As my fist collided with the wall, some sort of barrier completely stopped my fist. Damn, I feel like I'm being played. A tad bit aggravated at my situation, I decided to pour all my energy into my fist. The amount of power in my hand started to shake the ground. I'm not going to break my hand, am I? Gritting my teeth, I threw my punch at the barrier, completely shattering it which destroyed the illusion around me.

The breaking of the barrier revealed my location. I was in a black room that had no apparent ending beside a door and the people next to it.

"Although that wasn't exactly the way you were supposed to get out, it'll have to do for now."

I recognize her. She was the girl in the hallway.

"Where am I, really?" I asked, adding a hint of annoyance in my voice.

"You are in Duvencrune, the territory of the Elves. Now, come here so we can give you your final test," she said, causing a shiver to go down my spine.

My final test, so that's what this was. "What am I being tested on exactly, and what for?"

"Shut up for a minute and put your hand in mine." the girl said as she held her hand out. She didn't seem to have any ill intent, so I put my hand in hers and waited.

"Yes, he's a genuine elf alright. Your body puzzles me, but it is what it is. Now, Fugar over here will take you to your friends."

Outside the black room was a hallway with a similar design to the one I saw in the test, but this time it was larger. The ceiling, wall, and flooring were entirely made out of polished marble, and there were crystal lights that rested upon golden frames.

The man leading me to wherever Bronn and Ravinia were was a tall, wide, and muscular elf, seemingly in his mid 60's to early 70's, although his body seemed to be in near perfect condition.

Dismissing my thoughts about the elderly man, we made our way down a set of stairs into what appeared to be an extremely large courtyard. Around the corner, I saw Ravinia and Bronn.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Well well well, look who it is," said Bronn with a smirk. "Kept us waiting long enough."

"What can I say?"

Looking around, the size and building quality of this place made me think I was in some sort of fantasy land in a castle. Wait, isn't that the current situation?

"By the way, do you know where we are?" I asked Bronn.

"This is apparently the home of a noble elf, Glodsvir. He's the one that interfered in your match earlier."

So that's who it was. I had a feeling he was special with how much force he displayed earlier. I had some questions for him, and the only way I could know where he is...

"Excuse me sir, but do you know where I could find Mr. Glodsvir?" I asked the old man named Fugar.

"..."

Well, that didn't amount to much.

"I guess we'll have to have a look around... where should we start?"

Ravinia replied hastily, "Actually, I wanted to look at the cute little garden some more... maybe we'll find clues there!"

Drat, girls, and their unnecessary activities. "I'll go with Mer," said Bronn. "I have a question as well for the noble."

The first place we checked was the main lobby. Honestly, I never saw anything like this in my world. It seemed to almost glow with how polished everything was. The red carpet in the front entrance seemed like it was cleaned thoroughly every hour of the day. An extreme sign of wealth indeed... I hope he pays his taxes.

"Damn, talk about rich. I feel like one room in this place would cost more than our entire village..." Bronn said with a sigh.

"Don't say it like that. Although it may be true, our village isn't as empty as this place. I bet you nine-tenths of this place is empty and unused."

The left hall lingered on almost forever until we actually found a turning point, where we spotted what seemed to be some sort of maid.

"Excuse me miss, do you know where I could find Glodsvir? We're here on... important business." I said as I puffed out my chest, trying to look more authoritative.

"Um, I'm afraid I do not. However, how did you get in here?" the maid asked with a rather frightened look on her face. Is there some sort of secret way to get into here?

"I'm not quite sure what you me-" I was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder from behind me.

"I've been looking for you Meritum. Welcome to my humble abode!" said Glodsvir, opening his arms and laughing at the air. A laughable pose indeed...

"You want to put me in a contest? I don't even know how to use magic that well, or even how to fight that well..." I told the stupid nobleman. Did he really want to put a teenager whom he just met, into a fighting contest?

"That's precisely right! I know a bit about the magic you use, and I can train you myself."