Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Roughly the Best in Another World
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"Have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."
We settled onto the guest sofa.
She gathered the papers from her desk, pushed them into a corner, then came over and took the main seat facing us.
Everyone was subtly tense, which made me stiffen up too.
"The reason I called you all here today is to express my gratitude for so brilliantly completing that emergency mission."
Ah, right—the reward was still pending.
We'd all been promoted a rank, but that wasn't all Melbritt had prepared.
The events of last night had been so intense that I'd completely forgotten about school matters.
"Decal."
"Yes."
I responded reflexively to the student council president's call.
Sia gave a faint smile that was almost imperceptible, then turned her head as if nothing had happened and called the other candidates' names one by one.
...Acting like we're secretly dating. What a sly goddess.
"...That's all five of you—the proud hero candidates of Melbritt, who have spread the hero's will to save the innocent far and wide.
On behalf of Melbritt, I offer you my thanks."
We bowed our heads in unison following Sia's lead.
After the formalities, she got to the point.
"We've prepared soul vessels to aid your growth. Neris will guide you."
Karen clenched her fist, silently rejoicing.
Everyone showed their joy in their own ways.
Who wouldn't be thrilled about a level-up?
"But be careful."
Sia spoke with a meaningful tone.
"We've prepared a massive quantity of Melbritt's finest-quality souls.
They won't go down easy."
"..."
They won't go down easy?
What did that mean?
Sia left the room, and Neris stepped forward.
"I'll guide you. Follow me."
I shot up from my seat.
To get a view of Neris's back, I stuck right behind her.
It exceeded expectations.
Her straight back tapered to a slender waist, and below that, her heavy hips swayed with each step.
Those hips asserted themselves against the thin fabric, outlining their shape clearly over her skirt.
The line where her thighs met her hips. The folded flesh peeked teasingly before vanishing under the skirt, nearly drawing a sigh from me.
...Should I pounce now?
The urge to tackle her surged wildly.
"..."
Neris suddenly stopped.
The moment she glanced back, I felt frozen solid.
Her cold gaze pierced right through me.
"...Shall I teach your eyeballs some manners?"
"...No."
I answered stiffly, rigid as a board.
"I just got back from slaughtering beasts, so my body's still pumped up. Watch yourself."
"...Yes."
...Thought I was toast.
Is this the aura of legendary generals etched in history?
She had an innate valor that overwhelmed others.
A woman like that with explosive breasts and a pretty face—truly heaven's grace.
But how did she know I was staring at her ass?
Eyes in the back of her head?
I tried forcing my gaze elsewhere, but Neris's hips pulled at my eyes like a black hole.
Ugh...! What kind of challenge is this?
I desperately shifted my focus. For some reason, it was Diana—not Karen—pressed close beside me.
"..."
She met my eyes, blushed, and turned away.
Stealing Karen's spot so naturally. Sly girl.
I took Diana's hand.
"..."
Diana squeezed my hand tightly without a word.
"What do you think the student council president meant by that?"
"The higher the soul's caliber, the harder it is to bind to a soul vessel.
Those souls crave better bodies, so the vessel's output and performance ramp up accordingly."
"Diana. Smart cookie."
"...This much is basic."
I fiddled with Diana's hand.
When I linked our fingers, her walking pace slowed bit by bit.
"Oppa."
Karen sneaked up and wedged my other arm between her breasts.
Ahh. This softness...
Guh. Getting sucked in...
"Oppa, feels good, right...?"
"Yeah..."
Melting.
"Playing dirty with your chest...!"
Diana protested against Karen's overwhelming skinship.
"Dirty? You have breasts too, Diana."
"Gh...! Can't compare to yours."
"I'm Oppa's cock warmer."
Stia pressed a finger to her lips, gesturing for quiet.
"You three, if you chatter so loudly..."
Too late.
No way she couldn't hear us yapping from behind.
Neris stopped and turned to us.
"Separate."
"Yes, yes...!"
Karen and Diana hurriedly pulled away.
"..."
Neris glared at me and said,
"Get to dragon rank already, would you? Decal. First time I've ever wanted to discipline a junior like this."
"...Go easy on me."
"You two as well. You're sorely lacking in awareness as Melbritt hero candidates.
One more time I see you hanging off a guy and acting coquettish in front of me, and I'll call the enforcers."
"...Yes. Sorry for the shameful display."
Diana said with a sullen face.
"My apologies."
"...It's just ahead."
We'd already reached the destination.
The place Neris led us to was one of the facilities inside the main building.
A vast space like the dojo where Tillia dragged me for training—no obstacles whatsoever.
The difference was this place was auditorium-sized, with three doors per wall.
The second floor overlooked below, with doors separate from the windows.
What was this? Not here for a musical, surely.
Nothing at all. Not even anything soul-vessel-like.
"I'll explain the trick. Listen well."
Neris turned to face us.
"The experience you take from here is 'proportional to your ability.'"
Proportional to ability?
Bad vibe.
"If fear paralyzes you and you do nothing, it's over right then.
I'll come rescue you. But if you pool your strength and succeed, you'll reap massive gains.
This is Melbritt's 'Room of Trials'—a defensive training facility designed around fending off monster hordes in 10 waves total."
Bad premonitions never miss.
Can't they just make it easy? Like chaining soul vessels to the wall.
"For reference, among past candidates assigned the Room of Trials as an emergency mission reward...
Only two have ever cleared all 10 waves."
"..."
One's the hero, probably.
"If you think you can't handle it, shout for help loud and clear."
Neris smirked slightly at me.
"If I can't hear you well, my rescue might be a tad delayed."
...
Anxiety's already creeping in.
"...We'll do what we can."
"Good. To the center, then."
We moved to the center.
Karen drew her shortsword from her waist and stood by my side.
"Oppa. Same as always?"
"Yeah."
Aba looked at Karen and gripped his sword with resolve.
"I'll protect you, Diana."
"Huh? No need."
"..."
Uh-oh. Aba's crumbling...!
"Diana, you can't say it like that."
"No... I didn't mean I don't need Aba, just that I don't need a guard..."
"..."
Aba looked on the verge of vanishing, then barely pulled himself together.
"S-Still... I'll do my best without getting in the way."
"Hmm... Alright then."
Stia drew her three swords and naturally took position beside Karen.
Perfect picture. The two who'd shared classes matched beautifully side by side.
The moment our prep ended, doors burst open and soul vessels poured in.
I knew at a glance they were different from any I'd seen.
Bodies orc-sized, movements skeleton-warrior swift.
Whatever souls they used, the activity level was on another plane.
"Lightning Square!"
Diana slammed magic into them immediately.
Four or five collapsed at once, only for those behind to swarm in replacement.
I prepped my spell right away.
"Fireball!"
I condensed a fireball cloaked in wind barrier via my focusing bracelet, blasting the vessels emerging from the door.
Boom!
(Your level has increased.)
(Your level...)
Already?
Melbritt went all out on rewards for us.
Motivation surged.
"Decal! 12 o'clock!"
Diana shouted.
Doors opened in other directions too, vessels swarming out.
"Got it!"
The three sword-users tensed to guard our bodies, while Diana and I called out vessel positions aloud,
blasting magic from range.
"Fireball!"
The focusing bracelet's condensed fireballs were brutally effective at stemming rushes.
Their area devastation let me casually survey after each shot.
Neris looked faintly surprised at my magic.
My fire magic packed exceptional punch thanks to Bella's blessing.
I unleashed it without restraint.
"Fireball!"
"Decal. 3 o'clock!"
"What, more already?"
But not all vessels funneled one path.
They swarmed from all sides, encircling our central position.
Magic couldn't cover everything. Vessels closed to melee. That's when our party's swordsmen stepped up.
"Hup."
Stia pierced and shattered vessels like bursting glass with her three-sword thrusts.
Karen shoved aside flankers clinging to Stia, cooperating to halt the vessel charges.
Aba compensated power deficits with skill, targeting weak legs to buy Diana casting time.
"Not bad, Aba!"
"Th-Thank you!"
Aba scampered frantically at Diana's praise.
Diana mixed Lightning Bolt and Lightning Square, picking off solo approachers and group rushes.
"Fireball!"
My shots were like heavy cannon fire each time.
When vessels piled too thick to handle, I'd obliterate them back to square one.
But cooldowns left gaps before the next.
Karen ensured no vessel neared me in those intervals.
Stia pushed forward, proactively thinning numbers, backing Karen whose range shrank protecting me.
"Urk!?"
Stia nearly ate a swung arm, surrounded.
"Lightning Bolt!"
Diana swatted the cluster around Stia.
Stia mopped up with rapid thrusts.
"Thanks, Diana!"
"Watch it. These things can't shake their old nasty habits—still tryin' to attack people."
"Got it!"
They just kept coming in droves.
(Your level has increased.)
(Your level...)
The dry level-up alerts and messages flashed endlessly.
Soul vessels forged from ultra-rare top souls.
The XP flooding in with each kill electrified my body.
Exhilaration hit. Heart pumping hot blood, brain aflame.
"Decal! Can't hold much longer!"
Stia yelled.
"Let one or two through! Birds too, doesn't matter!"
"Right...!"
Time to show what I learned training with Tillia...!
What'd she teach again? Hmm, confidence is key!
Prepping magic, I punched clinging vessels down.
On impact, fake heads cracked with a 'craaack.' Nice!
Problem: My fist felt cracked too.
Thought it'd be glass-shard easy seeing Stia, but it stung like punching rock.
I front-kicked a charging one away.
"Fire Arrow!"
I started mixing spells like Diana.
Sometimes I'd barrier up, tanking hits while casting.
Their attacks hurt, but not lethal. Worse was getting boxed in immobile.
That many vessels.
Luckily, wave one tapered off.
After finishing the last, I pulled out the goddess's water bottle for a swig.
"Diana! Drink."
I tossed her the bottle.
"It's mana-restoring water."
Diana hesitated, clutching it.
"Rude, but situation's dire—no choice."
The instant Diana drank, wave two kicked off.