CHAPTER 68: BEYOND RANK

The table rattled. Lucan’s eyes widened, and the cup slipped from his fingers, shattering on the floor. "I-Is this what I think it is?" he stammered, staring at the glowing crystals.

"Yes," Nolan said calmly. "It’s a hydra."

For a moment Lucan just gaped, his face pale. Then he let out a shaky breath. "By the gods... I knew you were extraordinary, Nolan, but a hydra? I never doubted you were strong, but this... this is beyond even my imagination. You’re truly something special."

But Nolan shook his head. "No. You’re mistaken. I wasn’t the one who defeated it."

Lucan blinked, lowering the newspaper he had forgotten he was holding. "...Then who?"

Nolan turned toward the two girls at his side. "It was Celia and Linda."

The Guild Master froze. His chair creaked as he leaned forward, trying to study them more closely. "You’re kidding, right? That’s impossible. They’ve only trained a handful of times in the past days. At best, they could handle an undead or some lesser monster. But a hydra?!" His voice rose in disbelief. "Not even seasoned adventurers would dare"

you need at least a Rank A party to defeat a hydra," Lucan muttered, staring at the glowing cores on his desk. "And yet... Celia and Linda did it? During their assessment, they are Rank E and the results also showed potential for Rank C. Even at their full strength, Rank A shouldn’t have been possible. Not this soon."

"That’s what you think," Nolan said firmly. His gaze didn’t waver. "Do you think I’d lie about this? You know I’ve always been straightforward with you. And I’ll tell you the truth: the way Linda is now... if you fought her in your werewolf form, you’d win—yes. But if you made even a single mistake, one slip... you’d lose your life."

Lucan froze, his teacup halfway to his lips. His hand trembled slightly before he set it down. "Are you serious?" he asked quietly. "If what you’re saying is true, then... it’s beyond reason." He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Tell me, Nolan, when you entered that dungeon—what was your real reason?"

Nolan crossed his arms. "I went there to train them. You know I’ve been accepted into the tournament in the Empire. I want them as my companions. If we’re going to stand on that stage, they need experience against real threats."

Lucan leaned back slowly, processing his words. "A hydra... no, you’re not joking. I can see it in your eyes. Fine. Let me appraise the cores." He pulled the heavy crystals closer, running his fingers over the flawless surfaces. After a long pause, he looked up. "Good. No damage. These are pristine."

"So, how much are they worth?" Nolan asked.

Lucan tapped the desk. "Together? Four million gold coins."

Nolan let out a low whistle. "That’s... a lot."

"And that’s just the two hydra cores," Lucan continued. "If you brought me the rest of their remains, it would be worth much more. Their scales alone are priceless—harder than dwarven steel." His voice dropped lower, more serious. "Here’s my offer. If you allow me to send my guild Adventures into that dungeon to collect the hydra scales, I’ll pay you an additional seven million upfront... and after we sell the remains, you’ll receive thirty million more."

Nolan smirked. "Say no more. I’m in."

They clasped hands across the desk, sealing the deal.

"One thing I like about you, Nolan," Lucan said with a grin, "is that I know you love money as much as I do."

Don’t blame me, Nolan thought. Back in my previous world it wasn’t easy to earn money. But here I can get plenty just by fighting monsters. I’ll save every coin I can so I never run dry again.

"Now that we’ve agreed and the deal is done, I want to check if what you said is true. Celia, Linda, will you spar with me?" Lucan asked.

"Yes, we will," Linda replied as they stepped into the training room. She carried her bow while Lucan stood at the opposite side of the arena.

"Wait, Linda. You overdid it before. If you’re not fully recovered, tell me. If you don’t want to do this, then don’t," Nolan said.

"Master, it’s fine," Linda answered.

Nolan stepped back.

"Fight!" Ella announced.

Celia released an arrow. Lucan dodged and closed the distance, his fist swinging toward her. She narrowly avoided the strike.

"Impressive... she’s actually able to dodge my punch. But that alone won’t be enough to defeat me. Let’s see what she can do," Lucan muttered, increasing his speed and strength with every move, not giving Linda a chance to shoot.

A sudden gust of wind erupted from Linda, pushing him back. She immediately nocked an arrow and infused it with wind mana. The shot whistled through the air faster than before, but Lucan evaded. He charged again, fist aimed for her.

"I thought she was strong, but it seems Nolan exaggerated," Lucan smirked. "This is nothing."

As his strike neared Linda’s face, she poured mana into her senses. In a flash, she dodged effortlessly.

Lucan skidded back, his eyes narrowing. That wasn’t luck... her speed just increased tenfold—no, twentyfold.

"Why did you back away? Come at me," Linda said calmly.

Lucan smiled. "Let me test if Nolan’s words were true."

He rushed forward. Linda met his charge, releasing another arrow. Lucan smirked—"Too slow"—but his grin faded as the arrow accelerated mid-flight, striking his chest. He tore it out, blood dripping.

"Not bad... but that’s all you’ve got?" he said through heavy breaths.

Linda’s lips curled into a confident smile.

"Now she’s getting cocky," Lucan muttered. "Fine. If I don’t win like this, I’ll use my werewolf form."

He dashed with everything he had, only to see Linda move even faster. Shocked, he barely avoided one arrow before another pierced his hand with pinpoint accuracy.

"Ouch... damn it. She’s actually strong—too strong. To beat her, I’d need to transform. But that’s enough for today," Lucan admitted, stepping back.