As Liam's team prepared for their turn, a towering stone elemental wielding a massive mace appeared before them. The smooth and polished statue radiated a sense of power and intimidation. Liam glanced at Corin and Lila, exchanging nods of readiness before the fight began.
Without warning, the stone behemoth lunged forward, swinging its mace with incredible force. Lila, displaying her powers, raised a swirling water barrier to protect the team from the attack. The mace easily shatters her barrier with a splash.
Meanwhile, Corin dashes forward, performing an agile side kick, his foot surrounded by a fierce wind that chipped away at the elemental's stone exterior. Liam gathered his light energy, focusing it into his palms.
The statue retaliated with a downward smash of its mace, intending to crush Liam beneath it. Liam nimbly dodged the attack, leaping to the side and releasing a beam of light that struck the elemental's arm. The stone blackened slightly but didn’t seem to take any damage.
As the battle progressed, Lila maintained her defensive water barriers, seamlessly shifting their form to adapt to the elemental's attacks. When the statue unleashed a sweeping horizontal strike, Lila raised a curved water shield that absorbed the blow and kept her teammates safe.
She reuses water where possible, sometimes drawing more water from nearby containers provided for trial-goers use.
During an intense exchange while Lila is forming a new barrier. Corin is caught off-guard by the elemental's backswing, the mace striking him in the ribs. Lila rushes to his side, using her water to soothe his injury and mend his wounds.
Liam quickly steps in front of the statue, directing it away. Naturally understanding that while Lila was busy healing, she would not be able to protect him with a barrier. He focused purely on defence, nimbly dodging, always just out of reach of the spiked stone mace.
After several moments of intense avoidance and close calls. Corin rejoins the fight with renewed vigor. He is panting but swaps places with Liam and continues to chip away at the statue with a series of punches and kicks.
However, it is difficult for Corin to deal proper damage, every few seconds he has to avoid the mace by dodging or letting one of Lila’s barriers absorb the attack.
Liam steps back further out of reach of the melee and his eyes briefly flash white as he inspects the enemy.
Animated Statue
A powerful construct imbued with limited intelligence. This statue will focus on the closest target it can see, ignoring all other damage.
“Let me stay infront, you get behind it and attack” Liam instructs Corin.
The other teen quickly nods and steps away. The deadly statue once again focuses on Liam. Between his own agility and occasional barriers summoned by Lila, he is able to avoid any serious hits. The mace can easily shatter her water barriers but most of the force is taken out of each attack.
Now that he can focus purely on offense, Corin is fully empowering every kick and punch. With his knuckles bloody after delivering dozens of reinforced punches to the stone he switches to kicking. The statue occasionally stumbles forward when particularly strong kicks hit it’s back.
Their strategy is working, and the stone elemental was starting to falter. Sensing their advantage, Liam unleashes an intense beam of light aiming directly at its eyes. As the head recoils from the beam impact, Corin’s wind empowered spin kick hits with a loud smack. The combined assault is too much for the elemental to withstand, and it crumbles to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.
Exhausted and exhilarated, the three teammates looked at each other with grins of victory.
Liam, Malik, and Lila, riding the high of their victory, climb the stairs to the observation area where the other candidates and instructors watched the trials. Their chests swelled with pride as they noticed the impressed looks from their peers. As they approached, Torvald stood up from his seat, his intimidating presence drawing the attention of the room.
"Congratulations on your victory," Torvald said, his voice booming but sincere. "I put you against one of the more difficult statues. Your teamwork and strategy were commendable. You showed great potential as adventurers."
Liam felt a surge of excitement hearing Torvald's praise. He looked at Malik and Lila, who both wore expressions of satisfaction and relief.
"But remember," Torvald continued, his tone becoming more serious, "this is just the beginning. You will face even greater challenges if you become members of the guild.. Now, you should head over to the healer and get your injuries tended to."
Taking Torvald's advice, Liam, Malik, and Lila made their way to the healer's station, where a kind and gentle healer assessed their injuries.
The healer's power was awe-inspiring. Her hands glowed with a soft, emerald light as she channeled her healing magic. Her touch was gentle and reassuring, instilling confidence in those he treated. She first turned his attention to Malik, who had sustained the most severe injuries during their battle.
Lila was able to patch up some of the damage during the fight and keep him on his feet. But he still has many bruises and cuts which she was unable to fully heal.
Malik winced as the healer inspected his bruised and battered body. The healer placed her glowing hands over the worst of the injuries, and Malik's expression gradually changed from pain to relief. The healer's magic flowed into Malik's body, knitting together damaged tissue and restoring vitality to his weakened muscles. Before their eyes, Malik's injuries faded, leaving behind only the faintest traces in the form of discoloured issue.
“The color will fade back to normal over the next week or so depending on your natural recovery. It would be best if you avoided taking any damage during that time.” He says with a serious tone.
“He took some big hits in there, good job with the combat healing techniques.” He nods to Lila.
“Oh thanks, it was nothing… just a few tricks my uncle taught me” Lila replies, cheeks reddening.
Once Malik was healed, the healer turned his attention to Liam. Though Liam's cuts and bruises were minor in comparison, the healer treated him with the same care and focus. The warm, soothing light of the healer's magic enveloped Liam, mending his cuts and dissolving the dark patches of his bruises.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Liam tries to focus on the foreign energy, but the experience is over in seconds.
With their injuries healed, the trio returned to the observation area, where they watched the next groups engage their stony opponents.
As each group fought against the stone elementals, those who had already fought were able to witness a variety of different magical powers and combat styles. Some candidates demonstrated impressive control over basic elements such as fire, earth, or air, while others excelled in physical combat, augmented by their magical abilities.
One skinny fighter showed excellent control over blood. Turning his teammates injures into razor sharp red blades and easily chipped away at their statue.
It was an incredible learning experience for the trio, as they were exposed to a wide range of techniques and ideas that they had never considered before.
Despite the challenges, most of the groups were able to defeat their stone adversaries, albeit with varying levels of difficulty. Tovald seems to have chosen a appropriate enemy each time. The energy in the observation area was a mix of excitement, relief, and anticipation.
As Liam, Malik, and Lila stood together, watching the remaining candidates take on their trials, they started to share their reasons for joining the Adventure Guild.
Liam spoke first, his eyes filled with determination. "I've always wanted to be stronger, so I can protect myself and others. I'm tired of feeling helpless, I want to earn enough money to join the academy."
“You have expense tastes my friend” Malik replies after whistling.
Lila smiled softly, her gaze steady and resolute. "I’m from a small village, once we were attacked and my uncle was able to help so many people after. He was a guild member in his youth, although in Guardia city. I want to join so I can gain experience and maybe open my own clinic one day to heal people for free.”
Malik nodded, admiration in his eyes. "For me, it's the thrill of adventure and combat. I feel alive when I am fighting" he said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Plus, I want to master my wind powers and learn new techniques to become even more effective in combat."
After the last group finished their trial, Torvald stood tall and proud at the front of the observation area, his stern expression softening just slightly as he looked upon the group of successful candidates. He raised his voice so that everyone could hear him clearly.
"Congratulations to each and every one of you for making it through these trials," he began, his deep voice resonating through the room. "Today, you have proven your worth as potential members of the Adventure Guild, demonstrating not only your individual skills and talents but also your ability to work together as a team."
His eyes scanned the room, making eye contact with several of the candidates, including Liam, Malik, and Lila. "In the world of adventuring, teamwork is of utmost importance. Your ability to adapt, support, and rely on one another is what will ensure your success in the field."
“We made the trials particularly difficult because others will be relying on you, and all of you need to understand that combat is a matter of life and death.”
As Torvald finished addressing the entire group of candidates, he turned his attention to Liam, Malik, and Lila. His expression softened, and he offered them a small nod of approval. "Well done, you three," he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "You worked together effectively, demonstrated exceptional skill, and showed true determination. You've earned your place in the Adventure Guild. Go back upstairs and hand the receptionist this."
He hands each of them a simple circular wooden token with the letters V.C carved into it.
Liam, Malik, and Lila exchanged excited glances, admiring the token.
“You guys go ahead, I want to ask Torvald something once he finishes with the others” says Lila.
A frown crosses Mailik’s face before he chimes in “Uhh, me too actually. I want to find out how he controls the statues.”
They say their goodbyes and promise to meet back at the guild the next day. Liam heads back upstairs, happy to become an official member.
The receptionist was a middle-aged woman with a kind and approachable demeanor. Her shoulder-length, wavy auburn hair framed a face full of warmth and laughter lines. Her eyes were a gentle hazel, always seeming to twinkle with amusement or happiness, making people feel instantly at ease in her presence.
She had a modest build and was dressed in simple yet elegant attire, which consisted of a flowing blouse, a long skirt, and a fitted vest embroidered with the emblem of the Adventure Guild. The receptionist's posture was relaxed but professional, and her voice was melodic and soothing, conveying a sense of reassurance to everyone she spoke with.
Behind the receptionist's desk were shelves filled with neatly arranged documents and scrolls, all meticulously organized and labeled. It was evident that she took pride in her work and was dedicated to ensuring the smooth operation of the guild.
As Liam approached the receptionist with the wooden token in hand, she greeted him with a warm smile. "Congratulations on passing the trials, Liam! Before we continue, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Isabella."
Liam nodded and replied, "Nice to meet you, Isabella. I appreciate your help and guidance."
Isabella beamed. "You're welcome, Liam. I'm here to assist you with any questions you might have or any help you may need throughout your time in the Adventure Guild. Now, let's get you your copper badge."
"Congratulations on passing the trials!" she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with pride. "You must be excited to officially join the Adventure Guild."
Liam nodded, his cheeks flushing with a mix of pride and embarrassment, unused to the praise. "Yes, thank you. It was quite the experience."
The receptionist took the wooden token from Liam and handed him a small, copper badge in return. The badge was circular in shape and adorned with the emblem of the Adventure Guild—a sword crossed with a wand, symbolizing the balance between physical and magical strength.
"This is your copper badge, signifying your rank as a new member of the guild. As you progress and gain experience, you'll have opportunities to advance to higher ranks," she explained, her smile widening. "Welcome to the Vanguard Coalition guild, Liam. We're happy to have you."
Liam pinned the copper badge to his tunic, feeling a surge of pride and excitement as he officially became a member of the Adventure Guild.
The receptionist led Liam towards the large notice board that was prominently displayed on one of the walls in the main hall of the Adventure Guild. The board was made of sturdy oak and measured several feet wide, providing ample space to display numerous postings at once.
"As a new member, you'll want to familiarize yourself with our notice board," she explained with a smile. "This is where you'll find available quests and missions, as well as any important announcements and updates from the guild. Missions are ranked according to their difficulty, so as a Copper-ranked adventurer, you'll want to start with the missions suited to your level."
Liam scanned the board, noticing that each posting was neatly written and color-coded to correspond with the various guild ranks: Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, and Gold. The Copper-ranked missions were located at the bottom of the board, featuring tasks such as, gathering specific resources, or helping local townsfolk with minor problems.
Isabella continued, "Make sure to check the board regularly, as new missions are posted every day. If you find a mission that interests you, just take the posting to one of the mission desks, and they'll provide you with more details and register your participation."
Liam nodded, taking in the wealth of information before him.
The receptionist noticed the excitement in Liam's eyes and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can tell that you're eager to get started, but don't push yourself too hard right away. The entrance trials were quite demanding on your body, and it's important to allow yourself time to rest and recover before taking on any missions."
Liam hesitated, reluctant to admit that she was right. He could feel the fatigue settling in, despite his enthusiasm for joining the guild.
She gave him a warm, understanding smile. "Go home and get some rest, Liam. The guild and the missions will still be here tomorrow, and every day after that. It's better to undergo a mission well-rested and at your best, rather than risk injury or failure by starting off exhausted."
“It also reflects poorly on the guild if you show up to help somebody tired” she finishes sternly.
Liam nodded, hearing the truth in her words. "You're right, thank you. I'll come back tomorrow and start with a fresh mind and body."
"Good," the receptionist replied, giving him an encouraging pat on the back. "We're looking forward to seeing you start. Rest up, and we'll see you soon."
She pats him on the back and walks back to the desk to help the next candidate.
With a final glance at the notice board, Liam left the Adventure Guild building, his heart filled with anticipation for the days ahead.