When Jacob initiated the start of the test, Kara didn't waste any time and appeared almost instantly in front of her opponent. Even though she used less than 5 percent of her maximum power, her punch, which directly hit the golden shield Jacob held in front of him, sent him flying 20 meters into the stone wall at the edge of the training field, causing cracks to appear from the impact.

'Damn, it felt like I was hit by the tail of a wyrm... Ufff, I can barely stand! What kind of skill did this girl use? I didn't even get to see what hit me...', Jacob thought after managing to detach himself from the wall and get back on his feet, though his joints still trembled.

'If I hadn't had this shield, I'm sure I would have lost already. It was worth every penny I paid. Unfortunately, there's a small dent in the place of impact....'

"Do you think that was enough, or do you want to continue?" Kara interrupted Jacob, who had started inspecting his shield for deformities and was already calculating how much money he would need to repair it.

"The battle has only just begun, missy. Although you caught me off guard with that attack, it won't be so easy from now on. Besides, I don't think the skill you just used left you with much mana..", Jacob replied as he began activating various defensive skills, transforming himself into a fortress of flesh and metal.

'It seems my previous attack wasn't enough to make him realize his situation. If I hadn't hit where his protection was highest and instead struck from the side or the back, even if he had 10 life-saving amulets, he would have suffered severe injuries. Anyway, it wouldn't have been fun if I defeated him that easily. To completely defeat someone so confident in his abilities, I need to beat him at his own game...', Kara thought while waiting for Jacob to finish activating the skills that would make him able to withstand attacks from A-rank adventurers.

Once Jacob finished activating the skills that could make his defense almost impenetrable, he stomped the ground, triggering a skill that turned the entire training field into something resembling a porcupine's back, as thousands of sharp spikes made of rock emerged from the ground simultaneously, aiming to strike Kara wherever she tried to escape.

'He's quite a competent fighter, with a good ability to analyze the situation. This attack would have been a real problem for someone relying solely on speed. Not only would such a person be injured the moment the skill activated because there would be nowhere to run to avoid the attack, but their movements would also be hindered due to the spike-covered terrain. Unfortunately for him, I'm not such a person. Attacks like these aren't a bigger threat to me than colliding with a water droplet', Kara thought, standing completely unaffected, surrounded by the rock spikes.

'Huh, why didn't the attack work?' Jacob wondered in his mind. 'It's as if the ground she's on bears the weight of an entire mountain...'

But Jacob didn't have any more time to wonder, because Kara advanced towards him at high speed, paying no heed to the rocky spikes that lay in her path, these either shattering or leaping in all directions behind her and, when she reached Jacob, she thrust her hand with fingers outstretched and united like a spear, directly through the shield that Jacob was so proud of, passing through it as if it were made of paper, then, she grabbed the necklace that hung around his neck, along with a piece of armor and a rather large chunk of flesh.

"Ahhhhh!!" Jacob screamed as he fell to the ground, trying to stem the bleeding with both hands.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"I think it can be said that I passed the test..." Kara said after retracting her hand and crushing its contents, thousands of metal fragments and droplets of blood scattering around her.

Both the receptionist and the man who had accompanied Jacob were in a state of shock. Not only were Kara's powers much greater than they had expected, but the aggression she displayed through this attack that brought Jacob to the brink of death was unprecedented for someone who seemed as calm as Kara.

"Well, you'd better give him a healing potion quickly and stop the bleeding; otherwise, he might lose his life....", Kara told the two who were standing at the edge of the training area, seeing that neither of them seemed inclined to intervene.

Jolted into action by Kara's words, the man who had accompanied Jacob immediately produced a few high-quality healing potions from his storage ring and then rushed at top speed toward Jacob to save his life.

Fortunately for Jacob, after consuming the contents of two potions and having one poured onto his wound, he began healing rapidly, and in less than two minutes, he was able to stand up.

"You! What is the reason why you tried to kill him? Do you think you can get away with this without consequences?" the man who had just saved Jacob roared at Kara.

"Shut up, Glen! Don't continue embarrassing me!" Jacob interrupted his colleague.

"Huh, what do you mean? How am I embarrassing you?" Glen asked, confused.

"What do you think is the purpose of those who participate in a fight, Glen?"

"Huh?"

"If you don't know the answer, I'll tell you: to win. Yes, each will use any method at their disposal to ensure their victory. At least that's what I did in this fight. But now, think yourself, did my opponent do the same? No, she fought in a way that would be most favorable for me. So even if I had lost my life, she couldn't be accused of trying to kill me. The only guilty party would have been me because I was too confident in my abilities and didn't know when to retreat..." Jacob explained to his colleague, hoping to calm him down.

After hearing Jacob's explanation, Glenn analyzed more calmly the fight that had taken place and realized Jacob was right. Kara had given him a chance to withdraw after her initial strike, but he had refused and even used one of his most powerful skills to attack her. Furthermore, considering Kara's demonstrated capabilities, the fact that Jacob survived was solely due to her leniency.

"Well, I guess... Huh, she's already gone?" Glenn asked, lifting his gaze from the ground and realizing Kara was no longer in front of him as she was only a few steps away from where the receptionist stood.

"Do you think there was anything more to say? Or would you have liked to try fighting her to see if you would have done better?" Jacob asked back, starting to assess the damage his shield had suffered.

"Fight her? I'm too young to risk my life like that. I suppose I should be thankful to the gods that today was your shift to test the future adventurers, and I didn't have to face her..." Glenn replied, his voice trembling at the mere thought that he could have been the one brought to the brink of death.

"Well, I guess I got off pretty lightly with just this wound. You can't expect to come out of a dragon encounter without a burn. Anyway, where did this girl come from? She defeated me so quickly that I couldn't even tell her class. Could she be specialized in unarmed combat? Or some class that enhances physical abilities? No, it's probably something more extraordinary than that, given how easily she brought me to the brink of death. Even though my attack power isn't very high, my defense couldn't be so easily broken even by a rank A adventurer. Anyway, time will answer these questions. What's more pressing right now is that my shield was nearly destroyed. Look at the hole in it! I don't even know if I'll find someone capable of repairing it..."

.........................

"Did you enjoy the fight? I think I was pretty brave, wasn't I? How do I compare to your fiancé? Do you think he could handle it if I challenged him to a duel for your hand?" Kara teased the receptionist as she approached her, trying to pull her out of the shock caused by the recent battle.

Unfortunately, the result was not as expected, as the receptionist began to panic even more at the thought that due to her beauty, her fiancé's life would surely come to a brutal end, with no chance of resistance.

'Oh, my gods! Why did you make me so cute? Why do I have to be a curse for the one who loves me?', she began to scream inside her mind.