As Celeste prepared herself, she opened her glowing eyes, focusing on unleashing and executing one of her most powerful attacks.
Vincent's aura began to surge, and he activated his spell with a thunderous shout.
"EARTH ATLAS!!!"
In a fraction of a second, time seemed to freeze, and an electric spark flashed through the courtyard. Then, boom! A thunderstrike hit the area. It was fast, loud, and incredibly powerful.
Vincent stood, gritting his teeth, feeling as though his attack had been stopped by some unknown force. A man stood in front of him, holding the tip of Bone Crusher with just one finger. He was dressed in simple yet distinctive armor—black and red—and instantly recognizable.
It was a soldier from the Obsidian Order, a flash of lightning heralding his sudden arrival as he effortlessly stopped Vincent's attack.
"What the hell, Raynor! You're no fun at all!" Vincent shouted angrily, lowering Bone Crusher with disappointment.
The crowd erupted with excitement.
"Oh my God, it's Sergeant Major Raynor—the Thunder Knight!"
Raynor, with silver-blue hair and piercing red eyes, had an aura of calm authority. His sudden appearance seemed almost as fast as lightning itself, causing Celeste to tremble from the overwhelming power she had just witnessed. It wasn't an ordinary spell; it was as if Raynor had teleported there using a thunderstrike.
Still in shock, Celeste continued to observe Vincent and Raynor talking.
Vincent, now seated on the ground, appeared irritated by Raynor's interference.
"I thought the Emperor sent you to the Strife Zone! What are you doing here?!"
Raynor, remaining calm, responded, "Former Major Vincent, I've already completed the mission. The Emperor sent me here for another task. I arrived just in time to sense a familiar aura condensing in this area—right here, at the Adventurers' Guild."
He glanced around, taking in the destruction in the yard.
"I suppose you'll be fixing this mess, right? I've heard about your little games with the newbies, but using a Prim Arch-level skill on them? Really?"
Vincent burst out laughing.
"Bahahaha! Well, now that you mention it, look at that little girl over there! She's the reason I'm so excited I haven't had a fight this fun in a long time. She reminds me of you! sneaky fighting style and all!"
Raynor turned his attention to Celeste.
In the blink of an eye, with the crackle of electricity, Raynor appeared directly in front of her. Celeste's eyes widened in shock. He was as fast as her master Kite maybe even faster! What kind of magic did this guy use? Thunder? Lightning? What element was it?
Raynor looked down at her, gently holding her chin.
"This is the girl you're talking about? I can't sense any aura or mana from her. How does she fight like me?"
Vincent laughed even louder.
"That's the kicker! She's elementless!"
Raynor's eyes widened in curiosity. Celeste pulled back from his touch, glaring at him.
"What's your problem, mister?"
Raynor composed himself and said, "You got hurt because of my former major's recklessness. I apologize for that." He bowed slightly, adding, "When your foot heals, find me on the outskirts of town. I'd like to see your skills for myself."
Vincent suddenly jumped up, rushing over.
"HELL NO! She's staying here as an adventurer! You're not recruiting her!"
Still processing everything, Celeste asked, "So, does that mean we all passed?"
Vincent laughed as he grabbed William by the foot and shook him.
"Yes, Celeste! You all passed! I had a great time with the five of you! Bwahahaha!"
William, still recovering from the earlier quake, groaned.
"Guild master, please put me down. I might actually throw up."
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers.
"Welcome to our guild, newbies!"
Finally, Celeste relaxed, sitting down on the ground, catching her breath. But Raynor, still towering over her, wasn't finished.
"I'm serious. After your foot heals, I'll personally assess your skills. If you don't find me, I'll find you," he said as he slowly turn around and snapping his fingers. With a loud crack of lightning, he disappeared, leaving behind only a faint scorch mark.
Later that afternoon, the five of them were treated at the guild's medical facility. The injuries were mostly minor bruises, impact trauma, and a few broken bones, but nothing too serious.
A guild receptionist entered, handing each of them a pouch containing 30 silver coins.
"Consider this a little bonus for joining the guild," the receptionist explained. "It's also compensation for being 'handled' by Guild Leader Vincent."
Sitting on one of the beds, Celeste carefully tested her recovering foot.
William, still feeling guilty, turned to her.
"Celeste, I'm sorry we couldn't help you out there."
Celeste waved it off.
"Oh, no worries. We all did our best out there. It's not like we stood a chance against that monster!"
Bryan, still marveling at Celeste's skills, asked,
"Seriously though, your swordsmanship—it's elegant and fast. Where did you learn that? Who taught you?"
Celeste shrugged, trying to divert the question.
"My master is someone special, but don't worry about it. What do you say we go on an exciting quest tomorrow once we're all healed?"
Bryan's eyes lit up.
"Really? You'll party with us?"
Celeste smiled.
"Yeah, I will! Anyway, I'm off to get some rest. See you boys tomorrow!"
As Celeste limped out of the guild hall, she saw Guild Leader Vincent in the lobby. His upper body was bare, save for the bandages wrapped around the wounds she'd inflicted.
She groaned internally, hoping to avoid him, but there was no way around it.
When she reached the counter to collect her adventurer ID card, the receptionist smiled warmly.
"Here you go, Celeste! Welcome to the guild!"
Celeste examined the metal card. It looked a lot like the credit cards she remembered from her previous life. The details engraved on it read:
Celeste, Female, 14 years old, Swordswoman, Elementless, Rank F
Hometown: Willowshade
Excited, she felt a presence behind her. Vincent had crept up, grinning.
"Celeste, my dear! How's your foot? Maybe we could have a little sparring session this afternoon?"
Celeste didn't hesitate.
"No! I'm not fighting you again! You're crazy!"
Vincent laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Oh, come on, don't be like that. I'll take it easy this time."
"I said NO!" Celeste yelled, her refusal echoing in the guild hall.
Back at the inn, Celeste lay on her bed, staring at her adventurer's card.
"Mom, look at this. I'm finally an adventurer. I'm going to make you proud, you and Master Kite."
As she drifted into her thoughts, one figure kept returning: Raynor.
"What's the deal with that guy? He's fast-faster than Master Kite even. Does he have a Sanctum like mine? What kind of mana does he use?" Celeste wondered aloud.
She was curious but also excited. Tomorrow, they'd be setting off on their first quest as an adventurer party, and she couldn't wait.