Level Up The Colony
Chapter 51: B-Rank

Chapter 51: B-Rank

Timothy’s instincts flared as danger approached from behind.

Reacting purely on reflex, he crossed his arms to shield his face and neck, bracing for impact.

But instead of a physical strike, a sharp clap rang out.

The sound reverberated through his skull, rattling his ears with such force that his brain recoiled from the sheer shock.

It wasn’t a pain in the conventional sense, but it was agonizing nonetheless.

Before he could recover, another attack came, a kick aimed at his side.

He barely dodged, slipping away by a hair’s breadth and staggering, his balance thrown into disarray.

Even with his head still ringing and his eyes squeezed shut, he continued to evade, albeit sloppily.

Vanessa’s eyes widened slightly.

’He’s still standing?’ she thought

She had expected that single attack to send him flying off the platform.

Yet, despite the disorienting pain, Timothy remained on his feet and was quickly regaining his composure.

For the first time since this pitiful battle to her, Vanessa looked intrigued.

She stood still, giving him a moment to recover while simultaneously observing his reactions.

Then, she began snapping her fingers again.

Again he sloppily dodged all the ranged bullet attacks, by diving and even doing a barrel roll until she suddenly stopped

Timothy stood up and steadied himself, irritation flaring at the price he had paid to uncover her ability.

They stood in mutual realization of each other’s skill.

"Okay, you’re skilled. I can’t call that cheating, but I still haven’t seen what makes you a B-rank," Vanessa said.

"Even while overestimating you, I underestimated you," Timothy admitted.

"You’re clearly stronger than you let on."

Without hesitation, he allocated 15 points to Agility and 10 to Perception, simply because if she had caught on then he needed to throw he off.

His status now read:

Level: 27

HP: 9,300

MP: 200

Fatigue: 40

Strength: 60

Stamina: 50

Agility: 60

Intelligence: 100

Perception: 55

Free Stat Points: 3

They locked eyes, a calm tension settling between them until, in an instant, Timothy vanished.

Vanessa spun around to block an attack that never came.

Realizing her mistake, she turned back just as Timothy, now behind her, coated his fist in Armament and swung for her head.

She ducked swiftly, countering with a leg sweep.

Timothy leaped, using gravity to add momentum to his downward punch.

A shimmering golden shield materialized between them, absorbing the impact.

"Vibration? Sound? Frequencies?" Timothy mused.

"I don’t know which you use, but I’ll break through if I have to."

Vanessa repelled him with a burst of force, sending him airborne, but he twisted midair, landing gracefully with a flip.

A dent marked the spot where she had stood, her usually pristine blonde hair now slightly disheveled.

"I think we should stop here," Vanessa said, smoothing her hair.

"You have the experience and the skill. You pass, on probation."

She turned toward the chairman’s side.

"What about the rest of them?" Joshua asked.

"They still need experience," Vanessa replied before glancing at Timothy.

"Tim, escort me out. I believe your rank evaluation is complete." The chairman said

Timothy followed closely behind as Gray scuttled onto his back, his scarf wrapping around him protectively.

"I’ll clean up this mess," Joshua muttered through clenched teeth.

As they strolled through the facility, the chairman turned to Timothy.

"What do you see dungeons as?" he asked.

"Dungeons?" Timothy repeated, an image of the Wyvern’s dungeon flashing in his mind, a sight he felt he shouldn’t have seen.

"They are said to be breaches, attempting to invade Earth through their own means," he answered.

"Officially, yes," the chairman said,

"but dungeons are more than that. We’ve been researching their origins, trying to determine whether they are science or fantasy. Some pieces connect, while others don’t. You’ve been inside a few... have you noticed anything unusual?"

Timothy hesitated.

He considered mentioning the Wyvern raid but quickly dismissed the thought.

That was an unofficial mission, one that could land him in trouble.

Regardless of how the chairman presented himself, he was still part of the government.

Trust was not something Timothy could afford to give so easily.

"No," he finally said.

"Same generic monsters, goblins, mutated beasts, and fantasy creatures. They exist purely as a resource."

The chairman studied him for a moment before speaking. "Would you like to know what a dungeon truly is?"

"Yes."

"Then I’ll see you soon, Timothy Walters. Be prepared, the call can come at any moment."

They reached the exit as a Range Rover pulled up.

The chairman and his secretary stepped inside, but before departing, the secretary handed Timothy a B-rank Hunter ID card.

As the car drove off, Timothy immediately checked his Colony Status:

[Colony (5)]

Silverback Termites:

Soldiers: (1)

Workers: (4)

Drones: (0)

Just as he had suspected.

His skill had leveled up, allowing him to summon four termites, though they were now classified as workers.

Would that change anything?

Then, he checked his newest skill:

[Skill: Mana Control] – Lv.1 (Passive)

Grants an additional 5 MP regeneration per minute.

Reduces the Mana cost of all skills by 10%.

Provides a chance to counter external Mana manipulation, effective if the opponent’s proficiency is weaker than his own.

...

This skill was a perfect solution to one of his shortcomings, allowing him to passively absorb mana.

A welcome addition.

Pocketing his Hunter ID, Timothy made his way to one of the counters, ready to settle his mother’s debt.

With the information Miebaka had given him, he now knew, he was one of the few B-rank Hunters in the state.

Whether that was a small number or if he was simply too ambitious... he wasn’t sure.

As soon as the chairman and his secretary, the driver pulled away.

Vanessa handed a tablet to the chairman, who scanned through the information before offering a satisfied smile.

"He’s ideal for the job. No records, no background, yet talented," Vanessa remarked.

"You think he’s already involved with them?" the chairman asked.

"I suspect so. He’s been raiding E and D-rank dungeons, but his skill set suggests far more experience. He also knows how to utilize that termite of his effectively," Vanessa replied.

The chairman raised an eyebrow.

"Is that your evaluation? He discovered your ability rather quickly. And while he’s better than those other brats, we’ve seen stronger B-ranks before."

"He was holding back," Vanessa said with certainty.

"When I disoriented him, I suspect the termite acted as his eyes. And he didn’t use the scarf around his neck, it’s more than just a storage for the termite. There’s something about him that puzzles me. The way he applied mana control to reinforce his body was clearly a C-rank technique, yet he lacked proper mana application knowledge. Any true B-rank should know that enhancement alone isn’t enough, survival outside demands more than that."

The chairman chuckled.

"You’re overthinking it, Vanessa. Even high schoolers know insects can’t see."

"And that," Vanessa said with a knowing look,

"is exactly how he discovered my ability."

The chairman’s eyes widened slightly.

Then, after a moment of contemplation, he muttered,

"Quite the kid. If he’s as you say he is... maybe, just maybe, he’ll be different."

---

Timothy successfully paid off his mother’s debt just in time.

The month had only two days left before a new one began.

If he had more money, he wouldn’t have stopped there.

He would’ve paid for two months, maybe even the whole year.

But now, after settling the debt, he was left with just 3 million naira ($2000) ignoring the side cash he had attached left for other miscellaneous.

As he turned to leave, he suddenly sensed it, a surge of powerful auras rapidly approaching the Hunters’ Association headquarters.

Most arrived in vehicles, while others had already entered the building.

"B-ranks... so many B-ranks.

And A-ranks too, all here at once," Timothy muttered under his breath.

There was no need to register Gray anymore, Lady Vanessa had already taken care of that.

He simply needed to act normal and walk out.

Still, he wished he had brought his hoodie.

He had left in such a rush that he forgot, and now he felt exposed.

Watching the high-ranking hunters enter the building made him realize something unsettling.

With the sheer variety of abilities and the vastness of this world... just how strong did one need to be to stand at the very top?

He had never heard anyone claim such a title before.

But if someone did...

A shiver ran down his spine as he recalled the Human King’s words.

"Your goal... is me."

Timothy shook off the thought.

He had already spent too much time here and had missed his planned raid for the day.

Still, he had two more days before rejoining the Kingpin’s raid party.

Some action wouldn’t hurt.

But first, he needed to complete his daily quest.

Hailing a public transport vehicle, he headed home.

The post nut clarity suddenly surfaced when he remembered he left his house opened without a door, this was Nigeria, obviously someone would be tempted to steal.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢

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