The promotion test was scheduled for tomorrow, and Marc was not alone. Many F-rank adventurers were present, waiting at the testing site. Marc arrived early and stood alongside other eager testers.
This was his time to shine and show the world who Marc Williams truly was. A woman approached the stand and unleashed her magic power to silence the chattering crowd. The overwhelming pressure felt like extra weights pressing down on him. Once the crowd was hushed, she introduced herself as the leader of the Flying Fury, a D+ ranked adventurer party. Flying Fury had garnered attention due to their rapid rank advancement.
The requirements for promotion were straightforward: collect 100 F-rank mana stones by the end of the day as part of a party, she explained. While the requirements seemed somewhat easy, Marc thought about the importance of having reliable party members. The adventurers were paired randomly, but the examiners ensured that each party was balanced. During introductions, Marc met his teammates, but he didn't bother to remember their names. His party comprised a range dealer, a tank, a healer, and two damage dealers.
As soon as the examiner signaled the start of the test, we rushed into the dungeon. The entrance was just a massive wooden gate. When it swung open, a swirling portal appeared. Stepping through the portal, everyone felt nauseous, as F-rank adventurers and below weren't meant to venture into dungeons.
Inside, the dungeon resembled a typical forest, but the suffocating mana around them was demonic energy—hostile to most life forms, suitable only for demonic beasts. Overwhelmed by the circumstances and fearing for their survival, Marc questioned whether completing the quest within the day was truly feasible. Fortunately, there were safe points within all dungeons. These safe points provided barriers that filtered the demonic energy, making it breathable for other life forms in specific areas.
The safe point resembled a bustling city, complete with stalls, inns, restaurants, forges, pubs, and auction houses. After staying there for an hour to regroup, we began our hunt, returning frequently to rest. Although we had been in the dungeon for five hours, time flowed differently there compared to Sillon, with a ratio of 1:10. This gave us extra time to spend.
Living in dungeons was possible, but it came with the caveat that one's lifespan continued to diminish. Spending a year in the dungeon meant losing a year of life. However, powerful adventurers often trained in dungeons, using mana to extend their lifespans.
After a full day, Marc's party had managed to gather only five mana stones. Frustrated with the slow progress, he decided to venture off on his own to hunt monsters. This decision paid off, as he collected 25 mana stones, keeping five for himself and contributing the remaining twenty to the party's stash. His teammates were grateful for his contribution, but Marc didn't care much for their appreciation.
His main motivation for sharing his loot was to expedite the quest. After five days, Marc and his party completed the test, with Marc being a significant contributor. When they offered him a place in their party, he politely declined, feeling that he could not be part of a group he deemed as lacking ambition. It frustrated him that they were all of the same rank—perhaps he was just stronger than the rest.
Now, looking at his card that displayed his name and rank, Marc found that he had become an F+ ranked adventurer. A week before the upcoming escort quest, he began preparing for the long journey ahead.