"Despite being an idiot, he did a good job attracting attention."
"Angela, you can't call someone you've just met an idiot."
"But Dennis… don't you think he's… strange? Even Hestia feels that way."
"..."
Thanks to Ren, they found it easier to access the building than they had expected. The fire exit was guarded by two monsters, which Angela quickly took care of.
Before entering, they made a plan. The building had three floors, and the first floor was filled with the same kind of monsters that were guarding the entrance. Getting through them wasn't a problem for the group.
Hestia led the way, cutting down every monster in front of them, while Angela picked them off from a distance with her pistols. Meanwhile, Dennis guided them using one of the scrolls he had.
The Scroll of Beholder created a live map of the building, showing their locations as well as the locations of the monsters.
They soon reached the second floor, where they faced a greater challenge. The monsters here were completely different from those on the first floor.
"Astral-type monsters…"
These monsters were immune to physical attacks. It didn't matter how powerful the weapon was, any physical damage would be ineffective against them.
"If only I could use my gift…"
If the exam didn't have a rule preventing the use of gifts, Hestia would have had no trouble dealing with these monsters. Her active skill, {Magic Infusion}, allowed her to channel magical power into her weapons, making them effective against monsters resistant to physical damage.
Her gift is the reason why her swordsmanship reached that kind of level. There was no opponent she couldn't defeat. As long as she had her sword and energy.
"What should we do now? I also can't use Dual Falchion ability."
Angela also couldn't be ignored with her skills. Despite not having the most advantageous gift, she managed to combine it together with her pistols, Dual Falchion.
Together, she became one of the strongest teenagers of the time and only Hestia is said to be a rival to her.
"No need to worry. I can handle them."
As for Dennis, he could only use scrolls. He doesn't have any weapon or a gift that can help him in the battle, but because of it, he learned how to come out victorious in battles thanks to various scrolls he has.
"Can you both lure them towards me? I'll use Ignite to set them on fire."
"Is that the Scroll of Ignite? It has a range of 5 meters, right?"
"Yes. That's why I need each of you to lure them one by one. It's a new scroll, so I can afford it."
"Alright, get ready we are going."
As Hestia said this, she charged toward the closest monster, while Angela went in the opposite direction and fired her pistol to grab its attention.
-POW
"Oops! Dennis, I attracted all of them! Can you handle it?"
Angela's loud shot caught the attention of not just one but all four monsters that were grouped together. They began to move toward her as she dashed back to Dennis.
"Hestia, keep it away from me for 20 seconds."
"Got it."
Dennis ran towards Angela, and as the monsters closed in, he placed a scroll on the ground and set his hand on the large red circle.
"Ignite."
Flames erupted, engulfing all four monsters until they vanished.
"Hestia, bring it over here!"
Seeing that the burning monsters were being defeated, Angela signaled to Hestia, who skillfully dodged the incoming attacks.
"Coming!"
Dennis adjusted his position to face the nearby monster and activated the scroll again as it came into range.
Using scrolls is one of the best ways for support roles to assist in battles, but there's one drawback. To activate a scroll, the user must be able to see their target.
For Dennis to use Ignite, he needed to have a clear view of all the monsters. If even one was out of sight, the spell wouldn't work on it. This included situations where a monster was hiding behind another. As long as he could see them, they would be affected by the spell.
"Angela, you shot on purpose. That loud sound, you knew it would attract more than one."
"Does it really matter, Hestia? I knew Dennis could handle it, so I thought it would be more effective."
"Yes, it matters. We're both powerless against these types of monsters, which means Dennis is the only one who can defeat them. If he says we need to lure them one at a time, we should do that. We don't know what he can handle."
"You just don't trust him. Say it clearly next time."
"Girls."
"I do trust him."
"It doesn't seem like it to me. When we were on the first floor, Dennis warned you about where you could be attacked, but you ignored him because you didn't see anyone there. I was the one who stopped you from getting hurt when that monster appeared next to you. And after all that, you're telling me you trust him? That's laughable."
"Girls."
"I… admit. I didn't think it through. I saw there was no one at the moment. But after you helped me, I realized I was wrong. Thank you for that, and thank you too, Dennis."
"I don't need your apologies. You haven't changed. Whether we were younger or now, you only trust others once they've proven themselves. That's why-"
"GIRLS!"
Dennis's loud shout echoed across the entire second floor, drawing the attention of not only the two girls in front of him but also the remaining monsters.
"We're not done yet. Save your arguments for later. We have an exam to focus on."
"I apologize. I have shown an unpleasant side of mine."
"Sorry, Dennis."
"It's alright. Let's just finish this. The same as previously. Lure them to me but in reasonable numbers."
"Alright!"
"Understood."
This time, their teamwork was more effective. They organized how to bring the monsters toward Dennis. One would lead while the other distracted the rest, then they would switch roles.
Continuing this way, they soon cleared the entire floor. Unfortunately, the scroll was more damaged than Dennis had expected. It could only be used about 15 more times at most.
"Apparently on the third floor there is only one opponent. However, look."
Dennis placed his Scroll of Beholder on the ground for everyone to see. It displayed a map of the third floor with a red dot indicating the location of the monster. But Dennis pointed out something else.
Next to the large red dot, there were several small green dots. The monster was positioned in the room where the hostages were held.
"It's guarding the hostages. We need to lure it out first, but how do we do that?"
"We don't even know what kind of monster it is. Dennis, do you have any scroll that can identify it?"
"No, sorry. This is the best I can do."
They had no choice but to investigate the third floor themselves before deciding what to do next. They understood there was a good chance the monster would charge at them as soon as it spotted them.
The layout of the third floor was similar to the others, but it was empty except for one room with doors.
"Hestia, you're the fastest of us. You'll try to lure it out. Angela, stay as far back as possible and shoot when you get the chance. Meanwhile, I'll set up Binding scrolls."
The plan was simple but risky. Dennis would place scrolls around the area where Hestia would lure the monster, and when it was caught, Angela would attack it.
Once everyone was in position, the scrolls were set up, and Angela had her pistols ready from a distance, Hestia nodded to signal she was ready.
-SWISH SWISH
Hestia used her katana to slice the doors open in a cross pattern.
"Hestia! Run!"
Dennis noticed Hestia was taking too long and quickly called out to her.
Hearing him, she snapped back, glanced at Dennis with concern, and when she finally began to run, he could hear the monster chasing her.
"Demonic Monk!?"
The Demon Monk ignored Dennis' shocked exclamation and continued its pursuit of Hestia. As they passed through the circle of scrolls, Dennis activated the Binding scroll.
Ropes of energy wrapped around the monster's legs, torso, and arms. Just a moment later, Angela opened fire, while Hestia turned and swung her katana at the monster.
However, that wasn't enough. The monk quickly broke free from the binding spell. Hestia's slashes missed their target, but Angela's shots found their mark.
Purple blood oozed from the bullet wounds, but it didn't seem to affect the monk much. It leaped to the side, trying to locate the source of the gunfire.
"Hestia, now!"
With the monk distracted, Hestia attempted to slash at it again.
-THUMP
"Gasp!"
A powerful kick landed squarely on her solar plexus, sending her flying backward.
"Hestia!"
"Dennis, use another scroll!"
"On it!"
Dennis placed an Ignite scroll on the ground, but before he could complete the activation, the monk kicked him aside.
"Dennis!"
Angela quickly checked to see if Dennis was okay and then glanced back at the monk, which was now calmly walking toward her.
"Playing tag, are we?"
With no other choice, she decided to charge straight at it. Going up against a close-combat opponent was risky for a ranger, but it didn't mean it was hopeless.
She aimed her two pistols at the monk's head.
"Let me show you why I'm the best!"
Then, she opened fire simultaneously.