Among Monsters (Tensura)

Chap 8.

A month had passed since James Tanaka had taken his first steps as an adventurer. Most of his days were spent on simple, low-risk quests—gathering herbs, helping villagers with minor tasks, and building his reputation one small step at a time. It wasn't the thrill-seeking path he'd once imagined, but it was safe, practical, and—most importantly—gave him the chance to quietly adapt to this world.

Now, after weeks of repetitive tasks and careful planning, James had finally completed enough F-rank quests to be eligible for his first promotion test to E-rank. 'This is it,' he thought, a mix of excitement and nervousness rising in his chest. 'I'll have to fight…' He glanced down at his sheathed sword, the blade that had yet to be properly used. 'Not that this will be the main thing I'll rely on,' he reminded himself. Annihilation Creator would be his ace in the hole.

Approaching the front desk of the Adventurer's Guild, James nodded to the clerk. "I'd like to request the promotion test to E-rank," he said, keeping his tone confident. She raised an eyebrow, smiled approvingly, and directed him to follow her to a training ground behind the guild hall.

The training grounds were well-designed, enclosed by a sturdy wooden fence, and packed with hard-packed dirt and a scattering of training dummies. A crowd had gathered, mostly fellow adventurers who were eager to see how the rookie would fare. Most of them were seasoned warriors, some lounging with arms crossed, others casting curious glances his way.

"James, right?" one of the guild's C-rank adventurers called, stepping forward. "You'll be facing a hunter hound within the boundary of that barrier." He gestured to a glowing, circular space on the ground. "Once the fight begins, you'll have twenty meters to move within. The only way to pass is by defeating the hound. Got it?"

James nodded, mentally running through his plan. 'Summon a single dire wolf to conserve magicules… That should do it. The barrier will hold the hunter hound in place, and no one outside will see how I do it.'

The crowd watched with mild interest at first, some whispering to one another as they noticed the nervous F-ranker preparing for the fight. James took his place within the barrier and unsheathed his sword, feeling the cool weight of it settle in his hand. 'Focus,' he thought. He drew a deep breath and raised his free hand.

"Annihilation Creator," he whispered, feeling the familiar warmth flow out of him as the magic took shape.

A blue magic circle appeared beneath his feet, glowing as intricate lines of energy began to carve themselves into the air. There was a soft rumble, and the crowd's mild chatter faded into surprised murmurs as a hulking shadow took form beside James. The ground trembled as massive paws broke through the magic circle, thick and muscled, bearing claws as sharp as any blade. Dark, storm-grey fur covered the creature, rippling with power as it rose, standing tall beside its summoner.

The dire wolf's eyes glinted with a fierce, unnatural intelligence, its gaze sweeping over the audience with a sense of dominance that was unmistakable. Low growls rumbled from its chest, vibrating the air around it. This wasn't a typical summon for an F-rank adventurer. The spectators watched in surprise, some whispering as they recognized the creature.

"Is that… a dire wolf?"

"Those come from the Jura Forest, don't they?"

"But that's more of a D-rank summon, at least. Where did this F-rank rookie get the skill to call something like that?"

James tried to keep his expression neutral, feeling a small sense of satisfaction at their astonishment. 'Good—let them underestimate me. This way, I won't have to rely on brute force.'

The C-rank supervisor gave a quick nod, slightly taken aback himself, then released the hunter hound—a lean, powerful beast with a sleek black coat and eyes that glowed a sharp, predatory red. The creature prowled forward, its movements swift and deadly. It lowered its head, baring its fangs as it circled, sizing up the dire wolf.

"Alright, let's get this started!" the C-rank announced. The bell rang, signaling the start of the fight.

James kept a firm hold on his sword but didn't step forward. Instead, he gave his summon a command with a single gesture. The dire wolf lowered itself, its muscles coiling like springs, and then, in one powerful leap, it launched itself at the hunter hound with a speed and force that left the spectators wide-eyed.

The hunter hound reacted instantly, meeting the charge with a snarl and a clash of fangs and claws. They tumbled, a blur of grey and black fur, each creature snapping and clawing with savage intensity. The hound was fierce, well-trained, and relentless, but the dire wolf's raw power gave it the edge. Its massive paws battered the hound's defenses, while its jaws snapped inches from the opponent's throat.

The crowd watched in awe as the wolf pushed the hound back, bit by bit. The hound tried to break free, but the dire wolf was merciless, seizing the opportunity and locking its jaws onto the hound's shoulder with a vicious shake. The hunter hound yelped, trying to pull away, but the wolf's grip held firm.

In a final show of strength, the dire wolf twisted its head, flinging the hound to the ground. The impact left the hound struggling, stunned and weakened. A single growl from the dire wolf ended the match as the supervisor called out, "Enough! The challenger has won!"

James let out a quiet breath, steadying himself. 'That went better than expected,' he thought as the dire wolf padded back to his side, calm and obedient. He gave it a small nod, then released the summon, watching as the creature faded into a swirl of light before disappearing completely.

The crowd broke into murmurs, some nodding in approval while others looked at him with newfound respect. He caught snippets of conversation as they tried to make sense of what they'd just seen.

"Didn't expect that from him."

"He's got talent for summoning, that's for sure. Who knows how strong he'll be in a year or two?"

"An F-rank pulling off something like that… We might have a promising adventurer on our hands."

James couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as he sheathed his sword and turned to the C-rank supervisor, who was watching him with a thoughtful expression. "Congratulations," the supervisor said, handing James a new badge marked with an "E." "You're officially an E-rank adventurer. That was a solid performance for your promotion test."

"Thank you," James replied, keeping his tone calm even as he fought to suppress a grin. This was just the beginning, but it was a start—one step closer to making a name for himself.

Leaving the training grounds, James felt the weight of his new rank settle comfortably on his shoulders. 'A month of playing it safe has finally paid off,' he thought, his mind racing with plans for the future. Now, with E-rank status, he'd have access to better quests and more opportunities to improve himself.

As he walked through the guild hall, the stares of fellow adventurers followed him, a mix of curiosity and respect in their eyes. He felt a sense of satisfaction at their reactions. 'This world isn't as familiar as the games I played back home, but I think I'm getting the hang of it,' he thought, already anticipating his next challenge.

End of chap.