Reaching the turn of the person at his front to test their energy level. Covering his hands with his leather bag, targeting the small gem, Xerves flicked some molecular energy from the tip of his fingers, it hit the small gem, shattering in the instant.
Phew!
He heaved a sigh of relief and grinned,
Mission accomplished.
The person at his front had just been tested a moment before the gem shattered.
Immediately a sound blared off from one side of the glass, and the seven gems started glowing non-stop, after a moment, the gems shattered sequentially.
Oops sorryyy... Xerves pleaded inwardly.
A man approached the machine and inspected it. After a few seconds, he turned around as we were on the line and said
"It seems the testing machine has broken down, so the energy level test will have to be held off, we apologize for the inconvenience".
Xerves smiled heartily, hoping to hear the words 'You are free to choose from the job listings'
"Come back a few days later for the test" the man declared.
What the heck, you have got to be kidding! He exclaimed inwardly, I guess there is no choice, we will have to survive on fruit in the jungle, Kai.
Xerves went back to the first floor, reaching there, he glanced at the woman at the front desk, still busy writing as the quill she held danced across the paper on the desk. Xerves turned back and made his way sluggishly and gloomily to the entrance of the guild.
"I saw it all" a voice whispered in his ear.
Stopped at his track, Xerves stood still, shocked, multiple thoughts raced through his mind
What did they see, the gems I broke?, When? How? I made sure to conceal my hands with my bag.
Slowly, he mustered enough courage to face the direction of the voice, before he knew it, the figure appeared in front of him
So fast!!
Not fast enough for Xerves eyes not to follow their speed but faster than average human
"Sorry to startle you, nice to meet you, I'm William Velgrim".
About the same age as Xerves, the figure appeared to be a boy clad in an armless purple top sashed at the waist wore glasses, his sheathed silver sword attached to the sash, slender with well-kept short black hair, he stretched his right hand at Xerves for a handshake while his left-hand finger stroke the glasses at the middle as if putting it in position.
Xerves calmed down and muttered
"S-same here I'm Aurelius Xerves"
Two figures approached them, a girl and a boy.
"Not fair idiot Velgy!, introduce us too" the girl, clad in a black leather robe sashed at the waist, whined aloud, gripping her sheathed sword tightly.
"Tsk! Don't call me that idiot Vespy!" He retorted angrily
"I'm sorry for the rudeness" he apologized
"I don't mind" Xerves grinned forcefully
I mind like sh**t!! What the heck is happening again, I didn't come all the way from the jungle to become popular here in the city.
"This is Vespera Starfall and Eric Everflame" he introduced the two
"Nice to meet you handsome" Vespera said turning red as she locked hands with Xerves in a handshake
"H-hum... S-same here" Xerves muttered
"Nice to meet you" Eric said, muscular and taller than Xerves and the rest, his voice thick like a grown man's.
"We are adventurers, a team to be precise, and we are getting ready for an adventure but we need one more member...
...We are exploring S-ranked ruins today which is why we need at least four members to proceed" Velgrim explained.
"S ranked?, are ruins ranked?" Xerves asked with a puzzle look.
"I see... you are new here, yes they are ranked, I will explain" He said
"Ruins are ranked from S to D, we have the S rank, A rank, B rank, C rank, and D rank, that is, S rank ruins are the most difficult ruins to explore, ruins are ranked based on the level of molecular energy they exudes, so like that testing machine which is used to test the level of molecular energy people have, the adventure guild has moleculoscope, an instrument used for grading ruins according to the level of molecular energy they exude"
"Ruins are dangerous, full of ancient traps and mutated animals, mutated animals are animals who survive on gems in ruins, they end up getting mutated and becoming grotesque. Some are merely aggressive, but others have developed abilities that can make them formidable opponents.
The ancient traps are another story, they range from pitfalls to complex mechanical traps embedded with trap-type gems designed to kill intruders"
"Ruins are explored based on the rank of a team of adventurers leader, An A-rank adventurer can only explore A, B, C, and D-rank ruins, they can't be permitted to explore S-rank ruins, while an S-rank adventurer can explore any ruins according to their team preference. And the higher the ruins' rank the more dangerous it is, but the good part is the valuable gems there, from jewel-types such as diamonds and pearls to heat-type used for cooking"
"Our team is exploring an S rank ruins today because we need money to upgrade our adventure kits"
"Adventure kits contain earthly-type artifacts; healing potions, and combat gems that can be used to deal with mutated animals and ancient traps in ruins"
"So that's about it" concluded Velgrim his fingers still stroking at the middle of his eyeglasses as if the glasses want to drop.
"Ohh..." I said in realization.
"So what do you say pal?, care to join?"
He asked.
"Please please" Vespera begged cheerfully
"What made you think I'm skilled enough to join you on an S-rank ruins exploration—" Xerves asked trying to ascertain his thoughts about the gems
"My instincts tell me, handsome boys with build like you are usually skilled" cut in Vespera
Ehh!! W-what type of thinking is that?
Xerves mused inwardly.
"Hey! What the heck are you saying, idiot Vespy" Velgrim snapped.
"Shut up! Idiot Velgy" She retorted.
"What do you say friend?, we can call it even but that trick is a high-level one, summoning molecular energy to the fingertip, only a few could do that" Velgrim came nearer to Xerves side, whispering to his ear.
As expected, he knew about it. It can't be helped; I'll have to agree. I just hope he doesn't talk about it to the others.
"No problem. When are we going?" Xerves asked.
"Anytime you are ready," he replied.
"Let's go now!" Vespera whined.
"Shut the hell up, it's not for you to decide," retorted Velgrim.
"You too," replied Vespera.
It seemed the muscular guy was the quiet type. Apart from the introduction, he hadn't muttered any more words.
If only those two could be silent like him, Xerves wished.
The two continued their exchange of insults as they made their way to the ruins.
GEMS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Gems are Common type artifacts, they can be average-type; require average molecular energy for activation, have no resistance to overload, or rare-type; have resistance to energy overload.
Here are several types of gems that could be used by adventurers and also used commercially.
### Elemental Gems
1. **Fire Gem**: Emits intense heat and flames, used for offensive attacks or to light dark areas.
2. **Water Gem**: Controls water, useful for creating water sources, putting out fires, or offensive water-based attacks.
3. **Earth Gem**: Manipulates earth and stone, used for creating barriers, weapons, or causing earthquakes.
4. **Air Gem**: Controls wind and air currents, useful for flight, speed, or creating powerful gusts.
5. **Ice Gem**: Freezes objects or creates ice-based attacks and defenses.
6. **Lightning Gem**: Discharges powerful electric shocks, used for stunning or damaging enemies.
### Support and Healing Gems
7. **Healing Gem**: Heals injuries and ailments, essential for recovery during battles (rarely seen) exists only in liquid form as earthly-type artifacts (healing potions).
8. **Protection Gem**: Creates protective barriers or shields around the user or an area.
9. **Invisibility Gem**: Grants temporary invisibility, useful for stealth missions.
10. **Strength Gem**: Enhances physical strength and endurance.
### Enchantment Gems
11. **Teleportation Gem**: Allows the user to teleport short or long distances instantly.
12. **Binding Gem**: Can immobilize or bind targets with magical restraints.
13. **Illusion Gem**: Creates illusions to deceive or distract enemies.
14. **Mind Gem**: Used for telepathy, mind control, or reading thoughts.
### Utility Gems
15. **Light Gem**: Provides illumination in dark areas, acting as a portable light source.
16. **Sound Gem**: Amplifies or manipulates sound, useful for communication or disorienting enemies.
17. **Tracking Gem**: Used to track people or objects, often glowing brighter as the target gets closer.
18. **Time Gem**: Manipulates time in small ways, such as slowing down or speeding up time for a short period.
### Rare and Unique Gems
19. **Void Gem**: Manipulates space and void energy, capable of creating portals e.g. dimensional portals or absorbing attacks.
20. **Phoenix Gem**: Grants the power of rebirth, allowing the user to recover from fatal injuries once.
21. **Dragon Gem**: Imbues the user with dragon-like abilities, such as flight, fire-breathing, or immense strength.
### Environmental and Nature Gems
22. **Nature Gem**: Controls plants and wildlife, useful for creating natural barriers or calling upon animals for aid.
23. **Storm Gem**: Summons storms or manipulates weather, useful for causing rain, lightning, or high winds.
### Gem Combinations
25. **Chaos Gem**: A volatile gem that can produce unpredictable effects by combining multiple elemental powers.
26. **Harmony Gem**: Balances multiple elemental energies to create stable and powerful effects.
These gems can be used in various ways, from combat and defense to utility and exploration.