The slow burn of the poison eating away at his vitality and the sound of the raging goblin attempting to claw its way after him lent clarity to Felix's movements. Time seemed to slow as the goblin archer nocked another arrow, the slight creaking of the bowstring being drawn suddenly deafeningly loud. Releasing a breath he had been holding, Felix darts forward, the snap of the bowstring accompanied by the whistle of the arrow as it races towards him. The sound of metal on metal rings throughout the chamber as the arrow meets the borrowed buckler, deflecting the arrow to the side, no longer a threat. The plain sword that he carried arcs through the air, catching the archer by surprise as it attempts to move out of the path of the thrown weapon, too slowly. Allowing himself to breathe again, Felix slumps to the ground, looking dispassionately at the crippled boss slowly crawling towards him, making its path clear.
The tingling sensation of the poison working through his body was becoming stronger, more violent. Initially just very faint pins and needles, it was now at the point where he knew he might pass out if he tried to move too quickly. Looking down at his trembling hands he tried his best to hold them still.
Health has fallen below 50% All stats have been reduced
The scraping sound of the dying goblin as it desperately clawed at the floor drew his attention. It didn't take an expert to see that it was on the verge of death, the continuous bloodloss doing what a determined warrior might not. What had Jurq'en said again. "Great is the weapon that cuts on it's own." Of course, they were all like that. None of mothers companions were normal in any sense of the word. It came with being the best. The dying rattle of the goblins last breath brought Felix's attention back to the world, the popup that had appeared in front of him being replaced by yet another.
Health has fallen below 25% All stats have been reduced
Level Up!
Felix smiled as a warmth spread throughout his body. Another few seconds and the poison would have claimed him, but that fear was gone now. The level up would restore his health, purging the poison from his system. The tremble in his hands had faded already, and as he regained the strength to stand, he noticed the opening portal, tied to the bosses death, ahead of him. All that was left now was to return to the guild and complete the trial. At least he'd finally be able to earn a class, and eventually, forge his own path in the world.
Stepping through the portal, Felix feels the momentary nasuea pass as the world solidifies, finding himself back in the portalroom of the guild. The half-orc and dwarf are waiting for him, no doubt alerted to his return by the opening portal. Either that, or they had never left, choosing to wait instead of busying themselves. Upon seeing the arrow still piercing his chest, their stoic facade fades, as they both spring forward rushing to help him. Holding up a hand, Felix manages a wry smile. "It's alright, until it comes out, I'll be fine. Please get a healer ready to remove it."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The dwarf lets out a rumbling laugh. "Well, if there was any doubt about you being a BrightStar now, I guess it would be dispelled. Clearing a dungeon alone, without any sort of magic or basic skills, and surviving a wound like that so calmly. No doubt about it. You're Illeanes child."
Felix frowned. "I hope you didn't allow me to take the test purely because of that. For you she might be legend, but I've grown up raised by her. If you're going to be constantly amazed by being in contact with people that were near her, I can direct you to a friend who loves to share his tales about how he's adventured with her."
A sudden spike of pain shot through Felix as the half-orc, taking advantage of his moment of distraction, ripped the embedded arrow from his chest. Before he can react, he feels the cool warmth of healing magic flush through his chest, the orcs hand over the new scar. "Good as new." The half-orcs gruff voice is neutral, but Felix can see the amusement in his eyes. Scowling at the duo, he decides that its a battle he won't win.
"Lets just get on with this. What do I still need to do to get my adventurer card?"
"We just need to get a blank card engraved with your ranking, name, class, and other assorted information. For that, it's back downstairs to the interview room, another brief session with a Tome of Knowledge, one with a Crystal Ball and then out to the courtyard for a basic orientation. Less than a few hours of work."
Felix frowns at that, but merely nods. At least it would be over today. "Well, then lets get to it."
----------------------------------------
"Alright, so to finalize your card, we're going to need to have a class to put on it. It will be useful for people to see exactly what they're dealing with when they work with you, and it'll be used to help assess what kind of specialized requests are passed to you." Vashof told Felix. It had been a dull few hours, and he couldn't help but let out a yawn as the end of it finally approached. The half-orc had thoroughly interrogated him about his actions in the mini-dungeon, and the reasoning behind each move. Part of the ranking assessment. A second use of the Crystal Ball had ensured that Felix still didn't have any magical potential, and now he found himself seated before a surprisingly large book. A Tome of Knowledge. After this he just needed to complete a basic orientation on how the guild worked, and he'd officially be an adventurer. Stretching his arms, he looked questioningly at the half-orc, Vashof, waiting expectantly for an explanation of how to use the Tome.
"No need for that. You simply put your hand on it and say 'Reveal'. You don't need to give it mana, due to the nature of the enchantment on the Tome. After you've said the keyword, it'll reveal a list of all the classes you could potentially choose from, based on your past achievements in life. This includes the common civilian classes that many people have, such as things like Farmer, Hunter, Baker. This Tome has been calibrated to exclude the generic options that most people would have open to them. Proceed when ready."
Felix nodded his thanks at the instructor, taking a deep breath to steel himself for the disappointment he was sure to follow. After all, there were no known abilities or skills that could be used without mana. The chances of an entire class catering to him lacking mana was unlikely.
"Reveal."