The -S- Rank Call/Nothing but Judes

As Red Dragon somehow gained even the slightest influx of joy from calmly flushing Crolo-Ivarians from his path, a flash of silver prancing before his figure, I found myself sitting by a desolate yew tree.

My back felt pierced as its prickly branches threatened to pierce my eyes.

On the other side, sat Frila.

Tousling her grey-white hair as her null eyes looked up in a daze.

I then thought about the 3rd person by this tree.

Vigar.

Honestly speaking, I had an unfathomable mountain of questions for this Phantom.

How had he survived the creature?

Had he even encountered the creature?

Why had he disappeared like that?

But, it would be far from mannerly to speak to a Phantom, next to the girl who you had just traumatized sincerely.

Right?

Since the time wouldn't pass any faster if I was conscious and thinking, I attempted to close my eyes.

Shutting my senses down yet only throttled my thoughts to the front of my mind.

The uncomfortable setting was already making it hard enough to sleep.

Alright.

This should be a simple task for me.

I'm a Half-Phantom with a Special Constitution, Grasp of a Mysterious energy and I probably have a much better rationality and intelligence level than most my age.

The Transmigration effect was obviously at work.

I imagined a beach.

No beautiful sunset.

No rustling sand.

No smooth and soothing wind.

Just a soggy soiled beach, a light sun, and a crab or two.

A few trees here and there.

My body slumped and shifted in the rustling beige sand.

The temperature was far from perfect, but close enough to acceptable that I felt my consciousness begin to slip.

Just a bit more.

I can see the darkness-.

"Hey."

A soft yet pushy voice surfed through the air behind me.

I felt a light hand prance on my shoulder as Frila's twisted figure was in full display.

"Don't fall asleep."

My eyebrows began to shrivel as my expression questioned her. My voice came out murked and slow as I pondered her reasoning.

"Why?"

Was the grudge really that bad?

Had I been forbidden from sleep?

Her facial muscles contorted as her eyes held themselves back from rolling over.

She seemed to be at some sort of breaking point.

Her voice kept pulling its volume back down as her mouth seemed to be showing a bit too much emotion.

"Because... they feed on it, wake from it, and thrive from it."

Her hand on my shoulder drew out and pointed to the Crolo-Ivarians ahead of me.

Although it was hardly noticeable, they had gotten slightly tougher.

Taking a bit more of a wedge from Red Dragon's side for an execution.

They soon deformed into their normal states yet the boost had been clearly present.

My expression became accepting as I nodded and accepted my defeat gracefully.

Well.

If I can't sleep. Might as well try to find out just who this person is.

Right?

My voice came out unperplexed and casual as I let my tongue slip words into the atmosphere.

"Hey. Why do you know so much about all this stuff anyways?"

The tenebrific environment that threatened to engulf us strayed from our yew tree.

Frila let her eyes wander across the surroundings before giving out the calmest answer that she could manage.

"Because it's common knowledge..."

Her voice felt strainingly calm and controlled.

"Everyone should know this. This isn't even education-level information, rather unless you've been living under a rock or two then you ought to know more than enough on these topics. Seriously? Crolo-Ivarians? I don't even remember Phantom's having the need to sleep."

Her voice seemed to be frustrated by my lack of knowledge as her historian attitude came into play.

Odd.

She still seemed to be pressed and concerned about my Phantom Nature.

"Half-Phantom."

I murmured quietly, somewhat embarrassed by my interlude.

A quiet interlude that didn't go missed.

"And how's that working out for you."

I felt words disappear from my throat as I halted the situation at once.

What?

How had such a timid and reserved girl instantly become prowling and aggressive?

Was this the effect of irritation?

I couldn't ignore her silent hatred that seemed to be wafting through the air around me.

I would have personally loved to say she was pouting but it seemed like she was a stage below that.

And below in this case would be by no means better.

"Great. It's going simply wonderful. Thank you for asking."

I felt my head desperately fling itself to the side as my mind instantly regretted that sentence.

God, I was being spiteful.

Could I not just let her take this small minor victory?

Of course not.

She essentially called me dumb.

Rather than giving away all my secrets to explain why I'm not dumb and just a newcomer to this whole new-world thing I'd rather irritate her slightly.

Petty? Yes.

Successful? Yes.

I couldn't see her expression as I had decided to keep my view ignorant and blissful but I was sure she was either puzzled or somehow even more frustrated now.

"I would've thought you would be more concerned, being a registered Middle-Level Threat the instant you step into the Holy Light Kingdom just due to your Phantom Nature."

Her voice seemed to be proud and exorcising as I felt a small weight droop in my stomach.

Really?

I was just criminalized off the get-go?

No first chance?

Wasn't that wonderful?

Well, anyways.

I can't back down now.

Clearing my throat, I tried my best to sound as legitimate and truthful as half-humanly possible.

"I don't travel that much."

That was a lie.

I could've said this a month ago, sure.

But now?

I had essentially visited 2 of the 9 Kingdoms within a month, traveled through strange areas in secluded regions, and even traveled who-knew-how-many miles in a carriage with the count in the last month alone.

Being a half-phantom wasn't even that bad.

Even now, I could hear the surroundings as Red-Dragon thoughtlessly drifted his blade through and past Crolo-Ivarians despite the constantly widening distance.

The voice that came out next seemed to be dangerously calm and relaxed.

As if a silent storm was brewing.

"Oh, no worries. I heard that holy food is a big trend everywhere right now. I'm sure you'll be sure to try it when you next see some. After all, you are only a 'half-phantom'. Maybe that physical strength will help as you regurgitate holy remains from your stomach for 3 days and 4 nights. Hmm?"

It was a... lot to take in.

I had honestly assumed she was the quietest of the 3 but well.

Clearly not?

I now felt the strain of an uphill battle.

My words came out in disbelief of themself over anything else.

"Oh... what no. I love holy-light food. Thankfully I'm a 'half-phantom' so I can consume it peacefully. If I had some right here, it'd be a pile of crumbs in a quick minute."

I thought I had bought my fastly-depleting arsenal of excuses just a wee bit of time.

But no.

Just no.

"Oh? Quite the interesting discovery you made there? I and the 9 kingdoms must be completely foolish to have thought that Holy Light Food was capable of being anything other than in scripture meat. You've truly made quite the astounding discovery...crumbs from holy food are just mind-blowing."

I felt her eyes roll despite the lack of sight between us.

This was bad.

It was only meat.

Could meat have crumbs?

Breaded-meat maybe?

Agh. They probably didn't even have that here with my luck.

"You got lucky."

My voice was a hush as I crouched down numbingly.

Ah.

The bitter taste of defeat.

I had walked into that fight blind.

Stuck my spot in for a little bit.

And fell out just as blind.

Rematch?

No. I wouldn't stand a chance.

I guess now, I just wait in silence.

The dusk setting deepened as time went by.

Blood had formed a soothing current on the ground.

The soil had grown significantly red, attaining a burgundy pallor.

A disturbing cloud of the ominous void had sent veils of umbra crashing down the valley.

As I watched these acts of nature ensue, I stopped.

I couldn't just take a break.

I needed to do everything I could to save Audra.

If I didn't have a goal, then I didn't have something to work for.

And if I wasn't working, then what was I?

What was I by definition?

Point is.

I needed to work.

Especially hard in my current condition.

My voice came out unexpectedly to Frila's clicking tongue as I asked with no malice or discontent, just curiosity.

"What Quest Pays the Highest?"

I looked out as I thought of how many times I would have to repeat this process. Getting 400,000 Judes like this was clearly far from plausible.

The time frame itself wrecked that approach.

A lot of Frila's emotions seemed to have burned off as she answered in a tiny struggle.

"A Traditional -S- Rank Quest pays 180-000 Judes upon Completion. And a -Hollow- Quest Traditionally pays 950-000 Judes upon Completion."

My hopes seemed to soar after this.

I had assumed that the 200 Judes from a -B- Rank was almost natural.

That an -S- Rank might be 2000 at most.

But no?

Did it turn out that there was quite the tide-turn somewhere along the lines?

As if trying to pull my hopes down, Frila added a swift after-note.

"But our Party is far too weak for a Hollow Quest, too weak for an -S- Rank Quest too."

My hopes remained high and full despite her remarks.

Red Dragon wasn't your ordinary -S- Rank.

He had been a flawless adventurer.

I'm sure he was hiding something.

Since he hadn't done a serious dungeon in years, no one had seen his power grow.

That didn't mean it hadn't grown.

He might be stronger now than from his 'prime.'

I felt like I was deluding myself. Or rather, after that event, it felt like I was deluding myself.

Anything so that I could cling to something.

An achievable goal.

That was probably what it was.

Her voice came out even more puddled and straight.

"I don't think you understand. An -S- Rank Quest requires a PARTY of -S- Rankers to complete it. Even an -A- Rank quest may be a slight struggle for our party since it consists of me, you, and a weakened -S- Rank."

My voice seemed to reply instantly.

As if her statement had struck somewhere I didn't appreciate.

As if my hope was falling.

"Red Dragon isn't weakened. He's shown feats far above the ordinary. Can't you see?"

I waved my hands in front of me.

"He looks prime as ever."

The sight of Red-Dragon fumbling his blade and almost falling didn't help my case.

Luckily or rather... skillfully, he picked himself back up and finished the last horde of Crolo-Ivarians.

He was breathing completely fine and he seemed energetic rather than exhausted.

My hope had once again rosrisend inflated.

As his figure dashed over I pulled myself up, running to thank our savior.

I heard Frila's steps behind me as we met with the Red Dragon.

But before a word of thanks could be mouthed, an odd purple glow emitted from Red-Dragon's badge.

His -S- Rank badge.

It didn't light up the surroundings like a bonfire.

But it seemed to shrink them and make them feel insignificant.

A plain and flat tone rang out from the badge, its flare vibrated and twisted with every word.

"An -S- Rank Mission has been cautioned. A Dungeon Core has been discovered, halfway through Construction. The monsters within it should only be around the -A- Rank but the potential of a Hollow is always present in any Dungeon Core. The Reward clause for this mission will be traditional, following 180-000 Judes but upon swift and effective succession, that number may rise up to 300-000 Judes."

Judes.

Judes.

Judes.

That was all that rang in my head.

That and -A- Rank.

So 300,000 Judes to slay some -A- Ranks?

This felt so simple.

So easy.

So hypnotizing.

"To Accept, Declare your opinion in the form of Positive, Hold or Negative."

Red-Dragon used to this procedure, cleared his throat, preparing to give his classic answer.

An ill voice cut in.

"Posi-."

"Negat-." (Red Dragon.)

"-Tive."

"Congratulations, your admission has been accepted Red-Dragon. You will shortly be teleported to your destination."

A purple light enshrouded us.

Red-Dragon's hood flew off his face as he held my shoulders, unbothered by my disgruntledness.

"What did you just do."

His voice was raspy and his face was exasperated.

Frila looked at me in utter shock.

"We need Judes."

My face questioned their disturbance as I felt a force make our bodies lighter and lighter.

"This was the fastest method."

Red Dragon's face shook with every word that came out of my mouth.

"No. You don't UNDERSTAND-."

Poof.

A thick cloud of snow burst spontaneously with our absence.

And we had entered a zone far more dangerous than we could handle.

And I had been a fool far more foolish than even the most foolish of fools.

A god-fool.

Anything for Judes?

But what about life?

Life for Judes?

Well.

Such a thing would be tested very shortly, one can presume.

Because there's a reason that the Hollow Rank isn't a simple letter ranking like the others.

There's a reason that Red Dragon, who was at the bottom of the -S- rank support list was asked to do a quest.

A quest that no -S- Rank wanted to accept.

A quest that would make the end seem serene.

A quest that I had understood nothing off.

Nothing but Judes.