Rufus’s Tangent – A Quick Life

 After seven days, most of the beasts besieging the capital were eliminated. The man Rufus saw disappeared, unlikely to meet again. However, that didn’t change what he wanted, no had to do. To become a hero, one needed to be strong and kind. While kindness was rather simple, strength required time, something Rufus didn’t have. As a red wolf, he would only live for about twenty more years. Sure, there were methods using mana to extend one’s lifespan, but with his control being so poor, he was better off rising the adventurer ranks and learning from someone. B-ranks were the lowest to have unparalleled skill, so Rufus made that his target for the time being.

But there was a problem. To rise in rank, one had to complete a certain number of quests which, to reach B-rank, took approximately forty years. Rufus would be long dead by then.

So, with that in mind, he had to create a party, prioritizing completing quests quickly. In the capital, finding strong members that weren’t already in another party would be impossible. Luckily, Rufus and his parents were moving to another town. With S-rank beasts supposedly still in the dungeon, they didn’t want to be stuck inside a death trap. After a few days of travel and settling in, Rufus began scouting teammates.

First was the wanderer Ai, looking for ways to further her research into plant magic. With her skills already at C-rank, it didn’t take much convincing that a B-rank would massively increase her understanding. With her on board, they easily completed hundreds of quests. A rather fast pace, but it would still take more than twenty years to become a C-rank party.

Then, Aster came along a season later. She was a D-rank exploring the world, trying to find something interesting. With boredom setting in, Rufus convinced her a party would spark her excitement. The quest completion rate also sped up, though it wasn’t because of Aster’s skill. She was reckless. Her regenerating body healed any attack she took, killing almost every beast with substantial damage to herself. Rufus tried to voice his concern, but she promptly ignored him with a shrug.

A few years later, the party finally made it to C-rank after pumping through six to seven quests a day. In another year, they would be able to take the B-rank exam. The party decided to celebrate, a bit prematurely, at the Adventurer’s Guild. Though, that was mainly due to the free food from a rookie graduation. Although Rufus was enjoying a pint, he still kept an eye out, eventually noticing a few rookies hanging out by themselves. According to the other students, they basically said that those people couldn’t form a party for one reason or another. Especially one, the fastest to reach C-rank in history – a supporter named Emma.

Rufus immediately recruited her into his party, which she accepted. It was one of the best decisions he ever made. While she couldn’t fight, her knowledge in flora was unrivaled. Every single gathering quest was easy pickings, even the ones with rare herbs and spices that were wholly unfamiliar. It only further revealed her competence.

With Emma in the party, Amstec had fully formed. Their quest completion rate skyrocketed, and by the next season, they were qualified to take the B-rank exam. Rufus’s excitement reached its peak. He could finally become a hero.

However, reality wasn’t so kind. The proctor was strong, sure, but an A– or B–rank could beat Ai without any trouble. Surprisingly, Ai seemed infatuated with his strength, but Rufus wasn’t impressed. With how little he did, he wasn’t much of a hero, or leader for that matter. It was as if he didn’t care whatsoever.

That thought was further reinforced during the waves of beasts. The proctor made no move to help, leaving the party to its fate. Rufus’s skills did improve, but at what cost? If they made even the slightest misstep, someone could’ve died or worse. The most he did was by accident, protecting Emma from an acid-shelled seed.

Then, he was vaporized. While the rest of the party managed to escape the initial beam of light from the beast, he couldn't. The proctor died before he knew what was happening, and now, Rufus and the others were about to follow along.

Rufus’s body moved purely on instinct during those last few seconds. His mind didn’t have the time to comprehend the danger. All he could think to do was punch. If he landed one good hit, it might give them a chance to escape. It was an insane thought, one that couldn’t be true, but for a hero, it was all had to work with. Letting the others die a dog’s death was unacceptable.

As expected, every attack ended in failure; the beast was completely uninjured. Even a tsunami of purple fire was destroyed by the light. And, Rufus too, was swallowed by the white void.