After a final deep breath, Silver opens the door. Behind it is a small room with two couches facing each other and a table between them. A woman is sitting on the couch facing the door, reading some documents. She takes her eyes off them to look at Silver.

“Please, take a seat.” she says, gesturing her head towards the couch.

Silver listens to her and sits down, his stress only rising. The woman now in front of him has incredibly pale skin, long black hair, and green eyes. She is wearing a long black dress with a white jacket over her shoulders. She overall exudes a calm but dominant aura.

A badge is on her chest, reading “Amanda Den, Head of the Bureau.” Wait, what ?

“I can tell by your look that you’ve read my badge.” starts Amanda. “It’s true, I’m the Head of this Bureau. I’m here for you because the man behind you requested me.

Silver turns around to see KNYght with a grin on his face. He calls and comes himself to get him tested, AND he calls the head of the Bureau for the test ? Now Silver feels like he cannot, under any circumstances, let him down.

Amanda goes on, "I am going to state some formalities now. “So, like monsters, Awakeners are classed in ranks, going from E (lowest) to S (highest), each rank being broken in three: minus (-), flat (nothing), and plus (+). So something like E-, E, or E+. Makes sense, right ?”

Silver simply nods.

“Great. Before I start explaining to you Mana Manipulation, we’re gonna see your initial rank. Don’t worry, you’re not struck by it: even if you start at E-, you can climb up all the way to S+. Now, raise your arm, point your palm towards me, and start to release Mana.”

Silver executes himself. Compared to his previous use, the Mana seems to flow much smoother, so much so that Amanda seems surprised by it.

“If he hadn’t vouched for you, I would have sworn that you were an Unregistered Awakener. You most certainly have potential.”

As she says, she puts her hand mere centemiters from Silver’s. He can feel something akin to an electric current going through their hands when suddenly Amanda releases a huge wave of energy. Silver’s hand is almost sent flying, but he holds on.

“Don’t try to resist it; let it through.” advises KNYght.

Let it through ? What does he mean ? “Letting it through," as in...absorbing it ? And so Silver closes his eyes and relaxes, and, like in the Dungeon when he absorbed Magia, he lets Amanda’s energy go into him.

Almost immediately, the force pushing his hand disappears, and he feels something akin to small electric shocks coursing through his body, going through every muscle fiber and capillaries of his body. After a few seconds, the sensation stops.

As he opens his eyes, he sees Amanda with a big grin on her face, as if she had just struck gold. She straightens on her couch.

‘Yeah, that’s what I like. D rank, but probably not for long. You’ve got IT.”

“IT ?” asks Silver, confused.

“Exactly, IT: you look pretty good, good backstory, being a Mercenary for years and all, AND most important, great potential. You can be a star.”

What is this woman talking about right now ?

“I’ll stop you there, Manda; he’s not gonna become an intern at the Bureau.” interjects KNYght.

"Yeah, no.” adds Silver. “I want to be a Dungeonaut.”

“Tch”

Amanda sits back, visibly a little frustrated.

“You bring a great potential like that, and I can’t even make an offer.”

“Wait, can someone explain to me what’s going on ?” finally asks Silver, his head spinning.

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”Let me be clear, young man.” responds Amanda. “Your initial ranking is D rank, which is really high, and, given what I saw, you’re gonna climb high and fast. That’s why I want you here, in the Bureau, and not on the terrain: you could become a mascot of sorts.”

“Don’t mind that kid.” says KNYght. “She’s trying her best to try to find an attraction to help the Bureau gain more popularity so that she can get performance bonuses.”

At this point, Silver is completely lost, but he knows one thing:

“You said D rank, right ?”

“Yes, exactly, and without even having a Color. Crazy stuff.”

“A color ?”

“Oh, right. I didn’t explain anything to you yet, right ?”

Amanda sits back up and looks Silver directly in the eyes.

“So, Mana manipulation is divided into two main components: Imaging and Manifesting. Imaging is the Image of the skill: you can do pretty much anything with mana, from creating a blade to shooting flames. Well, at least conceptually. And with that comes Manifesting: using your Mana to create your Image in the real world.”

Thinking back about Armando’s skill, Silver could see the process: Armando saw “Boots that boost your speeds” and used Mana to make it reality.

“A small tip for Imaging: giving a name to what you want to do helps with making it’s Image more concrete in your mind; that’s why most Awakeners scream the name of their techniques.”

“I see.” Silver was focusing hard, trying to retain any and all information he could.

“But all of that can’t be achieved if you don’t have a Color. Right now, your Mana appears transparent, right ? l Look at mine.”

It’s true, while Silver’s energy was colorless, Amanda’s was light blue, and, thinking back on it again, Armanado’s was light green.

“The Color happens naturally.” continues Amanda. “It comes from training, refining your Mana Manipulation, or, more rarely, from a powerful emotional response. Anyway, it’s the first step into becoming a true Dungeonaut.”

Silver was lost in thoughts: even though he wanted to try everything right away, he first had to acquire his Color. Triumphing from this right of passage would finally allow him to become the Dungeonaut he always dreamt to be.

“So,” goes Amanda while getting up. “That’s all for now. We’re gonna get you your Awakener ID, and then you’ll be on your merry way. Welcome aboard.”

She holds out her hand, which Silver shakes as she says that. KNYght and him leave the room first, walking towards the reception.

“Now what ?” wonders Silver out loud.

"Well, now you have to join an Exploration Team.” answers KNYght.

“An Exploration Team ? Like those groups of Dungeonauts ?”

“Exactly. And given everything, it won’t be difficult for you to find one.”

"Did you not want to recruit me as soon as I registered ?"

"Well, maybe if you were an A or S rank. Maybe I could recruit you on a special developmental type deal, but I’m not sure the rest of my team would like that. After all, I’ve rebuked the idea more than once before, so it wouldn’t jell weel with them, I’d assume.”

“I see. And it’s probably better for me to be around people doing missions that I can actually participate in.”

“You’ve got the right spirit, boy !” exclaims KNYght as he slaps Silver’s back.

Back at the reception, they regroup with Armando.

“So, how did it go ?” asks Silver before Armando could ask the same.

“Well, smoothly, I’d say.” responds Armando. “It was pretty quick; I hope they can contact all the families. But about the man of the hour ?”

“I got a D rank.”

“Wh-immediately ? I mean, you did learn pretty fast, but still.”

“Yes, even Miss Den said she was surprised.”

“I know I didn’t just hear that.” Armando’s shock is only growing. “You didn’t just say you were tested by Amanda Den, The White Thunder Tiger Amanda ?!”

“Thunder Liger ? I mean, yeah, it was her.”

“First you’re saved by KNYght, and now Miss Den tested you. It’s like the universe is putting a spotlight on you.”

“I spent 7 years of hell here, so I think I deserve at least that much.”

“Well, youngins, that’s where I’m taking my leave. Hoping to see you soon.” As he says that, KNYght starts walking away and gets out of the building.

“Mister Crown ?” a voice calls him from one of the reception counters.

“I’ll be back quickly.” says Silver as he goes towards the counter.

“We’re just gonna verify some information,” tells him the middle aged man behind the counter. “So: Name: Silver. Surname: Crown. DOB: 11/05/1999. Country of origin: England. Is everything right ?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

The man nods and, after a few seconds, gives Silver a small card: his own Awakener ID.

He comes back to Armando with a big smile on his face.

“Say Silver, now that you’re officially registered, would you like to join my Exploration Team ?”