NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 14: The F-Rank Legends
The morning after their quest, Raegan's system greeted him with unfortunate news:
[Academy Status Update]
Previous Rumors: Knight, Healer, Princess's Friend
New Rumors: The F-rank Rabbit Slayer
Additional Titles: Spatial Storage Prodigy
Ace's Theories Posted: 47 (and counting)
Note: Somehow getting worse at staying low-profile
"THE RABBIT SLAYER ARRIVES!" Fin announced dramatically as Raegan entered the classroom, because subtlety was apparently not in his vocabulary.
"Please don't—" Raegan started.
"Did you really kill fifty demon rabbits?" "Is it true you can use spatial storage?" "Can you store people in there?" "Could you store my homework?"
Professor Vale cleared his throat. "While I'm sure we're all impressed by certain students' extracurricular activities, today we're discussing proper mana control—"
Ace's hand shot up. "Actually, Professor, I have several theories about the multi-elemental manipulation displayed during the quest, specifically regarding the energy conversion rates necessary for simultaneous—"
"Ace," Luna interrupted. "You got hit in the head, remember?"
"But I was still conscious!" Ace protested, clutching his notebook of theories like a lifeline.
The practice arena was worse. Everyone wanted to spar with the "Rabbit Slayer."
"Show us the spatial storage!" "Use all the elements!" "Where are the cl—"
Luna's tail somehow managed to silence three different students simultaneously.
"EXPERT SWORDPLAY," she corrected loudly. "Very normal, very ordinary expert swordplay."
Aria, watching from the sidelines, was failing to hide her amusement. "You know, Raegan, for someone trying to blend in, you're remarkably bad at it."
During lunch, Fin had somehow acquired a bard's hat and was regaling younger students with increasingly embellished tales.
"There we were, surrounded by THOUSANDS of demon rabbits—"
"It was two hundred," Ace corrected without looking up from his calculations.
"MILLIONS OF DEMON RABBITS! And then Raegan, with his mighty cl—"
Luna's tail swirled around Fin aggressively.
Ace walked out without looking away from his notes, straight to the academy; the library had become Ace's new fortress, surrounded by books on spatial magic, elemental theory, and, for some reason, Wolf beasts legends.
Later that day, "Did you know," he cornered Raegan between shelves, "that there are ancient texts about warriors who could transform from humans to beastsmen—"
"LOOK! A BLACK BUTTERFLY!"
Ace instinctively turned but immediately realised, "We're indoors, Raegan. Also, that's getting old." before Ace could turn back, Raegan had already disappeared, nowhere in sight.
Even the teachers were acting differently. Professor Vale pulled Raegan aside after class.
"You know," he said casually, "I once knew an adventurer who could use multiple elements. Interesting fellow. He was a beastman with red eyes, actually. Funny coincidence…"
"Raegan," Princess Aria interrupted, creating an escape from the interrogation.
The only ones acting normal were his core group of friends, though "normal" was relative:
Fin was now introducing himself as "Best friend of the legendary Rabbit Slayer". Ace had covered his entire dorm room with theoretical magic calculations, Luna kept smacking people with her tail whenever they mentioned anything suspicious, and Aria had started a "completely unofficial" Raegan fan club.
By week's end, Raegan's system summarized his academy life:
[Academy Fame Status]
Previous: Notable New Student
Current: Legendary F-rank
Cover Story: In shambles
Butterfly Excuses: Officially retired
Friend Group: Chaotically supportive
New Club Members: 147 (Thanks to Aria)
Ace's Theories: Still multiplying
Fin's Tale: Now includes dragon rabbits
Luna's Tail Slaps: Record-breaking
"You know," Luna said as they watched Fin dramatically reenact the rabbit quest (now featuring explosive carrots and rabbit ninjas) for the fifteenth time, "for someone with so many secrets, you're impressively bad at keeping them."
"So I have been told, but I am maintaining perfect secrecy," Raegan protested as Ace rushed past with a new theory about genetic mana transfer in adopted children of legendary healers who might also be secretly Wolf-Beast.
Luna's knowing smirk suggested otherwise. "Sure you are, Sir Rabbit Slayer. Sure you are."
Later that day... The guild hall, Fin dramatically posed before the quest board. "Team Rabbit Slayer needs a new challenge!"
"We are NOT calling ourselves that," Raegan protested.
"Ooh, look at this one!" Ace adjusted his glasses. "E-rank quest to gather herbs from the Echo Caves. Requires: Basic combat skills, botanical knowledge, and…" his eyes gleamed, "mana sensitivity for detecting cave spirits!"
Luna's ears perked up at 'mana sensitivity' while Aria looked interested in something that didn't involve destroying local wildlife populations.
"Cave spirits aren't technically demons," Raegan mused. "Should be simple enough…"
The guild receptionist handed them the quest details with a knowing smile. "Ah, the rabbit exterminators! Taking a break from population control?"
"We're branching out," Fin declared. "Expanding our legend! Soon they'll call us—"
"Professional herb gatherers?" Luna suggested with a smirk.
"CAVE CONQUERORS!" Fin struck another pose.
As the group continued their preparations, Raegan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the ancient Echo caves. The journey ahead would be perilous, but the potential rewards were too great to ignore. He spent the next few days gathering information from the school's library and studying ancient texts, piecing together clues that might help him understand the ancient caves.
One evening, as Raegan was poring over an old manuscript, he came across a passage that caught his attention. It spoke of a time when the world was young, and dragons roamed the skies, their wisdom and power unmatched by any other creature.
"In those days," the manuscript read, "the dragons were the keepers of ancient knowledge, their minds vast and unfathomable. Among them, Vin was the greatest, a seeker of truths hidden deep within the fabric of reality. It is said that he still guards the secrets of the ancient world, waiting for those worthy enough to seek his counsel."
Raegan's heart raced as he read the words. This was the confirmation he had been looking for. Vin was real, and he held the key to unlocking the mysteries that had plagued them for so long.
As the gang journeyed, the Echo Caves lived up to their name. Every footstep resonated with mysterious whispers, which Ace was frantically trying to record in his ever-present notebook.
"The acoustic properties combined with residual mana create fascinating harmonic patterns that could explain Raegan's ability to—"
"To gather herbs very normally," Luna cut in smoothly.
"But his spatial storage—"
"Very normal spatial storage."
"But the probability calculations—"
"NORMAL. CALCULATIONS."
Their target herb, Echo Moss, grew in patches where cave spirits gathered. Luna's mana reading ability proved invaluable for tracking the spirits' presence.
"The mana flows here are beautiful," she said, ears twitching. "Like music made visible."
"Indeed!" Ace whipped out a second notebook. "The spirit energy signatures resemble the harmonic patterns in Raegan's transformation—"
Then the real cave spirits showed up.
Unlike the gentle whispers they'd been following, these spirits manifested as swirling vortexes of hostile mana, drawn by Ace's endless theorizing about harmonics.
"Fascinating!" Ace somehow produced a third notebook. "Their aggressive response to theoretical magical discussions suggests—"
"LESS THEORIZING, MORE RUNNING!" Fin grabbed him.
The spirits chased them deeper into the caves, their whispers becoming angry howls.
"Raegan," Luna called out, "they're herding us toward a mana nexus!"
"A perfect opportunity to observe Raegan's unique abilities in response to concentrated spiritual energy!" Ace shouted cheerfully.
"Or we could NOT do that," Raegan suggested.
"Too late!" Aria pointed ahead, where dozens of spirits were converging.
Before Raegan could decide his next move, Luna grabbed his arm. "The spirits… they're afraid of something. Something deeper in the caves."
A massive roar shook the cavern.
"That," Fin said with inappropriate excitement, "was not a rabbit."
The thing that emerged from the cave depths made demon rabbits look like stuffed toys. A massive serpentine form with crystalline scales that seemed to absorb light, crowned with horns that sparked with ancient mana.
[Threat Analysis]
Species: Ancient Cave Wyrm
Threat Level: Way Above E-Rank
Quest Difficulty: Severely Underestimated
Note: Really should have stuck to rabbits
"Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?" Fin asked, gripping his sword.
"That the quest ranking was slightly inaccurate?" Ace suggested, somehow still writing.
"That we should run?" Aria offered.
"That Raegan's about to do something impossible again?" Luna smirked.
The cave wyrm roared, its breath crystallizing the very air. Raegan's system flashed urgent notifications:
[Combat Assessment]
Regular Methods: Insufficient
Power Restriction: Need override
Friends Protection: Priority
Cover Story: Secondary concern
Current Excuse Options: Limited
"Oh wow," Ace breathed, "The crystallization effect suggests a fundamental manipulation of mana states, which could explain Raegan's ability to—"
The wyrm's tail swept toward them. Raegan moved without thinking, his demon core pulsing as he channeled power through his partially transformed arms. His claws, now wreathed in multi-colored flames, caught the massive tail and actually stopped it.
"I KNEW IT!" Ace screamed in academic ecstasy. "The transformation capabilities combined with elemental manipulation indicate a possible genetic mutation that—"
"ACE!" everyone shouted as another tail swing nearly took his head off.
"Luna, can you read its mana patterns?" Raegan called out, still holding the tail.
"It's ancient," she reported, ears twitching. "The spirits weren't attacking us – they were warning us about this thing!"
"Fascinating!" Ace whispered, fixing his glasses.
The wyrm breathed again, turning half the cavern to crystal.
"Brother, Less theorizing, more surviving!" Fin grabbed Ace and rolled behind a boulder.
Raegan knew he had to end this quickly. His demon core hummed as he accessed more power, his arms fully transforming up to the shoulders now. The wyrm's eyes widened at sensing a kindred ancient power.
[Power Release Level]
Arm Transformation: 40%
Demon Core Output: 35%
Current Excuse Options: Cave magic. Special training. Really aggressive cave moss.
"Everyone, channel your mana to me!" Raegan called out. "Luna, guide the flow!"
His friends responded instantly. Luna directed their combined mana with perfect precision, Ace provided theoretical calculations even while dodging crystal shards, and Fin and Aria's raw power flowed through Raegan's transformed arms.
The resulting blast lit up the entire cave system.
When the light faded, the wyrm lay stunned, its crystalline scales cracked. The cave spirits swirled around it, their whispers now sounding suspiciously like snickering.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Fin was practically dancing. "Wait till the guild hears about this! First the demon rabbits, now a cave wyrm! We're going to be LEGENDS!"
"The power multiplication effect through combined mana channeling while maintaining transformation stability suggests…" Ace was writing so fast his notebook was smoking.
"I don't suppose," Raegan said hopefully, "we could just tell them we found some nice herbs and had a quiet day?"
"Right after you explain how you transformed your arms into wolf claws wreathed in elemental energy?" Luna's tail was doing its victory swish.
"…Would you believe it was aggressive cave moss effect?"
"Raegan," Aria said gently, "I think we're a bit past the moss excuse."
As they gathered their herbs (and some crystallized wyrm scales for proof), Ace was still theorizing.
"If we factor in the transformation capabilities, multi-elemental affinity, spatial storage, and apparent ancient power resonance, there's only one logical conclusion…"
Raegan held his breath.
"You must be a demon-wolf-beast!"
Everyone froze.
Then burst out laughing.
"Good one, Ace!" Fin wheezed. "Next, you'll say that demons can speak!"
"And can be super handsome!" Aria giggled.
"And is blessed by the gods!" Luna added, winking at Raegan.
As they headed back to the guild, Raegan's system-Vivaan made its final note:
[Mission Summary]
Herbs: Gathered
Wyrm: Defeated
Ace's Theories: 1,247 and counting
Fin's New Tale: Already epic
Truth: Mistaken for a joke
Note: Task failed successfully
The guild receptionist's eye started twitching the moment they walked in covered in crystal dust. "Let me guess. Something completely abnormal happened during your simple herb-gathering quest?"
"Define abnormal," Raegan said weakly.
"GATHER ROUND!" Fin leaped onto a table, somehow having acquired both a cape and a storyteller's hat in the thirty seconds since entering the guild. "And hear the tale of how Team Rabbit Slayer—"
"Still not our name," Raegan muttered.
"—faced the ANCIENT CRYSTAL WYRM OF ECHO CAVES!"
The guild fell silent. Then erupted.
"A wyrm? In an E-rank zone?" "The Rabbit Slayers are at it again!" "Is that crystallized scales they're carrying?" "Someone get the Guild Master!"
[Vivaan chimes in with a sigh! Situation Assessment]
Gathered Crowd: 73 and growing
Fin's Dramatization Level: Maximum
Ace's Theory Notebooks: Multiplying
Luna's Tail: Combat-ready
Aria's Princess Mode: Activated
The Guild Master emerged from his office, took one look at the crystallized scales, and aged ten years on the spot. "Please tell me you didn't…"
"Technically," Raegan tried, "we were just gathering herbs…"
"And then the spirits appeared!" Fin continued his performance. "But they weren't attacking – they were WARNING US!"
"The harmonic resonance of their mana patterns actually suggested a defensive response to an apex predator," Ace added helpfully, surrounded by floating notebooks. "Which, when combined with Raegan's unique ability to—"
Luna's tail performed a perfect notebook-closing strike.
"An ancient cave wyrm," the Guild Master repeated slowly. "In an E-rank zone. During an herb-gathering quest. Defeated by novice adventurers."
"The herbs are very nice," Raegan offered weakly, holding up their gathered Echo Moss.
"The crystallization effect was fascinating!" Ace couldn't help adding. "Especially when Raegan's arms trans—"
This time, both Luna and Aria tackled him.
"Transformed the battle!" Fin smoothly covered. "With his… completely normal combat abilities!"
"Perhaps," Aria stepped forward in full princess mode, "we could discuss the quest reward? After all, dealing with an unexpected wyrm surely merits additional compensation."
The Guild Master looked relieved at the change of subject. "Yes, yes, of course. Though I'm more concerned about how a wyrm got into an E-rank zone, I'll have to send an A Rank party to investigate."
The reward was substantial – far more than their original herb-gathering payment. As they left the guild, Raegan could hear Fin's tale growing:
"And then the wyrm breathed CRYSTAL DEATH—" "The spirits danced in ancient warning—" "Our hero stood alone—" "With his mighty cl—"
Luna's tail didn't even bother interrupting this time.
"The statistical probability of accidentally encountering both demon rabbit hordes AND ancient wyrms suggests—" Ace started.
"That Raegan has the worst luck ever?" Luna suggested.
"Or the best!" Fin declared. "Just wait until I add the part about the crystal dragon—"
"There was no dragon," everyone corrected.
"Not yet," Fin winked.