Raid: The Blacksmith-Chapter 66: Obtain the Skill?: Part Three

"Are you even truly an F-Rank?" Asks Hugh, after my admittance.

"I don’t think an F-Rank would be allowed single person clearance to all Dungeons up to S-Rank. Nor would they be this strong." He continues.

"Now that I think about it." Barry joins. "You’re wearing the same clothing that most high level employees of the Association wear. If it’s the Warriors Association then it would be easy for anyone to falsify their Rank. Is that the case with you sir?" He asks, only to be yelled at by his partner.

"Don’t ask such a personal question!-"

"You’re one to talk." Mr ’Are you even truly an F-Rank?’.

"-It could be highly confidential." Hugh continues. "What if he’s on a very important top-secret mission given to him by the Association’s higher-ups!?" He finishes.

"O-oh-uh-I’m so sorry sir, I didn’t!-"

"No, no, it’s fine." I calm Barry down after seeing him panic due to Hugh’s outlandish assumptions.

"Trust me, I assure you it’s nothing like that. While I did just recently become a high level employee of the Association. It’s also true that I’m an F-Rank Warrior. No falsification whatsoever."

"I... is something like that even possible?" Asks Barry.

"It shouldn’t be, but here we are, so... How about that selfie."

"Oh right! Almost forgot. Thank you."

We take a few selfies altogether using Barry’s phone. As always, my poses are, dignified, civilized and just downright classic. They’re thumbs-ups.

I bid them farewell afterwards then head to my car and drive off to my next location.

"Next up. A C-Rank Dungeon!"

I drive around for a bit to look for an empty one. Fortunately, I find one in just about ten minutes or so. I head towards it immediately after parking my car nearby. Looking to avoid the same experience I had at first with Barry and Hugh, I hand over my Warrior ID to one of the guards stationed to the Dungeon in such a way that allows him to see the back of the card first. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He’s immediately surprised at the sight of the permission statement but says nothing as I guess he’s probably too shy to. He doesn’t even use his Verification Tool to scan my ID and simply just gives it back after reading the statement then allows me to enter the Dungeon Gate, even opening the fence gate for me to walk through with no issues. His partner, seemingly oblivious to everything that’s happening just stands to the side while staring at us with a visibly confused expression.

"’Is that someone important I’m supposed to know?’. I can tell by that look alone that that’s probably what he’s thinking."

As I approach the Dungeon Gate, I can hear them whisper behind me.

"Uhm... Jason? Am I supposed to know who that i-"

"Be quiet. He’ll hear you."

"No way. At this distance, when I’m whispering?"

"He’s a high-level Warrior. Even if you were whispering from hundreds of kilometers away, he’d still hear you."

"! ... R-really?-"

"Yes, now shut up."

Choosing to ignore them, I quietly enter the Dungeon.

It’s forest.

"Goblins again...? Nah, no way. I doubt there’s more than one Goblin King... Then what could it be? Welp, only one way to find out... Hup!"

I jump up, a few meters higher than all the trees.

"Is that...?"

A mountain. Multiple small and thin mountains actually, three in total, all attached together in the forest’s center with the one in the middle being slightly bigger than the other two.

"Could that be where the Boss is located? Well that makes things a tad easier."

I land back down and start heading to the direction of the mountains on foot.

"I could just fly there but then I’d prolly miss out on some of this Dungeon’s monsters, whatever they are, on the off chance that some of them may be around this forest."

[Report. Subject has entered the Wild Goats’ Domain: The Great Peak Outskirts. Subject will now receive an Immediate Quest...]

"Huh? Wild... Goats?"

~Baa!~

"!"

[Immediate Quest contents.]

Immediate Quest: Subject must exterminate the Wild Goats in the vicinity within the given time duration.

Duration: 1hour

Upon Success: Subject will be able to enter the Great Peak.

Upon Failure: Subject will die.

Rewards will be calculated after the Quest is completed based the Subject’s efficiency

Loud bleats echo through the trees. Bathed in an additional arrangement of multiple overlapping thumps.

I activate Treasure Hunt, allowing me 360 degree vision, and I see it. A multitude of goat-like creatures surrounding me. Their horns are a lot bigger and are shaped differently from normal goats, instead of curving backwards, they’re wiggly shaped while facing forwards. Not to mention they look pointy as hell.

"Those things would easily pierce through one’s chest like a hot knife through butter."

I jump upwards, dodging their joined assault, then take to the trees. To my surprise, they follow, jumping from tree to tree like it’s second nature to them.

"Well... this is their terrain after all."

I count exactly 2568 Wild Goats in the vicinity using Treasure Hunt, along with an extra two of stronger looking ones. Their attacks are well coordinated, despite their large numbers, they don’t overlap with one another.

"Even if this forest is really spacious, it’s worthy of praise how well organized they are... but it’s not enough to beat me. Okay, time to get serious."

I think about conjuring out my newest weapon.

"I’d love to... but I think I should save those two for a special occasion. Alright, First Dawn it is then."

I materialize my favorite blade from the Item Space. "Well, it’s my only blade but still." Then I put my game face on.

"Two-thousand plus C-Rank Mana Crystals. I can’t wait to see what happens after I absorb them all. Not to mention the ones I got from the D-Rank Dungeon and the ones I’ll get from a B-Rank Dungeon or the ones I’ll get from an A-Rank Dungeon. Damn, don’t even get me started on the ones I’ll get from an S-Rank Dungeon... Well that’s if I don’t die first. S-Rank Dungeons are no joke, and I obviously can’t beat an S-Rank monster just yet. With that in mind, I might not be able to clear an A-Rank Dungeon as well since the Boss monster will be an S-Rank, but that’s fine. I’m in no rush to get stronger considering I already have abnormal growth speed."

Wild Goats keep coming after me, dashing aggressively towards me and falling almost immediately after. My slashes are quick and damn near perfect in the subject of execution. It’s only been a few days since I became a Warrior, but I already have skills that resembles that of a master swordsman who has trained for years on end. The powers, Skills, Spells, and Special Attacks we as Warriors get from the System are a big part of why that’s possible, but even among other Warriors, it’s no secret at this point that I’m basically some sort of anomaly. I take to the tress, challenging my opponents on their own specialty. I dash and flip about, taking down goat after goat after goat. They don’t stop attacking even as their allies fall en masse, which gets annoying fast. Bastards are just as resilient as Goblins it seems.

"Yeah. Annoying. But not to the point that it worries me. It just pisses me off. Though... I guess to a certain extend, I should be thankful that they’re so eager to die at my hands. Otherwise, I’d have to work overtime to chase them down."

Coming down to that conclusion, I start to actually enjoy the onslaught. Grinning from ear to ear. My gaze turning dark and almost sinister. I continue slashing away. All to make sure I truly enjoy the battle to the fullest, I don’t use a single Special Attack. Just clean, normal, multiple slashes. Of course, it’s important to note that even my normal slashes can be very powerful, so much so that even the trees all around act as collateral as each of my slashes slice through the Wild Goats with relative ease. Blood splatters across the environment with each and every swing of my blade. The trees and ground are painted red, however, I’m still clean. I’m making sure to evade the splashes as expertly as I can, and when I can’t, all I need to do is circulate Mana to my clothes and the stains vanish almost instantly.

Up across the trees, I battle an army of over two-thousand foes, but their supposed numbers advantage seems like a sick joke as it decreases by the minute.

In less than twenty minutes, their numbers have already dropped to a tad below 1500. And then, after a little while longer...

[Report. Immediate Quest: Wild Goat Slaughter has been completed. Now calculating rewards...]

"Each of these goats should be more or less as strong as the Harpy Countess, but I’ve become totally numb to it all now. Sadly, it’s not the thrill of danger that excites me, rather, it’s the thrill of dominating. I feel like a child playing with insects. At this point, I might as well just get this over with. Off to the mountains I go..."