"As mister Hayes killed his opponent: miss Sklendé; Alvon Skydin and Gale Yettin both have no opponent to fight before the semi-final. Therefore, we will jump ahead to the next fight between mister Jefferite and miss Ramus."

Goldie tensed up. The fight was starting a bit too soon for his comfort. He looked over at Rhona, who wore a thoughtful expression. Her dark brown hair was even shorter than his own, probably so it didn't get in her way.

I know she's the first person to see you naked since your birth, but you shouldn't stare so much.

That's not what I was looking at her for!

She glanced at Goldie, causing his face to heat up, before turning to the overseer to speak.

"I would like to rest a bit before entering another fight if that is allowed", she blankly stated.

"Of course, you will be allowed a ten-minute respite" Nubondi declared.

Rhona nodded and took out a blue vial. She quickly gulped down the liquid within it, her face tensing up slightly. Whatever was inside must not have tasted very pleasant. She once again gazed at Goldie and furrowed her brows. He quickly averted his eyes, feeling awkward for having been watching her.

Do you think she's angry at me?

Why should she? She walked in on you. It wasn't your fault.

I just hope she takes it easy on me.

Trust me, a warrior of her caliber would never do something as stupid as 'taking it easy' on someone. At least not unless you'd have successfully invited her to your room.

Please stop suggesting such perverted things. What makes you think I'd even want that?

Oh nothing, except that you keep longingly staring at her face. Certainly not my type, but I won't judge.

That's simply my being nervous about facing a seasoned fighter. It has absolutely nothing to do with her looks.

Excuses excuses.

To think I was starting to like you, thanks for reminding me why I don't.

Although Xander's reason was most certainly incorrect, Goldie couldn't stop worrying about Rhona. Perhaps he stood a chance of adapting to her style, if she did nothing but dodge the whole fight. So what? He'd get a single shot, before getting instantly smashed by her counter.

He checked his watch: Only eight minutes until his doom. His heartrate quickened. He didn't want to get his bones broken, the pain from before was already enough.

To calm his nerves, he opted to try something he had not done since his trip to Siellous. He meditated, steadying his breathing and focusing on the world surrounding him. He spent around five minutes in this state and even managed to gain one Lvl in Meditation before getting interrupted.

"What should I make of you?", said a stern female voice.

Goldie looked up and jumped in surprise.

"Everything about you is so strange", Rhona accused. "You masterfully handle your weapon, yet you fight as though you had never held it before. And your endurance has me especially perplexed. It would take years of training to achieve such a high amount of Ki regeneration. Not to mention...", she paused, "You may be the first person to throw off my senses to such a degree."

Goldie managed a baffled "thank you?", before Rhona wandered back to her earlier position.

Goldie was unsure what to make of her statement. She couldn't read him? Was that why she knew not to fight Hayes? Why would Goldie be difficult to read? Was it his rapid improvement?

Whatever the case may be, Rhona did not make the impression she would surrender straight away.

"The ten minutes are over. Please make your way towards the arena. I am sure we would all like to get this exam over with."

Goldie certainly agreed with the overseer on that. The tournament had already gone on for more than two hours.

How can they handle doing this every day?

They don't do it every day. Every few weeks the guild opens up for new applicants. If you wanted to become an adventurer without waiting for the exam, you need a special recommendation or have received the needed diploma from a reputable academy.

It seemed Goldie was quite lucky to have arrived when he did. He silently prayed that this luck would stay with him in the following fight.

As the arena was once again enclosed by the force field, Goldie pondered how he could possibly win this duel. The first successful attack needed to instantly take Rhona out. Perhaps he should hold back on abusing any holes in her defense until he made absolutely sure to land the perfect strike.

He steeled his resolve and looked at his opponent. A worried expression painted her face.

"I'm sorry", Rhona stated. "I can't let this fight drag on. You are too incalculable."

"What do you me-"

His question was cut off by the overseer's signaling clap.

The runic tattoos all over her body began glowing with power as she clasped her staff. Goldie instantly unsheathed his dagger and went into a defensive stance.

The ground cracked as she kicked off and jumped straight over him. Goldie couldn't even tell where she had gone before getting bashed on the head. Everything faded to blackness.

As his consciousness returned, he felt very strange, like his body lied at the bottom of a giant pool of water. He tried opening his eyes but was unable to.

Panic rose up from the back of his mind, but his heartrate didn't increase. He wanted to gasp for air but found he could not breathe. Not a single cell budged.

The surrounding blackness crept ever closer. After unsuccessfully trying to tear his eyelids open with all his might, he tried yelling instead. When that wouldn't work, he went for the next best thing.

Xander what's happening?

Xander answer me!

Xander?

Xander!!!

A couple seconds, which felt like minutes, passed and his vision suddenly returned. He croaked out a raspy breath and noticed that his eyelids were already open before his vision came back. The medic grabbed Goldie's attention before he could further think about the strange occurrence.

"Are you alright?", she asked.

"I don't know", Goldie began. "I felt like I was suffocating and couldn't move my body. That doesn't usually happen after getting knocked out, does it?"

"No sir, it sounds like you just experienced sleep paralysis. It occurs when your mind wakes up before your body does. Some people even start hallucinating."

Was that it? It sounded plausible enough.

"How long was I out?"

"Around twenty minutes, the semi-final is already underway."

Goldie instantly sat up and ran to the battleground. It was Gale's turn to face off against Rhona. Just like in her earlier fight, her eyes were closed as she danced out of the way of Gale's swings. Goldie was slightly touched that she thought he was too much of a threat to show off with.

After a few more minutes Gale got fed up with being unable to hit his opponent and conceded. Goldie was surprised the man had even bothered fighting as long as he did.

Rhona declined the overseer's offer of a short break and the next round got swiftly underway. It had been a long tournament, but the process was finally nearing the end. Between the two fighters, Goldie wasn't sure who would win. Neither Alvon nor Rhona had truly gone all out in any of their duels.

Both contestants faced each other and for the first time today, they even bowed.

Goldie felt a pang of envy. Did they know one another or was Goldie simply not worth the courtesy?

"Alright folks. This is the last round so make sure it's a spectacle. Either that or at least be kind enough to not drag it out for too long. I'm sure the judges have seen more than enough of you both blocking and dodging attacks", the overseer shouted at the two applicants.

The force field was raised on last time and the final fight commenced.

As in her fight against Goldie, Rhona's runes flared to life. On the other side Alvon activated a spell for the first time this day. Similarly to what Garen did in his scuffle versus Xander, Alvon empowered not only his body, but channeled part of the energy into his shield.

There was a new intensity in the air. These people were truly a cut above the rest. Goldie could not imagine how strong Hayes must be to make Rhona want to concede instead of facing him. His eyes could barely even keep up with what was happening. Rhona was so quick it almost looked like she was teleporting. One constantly heard loud clanging as her staff slammed against Alvon's shield.

She showed no mercy. Alvon couldn't even counterattack as he was pushed up against the arena's edge. His shield was warping under the constant onslaught and eventually even shattered apart. At that point Al could do little more than to swing his hammer forward as a last-ditch attempt to return the favor. Rhona had not expected the shield to break apart so suddenly and got bashed in the shoulder. Though his attack wasn't very accurate, it had tremendous force behind it. Rhona was knocked to ground and her shoulder likely broken. Nevertheless, she got back on her feet and continued her assault on the now defenseless Alvon.

Alvon declared his surrender a few moments later and avoided getting beaten senseless.

"Well that was quite a show!", the overseer chimed. "We will now hold a lengthy break to discuss the results of this tournament." He looked over at Alvon and Rhona. "Although I am quite certain the two of you passed with flying colors."

What are my chances? You think I passed?

Heck if I know. It all depends how strict they are. I say if Gale passes then so do you. Also heads up, your crush is walking towards you.

My crush?

He jumped up in surprise as Rhona tapped his shoulder.

"Uhh. How may I help you?", he asked.

"I need to know something" she started.

Oh boy, she's gonna ask you out!

"Are you really a person?"

What the hells?

What the fuck?

"Yes? What sort of question is that?" Goldie demanded.

"What do you remember happening in our fight?", Rhona inquired.

"You pretty much instantly knocked me out is all I recall. What does this have to do with me being a person?"

"So you don't remember..."

Goldie was starting to worry.

"What is it I'm forgetting?"

"I didn't knock you out. After bashing you on the head you were still conscious for a few seconds before I hit you again."

"Strange..."

"It was as if you were being controlled by someone, or something, else", she explained. "I can read people aura. Yours changed right after you remember being knocked out."

Rhona narrowed her eyes at him. Goldie wasn't sure what he should tell her.

It's because of you, isn't it?

Hey man, I was just trying to help. It isn't like I did it on purpose, I just got control of your body once you were unconscious, I swear.

"Have you by chance come in contact with a demonic entity in the past?", Rhona suddenly questioned. "Were you part of a cult? What were the circumstances of your birth?"

"No, no and not as far as I know", Goldie truthfully told.

"So probably not demonic possession" she mumbled.

"I honestly don't know what to tell you. I feel fine and can't remember what happened after you smacked me in the head"

Rhona furrowed her brows.

"I don't like being lied to."

And with that, she walked away.

Maybe we should come clean.

What? Why?

Better yet, why are you the one suggesting this?

I'm offended you'd be surprised.

...

But yes, it is for a selfish reason. I was just wondering if maybe she knew a way to untangle our souls?

No way do I ask her that! That's far too risky and I'm too weak. We need to wait until I can defend myself from getting captured and used as a test subject!

We might not get another chance!

No! It's simply too dangerous.

Fine, have it your way.

Goldie longingly stared in Rhona's direction, but wandered over to Alvon.

"What'd you think of her?"

"The monk? She's damm tough, those runes are no joke. I can't imagine the amount of time it must have taken to learn to control her augmentation to such a degree." Al's voice made it clear how much he admired the woman's strength. "But for all her speed and perception she was still a bit overconfident. My swing should never have connected." He sighed. "And what was up with your fight? What she did to you was a serious dick move. I assume you're not over level twenty?"

Goldie shook his head.

"Yeah, I figured. Though honestly, I can understand her reaction a little bit. You seriously surprised me when you got that hit in", he chuckled. "I must have gotten a bit too predictable. No hard feelings though."

Goldie wasn't sure how to continue the conversation. The weather? No... What do you talk to your friends about?

"So, what makes you want to be an adventurer?" Goldie belatedly asked.

"Nothing special. My elder sister is a high-level adventurer and I was hoping to join her party someday. The other reason is the typical dream of wealth, fame and power" he responded. "What about you?"

"Well, I guess you could say it's because I'm tired of being pushed around. Becoming an adventurer seemed like an efficient way of getting stronger while also earning a living", he honestly explained. "Other than that? I don't really know what I'll do once I'm stronger. Probably just go back to my old job."

"What!? But that'd be such a waste!" Alvon blurted. "You have talent, man! Not even level 20 and you still managed to land a hit against me."

"I don't know if I'm really cut out for this line of work..."

"Nonsense!" Alvon insisted. "Promise me that once you reach silver rank, you'll join my party!"

"I don't even know if I've passed yet!"

"Psh, of course you passed. Now promise!"

Xander? A little help.

Unless you have something seriously against the guy, joining up later might not be a bad idea.

"Okay, I'll consider it."

"Take out that notebook I saw you scribble in earlier and write it down!"

Goldie brought out his booklet and noted down the promise.

He's not using Charisma on me, is he?

The personality trait? Yes. Not the attribute though.

Looking through his notes he remembered to ask Alvon another question: "How does our gear get repaired after each fight?"

"It gets enchanted before the tournament. It's a delayed mending spell that's powered by the dome that encases the center."

Goldie gave him a confused look.

"I can't explain it much better. I'm no mage. Even if I were, that forcefield is really advanced. I doubt even the mages that were powering it could tell you its exact mechanics."

Goldie was slightly disappointed with that explanation. At least he found out that being uneducated about these details wasn't uncommon.

"Oh, I have another question, if you don't mind."

Al raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"What can you tell me about Rhona's aura-reading ability?"

"Her what?" Garen asked.

"She was somehow able to tell Hayes was dangerous. And she told me some...", Goldie paused to think. "weird things about my health. She mentioned something about being able to read people's auras."

"Oh yeah. She's a monk. They can measure your soul power, which they call "Ki". It correlates to your total number of attribute points but doesn't take skill levels or into account."

That explanation didn't help Goldie very much.

"I'm not from around here", he stated. "What exactly does being a monk entail?"

You could have just asked me about that if you wanted to know more!

It can't hurt to hear multiple perspectives.

"Yeah, your name made that clear enough", Alvon laughed. "There are multiple orders of monks. Most of them have to do with one of two things: soul research or religion. They aren't usually very combat oriented, however the Prasmian Order, among a few others, raises capable fighters. They believe that only through absolute control of both body and mind can one attain control of the soul. Being able to manipulate your soul would theoretically be the first step towards godhood."

Goldie was flabbergasted. Was becoming a god even possible?

"Of course most people, myself included, think the Prasmian beliefs are utterly absurd. I do respect their way of life though. Obviously, you wouldn't ascend to godhood or change your soul. But you'd probably achieve a heck of a lot more by training than by sitting on your ass all day."

Goldie couldn't help but inwardly cringe at that statement. To a degree, sitting on his ass was all he did for the past thirty years or so.

See, he definitely knew more about it than you did.

Reminder: Libraries are a thing that exists.

"Alright everybody!", loudly exclaimed an unfamiliar voice.

A tall woman wearing a purple suit had appeared from seemingly nowhere. Next to her stood a guard who held a small chest to his chest.

"I am the guildmaster of Siellous and will personally announce your results. The two finalists have both been deemed worthy of becoming silver-rank adventurers. Rhona Ramus is classified as a close quarters damage dealer. Alvon Skydin has gained the role of Tank."

Goldie could hear his heart thumping. Both of these fighters had focused on gaining a specific class. Goldie on the other hand just did whatever he could. If getting a class was the goal, then being decent at many skills was not nearly as important as being great at one specific role.

"The other two were very difficult to decide on", the guildmaster began.

TWO!? Dear gods of the triumvirate I pray upon thee, please allow me this gif-

Fuck man calm down! As if prayer is going to do you any good!

"The first was Zoe Sklendé. She was only able to fully participate in a single duel. However, her feats were impressive enough that she has been deemed a bronze-rank ranger."

Coristam dammit! Of course, the other award will go to Samuel.

"Some may think the final bronze-rank adventurer elected today is not worthy. However, I have been told he has achieved far more than would be expected of his level. He displayed usage of mind magic, augmentation and telekinesis while also proving himself to be very adaptive in a one on one fight even though he was geared towards assassination. Therefore mister Xandon Jefferite has been awarded with the 'Jack of all Trades' class."

"Are you fucking kidding me!?", yelled Donald. He instantly quieted down when the guildmaster glared at him.

"I am completely sincere. Being a good fighter may play a large role in the selection process, but it is not the most important aspect. Especially when considering that you must be able to change your fighting style depending on who, or what, your opponent is. You must always give your all because the real world doesn't allow you to just give up. Remember this piece of advice: Never take anything for granted. A human opponent may let you off easy or surrender when he realizes he cannot win. Monsters on the other hand are unpredictable and won't hesitate for even a second if you show any weakness.", the guildmaster explained.

He blankly stared at the woman.

"I trust you will not be so disrespectful again mister Tynes."

Wow she's a scary lady.

"Any further questions?"

Goldie raised his hand.

"Mister Jefferite, do you wish to protest?"

"No ma'am. I'm merely wondering about Samuel Hayes' evaluation. Did getting disqualified from the tournament mean he could not pass?"

"Ah, his was... a special case. He was not immediately certified; however, he was awarded a scholarship to a prestigious magical academy with future prospects of becoming a gold-rank or higher upon graduation."

"Holy shit!", Alvon and Gale both exclaimed.

As it was clear nobody else had further inquiries, the guard pulled out two silver and two bronze signet rings and handed them to the guildmaster. The guildmaster herself pulled out four small syringes with clear liquid inside.

"These are to modify your personal identification. I hope none of you are afraid of needles haha."

She laughed without a trace of humor in her voice. Perhaps it was just Goldie's Indomitable Will that stopped him from being affected by her Charisma. Maybe she just had too many cases of people actually being afraid of needles to find that joke funny anymore.

They went up to her one after another to receive the shots and were then handed the rings. By channeling a slight amount of Energy into them, they holographically displayed one's name, level, adventuring rank and class.

Name Xandon Jefferite Level 10 Class Jack of all Trades Rank Bronze

Finally, we get to the fun stuff!

Goldie couldn't agree more. It was finally time to start questing!