Now a month pass, the ranking competition comes once again.
The students from all grades gathered in the arena. From the first years, second years, and the third years totaling 1498 students from all grades. The dean giving a speech to them. For this event, Alex can't bring Sherry along with him, so she watches the house. She comes back to Rizertia House since the academy will be empty, though reluctantly.
"Today will be the start for grade ranking, the event will be held for two weeks, you need to kill monsters in the night forest, the number of monsters you manage to kill will determine your ranking. The teachers will be the ones who supervised you."
"After this speech end, we will go to the night forest together. Do my best my student! We will start 'Tomorrow'"
He seems to emphasize this 'Tomorrow' word, Alex's eyes brightened but he suddenly frowned. "This time, he wanted us to hunt from midnight? After all past midnight is the 'tomorrow' he talking about... Or maybe we can sneak in at midnight to set a camp. That way, we can immediately hunt the monster as soon as the day comes? Yep, It seems the case for now"
"Oh right, I forgot to ask teacher about the 'Job' function"
After the speech ended, they started to march toward the night forest. Of course, the same as last year, many citizens watching the students marching in the town. Everyone cheered for them.
They soon leave the city gate, the cheering voice gradually smaller and smaller as they are farther and farther away from the city. The teacher maintained the pace since there are many first-year who still rank 0. The journey took a day, they arrived at the night forest after the sun just set. Many make a group to hunt together in this forest while there are some students who alone like Alex. Of course, the one who alone mostly second-year or above.
After they arrived, he then took the chance to visit his teacher.
"Alex, do you have a matter?"
"Yes, I want to ask you about the 'Job' function. Last time, you explained that the 'Sword Saint' job can make me understood the sword better. But is that really all of the function?"
The dean was surprised, he thought what kind of matter that can bother him, but he never thought the problem was this. "Sigh...The other function of the job is the increase in status at each level. I thought you will realize it with your observation so I didn't talk about it back then"
Alex sweatdropped 'Of course I can't realize it, My status not increased because of levels!"
Of course, he can't say all of it. he can only lie about it "Oh...Now teacher mentioned about it, I realized"
"The Job normally had a boost for understanding the way of 'something' according to the job. The other function was the status points you will get from each level. For example, the hero will get around 1,5-2x normal status when he leveled up. The archmage and sage were also the same, but their points attributed to the 'INT' status."
"I see. Thank you, teacher, I will prepare for tomorrow"
"Sure"
Alex left, when he came back, Alicia and Firia come to him.
"Alex"
Alex smiled "What is it? is something matter?"
"Well... we decided to pair up. Let's have a bet who will have the bigger points for this event. You or we two. If we win, you can't practice for a week"
Alex looked at them, "If I win?"
"There will be a surprise for you if you win that is" after they said that, they left.
Alex shook his head, looking at these two girls. "What kind of surprise is that huh..."
"Wait, don't tell me something like kiss?"
"..."
He is fine if Alicia gives a kiss to him, but Firia...
He didn't know why, but the monogamy from the Earth was stuck tightly in his flesh and bone. He just can't muster a feeling for Firia. He already regarded Firia as a special person. But it was only at the limit of a friend. He just can't see her as a lover. He felt very guilty about this. He just hopes that someone will come and take Firia soon. It might be unfair for her but, he really seems can't give the happiness that she deserves. At that time, in Maka Town. She also said 'Until She Give Up on Him' Ain't she?
Alex sighed for a long time.
...
The next day, as the sun started to rise, Alex immediately rushed in toward the forest. Last night, there are a few people that already went inside the forest. but the numbers were not over 10. Even Alex decided not to go at night.
When he got inside the forest. "Hehe...System, I will complete that repeatable mission"
But something unexpected happens when he said that.
[Host, System suggest you open the mission panel again]
"What do you mean?" Alex was confused, as he follows the system suggestion.
[Mission 1 #repeatable
Objective: Kill 1500 rank 5 monsters (89/1500)
Reward: Premium Ticket x1]
[Mission 2 #repeatable
Objective: Kill 400 rank 6 monsters (1/400)
Reward: Premium Ticket x1]
[Mission 3 #repeatable
Objective: Kill 30 rank 7 monsters (0/30)
Reward: Premium Ticket x2]
[Mission 4 #repeatable
Objective: Kill 1 rank 8 monsters (0/1)
Reward: Premium Ticket x3]
Alex almost spurted blood when he saw this. "System, where is the mission to kill rank 4 monsters?"
[Since Host already a rank 6, you should ashamed to search for that kind of low-rank monsters. So the system Judged that won't be needed. When Host reaches the rank 7, the mission for rank 5 monsters will also be deleted]
Alex stumbled and fell to the ground when he heard that. "System, Just said it if you hate me. If you don't want to give me the premium ticket from the repeatable mission just said...no, why did you even bothered to make those missions? You are the one who should be ashamed"
[...] The system ignored him.
Alex wanted to cry but have no tears. He started to hate this system, but he remembered, this system was the one who gave him all the strength that he had now. Alex can only sigh.
"That means, I can hold out the rank for now. That means, if I reached the rank 6 peak, I will stop the progress and search for many rank 5 or rank 6 monsters as much as possible. Since at that stage, killing those monsters would be easy for me."
Alex then moved forward with a heavy step. For a few days, the monsters in this forest would get Alex's anger. After all, he can only vent his anger to those monsters.
He walked at a very fast speed. He encountered monsters as he walked toward the core forest. after all, this outer and inner zone doesn't hold any importance to him. His only challenge was from the forest king, the rank 6 ape. These low-rank monsters were killed instantly when Alex passed them. The dean becomes his observer once again.
He arrived at the core zone within an hour. He then went searching for the forest king. After all, they both are rank 6. Alex can't wait to challenge him. This will be the second rank 6 monster that he encountered...no, the third if he counts Sherry. Nah, he won't. Sherry is his partner, not some random monsters.
The first day, he keeps searching for the rank 6 ape but to no avail, he confused. He seems already searched the entire forest but the rank 6 ape was nowhere to be seen.
"Did I missed some spot?" Alex frowned.
'Tick'
'Tick'
Water droplets hit him from above. He looked toward the dark and gloomy sky. "The rain will come soon"
Alex searched for some cave but he can't find one, the rain started going harder. So he decided to stop at a big tree beside the hill. The tree completely blocked the rain so he satisfied with this tree. He rests for a while, waiting for the rain to stop. But the rain seems only going harder.
The rain only stopped at night. He sat on a branch, seeing the bright moon behind the dark cloud started to come up and brighten the world. He sighed, "Let's search for the ape tomorrow"
He decided to sleep for today.
...
The next day, Alex slowly woke up. When he stood up he felt some shake in his feet. He frowned and look down. The branch almost snapped. He immediately jumped up. "That was dangerous"
The branch then broke and fell down to the ground, because of its size, it fell toward the cliff near it.
"Bang!" the branch crashed to the ground.
"..." Alex sweatdropped. He gulped down and swear
"Next time, I will just sleep on the ground"
But what he heard next was more shocking to him.
"Roar"
A big roar seems to be heard from the cave at the bottom of the valley.
"A roar? Whose roar? Maybe the ape? I didn't notice there's a cave there"
The cave was concealed with a dense number of trees. It was normal that Alex didn't manage to find it.
"So how to get down?" Alex's eyes suddenly widened. "That's right, I have Sky step"
He then jumped down, he then stepped the air like he going down with stairs. Soon enough he reached the ground.
He looked toward the big cave entrance. "The sky step was sure handy. Now, what should I do? Should I wait for the ape here or go inside?"
Suddenly, he recalled something. Then, a few fire arrows appeared around him "That's right, I had these fire arrows, I can just send them ahead to see what kind of monster reside in this cave"
He pointed out toward the dark cave, "Go"
Those fire arrows immediately flies toward the cave. The fire arrows glowing brightly within the darkness of the cave.
The fire arrows flew for a few seconds until it reached the end...
"Boom"
"Roar!"
A big roar was heard from the cave. Alex was smiled bitterly, it seems his fire arrows didn't hit the cave wall, but the rank 6 ape back.
Sure, soon enough. A big ape with a height almost seven meters appeared from within. Alex then pulled out his sword.
"Come!"
"Roar!"
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