Days passed and Lear began to renew his views on how things have started. Though he admitted to himself that it felt hopeless at one point, he was brought back by the words of a few people he had met along the way.

The path ahead didn't look as bleak as it did when failure first struck him like a thunderbolt.

He started to work once more, finding jobs that paid honest money for an honest day's work. On some days, it was working at a local inn and tavern that oddly had a fraction of the same ambiance Duncan's inn had. On other days, it was serving as a stable boy, cleaning horses and their stables, even feeding them. What he got out of that was free training on how to ride one, if he showed enough merit. Sometimes he would also work on construction sites, carrying heavy materials.

At that point, he had enough to pay for lodging and food that he didn't have to worry about where he should sleep or what he should eat.

For the most part, he inspired himself with the advices given to him, training in the forest every now and then, or when the chance presented itself. And at someone's suggestion, he began offering his help to some adventurers who need it without pay. In return, he would ask for them to train him how to fight and become better as an adventurer.

This routine carried on for a few weeks.

"Nice job, kid. You didn't do half bad there, I'll give you that." A man with messy long hair said, dusting off his armor as he surveyed the area around them.

"Thanks. It's all because of the help I've been getting. But I still have a long way to go."

"Right. With being an adventurer, as long as there's someone stronger than you, then you still have yet to become the greatest until you beat them. That's the world we live in, kid. It's all about the food chain and who's the top dog."

"Who is the strongest adventurer anyway?"

"Beats me. People like us at the very bottom have no idea who he or she is. Heck, I don't even think anyone knows who it is exactly. Only those ranked the next best know em, but the odds are pretty low. What are you aiming for anyway?"

"What am I aiming for? What do you mean?"

"What do you want to achieve as an adventurer. There's got to be something else other than being the strongest, or being well-known. It just doesn't end there for some."

"Maybe conquer Event Horizon," he laughed at it like a distant dream meant to be said as a joke.

"That's pretty ballsy of you, kid! I like that. Choosing the impossible," the man said, roughly patting his back with a cheeky grin on his face. "Good on you then. You'll have a long way to go, haha. Say, why don't you join a guild yet? With how you've been fighting, I'd say you already have what it takes."

"I've been meaning to join one, but all this led up to the fact that I failed my first chance at joining one. When I think that I'm at that point, I'll try again."

"Well, good luck then, kid. If things go south, our guild's open for you. We'd be more than happy to have you on board with us."

The man and the others he was with left after collecting their loot, leaving Lear at the entrance of the forest as the sun started to descend.

He pondered on the thought of whether it was enough, and it was time for him to finally try his luck once more.

He curled his hand into a fist and felt the cold breeze, inhaling it, then exhaled with the serenity of the area around him.

"I can do it," he said to himself convincingly and boldly. "Tomorrow will be the day."

He packed up his equipment and belongings and left for the inn he was currently renting out.

Morning came in quickly. He had already prepared his shined sword and leather armor, stretching his body, doing a few stationary workouts to put his body into prime condition. He hadn't had the best sleep as he was up all night thinking of what could happen and what he should do, but it all tired him out in the end. Today was the day, he said to himself, and those words alone woke him up.

After cleaning himself up, he breathed the fresh air given by the morning and set out to the Waking Dawn's building of operations with a newfound confidence in himself. It felt and seemed that he could succeed due to the effort he had put into refining his strength. It was natural to think so. If one pours so much in one thing expecting another in return, then it is all but natural to get what one wants. The reward for hard work is what the hard work was all for. That built his confidence, even if he was hesitant.

He arrived and saw Niere outside with a broom, cleaning with a smile on her face, one that changed as she saw Lear walk up and greet her.

"Good morning, Niere. It's nice to see you again."

"Oh, Lear, right? Good morning as well. What brings you here this early in the morning?"

"I want to try and take the test again."

"Is that so? I'm not surprised," she smiled. "I was counting on you to do just that."

"How come?"

"Well, though it's not as what one would expect from a mere glance, there's something about you that said you just won't give up after a small setback. Well, let's come in, shall we? I'm sure you're eager to get this done with."

"How about Noel, is he here?" he asked a bit bashfully, not knowing how to face the man whom he had shown his blunder to.

"Noel is on a request right now. He should be up north by now since he left a day and a half ago."

The two of them walked in and saw the hall nearly empty, save for those eating by themselves or making small talk with the other guild members.

"We're not too busy today since the day has just started." Niere walked over to the request board cluttered with various requests and pleas of varying difficulties. Those spanned areas far and wide regardless of borders, not unless the empire doesn't permit it.

"Let's see, what would be a good fit for you..."

As Niere skimmed through the loads of requests posted, a man called out from a floor above, leaning on a railing, smugly looking down upon them.

"What do we have here, another small fry looking to join the higher ups?"

"Thaddeus?" said Niere, looking up with narrow eyes. "What are you still doing here? I thought that you were out on a request?"

The man named Thaddeus leapt down from his position and landed on the floor, leaving a small crater of his metal shoe.

"Already finished it. I'm not as slow as a certain someone."

He was a tall, rough looking man with a short, messy brown hair. He wore a light set of metal armor and wore a white cape. On both sides of his waist were swords. His expression was naturally irritant and judgmental, and his demeanor always seemed to look down on someone for being feeble at every small aspect.

He walked up to Lear and examined him with a glare and a disgusted expression.

"You don't look like you're strong. Feels like you're going to drag everyone down," he said, towering over Lear.

"Thaddeus, what are you going on about now? Go away please, you're no good with new people, and I think that's been established a long time ago," said Niere as she tried to stand in between the two.

"Shut it, Niere. We don't need weaklings who might put the people here at risk," he said snarling like a wolf.

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"Not everyone is like you, Thaddeus, remember that. Practice some restraint from time to time. It's not for you to decide whether he gets in or not. It's his own merits that decides."

"Hah, bringing that up now? He doesn't even have what it takes, I bet. Just leave now while you're at it, kid. This guild doesn't need weaklings who can't fend for themselves."

"That's going too far, Thaddeus. Enough!" shouted Niere in anger, taking the attention of those present in the hall.

"No matter what you say, I'm going to take it," said Lear, standing his ground, rather shakingly. He regretted letting his heart speak but could do nothing else other than stand firm with what he had already said. There was a part of him that was glad to have said it, though.

"Oh, you so have the guts to say that. Alright, I'll give you that. You heard it here, Niere." He then directed his sight back to Lear. "So, you want to join, huh? Well I'll be your examiner then. You'll get in if you manage to even scratch me with that prop you call a sword. We're going to duel."

"W-wait, right now?" Lear asked, his confidence wavering in his voice.

"What do you want, an arena? Shut your trap and get this over with already. I don't have all day. I'll be the judge of whether you're worth going through all the trouble for. Not that I'm not convinced that you are."

Thaddeus stood opposite of Lear, both hands on his sides. He had a grin on his face, and it reeked of mischief.

"You don't have to do it, Lear. I know he's arrogant and petty, but he's strong. I want to stop him and go through the proper process, but I can't anymore. Once he gets started like this, only the guild master can 'calm' him down. You can still back out, however. There's no need to feel any shame in doing so."

"Thanks for the concern, Niere. But if I run away from this one, I don't think I'll be able to go back here with a straight face. Besides, if it's just a scratch, I'm sure I can manage that," he said, smiling confidently, somewhat.

"No, you don't understand. He's different from Noel, completely. He doesn't take it easy with new recruits because he despises them with a passion. He won't hesitate to injure you badly if you don't take it seriously."

Suddenly, Lear's heartbeat began to spike. Niere's words echoed into his head.

Looking at Thaddeus clearly now, he could feel an impatient sensation from him, as if he was eager, maybe too eager, to get something finished.

The tyrannical looking young man placed a hand over one of his swords, spurring Lear to react on impulse, rushing Thaddeus with an overhead slash.

The man simply evaded, moving over to the side despite Lear's agility.

Lear's eyes widened as it occurred to him what he had just done. He looked over to the side and saw Thaddeus with a sly grin. He had been lured by a strange, sharp killing intent, forcing him to move, choosing to fight instead of flight.

Thaddeus kicked Lear, with the weight of his body with him, towards a pillar, sending him crashing.

"What, that's it?" he asked, his hands on his waist, looking over Lear.

Shaking his head from side to side, Lear ground his teeth and tightened his hold on the hilt of his sword, feeling every muscle in his body coordinate and tighten.

Lear sprang from his position, piercing forward.

Thaddeus, with a surprised expression, moved his head to the side, avoiding it narrowly. He then backed away and became a bit more cautious.

Having stood up once more, he held his weapon with two hands and proceeded to assault him with a series of slashes from a safe distance. There he applied the techniques he learned, but only the ones that came to mind. His thoughts weren't quite sorted out, so he didn't have enough time to think about what should come next.

He simply moved and acted what first came to mind and hoped that it would go through somehow.

But Thaddeus, who had been looking quite bored, had enough of the fiasco and the futile fight that Lear was putting up.

Anticipating an attack from the side, Thaddeus acted accordingly, blocking it with ease using his sword then sent a swift uppercut to Lear's gut, knocking the air out of him.

He then followed through by kicking Lear as hard as he could, sending him flying out the door from where he came from, landing with a heavy thud upon the hard ground.

"Hah, pathetic! I knew you were nothing but talk. Try again in a few millennia when you might be worth something!" The man cackled on and threw Lear's sword next to him.

Niere rushed out of the building and supported Lear's head, kneeling beside him.

"Lear! Are you alright? Goodness, why did he have to stoop that low? I'll give him a piece of my mind when I get back."

"No, it's fine, Niere. Thank you for worrying about me," he said, looking down at his sword, raising the upper part of his body, sitting next to Niere. People glanced at Lear wondering what had happened, but they simply moved along, ignoring him.

"Are you hurt anywhere? I'll get you patched up, come-"

"No, really, I'm fine, Niere," he said, stopping her. "There's no need for that. I'll get by on my own just fine. I'm not hurt or anything, I just need to lie down for a bit."

Lear stood up and walked to his sword, sheathing it with a blank, dead, expression on his face. By the way he sighed and smiled slightly upon looking at his blistered hands, it was plain to see for Niere that he had been affected greatly by the defeat inflicted on him.

She didn't quite know what to say. She didn't know him well either. She didn't know her bounds as to what she should be allowed to say to a stranger, and that feeling made her hesitant to say anything at all. She simply saw him off as he walked away with his shoulders slumped forward. He didn't speak nor did he say his farewell. He simply left without another word.

Niere got up and stormed into the guild building, clenching her fists as to try and smack some sense into Thaddeus. Her narrowed eyes and ferocious demeanor terrified those that saw her, and this was not the first time they had seen her like this. There were many occasions.

However, before she could vent her rage on that person, the anger within her dissipated as she saw someone whom she recognized immediately. Her long, auburn hair flowed down along her back. Her sharp, authoritative, and angry eyes stood out as a core part of her visage.

She wore a uniform with a tie and a white top, where suspenders slung from both shoulders, clipped onto her long, brown skirt. Her ample bosom puffed along with her chest as she crossed her arms, obviously looking quite irritated. She carried a mature charm and a fierce, beautiful face

She was the definition of wild charisma, a mature figure whom many in the building followed without question. They all knew who she was and how strong she was despite her good looks. Unopposed and unquestioned, she was the authority of the guild.

"So, mind explaining what the hell you were up to just now?" she stated with a twitching left brow. The irritation behind her voice unnerved the arrogant man and reduced him to a mere ant.

"W-well, sure, I can explain. I have a pretty valid excuse for this," he stammered through his words, slowly backing away as the woman firmly took away any form of dominance that Thaddeus would exert. It was nonexistent anyhow, and that was plain to see for all those in the room. They all minded their own businesses and faced front as if they were being examined by the reaper itself, a terrifying and angry one, that is.

"This better be a good explanation then. Of course, you know what the consequences are if it's just another waste of my time. This isn't the first, Thaddeus, and I'm sure you know that this isn't the first time you've done something like this." She started cracking her knuckles, exuding terror within the man more and more.

"The kid was weak, plain and simple. We can't have those kinds with us. They'll only drag us down. Selfish, weaklings, those who can't fend for themselves or protect others. What use are they rather than just sitting things out and letting those capable to handle what should be handled?" He crossed his arms, quite content with what he had said.

"Fool!" she roared, smashing her fist into his face. The force behind the blow felt like it had been from a bear, strong and furious.

Thaddeus was sent flying, impacting with a wall where the people peacefully sitting had to jump out of the way as his body flew across. No one complained, but instead they slowly moved out of the way, not showing any concern for Thaddeus, who looked like he was in a terrible state.

She huffed, calming herself as she had delivered his punishment.

"Idiot! Who died and made you the judge of someone's worth? You're the worst one of them all. Brute strength alone isn't going to get you anywhere. Listen up as well, the lot of you!" she called out to those present in the halls, freezing them in place with her words.

"Don't take that idiot as an example of your worth here. As far as I'm concerned, you're all here for a purpose, different kinds. Being strong alone still makes you vulnerable. Being strong together is another thing. But strength isn't everything. There's more than one type of strength. Find that, and you might just realize how better that is than raw power. Now get cleaning! You're all going to clean up this clown's mess," she said, dismissing them with a lackluster and annoyed tone.

They all moved without her needing to say anything else, spurring each other with urgency.

She turned and dusted her hands, turning her attention towards the dazed maiden.

She sighed. "There goes another one. I swear, he never uses his head, and at this point, I'm convinced there's nothing in that head of his. Our guild will die down at this rate, then that arrogant, pompous man will rub it in my face again!" she pinched her temple and shook her head in despair, thinking of someone wearing noble, extravagant clothing, laughing at her with all his heart. The irritation within her grew as she thought of the repercussions of what was happening to her guild.

"What, is something wrong, Niere?" she asked, waving her hand in front of her face as she noticed her looking at her absentmindedly.

"Ah! Guild master Aria! You're finished with your workload?"

"Yeah, most of it anyway. The rest won't be around until later afternoon. Till then, I've got time to waste. I think I'll go take a walk around town. Make sure that Thaddeus doesn't pull another stunt like that. I'll make it twice as lethal next time... not that it'll make a difference with that thick head of his."

"Ahaha," Niere laughed wryly, looking pitifully at Thaddeus, who was still knocked out on the ground with a bloody nose. "I don't think he'll be doing that anytime soon. But I know that he means well by it. I'm just bothered by his means."

"He still can't move away from that?"

"Yes, sadly. It seems that it's been reaching extreme levels as of late. Even the lucky ones that have gotten through using the normal testing means are feeling the pressure Thaddeus is pushing onto them. If this keeps on, we'll get a bad reputation, and what's more, the amount of newcomers might stagnate."

"Well, we can't do anything about that right now. I'm just glad that other brain-dead idiot isn't here, otherwise he'd be more than riled up. I'll handle this somehow, just give me some time to think about what to do. It's not that complicated or that delicate. That tells me, where did he go anyway?"

"On a request up north. I don't quite know when he'll be back."

"Let him go at his own pace. I know that they're still at odds, but it's better to just let things be as they are with them for now. Well, I'm off. If you need me, you know how to find me. Have the ones present here clean up. You're in charge till I get back," she said, leaving the chaos that was her own guild.