In weeks, Rivyn settled into a comfortable rhythm and was in no hurry at all to savor the indulgence of taking his time so well-earned. The weeks transformed into his spending time to work out a great sword, making sure that only the best materials were gathered, shaping the sword in his forge with attention to every bend, edge, and balance of weight. A sublimely black color, almost glowing otherworldly, soft yet bright off its surface, hinted at the good stuff put into it. It was huge and heavy, though in Rivyn's hands, it felt no heavier than a feather-another reason lay in his uncommonly massive strength.
As the sword entered his hands for the first time, a system notification flashed before his eyes that he had never seen:
[Would you like to name your sword? Yes/No]
The question caught him off guard, and he couldn't restrain a thin smile at the idea of naming his creation. "Yes," he said, after some moments of deliberation, "Aera." It didn't mean much, but somehow, it sounded right.
Rivyn turned his newly acquired Appraisal skill on, his interest in the details of the system well-lit.
[Aera (F): A hand-crafted greatsword forged by Rivyn. It carries faint traces of magical energy, enhancing its durability and sharpness. Light in the hands of its master, but heavy and unyielding to all others.]
It was a modest description, yet Rivyn was satisfied. He had not been seeking any item of legend-not quite yet, at any rate. It would serve him until he could forge one far finer.
Rivyn had been taking it easy for weeks now, resting and getting himself ready for what was next. His mind buzzed with thoughts on his adventurer rank and how he would be able to rise through the ranks in the Empire's Adventurer Guild. Each time he had visited any of their branches so far, he knew none of them had qualified personnel who could give him a higher assessment than B-rank. As that was the case, and he wanted to raise his rank, he needed to go to the literally middle-placed Main Adventurer Guild of the Empire. The Empire was huge, upwards of over fifty guild branches across the region; most of these only provided service to C-ranked adventurers and below, a few able to give assessments as high as B-rank. Rivyn had done some research; there were only two guilds in the Empire that gave assessments for A-rank and above, only the main guild could grant an S-rank.
This time, Rivyn prepared a pouch at his waist, being very determined to see what ranking he could manage, and he would sell a bulk amount of mana stones in hope of bettering his wealth and securing his position. In his inventory, he had 592 D-rank mana cores, 226 C-rank mana cores, 81 B-rank mana cores, and 22 A-rank mana cores.
After a moment of consideration, he took 5 A-rank and 20 B-rank cores with him-the appropriate amount that would make sense during evaluation for an A-rank person.
Compared to the other buildings around it, it was a small castle in its own right: the main adventurer guild was grandiose, constructed from dark stone with three large banners high above its walls proudly bearing the sigil of the Empire. The inside bustled with life.
Hundreds trod the halls, some gazing over weapons and potions while others huddled together, planning the next quest. Many rooms and booths lined the space selling everything from skill books to monster materials. The whole area was filled with this vigorous spirit of commerce and adventure, with conversations humming in the air.
Rivyn joined the line at the counter and waited for his turn. After he sat waiting, he opened the menu and brought up his character status. He hadn't assigned those unspent stats in a long time, and now was just as good a time as any.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 70]
[Strength - 170]
[Agility - 135]
[Defense - 125]
[Mana - 100]
[Unallocated Stats - 75]
Rivyn smiled - he was pleased with his progress. He quickly allocated the remaining stats, balancing them across his attributes.
[Rivyn - F-rank]
[Level - 70]
[Strength - 190]
[Agility - 150]
[Defense - 145]
[Mana - 120]
[Unallocated Stats - 0]
He let out a contented sigh, stretching his arms, and waited patiently until, finally-after eternity-his name was called. He walked to the counter, speaking to the guild receptionist and stating his purpose.
"I would like to schedule an A-rank assessment," Rivyn said, extending the form he had just completed to her.
The receptionist scanned his form; her eyes widened in incredulity. She looked up and searched his face with a look of surprise. "You really want to take the A-rank assessment?" she asked, so heavy with surprise.
Rivyn nodded. "Aye, I am.".
She blinked, attempting to hide her surprise. "Alright, nobody is being conducted for the A-rank assessment today, so you won't find the queue list. Just head towards the evaluation chamber, and they will attend to you right away."
Rivyn felt a secret thrill of satisfaction; he'd heard terrible stories about adventurers who were forced to sit for hours, sometimes days, waiting for a chance at being assessed. Grateful, he thanked the woman and did as she said, heading to the chamber she had pointed at.
The review room was large and round, dominated by the figure of one man in the center. He was probably in his middle forties, looking his age, but it was his calm air and the way he was holding a longsword that told Rivyn he was a seasoned adventurer.
"You're here for the A-rank assessment?" the man asked as Rivyn entered.
Rivyn nodded.
The man made the rules quite clear: light sparring, no blows to kill, no foul play, and no use of objects that might give one an unfair advantage.
Rivyn nodded, and the two took position. Rivyn unsheathed Aera, drawing the greatsword free of the sheath on his back. The man's eyes actually widened for a moment at the size of the blade; though he said nothing, he was composed.
First to strike was the man, charging Rivyn with phenomenal speed. His longsword shone while it cut through the air, right at Rivyn. To Rivyn, though, it was like the man moved through treacle, colossally slow. A little sidestep, just in the last moment-and Rivyn could barely avoid the hit; with the back of his fist, he sent a touch to the man's chest.
Or, at all events, so it seemed to him.
He was thrown across the room, slamming with a sickening thud into the far wall, dented-yessss, dented-into the indestructible alloy surface, before he slid to the floor, oozing blood from his mouth. Rivyn rushed to his side, his chest constricted in panic; he hadn't expected this.
"I'm sorry!" Rivyn exclaimed, swiftly retrieving a healing potion from his inventory and pressing it into the man's hands. He tilted the vial to the man's lips, observing as the healing properties began to work their magic. The bleeding ceased almost at once, yet the man appeared weak and fragile.
After consuming another potion, the man gradually felt his strength returning, although he still appeared quite pale. "No need for a third potion," he declared, lifting a hand to halt Rivyn. "I'll be fine. I'm just. exhausted."
Rivyn frowned, not knowing what to do.
The man only looked up at him, his brow raised in confusion. "Why take the A-rank assessment when it's quite obvious you are S-rank?
Rivyn blinked. "S-rank?"
The man nodded. "That strike. the strength behind it was unreal. You're not A-rank, my friend. You're well beyond that." Rivyn was confused. He had bought a magical tool which tested one's mana power, and it displayed quite clearly: A-rank. "But. my magic power showed A-rank." He threw him a sideways look. "Believe me, it's not about magical prowess. The strength and agility you have are indeed rare; few adventurers want such attributes. Now, let us seal in your rank.". Dazed, Rivyn followed the man—Jacquees—out of the evaluation room and into another chamber where the ranking badges were given out.
Upon entering, Rivyn found one long line of adventurers in queue; about to let out a frustrated groan, Jacquees gestured for him to follow, completely ignoring the line. The line of adventurers waiting stared on; some grumbled, none at risk of speaking up against two A-rankers. They walked up to a man who was seated behind the desk. "Raymond," he said warmly. "I have someone here for you. Raymond lifted his gaze, initially perplexed, but when Jacquees spoke of S-rank, astonishment filled his eyes. "S-rank?" he echoed, gazing at Rivyn in utter disbelief. "You're certain?" Jacquees nodded. "He overpowered me with just one move and I was unable to counter him. Not only this, he broke alloy walls. Raymond rose from behind his desk and inclined his head in a slight bow from the waist toward Rivyn. "An honor to make your acquaintance, sir," he said, all respect. Rivyn stepped forward-not at all comfortable with so much formality, though he nodded graciously. Murmurs and whispers suddenly arose.
News spread like a storm: Rivyn had just been confirmed to be the 14th S-rank adventurer of the Empire.