It was the perfect sunny day. The best day to run laps around the training grounds and train, so I made the newbies who’re eager to rank up run 50 more laps and swing their weapons a thousand more times.

I was doing what I’ve always done here behind the guild - training the newbies.

“WHAT?! NOOOOOOO!!!” The newbies yelled in unison at the order.

Indeed, it was the perfect sunny day, until she came.

Wilma our pretty guild receptionist came from the front to bring an examinee. There were three people, a young man in light armor carrying a long sword, all looking rare and expensive. Gallos, a well-known blacksmith that only sell his swords to good swordsmen, and finally, her.

The most beautiful young lady I’ve ever seen in these parts. I mean, Wilma is plenty pretty, but her beauty was a different level. As if, her body was oozing of beauty and elegance.

She was wearing a black dress vest, probably made of Grimm Spider silk, gloves that covered the forearms and boots that covered up to her knees from Whelk Harpies’ leather. Though, it was more or less a guess, those were materials that Gallos often use for light armors. She chose well.

“Mister Ken, this is Miss Violet. She’ll be taking the exam.”

Wilma introduced the young lady and in turn she bowed.

“Miss Violet, once you finish the assessment, it’s possible for you to jump ranks up to B. But that will depend on Mister Ken here. Since we mostly base ranks on physical prowess, everything will depend on this. I will explain the rest after the assessment. Please get ready.”

After shooing the trainees, I stood on the other end of the field and placed my two-handed sword over my shoulder.

“If you please.”

Gallos handed her a rapier.

“Ey Kenny! This missy wants ta buy the sword so make sure that she shows me her skills an’ not finish her off right away! If possible!”

Gallos called to me pointing at the young lady. She wore the rapier on her red belt and started stretching her body. The young man with her sat in the fence full of smiles and anticipation. I just noticed that the young man was the Rank A that was currently visiting from Aurelis.

Rank As are rare because they need to have good combat skills and magic abilities. Since magic is hard to learn for commoners who don’t have access to expensive magic books or heirloom magic, only seasoned hunters or strong nobles are able to afford them. Which means, he might be a noble. I stopped and looked at the young lady who was still stretching.

He’s spoiling her, huh. She might’ve thought that she wants to be an hunter too.

I said under my breath as to not let them hear. The trainee gathered on one corner eyeing the young lady… boys will be boys I guess…

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As I thought.

The young lady drew her sword standing with an open stance full of holes.

“Should we start?”

She asks. I smiled.

I’m sorry young lady, I need to show you how harsh the world of hunters is.

I nodded. In a blink of an eye, the 10m distance between us vanished and like a phantom, her tied purple hair flashed before my eyes. Hundreds of thrusts barraged towards me as I hastily defended with my sword.

Clang clang clang - hundreds of hits resounded from the other side of my sword, the continuous hit to my broad blade lasted only for a couple of seconds and round house kick met my side.

If the blade wasn’t wide enough, as slow as I was, I might’ve been hit with one of those thrusts. The blade of my sword gave me enough leeway to be able to defend from such continuous and fast attacks.

Caught off-guard, I was flying across the field with my whole weight of nothing but muscles. What stopped my flight was the big tree at the edge of the training ground.

Tok, tok, tok. Her slow elegant heeled steps could be heard approaching me. I tried to regain my composure and stood up, I flew for about 15m and probably more if the tree wasn’t there.

“Continue?”

She stopped and asked in a stance ready to run up to me. I stood up and held my sword. This time, it’s my turn. I kicked the floor and moved towards her, it may not have been the same speed that she did but it was fast enough to close the gap in an instant.

I tried to slice her but every time I try, she would hold the side of the sword and push it away or it'd seemed like she was pushing herself away from the sword. Sometimes she would also parry with the thin blade of the rapier. ‘Gallos! What’s with this sword!?’ I screamed internally. Each and every slash was evaded or parried and seeing my sword being touched and pushed away as if it was nothing felt irritating.

Looking like she was getting bored of the exchange, she kicked the blade downwards stabbing it into the ground halfway through. And what greeted me after that was another kick.

This time it was to the gut and it was stronger than the first as I helplessly crashed on the guild walls, destroying it and leaving a hole big enough for anyone to enter.

“Continue?”

She asked again. I rubbed my head and sat up, feeling the broken bricks slide down from me, I smiled bitterly.

“Mister Ken?!”

Wilma screamed from the other side of the wall.

“Wil, I guess the test is over. You can give her a rank B.”

I smiled bitterly again as I try to stand. The young lady approached with a hand and a small smile.

“You’re strong Mister Ken.”

I accepted the gesture and stood up with her help. From the side, I saw Gallos’ mouth agape with round eyes and the young man proudly smiling at the young lady. While the newbies who were spectating have the same exact expression as Gallos.

“Violet was it? Congrats.”

I placed my hand on top of her head and rubbed it. She closed her eyes, bracing for the rough patting and pouted after.

“…. I’m sure Guren will be very angry.”

I sighed looking at the destruction so early in the morning.

“She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

The young man who was with her spoke while she left talking to the dwarf.

“Yeah, though for such a skinny girl to have so much strength, it makes me feel like all these muscles are just for show.”

My shoulder drooped and he just laughed under his breath with eyes adoring Violet.

“I don’t think so, for you to withstand that your muscles helped a lot. If it was me without magic, I would’ve been crushed.”

He hugged himself imagining the kicks earlier. True, if he indeed received that, he might’ve been… nodding to myself, I realized. Was she using magic?

“Wait, did she use strengthening magic?”

The young man looked at me and laughed.

“No. It’s just pure monstrous strength.”

Monstrous… for a Rank A to call that girl, what kind of training did she endure just to get that strong with such a small frame.

“A-are you sure?”

The young man nodded and smiled once again seeing Gallos praise her with such enthusiasm.

“Yes, you didn’t feel any mana surge around her nor did she use any, right? Surprised me too, you know.”

I looked at the young lady and thought that the perfect day just got scarier. What would’ve happen if she used magic with that strength.