The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage

The purpose of the recruiters was simple.

To grab exiting challengers, forming teams composed of the strongest climbers in the Area.

These faction recruiters were grateful for the [Area 1 Exit Pavilion].

Here, it was exceptionally easy to determine which challengers stood out from the masses, revealing their promise and potential.

Since though each landing represented a floor, each room represented a difficulty level, from basic all the way to extreme.

A separate area in the pantheon existed for those who hadn't cleared their missions.

But all the people who exited from here were successful.

Meaning that the room they arrived in could give a relatively accurate representation of their true skill.

There was even an entire system of recruitment agreed upon by the most powerful factions in Area 1.

It revolved around a challenger's performance.

Different amounts of resources and levels of training were provided depending on said performance.

Unfortunately, there was no dedicated room for the [Titled I] difficulty.

So perhaps because [Titled I] was considered the 'lowest' level difficulty of its class, Otto had appeared in the room for clearing a [Basic] mission.

The only distinguishing factor between him and others was the golden light surrounding him like a halo as his body appeared.

Otto took a look around before he walked over to the giant statues of challengers past.

He didn't know who any of these three old challengers were.

Was he supposed to memorize every single past challenger that had some amount of fame?

Nevertheless, he bowed solemnly to each of them.

As an old soul, he couldn't help but be respectful to those before him who had paved the way for these Areas to be created.

….Even more importantly, a notification appeared as soon as he stood up again.

[You have gained +1 Agility.]

It was a small hidden piece, barely worth noting.

But following the idea of maximizing all of his gains, Otto would never turn it down, either.

Actually, if Otto had been a normal challenger, he would have essentially reached the limit for the number of attributes he could gain in Area 1.

This not so hidden piece was the only remaining 'hidden piece' he knew of outside of the floors themselves.

Well, aside from the [Constant Competition], and those extremely valuable potions, too.

Otto strolled out of the room with lazy-looking strides.

He walked right out of the barrier, then past the crowd as if it wasn't even there.

But this lazy stride was fast enough that none of the would-be recruiters could catch up.

A few folks scratched their heads.

Hadn't he come out of the Basic difficulty?

Why on Earth was he so fast?

Wasn't that boy also the same one who, for a second, had the weird gold light surrounding him?

They had wanted to ask him about it….

But by the time they remembered, Otto's figure had long disappeared.

Ten minutes later, Otto reappeared outside the entrance to Floor 1's [Extreme] difficulty.

The crowd was much thinner here, composed of a mere few hundred factions who had sent their representatives to wait outside the room, watching carefully for any challengers to appear.

Most came with little hope, as a kind of 'just in case' for the rare occasion that a challenger did show up here.

But whereas the many people outside the [Basic] difficulty room were rather lax, talking amongst themselves while paying the new arrivals little overall attention, the atmosphere here was tense.

The expressions on the representatives revealed their almost feverish excitement.

The reason was obvious.

Four people had arrived in the room!

The [Extreme] difficulty room!

Where it often took hours, days, up to weeks or months of waiting to find even one single challenger from across the entire area who had cleared this difficulty.

Especially on the first floor.

Four at once?

Was like a feast for these hungry recruiters.

The eight men standing in front of the crowd were the only ones who could remain remotely calm in the face of such great news.

But even they had a hint of anticipation hidden in the depths of their expressions.

Otto arrived just in time to see Julia, Elliott, and Jeremy emerge with an unknown young woman who was walking in front of the trio towards the crowd.

Perhaps even Otto himself hadn't registered the slight breath of relief he'd let out as soon as he saw the three, safe and unharmed.

Well, besides the blood and dirt that caked their clothes, and the exhausted expressions that lined each of their faces.

None of the four of them looked very startled by the commotion that was ramping up outside.

The young woman with them even looked a little bored by the proceedings, though her pace sped up as they approached the barrier separating them from the spectators.

As they advanced, Otto could make out Jeremy's loud voice interspersed with grunts of both relief and frustration from the other two.

He suddenly felt like he could empathize with the unknown woman who was quite obviously trying to get away from the trio without wanting to seem rude in doing so.

Simultaneously, all three of them caught sight of Otto, who was nonchalantly waving at them outside.

Each reacted differently.

Jeremy, who was thrilled and didn't care for propriety, instantly yelled,

"Otto!"

He started to run in front of the other two, hand outstretched for what looked to be a… high-five?

Julia attempted to look cool by raising her hand to lightly wave back, though she couldn't fully hide the relieved smile that bloomed on her face.

Elliott grinned brightly and didn't bother to conceal his smug expression.

They had passed the floor.

Now, they were back.

All three were inexplicably comforted at the sight of Otto's indifferent expression as they returned.

They hadn't disappointed him! They had completed the task!

But right after crossing the barrier, all of them, including the young woman in front, were unilaterally blocked from taking a single step further.

The hundreds of people who had moments ago just been watching them approach, suddenly swarmed them. Each started to talk over each other.

"Our Volairs Faction is one of the biggest factions in Area 1. We can provide excel…"

"My Denomph Guild is bigger than any stupid Volairs faction! Our resources are among the top 100 in the entire are…"

"Come over to Handells, we're a tight knit group of elites that,"

"Aren't you just trying to glamorize your tiny team? What elites, our elites are much bet.."

"Stop spouting bullshit! Those leeches are called elites now? Hmph, there are no idiots here, no need to puff yourself u..."

It didn't take long before it descended into an all out argument between competing factions.

Boasts were declared loudly, accusations about other factions were thrown out left and right, and one could scarcely complete a single sentence without being rudely interrupted by his companions.

It was an all out war of words between competing interests.

Julia, Jeremy, Elliott, and the young woman were simply stuck in between.

But before it could devolve into pure chaos, with spittle flying from mouths, a sonorous voice echoed throughout the hallway.

"I understand that you are all excited, but please give these young challengers some space."

The words were not particularly loud, nor did the voice carry much rebuke. On the contrary, it sounded rather accommodating.

Yet, hearing this voice, the chatter instantly halted.

The men and women who were fiercely declaiming each others' factions with red faces mere moments earlier suddenly shrunk back meekly and avoided each others' eyes.

The speaker was a mature looking man who fell just shy of using the word 'old' as a descriptor.

He was dressed in black robes flecked with a red insignia on his right lapel, and carried a black staff in his hands that doubled as a walking stick, not that he needed it.

His presence was commanding.

Otto was able to make out a brilliant white ring on his fingers.

'Spatial storage ring.'

All the people stationed here could be considered 'big shots' of Area 1 as a whole.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be waiting outside the room for challengers who had passed the [Extreme] difficulty.

But this man was a big shot among the big shots.

At his beckon, the seven other men who were initially standing in the front lines of the crowd as the challengers approached the barrier stood out from their positions.

They advanced on the four valued challengers at a leisurely pace.

Yet it was also at this moment that another voice spoke. Where the other man sounded commanding, this voice was light and airy.

One could make out the barest hint of concern in his tone.

"Julia, Elliott, Jeremy, come here."

The three of them sounded like they were waiting for his call.

And like dogs to a bone, all three quickly ran over to Otto amidst the astonishment of the recruiters.

Even the man with the staff looked slightly taken aback for a second.

His eyes narrowed as calculations ran through his head.

Then, his gaze landed on Otto's ring.

The spatial storage ring that functioned as a unique identifier of Area 1's uppermost echelon.

His expression instantly appeared more respectful, though there was no hint of subservience or obeisance in his gaze.

Even when his face was stern, this 'old' man naturally gave people a good feeling.

Otto surprisingly also knew who this man was.

He was rather shocked that even someone of his caliber had appeared here.

Before he could ponder any further, Otto felt a wave of discomfort wash over him.

It felt like microscopic probes had attached themselves to his limbs, wanting to dig out all of the information written on his bones.

Otto's expression didn't change.

He calmly used his mana to weave a tight net around him to block the tendrils.

This kind of spell lacked both damaging force and malicious intent, so the safe zone wouldn't stop it from hitting Otto, just as it wouldn't stop Otto from using his own spell [Analyze].

Otto shot a smile in the direction of the man with the staff.

The man sized Otto up for a second before he lowered his head slightly.

It was a rare feat for him.

The seven others surrounding him gaped in shock.

The man's tone sounded sincere.

"I apologize for the lack of respect my own actions accorded you."

Otto looked up and scrutinized the man as he continued to speak.

The man looked right into Otto's eyes

"I mean you no harm."

In the past, Otto had only known of this person; the only reason he had recognized him at all was due to the insignia on his chest.

A red lion holding a sword.

There was only one major force this insignia could possibly represent.

The Shumba Faction.