Sandra-

Sandra woke up after entering her second gate with a jolt. There was no transition this time, one second she was stepping through the open window then she was sitting on her (awesome) ass with stiff crisscrossed leg’s

“Welcome back Sandy, took you long enough” Giel greeted her with a snarky smile, his tail wagging like that of a dog.

“Hey dude!” Sandra looked around noticing all the others were up and milling about, “I guess I’m the last one to finish?”

“Yeah, we’ve been waiting on you to eat lunch or something I guess” the beast-kin shrugged “The Demon King is grilling, smells pretty good.”

As if called by the mention of him, and for all Sandra knew he was, the Demon King appeared out of thin air in front of them, “Thanks kid, I try. Anyway now that you’re all up we need to discuss what being a first trial actually means and get you started on some necessary skills, I’ve set up a table in the middle of the clearing we can sit there while we chat.” He disappeared again with a pop only to return again be fore either Sandra or Giel could move “I forgot to ask, Sandra, burger or dog?”

“Hamburger please. Two patties.”

“Got it. Meet the rest at the table” he said before teleporting away for good this time.

Sandra and Giel met up with their party members at a picnic table that reminded the thief almost exactly of the ones from earth. Where had this come from? Sandra decided she didn't really care and took as seat near the head of the table in front of Hailey. Giel sat to her right with Kenn to his. Ali stood glaring at the table like it had stomped on her puppy.

“Order up!” The Demon King called sauntering over. Six plates floating above him. As he sat, he gestured with a flick of his hand, a plate hovering down in front of each of them.

The smell hit Sandra like a truck. The burger before her smelled... magical. Juicy and savory with just a hint of onions and garlic, topped with crisp lettuce and succulent tomatoes. Melted cheese dripped in between the patties and some kind of sauce that smelled like a spicy mix of mustard and mayo covered both buns in a way that was guaranteed to be messy.

Sandra felt as if someone had given her god’s lunch by mistake, and based on how the rest of her party was looking at their meals they felt much the same even Ali stared at the plate in front of her like an addict trying to resist free cocaine.

The Demon King who was already eating looked at them all like they were stupid, “go ahead. Dig in.”

Sandy didn’t need to be told twice, She bit into the sandwich. Her eyes widening and nearly tearing up at the glorious flavor. It tasted as if the cow or whatever animal the meat was from had been fed nothing but pure happiness its entire life and when it had been slaughtered had been dipped in love.

Even Ali had given up on self-control, the short woman scarfing down her share as fast as anyone.

“The sauce is made with mana infused herbs, so it should help strengthen those newly awakened cores” The Demon King said looking proud that they were enjoying his handiwork, Sandra noticed when he shot Ali a smug look.

Sandra felt it, a tingling hum and a sensation like someone holding fingers just barely off of your skin but in her stomach. Her gut began to churn in a way that felt like nausea but... good... or at least not unpleasant.

“And that leads us to the first necessary skill i need to teach you. Cycling. You won’t even get half of the herbs effects if your mana remains stagnant in the natural flow of your body”

“So we need cardio?” Giel asked raising an eyebrow.

“No not that kind of Cycling,” the demon corrected, “I don't even think bikes exist in this world. I mean cycling your mana, but let’s actually come back to that. We need to share your mana types”

“Huh, but you told us what our types are.” Kenn said confused,

“Not to me to each other! Reintroduce yourselves as mages” He looked at first Hailey then Kenn “I’d like Hailey and Kenn to go last so who wants to start”

Sandra’s hand imminently raised but Giel beet her to it

“I got metal and force affinities”

"A good combo since you're focused on spellarms but minimal use for enchanting, you want to be an artificer right?" When the beast-kin nodded his ears drooping a bit the demon went on "you'll be able to enhance the properties of metal and make things hit harder but otherwise you'll be reliant on inscriptions rather than imbuing, and those can be limiting."

Sandra didn't have any Idea what the demon was talking about but seeing he was done shared her own gains,

"Shadow and poison for me, I'm gonna be a dark and mysterious." She grinned

"With that combo you were practically destined to be a rogue, poison affinities are weird ones though we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." he pointed at Ali “Okay now you.”

The caster harrumphed “They already know what I can do”

“It's just a formality, play along”

Ali sucked her teeth “Fire, ice, and lightning.”

“Mostly directly offensive uses, some utility but it's not the main potential”

Ali seemed to growl something under her breath the demon ignored it looking to Kenn and Hailey, “and now for the main event, Hailey you go first”

The healer expectedly went red, Sandra wishing she could speak for her poor friend.

“Holy, which I expected, but I also got light and sight affinities...”

“But that's not even the best part. Our pointy eared friend here is special, despite having three mana types she only has one core. I've never seen that before!” the demon said with palpable excitement “I have theories about what this could mean, as core fusion is a second trial thing, but I’m getting ahead of my self. Let's finish this off with the last and certainly not least. Kenn?”

The warrior perked up, jumping as if he had been distracted by something.

“I have an armament affinity, like weapons and armor and stuff, and a time affinity, I guess”

“An affinity I’ve never even heard of, may I add. Sure armament mana isn't anything new but time, It's ludicrous. I don't even have any spells for that mana type, a major downside but overall this is going to be interesting.” The Demon King shrugged as if to say what can you do

Sandra couldn't articulate how cool this felt. She was a mage! All her friends were mages! They would have cool magical powers like all the other adventurers in the guild. They were communing with a demon, what better way to start a tale for the ages.

She ignored the sauce covering her face and hands and the burger grease that had dripped onto her shirt.

She was going to be legendary.