387 Death Mage V13 Chapter 314

Chapter 314
The start of the second half of the exams, and another visit to the Tamer’s Guild


The time goes back about half a year from the day of the exam at the Hero Preparatory School.

There are times when individuals are forced to do things they don't want to do due to unavoidable circumstances.

"A temporary teacher at the Adventurer's School?"

For Randolph the True, an S-Class adventurer of the Orbaume Kingdom, it was a job offer at a school.

"That's right. Of course, it's not your typical Adventurer's School. I would like to request you to be a temporary teacher at the Hero Preparatory School, which I am the principal of."

The one making the request to Randolph wasn’t a prominent noble. She was an Elf female who exuded a dignified atmosphere and had a well-groomed appearance that made her more of a heroine than a beautiful woman.

She is the head of a school where even the young children of nobles, although they are often the third, fourth, or subsequent children, enroll. Many graduates are C-Class or above, and it's a school that leads to a realm that only those with a certain level of talent or those who have compensated for their lack of talent through hard work can reach.

While she doesn't directly interfere in politics or military affairs, her influence surpasses that of many Earls and Marquises.

"That's why you should just shut up and nod your head, Rand."

"Don't use the nickname from our adventurer days, Meorilith."

Meorilith is a former A-class adventurer who was active at the same time as Randolph the True. She had sometimes formed parties with Randolph and went on adventures together.

Although Randolph is known to be a solo adventurer who often works alone, it was not that he had never teamed up with other adventurers. Among them, Meorilith was known as the female adventurer who most frequently teamed up with Randolph.

"You’re so cold. We’ve spent many passionate nights together, haven't we? I still remember the aroma of the morning tea you brewed for me. It was exceptional," said Meorilith.

For this reason, there have been speculations that Meorilith is Randolph's lover, common-law wife, or mistress, and nowadays, it's treated as a semi-open secret.

(Note: common-law marriage - a marriage that takes legal effect without the prerequisites of a marriage license or participation in a marriage ceremony)

In a play centered around Randolph the True, it is a given that Meorilith would be portrayed by an actress as the heroine, and the bard would sing convincingly about why the two didn't get married, saying, "They couldn’t imagine being married, so it is best for them to remain as companions and rivals."

After Randolph officially retired from being an adventurer, it was said that Meorilith was appointed as the principal of the Hero Preparatory School by the royalty so as to maintain a connection with Randolph.

"Don't lie. Have you forgotten how you used to complain that your nose would get crooked every time I made herbal tea for you?"

And in many ways, that was true.

Randolph, being a man, has his own sexual desires. And rather than women with nobles or merchants lurking behind them with the ulterior motive of trying to get a connection with him, he preferred someone like Meorilith, who had a similar level of skill to himself in various ways.

By the way, the reason why they didn't get married was due to their incompatible personalities. While they could continue their relationship during the night, they couldn't imagine living together during the day. They both understood that.

"I just said it was exceptional. I don't recall saying it was good. Anyway, the period is about two years from now. I'm counting on you."

"Wait, I don't remember accepting this. Didn't I say I wouldn't do it again when I did it before?"

Randolph had previously worked as a teacher at Meorilith's school at her request. However, he had retired as an adventurer and had no intention of getting involved with current adventurers or children aspiring to become adventurers anymore.

Besides, being an adventurer is a dangerous profession with a high mortality rate. Whether you have the skills or the aptitude, that fact remains the same.

For Randolph, training young boys and girls to become adventurers was not a pleasant job. Compared to jobs requested by nobles, it was still better, but there were also emotional reasons why he didn't want to do it.

"Do you hate doing it because the young people who had dreams and shone with ideals remind you of your younger self?"

"...That's right."

Randolph scolded Meorilith with his eyes, saying, "If you knew from the start, then don't bother mentioning it." In his heart, he heavily criticized his past self for being so frivolous and spinning fanciful tales.

"I was an ignorant and naive brat who believed that with power and money, anything could be achieved and that I could reclaim my homeland. It's a past I want to forget."

Randolph's homeland was a settlement of Elves in the forest. They lived a simple yet prosperous life by using nature, with only sporadic interactions with human society.

Their peaceful days were shattered by the monster outbreaks from Devil Nests, located far away from the forest. The hordes of monsters had increased too much in numbers and overflowed, setting their sights on the forest where Randolph and the others lived as their next habitat.

In the village, there were many skilled archers, spirit mages, light warriors, and unarmed fighters. However, there were too many monsters for them to endure.

As a result, after many sacrifices, the Elves, including the young Randolph, fled from the forest. They sought refuge and resettled in the Orbaume Kingdom, where they had established connections with humans.

At that time, Randolph made a firm vow that one day he would reclaim his homeland. And he was blessed with enough talent to pursue that vow.

As an adult, he continued to improve himself without hitting any plateaus, and it didn’t take long for him to become a B-Class adventurer and earn money. However, due to being an Elf, his growth speed was slower than that of humans, and the forest of his homeland had already turned into Devil Nests and spawned dungeons.

But the monsters were only at a level where Randolph alone could defeat them, and only a few more similarly capable people were needed to purify the Devil Nests and Dungeons.

To purify the Devil Nests and dungeons, it is necessary to thoroughly eradicate the monsters which is the source of the miasma. Even if they defeated the strongest bosses in the Devil Nests and Dungeons, if small fries like Goblins and Horned Rabbits remained, the contamination caused by miasma would stop but wouldn't disappear.

Eventually, new leaders would appear in the Devil Nests, and new bosses would emerge in the dungeons within a few days to a few months.

Therefore, Devil Nests and Dungeons must constantly maintain a condition where monsters are either absent or present in less than one percent. Through purification, the Devil Nests would turn back into normal land and Dungeons would decay and collapse. The time required for purification depended on how far the contamination had progressed.

For Devil Nests that had changed significantly from their original natural state, such as the Demon Continent, it is uncertain how long it would take with this method. However, if the Devil Nests are like Randolph's homeland, where only monsters appear and nothing more, it would only take a few days for the Devil Nests to be fully purified and return to its original state.

Randolph had sufficient connections with people as well as money to recruit allies who would cooperate with him for those few days. He requested assistance from the guild to gather helpers, offered a high donation to the church and requested for priests to be dispatched, and asked for support from his fellow elf countrymen. He believed that with all this, he could reclaim his homeland.

However, those expectations were brutally shattered.

A medicinal herb that could only be found in the Devil Nests of Randolph’s homeland was discovered. It was an herb that was a specific antidote to a difficult disease. And from the newly generated dungeons, there were floors where Mithril and Adamantite ores could be mined.

Both had become important industries in the duchy where the forest was located, and it put a halt to Randolph's purification project.

In that case, even if it was a proposal made by Randolph, a B-Class adventurer, the Adventurer's Guild could no longer cooperate with him. Moreover, the forest and dungeons had become hunting grounds for numerous adventurers, leaving very few people left who would personally help Randolph.

Even the Church of Alda, which had passionately advocated for the extermination of monsters and purification of the Devil Nests, became hesitant about the purification of Randolph's homeland forest, saying, "We can't take away people's livelihoods. There are other more dangerous Devil Nests and Dungeons that should be purified instead."

And the most shocking thing for him was that none of his fellow elf countrymen were willing to cooperate with Randolph.

About a hundred years had passed since then. It wasn't a short time, even for the Elves, who had built a new place to live during that time and lived fruitfully.

Even if their homeland were to be restored, living there would require them to abandon the lives that they had painstakingly rebuilt and start over from scratch. Even with that resolve, there was no guarantee that other Elves would return.

The Elves thought so and thus chose to stick with their new life, and no one gathered around Randolph.

Realizing that he was the only one who had vowed to reclaim his homeland at any cost, Randolph experienced an indelible sense of frustration. He felt that his entire life and all the efforts he had made had been denied.

"...I remember that time too. I’m sorry I didn’t have enough strength to help you."

"Stop it. If you apologize, I won’t be able to stand it."

If no one had cooperated with Randolph back then, he might have given up on the Orbaume Kingdom by now.

However, there were several adventurer comrades, including Meorilith, and nobles who understood him.

"I was the one who requested your cooperation. And it was my own decision to give up. That's all there is to it."

Even after that, Randolph continued to work as an adventurer. He had lost his purpose, but he didn't know any other way of life. It was only after ten or twenty years that he reached S-Class, and retired as an adventurer and became an atheist.

Maybe he was tired, or maybe he got tired of the fact that as he became stronger, he found himself increasingly inconvenienced by his interactions with the kingdon’s nobles, or perhaps he had seen too much of the negative aspects of humans through those interactions. He couldn't remember the exact trigger himself.

If he had continued without giving up and been promoted to higher ranks of A-Class or even S-Class before making another appeal for the purification project of his homeland's forest, the Duke and the Adventurer's Guild might have cooperated. Even if his fellow elf countrymen didn't return, other elves attracted by his reputation might have wanted to migrate.

However, Randolph didn't want that.

(The reason I quit... maybe it is because I finally realized that my desired homeland will never truly return.)

Now, looking back, Randolph thought that might be the case.

"Let's leave the old stories aside for now. Sorry for digressing. So, why do you want me to become a teacher? Since this is coming from you, there must be some reason,” as Randolph forcefully redirected the topic and his focus.

"Ah, of course. There are plenty of people who want to become instructors at our school."

Being a teacher or instructor at the Adventurer's School is a coveted career path for retired adventurers. However, the salary at Hero Preparatory School is several times higher than that of a regular Adventurer's School. Moreover, if they can establish connections with the parents of the students, who are nobles or merchants, they can even transition into different jobs such as becoming personal escorts or instructors in martial arts.

There are also cases where passionate active adventurers who simply want to teach talented young individuals occasionally take a temporary break from their activities to become instructors. It is rare to request a temporary instructor in the form of a commission, but it is not unheard of.

However, it is rare to request someone like Randolph, who is in a complex position as an S-Class adventurer.

"As a matter of fact, it seems that they are organizing an army to recapture the former Scylla Autonomous Territory in the Sauron Duchy. They are planning to have you participate."

"I knew about that... Is it because of that young Rudel? He seems to have a thicker skin than I thought."

Randolph pictured the face of the young duke who had ignored his advice, but Meorilith shook her head.

"It's not just Duke Sauron. The other dukes: Duke Hartner, Duke Jahan, and particularly Duke Farzon also seem to be quite enthusiastic about it."

"... All of them are in charge of duchies where faith in Alda is prominent. Hartner probably wants to achieve some military achievements in the battle, so as to redirect the Sauron Duchy’s faith, which leans towards Vida, more towards Alda."

Darcia would probably smile wryly at this if she were to hear about it, but Sauron Duchy, although it has a strong tendency to exclude Vida's new races, is located in a region with a strong Vida faith. It could even be said that they are Vida followers who are opposed to Vida's new races.

In the case of Hartner Duchy, which is located just south of Sauron Duchy, they may want to be cooperative not only in terms of economy and politics but also in faith.

Jahan Duchy was originally a duchy where faith towards Botin was more popular than Vida or Alda, but it started to emphasize on faith towards Alda under the current duke's rule.

As a Titan born as a result of atavism, the current duke had to demonstrate his strong faith in Alda in order to unite the nobles.

"Regarding Jahan... We can speculate, but I don't know for sure. As for Farzon, he probably wants to hire me as a substitute for that young fellow."

Since Randolph didn’t know much about Duke Jahan, he didn’t know the details.

It seemed that Duke Farzon wanted to employ Randolph as a replacement for Heinz, who was still inside the dungeon at the time of this conversation.

"That's why I'm willing to hire you. With me backing you up, it won't matter what the other dukes say. It could be troublesome if multiple dukes jointly protested, but I don't think that will happen."

"If the dukes were on such good terms in the first place, they would have tried to hire me jointly from the beginning. Alright, I'll accept."

"You're surprisingly willing to accept the request. Did you run out of money?"

"No, it's just that I don't want to get involved with Sauron Duchy. Besides... I don't think they'll come to the capital either."

"They? Who are you referring to?"

"My teacher who recently taught me and those related to her."

This conversation took place before Vandalieu released Botin's seal in the Demon King's Continent. At that time, Randolph was unaware that Vandalieu intended to enroll in the Hero Preparatory School in the capital.

Meorilith was also unaware. The Adventurer's Guild headquarters in Alcrem Duchy had written a letter of recommendation and handed it to Vandalieu. However, the Adventurer's Guild headquarters in Alcrem Duchy did not inform Hero Preparatory School about it.

Therefore, it was only after deciding on a new alias and disguise that he learned that Vandalieu was going to take the entrance exam for Hero Preparatory School.





(These guys... No, what does he intend to learn by enrolling in the Adventurer's School now?)

Randolph, who had changed his hair color to red and adopted the alias Dandolip, looked around where Vandalieu was with lifeless eyes.

Randolph immediately noticed because Vandelieu was being held and lifted by Pauvina, the tallest among all the applicants.

Based on the rumors Randolph had heard about Vandalieu's heroic exploits and the skills he conjectured from their conversation... No matter how much he thought about it, Randolph couldn’t think of anything Vandelieu could learn from this school.

(Is he trying to build connections, or is it a camouflage to do something in Orbaume? Perhaps, he is carrying out a strategy of holding a concert in Orbaume, just like Morksi and Alcrem, to increase their own fans? ... It's possible.)

For Randolph, who himself was halfway guided by Kanako's Artistic Path, holding a concert seemed like a realistic strategy.

The capital of Orbaume Kingdom attracts merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, and nobles from all over the kingdom. Moreover, the election to choose the next king is scheduled to take place next year.

If they could establish a presence in the capital now, their influence would spread throughout the kingdom.

And all they would be doing is a simple concert. No illegal drugs or forbidden techniques prohibited by law, just a lawful event of singing and dancing.

No one would investigate, and even if they did, they wouldn't find anything. There is no legal basis to stop it.

(...Even so, I have no intention of preventing it.)

Furthermore, it was a means that made it difficult for Randolph to create a motive to interfere. After all, they were just holding a concert. The same went for Vandalieu's goals, which was currently known by him.

If it were about overthrowing the nation or conquering the world, it would be a different story, but it's just proselytizing, and obtaining the rights of Vida's new races... in other words, engaging in political activities.

(Note: proselytize - to convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.)

Neither of those were of any interest to Randolph. What concerned him more was whether his true identity had been discovered by Vandalieu and the others.

(Even if I wanted to change the alias and disguise of Dandolip, since I had already shown it to the school staff, I couldn't change it... I should have been more elaborate with it. I should have disguised myself as a human instead of an elf at the very least.)

While regretting, Randolph looked at Vandelieu, but he didn't see any particular reaction from him. It's hard to imagine that he didn't notice at all, but Randolph couldn't confirm it now, so he stepped down from the stage and returned to his role as an examiner.





The exam in the afternoon was a test to assess combat abilities, basic knowledge, and skills as an adventurer.

"As expected, it's the exam I’ve heard about."

From Vandalieu's perspective, the difficulty of the exam was quite low.

"Hmph, got scared, did you? In that case, you should just go to a normal Adventurer's School from now on."

The other applicants overheard Vandalieu's muttering and laughed disdainfully, indicating that the exam was indeed challenging for them.

Normally, there would be no entrance exams for a normal Adventurer's School. This is because the Adventurer’s School is a place intended for individuals who do not possess the combat power, skills, and knowledge necessary to work as adventurers to enroll in. However, the Hero Preparatory School doesn't require ordinary students like that.

For children aspiring to be ordinary adventurers, the exams are practically impossible to pass. Young children of nobles hire private tutors and martial arts instructors and learn from them in preparation for this day.

"Or perhaps you're receiving extra points due to a Unique Skill or something? Ah, you were a tamer, right? That might explain it."

However, merely having difficult exams would overlook candidates who come from a general background that possess unique skills. Therefore, a system was put in place to award additional points if one were to possess Unique Skills or other aptitudes.

The boy who had been speaking to him seemed to think that Vandalieu was receiving extra points through that system.

"Yes, that's right."

And it was true. Although Vandalieu kept silent about his Unique Skill to the school, the school highly valued his status as a tamer known as the ‘Genius Tamer’. This, combined with the fact that he belonged to the rare race of Dhampir, already granted him enough additional points just for admission.

Therefore, despite the silent plea from Randolph and Meorilith urging him not to take the exam, Vandalieu and Pauvina were completely oblivious.

"As I thought. A tamer who relies on filthy monsters. That's just..."

This young boy was from a noble family, but he wasn't genuinely trying to become an adventurer. As the fourth son of a Baron, his plan was to join the Knight’s Order after establishing a reputation. As a result, he had a rather discriminatory attitude typical of nobles.

Moreover, he was cunningly taking advantage of the implicit understanding of Hero Preparatory School, of which the school and exams should not involve one's family, and the rule that students should be treated equally.

As such, he, the son of a Baron, believed that there was no way for Vandelieu, a son of an Honorary Countess, to retaliate against him now, and even if he were to cry to his parents later, nothing would happen to him and the situation would remain the same.

"... Wh-What? What do you want to say?"

However, it should be Pauvina, not Vandelieu, that he should have been wary of. She was staring down at him intently.

"What kind of exam are you taking?"

She asked him that. He had no obligation to honestly answer the question, but perhaps he thought that if he didn't answer, he would be seen as running away.

"S-Sword and shield, and also archery!"

"I see. Okay. Then I'll take the same exam!"

"Wh-What?! What are you trying to say!?"

"Well then, I'm off, Van!"

"Take care. Try your best not to overdo it."

Pauvina placed Vandalieu back on the ground and cheerfully headed toward the exam venue.

"Wh-What just happened?"

Following her, the boy started walking in confusion. Vandalieu predicted that Pauvina would outperform him in all the exams he took.

"I didn't plan to stand out except for my appearance, race, and background, but it can’t be helped if someone challenges me like this. Since it’s Pauvina, I’m sure she will keep it to a level that's 'possible.'"

He believed that she wouldn't do anything like crushing the targets in the exams or making the examiners unconscious.

With that in mind, Vandalieu headed towards the exam he was going to take.

In the exams that evaluated long-range attacks, such as ‘Archery’ and ‘Throwing Technique’, he achieved slightly better results than the other examinees using throwing knives.

During the close-quarters combat exam, when he used ‘Staff Technique’, the examiner gave him a strange look.

"You're not using your claws?"

"No, this is what my claws look like."

As Vandalieu answered, he extended his claws, which were longer and sharper than the throwing knives, causing the examiner's mouth to twitch.

"That looks like it could cut better than a knife. Moreover, I've heard that Dhampirs like you also possess the skill 'Superhuman Strength’. It would be dangerous for the examiner to evaluate your 'Unarmed Fighting Technique' without providing them with real defensive equipment."

In reality, Vandalieu, who possessed ‘Supreme Strength’, the superior skill of ‘Superhuman Strength’, could easily slaughter the examiners wearing real defensive equipment even without activating his Demon King Fragments.

"Yes, that’s why I’d like to use 'Staff Technique' instead."

However, even without summoning any fragments, Vandalieu achieved decent results in the 'Staff Technique' exam.

He also took exams such as distinguishing between medicinal herbs and poisonous plants and identifying monster species based on footprints. Since he was told that any method of distinguishing was acceptable, he stood out in a negative way by licking the plants to identify them by taste.

"Even if you identify it's a poisonous plant by licking it, it's meaningless if the poison enters your body… But Dhampirs are born with the 'Status Effect Resistance' skill, so there's no problem. However, for those who don't have the resistance skill, don’t even try to attempt to do the same. There are also strong poisons that you can't endure even if you have the resistance skill. As much as possible, try to distinguish using your eyes!"

Vandelieu  was indirectly scolded in this manner.

"Yes, Sensei."

However, since it was indirect, Vandalieu didn't realize he was being scolded and interpreted it as being taught.

In reality, Vandalieu possessed the 'Status Effect Immunity' skill rather than 'Status Effect Resistance’, so even if he drank a barrel full of deadly poison capable of killing an elephant with just a single drop, it would have no effect on him.

(One must be cautious in a place like this, as it would be troublesome if others imitate me. As expected of the Hero Preparatory School, they even teach how to be considerate of the people around you.)

He was impressed by that fact.

And then, the magic exam that Vandalieu was most concerned about came.

"Now, please hit that target with an offensive magic."

The examiner instructed them to hit a wooden target placed about ten meters away. Other examinees were casting flames, ice, rocks, and wind blades, hitting the targets one after another.

All of them were basic magic. Some students even surprised the examiners by piercing the target with a spear of flames.

To avoid standing out, Vandalieu had to refrain from using death-attribute magic or God Spirit Magic and achieve results below that level. However, with his overwhelming amount of mana, it was actually challenging for him to do the same as an ordinary person.

Even 'Mana Bullet’, which is a skill of no-attribute magic that shoots out a simple sphere of concentrated mana, was about the same size as a clenched fist or slightly smaller for a regular mage. However, when Vandalieu cast it, it became a giant ball with a diameter of one meter.

If a regular mage measures mana in units of millimeters, then in Vandalieu's case, he measures mana in units of meters.

Undoubtedly, if he demonstrated such magic, he would attract a lot of attention. The executives of the Mages’ Guild would come to him later today and ask him to join the guild.

He didn't want that outcome, so Vandalieu decided to use another magic instead.

"Can I use throwing knives or stones, Examiner?"

"Hmm? This is a magic exam, you know?"

"I know. I was thinking of using 'Telekinesis' to throw knives or stones and hit the target."

Just by using 'Telekinesis' to move objects and hit the target, it only pierces through it without causing much destruction.

"Mmm, you're doing it the roundabout way... Well, I see. I get it. Alright, give it a try."

However, the examiner seemed to misunderstand that Vandalieu had other intentions. While he was relieved that permission was granted, Vandalieu couldn't help but wonder what the examiner meant by that.

With that in mind, he chanted a spell to create the impression that he didn't have the 'Chant Revocation' skill.

"Invisible hands, strike the target."

After chanting a suitable spell, Vandalieu used 'Telekinesis' to grab a knife and thrust it towards the target ten meters away. ‘Telekinesis’ consumes more mana the farther an object is thrown, so by exerting his maximum effort to control his mana, he could keep it at this level.

If he were to use the method of flicking the object used with 'Telekinesis' near himself like he usually did with 'Artillery Technique’, it would not only hit the target but also destroy the wall behind it.

"You reduced the amount of mana consumed by flicking the knife near yourself, and then you demonstrated your offensive power and 'Mana Control' technique by thrusting the knife into the target. Remarkable!"

As a result, Vandalieu gained high evaluations, even among the top class of examinees. He hadn't intended to demonstrate control techniques though.

"I don't understand."

But the exam was over. Even if he wasn't satisfied with the results, he couldn't start over.

"Van~, I’m done!"

Pauvina returned with a radiant smile on her face. The boy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Pauvina was holding the sword that the boy had been carrying for some reason.

"How did it go?"

"I got better results than that boy in everything! And then, for some reason, he gave me this sword. I was a bit flustered when I received it."

"...Maybe he meant to dedicate his sword to you in a figurative sense."

It seemed that rather than having his pride crushed, that boy had completely submitted to Pauvina to the point of pledging allegiance to her.

"For now, let's go return the sword."

"Yes, let's do that. Van, I think I prefer a club over a sword after all."

"Come to think of it, how did you achieve better results than him in the 'Sword Technique' exam? That boy seemed capable to some extent."

His level in 'Sword Technique' and 'Shield Technique' was probably around 2 or 3. And Pauvina didn't possess the 'Sword Technique' skill. So how did she manage to get good results? The answer was simple.

"Among the swords provided for the exam, I swung the largest one with one hand, and the examiner said, 'You passed.'"

"...Ah, that's certainly one way to do it."

Pauvina seemed to have effortlessly swung a two-handed greatsword with one hand that was prepared just in case but wouldn't be used by the examinees. Although her technique was immature, the examiner must have thought, "I might die if I clashed with her," and unintentionally shouted, "You passed!"

Vandalieu felt sympathy from the bottom of his heart. By the way, the ‘Archery’... it seemed she achieved a good result in the long-distance attack exam using 'Throwing Technique.'

"Shall we head back then? Let's stop by the Tamer’s Guild on the way. It seems Mr Orlock has returned."

"Okay! Is it Luvez's turn next? Can I bring Rapié along too?"

"This time, let's stick with Pain only. Pete too."

And so, Pauvina achieved top-class results in the exams, and Vandalieu achieved similarly good results, both of them passing the exams.





Dandolip... Randolph, the chief examiner, watched the two of them leisurely leaving the examination venue, perplexed.

"What was their intention with those results?"

They were clearly hiding their true abilities. Even Randolph, who didn't know their true strength, could tell that. However...

"Why would they hide their abilities in such a half-hearted manner? Do they have some ulterior motive, or did they simply end up like that because they wanted to fit in with the other students?"

Randolph furrowed his brows as he pondered. Nonetheless, Vandalieu and Pauvina finished the exams without causing any notable troubles, such as setting new records or destroying the venue.





For Pete, learning that skill was not something he wanted. When he asked Pain, who had learned the same skill, he received a similar response. However, their owners, Vandalieu and Pauvina, assured them that it was a useful skill. They even said that if they further improved that skill, they could stay together with them in human cities.

Motivated by this, Pete and Pain put in their efforts. And they showed the results. After waiting in one of Vandalieu's ‘Body Worlds’ for a few days, the time had finally come to show the results of their training.

"I see, so you tamed insect-type monsters this time?"

"Kishaa~"

"Kyuu."

Orlock, looking at Pete perched on Vandalieu's arms and Pain  held in Pauvina’s hands, had a somewhat serene expression in his eyes.

"Master Orlock! This is a great... no, a monumental achievement of the century!"

"Well, but compared to taming the undead... yeah, it's amazing."

"Why are you so calm about this!? It's a historic moment, you know!?"

"Well, I am surprised, but..."

While the Tamer’s Guild staff made a fuss, Orlock remained composed.

"Ah, okay. You said you tamed a large centipede and a large butterfly that had been living in that mansion's garden, right?"

“ “Yes.” ”

Both Vandalieu and Pauvina answered in unison. However, in Orlock's eyes, Pete and Pain didn't look like mere Rank 1 monsters.

Compared to a normal large centipede, Pete had horns, strong-looking fangs, and occasionally emitted sparks and crackles.

As for Pain, its feathers had a pattern that seemed poisonous. When Orlock asked Pauvina if it was safe to touch, she replied, "I think it's safe because Pain is keeping it under control."

However, their sizes were the same as those of a regular large centipede and large butterfly.

"Kishaa."

The reason was that they were using the ‘Shrink’ skill to become smaller. Pete's original size was larger than that of a dragon, but with this skill, he could wrap around Vandalieu's arm and hide under his sleeve.

"Well, they must be variants. From what I can see, they seem to be able to communicate well... I’ll recognize them as tamed monsters of the Tamer’s Guild. There might be people from the Mages’ Guild coming later, but at least listen to what they have to say."

"Understood... By the way, have you been getting enough sleep lately? You look tired."

"Hahaha, don't worry. I was on vacation until yesterday."

As Orlock laughed with a serene look, Vandalieu took out a wooden box from his pocket.

"This cream is a specialty product distributed in the Alcrem Duchy. It's effective for rough skin and stiff shoulders caused by stress. Please try it."

Perhaps feeling a sense of urgency that Orlock might retire if things continued like this, Vandalieu offered him the V-Cream.





Name: Pete
Rank: 13
Race: Hell Steel Roaring Lightning Emperor Centipede
Level: 77

Passive Skills:
Hunger Resistance: Level 3
Super Self-Enhancement: Subordination: Level 1 (Awakened from Self-Enhancement: Subordination!)
Deadly Venom Secretion (Neurotoxin): Jaws: Level 5 (UP!)
Wind-Attribute Nullification (Awakened from Wind Attribute Resistance!)
Super Strengthened Body Part (Exoskeleton, Horns): Level 4 (UP!)
Monstrous Strength: Level 6 (UP!)
Self-Enhancement: Guidance: Level 8 (UP!)
Rapid Healing: Level 7 (UP!)
Strengthened Attribute Values: Eating Prey: Level 7 (UP!)
Night Vision

Active Skills:
Silent Steps: Level 1
Fierce Charge: Level 5 (UP!)
Transcend Limits: Level 4 (UP!)
Armor Technique: Level 10 (UP!)
Roaring Lightning: Level 5 (UP!)
Coordination: Level 8 (UP!)
High-Speed Running: Level 2 (UP!)
Familiar Spirit Demonfall: Level 3 (UP)
Shrink: Level 5 (NEW!)

Unique Skills:
Elder Dragon Slayer: Level 1 (Awakened from Dragon Slayer!)
Zanalpadna's Divine Protection
Vandalieu's Divine Protection





Skill Explanation: Shrink

A specialized version of the ‘Size Alteration’ skill that focuses on shrinking. The owner of this skill can shrink to the smallest size possible for their species, typically the size of a newborn or a recently hatched being.

For example, if the owner is a chicken, they can shrink to the size of a newly hatched chick, or if they are a dog, they can shrink to the size of a newborn puppy. However, it does not reverse their aging process; they only become smaller, not younger.

As a result, certain insect-type monsters like butterfly and moth monsters can only shrink to the size of their larval stage, but cannot revert back to being larvae.

Also, while using this skill to shrink, the owner experiences a decrease in attribute values, excluding Vitality, Mana, and Intelligence.