CHAPTER 241: ADVENTURER TEST

The receptionist observed Kael for another moment, her eyes assessing him with the same precision with which one examines a magical relic. After silently recording his information, she nodded slightly.

"Wait there." She pointed to a small bench next to a dark glass door. "Your evaluator will come for you shortly."

Kael did as he was told, sitting on the bench with his hands clasped and his eyes wandering around the large hall. The comings and goings of beginners like him continued unabated, but for a brief moment, he felt... isolated. As if the whole place was watching him, waiting for something he had not yet promised to offer.

The door opened with a soft click.

"Kael?"

He stood up and turned to face the woman who had called his name.

She was slender and tall, with a presence that seemed to double the space around her. Her hair was a deep blue, tied in a braid that fell to her waist. She wore a dark robe with silver runic embroidery, and over her shoulders, a cape of black feathers that seemed to absorb the light. Her eyes—a light golden color, almost opalescent—carried the kind of gaze that had seen battles that books dared not tell.

"I am Nyra Vellorin," she said. "League wizard evaluator. Come with me."

Kael followed her through wide corridors that led to a more isolated section of the structure. The voices and noise of the main hall gradually faded, replaced by a reverent silence. They passed enchanted glass windows that showed illusory scenes of past battles—mages dueling elemental creatures, arcane shields protecting cities, runes intertwining like serpents.

Nyra did not say a word along the way, and Kael also preferred silence.

They arrived at a stone door carved with arcane symbols. Upon touching it, Nyra murmured a word in a language Kael did not recognize, and the door opened, revealing an evaluation room.

The space was large, with gray marble floors and enchanted walls to absorb magic. In the back, a test dummy—made of enchanted metal and protective runes—awaited motionless, like a sleeping sentinel. There were also crystals floating in the corners of the room, ready to record any spell cast there.

"Before we begin," Nyra said, finally breaking the silence, "you declared your class as a mage. That means you need to demonstrate affinity and arcane control."

She walked over to a floating clipboard, activating a set of runes on it.

"So, tell me: which elements can you manipulate?"

Kael hesitated for a brief moment. He had already experimented with various types of magical manipulation—from fire to gravity, to less conventional aspects such as sound and shadow. But his natural affinity, the one that responded effortlessly, was wind.

"Wind," he said simply.

Nyra raised an eyebrow but did not question him.

"Okay. Get ready to demonstrate. Let’s start with something basic." She gestured toward the test dummy. "I want you to hit the target with a gust of wind. Nothing deadly. Just enough to show control and direction."

Kael kept his eyes on the dummy, but before conjuring, he spoke calmly:

"Are you sure about this?"

Nyra crossed her arms. "Of course."

He sighed.

In one fluid motion, Kael extended his arm, and arcane energy swirled around his hand like golden dust. Without uttering a word, he concentrated his mana, shaping it into an invisible blade of condensed air.

In the blink of an eye, he launched it.

The sound that followed was not an impact—it was a whisper, a sharp crack, like air being torn apart.

The doll was cut in half.

Not cracked. Not damaged. Cut.

The protective runes glowed once before fading away. The metal fell in two smooth pieces to the floor, as if it had been cut by an adamantium blade heated to the limit.

Nyra stood motionless. Her eyes fixed on the destroyed doll. Slowly, she turned to Kael.

"You... didn’t chant anything," she said, almost in a whisper.

Kael just nodded.

"Was it instinctive?"

"Yes. It’s part of me now. Like breathing."

Nyra walked over to the remains of the doll and ran her fingers over the cut surface. The cut was perfect—no residual heat, no distortion. Just a clean line, without hesitation.

She looked up again. For the first time, her hardened expression showed a crack. It wasn’t just surprise. It was apprehension.

"That’s not conventional conjuration," she said. "The blade... was stable. It requires refined mana control. You channeled and shaped the energy with masterful precision. No channeling. No ritualistic gestures. No words."

Kael fell silent, the weight of the revelation hanging between them. He hadn’t meant to impress her—just to be honest. But somehow, it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

Nyra walked slowly back to the drawing board, activating a series of crystals.

"I’ll need to reevaluate the parameters of your test. What you did is not expected of a beginner. Not even of many veterans."

Kael frowned.

"Will that be a problem?"

She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to decide whether he was a blessing or a threat.

"It will be... extra attention."

"Great," he muttered. "More eyes on me."

Nyra ignored the comment.

"Let’s do another test," she said. "This time, I want to see your fine manipulation skills. Create a sphere of air. Stable. No noise, no pressure escape. And keep it in the air for thirty seconds."

Kael nodded. He reached out his hand, and the air around him condensed into a translucent sphere, spinning slowly. Tiny particles of magical dust swirled inside it, like snow in an enchanted globe.

Thirty seconds later, still intact, the sphere silently dissolved.

Nyra was frantically taking notes, her face now more concerned than curious.

"What if I ask you to absorb a magical attack?"

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"It depends on the attack."

She raised her hand and conjured a small burst of basic arcane energy—the kind of spell used to heat water or light torches. When the projectile hit Kael, the energy was sucked into his skin like steam on a cold stone. No impact. Just a slight gleam in his eyes, which quickly faded.

Nyra finally put down her clipboard.

"Kael... this is way beyond the norm. You don’t just have elemental control — you have a fusion of martial technique and arcane manipulation that is extremely rare. Perhaps unique."

Kael didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, it was nice to see someone recognize his potential. On the other... he knew what it meant.

He would no longer be just an aspirant.

He would be watched. Evaluated. Targeted.

"And now?" he asked cautiously.

Nyra took a few seconds before answering. When she spoke, her voice was firm, almost ceremonial.

"You will be registered as a mage, as desired. But... your name will be forwarded directly to the High Council of the Magic Tower. They need to know."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It depends. If you are who you say you are, you will be seen as a rare gem. If not... you will be treated as a potential threat."

Kael crossed his arms.

"So my theater has become a stage."

Nyra smiled slightly. "Welcome to the game, Kael. Wizards don’t just fight with spells. They fight with influence, knowledge, and reputation. And you’ve just lit a torch in the middle of the darkness. Now everyone will want to see where the light came from."

She wrote something on the clipboard, which lit up briefly before disappearing.

"You’ll be called soon. You can go back to the hall. Enjoy the day. Because tomorrow... the real test begins."

Kael nodded slowly, and before leaving, he took one last look at the broken doll on the floor.

Kael walked to the door of the room, still absorbing the weight of Nyra’s words. The sound of his footsteps echoed softly in the quiet hallway as he returned to the main area, where the buzz of the other candidates was already beginning to be heard again.

Upon arriving, his eyes met those of the receptionist who had greeted him earlier. She was still sitting behind the counter, her expression unchanged, watching him with controlled curiosity.

Kael approached her and, his voice still heavy with the tension of the test, asked:

"What are the next steps? Is there anything I need to do before tomorrow?"

She looked up, as if assessing whether he really wanted to know or was just seeking momentary comfort.

"No, Kael. You just need to come back tomorrow," she replied in a calm, neutral voice, "to pick up your official adventurer ID. With it, you will be able to access restricted areas, participate in official training, and begin your missions."

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren’t they going to call me in for more tests?"

She shook her head.

"The tests that needed to be done were completed today. Now it’s up to the council to analyze your performance. They decide whether you go straight to the initial missions or undergo special training."

Kael took a deep breath, feeling the weight of expectation on him, but also a hint of relief. At least, for now, there would be no more immediate challenges.

"Okay. What if I want to know more before that?"

The woman smiled discreetly, almost as if she were keeping a secret.

"The information will come at the right time, Kael. Here, time is as important as magic."

He nodded, thanked her, and walked away from the counter. With his identification, the journey would truly begin.

[Reactivating...]