Chapter 2: The Mana Test

Emmic stood before the guild receptionist, her black cat ears twitching nervously as she tried to maintain her composure. Her tail swished anxiously behind her, and her large eyes glanced up at him with a mix of curiosity and fear.

"We need to determine your mana level," she said hesitantly, her voice trembling. "And...and we'll also need to check your magic type and combo skills."

Emmic remained silent, his masked face expressionless. The girl’s hands started to shake as the tension grew. The weight of Emmic's presence was overpowering, and she could feel something dark swirling just beneath the surface of his calm demeanor.

Her fear grew, her voice cracking as she tried again. "I-I’ll take you to the mana detector. It's standard protocol."

Emmic looked down at her, seeing her eyes glisten with the threat of tears. Realizing the distress he was causing, he sighed softly and nodded. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "Yes, let's proceed."

The receptionist, relieved but still visibly shaken, guided him to a large crystal orb in the corner of the guild hall. The Mana Detector—a magical artifact used to measure the power levels of adventurers. Emmic stood before it, staring at the orb in silence. He had always suppressed his mana to the lowest levels, ensuring no one could ever know the extent of his true strength. But this time, he thought, I’ll let it all out.

Placing his hand on the crystal, Emmic took a deep breath, and for the first time in years, he released the restraints on his mana. Instantly, the detector began to glow with an ominous light. The numbers on the display shot up, rapidly escalating as Emmic's overwhelming energy poured into the device.

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The receptionist gasped, stepping back as the crystal hummed and pulsed with raw power. The room around them shook slightly, and adventurers nearby turned their heads in confusion, sensing the sudden surge of energy.

The display flickered, struggling to keep up with the influx of mana. Finally, the numbers stabilized—20,999,999,000.

A silence fell over the guild hall. The adventurers who had been lounging around or chatting with friends all stopped, their eyes wide as they felt the oppressive aura of death and power filling the room. Whispers spread through the hall like wildfire.

"Who is that?" one adventurer murmured.

"What kind of monster has that much mana?" another gasped.

Even the Guild Master, a legendary adventurer known for his strength, stormed into the hall. His face was grim as he stared at the young boy standing at the mana detector, the black cloak obscuring his identity.

"What in the world...?" the Guild Master whispered, feeling the immense pressure of Emmic's aura.

Emmic removed his hand from the crystal, the deathly aura dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. His eyes remained on the orb, but his thoughts were elsewhere. I don’t have time for this. I need to save her.

The receptionist was speechless, her eyes wide and her body frozen. She couldn’t comprehend what she had just witnessed. No adventurer, not even the top-tier S-rank ones, had mana levels that high. She managed to squeak out, "Y-Your registration is... complete."

Emmic turned to leave, ignoring the stares and whispers of the crowd. But before he walked out, the Guild Master called out to him, "Wait! Boy, who are you?"

Emmic stopped in his tracks but didn’t look back. "No one important," he replied in a cold, distant tone.

With that, he left the guild, his mind already focused on the next step: earning the money to save the girl.