When I retrieved the codex from the stone ambo, I didn't really know what to do with it; I just hurried back to my mother, with the intent to give it to her. However, she refused.

"It's yours, sweetie. Only the possessor of the codex can read its contents," she gently explained to me.

Within the pages of my codex, a single spell. The writing, to the eye, was an incomprehensible and unintelligible mess, but I could read it. Apparently, it was like this for everyone; one could only decipher its own codex.

Once memorized the spells, the codex wasn't particularly used, as casting a spell only required wielding the divine weapon and reciting the right words. However, the codex still had to remain within close proximity; many argue that there is an invisible bond between the codex, the user and the personal weapon, and only those with numerous spells could comprehend the true nature of the magic behind it. If the codex strayed too far from its user, the spells would cease to function, even with the weapon in hand. So, due to their extreme importance, many crafted specialized purses, holsters, and harnesses to safely transport and carry books around. After all, one could always learn more spells, and it couldn't be simple to remember them all, since many were in an apparently unknown language; perhaps the language of the Deities, or their powers themselves.

Well, I couldn't really relate to all those problems, nor understand them, being an anomaly.

"Mom, shouldn't there be a weapon, too?" I asked her, glancing back at the stone ambo.

I could feel the gaze of the bystanders, their whispers and pointing fingers. Yet, strangely, I didn't feel uncomfortable.

"It's alright, sweetie," my mom reassured me, warmly caressing my head. "You won't need it."

Lifting me into her embrace, she began the journey on our way home. Many were still casting curious glances my way.

"Is it really alright?" I asked, seeking her approval.

She tilted her head toward me. "Do you want a weapon?" she must've sensed I was troubled.

I nodded.

"What weapon do you want?"

"Hmm..." I thought deeply about an answer. What weapon did I want? Hmm... After a good minute of thinking, I finally found an answer. "Hmm... I don't know!"

She chuckled. "Well, you have plenty of time to think about it, sweetie," she reassured. "Rest assured, I'll train you so that when the times comes, you'll be able to wield whichever weapon you want."

Train... That's right, if I was in the presence of the Guild Leader of one of the strongest guild, it was only due to the merit of my training.

My mother was not a strict woman, I was. I would always train to surpass my limits. I wanted to be just as strong as her, like a devoted disciple. I pushed myself physically, often to the point of injury; I would often run as long as my legs allowed me to, just to increase my stamina, until I fell from exhaustion; but even that wouldn't stop me, I still had my arms to drag myself further. I even spat blood. I worried her, of course. My mom was an exemplary mother, after all; she would undoubtedly worry, but I was willing to train even in secret to get closer to her might.

Whenever I failed to reach an objective, I would inflict physical pain upon myself to make sure I would never repeat the same mistake ever again; something people would call 'discipline', a strange concept I learned from a knight...

According to this knight, pain and fear are great methods to improve in every area; he called it 'discipline'. He recounted how his father taught him to swim by throwing him into deep water, leaving him with only two options: swim or die, drowned by his own incompetence. To me, a nice way to inflict psychological traumas on someone... but at the same time, it made sense. You could learn to swim on the spot, and emerge stronger from the water, or die trying.

I adopted and adapted the weird concept for myself; my mother had already taught me how to swim, luckily... So, instead, I applied it on my general training. Eventually, even to my daily life; whenever I made a mistake, whenever I fell short of my expectations, I punished myself. In the end, It became a way to associate pain with failure, allowing me to grow stronger and meticulous with each passing day.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I didn't know the limits of my mother's strength, but perhaps that was for the best; without a concrete goal, I could push myself endlessly toward the unknown.

I was strong. Even without a personal weapon, and having only a single spell, I was strong. I was stronger than anybody else in my age range and beyond. But it didn't matter how hard I trained, I couldn't envision myself surpassing my mother. She was everything for me. My mother, my teacher, my joy, my rock in where I could refuge, and my ultimate goal...

...

"Argenta," with class and elegance, I introduced myself to the Guild Leader of the Abyss Reavers.

Finally, a challenging place; one where my boredom would be appeased. I could tell from the first glance that the leader was strong, unlike the strange vibes the girl with the stupid hat emanated, and I knew they would've tested my strength before officially accepting me as a member. And I was absolutely ready for it, all the while I would try to drag Joey with me.

It didn't matter who or what stood in front of me, I would've proved everyone that I belonged. If they doubted my words, then I'd make sure my actions would speak. With or without anyone's support, I would've shined brighter than everyone, reaching the very top of this world, even if the Deities themselves stood in my way.

"I've been waiting for you, Lady Argenta," Leonard, the leader, greeted me. "And you..." his gaze then fell upon Joey; he looked perplexed from his presence.

"He's a dear friend of mine," I interjected. "He accompanied me on the journey. I hope I don't come across as cheeky, but he has quite the unique magic," I definitely sounded cheeky.

"Huh?!" I could hear Joey panic.

"He's a mage, too!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Leonard's attention immediately shifted to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth... I understand your interest for mages, but..."

He hesitated. For some reason, after a quick glance he shared with Elizabeth, he had changed idea, and his expression became softer.

With a flick of his index finger, Leonard pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Well, let's first put them to test. Then we can decide."

I could tell he wasn't interested in Joey, and I don't know why he suddenly considered the idea, but that worked in our favor.

"We had kept a dungeon aside especially for you," he continued. "It's only ranked A, but it should suffice to gauge your abilities."

Dungeons; the manifestations of ancient magic and architecture. Nobody knew how would they appear. The sudden appearance of these mysterious buildings defied all logic and explanation. One moment, the land appeared plain and bland; the next, towering structures made of ancient stones and unknown magic and technology stood in their place.

Dungeons are categorized into ranks based on their danger level; the higher the rank, the greater the difficulty:

SSS, or Triple-S

SS, or Double-S

S

A

B

C

D

E

Similarly, guild members, libromancers and adventurers are ranked accordingly. My rank was A+, meaning I was more than qualified for A-rank dungeons, but not quite for S-rank dungeons. I knew powerful guilds handled the latter, while the lower-ranked dungeons were often handled by simple adventurers, displayed as quest in taverns; a way to get some coins to live by.

A few steps inside the dungeon, it was like being teleported to another reality. Once cleared, the final chamber could offer treasures such as gold, magic items, and powerful tools. Supposedly, such treasures bestowed powerful cities the ability to erect the trials surrounding their walls.

However, dungeons could often prove malevolent and unrewarding, with no reward whatsoever waiting for you at the end. Yet, clearing them was vital, as leaving a dungeon unattended would've caused monster to break free from their inside, invading the world outside their realm. In the span of a mere week, many places would be invaded by hordes of otherworldly monsters, leading to chaos.

Many shared the opinion that Deities would place the dungeons randomly when mortal eyes weren't watching. I agreed with them; even more when faced with the absence of rewards. Being a Deity should've been quite boring; what better pastime than allocate a dungeon somewhere and watch as mortals struggled and died in their attempts to clear it, only to find emptiness at the end, intensifying their agony even more? Were I in their position, I would've done the same. No, I would've been even worse. Would there be a reward at the end? Who knows! Place your bets! Would the answer be wrong, even a greater calamity would've attended you.

What brilliant idea! To overlook such an opportunity for entertainment... what a waste; they should've taken example from a great mind like mine.

Once cleared, a dungeons would persist in their location for several days before gradually dissolving into fine particles until it vanished completely, returning the space to its former state.

"For today, you can rest. We'll take-"

"Laura, may I have a word with you?" Leonard suddenly interrupted Laura from uttering another word.

The two of them stepped into another room, returning several minutes later.

"I'm sorry to say this, Argenta," the Leader approached me. "Normally, you'd be granted time to rest and prepare adequately. However, the circumstances won't allow it this time. I need to assess your ability, and I need it by tomorrow. You'll enter the dungeon this evening. I trust that's alright," he professed, adjusting his glasses with his index finger once again.

"Huh, sure," I nodded.

That was strange... But I was already more than prepared and rested, so it was not a problem.

"Laura, I know you don't explore dungeon anymore, but could you take care of this, please?" the leader asked her.

She nodded. "No problem, Leader."