Two weeks had passed since Alex reincarnated into this world, and a lot had happened in his life lately. With his daily routine and diligent efforts, Alex was on the verge of breaking into the next rank, E rank. His mana reserves had also significantly increased, marking a significant milestone.
Today was a weekend, and the students were allowed to freely leave the academy. Alex had been eagerly awaiting this day to visit a certain place.
"Come back soon and don't go wandering too far into the wilderness. The outside world is too dangerous." Aurora, acting like a nagging mother, lectured Alex at the gates of the academy.
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll just explore the outside periphery."
"I'll haunt you forever if you die and leave me alone. Now, go and come back soon."
Aurora waved her hand, signaling him to leave. She was grumpy mainly because Alex was going to leave her alone for the first time since they met.
In the past few days, they had grown much closer to each other. Aurora had become more attached to him due to her solitary existence before meeting him.
The mana gathering formation only encompassed the academy, so this was the only range where she could survive by relying on surrounding mana.
Alex was heading to the outside world to hunt monsters and earn some money, as he was really short on funds. The main reason was a quest he received two days ago.
Additionally, he was excited to see the outside world and venture into the unknown.
The quest required him to hunt F rank monsters, which could only be found outside the city walls.
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After a long two-hour journey, Alex found himself standing in front of a massive building.
People were streaming in and out, all decked out in heavy armor, wielding enormous axes, swords, and spears. Some people even wore wizardry robes and waved around big wooden sticks – gotta be wands, right?
Every anime and fantasy geek, just like Alex, daydreams about going to this legendary place called the Adventure's Guild.
With some seriously heavy steps, Alex finally ventured inside. What he saw was like a whole new world, nothing like those books described.
People here were surprisingly civilized; there were no epic brawls or veterans picking on newbies. It was all strangely peaceful and relaxed, not at all what he'd imagined.
The Adventurer's Guild, a government-run organization, boasted branches in every major city and kingdom. Its primary purpose was to foster a suitable environment for adventurers to congregate and for individuals to issue quests.
Furthermore, the guild shouldered the responsibility of safeguarding cities from monster stampedes, dungeon overflows, and demon invasions.
It also served as a marketplace for those seeking a fair price for the monster materials or cores they had acquired through hunting.
Alex's current visit to the guild was prompted by his need for an adventurer's license. Commoners were prohibited from leaving the city walls without one, and he intended to rectify that situation.
Navigating the guild's bustling halls, he eventually arrived at an unoccupied reception desk.
"Good morning, sir. How may I assist you?" The receptionist, a young and professional-looking lady, greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hello miss, could you please guide me through the adventurer registration process?"
"You're in the right place, sir. I can assist you with that. May I have your verification ID so I can confirm your details?"
Alex produced his academy ID card, his only available means of verification, unless he wished to visit the city office to obtain a specific identification.
"Mr. Alex, I see that you're a student at the academy. This simplifies matters. Please fill in your details here."
Following the receptionist's instructions, a modern screen in front of Alex activated, prompting him to input his information. The level of technology here exceeded his expectations.
"Finished, miss."
Once he completed the form, he patiently waited while the receptionist inputted something into her system.
"Since you're already an academy student, you have the option to skip the entrance test." She informed him. "Would you like to proceed with the test?"
Alex considered his options, mulling over the situation.
'I should assess my strength before going outside.'
"I'll skip the written test, but I'd like to take the practical one." he decided.
The receptionist promptly accommodated his request, saying, "Certainly, sir. Please wait here, and I'll call you for your practical test shortly."
Alex let out a sigh of relief when the receptionist didn't inquire about his magic talent or affinity, understanding that such scrutiny might have raised eyebrows.
'Guess my academy ID as Faculty of Knights helped in that regard.' Alex mused silently.
After a few minutes of waiting, the receptionist led him to another floor, a spacious, empty room.
"Sir, here are the rules: You have to complete this test in under 10 minutes. No use of artifacts or potions is allowed. Since you're testing as a non-mana user, you can choose any of the weapons, and the use of magic is strictly prohibited. The test will commence shortly."
"Any questions?" she asked.
"No" Alex replied.
With that, the receptionist left, and a large counter appeared on the wall-mounted screen.
Alex gripped the steel sword provided by the guild for the test. His initial plan to use the Black Iron Sword gifted from the system but that was off the table.
He readied himself as the wall in front of him shifted and opened, revealing a 3 meter size massive golem emerging from within.
[3... 2... 1... 0]
As the timer hit 0, a ten-minute countdown began, and the golem surged toward Alex.
The golem's movements were stiff and mechanical, yet its speed defied expectation, closing the distance to Alex in an instant.
'Luckily, my training has paid off.' Alex thought as he skillfully parried the golem's incoming punch with his sword. The impact, though, was forceful enough to send him stumbling backward.
Quickly regaining his balance, Alex tightened his grip on the sword, preparing to counterattack. His strike landed, but it barely seemed to faze the massive golem.
Alex's one advantage seemed to be his own agility compared to the golem's ponderous movements.
Attacking the golem turned out to be much more challenging than Alex had anticipated.
Blocking the golem's relentless assaults, he searched for openings between the creature's sluggish attacks.
The golem's body proved exceptionally resilient, requiring numerous slashes to make any impact.
With time ticking away and his adventurer's license at stake, Alex knew he had to find a way to defeat the colossal golem within the next eight minutes. So far, there were dents all over the golem's massive form, but no significant damage had been done.
[Time Remaining: 07:47 minutes]