Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 5 - Ch. 218 - An Unexpected Reunion

It was a small waiting room in the basement of the arena where Tenji was led to.

Apparently, the contestants were granted their personal room, where they were receiving explanations about the final qualifier. Until the previous iteration, the trend had been to gather everyone in a large room or maybe in a hotel's hall where they would be briefed about the prelimary's details. However this year seemed to be taking a different route.

"The explanation is done in order at present, so please wait here until your turn comes in," the guide explained the scenario. Alone at the waiting room, Tenji munched on the cookies along with the instant black tea as he went through the Book of Enma.

"Hmm, there's still four more level till the compensation sanction restriction can be lifted off. I would have preferred to clear it before tomorrow's preliminary, alas there's just not enough time."

For the last one year around. He had been with zero-grade explorers Leon and Aubraka in the zero-grade dungeon, following a hellish regime. During that time, he did everything in his possibility to desperately get down the basic skills of explorers—that he had been unaware of for being a student—the astute decision taking ability momentarily, as well as learning a great deal on how to perfectly utilise his physical abilities, which had gone out of control due to rapid advancement. (T/N - Nope, no idea how the first-grade dungeon is now suddenly zero-grade.)

The growth Tenji had experienced as an explorer during this one year had completely dwarfed his experience in Mallorca.

At the same time, he had additional Red and Blue Demon Hell Beasts joining his rank. Furthermore, he also unlocked a new species of Hell Beasts, a shift from the typical Red and Blue Demon category, overturning the previous trend—<Spirit Variation>.

In this one year, he also increased his level by four, gaining access to new skill <Turn Oni>, further expanding his available strategy.

But if there was something that had left much to desire—it was that Tenji was still not able to cancel the 'Compensation' price completely.

――――――――――――――――

【Name】 Tenji Amagi

【AGE】 18

【LEVEL】11/100

【EXPERIENCE】　5,600,063,000/10,000,000,000

【ＨP】　7,281（ 11,032+18）

【ＭP】　7,260（ 11,000+18）

【ATTACK】　7,260（513,500+18）

【DEFENSE】　7,281（513,533+18）

【AGILITY】　7,271（ 11,018+18）

【INTELLECT】　7,296（513,500+18）

【LUCK】　7,279（ 11,029+18）

【Characteristic】Fixed Small Objects Levitation

【CALLING】Hell Beast Summon（Lv.11/100）

【SKILL】Book of Enma, Hell Beast Summon

【EXPERIENCE】5,600,063,000/10,000,000,000

――――――――――――――――

The aftermath of compensation was coming back to affect him from multiple angle.

It kicked off, needless to say, with the hellish torture after the compensation's duration had ended. The surging fire that welled up from the core of his body continued to burn him in its wake for tens of days, relentlessly, pushing him to the boundary of life and death again and again. Ocassionaly, whenever he recall back the ordeal of that day, Tenji found himself tethering at the edge of panic. Such had been that torture engraved so deeply into his being.

The second demerit was the debuff on his status. Apparently the debuff had been affecting the calling's fundamental in itself and would be there until he reached level 15...or so the Flame Demon had told him.

Again, due to the temporary seal on 'additional value', typically granted to Tenji based on the number of Summoned Hell Beast, all of his status parameters were stuck on '11000~.' Plus, with the minus correction value on experience acquisition, he was only able to raise his level by measly four in the whole one year.

However the gravest sanction he felt was on the substantial number of summoned hell beasts.

　――――――――――――――――

<Hell Beast Region>

Red Demon : 20,000/20,000

Blue Demon : 20,000/20,000

Spirit Demon : 20,000/20,000

――――――――――――――――

At present, he had one hell region slot available to summon fifth-grade hell beasts. Two to summon fourth-grade hell beasts. And 4 to summon third-grade hell beasts.

At full force, Tenji's count of summoned hell beasts was no less than troops but now, due to the limit, he couldn't even summon more than tens of hell beasts at best. The last time he tried, he was only able to summon 16 of them.

However, even with the restrictions, his status alone had been enough to put him next to first-grade explorers. According to his estimation, the first-grade explorers should have status value hovering around 7000 if they, too, had status.

As Tenji contemplated, his gaze fall over the black rubber accessory on his left arm—a silicon-like material based band with five cm of breadth, seven purplish-pink gems embedded on it. A rare, zero-grade item from the dungeon—<Hydrangea Poison>.

"Phew, seems like it's working just as expected."

To quote Aubraka, "It's a valuable item and while I don't know at what principle it works completely, a touch of it can limit your firepower to only half of the original."

Perhaps, it was only Aubraka in the whole world, also famous for his item collection hobby, who would so casually toss a rare item which could be sold for several hundreds of millions. Although Tenji's acquaintship with Aubraka was barely one year long, he had discerned that Aubraka's sense for an item's value was absolutely unhinged. He had first hand witnesses Aubraka using state-category items like they grown on trees.

"To prevent injuries huh, this is just like him."

There was a reason why Aubraka gave him the item. It was to prevent injuries from occurring in case Tenji wasn't able to control his strength in the tournament. It was his way to show his consideration. After all, while Tenji was facing the restriction, he could still draw out strength on par and even above the first-grade explorers with just bare-hand alone. It was a tall task for Tenji to hold back when he would be facing contestants, so the item was to be served as a fail-safe measure from preventing the injuries from turning into grave issues.

The item, while a tool, was allowed since it barely went past the 'student's power scaling,' which was the premise for this tournament. But on the other hand, it was really bizarre to put Tenji and student-level abreast.

At present, Tenji could assuredly pass out as a professional explorer.

Either way, considering several factors, Aubraka presented Tenji with the item.

"Hmm, I can't let down my guard given the situation. Yeah, just right with me. I also want to show my hard work, my strength which hasn't solely stem from my calling if I want to get my spot into the Seeker Olympic. I will show my transformation that I have gone through in these one and a half years, and my journey from there to an expression others can look up to."

Tenji murmured, tightly clenching his fist, seemingly praying to someone.

†　†　†

Knock-Knock.

Tenji had been taking small bites out of cookies, like a squirrel, when someone knocked on the waiting room's door. However as his focus was somewhere, the sudden sound caused him to immediately put the whole cookie in mouth unwittingly, choking on it.

(Hnggh!? It's stuck!)

As he desperately thumped on the chest, a man's voice crossed through the door.

"Excuse me, I'm here to brief you about the prelimary's final. May I enter?"

"............"

"Amagi-san?"

"..............y-y..."

"Tenji-kun?!"

Bang!

The door was forced open with a loud voice.

The man, as he entered hurriedly hearing the anguish-filled reply earlier, was quite tall with beefy muscles, yet he had this air of amiability wrapped around him.

The man ran his gaze around to see...Tenji's comical posture, curled like a squirrel as he desperately drank the water down, tears brimming on his eyes. Confirming the sight, the man patted his chest in relief.

"Good heavens. You really startled me. I thought something unbecoming had happened. But if I may ask......did something happen?"

On other hand, as the man turned to rub his back seeing him in pain, Tenji's eyes widened to the limit when he saw the person. It was as if he had come face-to-face with a ghost.

"Hrg......haa, thank you."

"Oh, are you fine now? Phew, then it's good."

The man chuckled in delight—seemingly enjoying their reunion—seeing that Tenji's fit of cough had finally settled. At the same thing, his expression also unravelled, showcasing the look of a child who had succeeded in his prank.

Tenji's mouth was wide agap as he just stared at the man in front of him. The man ignored his reaction and continued speaking.

"Would you know how surprised I was to see Tenji-kun's name in the contestant list? I'm still a rookie in the association but I couldn't control my excitement and ended up standing for the briefing role."

"Err......Kusatsu-san, right?"

"Yup, the same Gouta Kusatsu. It's really been a long while since the Chariot's entrance exam, no? How one and a half year pass by....you know, I had been wondering what I should say when we meet again, and—"

Gouta Kusatsu, the briefer from the association, took a short pause in his words. He looked at Tenji with a heartfelt smile, thoroughly glad for their meeting.

"I seriously contemplated my future after the exam. At the end, I realised I just couldn't move past the day I spent with all of you, Tachibana-san and Mizue-san, putting my best. After seriously brooding over the facts, I—I decided I will continue to be there for explorers…as a support.”