Chapter 44

The recent attack on the Felskeiro capital by the event monsters that leaked from the "Abandoned City" was unexpected. Normally, the country of Outarokus would monitor the barrier, and if any abnormal situation arose, they would discreetly inform and coordinate with neighboring countries. For example, the knight order would temporarily close the roads or shut the borders to deal with the situation.

However, after the battle with the six leaked goblins, half of the knight order was incapacitated and was in the process of reorganizing. Additionally, the Outarokus capital was currently short-staffed, making it difficult to handle the situation.

The cause was a visible threat that was steadily approaching the capital. It was a giant turtle, the size of the Tokyo Dome, with a massive shell on its back. Unlike a belly-crawling turtle, this one walked on all fours, with its body raised, making it impossible to see its entire form even when looking up.

This creature, which took about 200 days to slowly circle the vast territory of Outarokus, was a mystery to everyone. It seemed that its orbit had been gradually shifting over the years, and this time it was on a direct course for the capital. Of course, the country had tried various measures, but the opponent was essentially a "mountain." What could mere humans do against such a colossal being? Incidentally, the barrier of the Abandoned City had also been slightly affected, and the monsters that emerged from this distortion were now affecting Felskeiro.

The pit traps were not large enough to deal with the target and failed. Barriers were ineffective, and magic was like a hamster throwing a grain of rice at a car.

While the scene was in chaos, a department working on physical countermeasures received a shocking report from those analyzing books and documents. It seemed that there were buildings on the turtle's shell. Therefore, they concluded that if they went to the buildings and asked the inhabitants to stop, they might be able to avoid this crisis. Immediately, a team of knights and adventurers was assembled to tackle the mountain-like turtle. Among the dozen or so who took on this reckless mission were Exis and Quorke.

"Hey, isn't this the Guardian Tower that Kena was looking for?"

"Yeah, I thought so and sent a message, but I got a reply saying 'busy.'"

"Busy? What kind of trouble could she be in?"

In a forest far from the capital, the team was preparing to climb the turtle in various ways. The first challenge was "how to climb it." The giant turtle was approaching slowly from the front.

Thud!

Each step was about 80 meters, and after a moment, a subtle vibration could be felt from the ground. Exis and Quorke had seen this turtle before, having heard about it and come to see it. They never imagined they would have to climb it.

"Are you coming?"

There was an unexpected addition to the team. A dwarf, who had somehow joined the ranks of the special assault team, was with Exis and Quorke. He said, "It seems more interesting to be with you." They had been talked into coming along. "My name is a bit difficult, so just call me Grandpa," which left Exis and Quorke puzzled. They decided to abandon trying to understand the dwarf's motives.

"We have our own way to climb, but are you okay, Grandpa?"

"Don't underestimate me. Watch my knowledge and skills."

"Looks like you're good. Let's go then."

The three began their ascent towards the shell, visible high above the treetops.

── Felskeiro side

【Magic Skill: Black Impact】

A black sphere formed on the staff of the Goblin Dark Night Magician, and countless black projectiles were fired at Kena. This was a dark-type area magic that spread in a fan shape from the caster, intended to block Kena's path by cutting off her escape routes. Kena, without showing any surprise, raised her left arm and swung her Rune Blade from bottom to top with her right hand.

【Flying Slash】

A special effect of the Rune Blade, it transformed stored magic power into a crescent-shaped shock wave to cut through the target. It only deflected the black magic projectiles aimed at Kena, but since it could only travel in a straight line, the Goblin Magician hurriedly moved to the side. Instead, it split a TS in half that was waiting for orders behind. The shock wave continued, cutting through a plague scorpion and disappearing into the depths of the forest, still retaining its power.

The Goblin Magician, who had been watching the aftermath of the battle, was sweating coldly. He finally realized how far beyond his capabilities his opponent was.

【Active Skill: Ground Running】

Exis used this skill to run up the giant turtle's leg to its shell in one go. This skill allowed her to run on any surface, including walls and ceilings, within its duration. It was a close call, and she was sweating profusely. Quorke climbed up by latching her whip onto various protrusions and using the 【Floating】 skill, which made it relatively safe. Exis regretted not asking for the same precaution.

"Let's go, Exis?"

"Ah, yeah. What about Grandpa?"

"What are you talking about? He's right behind you."

"Huh?"

Exis turned around to see a dwarf with a large axe on his shoulder. She wondered when and how he had climbed up. The dwarf poked her with the end of the axe, urging her to move. Quorke, walking alongside Exis, whispered to her.

"Kena just sent a reply."

"What did she say?"

"'Good luck with the quiz.' Do you understand that?"

"Quiz and turtle? ... What's this?"

At the top of the shell, they saw a square building with a red antenna tower next to it. The building had "Kujo TV Station" written on the wall above the entrance. Exis and Quorke were unsure if it was a joke or real.

Behind them, the scene became noisy. Quorke turned to see several knights approaching with ropes, having managed to climb up. Despite their heavy armor, their determination was admirable. The middle-aged knight in the lead glared at the stopped Exis and Quorke.

"This is a matter of national importance. There's no time to stand around. You adventurers should know that the reward amount is determined by how quickly you solve the problem."

Without waiting for a response, he gathered his three subordinates and entered the building. The door, which had been open, closed with a sound, and the lock clicked.

"Huh? What!?"

"Don't worry. There's a limit to how many can enter at once. Just wait."

"Grandpa, you know a lot. Have you been here before?"

"Many times."

The dwarf, with his hand on his chin, seemed to be lost in thought. Quorke, sensing that there was a complicated story behind it, decided not to press further.

After about ten minutes, with a cheerful "boing!" sound, four knights were ejected from the ceiling. They described parabolic arcs, screaming "gyaaa!" and "uwaah!" with a Doppler effect, and disappeared into the forest below. Exis and Quorke, sweating, wondered if they had survived.

"They won't die. It's designed that way."

The dwarf, speaking with certainty, made Quorke think he had experienced the same thing before. The door unlocked and opened again. Exis, who had held back the old man, said, "Follow the young ones," and entered first. Quorke followed, and the dwarf, who seemed pleased, was the last to enter as the door closed.

"What is this...?"

"......"

Exis and Quorke were speechless at the familiar, almost recognizable scene inside. The interior looked like a set for a variety show. There was a large circle and an X on the floor, individual seats for guests, a large statue of a goddess on the wall, a large seat for the host, and a floating statue of a deity on a lotus pedestal, covered in gold leaf.

As Exis and Quorke cautiously approached the center of the set, the gold-leaf deity, which had been keeping its eyes closed, opened them slightly and glared at the intruders. The two drew their swords and took defensive stances, while the dwarf did nothing.

"Welcome, challengers. I am the administrator of this Guardian Tower. You seek the wisdom and skills of many thoughts, do you not?"

"Huh?"

"......?"

The two were confused by the smooth greeting from the floating deity, while the dwarf, carrying his axe, let out a dismissive "hmm." The deity, noticing the dwarf in its slightly opened eyes, shrugged and exclaimed, "Oh."

"You're back, Grandpa? This time with three people... Indeed, that should increase the correct answer rate. To be honest, the ignorance of the previous group was not very entertaining."

The dwarf seemed to be a regular challenger. The deity, slightly exasperated, led the three to the center of the set, where a "00/00" count appeared above their heads. The left number was blue, the right red, and the deity quickly explained the rules before Exis and Quorke could ask.

"The quiz has 100 questions. Answer 80 correctly to clear it. However, if you get 20 wrong, you will be disqualified and ejected. Are you ready? The trial begins now, under the management of Skill Master No. 2, Kujo."

The first question was a true or false quiz, read by a calm, feminine voice. Each question had a five-second time limit, leaving no time to hesitate.

"Question one: There are fourteen Skill Masters. True or false?"

Without hesitation, Quorke and Exis moved to the false side, while the dwarf remained on the true side. Exis and Quorke were shocked as a yellow bell graphic appeared above the dwarf's head, ringing "Chime!" The count above the dwarf's head changed to "01/00," while a large red X appeared above Exis and Quorke's heads, making a "Buuu!" sound, changing their count to "00/01."

"What? Huh? Why!?"

"Damn, Grandpa must have faced this question before. Tell us!"

The dwarf, unperturbed, explained, "There were originally fourteen Skill Masters. That is true."

"Wait, you know that? Are you a player, Grandpa!?"

Realizing the importance of the dwarf's casual words, Exis quickly used the 【Search】 skill to look at the dwarf. Since he was a higher level, only surface information was visible.

"Red Nation... 'Hidden Demon'... You have a name, Grandpa. And you're a Skill Master!?"

"Damn. You're a peer... Well, it's fine. We'll talk about the details later. Let's focus on this trial first."

Exis pressed the issue, but the dwarf, now known as Hidden Demon, had a grim expression. Quorke, wanting to finish quickly, supported Exis, but the dwarf's stance didn't change. It seemed each tower had its own rules. Realizing this, Exis and Quorke faced the guardian, following Hidden Demon's example. The guardian, seemingly waiting for them to finish, smiled and nodded.

The voice in the room began, "Question two..." and the three focused, determined not to miss a word.

── A few minutes later.

"Ugh... Ah..."

"I'm already at my limit. Are you okay?"

"We got several wrong in a row. That's why I said to follow me."

After the true or false section, the scores were: the dwarf at "19/01," Exis at "17/03," and Quorke at "07/13." They needed to move to the activated answer seats and answer the remaining 80 questions. If Quorke got seven more wrong, he would be eliminated. Imagining the daunting task ahead, Quorke looked away, lost in thought.

"Ugh, it's all game questions..."

"There were supposed to be some real-world questions mixed in, right?"

"How many are mixed in? Is this what Kena was talking about?"

"Kena is here too!?"

Hidden Demon, reacting to Exis's whispered words, approached him. Exis, surprised by his intensity, replied, "Ah, yeah," and Quorke nodded. Hidden Demon, looking serious, asked them to keep their meeting a secret from Kena.

"But you're Skill Master peers, right? Wouldn't it be better to let her know and give her some peace of mind?"

"Unfortunately, the title 'Skill Master' is just a piece of paper in this world."

The distant, sad tone made Quorke silent, and Exis sighed and nodded.

"It's a 'Don't look for me' request. I understand."

"But, Exis?"

"But I'll tell Kena we met. If you give me a reason, I'll try to convince her to 'not look for me.'"

"Damn, thanks."

"Kena's interference is hard to control. We've been through a lot together in the same guild. Let's focus on this trial and stop the turtle first."

Quorke, still unconvinced, muttered, "We'll talk later," and glared at Exis before moving to the answer seats. Exis and Hidden Demon followed, and the deity, watching their conversation, nodded and continued the questions, a sly smile on its face.

"Well, well, it seems we have a completely unexpected catch, My Master?"