The day we would be tested had come and so, with my anxiety already at abnormal levels, I readied myself.

They already told us that for the examination we would need to delve into a [Dungeon], and more specifically the one they had within the grounds of the [Guild] for this specific purpose, but the details of what we had to do still eluded me.

All I knew was that we would get tested on the various things we were taught by our various [Teachers] during our stay here.

This last bit of free time was ‘gifted’ to us to make our last-minute preparation on our own, which mostly consisted of filling our backpacks with newer rations and checking if the kit that we had been gifted with for adventuring still had everything that was needed.

For the record: [Dungeon] are labyrinthian structures that can either be underground or overground, they have a [Mini-Boss] every five levels, which usually is just some jacked-up version of one of the [Monsters] you can find in the areas preceding it, and a [Boss] every ten levels, which is an incredibly dangerous unique [Monster] that represents a difficulty spike that ‘guards’ the lower levels. Also, every [Dungeon] has a ‘natural theme’, which can either be simply a biome, a natural landscape, or more abstract things (like the physical representation of an emotion, or a concept).

While the others were probably only mulling over what they had to soon experience, I was finally doing what I had promised myself long ago: [Enchanting] my equipment.

Which wasn’t exactly complicated, but it was almost like the [Enchantments] had a mind of their own, resisting what I wanted them to do and doing instead of trying to follow what the ‘common’ version of the [Enchantment] was supposed to do. Most of the books on the matter explained [Enchantments] as ‘natural patterns’, and after a bit of studying the only thing I could compare them to was how you could sometimes find the Fibonacci equation in the structure of plants, because it gave them more structural integrity, and that was it; every pattern guides the [Mana] into a form that lets it instinctively do what it finds natural to do on where the [Enchantment] is applied.

Ergo, my attempts at making an [Elemental Protection] one and a [Kinetic dispersion] other were met with difficulties since there ‘naturally’ was no [Enchantment] that raised every type of elemental protection at once, but you apparently had to do it for every single [element] separately, and there was no way to simply ‘disperse’ kinetic force, at least not in the way I intended it to be, but I was supposed to only increase the toughness of the material, and its innate resistance (I was wearing cloth, and they weren’t going to give me leather armor so easily, so increasing its inborn quality would have been little more than useless).

I was perplexed at these blatant signs of unresponsiveness from the [System], and [Buddy] even said that it was refusing to log these details in my [Information]. It was almost like ‘someone’ didn’t want me to poke my nose into it, but it wouldn’t be the first time I ignored such a warning.

If [Kinetic redirection] and [Kinetic dispersion] weren’t a thing, it only meant that I had yet to find the right combination of concepts to make it work (and since [Kinetic] was accepted as a term by the [System] it meant that at least I should be on right track).

And the same thing applied to the [Elemental protection] as well, in exactly the same way.

But I eventually figured out that conundrum: I made it so that the majority of physical damage would be reflected outwards, by creating an invisible semi-Newtonian fluid (made of Mana) that would appear when detecting an increase in pressure and that would then apply an equal force in the opposite direction of the original one, thanks to [Kinetic dampening] (which was only a partial solution, but it was better than nothing, and anything better required either more knowledge, or more time on my hands), and I also made it so it would create [elemental Barriers] with opposite [elements] to the one I was being subjected to, thanks to [elemental Antithetism] (which I believe will both result being more effective than I already think, given the fetichism this world had with opposites).

After devising the correct [Enchantments] that I wanted to make, I applied them to both my clothes and my cloak; as a bit of an after-thought I also applied them to my staff, and the results made me extremely happy that I at least tried it: by testing the results I found out that, outside of the normal [Mana Orb] and [Mana Bolt], it had redirected its enchantments and was now also able to cast [Kinetic shield] and the various types of [Elemental barriers] (which further assured my safety).

Once that was out of the way I sat back to rest for a bit, and cast a couple of [Repair] on myself to decrease my [FP], while observing the fruits of my labor:

Name:

Set of the Advanced Beginning

Owner:

Darwin Dulcet

Type:

Garment; cloth; Enchanted

Rank:

Rare

(It originally was the [Set of the Beginning, uncommon])

Name:

Cape of Elemental Protection

Owner:

Darwin Dulcet

Type:

Cloak; cloth; Enchanted

Rank:

Rare

(It originally was the [Cape of weather Protection, uncommon])

Everything got a nice boost… except my staff, which description changed only in its [Type] to reflect the fact that it got [Enchanted].

Also, as soon as I sat down, I got another notification:

Through your actions, you have been awarded +1 [Acuity] and [Energy]

A bit small as a reward, but I probably had just been spoiled by the absurd gains I was normally getting, for being both a [Human], with enhanced growth rate, and a [Transferred], that had never gotten [System]-given increases until all of this mess had started.

After having had ten minutes of rest someone knocked on my door: and it was ‘game time’.

* * *

Calling it a ‘game’ was my bad, and [Buddy] wasted no time in telling me how stupid, and inconsiderate, of me that was, and that treating this world as a game would be the fastest way to get both of us killed.

I was guided by the receptionist that had greeted us on our arrival at the [Guild], whose name I learned was Jory, further in the back of the main building, past the [Arena] and another couple of structures, until we reached what looked like a staircase that had randomly ‘spawned’ into the ground (and knowing how [Dungeons] worked, that was probably the case).

In front of the [Dungeon] were also our [Teachers] and half of the [Humans], which proceeded to keep on ignoring my presence.

We had to wait another fifteen minutes before the rest of our group finally showed up, with the [Guild Master] right behind them.

Once we were all standing in front of each other, with [Guilders] on one side, and [Transferred] on the other, Abaan started speaking:

“Today you are all here to be tested on what you have learned until now-“

“And he’s doing a speech now, great. Give me a mental shake when he’s do-“, I started saying to [Buddy], but Abaan jabbed a finger my way.

“This is important, Mr. Dulcet, and you will listen to it in its entirety”, he said, while staring directly at me, and only lowering his pointed hand once he was done.

“Sorry” was the only response I could mutter out, ashamed of having been caught on my ‘modus operandi’.

One round of snickering later, from both my ex-compatriots and [Teachers], he resumed his speech: “tested on what you have learned until now, by performing the usual test that aspirant [Adventurers] need to take to become one: reaching the fifth level of the [Dungeon]”.

Vanessa, one of the [Humans], got her hand up so fast that I was certain she must have pulled something.

“Yes, Ms. Bridgemore?” asked the [Guild Master].

“Are we required to beat the [Mini-Boss]?” She asked in return.

“Of course not, it is too [High Level] for most of you just yet.”

That was good to hear, we weren’t exactly proficient in [Monster]-killing, and to be asked to defeat a [Mini-Boss] on our first outing would have been-

“Except for Darwin, since being a higher [Level] will require his test to be increased in difficulty.”

“I swear to [Luck]-!”

“Don’t worry, your proficiency in magic is high enough to make this a more than adequate test for you”, added Merga.

“Your fighting proficiency is also high enough that it is only reasonable for you to accept this [Quests]”, rumbled my favorite green torturer.

“Damnit, you cretin, That was supposed to be a surprise!” hissed my least favorite old Elf.

Skortch was just bouncing on his heels the entire time, clearly excited at the prospect of what was going to happen.

“Since the cat is already out of the bag,” started again Abaan, “we ask that you accept the following [Quests]”.

With a small motion of his hand our way, while holding on to a small piece of paper in that same hand, a [screen] popped up:

Guild Master Abaan is issuing you a quest:

Guild admission (revisited):

Tasks: 0/2

Undertake on your own the dive into the Guild's Dungeon and reach the fifth floor, while also being followed, and monitored, by a representative of the Guild.

Given your Level and capabilities, you are also tasked with killing the Mini-Boss residing on that level.

“My first Quest!? Fuck yeah!!!”

‘Giddy’ didn’t make justice to what I was experiencing now, and by the sounds that the other [Humans] were making it was a unanimous thing.

“Yes, yes, you’re all excited at having your first [Quest], but calm down for now”, the [Guild Master] said, which calmed the others so quickly that it weirded me out enough to ‘kick’ me out of my stupor.

“As a last bit of recommendation, we’ll tell all of you to concentrate mainly on defense, while also taking it slow: the only way to fail this test is if you rush it… or you’re unintelligent about it, I guess.”

“Also, keep the specialties of your weapons in mind, will ya?” Interjected Skortch with his accent only a bit present.

This could mean that after talking to the other Humans he figured out that only you were able to understand him, and it was not because you have been Transferred.

Talking about weapons, almost all kinds were present among the [Humans]: They had bows, swords, shields, gauntlets, axes, spears, maces, and knives.

Tyron was the one with gauntlets, and since he was an [Eldritch Pugilist] it only made sense, and Vanessa was the one with the bow, and she was a [Spirit Archer] so it also was an obvious choice.

I’m ashamed to say that I may have forgotten the names of the others, but at this point, I think they would only think of it as a good thing.

You made multiple attempts at reconciliation, and they were the ones that refused it.

You may have started on it too late, but their reaction was no fault of yours.

“Maybe, but it still stings that I got so easily estranged from them.”

“Who wants to go first then?” Asked Abaan.

The examinees stopped talking, having resumed after that last warning, and were now looking at each other, like it would urge someone else into action.

For once, I was actually ready. So I stepped forwards, opened my mouth and-

“Not you, Darwin, since your test will take longer you will be the last to take it”, Merga stopped me, with a look that allowed no objections.

Seeing her so serious for the first time killed any arguments that I may have had, and I took a step back to where I was before.

“No one else?” Asked the [Guild Master] again.

Tyrone sprung forwards, like the ground he was walking on owed him money: “I’m ready”, he said confidently, while taking a moment to also balefully glance at me.

“What the fuck is the deal with him?”

He already said that he thought you were experiencing preferential treatment from the [Teachers], so you “one-upping him” only made his hate for you burn brighter.

“That sounds like his fucking problem…”

“Good, then you are free to enter, and to also decide who do you want to shadow you, at a distance, on this assignment”, replied Abaan.

Tyrone squinted at the [Guild Master], and then switched to squinting at the various [Teachers].

After what seemed not long enough of a lapse of time to make a decision he settled on Grog.

They both got in front of the stone staircase and, after a brief hesitation, Grog pushed the [Human] down the flight of stairs.

“Grog!?” exclaimed Eddd.

“He was taking too long”, he simply replied, and immediately went after the cause of all the shouted half-expletives that seemed to get further, and further, away from them.

The [Guild Master] cleared his throat: “Well, I hope that from this you learn that someone that is supposed to ‘shadow’ you must be someone capable of… subtlety”, he lamely said.

“Don’t choose meatheads that charge at anything moving for a stealth mission, got it… freaking captain obvious.”

Do not get angry at the Guild Master, that anger is misdirected and you know it.

“I know, I know.”

In truth, I was still angry at Tyrone, who, if anything, seemed to be the instigator of the suspicion the other seemed to regard me with. So, hearing him roll down the stairs brought me just the tiniest bit of inner peace.

Sometimes you are legitimately a horrible person.

“I know. And that’s why I want to become better.”