IGTL Chapter 26

Chapter 26 – Adventurer Rank Revision, Kyle Collapses

“Whoa! It really was you, Kakeru! What’s up? Did you come to pick up a quest too?”

No, absolutely not.

I was here to post a request, not to take one. Do not lump me in with you.

However, I was a man who could read the room. I did not say that out loud.

“Something like that, yeah. More importantly, Kyle, what happened to you? What’s with those shabby clothes? Where’s your beloved cash-shop gear?”

Kyle’s cash-shop gear had been the so-called Black Series, a pitch-black mage set where everything was unified in black. As befitted paid item, its firepower was high, and the mantle and gloves were embroidered with magic-circle patterns that made every chuunibyou nerve in you twitch.

The performance was great, but for me it was equipment of the highest tier, way out of my league.

I could never equip something that embarrassing.

Frankly, I was convinced it was cash-shop gear that only granted power to those who could endure that embarrassment.

“Oh, that? That’s…”

“Yeah? What about it?”

He was oddly evasive.

What on earth had happened?

As I wondered, Kyle let out a monumental sigh.

“The truth is, I was short on money, so I sold it.”

“Huh? Seriously!?”

You sold it because you were broke!?

In a world that had become reality, even though there was a chance you would never again be able to buy cash-shop gear?

Yggdrasil Shop did not even exist in this world anymore, you know!?

And Kyle, you yourself said you could probably live ten years without doing anything because you had stockpiled login bonuses and farmed beginner dungeons for recovery potions!

It had only been two days since then, you know!?

“Well, actually, I got hooked on the casino… and when I came to, my entire fortune was gone…”

“Oh, come on…”

That was an even more hopeless, idiotic reason for going broke than I had imagined.

In its own way it was impressive.

A man who only a few days ago had claimed he could live without working for ten years had managed to burn through his entire fortune in an instant.

“…So yeah, with no other choice, I was going to take on some Adventurers’ Guild requests, but they won’t let me accept anything! I need money right now! Hey, Kakeru, let’s complain to the guild together. You want cash too, right?”

“Complain? You, seriously…”

What exactly were you going to complain about?

Demand that they give you quests that even a level-1 S-rank adventurer could handle or something?

I was pretty sure this whole mess had started because you guys had shown your “Adventurer’s Emblem” to the guild staff, you know?

If that ever made the rounds, you would absolutely get lynched.

“It’ll be fine. You know how they say, ‘If everyone crosses at a red light, there’s nothing to be afraid of’?”

“No, it is very much still scary, okay!?”

It would not be “everyone,” it would be the two of us.

Just you and me, you know!?

Also, you were completely useless in a fight right now!

You were probably not going to be any help at all!

And seriously, how could you, of all people, a level-1 S-rank adventurer, brazenly walk into the Adventurers’ Guild to lodge a complaint!? You absolutely should not be doing that! The organization currently suffering the most from this situation was probably the guild itself, you know?

At this point your courage stat alone was S-rank.

“Listen, instead of forcing yourself to take requests, you know you can just sell monster drops, right? Start by doing that.”

When I gave him some straightforward advice, Kyle stared at me like he could not believe what he was hearing.

“…What are you even talking about? You barely get any money doing that. You expect me—me, an S-rank—to play at being some low-rank rookie?”

This guy, seriously…

How could he be this full of himself when he was level 1?

Was he drunk?

“Kyle… you really should take a hard look at reality.”

That was the best advice I could offer.

I would say it as many times as it took, but his level was 1.

He was a level-1 S-rank adventurer.

That was why the Adventurers’ Guild was in emergency talks right now.

On top of that, he had sold off all his cash-shop gear and did not have a single coin to his name.

If he did not properly grasp his situation, he was going to die.

Then Kyle thumped his own chest and declared in a loud voice:

“Of course I’m looking at reality. That’s exactly why I want to take S-rank quests where I can make a ton of money fast!”

Hearing that, my face went slack with shock.

He was hopeless. If I did not do something about him soon…

As I was thinking that, a powerful voice reverberated through the Adventurers’ Guild hall.

“The guild’s discussions have concluded! I’ll announce the outcome to everyone here!”

Apparently the internal meeting at the Adventurers’ Guild had finished.

It sounded like they planned to inform any adventurers who were not present later about the results of that conference.

Now then, what had they decided…

I needed to make sure I did not miss anything.

I pricked up my ears as the guild representative succinctly summarized the decision.

“As of this moment, all adventurers will be set to F-rank. However, Rank Points will be granted according to each adventurer’s level, and based on those Rank Points, we will allow one-time special promotions.”

“Oh, I see…”

Granting Rank Points based on level, huh.

A desperate measure, but well thought out.

At the very least, this would thoroughly sweep away all those level-1 S-rank adventurers. The same applied to the other ranks as well.

By using level as the yardstick, the guild could assign players to ranks appropriate to their actual strength.

With that, adventurers whose rank did not match their true ability could be shifted into more suitable ranks.

They had really made a bold call.

As I was quietly impressed, one player suddenly crumpled to the floor at my feet.

Kyle, formerly a level-1 S-rank adventurer.

“What… what am I supposed to do now? I promised Mami-chan from the cabaret I’d buy her a bag…”

So he had not only blown his fortune at the casino, he had also been splurging on a hostess.

He was a lost cause. Or rather…

“Kyle… you do realize you have a real wife back in the real world, right? Mary, wasn’t it? What about Mary?”

At that, Kyle’s expression turned frightening.

“Real wives in 2D are nothing compared to 3D hostesses! Read the air!”

“What… seriously…”

So your “wife” was a 2D waifu?

An “air bride” from another dimension?

No, you read the air!

Go bleach your brain once or twice!

Well, anyway, I decided to set Kyle aside for the moment.

Looking around, I saw quite a few other players dropping to their knees the same way Kyle had.

They were all victims of Odin’s mass level reset.

Even so, a rank that did not match your level would only get you killed.

I was sure there were plenty of players dissatisfied with the guild’s decision, but they really had no choice except to accept it.

“Objection!”

Just then, one player shouted an objection to the guild’s ruling.

He even said it in exactly the tone of some courtroom battle game as he pointed a finger at the Guildmaster.

Pointing straight at the Guildmaster like that took guts.

If I remembered right, the Guildmaster was supposed to be a former veteran S-rank adventurer.

As I watched how things unfolded, the player who had objected stirred up others to join him.

“He’s right!”

“We can’t accept this!”

“Why should we have to be demoted!?”

“At least give us a proper explanation!”

From their point of view, it was a unilateral decree.

I understood wanting an explanation for why such a decision had been made.

But come on, deep down, they all had some idea why the guild had done this, did they not?

As I sent a cool gaze toward the objectors, the Guildmaster slammed his hand on the table.

“Silence!”

The Guildmaster’s pressure alone was enough to shut up the protesting players.

“If you truly want to know why the Adventurers’ Guild arrived at this decision, I will tell you. We are still investigating the cause, but beginning several days ago, we saw a sudden surge in adventurers whose levels did not match their ranks. As a result, we have faced mission failures, injuries, and even deaths among adventurers. This is not a problem limited to this country. Neighboring nations are reporting the same issues.”

The guild’s response was only natural.

Honestly, I had not expected them to move this quickly.

An adventurer’s rank was a badge of trust.

That trust was now on the verge of collapse.

Once trust was broken, it would never return to what it had been before.

To prevent that outcome ahead of time, the Adventurers’ Guild had chosen to make this decision, even if it meant getting mud thrown in their face.

“This is a phenomenon occurring simultaneously across many places. As far as the Adventurers’ Guild is concerned, we do not believe anyone has personally cheated. The reality is quite the opposite. These measures are intended to protect you. For those whose ranks will be lowered by this decision, the guild will provide support appropriate to your adjusted rank. That is all. Any questions?”

As the Guildmaster tried to wrap things up, one of the players who had been objecting raised his hand.

“T-Then tell us about that rank-based support. What kind of backup is the guild going to give us?”

So the guild was going to provide rank-based support, huh.

Yeah, that was definitely something everyone wanted to know.

The Guildmaster stroked his chin as he answered the adventurer’s question.

“For F-rank, the guild will dispatch senior adventurers as escorts until they reach level 20. For E-rank, we will arrange discounts on weapons and armor. D-rank adventurers will receive three tickets allowing them to accompany high-rank adventurers on quests. Naturally, the cost of those tickets will be paid by the Adventurers’ Guild. For C-rank and above, our support will focus on releasing dungeon map information and similar measures. Any other questions?”

“N-No, that covers it.”

The support was more generous than I had expected.

Especially the part about staying with them until level 20. In other words, they would keep an eye on you until you were capable of tackling beginner dungeons on your own.

The high-rank escort tickets were also a big deal.

Normally, you had to put up several tens of thousands of Col to get a high-rank adventurer to accompany you into a dungeon. Babysitting low-rank adventurers was that much of a hassle.

The Guildmaster scanned the hall to see if there were any other questions.

After hearing how the guild would be backing them up, the adventurers seemed reassured. No one else spoke up, and the question time came to an end.