— Aster —

I had three months left before my year was up with the guild. I had completed a few hundred missions when I could no longer ignore a certain problem.

“So how did it go?” Delilah asked

“A smashing success!” I had just come back from a day-time messenger Mission. Since rogues are always the messengers of the world many of the missions were simple deliveries. There were many other types I could do, delivery, gathering, and hunting missions. I had done them all. Allowing my skills to rise dramatically.

Name: Aster Datura

Level: 3

Class: Moonflower

Energy Type: Rogue

Animal Specialization: Cat

SubClass: N/A

Skills:

Combat:

Dagger: 9

1-Handed Swords: 2

Throwing Knives: 12 +

Chakrams: 15 +

Magic:

Mana Control: 3

Cats Eye: 11 +

Shadow: 5

Light: 3

Other:

Lock picking: 10 +

Pickpocket: 6

Trap making: 4

Trap Detection: 1

Stealth: 15 +

First Aid: 2

Tailoring: 1

Trap Disarming: 8

Words:

Soul: Faster

“So what level are you now?” Delilah asked

I held my head low and “Still Level three.” I had run into a little bit of a problem. No matter how many missions I do I don’t seem to be able to level up. I have been stuck at level three for almost two months now.

Delilah frowned “How? With all the missions you've done, you should at least be seven maybe eight. I mean you've done more than any of the other new people.”

I was frustrated “I don't know. Maybe I've been doing the missions in the easiest ways getting less experience?” I had thought of this before and even began giving myself handicaps in an attempt to gain more experience. I saw a jump in my other skills though. Side note, I came to the realization I was just not very good with the sword, but I was great with ranged weapons. I was so excited after gaining my first level. Right after my first mission too. I thought after a few missions I would level up again. After leveling I felt a surge of energy and noticed a significant difference in my speed and strength. Everything about myself seemed to have exploded with energy.

Ever since I leveled the first time I recklessly accepted every mission I could, but only after two and a half months did I finally reach level three. I haven't even figured out how to use my words, although it could be passive I just don’t know. The only good news was that my skill levels were higher.

“So what did you make as a handicap this time?” Delilah found my idea amusing asking every time I came back what my handicap was. She was sure that a handicap would work to increase the experience, but even she didn’t know by how much. She also seemed to find it entertaining.

“This time I was not seen by anyone.” I had turned a normal delivery into a ghost delivery during the day. That was a huge difficulty gap. I had to retrieve the package without anyone noticing me and deliver it without being seen. I pulled out the egg. It was an intense purple color that almost seemed to glow.

“Well, the rank-up test is in a few days. And don't worry the average level of Rogues that came when you did is around three or four as well,” she said consolingly

Putting the Egg away “So what level are people who tend to pass their first rank?”

“Five, but with your mission record, it should be easy for you. Even if you don't have the level.” It sounded like she was grasping at straws.

My head fell. There was a large difference between just a few levels. A level three could complete a mission in ten minutes, while level one could take thirty minutes. Levels were a fickle thing in the lower levels there's a big difference in power but once you got past ten the difference between the levels was less and less. Level fifteen could possibly take a level nineteen depending on their skills. I knew skills would eventually become more important than levels but right now level was important. Although most people stayed around twenty-four for most of their life.

“Well, I really do hope you pass. If it makes you feel better if you do well enough you can jump to rank two since the first two tests are the same.”

I laughed “If that happened I’ll treat you to dinner.” in the most sarcastic voice I could muster.

Delilah smiled “I’ll hold you to that.” causing me to blush.

“Yeah” I left returning to my room. Opened the door and looked around. Only a few times did the eggs fall to dust from failure, but the rest were all decorating my room with a rainbow of eggs that indicated all my completed missions. Now, why do I get almost no experience when I do these missions? Maybe I just need to do more.’I picked myself up and resolved myself to do more missions working harder.

The next few days passed with me thinking more strategically about my missions. I began to accept three at a time making sure they were close to one another. This method seemed to pay off as I finished twenty to thirty missions a day instead of my usual five to ten. For the next few days, I worked furiously non-stop completing over a hundred missions.

The lower-ranked shelves seemed to dribble in and become harder to find ones with similar destinations. During this time I went up to Delilah “You are running out of lower ranks.”

Laughing “No you’re just doing them all.”

“When do more come in?”

“Don’t know. They just come in whenever someone makes a request.”

“Wait how do people actually make a request?” I had never questioned how they received the missions before but with the amount dwindling I started to wonder.

Dalilah looked surprised “You don’t know?”

“That’s why I asked.”

“People don’t approach us directly. They go to the guild center in the center of the city to make a request. From there it is evaluated then sent to the appropriate guild to handle. Some are sent to all guilds, such as day deliveries. Others are sent to specific guilds such as the ghost delivery quests.”

I realized that to her this was common knowledge and felt embarrassed at not knowing.

Seeing my embarrassment she quickly changed the subject “So are you doing the rank test today?”

“In about ten minutes.” I had decided to do the rank exam in order to do higher-ranked missions. I was running low on funds and missions since I had taken most of them. I was spending all my spare money on food. I hadn’t received any money from my missions since. I think the guild takes the money since I haven’t seen any. When I asked I was told the money should appear when I finish the mission. I bet they use this to get the thieves into debt to the guild. Sketchy but smart.

“Better get there soon. They don’t accept late entrants.” She said this will shoo me away from her desk.

“Alright, Alright.” I walked down the hall and entered the room for the test. Inside the room were three men sitting at a table. Therewith three large monitors behind them showing three different rooms and a large control panel in front of the monitors.

The men looked to be in their twenties, but I knew they were probably much older. Each of them looked almost bored except one. “Good Day Aster!”

“Hello.” The man’s enthusiasm confused me. “This is the rank test right?”

“Of course! Now let’s get the preliminary stuff out of the way. Please show us your status.” The smiling judge said.

Startled I had to ask “Why do you need to see my status?” I had gotten smarter and learned to always question why someone would need to see my status. It was a very private thing and not something, especially a rogue, should show.

The man laughed “To confirm your identity for the test.”

“Why can’t you just check from my book?”

The smiling judge got up and placed his arm around me and pulled me toward the desk. “Simply anyone can borrow the book, but you can’t fake the status screen.” Letting me go “We just need your name and current rank, you can hide the rest.”

Understanding, I pulled up my screen. I had long set everything to hidden. I wasn’t even fully sure of my own levels anymore as I like to check once a month. I loved to hear the ding although it had begun to be far in-between.

The man looked over the screen “Book please to make sure they match.” Taking out the book I handed it to the man to look over. “Good everything is all set.” He turned back to me with three eggs in his hands. “Ok, it’s pretty simple. There are three rooms first room catches the cat, the second room fight the cat, third room steals the cat. Similar to the training” He handed me the eggs. “Each egg will tell you when you have succeeded just like normal missions. We will observe from here. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” The three men pulled out their stamps and stamped their books. Timers appeared on the eggs counting down.

“You have twenty minutes.” The man pointed toward the door on the other end of the room. Why is it always big giant creepy doors? I felt it deep down in my soul don’t go in there. My fight or flight response began and until I touched the doorknob I didn’t know which I would choose.