"Ryujin-san, he became an F-rank yesterday!" Layla said to Goji, who was trying to pick a fight.

"F-rank? That's like a beginner level! ...Wait, you're still alive?!!" Goji exclaimed, taken aback.

"You left me behind in the dungeon and intended to kill me, didn't you?" Ryujin replied coolly.

"You, you just got left behind, that's all!" Goji retorted, flustered. He had gone back to the inn after the raid, claiming fatigue. He slept through the following day and was unaware of the subsequent events.

Goji was the one who had left Ryujin behind in the dungeon during the raid. Naturally, Ryujin had no intention of letting him get away with it.

Goji had been an adventurer for a long time. It wasn't the first or second time he had sacrificed new adventurers for his own survival. It was rumored that many of the older adventurers in this town had survived by using weaker newcomers as stepping stones. (Perhaps this was why, compared to other towns, this one had very few new adventurers.)

"Ryujin-san escaped the dungeon on his own! And he even defeated Yormu in yesterday's rank-up test!" Layla proudly explained.

"What? All-zero Ryujin beat Yormu? That's unbelievable! Unless, of course, he was let off easy. Maybe he bribed Yormu with money?" Goji doubted.

"You weren't there yesterday, so you wouldn't know! Ryujin-san has become an amazing adventurer!" Layla defended.

"Amazing adventurer, you say? This guy?! That's a good joke. So, he bribed his way through the test and is now already looking for extermination requests? Stop it, stop it! Don't be greedy, just go back to picking herbs like before! Besides, even with the rank-up, he's just at the lowest rank, F!" Goji scoffed.

He attempted to shove Ryujin, but instead of being pushed away easily as usual, Ryujin stood firm. Goji found himself being knocked back instead.

"If someone like you can be an adventurer, there's no problem, right?" Ryujin countered, unfazed.

"You... You useless nobody! Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Goji roared.

He threw a punch at Ryujin. Although not a giant, Goji was still bigger and more muscular than the lanky Ryujin. For a 16-year-old, Ryujin was considered normal, but as an adventurer, his physique was quite weak and thin.

It seemed inevitable that Ryujin would be sent flying with that punch, but...

Goji's fist stopped right in front of Ryujin's face. Ryujin had caught it with his hand. Where did he get that strength? It was an astonishing sight.

The other adventurers who had witnessed yesterday's mock battle saw this and quickly dispersed, not wanting to be involved.

Goji’s well-aimed punch was stopped by Ryujin’s hand, and he remained calm. For a moment, Ryujin thought about crushing Goji’s hand, but he stopped himself.

However, Goji, sensing danger, quickly pulled back his fist. As a veteran adventurer who had survived for years, he had excellent situational awareness.

"Violence is prohibited within the guild! Do you want to be disciplined?" Layla intervened, confronting Goji, who was about to punch Ryujin again. But Ryujin stopped her.

"It's fine. We were just talking, weren’t we, Goji?"

Goji was unnerved by Ryujin's sudden change in attitude. Something about him felt unnervingly different. Perhaps Ryujin had suddenly gained strength, as some adventurers were known to experience rapid growth.

To be safe, Goji used his 'Appraisal' skill on Ryujin.

Goji, too, had this useful skill that allowed him to understand an opponent's strength, essential for survival. Never fight someone stronger than you, that was his motto.

Ryujin could sense the Appraisal being used on him, but he decided to let it be.

The results:

Ryujin Lv: 1
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Skills: None
Class: None
Blessing: None

"Nothing changed... (But what was with that power earlier?)" Goji thought.

"I need to thank Goji for his 'help' during the raid. Let's have a little 'chat' outside, shall we?" Ryujin smirked.

Goji was feeling a strange unease, an indescribable creepiness from Ryujin. But even though he was aware of Ryujin's supposed weakness and "all-zero" status, Goji couldn't stand being looked down upon, especially by someone he considered beneath him.

"You've got guts. Let's go outside!" Goji challenged.

Ryujin, ignoring Layla's worried protests, stepped outside with Goji.

A moment later, the other adventurers, curious but nervous, followed them out of the guild.

But...

...When they reached the doorway, there was no one there.

Ryujin and Goji had vanished without a trace.