Nico found herself in the dark and damp underground, where she and Arlo had been separated as soon as the exam began. She had some confidence in her skills but knew she was not fully prepared for this challenge. She gripped her second sword tightly and swung it at another mud golem that emerged from the ground.
"Haa!" Nico shouted as her blade sliced through the muddy flesh. But instead of crumbling into pieces, the golem quickly reformed itself, trapping her weapon inside its body. Nico felt a surge of panic as she tried to pull it out, but it was stuck.
Sweat dripped from her forehead, and her breathing became faster. "This is bad…" she whispered to herself. She glanced at the other end of the room, where a guy was sitting on the floor, looking bored and unimpressed by her struggle.
He was the proctor of the exam, and she had to defeat him to pass. But he was too far away, and she could not reach him.
"I can't do this…" Nico thought, feeling hopeless.
She had another sword, but it was useless against the mud golems. Her only option was to use her magic, but she could feel her mana running low. She had wasted too much energy fighting the endless waves of golems.
She wondered if there was a limit to how many they could spawn or if they would keep coming until she collapsed. As the mud golems slowly closed in on her, she realized she had no choice but to retreat. She backed away from the advancing monsters, hoping to find an opening to escape. But as she did, the guy on the other side flicked his finger.
"Congrats…" his low voice echoed in the room as a flash of light enveloped her. She felt a sudden jolt, and then she was gone. She reappeared outside, in front of the gate that led to the academy.
She was still holding her two swords, which had been freed from the golems. She looked around, confused and disoriented. She saw other young students, some of them bruised and injured, sitting or lying on the ground. They had also taken the exam, and they had also failed.
A young man in a red robe approached her, his kind eyes and smile telling her that he was not a threat. "Do you need healing?" he asked, as he reached out his hand to her. Nico sighed and accepted it.
She felt too tired and defeated to refuse. "If you have mana restoration, please," Nico suggested. The young man nodded and smiled. He raised his wooden wand and pointed it at her.
"Deity of Life, Mana Surge," he chanted, as a stream of glowing mana appeared in thin air and flowed into Nico's body. Nico felt a wave of relief wash over her, as her mana was replenished.
She thanked him gratefully.
"I'm Will," the young man introduced himself.
Nico almost misheard him, as his name sounded similar to her master's name, Wilr. "I'm Nico," she replied, as she fixed herself up.
She noticed a glowing number three on the gate. "That's the batch number," Will explained. "We are the second to the last batch that managed to survive the exam." He added. "Is that bad?" Nico asked, feeling curious.
"Well, it depends on how you look at it," Will said. "How was your experience during the exam?" He asked back.
Nico couldn't even look at Will. She felt ashamed of herself. All of her training had been wasted. She had not managed to land a single blow on the proctor, and she had been stuck in the same place, fighting the same golems.
She had no idea what to do, or how to improve. "Your reaction says it all," Will said, chuckling.
"Don't worry, most of us had the same experience. We passed because we survived and didn't give up. That's what matters." He said, trying to cheer her up. But his words of encouragement only made Nico feel worse.
She felt like she had let down her master, who had taught her everything he knew. She felt like she had let down herself, who had dreamed of becoming a something great. She felt like she had let down Arlo, who had been her friend and partner. She wondered how he had done in the exam, and if he had passed.
"Yeah…" Nico muttered, not knowing what else to say. Will noticed her expression, but he didn't say anything.
He knew how she felt, and he didn't want to make her feel worse. He decided to change the subject. They both looked at the gate, waiting for something to happen. Then, a loud horn blew, startling them. The gate slowly opened, revealing a man standing behind it.
He was a middle-aged man, wearing a plated armor that shone in the sun. He was holding a scroll in his hand, and his face was stern and serious. He was the Guard Captain of the area, and he was in charge of guiding the examinees after the exam.
As the gate fully opened, the man stomped his feet, making a loud noise that captured everyone's attention.
He spoke in a loud and clear voice, addressing the students. "To all students, I congratulate you for being the last batch who passed the exam. You may follow me inside the academy, where I will guide you to your places. You have proven yourselves worthy of becoming mages, and I commend you for your courage and perseverance." He said, sounding proud and respectful.
Then, he opened the scroll and read from it. "I am the Guard Captain of this area. Atlas is my name. Not only do I congratulate you, but I also have an announcement to make. Starting tomorrow, after your restful evening, I will train you in the fields. You will learn the basics of combat magic, and you will face real dangers and enemies. You will be tested on your skills, your teamwork, and your spirit. You will become stronger, smarter, and better. You will become the best student this academy has ever seen. This is my promise to you, and this is your challenge. Are you ready?" He asked, looking at them with a stern gaze.
He bowed in front of them, before turning his back and marching towards the academy. Nico felt a mix of emotions as she heard his words. She felt fear, excitement, curiosity, and determination.
She wondered what the training would be like, and what dangers and enemies they would face. She wondered if she could handle it, and if she could improve. She wondered if she would see Arlo again. She wondered if this was the beginning of a new adventure, or the end of a dream. She followed Atlas, along with Will and the other students, into the academy.
''What city are you located?'' Will suddenly asked while walking along the brick paved road. ''I lived at the southern far west,'' Nico replied, adjusting the strap of her two swords.
''Hmm…'' Will thought, rubbing his chin. ''It's been a while since I've seen someone come from a place that's been called violent waters.'' He laughed, showing his white teeth.
Nico looked at Will and shook her head. She didn't find his joke funny.
''Hey, I'm not joking! You must have come from either the City of Agatana or the Port of Lavine, am I right?'' Will said, looking at Nico with curiosity.
''I came from the City of Agatana. Blueshire district.'' She nonchalantly replied, avoiding his gaze.
''Ahh… those nobles. They came from the old era, yet they managed to survive.'' Will said, sounding impressed. Nico suddenly piqued her interest.
''Survive? What do you mean by that? The Agatana Family is powerful and has a history of protecting this kingdom.'' Nico said, defending her hometown.
''Well, it was.'' Will emphasized, lowering his voice. ''But do you think those recorded history from hundreds of years ago have any meaning right now?'' He asked, raising his eyebrows. Nico couldn't reply. She felt a pang of doubt in her chest.
''Nobles from this era are far different from the nobles before. Protecting is not what's on their mind, but power.'' Will continued, looking around as if afraid of being overheard. Nico could only listen while walking. She realized what he said was true. She knew it too. She knew from the start that the town was doing well, but it was not enough. Always short on budget, lacking protection from the kingdom, even sometimes food was scarce.
''Those quests…'' Nico whispered to herself. The quests that acted as their training were also a way to provide food for the people in the town during the winter. Because Lady Helia knew that they could only rely on what they had. Suddenly everyone halted. Nico almost bumped into Will, but he managed to hold her shoulders.
''You lost in your thoughts,'' Will said, looking straight at the entrance of the town.
Nico pushed his hand away from her shoulder, feeling embarrassed.
''Now, your next job is to look for a guild that will accept you based on your experiences and skills. Then they will provide you a home.'' Atlas said, standing in front of a large wooden gate.
Worried and confused expressions appeared on the faces of the examinees. Nico was one of them. She had no idea how to find a guild in this unfamiliar place. Until Will raised his hand. ''May I ask, sir?'' Will said, raising his hand while bowing his head respectfully.
''Go on,'' Atlas said, nodding.
''What if we couldn't find a guild? What would happen then?'' Will asked, sounding nervous. Captain Atlas smiled, but it was not a friendly smile.
''You have to. If you can't find a guild by the end of the day, you are immediately disqualified and teleported out from the academy.'' Atlas said with a serious tone, making some of the examinees gasp.
''That's unfair…'' Nico muttered under her breath. She looked back and saw that most of the examinees were worried, yet no one dared to complain. Nico clenched her fist, feeling angry and helpless.
Atlas smiled slyly at them before entering the town. He didn't bother to wait for them. Most of the examinees started rushing inside the town to find a guild, hoping to secure their spot in the academy. Nico stayed behind, feeling lost. Will just stood beside Nico.
''I guess I'll see you in the training?'' Will said, trying to sound encouraging.
''Thank you,'' Nico smiled weakly at him. For some reason, Will looked away for a moment before starting to walk away.
''Hoping for your good luck!'' Will said, waving his hand at her as he walked inside the town.
Nico glanced at the flyers. "Wildmarks," she read the name of the guild. The emblem looked like a horizontally placed bow ready to fire, with a sword as its ammunition. "Looks like an eye," Nico commented.
"If you're interested, you can just follow me!" the girl said, smiling at Nico before moving on to hand out flyers to other people. Nico watched her from afar. Most people refused the flyer, but the girl remained cheerful, handing them out to anyone who would take one. After a few minutes, the girl happily hopped back toward Nico.
"Hey, hey!" the girl repeated. "Thanks for waiting. I guess you're the only recruit I gathered today," she said, pondering before smiling again.
"How come I'm the only one?" Nico asked.
"Well, not everyone is interested in a small guild, you know," the girl said, gesturing for Nico to follow her. "Big guilds only recruit from the second batch," she added, glancing back at Nico. "But you don't look like you came from the second batch," she said, smiling. Nico looked away and followed her.
"The name's Gabi. I'm an archer specializing in short bows," Gabi introduced herself. Nico was about to speak, but Gabi cut her off. "You can save your introduction for later."
Nico shut her mouth and continued walking behind Gabi. They headed to the western part of town, where the streets became less crowded. Nearby, there were a few shops, including a bakery, a weaponry store, and an inn. Eventually, they reached a small two-story building with lit windows and a wooden door marked with the guild's emblem.
Gabi knocked on the door.
The door was opened by a man who looked a year older than Nico. He appeared bored, but Nico noticed his pointed ears. An elf. His dark brown skin and dark hair indicated he was from the Gaia tribe of the elves.
"Huh, congrats, our guild isn't dying," he sarcastically said to Gabi before turning to Nico and smiling. "And welcome to the guild!" he added cheerfully, letting them in.
As Nico stepped inside, the ambiance was different from outside. It resembled a normal household, with a small round table in the middle and a rug beneath it made from some furry creature. She glanced around, noticing various weapons—daggers, swords, and bows—hanging on the walls.
"Like my interior design?" the elf asked, smiling proudly. He sat in one of the chairs at the round table and gestured for Nico to sit beside him. Gabi, who had just sat on the floor, sighed.
"Yep, she's the only recruit. Most people aren't even interested," she said, sounding tired.
Nico took a seat. "As you know, this girl," the elf pointed to Gabi, "her name is Gabi Vandir. And I am Aunir, an elf from the Gaia tribe," Aunir said, extending his hand to Nico.
Nico shook his hand. "I'm Nico Heldshire. I'm a Hunter, and I use magic," she introduced herself, raising her hand to demonstrate her magic. Condensed mana formed in the air, taking the shape of a knife. Aunir looked impressed, and Gabi smiled at her.
"That's pretty good! How did you end up in the 3rd batch?" Aunir suddenly asked.
The question broke Nico's concentration, causing the knife to disappear. "I-I lost... I couldn't do anything against that person," Nico said.
"Who is that person anyway?" Gabi asked, putting the flyers down on the table.
"It was a guy who could summon a golem," Nico explained. "An indestructible one, and a lot of them," she added.
Gabi reacted by patting Nico's head. "It's fine. Sometimes examinations are unfair," she said before heading to the kitchen.
"Yeah, sometimes you face someone you've never encountered before. As long as you accept your failure and are still willing to improve," Aunir said.
Aunir suddenly stood up. "Okay, I have to guide you to your room. We're not that big, but at least you survived and found a guild. You didn't become picky," Aunir said.
"What do you mean by picky?" Nico asked as she grabbed her things.
"Well, if you don't find a guild before the end of the day, the guardians will immediately teleport you out and consider you a trespasser," Aunir explained.
"Meaning you failed," Gabi added, sipping water from a wooden bottle. Nico looked at her while Gabi continued, "And not all small guilds accept people. I give flyers to those I think are good enough to be part of our small guild."
Nico felt relieved hearing this. She could feel herself smiling, knowing she was picked because someone noticed her skills and potential. Nico suddenly bowed again. "Thank you for accepting me into the Wildmarks!" she said.
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Arlo was awoken by the intense light of the moon hitting his face. He squinted and saw that one of the moons appeared enormous, as if it were just outside his window. When he blinked in fear, the moon returned to its normal position in the sky.
"Maybe I'm just tired," he muttered, touching his stomach. He stood up and stretched before changing his clothes. Whenever he removed a piece of clothing, he felt like the moon was staring too intensely at him. He walked to the window and slowly closed it. A rune mark appeared as it shut, and the room lit up with a dim orange light.
"Woah... an automatic light?" Arlo was impressed. The magic he had learned and seen before was different. He had seen runes, but using them to activate other things was new to him.
Once he changed his clothes, Arlo went downstairs. The building was empty; he had been told that he and Lady Aquaria were the only ones in the house. Arlo entered the dining area, where he found food on the table wrapped in a magical water bubble. Approaching it, he noticed a letter.
"Eat up, it's fresh," Arlo read on the paper note. As soon as his hands touched the bubble, it popped, revealing the food, glistening and fresh, as if frozen in time.
"Woah..." Arlo mouthed as he sat on the chair. The fish was fried perfectly, and the soup was still hot. As Arlo began eating, he couldn't help but notice how empty the place felt.
"... a bit lonely," Arlo muttered.