Chapter 5

  Three days had passed, and it was finally time for the silver rank evaluation. One thing Leon learned was that the qualification for silver rank only happened once every three months.

  Leon had done what prep he could. He synced his simulations like usual. He’d also kept things light the day before—some drills, a short run, nothing crazy. No point showing up sore.

  He was ready.

  As he approached the guild, his thoughts wandered to Mira and the job offer from a few days prior. Intrigued, he inquired with Keira about any updates, but as he anticipated, there was no news about them.

  At the time, it was tempting as hell. Five gold wasn’t pocket change, especially for a bronze rank. Now? He was glad he passed. Whatever that job was, it had gone quiet. He’d asked Keira about it yesterday, just to check, but she shook her head. “Still nothing,” she said, filing papers behind the counter like it was just another day. “No report, no sighting. Could be nothing. Could be bad.”

  Somewhat, Leon felt relief, as he hadn’t gotten greedy. He hadn’t jumped at the shiny payout without thinking it through. Tempting, sure—but instincts mattered out here.

  Leon had read enough stories to know when something screamed “bad idea.” A sketchy job with a fat payout? Classic setup. That kind of thing always came with trouble.

  He didn’t need gold—okay, he did, but not that badly. What he really needed was time. Time to train,. His ability wasn’t the flashy kind you showed off early. It was the slow-burn, play-the-long-game kind. Jumping into danger for quick cash would've been the dumbest way to speedrun an early death.

  By the time Leon stepped into the guild, the lobby was already buzzing. Dozens of adventurers packed the space, some trying to look casual, others visibly tense. Everyone was clearly here for the same reason.

  Leon observed the badges on their bodies, noting that they all held bronze rank, just like him.

  He didn’t waste time and made his way to the front desk, where Keira was already busy juggling paperwork and answering the same three questions over and over. She glanced up as he approached and gave him a small nod.

  “You’re here.” she said, flipping through some papers. “Combat assessment will start in a few minutes. Here is your number.”

  Keira slid him a slip with his name and number on it. “You’ll be facing one of the guild deputies—Gold-rank. They’re not trying to kill you, but they won’t go easy, either.”

  Leon nodded, slipping the paper into his pocket. He’d already heard the details, but still—he appreciated the reminder. Part of him was actually looking forward to it. Not the getting-hit part, obviously, but the challenge. The test.

  He needed to know where he stood in this world—how far he’d come, and how far he still had to go.

  “One of the staff will call your number when it’s your turn. The assessment are being held behind the guild, in the outdoor ring.”

  As if on cue, someone across the lobby called out, “Number twelve! Head to the training yard for combat assessment!”

  Leon glanced down—he was number seventeen. Almost there.

  “Thank you.” He nodded to Keira and stepped aside.

  “Good luck.”

  —

  Leon leaned against the wall, waiting for his turn, trying to shake off the nervous energy buzzing in his chest. The lobby was filled with chatter—some adventurers were pacing, others were grouped together, swapping stories or giving last-minute pep talks. Leon stayed quiet, his thoughts running a little too fast.

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  "Hey, you’re Leon, right?"

  The voice cut through Leon’s thoughts, yanking him back to the present. He looked up to find a tall, lean guy with dark red hair standing in front of him, a grin already plastered across his face. A sword and shield was strapped on his back.

  There was a woman standing beside him, her quiet demeanor a sharp contrast to his energy. Her red hair and features mirrored his, only she seemed more reserved, barely meeting Leon’s eyes. There was a staff slinged on her back. Is she a mage? Leon thought.

  "Yeah, that's me," Leon said, offering a nod. A little surprised and confused about how he knew him.

  "I thought so," the guy said with a slight smirk. "I’m Aryen." He gave a short, acknowledging nod, then gestured toward the quiet woman standing behind him. "This is my sister, Arya."

  Leon glanced over at Arya, who gave him a small, shy wave before looking down at the floor again, as if the conversation wasn’t really her scene.

  "Don’t mind her," Aryen said, breaking the silence. "She’s a little shy when it comes to talking to new people."

  Then, as if sensing his confusion, he continued. “You’re a bit famous you know. The guy who got himself almost killed by a goblin on his first day? News travels fast here in the guild.”

  Leon froze for a second, somewhat embarrassed.

  Aryen continued, “Not many people walk away from that. You must’ve had the luck of the gods on your side.”

  Leon rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable with the attention. “I guess you’re right. I barely survived that fight.”

  Arya, who had been quiet, finally spoke up in her soft voice. "But you’re here," she said, looking up from her shoes for the first time since they’d started talking. "That’s what matters."

  Leon blinked, a little taken aback by the simplicity of her words.

  "Yeah," he said, a bit more quietly. "I guess it does."

  Aryen chuckled, rocking back on his heels like this was all just another casual day. “Still, props for surviving. Most newbies don’t walk away from their first screw-up with all their limbs.”

  Leon smirked a little, the tension easing just enough for him to speak more freely. “Yeah, well… lesson learned. Don’t underestimate anything with a knife and bad breath.”

  Aryen laughed. “Fair. We’ve had our own close calls too. First month out, we ran into a nest of rock gnashers. I swear, I still hear the clicking in my sleep.”

  Arya gave a quiet nod beside him, her voice soft. “That was… not fun.”

  Leon raised an eyebrow. “Rock gnashers? You’re still standing, so you must’ve handled it.”

  Aryen grinned. “Barely. She dragged me out after I slipped on a wet rock like a total idiot. Didn’t stop her from lecturing me for a week.”

  Arya’s cheeks turned a shade redder, and she looked away. “You needed it.”

  The three of them shared a small laugh—nothing big, but enough to chip away at the nerves hanging in the air. Leon found himself a little surprised. He hadn’t expected to click with anyone today, let alone a pair of siblings who knew his name from the grapevine.

  “Anyway,” Aryen said, leaning back against the wall beside him, “you aiming to pass this thing on the first try?”

  Leon shrugged. “That’s the plan.”

  Aryen gave a mock salute. “Same. Guess we’ll see what we’re really made of soon enough.”

  For the first time that morning, Leon didn’t feel quite so alone in the crowd.

  A loud voice called out from the front of the hall, cutting through the noise like a blade. “Number fourteen—Aryen Velis. Training grounds.”

  Aryen straightened with a grin, rolling his shoulders like he was heading into a sparring match and not a combat evaluation that could make or break his rank. “Showtime.”

  He turned to Leon and gave him a quick fist bump. “Wish me luck.”

  “Don’t die,” Leon said, half-joking.

  Aryen laughed as he walked off. “No promises.”

  Leon watched him disappear down the hall toward the back exit.

  With Aryen gone, the energy between him and Arya shifted a little. She stayed quiet, arms crossed, eyes fixed somewhere off in the distance. Leon wasn’t sure if it was the awkward silence or if she was just naturally like that—quiet, thoughtful.

  He cleared his throat. “He always that talkative?”

  Arya blinked, like she’d just remembered he was still there. “Since we were kids,” she said softly. “He talks enough for both of us.”

  Leon chuckled. “Works out. I’ve had more conversations today than I’ve had in the past two weeks.”

  That got the faintest smile from her.

  Silence settled again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable this time.

  Somewhere behind those doors, Aryen was probably getting his ass handed to him—or handing someone theirs. Leon wasn’t sure.

  He glanced at Arya, who hadn’t moved, her posture relaxed but her eyes locked forward like she could see through the walls. Leon got the sense she wasn’t nervous. Just... patient.

  Maybe he could borrow some of that.

  End of Chapter 5