After putting on his armor, Ryuichi decided to quickly check his stats.
----
Ryuichi Karogane - Level 21 Rogue
Strength: 28
Agility: 42
Endurance: 30
Dexterity: 40
Vitality: 25
Resilience: 22
Stealth: 36
Critical Hit Chance: 18%
----
Ryuichi had never imagined owning such high-quality armor in his life. He had never worn real armor, but this one was similar to those worn by academicians in the most renowned guilds. With this, he could certainly aim to join the guild his parents were in, Dragon of Time, one of the best guilds in Noviak. And now, with the gold he had found, he had enough to pay the admission fee. Slowly he started looking at him self with drops of sweat beading on his forehead. "This is far too easily given" he thought.
---
Weeks of training with the spirit had passed. After these week of torture and studying the basic skills of a rogue, he was given the okay to go to the certification office.
"Welcome to Gnomera Certification Center, how may I help you today?" the gnome asked, approaching.
"I would like to pass a certification test pleas."
"Very well, here at Gnomera Certification Center, We provide the best certificate most accurate certificate at the best price, for 5 gold no guild will question it authenticity."
The gnome then guided him to a white stone room with a glowing crystal at the center.
"Touch the crystal and wait 30 second pleas," he said calmly.
The celestial spirit immediately interjected, "Let me take control; this crystal seems to measure both physical and mental abilities."
Ryuichi reluctantly agreed.
"Okay, are you ready?" asked the gnome.
"Yes," Ryuichi replied.
He placed his hands on the crystal, and immediately, the lights in the room began to flicker and dim. The gnome, examining the results in his own crystal, frowned.
"Please remove your hands after 30 seconds."
The gnome looked at Ryuichi with suspicion. "Hmm... something's wrong here. Your skill and power level are measured at 15,000, which exceeds the maximum limit. And yet, looking at you, you don't seem like a Titan." the gnome said chuckling laughing.
He led Ryuichi to another room with a sigh. "It seems the crystal is corrupted. We'll try another room."
"What did you do?" Ryuichi thought.
"My fault... I might have used a bit too much power," the spirit replied with a touch of irony.
Once in the new room, Ryuichi placed his hands on the crystal again. This time, the lights shifted from white to green, then to blue, before turning purple with a golden glow. The gnome, after examining the results, observed Ryuichi's musculature and his equipment. Looking at him, he thought that these results weren't impossible.
"Congratulations! The President will be pleased to know we have another A++ level academician in Noviak. With these results, you can enter any academy you like."
The gnome waved him off handing him his certificate. "Congratulations, young man."
Ryuichi looked at the paper, perplexed, a weird feeling of everything being far too easy raised in him. A nagging doubt gnawed. "Ok, well... this seemed far to easy". Sweat was already dripping from his forehead once again.
"Damn, what mess have I gotten myself into this time?" he muttered, casting an anxious glance toward the door as if considering running away.
"Fuck, Fuck!, FUCK!!..." he continued, panic rising within him. He felt like someone who had accidentally signed up to fight in a war he didn't even understand.
"Seriously? You receive a little piece of paper, and you're already thinking about running away?" the celestial voice remarked mockingly.
He glanced down at his brand-new armor and the A++ certificate. He could do nothing but mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He knew he was heading straight for a perilous mission in the guild where his parents had lost their lives: The Dragon of Time.
He then headed toward the guild district. Ryuichi glanced around him and many young women were looking at him, smiling and blushing as they caught his gaze. "Damn, I've definitely sold my soul to the devil", he thought.
"Can't you shut up for two seconds, grow some balls, and become a real warrior? Enjoy life, damn it... Yeah, yeah, yeah, you could die, but what's the point of living a dull life just watching?" the celestial spirit retorted impatiently.
Listening to the spirit remarks, Ryuichi finally arrived at the guild district where Dragon of Time was located. He admired the prestigious place where his parents had been trained. In front of him, the head of a dragon, slain by the main team of the guild, it was mounted as a trophy. A long line of people pressed just for the chance to witness the exploits of the guild, without even participating. Just the privilege of seeing and speaking to its members was a sought-after honor. And today, Ryuichi had the qualifications to enter.
"Hello, my name is Ryuichi Kurogane, and I'd like to apply as a student in your school," he said to the agent standing at the admissions door.
The agent looked him up and down, immediately noticing the rare Shadows of the Blade Master armor set. After a moment of evaluation, the agent raised an eyebrow and asked in a serious tone:
"Do you have an academic skills certificate?"
Ryuichi handed over his golden certificate. The agent smiled slightly before asking him to follow. Ryuichi took a seat in the waiting room. In the room there was a shaman, a mage, three druids, and a priest, all dressed in rare, shiny armor like his waiting.
"Hi, I'm Niyane! Which family are you from?" A beautiful young mage with striking white hair said, her skin glowing with an almost ethereal shine. She looked like she might be albino.
Ryuichi blinked, momentarily taken aback by her beauty. She stood, her wide, curious eyes waiting for his response.
Caught off guard, Ryuichi didn't know what to say. After all, he had been trained by a mocking celestial spirit who threatened him at any moment. He had obtained this armor through a series of events that bordered on the diabolical.
Gathering his thoughts, he remembered his parents' legacy. His family name, Kurogane, was well known.
"Uh... Kurogane. My name is Ryuichi Kurogane."
"Kurogane? Like the famous Rogues Kurogane?" Niyan responded, astonished.
"Yes, that was my father and mother."
All eyes in the room turned to him, curious and impressed.
"Wow, Kurogane is here!" Niyan exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you! I'm MorTyous, son of Dextev Mixtist, my parents are shamans in the main guild team, my father is also a teacher in the shaman class and a raid coach." He said.
"Nice to meet you" Ryuichi said.
A bell suddenly rang in the room. A tall, slender woman dressed in a tunic made of leaves and the skins of magical creatures entered. Around her waist, was skulls that seemed to move, observing the room with a piercing gaze.
"Ryuichi Kurogane, follow me to my office."
Ryuichi stood up and followed the woman to a small room with a simple but austere decor. She sat down and observed him.
"Hello, young man. I see you've chosen to follow in your parents' footsteps. Welcome to Dragon of Time." She glanced at his armor and certificate. "Your A++ certificate is impressive! Tell me about yourself pleas, what are your interest in joining our guild."
"I wish to follow my parents foot step they died in a raid, in this guild."
"Yes, I know, we will talk about this later, there were not alone to have died, am sure you have a lot of questions"
She glanced at a scroll on her desk.
"What's your specialty?"
The spirit in his head immediately intervened: "Assassin."
Ryuichi nodded and simply replied, "Assassin rogue."
She paused, her gaze hardening.
"Great well, I understand that this whole situation must be very sensitive and personal, since you are the second generation to serve in this guild and with this A++ certificate. We are willing to bring the entrance fee down to 250 gold coins. Classes will begin on the first of next month."
She handed Ryuichi several documents and continued with a warmer smile:
"Would you like a tour of the school?"
Following the professor, Ryuichi could see numerous classrooms, dormitories, and various quarters of the establishment. The school was immense, as large as a small village, with many different buildings. It was truly impressive.
They passed by the laboratory of the druids specializing in potions, then walked along the corridor for warriors, paladins, and even the priests' chapel. Everything seemed extremely well-organized, with each class having its own guide and dedicated facilities. They also went down a set of stairs, crossing a long, dark, and cold corridor. Here were the thieves' classrooms. The atmosphere was sinister, the rooms labyrinthine, with locks everywhere. The professor pulled on a lamp, revealing a hidden door that opened. They continued descending deeper until they reached the main office of the thief professor.
"Hello, Mr. Valentine," said the professor as they entered the room. "Today, I'm presenting a new recruit."
"Oh? And who might that be?" Valentine asked, looking at Ryuichi curiously. "He looks familiar..."
"This young man is Ryuichi Kurogane."
"What? Louigi's son?" Valentine seemed astonished. "You made it here? WoW, that is great, your parents would be proud of you"
"Yes, sir," Ryuichi answered respectfully.
"Ah, my condolences, my boy. I was there during the accident," he said with a sad sigh.
He lightly pinched Ryuichi's muscles, as if testing his strength, then asked:
"You train a lot, huh? What skill have you learned?"
Valentine then took a rune stone and asked Ryuichi to place his hand on it. After a moment he said.
"I see... Yes, you've mastered the basic spells well. Many seem to have been perfected, but you'll need to learn higher-level books if you really want to evolve. You don't yet have the knowledge of an expert."
A smile appeared on Valentine's face.
"Well, that made my day. I look forward to seeing you in class. Your parents were brave and honorable."
Ryuichi then took a portal back to the administration office which was located in Valentine's office.
"That concludes our little tour," Valentine declared. "We'll see you at the start of the semester in two weeks. You can move in right now if you'd like."
After Ryuichi decided to head to the thieves' library, but not the one in the underground thief district. This time, it was the royal palace's library.
The shop was large and luxurious, filled with thousands of books. Ryuichi approached the librarian and said:
"Hi, I am looking for Rogues Class: Skill Books, do you have any."
"Of course we do, it will be at Aisle 105, section 666." the book keeper said
Ryuichi went there and browsed the books, some priced from 10,000 to 100,000 gold coins.
"Wow, really expensive..." the celestial muttered.
"What should I take?" Ryuichi asked.
"Strangely, nothing here seems useful."
"Wait, over there, Edward R. Keader. Take that one."
"100g? Are you sure?"
"Yes, buy it!"