Chương 159: Chapter 157 – A Party Forms.

"This should be enough to pass the test... Should I just hide until it's over?"

"..." Rusty didn't reply. Gwen had forgotten to keep her inner monologue to herself. She was staring at the bottle, now filled to a third, seemingly all she needed to pass the test. In a sense, that was enough for him to complete the quest, since its purpose had been to help her succeed. But the time wasn't up yet. To get the most out of the summoning chamber, he needed a better score, and for that, he probably had to fill the bottle to the brim.

He stood motionless, the eerie silence of the aftermath broken only by the distant rustle of leaves and the soft clink of the halberd as he rested it against his armored shoulder. Gwen sat on a large tree root nearby, staring down at the bottle in her lap. The mana swirled within, its faint glow catching on the edges of her robe. Her posture had slouched. She looked… tired but also content.

"This should be enough to pass the test... Should I just hide until it's over?" The words slipped out. Quiet, almost lost in the breeze, but her new acquaintance heard it, her elongated ears wiggling a little. Astrella's eyes flicked toward Gwen, her brow furrowing slightly.

"You want it to end now?" Gwen jumped as if she were not used to others talking to her directly.

"W-what? I mean… not really. Just, you know… I'm passing. That's good enough, isn't it?" She said with a half-hearted chuckle, tucking the bottle quickly back into her satchel like it might vanish if she held onto it for too long. Astrella didn't say anything right away. She simply walked over, the crunch of her boots on the leaf-covered forest floor surprisingly graceful. Her fairy, Airy, floated just over her shoulder, glowing a calm teal now rather than green.

"Passing?" Astrella said at last.

"Sure. It's enough to pass. But is that what you want?" She tilted her head.

"You beat Katherine, and you can summon such a unique living armor. It must be some kind of special summon, right?" Astrella glanced at him, her large eyes sweeping over his entire body as if trying to determine his origin. He wasn't sure, but since she was a spellcaster, it was possible she had some sort of identification skill. Her green brows twitched for a moment before she turned away and faced Gwen again.

"This is an outrageous waste, Gwendolin Rainstar!" She pointed at Gwen with theatrical flair, causing the slimmer girl to nearly topple over from where she was sitting.

"A waste?!" Gwen repeated the word, her voice rising with surprise as she grew flustered.

"W-what do you mean? This should be enough for someone like me…" She lowered her head and began tapping her index fingers together in a nervous, uncertain gesture. Rusty watched from nearby, remaining close. He still didn't know what the other summoner was planning, and if Gwen were attacked, it could cause his quest to fail.

"Enough? Not at all. You're sitting on something rare. A summon like that is perfect for frontline combat. Let's form a team, you and me."

"Form a team?" Gwen blinked, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden offer. Her first instinct was to shake her head and pull away, but Astrella gave her no chance to retreat.

"Yes, a team." Astrella said, planting a fist on her hip and motioning to Airy, who now floated beside Gwen with a cheerful smile.

"Think about it. You've got a living armor as a vanguard—strong, durable, and fast. I've got Airy, and she can do far more than just bind monsters." Rusty stiffened slightly as he sensed a shift in the surrounding mana. His grip on the halberd tightened, but he quickly realized it wasn't an attack. It felt more like a demonstration. The energy around the tiny fairy changed, and her glow took on a more ethereal quality, now attuned to wind instead of the previous, plant green.

"As you can see, Airy can change her elemental alignment. Wind, plant, earth, and water." The small fairy struck a dramatic pose and raised her nose high, clearly proud of her abilities. Rusty wasn't entirely sure what all of it meant, but the change in elemental affinity likely allowed the creature to create different effects depending on her current form. Her earlier plant alignment had enabled her to control parts of the forest and summon vines.

"I'm still working on fire and ice." Astrella added with enthusiasm.

"But this should be enough for now. Just think about it, Gwendolin Rainstar. We could accomplish so much more if we worked together." Astrella was determined. She stepped forward and gently pinned Gwen against the trunk of a large tree. With an earnest expression, she reached out her hand, clearly waiting for Gwen to take it. Rusty watched closely, uncertain. He had worked with Gleam before and understood how valuable a supporting caster could be. A reliable ally might make the difference in completing this quest.

There wasn't a strong reason to reject the offer unless, of course, this was all a trap. His guides weren't with him now, but he could imagine how they might react. Aburdon would be immediately suspicious, while Alexander would likely argue in favor of accepting the help.

'Do you think this Astrella Fjord can be trusted?' He reached out to Gwen through their link, posing the question silently. Gwen didn't respond right away. Her eyes remained fixed on Astrella's outstretched hand. The fingers were graceful, but bore faint signs of wear and effort. These were not the pampered hands of a noble who relied entirely on servants. They were the hands of someone who worked for what she had. Gwen glanced at her own fingers, still faintly stained with the cheap ink she used for note-taking.

'I... don't know, but... she seems genuine. I think.' The answer was not particularly reassuring, but Rusty could tell that his summoner was not afraid or uneasy. When they had faced Katherine Grandwell, the rage Gwen felt had been so strong it affected him as well. But this was different. The emotion he sensed now was something else. It made him want to trust the other summoner, though he could not explain why.

"Are you not convinced that I can pull my own weight?" Before either of them could respond, Astrella spoke again. Her tone carried pride and a hint of annoyance. Gwen panicked and shook her head quickly, fearing the other girl had taken offense. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"N-no, that's not what I meant…"

"How about this then? Airy!" Astrella turned to her fairy and issued an order through their link. The small creature turned toward Rusty. She stretched out both of her tiny hands. Rusty instinctively raised his shield and shifted into a defensive stance. But there was no attack. Instead, he felt a light breeze encircle his body, followed by a subtle but powerful shift within. Lesser Blessing of the Winds is being applied. Your Agility is being raised.

He slowly lowered his shield and opened his status screen, where new information had appeared.

Name: Rusty Classification: Twilight Steel Armor [E ++] L15 Type: Magical/Inorganic Hit Points [HP] 417/417 Magic Points [MP] 245/321 Special Points [SP] 70/70 Strength 150 [E ++] {+ 55} Agility 150 [E ++] {+ 12} (+ 25) Dexterity 150 [E ++] {+ 5} Constitution 150 [E ++] {+ 67} Intelligence 150 [E ++] {+ 20} Wisdom 150 [E ++] {+ 21} Willpower 150 [E ++] {+ 19} Durability D A new bracket had appeared beside his agility stat. Twenty-five more points had been added, and the difference was immediate.

It even extended past his normal limit. Gleam had never used buffs that directly raised his stats, but this fairy clearly could. Even one enhancement like this would offer a noticeable edge in combat. Still, Gwen hesitated and her slow response only encouraged Astrella to continue.

"You're a tough cookie, but there's more. Airy, go!" The fairy gave a dramatic salute, as if taking orders from a commanding officer. Her glow shifted again, now a soft blue, as she began casting a second spell.

"No, you don't have to—" Gwen tried to protest, but her words were ignored. Lesser Blessing of the Tides is being applied. Your Dexterity is being raised. Lesser Blessing of the Forest is being applied. Your Constitution is being raised. Rusty felt the changes ripple through him. His dexterity sharpened. His constitution, along with his overall health, rose. Each buff came with a time limit of fifteen minutes which he could confirm inside of his status screen.

"How about that?" Astrella said between breaths.

"Three buffs. That's more than most summoners can manage!" She looked tired. The repeated elemental shifts had clearly drained her mana, and Rusty couldn't help but think that the effort had been excessive. But it wasn't just about the buffs. This was her way of showing them what she could offer, her way of proving she was a worthy ally.

'I think she can help us, let us take her with us.' After witnessing her capabilities and determination, Rusty found himself inclined to trust her. There were no signs of hidden intentions, and from what he had observed, these young summoners were not particularly skilled at concealing their emotions. The three who had attacked Gwen were obvious in their hostility, practically radiating malice. This girl, however, felt different. She seemed sincere, and more importantly, she seemed dependable.

'Are... are you sure?'

'I think she would be a good addition to our party.'

'...' Rusty gave a silent nod. At first, he had been unsure how to convince his summoner to accept the offer, but it turned out she had only needed a small nudge. In truth, it felt as though she wanted this even more than he did. Slowly, she gathered the courage to take a step forward and, at last, reach out for help. Astrella's hand was warm when Gwen's fingers touched it.

The moment they connected, the fairy above them twirled in celebration, releasing a brief, glimmering burst of wind magic that made the leaves above rustle and fall like gentle confetti.

"Then it's settled." Astrella said with a satisfied smile.

"We're a team." While the two girls shook hands, Rusty took the opportunity to scan the area. The battle was over, but there were still spoils that the others hadn't noticed. On the ground, he spotted something that likely belonged to their former opponents. During the fight, their belts may have been cut off, or the return spell might have left their belongings behind. Two sacks lay on the forest floor, slightly larger than the one Gwen carried.

'I think we can use this.' He bent down and picked one up. Just as he had suspected, it was a spatial storage item containing a few essentials. Inside were several vials filled with liquid, one clearly a mana potion and another a health potion. Alongside them were a few mana crystals, similar to the kind Gleam had consumed before. They pulsed softly with magical energy.

"Oh, great thinking, partner! We can use these. Those two won't miss them."

"I... uh… Partner?" Gwen looked startled by the praise. Her new friend seemed to believe Rusty had gathered the items under her direction. She wasn't quite sure how to respond, but she didn't correct the assumption. Both bags were identical in design and likely contained standardized supplies issued by the academy.

'We can use this, right?' Rusty carefully handed the bags to Gwen, who fumbled slightly before catching them. She peered inside, eyes wide with amazement. She had already used her only mana potion to help Astrella earlier, leaving herself completely drained of resources. Her own sack was empty. But now, with these two additional bags, she no longer had to worry so much about running out of mana.

'Yes, we can.' She answered confidently through their link. With that, it was time to move on. The mana fro the defeated monster had already been absorbed, and time was steadily running out. The two girls exchanged a few words and quickly agreed on a formation. Rusty would take point, leading the way ahead, while the two summoners stayed behind with Airy hovering protectively near them. Though her offensive capabilities were limited, Airy could still conjure protective shields and provide basic healing.

'Why would someone like her be in Class C…' As the group pressed deeper into the forest, Gwen found her thoughts drifting again.

'She does seem more competent than those three.' Rusty's mental reply came without surprise, and Gwen responded almost immediately, her voice steady as she identified the likely reason.

'It… it must be because of her mixed blood and her family name. I don't think she belongs to any powerful noble house... maybe not even nobility at all.' Rusty kept his attention forward, scanning the surroundings with his life detection skill while listening. Even in the world he had come from, nobility held a peculiar kind of authority. It confused him. Nobles did not always show greater strength or skill than commoners, yet people obeyed them.

They had power, mostly political, and the wealth to summon armies or hire powerful warriors to fight for their interests.

'You humanoids created a strange world with even stranger limitations. Why not let the ones most capable rule?' Rusty could not understand how such a system had been allowed to form. As a monster, the idea made little sense. To him, strength and skill should be the only requirements for leadership. But this world did not work that way. Nobility, bloodlines, and reputation seemed to matter more than true ability. Even so, if he wanted to survive, he would have to follow its rules.

Strength could give him freedom, but only if he managed to become mighty. Power came slowly and he needed to avoid tackling dangerous foes before he achieved it.

'It's not that simple…' Gwen's reply came softly through their link. Her voice lacked bitterness, only holding a quiet understanding of how things really worked. Rusty did not respond. He simply accepted her words and moved forward.

'Get ready. We have an enemy… and not just one.' Right on cue, as if to break the heavy mood, something emerged ahead of them. Rusty did not raise his halberd. Instead, he finally had a reason to use his SP.

"Oh? What is your summon doing?" Astrella's eyes lit up with curiosity as she watched the halberd disappear. In its place, a heavy-looking mace materialized in Rusty's hands. Then, almost as if on cue, a group of skeletal monsters burst through the underbrush. The first one charged directly at Rusty, but before it could land a blow, its skull was shattered by a single, crushing swing of his new weapon. The fight raged on, and Rusty had only one goal: to defeat as many of these monsters as possible.

Nothing else mattered; he needed to finish this quest with as many points as possible, and he would not let anyone or anything stop him.