tbate | The Storm Gods Chosen [Dropped]

CH 29 Introductions

****Dragonspine Inn****

INSIGNIFICANT ADVENTURER'S POV:

"Hey hey, did you hear about the rumor going on?" I asked as I put down my mug of beer.

A burly man sitting at the same table finished off his glass before slamming it on the table. "If you're talking about those two famous masked swordsmen, I say bullshit!"

From his flushed cheeks to his glazed eyes, it didn't take a genius to tell he was drunk.

"No, apparently it's true! An acquaintance of mine supposedly once teamed with them. There traveling with Jasmine Flamesworth, so it's hard to miss him." A skinny lad with his hair tied in a bun came over to our table to join in on the gossip.

"So? What did your so-called 'acquaintance' say about him?" The drunkard exclaimed, getting impatient.

"Well, they went together to explore a minor dungeon that had been cleared before. Apparently, they're pretty short! I think the rumors are true in that he's not a mage." The thin lad just shook his head in wonder.

"Bah! I call bullshit! It's either those masked swordsmen are augmenters, or the rumors are just exaggerated! Did you hear some of the stories going around about him? There were even a few rumors that they each solo-cleared dungeons by themselves! Is that even possible? B-class augmenters can't do that, even if it's a low-level dungeon, and you expect me to believe there are two ordinary swordsmen that can?" The drunkard waved his empty mug for a refill on his beer.

"Yeah man, I would take some of those rumors with a pinch of salt. That solo-clear rumor... didn't the guy also say that Jasmine Flamesworth went in with him? She probably helped him inside, right?" I took another sip, feeling a little lightheaded.

"Right, right? I'm telling you, dunderheads, that swordsman is probably not even that strong! Half those rumors are probably rumors of Jasmine Flamesworth! those midgets dare to call themselves a swordsman? Bring both of em here! I'll take em on any day!"

Things were getting loud as the burly drunk was getting more and more intoxicated. The hottest topic these days amongst adventurers were the masked swordsmen Note and Felwinter. Some stories had said that they were Jasmine Flamesworth's apprentices, but that was a little far-fetched. It was made known that they took a rank exam to place into A rank, which was already spouted as cheating and bullshit at every mention. More shocking than that, though, was he was now that the three of them are AA-class! Moving a full rank up in two years' time? horseshit I say.

I just shook my head as I pitied myself. Here I was, a borderline C-class adventurer. I had failed the exam to move up a class three times these past three years. Once you gathered enough merit points from going into dungeons and completing missions and quests, adventurers were allowed the chance to move up a class upon passing an exam.

The exam differed for each class, but supposedly, to go into the A rank, which was the first class considered 'elite.' the examinee had to fight two-on-one with two A-rank adventurers and last for ten minutes. And for AA class you had to win the fight or last for half an hour.

The weird thing was that when some of the rumors had reached the examinees that were there when the masked swordsmen took their exams, they all said that note was an augmenter, and that Felwinter was a Conjurer. The rumor got so big around them because everyone who had been on a dungeon exploration with them said that he never used mana with their swords but whenever a massive hoard showed up Felwinter pulled out a great sword that earned the name

"Abaddon, The Army Cleaver Bringer Of Storms" because each swing left only Storms and Destruction.

But even without Abbadon, they were demons with a sword, Flewinter's looked like a silver blur of erratic and fluid slashes and stabs, While Note was more precise and measured like a butcher with a rare piece of meat.