After another uneventful tunnel stroll, we eventually spot a bigger opening in the fire-illuminated distance.


    Nexen informs, “This could be it.” And then nods at me.


    I slink down the tunnel and survey where the opening leads to. I lower myself to the ground as I hear the shuffling of numerous bony feet. In a very slow pace, I go in a little deeper and confirm that there are a number of warriors mixed in. With the intel collected, I carefully make my way back.


    “Whole lotta skeletons. Did not see anything that looks like a boss.”


    “Ery, buffs. If it’s not the Boss, it is still a big encounter. We have time to recover. Throw in one of your openers and hang back. Together with Lucius, handle any remaining enemies. If there is no boss, I’ll join you. If the boss is there, I’ll engage, and you’ll join me when you are finished.”


    Erysis closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Light starts to crystalize in stringy clumps around her. She brings her hands down, palms facing the ground and her fingers slightly intertwined, the clumps start to unravel. Each taut string is pulled into her hands making them glow brighter and brighter. After the light is fully contained, she clasps her hands and mutters under her breath, “Might”. A meandering sphere of iridescence starts growing out of her and envelopes all three of us. I do not feel any changes to my shell.


    She shakes off whatever uncomfortableness casting the spell brought and brings her hands together again. This time, her palms are cupping each other, she squeezes against some unseeable force until it seems to buckle all at once and her hands close. A familiar glassy shimmer appears on the surface of our bodies. I gently tap my forearm with my fist, but my hand just passes through the barrier. Now this is some— Ahem.


    With that done, she takes out and drinks her mana potion. The crystal-clear liquid goes down her throat and just disappears on the way to her stomach. I make a deep internal sigh. After she is finished, I pass her my own.


    “I ain’t one for flashy spells.” She is apprehensive but recalls my fighting style, and after a moment of contemplation, smiles gratefully, taking the potion.


    Nexen commands, “Engage.”


    Me and Nexen position on Erysis’ sides, leaving her a clean line of fire. She turns her body to the side, right hand forward, left leg bracing. She conjures a searing crescent of fire, big enough to lick both sides of the tunnel. A thunderous clap drowns out her voice as she shouts the word ‘Reap’. The crescent propels forward and starts growing, digging further into the rock. It exits the opening with the crash of debris and expands freely inside the arena. From then, it follows its namesake and culls the horde of undead.


    As we are running to battle, a giant arrow pierces the newly reformed shroud of darkness and heads towards my head. I lift my blade and subtly change its trajectory by letting it slide over the steel, gently nudging it outward. The arrow safely whistles by me and continues down the tunnel, eventually embedding into a wall. Might have overdone it with that one. Hall Master Ren’s concealed form had not moved, having full confidence in the barrier Erysis cast, but after my stunt he did a little shake. Excitement? I sense a spar in my future.


    The other two are stunned at the display, momentarily halting their charge, so I kick them into gear, “Archer!” With my shout as the catalyst, they rush into action once again.


    We move into the cavern, and Erysis promptly lights the space. I see an arrow heading towards her and batter the front with the face of my sword. The metal head is shattered into a rain of fragments, sent towards the ceiling. Ah, ‘Might’ makes sense then. She does not freeze this time, instead, sending a fireball back. I start taking out the remaining skeletons, prioritizing the closer ones while she removes the more distant foes.


    The boss is finally revealed, marked by the still glowing site of Erysis’ counterattack. An armored monstrosity, towering over every enemy we have faced thus far. It carries a bow almost as tall as itself, and on its back is swung a quiver of arrows. An uncharacteristically steady hand reaches back, grabs another arrow, notches it, and starts pulling back the string. The wood of the ancient looking bow pops and crackles, threatening to snap from the mighty draw, but the apex is reached, and the arrow is let loose.


    The target is Nexen, running towards the archer. The arrow strikes him square in the chest. The only indication that something happened is the cloud of broken metal and splintered wood that puffs out from the impact point. In the next moment, he has reached the boss and rears back for a punch. The skeleton tries to dodge with agility greatly surpassing its inferior soldiers but still comes out inadequate.


    I expect a crumpling blow to send the giant to the ground, but instead, a confusingly soft tap of metal-on-metal echoes out in the cavern, immediately drowned out by the noises of fire and steel. We quickly finish up the remaining enemies, taking no longer than ten seconds. During that time, six more taps sound out. We start to turn towards the boss, ready to combine our efforts, but we only get to see Nexen jump back. The boss stops with a jerky shiver, in the next moment, its armor implodes, like an invisible fist has just crushed it in a fit of rage.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If they weren’t able to handle a boss this easily, they wouldn’t have even been accepted as trainees. Raw power has already been confirmed, what needed to be checked next was if they could perform in a real scenario. When every single thing matters.


    I quickly survey the area and shout, “Clear!”


    Taking that as a signal, the hall master dismisses his stealth. “The test has now concluded. Please collect any crystals and head to the portal.” The moment the boss fell, another portal opened back up. Theorized as a defense mechanism, a final gamble to protect the core.


    Nexen tears apart the crumpled remains of the archer and grabs a smooth dull gem. Erysis and I go around and grab the occasional jagged one we can find. With the bounty stuffed in various pockets we head to the gate and step through. Hall Master Ren is the last one out this time.


    We appear back in the same secret room, and after another teleport, we are at the Guild Hall.


    As we take off our armor, a sizeable pile of crystals starts forming on one of the work benches in the armory.


    “Would you like for the Guild to take care of these, or will you handle them privately?” Something I quite admire about how the Guild is structured. They could have a total monopoly on the vital crystals if they wanted to. Instead, the Guild offers each adventurer a choice, they can do whatever they want with their loot, or the Guild can buy it out. The big incentive is, when going through the Guild you don’t need to pay any income tax, and you can just liquidate, no hassle. Running some quick calculations on past transactions reveals that by solely utilizing the Guild the average adventurer will increase their total remuneration by a staggering ten to twenty percent. And don’t get me started on the overreaching effects this has on the economy as a whole: stability, lower inflation index, lower commodity prices due to— I am going to stop myself there.


    Erysis asks, “Is using the Guild okay, Lucius?” I nod, and she presents her first drop, held between her thumb and index finger. “I’ll just keep this one.”


    “A marvelous memento,” the hall master compliments and collects the rest of the mana crystal in his storage. “I’ll add these to your accounts.”


    We are then led to a private room. There is a table, piled with various refreshments and filling snacks. We are given some time to unwind.


    I crash down on a couch, and after gulping down a glass of cold water ask, “You think we passed?”


    Erysis huffs and also takes a seat. “Obviously, we made no mistakes and completed the objective.” Nexen nods in agreement and joins her.


    I fill up my glass again. “No snacks for me then, gotta keep room.”


    We are talking about what food Nexen’s dad specializes in, when the hall master returns.


    “Congratulations everyone, you have passed the Party License Exam.” He pulls out two freshly made cards. “Erysis, Nexen, you are now F-rank adventurers.” He gives each their new card and collects their old ones. “Lucius, you are permitted to take the Solo License Exam.”


    We all express our thanks.


    He takes out a notepad, the cover is a vibrant cornucopia of local fruit. “I will now give you your feedback. A fully detailed report will be mailed to you in the next three days.”


    Erysis looks tense while Nexen appears almost nonchalant. I can tell they are equally nervous. My character walks the edge of looking calm and panic.


    “Erysis, Nexen, you were too slow in evaluating the parameters of the test. Listen, analyze, take into account every angle. Lucius, your instincts lead you down the right path this time, but you cannot rely only on that. Same advice, a smart adventurer is an alive one.” He flips to the next page. “Your battle strategies were acceptable. Erysis and Nexen adapted well to having a new unfamiliar member. That is a good quality to have. There will be many instances where you will work in larger groups. Lucius integrated seamlessly.” Next page. “Risk taking was on the threshold. I can somewhat understand, as the environment was known beforehand, but that does not mean there can’t be nasty surprises hidden within. Do not take the dungeon you just delved as the norm. All three of you should exercise much more caution when approaching uncertain scenarios.” The final page. “Individual powers were exemplary. I have no doubt that you will surpass F-rank soon enough.” He looks each one of us in the eyes. “You may be strong, but there is always something stronger. Do not get overconfident.” He flips the notepad closed and stashes it in his pocket. “That might have sounded harsh, but you already know, a single mistake can cost you your life.” There is pain behind his eyes. That is a lesson he has seen learned many times. A change of topic, “Lucius, when would you like to schedule your solo exam for?”


    “Is tomorrow okay, Hall Master?” I scratch the back of my head.


    He chuckles, politely covering his mouth. “That is acceptable. Please be at the hall by two o’clock in the afternoon.” I am having doubts. Does he have a twin brother? Or is this one of those multiple personalities trope?


    With that done, he leads us back to the lobby, “If you have any questions, remember to ask the attendants, always be prepared.” As we bid our goodbyes and start to head out, he adds, “Lucius, are you available for just a moment.” I wave the others off, and they settle to wait for me outside.


    “Yes, Hall Master?”


    “Neat trick you did there, you holdin’ out on me?”


    I am a paragon of innocence. “Of course not, Hall Master.” He rewards my performance with a series of slaps to my shoulder.


    “Sure, sure. After you get your license, you owe me another spar, you hear!”


    “Yes, sir!” I can indulge. Plus, I still feel bad about abandoning him in his time of need. If I can be a shining ray amidst the dark and stormy clouds of bureaucracy, how could I ever say no.


    “Good man. Now go celebrate with your new pals!” He gives me a wink and waves me goodbye.


    As I come out of the building, I see Erysis and Nexen hugging, she is twirling him around. Nexen looks resigned but that is overshadowed by the happiness in his small smile.


    “Having fun?”


    She freezes, and judging by the pained expression on Nexen’s face, tightens her grip. It’s not like the streets are empty. We finished the test in around five hours, it’s still the afternoon.


    She finally releases him and tries to salvage the situation, “Yes we are, thank you.” Slightly flushed cheeks—not from exertion—make that hard.


    “Still up for that celebration?”


    Nexen speaks up this time, “Of course, come on.” He motions for me to join them and adds, “I am sure you’ll love my dad’s cooking.”


    “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great, but I prefer yours, Nex.”


    It’s Nexen’s turn to blush. “Maybe I’ll whip something up too.” I don’t even need to eat, and I am already full.