Emma followed Cedric out of the sparring ring, her body still thrumming with the energy of the fight. She could feel the eyes of the other adventurers on her, could hear their murmured conversations as they discussed her performance.

"Not bad for a newbie," one said, his voice grudgingly impressed.

"She's got potential," another agreed, nodding sagely. "But let's see how she handles the obstacles trial."

Emma felt a flicker of apprehension at their words. Obstacles trial? What did that entail?

Cedric led her to a large, open area of the training grounds. It was dominated by a massive obstacle course, a twisting, turning labyrinth of walls, ropes, and dangerous looking obstacles.

"This is the second trial," Cedric said, gesturing to the course. "The obstacles trial. Your goal is to navigate the obstacle course and make it to the end. You will be timed, and your performance will be judged on how long it takes you to finish. If you fall or leave the course, you must start from the beginning, and the timer will not be reset."

Emma nodded, her eyes scanning the course. It looked challenging, with high walls to scale and narrow beams to balance on. Dangerous as well, with many an obstacle having metal spikes or sharp edges. She was slightly afraid at first, but remembering how easily she had jumped on a tree back in the forest helped her relax a bit.

"When do I start?" she asked, turning to face Cedric.

The Guild Master smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Ah, there's one more thing before that," he said, leading her to a nearby table. On it sat a few leather vests full of pockets, and a large set of iron discs of different sizes.

"Adventurers rarely fight unencumbered and in ideal circumstances," Cedric explained, picking up one of the vests from the table and holding it up against Emma's torso. "We use these vests and sets of weights to simulate how annoying equipment and valuables can be while jumping and dodging. You weigh, what, 60 kilos?" Asked Cedric, eyeing Emma up and down. "Normally we'd start you with half your body weight, but since you seem like a hard hitter in spite of your size, let's load you up with your full body weight."

Emma did her best to look worried as she put on the vest, but honestly she wasn't. She knew the boulder she had lifted when she arrived in Aetheria had to weigh more than her, and it had felt light. Her suspicions were confirmed when Cedric started adding weight discs to the vest, and she couldn't feel the difference.

"I'm ready," she said when Cedric was finished, barely remembering to make it seem like she was struggling a bit. She stepped up to the starting line of the course, her heart pounding with anticipation.

"Remember," Cedric called out, his voice ringing across the training grounds. "If you fall or leave the course, you must start again, and the clock doesn't reset."

Emma nodded, her jaw set with determination. She took a deep breath, centering herself. Cedric pulled what looked like a mechanical watch from one of his pockets, and simply said "Go!".

The first obstacle was a high wall, easily twice Emma's height. She leaped, her legs propelling her upwards, her hands grasping for the top of the wall. She hauled herself up and over, the weights not slowing her down in the slightest. She could have gone over the wall in a single leap, but she figured grabbing the edge would look more realistic.

She landed on the other side, her feet hitting the ground with a solid thud. She could hear the murmurs of the watching adventurers, could feel their eyes on her as she pressed onwards.

The next obstacle was a series of narrow beams suspended above a pit in the ground. Emma stepped out onto the first one, and her balance started to falter, along with her confidence. She wasn't sure she could do this. She was never the most agile person, which had clearly translated to Aetheria. Besides, while the weights might be light to her, they still added mass, which meant she was easier to destabilize.

She resolved to swallow her pride, go down on all fours and grab the beam with her hands. At first she grabbed it too hard, which made the wood groan and left small indentations where her fingers had been. But as soon as she relaxed a bit she started forward, at a slow but steady pace.

The crowd was murmuring, clearly unimpressed. But Emma barely heard them. She was focused on keeping her balance, and she eventually made it to the other side of the beams. That had taken a lot longer than she wished, but Emma was determined to continue.

The next obstacle was a simple one, 5 stone walls that came up to her chest, one after the other, like hurdles. Emma took the conservative approach, leaping over each wall individually, and was on the other side in a reasonable time. She could have also leaped across all five with a single jump, but she was still reluctant to show off her full strength.

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After a few more obstacles involving ropes, swinging swords, and even one that was set for a wall run, she finally reached the end of the course. Her chest was heaving with nervousness, but she didn't feel tired at all.

Cedric was there, his expression unreadable. "Interesting," he said, his voice calm and measured. "Your time wasn't great, Emma, but it is acceptable. I think we might have to add more weight the next time though."

Emma felt scared that she might have gotten caught, but she kept her expression neutral. "Thank you," she said, bowing her head in acknowledgment and pretending to struggle as she removed the weighted vest. "It was a difficult challenge."

Cedric raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Difficult?" he said, a note of teasing in his voice. "Well, let's see how you fare in the last trial."

Emma felt a flicker of apprehension at his words, but she pushed it down, reminding herself that even if she might have given away some things, her true strength was still well beyond what she had displayed.

"I'm ready," she said, her voice ringing with determination. "Whatever it is, I'll face it head-on."

Emma followed Cedric into a small, dimly lit room, her heart pounding with anticipation. The room was bare, save for a single table in the center, upon which sat a strange, intricately carved wooden box.

"This is the third trial," Cedric said, his voice low and serious. "The test of wit. Inside this box is a complex puzzle. Your task is to solve it."

Emma stepped forward, her eyes scanning the box. It was a beautiful thing, with intricate patterns and symbols carved into its surface. But she could see no obvious way to open it, no keyhole or latch or hinge.

"How do I begin?" she asked, glancing up at Cedric.

The Guild Master smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "That's for you to figure out," he said as he stepped out of the room. "You have one hour. If you haven't solved the puzzle by then, you fail the trial." With a sense of finality, Cedric closed the door.

Emma nodded, her jaw set with determination. She turned back to the box, her mind already racing with possibilities.

She ran her fingers over the carvings, feeling for any irregularities or hidden mechanisms. She tapped on the wood, listening for any hollow spots or secret compartments. But the box remained stubbornly silent, its secrets hidden behind an impenetrable wall of wood and mystery.

Emma had to be extra careful when manipulating the box. She hadn't failed to notice the fingerprints she'd accidentally left in the wooden beam of the second trial, and she was sure that brute force wasn't an option here, no matter how easy it might be for her.

Minutes ticked by, and Emma could feel the pressure mounting. No one was really watching her, but she knew Cedric and at least a few more adventurers must be waiting outside, to see if she could do it. She steeled her nerves and kept thinking. She would find a way to solve the puzzle!

But how? What was she missing?

She stepped back, her eyes scanning the room for any clues or hints. And then she saw it - a small, almost imperceptible symbol carved into the wall, the same symbol that adorned the top of the box.

Emma's heart leaped with excitement. She stepped forward, her fingers tracing the symbol on the wall. And then, with a soft click, a hidden panel slid open, revealing a small, intricately carved key.

Emma snatched up the key, her hands trembling with excitement. She inserted it into a small, almost invisible keyhole on the side of the box, and with a soft click, the lid popped open.

Inside was a small, glowing crystal, its light pulsing with a soft, ethereal energy. Emma lifted it out, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Congratulations, Emma," Cedric said, suddenly entering the room. "You have passed the third trial. Be careful with that though, the crystal you hold is a rare and powerful artifact, one that is highly prized by adventurers and scholars alike."

Emma nodded, her eyes still fixed on the crystal. Its light was dim, but it should be enough to illuminate a dark room.

"But what does it do?" she asked, glancing up at Cedric.

The Guild Master smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "It's a magical artifact," he said, taking the crystal from her hands, "which serves to shed light on dark matters."

Emma nodded, still puzzled. Could Cedric mean... ? No, it was too simple.

"Is it a light for reading after dark?" She asked, feeling a bit stupid.

"Indeed it is," responded Cedric. "And a very useful one, set at the right intensity for some light reading."

That left Emma a bit stumped, and a bit disappointed. Looking at Cedric, she could see the amusement in his eyes, and a thin smile creeping up his face. "Congratulations," he said. "You have passed the trials, and have officially become a member of the Adventurers' Guild!"

"Thank you, Cedric," she said, bowing her head in gratitude. "For everything. I won't let you down."

Cedric smiled, his hand resting on her shoulder. "I know you won't, Emma," he said, his voice warm. "I have no doubt that you will do great things."

Emma felt a swell of emotion at his words, a rush of pride and determination that filled her heart and soul. She turned and strode out of the room, her heart pounding with the thrill of adventure and the promise of a bright and glorious future.