Zeke approached the guild with a spring in his step. The advancement would open up new possibilities for him. There were only so many quests that were open to a copper-ranked adventurer and Zeke had long since had his eyes on some of the bronze-ranked monsters.
The Adventurer’s Guild loomed high and imposing over the crowded street, tall marble columns framing a grand entrance. During the daytime, the double doors were wide open, inviting daredevils from all over. There was no faster way to earn a few coins for everybody with the right skill set.
Once inside, Zeke observed the scene and scanned the crowd for familiar faces. After class, the branch in the capital had more Elementium students than regular adventurers. He was always wary of running into anyone he recognized. Zeke had lost all interest in making friends, and after the particularly unpleasant encounter with Samuel in the guest lecture, he had resolved to avoid the other students as much as possible.
He cued up for the receptionist with the shortest line, his head still on a swivel. To his left, Zeke saw a group of older students, dressed in fine robes. They had gathered around a large table at the bar, laughing and joking. Most of them had a tankard in their hands. From their clothing alone, Zeke was certain they hadn’t come for work.
To his right, he saw several groups, huddled around the notice board. They were discussing the various missions and requests. Most of them were comprised of older students, but there were some that looked as if they could also be first-years. Luckily, Zeke didn’t see anybody he recognized.
Even so, Zeke couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. People glanced his way just often enough to make him feel uneasy. It was probably just his imagination, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiety. Ever since his earliest days in the academy, he had gotten jumpy. But as his father liked to say, just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean people aren’t after you.
He tried to focus on his task as he approached the receptionist, a friendly older woman with a bright smile. “What can I do for you, sweetie.”
Zeke pulled the letter from the folds of his cloak and silently handed it to her. The receptionist looked it over and then glanced at him. She shuffled through her files, taking out an equivalent letter. “Please give me your token.”
He pulled out his adventurer token and the woman quickly scanned it. A look of surprise crossed her face as she looked at the list of completed quests. “My, oh my, aren’t you quite the busy bee? In your first year as well, not bad — Not bad at all.”
Zeke smiled crookedly, not used to getting praised by anyone aside from Maximilian. The woman beamed at his awkwardness as if it was endearing. “Anyway, to rank up to bronze, it is required to hunt one of the monsters designated as a bronze-level threat. This is a list of anything that qualifies in this area.”
Zeke's eyes inspected each article, taking in the many options available to him. If he wanted to finish the exam today, he had to choose carefully. Something close, something he would not need to prepare for. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the power of his blood magic. It took him little more than a thought to enhance his brain and eyes, allowing him to read the list with lighting speed.
He spotted an entry that caught his eye, a quest that he had noticed for the first time a couple of days ago. “Is this quest still available?”
The woman nodded. Without hesitation, Zeke made his choice. "This is it," he said, pointing to the entry. "I would like to make this my exam quest."
The receptionist looked at him with a hint of surprise, amazed that it took him only a few moments to scan the list with dozens of entries. Her expression shifted to a professional smile a moment later. Zeke was sure she had concluded that he had merely picked one at random.
She quickly found the respective quest notice. However, before she handed him the sheet of paper, she cautioned him one last time. "This is a dangerous quest," she warned. "The monster you've chosen is considered treacherous even among bronze-level threats. Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Zeke didn't hesitate, snatching the slip of paper from her hands. "I'm sure," he replied with a confident smile. He knew the risks and was prepared to face them. It was dangerous, sure, but Zeke felt equal to the task. Long gone was the boy who had barely survived his run-in with a few goblins.
The receptionist smiled worriedly but still wished him luck. Zeke made his way toward the exit of the Adventurers Guild. His mind was already focused on the upcoming hunt. So focused was he, that he didn't notice the figures that stepped in his path. Without looking up, Zeke attempted to step around them, but they moved with him.
The existence of this obstacle became increasingly annoying as he came closer. After another foiled attempt to detour, Zeke realized that the person in front of him blocked his way on purpose. He looked up, only to come face to face with somebody he had not expected to see here. There he stood, Martin, his old rival from home, together with a gaggle of other first years.
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With his cocky smirk, Martin looked as conceited as ever. Surrounding him were a couple of young men, who exuded an air of arrogance and entitlement as well. With their fine clothing and sneering expressions, they were easily identified as the worst kind of noble students. Zeke wasn’t surprised that Martin fit in with these kinds. He had always had the impression that the other boy thought of himself as better than anyone else.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ezekiel, the Blood Mage. Imagine my surprise to find you here, I was certain you had long since returned to your lowly village, seems I was wrong."
“What do you want?” Zeke asked. He eyed Martin’s group of friends warily. He was certain that they wouldn’t dare to start a fight here. But no matter what they had planned, one thing was evident: They didn’t come with any good intentions.
Martin sneered. "Ha! Where’s that famously sharp tongue of yours? Is it possible? Have you finally learned your place?”
“Excuse me,” Zeke said as he tried to push past them. Before he could take a single step, he was shoved back by a multitude of hands. His body tensed instantly, each muscle in his body was humming with power thanks to his Blood core. Zeke was certain he could push past them without a problem. Even so, he let himself be shoved back a step. He couldn’t afford to start a fight here either.
The group looked at their hands, unable to comprehend how their combined strength had barely been able to move him a step. It was Martin who got his bearings first. “We heard that you have an exam and wanted to ask if you might need some help with your quest."
Zeke almost laughed in Martin's face at the absurd suggestion. The thought of working together with this group of snakes was preposterous. He was more afraid of them stabbing him in the back than he would be of any bronze-ranked monster.
Even if he could actually trust them, they had no practice working together. Instead of a reply, Zeke merely raised a single brow, his expression slowly morphing into one of disdain. After getting ridiculed for so long, he had almost forgotten what it was like to stand up for himself. It felt like using a muscle again for the first time.
Martin took a step forward, getting right in Zeke’s face. "I came to help, and you just spit in my face?” He exclaimed in a raised tone so that everyone in the guild could hear. “You should be honored that I'm offering my assistance." He was clearly putting on a show, and Zeke was curious as to his purpose. He didn’t care much what people thought of him. Even if they believed Martin’s words, he wouldn’t think twice about it. It was not like he had any friends in the first place.
"I don't need your help and I don't want it either," Zeke said, his voice calm but firm, making sure that the people heard.
"Be that as it may,” Martin proclaimed loudly. “I, Martin Feuerkranz have been insulted and hereby officially challenge you to a duel, you filthy commoner. According to academy rules, you have the right to refuse, but you will have to do so loud and clear. Let everybody hear what a pathetic worm you are."
Zeke was stunned. Martin had referred to himself as a member of the Feuerkranz family, one of the most powerful and respected households in the empire. Martin had never shown any particularly good talent, in fact, his affinity for fire was only average. He was way below even someone like Lilly in talent.
The second oddity was that Martin had referred to him as a commoner. He had been adopted by Maximilian family weeks ago. Even if he had never felt the need to announce it, it was still surprising to him that Martin didn't seem to know and that it wasn't common knowledge.
Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Martin had always disliked him, but it seemed like he was scheming something else. He wondered about the actual reason for Martin being here and what his true intentions were.
Zeke fell silent, contemplating his next move. He realized that this could be a valuable opportunity for him. He had come a long way since his days in the village. This might be a valuable chance to find out how far he had truly come. To everyone's surprise, a smile spread across his face. "I accept."
Martin's expression turned to one of shock. He had not expected this response. Zeke, on the other hand, was feeling great. Now that he had started to stand up for himself again, a lot of his old instincts returned to him. "I have accepted your challenge, Martin. Now excuse me, I have matters of actual importance to get to."
Zeke walked toward the exit of the adventurer's guild with long strides. Just as he was about to reach the door, he heard a flustered voice call after him. "The duel will be held one week from now. The First-year arena, during lunch break." With a wordless nod, Zeke continued on his way, leaving a confused Martin rooted in place.
He found himself stalking his quarry a mere hour later. He was sneaking through a narrow chasm south of the capital, stalking his prey. His chosen enemy was just ahead. He could be certain by the stench all around.
As he crept forward, Zeke's eyes were trained on the ground, searching for footprints. He knew that the monster he was hunting was enormous, much larger than anything he had hunted so far. The biggest problem when fighting this monster was its thick skin, which was almost immune to lower-level magic spells and resistant to bladed weapons.
His focus paid off as he found the beast’s lair a short while later. It had been cleverly hidden behind a curtain of vegetation. However, the camouflage was in vain, as Zeke could smell its stench from a mile away. He carefully approached, trying to stay out of sight. It was time to take down his quarry and claim his spot among the ranks of the bronze-level adventurers.
Before doing anything, Zeke studied the footprints on the ground, making sure the monster was alone. After being satisfied with his findings, he started to enact his plan. Instead of going in, Zeke picked up a rock and threw it into the cave. He repeated this pattern over and over, listening carefully for any sounds coming from within.
It wasn't long before a projectile struck true, as he heard a loud bellow from the cave. The ferocious roar made the hair on his neck stand up. His heart was racing, but his mind was clear. He had trained for this, and he was confident in his abilities. With a deep breath, he calmed the beating of his heart. He placed his weapon between himself and the cave, ready to face the beast head-on.