With Vier's recovery from her injuries fighting the Black Weretiger Monster, the Adventurers Party Dwarf Cat-eared Elf is now headed towards the Adventurers Guild to attend the meeting for the Admission Exam result.
When Vier, Mifumi, and Felin enter the Guild conference room, the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf finds most of the other groups of Exam takers already waiting inside.
Everyone was looking at the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf the moment they opened the door of the conference room. It's because the news about the appearance of the Rank 6 Black Weretiger Monster has been told to every other group of Exam takers.
Knowing that two groups of rookie Bronze Rank Adventurers Party managed to survive without losing any of their members against a Rank 6 monster indeed acquired some admiration from other groups of Adventurers Party taking the same Exam.
After the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf took their seat, the Neo Heroes, who were sitting further away from them, gave Vier, Mifumi, and Felin a silent greeting by waving their hands. Karna and Slain have a look of relief seeing the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf has recovered from their injuries, especially Vier. Renxa, on the other hand, is still avoiding looking at Vier.
A few minutes later, the members of the speakers finally arrive. The group includes the Half-Race Lightning Beast-kin and Adventurers Guild Master Karakal, the Black Elf Sorceress Misaki, Misaki's assistant Leaena, and other Guild staff.
Once everyone has taken their seat, the meeting finally starts.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm glad that all of you are here today."
It was just a simple greeting said by the Guild Master. But because of what everyone experiences inside the Rank C Forest Valley Dungeon, fighting with their lives on the line, that simple greeting means a lot to everyone.
"Before we tell all of you the new goals needed to pass the Adventurers Academy Admission Exam and who are the groups that were able to pass, I want to explain to everyone the reason behind the unusual event of Rank 3 and Rank 4 monsters going out of their territory..."
...BAAMMM!!!...
"What is there to explain!!!... All of that happened because of the Adventurers Guild's negligence!!!..."
A member of the group sitting further behind the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf said those remarks after hitting his table so hard that his hand almost got injured. There are only two of them and his friend is trying to stop him from making a ruckus. However, he continued making his complaints blaming the Adventurers Guild for what happened to their group.
"It's all the Adventurers Guild's fault why our group got ambushed by hordes of Rank 3 monsters while we were inside the rock trench area of the Outer-Layer!!!... It's all your fault why our leader died!!!..."
"Leader... Sob!... Sob!... Sob!..."
"...Arghhh!!!..."
Seeing his friend crying from remembering their leader, the guy causing the ruckus lost his strength as he fell back to his seat and burst out crying as well.
"Wind Cage... Sound Barrier..."
Misaki cast a soundproofing using her Sound Barrier Skill and trapped the group complaining using the Wind Cage Skill.
It may look like a heartless act from Misaki but it's the right thing to do so the meeting can continue and the Guild staff can explain to everyone what happened to the said group of Adventurers.
Misaki explains to everyone that they are the remaining members of Adventurers Party Glass Lake. Since the three members of their group are all Sorcerers with no vanguard at all, they decided to take the pathway inside the maze-like rock trench area of the Outer-Layer to avoid any dangerous encounter with Rank 3 or higher ranking monster.
It's the safest pathway inside the Rank C Forest Valley Dungeon and since the Glass Lake is confident that they would be able to solve the maze-like pathway, they thought that it would be an easy task for them. However, the arrival of the Obsidian Scorpion Monster at the border of Middle-Layer and Outer-Layer coincides with the location of Glass Lake.
Because of the movement of the Rank 4 Obsidian Scorpion Monster, all the Rank 3 monsters hiding at the border pathway retreat inside the Outer-Layer. The Glass Lake encountered all of those hordes of Rank 3 monsters and their leader was gravely injured, losing his life while their group retreated to their previous path.
The same thing happened to the Adventurer Party Speed Rush. Their group is traveling using the pathway of the outside perimeter of the Outer-Layer. They're confident of their speed so they choose the longest pathway with only Rank 0 to Rank 1 monsters to encounter. However, because of the hordes of the Rank 3 monsters retreating inside the Outer-Layer, all of the Rank 2 monsters were pushed to the outside perimeter of the Outer-Layer.
It was still possible for the Speed Rush to continue traveling their pathway while fighting Rank 2 monsters but because of the appearance of Rank 2 monsters, Rank 1 monsters were pushed inside the normal forest around the Forest Valley Dungeon.
The Speed Rush got worried that there might be ordinary people foraging inside the forest so they gave up on the Admission Exam and decided to search the forest to evacuate everyone.
Hearing what the Speed Rush did, prioritizing the life of the locals, everyone listening to their story gave them silent applause.
...It's a shame that they were unable to continue with the Exam...
That's the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf's thought as they look at a certain member of the Adventurers Party Speed Rush. A young Half-Race Phoenix kin with only a single silver wing of her back.
After explaining what happened to the Glass Lake and Speed Rush, Misaki continues explaining the reason behind the unusual event inside the Rank C Forest Valley Dungeon.
"The cause of Rank 3 and Rank 4 monsters going out of their territory is because one particular group of Exam takers is working for the Rein Empire. They successfully hide and release a Rank 6 monster disturbing the usual territories of monsters inside the Forest Valley Dungeon."
"Does it mean that the group who is working for the Rein Empire is either the Huntsman or the Dungeon Keeper who are not here today?"
Konje, the leader of the Adventurers Party Roaring Spear, raises that question, seeing that the two groups of said Adventurers Party are not present in the meeting.
"It was the Adventurers Party Huntsman."
Misaki named the group responsible for the incident of the Black Weretiger Monster without any second thought of hiding the truth from everyone.
"And where are they now, Ms. Misaki?"
"Two of their members were found dead inside the Dungeon while the last one is currently missing."
After answering other questions about the Black Weretiger Monster's appearance, Misaki continues explaining the details of the incident.
"The Dwarf Cat-eared Elf and the Neo Heroes encounter the Black Weretiger Monster, but they do everything they can so that all of them can survive until the appearance of the Rank 5 Forest Valley Empress Monster, who controls half of all the monsters inside the Forest Valley Dungeon to devour the Black Weretiger Monster."
Hearing what Misaki said, made the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf understand that the fact that Vier is the one who controls those monsters to defeat the Black Weretiger Monster is being kept a secret.
"So a Rank 5 monster can defeat a Rank 6 monster by controlling half of all the monsters within the Dungeon."
Kole, the leader of the Oreo Sky, made that remark after hearing what Misaki said about the Rank 5 Forest Valley Empress Monster defeating the Rank 6 Black Weretiger Monster.
However, Misaki said something in response to what Kole had assumed.
"That Black Weretiger Monster was maybe a Rank 6 monster, but it was only as strong as a high-level Rank 4 monster or a low-level Rank 5 monster."
...What!!!...
Everyone, especially the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf and the Neo Heroes was surprised upon hearing what Misaki said.
...BAAMMM!!!...
"Are you saying that we failed to defeat a monster that is only as strong as a Rank 4 monster?!"
The next one who made a ruckus was Renxa. He questioned Misaki for saying that the Black Weretiger Monster is not as strong as the Neo Heroes and Dwarf Cat-eared Elf initially thought.
"Nonsense!!!... Our group defeated a high-level Rank 4 monsters during the Exam! And you're saying that the Black Weretiger is only as strong as the Blade Reaper Monster?!"
Renxa has a point. The Neo Heroes defeated the Rank 4 Armored Pillbug Monster on their own. Then together with the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf, they defeated the Rank 4 Blade Reaper Monster.
"A high-level Rank 4 monster based on their rank! That is what you're all thinking about, right?"
...What!!!...
Not only Renxa but all of the Exam takers were surprised by Misaki's remarks.
...BAAMMM!!!...
"Are you saying that the Rank 4 monsters that we fought are all weaker than what supposed they are?!..."
Renxa slammed his hands on his table and continued questioning Misaki while everyone else waited for her response.
"Tell me brat...
....Do you think your group would survive fighting the Armored Pillbug Monster if that monster used three or more patterns of attacks?...
...Do you think your group and the Dwarf Cat-eared Elf would survive if the Blade Reaper Monster starts using Wind Magic or Storm Magic at the beginning of your fight?"
...Please stop giving us that killing intent, Misaki-sensei...
Vier, who's familiar with how scary her teacher is when Misaki is mad, can only hide behind Mifumi and Felin. Hoping that Renxa would be punished alone for angering her teacher.
"Do you think that the Aurikal Sword and the Oreo Sky would be alive if the Obsidian Scorpion Monster acted more aggressively against them?...
...Do you think that the Roaring Spear would survive until help arrives if the Clone Weaver Monster immediately attacked instead of forcing them to retreat to its feeding ground?...
...Tell me brat...
...Do you think you would be alive if the Black Weretiger Monster knew how to properly use all of its Magic Skills?"
Renxa was unable to say anything in response to Misaki. He and everyone else were frozen in fear as Misaki glared at them.
"Please stop that already, Misaki."
"Sigh... Fine!..."
...Thankfully, Leaena stopped Misaki-sensei from getting more mad at Renxa. If the situation escalated further, all of the Exam takers would be hanging on their feet here inside the Guild conference room...
With those thoughts, Vier can finally relax while still hiding behind Mifumi and Felin.
After the commotion, the Guild Master explained to everyone that even if all the monsters they fought during the Exam were high-ranking monsters, all of them still didn't know how to properly use their Magic Skills. After all, those monsters had just spawned not more than a month ago or not more than a week.
They might have the rank, but their strength is actually one rank below their supposed rank.
The Guild Master also told everyone that the Adventurers Party Dungeon Keeper challenged the Guardian of the Forest Valley Dungeon and that they all died due to their foolish action.
After explaining the details of what happened to the Exam, it's finally time for Misaki to announce the new goals needed to pass the Exam and the groups who managed to pass.
"The new goals for passing the Exam are the following...
...First is to collect at least 5 points Monster Cores...
...Second is to encounter and survive fighting a Rank 4 monster."
"Vier-chan, Felin-chan..."
...Mhm!!...
Mifumi looks at Vier and Felin with teary eyes like she's holding herself from crying. Vier and Felin know what Mifumi is feeling because they all have the same expression right now. After all...
"The groups that managed to pass the Exam are the following...
...Adventurers Party Arachne Star...
...Adventurers Party Aurikal Sword...
...Adventurers Party Oreo Sky...
...Adventurers Party Neo Heroes...
...and Adventurers Party Dwarf Cat-eared Elf."