Part One
We arrived at my home. As we walked up to the door I realized I never checked up on my grandma. We live on the outskirts of the village and I never thought to check if the goblins got to her. I rushed to the door and started to call for her.
"Grandma, Grandma, are you okay?"
As I walked to the dining room there she was sitting there eating her famous vegetable soup.
"Oh there you are Lu! I've been waiting for you to come back, where have you been?"
I rushed up and hugged her.
"Thank God you're okay."
The lady cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Agatha Hart and I am with the Adventurer's Guild. Your grandson is a prodigy, a once in a generation potential, and I would love to take him with me to manifest this potential as I train him and lead him to become an adventurer."
It was at this point we both realized my grandma had not been paying attention at all.
"Take him, take him."
I was shocked at how easily she agreed.
"Lu, you deserve to see the world. Live the life your mother never got to have."
"Thank you grandma. We'll leave first thing in the morning. Right now, I need to get some sleep."
"I'll go back to my tent for the night and be here right at sunrise."
"Okay, I'll see you in the morning."
Agatha left and I walked up to my room and laid in my bed.
"Could I really leave this town and see the world?"
Questions swirled in my mind. I quieted my mind and tried my best to go to sleep.
Part Two
"James, your grades are dropping. What happened to the genius boy you were when you were younger?"
"I-I-I'm sorry there's just been a lot going on."
"Step it up. You don't want to be a failure, do you?"
I woke up in a cold sweat. It's been years since I've had a memory from my old life come back.
"Luther, are you okay?"
It was Agatha. I'm not sure how long she had been standing there but I guess now it's time to leave.
I put my thumb up and got out of bed and packed my belongings. After packing, we went downstairs and I said goodbye to Grandma and gave her a hug.
Stepping outside I looked at the rising sun.
"So this is the start of my story. From this point on I'll be living a new life and as an adventurer."
"Alright let's get moving. Before we can getting to adventuring I first have to train you. You can't even see Snowe. Although you have made unbelievable progress at such a young age, you are completely unrefined as a Soul Arts user."
"Completely unrefined is a little bit of an exaggeration," I thought to myself but continued listening.
"By my estimations it'll take about a year before you'll be able to take the Adventurer's Guild's assessment and pass. It'll be a long and strenuous year. I won't be going easy on you. If you truly want to do this stay but if you are not going to give your all you can return home."
"That look on her face," I thought. "She's completely serious."
"Of course I'm ready, let's begin!"
And so we began a year long training. In this year I learned a lot about my ability, the guild, and a lot about how a soulforge functions.
"Soulforges are within the center of your body. It is directly tied to your spirit. If you overexert your Soulforge you will be incapacitated or even die. The Soulforge has 10 stages. When the Soulforge is first awakened it starts at stage 10. To reach the next stage you must train internally through meditation. Through meditation you will meet with your inner self. This inner self is made from your deepest desires and thoughts. You are able to fight this version of you in order to reach the next stage. Once you defeat yourself then you will reach the next stage and will be able to fight yourself again. Your inner self gains power just as you do too.
"Your inner self at stage 10 is not even comparable to your inner self at stage 9. Most people don't get past stage 8."
"What stage are you at, Agatha?"
"It's Ms. Hart to you!" She yelled as she dumped water and soaked me completely.
"Currently I am at stage 6." She said while trying to hide her discontent.
"At what stage will I be able to see your companion, Ms. Hart?"
"Oh, that will be at stage 9. Our goal during this year is for you to reach stage 8 and to have an understanding of different weapons which you can create with your ability."
She also went on to explain soul contracts and soulbonds.
"Soul contracts are the agreements made with spirit beasts. A soul contract can only be formed if both the spirit beast and the spirit arts user agree to cooperate and work together. There are grades to spirit beasts: S, A, B, C, and D. Once a contract is formed you will immediately be able to summon your spirit beast and will have access to a new ability. You will be able to merge your souls and enter a mode of increased physical attributes and gain minor features of your spirit beast. That is stage 1 of Soul Integration. There are 4 stages. Stage 2 allows you to gain more characteristics of the spirit beast alongside the instinct and perception of this animal. The 3rd stage allows for increased physical attributes alongside partial transformations into the spirit beast. The 4th stage is the strongest and allows for the complete transformation into your spirit beast and a new humanoid version which will have increased speed, strength, and perception alongside access to the beast's soulforge ability. Very few people reach that level."
Part Three
By the end of the year, I reached stage 7 of my soulforge. Agatha reached stage 5 which made her ecstatic. She had been stuck at stage 6 for a while and started to get worried that would be where she would stay. It was now time for the capital of all Adventurer's Guild activity, Heredome to take the Adventurer's Guild's entrance exam.
"All of this training has led to this moment."
We waited in the lobby until we heard my name.
"Number 304, Luther Arghold?"
Agatha gave me a slight nudge and I walked up and followed the man who called my name.
"Goodluck Luther!"
"Come right this way." The man said as we walked into a room. As we entered the room everything turned black and everyone froze.
"Hello Luther," I heard an eerie voice say. It seems that I was frozen but was still able to speak. I tried to detect the Soulforge of the being speaking to me but could not locate the voice.
"Who are you and where are you?"
"I am the God, the World, or what you might call The Great Spirit." As they chuckled.
"I've never heard of you?"
I could hear The Great Spirit getting worked up and he yelled, "You haven't heard of the Great Spirit? I created everything you see before you. The sun, sky, moon, and land. Anyways, the reason I have decided to reveal myself is to offer some advice.
I tried to nod my head before remembering I could not move and listened attentively.
"I suggest you pass this test first off. Next, you should go to Frostworth Dungeon within the next couple of months. Waiting there is unbelievable wealth and power which you can claim. That is all. Goodluck with your little test."
Before I could ask any questions he disappeared and the world finally resumed.
"What in the hell was that? I've never even heard of Frostworth Dungeon. Why does The Great Spirit want me to go there?"
"Uh, hello?" The man said as he waved his hands in front of my face. I totally forgot I was in the middle of something important. I can worry about all that later. Right now I need to focus on the entrance exam.
"Welcome Luther, we are very excited to have you with us today. We have heard so much about you from Ms. Hart and we are excited to see the skill of someone held in such high regard by her."
"How important is Agatha if being praised by her holds that much weight? Also, I never knew she told people about me."
"We will first begin with a quick evaluation of your soulforge ability and any proficiencies in specific fighting styles."
We spent about an hour on this part. I explained my creation ability while also showing what I can create alongside explaining the limitations.
"Wow, you are truly unbelievable! I've never seen an ability like this at all!"
"Calm down, gramps you might die from all this excitement," I decided against saying.
The examiner was probably around 50 years old and had a long beard which was full of gray hair at this point. He was small in stature and wore black, wide-framed glasses.
"Alright everything is done. We have decided that based on your abilities you will be taking on Drode Cavern. Grab onto me and we will be there in a second. My soulforge ability allows me to recall to a place I have been to before and also bring people and objects with me."
"What an interesting ability," I thought. I grabbed onto him and in an instant we were teleported to the entrance of what I believed to be Drode Cavern.
"Your goal is to eliminate the spirit beasts living inside there and retrieve a crystal from the depths of the cave. Start now!"
I walked slowly into the darkness of the cavern while creating a rapier out of the stone around me.
"I'm ready for anything in here."
I walked for a few minutes before encountering my first enemy. It was similar to a bat from my world except its fangs were huge and it was massive. Without wasting a moment, I took aim at the bat with my rapier trying to concentrate. I began to create a rock drill. I focused on refining the tip into a deadly weapon.
The bat swirled around the cavern quickly avoiding my line of sight.
"Just like my training, come on Luther." In my training Agatha's aim was to have me be more precise with my creation ability. Because our abilities were similar, she had me use my creation ability in the same way she would use her water manipulation. In the same way she would create ice weapons she had me create different weapons out of the environment around us. She also had me launch these creations at high speeds just like how she would launch water orbs or ice spears.
The bat then began to rush at me with its mouth agape. It was ready to eat me. I maintained my composure and fired the drill.
The drill pierced the right wing of the bat. The bat began moving erratically and appeared to have lost all sense and was relentlessly charging after me. I dodged the first attack and quickly created spears which I fired at the left wing and body of the bat. The bat was pinned to the cavern wall unable to move. Using my rapier I slashed through the bat and the wall revealing a new area of the cave.
As I further explored the cave I eliminated the various enemies I encountered from goblins to undead warriors. I arrived at what I believed to be the crystal the examiner was talking about.
"Was the old man talking about this?"
As I walked into the lower chamber and towards the crystal I heard a sound. I froze, looking from side to side trying to identify where the sound was from. I closed my eyes and focused in order to locate the Soulforge of the creature.
"Above me?" I thought as I turned my gaze upwards. There it was, a gigantic spider. It dropped down from the ceiling on a web and stood between me and the crystal. I took a deep breath and focused on the spider before me.
I was able to gather that the spider was able to produce webs alongside potentially being venomous.
"I should watch out for any projectiles it might launch at me."
I formed a large boulder hovering in front of me. I then sculpted the boulder into a large spear and launched it at the spider.
The spider jumped onto the ceiling and released webs. As the webs rained on the areas below I created a small structure to protect myself. I then created a stone pillar to rise up to the spider and attack.
As I stood on the pillar ascending upwards, the spider jumped down from the ceiling and slashed my pillar. I quickly created a platform connected to the wall to catch myself and began creating ledges on the wall to run on. I dropped down to the ground and created a pole. I used the pole to launch myself into the air.
While in the air I created five spears around me and a lance in my hand. I launched the 5 spears, with 3 of them making contact with the spider. 2 of them hit the legs of the spider and the other landed between the eyes.
The spears seemed to be causing some damage to the spider as it clearly began to move slower.
As I was falling the spider managed to land a hit on me which I attempted to block by creating a shield.
I was too late and the spider slammed me into the wall.
"Ouch that one hurt," I said as blood trickled down from my head.
"I've never shed blood before," I thought to myself as I got out of the crater formed in the wall.
"Bring it on!" I screamed furiously as I began to lunge at the spider. The spider let out a high-pitched screech which echoed throughout the whole cavern. I ran, dodging the slashing attacks of the spider just narrowly.
I rushed towards the spider while creating a sword in my hand and stone arrows behind me. I launched the 20 arrows behind me and landed a couple on the eyes of the spider. As the spider released another ear-piercing screech I created a large stone above the spider and dropped it. The spider fell for my trap. The spider dodged the stone but moved right into the range of my sword unsuspectingly. I cut two of the spider's legs and managed to create a spear. As the spider hobbled around it began to spit its venom at me. I dodged and turned to see the venom melting the stone.
"I would die if that hit me. I've got to be careful." I said to myself as I launched a spear pinning one for the legs of the spider. Dodging the corrosive spit of the spider, I once again created a rapier. I created a boulder which I launched into the mouth of the spider, stopping the spitting. I then took aim with my rapier while creating a rock drill. I refined the rock continually until it was as sharp as I needed. I then launched it towards the spider.
"There, take that!"
The rock pierced the head of the spider. The spider was dead.
"For my first major fight that wasn't too bad," I thought as I walked and claimed the crystal.
I returned to the surface with the crystal and the examiner was excited.
"Very well then, I thought this would be a challenge out of your league but it appears that you found this quite easy."
"Easy? If only he knew what I went through with that spider."
"We shall go back now," and I grabbed onto him as we were transported back to Adventurer's Hall.
"Here is your badge, the Adventurer's badge from the Adventurer's Guild." He said as he extended his hand.
I shook his hand and grabbed the badge while thinking, "This is totally awesome. I'm finally an adventurer after all of that training."
The old examiner cleared his throat and began to speak, "The Guild functions with multiple different gradings for missions and adventurers. The grades are V, IV, III, II, I, and O with V being the lowest. You were placed into IV which is already advanced for a new adventurer let alone a child like yourself."
I walked out of the room with a huge smile on my face and saw Agatha talking to an unfamiliar face.
"Repent, repent, repent. The end times are coming. Repent and join the Church to be spared of judgment!"
The man walked away and Agatha seemed completely unbothered.
"Look what I got!" I said as I showed her my badge excitedly.
"About time. Come with me, we are going to stay a night at an inn before going on a mission tomorrow."
"Ouch, you can't even congratulate me on passing." I wanted to say but just kept my thoughts to myself.
I didn't realize the assessment took the whole day. We checked into an inn for the night. Lying in my bed I couldn't go to sleep. I was so excited for the start of my adventuring career. The money, fame, and thrill. All of it I would get to experience. As I laid in my bed my experience with The Great Spirit weighed heavy on my mind.
"Frostworth Dungeon? What could be in there and most importantly, why does The Great Spirit want me to go there?"