Monsters that surrounded them.
"I'll take on the Boss!" Adonis declared as he raced ahead of the team, his gleaming Divine Sword in hand.
No one argued with him, and none of them gave any look of concern as the Hero charged at the creature of unimaginable mass and incredible power.
Why would they?
The way Adonis cut down the obstacles in his path, all to reach the foe, said it all.
He was strong enough to face the Boss!
And what of the rest of the Otherworlders? They were surrounded by incredibly violent and bloodthirsty creatures, but none of them wavered in the slightest.
Instead, they stuck to their formation and executed their strategy with absolute calmness and precision.
No one lagged behind—not even the weakest of the bunch, Rey.
Even he… he was also at Level 90!
He had gotten an advanced variant of his Class too, and despite being objectively weaker than pretty much everyone, his display of skill exceeded nearly everyone in the group.
It wasn't just Rey that displayed impressive feats, though.
Everyone played their roles well, and in just under ten minutes… the Raid was complete.
Victory belonged to the Otherworlders, and it wasn't even close.
This was never a battle, to begin with.
It was a massacre!