Chapter 19 The Test

"Jacko Slime...and Reeves Wanker?" The silver armored guard asked once more.

"Yeah, that's us." Rift said.

"I see, we've received news that you want to apply, it's actually amazing how you two best three Fire Whelps." The guard told. "I bet that one didn't do much." The guard looked at Jacko. He looked away, feeling intimidated. "Come on, Jacko did most of the work." Rift told. "Right, follow me." The Silver guard then waved his hand at the men above the wall, the large steel gate then slowly rose up for them.

They see a lot of houses and people with thin clothing, most of them are ripped. Jacko looked at them and began to ask himself why the people of all the previous towns look better than the people of Grayhold? "Jacko, what's up?" Rift noticed his mind wandering. "Nothing, just...yeah, nothing." Jacko said, he then shook his head to get his mind out of the clouds. "Alright then." Rift looked beyond.

The guild was a towering building, twice the size of Vines' Inn. The steel of the guild's walls shined in Jacko's eyes and steam escaped from the top of the building. "Don't inhale it." The guard reminded. "Why is black smoke coming out of there?" Jacko asked. "Right, the guild has their own forge. If you're going to look for a place to sleep, you better wish you brought sleeping bags, we have no in available here." The guard told. "What? Why?" Jacko was really confused. "This is the lower tier part of Grayhold, the Mid tiers does have hotels, and you can't access them unless you're welcome to Mid tiers." The guard explained. "Then, won't that be a long journey anyway? That's not so convenient at all..." Jacko sighed. "Look there." The guard pointed at a large landing pad on one of the floors of the Guild. There were hanging steel carts held by steel string, from the guild to the Midtier town beyond the wall dividing the Low and Mid tiers. "That's what we call Steel Carts, that ride is exclusive to approved Adventurers only, not only that, they also connect to the High Tier." The guard told. "So if I'm an adventurer, I can get to the High Tier? I'd really like to speak to the king." Jacko asked. "Not a chance, that's for A tiers." The guard scoffed.

They all then stood in front of the guild's steel doors, where some adventurers walked out from. "They really improved this place..." Rift said.

"Well, my job is done, just head to the counters noobs." The guard said, as he walked away. "It's so much different..." Jacko trembled, then shook his head as he enters with Rift. He saw that there were seats and adventurers sharing drinks here. "Our guild didn't serve drinks..." Jacko said. "Dude, wanna have one?" Rift nudged his chest with his shoulder. "No thanks, I don't drink." Jacko said. "Come ooon, how old are you anyway?" Rift asked. "I actually just turned 18 this month." Jacko said. "Wait WHAT!? DUDE I'M 30." Rift yelled. "You really are just a kid!" Rift laughed. Jacko looked at the other people as Rift laughed, he noticed many eyes laid upon him. "Why are they looking at me?" Jacko tugged on Rift's Arm. "Haha...oh that? Don't mind em for now." Rift told, then a woman with brown hair and glasses came walked over to them. "Jacko Slime, Reeves Wanker, follow me." The lady said, walking to a steel box within a door. "Wait, what is that?" Jacko asked, confused on where the lady entered. "I don't know this looks new.." The two walked up to the box, just looking at it. "Don't be alarmed. We call this the Steel Elevation Xeron System, aka the SEXS, once you step in, the machinery will bring us to the next floor. It's not a trap." The lady adjusts her glasses as she explained. "You make it sound like a trap..." Jacko said, as he walked in anyway with Rift.

The lady then pressed a button on the steel box, then suddenly sounds of loud gears clanked around them. "WHOA WHOA WHOA" Rift panicked. "Relax, that's how it works." The lady told, looking at the two of them...and Jacko hugging a Water Slime for dear life. "WHAT THE FUCK!? A SLIME!?" The lady screeched. "He's safe-" Jacko then gets interrupted by the lady yelling and banging at the elevator door.

A butler walks up to a desk in a room with clean dark beautiful wood, with paintings of dragons and portraits of adventurers. "They are on their way, sir." The butler told the man sitting at the desk. He lifted up his head, he has long dark black hair with a tiny mustache, wearing a silver coat with a black suit within it. "Two men slaying three Flame Whelps...they should be interesting." The man then raised his eyebrow as he heard his assistant's voice screeching. "Boston! Get my wand ready." The man stood up readily, grabbing a staff made out of steel, with a Fire Orb and a Water Orb on its chamber, then held it up on its muzzle. And Yes, its shaped like a rifle.

The elevator dings, and the lady immediately ran out of the elevator and held on to the man. "S-s-s-SLIIIME!" The lady stammered. "What?" The man then lowers his staff, seeing the lime haired man hugging a water slime. "But it's friendly!" Jack assured, while Rift facepalmed. "Just put it away man, you're making a bad impression." Rift said. "Oh, ok..." Jacko then swallows the slime.

Everyone in the room just stared at Jacko.

"What?" Jacko asked, getting really annoyed with all the stares lately. "Did he just...swallow the...slime?" The man raised up his rif- staff at Jacko. "Oh, I'm a Slime Summoner, sir. I just unsummoned him, and I was thirsty." Jacko explained. "So that explains that weird ass name..." The man groaned, annoyed yet impressed. "But a Slime Summoner, that's something I have never heard of before." The man stroked his chin with interest. He then returned to his seat. "Get these men some food." The man told, prompting the butler and the assistant to dart out of the room with the doors on the side of the rooms.

"Let's get back to business. I am Guildmaster Joshua, I have heard of what you've done at Bronze, I can already see your potentials as well. But, I'm a fair man, you still have to do something for me before you officially get accepted." The Guildmaster told. "So it's a guild test?" Rift said. "Yes, Mr. Wanker, You two are to bring down a low tier dragon and bring me it's heart for proof." The Guildmaster told.

The two men gulped. They still recall how they barely best the dragon last time. Luckily, Jacko is a very powerful support. "I'd also like to ask this...Jacko, a few questions. Please enter the door at the right and you'll meet my assistant, once again." He ordered.

"Alright! Good luck dude." Rift patted Jacko's shoulder before going into the room. "Slime Summoner...does your power have a limit?" The man asked. "It does sir, we barely best a dragon last time." Jacko told without thinking. "I'm sorry...again?" The Guildmaster tilted his head. "Oh, sorry..." Jacko scratches his head. "Hmm, anyway. Are you interested in joining the next Dungeon Raid next week?" The Guildmaster asked. "Wait, already?" Jacko sweats. "Yes. Just finish the quest I have given you, I will also give you your own room in Midtier town." The Guildmaster said casually. "Really? But I haven't proven anything yet!" Jacko said. "Fair, then if you wish....You will bring me a Mid-tier Dragon's heart, then you will have your room." The Guildmaster groaned. "Ri- I mean, Reeves can come right?" Jacko asked. The Guildmaster twitches. "If he brings me a Mid tier Dragon Heart too, yes." The Guildmaster sneered. "Alright!" Jacko smiled. "Then I'd love to join the Dragon Dungeon raid!" Jacko said.

Jacko entered the room where Rift was eating a bucket of chicken. "So, what did he say?" He asked with his mouth full. "Weeeeeeell..." Jacko hesitated to say...

Outside the walls, there were carriers built on steel wheels and a Fire Orb Engine. There were many built only for bringing adventurers into the Land Of Dragons, where dragons breed and only monsters roamed the land. One of these carriers stopped and opened it's doors. Jacko jumped down along with Rift, they both looked around the dark land with dark sand everywhere. The air itself is so dim from all the dragon smoke. "Oh my god, we're actually going to hunt dragons." Rift groaned. "Mid tiers..." Jacko said. Then the lady from before jumped out of the carrier with them, annoyed. "Tsk, I'm London, I'll be overseeing this test...and identifying the... dragons... Oh that's actually a pretty cute slime." The lady gasped as she sees Jacko summon Finn. "Hi! Hii!" The slime waved at her. "Ahem, ahem...anyway! The Guildmaster specifically told me to make sure you both have to kill one Mid-tier dragon each, and he will grant you both the B-rank." London told. Jacko nodded at Rift, and then Jacko put his hand on his shoulder. "Erm...yeah..." Jacko then awkwardly removes his hand.."Hah, let's go dudes and dudettes." Rift said as he takes the front in leading them throughout the land.

The three then sat down on some rocks after they walked for a while. "This is where those Black Dragons come, we just have to wait here and they will come to us. "London told, while Finn is having his head rubbed by her finger. "Don't we need to bait them?" Jacko asked.

"We are the bait." London said nonchalantly, looking up and then seeing two Black Dragons flying above them. She gently let's go of Finn, and takes out two Wands shaped as steel pistols with orbs. "I'll take over if you both fail, remember. One. Each." She says.

Rift's armor then suddenly turns into steel, while his blade is shaped into a spiny sickle shape. "Let's go, dude!" Rift then swings his blade at the dragon's neck.

Unlike the Water Dragon, these Mid dragons are almost the same size as the Fire Whelps, while the Low tier dragons are way smaller.

The Dragon snapped it's tongue out and catches the blade, electricity crackles through the blade as it swings Rift's up to the sky. "Whoa! This is NOT WHAT I EXPECTED!" Rift's leggings then extends into a shape into another long sickle, Rift saw this and then immediately aimed the sharp part at its neck.

The dragon screeches, it then charges it's jaws at his chest plate, suddenly a steel jaw forms around the chest and then bites the Dragon's snout, causing it's scales to rip off a bit and let go of him and his blade, Rift tumbles and stands up immediately, seeing his armor returned to it's normal shape, he then readies his blade as the Dragon charges at him again, the spine blade spitting into three and then piercing two spiens into the Dragon's eyes and in its mouth, he then throws around it's head on the ground. "Oh fuck yeah!" Rift then pulls out his blade, ripping it's head off. "How are you doing Jacko?" Rift then looked at Jacko...

Jacko summons a Grass Slime to bounce on, then he readies his Slime Heart on his arm to turn into a slimy ground fist to grab it's face down to the ground, smashing it. "Broff!" Jacko then calls out to him, making him appear right at the end of his palm, placing it in the Dragon's mouth.

"How are you doing Jacko- OH MY GOD." Rift then sees an explosion blasting dragon scales all over the place, with Jacko walking away from the explosion with his Slime Hand forming back into his normal hand. "This is actually pretty useful!" Jacko said.

London just stood there in shock, shaking her head and immediately rushing to the dragon with the head exploded. "You guys are fucking monsters." She says as she uses her wands to extract the Dragon Heart. "I thought Dragons dropped Dragon Orbs?" Jacko said. "The ones in Dragon Dungeons do, but these ones value are in their hearts. We used to grab their scales, but we don't need that anymore. We can extract Normal Orbs from Hearts, and their yield is a LOT. Steel is also stronger than Dragon Scales too. Because we're living in the damn future!" London then raised the Dragon's Heart up. "Sorry, have I rambled for that long?" London asked. "Maybe?" Jacko then stepped away, making way for London going to Rift's Dragon.

The Guildmaster looked at the two, he was mad that the two of them succeeded, but undoubtedly impressed. "Well done, you did it in less than a day too..." He groaned. "Yep!" Jack nodded. The Guildmaster then hands them two cards. "These are your Guild Rank IDs. Congratulations, you both earned them." The Guildmaster told with a smile. "I expect to see more from you both. Especially you." Guildmaster pointed at Rift. He said nothing in response, but he was visibly irritated.

"You may go now, just remember. Be on time for the rollcall for the raid." The Guildmaster told. "You bet!" Jacko said, finally excited for he was one adventure closer to asking for help from Grayhold.