Chapter 43: Chapter 43 - Qualifying Exam(Part 1)

I can hear people murmuring behind me...ugh, what a pain. From what I know, there’s no age limit to become an Adventurer, not officially, anyway. It’s rare, but not unheard of for children to register.

"U-uh...are you being serious?" Responded the receptionist uncertainly, looking kinda bemused.

She was about average height with a slender build and attractive curves, had dark brown hair with bangs that covered her forehead, light red eyes, and looked like she was about in her early-twenties or so. She’s totally my type.

"Yeah, I am. So, what do I have to do to become one?" I asked her.

"Well, uh-...ahem, we conduct a simple exam in order to determine whether a candidate is eligible or not. There are two options for the exam, which you can choose...the first, is to complete a series of quests, and depending on the results, you will be assigned an appropriate rank.

The second option is to duel active Adventurers one on one, with each opponent being of a higher rank than the previous one. How many you manage to defeat will determine your starting rank.

Now, most people choose option one, as it is much easier, at least when starting at a low initial rank, so-...," She began to elaborate.

"But option two is faster, right?" I surmised as I interrupted her.

"Huh? Er, well, yes, but...you have a significantly higher chance of passing if you go for the quests instead," She replied in bemusement.

"That’s fine. I’ll go with option two. So, who will I have to duel?" I inquired with a smile.

"Oh, uh...please, take a seat, I’ll be with you shortly," She responded, as she gestured to a nearby table.

"Sure, thanks. Take your time," I nodded politely, as I headed for the table and sat down on a chair.

As the receptionist left, I let out a quiet sigh of exasperation as I heard several footsteps approaching me.

"Hey, kid, if you know what’s good for you, you had best walk away from here," One of them warned me, as four guys surrounded me.

Just great, typical busybodies who waste no time in trying to intimidate newbies, what a pain this is... 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Oh, thanks for the advice, but I’m fine right here," I smiled in response...I should avoid causing problems, so I’ll play nice.

"Hah, let him learn the hard way. Listen up, brat, being an Adventurer isn’t all fun and games, you gotta put your life on the line. So don’t mock us, I bet this was just some impulse decision, eh?" Another of them remarked, as he towered over me, probably trying to look intimidating.

Man, what a cliché, what’s with these guys? Don’t they have anything better to do? I’d like to shut them up, but now’s probably not a good time to cause a commotion.

"Oh, nothing of the sort. I have my reasons," I shrugged in response.

Playing nice is getting harder, these guys are annoying me.

"Hmph, don’t say we didn’t warn you," Scoffed one of them, before they walked away.

Huh? That’s it? I thought they were gonna be buzzing around for longer than they did...hm, come to think of it, they didn’t really insult me or anything. Wait, were they just genuinely warning me that being an Adventurer is dangerous?

Oops, my bad, guess I stereotyped them. Well, whatever, they were still kinda rude, so it’s fine. I then glanced up as the hot receptionist I spoke to returned, looking around before spotting me and walking over.

"Follow me, we’ll begin your exam shortly if you have no objections," She remarked, as I followed after her.

"None at all, I’m ready," I stated affirmatively.

"Okay, then. Your first opponent will be a Bronze Adventurer, the lowest rank. If you win, you’ll have qualified for a Bronze rank yourself, and you’ll then face a Silver Adventurer. If you win, your next opponent will be Gold, then Platinum, and finally, Diamond. Well, not that you’ll-...ahem, I mean, best of luck," She smiled politely.

Well, now, it looks like she’s convinced that I’m gonna flunk this. That’s fine, I’ll just have to look forward to proving her wrong.

"Thank you very much," I responded with a smile of my own.

"Wait here a minute, I’ll fetch a Bronze ranked Adventurer for you to duel right away," She remarked, before leaving as I sat down.

I wonder what kind of opponent I’ll be facing? I should keep my guard up and be cautious about this, don’t want to fail due to a careless mistake. Let’s see, Lycia was a Diamond ranked Adventurer in her prime, right?

Considering her skill level when she trained me, while being out of practice, I’d say I’m still not strong enough to match her. Let’s say her abilities were at Gold rank when she trained me...in which case, I should be able to handle someone at the Bronze rank without much trouble.

But I shouldn’t be too presumptuous. Let’s face it, I’m better at sneak attacks and taking opponent’s by surprise than fighting them head on. Duralles, his older children, all the Knights that pursued me, and not to mention Aries Velenet...all of them would likely have defeated me in a head-on battle.

The element of surprise, the fact that they didn’t know the extent of what I was capable of to even a small degree, that’s the main reason why I came out on top in those encounters. But things could easily have gone differently...

"Sorry for the wait, we’re ready to start your exam," Came the receptionist’s voice, as the door opened and she walked in with one of the Adventurers who had warned me earlier.

Wait, this guy’s only a Bronze rank? Alright, then, I’ll show him that his warning was entirely unnecessary. He was bald, with a scar on the top of his head, had orange eyes with grey eyebrows and a thick mustache.

"Alright, I’m ready," I remarked, as I got onto my feet.

"Please sign this first. In case of injury, the guild will bear no responsibility, and if you fail the exam, you will not be able to attempt it again for three months," She informed me, as she handed me a sheet of paper and a pen.

"Sure, that’s fine by me," I nodded in response, as I signed it.

"Very well, then. Right this way," She replied, as she headed for a door at the back of the room and opened it, revealing a staircase heading down.

A basement? I felt my blood run cold and my chest starting to pound as she began to walk down the stairs, a chill running across my body. Damn it, does it have to be a basement, of all places?

I snapped out of it and followed after her as my opponent began to do the same, quietly taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. Relax, it’s not a big deal, it just happens to be a basement, it’s just an underground room.

Calm down, calm the fuck down, damn it! I better not flunk this thing because of something like trauma, I need to prove to myself that I’m over it, that I’m no longer restrained by my time locked up in that damned basement.

I...I can do this. Just chill the fuck out, I’m miles away from the capital. I found myself holding my breath without even realizing it as we got to the bottom of the stairs, before my eyes widened in surprise.

Woah...this isn’t at all like what I was picturing, and dreading. It’s a massive, vast space with a high ceiling, with several large boulders and rock formations spread out across the area. I could feel my fear and anxiety melting away...this looks nothing like a typical basement, so it isn’t bothering me.

"The rules are simple. The two of you will be enclosed in a special barrier. There will be no time limit, the objective is to land a fatal blow. Right before impact, the barrier will create a wall between the attack and the target, signaling the end of the exam.

However, the barrier will not respond to attacks that do not inflict fatal damage, so the risk of getting severe injuries is quite high. Any questions?" The receptionist asked me.

"Yeah, just one. It’s about starting positions, where exactly will we be placed at the beginning of the exam?" I inquired curiously.

"Your opponent will head in first and choose a spot to wait in, after which, you’ll do the same. You may choose to hide or stand out in the open, it’s upto you. Is there anything else?" She responded, as she took out some strange looking devices.

Those must be Magic Items for the barrier, huh?

"Nope, no more questions."

"Very well, then."

With the rules clarified, my opponent headed in first, making a beeline for the center of the area and standing out in the open. Is he that confident, or maybe it’s the only way he knows to fight? Either way, I’ve already decided on my approach.

Once he was in position, I headed in too after the receptionist informed me that the starting signal would be the activation of the barrier.

I made my way through the area, slipping behind some rock formations and staying out of sight while going deeper in. I was afraid that this duel was going to take place out in the open, being a test of pure, direct combat skill. But this is much better, I can definitely work with this.

A blue hue then appeared above and spread out, engulfing the area as it formed in a dome shape. Guess it’s time to start. I then brought out my Soul Weapon and activated Super Hearing to locate my opponent, before quietly sneaking over as I heard the sound of his footsteps.

But I didn’t need to do so, because it wasn’t long before...

"You can’t stay hiding forever, kid, show yourself! Take the chance to give up while you still can, and you won’t have to get hurt!" He called out, as I peered out from behind a boulder and caught sight of him.

Uh, isn’t this kinda careless, even if he is underestimating me? Unless it’s a trap to lure me out and he’s got something up his sleeve? Hm, in that case, I won’t fall for his taunts.

"Well, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. Now, Initiate Skill: Body Double!" He exclaimed, a Magic Cirlce appearing next to him before an identical copy of him formed, "It’s only a matter of time before I find you!"

Hm, not a bad Skill, the power to create a clone of yourself. But a single clone isn’t much to be afraid of, as I’m about to prove to him. Well, unless this is a trap, but I can’t exactly do nothing. Might as well see for myself.

I took aim at the clone with my whip as I stiffened it up, before rapidly extending it out towards him as I locked on, the whip piercing through the clone’s head before I swiftly retracted it back and raced across while staying out of sight.

"What the-...!? What happened?" The Adventurer exclaimed in alarm, as his clone hit the ground with a thud and vanished with a mist.

Uh...it wasn’t a trap, after all? Huh. This might be easier than I thought...

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