Chapter 18: Rank Up Exam.
As Zeke approached the guild, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. The guild was a large and imposing building, with tall marble columns and a grand entrance that seemed to invite adventurers from all over the land.
Once inside, he looked around, taking in the sights and sounds of the guild. The branch in the capital always had more Elementium students than regular adventurers, most of them nobles. Zeke grew up as a commoner, born into a poor family, and had always felt out of place among the noble students at the academy. He had no interest in making friends with any of them anymore, and after the particularly unpleasant encounter with Samuel in his blood magic class, he had resolved to avoid the other students as much as possible.
As he was searching for a free receptionist, he saw a group of older students, dressed in their finest robes, gathered around a large table at the bar. They were laughing and joking, and some of them had tankards of ale in their hands.
To his right, he saw several groups of students, huddled around the notice board, scanning the various missions and requests posted there. They were whispering to each other, clearly discussing which mission to take on. Most of these students looked older than Zeke, but there were some people that looked like they could also be first year students, like him.
As he made his way deeper into the guild, he noticed other students, some training in the sparring ring, and others practicing their spells in the training area, but most of them were looking for a mission.
Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that people were watching him, glancing his way just often enough to make him feel uneasy. He knew that it was probably just his imagination, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he looked around the Adventurers Guild.
He tried to push those feelings aside as he approached the receptionist, a friendly young woman with a bright smile. He pulled out the letter for his rank-up exam, the one he received in the Academy, and handed it to her. The receptionist read it over and then looked up at him.
He noticed a look of surprise on her face, as if she wasn't expecting him to be there, or maybe it was because he was so young. But she quickly regained her professional demeanor and explained to him the schedule and details of the exam. "To rank up from copper to bronze," she said, "It is necessary to hunt one of the monsters listed as bronze level threats."
Zeke's eyes scanned the list, taking in the many options available to him. He knew that only a few of those monsters lived around the capital, so he had to choose carefully. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the power of his blood magic. He enhanced his brain and eyes with a quick spell, speeding up the process and allowing him to read the list faster.
As he scanned the list, he spotted an entry that caught his eye, a quest that he had seen a couple of days ago. He asked the receptionist if the quest was still open, and she nodded. Without hesitation, Zeke knew that this was the monster he needed to hunt. He looked up and met her gaze, "I have decided," he said, pointing to the entry. "I would like to take on the respective quest."
The receptionist looked at him with a hint of surprise on her face. She must have been surprised that it took him only a few seconds to scan a list with dozens of entries, she probably thought he picked one at random. The receptionist nodded and handed him the quest details. "This is a dangerous task," she warned him. "The monster you've chosen is considered dangerous even among bronze level threats, which means it's powerful and won't be easy to take down. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Zeke didn't hesitate. "I'm sure," he replied confidently. He knew the risks and was prepared to face them. He had been training hard and had gained experience by hunting monsters alone. He was ready for this challenge.
The receptionist smiled and wished him luck. Zeke was just about to leave the Adventurers Guild, his mind focused on the upcoming hunt and the details of the quest he had just accepted. He had been lost in thought and didn't notice the figure that stepped in his path, blocking his exit.
He attempted to step around the person, but they moved with him, their presence becoming increasingly imposing as they blocked his way. Zeke realized that the person was blocking him on purpose, and he looked up to see who it was. Zeke looked up to see a face he had not expected to see again, Martin, his old rival from his hometown. Martin had always been envious of Zeke's perceived potential as a mage on grounds of his crimson hair, and had therefore done everything in his power to make Zeke's life difficult, including spreading rumors and lies to tarnish his reputation. Zeke had hoped that they would leave all of that behind, when they left their hometown to attend Elementium.
But now, here was Martin, standing in front of him, with a smirk on his face, looking as arrogant as ever. Next to him stood Andreas, one of Martin's cronies from their hometown, the only one who had been able to attend the academy with them. On Martin's other side were two young men, also around Zeke's age, who exuded an air of arrogance and entitlement, from their fine clothing and sneering expressions, they were probably noble students.
Zeke's first thought was to walk away and ignore them, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, he didn't understand why Martin and his group were here and why they were blocking his way.
Martin, noticing that Zeke had recognized him and his group, stepped forward with a mock bow, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Ezekiel, the cripple mage. Imagine my surprise when I saw you here, I thought you would have given up by now and went back to that lowly village. It seems like I was wrong."
Zeke knew that Martin was trying to provoke him, but he refused to be baited. He squared his shoulders and looked Martin directly in the eye, "I have nothing to say to you, Martin. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a quest to complete."
Martin sneered, "I see that you haven't changed, still thinking you're better than you are. But you should know that we are not here by coincidence. We heard that you have a rank-up exam and wanted to see if you might need some help with your quest." Zeke almost laughed in Martin's face at the suggestion of going on a quest together. The thought of working with his old rival, who had always worked against him, was preposterous.
He knew that he would have to be more afraid of Martin stabbing him in the back than any bronze rank monster he might encounter on the quest. He shook his head and looked at Martin, "I appreciate the offer, but there's no need for your help." He started to walk away, not wanting to waste any more time on this conversation.
Martin grabbed him by the arm, his grip tight and threatening. He raised his voice, so that everyone in the guild could hear, "I came here to help you, and you're just going to reject me like this? You should be honored that I'm offering my assistance." Martin was putting on a show, trying to make it seem as if he was hurt and offended by Zeke's rejection, but Zeke could see through the facade.
"You are not here to help, you are here to cause trouble. I don't need your help and I don't want it either," Zeke said, his voice calm but firm, making sure that the people around can hear him.
Martin's grip on Zeke's arm tightened further, trying to intimidate him, but Zeke didn't flinch. Zeke's body had been improved even further since he evolved his blood core, so Martin's grip felt to Zeke more like a newborn trying to grab a finger for the first time. He stared Martin down, unflinching and unafraid. Martin finally let go of his arm with a sneer, "You'll regret this, commoner. I, Martin Feuerkranz, hereby challenge you to a duel."
Zeke was surprised when Martin referred to himself as a member of the Feuerkranz family, one of the most powerful and respected mage families in the empire, known for their exceptional fire mages. Martin had never shown any particularly strong talent for fire magic, in fact, his affinity for fire was only average. So how could a mage with a common affinity like Martin have been adopted by the Feuerkranz family?
The second thing that Zeke noticed was the way Martin had referred to him as a "commoner." This was strange, as Zeke himself had been adopted by the von Hohenheim family. He had never felt the need to announce it, but he was surprised that Martin didn't know about it and that it wasn't common knowledge.
Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, he knew that Martin had always disliked him, but now it seemed like Martin was hiding something, and it made him wonder about the true reason why Martin was here and what his true intentions were. He knew that he had to be careful around Martin.
Zeke thought for a moment, contemplating his next move. He realized that this could be a valuable opportunity for him. He had come a long way since his days in the village, and he had grown a lot stronger, both as a mage and as a person.
So, to everyone's surprise, Zeke smiled at Martin and simply said, "I accept." Martin's expression turned to one of shock, it was clear that he had not expected this response. He must have had several ways to threaten or force Zeke into accepting the duel, but all of them had proven useless now.
Martin had no way of knowing about Zeke's improvements over the past weeks, how much he had grown since his days in the village. Zeke had advanced from apprentice to a full mage in his blood magic, and his Space magic was coming along as well. He had hunted monsters solo, and had grown much more confident, and he was ready to show the people that he had teeth as well.
Zeke was not one to back down from a challenge, and he was not going to let Martin or anyone else walk all over him. He knew that this duel was a good opportunity for him to prove himself, to show the people that he is a powerful mage and worthy of respect. He had put in a lot of hard work and effort to get here, and he was not going to let Martin's taunts or threats stop him from achieving his goals.
He looked Martin directly in the eyes, his expression determined, "I have accepted your challenge, Martin, and I will show you what happens to brats like you when they try to bite off more than they can chew." Zeke walked out the door of the adventurer's guild with a sense of purpose. As he stepped outside, he called out casually over his shoulder, "The duel will be held one week from now, in the first year arena, during lunch break." He continued walking away, leaving a confused and shocked Martin rooted in place.
Martin looked around at his cronies, who were all staring back at him, equally confused by what had just happened. Andreas was the only one who had a frown on his face, and he looked at Martin, "Something seems fishy about this," he said.
Martin's agitation was clear, he had not expected Zeke to agree to the duel so easily, he was expecting resistance. And now, with the added pressure of the timeframe and location, Martin was feeling the pressure mounting. He took his frustration out on Andreas, "Shut the fuck up," he spat, his voice filled with anger.
Martin's cronies exchanged glances, they knew that their leader was not thinking clearly. Martin had always been envious of Zeke, and they knew that this had become a personal vendetta for him. Andreas knew that this was not a good sign, he had a bad feeling that something was off, and that Martin had walked into a trap.
Martin, on the other hand, was too focused on his anger and his need to prove himself to pay attention to the warnings of his friend. He was convinced that he had the upper hand, and he had not even considered the possibility of defeat, not even for a second.
Zeke was already on the trail of his target an hour after leaving the adventurer's guild. He was sneaking through a narrow chasm south of the capital, stalking his prey. His chosen quest was to hunt an ogre, a powerful and dangerous creature that many mages feared to take on.
As he crept through the chasm, Zeke's eyes were trained on the ground, searching for footprints. He knew that the ogre he was hunting was big, much larger than a goblin, with grayish-green skin and a massive amount of muscle. But the biggest problem when fighting an ogre was its thick skin, which was almost immune to lower level magic spells and resistant to cutting weapons.
As he made his way deeper into the chasm, Zeke's senses were on high alert. He knew that the ogre was dangerous and that one mistake could mean the end for him. Zeke's training and focus paid off, he found the ogre's lair, it had been cleverly hidden, but Zeke could smell the stench of the beast from a mile away. He carefully approached the lair, trying to stay out of the ogre's line of sight. He knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for, it was time to take down the beast and claim his spot among the ranks of the bronze level adventurers.
Before doing anything, Zeke investigated the footprints on the ground, making sure the ogre was alone. After being satisfied with his findings, he started to enact his plan, instead of going in, Zeke picked up a rock and threw it into the cave. He repeated this for around three times, listening carefully for any sounds coming from within.
It wasn't long before his efforts paid off, as he heard a loud bellow coming out of the cave. Zeke knew that the ogre had been roused, and he was ready for a fight. His heart was racing, but his mind was clear, he had trained for this moment, and he was confident in his abilities. He knew that this would be a difficult fight, but he was ready for it. With a deep breath, he calmed the beating of his heart and brought his body into perfect fighting condition using his blood magic. He stepped towards the cave entrance, ready to face the beast head-on.
Chapter 18: Rank Up Exam.
As Zeke approached the guild, he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. The guild was a large and imposing building, with tall marble columns and a grand entrance that seemed to invite adventurers from all over the land.
Once inside, he looked around, taking in the sights and sounds of the guild. The branch in the capital always had more Elementium students than regular adventurers, most of them nobles. Zeke grew up as a commoner, born into a poor family, and had always felt out of place among the noble students at the academy. He had no interest in making friends with any of them anymore, and after the particularly unpleasant encounter with Samuel in his blood magic class, he had resolved to avoid the other students as much as possible.
As he was searching for a free receptionist, he saw a group of older students, dressed in their finest robes, gathered around a large table at the bar. They were laughing and joking, and some of them had tankards of ale in their hands.
To his right, he saw several groups of students, huddled around the notice board, scanning the various missions and requests posted there. They were whispering to each other, clearly discussing which mission to take on. Most of these students looked older than Zeke, but there were some people that looked like they could also be first year students, like him.
As he made his way deeper into the guild, he noticed other students, some training in the sparring ring, and others practicing their spells in the training area, but most of them were looking for a mission.
Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that people were watching him, glancing his way just often enough to make him feel uneasy. He knew that it was probably just his imagination, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he looked around the Adventurers Guild.
He tried to push those feelings aside as he approached the receptionist, a friendly young woman with a bright smile. He pulled out the letter for his rank-up exam, the one he received in the Academy, and handed it to her. The receptionist read it over and then looked up at him.
He noticed a look of surprise on her face, as if she wasn't expecting him to be there, or maybe it was because he was so young. But she quickly regained her professional demeanor and explained to him the schedule and details of the exam. "To rank up from copper to bronze," she said, "It is necessary to hunt one of the monsters listed as bronze level threats."
Zeke's eyes scanned the list, taking in the many options available to him. He knew that only a few of those monsters lived around the capital, so he had to choose carefully. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the power of his blood magic. He enhanced his brain and eyes with a quick spell, speeding up the process and allowing him to read the list faster.
As he scanned the list, he spotted an entry that caught his eye, a quest that he had seen a couple of days ago. He asked the receptionist if the quest was still open, and she nodded. Without hesitation, Zeke knew that this was the monster he needed to hunt. He looked up and met her gaze, "I have decided," he said, pointing to the entry. "I would like to take on the respective quest."
The receptionist looked at him with a hint of surprise on her face. She must have been surprised that it took him only a few seconds to scan a list with dozens of entries, she probably thought he picked one at random. The receptionist nodded and handed him the quest details. "This is a dangerous task," she warned him. "The monster you've chosen is considered dangerous even among bronze level threats, which means it's powerful and won't be easy to take down. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Zeke didn't hesitate. "I'm sure," he replied confidently. He knew the risks and was prepared to face them. He had been training hard and had gained experience by hunting monsters alone. He was ready for this challenge.
The receptionist smiled and wished him luck. Zeke was just about to leave the Adventurers Guild, his mind focused on the upcoming hunt and the details of the quest he had just accepted. He had been lost in thought and didn't notice the figure that stepped in his path, blocking his exit.
He attempted to step around the person, but they moved with him, their presence becoming increasingly imposing as they blocked his way. Zeke realized that the person was blocking him on purpose, and he looked up to see who it was. Zeke looked up to see a face he had not expected to see again, Martin, his old rival from his hometown. Martin had always been envious of Zeke's perceived potential as a mage on grounds of his crimson hair, and had therefore done everything in his power to make Zeke's life difficult, including spreading rumors and lies to tarnish his reputation. Zeke had hoped that they would leave all of that behind, when they left their hometown to attend Elementium.
But now, here was Martin, standing in front of him, with a smirk on his face, looking as arrogant as ever. Next to him stood Andreas, one of Martin's cronies from their hometown, the only one who had been able to attend the academy with them. On Martin's other side were two young men, also around Zeke's age, who exuded an air of arrogance and entitlement, from their fine clothing and sneering expressions, they were probably noble students.
Zeke's first thought was to walk away and ignore them, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, he didn't understand why Martin and his group were here and why they were blocking his way.
Martin, noticing that Zeke had recognized him and his group, stepped forward with a mock bow, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Ezekiel, the cripple mage. Imagine my surprise when I saw you here, I thought you would have given up by now and went back to that lowly village. It seems like I was wrong."
Zeke knew that Martin was trying to provoke him, but he refused to be baited. He squared his shoulders and looked Martin directly in the eye, "I have nothing to say to you, Martin. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a quest to complete."
Martin sneered, "I see that you haven't changed, still thinking you're better than you are. But you should know that we are not here by coincidence. We heard that you have a rank-up exam and wanted to see if you might need some help with your quest." Zeke almost laughed in Martin's face at the suggestion of going on a quest together. The thought of working with his old rival, who had always worked against him, was preposterous.
He knew that he would have to be more afraid of Martin stabbing him in the back than any bronze rank monster he might encounter on the quest. He shook his head and looked at Martin, "I appreciate the offer, but there's no need for your help." He started to walk away, not wanting to waste any more time on this conversation.
Martin grabbed him by the arm, his grip tight and threatening. He raised his voice, so that everyone in the guild could hear, "I came here to help you, and you're just going to reject me like this? You should be honored that I'm offering my assistance." Martin was putting on a show, trying to make it seem as if he was hurt and offended by Zeke's rejection, but Zeke could see through the facade.
"You are not here to help, you are here to cause trouble. I don't need your help and I don't want it either," Zeke said, his voice calm but firm, making sure that the people around can hear him.
Martin's grip on Zeke's arm tightened further, trying to intimidate him, but Zeke didn't flinch. Zeke's body had been improved even further since he evolved his blood core, so Martin's grip felt to Zeke more like a newborn trying to grab a finger for the first time. He stared Martin down, unflinching and unafraid. Martin finally let go of his arm with a sneer, "You'll regret this, commoner. I, Martin Feuerkranz, hereby challenge you to a duel."
Zeke was surprised when Martin referred to himself as a member of the Feuerkranz family, one of the most powerful and respected mage families in the empire, known for their exceptional fire mages. Martin had never shown any particularly strong talent for fire magic, in fact, his affinity for fire was only average. So how could a mage with a common affinity like Martin have been adopted by the Feuerkranz family?
The second thing that Zeke noticed was the way Martin had referred to him as a "commoner." This was strange, as Zeke himself had been adopted by the von Hohenheim family. He had never felt the need to announce it, but he was surprised that Martin didn't know about it and that it wasn't common knowledge.
Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, he knew that Martin had always disliked him, but now it seemed like Martin was hiding something, and it made him wonder about the true reason why Martin was here and what his true intentions were. He knew that he had to be careful around Martin.
Zeke thought for a moment, contemplating his next move. He realized that this could be a valuable opportunity for him. He had come a long way since his days in the village, and he had grown a lot stronger, both as a mage and as a person.
So, to everyone's surprise, Zeke smiled at Martin and simply said, "I accept." Martin's expression turned to one of shock, it was clear that he had not expected this response. He must have had several ways to threaten or force Zeke into accepting the duel, but all of them had proven useless now.
Martin had no way of knowing about Zeke's improvements over the past weeks, how much he had grown since his days in the village. Zeke had advanced from apprentice to a full mage in his blood magic, and his Space magic was coming along as well. He had hunted monsters solo, and had grown much more confident, and he was ready to show the people that he had teeth as well.
Zeke was not one to back down from a challenge, and he was not going to let Martin or anyone else walk all over him. He knew that this duel was a good opportunity for him to prove himself, to show the people that he is a powerful mage and worthy of respect. He had put in a lot of hard work and effort to get here, and he was not going to let Martin's taunts or threats stop him from achieving his goals.
He looked Martin directly in the eyes, his expression determined, "I have accepted your challenge, Martin, and I will show you what happens to brats like you when they try to bite off more than they can chew." Zeke walked out the door of the adventurer's guild with a sense of purpose. As he stepped outside, he called out casually over his shoulder, "The duel will be held one week from now, in the first year arena, during lunch break." He continued walking away, leaving a confused and shocked Martin rooted in place.
Martin looked around at his cronies, who were all staring back at him, equally confused by what had just happened. Andreas was the only one who had a frown on his face, and he looked at Martin, "Something seems fishy about this," he said.
Martin's agitation was clear, he had not expected Zeke to agree to the duel so easily, he was expecting resistance. And now, with the added pressure of the timeframe and location, Martin was feeling the pressure mounting. He took his frustration out on Andreas, "Shut the fuck up," he spat, his voice filled with anger.
Martin's cronies exchanged glances, they knew that their leader was not thinking clearly. Martin had always been envious of Zeke, and they knew that this had become a personal vendetta for him. Andreas knew that this was not a good sign, he had a bad feeling that something was off, and that Martin had walked into a trap.
Martin, on the other hand, was too focused on his anger and his need to prove himself to pay attention to the warnings of his friend. He was convinced that he had the upper hand, and he had not even considered the possibility of defeat, not even for a second.
Zeke was already on the trail of his target an hour after leaving the adventurer's guild. He was sneaking through a narrow chasm south of the capital, stalking his prey. His chosen quest was to hunt an ogre, a powerful and dangerous creature that many mages feared to take on.
As he crept through the chasm, Zeke's eyes were trained on the ground, searching for footprints. He knew that the ogre he was hunting was big, much larger than a goblin, with grayish-green skin and a massive amount of muscle. But the biggest problem when fighting an ogre was its thick skin, which was almost immune to lower level magic spells and resistant to cutting weapons.
As he made his way deeper into the chasm, Zeke's senses were on high alert. He knew that the ogre was dangerous and that one mistake could mean the end for him. Zeke's training and focus paid off, he found the ogre's lair, it had been cleverly hidden, but Zeke could smell the stench of the beast from a mile away. He carefully approached the lair, trying to stay out of the ogre's line of sight. He knew that this was the moment he had been waiting for, it was time to take down the beast and claim his spot among the ranks of the bronze level adventurers.
Before doing anything, Zeke investigated the footprints on the ground, making sure the ogre was alone. After being satisfied with his findings, he started to enact his plan, instead of going in, Zeke picked up a rock and threw it into the cave. He repeated this for around three times, listening carefully for any sounds coming from within.
It wasn't long before his efforts paid off, as he heard a loud bellow coming out of the cave. Zeke knew that the ogre had been roused, and he was ready for a fight. His heart was racing, but his mind was clear, he had trained for this moment, and he was confident in his abilities. He knew that this would be a difficult fight, but he was ready for it. With a deep breath, he calmed the beating of his heart and brought his body into perfect fighting condition using his blood magic. He stepped towards the cave entrance, ready to face the beast head-on.
