Jonah Raver was a gangster. Arthur noted that fact silently as he saw the handsome man kicking the mummy to death while cursing it. The mummy was issuing some unknown sounds, probably begging for mercy.
"You little shit, you think you can bite me with those teeth? My ancestor has better teeth than yours!"
Arthur thought he must have special hate toward the poor mummies, but it was proved otherwise soon enough. Jonah Raver hated nothing; he was simply a gangster. He did the same to a giant beetle that happened to cross his path.
"You can go ahead, Boss." Very gangster-like, he started calling Arthur Boss. Arthur felt weird that a young man his age was this submissive. However, he started calling him boss after Arthur took down a scorpion-snake hybrid.
At that time, Jonah cowered back like a kitten behind Arthur. He was a classic example of brave against the weaklings and a scared kitten in front of the strong. Of course, not that there was anything wrong with that.
Everyone did their best to survive.
Arthur was the same and that's why his current goal was to get stronger. Given the environment, there were a lot of chances to level up his skills as well. Even a better skill can help him if things were dire.
"Boss, what's your rank in the Chain of Fortune?"
"69."
"Nice."
"What?"
"I mean, that's kind of low given your strength," Jonah said as he looked at the wiggling mummy in front of them. Arthur had used his 'ability' to restrain the monster. "But I guess that makes sense given your ability is limited."
"Jonah, you ask too much," Arthur said as he raised his hand and killed the mummy using his bladeless storm. Jonah looked at him with awe as he showcased his skill.
"Let's go," Arthur said and the two kept heading deeper into the ruins.
Eventually, they reached an intersection. The path diverged into two sides. One of them was locked with a giant door while the other was wide open.
"Which way to go, Boss?" Jonah asked as he scratched his head. "I think we should try the open route. We shouldn't waste our time opening doors."
"Well, we have plenty of time," Arthur said but Jonah looked at him with doubt.
"I don't know if you've seen the beach yet, Boss. It's an acidic sea. We can't cross to the other island." Jonah said in an earnest warning and Arthur appreciated it.
"If there's a way to cross it, wouldn't that be behind this door?" Arthur's question made Jonah fall into deep thinking. After a while, he nodded his head and rushed off toward the door.
"Wait, what are you…" Arthur was stunned as he saw the young man sprint toward the door.
"Ultimate Raver Kick!" Jonah shouted as he flew in the air and kicked the door with both of his feet. However, the door didn't even budge and Jonah trembled to the ground while grabbing his knees.
"Are you an idiot?" Arthur asked with genuine amazement. "What if that door was trapped?" Arthur knew the door was closed by runes and that's why he wanted to go that way.
"There's nothing, known to man, that can stand against my flying kick," Jonah said as he messaged his legs.
"I thought its name was Raver Kick."
"Uh, yes."
"Well, the door is still locked." Arthur shrugged.
"…" Jonah fell silent and Arthur could see him sulking. He wondered if that kick was that important to him.
"This door is locked using runes. Even a full-on attack from me can't force it open." Arthur said trying to mend Jonah's feelings.
"Woah, even Boss Alexie's Punch, the Destroyer of Worlds?" Jonah was amazed. It seems the time they spent hunting together made him look up to Arthur.
"… You named my punch?" Arthur paused as he looked at Jonah.
"Yes! Do you like it, boss?" Jonah stood up as he pounded his chest with pride. Arthur looked at him silently.
"Well, I guess your names are better than your kicks," Arthur said as he scratched his nose. Deep down, he thought it was a cool name too.
"Boss, you can try opening it too." Jonah shrugged as he gestured toward the door. Arthur walked toward it without another word. He stood in front of it as he touched the door lightly. "Jeez, boss. You need to try hard to open it. You can't just…"
With a rumbling sound, the door began opening. Jonah looked at it with his mouth still open. It seems he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a simple push from Arthur.
'So much for now showing off.' Arthur sighed in his mind as he turned to explain it. However, Jonah was already in the motion to bow to him.
"DON'T!" Arthur's shout made the young man flinch as he coughed awkwardly.
"Boss, I couldn't help it. Aren't you too strong for this exam?"
"Shut up. This is a runic lock. My father is a runes master and has taught me how to unlock them easily." Arthur has already thought of an excuse and it seemed to work.
"Oh, alright." Jonah nodded blankly. The two then turned to see what lied beyond the door. It was a lit-up corridor like the last but this one looked intact, unlike the ruins they were walking in. "Are you sure this is safe, Boss?"
"Nothing is safe here and this place is even more dangerous than the outside. If you want to, you can leave. Those noblemen are probably gone by now."
Jonah seemed to hesitate as he debated between leaving and following Arthur.
"I won't guarantee your safety, too," Arthur warned.
"I'll follow you, Boss," Jonah said with resolution. "This thigh is too thick to let go of."
"Don't say it like that." Arthur frowned.
"Furthermore, if I shy away from a chance to pass this exam, I'll simply end up stuck or dead here," Jonah said heroically as he took a step forward, his expression grave.
"…You can't die in this place," Arthur said quietly but Jonah pretended that he didn't hear him. With a chuckle, Arthur followed along.
The two began walking in the corridor for a few seconds before Arthur had to pull Jonah back. As he had expected, this place was full of traps.
"Walk behind me and trace my steps. Otherwise, you'll fall into the traps." Arthur said in a deep voice and Jonah nodded.
Arthur then began walking slowly and avoiding all of the runes. Luckily, Jonah wasn't clumsy enough to activate them. The two began making their way through the corridor until a monster appeared.
"A Ropeser," Jonah said and Arthur looked gravely. A bundle of ropes was staggering their way and it looked like a person. With ropes swaying around working as arms, the monster carried weapons at their end.
This monster was well known because of its uniqueness. It was the interest of many people because of how different it was from usual monsters.
"It excels at agility and regeneration." Arthur recited the words he read at the academy. It was recorded in a book called Monsters Encyclopedia that he didn't get to finish because it was a series of many parts.
"Boss, let me take care of it." Jonah stepped up to the occasion and Arthur looked at him with doubt. "I can do it!" He said with confidence and Arthur slowly nodded.
It wasn't that he didn't wish to fight the monster himself or that he didn't want to gain its loot and experiences, but he also wanted to see how well Jonah fights.
With a stomp on the ground, Jonah dashed forward as another body appeared suddenly beside him. The doppelganger ran to the side while Jonah ran straight ahead.
The Ropeser twisted and flailed its arms and began thrusting the weapons in Jonah's direction. Jonah raised his wrist as a small shield appeared on it and blocked the attack, despite pushing Jonah a few meters back.
Without a pause, he grabbed the rope and pulled on it hard making the monster lose its balance. Even then, the monster kept attacking him as he blocked.
The doppelganger finally arrived from the side and threw itself at the Ropeser main body. Arthur, who was standing a distance away, heard Jonah shout out a single word.
"Kaboom!"
With a loud bang, the doppelganger exploded as it was wrestling with the Ropeser. The flames and power of the explosion were enough to damage the core of the monster that is hidden within it and it fell to the ground, unable to regenerate.
Arthur stood there in a daze as he saw Jonah fall to the ground, breathing heavily. He turned toward Arthur as sweat rolled down his face and gave him a thumbs up.
"Job's done, Boss. Easy-peasy." His voice came in intervals as he was inhaling air in between the words. With a crooked smile, Jonah was beaming with pride.
Arthur, for the life of him, couldn't understand how someone can smile after blowing up themselves.