Sona had fully recovered and was now heading to the training grounds, reflecting on what Dema had told her. After Sona had explored the ruins, she was found by an expedition team while unconscious on the ground. Oddly, the ruins had vanished, leaving her alone in the middle of a forest. The team was initially skeptical about what a young girl was doing in such a place, but one of them suggested taking her to the clinic and reporting the incident to the guild.
Fast forward to the present, Sona was now preparing for the guild examination. A week earlier, Sarah had offered her a position in the guild, but she informed Sona that the application had been full and that she'd need to wait another week. Today, the examination had finally begun, and Sona was eager to prove herself, starting with the first test: Mana Capacity.
In the Mana Capacity test, each participant had to place their hand on an orb. The orb would glow a color, and each color represented a different rank: White was F, Green was D, Blue was C, Orange was B, Red was A, and Yellow was S. One by one, the candidates placed their hands on the orb. Many of them received F's or D's, especially those with warrior classes, who typically lacked strong magical abilities. Then, to everyone's surprise, a girl named Kasandra De Rosa, the daughter of a merchant, scored an A. The crowd praised her for her remarkable result.
When it was Sona's turn, she placed her hand on the orb, but the glow was a pale white—an F. Laughter and mocking words filled the air. They ridiculed her for being a mage with such low mana, but Sona ignored them and moved on to the next test.
The second test measured attack power. A training dummy stood in the center of the room, and participants were required to strike it with all their strength. If anyone scored an F in this test, they failed instantly, as it was more important than Mana Capacity due to the constant threat of monsters. One by one, the candidates hit the dummy, and most scored C or higher. When Kasandra's turn came, she cast a level-three spell, Icelance, destroying the dummy in an instant. The crowd was stunned, calling her a genius.
Now it was Sona's turn. She unleashed a Flame I spell, followed by a Fire Blast that evaporated a large portion of the dummy. The explosion shocked everyone, including Kasandra, who had been observing.
The third test was a written exam, where candidates were asked about herbs, monsters, weapons, classes, and histories. Sona breezed through the questions, finishing first. As she handed in her test paper, some of the other participants snickered, assuming she had given up. Kasandra, however, observed her quietly. A few moments later, the results were posted—Sona was in first place, with Kasandra in second. Unmoved by the result, Sona proceeded to the final test, and Kasandra continued watching her.
The final test was a one-on-one battle in a small arena against an instructor. Many participants failed or were injured. When Kasandra's turn came, she forced the instructor to surrender, leaving the crowd in awe. Then it was Sona's turn. She cast five magic circles at once, releasing them in a massive explosion that consumed the arena. When the smoke cleared, a huge crater marked the spot where the dummy had once stood. The instructor was visibly shaken, and Sona was ready to cast more spells, but other instructors quickly stopped her, saying that she had passed. The other participants were stunned, whispering, "Who is she?"
Kasandra, wide-eyed, thought to herself, "Not only did she cast that spell, but she didn't even use an incantation… What are you? A monster?" Meanwhile, Sona was concerned about her sister, Dema, and wanted to head home.
Later that afternoon, Sona was on her way home, carrying some delicious food for Dema. Suddenly, she was surrounded by a group of men. "What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" she asked. The men smirked and said, "No... we're just here to have some fun with you."
Realizing their intentions, Sona immediately cast a protective spell around herself, calling them perverts before swiftly defeating them. As they scrambled away, they handed her a wand and a small magic bag, which could store many items. Afterward, Sona continued her walk home.
When she arrived, Dema greeted her with a hug. "Welcome back, big sis!" she exclaimed. Sona handed her the food, and Dema eagerly dug in, her eyes sparkling with joy. Sona smiled and patted her sister's head. "Dema, I'm officially a full adventurer now. Our lives are going to change from today on. You'll get to eat more, wear better clothes, and sleep in a comfortable bed."
Dema immediately congratulated her, and Sona thanked her in return.
Later that night, in the dark forest, monsters began marching toward Feroa Village. On a nearby cliff, a hooded figure watched, their eerie laughter echoing through the trees.