Chapter 188: Promotion to Ebony Rank and Worigami Channel Arrival (1/2)
Author Note: Management warned me that ‘you are using an actual person’, so I have changed the character. Please keep that in mind. <Most likely referring to how Ikakin was changed to Worigami>
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The exploration of the 3rd Floor was going well. The Garden Panther didn’t show up, but it served the objective of Jeanne to ‘level up’ just right.
Our teamwork is somewhat possible now.
However, because the 3rd Floor is in a way not suitable for training, the more involved training will be once we go down to the 4th Floor. We defeat almost all monsters of the 3rd Floor in one hit after all. The monsters that die become Spirit Stones, so we can’t practice combos.
The morning of the 4th day repeating that, we went to the guild as usual, and we were called by a staff member.
“Hikaru-san, Jeanne-san, congratulations. You have been promoted.”
They told us that from the get-go, and brought out a tray with brand new black rank cards on it.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a promotion exam?” (Hikaru)
“The Spirit Stones you two have sold has already passed the required amount, so you are exempted from the exam.”
“Is that so?” (Hikaru)
According to what they say, the explorers who have surpassed 20 times the amount required to take the promotion exam are exempted from it.
However, explorers getting exempted is a rare occurrence, and only explorers who could fight to begin with or those who use noble-suited loopholes are the ones who would take this route. Most explorers can’t reach that number.
Well, it is true that, after teaming up with Rifreya and Jeanne, we have been hunting monsters as if we were laying waste to the dungeon. This is the result of using the God cheats so, in a sense, we are cheating here. Can’t really feel like it is a deserved skip, but no point in saying that.
“Then, from here on, you two are Dryad Rank. At this pace, you will be able to get promoted to Sylvester Rank really soon, but let me congratulate you here.”
“Thank you very much.” (Hikaru)
“…Same.” (Jeanne)
Jeanne gave a strangely low response. We have been together for a decent amount of time, but she fits the bill of a person that is open at home but doesn’t speak when outside. She can speak normally with the dwarf old man, so it is not like she is bad with muscles, but with tall men.
The Dryad Rank card is made from jet black wood; Ebony Rank.
The Sylvester Rank has a silver rank card, and it is called Silver Rank. Rifreya is in this rank.
Honestly speaking, I don’t care one bit about ranking.
There’s apparently a variety of benefits in having a higher rank, but I doubt it has anything to do with our current lifestyle.
We changed the bronze rank cards Jeanne and I had, and hung the new rank cards on our necks.
“Hmm, the black rank card looks pretty cool.” (Jeanne)
Looks like Jeanne has taken a liking to it. I am wearing black clothes and now I have a black rank card, so I am finally completely in black.
“The rank of you two has increased, so the guild will be buying your Spirit Stones at a slightly higher rate. There’s no limitation to the floors we buy the stones from, but you won’t be able to sell stones from the 1st Floor once you are Silver Rank, so please keep that in mind.”
“Eh, really?” (Hikaru)
“Yes, it is a preventive measure to ensure explorers won’t monopolize the shallower floors.”
“I see.” (Hikaru)
If you are silver, the 1st Floor is off-limits; gold is the 2nd Floor; at mithril, the guild won’t be buying stones from the 3rd Floor either.
Well, it is a long time before that applies to us, but being barred off from the 2nd Floor would be painful for me. It might be a good idea to not aim for Gold Rank.
…No, we are aiming to conquer the dungeon, so I shouldn’t have such a weak mentality.
I have to become stronger, to the point where I can walk around the 4th Floor while humming.
“Ah, also, someone has come saying they want us to tell them when you are here, Hikaru-san. Over there.”
“Eh?” (Hikaru)
I was startled by what the staff member said.
The 2nd Chosen group didn’t make contact with us until now, but it has finally come, huh…
We look at the direction where the staff member faced.
The chances of them shooting a gun here are low. Or more like, there’s no point in them going out of their way to greet us before attacking. They could just aim for our head the moment they find us.
Then, what’s their objective?
A whole lot of things swirled inside my head in an instant.
“Heya heya, you are Hikaru-kun? Man, I so wanted to meet you! And now you are finally here! Hello~, all viewers, are you seeing this? It is the real Hikaru-kun! He is far more handsome than I imagined! Wait, the viewers should already know that, huh. Am I the only one who didn’t know? Or more like, even Jeanne-san is here. And the beauty here must be Rifreya-san. Uwa, truly a beauty! Life is unfair!”
The man trotted his way here and suddenly began talking a storm.
A-Aah! I have seen this face before…
“What’s with this noisy man? So rude all of a sudden.” (Jeanne)
“That’s right. Who is he calling a beauty? Me?” (Rifreya)
“W-…W-….” (Hikaru)
“Oh? What’s the matter, Hikaru? Making a face as if you have seen a ghost.” (Jeanne)
“It is Worigami Channeeeeel!!!” (Hikaru)
Why? Why? Ah, right, Worigami-san was also selected in the 1st group.
Why is he here of all places???
“Hoho~, I am happy that you know about me. Hello konnichiwa, I am Worigami.” (Worigami)
Worigami-san spun his arm two times and made a silly bow.
If I remember correctly, he is around 30 years old. He doesn’t break his gentle expression ever, and that figure of him always smiling is like that of the kind neighborhood brother in manga.
He is a guy that has been a Youtuber since I was a child, and there’s no Japanese person who doesn’t know about him. In his early days, he would upload his origami creations, but as he did a variety of other things, he eventually became a nationally beloved Youtuber.
I don’t know what fate brought upon him being selected as a Chosen, but even with that, I saw several times before the transfer that he was pretty positive about the isekai transfer.
“Hikaru, is he an acquaintance?” (Rifreya)