A week had passed since the assassination incident in the shopping district. The incident gathered a lot of attention across the whole city. Unfortunately, they didn't have a way to know the culprit's goal as Yanagi Shina killed all of them.

Several people died in this incident. The city lord and the institute compensated the family of the victims.

It was really a tragic event.

The three people who were involved in this incident were outside of the Ladros City. The three of them were clearing the low-level dungeons in the vicinity of the city.

Shing!!

Souta pulled out his sword from the body of a five-meter tall spider and he placed it back inside its sheath.

This huge spider was the boss of this low-level dungeon.

In their current level, Souta and Bryan wouldn't have a problem clearing this level of dungeon alone.

"That's too easy..." Souta muttered as he looked around him. There's a lot of dead spiders in his surrounding.

He then heard a familiar sound in his mind saying that he received a skill point for clearing this dungeon.

"Yeah, there's no challenge." Bryan nodded with a sighed. He really hope that he could fight some tough opponents in this dungeon. Unfortunately for him, all the monsters here were too weak.

The only monster that could put up a fight here was the boss but even then, it was still too easy for Bryan and Souta. The boss only has the power of a top 20 ranker of the first year.

Souta and Bryan only cleared low-level dungeons. Even though they could easily clear a low-level dungeon, they still haven't touched a single middle-level dungeon at all. Why? It was because the middle-level dungeons were housing the monsters that formed their monster orb. That level of monster could easily obliterate them.

The difference between low-level dungeons and middle-level dungeons was huge.

Souta turned his head and looked at the person that came with them. He opened his mouth and asked, "How is it, Brando?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to get used to it," Brando said as he nodded his head. He was absent the day after the assassination incident. On that day, he was thinking about a lot of things. And when he came back into his mind, he already decided to become an adventurer like Souta and Bryan. He thought that he would become stronger by following their footsteps.

On that day, he saw it with his own two eyes that Bryan and Souta didn't have any fear in their eyes when they faced those people. It's like they were used to a life and death battle.

Well, if you saw the power of the commandments would you still be afraid of some mobs? Nay!

"Good." Souta nodded. He was shocked when Brando came to him and asked to join his party as Brando wanted to become an adventurer. At that time, Souta wondered what kind of things went inside Brando's mind that he suddenly wanted to become an adventurer.

In the monster tide two months ago, Souta and Bryan's achievements were worth mentioning, so the guild promoted the two of them to Rank D Adventurers.

"Let's go out now," Souta said before he turned around.

"Okay, we already did what we came here." Bryan nodded and said. He and Brando followed Souta behind.

...

Bryan and Brando bid farewell to Souta after they finished reporting the quest that they did.

"I'll go now, Souta. Let's party sometimes." Bryan said as he raised his hand above his head. He then turned around and left.

"Yeah, let's do that." Souta nodded at him.

"Thanks for accepting me in your party," Brando said as he slightly bowed his head.

"Don't mention it." Souta shook his head.

"Okay, I'll go now," Brando said with a smile.

"Be careful," Souta said before he turned around and went inside the Adventurers Guild.

He walked towards the quest board and looked at it. He wondered what quest should he take right now for him and Yuko. He would start training Yuko so that she could form her own monster orb.

If she managed that, then she would become a great asset to him in the future.

"Hmm... A quest for Yuko..." Souta muttered as he rubbed his chin.

Suddenly, someone called his name from behind.

"Souta!!"

Souta turned his head and saw a group of five people. "Oh? Brianna?" He exclaimed when he saw them and recalled that they were the Gale Group.

They were the party that was with Jimmy at that time when he came out of the Deep Forest.

The Gale Group approached him. Brianna, the leader of the group, smiled and said, "We haven't seen each other for a long time. How are you, Souta?"

"I'm fine. How about you?" Souta smiled and asked while looking at the rest of the group.

"We're doing fine. We are now a Rank C Adventurers."

The one who said those words was Tidor. A huge man wearing a full plate silver armor. He's almost two meters in height.

"I see... Well, I'm a Rank D right now." Souta smiled and said.

"Hahaha, I know. You've become famous these days. A tamer of the Red Fur Bear. We heard a lot of rumors about you." Tidor said as he patted Souta's shoulder. "You've grown a lot since the last time we saw you."

"Grown?" Souta looked at Tidor with a confused expression. "You know, I haven't gotten taller since the last time." He felt that Tidor was teasing him.

"No, I'm not talking about that." Tidor shook his head and said, "I'm talking about how you've become stronger in just a few months."

Everyone from the Gale Group nodded their head. When they first saw Souta they could easily guess his power level judging from the mana he's emitting. But now it's different, Souta wasn't emitting mana out of his body. It means that he gained full control over his mana.

At that time, Souta's [Mana Manipulation] skill was only level 1. He could only do limited things with his mana at that level but now, he could even use it to protect himself or pressure those who are weaker than him.

"Ah, that? Well, I've been training a lot from these past two months." Souta explained to them that he was training nonstop in the Ladro Institute.

"So you've passed the entrance examination?" Tim asked. He was a short man wearing a red robe with blue linings. His black hair almost covered his brown eyes. He was the mage of the Gale Group.

"Yeah, I'm currently a student of the Mage Class 1-B," Souta said to them.

A woman with shoulder-length black hair and glasses on her eyes. She had a beautiful face and a scar below her left eye across her cheek ruin it. Her name was Jane.

Jane looked around and asked Souta, "I'm wondering... Where's Yuko?"

Since Souta was here, she thought that Yuko was also here but she hasn't seen Yuko outside the guild either. It seems that Souta didn't bring Yuko with him.

"Yuko? She's in my house, guarding it." Souta replied to her.

"Since you're here in front of the quest board, you must be picking a quest. Am I right?" Jane smiled and asked him.

"Yeah." Souta nodded his head.

"Then, how about we party up and take the quest together." Jane proposed to him that they should party up just for once.

"That's a good idea. Right, captain?" Tidor laughed and looked at Brianna.

"Mm, it's really a good idea." Brianna gently smiled.

Tidor looked at Souta and asked, "How about it, Souta? Are you in?"

"Okay, but not now. How about a week later?" Souta nodded and said. If he's going to take a quest with Rank C Adventurers then he'll take those quest for Rank C with high rewards. Also, it's already late and he had to go to the institute tomorrow.

"Sure, we have a lot of free time." Brianna smiled and nodded at him. They knew that Souta was a student at Ladro Institute, so they understood that he didn't have a lot of free time.

Souta bid farewell to the Gale Group before he went back to his house. He planned to take a quest for Yuko but something came up, so he had to postpone it. Well, it doesn't matter as he will bring Yuko with him in their quest.

...

It was already dark when someone rang Lumilia's doorbell.

Lumilia was currently eating dinner with Cluster.

Lumilia heard it and wondered who is it. She turned her head and looked at the clock. This whole apartment was Ladro Institute's property. If the guard let this person in then it must be someone she knew.

She stood up and walked towards the door. She grabbed the doorknob and opened it only to found Fred and Jusmin outside.

"Fred, why are you here?" Lumilia asked as she opened the door and made a way for Fred to enter. It was then that she noticed that Fred had a gloomy atmosphere around him.

"What's wrong with Fred, Jusmin?" Lumilia looked at Jusmin and asked.

"Young miss... We came here to pass you this letter from our lord." Jusmin lowered her head and she reached out her hands towards Lumilia. There was a white letter in her hands.